Readings Related to Voting

The voting process in which we participated was a bit chaotic, and related to one of the readings we did. In the white supremacy reading the people would not voice thier opinions out loud or in public, but rather, over the internet in an environment of people who they knew agreed with them. When we were discussing voting between the last two groups, there were a lot of people that didn't voice thier opinion, or only said things within thier groups where they felt more comfortable. I think it's important for people to speak up when they feel they should say something, however, they should say what they feel in a respectable way.

Class Process

I came to the realization last class during our class process of deciding on a social change project that there were many parallels between this process and the reading. In reading 50 it talked about white suprmeacy and how there are still white people out there who believe they are superior to other races. This reminded me of class because there were various groups in the class who believed there group's oroject is the best. Also in reading 18 talked about society's different views of races and the different preconceptions people have of each race. This reminded me how the class had a preconcieved notion that our teacher was the one who is supposed to be the mediator and to control the class, but that is not the case in this class.
IN order to improve this process nexrt time we need to make sure that we present all the facts first before we vote. Once we agree on how we will vote whether it is anonymous or not, we need to stick to it. When we have a result we need to accept it. There should be no more discussion beyond this point.

Readings + Class Process

During the last class, I felt that we had made some progress with trying to come to a group conclusion, but we still have a long way to go before we are doing something like this properly. However, it was nice to see some improvement from the last time that we attempted something like this. In addition to our own previous experiences, we can use the readings to try and improve what we are doing.

Reading 18, I thought talked a lot about some pre-concieved notions that people carry around with them. I believe that that is a huge part of the problem that we are facing when trying to come to this decision. Each group came up with an idea that they had because they thought it was good and that it would work. Obviously every group came into this thinking that their idea was the one that should be used. And then when their idea didn't get picked, obviously it is going to be a shock and make the people in the group a little disapointed. That disapointment could make the people in each group a little more resistant to accepting the other ideas.

With the reading regarding the white supremasist families, you could see some of the things that the families did happening within the class. Many times, people would not say what they wanted to say out loud because they were worried about the way that their ideas may have been taken. It is not uncommon that in the heat of the moment, an argument can be shot down, and not always in the most considerate way. Instead, people would say their ideas to the people in their group, the people that they knew would think the same way that they did, and if not agree with them, at least support them.

I think for another activity like this, we need to be MUCH more structured if we even want to come close to being successful. I think there needs to be some type of moderator. There is always a problem because people start talking over one another and arguing with each other and no one can actually communicate with each other. There has to be a set of rules and if, after a while, people think that the rules are no longer working, they need to voice that opinion, and we can look into changing the rules. All in all, I just think having it be more structured would help greatly in making it successful.

Class Decision Making

From the readings as well as the class decision making process, we can learn a lot on how to improve this entire process as well as learn how to make this project work in the future. First, the readings were very interesting and they all tie together and give us some insight on what we are doing in class. The readings have to do a lot with groups and how they are organized and where they are doing their work. Chapter 49 and 50 deal a lot with social roles and what is acceptable. 49 deals with the Mothers of East Los Angeles who are nurturing their communities and this is seen as a social role women have had in our society. 50 deals with another social role because the white separatist know it is no longer acceptable in the public eye to practice what they believe in so they have taken their views "underground" and used the Internet as well as private quarters to spread their message and according to them keep the white race alive. The other two readings have to do with racism and how these people have acted toward what society tells them they should do. There is a reoccurring theme between all of these readings, they are following the social construction of society in one way or another. I think all of these readings show how individuals have acted toward what society has given them. We too as a class, must go through people in society to do this social change project and work together to get something constructive done. We must not put down other people while doing the project and support each other for the ideas they give.

The class activity was extremely hectic and we can learn a lot from the experience and try to improve. First, I feel that we were all over the place with ideas on the social change project and that made it difficult to agree which started a fight. The most important change we need is some type of lead figure who can dictate who speaks so we are all not yelling. I was someone in the class who spoke and got her opinion across in midst of many other people talking. In a heated debate, many find it hard to keep quiet and I think that having someone who can attempt to keep it more organized will help everyone talk and get their opinions across. Once we have established a more organized way of getting our opinions across, we should have elaborated more on the next steps before just voting. I liked the idea that we eliminated a few ideas so we could focus more on a few projects and could really ask questions about their plans on the project. I felt it was very important to ask questions and attempt to understand what the group intentions were. Overall I think it would of been better if we would of had some type of system that eliminated the conversation or sometimes yelling between groups. This obviously caused hostility in the classroom and although I feel it was no intentional everyone felt attacked. If we can eliminate that feeling of being attacked I think there will be a better chance of the class talking in a civilized manner. I think people with opinions should speak up because it is useless to keep them to themselves if we are all trying to do something that will in the end affect our community as well as our grades. For the future we all need to attempt to leave the hostility behind and not judge others for their ideas or critiques because it will only end in a negative way.

3/19

There are several ways that the readings relate to how we’re trying to pick a group project in class. The article that we read about white supremacy mentioned how white supremacists today are not open about their beliefs. One man was quoted saying something along the lines of: I treat the people I work with equally even though they aren’t white because I’d get fired from my job if I treated them how I think they should be treated. These supremacists escape to the Internet to post in blogs how they truly feel or keep their opinions within their families. This is because these views are not accepted today. During class, while everyone was screaming and trying to figure things out, I thought in a way the groups acted similar to the families of the white supremacists. Although some people were loud in expressing their opinions, others just kept theirs within their groups and were not willing to speak aloud. Maybe not for the same reasons that the white supremacists do, but because they didn’t think their opinions would be accepted or heard.

You could also compare what our class is doing with what the mothers did in article 49. Although we have not been as successful as these women yet, we are trying to unite together for a common cause. I think we’re on the right track to deciding the social project, but as Olivia mentioned in her blog we need to discuss more and argue less. Both groups left need to have a chance to present why their project promotes a better social change and how they fulfill the requirements of the list we all agreed upon together. I also think that we should have never held votes with the anonymous ballads, especially since people are now being accused of voting for their own groups. Just with moving forward with the two remaining groups, we need to figure out which project we can all take part in and get done. It is not about which group wins, but which one is overall a better social change project.

Group Process

I think a big concept from the reading is the one about having different ideas than what you put out in public. In chapter 50, many of the people were white supremacists, though they do not come right out and say it. It is not socially acceptable anymore to be a white supremacist, so many people keep it just in their family or community. I think that sometimes it is hard to speak up about your opinion, especially if the majority is against what you think. Sometimes if you change your mind mid way through they process, and people are starting to get into it, it is even harder to speak up.

I also think that chapter 18 talks about pre-conceptions. People like to think that their group's idea is the one that will be picked out of the others, and unintentionally we have our ideas about what the outcome should be. People tend to be dissapointed when the outcome isn't what they were expecting. It can be misconstrued sometimes that people aren't listening or taking in what is being said, just because there outcomes isn't what is expected.

Over all I think that process of deciding needs to be more strict and have a more rigid outline. Making the process more of a discuss than an argument and trying to prove whose idea is better.

In Class Simulation

In Wednesday's class, the simulation that we did was a real eye-opener for me about what people go through. It's amazing how quickly people can run through money and suddenly find themselves in debt, debt that can build up very quickly over time. I couldn't believe how difficult it was for us to get the money that we clearly needed. There were forms that needed to be filled out and it seemed like those forms could take days to actually finally be filled out. And as Dr. Johnson said, he cut the forms down considerably. In addition, it was hard reading about how hard our woman had to work to find the money that she needed to support her family because her husband was gone and was no longer paying child support.

In the end the simulation was a real eye opener to what people have to go through to try and support themselves and family members

in class game

The in class game really put into perspective for me the immense difficulties those who live in poverty go through on a daily basis. I was getting angry, frustrated and wanted to give up just after playing the game for twenty minutes. I don't know how people live like that on a daily basis. It's crazy to think about how the different systems here in America that try and help the lower class don't seem to be doing much of a good job at all.

Class Assignment

I thought the game was a real eye-opener. We are al aware of people on welfare and foodstamps but it was interesting to really see what it takes to live with virtually no money. I thought the welfare office was ewspecially interesting and I thought it was very realistic. It is so difficult and time consuming to attempt to get welfare. It is really sad to think that some people have to give up everything they have to support themselves or a family. Overall I think it was a good exercise for the class because we have done a lot with lower class and people who attempt to live on welfare and work minimum wage jobs.

In class Exercise

In class yesterday we played a games were we simulated that we were low income families struggling to live comfortable. I thought the exercise was great. It showed how hard it could be for low income families to get around in today's world. In my group our family was a single mom with three kids. The mother worked in the hospital and was being being minimum wage. As a young man who never knew what that felt like I was surprised at how hard and tough it is for these families. It's sad that there's families out there that are just not getting the help needed to live at least comfortably. The exercise really helped show how it is an everyday struggle for these families to survive.

In Class Assingment

I thought that this activity was really neat. It really opened my eyes to how difficult it is for underpriviliged families. It is a lot easier for middle class people to tell them to get a job, but it is very difficult to get a job, and even with a job it is hard to make ends meet. Many of the people helping the poor are not friendly and make it even harder, since the poor often have to make multiple trips to get things done. Therefore wasting time and money, and making it even harder to get a job and move up. It also reinforced the idea that sometimes no matter how hard you work for something it just doesn't get there.

Invisible Children

After seeing this documentary last night I was absolutely appalled. I had no idea that the situation with the children soldiers was going on, and I think the three kids who initally went to Uganda are a prime example that one, or very few people can make a difference. I strongly believe this should be our social change project - participating in the Rescue project will be the most rewarding thing I could ever imagine being a part of. I think most of the students in our class would agree with me in saying that this is a bigger issue than anything we can change here at Siena, and it definitely deserves our attention. What was the biggest shocker to me, and something I discussed with my friend, was that there is one central man who is the leader of all this fear, violence, and kidnapping and we knew where he was - people waited 5 days outside of a "secret hideout" for him to come out of a bush! I don't understand how if the UN has known about him for so long, and they know where he is hiding, that we cannot send special forces in there to capture him. I hope that the awareness Invisible Children is spreading will cause others, especially young people, to realize the atrocities occuring in Uganda and inspire others to participate in making change.

Invisible Children

After seeing this documentary I of course was deeply saddened, but more than anything I was outraged. I don't understand how one man could have so much power and that no other countries are doing anything to stop him. It makes me angry how we are taught in school that history repeats itself and we need to be educated about past events to keep them from happening again. Well isn't this like the Holocaust? Isn't Joseph Kony just like Hitler? Yet no country will take action. To me this is mind boggling that we can just sit back and let innocent children die or have their lives utterly destroyed. I agree with both Jessica and Olivia that this would be a great social change project. As much as I think going green is important, I think this holds priority over everything else. We need to save these children and bring them home once and for all!

Invisible Children

I thought that this was such a moving documentary. It is realy true that most people in the United States know little or nothing about what is going on in Uganda, and many other countries experiencing the same thing. Before the e-mails about this event, I had no idea that this group existed, or what they did, to try and make a difference. I agree with Jessica and think that this would be a really good change project. Just getting people at Siena aware of this would make a big difference and give everyone a greater opportunity for change; and to save the children and families that are killed and kidnapped.

Invisiable Children

I thought this was an amazing documentary and it really hits home because it all started with just three kids attempting to make a difference. I plan to go to the activity in April. I feel like this should be a social change project. I really think we could help or do something and I think it would be so useful and time well spent to help people who have suffered all their lives.

Evaluation

The task of trying to provide a grading rubric for the class is difficult for a number of reasons. First, we have never really been in charge of creating our own rubrics. Teachers usually just hand out a syllabus that defines what will be graded and how it will be done so. Our time in class is also relatively short and so we could not come up with a process on how to all collectively craft our own ideas into a unified decision. Personally I felt like this process was never meant to succeed. I’m not sure if that’s what was intended or if it just wasn’t possible. Either way, I did not feel like anything that I contributed would move the discussion forward. Some in the class viewed this as an opportunity to mold the rubric into one that would be “easy” where they wouldn’t have to put much effort in to receive a good grade. Others were trying to make the rubric fair. This conflict in interest hindered any sort of progress that could have been made.

Grades

I feel it is extremely difficult to get around 30 people to agree on one thing without having a few people indifferent about a certain percentage. We all want to put in our input and at times there are so many people talking that can be difficult. I feel that there is a lot of impatience that goes along with this process as well. We don't want to figure this out so we are all waiting to be done with it. We are never all going to have the exact thoughts or feelings. I feel like participating was constructive in this exercise because I could get a feel for how others perceived my ideas and feelings about the grading system. We tried to act like a democracy and get everyones ideas and attempted to get their voices heard. The process is difficult because democracy is not fool proof and because our rules were so loose we were not sure what direction to think it. I believe this whole process gave our class a good learning experience and we are learning to be more hands on instead of just learning about things from a book. Overall, I think it made me learn a lot about minorities and have it is very difficult to go through getting everyone to agree on one thing.

Grade Evaluation

This is such a difficult process because it is something that is very important and shouldn't be taken lightly. We have the opportunity to decide how we will be graded so of course it makes sense why we would all want to take time to think about. Of course most people's instinct is to make this grade evaluation as easy as possible. We want it to work in our favor. One huge obstacle in figuring out this process is that we want to make sure that we assign the right percentages for the the areas that we put the most effort and work in. Many want to make easier areas a higher percentage, but that doesn't make sense when we put less effort into those things. I realized that when my group and I divided up the percentages I accepted it automatically without thinking about it to much. Now I know that this is something that requires much thought and should not be dismissed so quickly.

Evalutations

I feel that this is so difficult because all throughout our grade school we are told what everything is going to be worth. I have been taught that the teacher lays out what the ground rules are and the students are just supposed to follow what they are told. As students we are rarely given the opportunity to decide for ourselves what is the most important. The things considered important to me are the things that are given more weight throughout my previous school years, so at this point I see certain things as more valuable than others.

I tend to hang back and observe what other people think and see how my opinions fit in with what is going on. I try to listen to what others are saying and see if that fits into the overall goal of what is trying to be achieved. Over all I tend only to talk out in small groups, and only say a few things.

Process of Grading

I think that a process like this is such a difficult one because we all place values on different areas in our school work. For me, I am an honors student, who doesn't do much homework. For most of my classes, we write a few papers a year, so that is where the emphasis is put. That is what I am used to. I think that we all come from different backgrounds and we all think differently. Some people think it would be better to have more emphasis on something that we do everyday, like homework and patricipation is our classroom discussions. For other students, they feel that the work that they do on tests and large projects should be rewarded with a higher percentage on that work. This process becomes frustrating for students because we don't understand why other students don't hold the same parts of education in the same light as someone else does. It is easy to get annoyed with someone who doesn't think the same way that we do. I think that at the beginning of this process we all thought it was going to be great and easy getting to have our own rules for grading, but it turned out to be much more difficult than anyone had originally anticipated. I participated much more in my group discussion than I did in the larger group discussion. Though I did give my thoughts, I let others take the reign.

Class

This is a difficult process because there are many different people with many different opinions. With all different people throwing out thier ideas many of the others don't agree. Not everyone is going to be completely happy with any proposal or the end result, and some may be. Different students do better with different types of work; some people are better writers while other may be more apt to participate in class, and therefore those students want what they believe will help them the most with thier individual grade to be the percentage that has the most weight. In relation to civic participation, this process shows the how difficult it is for a group to come to a decision. This process is difficult for us a students, because we are accustomed to having guidelines set for us in class. When the traditional change is thrown out the window, whether we recognize it or not, we panic. We feel we have no idea what we are doing or how we are going to do it.

Project

Going green is a great idea. I believe contacting Dr. Richardson would be our best bet also. The heating in the dorms is ridiculous. I sleep every night with all the windows open. I think we should be able to control the heat or at least set the heat at a respectable temperature. This is happening in every resident hall too I live in plassaman and I know people that live in hines, ryan, and henepin all with the same problem. Even the hallways are so hot, walking from one floor to another I break a sweat. The heat needs to be controlled on this campus. It will make the students happy and save the college so much money.

Project

I think the going green idea is definitely our best bet and we create some change with this issue. I know someone mentioned something before about just focusing on one thing to go green with, but I think it's important to focus on more than one because if we change one thing and not the other than technically we still won't be going green. I think it should be a number one priority to do something about the heat in the dorms. I haven't closed my windows yet since I got back from winter break. It's such a waste of energy and Siena could potentially be saving itself a lot of money. I think the idea about going through Dr. Richardson is smart because I too got the email from her asking for my input about my experienced at Siena. It just goes to show that we do have some type of a voice in this community.

Yeah there's definitaly a lot of different issues we are trying to tackle, but I don't think that any of them would be to difficult to go through with. 'Going Green' just isn't about changing one thing, it's about changing a lot of different things. Student support is a must but that won't be to hard to get either. We need to figure out all the small changes that can be done in the buildings and organize our ideas. After that, contacting all those people mentioned is a must especially with all of our ideas organized and made presentable.

Project

I think talking to Dr. Richardson is a good idea, and I feel that if we bring it to the student government (SEB?) that would also work. I am sure that we will need a majority of the students to agree with the plan in order to go through with them. I also like the idea saving energy and electricity in the dorm buildings, it seems like the light could be easily solved, just use dimmers or few lights during the night.

project 2

One more thing..I got an email from Dr. Richardson the VP of stident affairs asking us for input on Siena and our experience thus far. Maybe we should take advantage of this and begin talking to her and she might be able to start us in the right direction of who we can speak to and what needs to be done.

Project

I agree with focusing on just a few ideas. I think the whole idea of conserving energy and lights is definitely something that we should focus on because it would really benefit the school. I think maybe we can also do something with recycling or saving water in Saga or something along those lines. We do need to figure out who we will go through. We definitely need to be in touch with a lot of people on the student affairs board including the director of residential life and VP of student affairs. We need to figure out what other major people or groups at the school that will help us get this accomplished. Anyone got ideas?

Project

Do you guys think that we should just pick one or two things to change with the Green idea, instead of trying to do multiple things. It seems like we have to figure out and go through a lot of different people, so it may be easier to just pick one.

so for the project are we sticking with the going green idea? is that what we've decided?

Methodology refers to more than a simple set of methods; rather it refers to the rationale and the philosophical assumptions that underlie a particular study relative to the scientific method. Also the systematic study of methods that are, can be, or have been applied within a discipline.

Methods of Sociology

Here are the methodies of Sociology and some definitions for them

Methodologies of Sociology:

Anthropology: is the study of humanity. Anthropology has origins in the natural sciences, and the humanities.

Criminology: is the social science approach to the study of crime as an individual and social phenomenon. Criminological research areas include the incidence and forms of crime as well as its causes and consequences. They also include social and governmental regulations and reactions to crime. Criminology is an interdisciplinary field in the behavioral sciences, drawing especially on the research of sociologists and psychologists, as well as on writings in law.

Political science is a social science concerned with the theory and practice of politics and the description and analysis of political systems and political behavior. It is often described as the study of politics defined as "who gets what, when and how “Political science has several subfields, including: political theory, public policy, national politics, international relations, and comparative politics

Psychology: is an academic and applied discipline involving the scientific study of mental functions and behavior. Psychologists study such phenomena as perception, cognition, emotion, personality, behavior, and interpersonal relationships. Psychology also refers to the application of such knowledge to various spheres of human activity, including issues related to everyday life (e.g. family, education, and employment) and the treatment of mental health problems. Psychologists attempt to understand the role of these functions in individual and social behavior, while also exploring the underlying physiological and neurological processes. Psychology includes many sub-fields of study and applications concerned with such areas as human development, sports, health, industry, media, and law. Psychology incorporates research from the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities.

Social psychology is the study of how people and groups interact. Scholars in this interdisciplinary area are typically either psychologists or sociologists, though all social psychologists employ both the individual and the group as their units of analysis.

Social Sciences comprise academic disciplines concerned with the study of the social life of human groups and individuals including anthropology, communication studies, economics, human geography, history, political science, psychology and sociology

Socioeconomics or socio-economics is the study of the relationship between economic activity and social life. The field is often considered multidisciplinary, using theories and methods from sociology, economics, history, psychology, and many others. It has emerged as a separate field of study in the late twentieth century. In many cases, however, socioeconomists focus on the social impact of some sort of economic change. Such changes might include a closing factory, market manipulation, the signing of international trade treaties, new natural gas regulation, etc. Such social effects can be wide-ranging in size, anywhere from local effects on a small community to changes to an entire society.

Sociological imagination is a sociological term, coined by the American sociologist C. Wright Mills in 1959, describing the process of linking individual experience with social institutions and one's place in history. By this perspective, people in poverty might link their personal circumstances to the social forces relevant to their present condition.
There are three key questions that constitute the core of Mills' sociological imagination:
(1) What is the structure of a particular society and how does it differ from other varieties of social order?
(2) Where does this society stand in human history and what are its essential features?
(3) What varieties of women and men live in this society and in this period, and what is happening to them?
Sociophysiology is the “interplay between society and physical functioning” (Freund 1988: 856) involving “collaboration of two neighboring sciences: physiology and sociology” (Mauss 1936: 373). In other words, sociophysiology is physiological sociology, a special science that studies the physiological side of human (and other animals') interrelations

Statistical surveys are used to collect quantitative information about items in a population. Surveys of human populations and institutions are common in political polling and government, health, social science and marketing research. A survey may focus on opinions or factual information depending on its purpose, and many surveys involve administering questions to individuals. When the questions are administered by a researcher, the survey is called a structured interview or a researcher-administered survey. When the questions are administered by the respondent, the survey is referred to as a questionnaire or a self-administered survey.

Siena's Executive's

I have been looking online and found the dean of students as well as directors in the Student Affairs department. I wrote them all down so if anyone find other stuff write it down for class

I agree that saving energy and going green are two great ideas. Under the new leadership of Father Mullen and his current administration I feel that this problem is being addressed. There was just a report released by an administrator in maintainence that discussed how much energy Siena had saved in the past year. I guess we could try to push the boundaries of this project though.

As far as shutting the hallway lights off at night, I know that during the summer the lights shut off in the dorms. I'm sure that this could be managed. The only reason I can think of as to why they don't do it during the school year could be due to safety issues I guess.

I like the idea of being able to control the heat, it gets SO hot in my dorm sometimes you can just be walking around and you start to sweat; then we open windows which just wastes energy and money because the heat is still going although we're letting it escape through the windows (my window is open as we speak).  I think if we controlled the heat in our individual rooms it would save the school money, therefore saving us money in the long run.

Going Green is such an awesome idea!

Olivia you are totally right about the heat. I feel like a huge way would be to let students control the heat in all of the rooms like they do in Padua. I mean, I feel like when we open the windows it only triggers more heat to start coming out. And the light thing is so true. I can't even see. the lights in the hallways should be like the ones in the bathroom and only come on when there is movement.

We should also look at ways to go more Green in Saga. I feel like thats a huge drain on Siena.

I like the going green idea. I think that is a better social change than some of the other things we have come up with. I definately agree with Nelly on the Hallway lights and if there was someway that the heaters could be regulated by room. I know that when it gets too hot in the room, we open the windows, but the heat it still going.

Yeah I think Jake might be right, the ideas we've come up with might not exactly fit under social change. The going green idea isn't bad, what ways could Siena cut using so much energy? I can think of one: SWITCHING OFF THE HALL LIGHTS AT NIGHT. I hate walking around to use the bathroom at 3AM & being blinded by the light.

Social Change Project

I definitely agree about the meal plans rolling over each year. I know so far this year I have been unable to use all my meals. I even downgraded my meal plan this semester and I'm still not using them all. I feel like it's just a waste of parents money. Also the idea about the kitchen in each dorm hall would be very convenient. I know a lot of people who sometimes feel like baking or cooking something but they never have the means to do it so I'm definitely all for that idea.

Change

I like the idea of the kitchen. I think letting people have a place to cook will help with the students dislike for saga and I think it could bring together the people in the dorms. Does anyone have any other ideas, I know some people were talking about a big going green plan. Do you think thats what he is looking for in a social change project?

Change

I agree that there should be another weight room added for the athletes. I'm trying hard to think of something bigger that we could fix at Siena though. If we're really trying to look at social change then I'm not sure if mealplans or weight rooms really fit into the category of social change. I completely agree that mealplans should roll over and that an addition is necessary for the MAC.

Change on campus

I agree with all of you. One idea that I read about that I don't think was mentioned in class is the idea of having kitchens in the dorm halls. I've visited many schools and I noticed many schools have a common kitchen area on each floor. At Siena there is no such thing. I think it would be a great idea for each dorm hall to have their own kitchen. This would give chance for students to make their own food and not have to eat at saga. I also agree with improving the weight room. I am an athlete and I feel that the athletes at Siena should have their own weight room. I also thing that all the other students should have an improved weight room as well. Most division 1 teams have their own weight rooms with fellow alumni and championship plaques all over the room. Siena lacks that and I think improving the weight room for division 1 athletes and for the fellow students would be a great change.

social change project

Meal plans rolling over would be awesome, but how would we get that done? I don't think it's impossible, your meals should be counted up & paid for at the end of the semester somehow. I like the idea of improving the MAC. D1 Players should have their own weightroom and more treadmills and machienes would be nice. The idea with the kitchen in the residence halls isn't a bad idea either.

Project

The meal plan idea is a good idea and a few of us were talking about the improvement of the MAC and ways we could help raise money. I am up for anything in this project as long as we get some concrete ideas.

Social Change on Campus

I think the meal plan idea is pretty good, although I thought of another that we can thow in the mix. I know that when I visited some other campuses they had kitchens, with an oven, stove and fridge, on the bottom floor that only one in the dorm could use. It would be nice to have an area to actually make real food, instead of eating at Saga all the time.

I really like the idea about the meal plans rolling over. I feel like that at the end of the day that could prove to save people a lot of money. I know that last semester I had night class three nights a week... that was having so many meals left over cause I was getting dinner after class at the wrap shop.

That's an idea that I would go for.

Social Change on Campus

Hey, I thought I would start the "chain" of conversation about what to do for Social Change. The few that I could remember talking about in class was the Albany bus, meal plans rolling over and a better weight room. I am not usre if there is enough information or motive to do an entire project on those, but I can't really think of anything else.

After reading the first chapter that was assigned for class today, it became clear that the whole sport mentality has lessened the importance of communities. Although sports command large fan bases that can be considered communities, the individual impact is more profound. Individuals in our society, from a young age, are motivated to become great athletes. The emphasis on individual performance and individual success is instilled into our generation in the form of advertising and in watching sporting events.

This idea can be transferred over to the ever growing issue of materialism. A sort of arms race has emerged within communities. People consume in order to "live up to" the idea of the everyday American. People become wrapped up in their own personal well-being and become focused on material possessions -- ignoring their communities and ignoring community involvement.

Shifting Away from Communities...

I think people aren’t as involved in their communities as they used to be simply because we are living in such a different world than it used to be. My parents always say to me, “It was a different time then Alana.” And that’s true. There isn’t really any escaping it. I don’t notice it as much as other people do because I’m in a very close knit neighborhood. I mean, we do EVERYTHING together. BBQ’s, fireworks on the 4th of July and trips to Hershey. I mean, it’s actually a little ridiculous. However, I do notice it in my friend’s neighborhoods or communities. They don’t even know their neighbor’s names. I spent most of my summer days in the backyards of most of my neighbors, so it is very odd for me. But I can see why places would be like that. People are really concerned about themselves and about their families, and as a result, they don’t really worry about anyone else. In addition, people are always running from here to there and everywhere in between. There isn’t the time to just sit around and play cards with the people from your area. And with our technology, there isn’t even a reason to see each other. If someone you know wants a picture that you have, well you don’t have to bring it over to the house anymore. You can just scan it up onto the computer and send it through an e-mail. There are very few instances when you actually have to come face to face with people. I believe that the changing times and changing technologies are a huge reason why there is such a lack of community and why what communities are left are starting to deteriorate. At the rate we are going, soon no one will ever come face to face with anyone ever again.

Cultural Shift

I believe a cultural shift that occurred in America that caused people to begin moving away from the idea of a group and become more self-geared is the technological revolution.  As we become more technologically advanced we have more ways of communicating with others, voicing our own opinions from the comfort and solitude of our own homes rather than getting together in a group and discussing everyone's opinions.  Everything today can be personalized, such as a myspace or facebook page, even this blog - it all shows personal opinions that can be sent to millions of people without actual human contact with millions of people.  While this technology is a great way of getting a message across to a lot of people in a fast and efficient way, are we missing out on the human contact we really need?

Cultural Shifts in Community Involvement

The world that we live in today is a completely different than the world that our parents grew up in. One example of this difference is the lack of community involvement. It seems that no one has any time anymore to join a bowling league or be in a bridge club anymore. Everyone is too caught up in their own life and they don't have time to spare for anyone else. Considering how dangerous the world can be today the lack of trust among people has grown tremendously. It only makes sense that people have become more aware of who they come into contact with. Lastly the use of technology facilitates communication without actually being face to face. There's no longer a need to have a bowling league to catch up with friends when you can text, video chat or talk on the phone.

cultural shifts, no community.

There are several different reasons why less and less people are becoming involved in community activities. One reason is just that things aren’t the way they used to be. When my father was young, he knew all his neighbors and everyone that lived on his block. I hardly know any of my neighbors’ names, never mind have any type of relationship with them. My mother is afraid to send my seven-year-old sister around the block on her bicycle alone because she just doesn’t know who might be around. Besides not knowing people that are in your community, it is so easy to communicate with people using technology. It no longer requires meeting up with someone to see them face-to-face. Video chatting with people is a fast and efficient way to see them if you just want to mention something really quickly or have a long conversation. Everything now is also very expensive. With the economy not doing well and people losing jobs left and right, people just might not have the extra money to splurge on the bowling league fees or the membership at the tennis club.

cultural shifts

In today's society there is little to no community interaction anymore. I don't know exactly why this is. It could be many things such as being to busy, that boom of technology, or maybe people are just to tired. I remember when I was younger I would always be going to card games or bowling nights with my parents and their friends. Now a days it's not like that, there's no more bridge night and there's no more bowling nights. Today's society I feel is caught up in the technology of this new world. The mere possibility that one can interact with another without ever being face to face is incredible. I also believe that many people are too caught up in life itself and never make time to go out and have fun. It's always work, work, work, and rarely any fun. An occasional vacation every now and then but that's all. The world is to hectic people need to participate and enjoy life rather then to zip right by without ever knowing.

Community Participation

People today are a lot less involved in the community for many different reasons, the main reason being technology. With all of the technology out in the world today, people don’t need to see each other in person. It is a lot easier, and much more convenient to communicate through face book or to just text someone. It can be done from almost anyplace, and it doesn’t require extra work to meet at a specific place and time. All of the technology has made people more independent, so they do not need to rely on weekly events or meetings to keep them informed on what is going on.

Why society is not involved..

Society changes often and it seems that every generation has its own way of doing things. Communities used to be very close. My dad for example lived in Pearl River New York, not too far away from where I live now. He lived in a tight knit community where everyone knew one another and looked out for each other. People were very involved and always tried to better the community. As we have read and as we experience, that has changed dramatically. Involvement and community has gone down for many reasons. First I believe that people do not trust each other as much and we are always concerned for our safety. Kids are not out on the streets and people keep to themselves much more. I feel like this lack of trust is one reason why we look out for ourselves rather than the community. I also believe that the economical times has a lot to do with lack of community. Again people are looking out for themselves and a lot of time are too busy to join the book club or local Lions clubs in town. I also believe that we have become a society that is so busy that the book club or the bowling league is out of the question. We fill our days with work, taking care of kids, and endless other activities that do not involve community life. There are a lot of things that take us away form community and it is time that we get more involved.

Choosing Siena...

Choosing college was one of the most difficult things that I’ve ever done. I was always the girl who said I could go to school in California and not have a problem functioning while I was across the country from everything I had ever known. I thought that until my parents and I went looking at Catholic University in Washington DC. That five hour trip and feeling the anxiety of being that far away from home, very quickly changed by tune. My neighbor, and the son of one of my mom’s closest friends attended Siena and she suggested to my mom that it might be a good fit for me. We were up here visiting another school and my mom took me just on a drive through the school. I didn’t even have to get out of the car or see the inside of any building, just being on the campus was enough for me. That was where I wanted to be. Visiting only reinforced by decisions. Every other school was always missing something, or what they had wasn’t the same that it was at Siena. Coming from small Catholic schools my whole life, Siena felt like the perfect fit. It wasn’t too big, so I knew I would get a chance to meet most people and it had a very community type feel to it, which I loved. I come from a close family, a close group of friends (some of which I’ve been friends with since pre-school!) even a close neighborhood! I wanted to be in a place where I felt like I belonged.
I am also the oldest child, and I have two siblings behind me. I wanted to think about them. Siena was willing to give me a lot of money, on top of their already pretty affordable tuition. Knowing that I wouldn’t be a heavy burden on my parents made Siena an even better choice for me. While I may have gotten into schools that some may consider “harder,” I knew that I would succeed here. I wanted to do well and I knew I would be able to do that at Siena.
There were a lot of factors that led me to choose Siena, but I know that in the end I made the right decision for me.

Why I Chose Siena

It's kind of funny that I chose Siena because for a while I had my heart set on Marist College. I was positive that I was going to end up there. The only reason why I applied to Siena is because there was no application fee and I figured that it wouldn't hurt to see if I would get in or not. It wasn't until the February of my senior year that I finally decided to come visit. I immediately fell in love with the campus and I knew right away this could be a place I could call my home for the next four years. It was also very important to me to find a school that had a good academic integrity because I worked hard in high school to earn my grades and I didn't want to end up just anywhere. Another thing that attracted me to Siena is the fact that it is big on serving the community and throughout high school I did a lot of community service. Compared to the other schools that I was looking at the tuition was around the same price range or lower. The fact that Siena gave me more financial aide than the other schools had a huge impact on my decision. All of these factors combined made me realize that Siena over Marist was the best fit for me.

Why I went to Siena..

There are several reasons why I chose to attend Siena College. Obvious reasons that most people would say include the nice campus, the Franciscan values taught here and how affordable it is compared to other expensive universities. Sociological reasons as to why I attended Siena College could be that society made me believe that I couldn’t get into a better school. I didn’t even think of applying to an ivy league because I felt like it would be a waste of time. This shouldn’t have stopped me from applying because there could have been something special about my application that would have gotten me in. When it came down to it I really chose Siena because I really liked the atmosphere and I felt that I would excel in the environment. My ultimate decision came from distance and money. Although Iona College would have been more affordable, it was too close to home for me. Scranton University was just too expensive. My father graduated from Siena so he had no opposition to me going here.

Why I chose Siena

I had two choices graduating high school: go to school an hour away from home where most of my high school friends were going or attend a school that was a little further away where I knew few people. I chose to latter and chose to meet new people. Although it is easy to stay somewhere you feel comfortable, I knew that I could learn much more outside of that familiar place.

Growing up three years behind my brother and going through the same schools that he did had an affect on me. Since my brother was such a friendly and respectful kid, he kind of broke in the teachers for me. It seems like they expected me to be a good kid and student like he was, so I never really had to fully prove myself. We also played a lot of the same sports and were involved in the same kinds of activities. When it came to choosing a college, I was naturally inclined to accept the same college that he attended. Siena was this college. I came to a fork in the road: I could either go to school where my brother was and hope to continue this trend, or go somewhere different -- someplace where no one had even heard of my older brother.

This kind of led me to a dilemma. Was I really going to school somewhere outside of my comfort zone? I chose Siena not just for this reason but it did play a big role and it was a source of tension for sometime.

Introduction

My name is Jake Shatraw I am a senior, live in townhouse 1 and am from Malone, NY. My father is a correction officer and my mother works in a school cafeteria. I am a history major with a spanish minor. I play intramural basketball, am in the hostory honor society, and do catering for Sodexo. I was in high schoool band and jazz band, played baseball, basketball, indoor track, outdoor track, was involved in student council, and Model UN. My father coahced my baseballs teams growing up and played high school basketball. One thing that is pretty unique about me is that I am an Atlanta Braves fan living in upstate NY.

Justice:
In the early 1990s in the rural part of western New York, an old farmer died. This man was one of four brothers who lived on a run-down farm and had worked there their whole lives. None of the four brothers were literate and none of them ever married. The whole community knew the brothers as gentle soulds who worked hard to make a living. After the one brother's death, one of the others was accused of killing him by the State Police. Once questioned by the police, he became nervous. The police told him if he signed a piece of paper he would be allowed to go back home. This paper was a confession of the murder. Nervous and disoriented, the old famer signed the paper and was immeadiately jailed for murder. The police first said the murder was a mercy killing intended to end the brother's health problems. Later, they switched the murder from a mercy killing to a lover's quarrel gone wrong. The police accused the two of incest and said that an argument betwee them ended in murder. Faced with no money for an attorney, the town rallied behind this farmer and raised money for his bail and subsequent trial. After months of research, the case went to trial. The man was eventually found not guilty and acquitted of murder. The whole town supported this old farmer who had done nothing but work hard his whole life and justice was served.

Learning Experience:
I've always known that my grandmother is a very bright woman. She can always relate to the interests of her children and grandchildren. She has always questioned me about the classes I take. I guess I never knew just how intelligent she was. Growing up in the 1940s she had always put her nose to the books. She worked hard in school and was a productive member of her large family. One of my greatest learning experiences has been finding out that my grandmother was valedictorian of her high school class. In those days it was that much harder for women to excel in areas that were generally not looked upon as areas that women should be involved in. I learned from my grandmother the work ethic and dedication needed to excel in school.

Why I Chose Siena

I didn't arrive at Siena as a freshman. After high school I went to Nassau Community college. I spent two years there as a student and as a lacrosse player. My college experience and choice is somewhat difrrent from others. I visited schools based academics, community, and lacrosse. Playing a sport I feel made my decision diffrent then maybe others. I had many schools looking at me but, when it came down to it Siena was the best choice for me. Siena fell perfect in all three categories. Siena has a prestigeous academic record as well as a nice small community atmosphere. Siena also has a great division 1 lacrosse team. As a little boy I always wanted to play division1 lacrosse. My older brother played division 2 and I always wanted to top him. My decision to attend Siena College had to do with not only my academics but also my athletics.

Introduction

My name is Bryan Renneisen. I live on Long Island in Bethpage New York. I play lacrosse at Siena College. My parents names are Joseph and Kathy. My dad is a retired cop and my mom is a teacher aide. I'm a junior transfer from Nassau Community College. I live in Plassaman hall on the 5th floor. I was a business major but I am now switching to the school of liberal arts. When I was in high school I played lacrosse and worked at Ralph's Italian ices. My mom was a girly girl and didn't play sports, my dad played football and softball. I'm a very funny kid and feel that I can make nayone laugh.My first week at Siena College I lived off campus. On my way to school one day I got pulled over by the police for speeding. I had to appear in court and I plead not guilty. I then recieved a letter from the courthouse saying that I need to appear for a trial. I came in and plead my case, my ticket was reduced and I recieved no points on my license.My most powerful learning experience came in first grade. I had a teacher named Miss. Denguin. She was such a great teacher. Her teaching methods were great, she made school fun for me. She helped me at a young age to enjoy school and not to dread having to go to school. Still to this day we both contact eachother and see how one another are doing.

Why I chose Siena

I was really looking for a college that was close-knit and on the smaller side. Siena has the stereotypical college feel; the brick building, center quad and trees. Everyone on the campus is very welcoming and the people seemed pretty similar to me. They had a variety of programs and a growing school of science, which is what I came in as. My parents were pretty open to letting me go to any school that I wanted, although I am sure that if it was too far away hey would be a little more upset. But since I wanted to be close, but not too close, this was the perfect school. There really were no other factors that determined why I chose Siena, expect that my house it two hours from here, which was the perfect distance.

Why I came to Siena..

Everyone seems to have a particular meaning or reason of why they came to Siena whether it be the campus or family ties. There are also plenty of reasons for not going to a school such "Harvard". For me the choice was between Manhattan College, where I would of become the second generation in my family to attend. You could say I would of easily been starting a social connection by going to Manhattan and adhanced the chances for future generations in my family to pursue an education there. The whole point of this story however, is to give the reason of why Siena became the college Ichoose to attend. After rejecting and deciding that a athletic career in college was not for me, I decided to look upon schools with a nice comfort zone that was affordable for my middle class family. You could say my family and I were rookies at the college game because I was the first child and my parents did not know much about looking for schools. Society and others affected my decision becuase I listened to counclers, coaches, and friends to point me in the right direction of school that were both socially and academically acceptable in their eyes. I was turned off by some school because of their location and safety. I was turned off by some school that recruited me beucase I was soley choosing them becuase I could of pursued a softball career. I could of ended up at Monmouth or Quinnipiac to play softball, but that was obviously not the case. I decided against Manhattan to brek away from people I had gone to high school with because that was seen as socially acceptable to go out and meet new people, I also did it so I would not become just a legacy child. So in the end Siena was the choice because it was a nice school with a good reputation amoung the people who suggested it. It was in the end my individual decision and I was happy with the way it fit my personally as well as academic lifestlye. Siena was a choice based on others, partly my social nextwork as well as how I felt and how I was to pursue my college years

My Stuff

Jillian Melendez

Yonkers, NY

My Dad works as a Foreman for ConEd.

My Mom works in Development for Sacred Heart HS (in Yonkers).

Year: Freshman

Residence: Hines

History Ed Major

I do volleyball intramural, Pathfinders, and Ambassadors

In HS I played varsity volleyball, basketball and softball

I have impeccable taste in music :)

DEMOCRACY

My story about democracy is voting in the last election.  Since I had turned eighteen last April, I was eligible to vote and realized what an important part of democracy it is.  When watching the election on CNN and learning that Obama was the projected winner, and after seeing him get inaugurated, it was refreshing to know my vote counted toward change in government.  It also made me realize the power of democracy and that people do have some control over the government.

LEARNING EXPERIENCE

A powerful learning experience in my life began as a high school junior in Italian class.  We were ready to take our trip to Italy and I was really excited because  had never been to Europe but had always wanted to go.  When we flew into Rome I was so happy and in awe of the country's beauty - but the real lesson came when we began visiting the cities.  Things are so different there compared to here in the United States.  It was powerful because it made me realize that the world is a such a large place and the diversity of the world is amazing.  It made going back again my Senior year a more complete experience that I appreciated more.

HOW I ENEDED UP AT SIENA

The first major reason I believe I came to Siena College was the sense of community I felt and realizing how nice everyone was.  I didn't believe people when they said that everyone at Siena was nice, but I honestly can say I have not met many people at Siena that I didn't genuinely like.  Also I believe that because the school has a reputation of being a "good" school and it's on the rise it made me think it would be a good choice to come here.  I especially liked that it was far away enough from home so that my parents couldn't sneak up on me but close enough that I could go home if there was an emergency or if I wanted to see my family.  I really like Siena so far and hopefully I will continue to enjoy being here for the next four years.

my info.

Name: Nelly McCarthy
Hometown: Forest Hills, Queens, NY
Parents Professions: Dad – Lawyer/Mom – Pediatrician
Year: Freshman, Ryan Hall
Major: Undeclared Liberal Arts
Extracurriculars: intramural softball, lifeguard at the MAC
HS extracurriculars: Varsity swim team
Parents extracurriculars in HS: My dad played lacrosse for Siena
Unique: I like to wear crazy earrings.

STORY ABOUT JUSTICE:
I’m the oldest of four with my youngest sister being only 7 years old we have a house keeper/baby sitter that has lived with us for nearly ten years. She has a son, Sammy who lives with us as well. Sammy’s like another little brother to me, he’s lived with us his whole life. Sammy’s five years old now and when it came time to enroll him into Pre-k, his mother, Ada went over to the local public school by our house. The school is in a really nice neighborhood and when she went to enlist him a secretary there gave her a lot of problems, asking her to prove her residency and otherwise insinuating that there was no way Sammy was zoned to go to school there. The matter in which she spoke to her was extremely degrading and this woman was trying to prevent Sammy from being in the class. Ada went down to argue with this woman on several occasions and it wasn’t until my mother went down and almost had the secretary fired was Sammy allowed to attend the school.

LEARNING EXPERIENCE:
I worked over the summer at a restaurant called ‘Cheeburger Cheeburger.’ Some nights I would be a waitress, other nights I would work behind the milkshake bar and I would be in charge of all the take-out orders. One busy night, I was tired from not getting enough rest the night before and I must have not been paying close attention to what I was doing. At the end of the night my register was nearly twenty dollars short. My boss was pretty angry with me for up to that point, I’d always been fine with my register. He took the twenty dollars out of my paycheck and with only making minimum wage an hour, it was a lot of money. The experience taught me to pay close attention when I’m dealing with money.

About Me

Olivia Bizovi

Mohegan Lake, NY

Father- works for IBM
Mother- was a stay at home mom, now works in admissions in a
nursing home

Freshman
Ryan Hall

Undecided

I am in Pathfinders
High School- ballet and karate
Parents-PTA
Mother- in book clubs

I am a ballet dancer with a second degree black-belt

Democracy-
One quality of Democracy is freedom. The United States is a very democratic society and because of this many people are given a multitude of opportunities. My grandmother came to the United States so that she would have the opportunity to work as a doctor and raise a family. The democracy here gave her an equal chance and the freedom to pursue this, when she had the no chance to do that in India. Not only was she able to pursue that career, but she was also given the chance to vote and the opportunity to make a better life for her and her children. She had to give up a lot of time with her children when they were young, and even had to send my mother and aunt to live in India for a few years. She was unable to complete her residency in the states, and take care of two babies, so she sent them to India, where they were cared for by their grandparents. She had to give up a lot, so that her children would have more opportunities and a better life.

Education-
When I was about four years old, I thought that it would be fun to lick one of the pillars outside my house. Any other day the pillar would have been fine, expect it had just snowed, and there was a layer of ice on the pillar. Right after I licked the pole my tongue got stuck to it, and the babysitter had to pour hot water to melt the ice. I have yet to lick any other poles, and I doubt that I will anytime soon. I learned not to lick the poles, just like the character in the movie “A Christmas Story.”

About Me

Jessica Brennan
Wyckoff, NJ
Parents Occupation:My dad owns a Nissan DealershipMy mom is a secretary for a small business
Grade: Freshman
Resident Hall: Plassmann Hall
Major: Marketing and Management
Activities on Campus: Intramurals
Activities throughout high school: I played softball all year round. I traveled with a club team across the country in the fall and summer and played for my high school in the spring.
Parents Hobby: My dad loves to golf and my mom enjoys cooking.
Unique Quality: The only quality I have that is somewhat unique is that I am left handed

Story of Democracy:
Although it may not seem like an intense form of democracy my story involves high school elections and government. My high school was never involved in many school spirit activities, but my friend desperately wanted to change that by running for senior class president. She worked extremely hard campaigning getting peoples support. After the election she found out that she got the spot. She got the entire student body involved and got the activities they wanted to pursue. In my eyes getting people involved with the authorities that are elected is the meaning of true democracy. We can all work together to achieve an atmosphere we all enjoy living in. I will always remember that senior year of my high school career.

Good Education:
A powerful learning experience for me occurred outside of the classroom. My dad was the one who taught me this lesson. It was my sophomore year of high school and I really wanted to make the varsity softball team. My dad told me if I work really hard over the off-season that I could make the team and take a starting spot. I worked with him constantly to improve all aspects of my game. It was really hard to keep up with all the little skills I needed to succeed at the next level but it all paid off. I got a starting spot on the team and that year we won the league, county, and state championship. We were named the best team in the state of New Jersey. I will always be grateful of my dad for pushing me and teaching me that hard work can get you anywhere in life. I apply this lesson to everyday and I feel it is a great quality to have.

first dayyyyy

Name: Alana Brady
Hometown: Nanuet, NY
Parents’ Occupation:
Dad: Former Manager of a Store
Part owner of a restaurant in Manhattan
Owns a cookie route
Mom: Registered Nurse in the Pediatric ER of Montefiore Hospital
Year: Sophomore
Residence: Hennepin Hall
Major: History
Minor: Criminal Justice
Programs: Pre-Law and Honors
Activities: Pre-Law Society, Work in the Office of Academic Affairs, hosted a Troop Drive
High School: danced, swim-team, youth group, volunteer work.
Unsure of any parental extra-curricular
Interesting Fact: I never got hurt until my freshman year when I ended up in a sling, broke my nose and cracked my head open in about a span of four months.

Democracy
My paternal grandparents arrived from Ireland with my dad and his siblings when my dad was a teenager. It would take my dad years to become a full citizen himself but I was there with my mom and siblings when he passed his citizenship test. After that, he took me with him the first time he was able to vote. And I’ll never forget how it felt to be able to watch him finally be able to vote and fulfill his right to be involved in the democratic process.

A powerful learning experience for me came in my junior year of high school. I entered my US1 class, expecting it to be like any other, but this was the class and the teacher that would put me on the path that I am on today. While I had always enjoyed history, it was still just another class to me, until I had this teacher. I had always had teachers that showed passion in what they were teaching, but I had never connected with a teacher the way that I had connected with Ms. LC. She made me really love History, and when people ask me why, honestly I couldn’t really tell you what it was. There was just something there, something in the way she spoke about the topic. It was the way she made you feel like every situation was the most important one to ever happen in history. But it was more than that, it was the care that she showed towards her students, the care she showed to me long after I left her class that made it so important to me.