Thoughts on Mister Business 2013

This is a little late in coming, but better late than never. Just wanted to say that I had an absolutely AMAZING time during the Mister Business pageant last Friday. The support from my friends in ABA and IV was overwhelming, and I was happy for the opportunity to represent my business club as Mister ABA.

Even though I didn’t win the Mister Business title (congrats to Carl who did!), I was genuinely glad to be up there just having fun. After the event, one of my friends came up to me and told me that if there was one thing he would definitely remember from the pageant in future years, it was my talk about my passion for reading, and my challenge for everyone in the crowd to using their knowledge to inspire and empower others. That single affirmation in itself was better than any win, and I enjoyed sharing a bit about my life, my family, and some key people in my life’s journey.

Glen’s Things To Do: Senior Edition

Redwood Road near Grizzly Peak

This week is my hell week – it’s been a tough one, with midterms, presentations, and the like. But considering that I had hell weeks every week back in the day, this isn’t too bad by comparison, and I’m almost, just almost, done. I’m studying for my last midterm (tomorrow) ever as a college undergrad, and I can’t stop thinking of the things I’d like to do my last few weeks at Cal. So many things, so little time!

- Sunset wine cruise in SF bay

- Napa Valley

- Riding at Grizzly Peak

- Trying out more food spots in Berkeley

Radiohead DeCal: “Talk Show Host” & “Palo Alto” B-Side Reviews

Radiohead circa 1997

So I promised more Radiohead-related posts this semester because of my DeCal assignments – here they are. I thoroughly enjoy each assignment, and it’s my hope that by posting them on my blog, fans and curious people alike can get a better idea of Radiohead’s music. I’ve embedded the YouTube videos as well for your convenience – check them out!

For your next homework, we would like you to write a paper reviewing the b-sides Talk Show Host (The Bends) and Palo Alto (OK Computer) on any qualities you deem worth writing about. It would be great if it was in a style similar to music reviewers you like (whether that be Pitchfork writers, Guardian writers, AV Club writers, etc.). Keep in mind the context of these songs; Talk Show Host came out in ’96 and Palo Alto in ’97, when the musical landscape was much different than it is now.

Guest Post | Vi Tran

Hey all! I’m excited to be sharing with you another guest post from a friend of mine, Vi Tran! I first met Vi through ABA, and she’s currently working on some exciting projects, including a Volunteer Dental Mission to Panama. I’ll let her share with you her vision and hope with this trip.

Hello! I am Vi Tran, a second year pre-dental student at UC Berkeley. Over the past few years, I’ve volunteered at numerous places, but I didn’t feel that my impact was enough. During my first year at college, I wanted to go beyond one-time volunteering events to creating sustainable resources for the underprivileged.

What’s Up | 02/13/13

Hey all, it’s been quite some time since my last What’s Up post, and this will be my first since the start of spring semester. I’ll try to include some major highlights from Glen’s life, and maybe some thoughts.

I’d characterize this semester as a relatively “chill” semester, because I’m taking a lighter course load (13.5 units + DeCal) and I’ve finished recruiting. It’s been pretty awesome, but my schedule has definitely not been as free as I’d thought at the start of school.

ABA First General Meeting Spring 2013

So this is it. My last ABA First General Meeting. Bittersweet, but a great finale to an amazing four years in this organization. I had the opportunity to attend First Gen last night, and I was thoroughly impressed by all the Cabinet members’ presentations, speeches, and charisma. It’s always a risk when changing things up, but the Spring 2013 Cabinet pulled it off quite impressively. So my hats off – and best of luck this semester, all.

Quote of the Day | Edward Young

Last first day of school, as a lot of my senior friends have been calling the start of spring semester before graduation. I came across a quote today by English poet Edward Young that was a good reminder of how I want to live my life, especially with graduation looming in the horizon:

We are all born originals – why is it so many of us die copies?

This quote really resonated with me because of its simplicity and truth. Much of our lives will rest on the decisions we make – when we look back, how do we want to see ourselves? A motivating thought.

End of Fall 2012 and Beginning of Winter Break

Whew. It’s official – I’m done with Fall 2012! While it’s definitely been a ride, I’m glad that I had the experience. I learned a lot this semester, not just from classes and recruiting, but also from experiencing life in college and living every day. And for that I’m grateful.

It wasn’t easy, but it wasn’t too bad, either. I felt this past semester, I had the optimal balance between classes, clubs, sports, friends, and time to myself.

Quote of the Day (Haas Edition 2.0) | Muhammad Ali

Champions aren’t made in gyms, champions are made from something they have deep inside them—a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have last-minute stamina, they have to be a little faster, they have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.

5 Tips on Writing Haas Essays

Disclaimer: This post is for informational purposes only. I do not claim that following my advice will guarantee you a spot in Haas. I can promise that reading this will help you look at your essays more closely and help you to develop a good approach to writing Haas application essays.

It’s Haas apps season, and I’m sure a lot of you have been stressing over the essays. “What should I write about?” “How do I write an essay that stands out?” “How do I approach this question?” These are just some of the questions that go through every applicant’s mind at one point or another.

In this post, I will try my best to provide some big-picture insights to help you with your approach and topic of choice. I’ve read around 30 Haas essays in the past couple of years, so I definitely notice a lot of trends, both good and bad, and I’d like to share them with you here.