Up until these past few weeks, I wasn’t familiar with the parts of Batavia that are closer to me than Walmart is. GCC is located on the east side of Batavia and Walmart is on the west. Every week a bus comes to take students living on campus to stores on the west side of Batavia. No one really shows us around the local neighborhood. But this summer I have been exploring by bike and yesterday a friend drove me to around to see some stores and places close by. It was like going on a field trip! Now I have a better mental image of where things are in Batavia and a list of nearby must see and useful places for anyone who feels stranded on the GCC and College Village campus.

1. Harrington’s: “Kitty corner from ArrowMart,” this store is run by the Harrington family, who owns a farm and sells fresh produce. There you can buy a variety of necessities and treats like fruits, vegetables, eggs, milk, honey, cookies, cheese, pickles, flowers etc. They also have a small café that sells soup, salad, and paninis. I met Dianne Harrington, the owner of Harrington’s, and she is a sweet hardworking, modest woman.
2. Lickity Splits: This is an ice cream shop close to GCC that serves Perry’s Ice Cream. You can buy two scoops of ice cream on a cone for just $3. My favorite flavor from here is Mint Chocolate Chip.
3. Blondies: This is an ice cream shop on Route 5. It’s also close to GCC. They have Hershey’s Premium ice cream flavors like Outrageous Oatmeal (YUM) for low prices!
4. Horseshoe Lake: This is a beautiful lake that’s within walking distance from the college dorms. It is a private lake but if one or two people go walking around it on the quiet roadways, it shouldn’t be a problem.
5. DeWitt Park: A recreation area right behind Blondies, that surrounds a lake. There is a walking trail that goes around the lake, and fishing opportunities.
6. ALDI: An affordable food market. This store is a bit too far to walk to but a perfect biking distance. ALDI is a great place to shop for food on a budget, which most college students appreciate.

Stay tuned!

Walking around outside with my camera is something I love doing in my free time.  It’s a way for me to escape the pressures of work and fall into adventure. It also gives me time to recharge my social meter. Although I’m from the city, I’m no social butterfly. And I don’t know about you, but I don’t like being in crowded places unless I’m with a friend or two. In NYC you’re in a crowd of strangers on a daily basis. You could be on the train or standing in line at a café, and all of a sudden you’re trying to avoid eye contact with someone. That’s why I really appreciate living upstate. There are plenty of open fields for you to run through and scream in if you want to.

This past Father’s Day, God called me out on a stroll. I visited the meadow by the G.C.C.’s Nature Trail, where the Phi Theta Kappa bench sits, and the blackberry tree stands. I had a lens attached to my camera that could zoom out really far because I wanted to see a deer! But none pranced out as soon as I arrived so instead I enjoyed the little things. Like the blackberry tree, it looked magnificently out of place with bright red and purple beads of juice. I plucked the darkest looking one I could find and popped it in my mouth. So sweet!

I then noticed a pretty cool looking birdhouse near the edges of the woods. G.C.C. has tons of birdhouses around the campus. Have you ever spotted one? They’re here thanks to Joe Lullo, an Eagle Scout who donated his time to building them five years ago. (Thanks Joe!) But as I approached the birdhouse, I heard

alarms go off. The gentle and almost unnoticeable chirping of the birds became sharper and louder. I knew then that I was being watched, and that all of the hidden animals were being warned of my presence. I made fluid and natural movements from there on out, nothing jerky or threatening. I relaxed and took the pictures you see posted here.

Before heading back home, without having seen a deer, I revisited the blackberry tree and decided to tear off a hand-sized branch for my roommates. The branches of the tree hung low to the ground, and I was underneath them as they canopied over. While enjoying another berry, I heard a little scratching noise behind me so I peered over my shoulder. There was a squirrel in the tree, not too far from where I stood. And if he wanted to run along the branch and jump on me he could have done it in seconds. While I was trying to see if that’s what he intended to do, he got closer. So I turned on one foot, ducked out from under the branches, and dashed a few feet away from the tree. And that was how my little adventure ended.

After heading back home and sharing blackberries with my roommates, I got an appetite for more fruit. A friend of mine told me about a fresh foods market within walking distance from the dorms. I’ll be writing about it after we take a visit, so stay tuned for the next blog!

Hello everyone!

My name is Iesha DeLesline.  I am a 25 year old sophomore who comes from the Bronx, N.Y. My goal is to become a dentist and my major is general studies. After graduating, I’ll be transferring into Brockport University’s pre-dental program. I am also a resident assistant at College Village and a member of GCC’s Christian Dance Club, P.A.T.H.S.!

When I was 18, I went to Borough of Manhattan Community College but found out that I wasn’t ready for school. My maturity wasn’t where it needed to be, and I wasn’t sure of what I wanted to do in life.

King’s County Hospital

Later on I joined a dental assisting program and I enjoyed learning about the oral cavity and dental procedures. When I began working at King’s County Hospital Center in Brooklyn, I met young dentists who were fresh out of dental school. We got along great and appreciated each other’s enthusiasm for dentistry. They helped me learn more, and encouraged me when I told them I was thinking about becoming a dentist. They made a big impact on my life.

I’m excited to be your new blogger! Stay tuned to learn what someone from New York City likes to do in Batavia!

Hello, my name is Caroline Leake and #iamGCC.

I started attending GCC as a freshmen in August 2012. I had previously graduated from a local high school, 30 minutes from GCC’s Batavia Campus, in June of 2012. I came to GCC because it was close to home. Also, I wasn’t 100% sure what I wanted to study. In January of 2014 I declared a major in Human Services. On May 17^th 2015, I will be graduating with an Associates in Applied Science in Human Services.

My best experience at GCC would have to be my job as a work study in the Admissions Office. But this is not the only awesome experience that I’ve had at GCC. I also have loved having great professors that are willing to help you. Additionally, the professors have, or still are, working in their career; they know what they are talking about. They use their experience as a great aid, which makes a great learning environment for students.

A word of advice to those who looking into going to college. Don’t underestimate yourself. If you do underestimate yourself, you may fail. Take your college career one day at a time and do all you can to stay organized.

This semester I had classes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9am till 3pm. Then on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s I had class from 9am till Noon. I squeezed in an internship and my job in between my classes. Along with non-school related activities, including kids group at church and doing things I enjoyed.

I hope in the future that I am doing something I love. At some point I would like to go back to school to get further education in a specific area of the Human Services field.

Upon Graduation from GCC, I will be attending Word Of Life Bible Institute in the fall. But GCC will forever be in my heart and has given me a great building block to build the rest of my education on. I cannot even imagine where my life would be now if I hadn’t attended GCC.