Category Archives: Uncategorized

Pride Alliance in Need of Reformation

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A couple of years ago, shortly after I officially came out and everyone that I knew was aware of my sexuality, I attended a handful of Pride Alliance (then referred to as Rainbow Alliance; thank heavens for that change, at least) meetings and unfortunately gave up after some time, as I was sourly disappointed. Out of the four of five meetings that I attended, only one discussed topics of importance, such as coming out and LGBT-related bullying. Other than that, all we talked about was sex, sex, sex. One time that I went, the students played a game which involved placing flavored condoms on bananas and then tasting them with their eyes closed and having to guess what the flavor was. Another time, anilingus was discussed, and a powerpoint presentation played which depicted various sex positions. Another time, various sex toys, such as dildos and handcuffs, were presented via a powerpoint presentation. I know that I was not the only one that this offended, as another male student whose name I will not provide said that he was offended. These kinds of meetings give power to those who disregard homosexuality as nothing more than promiscuous horseplay, and there are many that are against homosexuality for that very reason; they are so indoctrinated by representations of LGBT people (especially gay men) as promiscuous partiers that are not capable of settling down in a serious relationship but instead of have sex with various partners on a regular basis. What is Pride Alliance doing to remedy that by focusing so heavily on sex?

I have not gone much since, so I don’t know if changes have been made under the new president, but I have heard that it really hasn’t. I did go to the most recent meeting, which involved Rachel Walerstein providing a presentation, primarily on what it means to be an ally, and that was a lot more productive than the Pride Alliance activities to which I am accustomed. However, it is quite obvious to me that someone is trying to keep Pride Alliance as silent as possible, because I always remember having a large room with a computer and projector; the new room has absolutely nothing, only chairs and a white board with some markers, not all of which work. There are no desks or tables, and there is no computer or projector, and this made Rachel’s job as a presenter difficult. If we are to be honest with ourselves, we have to admit that Pride Alliance has virtually no presence on campus except on Coming Out Day when it provides t-shirts and, of course, when it hosts the Drag Ball. It needs a better room for meetings where productive activities can be conducted, and it needs a stronger presence on campus. I’m sure that I’m not the only one who feels this way; am I correct in saying that?

Additionally, it upsets me that Pride Alliance is a group listed under “Special Interests,” alongside groups such as chess, while Asian Culture Club and groups such as that are listed under Culture. In my opinion, Pride Alliance should be listed under Culture, as well, as it is a diversity just the same as a nationality/ethnicity is. A professor that is in agreement with me joked that it is not like one might say “Oh, I like being gay/lesbian” when asked what he or she is interested in. Homosexuality has a history, and gay men and lesbian women have been beaten down just like African Americans, Jewish people, etc. have been. Many forget, for example, that gay men were targeted during the Holocaust, as well, and they were beaten, tortured, and killed, forced to sleep in their underwear as they were watched all night. Does this sound like something as trivial as chess to you? When I went to Rachel’s presentation last week, I would estimate that there were probably less than twenty people present, which doesn’t compare to what was probably closer to fifty or sixty when I went a couple of years ago, so I’m sure that I’m not the only one who feels this way.

Practicum (Fall 2011) – Days 3 and 4

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So, I have had interesting experiences at my field placement lately. Both last time and this time, I witnessed events that have made me very angry. Last time, the students did an exercise that involved them elaborating on what made them unique, and a female student said that she practices witchcraft and can even astral project; she said that there is nothing like leaving your body at night and seeing it lying in bed. Afterward, a science teacher came into the classroom during my Host Teacher’s planning period and gossiped with my Host Teacher’s aid. The aid told the science teacher about what the female student said, and they both proceeded to agree that the female student is “nuts,” which just enrages me. What sorry excuse of a teacher refers to a student in such a negative way? I don’t even need the two Psychology courses that I’ve taken to know a bit about how children operate; either she really does believe that she has such an ability, in which case a teacher should respect the student’s beliefs, or she has recently witnessed/been victim to something traumatic and is masking it with fantasy, but we are not to refer to our students as “nuts” either way. We are to respect our students as we would expect them to respect us.

Last time, I was there for the whole day, which was not beneficial at all except to get observation hours. I witnessed the same lesson over and over again and felt very bored most of the time, except when the Host Teacher had me grade tests. I feel very silenced, because I don’t feel like I have the right to say something when something happens that I don’t like, such as what the teachers were talking about, and also on that day, I heard a student drop “my f-bomb,” mine because I am not referring to “the f-bomb” that most would automatically consider when they hear that term; I am talking about “the-fomb” that I can’t say let alone write, the one used to refer to gay males. I heard a student use this word, and either no one other than me heard it or someone did and didn’t care to say anything, and it honestly wouldn’t surprise me if it were the latter because the student teacher uses the dreaded “r-word” that he should know better than to use; we were both in a class together last year that stressed the avoidance of that word in any context. “That’s so retarded,” for example, is not acceptable, which is how he used it when I heard him use it. Practicum experiences have definitely taught me that there are a lot of ignorant teachers, and it’s unfortunate because that will reflect from generation to generation; ignorant teachers create ignorant teachers.

Today, something somewhat similar happened, except it was even worse because it was encouraged. I was only there for a half-day, something for which I am grateful because the student teacher adminstered a pre-test to all of the classes, which took most of the period. Being there as long as I was was really boring, so I can’t even imagine sitting through that all day. During third period, which is a study hall, a couple of students were discussing matters with the student teacher, and they brought up a male student that they know that apparently shaves his legs, and one of them said that dudes don’t shave their legs because “shaving your legs is gay,” and the student teacher did not tell him that that was inappropriate; he agreed and then merely carried on the conversation, saying that males should only shave their legs if they are swimmers. This isn’t right, and he’s really lucky that I wasn’t an evalutator observing him while that happened. We cannot tolerate that kind of talk in our classrooms; not only did that statement put that particular student down, it put gay people down, and students need to be taught that that is utterly unacceptable, not encouraged. You hear so many people, especially teachers, say that “children are our future,” but they do little to show that that that is something that they actually believe, which is why I say that ignorant teachers create ignorant teachers, and ignorant people in general, for that matter. Even if we’re not teachers, we affect other people, and if we are narrow-minded and unaccepting of people and their differences, that will “rub off” on others. Well, I suppose I will end my angry rant there; I’ll be writing again soon, I’m sure, since, as far as I know, I will be there again on Wednesday. In case I haven’t said, the Host Teacher would like me back as a student teacher next semester, and I would really like that.

The Three R’s: Rankings, Rivals and Resumes

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Out of all the great events here on the Oswego State campus, which one do people go to the most? Men’s Ice Hockey of course! Casual and diehard fans alike turn out to the arena to support the team, which with the 4-2 win over Geneseo Friday and a 7-1 thrashing of Brockport Saturday night, lifts their record to 5-1 for the year.

But with the games comes so much more than hockey. Sure there will be great goals, spectacular shots and bone-crushing hits, but what makes an Oswego State Men’s Hockey game so unique are the series of chants and traditions that students learn after the very first game.

Lakers and Golden Eagles Standing for National Anthems

Right after the face off, a student will start the ever-famous “Let’s Go Lakers” chant. As all veterans know, this chant is said three times. Once by the person who starts it and twice by the rest of the crowd. Three times. Not four, like so many students believe. The rest of the crowd will be silent and you’ll keep cheering. Not a good start to the game.

And then let the heckling begin. Supporting our own team is great, but talking trash about the other team is pretty great too. Say for instance, the opposing player is penalized and put in the box. During his sad skate to the penalty box, the crowd winds up their fist, ready to yell, “See ya, sit down bitch!” followed by a burst of applause.

Want to hear the worst of it? Ask the opposing goalie after a game. Stuck surrounded by ravenous students for two periods, taunts and insults are flung at him faster than slap shots. After he gives up a goal, a frequent occurrence with the Laker’s dynamic offense, the right side of the arena yells his first name, followed by the left side of the arena yelling his last name, followed by the all-common “you suck.”

The Lakers Dominating the Golden Eagles

During the course of the three periods, he’ll be reminded how the goals were all his fault, how his parents are disappointed in him, and frankly, how his sister can play better than him. Only a goalie knows the true torture of an Oswego State hockey game.

Want more inside scoop on the Laker’s domination over the Golden Eagles and everything else Laker hockey? Check out Mike Kraft’s blog.

 

While the Lakers build up their record, do you want to help build your resume? Then come this Monday to “Everything Internships with the Intern Queen” at the Campus Center Arena where we’ll welcome Intern Queen Lauren Berger.

While attending University of Central Florida, Berger completed 15 internships, rightfully earning her crown as “Intern Queen.”  She has ruled at several elite companies, including MTV, FOX and NBC.

Berger now helps to connect students to internships of their own, including us here at Oswego State. Come hear the message that over 40,000 students, parents and employers have already heard.

The presentation begins at 6 p.m. and will run roughly an hour. Even better, the event is free!

Want to learn more about her? Check out her Twitter or Facebook.

Practicum (Fall 2011) – Week 2

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During my second day at Dennis M. Kenney Middle School in Hannibal, the class listened to the rest of “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe, which I am assuming they had begun on a day that I wasn’t there, since I only go twice a week. This led to the Host Teacher talking to the students about how a story typically plays out, starting with rising action, the climax, falling action, and finally, the resolution, or the ending, using “The Tell-Tale Heart” to exemplify this model. It was the Friday before Halloween, so needless to say, students were a bit excited, and since the Host Teacher was not going to be working the Monday after the weekend, she celebrated Halloween with them on this day.

The Host Teacher played Halloween music for the students, and she did a Halloween-themed Mad Lib with them. I don’t think that they all understood the idea of a Mad Lib, because they were filling in words that were fitting to the context of the story (which she provided them, even though I think that the exercise would have been more fun and funnier for them had she not, since usually, you don’t). Reasons such as these are why this Host Teacher really makes me feel excited to teach. She, like me, stresses good writing and discourages the use of words such as bad, sad, mad, and so forth, encouraging her students to use more descriptive words. I do, however, firmly believe that I would enjoy my Practicum experience without a student teacher sharing the room with me, but that, perhaps, is a story for another time. I was writing a blog entry for my third week at the school, and my computer decided to sign me out without my consent, and I lost the entire blog, which isn’t saved as a draft for some reason.

“Eat, Save, Yum”

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Off-campus living will make a man out of you or a responsible young adult at very least. When I first got word that I would be living off campus I had plans of ordering pizza pies and chinese takeout in large portions throughout the week. Eating leftovers on alternate days to be “ money savvy”.

Somewhere between a shrinking account and a growing waistband I came to my senses. The original plan had not been sensible in the least. In order to survive off-campus, more than basic culinary skills would have to be acquired.

I sought the advice of my older sister Simone Belle a nurse practitioner and graduate of New York University’s School of Nursing. Someone who understands what it means to be a struggling college student trying to juggle more than a few things with limited resources.

We narrowed down the dining goals to three major components: Affordability, healthy choices and timeliness.

There are some items that you may want to add to the cart right away. By design these items are usually placed near the entrance of the store and located on the exterior of the aisle with “great deal” signage decorated around it. Resist the urge to be tempted by first creating a grocery list prior to shopping. Junk food items not only add up in cost but are unhealthy. When in the store go down you list of needed items ensuring that you have all the ingredients to make a solid meal. Then when your list is complete add a few of those wants as treat. This will drastically cut your grocery bill.

Create balanced , healthy meals that still taste good!

When prepping healthy meals it is important to create a diverse offering on the plate. According to the American Cancer Society and United States Recommended Daily Allowances (USRDA) “it is recommended to eat a wide variety foods to best obtain the appropriate protein, carbohydrates, and vitamins and minerals from fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, and whole grains”. While fresh vegetables may be best. Simone tailors the message for young adults “Frozen vegetables are a perfect choice for college students because fresh vegetables might spoil before use and canned vegetables hold very little nutritional value”

Time is often one of the hardest adjustments for off campus students, as meals take considerably longer to prepare than swiping for a meal at the dining hall. It is definitely a challenge learning to adjust to cooking at home while your friends are on their way to the dining halls. Damaris Dunn senior at SUNY Oswego living in the Village Commons agrees, “ What you have to realize is that when others are heading to the dining halls, that is your time to head home to your kitchen. Bring a friend over too! I hate cooking for one person so I always invite a group of friends to enjoy a good meal too”

Cooking for friends makes it less a chore more a fun filled event

These are all tips that have led to better eating habits that are both healthy and reasonable with in my current college lifestyle. With some luck these tips will help you have a healthy, fit figure to go along with good grades by semester end. Who knows you may even brag as I do now about how “culinary savvy” you have become.

– Bon Appetite !

Halloween Happenings

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This past week was National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week, which Lifestyles recognized by distributing “It’s Okay Not To Drink” shirts to students and faculty on Wednesday, Oct. 19th.

Alcohol and Other Drug Coordinator Ted Winkworth first got the idea for the shirts from “straightedge hardcore bands from the 90s.”  When Ted went to a concert, he noticed one of the band members sporting an “It’s Okay Not To Drink” shirt and became influenced by what the band member stood for. Over the years, the shirts gained more and more popularity. The T-shirts became a huge hit last year, forcing Lifestyles to increase the number to reach more students.

 

This past Wednesday, Lifestyles was bombarded with over 500 students who showed up to get a free shirt.  Students had a choice between pink, black, white and tie-dyed shirts, made by the Lifestyles Peer Educators.  Going beyond the simple, “It’s Okay Not To Drink” logo, Lifestyles created an “I’m This Weird All The Time” lime green t-shirt to suggest that students don’t have to drink alcohol to be themselves and be weird.

Lifestyles hands out these shirts once a semester, so make sure to keep track of #ozhappenings to find out when they will be released next!

What else is going on this weekend you ask?

It’s Human vs. Zombies season and how will all those zombies stay in shape? The first Zombie Crawl of course! Participants will rush to the Midtown Plaza between 5-5:45 Saturday evening to get dolled up for the horror that will ensue at six.

The undead walkers will head to Fort Ontario, to East Ninth Street and down Bridge Street, showing their “beauty” to the public. Following the walk, the party will take over at The Raven, where “Eight Wheels of Death” will be screened, as well as other zombie themed activites.

Get there quick before it fills up, or before all the brains are gone.

For more information, check out the event’s Facebook Page.

Not blood-thursty? Eating brains not your thing? Then come to the Her Campus Oswego Prom Night Friday, Oct. 28th! Dress to impress, or dress to scare with your best halloween get-up. Free food, free coffee and prizes are just three of the many reasons you’ll want to turn out.

The dance begins at 8 p.m. in the Hewitt Ballroom. Best part? It’s totally free.

Check out their Facebook Page and The Flier to find out even more about the Prom.

Practicum (Fall 2011) – Week 1

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Last Monday, I went to my first Practicum experience of the semester at Dennis M. Kenney Middle School in Hannibal. Previously, I hadn’t had much of an idea where Hannibal is located, but it is very close to Oswego; in fact, it’s really only about ten minutes away. Just as you’re leaving Hannibal, in fact, you can see the towers on campus. So far, I am having a great experience. As soon as I entered the building, students were there to greet me, and they were incredibly friendly. They introduced themselves and asked for my name, shook my hand, and then showed me where the main office is. Everyone at the main office was really friendly and helpful, as well, which has not always been the case at every Practicum site that I have ever attended. At most of the schools at which I have done field placements, a lot of students are loud and rude, and people in the main office treat you like an invader, but this is simply not the case at Kenney Middle School.

My Host Teacher’s name is Nicole Arnold, and she is great. She seems to have a very positive relationship with her students. One student, in fact, showed Ms. Arnold a photo of something (if I am not mistaken) when she entered the classroom, and Ms. Arnold greets students as they enter the classroom. She, like I intend to do, focuses a lot on good writing habits and grammar. She, also as I intend to do, gives her students something to write about every day, and I consider this important, because so many students’ abilities to write falter by the time they are students in high school because they are not asked to practice it on a regular basis. While I was there, I corrected a few papers, looking for grammar errors and so forth, and I noticed that Ms. Arnold has a really good-sized library of books by her desk, which I also think is really important. So far, I am very much enjoying my experience, but because I have to leave approximately one hour early, I will sometimes be going twice a week instead of just once. I will be updating with developments as often as I can.

Introducing..Open Mic.

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Students at Open Mic

If you take a look around Lake Effect on a Thursday evening around 6, you’ll undoubtedly see students sipping on coffee, tea, lattes, and the like.  There will be students scattered at tables studying or chatting.  Basically, it looks like your conventional cafe.

Check back an hour later and you’ll be lucky if you find a seat.  Thursdays bring Lifestyles’ After Dark Open Mic, but what exactly does that entail?  Every week it’s different.  Each week brings a surprise, but the concept always remains the same: free coffee, free company, free entertainment.  Open Mic lasts from 7-11, gaining momentum as the night wears on.

We always commend the first brave soul to go up to the mic and perform, opening the show for rest of the fearless.  This past Thursday it was a poem.

Open Mic brings an array of acts, ranging from poems, musical acts, comedy and magic. Performers play acoustic guitar, piano, ukuleles, accordion and an array of various instruments brought by Mike Beshures and Dan Cava, who introduce each act.

This past week, societal agitation was discussed, through the use of comedy.  A student discussed his thoughts about derogatory words people use and his thoughts on them.

This is probably, what we would say, is the best part about Open Mic.  Everyone is welcome there, whether you reek talent, or, for lack of better words, don’t.  You will never step away from the mic without a thundering applause from the audience.  Discuss, sing, perform whatever you want, we will accept.

But it is not only performances that draw the large crowds to Open Mic. Free coffee, free food? Is this real life?!  Free coffee is available to any student, as long as they bring their own mug. Free food is available to anyone, mug-

full or not.  This past Thursday they had fruit, the week before brought brownies and cookies, tastefully baked and arranged by Lifestyles’ Peer Educators.

Come to study, perform, make bracelets (yes they provide the string.  Once again, is this real life?!), drink coffee, nap, or mingle with us.  Just come!

Carly Brundige making a bracelet at Open Mic

As always, tweet about your campus events using #ozhappenings and don’t forget to like our facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/Ozhappenings.

Note: Open Mic is cancelled this week (Oct. 20) because of midterms.  See you next Thursday for an always satisfying Lifestyles’ After Dark Open Mic night!

Sam Katz performing at Open Mic

 

Welcome to Ozhappenings

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Finally, the place for every Oswego State event. On-campus, off-campus, no matter where you are, we’re here with you. We’ll give you the event forecast for the week, chock-full of fun events for students and faculty alike.

But this isn’t just us, Jacob Pucci and Erin Marulli, this is for all students. Plus, we are only two people. We can’t do it on our own. So we’re going to call on you for help. If there is a campus event that you want the rest of the school to know about, tweet it using the hashtag #Ozhappenings.

Check out our Facebook page at  http://www.facebook.com/Ozhappenings to find out the latest in campus activity. And don’t forget to tweet your events, big or small, to #Ozhappenings.

Follow Jacob Pucci at http://twitter.com/#!/JacobPucci and Erin Marulli at http://twitter.com/#!/Emarullz.

Graduate School – Sure, why not?

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The last few weeks have been quite the adventure.  The amount of change in my life has sent me on a roller coaster.  Beginning graduate school, starting a new job, and moving into a new place have all created a new beginning for me.

Toward the end of last year I struggled with the decision of where to attend graduate school.  I had been accepted to Northeastern University and Suffolk University in Boston, MA.  I had also been invited to interview at Syracuse University here in New York.  Each of these universities had some kind of student affairs counseling program that I was interested in.  I was also accepted into SUNY Oswego’s mental health counseling program; something that I never really considered for myself.

Through the application process I changed my mind many times.  The decision was not easy at all. I had spent 5 years at Oswego and thought I was ready to move somewhere new and begin a new life.  I went back and forth between Boston and Oswego over and over again (break into Nelly song here).   I spent many sleepless nights researching Boston and looking for potential places to live.  At one point I was fully committed to Boston and started to prepare myself for the move.  Then, all of a sudden my mind changed and I accepted the offer from Oswego and here I am!

Now, at first someone may think that I am not happy with my decision, but it’s quite the contrary.  I am absolutely in love with this college.  SUNY Oswego is and always will be my home.  Yes, there may be days when I wonder what life would be like if I left, but I could never leave until I’m finished with grad school, and maybe even more after that.  I wanted to start a new life somewhere else, but now I can improve my life at a place that I’m comfortable and settled.

Graduate school is something that I always knew I would do. In fact, I wont be done with just my masters degree; I will be moving onto a PhD in the future.  Anyway, I am so excited to be in grad school and really love my classes.  I never thought I’d pursue a degree in mental health counseling, but I’m very glad I did.