By: Genevieve Scholl

Ancient Egyptian Dog

My fellow blogger, Emily, wrote about sharks today and it gave me an idea to show you what I support. Animal Abuse is a horrendous act and should never be tolerated. Animals have been by our side for years and years. They have been loyal, kind, loving and protective. Yet, some of us, do not return that loyalty, kindness, protectiveness, and love.

There are hundreds of animals in the world that are like family instead of pets, but there are also a lot of them that are treated like victims. Cruel, mean, rude, vindictive, and unfair abuse is given to these living beings. Sometimes their lives are taken away before they really have a chance to live. I mean, I ask of you, look at the picture of the cute little puppy to the right… Could you hurt this creature? Could you bring pain to this puppy by your hand? I couldn’t.

Animals are like our children. They count on us to feed them, bathe them, play with them, and love them. They depend on us for warmth, affection, and survival. I don’t know about you all (though I hope you feel the same as I do), but I couldn’t raise my hand in a threatening move to my “child”, let alone actually bring them pain. Would you want to live your life afraid that everyone around you was going to strike you at any moment? Would you want to be beaten and not be able to tell someone about it, because you don’t have a voice?

Let us be the voice for the animals of abuse. Speak out if you know of any abuse! Save the defenseless animals from a life of pain and suffering! See this little baby bunny to the right? This bunny was near death when he was found in Upstate New York. Now, one month later, he is a happy, well fed, and fat family pet. See what a difference it can make when someone takes initiative and helps a furry animal?

It isn’t only pets that get abused. Farm animals are constantly abused like they don’t matter. Farmers only see them as meat instead of a living breathing being. Please help to stop this violent act and contact the authorities below.

http://www.aspca.com

Good afternoon, fellow GCC-ers, Emily here!

Today as I was getting my daily “news fix,” I stumbled across a story that really piqued my interest. The story was about a mother who is fighting new regional campaign that PETA is putting together in Florida, after a recent shark attack near Anne Marie Island. Her twenty-one year old son survived being  bitten on the leg by a bull shark while he was spear fishing.

PETA is capitalizing on this incident by using it as a platform for their latest “go vegan” campaign. They are looking for an area in Florida to post this billboard:Now, let me tell you something.

I think that this is attrocious.

I will admit, right from the get-go, that I am slightly biased on this subject. I have been in love with sharks since the age of 3. I could not get enough of shark books, shark documentaries, shark cartoons, shark pictures….you name the shark product, I loved it. I remember walking through the old video store in Attica (back when I lived there) and seeing the cover of JAWS for the first time. I was 4 years old and I begged my mother to watch it. Of course she didn’t let me…snif, I am still a little bitter about being forced to wait 6 years until I was 10, snif, snif (insert pretend tears pooling in eyes).  Because of my love of sharks, I dreamed of being a marine biologist and studying my favorite of all sharks, the Great White, from the ages of 5-14. I still, secretly, would love to be a marine biologist….

But, seriously, I get very defensive when sharks are painted in a bad light (despite my favorite movie still being JAWS). I read alot of shark conservation blogs and support orginizations like the Shark Free Marina project. So when I see a billboard like the one above, I feel sad. Not only is PETA capitalizing on a tragic accident it is perpetuating the myth that sharks are “man-eaters” and they only have a taste for human blood.

The ocean is a sharks habitat. Think about it. A poses very little danger to us on land; our territory, where we are most comfortable. In the same way, we humans pose very little danger to sharks in the water; their territory, where they are comfortable. Every swimmer, fisherman, spear-fisherman, snorkelor, diver, etc. knows that there is a great risk in swimming in the ocean because the fact is that humans resemble a sharks main source of food when they are in the water, seals. Its not their fault. They are programmed to eat their prey, they are not out to get humans.

For PETA to try and say, that sharks are taking revenge on humans who eat fish by attacking them is ridiculous and sick. There are better ways to get their message to the masses then by perpetuating a myth, and exploiting a man at the same time. I don’t know where they get their nerve.

I will post the link to the article below so that you may read it and form your own opinions. Remember, our generation is next in line. We are the decision makers, we are going to suffer the consequences of the choices that our leaders are making now. Know what is going on in your world.

Until next time,

Emily

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/09/29/mother-shark-attack-victim-says-peta-campaign-is-over-top/

By: Genevieve Scholl

Bus Drivers Take People To Their Parking Lots

This past weekend, The Barn Festival of the Arts took place in Remsen, NY. Remsen is my hometown and the one place on the planet where I feel like I amd “home”. Even though I live in New York Mills, NY normally, Remsen is the place where I grew up and the place where everything feels in place and just right. Earlier in the semester I blogged about going home for the weekend and this blog is a follow up.

Every year during the last weekend of September, The Barn Festival of the Arts takes place along Main Street in Remsen,NY. It is about a mile long and has everything from delicious food to homemade towels. As you walk along the festival, you smell the amazing aromas of hamburgers, kettle corn, and gyros. There is even cheesecake on a stick!

Cheescake On A Stick

Homemade Chairs

There is also fun things to do, like face painting and a corn maze! The corn maze is a challenge where we pay $5 to spend an hour or so inside a field of corn, that has paths cut out of them to make a maze. We have to find four markers within the maze and place a colored dot on the map where we believe we are at the time and if we are correct after we “escape” we get a prize. IT is a lot of fun, especially for children. This year’s corn maze was a castle, knight, and swords. Unfortunately, I do not have an image of this year’s maze, so pictured below is the one from 2008.

As sad as we are to see it end every year, during the rest of the year we grow anticipation for the next one. It is free to attend, unless you are parking in one of the designated parking lots which cost money (usually about $5 per car), and I hope that some of you will make the trip next year (even if it is three hours from school) and attend the event that is so important to me, my family, my friends, and my town.

My Favorite Food At The Barn Fest

Hey guys, Emily again.

Some days it is just not your day. Today is not my day. It started off really good. I had a field trip with my Biology 100 class to the Genesee County Park (I live 10 minutes away from said park so, yay, I got to sleep in a bit) to look at biodiversity and natural habitats.

I arrived at the park feeling sleepy but not overly terrible. I had been to the park a few years ago and was interested to go back and see if anything had changed.  I soon found out that it hadn’t. The park still looked the same as it had the  last time I was there, however, there was one thing that had changed.

I was no longer feeling well.

Now, for at least a week and a half, I have been suffering from a “college cold.” We college students, as a general rule, do not eat healthfully, do not get enough sleep, and do not get enough exercise. With the exception of not getting enough exercise (I teach dance 3 times a week and am a proud gym member [go me!!]) I fall into the college kid mold of not eating right and not getting enough sleep. Because of this, I usually spend the majority of the semester sick with college induced colds.

This weekend though, my college kid cold has gotten worse. With the exception of Sunday (My Bills won……I have been a die-hard fan of the Buffalo Bills for 20 years now….yesterday was the greatest game of my life) when it looked like football might cure me of my weirdo symptoms. I had been suffering from a psuedo-headcold (stuffiness without congestion + dizziness and exhaustion) and a chest cold (shortness of breath + pain and congestion).

Today, it returned to my body with full force.

Now, I’m not a wimpy chick. I’ll come to work without feeling 100%. In fact, I sit here typing this at my desk in Student Activities. If you happen to come to the office for whatever reason and you see a blonde girl sitting behind the desk looking like she is dying A: its me and B: no worries, I’ll make it.

But its annoying to suffer from “college colds” because I know that I did this too myself.

As college students we need to take a greater responsibility in keeping ourselves healthy. We pay good money to receive a great education, so why do we jeopardize our chances with bad health habits? We need to start saying “no” to things which are going to perpetuate the cycle of getting sick, getting run down, and getting discouraged. There are many resources available to us college kids that can help us achieve a healthy lifestyle so that we can achieve our goals.

If you are not feeling well physically, feel free to talk to our nursing staff. The Health office is located at the bottom and to the right of the steps that lead from the cafeteria and into the Student Union. The nurse will be able to help you to understand what your illness might be and how to help your symptoms.

Maybe you are feeling sad or lonely. There are counselors available in the Dean of Students office that are there to talk to you. Their offices are safe, confidential places for you to discuss what is going on in your life that might be bothering you. All of our GCC counselors are kind, friendly people who you can trust to be professional and helpful with whatever you may be going through.

There are also many resources on the Internet that can be just as helpful as talking to a person one-on-one. I have found two very helpful sites and will post the links to them below. Please, feel free to check them out if you’re not feeling well like me, or maybe even for future reference.

Remember, it’s only Monday, your week can still be fantastic even if your Monday was not!!

Until next time,

Emily

http://www.zencollegelife.com/99-cheap-and-easy-ways-to-stay-healthy-in-college/

http://www.collegetips.com/college-health/

By: Genevieve Scholl

On Tuesday, I started a new class. Composition of Natural and Social Scienes with Mrs. Susan Zuris. It is an English class that teaches us how to write for these specific areas. In our second class, on Thursday, we learned a way to avoid “writer’s block” (which Mrs. Zuris does not believe exists). Take a piece of paper and write your topic at the top of the page (if you do not have a topic you can use this same proccedure for finding a topic as well) and underline it three times. Thinking about the topic in general, start writing a “random, sloppy list” of words or phrases that come to mind when you think about said topic. After your list is generated, start to attach your senses to these words or phrases. For example, instead of just saying that the smell of kettle corn was in the air, you could say “The salty sweet aroma of kettle corn wafted through the air, tempting my taste buds and somehow magically pulling me toward the booth.” See how different you picture this when you add observational features? I have found, in my writing, that this process really does help with “writer’s block”.

Nature

Which brings me to my second part of this post. Have you ever just stopped at thought about what was around you? Now, don’t just say “well, there are clouds and the sky and birds and… blah blah blah”. I am talking about really stopping your life and the world and just watching and listening. Think about the jazzy music that the birds make as they chirp their greetings to the world, think about the whispers you can hear when the wind gently blows against your skin, and when you’re hearing the click click of a keyboard in the library, don’t think about it as annoying, think about how you are hearing every second of the education that is going into that person’s brain, or think about how each click represents the advances we have taken in technology. After all, without the click click, where would we be? Chew on that for a little while 🙂

By: Genevieve Scholl

The Hill at Night

Just a short little tip when walking the campus at night, especially the hill from campus to college village.

1) Always try to walk with someone, NEVER walk alone unless you have no other choice.

2) Be aware of your surroundings, especially other people.

3) Do not linger on the hill or on campus, in dark areas, longer than absolutely necessary.

4) Have your key card handy for quick and efficient access to your building.

5) For extra protection, keep your keys in your hand. (Do not engage in violence unless in self-defense)

6) Have campus safety’s phone number on your cell phone’s speed dial. (585)343-0055

7) Do NOT listen to your IPOD or cell phone with earbuds. Obstructing your hearing could be dangerous to your safety.

8 ) Do not engage in any type of conflict. If you see something illegal or upsetting going on, please contact campus safety from a safe distance and avoid eye contact with the people involved.

9) Get from point A to point B as quickly as possible.

and 10) If you are attacked, do not try to fight back unless serious injury is imminent. The worst thing you can do is do or say something that encourages the attacker to become more violent or vicious. If you are attacked, take a deep breath and scream as loud as you possibly can. This will deter the attacker and will alert someone that you are in danger.

If you follow these tips, you will be safer while you walk the grounds at night. I know that when I walk back from my 6PM-9PM class on Thursdays, I follow every single one of these guidelines and feel confident and safe as I walk back to my dorm.

By: Genevieve Scholl

Hello everyone. I just wanted to do a little bit of a follow up of the Bullying blog that I posted yesterday. Today, in my Criminal Law class, we learned about the criminal repercussions of hazing and I would like to share it with you today, since it is a big deal on college campuses.

Hazing is a serious offense. It is defined as, various ritual and other activities involving harassment, abuse, or humiliation used as a way of initiating a person into a group. This happens a lot on college campuses when it comes to sororities, clubs, and sports. It is ridiculous and unnecessary. Whatever happened to proving yourself in a civilized way? I mean, honestly, what does it prove to a sorority when you sit naked, duct taped to a chair, and blindfolded? Let’s help end that bullying I mentioned and find cleaner, nicer, more polite and efficient ways of initiations. For example, send your pledges out on a mission to find something to help the sorority or even just sit down one day and talk as a group about what you want to accomplish in this world. Is it too much to ask to expect us to act like grown-ups?

If you experience a hazing, see one take place, hear about one that might happen in the future please contact campus safety and the police. Help stop the useless and humiliating act.

Hey everyone, Emily here!

After being a “college kid” for nearly three semesters, it has become easy for me to recognize the pattern or “timeline” for each semester. Allow me to explain,

Stage 1: The Honeymoon

Typically, the first week of every new semester can be classified as the “honeymoon” stage for students. For the incoming Freshman, there is much anticipation and excitement when looking forward to the new chapter of their lives which is about to begin; and the returning students always seem to miss college life over the summer (come on, you know you did) and are happy to return and get back into the swing of things.

For me, I always end up promising myself that this semester will be “different.” “Emily, ” I say to myself, “this semester you’re not going to skip so many classes. You’re not going to turn in so many late assignments.” (In reality, I do not turn in that many to begin with, maybe two or three, but to me two or three feels like a ton!) “You’re going to get to class on time!!” (More often than not….I am late.)

So, while it is easy for me to make these “new beginnings” promises, I always end up finding out how hard it is for me to keep them. This reality ushers in the second stage of the semester, which I realized today has begun. This dreaded stage seems to be hitting the students (well, at least me….and everyone I talk to) earlier and earlier as their careers as “college kids” continue…

Stage 2: Exhaustion

Now, while it may seem extreme to some to go right from the “honeymoon” to “exhaustion,” it’s really not that big a stretch. Think about it. We all have professors who assign large amounts of course work that is due at the same time; everyone knows that this is a struggle, even the professors will acknowledge that to you. On top of that we all work, possibly multiple jobs, and some of us even have children to take care of.

The life of a college student is among one of the hardest out there.

What is important to understand during this time is that,

A: This is worth it. All the stress that you are feeling right now, all the anxiety; the headaches, colds, sore feet, (from tramping around the campus in heels…I will admit that I am the biggest offender of this and that it is most certainly my fault that my feet hurt) and being tired. all. the. time. is going to be worth it. You are on a path to a bigger and better life that only a college education can give you and it is an incredible blessing to be enrolled in an institute of higher learning. So many people in our country and around the world do not, and may never, have this opportunity. We need to be thankful for what we have.

B: Procrastination is not Your Friend

I am the biggest offender of this. Right now, I am saying to myself, “Emily, do not wait till the night before to do that big project. Why do you complain about being tired if you refuse to do your work during waking hours?” If we all just got the concept of time management under our belts our lives would be so much easier!!

C: Comic Relief Helps

My wonderful business professor Lauren Paisley introduced me to Youtube Friday, where we as a business class take about 15 minutes to watch funny Youtube videos as

Youtube Friday is a fantastic idea and also a concept which I plan to utilize whenever I feel like tearing up my text books in sheer frustration (which is often, with my schedule). 

Despite the fact that it is Wednesday, I am uploading one of my favorite Youtube videos for your enjoyment below. It is a very popular video, so you may have seen it before, but even so, I hope that it will help to relieve some of your stress today.

Keep your chin up; the weekend is almost upon us!!

Emily

By: Genevieve Scholl

Does This Look Cool?

Physical Bullying

Bullying is a serious issue and there are many forms of it out there. There is physical bullying when you push someone into doing something, acting a certain way, or when you physically shove them or do something to them with the intended result of humiliating them in front of others. There is verbal bullying, when you say something to or about another person that is meant to cause harm or hurt feelings.

Verbal Bullying

These two are the most known sources of bullying, but there is a third that I believe more people should be aware of. It is called

silent bullying or out-casting, in other words. When you purposefully exclude someone who is willing to participate from a conversation or an activity, it causes them to think that they are not wanted and are not good enough or smart enough to have an opinion.

Silent Bullying

It is wrong to participate in any of these acts of bullying and it would be in everyone’s best interest if we were to abolish bullying. I know it is a lot to ask to live in a world with absolutely no bullying or violence, because let’s face it there will always be people out there that feel the need to commit these acts for some reason or another.

However, what I am asking is a lot easier to accomplish. I am asking that we abolish bullying on our college campus and start making friends with each other. Remember, it is often the people who are “different” “unique” or “quiet” that become the best friends and most interesting people you will ever meet.

So, stop bullying in our school and next time you see that quiet girl with her head stuck in a book, ask her what she is reading and actually engage in a conversation. Who knows, you might even end up liking her and gaining a friend for life.

To report bullying, find the nearest professor or call campus safety at 585-343-0055. Of course for emergencies you can always dial 9-1-1.

Hey guys!!

I have a pretty steady routine on Tuesdays and Thursdays. My arrival time for work at Student Activities is 8:30 am and its usually pretty quiet; my morning consists of getting the office ready for the upcoming day and handing out ping pong paddles and pool stuff to our dedicated students who arrive in the union to play games before the office is even open.

Once those tasks are completed, I am able to turn on my computer and set about my usual “news binge.”

I am a news junkie. Literally. I go from www.yahoo.com; to www.foxnews.com; to http://www.huffingtonpost.com/weird-news/ (they have some really interesting articles, whether they are true or not is the lure which pulls me) and so on and so forth goes my endless stream of news websites intermixed with a healthy dose of my favorite blogs.

I believe it is very important for our generation to be “in the know,” so to speak, about what is happening in our world today. With the policies of our country changing so quickly and news flying at us a mile a minute, we need to stay well read and up to date on current events. Now sometimes this means reading an article about economic policy reform (something that I am interested in..amazingly) and other times it means that you get to read an article about conspiracy theories involving a UFO sighting over Austin, Texas (another topic that I am interested in).

Other times, you come across an article that is in the middle of these two topics, and could affect you.

Today as I was going through my daily news cycle, I came across an article on a blog about texting during classes. It was not your normal “children should not be allowed to carry cell phones in school, let alone text message!!” lecture. Instead, the article was about some schools right here in New York, who are integrating texting into their curriculum.

Now, having the evils of texting thrown in my face  by every single high school teacher and college professor I have ever had, has made me cautious when hearing people begin to accept texting as anything more than a nuisance. Don’t get me wrong…I text during class just as much as the next person. In fact, there was,at the beginning of my Senior year of high school, serious talk amongst the school administration about banning cell phones at my school and my mother was up in arms about it, not to mention the students who attended with me. But would texting assignments really be beneficial?

I don’t really think so. First of all, it really is a distraction, whether we as students want to admit it or not. No one thinks anything of sending a quick text during class, but we’ve all been in the situation where we hear little buttons clicking during a lecture and just wanna grab the hidden phone out of our classmates hand and chuck it across the room.

Secondly, texting is not meant to be “work.” It’s a form of communication between people. If all schools were to add texting “assignments” to their curriculum, suddenly, a quick LOL would turn into 2+2=4….do we really want that?

I will post the link to the website below, and granted, this article is about the new pro-texting policy being implemented in middle school; but tell me what you think about the possibility of it being implemented in college. Would you enjoy texting assignments? Would they bother you?

Also, let me know what you think about how informed our generation about what is going on in our world. Should we, as young adults be taking more steps in order to be “in the know?” Non-traditional students, what do you think about the information the younger generation cares about?

Let me know, guys!!

Until next time,

Emily

http://responsibility-project.libertymutual.com/blog/texting-as-teaching-tool?src=OB_B278_TextTeach#fbid=X6aQfB-7BRL&src=OB_B278_TextTeach