Just a quick update for everyone:
Life is good right now :-)
I have 2 text responses and one more final (all of it due tomorrow morning) standing between myself and Senior year!
Today I was offered a job as research assistant by my professor as I handed in my final exam and I will also be traveling to school once a week for about 5 weeks to make a presentation at Orientation to the incoming First Year students about the Student Association (which I'm on the executive board of).
I'm excited for the opportunities this summer is presenting me with and more of an update will be coming soon!
I officially move back home this Sunday, the 22nd, after graduation. I'm going to try timing it so that I get to Uncle Van's service right from school.
Miss and Love you all <3
Monday, May 16, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
"Have you heard about the Teach-In?"
This the question that I've been asking everyone I have seen for the past few days.
This year alone, the University at New Paltz has suffered from a $3.2 million budget deficit, and it's only going to get worse. Two years ago the Nursing program was cut from our curriculum, and now our administrators are looking to cut another program to close this gap. With the new proposed budget from our state legislature, the SUNY system will face even more budget cuts next year. After having cut countless staff and faculty, the only place left to cut (according to our wonderful administration) is our academics.
At first, our Student Association executive board was fighting the administrators, but we realized that these people were stuck between a rock and a hard place; They are dealing with the cards they have been dealt by our government. Re-aiming our anger and frustration, we are now focusing our efforts on trying to get through to our legislature in Albany.
Our first step? We held an informational meeting for students that preceded the administrations forum. The first was specific to how our University is dealing with the cuts... There is, of course, a serious lack of transparency between the administration and our student body, and while we are not happy about that, we have decided to focus on the larger issue. Therefore, our forum for students focused not only on New Paltz, but on the much larger scale of things as well.
Cuts to higher education are not just happening in the SUNY system, but all over the world. Students have been protesting in Wisconsin, California, Mexico, Spain, and London. We thought it was time for us to join the fight.
On March 8th, the students of SUNY New Paltz will walk out of their classes at 12:30 pm, leaving with a statement verbalizing our frustration and intolerance for any further cuts to higher education. For those not in classes at that time, don't worry! They'll still have their chance to be seen and heard in this protest! At 1pm that day we will all congregate in the Student Union building in which there will be a series of workshops to educate students about the budget, the cuts, and how to effectively and appropriately lobby our legislatures.
Why the lobbying part? you may ask. On Tuesday, March 14th, representatives from all SUNY and CUNY school systems will be traveling to Albany to speak with our district officials. This day is called SUNY Palooza and happens every year.
The fourth component to our Teach-in workshops will be a collaborative effort in community organizing and outreach, because these cuts to education are not just specifically geared towards higher education. Education on every level is receiving less and less funding each year. I am aware that schools near my home are finding it necessary to close one or more schools due to recent cuts, and the same thing is happening here in New Paltz. In a community where I feel I have made a very strong connection, our executive board hopes to help out our public school system just as much as our own University, because we all care about our community and New Paltz as a whole.
After the four sessions, there will be some entertainment, (maybe food!), and sign making (for a rally we are planning for later in the semester), alongside a petition signing station and an area with phones for people to call our legislatures and bombard them with phone calls.
Our overall goal is that we want the government to know that we are watching them, and we're not happing with what we're seeing. These cuts to education have been going on long enough and they need to stop now. They are undermining a basic principle that our country has run on for a long time: Public Education for all. If these cuts continue, the SUNY school system will be forced to become privatized, which completely disregards the whole idea of SUNY.
Our generation refuses to see the disappearance of our SUNY system, along with the schools that our future children will be attending from K-12 and on.
It's time that education takes the front seat, instead of being shoved in to the trunk of our government's brand new Hummer.
This year alone, the University at New Paltz has suffered from a $3.2 million budget deficit, and it's only going to get worse. Two years ago the Nursing program was cut from our curriculum, and now our administrators are looking to cut another program to close this gap. With the new proposed budget from our state legislature, the SUNY system will face even more budget cuts next year. After having cut countless staff and faculty, the only place left to cut (according to our wonderful administration) is our academics.
At first, our Student Association executive board was fighting the administrators, but we realized that these people were stuck between a rock and a hard place; They are dealing with the cards they have been dealt by our government. Re-aiming our anger and frustration, we are now focusing our efforts on trying to get through to our legislature in Albany.
Our first step? We held an informational meeting for students that preceded the administrations forum. The first was specific to how our University is dealing with the cuts... There is, of course, a serious lack of transparency between the administration and our student body, and while we are not happy about that, we have decided to focus on the larger issue. Therefore, our forum for students focused not only on New Paltz, but on the much larger scale of things as well.
Cuts to higher education are not just happening in the SUNY system, but all over the world. Students have been protesting in Wisconsin, California, Mexico, Spain, and London. We thought it was time for us to join the fight.
On March 8th, the students of SUNY New Paltz will walk out of their classes at 12:30 pm, leaving with a statement verbalizing our frustration and intolerance for any further cuts to higher education. For those not in classes at that time, don't worry! They'll still have their chance to be seen and heard in this protest! At 1pm that day we will all congregate in the Student Union building in which there will be a series of workshops to educate students about the budget, the cuts, and how to effectively and appropriately lobby our legislatures.
Why the lobbying part? you may ask. On Tuesday, March 14th, representatives from all SUNY and CUNY school systems will be traveling to Albany to speak with our district officials. This day is called SUNY Palooza and happens every year.
The fourth component to our Teach-in workshops will be a collaborative effort in community organizing and outreach, because these cuts to education are not just specifically geared towards higher education. Education on every level is receiving less and less funding each year. I am aware that schools near my home are finding it necessary to close one or more schools due to recent cuts, and the same thing is happening here in New Paltz. In a community where I feel I have made a very strong connection, our executive board hopes to help out our public school system just as much as our own University, because we all care about our community and New Paltz as a whole.
After the four sessions, there will be some entertainment, (maybe food!), and sign making (for a rally we are planning for later in the semester), alongside a petition signing station and an area with phones for people to call our legislatures and bombard them with phone calls.
Our overall goal is that we want the government to know that we are watching them, and we're not happing with what we're seeing. These cuts to education have been going on long enough and they need to stop now. They are undermining a basic principle that our country has run on for a long time: Public Education for all. If these cuts continue, the SUNY school system will be forced to become privatized, which completely disregards the whole idea of SUNY.
Our generation refuses to see the disappearance of our SUNY system, along with the schools that our future children will be attending from K-12 and on.
It's time that education takes the front seat, instead of being shoved in to the trunk of our government's brand new Hummer.
Friday, January 14, 2011
2nd Semester Junior???
Where has the time gone?!?
It feels like just yesterday I was starting my first semester as a freshman! But, on Monday, Jan. 24th, I start my second semester as a Junior! Yikes!
Classes should be interesting. All of my classes will be for human services except for one art class that will teach me how to use art as an alternative form of communication and in a therapeutic way.
I also start my first (of three) internships that need to be completed for my degree. This semester I will be working with a social worker at a nursing home that is about half an hour away from school. I'm really excited to be working with the elderly, as I will also have the chance to work with the activities coordinator of the facility on some days. I will be spending my Wednesdays and maybe some mornings on Thursdays :-). I'm very excited about this internship and hope that I get to learn a lot!! (If any of you want to check it out, it's called Elant Nursing home, in Wappingers Falls.)
Other than that, I'm excited to get back to my job at school; I miss the people I work with a whole bunch!
Big things coming in the following months:
1)The Saratoga Dance Festival is the 2nd to last weekend in Feb. !!!!
2)My boyfriend, Joe, and I will celebrate our 1 year anniversary on March 5th :-)
3)I TURN 21 ON MARCH 9TH!! Wooooo!!!! haha
4)I'm attempting to plan my first ever spring break trip, so that should be interesting!
I'll be sure to keep everyone posted as the semester goes on, but I don't want to make any promises about how soon those updates will be!
Love you all <3
It feels like just yesterday I was starting my first semester as a freshman! But, on Monday, Jan. 24th, I start my second semester as a Junior! Yikes!
Classes should be interesting. All of my classes will be for human services except for one art class that will teach me how to use art as an alternative form of communication and in a therapeutic way.
I also start my first (of three) internships that need to be completed for my degree. This semester I will be working with a social worker at a nursing home that is about half an hour away from school. I'm really excited to be working with the elderly, as I will also have the chance to work with the activities coordinator of the facility on some days. I will be spending my Wednesdays and maybe some mornings on Thursdays :-). I'm very excited about this internship and hope that I get to learn a lot!! (If any of you want to check it out, it's called Elant Nursing home, in Wappingers Falls.)
Other than that, I'm excited to get back to my job at school; I miss the people I work with a whole bunch!
Big things coming in the following months:
1)The Saratoga Dance Festival is the 2nd to last weekend in Feb. !!!!
2)My boyfriend, Joe, and I will celebrate our 1 year anniversary on March 5th :-)
3)I TURN 21 ON MARCH 9TH!! Wooooo!!!! haha
4)I'm attempting to plan my first ever spring break trip, so that should be interesting!
I'll be sure to keep everyone posted as the semester goes on, but I don't want to make any promises about how soon those updates will be!
Love you all <3
Sunday, October 24, 2010
New Life?
So it has been MONTHS since I last wrote here...
My mom (lovingly) got on my case about it the other day so I figured what a better way to get back into the swing of things than to talk about my (pretty much) new life!!
I am now in to the first semester of my junior year at SUNY New Paltz and I'm LOVING every minute of it!!
I have a boyfriend, who's name is Joe. He's also a junior here and he is majoring in TV/Radio Production. He's from Long Island and he's in the Comedy Improv Team here on campus :-)
We've been together for almost 8 months and he makes me super happy!
The next big change in my life is that I have changed my major! I am no longer an education major nor do I have a concentration in Spanish any longer.
I am now majoring in Human Services and begin my minor in deaf studies next semester! I am in love with all of my classes and professors and I have never felt this happy about my academics! Next semester I begin my first our of three internships with various human services agencies... Still picking out the right internship for me :-)
And finally, I have a job at school!
At the end of last semester I was elected to a position called "Council of Organizations Chair".
The student-run governing body on campus is called the Student Association (SA). SA deals with everything on campus and off campus that involves students. My job puts me on the executive board for the SA and my job is to oversee all clubs and organizations that are funded and sponsored by SA.
There are about 150 clubs affiliated with the Student Association and every club is required to send a representative to a bi-weekly meeting (Council of Organizations) which I am in charge of running.
In the past these meetings have been pointless, irregularly attended by many, and loathed by most. However, during my campaign, I stressed that I think the council could be very effective and useful if correctly run and that has been my main focus so far this semester.
I have faced a lot of obstacles, however, I believe I recently made a major break through and am excited to implement my new ideas at the next meeting!!
I am on an executive board with six others, 3 girls and 3 guys. We all get along very well and I am becoming very good friends with them :-)
I spend about 12 hours in my office every week and am paid for those hours, which is an added plus to the job that I didn't know about until after I was elected!
This past weekend was the first Open House for high school seniors at our university and I was asked to put together a room to demonstrate the diverse clubs and organizations that we have to offer to students.
This is me at the open house standing next to one of the three walls that were covered in all the different club and org. names!
I am the happiest now that I have been since I graduated high school!
More to come,
Peace and Love
My mom (lovingly) got on my case about it the other day so I figured what a better way to get back into the swing of things than to talk about my (pretty much) new life!!
I am now in to the first semester of my junior year at SUNY New Paltz and I'm LOVING every minute of it!!
I have a boyfriend, who's name is Joe. He's also a junior here and he is majoring in TV/Radio Production. He's from Long Island and he's in the Comedy Improv Team here on campus :-)
We've been together for almost 8 months and he makes me super happy!
The next big change in my life is that I have changed my major! I am no longer an education major nor do I have a concentration in Spanish any longer.
I am now majoring in Human Services and begin my minor in deaf studies next semester! I am in love with all of my classes and professors and I have never felt this happy about my academics! Next semester I begin my first our of three internships with various human services agencies... Still picking out the right internship for me :-)
And finally, I have a job at school!
At the end of last semester I was elected to a position called "Council of Organizations Chair".
The student-run governing body on campus is called the Student Association (SA). SA deals with everything on campus and off campus that involves students. My job puts me on the executive board for the SA and my job is to oversee all clubs and organizations that are funded and sponsored by SA.
There are about 150 clubs affiliated with the Student Association and every club is required to send a representative to a bi-weekly meeting (Council of Organizations) which I am in charge of running.
In the past these meetings have been pointless, irregularly attended by many, and loathed by most. However, during my campaign, I stressed that I think the council could be very effective and useful if correctly run and that has been my main focus so far this semester.
I have faced a lot of obstacles, however, I believe I recently made a major break through and am excited to implement my new ideas at the next meeting!!
I am on an executive board with six others, 3 girls and 3 guys. We all get along very well and I am becoming very good friends with them :-)
I spend about 12 hours in my office every week and am paid for those hours, which is an added plus to the job that I didn't know about until after I was elected!
This past weekend was the first Open House for high school seniors at our university and I was asked to put together a room to demonstrate the diverse clubs and organizations that we have to offer to students.
This is me at the open house standing next to one of the three walls that were covered in all the different club and org. names!
I am the happiest now that I have been since I graduated high school!
More to come,
Peace and Love
Thursday, March 11, 2010
This is depressing... But in a good way.
So, two days ago I turned 20... WHAT?!?!?!?!?
I feel old haha
I'd say that my first 20 years of life were pretty awesome... I mean... I DO have the best family in the entire world (especially my mom! I wouldn't be who I am today if it wasn't for her!)!
So now that I'm half way to 40, which, by the way, is super weird to think that in another 20 years I'll be as old as my dad...hmm lol
But anyways, now that I'm half way to 40, ... well, I'm freaking out!
So, to reduce my freak-out mode, I'm taking it one year at a time. I'm currently working on "resolutions" for how I would like the next year of my life to go... So many options!
I'll keep everyone posted!
All My Love <3
I feel old haha
I'd say that my first 20 years of life were pretty awesome... I mean... I DO have the best family in the entire world (especially my mom! I wouldn't be who I am today if it wasn't for her!)!
So now that I'm half way to 40, which, by the way, is super weird to think that in another 20 years I'll be as old as my dad...hmm lol
But anyways, now that I'm half way to 40, ... well, I'm freaking out!
So, to reduce my freak-out mode, I'm taking it one year at a time. I'm currently working on "resolutions" for how I would like the next year of my life to go... So many options!
I'll keep everyone posted!
All My Love <3
Friday, February 19, 2010
Some Pictures from the Past Few Months
Me and My Roommate <3
Me and My Mom at Christmas Dinner at My Grandparents House hahaha <3>
My Dad Playing Sax at the Dance Flurry!
Myself and Omar at the Dance Flurry!
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