Ryan Schmidt

As soon as he walked into the union and starting setting up, Ryan Schmidt caught the attention of girls and musicians alike. He finished setting up, had a quick sound check, which gave on-lookers a taste of what he can do, and they were pleased. He started performing at 12:30 in the Student Union Thursday, November 14th. He performed a variety of his own songs, and covers of popular songs such as “Thrift Shop” by Macklemore and N’Sync’s “Bye, Bye, Bye.” In between songs, he would told us about traveling and performing. After the show was over, he had just enough time to sign autographs and take pictures before heading to another college to perform!

Part of Ryan’s Bio :

“Having recently graduated from Northeastern University’s renowned Music Industry program, Schmidt’s career is coming into full bloom. These achievements have been fueled by a refreshingly back-to-basics recipe of undeniable talent, unrelenting innovation and boundless desire, along with a healthy portion of good ole fashioned drive. As a mere teenager the New Hampshire native first began digging into the fertile Boston music scene. He took on office jobs within the music industry, making connections and hustling to establish the contacts that would eventually first introduce him to Q Division Studios (where such world class artists as James Taylor, Aimee Mann and Morphine have recorded). It was there Schmidt recorded his first EP, “Burning Bitter Years,” and released it before even receiving his high school diploma, and where he realized his vision for “Black Sheep, Run” and his most recent “White Horse” EP. It did not take long for the ears of the Boston music cognoscenti to perk up at Schmidt’s first full-length effort. With a healthy respect for the folk-inspired work of such predecessors as Bob Dylan and Nick Drake, as well as inspiration from more contemporary artists like Clem Snide and The Shins, Schmidt has a defined vision of where he is taking his music. “I aim at finding a way to combine the song structure and heart and meaning behind some of these older folk songs with an interesting and unique sonic texture,” he states with an understated confidence. “I have a bunch of different ideas past what I have already started that I’d like to do in the next few years. I just want to keep evolving and progressing, to keep lining projects up and staying open to different avenues for my music.” “I sing pretty hard and I sing with everything I have,” he says matter-of-factly. “A lot of people take notice of that.””

You can find him on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ryanschmidtmusic

Follow him on Twitter: @Ryan_Schmidt

On Instagram: http://instagram.com/RyanSchmidtMusic

Website: http://www.ryanschmidtmusic.com/

You can buy his shirt at http://audiocotton.com/products/ryan-schmidt-happens

Product of Opporunity

Product of Opportunity

By Vincent J. Coons

Wednesday, November 6, 2013 BUS 201 had a special guest speaker, Ryan Boland. Mr. Boland studied at Malone University where he obtained a MBA(Masters of Business Administration) degree, although a lot of his success he credits to being a product of opportunity. Mr. Boland is currently the Director of AVI foods at GCC. AVI foods ranks #8 in relation to the top food service management companies in the United States of America. Mr. Boland has been the director here at GCC for about six months. In fact you just may have run into him at the GCC cafeteria.

Mr. Boland spoke about the different personalities that people have. The four distinct personalities are, Dominant; Influential, Steady, and Conscientious (the personality in which I consider myself); which form the acronym DISC. In Professional Sales, Mr. Dudkowski has taught us that communication is the main ingredient to success. Mr. Boland stressed upon that idea and more so with the ideas of how to communicate with distinct personalities of salespeople or customers depending on their specific personality.

For example Mr. Boland stated that a person with a Dominant personality is someone who wants to take authority, so telling a person with a dominant personality what to do, isn’t always the greatest of ideas. Mr. Boland said the more effective way to talk business with a dominant personality is to get to the point, don’t ramble, or engage in small talk, keep it business oriented if you are conducting business with this person. Mr. Boland also gave an example of how to communicate with a conscientious person. Conscientious people like dominant ones, want to get to the point, they want the information straight forward, and will analyze the information and devise a plan accordingly, where as the dominant person would respond with an answer quickly and decisively. Mr. Boland utilizes the skills of analyzing people’s personalities, and communicating with them accordingly on a daily basis, whether it be with a student, an employee, or potential business partner selling products to him.

In Professional Sales, we’ve had a few guest speakers, ranging from salespeople, to marketing director, but this is the first time the class has gotten a glimpse into the side of the customer (from the side of business to business anyway). Mr. Boland deals with various companies including but not limited to; PepsiCo, Starbucks, and Tim Horton’s. Mr. Boland stated that these companies often come in and try to sell new products currently being promoted. It is his job to find out which promotional items can actually make him money or not. So conducting research on what the students at GCC really enjoy is an important element to his job. For those wondering (which for some, you may not need to wonder) the top selling item AVI foods sells at GCC are their chicken tenders (mmmmm chicken tenders *drool*).

Mr. Boland was a very informative, and kind guest speaker, whom really showed insight on how things are handled on the business side of our very own cafeteria. Mr. Boland reiterated many lessons already taught by Mr. Dudkowski, and taught some of his own. I appreciate Mr. Boland for his sacrifice of time to speak with the class and for the free goodies he brought with him to make our morning just a little more delightful, and thank him tremendously on behalf of myself and the whole class.

CV November Events

Thursday, November 14th- Karaoke Night 8 pm in the Village Hall Basement

Friday, November 15th- Connect 4 Tournament with Snacks, and prizes, 9 pm in the Village Hall Basement

Wednesday, November 20th- Shopping Trip to Marketplace Mall 5 pm-10 pm

Thursday, November 21st- November/December Birthday Party 6 pm in the Village Hall Basement

Friday, November 22nd- Karaoke Night 9 pm in the Village Hall Basement

Saturday, November 23rd- Clarence Clay Hands bus leaves at 1 pm, meet at College Village Office, bring your painting skills

Monday, November 25th- Thanksgiving Jeopardy 7 pm in the Village Hall Basement, Prizes will be won

Tuesday, November 26th- Thanksgiving Dinner for all residents, cooked by the staff, bring your appetites!

Wednesday, November 27th-Sunday, December 1st Thanksgiving Break, Make sure to fill out a break request form at the office if you plan on staying

*The above programs are for College Village Residents and guests of Residents

Veteran’s Day Salute!

GCC Student Newsbytes

Veteran’s Day Salute on November 11, 2014 at 12 noon in the Technology Building and Peace Garden.

The GUSTO! Team and committee members have scheduled the annual event for Monday, November 11. Mike Perry will run pictures of veteran students and family members on the video board on this special day. If you would like to include your picture(s) please send to Mike Perry electronically as soon as possible.

This was brought to your attention by:

Marilyn C. Dickinson
Academic Assistant to the Provost and
Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
Genesee Community College
One College Road
Batavia, NY 14020
585.345.6975
585.345.6810 (Fax)
* Arranger * Achiever * Input * Activator * Learner *

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October 30th

Written by Jessi VanSon

Ever since August 13^th, 2013, I knew I had Epilepsy. I was clinically diagnosed with it, and at first, no one knew, I was heartbroken. I had hoped I was one of the rare cases where 10% of the population had 1 seizure in their lifetime, and no more. But I quickly came out of that sad, sorry state. I knew, or thought I knew, this was something that would happen to me, with ripple effects going only into my family. Honestly, I never knew that someone, a total stranger, could be so kind and so concerned about just some random kid going to college.

On October 30^th, 2013, I had that chance to see the good in people. At 4:20pm, I sat on one of the benches outside GCC talking to my dad on my phone. I was asking him, slightly impatient, when someone was going to pick me up. He had told me something that I didn’t hear.

I had spaced out for a few seconds, completely missing what he had just said, and he had to say my name a few times to get me back to earth. I said “Geez, I’m sorry. I spaced out, and I didn’t hear a word you said.” He then proceeded to tell me I’d be waiting a little longer, because he got held up at work. I said okay, because I was absolutely fine with it. I never really had any problem in waiting, especially when I had a book with me!

I read my book, called City of Bones, by Cassandra Clare, for about 20 minutes. Then I all of a sudden felt tired, and I put my bookmark in my book and put it down. This next part I could not remember until a few hours later, but I stood up to walk around, but I felt kind of dizzy. I started to sit back down, and next thing I know, I’m waking up on the floor, a woman’s voice saying, “She’s coming out of it!”

The left side of my face was pressed against the floor, my arms tucked under me, instinctively pulled in to catch my body from a fall, and just a foggy haze covering my senses. At this time I knew I had another seizure. I turned my head to my left side, and I saw a woman’s face.

Though my mind wasn’t clear, my memory was crystal. She was a thin woman, looked like she was in her early to mid-forties, and blonde hair. I could not make out any other details of her, because someone had taken off my glasses and set them next to my things on the bench.

She talked to me, tried to help me clear my senses, and keep me as calm as possible. I was very calm, because a seizure was no new thing to me. I fought quite hard to get out of that slow, foggy state that made me feel stupid. I didn’t want to sound that way, and I didn’t want to feel that way.

This woman understood and went slowly, making sure I understood everything that was going on. She had told me that an ambulance was on its way, to come check me out and deem if I had to go to the hospital or not, and that my family was on their way. She waited with me, just as she had waited while I came out of the seizure.

We talked, mostly about what I felt, if I had any injuries, whether I felt anything else than what I previously told her. I stayed on the floor until the EMT’s arrived, and when they assessed my situation, they deemed me okay enough to sit on the bench. By that time, I looked around and this kind woman was gone, to where, I have no clue.

At some point during this semester, I would like to talk with this woman. I would like to sit down with her and truly thank her, because I couldn’t that day. I am extremely grateful to her and her quick action to help this humbled 18 year old girl, the very one who she had no knowledge of, never met me before, but felt she needed to help. I wish there were more people out there like her to help widen my growing faith in others. I am fortunate that there are people at GCC that are willing to help others.

LIFE IN THE FASH LANE

What if your professor gave you a task that you originally thought would be as easy as walking in your seven inch heels every day to class? A few months ago Professor Dudkowski was sharing the necessity of hiring a guest speaker for our annual fashion seminar that takes place in the early part of the fall. The opportunity seemed very intriguing so I went ahead and took on the role of becoming project manager. My initial thoughts were that I just had to find a celebrity guest that was influential and well known in the fashion industry but yet still remained within our budget. This task was not as easy as I first anticipated it to be! After days of research, I still could not find a speaker who was right for the event. I wanted an individual who was empowering and someone that I admired. This was such a tough thing for me to do, and I will admit that the task did become a little intimidating,

One night as I was researching and I almost gave up because I was not receiving any responses from the celebrities that I previously contacted and I began to lose all hope. I decided to call it a night, in hopes that in the morning I would have the perfect celebrity in mind. When I woke up…I had it! As soon as Anya Ayoung-Chee, winner of Project Runway Season 9 came to my mind, I knew I had to close the deal and get her to speak at the fashion seminar.

I knew that Anya would be a great candidate for the event. She’s young, talented, and a very unique individual. Anya was often looked upon as the underdog on Project Runway because she did not know how to sew, but taught herself as each project progressed. She’s such an inspiration and an inventive achiever! When I finally received the approval from her representative, I was beyond excited to finally announce that she would be speaking to us.

Being the project manager, I had many responsibilities to deal with; booking the client was just the beginning. For the next month I would be working closely with the marketing executives at the school and college officials to make sure that the event was well promoted, and that we represented the affair to the highest of our capabilities. I created unique flyers presenting our guest speaker and the date in which the event would be held on. I had to create a detailed itinerary for the event to make sure that entirety of the day ran effortlessly. I also had to converse with Anya’s representative on a daily basis regarding the specs of the event to make sure that every detail was addressed.

This event began to consume my life, and I truly felt like I was living out my dream job! Colleagues began questioning me asking where I have been and why I would take so long to get back to them. I would simply reply and say that I was busy getting ready for my big event, and could not afford any interruptions.

Being a design student and trying to plan a big event is a lot of work. Taking 21 credit hours, working on campus, designing and consulting with my clients, and still try to balance my social life takes such an extensive amount of effort and energy, but I love every minute of it. Professor Earhart encourages students to eat healthy because she knows how much vitality goes into our busy lifestyles.

The morning of Wednesday October 23^rd, I received the notification that Anya was on her way! I called my assistant Arianna and from then on it was show time. I stuck to the proceedings that were planned for Anya such as exclusive meetings, a catered lunch with our Vice President, Dean of Students, Director of the Fashion program, and fashion professors Mr. Dudkowski and Mrs. Earheart. I also made sure she was at the media moment in the Roz Steiner Art Gallery that was conducted by Donna Rae Sutherland, where interviews were set up with the Daily News, Wingin’ It Buffalo, and the Batavian, and also scheduled photo ops with President Sunser.

What I originally thought would be a simple assignment turned into me producing a remarkable event here at Genesee Community College. There were countless positive reviews about the event and how much everyone enjoyed hearing from Anya. I could not have done it without the encouragement of my professors to take this event on with full confidence. I am so thankful for the opportunity that was given to me and I could not have wished for a better experience!

My name is Candace Cooper, and this is what my life is like in the FASH lane.

Up Close with Donna Rae Sutherland

Donna Rae Sutherland (Left) and Ellen (right)

On Wednesday October 30th, 2013 in the Profession Sales class taught by Mr. Dudkowski, we were introduced to our guest speaker Donna Rae Sutherland. You may have heard of her, because she produced ad campaigns for Genesee Community College here in Batavia, NY. She changed the whole dynamic of what Genesee Community College was about and brought it to the modern age.

Quick Facts about Donna Rae Sutherland:
• Graduated high school in 1978 and moved to San Francisco at the age of 17.
• Certified in Graphic Arts and went to Villa Maria College.
• Earned her Bachelor’s Degree from Syracuse University.
• She studied magazine journalism and had a minor in graphic arts as well.
• 30 years of experience in communications.
• She has never been unemployed.
• She has worked at Genesee Community College for 10 years.
• She is the Associate Director of Marketing at Genesee Community College (MarCom)
• She receives approximately 5 sales calls per day, making 25 calls per week totaling to 100 calls per month.

After she shared about herself and what she has accomplished she told the class great advice that can be taken by anyone in the world in the professional sales business. I made sure I wrote down key advice because it can become helpful in the future!

Helpful Tips from Donna Rae Sutherland:
• Do your homework. When going to a job interview always do your homework on the company, what the company is about etc.
• You’re going to have to sell yourself at an interview. Selling yourself at an interview means making sure you can persuade the person interviewing you why they should hire you. You should also discuss what you can contribute to the company etc.
• You have 10 seconds to make your first impression. It’s a true fact. You have 10 seconds to make a good first impression to a potential employer.
• Dress for success and to impress. Dress appropriately going to a job interview. Nothing showing too much skin, as well as nothing that may offend someone. Ex: Do not sag your pants; do not show cleavage, if you have tattoos it’s best to cover them up if you can cover them up. You want to present a clean respectful image.
• Connect with people. If you can connect with your potential employer do so. Take a look around their office if you see something that you two may have in common, mention it. But keep it short.
• Most important thing to keep in mind is “How can you help them?” When in an interview always keep an answer of the question how can you help them if you get the job. You can say you can help increase sales; you have good communication skills with people and so forth.
• Develop people skills. Develop skills on communicating with a customer, an employer etc. Learn to be confident when approaching someone and if you get rejected always be respectful and don’t give up.
• Patience Pays Off. Always be patient even in the most difficult situations.
• Build Repeat Business. Always make sure you build repeat business with a customer. Keep in contact with the customer.

• Be Relevant! Be Creative! Be Fun!

She also talked about the whole process of changing of the Genesee Community College logo. She also discussed what it took to get the advertising strategies. For example, the TV campaigns Genesee Community College produces, what the “GCC’s Many Faces Going Places” means, and what each program a current student is taking means to them. Donna Rae Sutherland works in the Marketing Communications Department also known as MarCom which comes up with the graphics, photography, marketing materials, and social media initiatives for Genesee Community College. It was a great opportunity to meet her and hear what she does for the school and her story. She was a delightful guest speaker who can make an impact on a business major, or someone who is working in the sales field. So thank you Donna Rae Sutherland for coming to the Professional Sales class and speaking to us.

Ellen presenting a gift of appreciation to Donna Rae Sutherland

Business Networking at GCC

Contributed by Emily Pelton

On Thursday, October 17, the GCC forum was filled with people from different local businesses. Each specific business had at least one person there who was there representing their company. They were there to talk to students and teachers, to network, and to discuss potential future jobs and internships. They were also there to share their own experiences and examples with students who might be interested in going into their field of work. The business that were there were Maurices, Verizon, Charles Men’s Shop, Dentino Marketing Group, GLOW area YMCA, Concentrix, Coastal Staffing, Darien Lake, Clarion Hotel and Entercom Rochester. Representatives from each group were more than happy to talk and share any information that they could.

Each company was available for the entire time to talk to each student about any questions that they might have about their company. I went and talked to each person there that was a representative. It was very enjoyable and I was able to learn a great deal about each company and each representative. I also received a large amount of pamphlets, coupons, and even candy from one table. I met some very interesting and pleasant people, and I took away at least one thing from each company that I did not know before.

Common questions that arose as students networked with the representatives were potential internships that the companies offered, and what the experience of an internship would be like. Each company had a different answer. However, their reason for offering internships, if they did offer them, was the same. The overall goal that each company has is to keep improving where they are currently at, and to continue to be successful. In order to do this, it is important to hire the right people. Internships not only help students gain hands on experience, but also allow an employer to see if they would like to hire that student. If the student is successful and well liked during the course of the internship, it is possible that they have secured themselves a job with that company. Although they each had slightly different reasons and answers for offering internships, every representative gave this overall answer as their main reason.

Students that came to this event came to gain general information about the different businesses, or for extra credit for one of their classes. However, I think that each student that came and took the time to actually network left with more than just bonus points and coupons. This event provided the chance for students to ask questions in many fields of business. There was something there for any student, whether they were a business major or not. This event provided students with the rare opportunity of seeing what their actual future career may look like. In addition to the information and handouts that were offered by each company, there was also a raffle drawing for a $50.00 gift card that was put on by the college. The winner of this drawing was Kamilah Bowens. Kamiliah is currently a business major here at GCC. This event was a great success, and is one that will be well remembered by both students and faculty in the future.

Get to Know the Resident Assistants (RA’s): Part 1

To let other students, residents, faculty, staff and anyone else that may be interested in coming to College Village, I recently asked all the RA’s a few questions. The questions that the RA’s were asked to answer included:

Why did you choose Genesee Community College?

What is your major?

Why did you decide to apply to be a Resident Assistant (RA)?

What Residence Hall are you in charge of?

What is a typical day in the life of an RA include for you?

What would you consider to be a good day? Or what would make a day good for you?

What was your favorite game as a child?

What is your favorite food?

What is your favorite season?

What do you like to do in your spare time?

This is how RA Lacey responded:

This is when she did her relief volunteer work.

I chose GCC because it was close enough to home, but far enough away to have my own independence.

My major here, just general studies, but I will be transferring for Emergency and Disaster Management.

I applied to be a RA because I wanted to make a difference. I also wanted to show people how to have that craved “college experience” without departing from the values they had before college, and partaking in things that might not exactly be safe. It can happen, and it makes your college experience so much fun.

I am in charge of Willow Hall or I building.

My typical day as a RA is basically like any other college student; I get up way too early for my liking. I go to class, do homework and eat the lovely cafeteria food. The only major difference is that I need to make sure I am constantly available to my residents or even other residents. Sometimes I have office hours or night duty shifts, but the main thing is that I need to make sure that I am ready for any situation at any point in time. It keeps you on your toes!

As for what a good day consists of: hmm, that is a tough question. I think a good day really depends on your attitude and your perspective on the situations you are dealing with. It can be the most trying day, but if you have a positive mindset, it will all work out.

My favorite game as a child was Life.

Today, my favorite food is cheese and crackers. It changes depending on my mood, ha-ha.

My favorite season is Winter.

What I like to do in my spare time is hang out with my friends, listen to music or go for walks. I’ve also recently discovered the thrill of jumping off water falls. It’s amazing!

RA Joey responded with:

This basically shows his personality!

Choosing GCC was a big decision for me. To leave home for the first time, away from my parents. I prayed about it a lot, and I knew that this was the direction God wanted me to take. He proves that to me a lot now.

I am a Digital Arts/Fine Arts Major.

Applying to be a RA was also a big decision. I already had a job, and was taking 19 credits, I mean the obvious answer was no. And that is what I told my current boss; Ellen Brokaw that it would be too much and I can’t do it. About 3 hours later I was on the phone with her telling her that I had rethought my opinion, and the next day I was an RA. God also proves to me frequently that this was a good decision.

I am in charge of B building (Beech).

A typical day for me; I get up, and I typically read my Bible. Then I go to the kitchen in search of food, and a caffeine source. Then it’s off to classes followed by office hours. This is where we sort mail, file papers, or anything that the staff needs us to do. Then I eat some dinner, which is either a salad or an entire bag of microwave vegetables. After that, I either go on duty (where I go on rounds, and distribute flyers.) or I do homework. Then it’s off to the upstairs, where I hang out with friends, and watch B-movies.

A good day is every day. A day is what it is, and you can take things positively, or negatively. All we got is today, so I say make it count.

My favorite game as a child was, Zelda: The Ocarina of Time!!! Reminds me of my best friend/my sister.

My favorite food are peanut butter tacos, with cream cheese.

My favorite season is Fall.

In my spare time I drink Chai tea, read books, play games, hang out with friends, listen to music, and create stuff.

RA Matt responded this way:

You can see him smiling around campus more so.

I didn’t choose Genesee Community College, Genesee chose me; I came here as a transfer student from another school wanting a fresh start and things just seemed to work out in my favor.

My major is Communications.

I decided to apply for the RA position because I wanted to have a positive impact on my school community and make new friends and the RA position seemed like the perfect avenue to accomplish both.

I am in charge of the Pine residence hall also known as D building.

A typical day in the life of a RA for me includes performing any jobs that need to be done around the office and/or campus; processing mail, hanging flyers, making flyers, distributing packages to resident’s, tending to any incident’s that may occur, giving tours to potential college village resident’s and attending to any questions or concerns resident’s may have.

A good day for me would be if everything went as smooth as expected and things maintained proper order.

My favorite game as a child was Super Mario Bros.

My favorite food is macaroni & cheese.

My favorite season is Spring.

In my spare time I enjoy writing/recording my own music.

Phi Theta Kappa Hosts Third Annual “Bake for a Cure”

Genesee Community College’s chapter of Phi Theta Kappa National Honor Society hosted their third annual “Bake for a Cure” event this afternoon, Thursday October 17^th on campus. With the help of our members, the adviser and officer team set up a booth in the forum and sold tasty treats throughout the afternoon. Attracting hungry students and teachers alike, our annual bake sale was a huge success and we were able to raise well over $300! One hundred percent of the proceeds will be donated directly to Genesee Cancer Assistance, a local organization that provides aid for those affected by cancer and their loved ones.

Tasty treats in the forum!

In addition to our baked goods, we also sold raffle tickets for donated baskets and items. Our donated raffle items included gift cards, gift baskets, jewelry, and a beautiful pink ribbon quilt handmade by lung cancer survivor Deb Levinstein.

Handmade quilt donated by Deb Levinstein.

The raffle drawing will take place at our November lunch meeting and the winners will be contacted. Thank you to everyone who donated raffle items, baked items for the sale, helped set up, and volunteered their time to work at our booth. A special thanks goes out to everyone who participated to make this year’s event a success!

Genesee Community College Blog

1st hand experiences from GCC students!

Campus Life

Ryan Schmidt

Product of Opporunity

CV November Events

Veteran’s Day Salute!

October 30th

LIFE IN THE FASH LANE

Up Close with Donna Rae Sutherland

Business Networking at GCC

Get to Know the Resident Assistants (RA’s): Part 1

Phi Theta Kappa Hosts Third Annual “Bake for a Cure”

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