Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Thesis Trauma!
As a senior, I’m expected to do a thesis. Although it’s not required for all majors, as some majors have capstones, I am a history major and thus must do a thesis. I invite you all to come and see me as well as other thesis presenters.
11/11 in Golisano 103 from 6-9:30
11/12 in Golisano 103 from 5-8:30
There may be cookies!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Reading is FUNdamental!
Last Saturday at ten in the morning, bright and early, I sauntered down to the Green Toad Bookstore on Main Street. There, I read a book to a small audience of little kids. Helping people has always made me feel good, so that’s why I’m going to do this every Saturday morning! Please feel free to come down and bring anyone interested. A community is only as strong and cohesive as its members.
Also be sure to wash your hands and practice good hygeine! 147 students in Worcester, just near Oneonta, have been diagnosed with swine flu. Since approximately 300 students attend Worcester Central School, the school was closed down. With vaccines nowhere in sight, it’s up to each one of us to stay home and away from others if you feel ill, wash your hands regularly, use tissues, and all that common sensical stuff!
I can’t wait for October Break! It’s just around the bend now. It will be a welcome vacation from my thesis and my other assignments.
Later days,
Nico
Monday, October 05, 2009
No Foolin’ Around!
I rarely use this blog as my personal soapbox for controversial issues, as I feel that I am outspoken enough in real life. But with a new group of freshmen coming to Hartwick, and given my own interest in how today’s generation adjusts to living with a roommate, I think this should be brought to people’s attention.
Tufts University, a fairly well-known institute, has recently banned students from becoming intimate with their significant other while a roommate is in the room. Common sense tells us that nobody wants to hear the accompanying noises while studying, listening to music, or desperately trying to focus on which American Idol contestant sounded the worst, yet the exact scenario, with minor variations, will likely play out all across the nation this year. And the year after, And the year after. And the year after. And so on.
How hard is it to send a text message to a roommate asking if they wouldn’t mind spending a few extra minutes away from the room? I’m sure anyone would understand the implication, although the potential for error and/or hurt feelings is still present. One could also take the low-tech road and simply place a sock or a rubber band on the doorknob, some kind of secret code between two roomies. Regardless of one’s stance on the issue of premarital sex, pretending that it won’t happen at one point in some student’s college career is foolish, and the scenario outlined above gives ample opportunity for people to learn etiquette and common courtesies.
If one roommate gets fed up with the other’s actions, then they should be mature and directly address the problem with the offender. Involving the resident advisor would involve the college, which deprives both of the students involved of a valuable lesson in conflict resolution, negotiation, and compromise. In writing on the newly-instated rule, Newsweek blogger and intern Leigh Bond states:"Getting the university involved seems so opposite of what college is supposed to teach you: how to handle reality without a protective shield.”
Personally, my college career has had amazing highs, crushing lows, and plenty of awkward, uncomfortable situations. I’m sure I’m not alone in this. In those situations, people should confront the problem head on rather than get someone else to hold their hand through life’s bumpy roads.
Later days,
Nico
Quote from: Newsweek Blog: The Human Condition
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