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PAL, Fall 2014, Grow Forth!

Hi Everyone!

Welcome to Fall 2014!

Our PAL Tumblr here is to deliver exciting news, recent events &/or tips for Berkeley life from us CNR PALs!

I, Eve Lee, am a returning PAL, and a senior in Nutritional Science, Dietetics. I really like how all my classes can be applied in real life or my future career, and hope that I will be able to do as much as I can in my last year! I’m also excited to meet all the students in CNR!

And without further ado, the PAL Team of 2014 - 2015:

Jonathan Nolasco Conservation Resource Studies (CRS)

Elynn Hagelshaw Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR)

Sophia Lemmo Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR)

Ben Rushakoff Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) Environmental Economics and Policy (EEP)

Alani Worden Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) Society and Environment (S&E)

Caryn Yip Society and Environment (S&E)

Spencer Liem Microbial Biology (MB)

Avanti Gole Molecular Environmental  (MEB)

Felicia Watson Molecular Environmental Biology (MEB)

Maria Escudero-Fung Molecular Environmental Biology (MEB)

Kristin Cheng Nutritional Science and Toxicology, Undeclared (NST-UND)

Charley Yan Nutritional Science and Toxicology, Physiology & Metabolism (NST-P&M)

Eve Lee Nutritional Science and Toxicology, Dietetics (NST-D)

We PALs have office hours Monday through Friday, 9am - 5pm, at the side window in 260 Mulford Hall! Below is our tentative schedule for our office hours. Visit us for burning questions of if you just want to chat!

If none of these times fit into your schedule, feel free to email pal@berkeley.edu! We also have (this Tumblr, of course, and) Instagram, so follow us @cnr_pal for updates on PAL activities!

Cheers to the new semester!

- Eve

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This is a bit overdue, but Thank you so much to our graduating PALs last year!!! Above are photos of Susie, Brita, Peter, Carolyn and Judy, and also the best wishes to Kristine and Christine (double Ch/Kristine!!!) who graduated at the end of Fall 2013!

Susie and Kristine, I cannot thank you guys enough for leading PALs last year and for always being so encouraging!

Peter, you never faze to amuse us with your humorous “no/done with homework/exam” check-in’s, and I always felt Christine had something funny to say!

Carolyn and Judy, you guys were the energetic bundles of positive Environmental Sciences energy amongst us!

Thanks to all of you, so so much!!! We miss you guys; nevertheless, best of luck wherever you are now! =D

That is all for now, stay tuned for the next PAL post! (Soon, for current PALs update!)

- Eve

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Green Speed Networking Event this FRIDAY!

Hello everyone!

I hope everyone is enjoying all the awesome Earth Week events! One of the last events of Earth Week is Green Speed Networking, which is brought to you by PowerSave Campus, SERC, and the Career Center. Students have the chance to interact with professionals in the environmental field in a speed dating format. (Don't worry! It isn't actual speed dating!) We have 10 confirmed professionals coming to the event, excited to chat with you and give you their advice and wisdom. If you are interested in a career in the environmental field, come to the event in your business casual attire! In addition, you can have your LinkedIn head shot taken! Sustainable and local refreshments will be provided by the lovely Berkeley Student Food Collective! 

It will be held this Friday, April 25th from 4-6pm at the Blue and Gold Room at the Career Center.  

Check out the introduction guide of the professionals! 

Come join us! And I hope to see you there =)

- Carolyn, ES

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Mid-April = PAL Outreach

Exciting week for PALs since we had a lot of outreach events and visitors/prospective freshman!

Cal Day at CNR last Saturday (4/12) was quite a success and Cal went all out, seeing as the “cable cars” were touring around the campus! Apparently we had a competition going on for the largest academic building (VLSB) with Harvard, hence the Life Science Addition beside VLSB. I also followed part of the Cal Forestry Club’s Tree Trail Hike, and learned some characteristics about the amazing trees on campus.

The CNR Special Tour was also a great introduction for prospective students to see all the main CNR buildings. I also enjoyed talking to everyone who came to the CNR orientations and such. Hope to see you again soon!

Eco Fair at Mission College

On Thursday, Carolyn and I went down to Mission College in Santa Clara (where Carolyn transferred from) to join their Eco Fair! The tables there were amazing—discussing water and air quaility, recycling, reusable energy, wildlife protection and other environmental issues. They had amazing exhibits, and really opened my mind to ways that we can be more sustainable and environmentally-friendly.

Fun Exhibits!

See how the "pollutants" we put in the water affects the Bay Area.

Worm Compost!

My favorite parts were the electric cars, which Carolyn and I had fun posing next to, and the solar cooking stove!

Apparently the equipment below costs a lot to even RENT it for the day! The reflection of the sun can really heat up the stove! The chef had to be careful though, since the whole thing was super hot.

Since transportation took nearly 3 hours, I stayed at Carolyn's house and had the honor of meeting her stray cats! Thanks for having me!!!

DAWWWWWW!

Lazy-Cats!

They were so adorbs!!!

Cat: "I wanna get in!"

Carolyn's Sister: "Don't even think about it."

On Friday, I also joined Susie in the CNR Info and Q&A Session for the Overnight Stay Program. I hope we clarified any mysteries and questions you may have about Cal, CNR and being a college student in general. Don't worry, you'll get the acronyms soon enough! (You'll learn more as you go. I don't think I know all of them even as a junior!)

Overall, a very exciting month, and I know other PALs have also been involved and introduced CNR to lots of students! Keep an eye out for College Week Live online chats on Wed, 4/23: 9-12pm, 1-5pm.

Hope your semesters are wrapping up well, and Good Luck in your finals and other projects!

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Here are some pictures of my Friday, including CNR PAL's Telebears Advising!

Thanks to all of you who joined and asked us lots of great questions, as well as eating yummy cookies with us! Another big shout out to dedicated officers from BEEPS (Berkeley Environmental Economics and Policy Students), ESSA (Environmental Sciences Student Association), Forestry Club, SERC (Student Environmental Resource Center), SDA (Student Dietetic Association), and ToxSA (Toxicology Students Association) for making this event possible!

Unfortunately we had to move in due to the erratic weather, but I'm glad y'all were able to find us! Hope everyone enjoyed the yummy cookies!

I also got the BSFC's Produce "Box" of the Week--1 bunch of asparagus, 1 bunch of chard, 2 leeks, 1 bunch of carrot, 2 apples and 2 BOXES OF STRAWBERRIES!!! Such a great deal, all organic and local, for only $15!!! It was the strawberries that really draw me in. It's close to campus too, so you won't need to travel far to get fresh, organic produce.

Hope everyone had a great Friday and first week back from Spring Break! Good Luck to those who have midterms next week!!!

- Eve

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This month is National Nutrition Month! Eating "healthily" is not the end of the world. Lean meats and vegetarian dishes (when cooked and seasoned well) can taste amazing too! Sometimes things just need a little bit more salt... (but not too much).

I baked salmon after searing it for my friend's birthday, and it ended up a bit dry and not so salty since I only salted it a bit....... (I did "marinate" it with garlic though)

Stay tuned for more nutrition info throughout the month, and "enjoy the Taste of Eating Right!"

(Photo credit to Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics click link for more info!)

-Eve

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Hello all!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful end to their three day weekend, or is scrambling around to get on that homework ;). I attended a TEDx talk last Saturday which was held at Zellerbach Hall. There was a total of seventeen talks. It sounds like a lot, but it was quite invigorating. The talks ranged from the art of innovation to a game that help save desert tortoises. A lot of the talks were definitely food for thought that made you sit back and ponder for a moment. I really enjoyed my time during this event. TEDx Berkeley holds an event every year. If you are interested in attending next year, check out their website periodically for updates on their next event in 2015. I highly recommend it! Also, UC Berkeley students are heavily discounted on the ticket price. This year was $30 for students, and $100 for general admission.

Until next time,

Carolyn - ES

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Welcome, 2014!

Happy spring semester! Spring is in the air. 

Wait, it's still February! This beautiful weather is both a blessing and a curse. California is dry, but we college students enjoy these wonderful sunny days. (Don't mind the rain in the forecast, the earth is thirsty)

Anyway, we PALs hope you all are enjoying these first few weeks back. We hope that you've gotten into all the classes you've been waitlisted for, or at least have come to terms with your fate and signed up for a deCal. 

Over here in the Mulford side of things, we are on the hunt for new and enthusiastic peer advisors to take the place of our 5 retiring veterans. Flyers will be posted in short order, so be sure to pick one up! We will be accepting applications all semester, so tell your friends and turn in a well crafted application! If you have any questions, ask one of us, or email cnrpal@gmail.com! We look forward to reading your applications!

Welcome back to Berkeley!

Much love,

Alani

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GOOD LUCK & Early MERRY CHRISTMAS!

The semester's coming to an end, and tomorrow will be the start of the daunting finals!

We PALs wish everyone the Best of Luck on Finals, and know that you'll all do great!

Early Merry Christmas!!!

(I'm a fan of Pusheen, so I shall share this to remind everyone of our reward by the end of this week! Original Post here.)

Cheers, Eve

P.S. Remember to take breaks and eat good healthy food to stay strong!

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"A Place at the Table" & What to do for Thanksgiving!

Tomorrow the Student Dietetics Association (SDA) will be showing “A Place at the Table” at 159 Mulford, 7-9:30pm. The film is not that long, but we have a followup discussion about hunger, food insecurity and other issues raised in the film.

Is everyone excited for Thanksgiving! If not for a third midterm/final for one of my classes and two presentation/project for another, I will be more pumped! However, this is a nice breather and prelude to the end of the semester and Christmas break, so I’ll enjoy it with baking and cooking!

I can’t go home, but I’m excited to try this recipe: Pumpkin & Pecan Pie. (Or as always, alter it to my taste!)

Enjoy the half-week and Thanksgiving! Remember to be thankful of all that you have

- Eve, NS-D

P.S. Tomorrow is Scott’s (who is always at the CNR frontdesk) last day with us, and we will miss him dearly. Remember to Thank him for all his help!!! THANKS SCOTT YOU’RE AWESOME.

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IT'S ALMOST THANKSGIVING!

Who's ready for winter?

I am. It's officially fall, but the first major rain hasn't even come. They say it's supposed to get here tonight around midnight, but I'm skeptical. Even though the rain will be a little bit dreary, at least it might give you the incentive to stay inside and study. Maybe your last round of midterms, or maybe you're getting started on your final projects. I know I need some kind of incentive to study, and maybe Thanksgiving is just what I need. Everyone needs those few days off to get ready for the last few weeks of the fall semester. And pumpkin pie doesn't hurt!

Now I'm off to work on my final projects. Good luck, y'all!

Alani 

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Hello all!

I hope everyone is doing well as we head towards the last stretch of assignments and midterms! If you are feeling stressed out, don't worry, I got your back. What is a better way to relieve stress than to dance it out! Come join PowerSave Campus and the RSF for a 60 minute Zumba outdoor dance lesson taught by one of the RSF instructors! PowerSave Campus is a student organization on campus that encourages energy saving and efficiency. This semester, PowerSave Campus is hosting the Blackout Battles, an energy saving competition between the units. You don’t have to live in the dorms to come dance! Bring your friends and have a good time.

  When: Thursday, November 21, 2013 (this Thursday!)

Time: 5:00-6:30pm

Location: Foothill Hillside 

  Also, there will be freebies given to the first 10 arrivals! 

Cheers,

Carolyn, ES

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Cal Bucking Bears

UC Berkeley's very own Logging Sports team just returned from their first competition of the year! Cal Conclave 2013 was a success.  I think I can speak for everyone when I say a great time was had by all!

In Davenport, CA we gathered this past weekend to compete in events such as horizontal chopping, single and double bucking, and axe throwing.  The competition was put on by Cal Poly SLO's team, and we were also joined by teams from Humbolt and even Northern Arizona University.

3 of our PAL's (including myself) are on the team! Stay posted for more updates on what our PAL's are up to!

-Elynn

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Food Day Bananas and the Cal Food Day Collage! Thanks to all who contributed!

From left to right: Banana-Eve (NS-D Peer Advisor), Banana-Eva (CNR FNR&CRS Major Advisor) and tabling friends from Taiwan Student Association!(Banana-Eva is the cutest and happiest banana ever!)

Fun Fact: While bananas are nutritional superfoods--high in soluble fiber and potassium--they are not produced locally in the United States but further down south. This creates a huge dilemma: buy it for health or don't buy it for sustainability?

For more pictures on Food Day, check out the Student Dietetic Association blog post (written by me as well, haha)!

Hope midterm season isn't too harsh. The hardest part of studying or writing a paper is always starting it. Get into the mode (even when you're not necessarily in the mood) and everything will go smoothly!

If you are done or would like a break, join us PALs for Movie Night: "Caroline" with candy and FREE PIZZA, TONIGHT 5-7:30pm!

- Cheers, Eve

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FOOD DAY! VISIT UPPER SPROUL STEPS THIS THURSDAY 11-2!

Just in case you haven't received a message from your major advisors, FOOD DAY is on this Thursday! Thank you so much Nicole, Jenny, Christy, Carina, Eva, Elizabeth & William for helping me publicize! (I wasn't sure whether I should send to both Undeclared major advisors or not...)

What is Food Day? It's a day to celebrate the food system when it works, and challenge it when it doesn't. The priorities:

Promote safer, healthier diets

Support sustainable, organic agriculture

Reduce hunger

Reform factory farms to protect the environment and farm animals

Support fair working conditions for food and farm workers

In Berkeley, we're focusing on the celebrating part, with (Students') Farmers' Market by the Berkeley Student Food Collective and the Local and various vendors invited by Cal Dining! Join us 11am-2pm for FREE SAMPLES, PRIZES, cooking demos, music and a celebration for healthy, sustainable and affordable food!

That's also why I was out all Monday to create Cal's Food Day Collage! To create Cal's visual/spirit of Food Day!

Big Thanks to all of you who've drawn your favorite food item on here! And if not, you'll get a chance to see me in a banana suit tomorrow (or later today).... hahaha....

If you're feeling down about a midterm, visit me on Sproul later today to feel better and talk about FOOD! Hope to see you there!

- Eve, NS-D

Other Resources: Join and invite friends on Facebook! UC Berkeley on Food Day.org Page Take the UC Eats Real Pledge!

P.S. "A" & "Y" are with my partner in crime!

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Take a moment...And leave your phone at home

I know, I know. You guys think I'm crazy. But think about it: Technology surrounds us, and we can't get enough of it. Most people, who are tech-savvy, always keep their eyes peeled for the newest smart phone they can get their hands on. If you really look around campus, there are always people with phones permanently attached to their hands, or their earphones permanently attached to their ears, which is attached to their phones, which is attached to their pockets where their hands go in.

I'm sure this has happened to you where you are having a deep conversation with someone, but that person who is supposed to be listening, whips out his or her phone and checks it. I'm not going to lie; it bothers me a bit. 

Here’s a challenge for you: go without your phone for one day, and see what it’s like. (Forgetting your phone and freaking about it does not count). Purposely leave your phone at home. See what is like to be truly alone with your thoughts. Go have conversation with a friend without thinking about your email, texts, and Facebook notifications. Enjoy life the way it was enjoyed in the past. Who knows? Maybe you’ll learn something about yourself.  

This was an interesting video I saw a few months ago that made me think of this challenge. Check it out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OINa46HeWg8

Also, if you decide to take on this challenge, come by to my office hours and tell me all about it!

Cheers,

Carolyn

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Midterm Season!

Hi guys! It’s Alani. I had my first midterm of the semester this week, and honestly, it was pretty depressing. It was for Environmental Economics, and economics is just not my thing. But oh well, I am just glad it’s over and I can move on to my next midterm and round of studying. October is a pretty busy month, but we students can look forward to Halloween and Thanksgiving to break up our midterms. 

I, for one, cannot wait for Thanksgiving! I’ll be home, and Heavenly Ski Resort can be open, and I’ll be hopefully swimming in powder up to my eyeballs. I hope to see some of you there on the mountain with me.

Happy studying,

Alani :)