First Weekend

My first official weekend in Los Angeles was definitely one to remember. Friday night was spent seeing a TON of Ithaca alumni that now live and work in Los Angeles. These alums all participated in the Ithaca Los Angeles Program as seniors and turned their internships into jobs or made connections that led to a job. It was truly exciting to see all of these familiar faces in LA- it made me appreciate the amazing network of Ithaca students, past and present, that I am fortunate to be a part of. I also understand now why so many people in LA know about Ithaca College; the city is crawling with Ithacans! It's really wonderful.

A terrific part of being here, besides the awesome opportunities, is the proximity of a million beautiful beaches. Saturday morning and afternoon my roommates, Rachelle and Abby, along with my good friend, Megan, and I explored a lovely beach called "Zuma" in Malibu. Going to the beach here is a big part of the culture. It was interesting to see the number of families there; of course there were several tourists as well.

In the evening the RAs and the ICLA program planned a beach bonfire with s'mores and hotdogs at Dockweiler Beach State Park. In theory it was going to be an amazing night, but... in execution it didn't fare so well. The RAs didn't realize that Saturday night was a huge night for families and friends to get together on the beach to cook out and camp. No one else anticipated that either! It was another example of the big part that the beach plays in LA/California culture. In the end, there were no more designated fire pits open for the bonfire, the beach was crowded and everyone ended up heading in different directions. We did enjoy a beautiful sunset (see picture)!

On the other hand, the barbeque that they planned for Sunday evening went off without a hitch! There were more than enough hotdogs, burgers, veggie burgers, brownie bites, chips, dip, and potato salad to go around. Jon, the Programs and Services Coordinator, along with the RAs were grilling up everything and had quite a spread prepared for the students. It was an afternoon of great weather, yummy food and swimming. *Awesome*

Tomorrow I start my internship at TBWA\Chiat\Day, an incredible advertising agency that is part of a global network. I'll be working on the Pedigree account. The accounts are very impressive: Anheuser-Busch, Energizer Battery, Gatorade, Infiniti, Nissan, Pioneer, VISA, Shutterfly, Mars...and the list goes on! I am so very happy and fortunate to be an intern with them. Tomorrow an update is definitely in order!

Getting Started

It is hard to believe that my semester in LA is finally getting started! After a whirlwind of a summer interning in my hometown of San Antonio, Texas, I packed my bags and headed off on a road trip to the "City of Angels." This semester marks the beginning of my senior year and my second semester away from Ithaca College; last semester I was studying abroad in Seville, Spain. I am definitely looking forward to the amazing opportunities that await me here at the Ithaca College Los Angeles Program, where Ithaca students take classes at the James B. Pendleton Center and find internships in the unlimited offerings of LA.

The drive to Los Angeles from San Antonio was a grueling 20 hours, but oh so worth it. Ithaca College students in the LA program live in apartments with two or three other IC students. These apartments are part of the Oakwood Toluca Hills apartment complex, a beautiful apartment community that calls Universal, NBC and Warner Bros. studios neighbors. I can't believe that I am just within walking distance from these giants in the industry!! Welcome to Hollywood!

As a Texan going to school in upstate New York, it is fairly rare that my Texas and Ithaca worlds collide. Well, one of my BEST friends from my high school in San Antonio, Megan, attends the University of Texas in Austin and is also in Los Angeles this semester to intern. To top it off, she is living in Oakwood apartments as well! It has been so neat to share this experience with her and also to compare our two universities' programs. I have been extremely impressed by the folks at the IC Pendleton Center; they offer individualized attention to students and provide programming that truly prepares students for a semester in LA.

My first week in LA kicked off with a ton of unpacking and a bit of sightseeing. After getting set up in our rooms, Megan, my roommate, Abby, and I all headed off for a bit of exploring. We drove around for hours in Beverly Hills looking at celebrity homes (come on, it is impossible to not be a bit star struck here) and then hit Rodeo drive to ogle at the luxurious stores.

Still feeling adventurous, we headed to the Santa Monica Pier to dip our toes in the Pacific Ocean and to grab some ice cream. On the pier we saw the carousel featured in The Sting (1973) with Paul Newman and Robert Redford. The pier overflowed with families enjoying the sun and carnival-style rides.

Tuesday and Wednesday were spent in orientation, touring the impressive amenities of the Pendleton Center, getting to know the LA program team, learning about the offered courses and getting some helpful tips about internships. The LA program team consists of: Stephen Tropiano (Director), Steven Ginsberg (Professional-in-Residence), Jon Bassinger-flores (Programs and Services Coordinator), and Holly Pietromonaco (Administrative Assistant). They are all extremely helpful and approachable; I'm sure that if I have any issues or concerns they will be more than happy to help out.

The best part of orientation was getting a chance to watch a taping of The New Adventures of Old Christine! This sitcom is consistently Emmy-nominated and features Wanda Sykes and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. The LA program arranged for the entire program to go to the taping which lasted from 3:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. It was a long evening, but so much fun! I had never been to a live taping of a show so it was an eye-opening experience for me. Best part- the studio was a mere 10 minute walk away from my apartment and the Pendleton Center. That is how close we live to Warner Bros.!

Thursday and Friday flew by with buying books, arranging details with internships, getting my bearings and going grocery shopping.