GCC

Transformation.

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Hey it’s Kiley giving advice and suggesting  leisure activities!

The semester is finally over and the grades are in!

I took six classes this semester and my goal for next semester is to procrastinate less.  Sometimes I felt a mix of being overwhelmed and this fueled anxiety due to my structured procrastination. I would mix my priorities up and do everything, but my important tasks. Large tasks should be broken down, instead of being taken on all at once. I received three A’s a B and two C’s. This was a tough semester and I feel that the shift in my grades were due to a mix of burn-out due to four summer classes and procrastination. My overall average went from a 3.57 to a 3.44. This effects my ability be in the Honors Program another semester and PTK. This may also effect certain competitive scholarships for  next fall. I am disappointed in myself, but I will learn from my mistakes.These  obstacles do not make me any weaker of a person. I will rise above and achieve success for next semester.  Life does not always go as planed and sometimes people have to roll with the punches of life. I am my biggest critic at times, but am proud of the accomplishments I have made this semester.  Though perfection is ideal it is almost impossible to execute.

 

Must see movies and TV Shows:

Black Swan- disturbingly beautiful

Snatch

Iron Man 2

ROME-HBO show

Bored to Death-HBO show

 

Local Restaurants-

Red Coach Inn-A bit pricey, but overall delish. The bread was stale, but it came with 3 different dipping (butter, strawberry butter, and vinaigrette oil) I had a succulent scallop bisque and pecan sauced salmon. The veggies on the side were frozen, this was a turn off.The potatoes were crisped with a satisfying crunch.  I enjoyed red velvet cake, the presentation was beautiful.

Froghair-A very interesting concept for a restaurant. The atmosphere was a modern mix of virtual golf, sports TVs, and a antique romantic feel. Instead of bread this place offered pretzel sticks with mustard. This sets this restaurant apart from the majority of restaurants serving bread.I had the signature lobster bisque, truly divine. I do not normally eat burgers, but I had to try the Kobe beef burger with truffle french fries and dill mashed potatoes. Kobe beef cows are meat from  pampered cows in Japan. I prefer to eat that rather then the cheaper burger-full of hormones. I had a well done burger and it was  by far was the best burger I have ever had. I recommend this restaurant!!!!

 

The Froghair

 

Happy Holiday’s!

Encore2010!

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December 15 2010

This elegant evening was held  here at GCC! This event was hosted by the Genesee Community College scholarship foundation. I had the opportunity to represent Student Government as a senator.If interested in joining please feel free to stop by the SGA office located in the Student Union.The start of the next semester of SGA will begin  a recycling effort around the campus. If you are a supporter of being green please feel free to join our cause and share your ideas!  I was happy to see that GCC  theatre students volunteering for this exquisite event, full of enthusiasm and sophistication. The night began with a cheese and wine tasting. Guests were welcomed by the GCC family with open arms. AVI food service served a scrumptious meal. It was a serve yourself style with a variety of food that any food pallet would enjoy. The employees were very prompt and professional. The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra performed a mix of holiday selections. The audience members were filled with the holiday spirit by this beautiful music. Emily Hellenbrook ,a 16 year old “vocal prodigy” , gave a great performance on several songs. Viewing performances always inspires me to dream big and create my own versions of artistic expression. Holiday performances keep the magic and spirit of the season alive! Art promotes critical thinking skills and  creates change in our society.

Encore Photos

 

“What I am looking for is not out there, it is in me.”

— Helen Keller

What does “SUCCESS” mean to you?

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Hey Ebony here stating her opinion.

We live in a world where we are judge by our success through other people. Society tell us how to live our lives, and tells us what we need to do in order to be titled as “SUCCESSFUL”. Many people may feel unsuccessful because they have not met society’s standards.

What do you hear all the time? “Make sure you go to college to get an education, a good job, and be successful”, do we really have to go to college to be successful? Do we really have to pay other people to measure how smart we are?

There are a lot of people who attended college and have gotten their bachelors, masters, and/or PhDs but do not have anything to show for it other than thousands of dollars worth of loans they have to pay back. While there are some people who never went to school and have all the qualifications and required knowledge, but do not have that stamped paper to prove it.

I do not have anything against college because obviously I’m here. I am here because I WANT TO BE and I feel I should be here to satisfy myself and my own needs, not others. Many of my friends and I have these group discussion about the measurement of success all the time. Some of them aren’t happy, some say they are here because their friends are in college, or their parents made them, and some just say “I don’t know”.

We should measure our own level of success and not let other people create our lives. Some people don’t really know the real reason why they go to school. Maybe it makes them feel bigger and better than the people who do not have a diploma.

How do you measure your level of success?

Some people can measure their level of success by

  • Getting a B+ on an exam
  • Spending time with their families
  • Being a stay at home mom or dad
  • Graduating high school
  • Getting a college degree
  • Finishing a project that has been sitting on their desk for years
  • Doing volunteer work and helping other people
  • Buying a house or a new car
  • Paying off debt

My bottom line is live up to your own expectations; do not let other people tell you how to live your life and measure your level of success for you. Ask yourself “AM I SATISFIED?”

What do you think and what makes you feel successful?

Would you Kill your bunny for your lipstick?

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Hey it’s Kiley and today I’m here to inform you on a hot issue:

I have recently purchased an eyeshadow palette online from BH Cosmetics, I happily read that these beauty products were not tested on animals. My favorite make-up brand, URBAN DECAY, is not only a cruelty-free company, but also has a vegan make-up line. I think it’s important to spend money on quality products that advocate cruelty-free products.

Animal testing specifically  in cosmetic products is a horrifying truth that is swept under the rug.The truth is many beauty products kill to guarantee greater satisfaction to their customers. Helpless bunny rabbits suffer every year in labs just to ensure that a women’s canvas skin or eyes will not irritate when using cosmetics. Are these animals dieing in vain,or rather for people who have vain. If the consequence is pain to a gentle creature shouldn’t we search for alternative methods or stick with ingredients that we know are safe. Is it human nature to exploit the weak? This is why I choose products that are cruelty-free. I experienced firsthand the democratization of information by researching products that do test on animals. Their are several claims that that L’OREAL and Procter and Gamble products like CoverGirl, Max Factor, and Physique. I search the websites and eventually decided to call both companies to receive the information I desired. L’OREAL claimed they, “would send me information concerning use of animal testing in the mail”. Procter and Gamble said they would send me an email and claimed their absolute finished product is not tested on animals. People deserve to be aware if products are tested or not because this issue extends to morals and ethical issues.

Products that don’t test on animals:

URBAN DECAY

Alima Cosmetics, Inc

ALMAY

Avon products

BARE ESCENTIALS

Bath and Body works

Bobbi Brown

To name a few!



Stop animal tests!

“You can take from every experience what it has to offer you.
And you cannot be defeated if you just keep taking one breath
followed by another.”

— Oprah Winfrey

Tis’ The Season.

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Hey it’s been a tick too long! I changed my hair and at first it was fluorescent orange, but thankfully it has calmed down. This year I’ve learned to not sweat the small stuff, even if the mistake costs you $115.

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This Thanksgiving was unlike any I’ve experienced. I embraced a Puerto Rican Thanksgiving. This was a bit of a culture shock. The celebration was filled with people switching from Spanish to English, a language barrier. The entertainment was Spanish television. Their was common ground however, delish food and wonderful loving people to share it with. Picture this: rice and gandules, pasteles, stuffed turkey, seafood salad, coquito(coconut holiday drink), and flan and pumpkin flan. A wonderful arrangement of traditional ethnic foods with a pinch of America sealed at the seams.You could say that this was a bit of a non-conventional holiday for me, but it proved to be a great learning experience. Every culture embodies different value systems, languages, and non-verbal communication styles. It’s a persons job to break through these barriers or differences and find common ground. People must learn,embrace, and grow from new perspectives. To do this one must overcome challenges and obstacles in order to effectively communicate. Many individuals give up stating they feel “uncomfortable” or “lack the patience”. I encourage you to go out of your way to explore a world beyond that “safe bubble”. My father and I are planing a trip to Puerto Rico after graduation, this will be an adventure I will not forget.Do you have a future trip or unusual holiday experience to share?

I latter had the traditional Conklin celebration. The best part of my voyage home was seeing my grams.She made me the most delicious coconut cream pie! My grams has passed down much of her wisdom to me and I am truly blessed to be able to spend the holiday with her. My sister and her-soon-to-be- husband gave me a fab awaited birthday gift. Traditions are often overlooked or taken for granted, but this year was different for me. It made me realize holidays weren’t always rushed, materialistic, and hassles.  If spent with the right people they could be bliss.Holiday’s I enjoy are filled with laughter and stories of both the good and bad times.These memories have made my family an interesting bunch.  What are some of your family traditions?

“Spend eighty percent of your time focusing on the
opportunities of tomorrow rather than the problems of
yesterday.”

— Brian Tracy

The End is Near

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Wow, the end is near and so many things has happened. I’ve met a lot of new people, had some great experiences and some bad, however I’ve learned a lot a long the way.

Now it’s time to go home for thanksgiving. Then it will be time to go home for winter recess, and before you know it, we are going to be starting a whole new semester.

This was actually an interesting semester for me; I was more involved than I would normally be in school.  I’ve surrounded myself around fun, energetic, goal oriented, and intelligent people. I’ve stood out as a leader, and tried to bring forth unity on campus.

Working in MarCom (marketing/communication) taught me a lot, and allowed me to show off my communicative competence. I’m also happy to be apart of this wonderful blog, and work with such wonderful people.

we all LEARN TO GROW and GROW TO LEARN!

WGCC celebrating 25 years and I 20!

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wgcc

WGCC facebook

ROCKFEST

NOVEMBER 5TH

SAVE COLLEGE RADIO!

This was a great experience to be a part of! The bands included MC CHRIS, SCHAFFER THE DARKLORD, and JAMES KURDZIEL. The turnout was 150 people which is respectable. MC Chris was on on of my favorite shows C-LAB 2021 and Aqua Teen Hunger Force.I was simply awestruck. I think it’s great that GCC is supporting college radio. I had a lot of fun helping out and watching the show. It was awesome to see some CAB members also helping out at the show.

November 13th-

Wine On Third

The Giacomo

Village Bake Shoppe

D\’Avolio


WGCC AND MY BIRTHDAY!

My birthday weekend was lots of fun. I stated by waking up early and catching the sunrise. I am starting to fall in love with the Niagara Falls area, which is in the area of the school I’m looking at: Niagara University. I stayed at The Giacomo, which is wonderful, I may add. I highly recommend staying at this luxurious hotel.My sleep was sound and comfy and the breakfast was delish. So what was cookin’ in Niagara Falls, you ask?I ate some tapas (small plates) at Wine on Third and also a new Thai restaurant Mii. Both great and wonderful service. I had the best desert at Wine on Third and they even lit a candle for my birthday. These restaurants are defiantly worth checking out. I strongly suggest getting the breaded truffle mac and cheese and Lamb lollipops at Wine on Third. The sweet rice at Mii is all the buzz in my opinion.This was defiantly a birthday to remember! I went to my favorite historical town:Lewiston.  I went to the Village Bake Shoppe and bought an almond joy bar and the best cake I have ever had in my life. I also went to D’ Avolio and bought a dark chocolate balsamic vinegar to put on top of my famous brownies for a special kick. How will you spend your next birthday, it only happens once a year- celebrate it with style.

MarCom family!

I would like to share a special thanks to the MarCom team for making me feel a part of something bigger then myself.  This is how GCC starts as a community college, but ends as a family. This is my push to get involved. The true college experience is only achieved if you put yourself out there and make your voice heard. I would like to make a special thanks specifically to Jackie Christenson for working so hard, pushing and encouraging the Alumni callers and making the best treats.

“Attitudes are contagious. Are yours worth catching?”

— Dennis and Wendy Mannering


Just a spoon full of sugar.

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Hey it’s Kiley giving you the low-down.

It’s that time of the semester where everyone is overwhelmed with finals and projects.Fear not, like Miss Ebony said: “stay positive”.

Guest speaker Paul Maurer, co-founder and chairman of Re-Tree WNY

This was sponsored by the Earth club and was proven to be a truly rewarding experience. Maurer is part of a nonprofit organization that’s goal is to plant a total of 30,000 trees around Buffalo area. This is necessary, due to a tragic storm in 2006 that destroyed many leaf -laden trees in Buffalo and Erie County.I was shocked to here about the damage  due to the storm. Maurer expressed that it was important to educate the neighborhood about the proper way to take care of these new trees. That it was important to call these tress their own.I thought that the many fundraiser ideas were great, especially because clubs are cut due to low funds.These innovative grass root ideas may influence students to start a revolution. It just takes one small person with one big idea to start a revolution.  He expressed that it was our job as a  community to fight for our earth. I was impressed by his devotion to this cause. I feel that many students expressed a desire to get involved in these community efforts.

October Storm 2006 pictures!

Missed the guest speaker? Click here and learn more!

America Recycles…and so does GCC!

Monday, November 15

9:00 – 2:30 PM

GCC Batavia / Forum

Don’t forget to collect some gently used winter wear, magazines, old cell phones, and dry cell batteries and bring it to the GCC forum. One man’s junk is another man’s treasure, as they say. Why not make use of some items that haven’t been used in months. Don’t be part of the problem be part of the solution. This will be one small step to ending a national problem. If everyone helps out and brings just one or two items, this will make a huge difference in the events success. I personally am planning on rounding up some magazines to help this great cause!

UPCOMING Documentary!

Forks and Knives

March 11, 2011

This claims that diseases can be controlled and the cause of these illnesses are due to animal based menu items and processed foods. I’m taking food and  nutrition currently and these types of documentaries interest me.Check out this website and maybe this will interest you as well.

Movie trailer!

College Applications

Last night I applied for two colleges Canisius College and Medaille College. For the typical second year busy GCC  student this is necessary to ensure a students future. There’s a lot to think about campus tours, applications, and scholarship opportunities. So if your a second year student it’s important to get started now!


Basketball Tournament Success

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November 1st– 2010,

The African American Student Union club had great success in our first basketball tournament. As president of the club, I had to do a lot of planning and running around to make sure that everything was set. Ron Spioto (Athletic Director) was kind enough to let us use the gym, and equipment to make our event which started at 6pm and ended at 8:30pm more exciting.

At least 30 students signed up to play, all of them males. Females were able to play, but none of them were interested in getting on the court. We also had a lot of people in the audience who supported us.  There were 5 teams; we had 6 but one team bailed out.  We also did a 3 point contest for males and females, and a dance contest which was exciting. The dance team also came out and performed for us, they did a wonderful job.  This was more like a street ball competition, with the guy on the microphone telling jokes with music playing in the back ground.

This was a fundraising event and a promotional event for our club. Raffle giveaways were available but we were not able to give anything away because we did not generate any income for the raffles. All in all everyone had fun, which was all that mattered at the moment.

This gave everyone something to do on a Monday night.

Our next event will be a fundraising event, which we are discussing now.

Thanks to everyone that came out and to the African American club members for having such great team work.

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Because Life is Delicious

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This is an ode’ to 2010 Halloween.This year I was Miss Strawberry Shortcake.Everyone needs to get outside and enjoy this fall weather!Enjoy these pictures that truly show what Western New York has to offer.

Must see old film

BEETLEJUICE

This is a Tim Burton classic and evokes the spirit of Halloween.

Trailer

“Grasp your opportunities, no matter how poor your health;
nothing is worse for your health than boredom.”

— Mignon McLaughlin