Corning Community College Student Blog

JUST ASK!

2012-01-24T10:14:00.000-05:00

Having been a new student myself, I’m all too familiar with the daunting task of getting acclimated to a new environment; new professors, new peers, new place, etc. For those of you who don’t know, this year the Admissions office team has been promoting a Dignity & Respect campaign (Google it!) and this week’s promotion is “ask”.

A lot of us are raised to believe that independence is a much desired outcome of our struggles. I’m going to go against the grain here, and tell you all that asking for help, asking for clarification, for directions, or anything else is not a weakness! I can’t stress this enough! One of the many things that make Corning so great is that there are people willing to assist you around every corner. Not taking advantage of such resources just makes reaching your goals that much harder!

Let me tell you a secret… when you graduate, and are handed your diploma; it’s not going to say “Congrats! You did it without asking for help!” It’s going to look just like everyone else’s. That being said, I encourage all of you (new and returning students, alike) to utilize all of the resources here on campus. If you’re not familiar with them, stop in at the Math Learning Center (S113 or U111 in Elmira), it’s a great (and usually pretty quiet!) place to do your homework, and ask questions (they also have practice exams, which are a great way to stay ahead of the curve!).

If you’re not taking a math course this semester, swing by the Writing Center! (C207 or U110 in Elmira) It’s not just for English Comp! Any writing assignments, for any classes; they can help with brainstorming, formatting/citing sources, or maybe you just need a computer to use, and they’re there if you need them! Maybe you need tips on studying, want to form a study group, or need help with one of your psych classes… go to the Academic Study Center! If you don’t know where that it is, it’s in the basement of the library (or U120 in Elmira). Some of you may not have had classes in the Science Building yet, but we also have a Science Learning Center as well! (Nursing majors? Welcome to your second home…)

Once again I challenge all of you to make use of these resources; if you can pick up even just one useful tip or habit from any of them, that’ll bring you one step closer to success, it’s well worth it…and there’s a super-fantastic prize in it for you, from yours truly (it’s a high-five for a decision well-made).

Tara

Don't Quit by Tammy VanVleck

2011-10-24T14:30:00.000-04:00

Even though my journey has taken me a different path, I would like to give a shout out to all my friends in the Nursing Program (and all nursing students). As a former Nursing student I understand that one of the most challenging programs at CCC is the Nursing Program but it is rewarding for those who make it to the end. I would just like to encourage you to hang in there to the end. IT WILL BE WORTH IT WHEN YOU FINALLY ACCOMPLISH YOUR GOALS!!!

Think of it this way, you are half-way through the semester and some of you are almost ¾’s of the way to becoming angels.

I wish you all the best of luck and leave you with this poem:

“The Don’t Quit Poem” ~ Author Unknown

“When things go wrong as they sometimes will,

When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,

When the funds are low and the debts are high,

And you want to smile but have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit,

Rest, if you must but don’t you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,

As every one of us sometimes learns,

And many a failure turns about,

When he might have won had he stuck it out;

Don’t give up though the pace seems slow—

You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than,

It seems to a faint and faltering man,

Often the struggler has given up,

When he might have captured the victor’s cup,

And he learned too late when the night slipped down,

How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out—

The silver lining in the clouds of doubt,

And you can never tell how close you are,

So stick to the fight when hardest hit—

It’s when things are worst you MUST NOT QUIT.”

Where has the time gone?

2011-10-05T12:26:00.002-04:00

Thankyou to everyone who responded to my first ever blog. I hope it was helpful and informative. I enjoy your responses and interaction.

Thisweek I’d like to focus on something none of us, whether we are older students,younger students or somewhere in between, don’t have enough of. We are alreadyinto the middle of the semester and it seems like we just started. Soon it willbe time to register for the spring semester. Let’s not go there yet though.

Hereare some tips on managing your time that have worked for me: organize,organize, organize. If you can organize your time then you can maximize whatyou can or need to accomplish. The best school tool I found I have is the dailyplanner that was available at the beginning of the semester [if you didn’t getyours, go to the Commons, Student Life, show your school ID and get one!]. Thiswas one of the first things I looked for when returning from summer break. Withthis I can write out my schedule of classes, work, and homework that needs tobe completed. I can see the days off that are coming up, college events arewritten in, and I have all the information I need to be organized. If I can seemy schedule in front of me I can figure out where to fit in time for extrastudying, projects that need to be done, work, and time for my family. All ofthese are important to our success.

Somethingelse that has helped me manage my time is using campus resources such as thelibrary, learning centers, and computer labs. I found if I can accomplish someor most of my work on campus then I can maximize my time at home with myfamily. It’s hard when trying to focus on too many things at once, which beinga full-time student sometimes almost feels like a requirement. However, if youcan divide your time wisely it will lead to less stress and a more enjoyableexperience at home and at school. If you are able to spend time on campus to doyour work, use places like the library or the new learning center. I don’trecommend the Commons for studying, but it is a great place to relax and giveyour brain a rest – which brings me to my next point.

It isimportant to schedule yourself some down time. It is hard to do when you haveprojects due or major exams to study for, but your brain needs a break. I’vefound I shut down after studying for too long and it’s not effective studyinganyway. Allow yourself some time for things you enjoy, and then come back tostudying or the project you are working on. Be sure to set a time limit, itwill help avoid procrastination. One last suggestion is squeeze in a littlestudy time in places you wouldn’t think of: when you are cooking supper andhave to wait a few minutes for the food to cook, pull out your study sheet andlook it over while you’re waiting. If you are waiting to go to class you can dothe same. Every time you do this you are exposing your mind to the material youneed to learn and you feel more prepared.

I hopethese tips on time management are helpful. If you have any other suggestionsplease share them with our fellow students. Time is something we can’t ever getback. Making the most of what we have is so important to our success and toenjoying a little less stress in our lives to help to accomplish all that weneed to accomplish.

Tammy

32-Day Commitment

2011-09-28T15:20:00.000-04:00

I can do it. I’ll lose weight this semester. I won’t fall off the wagon again. I am strong willed. I can do this. I’m not really sure if this positive affirmation stuff is really doing any good, but it can’t hurt, right? I’m taking human biology this semester, and one of the projects we’re doing is a “32-day commitment”. For 32 days I have to change a bad habit of mine, or gain a new positive one. My first thought was to try, one more time, something that’s already failed once; “being vegetarian” for 3 days of the week has had a positive effect on me before, when I stick to it. Not only did I lose weight, but I also had elevated moods, more energy, less stomach pain, and an over-all healthier me. I feel like this is a good start, but as I’ve learned in Psychology class, activities that are intrinsically motivating are far more likely to be done. Lucky for me, there are going to be Zumba classes on campus this semester! If you don’t know what Zumba is, I highly recommend you look into it! It’s a Latin-inspired dance that also incorporates hip-hop, salsa, mambo, martial arts, and some belly dance moves. It’s going to be offered twice a week, in the bottom of the brand new fitness center, at 6:45 in the morning. Voila! My new positive habit! I will drag myself out of bed at five a.m. twice a week to come to campus and dance my butt off… literally! Wish me luck, people!

Thoughts from a Non-Traditional Student

2011-09-28T14:53:00.001-04:00

Being a non-traditional student, and by that I mean an older student, going back to school after being out for over twenty years, was a bit overwhelming. Even though I was excited for my new adventure, there were a lot of decisions that needed to be made and questions to answer. For instance, “What would I go to school for?”,“Where will I get the money to go to school?”, “Am I too old to go to school?”, “Will I fit in with the other students?” The answers I found for myself were: 1) CCC has a program for almost every interest and what you thought you wanted to do may change. 2) There are financial aid programs to assist with the financial aspects of schooling. 3) No, I’m not too old, and, 4) There is so much diversity at the college it’s hard not to find somewhere to fit in. If I can go back to school and be successful, anyone can.

CCC offers so many opportunities and provides so many resources to be successful, even if you need to change your original plan. The options are endless so failure doesn’t have to be one of them. I’ve discovered college isn’t high-school, the learning centers are for everyone, and because it is a smaller college the CCC instructors are very approachable and willing to help you succeed. As an older student I find I am more focused and ready to make the money I’m spending for my education work for me. Going to school when you’re older does have its advantages.

Throughout the semester I would like to offer tips and suggestions to help make your semester a successful one at CCC, and to help those who are deciding if college is right for them, to possibly see returning to college at CCC is the opportunity they have been waiting for.

Welcome all students, particularly “non-traditional” (older) students. Best of luck in your studies this semester.

Tammy VanVleck tvanvlec@corning-cc.edu

Thoughts from DISNEY WORLD!

2011-09-28T14:51:00.000-04:00

I’ve been postponing my blog because I’ve been overwhelmed with awesomeness. I’ve checked in, I’ve completed my training, I’ve started my job, I’ve gotten home-sick, I’ve had family visit and I’ve adjusted to living in Florida (for the most part.) Life is good.

I am working in Magic Kingdom at Tomorrowland. More specifically I‘m working at Buzz Space Ranger Spin, The Laugh Floor, and Carousel of Progress. The Laugh Floor is by far my favorite attraction at the Magic Kingdom so needless to say, I’ve been thrilled to work there!

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/magic-kingdom/attractions/buzz-lightyears-space-ranger-spin/

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/magic-kingdom/attractions/monsters-inc-laugh-floor/

I realized today that I’m only here for about 3 more months. There’s so much I have left to do. I haven’t even gone to the Disney Water Parks or Universal yet! I still need to take a day to explore Downtown Orlando! And let’s not forget a beach trip! My all time favorite band is going to be down here in November so I bought 3rd row tickets! And more of my family will be visiting in December!

A lot of exciting things are happening down here and I’m loving my experience. I think I’m pretty decided that I want to come back home after my program. I’m loving this program, but small-town life is definitely something I enjoy more. And I miss my family! I applied to Keuka's ASAP program for Organizational Management. I think I would love to work at a college campus in an Admissions or Student Life office! But, I'm so indecisive, we'll see if I change my mind before I come home.

I hope all is well back at home! I hope no one was harmed or suffered too harshly from the flooding that I had heard about. Enjoy every minute of your beautiful trees changing colors! And please, please... carve a pumpkin for me. I'm not entirely sure I can do that down here...

Kate Schiller

Sweat the Small Stuff

2011-09-12T12:05:00.001-04:00

Most of you have probably noticed a tab on MyCCC about Dignity & Respect. This is a new campaign that we’re (the admissions office team) trying this semester; every week this semester there will be a different promotion, quote, idea, etc. For example, last week’s promotion was “sweat the small stuff”. This could be anything from smiling at a peer as you pass them on campus, to holding open a door, or maybe it’s asking a friend how their day is. The purpose of this campaign is to promote a friendlier campus, and make EVERYONE feel respected. You never know how it will impact someone else, and don’t you want to be respected too? “The 30 tips of Dignity & Respect challenges us to be mindful of others and to commit to treating them the way they want to be treated. By following these daily recommendations we can all work to achieve a more inclusive community.” If you’d like to get involved you can take the pledge at www.DignityandRespect.org, or text RESPECT to 94253!

Any Last Words?

2011-08-09T11:51:00.001-04:00

Any last words?

It’s my last shift here at Office of Admissions at Corning Community College. I’m trying to have an epic subject to blog about... perhaps it’s still too early. Is 9:16 AM too early? My morning is all discombobulated (sp?) though. My alarm didn’t go off on my phone AGAIN.

Why does it hate me so? I’ll need to bring an alarm clock with me down to Disney. Could you imagine if that happened to me down there? I’d probably get terminated. I should be prepared...

Oh! Good transition to my next subject.

I want to share some tips and tricks I’ve picked up along the way to prepare new coming, current or transfers from CCC. I figured it might be a good farewell blog.

How to succeed at CCC and beyond...

Pay attention in your FYEX (First Year Experience) class. I know a lot of it seems like common sense, but this class is created to not only teach you about things to help you succeed in college, but life in general. How you treat that class is how you’ll treat any class that you may feel you don’t want or need to take.

Learn how to use the CCC online Library early! A lot of instructors require you to use this resource instead of others. They will teach you in classes like your Comp 1 or FYEX so pay attention during those sessions. Not only is it helpful with CCC classes but I used it after I transferred to a 4-year. I had the option of using the new schools but I still had access to CCC’s online library, why learn a whole new system when the old one worked just fine?

Ask your advisor to SHOW YOU how to schedule classes. I’ve helped so many friends schedule their courses because they never learned how. You don’t have to meet with your advisor every semester! You can do it from home. I think you can register early and get entered to win a gas card... but I never won. So, I would meet with an advisor but I always ended up switching my schedule around.

When having to do group projects, don’t automatically group with your friends. Group with the people who contribute to class discussion. Well, contribute productively. They’re the ones interested in the class; they’re the ones who will be driven enough to help get you an A. Especially when you all receive the same grade. I HATE these types of projects; I’d rather work alone for my own grade. But, unfortunately some instructors think it helps your social skills.

Don’t take your laptop to class if it’s a subject that bores you. Trust me. You will spend the entire time on the internet doing everything EXCEPT taking notes. And while this may seem appealing to you, don’t be surprised when you end up with a grade that drops your GPA.

Don’t be the class clown. We aren’t in high school anymore. A lot of people would rather let the instructor get through their agenda for the day than listen to you do your stand-up comedy. While I’m not saying you can’t have fun in class... respect others time.

Same subject... don’t be a know-it-all. If a subject interests me and I’ve had the opportunity to study it outside of a class... I feel like I should share my knowledge with others. I learned very quickly that people don’t care what I have to say unless we’re required to speak for a discussion. Make an appointment with your instructor to talk about the subject more in-depth outside of your other classmates’ time.

Go to campus events! Most of the time there is free food, fun activities and great people to meet! My favorite is SpringFest!

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. There are countless amounts of resources available on campus, not to mention your instructors are your best resource. Classmates can be great too! They know what you’re going through.

Public safety can break into your car and jump your battery. Yea, if you’re like me you’ll need to know that...

Take a class with Benny! Harold Hunziker (more popularly known as Benny) is one of the more well-known instructors on campus. I honestly don’t think I’ve heard a bad word spoken against him. He teaches Psychology courses, a subject I was never interested in until I took his Social Psych course! Almost all of you will need a Psych101 class, so I would encourage you to get a class with him.

I think that’s all I’ll leave with you. I’ll try to write at least one blog to update everyone on how I’m doing down in Disney. :)

--Kate

Self-Doubt Ain’t Got Nothin’ On Me

2011-08-09T10:44:00.000-04:00

As I’m approaching my departure date, I’m becoming more nervous and feeling more unprepared than ever. I’m getting constant reminders from numerous people that soon… I’ll no longer be home. I get asked every day, “When are you leaving?!” I hate the reminders! I’ve been trying not to think so much of leaving but more about arriving.

But that’s been freaking me out just as much, if not more…

DETAILS! I forgot about all the details I need to worry about when moving away from home. This weekend will be dedicated to packing my car full of all the things I want to take. If it doesn’t fit, I can’t take it! That’s a horrible thought.

What’s making me even more sad is that I’ve been packing the stuff I don’t want to take and putting it in the basement so my family has an extra room to use… for whatever. I wasn’t asked to do this; my mom was kind of offended and hurt when I told her what I was doing. Poor mommy.

I figured it’d be nice, since when (and if) I come back, I plan to move out. My stuff will be all packed up so it’s one less thing I have to worry about. Wait…

MOVE OUT??? Temporarily was fine, but now I want to leave home permanently???

Sounded like a good idea at the time… Welcome to life, Kate.

I’m not new to these feelings of panic though. I’m reminded of when I first started college and basically any class that I’ve taken that I thought was too difficult for me. A feeling of urgency and self-doubt. It’s the feeling of… being a college student. Which, I’m beginning to find, doesn’t stop with being a college student. I guess I’m realizing it’s going to follow me throughout the rest of my life.

I sound like such a downer, but that’s not my goal here. My goal is to encourage you to push through this feeling. I also want you to recognize that you’re not the only one experiencing this stomach turning bundle of emotions.

If only we could have a Pepto-Bismol cure. *sings and dances* Nausea, heartburn, indigestion, college students, diarrhea! (Yay for a new jingle for CCC!) If you’re unfamiliar with that jingle, I’m sorry that you live under a rock. Here’s a reference. :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XghJuH6GSCo

Did I really just side-track to that? Yes. I. did.

My point is, when in this situation of experiencing “college student symptoms” I try to remember the results I’ve encountered when pushing through.

My favorite was when I waited until my last semester (for my first degree) to take my lab science. After completely failing (by my own standards) the first half of the semester, I pushed through. I knew I could do better. I studied harder, got help from the instructor and dedicated myself to that class. I ended up getting a 99/100 on the final!

Is there a time that you felt like you didn’t have the will-power to do something, but ended up exceeding your own expectations?

Kate

Is It Tea Time Yet?

2011-08-09T10:31:00.003-04:00

So, 27 days before I leave and I still have so much to do. I decided not to book a hotel. I’m going to wait. My brother wants to drive a ton the first day, but I want to drive a ton the second day. Oh, siblings… I’m not going to worry about it though because either way, we’ll get down there somehow. I can’t wait to meet all of the amazing people I’ve been talking to who are either down there already or will be. And I’ve been becoming more anxious to find out what attraction I’ll be working.

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/attractions/

If you visit the link, you can get a little idea of where I *might* be working. There are so many attractions! I have no idea what one I’ll be placed it. It’s exciting but nerve-wracking at the same time. I’ve been taking the time to post things that I’m excited about through Disney on my own personal Facebook account. And while I’m excited to experience all the things I loved when I was on vacation at Disney World, I’m more excited to do things like this…

I wasn’t able to go on the Tea Cups the first and only time I have been to Disney World. And as silly as it sounds, I’m most excited to go on them above anything else! Why? Advertisement. When I was a child, I remember seeing commercials for Disney World. All I remember was the Tea Cups. I remember thinking, “I can’t wait to go on those!”

You see, my grandparents were Disneyaholics (if there is such things, they were it!) And they would always vacation at Disney. I have 4 siblings (3 older brothers and 1 little sister) My grandparents took my oldest brother to Disney when he was a kid and promised to take the rest of us as well. They managed to take my brothers but kind of forgot my sister and I! I don’t mind as much now because my grandparents sent us with my mom a couple years ago. I was 20 years old but I was able to appreciate everything around me.

Except the Tea Cups. I don’t even remember seeing them. There was so much happening, and my mom and my sister weren’t interested in going on them… so I missed my opportunity. Well, I’m determined that the first ride I will experience will be the Tea Cups!

Do you have a favorite attraction? Or what one do you look forward to the most?

My Informative Speech Topic Choice

2011-08-03T12:25:00.002-04:00

This summer I’ve opted to take a few classes to lighten my load, in the semesters to come. I am currently taking Public Speaking, and it has proven to be a very interesting class. Not only am I honing in on my communication skills, but I’ve also been given the opportunity to further explore unique topics as speech material. This week I’ve been given the assignment of choosing an informative speech topic and I’ve narrowed my options to something that I’ve previously learned about in my psych classes here at Corning. My first instinct was to choose my three favorite sub-categories of psychology and define, explain, and illuminate all of their valuable contributions; after giving it some thought, I’ve come to the realization that may be a little dry, and although it’s an exciting topic to me, it just may put my audience to sleep. So I thought about it, I brainstormed, I discussed it over breakfast, and I finally came up with a worthwhile topic. Britney Spears: A Psychological Assessment! Psychoanalysis and behaviorist theories that aim to explain her transition from a Disney star to a full-fledged whack-job! Who doesn’t wonder, from time to time, how on earth someone who was once a role-model for children has taken such a sharp turn towards drugs, alcohol and racy tabloid articles. Stay tuned while I use knowledge and resources from both my General Psych and Adolescent Psychology class to illuminate the craziness that lies within Britney Spears!

20 Days

2011-07-25T08:00:00.003-04:00

I decided to make a list of things I’m going to miss and will not miss while I’m down in Florida. I haven’t thought this through, just typing as I go. So, don’t expect it to be alphabetized. And a reminder, I’ll be down there from August 15th to (at least) January 6th.

I Will Not Miss:

• SNOW – As beautiful as it can be, I’m not going to miss it.

• CLASSES – I’m definitely someone who enjoys school and even though it’s an option, while I’m down there, I decided not to take any classes.

• LIVING @ MOM’S – Don’t get me wrong, I’ll probably end up missing aspects of it, but overall, I’m excited to get out on my own. When (and IF) I come home, I plan on getting my own apartment.

• WOOD STOVES – I love the smell of ours, but the process of getting the wood in the house is not my idea of fun. I don’t know, maybe I’m crazy for not missing that.

• PINE TREES – I’ve never liked them… Hello, palm trees!

• FAMILY DRAMA – Not that I’ll go into specifics but I’m sure some of you can relate to this. :P

I Will Miss:

• FAMILY & FRIENDS– Of course, I would hope this would be on anyone’s list. But more specifically, my niece and nephew. They’re so young and my favorite little people to see EVER! I hope they don’t forget who I am!

• HOLIDAYS – While holiday seasons at Disney should be super awesome, I’m going to miss a lot of family traditions. (Not to mention, gifts!)

• FALL – I love Fall. I love watching the trees change colors, going apple picking, frosts in the morning, visiting haunted houses, among other things. It’s my favorite season!

• HILLS – It’s so flat in FL!

• MY HOME CHURCH – I hope to find a church down in FL that I feel comfortable in, but I’m going to miss where I grew up!

• CCC ADMISSIONS – I’m going to miss working as a Student Ambassador here. And overall just miss this campus!

I’m sure there are plenty of other things I could think of, but I don’t want to get too emotional at work! I’m excited about leaving, but I will miss a lot of things.

As I count down my days until I leave… work days are getting longer, weeks are dragging out and the times I want to last forever (weekends) zoom right by! I’m beginning to realize all the things I’m going to miss even though I’m excited about all the new things I’ll experience. Patsy (my boss in Admissions) has asked me to write at least one blog to update everyone once I’m down there. I hope to do more than just one but we’ll see how it works out! *Like* this blog if you’d look forward to reading more about my experience down in Disney! If there are a significant amount of people reading these posts, I’ll do my best to schedule time to update you all. : )

What to Consider Before Taking a Compressed Class by Kate Schiller

2011-06-27T16:43:00.000-04:00

I just finished my Summer Astronomy course this past week. While I really enjoyed the content of the class, I regret taking such an interesting subject in a compressed package! If you haven’t read my past blogs, it was a four week course, Mon – Thur, 8:30 AM – 1:20 PM. Four weeks of a lab science isn’t enough time to process a subject you’re extremely interested in.

How many times do you think to yourself, “If I could do all over again, I would”? I don’t think I’ve ever thought way about a college course! But that’s where I am right now. I managed to get a C in the class, which is the lowest grade I’ve ever received. I’m not blaming the compressed course, it was my own fault. But I do wish I could take it over during a regular semester. I would definitely take another Astronomy course! The instructor was great, the class was fun… it was just a lot to take in during a short amount of time.

Instead of complaining about my C, I’ve decided to celebrate that I made it through the course with a passing grade! The course was difficult but fun. I come across a lot of those here at CCC. But, the time frame really hurt me. Before you register for a compressed course, ask yourself, “Am I really interested in this subject? Should I wait until I can take it a full semester?” Not to say it’s not possible to get an A in these types of courses, you just have to have something I lacked… time management skills. :(

Kate

Record High Heat Creates Insane Excitement!!!

2011-06-09T14:13:00.000-04:00

Yesterday (June 8th) our area experienced a record high temperature! While I expect most people were lounging in front of a fan, or if you’re lucky enough, an AC, I was busy on campus in my Summer Astronomy class. My Astronomy class runs Mon. – Thur., 8:30AM to 1:20PM for four weeks.

As I sat in my non-air-conditioned classroom, I didn’t feel uncomfortably hot. We were even conducting a lab that required to turn on extremely hot lights for a couple of hours. Surprisingly enough, I felt comfortable, and for the most part, cool. As my day continued, I got into my non-air-conditioned car and drove home. Again, the heat barely bothered me. I arrived at home and eventually I turned my AC off in my house because I was too cold!

Now, I don’t expect you to think this is a very interesting story from what I’ve just said. But, the heat yesterday (that’s also continuing today) has caused me so much excitement! Extreme heat typically wouldn’t spark so much excitement in the average person. However, if you have been reading my blogs from the past I stated that I’m moving to Disney World in FLORIDA!

While upper 90’s are a record high for us this time of year, I assume it’s an average day in FL. The way I was handling the heat surprised me. Usually I’m a soggy ball of complaining sweat when it gets this hot. But, no, not this Summer. I’m embracing our record high heat wave and looking ahead to my new chapter at the Disney College Program in FL.

Maybe I won’t get my AC in my car fixed until I leave for Disney. It’ll help me get use to the heat… good idea?

Thanks for reading my babble,

--Kate

Top 10 Reasons I Love CCC by Tara Bowman

2011-05-20T14:30:00.001-04:00

10. Free Stuff!

The activities fee I pay every semester covers a lot of really cool stuff. Free concerts, free food, free t-shirts, games, giveaways, prizes, festivities, entertainment, comedians, merriment all around, hoopla, oh and cake! Since I live off campus, all this jubilation is an awesome way to still feel like you’re part of a community.

9. Waffle fries…

I swear they put crack in those things. The waffle fries in the dining hall are amazing. Since we have a professional catering service that makes all the food for CCC, all the food is really, really good.

8. The Chemung River

Campus is so close to the Chemung River that I can kayak back to Elmira when I have classes on the main campus. There’s nothing more relaxing then going to the river after a stressful day, sitting back, dipping your feet in the water, and just effortlessly floating some 15 miles or so home.

7. Market Street

Market Street is beautiful! I love all the little shops, and great places to eat. There’s a really cute place to eat called the Old World Café that has the best ice cream ever. You can find anything from music, animals, food, art, beauty salons, to cafés and hand crafted trinkets, and gadgets; an excellent place to kill time, and wander aimlessly :)

6. The Math Learning Center

I was in the MLC every week, at least 3 days a week, this entire semester. I probably would have lost my mind, and/or flunked out of Calculus had it not been for the amazing peer and professional tutors there.

5. The professors

My professors here at CCC are amazing! They’re all super nice. My Tae Kwon Do instructor made me laugh until I cried on a pretty regular basis. [By the way, I highly recommend that class!] They’re also very flexible, and understanding. If you make the effort maintain communication with them, and let them know what your needs are, they’re very accommodating.

4. The Class Size

All of my classes this semester were 15-20 students or less. This made me feel a little more comfortable with participating in class, and communicating with my professors. They all know me by name, and I don’t feel anonymous, like I would sitting in a large lecture hall trying to absorb information like a sponge.

3. Class Selection

There are a lot of really cool class selections here on campus. CCC is the best place to start, especially if you don’t know exactly what you want to do; because of the large variety of classes, programs, and electives you can take, it’s an excellent place to get a feel for what sparks your passion. I started out as a math/science major, but my guidance counselor helped me put a little bit of everything in my schedule so I could test the waters a little bit, and I soon found out my passion is psychology.

2. Diversity

There are so many different, wonderful people here, there really isn’t such thing as the typical CCC student. I took a year off to just work, and then came back to school, for the second time and felt right at home at CCC.

And the number one reason I love Corning Community College… [Drum roll please!]

1. The Sense of Community

The strong sense of community here at CCC is the number one reason why I love it here. Ask any student, and they’ll tell you the reasons they love it too. There’s a lot of pride in our school, and support for everyone who’s apprehensive about attending college. My family is about to move to the west coast, and I’m very fortunate to still have my family away from home here at CCC.

Tips for summer by Sean Keenan

2011-05-19T13:39:00.002-04:00

Sean writing his blogs

Relax
Take a break
Visit Corning Community College
Take a Summer Course
Buy discount golf passes

Out with the Old by Nick Bonomo

2011-05-13T14:41:00.001-04:00

Nick hard at work at the front desk of the Admissions Office

At the end of each year at a college, one can see many people leaving and plans changing, chapters ending and beginning. This is the same for any student ambassador that plans on leaving to attend a transfer school, as I am. I am so grateful to have been a part of this wonderful program, to be paid to do what I truly wish would have been done for me. I was glad to help out the prospective students that were still undecided on what their temporary plans were. I am glad I got to know some great mentors and people along the way. I am glad I can always remember my work and experiences that taught me so much about working in an office setting.

On my way out of the door, I’d like to leave behind some meaningful advice for others: register early, take classes that interest you, stay involved, and always give it your all. College isn’t just about “getting the degree” or “partying all day and night.” A degree allows you to move more quickly into adult life, that’s all. To truly be prepared for this life, you must learn to try your hardest in every class you take, whether it counts toward your degree or not. College is a chance to learn who you are and how you fit into the world. Corning Community College especially taught me these things. However, it is still more than classes and work ethic. It’s a chance to make mistakes and changes to yourself and your plan. It’s a chance to have some fun and to help others. College is, in a sense, a concentrated version of real life. You can choose to use this opportunity to learn to fit into the real world, and I sincerely hope that you do.

Good luck, and register asap!

Yay, it’s SPRING! By Kate Schiller

2011-05-06T20:09:00.001-04:00

Are you all ready for SPRINGfest?! For those of you who are new to CCC this semester, SPRINGfest is a week filled of free food, free activities, free give-a-ways and free entertainment! I think it should just be called FREEfest but since the weather is finally acting right, I think we’ll keep the original name.

I look forward to it every year. I’m talking like I’ve been here for 20 years. I’m actually trying to clear my schedule a bit (from work, not classes!) so I can make it to more events this time around. So here’s a quick overview as to what to expect next week. For more details about events head to your MyCCC account and click the “Student” tab then scroll down to “Student Events.” You can click on each one for more details.

Monday, May 9 @ noon

FREE T-Shirts and entertainment with the HUMAN KNOT (free soft serve pretzels and drinks will be served)
Tuesday, May 10 @ noon

FREE Ice Cream and the Prize Wheel

Wednesday, May 11 @ noon

FREE Lunch and entertainment with A PAIR OF NUTS

Did you read my blog about finals coming up? Well, they’re here! If you didn’t know, CCC offers free coffee or tea in the commons building during finals week. I think it’s great that they offer this to students, but what about the ones who don’t drink coffee or tea? I think I need to request hot cocoa. Anyone else a cocoa drinker?

Good luck on your finals and if you aren’t taking summer courses, have a great vacation!

Thoughts on Completing My Senior Year at CCC by Abby Donegan

2011-05-04T11:59:00.001-04:00

Hey! My name is Abby and I am attending CCC for my senior year of high school. Being here at CCC as one of few high school students has been an interesting experience. It is definitely a change from walking the halls of East High school.

I decided to come to CCC for my last year of high school honestly because I was annoyed with the minimal amount of freedom given to students in high school. I didn’t want to have to have a pass to go to my locker, or have to sign out to go home for a few minutes. I enjoyed high school and still have many friends who attend high school; I was just ready for change. There were times when I regretted coming to CCC and not having a traditional “senior year”; I missed seeing my friends every day and I felt kind of left out.

When I first came to CCC, I assumed it would be easy. I had thoughts like every other high school student that attending a “community college” was basically a walk in the park. I was wrong. I had to work really hard in many of my classes to get the grades I was satisfied with. I struggled in my math class, which I even took at the high school level the year before. It was much different, but every class experience made me more prepared for college in the future. The teachers were very helpful and unlike at big colleges, they knew you by name, not just a seat in a classroom. The attention from the teachers was very comforting and I did not have a difficult time with any of my teachers. I am currently taking one class at East High ninth period that is only for the second half of the year. I originally signed up for the class to boost my average so I could get a scholarship for a college that I am no longer planning to attend; however, I am happy that I am still taking it because it gives me a chance to see my friends from school that I don’t see as often.
Now that the end of the year is approaching, I look forward to many things that most seniors look forward to. I graduate from East High in two months, I am planning my graduation party, I look forward to Senior White Day, Prom, the Senior Awards Assembly, the Senior Trip, and all of the other activities that seniors take part in.

I am extremely thankful that I made the decision to attend CCC as a senior. The classes gave me an eye opener to what college classes are like and I am graduating high school with thirty-five and a half credits! I am attending SUNY Fredonia in the fall to dual major in dance and special education. It is VERY helpful that most of my general education credits are already out of the way. I am so glad that I attended Corning Community College, and I would recommend this college for anyone who is interested in receiving an associate’s degree from a reliable college!

10 Intelligent ways to save and make money as a community college student by Sean Keenan

2011-05-02T12:11:00.000-04:00

1. Apply for the scholarships in the spring for Corning Community College
2. Look around before buying gas
3. Buy laptops when there are promotions, for example, in the summer if you buy a Mac you get a free iPod
4. Don’t impulse buy -- it’s simple but often forgotten
5. Get a Wegman’s card especially if you live in Corning/Elmira area
6. Sell your old books on Craig’s list if the school won’t buy them back
7. Take advantage of buying cheap Jackals and movie tickets at the school
8. You can reuse tea bags
9. Sell your old clothing in the trade-in store on Market Street
10. Make a grocery list and only buy the things on the list

I'm going to Disney! by Kate Schiller

2011-05-02T10:38:00.000-04:00

Well, it’s official. I got my invite to the Disney College Program! I was offered the role of Attractions which means I could be a Bell Hop at the Tower of Terror or a guide on the Jungle Cruise! There are a lot of smaller roles, but I’m sure you could see why I’d be excited about this. Well, if you’ve been to Disney World. If you haven’t… I’m sorry. You should probably book a trip this fall and come visit me! J I won’t find out what attraction I’ll be working until I check in on August 17th. Who knows? It could be more than one.

Now I need to decide how I’m getting down there and when I want to leave. I’m definitely taking my car. They offer public transportation from your housing to the park and around town. But, I wouldn’t want to be reliant on public transportation especially since one of my brother lives about 45 minutes away from Disney. It’d be nice to visit him whenever I wanted to.

I found out there is an auto-train that takes you and your car from Virginia to Florida! So, now I don’t know if I want to drive the whole way or take the auto-train most of the way. It’s about a 6 hour drive from here to VA, a 17 hour train ride to FL and then another 2 hour drive from the train stop to my brothers. I’ll be staying at my brothers the night before I check in so I don’t have to pay for a hotel. I hear people get there as early as 4 AM to check in even though it doesn’t start until 9 AM. I can understand getting there early because they don’t assign your housing until you get there but really?! 4 AM?!

So, it costs just a tad more to take the auto-train but if you factor in the cost that I wouldn’t have to stop at a hotel, it pretty much evens out. If I take the train I could sleep while we are still moving but if I drove I could stop and see things on the way down. Oh, decisions. But, on the positive side, my brother wants to fly up from FL and travel down with me!

Oh, I’m so excited! I don’t have any advice to give in this blog but just thought I’d share what’s going on in this CCC student’s life. Maybe next blog I’ll talk about my concern of packing everything into my tiny convertible to take down to FL. Oh, man…

Time is running out...to REGISTER! by Tara Bowman

2011-04-27T14:33:00.001-04:00

With finals rapidly sneaking up on us, I think it’s pretty easy to forget that there are things that need to be taken care of for the fall semester: registering for class. With all those great classes in the catalog book that you’ve been wanting to take, you definitely don’t want to be caught making a last minute decision about classes that fulfill your degree requirement, but not your fun requirement. The sooner you register the more choices you have; and trust me; if you wait to the last second you could wind up taking some bizarre course like “Intro to Badger Anatomy”. Unless short-legged, omnivorous weasels are a hobby of yours, that probably won’t be worth your time, if you’re a computer science major.

Something I’ve also found definitely worth considering is summer courses. By taking some of those, I’m able to graduate next spring, on time; and right now is the time to register for those as well. Instead of the material being taught over a fifteen week period, it’s taught over a four to ten week period, which could be a positive or a negative. It obviously takes up less of your summer vacation, but there’s less time to cover the material, so it can be a little intense. The good thing about summer classes, though, is if you want to lighten your course load for the fall, and get one or two classes out of the way, you can. The summer is also a great time to take some of your wellness, or recreation classes. Some of the really cool ones that are offered over the summer are golf, yoga, kayaking, and I hear the vegetarian adventure is really good, too. So act fast! All the good ones will fill up fast, and you really don’t want to know that much about a badger!

Things I Wish I'd Known in High School . . . by Tara Bowman

2011-04-20T14:30:00.000-04:00

I’m a first generation college student; a path blazer; a trend setter; you might even say that I’m a visionary.

Before you go getting the wrong idea, though, I’m here to tell you that it’s not all that it’s cracked up to be. Sure, going to college was the best decision I’ve ever made, and choosing Corning was the second best decision I’ve ever made; but there are certain perks to having college ‘veterans’ to guide you along the way.

During my senior year of high-school, I had the daunting task of choosing an educational institution to begin my journey to epic awesomeness. While a lot of my peers were receiving advice and insight from older siblings, moms, dads, cousins, and the lot, I was blindly forging ahead, making one of the biggest decisions of my life. Like, I suspect, a lot of high-school seniors in my position were doing, I made a lot of assumptions:

I made the assumption that when I graduated from high-school, I had to dive head first into my next educational affair. That’s what you do, right? In reality, taking a year off to ‘figure things out’ served me quite well. I got a taste for how much it sucks to work your butt off, doing something you don’t enjoy, for very little money.
I made the assumption that whichever school offered me the most money would be the best for me. Seems logical, I suppose. There are a lot of things I wasn’t, and should’ve been taking into consideration, such as, if I even like the school. [Take my word for it; this directly affects your success!]
I also assumed that the ‘norm’ was to choose a school, take out loans, graduate, and be up to my eyeballs in debt for twenty or thirty years. Everyone else has to go through that, so I will too, right?

If there’s one thing that I wish someone had told me when I was a senior in high-school, is that more money doesn’t equal a better education. I started out at a four-year college, with a hefty scholarship. Without doing the math, [the scholarship to tuition ratio] I accepted. I was flattered that this school was recognizing my hard work, and was convinced I wouldn’t get a better offer anywhere else; and if I’m paying that much money, it has to be top of the line. I soon found out, “you get what you pay for” isn’t consistently accurate. My class sizes were much bigger than I was used to, I was lectured to in class, instead of taught, and I was paying a lot of substantial fees for things I wasn’t even using. It didn’t take me very long to realize it wasn’t a good fit for me. I was never challenged, I was never enthused about the subject matters, and I certainly wasn’t too keen on the price I was paying for something I had no interest in.

I’ve learned more in one week at CCC than I did in four, at a larger institution, and at a very small fraction of the cost.

I often wish someone had let me on that secret. Julia Duncan—a CCC graduate, class of 1998, summed it up pretty well: “By spending my first two years of college at CCC, I enjoyed small class sizes and professors I could meet with and talk to outside of the classroom. My friends at larger, more expensive schools had lecture halls filled with 400 students and classes taught half the time by teaching assistants. We got similar educations, but I had the better experience for much less money.”

I Don't Think Stress With Get You An A by Kate Schiller

2011-04-20T14:19:00.000-04:00

I feel as though no matter my experience and how long I’ve been in school, this part of the semester always creeps up on me. I’m thrown off by the fact I only have a couple of weeks left after break and still so much to do and figure out before summer break. It’s the week after break and we’re almost finished. At least that’s what everyone keeps saying. I think it’s a lie. They’re lying to us! These last couple of weeks drag more than any other. It’s because we’re waiting, anticipating and kicking and screaming our way through.

Every semester I look forward to after break and every semester I’m disappointed that I didn’t properly plan for it. Why? Finals. Yup, finals are almost here. As silly as it sounds, I forgot I had finals. I think it’s due to my work overload and I’m only part-time. Things have been all out of whack for me this semester.
So, if you’re freaking out like I am about finals already here’s some tips I’ve learned over the semesters I’ve been here…

Map out a schedule of your finals week – It helps you realize what final(s) should be your priority. The other ones that are at the end of the week you can study on your days off (if you have days off from finals).
Get a support system together – Find out who in your class seems interested in getting good grades and ask them to study with you. If you work better alone, that’s fine. Make sure your friends and family know about your finals coming up. It’ll be easier when you tell them you’re too busy to hang out or do chores. The week before finals week is the only time I can tell my mom I’m too busy to take out the trash and she’ll let it slide.
Warn your job – Let them know it’s your finals week and try not to only take off the times for the actual exam. Give yourself more time off. Because you have off from classes, doesn’t mean you should pick up extra hours. I learned this the hard way. I figured I could pick up some extra cash but when crunch time came, I really needed that extra time to study and/or relax before the big exam.
Start making flash cards and/or brainstorming ideas now – Everyone has their own routine for studying but I found if I started making flashcards the week after break week then I was absorbing the information I needed ahead of time. Also, if you have a paper due as a final start brainstorming now.
Utilize CCC resources early! – Don’t wait to go to the Math, Writing or Academic Study center the week before finals. Go now. Especially with writing a final paper, they can help you brainstorm and give you resources for researching, and most importantly, help you with citing. And don’t forget, make appointments! I can’t tell you how many people had to wait for me to finish babbling about my ideas for my next paper because I had an appointment and they didn’t.
Plan time to relax – We learn this in FYEX (First Year Experience). You need to make sure you don’t cram right before an exam. Remember to take breaks when you’re studying. Trust me, you’ll absorb more information. And make sure before the big test you eat breakfast!!!

I know it still seems too early to be talking about finals… but if you start planning now, you won’t be as stressed out when finals week rolls around. I don’t think stress will get you an A.

Impatiently waiting by Kate Schiller

2011-04-14T18:57:00.007-04:00

The wait is killing me…

I love Corning Community College. I feel so at home here. I wish CCC was a four-year school. I had graduated from CCC last May, transferred to a four-year and then returned this spring. I’m still adjusting to the idea of moving away on my own and returning home. I feel more anxious than ever to start the next step in my life; I’m willing to do almost anything… even taking a trip to Disney World!

Yea, I said it, Disney World. I’m anxiously awaiting my response to the Disney College Program http://www.disneycollegeprogram.com/. Being college students, I’m sure you’ve seen the purple posters plastered all over our college campus. To me it always sounded “too good to be true”. So, I never considered it.

I have a diverse group of friends. The ones that are older than me have always encouraged me to experience new things now, while I’m young and don’t have a husband and three children. They all wish they had or have wonderful stories to tell. I want a sense of adventure and I feel now is the time for me. I have my Associates and I haven’t started needing to pay back large amounts of student loans yet…

It’s now two weeks after my initial phone interview and I’m already going insane waiting for a response. To pass the time I’ve spent countless hours watching YouTube. . . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGYHZX0EL38 . . . the best one I’ve found yet), reading blogs and partaking in forums about the Disney College Program. If you are curious about the program these are the best ways to get the inside scoop into the program. From my research I’ve compiled a brief list of pros and cons about the program…

Pros:
• Living in Walt Disney World.
• Working with a world-known company (great resume-builder)
• Disney discounts!

Cons:
• Paying my own rent.
• Working 40-80 hours a week.
• Getting a job that stinks… (custodial, quick-food service)
• Public transportation (that is, if you don’t take a car)

Could go either way…
• Moving away from home.
• Living in (hot) Florida
• Meeting new people.
• Gaining life experience.

I would like to point out that this program is not for people who expect to just hang out at Disney World on vacation for a semester. They will work you hard. The people I found who did not like the program were individuals who weren’t use to working hard, people who got roles (positions) they hated and those without a car. Take these pointers into consideration if you are interested in putting yourself in my shoes. The wait is killing me…

School is a Balancing Act by Stacy Wead

2011-04-11T14:45:00.001-04:00

School is a balancing act. You have to know when to work and when to rest. Having a social life, connection with other people, is simply one more ball to juggle. Though this is true we still go out of our way to find time for friends. ‘It will be there when we get back,’ we say, and we shut the computers, throw the books down, and head for the door. Papers have to wait and study materials lay dormant while we are out forgetting the roles of a full time employee and a full time student. That’s the way it should be and sometimes we just need a break from the perils of life in general. Talk to people that you haven’t seen in a while or the people you only texted over the phone this whole semester, it will be refreshing to see them face-to-face when you haven’t for so long. With that, I bet we are all thanking our lucky stars for this being the last day before spring break. I know I am.

Let me tell you guys: you should relax when you can and be supercharged to end your semester, or even your schooling here at Corning CC, when you get back with four weeks to go. Use the services that the staff and Student Life here have created for you to aid in the reaching of your goal; the various learning centers and the Academic Study Center (at the lower level of the library) are waiting around just for an opportunity to help you succeed. The collection of staff and students that work here would be happy to see you walk through their doors. Use them, that’s why they’re here.

So put away your books and go someplace interesting. Focus on you for now; focus on having fun and forgetting the world of college stress as you lean towards spring break. You’ll have people here to help you when you get back from your long-awaited vacation.

My CCC Life by Andrew Drake

2011-03-30T12:29:00.000-04:00

I have been through a long and interesting journey since I graduated high school in the spring of 2006. I enlisted in the Navy and started to broaden my horizon. After my term in the military ended I came back home and began to work. I have held many jobs but none that I really enjoyed. About a year after I decided I needed to go to college and better myself to get a great career, I chose to enroll at Corning Community College. I was skeptical at first – not really knowing what to expect – but shortly after beginning my classes I soon realized I had made the right decision.

I have heard most of my friends complain about other colleges having professors that don’t take the extra time to help themselves or have a difficult time finding a tutor, but not with CCC. Since I have been here, all of my professors are very eager to help students with any problems that they are having. It is also very easy to find help outside of the class if the professor is busy such as the Math Center, the Writing Center, the Learning Center and many other places around campus that focus only on the student’s problems.

I have chosen Computer Science as my major since I was an Information Technician in the Navy. Even though I have a slight background in computers I found myself struggling in my computer class. When I noticed my problems in this class I notified the professor of them, and we sat and discussed how I could improve in my weak areas. It was not long before I was set up with a tutor and still have frequent talks with my professor to maintain my improving skills.

Outside of the classroom I couldn’t be happier with my life at Corning. The staff at the college is very helpful with any questions you may have about anything going on with school events, financial aid, schedules and all other aspects of college life. I have also found a job as a Student Ambassador at CCC. I am currently working in the Social Media Department of Admissions. I work on the Internet sites that Corning has to offer including Facebook, Live Chat and our blog site. This is the best job I can imagine having; not only do I work on those specific aspects of the college, but I also have opportunities to work events and give tours, which are very interesting. I am much more social with other people, and I have learned the campus very well so I know where to go for questions or advice on a matter.

Even though my journey is far from over, I am very confident that my choice to enroll at Corning Community College may have been the smartest decision I’ve ever made. The fact that there is plenty of extra help if anyone needs it, or that the professors make as much effort as the students to improve skills, makes me feel that this is the only college that I will enjoy attending. My life has been an interesting journey, but now I feel that Corning Community College will be the best part of it.

Being a Thriving Student by Stacy Wead

2011-03-26T11:53:00.000-04:00

A thriving student will tell you that they know people. They may say that it isn’t only what you know, but whom. Success is bolstered by support. Develop a network with faculty and peers that can support and encourage your growth. Whether at our own Corning Community College or planning for success at another school, this is ideal. The one piece of advice I wish that I had before I enrolled is this: find people that will support you, peers or otherwise, without judging you. Meet as many people as you can—lab partners, professors, math tutors, the students in student government, etc— that can create a push towards your goal. I learned this on my own and it didn’t take long at all. Treat each and every stranger on this campus as if they all have an especially important part in your future, because they do; if you treat them all with kindness you will get it in return.

As a Student Leader, I revel in meeting as many people as I can and helping them to feel more comfortable and in tune with their college experience. I love talking to different people, sharing little slices of their life with them. Once I came to Corning Community College for the first time, I saw that it didn’t really have anything like the cliques in high school at all; there is no worrying that whomever you talk to will affect how people see you. That is why Corning Community College is the perfect college to branch out in. Here you have the freedom to spread out, to know as many people and collect as many experiences as you can. I’ve built both an amazing resume for my next college and a perfect base of experience for my career here. I also know that if I ever need recommendations for a future profession or college, the faculty and staff acquaintances I have acquired will have my back. Corning Community College really lives up to its middle name, for it is a community and it is the ideal place for tasting the college experience.

Marketing Professor Interview by Sean Keenan

2011-03-22T12:15:00.000-04:00

I was asked to create a blog for the school's blog and decided to interview one of the Business Administration and Computer Professors, Tim Bonomo....here are my thoughts on that interview:

A Marketing teacher that is very knowledgeable in both real world experiences along with teaching has much to offer to students. He believes Corning Community College is an outstanding school and currently believes that dorms would make a great addition to the college. Tim stated, during the interview, "dorms are the only missing puzzle piece of the school".

He rated the school a ten out of ten because Corning Community College is a great stepping stone to college life at a four-year college. As an alumnus himself he has a strong love for the college and teaches to make a positive impact on young adults.

He could sell this wonderful institution to anyone saying I can guarantee you can’t find a better bargain anywhere else in New York.

“Philosophy in life is to be honest in anything you do”

SPOKEN WORD BLUZ

2011-03-16T08:46:00.000-04:00

SPOKEN WORD BLUZ with Boris Rogers is coming to the Triangle Lounge, Commons at noon.

Bring your lunch -- drinks will be provided.

Wednesday, April 6, noon.

COMEDY AND COUNTRY!

2011-03-16T08:30:00.000-04:00

The Corning Community College Activities Programming Committee presents an evening of Comedy and Country (and a little bit of rock 'n roll) featuring Louis Ramey and Natalie Stovall on Saturday, April 2, 2011, 7 p.m. at the Corning Museum of Glass Center Auditorium in Corning, NY. This adult audience only event is free and open to the public. Advance tickets are available by contacting the Student Life Office at (607) 962-9507 or via email at studentlife@corning-cc.edu.

Corning Community College Info Sessions

2011-03-02T13:21:00.000-05:00

Creativity is my job by Sarah Denike

2010-11-16T13:40:00.002-05:00

I love my job as a student ambassador, and that is saying alot for someone who has been in a number of jobs that she hasn't liked or haven't been able to stay in. I have done housekeeping, food service, and retail and I think none of them compare to this for many reasons.

When I first was asked what focus area I wanted to work in as a student ambassador social media stuck out to me for some reason. Now that I am more involved I know this is where I want to be. Many of my talents and interests have an outlet in this area.

Among these interests are my love of writing, interaction with people and photo/video production. One of my favorite moments was when I videotaped the newly renovated game room and asked some of my friend’s questions about what they liked and how the area had changed. It was cool to see how they began to further utilize this new facility on campus.

Unlike my other jobs, being a student ambassador allows me to be creative. In this job I have the flexibility to create and ask questions. Sometimes I can decide what I want to focus on for that day. For example, today I needed to update Corning’s face book status so I decided to go to the woods and take pictures of the cabin by the small pond there. This was followed by pictures of the pond and dense forest where a creek resides. I love the woods and I love photography. Never has a job coincided so much with my interests, let alone allowed me to participate in them on a regular basis.

Did someone say DANCE? by Sarah Denike

2010-11-03T09:04:00.000-04:00

Dancing is something that I have loved from childhood . The ability to tell a story through movement and beautiful expression; the feeling of release and power that is conveyed to the audience; it is truly one of my favorite things on earth.When i was young the movie Girls Just Wanna Have Fun helped spark this love. The movie was about a girl who loved to dance. She was very talented and got on a dance show and later on ...against all adversity ( brought upon by herself or some other source)... gets on the show and wins the contest ! This movie sparked my love of dancing .
I love many forms of dancing . One of them is Step which "is a form of percussive dance in which the participant's entire body is used as an instrument to produce complex rhythms and sounds through a mixture of footsteps, spoken word, and hand claps" It involves aspects of cheerleading drill, and military, African, Carribean, gymnastics, tap, march and some stunts that you probably shouldn't try if your like me and haven't done a cart wheel for ...well ...over ten years :) . ( Step/ Steppin at Wikipedia)

On Wednesday Nov 10th at 12 noon, Soul Steps is coming to the CCC Main Dining Room in the Commons. Dancing is something that I have loved from childhood . The ability to tell a story through movement and beautiful expression; the feeling of release and power that is conveyed to the audience; it is truly one of my favorite things on earth.When i was young the movie Girls Just Wanna Have Fun helped spark this love. The movie was about a girl who loved to dance. She was very talented and got on a dance show and later on ...against all adversity ( brought upon by herself or some other source)... gets on the show and wins the contest ! This movie sparked my love of dancing .

I love many forms of dancing . One of them is Step which "is a form of percussive dance in which the participant's entire body is used as an instrument to produce complex rhythms and sounds through a mixture of footsteps, spoken word, and hand claps" It involves aspects of cheerleading drill, and military, African, Carribean, gymnastics, tap, march and some stunts that you probably shouldn't try if your like me and haven't done a cart wheel for ...well ...over ten years :) . ( Step/ Steppin at Wikipedia)

On Wednesday Nov 10th at 12 noon, Soul Steps is coming to the CCC Main Dining Room in the Commons. Soul Steps reaches far beyond conventional boundaries and concentrates on the body as a percussive, story-telling instrument. The performance will include the personal and cultural stories of Soul Steps artists and the generations of ancestors they represent.

I am so excited about this event and cannot wait to be put in awe of the innovaton and beauty of this art form as well as witness the skill and dedication of those that bring it to us.

Friends and Music by Sarah Denike

2010-10-26T13:07:00.001-04:00

One of the things that I love about my job as a student ambassador is that I get to take part in many of the school events by observing them and then sharing it with others. Today I went to see an instrumental/ choral concert in R004. It was both fun and pleasant. I love music and those involved did such a great job. We truly have some talented musicians and singers among us.
For the first part of the concert Melvin Williams (part time professor at CCC) directed the instrumental performing ensemble. The audience was treated to melodies that delighted the soul and made you want to dance on a ‘“mountain with its head in the clouds” .Speaking as a fellow partaker of the festivities I found it difficult to restrain myself. One could not help but move one’s own instruments along with La Tarantella as one of the students plucked a delightful instrument that looked like a small guitar. On top of getting to hear a concert I was also blessed to get a historic/cultural lesson in the background of some of the instrumental pieces. For example the latter one mentioned was an Italian song with a chilian twist to it that was played when one got bit by a spider and was shaking in convulsions.

In the middle of the performance there were songs played with select people singing or a soloist involved. One that really touched me was Your Daddy’s Son from Ragtime. In it was told a story about a boys father as his mother buries him in the ground. My heart was pulled as the lines “ I buried my heart in the ground” came into the air as the singer tells the story of this woman that has so much conflict and heart ache with burying her son.

The final half of the concert was kicked of with a glorious Kenyan song called Wana Baraka . The melody was so wonderful that one could almost hear drums in the background to this wonderful piece. Ending the concert was the song “Walk together children” which concluded with the chorus swaying and elevating the joy of its listeners.

Many people I knew took part in this wonderful event and I just want to say “thank you” . Your melodies and cascading harmonies were such a gift to me and i am privileged to call you my friends. Thanks for giving us a great concert .

My CCC Experience By Nick Bonomo

2010-10-18T07:13:00.002-04:00

My experience as a CCC student so far has been, in a word, comfortable. For almost a year and a half I've been experiencing the quality education and fun student life that CCC has to offer. As a sophomore, I can truly say that I know a lot about CCC. I have been here long enough to enjoy a lot of student life as well as community outreach. I am eager to come in to school and to create for myself a skill set which prepares me well for my upcoming transfer to CUNY John Jay. I have been given the right amount of support, lenience, compassion and freedom to create my own environment here at CCC. I can see my future being built with every class I take and my short-term goal of getting a college degree is well within my grasp. CCC offers me a rare opportunity to experience college in a cost effective and more transitional way than many other colleges. I feel that I am equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to move on and accomplish my goals, as well as the motivation to do so. My choice to come to CCC was the right one and I am sure that it will serve me well in the future.

- Nick

A Glimpse Into the Life of Nick

2010-10-18T07:03:00.007-04:00

My name is Nick and I am a sophomore at CCC. Here's a little background on me: I am a compassionate and empathetic person who loves to understand people and their thoughts. I am in my third semester at CCC and studying Liberal Arts: Humanities and Social Sciences and I will graduate from here with my Associate’s Degree in that program of study. I am planning to transfer to CUNY John Jay to study to become a Criminal Profiler in the FBI and perhaps to teach music theory at a high school when I retire. A hobby that I am extremely passionate about is music. I enjoy listening, writing, playing, singing and generally studying it. I currently have two jobs, one of which is Concession Manager at The Palace Theatre in Corning; the other is Student Ambassador specializing in marketing here at CCC. My biggest aspiration in my life is to someday be a good father.

Summer/Online Courses

2010-07-23T12:39:00.001-04:00

It's the middle of summer for many, however, I feel like my summer has ended. Opposed to many, I don't think this is a bad thing. I graduated from CCC last semester. My entire 2 and half years here I have never taken summer courses. Now that I graduated I guess I decided it would be a good idea!

Summer courses are typically compact courses where you do a lot more work in a shorter amount of time. At least that's what it seems like when you get a syllabus! I decided to take Sociology: The Family. I have always been interested in Sociology since my first semester here at CCC but continuing with it had never fit into my scheduling. Now that I wasn't trying to fit things into my schedule so I could graduate, I took this course to decide if I wanted to minor in Sociology when I transfer on to my 4-year school for American Sign Language in a month!

I didn't want to be stuck in a classroom all summer; thank God it was an online course! Did I mention that I have never taken an online course before either? I was worried about how I would do or if the style would suit me. Fortunately, I loved it! After weekly quizzes, weekly discussions, and two major assignments (that were tailored to my interests) I found myself leaving that course with an A!

I had the freedom to work on the assignments when I had time (so I didn't feel I was being robbed of my summer). I also had the freedom to go to Texas for a week (where I wasn't able to get online) and the instructor made arrangements for me to be able to work ahead in the course. I can't guarantee that you'll have this much flexibility if you decide to take an online course in the future, but my advice would be, make sure you stay on task before you ask the instructor for a favor!

Now that this course is over, I am started Contemporary Craft History, also an online course. This course wasn't something I desired to take, but I needed 6 credits in order to be a full time student to receive financial aid (better than 12 credits, which is what is required during Fall and Spring semesters). I had registered for Ceramics (which is another course I have always wanted to take at CCC but had not had the time)... but unfortunately the course did not fit with my work schedule.

I just started Contemporary Craft History and am already loving it! One of my assignments is to visit Corning Museum of Glass. This course is definitely not something I would have taken toward my major, but I'm glad I am allowing myself to expand my knowledge past what I think I'd be interested in. That's the point of college, right? I'm enjoying these last courses at CCC before I leave for my 4 year school.

-K8

Clear skies get here soon! by Kate

2010-06-11T19:17:00.019-04:00

Being a student at Corning Community College has its perks. I’ve graduated after two and a half years and regret not taking advantage of these perks in my early days as a student. Now that I’m taking summer classes, I decided to look into these perks before I ship off to a 4-year school.

Even before I considered attending Corning Community College, my mother had told me how much she enjoyed coming up with her mother as a child to the Planetarium and Observatory located here on campus. She always hinted that she’d like to go again someday. About a month ago I texted my mother and asked her if she wanted to go with me. She replied with, “YES!!!” She was ecstatic! What a great daughter I am.

I brought my mother and other family members up. Doors open at the Planetarium at 7:30 PM every first and third Friday of the month and the show starts at 8:00PM SHARP! Apparently, if you show up 20 minutes late, they won’t let you in. However, they were nice enough to take us up to the Observatory, show us the telescope and give us an interesting info session of the history of the Observatory.

As interesting as this was, the sky wasn’t clear enough for us to look through any of the telescopes! Unfortunate, but I was willing to try again. Last Friday I brought my mother up again. We arrived at 7:45 PM! There was no way I was going to miss the show again. Not only did I get half off tickets into the Planetarium with my Student ID, but my mother did as well for being with me. Talk about VIP!

We walked in and others were already seated and waiting for the show to start, some with their seats reclined. We sat in the back, middle section. I wanted to recline my seat. I struggled and struggled to get my seat reclined. I’m a bit over dramatic, I’m pretty sure everyone could tell my determination to recline my seat… The woman who checked us in came in and informed me that only the first three rows recline. I’m giving you fair warning, so you don’t look as foolish as I did!

The show was informative, funny and entertaining. I won’t ruin it, see it for yourself. The next showing is next Friday, June 18th at 8:00 PM SHARP! They have a new show each month. I will say, the star globe (I don’t know if that’s the technical term) was extremely fascinating! And I know this wasn’t planned, but it began to down pour in the middle of the show. The sound of the rain on the dome was relaxing and the seats were extra comfy (even though mine didn't recline). But, I’m a person who sleeps like a baby through thunder storms.

Obviously, with the rain, the skies weren’t clear enough for us to look through the telescopes. Maybe you’ll see me there next week! After all, the Observatory is free. After the show we strolled down to Market Street to get some Atlas Pizza (one of my mom's favorites). It was a great friday night out. Maybe take a family member, a date or a friend? I will say, it was a lot cheaper than dinner and a movie (which some may argue is the only thing to do in our area) and a lot more entertaining.

Transfer - Words of Wisdom by Julie

2010-05-14T19:12:00.005-04:00

It's not easy getting ready to transfer to a big, 4-year school. There are times in the process when, to me, it didn't even seem logical. I was never very good at the whole "hurry up and wait" thing. I found out recently that I was not accepted into the Cornell School of Industrial Labor Relations, one of the most competitive of all of the schools at Cornell, so Social Philosophy at SUNY Cortland will be an excellent backup. As much as I love Corning Community College, it is time for me to move on and achieve all of the bigger things I have planned for myself.

Since I am about to complete the process, I want to share some words of wisdom for students who will be transferring later on.

First, talk to an advisor. Talk to any advisor. Just make sure you are comfortable sharing things about the process you are going through with them. Remember that they are here to help and guide you if you will let them, and take advantage of that. Advisors have all sorts of information and contacts that you will realize you never even thought of. They will be there if you need a shoulder to cry on or a congratulations on your acceptance to a school. Your advisor understands that transferring isn't always easy.

Don't be concerned about knowing what you want to spend the rest of your life doing when looking at schools. The Director of Admissions for one of the schools I applied to gave me some great advice in an email. He said, "If you are sure what you want to do for the rest of your life right now, you likely will have a difficult time in college. Your college experiences will change you and as a result your interests might change. No one should waste that much money if they aren't happy. And who says that you ever have to make a decision? You could paint for a while, teach for a few years, and retire from a long and successful career as the CEO of an up-and-coming company that produces the next iFad. Go to school for what pays the bills but if that doesn't make you happy, make sure you find something that does to participate in on the side." I completely agree with him too. Being open-minded leaves more room for opportunity to come a-knockin'.

You can apply to as many schools as you want, but you need to have a plan, a backup plan, and a Plan C so you know that you won't let your future fall through the cracks. Many students apply to at least one "reach school", a school they have a chance of getting in to but their grades or test scores are a bit lower than the average usually accepted. Cornell ILR was my reach school. Make sure that the backup plans you have will satisfy you too. If you don't make it into your reach school, it is so much less stressful being content with a second choice school you have gotten accepted to.

Those are the three most important things I've learned in my time as a student who is actively looking to transfer after my graduation in a few weeks. Always remember that your education is primarily for your benefit and then secondarily for the benefit of whatever industry you plan to go into. Use the resources available to you. There are plenty of them out there if you are willing to take the time to look.

And as I often say: We don't find ourselves. We create ourselves.

Good luck, all!

A Look Back by Ryan

2010-05-14T13:23:00.001-04:00

This is a sad post for me to write, as it will be my last post of the year. School is coming to a close, and finals week is reserved for nothing but school. The last day of classes is here, which is always bittersweet. It's great to look forward to summer and not being in school, but it is hard to say goodbye to the fun and the relationships that have been built over the school year. For my final post, I thought I would take a look back at my time as a blogger for CCC. It has been an incredible ride, and I am so thankful for this opportunity.

When I first walked into admissions last semester, I wasn't looking for a blogging job. I was just looking for any kind of work I could find. I was told about a potential blogging program, where student bloggers would share stories of their life at school and special events on campus. I love to write, so I offered to be a blogger and became part of the initial team. During the first semester, we had multiple meetings to plan the implementation of the blogging program. We made an initial site, which turned into the full-fledged blog you are reading now.

Once the second semester began, we got to work actually blogging. I was in the middle of basketball at the time, which provided a lot of rich material for posts. Once the season was over, my attention shifted and I was able to write on a variety of topics, from studying methods to baseball to special campus events. I greatly enjoyed posting and reading the blogs of our other students bloggers. We had special events for the whole Student Ambassador staff such as a Jackals game that was the subject of a special post earlier.

Overall, it was a fantastic year and my sincere thanks go out to everyone who helped with the blogging site. It was a great experience and it really flew by once we got going. Thank you to everyone who read this as well. I hope to see you again soon!

-Ryan

SpringFest by Ryan

2010-05-13T11:56:00.002-04:00

After a long, full semester, the school year is finally drawing to a close. The last few weeks of school are a strange time for me, as I balance the biggest workload of the year with getting my summer plans in order. There are minor details like preparing for finals and looking for a summer job that often get overlooked because of the important things, like softball starting. As the semester winds down, it becomes harder and harder to concentrate as you look more and more toward summer finally being here. It seems like there's an inexhaustible supply of energy that I can't wait to release. Thankfully, the Student Life office has us covered: SpringFest!

SpringFest has been a ton of fun so far. Every day there have been different events and giveaways in the Commons that have been awesome. One of my favorite events was the Minute to Win it day. In the main dining room in Commons, there was a table that had a bunch of minute-long races on it, based on the popular t.v. show. There were events such as building a pyramid out of 36 plastic cups and then taking it down, or my favorite, using only one hand and attempting to pull every tissue out of a tissue box, all within a minute. The games were fun and the prizes were cool.

Yesterday, there was a free ice cream day in the Commons. Students received a cute little puppy-shaped stress ball while standing in line, which turned out to be a big hit. The ice cream was very good, with a bunch of toppings set up on the self-serve table. The intramural department also gave away prizes based on the level of participation in intramurals during the school year.

As the year draws to a close, take advantage of these opportunities to relax a little and escape the pressing finals mindset. There are fun things happening all over, and it does the body good to get out once in a while. Have a fun day!

-Ryan

Student Disability Services by Ryan

2010-05-12T15:53:00.003-04:00

After interviewing Mary Parks for my last blog post, I realized that I should see what support CCC offers students who are deaf. After all, if I was a deaf student looking for a college to attend, I would be much more inclined to attend a school that could meet any needs that might come up. I went to Student Disability Services in the lower level of the Commons Building looking for answers. I was able to interview Allision Zimmermann, the program coordinator, and Delia Hall, the program assistant. After the interview I was very pleased to find out that CCC offers several ways for deaf or hard of hearing students to more easily assimilate to college life here on campus.

Many of the devices they told me about I had never considered or observed in a classroom. If students are hard of hearing but not completely deaf, the school loans an FM system. The student carries it to each class, giving a small microphone to every professor. the student has an earpiece, which receives a boosted signal from the professors microphone, allowing the student to hear the lecture as it is given. For fully deaf students, SDS would provide an interpreter during all needed times such as class periods. If the students need extra notes, arrangements can be made with professors to provide Powerpoint notes or get in touch with other good notetakers in the class. In the past, SDS has even taken notes for deaf professors when people have made presentations in class.

Overall, there is quite a bit of support for students with minor to major hearing issues. Student Disabilities Services does a great job of providing students with specific needs, the neccessary accomodations to survive and prosper in the college environment. If you are interested in contacting Student Disability Services at CCC please stop by Room 149 in the Commons or call them at 962-9262.

-Ryan

Words Are Better Sung Then Written by Jenn

2010-05-12T15:13:00.005-04:00

"When the silvery moon shines through the fluttering leaves..."

That is not a random quote. Well, actually it is but imagine the harmony of a men's choir singing this poetic line and you have(drum roll please)the Corning Community College choir ensemble joining their voices to create their last debut for the year.
Tomorrow (May 13th) at 12:30 in room R004, our choir will have-- as I mentioned above-- men solos, lady's solos, but mostly a 4 to 6 part harmony of men and women's voices. Although, we have to admit as Lou Bleiler our choir instructor said the other day, men's choirs just "flutter your heart" is how she put it! Although, maybe that's just for ladies cause I'm having a hard time picturing the dudes telling each other their solo "fluttered their heart"! We also have several students performing solo's. Some of them will be performing piano pieces and I believe we have a Debussy solo performed on the flute. In addition, I'm really looking foward to listening to our vocal solo's. If you've never gotten the chance to stop by a concert, let me encourage you to try this one because I think it's going to be one of our best! Let me put it like this, usually the practice before the concert we eat up all the time we have and more, however, today we were let out early because we are just that amazing!

Practically Messin' with Stressin' by Jenn

2010-05-08T14:32:00.001-04:00

After my last post I thought I post some practical ways I personally like to deal with stress. I'm probably not the best person to offer ways to de-stress. In fact, I'm probably one of the worst cause all you mom's are probably like "kid, if you think you have stress now, just wait"-- I know! But let me just share the ways I personally deal with stress. As I mentioned in my last post, writing stuff down is my number one love. If I even have a little tiny itty bit of stress, I just write down what I have to do and when I can do it and suddenly-- POW! no stress! It works like magic. I find a lot of times that little things clutter and add unnecessary pressure. Like doing laundry or taking overdue books back to the library or remembering to pull the change out of the jeans I wore yesterday. Tiny things that are important but will take minutes add up to become monster piles! That is why I love priority lists.

I also found out that cleaning really does help. I don't mean like the whole spring cleaning dig that takes 5 days to finish, but just straightening up to de-clutter really helps my mind say "ok, we got this". One of my favorite ways to take a deep breath is to play the piano. I like to play mad songs and a few soft and happy or maybe meditative tunes just to help me settle emotions. I realize not everyone can do this but maybe for you this looks like popping in a Spanish classical guitar CD, or some Debussy.

I'd love to hear some other thoughts on how others deal with stress! Got any ideas?

Interview with Mary Parks by Ryan

2010-05-07T18:32:00.002-04:00

I have been taking my first Sign Language course this semester, and I have loved it so much I've written an entire post about it. It's been a very eye-opening experience. The professor, Mary Parks, is deaf, and at first I was nervous about my ability to succeed without ever having taken Sign Language before. Mary has been an excellent teacher and I have greatly enjoyed learning the language. I was able to sit down with Mary and ask her some questions related to working as a deaf instructor at a nearly all-hearing school.

Me: how long have you been teaching Sign Language at CCC?
Mary: (smiling) 8 years

Me: What have been the challenges being a deaf professor at a mostly hearing school?
Mary: My challenge is to educate students in ASL. In the past, many students, parents, and children did not familiarize themselves with Sign Language. the need [is] to expose the Deaf Culture to hearing people.

Me: What has been a good experience?
Mary: At the college, most students in the class have no experience with eye contact and only use visualization. They learn eye contact in the class.

Me: What are a few things that hearing people should know about deaf people or deaf culture?
Mary: Number one is that eye contact is not rude for deaf people. (this was a hard thing for me to learn when I first started class.) Number 2 is to learn the differences between deaf and hearing culture to enhance people's perspective.

Me: How do you communicate with other hearing professors?
Mary: to communicate effectively, other professors have to learn ASL. If they do not know Sign Language, we alternate writing notes. I prefer professors learn Sign Language so I feel like I'm a real person.

The interview was great and made me think a lot about learning Sign Language. I think this is something that everyone should attempt to learn. It's not like Spanish or French, where English words are similar and people can communicate with a combination of words and gestures. Sign Language is a way of life, and everyone should be able to communicate at some level with deaf people.

In the next post, I will follow up with an interview with Student Disability Services on the support structure available for potential deaf or hard of hearing students. Have a great weekend!

-Ryan

Seeing Red (Blood Cells) by Ryan

2010-05-05T12:07:00.003-04:00

Today, The Red Cross hosted a student blood drive in the main dining room of the Commons building from 8-2. Blood drives are amazing events that we take for granted far too often. The blood given truly helps to save lives and giving blood is a selfless act that everyone possible should participate in.

I wasn't even aware of the blood drive until I saw the signs that were posted near Commons. When I went in, the setup was pretty amazing. They had taken our normal dining room and completely converted it into an efficient system to draw blood. I was there early, around 9:45, but they were already going strong and had a line. I found out that there are two ways you can give blood: the normal way, and double red cells. Only people with certain types of blood can give double reds. Hospitals are in need of these double red givers, so people who are eligible are asked to give. When giving double reds, a machine separates the red blood cells from the plasma, taking a double portion of red cells but returning the plasma to the donors body. The process takes a bit longer, but it lets the red blood cells be taken and used right away.

I found out I was eligible to give double reds, so I signed up. Due to sports injuries I've had quite a few needles before so this was nothing bad. Even if you are bothered by needles or feel faint after giving blood, they take good care of you and let you rest. There were food and drinks afterward, and the workers were very friendly throughout the whole process.

Whether or not you've given blood before, please consider it in the future. You will be helping save lives, and that is just about as noble a cause as there could be!

-Ryan

It never ends... until graduation by Julie

2010-05-01T13:33:00.002-04:00

The life of a college student can be crazy. Parents don't realize that a full-time student normally has enough work to equate it to a full-time job. Add in work-study, clubs and organizations, sports, and even outside jobs and sometimes even I am amazed at the way we get things done. I'm not advocating lack of sleep, by the way. But knowing how to best balance your sleep with your college career and still be able to function afterward will help you be successful in college and after.

That being said, this semester has been nuts. Classes, papers, midterms, meetings upon meetings upon even more meetings, conferences, and still trying to have time to have a social life have made me feel like I am behind in most everything (even when I am not). Sometimes it is easy to get frustrated when it looks like everyone around you is just goofing off, and other times you really cherish the moments you get to goof off yourself.

And then comes that moment when you can take a big sigh of relief, look at what you have accomplished, and declare it good enough. That moment came for me a couple weeks ago. I had caught up on all of my assignments, got my final pieces of my application into my potential transfer schools, and still have time to write. Now I am sitting back, looking at all that I have accomplished in the last two and a half years and realized... life really is good.

When you have that diploma in your hands, you will look at it and realize how lucky you are to have had all of the opportunity you have been given during your experience. You forget all of the struggle, late nights with papers, lab makeup sessions, and chasing your professors around. I think at that point we also realize that for as many times as we were sure it would never end, it really just did. A new door is opening, and that is what college can do for us. It opens doors into this big awesome world that so many students want to save.

Messin' with Stressin' by Jenn

2010-04-30T16:39:00.004-04:00

I always thought I wasn't the kind that got stressed out easily. However, as finals approach, I think even those of us who never get stressed out are starting to feel the pressure.

To be honest, at this point in my life, other than school I really don't have anything to be stressed about. A lot of you are thinking "lucky!" but the one downside is that since I don't deal with stress often, I don't know how to. Haha, I know that sounds like a pathetic complaint and you're probably thinking "can I have that problem?!" but it's true! I'm a wreck when it comes to stress! I stress out over the fact that I'm stressing because that's just not like me! Yesterday, I was just like "Ahh!" I felt like I had so much school to do in so little time. So I thought, ok, let me write down all that I need to get done. Turns out all I really had to do that evening was study for a test the next day. That was it! I simply needed to prioritize. I didn't have to write my paper that is due in a week. I didn't have to practice my song for a concert when I have a block of time free the next day for it. I just need to schedule the most important things first!

If you're a kid just out of high school who's like me and just doesn't know how do deal with stress-- you're not alone! My mom is great with stress, probably because we three kids gave her tons of practice! I know she wasn't always good with stress cause over my carefree years as a kid, we always thought it was just a funny but annoying thing mom's did simply because they were moms. I guess in some ways that's true! But this gives me hope because one good thing about stress is that the more stress you have, the better you hopefully get at combating it. Practice makes perfect!

Playing Favorites, pt.2 by Ryan

2010-04-30T11:53:00.003-04:00

When I was writing my last post, I realized that American Sign Language is one of my favorite classes. I also realized that it wasn't my only favorite class. I found out that this particular semester I have two favorite classes. My other favorite class is History of Islam and the Middle East.

I found it weird that both of my favorite classes are the ones in which I have no previous experience with the subject. My other classes, biology, math, and American history, I had all studied in high school, but these two classes were new to me. Maybe that's what makes them so exciting. Islam is a strange class for me to be in. I love history, but I have never studied much other than American history in the past. Everything I learn feels completely new, and I love that feeling. It does make it a little difficult because I usually speak up during class if I have a question or I can answer one. In classes that are new subjects, I don't speak much due to my limited knowledge in the area. I am learning to enjoy sitting back and soaking in all the information.

Islam and the Middle East is a very unique class. It is co-taught by two professors, Sky Moss and Robert Cooper. It works well, though, because they work so well together. It's almost like listening to commentators of a sports event; Cooper provides the main play-by-play, and Sky comes in often with color commentary-like bits of information. Cooper is full of knowledge on the early Islamic period, while Sky knows a large amount about the modern day Middle East. Their lessons flow seamlessly, and it is a great experience in the classroom.

This class is another favorite, and I know that I will learn something new every time I enter the classroom. This is another class that comes highly recommended, and anyone that takes it will learn a lot about Islam, from Muhammad to the Cold War.

-Ryan

Sneezing and Wheezing by Jenn

2010-04-29T14:03:00.004-04:00

Stop what you're doing.
Right now.
Freeze!
Follow these steps immediately. This is not a drill.

Step 1) Run to the nearest sink.
Step 2) Wash those hands!

It's cold season! And yes, maybe I'm being a little dramatic. But then again, maybe I'm not... After all, the sore throats will show you no mercy. The sneezes will stop at nothing. And the coughs and headaches will fight to the death.
All joking aside, I'm learning the hard way how important it is to keep those hands clean. Yup, the enemy got me. Today I had an audition for a Talent Show that's going to be held here at Corning and it's no fun singing with a sore throat. But thankfully, I'm doing a duet so I simply sang alto and kept to those lower notes. However, I'm really hoping I'll be victorious over this cold enemy by next Friday, because the Talent Show is then.

The Musical Talent Show is Friday, May 7th at 7:00pm in room R004. I'm really excited about the Talent Show because, with an admission of $1, all the proceeds are going to benefit the Haiti Relief Program. Our own Psych Club is taking the initiative in leading this thing, and anyone and everyone is welcome to come!! So invite your friends and family because this will probably be one of the most enjoyable ways you've ever donated before! I haven't heard all the songs that are going to be performed for the concert, but from what I heard today, we definitely have some pretty talented people up here. Some people even wrote their own song! That's impressive.

Playing Favorites, pt.1 by Ryan

2010-04-29T12:15:00.003-04:00

I have to be honest and say that I'm not as impartial as I try to sound sometimes. I have favorites in just about anything like most people do. I have favorite sports teams, favorite musical groups, and favorite ice-cream flavors just like anyone else. In the interest of impartial writing, most of my favorite things are left out of my posts. However, I have to tell you about one of my favorite classes: American Sign Language!

As a homeschooled student throughout high school, I never took a foreign language. When I went to college, I tried Spanish, but I had a ton of trouble with it. I don't know why, but nothing seemed to stick. My sister told me that CCC offered a sign language class and said I should take it with her. i signed up, hoping I would have better luck with it than I had with spanish.

it turns out, I love it! It's a ton of fun learning and interacting with the teacher. Out professor is deaf, and it's actually become easier as we go along because we are learning how to communicate with her while we learn. It's an amazing subject to learn. The Professor showed us statistics that said sign language is one of the hardest languages to learn in the world. At the same times, it's a ton of fun! We've been learning all about deaf culture and the way that deaf and hearing people interact. I love this class, and I wish I could take ASL II in the fall, but my schedule unfortunately didn't work out.

if you are having trouble with other languages, or if you just want a break from the same language, I would encourage you to check out the ASL courses taught here. They are amazing, the teachers care about you, and I promise it will be memorable!

-Ryan

Peanuts and Cracker Jacks by Ryan

2010-04-28T16:34:00.002-04:00

I'm a sucker for spring. I love being able to run around with no shoes and feel the grass. I love the soft breeze of the wind as much as I love the gentle drizzle of rain on the roof. But there's nothing I love more during spring than the sound of a baseball whipping into a catchers glove with a loud smack and a small cloud of dust. I love the sound of a bat meeting a ball squarely and watching the ball rise and fly out of the ball field. I never feel like it's really the new year until the open of baseball season.

Last Friday, I had the opportunity to drive down the hill to Tuller Field and watch the Red Barons baseball team take on the Ithaca College Bombers. Because of all my schoolwork, this was unfortunately the first time I had the opportunity to take in a game. I wish I could have attended a few more because I had a lot of fun and really enjoyed watching our guys play. the day was very clear and like most days, the men were excited to play a doubleheader.

Both teams got off to a fast start. Greg Cary got the Barons off to a fast start with an RBI in the bottom of the first. in the second inning, Corning got an RBI double from Shawn Kerr and an infield single from Doug Lewis plated a third run. The top of the third featured a scary moment when pitcher Matt Holling was hit in the chest with a hit ball, but he was thankfully able to remain in the game and pitch a scoreless third and fourth inning. In the bottom of the fourth Zachary Hugg triples on a deep fly ball and was given home when an errant throw to the base went into the CCC dugout. In the sixth inning Kevin Dates also triples and was brought home on a double. Corning put up a valiant offensive effort, but succumbed to the Bombers own offensive onslaught and eventually would drop the decision.

Regardless of the score, the game was an absolute blast! Congratulations to the Corning men's team on a great season!

-Ryan

Singing in the Rain by Jenn

2010-04-27T16:58:00.001-04:00

Everyone mark your calendars!! The 6th and 13th of May are concert days! The concerts are usually from 12:20 to 1:30 in room R004 (the auditorium-like room in the basement of the classroom building). If you like classical/romantic style music, come to the 13th. If you're in more of a mood for pop come to the 6th! I'm really looking forward to both cause their going to be pretty different. The 6th is mostly pop but it's going to have random pieces thrown in there for fun. So it's going to be the "whatever-music-we-thought-was-pretty-and-felt-like-playing" concert. Whereas the 13th is very structured-- I believe all songs are all coming from the Romantic period.

My voice class is preparing songs for the May 13th concert. So we are practicing a beautiful, romantic song called "May Night", then we have a German song on Gypsies (and yes, we will be singing it in German--which is hilarious to watch cause most of us are having our crash course learning this very song...I think I'm catching on but I don't know about the others!). We'll also be singing an excerpt from the musical "Elijah". But today I went to my voice class and was surprised to learn that there were auditions for the concert today. I love listening to auditions! There were many beautiful auditions and I got to be on the panel to pick which ones are going to be in the concert. Everyone did a great job! I really enjoyed listening. Two people were picked for the classical May 13th concert-- a flutist playing Debussy and a soloist singing "Ava Maria". Then for the May 6th concert, one solo singer was chosen who sang "What a Wonderful World".
We're coming to the busy season of getting songs nailed down and polished for concerts.

Speaking of music, I'm currently working on a song with a friend to audition for the Talent Show. I think it's going to be pretty snazzy cause he plays guitar and I play piano and both of us sing, so, come on out! I'll post the dates for the Talent Show is as soon as I find out. I'll go do my research, but from what I hear it's raising funds for Haiti.
Enough talk about music! Come out and listen!!

I Love Me Some Basketball by Ryan

2010-04-22T16:18:00.002-04:00

Every once in a while I get really, really tired of doing something that I normally love. Maybe it's just human nature; I don't know. I love to read, but sometimes I'll go for weeks and not want to pick up a book. I love being with friends, but sometimes I just want to be at home. Well, I recently went through a stretch like that with basketball. After the season ended, I didn't even want to touch a ball for a while. I didn't watch it on t.v, read about it, or especially play it. For the last couple of weeks, the desire to play has been building up and I couldn't wait to get out and run again.

I finally was able to play on Tuesday for intramurals and it felt AWESOME! Everything felt like i was doing it for the first time in years. The feeling of running, cutting, passing, and sliding on defense just felt incredible. My shot was off understandably, but even that felt good. There weren't quite enough for full 5 on 5, but it was still good competition. A faculty member even joined in the games and was better than most of the students. Overall, it was a ton of fun as we played, switching teams in between games and having fun.

I'm hoping to play for the rest of the school year, as it's a good time and takes my mind of school for a little while. I would definitely encourage people to come out and play. It's not high stakes or anything, just good basketball. It's a great way to escape the press of finals and finishing up classes. Even if you don't play basketball, find some way to get active during this last month of school. Go outside and enjoy some fresh air whenever you can!

-Ryan

A Look Back--part 2! by Jenn

2010-04-21T19:13:00.004-04:00

If you read my "A Look Back" post, you'll know that as we finish up for the summer, I've been comparing this year to what I expected college would be like. In my last post I looked at how, academically, I really didn't know what to expect however, college ended up being more doable than I thought it would be.

I was just trying to remember today what I thought college was going to be like socially before my first year. I love meeting people! It's the highlight of my day to meet someone from a different background or culture-- I just find it so interesting! People really are very diverse. I know I didn't appreciate differences in people as much before my college experience as I do now. This is simply because I've been able to meet all different types of people here! And I don't mean just a different nationality, but people who are shy or people who have a different religion.

When it comes to different character types or backgrounds, I find it easy to accept people because there's no right or wrong so it's simply interesting. With beliefs or religious matters, I as much as anyone hold onto my convictions with a tight fist however, I love nothing better than a friendly discussion or "debate". And I've had several up here with a bunch of different people and I've left all of them feeling great because I don't believe I have to argue and twist their arm in an attempt to convince them that what I think is right. We can simply talk about our differences and respect the other person all the more for having their different opinions.

All that to say, I have enjoyed this year's college experience all the more because of the dynamic atmosphere of being able to meet people who-- not only share similarities with myself-- but also those who are very different.

The Final Countdown by Ryan

2010-04-21T14:14:00.006-04:00

I find my first day of classes following break to be amusing. Some professors gush over what they and everyone else did, while for other teachers break week is like a plague and they never discuss it. It's interesting that some professors have a huge amount of work to grade during break week, but some take the whole week off for a family vacation. Either way, it's good to be back in the familiar routine.

Now that all of our semester breaks are over, students really seem to be coming to grips with the work ahead as they finish the school year. It seems like most people are borderline terrified of finals. While they are hard, it should only really be a chore if you haven't kept up on our work throughout the semester. As the saying goes, "luck favors the prepared".

Now that the semester is getting nearer and nearer to the end, good studying becomes crucial to success. If you are prepared, you will find that finals offer very few problems and little stress. I hope you take this advice and do what you can to make life easier on yourself during the last month of school. It's good to be back!

-Ryan

A Look Back by Jenn

2010-04-20T18:21:00.002-04:00

Ready for the final stretch?!? Let's do it! Hope every one had a wonderful break week. Talking with different students up here, every one had a different break week story ranging from house projects like moving and painting to personal problems like back spasms and sick kids. For some, break weeks are for accomplishing tasks and for others, catching up on sleep seems more important. I had a mix of catching up on school and rest, but probably the main thing I take away from break week is just getting reconnected with the family. I know none of us ever want to put family on hold while we're at school, but it inevitably happens. I've noticed that the only way to have time with family is to make time. Sometimes that means cutting out TV time in the evening or getting up early...relationships require hard work! But hopefully they know school only lasts for a few more weeks. Hang in there as we near finals!

As I'm looking back on this semester, there's a part of me that just can't believe I'm finishing up a year of college. I'm trying to remember what I thought college would be like when I first visited Corning. Let's travel back in time to last July/August when I first realized I was going to Corning. Everything was rushed and last minute because I didn't know I could graduate high school till early July. Sure enough, (surprise!) I had the credits! So off to college. I remember being nervous waiting for the placement test. I knew that I didn't need to be, but as a high school student I didn't know what this college thing was all about. I know we all want to act cool, calm and collected on our first college visit so people think that we know what we're doing. Ya, I don't know how I did with that! I had so many different ideas that I had grown up thinking college was like. Academically I didn't know what to expect and I didn't want to wonder if it would be too hard! I think I always as a kid thought that college was that really hard thing only smart people did and even though I always knew I could do it, it was always "sure I can do it, when I'm finally on my ace game". And ya, this year has been a lot of hard work but I've not always been alert (who is?!) and done my best but it's still doable. I think that's one of the great things about college is that it challenges what you personally can do, but if you're rightly placed, it won't discourage you so much you throw your hands up in surrender. There's always that promise that if you work hard, you can succeed.

YIPPEE!!!! break. by Jenn

2010-04-09T17:32:00.003-04:00

whew! I'm sitting here soaked with sweat with that good, tired feeling you get after just playing an hour of basketball. I definitely inherited my dad's sweat glands which stinks cause I don't think I've ever seen my mom sweat. Today volleyball ended...:( and for a last hurrah we played basketball...? haha that might sound funny but we had a quiz today so we convinced the coach to lower the hoops for us after the quiz. I guess we were all volleyball-ed out.

Yesterday I came to school in shorts and a sweatshirt and was dying with the heat. So, being the genius that I am, I decided not to make the same mistake twice so I woke up today and decided to wear shorts and a tee. Normally I carry a wardrobe in my car because I hate being caught unprepared but I thought today I would be fine....nope! So if you've been laughing at a girl who's been freezing herself outside in this winter breeze...well, that girl was me...
We're in that awkward season where one day may be heavenly and the next horrible so, from experience of learning it the hard way, it's important to check the weather before heading out. I keep a sweatshirt in the car, but I think I'm going to throw some sweats in there as well.

I wish I could share with you that I'm going to some awesome place like Hawaii or Florida over break to soak in the rays...ya, I can't but I know a lot of people are so if that's you, I hate you but have fun!! And get a tan for me!!!!

I Love To Laugh: HaHaHaHa by Jenn

2010-04-08T20:23:00.002-04:00

Okay, I could try to write some deep inspiring post about impersonal stuff, but today I've decided to be your comic relief. Maybe your sitting at your computer and have had one of those days or you have a lot of stuff to get to. But for the moment, lighten up and prepare to laugh at me and yourself.

Right, so, we all have funny moments. Most of us have them everyday but I've noticed that it takes true talent to point them out and laugh at them. Why does it take talent? Because usually they're tiny things that might happen regularly and we get used to them happening. Like when you're in a rush because you're late to class but you feel like you have to grab a quick breakfast at Wegmans or you'll die. So you rush to leave but accidentally throw your change all over the floor making sounds like mini bombs because it's so quiet cause the only people there are a handful of elderly people. Sound familiar??! However, for some of us that's how we/I start my day. And we're only getting started! I'll share one more to lighten you up and hopefully help you along in your ability to spot these things that happen to take our mind off the paper that's due in the morning or the test that we need to study for.

Well, after Wegmans yesterday, I go to fill my car with gas at one of the gas stations on Denison. After I put the nozzle in and start filling my tank I get it in my mind that I need to jump over the cord/tube that's filling my car with gas so that it's on the other side of my body. Don't ask me why, because it was fine on my left but I just got a sudden compulsion that made me want it on my right. So, I try jumping over it even though it's lowest part was only a little below my hip. Do I have to go on?!

Thankfully I couldn't get over it so I didn't trip, but everyone just saw a girl randomly jump/throw herself to the left and they didn't know that I was trying to be super athletic and jump two feet up in the air (while holding the nozzle in place...oh boy!!)

There you have it. I'm sure this post won't alter the course of your life, but I can encourage you to keep in mind how important it is to laugh at ourselves when these tiny things happen. In the midst of a season that can be very stressful as we near finals, don't let small but funny moments slip by without noticing them!

So how do you write a paper? by Ryan

2010-04-08T14:13:00.002-04:00

In the past two years, I have had multiple conversations with people about the best ways to write essay papers. I found that there are more theories than I thought about what method produces the best paper. From my conversations in the past I hope I can present a few methods to help anyone who is writing papers. Now that we are coming toward the end of the semester, many paper due dates are approaching and I hope this will be helpful.

It seems that the most tried-and-true method that I've heard is the "old school" aproach of using index cards. I see these cards all over in the library and learning centers and it seems to be the most generally used method. When writing papers that require Turabian formatting, index cards are very useful because all the referencing material can be written at the top. Nearly all of the professors I have talked to use this method.

I know some people that use what I call the "Immersion" method: they read as much as they possibly can, reading some things over and over and only making notes for the specific things they need to reference. They commit all of their information to memory. This method can be risky and can backfire for those who don't research diligently, but I have read some incredible pieces of work from people who have done this. They are able to produce an amazing, completely original work.

My personal favorite is what I call the "Piece" method. As I read, I type my notes one at a time into a Word document, referencing as I go. When I am done, I print out the paper and cut every note into a single strip of paper. It takes some space, but I then spread out the notes on the ground, sorting them into the sections I want to write. I take each section and use those notes to simply piece together my paper. Once this is done, my paper is basically assembled and all I need to do is flesh it out from the skeleton. I was shown this by a classmate last year, and for whatever reason I have really loved it.

Well, I hope that one of these methods appeals to you and you are able to put it to good use. Have fun writing those papers over break! I'm not looking forward to the process, but I am always so happy when the paper is done and ready to turn in.

For further assistance with this topic, please remember to stop by the Writing Center located in C107 on the Spencer Hill campus or U110 in Elmira at the Academic Workforce Development Center.

Have a great break!
-Ryan

The Injury Bug by Ryan

2010-04-07T17:48:00.006-04:00

Today I'm going to write on something I unfortunately know quite a bit about: getting injured. I have sustained a lot of injuries in my life. Over my four years of high school basketball, I missed at least 1/3 of a season total because of injuries; the real number's probably closer to 2/3. It's probably not a good thing that one time a nurse recognized me in the E.R. from previous visits. This post has been on my mind for a few days ever since I was exercising and my calf went numb. If you've seen a tallish guy limping around campus for a few days, it's me. I don't know what happened but I can't straighten out my left leg.

Spring is here, and it's awesome to have good weather and see people playing Frisbee or throwing the football on campus. However, with great weather comes great potential for injury. I have known or seen a lot of people rush outside at the first hint of good weather. They immediately start running and playing without ever thinking of the stress on their winter-weakened muscles. If you are going to go out and play football, Frisbee, or whatever, take 2-3 minutes and stretch. If I'd have stretched for five minutes, I wouldn't be enduring my fifth straight day of walking on one leg. Be kind to your body.

Springtime is a ton of fun, and with the weather lately, it is a great time to get out and be active. But before you do anything, be safe! I don't remember where I heard it, but someone I know compared stretching to the old rhyme about apples. They told me "stretching every day keeps the doctor away." It may sound childish, but there is definitely truth in that saying. by all means, go forth and have fun, but a word to the wise from someone who is house-ridden for the moment: be smart.

-Ryan

Sunglasses and Flip Flops by Jenn

2010-04-02T23:09:00.002-04:00

Well, I was reading Ryan's posts about the softball and baseball teams when I realized that we're coming to the home stretch for school! I can't believe we have another break in three (two and a half to be specific!) weeks!! I feel like we just had break...but hey! I'm not complaining! This will be my first year of college completed and that just sounds really weird! Some people have told me that the first semester is the hardest but I have to say that my first semester flew by! I'm in my second right now and it certainly is not going quite as fast! Although, I've learned the trick: schedule a fun class on the long days. As fall registration is already up and running, may I highly suggest doing a sport class. I'm doing volleyball now and it is just a blast....I love it!

It's good to have fun interspersed between classes and homework! Yesterday, a group of kids played Ultimate Frisbee on the side of the Commons...fun-ness!! I would love to have a Ultimate Frisbee "club" up here!!! Anyone in??

To add a fun splash to school today, my friends and I declared today a skirt day. (um they were all girls:)) There's nothing like dressing up in spring-ish clothes to give you a positive outlook on the day! So if you saw some girls walking around (haha, my friend Megan and I swapped one flip flop so we each had a hot orange and a black flip on!) yup! That was us!

So break out the shorts and sunglasses! Get out and enjoy this Easter weekend!!!!!

Baseball Preview by Ryan

2010-04-02T13:48:00.003-04:00

In my last post I intended to take a look at both the softball and baseball teams, but I ended up having way too much to write about in one post. That's never a bad thing, though, so here is the baseball preview for the 2010 Red Barons mens baseball team.

In 2003, the men's baseball team returned to competitive play after a several year hiatus. They quickly returned to form, earning a spot in the regional tournament only one year later. Since that time, CCC's mens team has seen 18 All-MSAC honors, including one D-1 signee.

Coach Brian Hill has done a good job of assembling a balanced team this season, with ten sophomores and eight freshmen. The team took a hit with the departure of two-year star and All-American Dan Telehany, but several players have stepped up to hopefully fill his role. The team also features a great selection of athletes, with multiple high school standouts and former CCC basketball team players Eric Garvey, Tyler Mizerak, and Greg Cary.

The team has started out slowly at 3-5 overall but should change that soon with some good wins. The team has the potential to sneak up on a lot of people and should be a lot of fun to watch. I hope you will join me in following these athletes as they push for greatness in this 2010 season.

-Ryan

Softball Preview by Ryan

2010-04-01T11:12:00.003-04:00

It finally appears as if spring is arriving! The weather is somewhat nicer, grass is becoming brighter green, and my car is starting again (that's the real way I can tell). Best of all, the sound of metal bats hitting baseballs and softballs can be heard in the afternoon. The American Pastime has returned for another go-round at CCC and I couldn't be more excited.

I've always been jealous of people who were good at baseball or softball. Basketball and football came naturally to me, but I have terrible eyesight and could never track the incoming pitch well enough to hit for a decent average. Some of the players on CCC's teams this year are awesome and both squads are set for great years.

This years softball team looks very good. Coach Stacey Johnson has reloaded the team with a lot of talent, as ten of the fifteen players are freshmen. The returning sophomores, however, will be leading the way. The Lady Barons are coming off a ridiculous season last year, when the team set a school record with 36 wins and a .878 winning percentage. The team will be led by returners Liz Gorges and Gina Brenzo, who blew apart Corning's record book last year. Gorges set school records in home runs (12), runs batted in (69), total bases reached (120), and slugging percentage (896). Brenzo set school records in total at-bats with 137, and singles with 48.

The team has had a strong start already this year, with a 7-1 record, all on the road. Only two wins have come by less than four runs. Tomorrow afternoon marks the first home game for both the softball team, so come on out and have a great time watching the Lady Barons play Erie. I hope to see you there!

-Ryan

Preparing for More College by Ryan

2010-03-31T14:12:00.002-04:00

In general, there are really only two possibilities for someone who is attending community college: either you want to begin work but also need or want an associate's degree, or you are using community college in some form or another as a launching pad into a four-year school and beyond. Unfortunately, I have no insight into the options or the mindset of the first group, as my intention has always been to continue on to a four-year school. However, from my previous four-year experience, I have a few tips I can offer to help prepare students for life in such a competitive environment.

For students who actually enjoy being in school and learning as much as possible, university life should be extremely fulfilling. One of the coolest things about bigger schools is the specialization of classes. For example, as a history major, there are certain areas of history which appeal to me more than others. Let's say that I was very interested in American hstory. At most community colleges, I would be able to take two courses covering the two halves of American history that are split by the Civil War, and possibly one or two more general courses, such as CCC's American West course. At the four-year level, the course offerings become much more specialized and specific. One SUNY school I looked up is offering those basic American history courses. but also classes such as Religion in U.S. History and America in the 1960's. Because of the greater number of faculty, schools can offer classes that help students become even more prepared for their future.

It is fun to look ahead and prepare for graduation and moving on to bigger and better things. But while you're here at CCC, always be conscious of laying the groundwork for moving on. If you don't take the basics here, you can't step up to the next level after graduation. This is a great school and a fantastic place to prepare for launch into the bigger world.

-Ryan

Jackals vs. Dachshunds by Kate

2010-03-29T05:54:00.005-04:00

The admissions office student workers took a field trip to Vincenzo’s Pizzeria and the Jackals’ Game last Friday night. The night was full of laughs and entertainment on all sorts of levels. The purpose was to bring together the admission’s student workers team for the first time this semester. I didn’t get to meet the whole team but I did get to meet some new faces.

The food was scrumptious; we managed to devour two large pizzas. If you’ve ever been to Vincenzo’s you’ve noticed it’s not necessarily a place to fit a party of 11 comfortably. It was interesting to watch people attempting to scoot by our table (which was located in the center of chaos). Some with a genuine, “Excuse me.” Others saying, “Excuse me,” but by their tone and facial expression really meaning, “Get out of my way!”

After food, we walked over to the First Arena, got to our seats and the game began! I’m not a sports fanatic. I rarely watch anything having to do with sports. I do enjoy going to a random game every now and then for the social experience and the fact I can yell as loud as I want without becoming a deviant.

The music was enjoyable to sing to, but they managed to cut off from songs right when you’re about to get into them. I think they do that because they can tell the crowd is getting into it and would prefer not to turn it into a karaoke arena. Let’s focus on the game, people!

The highlight of my night, aside from the singing, the ONE fight in the game and goofing around with my fellow ambassadors, was the first time ever Wiener Race! This consisted of bringing out a bundle of Dachshunds, each assigned to a section, letting them loose on the ice to run towards their owners on the other side of the rink. Nice concept, but unfortunately an epic fail!

When released the Dachshunds just ran circles and played with the other dogs. If the point was to merely entertain the crowd, it served its purpose. Who doesn’t enjoy watching puppies excited and confused?

Eventually they managed to get first, second and third place winners by incorporating tennis balls. Cheating? I’m sure they’ll tweak the game rules if they decide to continue with this event. Apparently the first place puppy was assigned to a section and that section won a prize. They never announced the prize and I’m still extremely curious.

By the way, Jackals lost.

-Kate-

Registering by Ryan

2010-03-26T16:21:00.001-04:00

Usually when I sit down to blog, the first thing I try to do is think of a good name for the post. Whether it's funny or not, I enjoy the challenge of coming up with a title that grabs people's attention right from the start. I say all that because I am completely stumped with this post. When I am writing about things like basketball or intramurals, I have no problem, but for some reason important things give me trouble.

Either way, registration time is here, and it is vitally important to be responsible and get it done. I delayed registering for only a few days, and I still saw many classes that were full or near-full. I got lucky because not many students like history, so most of the classes I wanted had plenty of seats available. But any students in the popular fields like nursing, business, or education really need to get moving, as those classes fill up very quickly. In my experience, advisors are very helpful and work well with each other to help students get into the classes they need.

If you haven't been in touch with your advisor to set up your schedule for the fall, it would be wise to move quickly. I passed through the 3rd floor of the nursing building this morning and nearly every advising sheet on the office doors had quite a few people on them. If there is a class that you need or just want to take badly, it is crucial to register quickly before the class fills up completely. It's definitely worth the peace of mind knowing that your classes are taken care of.

- Ryan

Music is a Word-less Story by Jenn

2010-03-26T15:59:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I got to catch half an hour of some of the most beautiful live music I've ever heard before! I don't remember their names, but one of them played the Cello and the other played, I believe some kind of spanish guitar. I'm not good with stringed instraments! However, I do know that it was definately some if not the most beautiful music I've ever heard... they really complimented each other. And one of the most important things I've learned as a musician is that if you don't feel the music, your audience won't. You know what I mean by "feel" like really get into it-- like when you treat music like a word-less story. Wow, that's a pretty deep way to describe music... I'm impressed with myself...a word-less story...I'm going to use that as my title! Usually I have corny titles so a deep one should be a nice change... um, but, their music was definately expressing emotion. It was all mexican/spanish style. Oh, the Spanish really knew how to play the guitar! And a lot of it was soft and sorrowful. Like the kind of music you would like to cry to. I love music writen in minor keys-- ok, music 101: music writen in major keys sound happy (well, usually they do. I'm generalizing so don't get angry at me music people who know more than I do!) and minor keys sound like the kind of backround music you get in a movie when the girl walks in the pooring rain to cry at the place she met the boy who broke her heart.
Sticking with the musical theme, we are learning a song writen in GERMAN in voice class...hahaha....I've never taken a language and most kids there can't speak German so if you need a comic relief, come down to the basement of the R building from 12 to 1 and listen to us butcher this language.
Before I leave you for the weekend (which I hope everyone has a great one!) I must ask what is up with this snow and cold weather?! we are officially in Spring time and the weather men had better start doing their job right!

The Tournament Marches On by Ryan

2010-03-25T09:42:00.004-04:00

This years NCAA Tournament has been unbelievable! After only two rounds it has been one of the most memorable tournaments I can remember. It's always great to be on a college campus during March Madness. Inevitably, after the first one or two rounds of play, many college students seem to suddenly realize that they are the same age as the athletes competing. It's fun to then see the new respect they have for the athletes and the renewed enjoyment they get for the games.

As I've walked around campus, I've heard many students discussing the games. With Syracuse being a #1 seed this year, I've seen many lines drawn between Syracuse supporters and those who can't stand SU. One of my friends filled out a bracket and had Syracuse losing in the first round, just because he "couldn't stand hearing any more Syracuse fans." It might not have been the most popular strategy, but with all the upsets this year his bracket is probably doing decently well.

When it comes to the upsets, they have been plentiful and fantastic. In the first round, quite a few minor upsets happened, and a couple of major upsets were threatened that polarized the country. Teams like #10 Georgia Tech, #11 Washington, and #10 St. Mary's beat favored teams, but it was teams like #12 Cornell, #13 Ohio, and #13 Murray St. that at times brought me to my feet at home cheering. The two most exciting games were near-upsets filled with great basketball: #1 Kansas vs #16 Lehigh and #2 Villanova vs #15 Robert Morris. Both potential upsets, if they had happened, would have made for the undisputed most exciting first round in tournament history. In the second round, the great play continued, as #4 Wisconsin fell to #12 Cornell, #3 New Mexico lost to #11 Washington, and #10 St. Mary's became a media darling by knocking off #2 Villanova. The greatest upset of all ,though, shook up the brackets of millions of people. #1 Kansas, the top ranked team in the entire tournament, fell to lowly #9 Northern Iowa. Everyone I know was stunned at the news. Syracuse fans like myself were thrilled, because Syracuse would have potentially had to play Kansas in the Final Four, and the road to the championship became much easier.

Tonight begins the first games of the sweet sixteen. Everyone is waiting for more upsets, as so many double-digit seeds are still in the running. Look for great action some great games to discuss next week!

-Ryan

Representin' by Kate

2010-03-24T19:23:00.014-04:00

Good evening fellow and prospective students! I'm Kate Schiller, a new ambassador at Corning Community College. I will be stopping in occassionaly to share my experiences about working as a student ambassador at CCC.

Well,..... background information about myself seems to fit in right here. This is my last semester at CCC. I began my education as an Early Childhood Major. I have been involved with American Sign Language before I attended here so something that always appealed to me is the ASL courses offered at CCC.

As I continued with my basic studies, (Early Childhood courses and ASL courses) I figured out that I love ASL more than working in an educational environment. I have switched my major to General Studies, and plan to transfer out to a four year school to major in ASL Interpretting.

While I am sad this is my last semester here on campus, I am excited to become a student ambassador to further my work experience and be more involved on campus. This position, (as I explained in my interview process,) is something I've been doing before being hired. I am representing this school.

Think about it, as students we get asked all the time by friends, family and even aquiantances (who you'd rather not be telling your life goals to) what has been going on with our education process. "Are you doing well with school?", "What classes are you taking this semester?", "What do you plan to do after graduating?"

Initially, we're all representing this school anytime we get asked these types of questions. To obtain this position has merely been an opportunity to better hone my communications skills and represent the school on a more professional level.

So far I have worked with the other Student Ambassadors in organizing stock rooms, making phone calls, inputting applications into the processing system, as well as shadowing on two tours. I hope to do more tours as well as phone calls. I'm more of a people person than a stock room or filing person! From what I'm told, this semester is slower than the fall. I would anticipate it getting busier as the end of the semester gets closer. Highschool students should be getting ready to come in the fall. One can hope.

I've been able to participate in Student Leadership Seminar on Networking (Yum, free lunch!). This is where I met a lot of other student leaders on campus. It's amazing how you can spend two years on campus and never really get involved or realize how much is going on outside of your personal classes. I thought I knew what happened on campus. It was a real eye-opener that I haven't even scratched the surface. I encourage you, GET INVOLVED!

Representing this school and working with this team has been the most fun job I have had so far, a lot better than my previous experiences of working in retail or fast food (no offense to all of you who are holding a position in those areas). I look forward to the rest of my last semester as a team member of CCC Student Ambassadors!

- Kate -

Playing Favorites by Ryan

2010-03-24T15:57:00.004-04:00

I think that if every college student were honest, they would agree that regardless of the professor or other students, there are some classes that they just like more than others. There always seems to be a class in which the material is more interesting, the homework not as bad, and the tests easy. Good professors and student participation help a great deal, but there are always subjects that people personally find more interesting than others. Whatever classes they may be, often they pose a big problem when it comes to studying.

The best example I can give happened at my previous college last year. One of my best friends in school lived in the dorm room two doors down from me. He was incredibly smart, and I've had headaches while listening to him discuss differential equations as if it were 2+2=4. His grades were very good, even though the school is notoriously tough academically (my doctor attended the school and said it was harder than med school). He got a 3.7 in his first semester and was near the top of our freshman class at the end of the year. However, for the entire first semester, I noticed that one of his books was always lying on the top of his bookshelf, untouched. It was his only non-math/science book, and toward the end of the semester I picked it up to ask him why I never saw it moved. After the semester, he got an "A" in every other class, but received a low grade in the one class he didn't prepare for. He could have had a 4.0, but a personal subject preference kept him from the highest possible G.P.A.

I encourage everyone who reads this to study hard for ALL of their classes. I love history, and it is hard to study for my other subjects like I should. For me, it's so much easier to read a book in a subject I love than to read anything in a subject I don’t like as much. If you are having problems in a class, talk to your professor about the best way to study and prep for tests. There are plenty of academic support services for student success as well. Such as the Academic Study Center (Library), Math Learning Center (Science Building), Science Learning Center (Science Building), Writing Learning Center (Classroom Building) and the Advising and Counseling Center (Commons Building) just to name a few.

-Ryan

On Fog and Foggy Ideas by Jenn

2010-03-23T15:52:00.004-04:00

Recently I've been noticing how I'm almost always feeling run down. College can be stressful, and on top of that I have a part time job in the evening. Most people I know at CCC are working part time as well (there are few students I know who work full time!). The spring weather helped rejuvenate me, but recently I've been looking at my diet to see if I can change it to more, um, "awake" food :) This week I'm trying a mainly fruit diet. Reason being I love fruit and it makes me think of spring and summer which makes me think wide-awake energy! I'll let you know if it helps me pay attention in class...

Though Saturday was the first day of Spring I'm just not really convinced of the warm weather's commitment to stay...ya, this rain I guess is spring-y but...
I work here at the college for the spring "Phone-a-thon" and it was crazy last night! Not so much the calling part--(although that's always interesting)- but the weather was creepy! At, like, 6 o'clock it started fogging up a bit and then each hour it just got thicker and thicker until we could barely see the Classroom building from the top floor of the Nursing building! In fact we couldn't even see parts of the Commons that's how crazy this was! Driving home was a blast but once I got to 1st street the fog was pretty much cleared. Three of us girls walked together arm in arm to our cars that's how creepy this was! And on top of that someone during the evening was telling us about this horror movie that takes place in some foggy area...! Well, it looks like we still have a little bit of the fog for today, but it's not half as thick as it was last night ...besides things are just a lot scarier in the dark!

Do Re Me Fa So La Te Do! by Jenn

2010-03-19T16:05:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was a blast! Got to school around 9am and from then on it was music music music music till 1:30ish. I've performed quite a few times before so I'm learning to shake off the nerves and just have fun, but I have to admit I was pretty nervous for a lot of the morning...like

I had Music Theory class before we began preparing for the concert and let me tell you its hard to pay attention when you are randomly remembering "Oh! I have a concert today!" and "Oh! I need to figure out the ending of the song I'm soloing!" haha, but it's all good, once I tied up the loose ends I just enjoyed practicing. The concert kicked off with a Irish ballad sung by the guys called "Salley Gardens" then we girls came in and sung a funny ballad called "I'd Wed If I Were Not Too Young" which is about a girl who goes to a fair and meets her sweetheart but keeps telling him that she can't marry him cause she's too young but at the end she declares "I'd wed for I was not too young!" The first half of the program was Irish stuff in honor of St. Patty's day. We had a couple beautiful guitar and violin Irish solos and duets as well as some Irish tap/step dancing. Then came the popular/modern music. As a choir we sang a couple songs from musicals.

Then my heart started beating a million beats per minute cause I had my solo-- haha, just kidding! I was a little nervous though! I sang and played piano to the Colbie Calliat song "You Got Me". I think it went just fine...not as good as I wanted but that doesn't really matter! Then I hopped over to the piano for our band to play a few songs and ended on a jamming "25 or 6 to 4" by...I want to say Chicago? But yes, it was a wonderful concert. I really enjoy the first half of the semester for choir cause it's our modern music, now we're going to move to more classical operatic stuff-- which is not as fun but good cause I need to learn it!!

We had a beautiful day for our concert yesterday!! My goodness, tomorrow really is the first day of spring. I did my homework outside and actually had to wonder if I was getting a sunburn!!! No sign of it today but, hey, at least it was a possibility! Have a wonderful weekend!

Mad Marchness by Ryan

2010-03-18T13:34:00.005-04:00

Ahh, it's one of my favorite times of the year! The NCAA Tournament is under-way, and it looks like there might be a huge upset brewing! At the time of this post, 15th seeded Robert Morris is beating 2nd seeded Villanova. If Robert Morris is able to keep their lead and pull off the upset, it will be only the 5th time a 15 seed has beaten a 2. It would mess up my bracket along with a million other brackets, but I feel like an upset this big would be better than any benefit in a bracket.

The NCAA viewing event was a lot of fun! It's always enjoyable to see a sports event with a bunch of friends your age. There was pizza, chips, fruit, and soda for everyone who attended. When people arrived, they were given 5 tickets to put into raffles for various sports items that were raffled off throughout the event. There were team hats, mini-basketballs, and CCC basketball shoulder bags. It was a lot of fun and I think everyone really enjoyed it.

Speaking of basketball, intramural competition starts this Tuesday. I've heard a lot of people say they want to play this semester. Deb Prutsman, the intramural director, tries hard to even up the teams and does a great job. It should be great, and I hope many people take advantage of it. See you there!

-Ryan

Bracket Insanity by Ryan

2010-03-18T09:43:00.004-04:00

The NCAA tournament always seems to bring out the outgoing side of everyone. I have known people that say two sentences all day, but when it's tournament time they suddenly have flawless logic about which 12 seed will upset a 5 this year. I've really never seen anything like it. I would say that not even the Superbowl brings this level of awareness to an event. Many people don't care about the Superbowl, yet during March Madness it's common to see a huge variety of people all watching the same games.

So what is the secret to the tournament's success? I think that the biggest reason is probably the availability of games. Whenever you have time, you can turn on the t.v. and there is a good chance that a game is being played. There is a huge number of games, and that always lends itself to having more people watch. I think it also has to do with the sport.

Another big reason for the NCAA popularity is the players. These student athletes truly deserve our respect for doing work both in the classroom and on the court. They play because they love the game. It is easy to root for these players. With the number of games, nearly every year there are several buzzer beaters and close games, and they captivate the country and pull more and more people into the group of interested viewers. I can't wait to see how this years tournament shapes up. Hopefully, my Syracuse Orange will finally win their first championship since the Carmelo Anthony year. I hope to see you in the triangle lounge this afternoon for the viewing party!

-Ryan

A blow to the head and to the pride by Ryan

2010-03-17T14:43:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, the March Madness 3-on-3 intramural tournament continued, and it was awesome! I really didn't think I could have more fun on Tuesday than I had on the first day but I was proven very wrong. A few teams had already lost twice on the first day, and a few more lost their first game today and dropped out. Most of these people stayed to watch and offered cheers and goodnatured insults to the players still in. It made for a very polished playground feel to the games, which I enjoyed very much.

My team went into the day with one loss, meaning every game was "win or go home." In our first game we played a team that on average was probably 3-4" taller than each one of us, but our team has played together since high school, and our teamwork carried us to a win by 3. It was exciting as we weren't sure how much of a chance we had. I nearly came away from that game with a bad injury though. On a drive to the basket, I was going up to shoot when I received an accidental elbow to the side of my head. I was instantly dizzy and fuzzy for a few seconds, and I was initially worried that I had a concussion. I had one two years ago, and my head felt like it did on that hit. The dizzyness went away quickly and I was able to hide it and keep playing, but I had a bad headache for the rest of the day.

In our second game we played a team that was the complete opposite of our first opponent. They were mostly small, quick, and deadly shooters. We also ran into a huge cold streak shooting, and it proved to be our undoing. We fell behind 14-10 and had to score five straight points or be out of the tournament. We made two quick layups and I hit a 3-pointer to tie it at 14. But our starting point guard from this year pulled up on a jumper from the foul line that I've never seen him miss, and I knew it was over. We lost, but the tournament was a ton of fun to play in. There are three teams left and they will play for the championship next week.

In upcoming news, the real March Madness starts tomorrow! Everyone should come to the triangle lounge after noon. The first round games will be shown on the big screen, and I have heard food rumors from several people. It should be a great day, and I know I will have all my brackets with me all day. I hope to see everyone there!

-Ryan

Crunch Time by Jenn

2010-03-16T14:22:00.002-04:00

The big concert is this Thursday! And we're starting to really feel it in both the Voice and Instrumental Ensemble. We're polishing up songs, memorizing the program, and hoping there's no train wrecks! I'm pretty excited cause although it's nice to just enjoy playing a song, it's a totally different thing to perform. I know some people don't like performing in front of an audience, but I personally do better with an audience cause you have that surge of adrenalin that usually helps you perform the song (hopefully) better than you have before. Haha, honestly, I love concerts cause it's show-off time!
So if you're interested in coming out the details are: room R004 (the lower level of the administration building), Thursday March 19th from 12:30-1:30ish. And if you can't come for the whole time, don't worry about interrupting anything because many people have to come late or leave early with classes and such. However, if you have to cut one end short, I'd say come late and stay for the ending because I believe they serve refreshments afterward :)

On the same musical note (hehehe-- pun intended!) .... I had Music Theory class today and it made me laugh!! Our teacher brought in a box of homemade drums...we had a saw that you could bend and hit with a stick, some pots and pans, I got a cookie container and a drum stick...and we formed our own "Stomp" band! It was pretty cool! It actually didn't sound that bad...

Hot Chocolate Warms My Heart! by Jenn

2010-03-12T16:19:00.002-05:00

Well, may I highly suggest the hot chocolate in the cafeteria!! On a cold rainy day, it, as my 9 year old brother would say, "warmed my heart". Chocolate is a great last push to the finish line! Yesterday was, as my mom would say (gosh I feel like we have a lot of sayings in my house...haha), a "sparkling" day!! It was great to get out of classes and not have to wear a coat! It was even better to drive with the windows open. AND it was the best thing ever to go ice skating without a coat on! Yes, I went ice skating in a tee shirt!! To be honest, I'm not that big a fan of ice skating cause I hate the cold but, planning afternoon outdoor fun is the best thing to look forward to... especially after a day of indoor classes! I hope everyone got to soak up as much sun as they could yesterday...get some good Vitamin...ah, C is it? Wow, that's sad!

Haha, well, I'm sorry but I think my last post jinxed us! Today is gloomy. However, try thinking of it as "March showers bring April flowers". Ah, there's something about Friday that makes even rain a happy thing! If break week has one downside to it, it's that it seems to make the first week back a very long one. However, I don't really care right now cause we made it! Hope everyone either has a wonderfully relaxing weekend or an exciting one planned!

March Madness by Ryan

2010-03-11T16:37:00.002-05:00

I was so excited this morning I could barely wait until lunch. Basketball intramurals started today, and I felt like a little kid at Christmas. Since the season ended, I haven't been able to play basketball much, so the prospect of playing again was great. Playing with my teammates and friends only makes it better. This three on three tournament is part of the intramural March Madness event. It began with the foul shooting and three point shooting contest on Tuesday and continues until Tuesday next week. After the event is over, regular basketball intramurals will keep going for a few weeks.

The first round of three on three was a ton of fun today. The tournament is double elimination, but thankfully most teams are there to have fun. If people wanted, they could load up their teams and it could be brutal and fast, but that hapens enough in regular intramural games. This tournament is a great chance to hang out and play some hoops with friends.

In the first round, my team unfortunately was matched up against possibly the strongest team in the tournament. They were in it for the victory, and they were too much for us. It was fun though, and we tried hard. The unfortunate thing is that we were out of the tournament if we lost again. We fell into the loser's bracket and were able to win our next two games to stay alive. The tournament will wrap up on Monday, and I hope my team is able to stay in it for a couple more rounds at least. Come on down to the gym and root on the teams. There's a good chance that someone you know is playing. Have a great weekend and be ready for pi day on Monday!

-Ryan

Winter Blues turn to Summer Pinks...by Jenn

2010-03-11T15:17:00.002-05:00

I declared last Friday the first day of Spring...but apparently the dude who got the season timing job wanted to have a little Spring weather in Winter...I always wonder what kind of degree you need to get cool jobs like that... But wow, spring boosts my happiness level by a 100!!! I got to go down after my morning classes to walk 1st street and eat lunch with a friend... there's so much more you can do with warmer weather!
And with the fresh start feeling that warmer weather gives--at least to me!-- comes the later starting classes! I started volleyball class this Monday and yesterday we actually dove into playing. I haven't played in forever however I can get pretty competitive so my friends in the class thought it was hilarious how I was so intense about how we had to win when I was pretty much a wreck trying to learn how to serve and bump all over again! I haven't really played since my freshman year in high school so... we're going on 4 years but thankfully a lot of the other kids are out of practice or have never practiced! On top of that we get to listen to awesome music so...I'm excited!!
Hope everyone's enjoying this beautiful day!! I'm thinking I'm going to study outside...maybe get a tan... :)

π=3/15/10 by Ryan

2010-03-11T09:48:00.012-05:00

In a feat of mathematical genius, I spent many long hours working out the math equation in the title of this post. Actually, that's a complete lie. The post title is referring to the campus annual Pi Day, which is this upcoming Monday. The Pi Day would usually be held on March 14 (3.14), but this year the 14th is on a Sunday. Therefore, the event is being held the following day on the 15th, which has been dubbed "pi + 0.01 day" (pi + 0.01 = 3.15).

What is Pi Day? Well to be honest, I wasn't 100% sure, so I spoke with the professor in charge to find out. This year is the first time I have ever heard of it, but I love the idea. I like math a lot, which is all my mom's fault. She majored in math in college and now teaches here at CCC. She gave me the love of math, so the idea behind celebrating pi for a day sounds awesome to me. The festivities will take place in the CCC Math Learning Centers in both Corning (S113) and Elmira (U111).

My math professor Jay Hurlburt is in charge of the day, and she has promised some fun stuff. The event starts at 1:59 p.m, which is a great idea (the first three digits of pi after 3.14 are 159). Food and drinks will be provided. Also, in MyCCC, students can find a link to a pi sudoku and a pi crossword that can be printed, filled out, and turned in for candy in the math learning center, where the event is taking place. I can't wait to try the pi sudoku, which is very unique: it's a 12x12 grid with oddly shaped sections. Each section must have the usual numbers 1-9, but must also have three pi symbols written in as well. I love sudoku and do one almost every day, so I'm really looking forward to the challenge and hope many others are as well.

The Pi Day is open to everyone, whether you are enrolled in a math class or not. Those who are enrolled in a math course, should check with their professors. Several are giving out extra credit for either attendance, or for submitting things such as the sudoku or the crossword. I'm really looking forward to this day. It should be a lot of fun for anyone who has an interest in math. I hope to see you there!

-Ryan

It's Begining to Look a Lot Like Springtime by Jenn

2010-03-10T13:02:00.003-05:00

Hello again! Hope everyone had a fantastic break week....I love it when you come back from break feeling refreshed! I had a moment of sadness Sunday night when I realized my break was over, but kicking Monday morning off with a 100 on a Math quiz has helped me feel like it's time to hit the books again! I loved just kicking back over break but I feel pretty pumped about getting back into school. Break weeks are funny like that, sometimes I come off a break week feeling all ready to get back into a schedule but other break weeks are just too short and you feel like you've just started relaxing when Monday morning rolls around. If that's you, maybe this spring weather will help rejuvenate you! I hear we're going to lose it with a snowstorm later this week, but I'm trying to ignore that. I'm not a winter person, so not having to cringe when leaving the house at 8, needing to pull down my visor cause of the sun, the smell of spring, all of it together makes me a lot more energetic!!

Well, I hope no one came to the Febuary 25th concert cause it was cancelled. That was pretty sweet to have two snow days before break week....kinda made it a week and a half of break. But I'm so very much excited about next Thursday's concert (the 18th). This concert is actually the students of CCC performing. We had auditions for solo spots yesterday and I'm so so so excited cause I got one! I'll post the time and room details as we get closer to it, but I think you'll enjoy it if you come.

Anyways, enjoy this geogeous weather while it's here!!!

Nice Weather!? by Ryan

2010-03-09T17:32:00.002-05:00

Wow, it's beautiful outside! What a great week to return from break! Most of the snow had melted on the hill, the sun is shining, and I've started wearing my sunglasses and rolling down my window already. All I want now is a class or two held outside. Forget the groundhog; outside classes are the true test to see if spring has come. Last year, I had a professor who was so excited for spring that he shoveled a clear spot on some steps the day before class so we could sit outside the next day.

The end of break week also ushers in one of my favorite school times: basketball intramurals! It started today with a free throw and three-point shooting contest. The free throw shooting contest was surprisingly the most intense part of the day. Both contests were divided up into mens and womens brackets and each person was given a minute to make as many free throws as possible. Seven or eight guys made it to the final round, with about two thirds being basketball team members. It looked like one team member was the strong favorite, but I was skeptical. My best friend wasn't on the team but is one of the best streak shooters I have ever seen. By that time, I had finished too low to win, so I was hoping he would catch fire, and did he ever! In one minute he made 26 free throws! It was unbelievable. The ball went in the basket every two seconds. It was great to see everyone's jaw drop as he kept making more and more baskets.

The three point contest was a lot of fun too. Shooters were given two shots each from five different spots on the floor. There were some good shooters, and people in the mens division had to make half of their shots just to advance to the second round. It was impressive considering the three point line for college men was moved back a full foot just a few years ago. In the end, the championship came down to two members of the CCC men's basketball team. The entire event was a lot of fun, with food and drinks provided.

Thursday begins the 3-on-3 competition, which is shaping up to be awesome. Everyone should come out for the games and cheer on the teams. The competition should be great and it will be a good chance to see some fun basketball.

-Ryan

An Imperfect Storm by Ryan

2010-02-25T11:32:00.002-05:00

I am sitting on campus at CCC typing this post, and when I look outside I am nearly blinded by all this white fluffy stuff outside. The snowfall up here is unreal. I walked into class today with barely any snowflakes falling. I sat down, looked outside, and I swear it was snowing five times more than before I entered the building. Unfortunately, in bad weather, colleges must deal with the scenario of more snow equaling less students.

The worst thing about this storm is the timing. Break week officially begins when classes let out tomorrow, and that means teachers won't see their students again for a week and a half. Students and professors are scrambling to make adjustments to their testing in case of a school closure tomorrow.

If school is not closed tomorrow, I will make every effort to attend classes because it will make it easier for me to finish any pre-break work that needs to be done. Of course if coming to school tomorrow could be dangerous in the weather, I will most likely stay home and get refreshed for a new start when we return. Have a great break!

-Ryan

Hope On the Horizon by Ryan

2010-02-23T16:42:00.003-05:00

6 days from now, I will be reclined on the couch resting and hanging out, as will most of the CCC student body. Most students will be relaxing by choice; I will be laying down after getting my wisdom teeth out. Regardless, it will be great because break week will be here!

I always feel weird about how much I love break weeks because I genuinely love school. But it feels so good to have an entire week to relax and mentally prepare for another strong schoolwork push. It's a tough balancing act when I'm around my professors. I am excited about the upcoming week, but I don't want to appear too excited to be out of class.

No one thinks about break week from the teacher's prospective. As I am going into the teaching field, I have begun to comtemplate what it will be like as a professor. On the week when most students are relaxing, teachers' often stay busy. In one of my classes, the professor gives tests in short essay form and we are required to write a total of eight essays on the exams. He teaches five classes in this format, and said that on average he has twenty students in a classroom. That means that during break week (emphasis on break) he reads, grades, and sorts approximately 800 short essays to give back the following week. I can't even fathom that. I happily volunteered to shorten his workload by exempting me from the test, but for some unknown reason he chose to decline.

So, while I like school, I would never pass up a chance for a break week. It will be so good to relax and stay inside when it's cold (which I believe is the greatest benefit to cold-weather school breaks). I hope everyone has a great break, and returns ready to work hard in March.

-Ryan

Break week! by Jenn

2010-02-23T14:58:00.004-05:00

I have to say I really like the classes that only go for a few months cause they make me feel like I've accomplished a lot! I had my Vegetarian class final yesterday, for it we had to make a (vegetarian) dish. I wanted to make something I've never made before cause I was feeling creative so I went on the Wegmans website and found this recipe that could be either breakfast or dessert. It was honey and cinnamon sprinkled over pineapple slices which were then (suppose to be) grilled but since I hate the cold, cooking it over the stove worked just fine! May I highly recommend it, delicious! Oh, then you sprinkle the pineapple over yogurt.

I can't believe break week is next week... I'm looking foward to catching up on school and laundry and family and friends. And of course, as always, I'll do fine with the catching up on friends and family and do horribly with catching up on the work! But, you never know, maybe this break week will be like no other. Maybe we'll all turn into supermans and be so productive we'll run out of stuff to catch up on...I always think this way and make a list of stuff to get done on break week but by the time break week actually roles around, amazingly the to-do list looses it's importance. However, I learned recently that there are two ways to keep time. One is to see it as law-- meaning if I have to get something done at a certain time, it has to be done or the world will come to an end. And the other is to see time as a guidline-- so if we don't get to it today, we'll get to it tomorrow or the next day. I think a little of both views of time is important. The US is ranked number one in being (there's a certain name for it) tied to time as a law. I think it's healthy to loosen our grip every now and then and just let time happen.

Speaking of relaxing, this Thursday (25th), from 12:30 to 1:30, in room R004 is the first Midday Concert of the semester. I believe it's a flute performance by a graduate student from Ithaca College. Even if you can only make part of it, its worth it!

A Painful Ending by Ryan

2010-02-19T11:52:00.011-05:00

Last night saw the end of the CCC basketball season. It was an interesting experience since it was the end of my first half-season of college ball. I was both sad and slightly relieved to see it end. The relief was simply because I know have time to concentrate more on my work and on life outside of basketball. But I was truly sad that it was over. It was a great ride and gave me many memories.

I didn't expect the last game to be so painful. I realized a few days ago that had almost made it through an entire basketball season without a serious injury. For some reason, I always end up hurting myself while playing. I missed games due to injury every year of high school. One of my goals for this season, however modest, was to end the year without an injury. I sprained my hamstring and missed one game early in the semester, but I didn't count that because it was only one game. Last night though, a few minutes after I got into the game, I reached out to try and steal the ball and dislocated my finger. It's happened on that finger twice before, so I stupidly pulled the finger back into place and kept playing, not feeling the pain because of the adrenaline. Today, I really wish I had taken myself out, because my entire hand hurts now and I'm typing this entirely with my other hand (and it takes a very long time). At least the season is over so I can recooperate.

Aside from the finger, the last game always makes me look back at the season. As our overall record indicates, there were ups and downs, but overall the season was a great experience. Athletics and competition teach you alot about yourself, and I definitely learned alot this season. I got to see some people with an incredible work ethic and that really helped to push me all season. I learned how much I still have to learn, and the pursuit of that knowledge and skill is really what basketball is all about.

-Ryan

Riding the Pine by Ryan

2010-02-18T14:37:00.002-05:00

Basketball this year has been a huge adjustment for me. In high school, I started every game from my sophomore year onward, scored over 1100 points, and was our division MVP my senior year. I say that because the first scrimmage at CCC, I practiced for two hours and scored one basket. I was shocked at first, and I thought at first it was due to my shoulder still not being healed totally from surgery. After the second time when I only scored two or three times, I realized just how hard it is to play college sports. Not only is everyone older, but they're bigger, faster, more physical (my hardest adjustment), and tougher. Little things that worked in high school don't work here. There is no weak spot to exploit; everyone can ball.

So for the first time in nearly four years, I had to come to grips with sitting the bench. I can't lie and say it was easy. I was very frustrated for the first few games. It's hard to realize that you can't just blow by everyone anymore. It was a tough transition.

After the first few games however, I began to see how selfish my thinking was. I wasn't ready to start, and deep down I knew it. I was so used to playing every minute that I felt entitled. It was difficult, but I had to realize that I was putting myself before the team, and that never works out.

Now that I knew I needed to work on my game, basketball became enjoyable again. The guys on the CCC team are great, and practices were hard, but memorable. It's always amazing to work hard to win all year, then looking back and realizing that the best times were jokes in the locker room or hanging out on the bus during road trips. The season has been fun, even though I was only here for half of it. For the seniors who are graduating, best of luck wherever you go.

-Ryan

Friends and Familia...by Jenn

2010-02-17T23:47:00.002-05:00

Funny story of the day: my bestest friend ever, Amy, and I found out how to feed ourselves lunch on a shared budget of $1.15. And as if our supplies didn't present enough challenge, her food allergies and my chocolate addiction craving added to it. It took a lot of trips to the bookstore checkout counter but we finally assembled a very satisfying luncheon array...!

I'd have to say the three life lessons learned at college are how to balance your budget, how to balance your school, and how to balance your friend and family time.

I think balancing family time is the hard one for everyone...it is for me! I come from a family of 5. Dad, whom I jokingly call Papa to make him feel old, bought me my first ever Valentines Day flowers this week!! It made me so happy cause usually us kids get stuck with the Walmart chocolate and Mom gets flowers and taken out to dinner. I have two younger brothers...although most people assume Jared-- who's turning 16 this year-- is the oldest cause he's at least half a foot to a foot taller than me. However, then they start talking with us and they see how much more mature I am than him and... jk! He's the steady peace maker in the house. Which is good cause my little brother Matthew (9 years old) and I are emotional bombs.

Matthew is probably going to play professional sports one day-- if he can ever figure out which sport is his favorite. One of my favorite things to do on a summer day is to go watch him play baseball in the Little League--simply hilarious!!! The little boys out there are drop dead cute!!! But you have to act like they are tough "men" doing hard work. One time a friend of mine told Matt how adorable he was in his game and he's hardly spoken to her since then!!

So that's the scoop on the Snapp household. Hope everyone is finding time amidst the craziness of life to get some relaxing time with friends and family!

Irish ballads and Vegetarian cuisine by Jenn

2010-02-16T19:17:00.003-05:00

I don't want to spill the beans on our Vocal Ensemble class, but we girls are practicing a three part harmony song called "I'd Wed If I Were Not Too Young" that would be hilarious if it weren't so true! The performance, March 18th, is going to have an Irish theme. In fact, I think we're having some Irish step dancers! But this particular song is my favorite and is pretty comical as I'm sure you can tell by its title. I'd tell you what the ballad is about but...then I'd have to ruin the ending!

In my Vegetarian Adventure class on Friday we made delicious quesadillas! I'm not vegetarian and I don't know if I'll become one yet, but the food is delicious! Last week we had veggie pizzas and the week before was slushies, so let me highly recommend this class!! We're also learning some eye opening statistics about the cost of meat both on finances and the environment. I don't think I'll be able to give up my cheeseburger but it's important to at least know what you're putting in your mouth (even if you take my lead and still choose to ignore it!!)

Senior Night by Ryan

2010-02-16T14:24:00.006-05:00

The game against TC3 on Saturday didn't go exactly as planned. They were ranked 5th in the country, but we hung with them for a long time before they wore us out eventually. Their point guard is very,very fast and a great passer and their center is listed at 6'8". Both are both contenders for All-American honors, and they turned out to be too much too handle. We played well though and made it a good game.

Tonight though, is the big night. It's the Red Baron's last home game of the year, and that means it's time for Senior Night. I would encourage everyone to come out for the game tonight. We will be honoring all the seniors on both the men's and women's teams. The games are against Broome CC, another school that is near the top of our region. The games should be intense and well played, so come on out and support CCC athletics.

The seniors being recognized tonight on the men's team are Marqus Stewart, Allen Green, Eric Garvey, Tyler Westervelt, and Derek Lewis. For the women, Amber White, Kim Schoffner, and Ashley Grover will be graduating. If you are able, please join us in making their last home game at CCC victorious and memorable!

-Ryan

Speaking Up by Ryan

2010-02-12T15:24:00.003-05:00

This is really my first post since the beginning that hasn't been about sports. I actually hope to do a fair amount of these in the future. I love sports, but it is nice to take a short break (very short in my case) once in a while.

Yesterday the area, and much of the east coast, had an insane amount of snow and bad weather. Corning was hit hard, but the school remained open and classes were in full swing. Many students, however, were snowed in and unable to come to class. Out of my four classes yesterday, three had less than half of the students there. The classes themselves were fine, and most professors used the time to review past material with those who were present. I fear that most of the absent students assumed the professors knew they were staying home due to the weather. I know from past experience that this can lead to alot of confusion and possibly lowered grades.

When I was at a four year school last year, my dorm was the "jock dorm," and because of that it was located right next to the gym, at the very top of a large hill on campus. Only one road leads down from the hill, and we were hit with a large snowstorm one week that completely covered the road so bad that no cars or people could get through it from either direction. The rest of the school was more accesible, so classes continued, but many of my dorm's residents were snowed in from classes for a couple of days. Thinking that my professors would know I was among the snowed in people, I stayed in my room but didn't contact anyone. When I resumed classes two days later, I found one or two absences in every class because the professors were unaware of the dorm situation.

So my advice to those people who were snowed in (or sick) is this: don't assume anything. While professors know of weather conditions, there is no way they can be sure of the exact reason you're gone if you have to miss a class. If you talk to professors, most of them will be willing to work with you, and at the very least they will appreciate you taking the effort to send them an e-mail. It's a win-win situation for everyone.

-Ryan

Game Preparation by Ryan

2010-02-11T12:17:00.004-05:00

Due to the huge snowfall we had yesterday, the game against Onondaga was cancelled and moved to today. Thankfully, the game is only an hour away so we should get back in plenty of time to get sleep for classes tomorrow. Going to a game and being alert for classes the next day is a bigger challenge than people would think.

Getting prepared to play a game on a school day can be a challenge. As an athlete, physically you are always prepared to play. Being prepared to play mentally though can be very difficult. All day, your mind is on your classes and any other jobs you may have or homework to be done. I try to find small amounts of time throughout the "school" part of the day to think about that game and get ready to play that night. Once I get on the bus, however, school fades totally and it's game time.

I believe that sports are played mentally just as much as they are played physically. So my preparation for games includes time getting mentally ready. I have a book called Mind Gym by Gary Mack, a sports psychologist. It talks about the mental aspect of sports and how to improve yourself mentally so you can be free to play your best. It's an awesome book; I've probably read it ten times. I'm a big fan in the power of belief. If you think you can do it, you have a lot better chance of getting it done.

I can't wait for the game tonight. TC3 is a great team. This will show us how we stack up against the best. It's gonna be awesome.

-Ryan

Basketball vs. OCC by Ryan

2010-02-09T20:04:00.007-05:00

On Saturday, the CCC basketball teams played Onondaga Community College. Because I was working for the first semester, I just joined the team a little over a month ago, so I still get really nervous before games. For me, it's also a weird feeling to play games on Saturdays. I think it's because throughout high school almost all games are played on weekdays after school. So waking up in the morning and having nothing but a basketball game is exciting, but strange.

Unfortunately, the womens' basketball team has a limited number of players and therefore have been struggling. They are doing everything they can but it's hard to prepare when you cannot run drills 5 on 5. Onondaga has one of the best womens' teams in the country, so they won fairly easily, but our women tried hard the entire game.

In the men's game we were trailing by 15 points at halftime. Coming out of the locker room, we began to shoot much better and made quite a few threes in the second half. They seemed to have an answer for every basket we made and in the end they pulled out the victory. Our guys played very hard and I was proud of our effort. Tomorrow, we travel to face TC3, one of the top ranked teams on the east coast. It should be fun. If we play as well as we are capable, we could beat them. I will be posting the result in the next blog. Thanks again for reading, and have a great day.

-Ryan

Intense Intramurals by Ryan

2010-02-09T14:01:00.005-05:00

The second semester is here, and that means only one thing: Intramurals (with classes coming in a close second.....lol). Honestly, the intramurals are one of my favorite things about CCC. Right now, they are on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:15 to about 1:45.
During the first semester, we spent around a month each on basketball, indoor soccer, and volleyball in that order. This semester, I believe we are going in reverse. Volleyball started last week, and we will be ending with basketball. This is my first year here so I haven’t participated in spring intramural basketball before, but I have been told that it’s awesome. Before, they’ve had three point and foul shooting contests, a 3-on-3 tournament, and other fun games. I can’t wait for that to start up after the basketball season is over.
Aside from basketball, volleyball is definitely my favorite. There is no league play, so each week new teams are made up. It makes it fun because friends can always be on the same team and good players (the women's’ volleyball team) can form a squad for the other teams to gun for. Some of the most fun times are when the womens’ team gets together to make a really, really good team and every other team is scrambling to keep up. I would definitely encourage everyone to come over and try it out. It’s a ton of fun, and a great way to spend the afternoon if you don’t have a class.

-Ryan

Family

2010-02-05T18:35:00.005-05:00

Like most students, my family has played a large role in my college existence. Whether it’s hard things like figuring out classes and major requirements, or the simpler things like waking me up when I sleep past my alarm (every day), they are always there for support. I am very lucky that my dad is an accountant and my mom majored in math. The mere mention of filling out a financial form scares me, but my parents are always able to help and made the transition from my previous school to CCC painless.

I have two sisters and two brothers. Even though I’m the oldest child, I’m not the only member of my family with ties to CCC. My sister Kristen is also a student here and plays on the women’s basketball team (go Lady Barons!). At first it was weird to go to college with your sister, but we get along really well and I’m really enjoying it. I’m trying to keep this a secret from her, but I inherited the big brother protective streak, so I secretly enjoy it. My best friend John, who my family mentally adopted as my brother years ago, attends the school as well. My mother is one of the smartest people I’ve ever known and just this year became an adjunct math professor at CCC. She has two classes this semester; one on the Elmira campus, and one up here on the hill. Both my mother and father are huge supporters of the CCC basketballs teams and are unbelievably dedicated, with at least one of them attending almost every home and away game this year no matter how far.

I hope that’s enough background about myself. Thanks for reading, and I hope you will stay with me as I begin to explore the life of a student at CCC.

-Ryan

The Kickoff

2010-02-02T14:14:00.005-05:00

Hello everyone! My name is Ryan Andryshak and I am very excited to be a part of the new CCC blogging team. This is my first experience blogging, and although I am slightly nervous, I’m greatly looking forward to this.

So now, where to begin? I will show life at CCC from my perspective as a student. I will be providing reminders about big events coming up on campus and sharing my college experiences both in and out of class. I am also a member of the Red Barons basketball team, so I intend to provide a look into various aspects of athletics and intramurals on campus.

Since this is my first blog post, I should provide some background about myself. As I said, my name is Ryan Andryshak and I am in my freshman year at CCC. I was homeschooled throughout high school and attended a different college last year before coming back home due to a shoulder injury. I actually enjoy being in school and I’m happy to be back at it after Christmas break.

I am a big history fan and plan on remaining in a school setting as a history professor. I also love music (been playing drums for 5 years) and I have a growing interest in computers (really anything electronic). But most of all, I have a love for sports that turned into an obsession at an early age. I am still looking for a sport I don’t enjoy, but by now I doubt if I’ll find one. I’m still not sure if the term “gym rat” is a compliment or an insult, but either way I guess I’m stuck with it. My body didn’t really leave me a choice. In my biology lab the other day I found out that most people’s arms are 40% as long as their entire body; mine are 47%. My shoes are size 14, which really messed up an experiment comparing foot size with body height. Maybe that’s why I play basketball; I never had a choice to begin with.

I am enjoying this tremendously, and this is just the beginning! Be on the lookout for my future blogs as well as the ones written by Jenn, our other blogger. We hope you’ll continue reading as we continue to take a look into life at CCC.

-Ryan