The Beginner's Guide to Blogging and Posing

Staring into the blinding sun like
it was no big deal

I woke up an extra 2 hours earlier than I usually do on a Sunday morning to get ready for the headshots and group photos I was scheduled to take with my cohort later that afternoon. Somehow, I still managed to look like a five-year old compared to Noor and Robson, both of whom towered over me.                                                                                                     
Don and Robson arrived to pick me up in front of my house at around 11:30 AM and we headed over to the San Pablo library to meet Noor. Because the library wasn’t accessible to the public until 1 PM, we decided to drive down the street to Contra Costa College for our photo-shoot. The CCC campus provided us with a variety of aesthetically pleasing backgrounds for our photos. It was a beautiful, sunny day and the nature surrounding us made it even more enjoyable. We spent over an hour taking individual and group photos of all kinds. I found out later the reasoning behind taking so many pictures after having a hard time picking one out for myself, despite the fact that Don’s photography skills are nothing short of incredible.

The braids clearly didn't help me look older or taller. To be fair, Noor and Robson were standing on a pile

After our photo session, we listened as Don told us a little bit more about the responsibilities and tasks lying ahead of us. I’ve always known that Gauchos haven’t exactly had the best reputation for doing what’s expected of them, but some of the horror stories from the past that I keep hearing about never fail to shock me.

We spent the next few hours in the library learning about blog formatting and customization and applying that knowledge to our very own ’17 ILC at Cornell blog. It took us a while to figure out what design and layouts we liked best. Noor, Robson, and I were set on the style for one theme in particular that didn’t really fit the needs of what we were looking to accomplish in terms of layout. Eventually, we figured it out and parted our own ways. I was satisfied with what we had accomplished and highly enthusiastic for future meetings. 

Special thanks to Don Gosney and our panelists: Jeff Rubin, Linda Delgado, and Joel Gannotti for making this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity possible for me. 

Here's us smiling for what was supposed to be a candid photo