Southern Comfort Reaction

I watched the Southern Comfort youtube videos and learned that transsexuals or other people who have had their sex changed live similar lives to most other people that I know. I didn't realize how much trauma and stress they face in their lives, especially from their families and our society. It was reassuring to see that the several people in the videos created their own small society where they accepted everyone's differences. In my opinion, the videos stressed a greater awareness and respect for transsexuals and other people who do not fit the stereotypical normal woman or man in our society.

Society of No Genders Meeting?

I was just wondering whether our group was planning to meet sometime before tomorrow's class to discuss what our hypothetical society will be like as well as confirming that we have a powerpoint for our class presentation and a one page declaration summarizing the society. I guess that I just want to come to class prepared. Thanks.

i agree with all of the ideas one thing we can do is compose a paper or website that gives information about what we are doing and how specifically siena students can live a more go green lifestyle on campus we can send a link to the entire student body including the siena staff members so they can understand we should also include our process on how we are going to do this so people can participate we also need to set specific dates and locations unfortuantely we know several students will over look the email so we all must tell our friends about the idea so they can participate and help us get a better grade and make change for siena

The importance of this is to be something that siena can maintain. Just donations I dont think will really go well, just a short term thing. We need long term ideas as well to impress Dr. Johonson such as changing all the lightbulbs around campus, or starting an event that is held every year for recycling. I think there is something like that "help siena go green" Maybe we can contribute something to that

what about donating old shoes and using the rubber to make new basketball courts, benches, etc.? I think that it would get a lot of use from the Siena community and even if the material is not used at Siena, it will still provide the "green" message to many people.
maybe something similar can be done with old clothes, i am not sure what could be made out of recycled clothing, but I think that Siena students certainly have lots of clothes which they either rarely or never wear
maybe we could do an awareness campaign or something about pesticide use or maybe how pollution affects water sources and natural diversity
maybe promoting awareness about albany's natural environment and how it is possibly being destroyed
i like keri's ideas though, i guess now it is just trying to figure out a plan and how to execute it

social change project

ok so we are going green

-energy efficient light bulbs
- recycle batteries
-recycling buckets in individual rooms (cans/bottles, newspaper/paper)
- energy efficient faucets and shower heads
- i did something like this in high school where we collected paper that only had print on one side and we cut the paper and glued them to make pads to write on...

add any other ideas

Gender can be:
1-Traits
2-Role
3- Variable
4- Accomplishment
-understood – to be understood by others (ie baby clothes)
-participate – (take boy to baseball game)
-Navigate – move through a gendered world
-be – show we are successful at meeting expectations
We do gender because the world is gendered.
5- Social institution
-organize bodies (marked as belonging to one group or another) -> Experiences (go along a path with a certain set of experiences, appropriate for male group or female group) -> groups designed for different tasks (learn traits from experiences that we take through life) -> Groups of tasks (things for people with different skills. Men: cops, firefighters/Women: nurses, teachers) -> Institutions (institution of military, of education). These institutions are gendered and gendering.
Structured differentiation -> Stratification

We have obviously established that an organized solution is the best. One thing we should do is check with Kevin Mullen and see if he has any of these projects planned for the future. For example, if he plans to install solar panels in the next two years we should take over the project of rebuilding the MAC, and vice versa. This ultimately will give the most good in the shortest time for our school community.

Since every group has their own idea for a social change project, that is the one that they want to see actually put into effect. I feel like that is why this is going to be alot harder to decideon as a class than the grading was, even though that was very hectic. Since every group has presented their ideas and answered questions, now we all must decide which idea would be most realistic and achievable. This however has to be doen in an orderly fashion, or else we will get nowhere. People also need to be open minded to other people's ideas rather than just their own. Even though we demonstrate a democracy in class, that is not always the easiest when dealing with opposing opinions.

class/reading discussion

I think we had a good approach to figuring out what project we were going to work on. I think that people need to realize that they agreed to something and not change their mind halfway through the decision. I also think that since we did come down to two groups there needs to be an efficiency while making a decision. I think that each group should be given a certain amount of time to make one last pitch about how their project affects Siena and the community and will bring about social change. During their pitch no one should be asking questions or making comments. Questions should be saved for a discussion afterwards where we should have a mediator picking people to raise their points so no one is screaming over each other. After everyone gets their points across then a vote should be taken...not everyone is going to be pleased. This also needs to be decided asap because its already midway and we are not going to have a grade if nothing is decided on.
as for the readings i agree with adams point that everything has a negative connotation surrounding it. I believe that this has to deal with the society that we live in that nitpicks at all the disadvantages and focuses on the bad. People in these kinds of society seem to give up and just fall into the stereotype and try not to get out because they believe that its not possible. they see everyone around them falling into this negative pattern that has been created by the society in which they live. Most could probably get out if they put their head to it and put in a great deal of effort.
I believe a lot of these people are judged on first impressions. These can be first impressions of their home, neighborhood, school, academics or anything else pertaining to their community. If you see someone who doesn't speak English as in reading 20 you automatically think of an immigrant and how they negatively affect our society. Reading 49 shows many similarities to situations seen today. An example is in New Orleans where a low income housing was built on a toxic waste landfill filled with toxins from hurricanes that occurred in the 70's or 80's. Multiple people in the community became sick and one woman said that out of the ten houses surrounding her about one person in each of the houses died. This was because the toxins were seeping in through the basement or into the water that they used for everyday living. On these house plots you could not even plant grass because it would not grow. Similar to the story these people did not have an active voice to speak out aganist the problem

Sociology Readings and Class Discussions

There were a few similarities between the four readings even though they might not have been obvious. All four readings discussed how the people in one’s surrounding environment judge a person based only by how they identify that person and the stereotypes associated with that person’s categorized identity. In reading 18, the author was not certain what his true identity was because he was always seen differently depending upon where he was. In reading 20, the author discussed some of the controversial aspects of immigration and how people can be solely judged based off of their ethnicity. In reading 49, the reader learned how the government in California wanted to put a prison and toxic waste incinerator close to a Mexican-American community primarily because the government thought that this community would not effectively voice their dissent to the proposals. However, the reader discovered that the community united together and helped protect their land and quality of life. In reading 50, the reader discovers that women in white separatists movements are just supposed to raise children and stay in the house.
All of these readings discuss people or groups that are usually negatively stereotyped in their societies. However, it becomes apparent that many times, the people being stereotyped rarely speak up for themselves and defend their identity. They allow their society to change and mold their identities, letting other people only see a part of who they are. It is true that one’s surroundings shape our identity development but it is also true that we have power over ourselves to influence who we become, by choosing who we hang out with and where, what we think and say, and especially how we act. All of these factors influence our identity and how others might think of us. Therefore, actively participating in issues that directly affect us is crucial if we want to do something worthwhile, meaningful, and important.
Relating this concept to our class discussions is very crucial. Everyone should have the ability and power to voice their opinions, concerns, ideas, and thoughts in a polite, courteous, and respectful manner. However, this has not been the case so far, possibly because we are used to living in a society where only a few people actually have the voice and power to make decisions that directly influence other people. A new method for effectively voicing one’s opinions in class needs to be established because currently the ways in which the discussions are handled leads to frustration, anger, disgust, fear, and worst of all, apathy. This new method may not totally work and may need several amendments, but I think the hardest part will be trying to find this method and coming to a compromise where most people will be able to agree to it and abide by its rules.
Finding this new method most likely requires thinking “outside the box”, referring to something totally new. I think that more time is needed to make the decisions, probably longer than the designated class time that we currently have. I think that if the class wants to work on this project, it should abandon the readings and tests that we have, engaging their time in sociology class solely on the project’s progress. However, I believe that an anonymous vote should happen first to decide that matter. Other considerations might be to have short two or three minute breaks in between the discussions to talk among one’s group outside of the classroom to reestablish one’s opinions and get support and feedback from one’s own group. I think that we should invite members from the Siena community and local government officials to the class to observe our discussions and give us their thoughts and opinions. I believe that the best outcome will be if everyone has had a chance to have their voices heard and respected. However, it is difficult to think outside the box. More thought and time will be needed to discover the best method.

How to improve the chaos

Recap/Summary

Reading 18: My Secret life as a Black Man by Anthony Walton
-Essay about the troubles of living up to the expectations that other see you as due to race. How sometimes the preemptive notions people hold when they see you may work in your favor and how other times they do not.

Reading 20: Go North, young Man by Richard Rodriguez
-Immigration, particularly illegal immigration and the hardships faced by immigrants looking to fit into America who come here only to make a better life for themselves.

Reading 49: Grassroots Activism: Mothers of East Los Angeles by Mary Pardo
-A group of mothers from east Los Angeles, despite their low racial status, work together to bring about change in their community demonstrating democratic participation at its finest.

Reading 50: House Bound: Women’s Agency in White Separatist Movements by Jennifer Fluri and Lorraine Dowler
-Talks about how the internet has become a safe haven as well as a site of resistance for white separatists, also about how women’s place is in the home, to reproduce and he the motherhood of the nation.

There are several lessons that can be learned from the reading, lessons that pertain to the way our class tries to solve problems presented. First of all, looking at the present way we go about solving problems involves several people talking loudly until they reach a decision while others mumble obscenities under their breath about one thing or another they don’t like, remain silent knowing that no one will hear their smaller voice, or try to cut into the conversation and imagine someone hears them as they add to the roar of discussion. Conclusions that are reached do not make everyone happy, and often conflict by one or two people stirs up need for a new solution. The readings indicate other situations whose problems mirror our own and perhaps their solutions can help our class. In reading 18, we can see that people look at us and see something that they already perceive from our ethnicity or some other early signs. For example, we perceived that Dr. Johnson would teach our class and by that notion of logic, he would make decisions such as creating a syllabus, grading exams and helping the class to make decisions and maintain order. After going a few classes and being faced with votes/discussions we soon learned that this was a false perception and that we would have to start making the decisions and get involved. We can now save time in discussions by starting right off doing things our way. Reading 20 shows how it’s hard for people outside of the native land to fit in and become a part of the nation. In our class there are several people who have distinct opinions, are loud, and get their obviously correct opinions out there. Those of us that are, say, science majors and out of our element in the class find it hard to fit into this new way of thinking. We don’t really fit and it’s rather hard to voice our opinions. The article doesn’t really provide solutions, rather noting that illegal immigrants sneaking into the country are disliked. Reading 49 though talks about how underrepresented groups such as though who don’t speak out normally in class are able to join together for a common cause, having our voice heard in class. I’m not really sure how to relate the last reading, perhaps something about how we could meet online through common ideas and actually figure out a project that we would all like to work towards achieving. Overall from the readings I’m proposing that to help resolve the discussion/voting problems we need to realize we are on our own, listen to everyone’s voice and encourage those who often don’t speak to do so, make a choice that satisfies the highest number of people, and possibly work outside of class to discuss options to bring up.

Thinking outside of the box for our project calls to me to think outside of the classroom, perhaps set up a chat room in which people can leave comments or discuss the project on our own time. But it is hard to force people to become involved with something they are not interested in, for it is true there are several people in class who don’t care to make the effort. We have a lot of other work, and proper incentive is needed to cause people to visit the site. It’s practically another project in itself, but it’s something to think about.

we definetly need to contact the faculty and students of Siena and also allow the parents of the students to know so they are not deceived about the cost of tuition. We should look into corporations that have Siena alumnis to give donations to this project. Having albany based corporations would be the most helpful because they will give us the most effort, we can also sell the fact that it will help them out as well.

plan

so we defiantly need to be in contact with the right people on and off campus...defiantly i think we should talk to other schools first to see how they went about their planning and how they funded and presented their idea to the college. As far as on campus...we would need permission probably from the cabinet, financial offices, facilities, student support and tacitly support. off campus we would probably need permission from colonie and make our surrounding neighbors aware of what going on... we would have to get zoning permission, and all those types of things from albany county before construction, we would need to get sponsors, a knowledgeable person who can guide us through the process, someone for installation and maintenance. we would probably have to have some meeting with senate or something like that to get them on board and possibly help with funding....any more ideas

hey guys what are we doing about the write up for tomorrow?

Social Change Project

If the class chose our social change project, further research would be needed to help make our ideas real. Our sociology class would have to notify the college's students about our project so that we could potentially get support from them. We would also have to meet some of the college's authoritative figures, such as the Dean of Student Affairs, the Chief Financial Officer, the Director of Public Safety, and a representative from the Facilities department. We would also have to research Colonie's zoning laws and initiate the process of getting the proper zoning permits for the solar panels constructed on the campus. Other people would have to find out if our project could qualify for tax credits or subsidies from the national, state, or local government. Contacting the colleges that have already have the solar panels would be helpful to see if they have any helpful advice they could give us. Requesting sponsors from corporate organizations to help defray the total cost would help the college pay less money and give the companies an opportunity to advertise their company. Contacting media sources to help inform the surrounding community of what we plan to do and how it will help Siena's neighbors would be greatly beneficial to help create awareness about ways to be "green" and environmentally-conscientious. A few people would have to contact contractors and electricians who would install the solar panels and get estimates from them. A few people would have to meet with the electric company that provides electricity to Siena since the solar panels would have to be wired into Siena's electrical grid. These are a few of the things that will be necessary to successfully accomplish our project.

A good social project is one that is:
Far reaching, effects a lot of people involves community
Permanent change, something that will be in effect for a long time
Addresses a specific problem
Long term effect
Creates awareness
Sustainable
People will be passionate or excited to join and complete the project
Combines charity and justice approaches
Promotes democratic participation of full community
Builds bridges between initiatives of different groups
Expandable, scalable
Not all or nothing, there are short and long term goals so that if the long term goals are not reached the project still contributes
Reasonable
Creates cognitive dissonance ( interrupts people assumptions about the world)
Demonstrates sociological understanding
Flexible
Has a plan, is organized

Poverty Activity

I somewhat enjoyed the activity that the class participated in during Wednesday's class. It was eye-opening as to what those who are less fortunate have to go through as they are striving to live a better life. It was difficult to get money from the pawn shop and nearly impossible to get signed up for welfare on the first meeting. I can see why many poor people are very stressed and may very well give up. They are trying to provide for themselves and their families, yet few people they encounter seem willing to help them. As we have learned from the sociology readings and seen in this activity, the government does not seem very concerned about the poor's problems and they are not going to devote much of their budget to helping them. This activity illuminated the many dilemmas that poor people face and raises the question as to if poverty can be eradicated. This is a very deep question and its answer may not be determined. However, it is better to be aware of other people's situations and actively work to make them better than to be completely oblivious of what is happening to other people in our immediate surroundings.

4:30 in the lib

hey sorry i didn't see the post till now..wen are we meeting?

kristen...sorry i dont know your last name...if someone can look her up on the roster and let her know the info that would be great...just email her...

meeting

ok people, keri is sending out an email.
but i will rewrite what i think she is writing here

4:30
Library.


BE THEREEEEEEEEE

Invisible Children 3-3-09

I went to see "Invisible Children" last night and was suprised to learn about the 23 year war that has been taking place in Uganda with child soldiers. The Ugandan government has not been able to eradicate the Lords Resistance Army which regularly abducts very young children from their families to fight for them. The children are forced to kill people and destroy their lives. This obviously has a very profound impact on these child soldiers and many of them are traumatized for the rest of their lives.
There are some advocacy groups throughout the world who want to illuminate this terrible situation to the world. I had previously never heard of this conflict in the media event though it has been happening for 23 years and children continue to be abducted from their families. The documentary's message was how this situation could change for the better if people throughout the world united together and brought justice to Uganda and its people.

invisible children

I was able to attend the movie invisible children last night and it was an overwhelming experience. Its sad to think that at 9 years old these kids are using weapons and having to kill people while when i was nine i was playing outside with my friends going to the park. These kids must have to mature way beyond their years. Kony needs to somehow surrender...I became very frustrated when they waited for days for him to show and make a peace agreement. He was in the area and just did not have the decency to show up. some sort of military enforcement needs to take place but it has to be one that would not harm the children which makes the situation much more difficult. 

Grade Evaluations Perspective

It is difficult to agree on the grade evaluations because everyone has a different opinion on how they want to get a good grade. Each person has different strengths and weaknesses which they want to promote so that they can achieve a good grade. Throughout the discussion, I was trying to listen to what people were saying and seeing how their perspectives compared with my thoughts. I was not sure how much of certain percentages should be attributed to certain categories because I do not know how difficult the course curriculum will be as the semester continues. I will try my best to get the best grade I can in this class regardless of the outcome of this discussion. I think that I have not currently voiced my opinions to the whole class because I am discouraged when I see little progress being made when other people have shared their perspectives. I have little confidence that adding my opinion will help the class come to a consensus since I will only be voicing my selfish opinions which accurately represent my strengths and weaknesses. Deciding on how we are evaluated in this class is difficult because I have never done this before for any class.

this is an oversized class therefore it is difficult complete a final decision on this breakdown. It may help because it brings new ideas, but it is hard to decide on a final breakdwon unless someone takes charge, which happened. It is unfair to some because not everyone is going to obtain their desired breakdown of the class. Sacrifices will have to be made. In years past we have had this decision made for us so coming into college sociology class as a freshman makes it difficult for the underclassmen because we are not adapted for thinking on our own.

Iraq is difficult to decide due to the numerous ideas constantly being thrown into the puzzle. The pieces to the puzzle will never be put together unless sacrifices are made. All decisions in checks and balances casn not be ,made without sacrifice. Living with these sacrifices may be the hardest part of class.

evaluations

This is such a hard process because everyone has different values. Some people value essays and the writing effort over participation and visversa. It depends on where people feel their strengths and weaknesses are. We are also still not listening to each argument and discussing as a whole how each specific method would impact us in the long run. I think more thought needs to go into how much effort and time is going to be placed in each category and how we would be rewarded in the end.
I become frustrated when people immediately shut down others ideas and do not want to consider or rethink what was said because of their stubbornness and are not giving everyone a chance. I also think that are people who are fed up and are just agreeing to agree and get over the subject.
This whole idea is something we are not used to. The norm for us is that a professor hands out a syllabus and expects us to follow. Its almost chaos because some see this as a great opportunity to tune it to their own liking.

Process of grade distribution decision

This is such a hard process because everyone has conflicting ideas as to what is important in determining a grade. With a group as large as ours, it's normal that people will have different ideas. It would be more strange if everyone in our group agreed 100% on how to break up the grades. We cannot design a process to bring us to a conclusion because throughout our lives we have been taught to place the emphasis of our grades on different things. Some people like taking tests and place a lot of importance on this aspect of the grading system, while other people are more abstract thinkers and would rather have the weight of their grade placed where they feel they exceed- in group discussion.
It is very frustrating to work in a group where one or two people refuse to compromise at all, no matter what compromise is made, and stick to their personal opinions without budge. In order to make a good decision all people must be willing to compromise.
In order to succeed in decision making there must be a democratic structure with guidelines and rules that have been predetermined. In a classroom setting it should be up to the discretion of the instructor to layout a method of grade distribution, or give choices and allow us to choose from there. In a group this large, filled with students who all want what they want (some of whom will not move an inch from their own standpoint) there needs to be some sort of preexisting format to guide us to a successful decision.

Evaluation Process

We are currently in class trying to come up with a proposal in our grading evaluation. This process has taken the class more than one class. Everyone feels differently about how they should be graded percentage wise. Some groups want the tests to be a big part of our grade while others minimun. Not every group seems to be on the same page with anything. We were given a certain amount of time, and after the time was up we had to propose an evaluation process from the whole class. We however, were not able to come to a conclusion. My group seems to agree with how they feel the grading process should be broken up. It is frustrating because I thought that this would be an easy exercise. There were no limits, and everyone had a say; which did not turn out to be as easy as I had thought. Since everyone has their own say, its hard to get a whole classroom to agree on one thing. We have tried compromiseing but even that can turn into a argument just as well.

Why Im not a professor.

Humans naturally debate as to what they want, it matters how much people care. If one person disagrees with the whole they are a statistical anamoly and should be ignored. You said no voting, leaving us with just shouting at one another untill our group had the idea to send someone forward. Go us. I'm a scientist, not a sociologist. Im in this class to learn. Woo for free writting but this is so damn, yes damn, difficult because you gave us nothing to go off of and changed the rules every time we started. I am quite fed up with this process and I think it is unfair to us as students to have to make every one happy.
Im fustrated with you, Dr. Jhonson, and the one blond girl who wouldnt agree to anything we said.
Teachers cant make everyone happy, it is imposible, yes IMPOSSIBLE, to make everyone in this class happy with a single decision. And YOU said that if someone disagrees to speak up. Well that means there are 40 odd people to make happy, where 30% dont give a damn, 10% want an honest grade and 60% are here because they have to be and need that A for a good Gpa. Im all for participation, but there have to be guidlines. You cant throw a person into a new envierment and expect them to survive without any guidelines. This is just a failed experiment and shows why we need a teahcer. Basically when Tai went up she did your job, a sort of speaker of the house or authority figure that was needed to make any progress as I talked about earlier. I'm sorry for getting so upset over this but this class set up is going past involving the students and borderlining rediculous.

Evaluation Process

The evaluation process is easier than it was last monday before break. There are people that think there way is the right way. Personally, I wish that people were open minded and not think into deep about the process. Too many questions leads into getting nowhere. If the percentages were given to us, would we be questioning our professor the same we are questioning each other? I also feel that if there is not a person willing to take charge it will just be chaos and we would not get anywhere. I noticed that the first day of trying to figure out the grading policy. The classroom sounded like saga during free period. I just hope that everyone is satisified to a certain extent. It might not have been what they wanted but close to it.

Sociology is not just a matter of opinion

Sociology is "the study of human social behavior, especially the study of the origins, organization, institutions, and development of human society."

"Sociology is not just a matter of opinion.'' I agree very strongly with this quote. Yes, it is true that sociology does involve alot of one's opinion. However with every opinion there needs to be some form of facts that helped one form that opinion. One needs to have reason behind their opinion. With every topic someone has an opinion. Sociology is a very debateably topic, as seen in our class. Opinion does not form this subject. Statistics and facts do.
Some might argue that Sociology is a matter of opinion because its not quite set in stone like a math problem.

"Sociology is not just a matter of opinion."

I think it is a matter of opinion, although it has its facts and data, that interpretation is all about what the person is trying to prove. I know that isnt what Dr. Jhonson is looking for but honestly that is my opinion and I think that is what this class is mostly focused on. And last I checked, this was a sociology class. The point of your class so far seems to be developing ideas based upon strands of storyline that you present to us. To formulate our own conclusions from data. I looked around for this quote on the internet, but couldnt find an originator of it. So basicly he gaves us his own words and wanted our Opinions on it. there is really no science so far that contradicts the statement I'm making "Sociology is mostly a matter of opinion" It's taking data and sweet talking your opinion across.

So anyways thats just taking one side, particularily the one that isnt as heavily sided with. Following the rest of the crowd, Sociolgy has methods and ways to research. It can be technically called a "science" because it has facts and numbers. Its not just opinions but research groups that present data based upon people and populations for their cause.

"Sociology is not just a matter of opinion"

Sociology is not just a matter of opinion, rather it is the objective study of the society we live in. Sociology is based on experiments and observations of data and trends. If Sociology were a matter of opinion, then the world we live in would look like something different to anyone who "studied" it. Rather, sociologists must record data, trends and figures to get a true idea of what is really driving the events in society.
In my opinion this applies to the syllabus in that the syllabus is not just a matter of one person's opinion, instead it should be the analysis of what works best in most class situations and what will best suit our specific class structure and the students within it.

"Sociology is not just a matter of opinion." This is completely true. When you look at the different methodology's that were mentioned during class and in the blog you see there is much more to sociology. Sociology involves planning and experiments in some other cases. In others, there is interpretation of previous cases/studies or observation which I guess can be a matter of your own opinion. I believe that sociology has much more substance to it other then opinion.
To relate our solar project to siena it would definitely help us move to a more green approach which is starting to spread through campus. It would involve basically every one on campus, we would need the cooperation of the presidents, vice pres., deans, teaching staff, facilities (to maintain the project), alumni, current students, town of colonie, and the community surrounding siena.
As for the break down of the grades, I think that is way to chaotic and the only thing we have accomplished is that we will evaluate each other on participation. I think it might be easier (a little crazy) if each table decided their own fate (or the individual) so there is not so much frustration. But I also believe that this approach would go against whatever Dr. Johnson it trying to get us to achieve or how he wants us to work together.

Solar Panel and Class Syllabus

I think you're right, Adam, about having to talk to people high up in Siena.
In regards to that, a lot of people in the class are in the Bonner Program (in our group alone we have Keri, Tai, Joe and myself). The program is run by Fr. Ken Pauli, so we do have some connections with getting our ideas heard by the office of the president in that manner. But I think that although this is a great place to start, we will have to find other ways of talking to other people important in the Siena decision making system (ie the Treasury).

On another note, I've done some research on other campuses who have gotten solar panels in an effort to go green... here are some interesting links you guys can look at when you get a chance. Its interesting to see how the schools use the panels, and how they fundraised for such huge projects (a lot of schools obtained various sponsors)...
http://solarpanels.wustl.edu/
http://www.uvm.edu/~solar/?Page=about.html
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/oct2008/2008-10-21-095.asp

On the topic of the syllabus, I agree with Amanda. There definitely needs to be a more effective method of deciding as a group on how to break up the grade system. Having a shouting match over the issue will just result in the most powerful voice being the one who's plan we use. This is obviously not a good method-- just because a person is loud doesn't mean that their opinion holds any more weight that anyone else's. We need to find a way to give everyone, loud or not, a chance to have their imput.

Sociology is more than people's opinions. it is the study of society and how it runs. To me it is similar to economics just economics is by the numbers and sociology is mental aspects of society. Sociology is a subject that constantly ask "Why?" So far i have learned that their is not true definition to most spects of life. There is always something or someone second guessing the present explanation of something.

I agree with amanda that the girl in the back is crazy, one person can not dictate the way my grade is going to be broken down unless it is someone with a Dr. as their title of their name. I still believe taking the averages of all of the groups breakdowns would be fair because it honestly woul work well in our groups favor. I did the averages in my head in class and it comes pretty close to our groups suggested breakdown. If Dr. Johnson opposes the averages i say we should have one main speaker aside from the teacher to lead us in the discussion of decision making. With one leader it will be a basis for the rest of the students to give their input and hopefully at the end we will be able to decide on a fair breakdown of the class.

Siena's Structure and the Sociology Quote

For our solar panel project to be successful, we need to know the people who run Siena's operations. Talking about our plans with the President, Fr. Kevin Mullen, his cabinet of Vice Presidents, such as Fr. Ken Paulli, Linda Richardson, Maryellen Gilroy, David Smith, Paul Stec, and Mike Papadopoulos of Public Safety. The most important people to convince will be the Board of Trustees since they have a significant influence over Siena's future development and character. It will be crucial to include the surrounding Albany community into the discussions as well as the electric company, the company selling the panels, and the contractor installing the solar panels.

"Sociology is not just a matter of opinion."
I think that this quote is trying to show how sociology is a study of society, very similar to the study of a physical science. Studying sociology requires absence of bias and countless hours of observations to make accurate conclusions about humanity's actions with one another. Sociology is not someone's narrow way of thinking about how the world's population works or a view that quickly changes with new information. People can truly benefit from sociology's findings and not just dismiss the data as someone's perspective about the world. Sociology is the critical process of examining social structures and roles, with the intent of finding new methods to advance the dignity of all people and promote their inalienable rights. Sociology, like any other subject, needs people's ideas and opinions to help develop fundamental theories which describe people's relationships with one another. With this understanding, sociology can be seen in a new positive manner, giving hope and optimism to those who have shown despair about social progress during their lives.

As for the class syllabus, I think Dr. Johnson should do his job and make the syllabus. This is one of his duties as a teacher and while it is nice to voice our opinions about the easiest way to get an A in sociology, I feel as if we are wasting time. I do not feel as if I am currently learning anything about sociology. One of the few things that I have learned is how long it can take for people to come to a consensus. In my opinion, learning is the result of making mistakes and having another party show you what you did wrong. I would much rather be a smart student who has learned something and only has a B to show for it than a dumb student who learned nothing from a class and yet has an A. I think that this situation might be a bit extreme, but can we please start learning and stop trying to figure out what the syllabus should be like?

Um..title?

So first, obviously you cant just put that angry girl in charge of creating the syllabus. Perhaps it would be fun simply to oppose every idea that she has in class, just to show her that she doesnt rule the world and there are other people with other GOOD ideas. But debates dont solve problems and since no one was really listening to our group we need to voice aloud one general plan. I mean he said no voting but there are other ways the problems can be solved such as rolling a die (joking) or looking at several governmental structures. I mean the whole reason that the classroom works right now is the main teacher that acts like a president. We need a head speaker, two would probably be a better idea so there is a bit more communication. Shouting out answers, even if we are all not shouting, will result in only the loudest/most confident voice being heard. Perhaps if we combined voting with brainstorming, first thinking of categories that need to be included in the sylabus and then how important each are. We are all going to be looking for the easiest route out, except for that crazy girl, so at least we are going to be on the same page. Seriously, she is kind of frightening when she thinks she is right and no one else is.

Methodology of Sociology

I defined methodology as a system of rules and principles that regulate a discipline (science, sociology). what you do/use to come about a conclusion.
1. observation - using your senses to watch behavior
2. archival research - obtaining information from news articles or biographies
3. experimental research - assigning various treatment to an isolated problem or area
4. content analysis - the use of questionnaires and interviews
5. survey - a random selection of questionnaires to obtain some sort of feedback
6. longutituday study - study of a person over a long period of time
7. life history - the study of ones personal life
8. general research - using the Internet or recent books
9. use of past studies or experiments
10. general knowledge

Syllabus Planning

I like the idea of putting more emphasis on homework and tests for the syllabus. I think that the class should correct half of a graded assignment while Dr. Johnson would provide his input for the other half. Participation should be more than just showing up to class and raising your hand. It should also be providing intelligent, useful information for the group discussions as well as listening attentively. The final project should be a significant part of the final grade but its total grade should be the sum of the class's grading and Dr. Johnson's grading. Another idea is to have the group anonymously grade each other for participation.

Sociological Terms

Did anybody find the ten core ideas/concepts that have to do with the methodology of sociology?

I liked both of the ideas that we had for the social change project. I feel that building a new dorm would pose alot of new problems and issues however, more than that of building the solar panels. In the long run teh solar panels also seem to be more effective and realistic.

I feel that the word community has changed alot over the years, even in my lifetime. The word comunity reminds me of a family in a way. However I feel that participation in the community and volunteering has greatly decreased, especially from the time my parents were my age. I feel that the increased technology has also had some kind of effect on this. In today's society you do not see as much involvement in the community such as volunteering. Everyone always seems to have busy schedules also.

solar

for the solar panels you can put them on top of buildings, which we have plenty of...just to think about that

The idea of our project seems to be to releive the tension of money troubles for siena. A new dorm building or solar pannels would allow for more students to be admitted, so more tuition money, or solar pannels would allow the school to save money as well as become greener and help the environment. Considering that building a new dorm would only maybe solve the over crowding problem (since siena might just crowd even more people) the solar pannels sound like a better idea. Only problem is we really need like a big field for them so perhaps the dorm is a better idea.

Project Idea

Our group idea was to build a new dorm building. Though I believe Siena already had that in the works but do to the economic crisis, it had to be postpone. With the polytech housing no longer available for Siena students, housing is in high demand. Besides that, I was one of the freshman that was in a force triple and that was an experience. Also Padau use to be doubles about ten years ago and now they are going to be quads next year.  A new dorm building will be greatly appreciated. 

Social Changes at Siena

I like the housing idea as well although I feel that the college will have to build inevitably if they continue admitting large classes. I think that maybe Siena students could do something beneficial for the enviornment: raising awareness about climate change, helping plant gardens in the community, or grow some fruits and vegetables in a garden at Siena. Currently, I do not think these ideas are very strong but I think that the social change should help everyone within the Siena community and those in the community surrounding Siena.

i love the idea of a new dorm since Siena's admissions grow every year, it will be difficult to construct such a great project but this will be the most efficent contribution to Siena's campus

change siena

I like the idea of building a new dorm but i also think that with that we would need to expand other buildings like saga. I really like Amanda Simone's idea to build solar panels. I think its a great way to save money in the long run even though to build them it would have a hefty cost. I also think no other group came up with a similar idea so it would sort of have its own uniqueness.

Cultural Shifts

I believe that in the past 20 years or so there have been many cultural shifts that have lead people away from being as social as they once were. In my opinion, advances in technology have played a major role in these shifts. The adults who were once involved socially are now getting older to the point where they are no longer capable of going out and being social. Because most of the new technology is targeted to the younger generation, young people are staying in with technology rather than going out and filling the roles of these older people on the social scene.
Most children today would rather stay at home and surf the Internet or play a video game, rather than go out and play with friends. Most parents let their children do this because they are so busy with their careers and their own technological pastimes that it is easier for them to allow it than to drive their children around anyway.
Most social activities now occur online, from chat rooms to forums, online video games where children can talk to one another, and even blogs like this where people can express and share their opinions. With less and less social interactions occurring everyday, people are loosing not only the desire to go out and be social but also the skills to do so if they so desired.
In my opinion, it is for these reasons that there have been shifts in the social dynamics of our society.

cultural shift

I feel that the word community has changed alot over the years, even in my lifetime. The word comunity reminds me of a family in a way. However I feel that participation in the community and volunteering has greatly decreased, especially from the time my parents were my age. I feel that the increased technology has also had some kind of effect on this. In today's society you do not see as much involvement in the community such as volunteering. Everyone always seems to have busy schedules also.

There are several causes to the cultural shifts away from community. Most of all are new trends and technology. Those who embraced the community have grown old and died or have given up on communities as their numbers dwindle. New people chose not to enter communities since they are more self reliant with new technology and games. They think in a give and take kind of relationship and since communities can no longer supply for them, they see no reason to join and help their community. As the economy slowly fails, even more people become more self resiliant and dont want to be a part of their community unless they obtain something. Technology also allows people to rely on themselves and not other people (since they contact one another indirectly)

Cultural Shifts

If you go to any sort of school campus (high school, college) you do not see students volunteering within their community for the sake of it. Most students are propelled to complete service hours by something like a requirement for a club or class. Many students do not just go out on a daily or monthly basis to do good for others unless it is somehow required.
People in general are very into technology and I believe that it has taken away from things that were even in tact when I was growing up. For instance, I would always be outside playing with the other kids on the block for countless hours during the summer. Today I see that young kids are inside on the computer or playing video games. Yeah the talk to others but these people (such as in X-box) are half way around the world. My neighborhood is filled with kids that are much younger than me. Maybe 3 years ago you could go out on any given sunny warm day and the kids would be playing outside and the parents would all be conversing. Today now that the kids are a little older, they are more into their computer games and tv shows and have less of an interest to go outside. My own community has shifted to technology.
Not only are the kids shifting but the parents are too. We have a yearly block party. there would be monthly meeting starting around January to start planning for the event. Now everything is done through emailing back and forth and there is less social interaction.
This shift I think makes people less sociable because they are spending more time interacting with electronics than other people. They are not building relationships with one another. People loose the desire to get together for fun because it becomes a hassle or inconvenience because someone needs to be pick up or dropped off.

Shifts in Culture

I believe that many people no longer feel the need to be an active member in their community because people do not see the purpose of a community or realize its benefits. In our contemporary society filled with technology, the individual and her or his welfare is more highly valued than the community's welfare. A person can control many aspects of their life with technology's assistance and be connected to the world through the Internet's vast reach. With technology, people should theoretically have more time to socialize with others in their immediate community and develop relationships with their neighbors. However, I think that our culture has become more aware of issues far away from our homes, affecting people we do not know. We are more concerned and interested in their problems without noticing problems that can be taken care of within our immediate communities. The media has also frightened many people from trusting their neighbors when we constantly see, read, or hear about murders and various forms of crime happening in local communities. This mindset and perspective starts at a very early age today for young children. Their parents will not let them play out in the streets or socialize with other children and their parents because they do not want their child abducted. The child learns to fear his or her surroundings and finds comfort through the computer, video games, and junk food. I think there would be more community involvement if people turned off the TV and the computer because their fears would dissipate. They would depend on their community and place a greater importance on maintaining it.
As a culture, we rely on others for our comfort and security, and slowly become isolated from the community. Most people have become very good observers but rarely feel the need to become active participants. Maybe people do not know how to become involved with their community. They do not realize that they can take small steps to achieving a better community and that the community depends on others for its existence. Our culture does not see the benefits of a community because many of them have never participated in a true community. Maybe people do not want to devote the time and energy necessary for maintaining a community. They might feel that it would be a burden. Our culture believes that everyone is unique, not realizing the many similarities we share. People do not see the benefits of regularly meeting with each other and socializing. They think that they can do this through email and Facebook, but I believe that communicating with others in this manner is a travesty. Most communication is not through words but through actions. Community survival relies more on action than by words. People need to think about what they can do to help rebuild a community.
I believe that apathy is currently more visibly seen in the world than love. People are indifferent, allowing someone else to take care of the problem, and vainly hoping that everything will eventually be fine without their participation. These people live in their own worlds, oblivious to any problems with our culture. It is much easier to ignore the problems than to work towards solutions which will resolve them.
Our culture has tranquilized themselves with contentment or paralyzed themselves with fear. Community has become a nebulous term because many people have nothing to compare it to or have not been a member of a community. Our culture places a higher significance on money than developing relationships with other people. We are not aware of the social problems in our neighborhoods and have failed to become familiar with them through common activities or conversation. Our culture has devoted its time to money and selfish complacency. We only see our good and do not realize that we are inactive observers of a community. We should let go of our fear and sacrifice our time to using our talents to help others in our immediate surroundings. We have become more selfish and isolated, not understanding how we hold the power to solving our dilemmas. We would rather not take the risk of taking the first step and instead vainly pursue our own interests for happiness and fulfillment. We have rely too much on ourselves too solve our own issues, self-medicating our bodies to escape the real problems we face. Our culture believes that life is good when the individual pursues their selfish desires and ignores others. I believe that life is good when the individual shares their talents and time with others and finds new ways to achieving their desires. Our culture has to adjust their perspectives and realize the importance of a vibrant community. Only then will we develop a better, more thorough understanding of ourselves and our power when we work together for the common good.

Cultural Shifts

Today people are not investing or participating in their communities and social groups. For example, back in the days, people were more than willing to donate $20 to the Volunteer Firefighters. Who would go around the neighborhood and knock on doors. Though they still go around the neighborhood and knock on the doors but people no longer want to open them. As the cost of living is steadily increasing, people are in debt more than ever.

  

I believe its because Americans do not care anymore. We no longer have anything to fight for thats affecting the homeland. Where as the Women's Rights Movement was the fight for women to vote, own property, etc. The Civil Rights Movement was the fight for equality mainly for African Americans but also for other people of color. During one of the World War's when Americans would ration their food for the soldiers and save money. 

I believe its because Americans are to busy and allows technology to be the shortcut to things. We no longer go visit our relatives in other states, instead we use the web cam. 

Why I Came to Siena

There were many factors that led me to choose Siena as my college. Siena was not my first choice however. My first choice was Delaware, and once I found out I did not get in I channeled my attention to two other schools: Umass Amherst, and Siena. I decided to go back and visit both schools one last time. I felt very at home when I visited Siena and I felt in that I would fit in with the students. I went to a Catholic school my whole life and that also steered me in the direction of a Catholic College. My catholic values were not the only derivatives for coming to Siena but it was just a bonus among the plethora of positives that Siena offers. The campus is very friendly it seems and it has a homey feel that provides comfortable accommodations to the common college student.

Over the years it has been a sad but real truth that people no longer want to be as active in the community as recent generations. I have called my parents and they have told me from their experience my own community has died down from activity with one another. For example i rarely have full conversations with my neigbors and if i do it is awkward because i do not know them that well, or as bowling alone says i do not trust them. The current world seems to be to goal and work oriented to even attempt to get involved in the community. At home i started a program for autistic kids with volunteers, kids did not hesitate to help out. I feel that the generation above us are the people who are slacking off in the category of community commradary. It is a harsh reality that the lack of communication and commradary between communities has died down. some people may say that there is not enough time in todays world, that may be true but i believe people can make enough time to lend a quick hand. It will not hurt to say a quick hello or say do you need a hand. The little things can go far.

Why did i come to Siena?

I visited several college's before i came to visit her, nothing really felt right. As soon as i stepped out onto the car it felt that i was at home. The people were the best part no student hesitated to answer any questions i had for the them. I was given a decent scholarship that my family was able to afford. The education seems that it will improve my daily skills in many aspects. I feel that a proper Siena education will give me the oppurtunities to succeed in post graduation goals. I also wanted to be able to attend a school with a highly competitive sports program because being a sports fan is a big part of what i want out of a collegiate career. I am happy and proud to have find such a school with well known and prestige reputation that will get me places in life.

ooppps...continued

My family and community always taught us to apply yourself and work hard toward your goals. Siena is now becoming a well known school where I am from and many students from my high school are always asking me how I like it and about the school in general. It has a great reputation and attracts the students that live in my community because I believe that the social classes are similar. At my hometown and Siena there are very similar life chances that are presented due to the similarity it social classes. Siena is seen as a school that provides great opportunities for their students and this is recognized within my family and local community.

what brought me to siena

I never had any intention of attending Siena. My mother made me fill out my application online thanksgiving day. Siena offered to waive my application fee and only required me to send in a writing sample. My cousin also graduated from Siena and he graduated with multiple job offerings. Once I had the chance to visit the college, I fell in love. Everyone gave such an open impression. One of the things that has stuck with me from this day was that most of the Siena community opens and holds doors for you literally. Even today ,I try to hold doors open and it gives me the original feeling that Siena showed about a friendly and open environment.

The social reasons that brought me to Siena probally have to do with the social class I grew up in.

Why am I at Siena?

I am currently at Siena for a variety of reasons, including my own decisions and the impact of society.

I chose to go to Siena because I really liked the campus and the campus environment when I visited. I thought that there was a very friendly atmosphere on campus, and so did my mom and dad. My Mom actually is the one who convinced me to apply to Siena, probably because my Grandpa told her that it was a good school, and it was also my Mom who convinced me to visit campus. I personally was set on going to Vassar, Fordham or Binghamton. After visiting the campus though, i felt truly at home and knew that I was going to end up here.

After our class discussion on these topics I can now understand the social reasons as to why I ended up at Siena. First of all, because of my social class and neighborhood, my and my parent's ideas of what a good college are were strongly influenced. An affordable college, with friendly people and a warm atmosphere is something that was important. Growing up in an uppper-middle class community, I have grown up in a neighborhood full of friendly people who care about you as an individual. At Siena I felt that vibe almost instantly, whereas I did not feel the same way at Vassar or Fordham. Both students and teachers at Siena care about the eachother as individuals, something I was used to from both my community and my education, and it is for these reasons that Siena seemed to appealing to me. The social norm at Siena is similar to that of my hometown, had I grown up in a neighborhood and went to a school where everyone only looked out for themselvles and their own advancement, it is quite possible that I would have ended up somewhere else, but because I grew up where I did, I ended up caring about the vibe of the campus community. This is why I ended up at Siena, and I love every minute of it.

Life Choices/Life Chances

When it came to selecting a college, I was faced with choices based upon the chances that were presented. Born into a middle class familly I was given all chances and practically expected to go to college, there wasnt much of a choice. My parents attended and obtained degrees and it was expected that since I was given the opportunity, I would take the chance and also persue a college career. We had the income and a highschool education granted the pre-requesits to college life. I personaly went into this decision with the ability to make my own choices on which college I would attend. Although....I was dragged to Siena by my mother, I was not a fan of the fact it was a christian school since I hold my own views on religion (wont say anything to offend anyone, but I dont believe in pressing a religion onto someone and I thought christian schools were all that way). The science program was good though, the staff friendly and the community small and comforting. These were things I thought were important and influanced my choice to go to Siena vs. some of the other schools I was looking at. I would obtain the well rounded education I wanted as well as take advantge of the chances that I was born into.

Adam 2/3/09

I am currently here at Siena College because of my choices and preferences. I am here as well because of the influences from my society and family.

I am here at Siena because I like the community here probably because the students are very similar to me. The size of the campus is good as well because I am used to small schools and Siena is definitely a small school. There are a variety of majors that the college offers which appealed to me if I did decide to change my major. The distance from home is not too far but far enough where both my parents and I are comfortable. Siena offered the most financial aid to help my parents and I pay for my tuition. Siena is a Catholic college and I wanted to continue my education at a Catholic institution since I went to a Catholic grammar school and high school.

I felt somewhat obligated to go to college since both my parents went to college and all of their brothers and sisters went to college. In today's American society, having a college education can greatly help one get a higher paying job than just a high school education. When I was choosing where to go to college, my parents wanted me to be closer to home and I wanted to go to a school far away where I would be the only person from my high school. In the end, we compromised and I chose Siena. I was thinking about going to a SUNY institution where the tuition is less expense than Siena's tuition. However, my father refused to let me go to a SUNY university even though my parents both graduated from SUNY Buffalo. I respected my parents' wishes and did not even bother applying to any SUNY schools. I did not feel comfortable applying to Harvard because I felt that most Harvard students are in a very different social class than I am in. I currently do not believe that I would feel relaxed constantly interacting with other people who were potentially very different than me. I believe that I am similar to Siena students than Harvard students because I am in the same social class as most Siena students and I feel comfortable with people in my social class. I originally discovered Siena through one of those big books that lists and rates most colleges in America. I visited Siena's website and it seemed like I could potentially go there as a student in the future. If I did not open up that book from the library, there is a good chance that I never would have heard about Siena College.

Why I Chose Siena

Senior year in high school I applied to about 12 schools. Some people asked why did you apply to so many schools? I said because most of the applications are free when you do early action. Siena College was one of those schools. I heard about Siena from Steven Priestley. He is currently a Sophmore on the Siena Men's Basketball team. Steven and I had the same guidance counselor. My guidance counselor and my mom were pushing me for me to go to Siena. For me, Siena was not my top choice. It was not even on the list of my top choices. I wanted to be a New York City girl. Only 45 minutes away from home.

When the financial aid packages started to roll in. My choices of schools started to go down.  I got a full scholarship to Baruch College but there was a problem. It was a commuter school in the city so my mom said no. My dream school was Pace University in Brooklyn. Problem, the tuition/room & board was about $50,000 and they wanted my mom to take out a $30,000 parent loan so that was a big no. I got a big scholarship to the College of New Rochelle and was invited to a Scholarship Brunch at the school. As I was looking around at the attendees of the brunch, I realized there were no boys. The brunch started and the President stated that this was an all girls school. That was another no. Now I was down to two schools. St. John's University and Siena College. My mom did not want me to go to St. John's because they denied me from entering the business program because of my low SAT scores. I did not receive their financial aid package neither. My only choice was Siena College. My mom loved the admissions staff because they were so friendly. The financial aid package was a good deal. So my mom sent the $200 deposit and Siena College here I come. Though a week later, I received my St. John package and it was better than Siena but it was too late. 

I came to grips that I was going to Siena. I realized the good things about the school. Compared to St. Johns, I was not going to be just a number at Siena but my professors will be able to put a name to a face. Siena looked at my SAT scores but did not penalize me. They seen that I had a high standing GPA, extra co-curricular activities and community service.

The friendliness of the staff and students let me know that people do care. The small campus allows me to get anywhere in about 5 minutes. Being three hours away from mom, well I kind of like it. 

Name: Kristin Palmeri
Major: undeclared business
Freshman, live in hines
Hometown: Brightwaters, Long Island
Hobbies in highschool: soccer, basketball
Father's job: works for Blackrock Kelso Capitol
Mother's job:works for Touro College
Father played basketball in college

Community
About five years ago I moved into a new town. I left my old community behind and had to adapt to a new one. I had to meet new people. The same thing happened when I came to Siena College. I was entering a completely new community that would now become a big part of my life. Even though these communities were strange and new to me I have learned to become a part of them.

Learning Experience
My little cousin is autistic. He is about seven years old now. My aunt and uncle were unsure if he would ever even be able to communicate with people. The doctors were also unsure about his outcome. He has been going to special doctors and therapies every day for years. He is smarter than most kids his age and he is able to socialize and communicate. Watching the struggles of my aunt, uncle, and my little cousins has taught me to never give up if you want something that bad. My aunt and uncle could have easily givin up on my cousin, but they didn't. They became even more determined to give him a normal life. They have worked so hard to get him where he is today, and he is still improving. They will never give up on him and neither will the rest of my family.

Joseph Cifarelli
Hometown: Rockville Centre, NY Long Island
Father Occupation: Stock Trader/ Accounting
Mother Occupation: Secretary for a construction company
Class Year: Freshman
Residence:Ryan Hall
Major: Accounting
Extras: Bonner Program, Dog Pound, Intrameral sports
High School Extras: Soccer, Basketball, Lacrosse
Special Fact: I like to watch good movies and analyze them.

One year ago my friend past away and our entire community was brought down. He was a memeber of our highschool lacrosse team. During the beginning of the season we declared to have a dry season for our teammate Tim. We worked harder then ever all for our lost teammate. we began to wear attire that has his initials and name on it constantly. We ended up winning in the regular season but once we got into the playoffs it was a new season. we made it to the championship game, everyhting was going according to plan, we were winning and playing for our lost teammate. the community began to rally for our team, and we rallied of them. We lost the championship game. Although we lost we did win the revival of the community in our town.

About Me...

Keri O'Brien

Hometown: Smithtown, NY

Mothers Occupation - Nurse

Fathers Occupation - Police Officer

I am a sophomore

Dorm : Hines 204

Major: Biology

College Activities: RA, Bonners, Bio Club, Rugby, Outing Club

H.S. Activities: Soccer, Cross Country, Junior Firefighter, Girl Scouts, Ecology Club

Parents Activities: Mother - Girl Scout Leader

Father - Volunteer Firefighter

Unknown Fact: I enjoy playing the piano and I used to teach the piano.

My Story - Community

My story is from my trip down to New Orleans. The hurricanes that hit the area as well as other coastal cities brought our nation together as one community helping another. From the conference there were about sixty students representing their own community ( school, church, organization). Everyone came together to help a cause that may not of even directly affected their lives. The purpose was to gain momentum to pass an act that would help rebuild the Gulf Coast. We worked on ways to gain supporters (legislators, senators), organizations) that would show interest in the act. People from all around the nation attended the conference to help spread its purpose by bringing it back to their own communities. I helped bring it to Siena and the New York area by asking people to call their local representatives.

Learning Experience:

For me a powerful learning experience was when i was captain of the Junior Firefighters. It taught me responsibility because I had to plan meetings and events. It also was leadership role. I really felt that one day brought everything that I had been teaching and learning together, our first practice car fire. I was responsible for getting department members to help out and supervise. I had to book the practice area and I was responsible for making sure the other juniors were aware of the situation, knew how to use the equipment and the proper techniques. Years of learning went into this day where I had to lead the group and teach them. I discovered some new skills and explored new limits.

Personal Information:
-Name: Amanda C. Paske
-Current home town: Halfmoon New York, a town so small we use the postal services of our neighboring town of Waterford.
-Mother: Food service worker (in layman’s terms she is a lunch lady, but she has a degree in nutrition and is a very smart woman. She just loves kids and enjoys having summers off)
-Father: Civil Engineer for EYP
-Sophomore student
-Residing in Hennepin
-Chemistry major currently involved with the honors program until I die writing the thesis book thing
-Used to do Karate in my spare time here, now I work in a research lab with Professor O’Donnell and outing club every now and again when I can escape from my busy school schedule
-In high school I was involved backstage with the drama club, was a stage hand and then stage manager. I also did fencing for about a year before the place closed down.
-Who knows what my parents did as kids. I pretty much go on a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy with that.
-Something that makes me unique….um….love cats, sometimes write various things in my spare time.

Community:
That night there was a great travesty, a fire at the Twin Lakes apartments. Homes were lost, personal items destroyed and hope washed away within the ashes. The people were without things that were deemed necessary, but in the midst of trial a new hope emerged in the help of friends, family and others connected in the community of Halfmoon. Connected by a common location and understanding of one another’s needs families came together providing shelter, food and comfort in a time of need for those who were without. They saw no need for returning favors but knew that as a community they would help one another as needs arose and not take advantage of that kindness.

Good Education:
I had learned in classrooms the basics of chemistry, doing calculations and keeping numerous amounts of notes. But it was all simply on paper. When I entered the research lab for the first time, those months of preparation became completely lost to me. Hands on experience and actual practice re-taught me chemistry in a way that was entirely new. Measuring with real glassware and calculating for experiments I would run without knowing the answer helped me to really learn the concepts. Curiosity and an expectation for results taught me to ask more questions and become comfortable with not knowing all of the answers before the experiment itself.

NAME: Tai Revell

HOMETOWN: Hempstead/Uniondale, NY

MOTHER'S OCCUPATION: High School Business Teacher

FATHER'S OCCUPATION: Head Custodian at an Elementary School

YEAR: Freshman

RESIDENCE: Plassman

MAJOR: Marketing

MINOR: Information Systems

ACTIVITIES: BLSU, Marketing Team, Bonner Program

HIGH SCHOOL ACTIVITIES: Future Business Leaders of America, National Honor Society, currently work at the Long Island Children's Musuem

MOTHER'S ACTIVITIES: Future Business Leaders of America Advisor

UNIQUE FACT: I like shopping at the bookstore and buying sneakers.

COMMUNITY STORY

December 19, 2007, my friend Kareem Sapp was shot and killed. August 1, 2008, my stepbrother's brother Samuel Brown, was shot and killed. After losing two people in less than a year, I thought there has to be something that I can do. I participated in the peace marches and rallies. I decided to help the youth. While in school, I currently work at the Boys & Girls Club - Delaware Unit with the Teen Program. The teen program gives youth another alternative then being on the streets.

EDUCATION STORY

In the tenth grade, I was apart of High School Heroes - Junior Achievement. My friend and I received a kit that had certificates, workbooks, pens, and activities for to use in a elementary school classroom. For one day we were going to be the teachers. Teaching the students about business, economics, and jobs. I taught a fifth grade class and enjoyed being able to teach them new things. At the end of the day, the students were clinging on to us and did not want us to leave. Now when I am shopping at the local stores in the neighborhood, the children still remember me.

Adam Burn
Stony Point, NY
Mother: Physical Therapist
Father: Mechanical engineer, rehabilitation technology specialist
2nd year at Siena
Currently live in Plassmann
Major: Chemistry
Extra-curricular activities: Volunteer at Joseph's House, Troy, sometimes play intramurals
Extra-curricular activities in high school: Cross-Country, tennis
Parents' extra-curricular activities: Church activities (choir, bible study, liturgical committees)
Unique fact: Enjoy being outside, hiking, skiing, and traveling

Community Story

Back home, I have gone to the same Catholic Church for the past 19 years. I know most of the parishioners there fairly well and would categorize these people as members of a community. When I worked there for several years when I was in high school, I would regularly talk with them and began to learn more about their perspectives on life. I was especially fascinated with the people who attended the 7AM Mass. Every Sunday, they would wake up very early and sit in the same pews and see the same people week after week. When they did not see someone for a few weeks, they became genuinely concerned about their fellow parishioner's welfare. While most of these people did not socialize with each other outside of Church, they felt close to one another while at Mass. This community would provide assistance and support to their fellow parishioners when they needed their help. I learned that a community can be created when people with a few common similarities regularly meet and grow together in their love towards their neighbor and God.

Education Story

I had a difficult time transitioning into high school. As an introverted only child, I did not know many people at the regional high school I attended. For the first several months, life consisted of going to and from school and doing homework. Even though I was on the football team, I still felt as though I did not know anyone and that the few people that I previously did know were changing and abandoning me. When I decided to join the tennis team, my coach showed me how to lighten up through humor and laughter. I soon began to develop new friendships with other students which started by sharing a laugh. It was great to feel happy and know that humor is great way to de-stress in life. I am very grateful for having that coach in my life.

Amanda Simone

Hometown: Smithtown, NY (Long Island)
Father's Occupation: Owns TriTech Surfaces (fabricates granite countertops)
Mother's Occupation: Senior Companion
Class Year: Sophmore
Residence: Plassmann
Major: Biology / Pre-Med
Extras: Rugby, Bonner Program, Biology Club
High School Extras: Interned at St Catherine's hospital, played varsity field hockey, worked at an interior design firm.
Parent's Extras: Mom is on PTA, Dad played club hockey
Special fact: I have season tickets to the New York Islanders and hockey is my favorite sport.

Community Story:

On September 11th after the Twin Towers fell the entire country came together as a community of Americans. People from all over the country came together to help the victims in anyway possible. Americans wanted to help these victims because they too were part of the American community. Americans united with a common history filled with fighting for our right to freedom and helping those less fortunate than us. We united as American citizens with common values and came together to selflessly help those members of the community in need. Together we helped to set right those injustices imposed upon members of our community and didn't stop until the job was done. American soldiers even went over seas to war to carry out justice for those victims who were wrongfully harmed in our community.

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