My Fave Five Things from Homecoming Weekend!

This past Friday and Saturday, I was back at Princeton for homecoming weekend and it was one of the best Princeton-related experiences I have ever had! Here are some of the highlights: 

1.  New Ideas for PCW! 

On Friday morning, I attended three workshops for Princeton volunteers - one on affiliated groups and the other two on event planning. I came away from both workshops with a lot of new connections and ideas for upcoming PCW programs. For example, wouldn't it be great for Princeton alumni in DC to have the opportunity to have one-off precepts and seminars from Princeton graduate alumni? In order to make this happen, I'll need to step up my efforts and ask for more help, but as Dumbledore says, "help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it."

2. Saying Hi :) 

I am so glad that I had the opportunity to check in with some of the folks who were integral to making my Princeton experience amazing.

It was amazing that I had the chance to spend a little bit of time with the my friends at Quad (including the exceptional Quad Staff: T, R, D, and N). Also on Friday, I got some invaluable life advice from A, P, and of course PFK. Finally on Saturday, before the game, I had a chance to talk briefly to HS '52 - the Founder of Sustained Dialogue.

3. The Haircut.So if you don't know by now, I have a kind of mohawk thing going on with my hair and it kind of surprised some of my old friends. One of the funnier mini-episodes that occurred this weekend happened as I was looking for my seat: someone saw me and shouted "there's Usher" - Lol












4. Princeton Beats Harvard! 

If you haven't seen this video by now, just take a look.

I have been associated with Princeton for about five years: yesterday's Princeton vs. Harvard game was one of the greatest football games I have ever seen! Princeton mounted what had to be the greatest comeback in Ivy League history - 29 points in the 4th quarter - purely EPIC.

Furthermore, I went to the game with my Quad folks and had the chance to rush the field with them at the end. And here's another cool thing about this particular game: it was special to see a lot of the senior Princeton players that I knew from my time as a Freshmen Scholars Institute RA earn such a memorable victory.

5. A Special Moment at the Aspire Dinner 

There were a lot of special moments from this weekend, but there was one that really stands out from the reception/dinner celebrating the completion of the Aspire campaign on Friday night. During the reception portion of the evening, I had an opportunity to speak with a member of the Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church - the church I attended during college. In the company of fellow ABPA members, she told me that a presentation I gave a few years ago convinced her son to attend the W.E.B. DuBois Scholars Institute. The W.E.B. DuBois Scholars Institute is a summer academic enrichment and leadership program for minority middle and high school students that is held on Princeton's campus; I attended DuBois in 2004 and it was the first time I was really challenged and pushed intellectually. Upon hearing that this lady's son had attended and graduated from DuBois my night was infinitely boosted. It was really humbling and heartwarming to hear that something I considered small might have made a significant difference in another person's life. 

Goals for this Week: 7/30 - 8/5

I'm back! I know that I say that all the time, but I really don't get a chance to update this blog as often as I should.

Recently, I've been a big fan of the idea that if you articulate goals and work towards them everyday, then you're more likely to reach them. One of the big lessons that I've learned by working from working on my senior thesis is that it's better to take one little step than not move at all. And here's another lesson that I learned from my job searches: why spend your time talking about things when you could do them (or take steps to do them)?

To that end, every week I'm going to start sharing my goals for the upcoming seven days. It's a way to (1) to give my friends, family, and supporters more insight into my life (I think there's a lot of information about me already available online, but still) and (2) a method to hold myself accountable. And here we go, in no particular order:

1. Send out our work newsletter - my office sends out a newsletter to A LOT OF PEOPLE once a month and I'm the point person on that effort. I would like to send it out either today (Monday 7/30) or tomorrow, but it needs to be good and quality work with no major mistakes. It can be a meticulous process, but it's also  extremely satisfying at the end.

2. Respond to at least 50 Craigslist roommate listings - the more I think about it, the more I think it makes sense for me to find a "roommate situation," rather than my own place (the reasons why will compose a future entry). It's time for me to make a move: I have been saving up for months and this work commute Kemp Mill - in Wheaton/Silver Spring, MD - to Dupont everyday is brutal, especially considering the fact that I work from 8:30 am to 7:00 pm a lot of days. Let's just see what's out there!

3. Begin to lock-in dates for PCW Programs - Although I need to get the PCW Program Committee back together, I think I have dates set for our three major September programs, including our PCW Gala on September 22nd featuring my good friend DJ 3X Dex. I also have some ideas for October, but need to check in on those, but I know that I tired of an abundance of cancellations for our programs - that's done.

4. Send email inquiries about local community groups - As much as I love PCW, I also need to branch out in the area some more. I would like to participate in a regular community service organization or group based in the D.C. area. Also, it would be nice to join a networking group for young professionals - if anyone knows anything please let me know.

5. Meet two of my friends for a happy hour in Dupont Circle - Last week, I went to a great happy hour at Bar 7 - across the street from the Convention Center - and had a blast. The important thing about happy hours for me is the opportunity to catch up with old friends and make new ones. I'm thinking that I'll see what BK is up to, lol - Front Page? Speaking of making new friends...

6. Meet two new people - I need to get back to putting myself out there and meeting new folks: it's that simple :)

Ok, those are the goals for this week; thanks for reading. I'll be providing updates regularly on Facebook and Twitter.

Have a great week folks and here's a motivational video to get you going:

Taking A Break

Next Saturday, the Princeton Club of Washington will be holding its 1st Annual Gala. The gala is set to be a huge event complete with an open bar and live DJ. I'm hoping that we'll have a nice turnout of 100 people or more - that would be incredible.

Also, following the gala, I plan on taking a nice extended break from Princeton-related program planning.

Think about it this way: since the beginning of the year I have organized and executed 9 PCW programs including the following:

• January 7th - RACE: Are We So Different 
• February 6th - Wizards vs. Raptors (game and happy hour) 
• February 18th - Wine & Washington: Smithsonian Art Museum 
• March 17th - PCW Saint Patrick's Day Mixer 
• April 21st - Wine & Washington: Listen Here! 
• May 5th - University Row at the Virginia Gold Cup 
• May 24th - PCW Speaker Series: FBI Director Robert Mueller III '66
• June 6th - PCW Speaker Series: Ambassador Gene A. Cretz (outgoing U.S. Ambassador to Libya) 
• June 9th - Wine & Washington: National Gallery of Art (this one is today if anyone still wants to come) 

On top of that, I manage the Club's Facebook page, tickets to events, and sometimes it's weekly newsletter. I enjoy doing these things, but I need to take a break to do some other things including: 

1. Taking my work to "another level!"
2. Finding my own place and moving out - it's going to happen very soon! 
3. Doing less Princeton-related things 
4. Meeting new people and engaging in the city 
5. Thinking about professional development 
6. Doing community service again :)

A few weeks ago, I wrote this blog entry about getting out of the bubble here in DC. That's going to happen soon, but first I'm going to throw one more awesome event!

And don't worry, I'll be back!