ucsdapsa@gmail.com; facebook.com/ucsdapsa | April 23, 2012 - Spring 2012, Week 4 - Issue No. 3

Editor’s Note: Everybody makes mistakes. With that cliché, I admit that I made an egregious error in the last newsletter by saying that March was API Heritage month. I was incredibly wrong! It’s actually in May, and there are many events coming in May to check out, not the least including Fong Tran’s appearance here at APSA at Week 6 GBM. When I applied for board membership, I really just wanted to work on the newsletter. I didn’t really think I’d have to do all that much with planning and putting together not just GBMs, but also all the other events that go on outside of GBM space. It turns out that I did, but I ended up really enjoy-ing the process and the rewards that come with it. To anyone who has never tried board, do it! Apply for board! I like to dedicate this issue to the 2011-12 board mem-bers, honorary board members, and Linda the SPACES Re-tention Coordinator. Thanks to all of these wonderful people for keeping APSA going! For this issue, thank you to every-one who contributed and everyone who has picked this up. I’ll leave you with the closing quote of the new Bob Marley documentary (which I highly reccomend): “I only have one thing I really like to see happen. I like to see mankind live to-gether - [...] - that’s all.” Our work here in APSA is a little step towards this envisioned harmony, and I can only hope that future board continues to improve towards this goal. APSA 5ever. With love, Mindy Lâm

Important Dates for Board Applications:

Friday April 27--Board Apps DueMonday April 30--Board Interviews

Tuesday May 1--Board Elections(Come out and vote!)

MAY is APA Heritage MonthAsian Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM), officially proclaimed “Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month” by President Barack Obama, is a celebration of the culture, traditions, and history of Asians Americans and Pacific Is-landers in the United States. Congress passed a joint Congressional Resolution in 1978 to com-memorate Asian American Heritage Week dur-ing the first week of May. This date was chosen because two important anniversaries occurred during this time: the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants in America on May 7, 1843 and the completion of the transcontinental railroad (by many Chinese laborers) on May 10, 1869. In 1990 Congress voted to expand it from a week to a month long celebration and in May 1992, the month of May was permanently designated as “Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month.” --Source: Wikipedia

Relay for Life: One Step at a Time By Johson Zhen Two weeks ago, on Saturday April 14th, the American Cancer Society (ACS), held their annual Relay for Life benefit walk at the Rimac track to raise cancer awareness as well as to fundraise for the research for cancer prevention. Due to poor weather conditions that Friday, the event was postponed to 3PM, rather than 10AM as planned, and was set to end at 2AM that following Sunday. Al-though slightly disappointed with the new time changes, hundreds of people still showed up to support the campaign against cancer. APSA participated in this event under the team name Carpe Diem, which translates to “seize the day” in Latin. Led by team captain Danny Tran, Carpe Diem became one of the few remain-ing teams left on the track by the closing ceremony held at 10AM the following Sunday (originally the event was rescheduled to end at 2AM, but ACS allowed any teams that wished to stay for the night to stay). Many APSA GBMer’s, board members, and alumni came out and showed their support throughout the event and into the night by walking/running around the track to demonstrate their support of the cause. My experience at Relay for Life has been a very humbling and enlightening one. I’ve learned that every single person has been, in some way, affected by cancer, whether it is a personal struggle with cancer or knowing someone with cancer. If you have never been to Relay for Life, I highly encourage you to do it next year. It is a great way to bond with your friends throughout the night and to share your own experience with cancer. Everyone has his or her own story to tell. I had my own personal reasons for walking the whole night. What’s your story?

Clockwise from above: Posing at RIMAC track; Carpe Diem’s campsite; human pyramid; Relay4Life t-shirts; sing-along; and the morning after sunrise

Art Corner Art by Hanh On

I went to APSA’s benefit talent show on Saturday night, but I couldn’t enjoy it because I was in complete distress over the fact that I had an art project due on Monday. But I’m glad I went, because if I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have been inspired. While talking to Mindy, I heard about a project her friend had done in which she stood on a public pathway and had people write on her body. It was appalling to me, because it’s just something I would never think to do, something I would never want to do. And then I thought that, perhaps, this has to do with my avoid-ance of vulnerability, my need to be in constant control. From here, I started turning the idea around in my head—have people write on me, draw on me, paint on me… in the nude. It wasn’t hard to gather a group of people, but it was hard to get most of them started. To encourage them, I told them to draw whatever they wanted, whatever they were feeling, whatever they were thinking. I stayed quiet for the most part and analyzed the experience and what my peers were doing. Some of these I thought were really general (flowers, peace symbols, mustaches), but some I thought reflected personal tastes and interests, like the bones and veins that one girl outlined on me. It was creepy, but nonethe-less valuable. The best part, I thought, was when they stood back and critically examined their work. They decided that they didn’t cover enough area, and proceeded to dumping the pots of paint on me, rubbing me down with their bare hands, when they were previously careful to not get any paint on them. Afterward, they said it was relaxing and fun and thanked me for letting them paint on me, when I was trying to thank them. It was really intimate and personal, more so than I ever really allow myself to be around other people. I think I have allowed myself to be in a slightly more vulnerable place for once. And it wasn’t totally horrible.

Hanging out with APSA:We’ve done a lot of activities so far this quarter, from GBMs to tabling to volleyball! Here are some pic-tures to immortalize all the fun we have together.

Triton Day TablingThe first Saturday of the quarter, GBMers and Board Members alike tabled at Triton Day to recruit future freshmen!

Intramural Volleyball! We lost our first game, but that won’t stop us from having fun! Join us Tuesdays 10 pm at RIMAC to play. Go Stephen Curry!

UCSD Goes to SDSU APSA’s Fashion Talent ShowSupporting our brothers and sisters at State!

Hanging out with board and old board at the park!(ps. don’t forget to apply for board!)

Want to get more involved?OPEN BOARD MEEETINGSMondays | Beginning 6:30PM | Cross Cultural Center Conference RoomBoard meetings are open to all. You can see how board operates and volunteer for tasks & help plan :) <3

APSA Learning and Empowerment Aca-demic Program MeetingsCoordinator: MaggieMeetings TBDWill be planning Shadow Day for Crawford Educational Complex this quarter! “Whoa APSA!”

GBMSTuesdays, always and forever6:30PM-9PMCross Cultural Center Comunidad (2nd Floor PC, Directly Above Burger King) ***WEEK 5: May 1st | SPECIAL ELECTIONS ODD WEEK GBM| ELECTED POSITIONS WILL PRES-ENT***

Week 6: May 8th | “Reclaim stories, Reclaim Self” | Special Guest Fong Tran

Week 8: May 22nd | Topic: Senior and Alumni Panel | Involves: Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month, GBMer of the Month

Week 10: June 5th | Topic: De-stresser | Involves: Quarter & Year Recaps, Summer opportunities <3

Upcoming APSA Events

BIGGIE EVENT: GRADUATION BANQUETSunday | May 27th | TIME TBA | LO-CATION TBA

Coordinators: Anna and Lilianne

Intern: TBD

Senior Liaisons: Allan C. and Danny T.

Details: Fundraise furiously. Taking Donations!Start making senior videos! Restric-tions TBA!Looking for intern! Contact Co-cos!

Planning Meetings:

Thursdays | 6PM-9PM | Locations change every week

#3: Week 4 | April 26th | TBA#4: Week 5 | May 3rd | TBA#5: Week 6 | May 10th | TBA#6: Week 7 | May 17th | TBA#7: Week 8 | May 24th | TBAWork Parties: TBADebrief Meeting: TBA

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Lemon Grass Chicken SaleThursday | May 3 | Libraray WalkA fundraising event! Come help us sell or come to eat.

SPORTS DAY & BBQs of the WORLDMonday | May 28th | TBATraditional event right after Grad Banquet on Memorial Day Monday. Battle in BBQS OF THE WORLD and in Sports activities AGAINST ALUMNI GRRRRR

Keep up to date withUCSD APSA on Facebook

SPRING CAMPING RETREATSaturday-Sunday | May 5h-6th | Sat 12PM - Sun 3PM | Meet at Croutons, Camping at Cuyamaca

Overnight event. Free. Open to every-one, but priority given to APSA GB-Mers. APSA is providing tents, partici-pants must provide their own sleeping bags and blankets. Details to come. SUPER FUN.

Thank you to this issue’s contributers:Hieu Tran, Johnson Zhen, Hanh On, and Lucy Troung.