Last week our class attempted to decided on a social change project, key word there being attempted, for nothing really got done. At the beginning of class, we decided on a simple process which would be fair for everyone. Everyone was fine with this process, until their idea wasn't picked. Once people were upset, tension arose, and the majority of the class broke out into a huge debate. This debate was one that was not needed. Prior to class, we did a few readings in which people could have picked up some methods from. These readings helped portray examples of people who have different opinions, and how they were able to come to fair conclusions. They emphasized the fact that people have their own opinion which needs to be known by everyone in order for their to be a general understanding among the group. Although some people would rather conform than start a huge debate, others feel the need to further voice their opinions. With cases like this, there needs to be someone who can mediate the situation in a calm and orderly fashion so that things don't get blown out of proportion. By voice opinions and other ideas, the entire group can better understand where someone is coming from. By being open to others' ideas, one may find themselves changing their original thought after seeing things from a different perspective. This is why it is important for everyone to share their ideas before making a final decision. The readings teach us that is possible for people to come together and settle on final decisions in a civil manor. 

In class last Wednesday we, the class attempted to work as a group to decide on what social change project we were going to pursue as a class. We were unsucessful in coming to a conclusion on one project. It is hard to please everyone and that was half the battle. We thought we came up with a process that would please everyone but when we narrowed it down you could tell there was a lot of tension amongst the class. Interestingly enough, the readings we had prepared for, for that class can contribute some advice to our class. With the reading "My Secret Life as Black Man", is related to our class discussion because it shows that everyone has their own opinion and we need to respect that. It talks about how this guy took on 2 forms; conforming to society and then being true to his kind. However, many people sometimes don't express their opnion because of the influence that other people have on them. The second reading "Go North, Young Man" teaches us to be open minded to peoples opinions. In our class discussion there was a lot of people saying their ideas and being completely shot down right away. Who knows after listening to their explanation, their idea may be a better fit for the situation than your own idea so it is always good us to listen to the people entirely who do have something to say. All in all I feel like the overall theme of these different readings is to be true to your kind and if you have something on your mind let yourself be heard and for everyone else we need to listen and be open minded. Coming in with totally new ideas might be the way to go, but I feel as if there will still be like group against group.

Our process of choosing a final class project was a step in the right direction, but still not an effective way to choose a project. The reading My Secret Life as a Black Man talks about a man who refers to himself as living two different lives. One life where he conforms to the way society perceives African Americans and the other life, which he does as he pleases even though it may not be accepted by society. In class, everyone had the opportunity to share thoughts and ideas yet some people chose not to voice their opinions. People in class may want to conform and therefore don't speak in opposition to avoid confrontation. Some people disregard other people's views and fought for the project they wanted. In order to effectively choose a project, I think people need to express their opinions, but also be open to others ideas. As a whole, our readings all had to do with coforming to society, and I think that it relates to our class discussion, because it seems that many people's ideas/ concerns were disregarded because we were either closed minded or focused on just conforming so we could pick a project and get the debate over with.

The process that went on during class with choosing an idea to use for our final project was not very productive. At the end of class we did not get anything accomplished of what project we were going to do because everyone had their own opinion. We can use ideas from the readings to help us make group decisions. In the reading “My secret life as a Black Man” can teach as that everyone is different and everyone has their opinion so it is important to listen to what others have to say. Everyone has to be true to themselves and know what they believe in but we also have to take in to account what others believe in and try to listen and understand where they are coming from when they give ideas. Listening and understanding others will help the process of communicating with the whole class in making decisions. In the reading “Go North, Young Man”, it also teaches us to look at the other side of people’s ideas and what they have to say might make more sense then what you may think. To make this democratic process more practical it would help if people listened to what everyone has to say and not debating what they have to say right away. I think that there should be a mediator to make sure that these discussions do not go out of control.

I think that readings 18, 20, 49, and 50, all have something in common. i think that each of the readings in its own way deals with the issue of stereotyping, and how we perceive ourselves and each other. the readings address how unique groups face the stereotypes facing them head on and try to change peoples perceptions of them.

As far as the class project goes, although it may seem difficult, i think the best idea would be for the class to decide upon an issue that we all agree upon, and that we are all excited about. i think if we choose something we would all enjoy and something that we care about, the project would be really successful

The class activity that we did in class last week was very interesting. Prior to the activity I assumed that all people living on welfare were simply lazy or addicted to drugs or alcohol and that somehow it was the person who was living in poverty's fault for their misfortune. However, the activity allowed me to see that there can be many reasons as to why someone is living in poverty, and that it is incredibly difficult to escape the cycle. Although the activity only allowed us a glimpse into the life of a person living in poverty, i found it to be enlightening. i can now understand the physical, emotional, and mental toll that living in poverty has had on people.

yesss library couchesss see ya tomorrow

Hey Girls. We're meeting wednesday at 12:30, right?

so the experiment that we did in class was very interesting. I think it really opened up alot of peoples eyes in what it is like to be poor. It was very frustrating to figure out what to do, if we should sell certain things back, etc. The worst part was welfare. Even though you may think you qualify for it you may not get it. And the amount of paperwork you have to do in order to even be considered is very time consuming. It is like a big chain of events that you need money for food or you can't eat...if you don't get welfare then it is very important to find a job but it costs you money to find a job such as a car, and the agency. There is a lot involved in this process that I never really realized before.

Hey Girls!

I think the presentation is going to go really well today!

hey girls i can't meet tonight i have a test in every one of my classes tomorrow. is it at all posssible to meet at 1030 am tomorrow until about 11? I'm sure if we come prepared we can whip up something quick. please let me know asap...i am home so i can study and i need to know when i should be back by..thankssss

sure tonight at 8 is fine for me

Hey girls. Do you want to meet tonight in the library at 8?

hey,
im free all tonight and tomorrow till class at 340 so anytime is good for me

hi girls,
I'm home for the weekend but i'll be back around 1 tomorrow so anytime after that on Sunday is fine, and Monday I have work from 12-2 and then class from 2:30-3:30, so Sundays probably a better day for me, what's everyone else's schedule like?

Hey girls, I was just wondering when everyone is free so that we can meet to plan out our proposal for monday's class. I will be gone friday night and all day saturday on a trip, but i should be back by 7 saturday. Im sure no one is really going to want to meet saturday night anyways, but mabe we can set up a time for sunday or before class monday to work on it. Let me know your schedules.

I like the idea of the book drive and then maybe with the money that you get from that giving it to people who need it around here instead of other countires.

http://www.betterworldbooks.com/

Our Project Proposal

I really can't think of anything else we could do as our final project. Although i think our current idea could be a lot of work, with a group our size hopefully we can split up the work load and keep our current idea? This was the only thing I could really think of..let me know

hey girls..has anyone thought of a new idea at all?

Why is this an oh my god process?!

Why is this an oh my god process? What is this so hard to do?
Think critically…
This is so hard to accomplish because individual students have different beliefs and opinions as to what aspect of classroom learning should be most heavily weighted in their final grade (collective set of road blocks). Our experiences in higher education are also making this process difficult..ever since we were in school we were told how our grades were going to be calculated by our teachers/professors..and now we finally have an opportunity to choose for ourselves. Students in this classroom are in different grades/classes and have a different level of academic achievement. For many..participation is their strongest..and for others exams are their strongest..this is also what makes this process very challenging.
The democratic process is not easy!!

Evaluation Process

This evaluation process is obviously very complex. I think this process has taken time from several classes because everyone has their own opinions regarding how we should be evaluated. All of the students in this class have been evaluated in numerous ways, and we are each used to being graded in a certain way. In addition, all students have their own strengths and weakenesses. For example, some students may do well on tests, but they do not write papers well and vice versa. I also think that each group went into the class discussion on evaluation with the idea that their breakdown of evaluation was the best and it can be difficult to compromise with such a large group of people.

This is such a hard process because everyone has different strengths and weaknesses. I think a lot of people are trying to evaluate based on their strengths and not necessarily what is most important in the class. This class is based a lot of talking and participating. That makes our class better, so the more it is worth would help to make people put more effort there. Some people seem to be really stuck with the ideas of their past professors. They know that tests are commonly the bulk of the grade and don't want to change that. But participation evaluates a student just as much as an exam does.

I haven't participated much in the past few discussions about evaluating. Some of the students seem to be really stubborn and would rather not even give the other groups a chance to explain their ideas. How is that fair? I think a lot of people were afraid of their thoughts getting shot down right away. One girl said an idea and right away someone answered "No."

The whole process is confusing because everyone has a different opinion on what each category means. Each person has different strengths and weaknesses, so everyone wants their strength to be a high percent. No one has ever had to make up how they are going to be graded. When asked to make up how you are going to be graded it is hard for everyone to agree on something. It is also hard to make up a percent to be graded on when we are not sure how each exam or the final project is going to be. We are unsure of the lay out of how each category is going to be set up . I have no participated because I have been listening, if too many people talk it gets to confusing. When everyone has came to a decision I have agreed with everyone had to say. I had no disagreements with what has been said so far.

omgggg stressful.....with everyone who just keeps talking theres a million ideas being thrown out and we dont have time to think about one...having someone step up and kind of guide the discussion was not successful....we need someone to take control of the situation and say one person speaks at a time...we have all spoken in our groups and have come to a conclusion on what we think as a group should be the evaluation methods therefore, I think that someone should stand up lead the discussion have one person from each group be the contact and we go around to each table on the different evaluation sections and you say if you agree disagree or what you think. I have not actively participated in this discussion because I am too busy trying to listen to everyone else and trying to come up with a compromise. We as a class are not participating as a team as we need to be doing even when the rule book has been thrown out. Also, people tend to not participate as have I sometimes because they are scared of having people making remarks or facial expressions about what they had to say.

Evaluation Process

This evaluation process is difficult because each group and each individual person has a different point of view on the way things should be unfolded. Each person knows where they are going to put in the most effort are trying to getting the most points in that area. Not everyone is exactly the same, and because of that, everyone is disagreeing on the evaluations. In order for the evaulations to be done in a fair mannor, everyone's personal ideas need to be heard. For those who are sitting back listening, they need to speak up and voice themselves in a controlled, orderly fashsion. People shouldn't shout out their final views until they have heard everyone's input. By hearing each individual's ideas, people are able to hear what they agree or disagree with and then form a final opinion. From there, people can vote on what seems the best way to evaluate the class.

“Sociology is not just a matter of opinion”

Sociology is not just what someone thinks and agrees on. Sociology is using certain methods to understand certain concepts and ideas. Agreeing on the concepts and knowing and understanding what they mean is a huge part of sociology.

The quote means exactly what it says, "Sociology is not just a matter of opinion". As we learned in class on Monday there are different methodologies for sociology such as quantitive or qualitative methods. Sociology is partly a matter of opinion but it is also partly research.

"Sociology is not just a matter of opinion."  This mean that sociology has a lot of different levels.  It includes surverys and experiements.  It is more than just someones opinion.  

The quote, "Sociology is not just a matter of opinion," in my point of view, simply means that one cannot rely on his or her own opinion, now just the opinion or another. I think the purpose of this quote was to put to use our research on the methodologies of sociology. Somethings I found on methodologies include scientific methods, the characterization of the subject(s), a hypothesis development, prediction, experiment, evaluation, correlation and causation, quantitative and qualitative, objective vs. critical, and ethics. Sociology is much more than the point of view one might have on a given subject.

Methodology- the analysis of the principles or procedures of inquiry in a particular fieldSocial Methodology-refers to the methods adopted in order to gain knowledge or information about the social world. Social Sciences use a variety of methodology approaches in studies such as qualitative, and quantitative approaches. Quantitative approaches deal with the aspect in which something is measurable in terms of greater, less, or equal or of increasing or decreasing magnitude. Qualitative researchers aim to gather an in-depth understanding of human behavior and the reasons that govern such behavior.Qualitative methods for example would include methods such as case studies, while quantitative methods include hypothesis testing and observational studies.
(02/12/2009). Qualitative Research. Retrieved February 15, 2009, from Wikipedia Web site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qualitative_research

I agree with the peer evaluations mid semester and at the end of the semester. This would not only be easier for the groups, but it would also encourage people t0 participate more in their groups knowing their peers are grading them.

I think for the peer evaluations there should be a mid semester one and at the end of the semester.  One a week would be a lot.  I think we worked everything else out really well.

Methodology- the analysis of the principles or procedures of inquiry in a particular field
Social Methodology-refers to the methods adopted in order to gain knowledge or information about the social world. Social Sciences use a variety of methodology approaches in studies such as qualitative, and quantitative approaches. Quantitative approaches deal with the aspect in which something is measurable in terms of greater, less, or equal or of increasing or decreasing magnitude. Qualitative researchers aim to gather an in-depth understanding of human behavior and the reasons that govern such behavior.Qualitative methods for example would include methods such as case studies, while quantitative methods include hypothesis testing and observational studies.

(02/12/2009). Qualitative Research. Retrieved February 15, 2009, from Wikipedia Web site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qualitative_research

I like the idea of a mid semeter, and final peer evaluation of the participation. I think each week would be to much and might get to hectic with adding that all up in the end.

so i think we have a good plan in the way we are evaluated...especially for participation we all agreed on doing peer evaluations. whats everyones opinion on doing it weekly or just a mid semester and a final semester evaluation?

Focusing on people doing better and getting rewards give kids more of a motivation to do well. I think by getting good grades and helping out with your tuition is a great idea. Who would we have to talk to, in order to make this happen?

Social Change Project

I think that the idea of increasing the amount of financial aid people receive if they have good grades is a really good idea. I think that rather than focuz on the negative, it's better to reward people's hard work. I also think that it would be very beneficial for people to be able to sell books to eachother. the student senate website had a lot of links to popular websites so mabe we could get a book exchange website linked to the studen senate homepage so that everyone can easily access it.

Shifts In Community

My parents often speak about how all kids in their neighborhoods would comet together and play games. In the winters they would all come together and shovel off ponds so they could play hockey. If you ever ran out of eggs or flour you could go next door and take one from the neighbors. I thought I grew up in a close knit neighborhood because I'm aquainted with most houses on the street, however the relationship I have isn't even close to the relationship my parents had with their neighbors. Now it seems like people stay in their house or keep to themselves. I think thechnology is largely at fault for keeping people confined in their house. Instead of kids playing outside, they are glued to vidoe games or online chatting. I think that technology has caused people's activity level to decrease so instead of running around outside people tend to sit inside. As a whole, I think people are obsessed with checking their e-mail or talkin on the phone instead of socially interacting with others. I think this is what largely contributes to people looking to better themselves instead of betting the community surrounding them. There is the constant competition for who can have the newest computer, or who has the best surround sound, these material things don't contribute to bettering the community.

social change project

sooo girls....in class i mentioned a couple ideas about increasing scholarships or even giving stipends for say books or something for students who progressively are doing well at Siena. Many people come in with a scholarship and they can easily take it away if we do bad but what about them giving an incentive for students to continually do better? Not only will this make the school look better because the students may work harder but also it may help out the students in the end with getting jobs and getting into grad school easier. Another thing I mentioned was setting up some type of system to buy and sell books between students. This could be done through some type of website (like a craigslist setup). Alot of books I knwo especially for a business major you have to buy them new unless you search otherwise on the internet. Why not help out your fellow classmates by paying maybe 10-15 dollars less than what they bought it for. This way the student selling the book gets more money back than they would in a book store buy back and the student buying it gets it for cheaper than paying full price for a new one and in some instances a used one. I think this would also help to create a sense of community between students. tell me whatcha think!

Cultural Shifts

I think in the past decade we have seen major cultural shifts in our society. One is that everyone seems to have heavy reliance on technology. With the increased technological advances it is like we don't need to remember or do anything anymore because everything is done for us via these technological advances. For example, I bet if we asked everyone in our class to write out five of their friends phone numbers they couldn't do it. Whereas before we had cell phones we memorized phone numbers like it was our job. Now that we have cell phones its like there is no need to remember these numbers but if you ever lose your cell phone you feel lost. Another thing is I feel like with the competitivness in the job market especially in todays economy, everyone feels as if they need to fend for themselves. Because of this, people are putting in tons of hours of work not only because they need or want to be the best that they can be but it ends up becoming a habit. With extended hours of work, by the time these people get home they don't want to do anything or just don't have the time to do anything. Whatever happened to the 40 hour work week? Its like it is non existent if you want to make money.

Social change project:
I think after the discussion in class, the idea about helping Siena students financially would be the most beneficial change to this college. I think this idea of helping more students financially for a variety of reasons is especially imperative in this time due to the economy. In addition, I thought the idea of students having a way to communicate with each other in regards to buying books would be a beneficial change to Siena. Books are so expensive even if bought by means other than through the Siena Bookstore, so I think it would be a smart idea for students to sell their books to each other so that students can purchase books for less than the price they would be paying at the bookstore, and the student selling the book can receive more money from other students than they would receive from selling the book back to the bookstore.

Cultural shifts:
I think with every generation, there will be significant changes that shape society. Our generation, I think is one that is surrounded by technology. As we have seen throughout history, technological advancements most always have both advantages and disadvantages. I think that our generation is made of well educated, intelligent and independent people. In addition, I think people of this generation see the importance of being a “well rounded” person: therefore people partake in a variety of activities. I think people are consumed with a wide range of work and extracurricular activities so their attention is almost always scattered between several different things. People are concerned with doing more things as opposed to being committed to one thing. I think adults focus on their work and daily routine rather than worry about things such as having dinner with neighbors or family friends. I think overall the priorities of people have shifted from concerns about ones community, family, and neighborhood to oneself and immediate family.

cultural shifts

There have been many cultural shifts throughout the years. I believe that technology has to do with most of the change that occurs. People now are in more contact with each other because of the increase in technology. Our generation now has a constant obsession with checking your email, text messages and voicemail to see if anyone got in contact with you. We are very competitive and always trying to be the best. I think that many people are always trying to be better than their friends and neighbors. When I talked to my parents they said that they needed to have more trust in people. They used to not lock their doors, and they would walk or catch rides from random people to go where they needed to be. I do not see the same type of trust anymore, people are more cautious now. People’s values have changed throughout time. This change is not good or bad it is just different and it is interesting to see how values and beliefs change.

Cultural Shiffts

After learning and always hearing about my parents past, I can't help but realise how completely different things were for them as young adults.  Parents had no fears about letting their kids outside to play or walk to school.  There was a sense of community instilled at a young age.  Children played and shared with their neighbors.  Now neighbors are no longer a support system like they use to be.  Values have changed a lot over the years.  Where as values use to be more family orientated and involve other people, now they tend to be selfish.  People are told to go to high school, go to college, get a good job, and be independent.  Were told as a generation to trust no one  but yourself and support yourself. This idea stops us from wanting to help others as much.  No longer does our society feel like we have to work together.  We have so much pressure to be the best when in the past being happy was enough. All these pressures consume the average Americans day.  We no longer have time to worry about anyone but ourselves.  Society has made us believe that we always have to put ourselves first.

Cultural Shifts

Throughout time, there as been an endless amount of cultural shifts. From talking to parents, I've learned a few things about what their culture consisted of. It was clearly different from the culture that surrounds me today. Back when my parents were my age, society seemed to be an overall safer place. They would walk everywhere, and didn't rely so heavily on cars to get them places. Even around my neighborhood, which happens to be right around Siena, places were different. Every time I drive around with my mom, she points out stores and tells me what they used to be before I was born. She'll tell me how she'd walk to these places all the time and they'd be so filled with life. Neighborhoods had better relationships than they do now. Everyone on the street actually talked to each other, unlike now where people can't even name their neighbors. People would do more as a community because there wasn't as much pressure to be involved with the secular world. People were more concerned about other people than themselves. Their values were different than some values of today. I think as the world continues to throw out new ideas and things to do, people feel more compelled to do what seems cool rather than do something that could be better for a community. They're more concerned for themselves rather than others. I think people have been influenced by society to be focused on themselves, which leads them to invest less time with community or group events.

What Brought Me to Siena

When I started looking at colleges Siena wasn't even on my list, I had actually never heard of Siena until they sent me stuff in the mail. My mom thought it looked like a nice school and decided it was worth checking out on our way to Marist. At first I was completely against this idea, I thought that it was a huge waste of time. It turns out that I hated Marist and really liked Siena. With that said I ended up applying and getting into seven schools. It came down to the University of Vermont which is two hours from my house or Siena which is 4.5 hours from my house. UVM was definitely a comfort school because a large number of people from my high school went there, I already knew the campus, my mom went there, and I had been going to burlington for years and new the entire area very well. Siena on the other hand is a smaller school, but in a much larger area than anything I was used to. I was excited yet very intimidated about going to such a new area where I didn't know a single person within a three hour radius of the school. My decision was made when my dad, who didn't go to college sat me down and told me he regretted the fact that he didn't have the support to go to college and that he not only supports me, but he encourages me to get out of Vermont and take advantage of the opportunities Siena offers.

How I ended up at Siena.

From freshman year of high school up until early senior year, I had had my heart set on going to Franciscan University of Steubenville, in Ohio. I was very closed minded to other school to begin with. I don't know what happened, but I suddenly decided that I could be open to the idea of other schools. I applied to a total of seven schools, and got accepted to every one. My top three choices ended up not included my original school choice by any means. Franciscan ended up being too expensive, and gave me too little in financial aid. Also, the 9 hour distance wasn't something I would really look forward too. When it came down to decided, I was torn between Siena and Roberts Wesleyan, in Rochester. Both schools gave me about the same about of money with financial aids and scholarships. I was originally leaning more towards Roberts Wesleyan, however, one of my best friends, who is now a sophomore here at Siena, continuously invited me over here to hang out. The more I was here, the more I fell in love with Siena. I felt so accepted within the community and could truly see myself going here. Although it really close to home, I felt it was the right choice for me. I always wanted to go to a Catholic school, specifically one that has a chapel on campus. So Siena seemed like the perfect choice.

How I Ended Up At Siena

During my junior year of high school I began to look at colleges due to the pressure from my dad; not that I didn't want to go to college but I probably would have held it off a lot longer. Because my brother went to Siena, my dad was pretty set on me coming here but Siena was the last school on my list because my brother had gone here. However, I wanted to go to a school that was semi close to home and because of where my parents decided to live and because Siena is where it is, is partly why I am attending this college. Also, I am a business major and Siena has created a good business program so that was also an influence on my decision to go here. I also grew up in a middle class family where money really isn't an issue so I was pretty lucky to have applied to many schools. However, my number one choice school was NYU and because I did not get in there I chose to go to Siena because as time got closer to graduating I realized that I wanted to be close but not too close from my family because my family has always been very close. So, ultimately this is how I ended up at Siena.

Why I ended up at Siena
Throughout high school, each grade has a meeting in the beginning of each year to discuss what students should be focusing on in that particular year. However, each year there seemed to be a few factors that were mentioned from freshman year until senior year. The mandatory discussion on the dress code and behavior in school was a give in, but also each year we were instructed as to what we should be doing to prepare for college. Junior year I started to really take this information seriously and began to look at potential colleges. I am the oldest child on my dad’s side of the family by a very big age difference. My dad is one of five children, all of which attended college and three of which attended the same school. However, that school did not suit me well at all. So each member of my dad’s side of the family began to give me advice as to where they thought I should go to school, Siena being a school that was commonly mentioned. When I began the college search my only real concerns were that I wanted a school that was big on sports and was not farther than two hours away from home. I am very close with all of my family, especially my two sisters. Soon after I went to visit Siena and I understood why my family thought I would really like this school. My parents loved the school, and one of my younger sisters even came on one tour of Siena because she’s only one year younger than I am and decided to start looking at schools early on. Needless to say, I had more than enough people pushing for me to come to Siena. After visiting Siena, despite the fact that I really liked the school and what it had to offer I pushed it to the back of my mind and decided to go look at some other schools. In the end, I realized that I had been putting off the inevitable, being that I was going to end up at Siena. There was nothing that I could specifically point out about the school that I didn’t like and they offered me some financial aid, more than my other top choice, so in the end the decision was not a difficult one. The school was a good size, the campus was pretty, I was offered some financial assistance and I could be close to my family.

How I Ended Up At Siena

Melanie Iannacone
Junior year of high school I started looking at colleges with my parents. My first idea was to go to community college for two years and then transfer some where in attempts to save some money. But after attending a Catholic high school my parents had bigger aspirations for me. I had no idea what i wanted in a College. Since my brother attends RPI my dad was set on having me close to my brother. Not so that my brother could protect me but more so that rides to and from school would be less of a burden on my parents. UAlbany was too big. And Saint Rose was not an option in my dads eyes. When I first came to Siena, it was freezing, snowing, and I hated it. My dad fell in love, but the problem was, he wasn't going to college I was. As I applied for schools there was a pattern in every school I applied to. They all were small, private, similar schools. Siena was my last choice and my father's first. But when the acceptance letters and financial aid packages came in the mail the choice was clear, I was going to Siena. My dad was ecstatic. And me, well I was content. I didn't make a fuss about what college I really wanted to go to, that seemed all too dramatic for me. So as the summer ended, I found myself at Siena, at a school that I didn't choose but it chose me.

Meagan Higgins. How I ended up at Siena College.

I started to look at colleges during my junior year of high school because that is what I was told to do. Both of my parents went to college and it was expected that I go to school to get a good education. When I visited Siena I fell in love with it for its beauty and how it had everything I wanted. I liked how it was a small campus and it seemed like I would fit in very well. Not many people by me stayed home, so I wanted to go away to. I felt that it would be a good experience to go to school away from home, but not too far away where I felt that it would be difficult to go home if I needed to. My parents and guidance counselors guided me through the process of applying to colleges. They knew that Siena would be a good fit for me, and they knew how much I wanted to go there. I was also very lucky that my parents were able to afford Siena, and provide me with a great education. I am now open to many opportunities that many others do not get the chance to do.

Annie Rotundo: The Story of How I Ended up at Siena.

The story of how I ended up at Siena is a simple one, however there are many external factors in my life that led me to where I am today. After my first brother left for college I knew wanted to go to Siena..After my second brother left for college..I still knew I wanted to go to Siena. Needless to say I am the third child in my family to attend Siena. Applying to schools was a relatively easy process for me. I had Siena at the top of my list, however I wanted to give myself some other options. I had the ability to apply to other schools because as a member of a middle class family I could afford to pay for several application fees. I ultimately ended up with selecting Siena.. Right from the start I had opportunities and faced open doors because of my social class. I suppose one could say that my opportunities range as they do because of the "lottery" of where I was born. I am given the freedom to make certain choices by myself because my parents have given me the chance to attend schools that have provided me with an excellent education. Although the future is unpredictable, I am sure that because of various sociological factors in my life I will be successful.

Hi, Im Caitlin Slaybaugh. Im from Rockland County NY. This is my first year at Siena and I live in Plassmann. I have yet to choose a major. Outside of school I play sports and work as a lifeguard during the summer.Story of Community-Two nights ago when walking across campus I dropped my wristlet which contained my siena i.d, license, keys and money. When I realized I had misplaced it, I retraced my steps and unfortunately did not find it. Within the hour, public safety notified me that my wristlet had been turned in and everything was still in it. My sense of community here at Siena was reaffirmed.Story of Educational Experience-In my last year of High School, my varsity school team was a scholar athlete team. My coach decided to have the senior girls work with younger soccer players to help them improve their soccer skills as well as spend time with them. We only worked with them a few times, but still the girls came to every one of our home games and cheered for us. It seemed they appreciated the time we spent with them, but we definantly could have helped them more. One day, the seniors decided to go to one of the girls games because they always came to watch ours. The girls were so happy to have us there. After the game the girls were so appreciated that we decided the seniors should go to as many games as possible. It was from this that I realized that learning is a two way street. We helped them with their skills, and they helped us realize it was more important to help them then to get caught up in our own world, being that we were seniors in high school who at first were bothered to have to teach younger girls.

Story of education:

My social theory class last fall was an excellent learning experience. The class had about 15 students in it and we were basically responsible for teaching each other. We were responsible for completing the readings and assignments on our own, and were each others teachers. With Dr. Johnsons guidelines on the course material we were allowed to pick the best method of classroom instruction that we felt was fitting for the course. We were divided into two groups and most classes consisted of discussions and debates. This classroom experience really made me think about hwo I learned best. The class was able to breakdown events in history, books by leading sociologists, and actions by people such as Wayne Meisel and apply our conclusions to the larger understanding of sociology.

Annie Rotundo
Hometown: Rye, New York
Senior
Sociology Major
President Sociology Club

Story of Community:
In the final days of the fall semester at Siena College in 2008 a bad snow and ice storm hit the Albany region. As a result the college and surronding towns lost power. Finals exams were cancelled and both students and faculty were faced with many challenges on how to go about completeing the semester. Many people were confused on how to compelete all of their courses and final exams during this incident. The college administration and officials came together as a community and decided to cancel all remaining final exams. In a time of crisis and danger, the Siena community was about to communicate effectively and enforce a plan of action. Communities come together in a time of both crisis and celebration. They are a social support for everybody who is an active member.

My name is Lauren Numrich. I'm from Latham, New York. I'm a freshman living in Plassmann. I'm a religious studies major, and potentially a psych and creative arts minor. I'm a part of the habitats for humanity group at Siena. Outside of school I spend most of my time at music venues going to shows and supporting my favorite bands. In high school I was involved in the art clubs, as well as the Christian club. I also tutored Chemistry. My mom is a nurse and my dad is a pharmacist.

Community story:

I'm very involved with the youth group at my church. Over the summer, the Diocese had planned on shutting down the youth program at my church. They had gotten together for meetings before to plan everything without even consulting the teens in the program. When my youth group found out about this, we all got together and planned out a way to change their decision. We went to one of the final meetings the diocese had planned and spoke up. We told them how the youth program truly created and brought together a strong community that built each other up. We worked together to share stories about the experiences we've shared as a group, and how we have all grown together. We showed them the power influence the youth group had on kids, and how it shouldn't be shut down. And now today, the youth group is still running strong with no plans on being shut down.

Education Story: During my spring break in April 2005, I went to Juarez, Mexico with my church for a mission trip. While I was there, I built a home for a family who practically had nothing. The family I helped consisted of 2 adults and 2 kids living in what one could practically call a shack, smaller than the size of a one car garage. Over that week, I learned more things that I ever had in any other experience of my life. I learned how to build a house. I learned how to work through difficult working conditions. I learned that you don't need to speak the same language as someone to be able to communicate and connect on a deeper lever. Most importantly, I learned how to be truly thankful for what God has given me in my life and to see how blessed I truly am. My eyes were opened to a whole new way of viewing my life.

I'm Melanie Iannacone and I'm from New Jersey.  I'm a freshman who lives in Hines hall.  My major is pyschology.  At Siena I am in the Bonner Leader program, but besides that I spend most of my time with the girls in my hallway.  My dad owns a pizzaria, and my mom works at the front desk at a hospital and she also does the payroll for my uncle's pizzaria.  She recently decided to go back to school and become a nurse. In high school I played softball, was a girlscout, and participated in clubs.

Community Story:
     As a child I was an active girlscout.  Many of my first encounters with my community sprung from this group.  One time in seventh grade, my girlscout troup and I spent the day baking and then took the goods to a local nursing home.  The residents were so excited and grateful to just spend the day with us.  We spent our time, playing games, telling jokes, and sharing stories.  I was taught how easy it was to be an active member of the community.  It was fun, but also taught me a lot.  As a community we worked together.  By lending our hands we were taught life lessons and given incredible advice.

Education Story:

     When I was a senior in high school I had every intention of picking a relaxed schedule and taking it easy.  So I signed up for Mass Communications since I had heard that they watched movies and television shows.  The class was anything but easy.  The teacher laughed with us and at us, but was stern about us learning something.  Through movies we learned about history, art, pyschology, relationships...etc.  This one class taught me more than I had learned all through high school.  I know now that there are all different approaches to learning and teaching.

My name is Meagan Higgins. I am from Long Island. This is my second year at Siena College and I live in Hennepin Hall. I decided last semester that my major is going to be social work. Outside of school I run in my free time, however I am not on a team. For the past two years I have worked in an accounting office. In highschool I used to run cross country and track. I was also in some clubs. My mom is a pre-school teacher and my dad works for the Mayor of New York City preparing his budget meetings. My mom is in a book club and my dad runs with a group of people every day.

Story of Community- I am very close with the people that live on my block at home. When my very close neighbor was diagnosed with cancer he had to quit his job and focus on getting better. My family and I decided to help their family out and raise money to help them with bills, we also helped them out with cooking meals and bringing them over to the family so they did not have to worry about what they were going to eat when coming home from treatments.

Story of Education- My English teacher would make us sit in a circle and discuss what we had read the night before. This helped me learn so much because it was very little pressure and it was interesting hearing what other people had to say. Every person had a different way of looking at the same story as me. It allowed me to see a different way of looking at things. It expanded my way of thinking.

Amanda M's Info Sheet

Name: Amanda Myers
Hometown: Ballston Lake, NY
Fathers Occupation: Vice President of AMEC Kamtech
Class Year: Senior
Residence: Maclosky Commons
Major: Marketing & Management (Management Concentration)
Activities: Delta Sigma Pi & Hyatt Place intern
Highschool Activities: Sports, Cheerleading, different clubs, National Honor Society
Parents Interests: Golf, Fishing, Boating


Story of Community:

Over a year and a half ago two kids from my highschool died in a car crash. They were ages 19 & 20 - to young to lose their lives. Starting at the scene of the accident our community came together to help and support the family and friends of the victims. It started with the police, fire department and rescue squad who rushed to the scene to try to help these victims. Also, many family & friends along with random people from the community went to the wake and funeral to show that even though they may not have known them personally the community as a whole was grieving.

Education Story:

I went abroad my Junior Year Spring Semester and had an amazing internship opportunity. However, I was too homesick and returned home. Even though I thought I had written down all the pros and cons, I was not thinking clearly. From this situation, I learned that no matter how upset or homesick I am I need to take a step back and review the situation a couple of times before jumping on that flight home. Even though my decision would probably have been the same I feel this was a huge learning experience for me even though I was there for two weeks.

My name is Meghan Pare, I am a sophomore from Newport, Vermont a small town on the Canadien border.

My mom is a 5th grade teacher and my dad is a heavy equipment operator.

I live in Hennipen.

I am a psychology major, biology minor.

I ski almost every weekend. I am a member of Siena's outing club.

In high school I was a four year varsity soccer player. I also played basketball, track and field, and I was a member of the alpine ski team.

My father plays soccer and hockey. My mother runs an after school math club, and is a member of the church council.
My story of community: I live in a small town in Vermont, where everybody knows everybody and there is a strong sense of community. My family is relatively active in the community, and when my cousin died at a young age the entire community literally shut down and came together. During the funeral the fire department was lined up outside the church to show their respect, the police department escorted the funeral procession to the cemetary, and all the schools got dismissed for half of the day so they could attend the funeral. Businesses donated food and people showed up on our doorstep expressing their remorse and giving us even more food and flowers. It was a nice to see how the entire community came together to help in any way possible during the death of my cousin.
My story of education: My junior year I decided to pursue the opportunity to go on a trip to Italy for 14 days. I went on the trip not knowing a single person ahead of time and convinced that I wasn't going to enjoy myself. I ended up meeting new people and absolutely loving the trip. I discovered how independent I really was. The trip proved that I was ready to go to college away from home and still be able to have a successful academic career without being homesick the entire time.

checking

Mon Jan 26,2009

Hi Girls, I just created this blog and checking to see if it worked!
-Annie R.