Tips for Driving in Winter

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Winter is coming! You will always want to be extra careful on the road. There’re these winter driving safety tips to avoid trouble on the road:

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  • Watch the weather. One way that drivers can limit their liability in the winter is to plan trips in relatively good weather. Be alert and stay up to date on changing weather and traffic reports in order to anticipate and avoid stormy roadways. New smartphones and tablets make this even easier with real-time wireless weather updates.
  • Slow down. A little more caution makes a lot of difference when roads are slick. Slowing down and driving on low-speed roads will help limit you potential for damage in a collision. Keeping more car lengths between vehicles gives you more time for any sudden stop too.
  • Know Your Extras. This is a big one for those driving newer, more tech-equipped vehicles: it’s critically important to understand how your safety features work. The biggest example? Anti-lock brakes. Where tapping brakes works for controlling skid in traditional braking, pumping ABS can be dangerous. Road safety experts and law enforcement professionals know that anti-lock brakes and other features are no substitute for safe stopping distances and reasonable speeds – and that goes for other high-tech features like traction control as well. Even some more traditional features of a vehicle can be confusing – for example, experts warn against using cruise control on slick roads.
  • Stock A Winter Emergency Kit. In the event that you do have to pull over during a major storm or find yourself with a broken-down vehicle, be prepared with a winter emergency kit. Recommended items include: a flashlight and batteries, hand-warmers, blankets, drinking water, shovel and ice scraper, jumper cables, and standalone emergency lights or flares.

 

All of these helpful driving tips can assist drivers in keeping themselves and others safe this winter. Hope you have a safe winter and nice holidays!

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What is Fashion?

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What is fashion?

Fashion is a ruffle, fashion is a crease. Fashion is for the head, fashion is for the feet. Fashion is denim, fashion is diamonds.

Fashion is safe.

Fashion is risk.

Fashion is reflection.

Fashion is vision.

From leather to lace, from sandals to stilettos, from art to music, fashion is…..everything.

Fashion is subjective and open to discussion.

I am happy to announce the theme for the 35th Annual GCC Fashion Show is Fashion is…

Fashion is… seems like a broad theme for the 35th Annual GCC Fashion Show, but fashion is broad and all encompassing.

Each scene will be called Fashion is… ________.

Each individual in charge of a scene has the ability to name the scene and showcase what fashion really means to that individual and how they interpret the theme.

We want the people of Western New York to think and have an understanding about the role of fashion in our culture. We want them to develop their own definitions of what fashion means to them, but we also want to show and educate them on what we think fashion is.

The GCC Fashion Program is excited to educate you on what fashion is on April 30th, 2016!

 

College Village’s 11th Annual Thanksgiving Feast

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Hey readers!

Next Tuesday (Nov. 24th) at 6:00 PM, College Village staff will be serving all of their 400+ residents Thanksgiving dinner! If you live at College Village, don’t miss out!

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College Village staff and all of the resident assistant will be cooking dishes to bring to the event. There will be turkey, potatoes, macaroni and cheese, vegetables, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, and pie! Yum. Each R.A. will season and cook a turkey (some for the first time) so there’s guaranteed to be at least 9 different turkeys, each with it’s own unique flavor. Last year was my first time cooking a turkey and it came out pretty yummy! I seasoned it with some flavors that my mother suggested, and made it my own by adding some of my favorite ingredients, like fresh rosemary and garlic. I plan on cooking the turkey the same way this year. I just hope my teachers allow me to run back and forth from class to C.V. every so often, like most of them did last year.

College Village has been serving Thanksgiving dinner to their residents for 10 years, and this year marks the 11th. It’s a good deed C.V. staff, including Assistant Director of Residential Life, Ellen Brokaw and the R.A.s really look forward to doing.

I am thankful to have the chance to pursue my goals, and to be in college. I know our country’s history isn’t squeaky clean but I’m thankful for the changes that have taken place over the years, and especially for the people that have paved the way me to be right where I am today.

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Wild Eastern Turkey

By the way, I didn’t take any of the photos in this post! 🙂

Until next time friends!

 

 

The Innovation Zone

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A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to go with the CEO Club to the Innovation Zone that is part of the GCEDC (Genesee County Economic Development Center), located across the street in the MedTech Building. In one of their state-of-the-art conference rooms, we meet with the Vice President of Business Development for the GCEDC, Christopher Suozzi. He gave us insight on what they do over at the Innovation Center, part of which is helping businesses get started. People who are looking to start up their company can come in with their business plans and learn how to take it from an idea to a reality. There is space in the Innovation Zone that new companies can use for meetings, video conferences, and workspace while they are looking for their own office space to start up. GCEDC also has land that they have already developed, complete with water lines, so that companies can come in and start to build their buildings and get to work quicker. Allowing multiple businesses to start in the same location creates an industrial park which, in turn, creates more job opportunities for people from Rochester to Buffalo. In summary, GCEDC entices companies to come and start their companies here by having land ready, being located in a convenient area ( between to major cities, Rochester and Buffalo) and by giving companies incentives and tax breaks for 10 years.

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Brian Bell was a guest speaker who also talked with us about being an entrepreneur and shared his own experiences as one. He is the Chief Executive Officer for First Wave Products Group, LLC. His company works on medical accounts; he said he listens to ideas that people or students have, discerns which are good, and helps get funding to make their idea possible. One of the things his company is responsible for is the “First Crush” which automatically turns pills into powder- He described it to us as a Keurig for pills. This idea came from an individual from the University at Buffalo.

When Brian talked to us about being an entrepreneur, he told us how everyone has ideas but it takes someone who is truly passionate about something to be able to execute that idea and turn it into something real. Then he and Chris turned it over to all of us in the club and asked if any of us had ideas or passions that we could turn into a business. Some of us shared our ideas of how we would take something that already exists and make it better for the environment. Some of us were working on creating something entirely new. Personally, I would like to open my own event planning company someday. Both Chris and Brian gave me advice on how to achieve my goal- they said that I should absorb as much experience as I could before opening my own business. That way, if I made a mistake, I would be able to learn from it for the future.

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My Visit To Rolling Hills Asylum

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Okay, a couple of weeks ago I was brave/foolish enough to visit Rolling Hills Asylum in East Bethany NY with some friends. It was SO much fun! Of course, channeling my inner ghost adventurer I went with an all black OOTD, because seriously what else would one wear when confronting the paranormal??!

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“Located between Buffalo and Rochester, Rolling Hills Asylum‘s enormous 53,000+ sq. ft. brick building sits on a knoll in the hamlet of E. Bethany, N.Y. and has been a popular destination for ghost hunters for many years. Opened on January 1, 1827 and originally named The Genesee County Poor Farm, it was created by Genesee County to house those eligible for assistance including paupers, habitual drunkards, lunatics, the blind, lame or otherwise handicapped, orphans, widows, vagrants, and even a murderer or two.” -Paranormal.about.com

The location also became a nursing home, and even served as a Tuberculosis hospital. Yeah, this place has been just about everything that could potentially be horrifically haunted….

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Don’t worry! We went in prepared, with some heavy duty Good Vibes spray from Crystal Cactus!

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My favorite room in the asylum is definitely that of Roy Crouse. Roy is a seven-foot tall “shadow man” and everybody’s favorite apparition at RHA. The poor man suffered from gigantism, which messes with the growth hormones. He lived out his life in Rolling Hills, after he was abandoned there because his prominent family considered him an embarrassment,  and died in 1942, almost seven and a half feet tall at the age of 52.image

The room contains a large bookcase because Roy prided himself on his cultivated intellect and taste, and loved to read.

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Now…. on to supernatural evidence we captured!!

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Ok, in this one there is LITERALLY an ORB in HER HAIR?!?!

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All of these pictures are completely unedited. In fact, we didn’t even look through them until after leaving the asylum.

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This is a picture of my friend Jenna reading the bedtime book “Goodnight Moon” out loud in a classroom within Rolling Hills. Just after I took this photo, the book flew out of her hands!! After that, she DID NOT want to go back to that room.

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When we did go back, however, this radio literally turned on by itself and started playing creepy talk radio laced with static.

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Now, in case you didn’t know, for a while Rolling Hills used to be operated as a craft and antiques store called Carriage Village. During this time it actually functioned as a “cute” Christmas attraction for families. Yeah, small children actually went inside and posed with Santa…creepy right?? Guess what, I was one of those children! Way back in the early 90’s, when my mom had absolutely no clue what the place was. So yeah, I was a Rolling Hills Asylum veteran. On that happy note, Happy Holidays everyone!!! Super pumped for Christmas!

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International Day for Tolerance

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The International Day for Tolerance is an annual observance declared by UNESCO in 1995 to generate public awareness of the dangers of intolerance. It is observed on November 16th.

Human-Rights

Bearing in mind that the United Nations Charter states: ‘We, the people of the United Nations determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, … to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, … and for these ends to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours’,

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Recalling that the Preamble to the Constitution of UNESCO, adopted on 16 November 1945, states that ‘peace, if it is not to fail, must be founded on the intellectual and moral solidarity of mankind’,

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Recalling also that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms that ‘Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion’,

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‘of opinion and expression’,

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and that education ‘should promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups’.

Alpha Epsilon Gamma Initiation!

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This post is a teeny bit late, but now I want to finally share with you some pictures of AEG  initiation day! Of course I can’t discuss any of the actual rituals (TOP SECRET), but I can show you just how lovely all the girls looked, our family shirts, and of course, the amazing food!!

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Here’s my little sister’s (biological and sorority) paddle! She did such a great job on it along with her Royal Family sister! My Sparkle Family paddle FINALLY came in the mail, so I can’t wait to decorate it with tons and tons of glitter!

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Sparkle Family colors! My gorgeous sister Angela, and lovely Big Emely.imageAnd now for the food! It was honestly to die for! Our fabulous sorority head, and Dean of Students Jennifer Newell went above and beyond, and really spoiled us! Thank you!!IMG_7848 Everything a non-meat-eater like me could wish for! Fruits and veggies for days!IMG_7862
And this amazing Mediterranean spread!IMG_7851Some delectable brie with a tart raspberry sauce! I’m making myself so hungry just thinking about it…IMG_7855
And one of my favorite flavored waters in the world, cucumber!!IMG_7858Okay, these things were amazing! Cute little individual grilled cheese sandwiches in a cup of tomato sauce!IMG_7854They were adorable! Not to mention nice and salty!IMG_7861  Group Picture!!IMG_7865I love my AEG family, and can’t wait to make lots of precious memories together! Initiation was such a blast! 

Starting at an Early Age

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Loving to meet and interact with individuals is how Fany Loughlin found her path in life. Mrs. Loughlin’s love of interacting with people came from going on missionary trips when she was a young girl. The missionary trips also fostered a love of travel, which can be showcased by the fact Fany is a Honduran immigrant who has been in this country for over fourteen years. Fanny is the owner of a home open to students as an alternatives to dorm living and a lot of international students take advantage of this wonderful opportunity for off campus housing. Mrs. Loughlin was invited by one of her tenants, Kaisei Sugawara, to come in to our Professional Sales to speak on Friday, November 6.

Fany grew up in a big family that was centered around a business environment. She started at a young age by selling leather key chains in order to make money because her dad told she had to start making her own money. The desire to succeed and make money pushed her into college for two years until she met her future husband, who was a member of the Peace Corps. She ended up moving to the states to be with her husband where she continued to work in business in various ways. In addition to being a landlady, Fanny is attending GCC to obtain a degree in international business. She is planning to become a buyer and act as a middleman between Chinese companies and South America. She would like to represent companies and help import products to South America.

The presentation was an engaging and story like presentation that the students learned various lessons in business and life.
• Learn a language- it connects with individuals and gives you an open mind.
• Want to make your customers/tenants comfortable.
• Use the internet to learn about the world.
• Learn how to interact with individuals.
• Learn what is needed for a job or task.
• Sell yourself all the time.
• Go into business early.
• Do the extra things because it shows.
• It’s ok to make mistakes.

Fany is a very good role model for students. She pushes herself to be a better student and individual in life. Fany is a mother of two, she takes seven classes a semester at GCC, knows three languages and teaches languages to others, and she is a member of Rotary and a leadership program at her church all while running her business! Fany demonstrates that you need to push yourself to become a better person in business and in life.

 Thank you Fany for a very inspiring and entertaining presentation!

Winter Courses at G.C.C.

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Genesee Community College is offering 13 courses for students to take over the winter. The courses are all online and vary in subject from Business Communications (BUS 106-66) to History of Rock and Roll: Blues and Beyond (MUS 203-66).

The Winterim term begins December 14th, which is 3 days after the last day of Fall classes. It lasts for 3 weeks and 4 days, ending on January 8th; eleven days before the first day of Spring classes.

ENG 101-66 : College Composition

mood-writingEnglish 101, a required course for graduation. Be prepared to do a lot of reading and reflective writing. If you haven’t taken this course yet, you have the opportunity to take it over the winter break.

HIS 105-66 : Western Tradition 2

This is actually a course I’m taking right now. In this class youfranklin can expect to learn about European and American history. Some historical periods we’ve covered in class were the Reformation, the Glorious Revolution, the Enlightenment, the Great Awakening, and the American Revolution. We’re covering the French Revolution now. I find it to be an interesting and enlightening course and you take it over the winter if you’d like.

CIN 242-66 : Female Role in Film

2381-anne-hathaway-widescreenIf you need to fulfill a humanities credit, this course is an option for you. Students will study film from the 1920’s to present day. Analyzing how women have been depicted in film, and how that depiction has changed over time. Sounds interesting!

MUS 203-66 : History of Rock and Roll: Blues & Beyond
When I read this course title I hear the guitar part to “Carry on RedElectricGuitarMy Wayward Son” by Kansas. I know it’s way before my time, but Rock Band featured it their video game! This course sound engaging and delightful. It fulfills a humanities credit as well.

MET-101-66 : Introduction to Meteorology

Are you interested in tornadoes and thunder storms? Taking this class will teach you how the weather works. If your in love with p18026_p_v8_abnatural phenomena, or aspire to be a weather man or woman, you can take this course over the Winterim term.

Korean Beauty Secrets

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At long last I finally hold in my hands, Korean Beauty Secrets: A Practical Guide To Cutting-Edge Skincare and Makeup! This K-beauty bible is the combined work of fabulous skincare bloggers, Kerry Thompson (Skin&Tonics), and Coco Park (TheBeautyWolf.) I feel as though I’m holding gold.This book is the perfect gateway into complete and total submersion in the trendsetting culture of Korean beauty.

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“Western cosmetic companies have been looking to Asia for product inspiration for years. The most obvious example of this is in BB creams, which took the North American market by storm in 2012. BB creams had already been a staple in the Korean market since 2005, and enjoyed soaring popularity thanks to the numerous celebrity endorsements they received. Since the rise of BB cream, Korean beauty products have received increasingly more visibility in Western media, and there are more people than ever embracing the skincare and makeup offerings brought to us from South Korea. It’s not hard to understand why: there is a lot to love about them.” -Kerry & Coco

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The book is separated into easy to navigate sections: Korean Beauty Culture, Korean Skincare, Korean Makeup, and Additional Resources. Each of these sections contains multiple subcategories, so you know just where to look to quickly find the information you’re searching for. Everything is broken down by skin type, skin concerns, and skin pigmentation,so identifying which products and regimens are suited to you, is a breeze!

I bet some of you didn’t know that snail secretion, and horse oil can do wonders for your skin. Don’t believe me? Well read the book and find out!oimg_GC07823427_CA07823542

This book even includes example skincare routines from some top Korean beauty bloggers! They give invaluable insight into which products are their favorites, and why you should love them too!

Including a section on how to achieve different popular makeup looks was such a great touch as well! From Aegyo Sal, to gradient lips, Kerry and Coco provide a user friendly tutorial on it all.Etude-080315

This book was everything I had hoped for and more, and WELL worth the wait! From beginners to K-beauty veterans, this book provides useful content for all.