Fall Issue
CCLI! How do you feel?! We feel good because we are rolling out another edition of the CCLI Alumni Newsletter! We hope you all had a fun, relaxing, and productive summer. For us at CCLI, summer was a time to refresh and get organized for the coming school year. Now that the campus is bustling once again, we’re ready to get going and welcome that first chill of fall! Another wonderful thing we got to do this summer was witness the arrival of 50 new members of the CCLI familia. Just think: another 50 students who have learned about the legacy of Cesar Chavez, who understand the importance of giving back to their community, and who can do “Baby Shark” with the best of them! So to the CCLI Class of ’09, welcome to the family! We hope that you and your fellow alums will benefit from the information, tips, and suggestions we’ve put together for you in this newsletter and in future editions. And speaking of alumni, we want to send out a big congratulations and best of luck to the seniors who graduated this past spring. We are very proud of all of your accomplishments! Si se puede!
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NOTE TO SELF:
Making the Most of In-Class Lectures
 Picture this: you’re sitting in class, listening to your teacher or professor carry on about some topic you may or may not have any interest in. All the while, you are daydreaming about what you’re going to do after school, or yes, (and this may be shocking to some): sleeping. Sound familiar? We’ve all been guilty of this at some point in our academic career, but while these daydreaming/rejuvenating processes are taking place, critical information is flying by without being captured in our notebook or laptop. Come test day, we kick ourselves for not focusing in more diligently. Pay close attention to the following information and you will have an extra line of defense in the battle against poor note taking!
The lectures presented to us by our teachers, TA’s, or professors highlight the key, central concepts of the course. The material presented to us will most likely be included in quizzes and exams, which is why good note taking and listening is critical! You may be thinking, “I don’t need to take notes, I can just listen and keep the information in my head,” but be warned: research shows that individuals can recall 50% of what they hear and that 20-30% of that information is usually incorrect. Taking notes will help you recall those small, but significant, pieces of information that may appear on your exams come test day. Here are a few of the most commonly suggested methods for improving your note taking skills and setting you on the path to an “A”:
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Come to class PREPARED! This includes bringing the necessary instruments for taking notes as well as preparing for the class by reading the assigned material to be presented in lecture.
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Develop your listening skills; make a conscious effort to pay attention. I know we have an abundance of technologies that allow us to receive text messages, email, instant messaging, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter and distract our focus; but know this, without focus, there is no way you are going to learn the material. So put your BlackBerry (or whatever smart phone you may have) down and use your self-control to stay off the Internet during class and actually listen to what your professor has to say. This may be a challenge, but it will be well worth it when you get your “A” (and then you can update that as your Facebook status!).
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Establish a note-taking method that works for you. Everyone’s style is different, not better or worse, just different. If you find that your style of note taking does not support for the understanding of the material, change it!
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Pay attention to the content. Knowing what to take notes on and how much you should write is sometimes hard to distinguish. Be sure to take down explanations that expand the main points mentioned in a lecture, definitions of words, lists, drawings/charts, information that is repeated or spelled out, and ANYTHING that is written on a chalkboard.
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Review and edit your notes. Many academic authorities on effective study skills consider the review and editing of class notes to be one of the most important parts of note taking and essential for content comprehension. Do this within 24 hours of the time you take the notes for ultimate content attainment.
Note taking is a significant part of what makes a successful student. Hopefully, these few tips have fully equipped you for exceptional note taking in your high school or college courses! Midterms and finals are just around the corner, so apply these methods today and reap the rewards of excellence! Good luck everyone!
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CCLI ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Fernando Valle, Class of 2008
 The alumni spotlight recognizes an alumnus’ accomplishments since participating in this Institute. For this edition, the C.C.L.I. spotlight is on Fernando Valle, delegate of the class of 2008. Fernando’s experience with the Cesar Chavez Leadership Institute was motivation for things he has done, things he is currently doing and things he wants to do in the future. He states that Cesar Chavez’s values and leadership qualities have inspired him, and he has molded himself in Cesar Chavez’ image.
After CCLI, Fernando was selected to participate in the Bank of America Student Leader program. He was one of five high school students nominated from the Phoenix metro area and one out of 229 students in the nation. As a student leader, Fernando participated in an eight-week paid internship at the Boys and Girls Club and also spent a week in Washington D.C. to gain valuable civic, social, and business leadership skills. This experience also greatly impacted him and has made him think about his future goals.
Currently, Fernando is finishing up his last year in high school and is applying for colleges and scholarships. Arizona State University is one of his top schools and he is thinking about majoring in Chicano/Mexican-American studies, business management, or political science. Along with academics, Fernando is also dedicating his time to planning a leadership project for next summer where he will exhibit his leadership abilities on an international level. He plans on going to Haiti for a week to teach communication and computer skills to underprivileged children. Fernando has truly exemplified what Cesar Chavez stood for and we hope to see him next year at Arizona State University.
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BEING THE CHANGE:
Community Service Opportunities
Whether you need service hours for NHS, service learning, or just for fun, there are hundreds of volunteer opportunities around your community. We’ve listed just a few of them below. And remember what Cesar said:
“We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress and prosperity for our community... Our ambitions must be broad enough to include the aspirations and needs of others, for their sakes and for our own.”
BORN TO RUN: There are two upcoming runs that are in need of volunteers. The first upcoming run is Thursday, Oct 29th starting at 5:30am and ending around 9:30am. This run will be held at the Kierland Commons in North Scottsdale. They will mostly need 20 or so volunteers to cheer on the runners so bring your pom-poms and your smiling faces. The second run is on Thanksgiving Day starting at 5:00am and ending at noon (you do not need to volunteer the entire time). This run will be at Red Mountain Park. They need volunteers to hand out water, cheer on runners, and register participants. If you are interested in helping with either of these events please contact Elaine White at eventsandvolunteers@gmail.com
 YES WE “CAN”: The ASU M.E.Ch.A. Club will be having their annual Can-O-Treat Saturday, October 31st 5-8 pm. They will be meeting at 4:30 to get organized before heading out to local neighborhood asking for non-perishable donations for valley food banks and shelters. Bring your friends and anything with wheels that can carry around the donations and don’t forget: COSTUMES ARE REQUIRED!!! Contact Alexis Aguirre at alexis.aguirre@asu.edu for more information.
GET A MOVE ON: The Umon New Day Center is currently moving locations and is in great need of volunteers. They would be more than happy to have young people like you take a few hours to help out. You can call to talk to the volunteer coordinator at: Phone (602) 275-7852.
SOLDIER UP!: Support the Troops! Viana Bruce and other veterans and mothers of soldiers meet the last Wednesday of every month (except Dec.) to package boxes for our troops. They meet at the Sweet Tomatoes located on the access road of the I-17, between Dunlap and Peoria on the north bound (east) side. They start around 4pm and go until around 7:30pm. You are more than welcome to show up and help, or if you would like to email her prior to attending you can do so at: jsbphx@cox.net.
Still haven’t found what you’re looking for? The following volunteer organizations can help connect you with projects in need. These sites allow you to search for great places to serve your community based on interests and geography. Find out more at: http://www.volunteermatch.org/search/ and http://handsonphoenix.org/.
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