Excuse me, I’m allergic to math.

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Hey it’s Kiley talking about math and testing-

I don’t know about you but, I get an adrenalin rush every time I take an exam. The silence in the room is deafening to my ears. The tension the pencil gives my cramped hand is almost as annoying as a buzzing fly in a quiet room. To be honest, sitting still and racking my brain is torture to my soul. I wish I could be as cool as a cucumber, instead of a nail biting neurotic mess.

Every teaching style is different; therefore it’s important to understand your teacher’s expectations. Every teacher is a different puzzle, metaphorically speaking, each with its own vision or objective. I try to piece it together by observing and studying the homework questions and asking questions about topics I do not understand, but STATS is an impossible maze I can’t get through.

The worst thing for me is my attention span. In a quiet room I notice the most obscure habits of people. The girl chewing her gum could be confused as a cow, the moment I’m in that test setting. Sometimes I can’t help myself from being distracted by mundane observations. The boy blowing his nose sounds like a foghorn, I find myself chuckling. This is frowned upon, of course, by the instructor, but what is an ADD inflicted soul to do?

I am either hyped for a test or a basket case. I try to meditate beforehand in order to regain my composure during tests. I am sick of being the foot tapping, nail biting madwoman. Sometimes I start to feel like my calling is to step dance. This test inflicted habit not amusing, but embarrassing for me. To think I can just take time to simply take a breath is relaxing enough and soothes my test anxiety. I have always heard that clock tick and this would speed up my heart rate and anxiety. So I must go take this test I have been dreading, latter days.

Where’s the soul?

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Hey it’s Kiley giving a Blood Brothers update:

I rushed to get to school after visiting Medaille, I was on a tight schedule, and I had to get to rehearsal. I got there a little early, to my relief. Scenes were blocked and rehearsed. The deal is you can look at the script when blocking, but after that it must be stone cold memorized with appropriate inner subtext. I am glad Norm, an English professor, here at GCC, is burning the cast a dialect cds because dialect is something I have struggled with. Our group as a whole has a lot of work to do sooner rather than later.

Working on a show, if not careful can drain and discourage, but one must motive themselves and support others in order to have the best show. Maryanne Arena, our director, is tough on her actors sometimes, but this is because she wants the best. To get the best sometimes you have to push it out of people. Being in a couple of her shows I have learned to trust her judgment and her passionate tactics to get her actors to take two steps forward instead of two steps back.

This was the first full rehearsal, with her, and she made a cast member cry. I’ve noticed in each show I’ve done there’s always that one person that breaks down. Having a director that will be honest and motivate their cast is ideal. It shows they really care and wants what’s best for the show. This was a hard night, but I’m using the constructive criticism to push me to greater heights.

 

 

“When people do not respect us we are sharply offended; yet deep down in his heart no man much respects himself.”  —Mark Twain

Medaille.

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Hey it’s Kiley giving a college update:

So yesterday, I went to visit Medaille College after my intense acting class. When arriving on campus the first thing that came into my head was: small. The next thought: why is there no parking? It reminded me of the Catholic High School in my town:  brick exterior-prison-like yellowing walls that were once (in a former time) white, students acting like they were in a playground rather than a learning institution, and floors that had the burden of heavy feet on a routine basis.

I met with the head of communications, Lisa Marsherall, who really impressed me with her passion and knowledge. She described her students as “her kids”, which I found to be really endearing. One of the reasons, I looked into this College because my former Communications Professor, Val Bello, who was one of the people who inspired me to change my major to Communications, had formally went there. The funny part is, I bumped into her during my tour of the campus.

It may be small, but it has that inner community heart that many people search for in a school. The layout is simple, you could never get lost. I was shocked to think a school could be smaller than GCC, have less parking, and less advanced radio station/ TV studio. The grass is not always greener on the other side. This College would give me room to grow in my skills with its community charm and an expectation of three internships. The location is ideal. I also, may get a bundle financially-who wants to be in dept.

A note on campus tours. Listen up; I understand showing the entire campus when it is a large group, but when there is two people have an objective. Simply ask-what is your major, do you play sports, and what are some clubs you’re involved in? Those are right on the money of what people care about seeing. You can’t forget about food and the bookstore-typical tour staples. The point is don’t waste peoples time with fluff give people peanut butter, it’s better for you anyway.

“Blessed are those that can give without remembering and
receive without forgetting.”

— Elizabeth Bibesco

Canisus.

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Hey it’s Kiley!

Last Tuesday, I went on a campus visit to Canisus College. I wanted to get the overall feel of the school.To do this, I planed in advance to talk to the head of the communications program,  and Admissions.I wanted more then what their brochures had to offer. College isn’t always the yellow ribbon-clear cut picture Admissions often has you believe. I went to investigate, to see for myself.

I realy liked the layout of the Campus. The buildings were easy to negotiate and visually appealing inside. The College is in the heart of urban Buffalo area. I am really sick of going to school in a rural area, sure it’s pretty-I get that-but after awhile it gets old. I wanna be somewhere with blinding city lights.I like the internship possibilities Canisius has to offer including:

  • “Good Morning America,” NYC
  • Shea’s Performing Arts Center

I took a gander at their College newspaper THE GRIFFEN. I was left impressed and intrigued by students interesting and creative news articles. I made sure to go into their Theatre, which I was excited to find out that productions aren’t major restricted. This was a plus in my book.I just love the fact that this is a Liberal Arts school, it’s a breath of fresh air. I took a look at their all- college honers program and it’s extremely impressive. I think I would enjoy being a part of this. At GCC I’m a part of the Honers program and I enjoy the challenge.

The Anchor Bar

Famous for their Buffalo Wings this restaurant is great for any pop cultural buff or wings enthusiast. It claims it is the original home to the Buffalo wings and I had to check this place out. I was overall pleased with my buffalo chicken sandwich delish pineapple drink.

“What we play is life” Louis Armstrong


In The Blood:Not every good story has a happy ending.

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Hey it’s Kiley and today I’m  going to talk about proper audience etiquette, volunteer opportunities, and the tragic play In The Blood.

The truth is audience members behavior have an effect on the performances of the actors and actresses.

Here are some don’t s:

  • Don’t smoke:this should be common sense, but trust me there’s always that one person.
  • Don’t be “that guy”. You know the fool that leaves their phone on exposing their embarrassing ring-tone of some cheesy or bubble gum pop song. Trust me the other audience members will indeed roll their eyes.
  • Don’t pop your gum.
  • Don’t bring food.
  • Don’t sing along.
  • Don’t wear the largest hat you own. Just don’t wear a hat at all.
  • Don’t side-talk. Who knows a parent or friend of a performer could be behind you.
  • Don’t fall asleep. That’s just rude.

Here’s what you should do:

  • Turn off your cell phone. Keeping it on disrupts the sound quality of the mics.
  • Have tissues and cough drops ready.
  • If in doubt, ask the usher.
  • Come early.
  • Be an active listener.
  • Clap even if you hate it. These performers deserve respect, even if they don’t meet your high expectations.

Volunteering

I ushered for In The Blood: Thursday and Friday. It’s great that I can get Honors volunteer hours by volunteering in something that interests me.If you would like to volunteer in the future contact Ann Winters. Keep in mind the blood drive is coming up!


IN THE BLOOD

This play is not your typical screwball/ slapstick comedy.This show leads the audience to a dark place that many dare not think about. This is not a show with a yellow ribbon ending. This play is real grit: it’s life. This show does not allow the audience to escape from their troubles, but to think not just individualistically. To think about others who have it worse off then yourself and give back.Our individualistic society is full of me,me,me and are often stuck in their safe one view perspective. This shows purpose was to open the audiences mind to something personal and uncomfortable that is happening across the globe.This show is not placed at a linear time-frame (in order sequence of events) it is non linear meaning it jumps around. The audience must be aware of this and follow the visual and verbal cues:staying engaged to the unfolding story.This play set in New Orland’s post Katrina. This is a great setting because people have seen the devastating affects of this natural disaster through the news and other multimedia. This is a story of a woman and her family’s  day by day struggle to survive against all odds. Facing scrutinizing characters and the wrath of their judgment by every poor choice.These characters in their confession show their own true ugliness and hidden skeletons. These confessions parallel reality TV and how it is in-bedded in our culture.This play gives social commentary on the subjects of homelessness and mental illness. Too many times you hear people say, “they” should help themselves or  it’s “they’re” fault for getting themselves in the situation.  Is this kill or be killed Darwinist society we live in.Who is “they”. I feel like many people just turn people in need shadowy and faceless-almost dehumanizing them. Does being poor and unsuccessful make you a “bad” person? Of course not, but some people ignorantly shy away because of this.  When do you feel a person deserves help? Could you ideally watch someone hit rock bottom without reaching a hand? Did you ever think of how and why this person got into the financial struggle? What would your breaking point be? This play leads the audience to question society and their efforts in these issues.  The acting was very believable and I felt as an audience member I was looking in on the inner tragic world of this woman’s life. The modern dance in the beginning was the prologue that visually depicted the story from start to finish.The cast put six mounts of work into this show and deserve respect for their efforts. The cast and crew should be proud of the phenomenal job they did!


“Sometimes when you sacrifice something precious, you’re not
really losing it. You’re just passing it on to someone else.”

— Mitch Albom

Is not Wasting any time.

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Hey this is Kiley giving you the daily scoop.

This semester I am taking seven classes. I have considered my schedule and have made a few adjustments to fit my schedules needs. I was originally casted in the children’s show, but declined due to my obligations.  I also, decided resign my position as Senator in Student Government. I look forward to seeing the show and anticipate some changes Student Government may advocate.

This brings me to my next topic: priorities. It’s important to set small and long term goals in the beginning of the semester in order to be successful. This semester it’s vital to make time for meaty subjects and use the resources I have that is why I am going to go to the tutoring center for my Statistic class. I have never been great at math and this is my first college math course. Graduation is in my sights: I will come out on top. I encourage all students who struggle in math, like me, to use this service.This center is located on the 3rd floor D-360. It is open Monday-Friday’s between 8:30-4:30. This service is free and drop in’s are welcomed!

Blood Brother’s UPDATE:

I have been working hard during my vocal rehearsals to sing correctly and achieve the objective in each of my songs and learning chorus numbers for the days I will not perform as Mrs. Johnstone.The cast has bonded and is working hard on learning their notes and music.   I am excited to start rehearsing next week.

 

 

 

“We can secure other people’s approval, if we do right and try hard; but our own is worth a hundred of it.”  ––Mark Twain

GASLAND: A Real Eye-Opener

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Hey it’s Kiley!

I took the time out to view a showing of GASLAND on January 27th during common hour. I was shocked and disturbed by this documentary and I recommend if you haven’t seen this controversial flick: Netflix it! Have you heard about ‘hydrofracking’ happening across the United States and  did you know New York State may be the next target? Just think: on a day to day basis how much water do you use in one day. To brush your teeth, cook, laundry, shower, and as simple as getting a glass of water to quench your thirst from your tap. What if your water was not clear, made you sick, and flammable: would you drink it? This documentary shares the personal  stories of people across the United States that are inadvertently effected by gas drilling. Should these people be forced off their land due to living conditions that effect their health negatively? Should these drilling gas companies be held accountable for these people’s lives they have effected? I do not have these answers I only pose that you research, educate yourself on this issue and make sure drilling does not happen in NYS.

Want to know more?

Check out this interactive website.

www.gaslandthemovie.com/

 

In my Introduction to acting course my class was encouraged to watch movies that we would normally  not watch due to feeling uncomfortable or due to lack of interest.I am currently taking a Popular Cinema course  and the genre is by far not my favorite. We started watching Westerns. I can say honestly that Westerns make me fall asleep. I am sick to death of the typical John Wayne movie. We have watched High Noon and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, so far. I find myself enjoying this genre as it has evolved with society.In High Noon  the two women (which create a dramatic foil on one another) are significantly stronger female roles then this genre is used to. I enjoy the major themes in the evolving Western, which is shown in both these movies.

 

“Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It’s
not something you learn in school. But if you haven’t learned
the meaning of the friendship, you really haven’t learned
anything.”

— Muhammad Ali

Genesee cafeteria

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Hey Ebony here

While being in Genesee Community College I’ve noticed that the cafeteria does not have enough healthy food choices, I’m pretty sure other people have noticed that as well. I am extremely big on eating healthy and physical appearance. This morning I went into the cafeteria to get breakfast at 10am, and they were already serving lunch. I was kind of upset because the only choices I had were greasy hamburgers, French fries, grilled chicken and chicken fingers. I was told that they had ran out of breakfast, that was hard to believe; But, what was funny is that they normally start lunch at 10am. I think that’s just a way for them to make more money early    because lunch is much more expensive compared to breakfast. I looked around tried to find a banana or something of my taste but sadly I couldn’t find it. There’s a little section with cut up fruits like cantaloupe, strawberries, and pineapples, where you can make a small fruit bowl, but the last time I ate fruit from there I wasn’t pleased. I just hope the cafeteria come up with a different variety of foods.

I just don’t understand how all around the school there is something promoting health and physical activity, but the cafeteria isn’t. WE ARE WHAT WE EAT and people tend to forget that. It’s very unhealthy to eat chicken fingers and cheese fries every day. Sometimes when I eat something unhealthy or too heavy I don’t feel as active as I would if I had made a healthier choice. When I eat from the cafeteria I normally get a spinach chicken wrap with lettuce and tomatoes or a turkey and Swiss cheese sandwich on wheat bread, and wash it down with water or a V8.

I’m not saying that I make super healthy choices all the time, but we should make healthy choices 80% of the time. It’s important that people make more smart and healthy choices. Instead of eating a piece of cake or cookies, substitute that with a banana or trail mix.

Check out the website people that shows how to make healthy food choices.

http://ahealthylifestyleworks.com/archives/1217

SAY NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

SAY YESSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!

IF YOU EAT GOOD, YOU’LL FEEL GOOD.

Another piece of advice, drink tons of water and EXERCISE, EXERCISE,EXERCISE.


updates

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Hey Ebony here giving you some updates

The Bake sale for the African-American Student Union club went well. We raised $77.95 and sold out on most of the cookies and cup cakes. The leadership amongst the group is coming together well. Also The auditions for the “intense” dance group turned out to be a success, more people showed up then we expected.

This semester seems to be a little bit more interesting than last. A lot more is going on, and a lot more activities will happen.

Our Next dance Rehearsal is Monday Jan-31-2011 in the forum, and the next African-American club meeting is Tuesday’s in room B356 @1230.

More updates coming soon.

Me as I blog 🙂

New year, Fresh start.

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Hey Ebony Reece Here

Back to our regular scheduled programming.

Now it’s time to get back to class, open those books, and study hard. Winter break is over and we are now into the spring semester. I am on a role this semester with six courses, working, blogging, taking on leadership and presidency roles in 3 clubs, and planning multiple events. What a load!! but I am up for the challenge. I’m a person who seems to get bored easily, so it’s important that I have a lot of things going on all at once to keep me occupied and focused. It’s a new year and everyday is a fresh start. with a new single dorm room, new roommates, and new group of friends everything seems to be working out good so far.

My friend Antoine Brown and I are starting a co-ed Hip hop dance group called “INTENSE“. On Wednesday Jan-26th-2011 we are holding auditions in the forum for any one who wants to try out from 6-9pm. We came up with a hot routine and we are excited to see how things turn out.

Antoine and I having fun with the camera 😉

With the African American Student union club we are having a bake sale tomorrow Jan- 25th-2011 during common hour by the cafeteria closer to the forum.

SHAG (Student Health Awareness Group) is another club in which I’am taking a leadership role in.We are planning a Grammy Award Ceremony that recognizes great talent and academics amongst students, which should be held in April.We have a lot planned this semester.