EOW Conference

This weekend was definietely interesting. i had a lot of fun hanging out with all the bonners and I feel like I learned so much. I will admit that some of the conferences weren't as exciting as others, but overall it was a good expierience. My favorite session was Speak because it really awakened me to how oblivious I am to all the conflict going on in the world. After hearing the story of the Fallin Whistles I was absolutely devastated. I couldn't even fathom the fact that people could actual do this to children. I realized that I can no longer sit back and do nothing. It is so easy to put things at the back of your mind, but I refuse to forget that story.

Generation Q, EOW and MORE!

"...in the end, we just feel overeducated and underutilized."
Talk about a powerful statement. I get where Friedman is coming from, especially after reading one of his books. I even think he writes to piss our generation off on purpose. His all encompassing Generation Q label is just an attempt at getting all of us stirred up, so we might go out and focus on one of the many issues that he himself feels are important. Taking it all in, both Friedman and Martin rant and rave, but there is indeed this useful, so called controversial, resource that stood out most: Technology.
Ahh, what a great segway. In West Virgina, we were once again briefed on the usefulness of what Bonner labels Serve 2.0. This technology that Friedman argues is consuming our generation is the very same technology that is reducing our impact on the environment, bringing social justice movements and their resources together, and connecting like-minded individuals on a level that has never been done before. This technology is what brings all of us together when we can't meet at 7:00pm every Thursday.
Putting my own rant aside, I loved the trip. I loved the drive even though it was 20+ hours. The changing of the leaves and the dead carcasses. Beautiful! Most importantly, I loved driving through a battle ground state (Pennsylvania) with "Vote" on the back and Obama labels everywhere... I like to believe we got one swing voter to say, "Hey if these kids are doing it, I might as well do it to!"

I guess I am a sucker for happy endings.

B-L[ake]ove

my news

Well, I hope everyone had a great time at the conference this weekend I was so upset that I had to miss out. I have had a pretty eventful week. We had playoffs this weekend in Buffalo and we lost but I was the lucky one to come home with a souvenir, a broken collar bone. So of course I was suppose to begin my service work this week and that did not happen because I am home for the week on medical leave. Although, I did get a chance to speak to John at Josephs house today and he was very understanding and said their is work I will be able to do when I return. So I was very thankful because I thought I was going to fall way behind on my hours. Hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween.

more circles

Hey everyone!

It sounds like you had so much fun at the conference last weekend! I am so jealous that I couldn't make it to what seems to me was a great bonding experience for everyone in the program. :-( I can't wait for the meeting tomorrow to hear all about it and to see the video footage when you guys get it together!
In other news, I participated in the Halloween Extravaganza here on campus on Saturday, and that was nice to see all the little kids in their costumes and help them do some Halloween crafts.
As for my service at Circles of Mercy, it has been going great! The ladies there I think are really accepting me there and everytime I go there is more and more to talk about and more to do, it just a really fun place to do service.
Richard, the director, has asked me to go with him to the Interagency Network Meeting with him next week to help him represent Circles and to meet some of the other Community Partners in the area. Also, next week I am going to help set up the Adopt a Family program, if all goes well, and hopefully be the liason between them and Siena for our own Giving Tree that we have here for the holidays. It looks to be a truly exciting experience, and I am really looking forward to diving into these things.
Anyway, that's all I have for now! See you all tomorrow!

Tai Presents this week: Engaging Our World Conference. admissions committee recruitment ideas, other thing

Before this past weekend I never thought that I would ride in a minivan for about 9-12hrs to Buckhanon, West Virginia. Well now I can say I somewhat accomplished something in my life. The conference was an eye opener and a learning experience to a lot of things. I brought back a lot of information about homeless and hunger awareness. I also was able to network with other bonner programs and see what they were doing at their schools. Overall the trip was really fun even though I missed a lot more at Siena, I think that the trip gave us more bonding time then just our weekly meetings. From the longest minivan ride of my life, to the 88 lounge, and West Virginia Wesleyan College, these memories I will always cherish. BONNER LOVE!

I have an idea. I think that we should get bonner shirts! Many schools had their own bonner shirts and I wanted one. So maybe we can put that into action for either next semester or next school year.

For the admissions committee, I believed that I already stated this in last week's meeting that one of our recruitment ideas is to hopefully host the multicutural overnights, have one of us on the student panel, or if time permits have a short 15-30 minute presentation about the bonner program to hopefully recruit more minorities to the program and on campus which would be a plus if successful. Another is that the admissions committee need to set up a meeting with admissions to see if one of our bonner students are able to go on tour with admissions to the receptions that they have along the East Coast. We also need to hold a forum for upperclassmen applicants the beginning of next semester to fill in the empty spots. I can not wait for the day when I do not have to explain what the bonner program is to Siena students and it becomes common knowledge.

Bonner love,

Tai

Bonner Conference

Hmmm, where to begin!.. haha what a weekend this turned out to be. I don't think there is a word to describe it. Besides the whole cell phone incident within the first hour we were there, I really enjoyed it.
I loved getting to meet the leaders of other programs and talk to them about ways they have promoted Bonner. It was really helpful to talk with students who were in programs that have been concrete for a few years now. I can't wait to start promoting our program and recruit new members.
At times many of the workshops were very slowed paced, but my favorite one was definitely Speak . It really got a lot of us thinking about our lives and what we really want to do to make a difference. I hope I will be able to be as passionate about my community placement as the presenter at Speak was. It was a great experience and hopefully we will be able to have the presentation here at Siena.
My favorite part of the trip overall was just being able to hang out with everyone and be crazy goofy. Between the music videos (our van definitely kicked ass) in the car and our singalong experience in the restaurant, I could not stop laughing. I cant wait to see all the footage and pictures! There were definitely some memorable moments! One being our near death experience in the elevator! hahaha it was a crazy weekend and soo much happend but I loved being able to get to know everyone better and being able to gather information to better our program!

B-looove

Bonner Love!

Hey all,

I want to start by saying I am so proud of everyone who came to the conference this weekend! Your willingness to participate (especially in all the silliness) did not go unnoticed by me or by the Foundation! Although we were all exhausted and some of the sessions went slower then others you still came up with some great ideas for the program now that we are back. Whatever you can come up with, bring it to me and I'll do my best to make it happen!

For those of you that went-- what is one thing you brought back from the conference that you would like the others to know?

For those of you that didnt-- pay close attention to the answers and ask some questions of you own!

Bonner looooooooove,
Nicole

weekend of bonner love

Hey guys! We had the Engaging Our World Conference this weekend and it went pretty well. There were some good presentations: Falling Whistles (I'm hoping that the speaker will be able to visit Siena), Oxfam (there's a 1 week training that you can attend the summer between freshman and sophomore year or sophomore and junior year) and the Oxfam Fundraising presentation. I had an idea for a fundraiser we could do right here at Siena. As we all know basketball season is almost here and it's a big deal. What would happen if our mascot was missing? There would be a price to pay at the beginning so that you would receive clues about where you might find the mascot. Whoever found the mascot would get a prize (to be determined...maybe tickets to the MAAC tournament?) I'm hoping that the athletic department would be on board with this idea but as of now it's just an idea. There was a lot of bonner bonding this weekend from the car rides to the haunted house to sing-a-longs at dinner. For everyone that didn't get to go there's a ton of videos that will be up soon! I don't know what everyone is doing Saturday morning from 9-12 but I'm looking for a couple of people to come to North Albany to help me help them with their garage sale. Let me know if you're interested. Thanks! Have a great week!!!

EOW

Saturday night:

So we have internet service, which is amazing. We are sitting in our room, just hanging out and relaxing after a super long day. It's been a day of workshops, singing videos, and conversations. As much as the day was long, tiresome, and mostly boring, I think all of us are going to be coming back with a lot of ideas. Today I went to four workshops. The first one, how to have a cow was really tiring. It focused on hosting a particular event and nothing else. The second session was speak. It was incredible. It was about this guy's story of his trip to the congo. And the story of the falling whistles. The third workshop how to do with facebook and technology and how it can be used to better your bonner program. It was interesting and educational. The last workshop was called check yourself before you wreck yourself. The point was to teach how to deal with stereotypes and race issues in your community. The icebreaker game they had us do was really interest. After putting a card on everyone's back, with some kind of race or minority group.(ex. poor, native american, jewish...) Everyone at first was afraid to use stereotypes to try and get the person to guess. But it was the only way we knew how to do it.

Sunday:

Currently I'm sitting in the bonner congress meeting. Were working on plans to bring what we learned this weekend back to our campus. Tim keeps falling alseep. Haha. No one is surprised. We miss Siena. It's a little long and very repetitive.

to be continued....

our generation

After reading both articles about our generation, I have to say that I agree with points made by both Courtney Martin and Thomas Friedman. I believe that our generation is definitely different than the ones that preceded us, but that is to be expected. Our country would not move forward if the different generations did not differ from one another. I agree with Friedman when he said that we are quiet, but I don't believe that we are too quiet. We have a different way of doing things, most of which are online. And that is okay. I guess I take Martin's side more than Friedman's, because she is right when she says that our generation is not apathetic, and that we are doing our best. People of other generations may not be able to understand our ways, or the change that we are creating for our country, but that definitely does not mean it is not occurring.

new orleans

Amanda and I (and hopefully Nicole) will be attending a conference in New Orleans during mid-November. The conference is titled Rebuild the Gulf Coast, Rebuild America. The point of us attending is hopefully to gain insight about the current situation and how we would be able to help from up here in New York. There is also the possibility of attending some sort of service trip in the spring to help with the hurricane relief. I am really excited and think it is not only an excellent opportunity to help others but to travel to some place I have never been and hopefully get a change to experience some of the culture.

Generation?

After reading the two articles on our generation I felt that Martin better captured how are generation feels. We are looking for an outlet for our anger and what we have found is that volunteering is what seems to make the most difference. I attended the lecture about Nike and their injustices to their workers. Over the past decade team sweat has been sending letters to head of Nike and it has done nothing to change the wages and conditions of their workers. I think that as a generation we want to see a change and the only way we have found to effectively do this is through volunteering in our communities and across the country. When we volunteer at a single organization for an extended period of time we are able to see the positive change we are making. I believe that we do need to find another way to express our dissatisfaction with our government and big businesses.

Generation Q

After reading both articles I couldn't help, but feel torn between what Friedman and Martin argued. I understood where Friedman was coming from when he said that we are a quiet generation because many of us have our own political views, but we don't always voice them. It makes sense that we should try and catch the attention of politicians because we are the ones who control our own future. On the other hand though I agree a hundred percent with Martin on the fact that today in this world we as young people are consumed by the media. All we see is the death and destruction that is taking place everyday. It is overwhelming to see all these things going on because it's impossible to solve every conflict on this planet. I believe that we are doing our best to try and bring some humanity to the world through our service. Even though we may not be "lighting a fire under a country" like Friedman said, we are taking action in a different way, by making a difference ourselves instead of waiting around for some politiican to save the day.

Generation Overwhelmed

So I guess I'll start off with saying sorry for not making it to the meeting last week, things have been really overwhelming with midterms and home life all coming down on me at once, but I made it through!!
I got the articles that we had to read, and after reading them I felt as though I really could relate to Martin on almost everything. It's true that a lot of us twenty-somethings have strong beliefs and feel very passionate about many things. It's also true that there is no true outlet for us to channel all of these feelings. It is very overwhelming to turn on the news every night before I go to bed and to hear story after story about horrible things happening all over the country and the world. It's hard not to feel so small and helpless at times like these, but all of us try. Using the internet as our venting space IS our generation's way of expressing ourselves, it may not seem as forceful to Freidman, but I think it might just be because he has not grown up with the resources of the internet at his hands. No matter what it is though, I feel as though the older generations will never be happy with what we are doing unless we follow in their exact footsteps, which is something our society has, in my mind, long surpassed.
No matter what anyone may say though, I believe that in doing our community service through the Bonners we are helping to make change in our community and in the world.

Bonner Love and Bonner Goodbyes

Hello Bonners,
I wanted to to let you all know that I unfortunately had to leave the Bonner Program.
Things pile up quick, I know you all can understand what I am talking about, and senior year is tough for someone that is trying to find the next path he or she is going to take. Between this, my crazy 7-Class schedule and work-- I knew that I would be unable to commit myself to the full 100% potential that this program deserves. I will continue to work at my community site, the Alzheimer's Awareness Association on a different schedule and in different places around Siena and Albany.
I did learn a lot from my time with the Bonner Program, and I am not simply referring the clever E's or any vague anagrams... I am talking about what it means to get out there and serve the community with new friends. North Albany Family Day, the orientation... that was all so much fun and I maintain great respect for the program and what it stands for.
I am really going to miss working with you guys, from every grade and major. Who knew I'd make such good friends putting ketchup and mustard on peoples' hot dogs? The committee of Publicity: Tim and April, we are dynamic! Also, Nicole, your brave leadership, making meetings fun and energetic-- that means a lot and you're great at what you do.
I know that this seems like some final goodbye, but that's not really the point. I am sure I will be seeing all of you around, and I want everyone to know that if they are ever feeling overwhelmed, bored, lonely, need advice or have questions, you know how to reach me: I will always be available for friends no matter what. (April and Tim, I would be happy to continue writing Bonner updates in the paper if you so wish (just send me what you want to go in and I can edit it and make it work), and if you'd like to bounce ideas around, I'm available for that as well.
It was a pleasure to work with everyone and get to meet so many fantastic students, and I look forward to maintaining an ongoing relationship of laughter, awkward door holding and sub par saga meals. Good luck, and have FUN!
Bonner LOVE!

-Leah

Generation

I read both articles being open minded as possible but when I was done, I sided with Martin. A lot of older people try to compare their generation to our generation. We have more opportunities than they did back in the days. Therefore with more opportunities, there are more problems. There are some many things going on the world we all can't fight for each and every single cause, worry about going to graduate school, paying off high interest loans, and then we have the war, the government corruption in different countries, Darfur, etc. The list can go on for days.  Though what I did get from Friedman's article is to not forget how far America has come though America still has a long way to go.

Generation...?

  After reading both the articles I felt pulled more towards Martin.  But Friedman makes a good point about how we use the internet to speak what is on our minds.  Blogging is our generations way of expressing our opinions.  At the same time though, I think a lot of us feel as though we have no other choice.  What else can we do? As a generation we are completely overwhemed.  College degrees are equivilant to our parents high school diplomas.   We're going to be coming out of college and paying back thousands upon thousands of dollars in loans. When Martin says "we just felt overeducated and underutilized" I had to disagree.  No matter how much education we get it never seems to be enough.  We may be underutilized to some extent.  But I think we have to put ourselves out there more if we want to change that.

Generation Q

After reading both pieces, I found my response to be somewhere in the middle. At first I thought that what Friedman was saying did not reflect what I have seen. To me, everyone I know is very political y active and involved in what is going to happen in our future. So I felt that most twenty somethings were active, but I see his side because we are not forward enough in pursuing what we believe. I think Martins response was precise but not accurate. As I think more, I do see that people have strong beliefs but they are not pursuing them in a fashion that makes sense to others and gets the point across. Martin talks about the internet and I think that that the twenty somethings use the internet as their main way to speak out and get their point across. I felt that Martin expressed her end of the extreme while Friedman expressed his opinion but was not as firm. My opinion takes from both sides and both pieces got me to really think about what our generation is doing and what they can do.

the past week

I think that it was a great idea to have the presidential debates be mandatory for us Bonners. They were great opportunities for us to sit down and really get to know both of the candidate's positions about topics such as health care, taxes, the economy and of course Joe the Plumber. I had been pretty involved in the presidential election, but I know that some of us had not, and I am happy that people are now more educated about this important election.

Also, I went to visit New Day Art a few days ago. I absolutely love it, and I couldn't stop smiling at the site. I know that the center will be a great fit for me, and I can not wait to begin volunteering there. Hopefully I will start next week!

Circles of Mercy

So today was my first real day of service with my community partner - Circles of Mercy, an outreach center for women and women with children. I love it there. They have so many great programs, including adopt a family (which they do in coordination with Siena), training classes for women to learn how to use Microsoft Word, a thrift shop in the center where everything is $1-$5 (where I actually picked up a nice Gap sweater for $1 myself :-] ), and tons of other great things. The director there, Richard, is so nice and so is Pat- the woman I worked with today in the thrift shop. Basically today I helped organize the store and helped some women pick out outfits for them and their babies. It was crazy to see how young some of the girls were that came in to pick up clothing for their babies, but I think it's great that they have opportunities like the ones that Circles of Mercy gives them. I am so looking forward to getting more integrated into the system there and getting to do a lot more for them.
See you all at the debate in 40 minutes !

2nd Presidential Debate

Hey so sorry this is soo late iv been swamped with work all of a sudden. Anyways... The last presidential debate was hard for me to stay focused. I did not like the format of the debate at all. Everyone that i had talked to the next day said that they felt the same way.
During this debate i payed more attention to the personal jabs between candidates then i did their actually policies. By the end of the 90 minutes i was very sick of hearing each candidate attack each other rather than prove their abilities through their policies. I felt bad for the mediator that night. Each candidate kept going over their permitted time. Even when the mediator reminded them of the time limits, both candidates refused to listen.
I did not enjoy this debate at all. I could not stayed focused and i did not gain anything from it. I discovered that neither candidate, in my opinion, is the best choice for the presidency. Neither have surprised me, and neither have made me say to myself "wow this candidate is the one for the job." Hopefully this next debate will be more entertaining.

Reflection on first day of service

Today I started my service at North Albany Academy. I am working with the Lego league robotics team with a few fourth grade classes. Although I didn't meet any of the 4th graders I did meet a few of the 8th graders from the older Lego team who will be mentoring the little ones with me. I learned that one of the boys was a first generation American- his parents are from Syria. The principal and tech teacher introduced him to me and asked me to tell him a little about Bonner and Siena. The entire time we talked they kept telling him about how he was going to go to college after. They also said this to every student who came into the classroom. They are also having a college day for middle school students this Saturday that a lot of the kids are going to. I thought it was awesome how the principal knew all the students' parents (she even told a few that their parents would be interested in going to the event on Saturday) and knew what the kids were interested in. I could tell that the personal attention she gives to the kids really makes a difference and encourages them, academically and otherwise. I haven't really seen this level of interaction before, like for example, when I visit my the school my sister teaches at back home. This is just one way that I have seen so far where NAA is a bit different from some other schools and how I know that it is a positive environment for these kids to be in, especially when other things in their lives might not be working out as well at the moment. I can't wait to really begin my experience tomorrow afternoon!

second pres. debate

I felt that the town hall style debate was more interesting than just a blacked out audience. But I felt that the candidates tried to please the person asking the question to where we got the point they were trying to get to their level and it just became annoying. I also think it was funny how Tom addressed both candidates multiple times on the issue of the time constraint but it did not make too much of a difference. I have to say out of the three moderators we have seen Tom has been my favorite because he addressed multiple issues and dug for the deeper questions and answers. I also felt that we have already heard a lot of what they have to say and it keeps being repeated, not saying that's a bad thing, but I would also like to hear some new plans that have not been mentioned.

2nd Debate...

I don't really want to comment on how I feel about a particular candidate.  I also do not want to argue with anyone on their political views.  However, I do want to say that I think that the debate was a little immature at times.  I understand that both candidates want to be able to rebut on what the previous candidate said but it just got out of hand.  I must admit that I did get a few giggles out of it.  I honestly don't know who I'd give the debate to but I am looking forward to the one next Wed.!!!

April

VP debate

Hey i know this is a little late but I've been pretty sick and haven't gotten to it yet...
I attended the vice presidential debate in the westroom last week. I was the only republican at my table and had to constantly defend my views from my teasing friends. I thought the VP debate was very interesting. Everyone expected Sara Palin to fall on her face and she succeeded in proving them wrong. I felt that she is unlike anyone who has run for VP before. She has the ability, unlike Joe Bidden, to speak plainly and openly. Bidden has been a member of the senate for many years and is considered professional when it comes to political speaking. I found that after answering a question he leaves me with the notion that he must have answered it yet i dont really know what exactly his policy or view was. Sara Palin is less experienced but has the ability to relate to the common American on the same level. She spoke clearly with no commplicated plays on words.
I disagreed with many things Joe Bidden said, especially when he made the statement about his policy in tax cuts and raises. He claimed that his idea of redistribution was just "FAIR". What i was unable to grasp was how he can justify taking money from those who have earned it fairly and redistributing it to those who have less. Especially when the people he is taking the money from are those who stimulate our economy the most. If this policy is put into play our already hurting economy is going to be worse off. The wealthy people of our society are the one who invest and expand capital. If the government begins taking money from them they are no longer going to invest their money. This policey also effects small businesses. There are many small businesses that will be effected by these tax raises. If this happens small businesses will no longer have the ability to expand. Their expenses to keep the buisness running will raise and they will have to cut off workers or lower wages. Those who are laid off or have less income will now spend less on the economy. His policies have a domino effect that will do nothing to improve the current situation of the economy.
Dont get me wrong I'm not say that Sara Palin is the perfect woman for this job because she is not. She is inexperienced and may not be well enough informed on certain issues. However the policies are what I am judging each candidate by and i strongly disagree with those of Bidden.
Haha sorry about how long this was. We just had a debate about it in my Political Science class so im still riled up from that :-P

This I Believe

As i sat in front of my computer to write this essay I realized i had no idea how to put down my beliefs in a coherent manner. I have always known what my beliefs are but I've never had to express them to other people. This is what I came up with...
I believe in freedom and opportunity. I believe in the ability to make my own decisions and set my own goals. I believe in setting my mind to something and understanding that i will accomplish it. No matter who may laugh at my dreams or hopes and call them senseless, they are not able to stop me from acheiving them. I can wake up everyday and decided what is it i want to do. I can go to class and choose to try my hardest, I can go grab lunch to go with my friends and choose if i want a turkey sandwich or a ham sandwich! To have the ability to make my own decisions is a freedom that I strongly believe in.
Life is full of opportunities that open different doors. I can choose which opportunity to jump at and follow its course. To be able to live in such a country where I am presented with so many chances and freedoms is what has shaped my beliefs. There are so many people in the world today that have their lives planned out for them from the time they are small children. They have no ability to make decisions and act upon their own desires. To be able to truly say that i have the choice to decide what it is i want to do with my own life is such a special thing...
.... I believe in the ability to choose what i do and do not believe in.

This I Believe

I believe that everyone deserves a friend. Regardless of age, intellectual capabilities, or socioeconomic status, there is an emotional and natural need for such companionship. I learned this to be true when I began participating in Best Buddies, a program dedicated to creating friendships between people with mental disabilities and their non-disabled peers.
My own friends introduced me to the program my senior year of high school, and I knew it was something I would want to pursue throughout my college career. I was lucky to be paired up my freshman year with Tom. Rolling into the room on his wheelchair, Tom greeted me with a huge smile. It was actually Tom who broke the ice by telling me a joke. We talked about our interests and families, and quickly found we had a lot in common. In particular, we both love to eat!
Over the next few months, Tom and I continued to talk and participate in group buddy activities. We would go bowling, out to eat, and gather with the other members once a month for a party or outing. Tom and I are fortunate in that we will be paired together for all four years I will be at Siena College.
One day I was talking with Tom’s mother and she was telling me how much my companionship meant to their family. Even though my graduation date was over two years away, she asked if she and Tom could attend. Her humble request made me realize how significant the simple gesture of friendship can be. Not only had Tom and I developed a friendship, but we had become part of each other’s families. Even my grandparents will ask how Tom is doing when I talk to them.
Becoming a part of Best Buddies has had a major influence on shaping my personal beliefs. It made me realize how important friendship is for everyone.

Self-Determination...

I believe in self-determination.  All of my life I have watched if not all, most of my family members struggle.  Whether it is my dad who never received higher than an eighth grade education or my oldest sister who got pregnant when she was fifteen, I have been exposed to a lot.  All of these things that I have been exposed to help give me self-determination. 

I believe that all people should learn from the mistakes of the people around them.  I have lived all over the place as a child and in many different conditions because of my parents’ lack of parental guidance.  I got a job when I was in tenth grade so I could pay the bills because my dad told me that if I wanted cable or internet that I would have to pay for it.  This wasn’t just because of his lack of education, but also because of his drug addiction.  His addiction has not held me back, it has inspired me.  It helped me realize that dreams and goals are important and that no matter what, if you have self-determination, you will be able to accomplish anything you wish.

I learned a lot from the mistakes of people around me, but I also learned a lot from my grandmother.  She has the most self-determination I have ever seen.  As a single mother of two, she took good care of my mother and uncle.  She has everything she ever wanted and has worked very hard for it.  She has become my idol, as I am her shining star.  My grandmother believes in everything I do and is always there for me.

I believe I can be anything I want to be.  I can go anywhere I want to go and do anything I want to do.  With the right dreams and goals, if I put my mind to it, I know I will do it.  I also know that the road can be a little bit bumpy on the way, but I am ready for that.  I will do anything in my power to make sure that I am successful in life and that I don’t disappoint my grandmother.  That is self-determination and I believe it is very important be filled with it, especially as a college student. 

This I Believe

It was hard for me to decide what to write about for this reflection. While I was letting my mind wander during Calculus it came to me. I believe in learning and the desire to learn. During my senior year in high school I taught a kindergarten religion class at my church. In previous years I had taught with another catechist, so this was my first time being on my own. This class was a learning experience for both the children and me.
One experience that in a weird way cemented this belief occurred during our first class. I had finished reading the story of creation and the children had a lot of questions. I took questions until they started getting silly: "Did God create this crayon?" another voice would chime in "What about this crayon?" I was about to send them back to their seats for a worksheet when one boy politely raised his hand.
" Yes Kevin?"
He waited a couple seconds before answering, "Did God make boobies?"
His classmates looked from me to him and back. They were waiting for my reaction. At this point I chose to repeat our classroom rules and give him a warning that if another incident occurred he would have to visit the principal.
This was a tricky situation but at that point I realized how much I appreciatedt he children that were putting in the effort to learn even if they were a little silly at times. Also I was able to begin learning how to teach. I loved how curious the kids were and from week to week I saw them remembering new things and at the end of the year when we played our own version of Jeopardy they were excited about how much they could recall from the entire year and I was amazed that I had been able to teach them so much.

This I Believe

One of the things that I strongly believe in is having some sort of support system. Now when I say support system, I am talking about a person’s family, friends, professors or anyone that they know they can turn to in a time of need or when this person just needs to vent. This support system can be the difference in losing it or being able to overcome something that has been encountered.
I have multiple support systems that I use for all different occasions. For example, when I am stressed out over my work load or an upcoming exam, I always call my mom. We talk about how I am going to approach the situation and then she will take my mind off the topic and talk about what’s been going on at home with my family or the “Desperate Housewife’s” like neighbors. I also have found that I get extremely stressed out over my chemistry exams, so stressed out that I would start talking in my sleep saying things like “I cant do chemical bonds” even when it had nothing to do with the test. My roommate brought this to my attention and helped me out. She let me know that she was there to help me study even though she was not taking the class or that if I wanted her to leave the room or turn off her music she would be happy to do it as long as it would help me succeed.
By knowing that there were people around me who cared, it put my mind to ease. I believe that my having this wide spread support system it makes it easier to get past things. I see a support system as a sort of luxury because it’s there when I need it, it’s there throughout a variety of situations, and it’s a great way to express you self and not be judged because you are talking to people who care about you.

This I Believe

I believe in Humanity. I don’t need to believe in any higher power in order to live my life in the least harmful way possible; I do that for my love of other people. I am in awe of the great lengths people will go to in order to help another human being, even at great personal/emotional/financial risk.
My family inspires me and reconfirms my belief in Humanity everyday. My mother, father, six of my aunts and uncles, and a few cousins, are all social workers, albeit in different fields within the profession. They inspire me because they give their working lives to help others; day after day they do their small part to help out. Although many might not see what they do, in terms of their day to day jobs of paperwork and meetings, as very inspiring, I look at the bigger picture. When people ask me about why I am a sociology major, an Americorps Bonner member, why I want to get into some sort of social work after graduation, I always tell them that I really had no choice; I can’t turn away from the “family business.” Many people don’t understand why I would choose a profession in which there is little chance of getting wealthy, or indeed making very much money at all. To this I say that, although we never had much money growing up, I never wanted for anything, and I am grateful everyday that my parents are in the jobs they are, and not doing work in which they might make a lot of money, but which would be meaningless, a mere job. And so, thanks to my parents and the rest of my family, I believe in Humanity.

This I Believe- Pain and Stuggles Make Us Stronger

A defining moment in my life was during my junior year of high school. I was having pain in my knee, and it wouldn’t pop back into place like it usually did. So I had to go to the doctor, and he told me that I needed crutches. This was the beginning of a very long, tedious and painful experience for me. I hated crutches, mostly because I couldn’t do a lot of things for myself. I am a very independent person, and so when I needed someone to carry my books for me, or open a door, it wasn’t very easy. But I kept telling myself that it was only going to be for a few weeks, and that my 3 times a week physical therapy sessions would make me better.
But they didn’t. Actually, it made my knee worse. My doctor hadn’t wanted to do surgery, but he said that I would need a minor one. I wasn’t looking forward to that. I didn’t want to miss school and have a scar! But he assured me that it was a small surgery, I wouldn’t miss a lot of school, and that it would be a small scar. About a month later, my knee was not any better. It hurt all the time, no matter how much medicine I took. My doctor told me that I would need 3 surgeries, a major one and 2 smaller ones. I was so angry. I remember when he told me, I was on a balancing mat and throwing a ball at a trampoline for my physical therapy. I threw the ball so hard that when it came back, it knocked me of the mat. I started crying, because I knew that my knee was horribly messed up. I was scared, and felt helpless. I was used to being able to fix things on my own, and I couldn’t fix my knee!
My surgery was set for May 11, 2007. The week leading up to it was the most nerve racking of my life. I was terrified that they would make a mistake, and I’d wake up to find that my knee had been amputated. My doctor prescribed me medicines to take to calm me down, because I was so nervous. They didn’t help, and the day of my surgery I was a wreck. As they put the IV into my hand, I was screaming and crying. My mom held back tears as they wheeled me away to the operating room.
Hours later, I woke up and felt a horrible pain in my leg. I looked down and saw a huge brace that went from my mid thigh to my ankle. It was tight, itchy and very uncomfortable. All I wanted to do was get some more pain killers and go home. I was only supposed to spend one night in the hospital, but I ended up staying for a week. There were a lot of complications, and I almost needed to have emergency surgeries. I was so scared. It was the hardest thing of my life. I couldn’t leave my bed for 4 days, and using a catheter and a bed pan was one the most humiliating things that I have ever experienced.
When I finally got to go home, I was ecstatic, but in extreme pain. I ended up having to go back to the hospital for another night. Using a walker was very hard for me, because honestly, what 17 year old girl wants to be using a walker instead of going to prom? I sure didn’t. I ended up missing a month of school, and I had to make up my school work in a week. I finished all of my work, and did my finals, except for clay work. I was very proud of myself, because I worked very hard, even though I was in a lot of pain.
I often find myself wondering why this happened to me. Why did my knee have to get messed up and leave me with a nasty 9 inch scar? Why did my grades have to suffer in my most important year? I have no idea, but all I know is that it taught me how to persevere through the tough times. I learned hard work, from re-learning how to walk, to doing a month’s worth of school work in a week. I had to be strong and I now know that I can do anything that I put my mind to. Last year was a very hard year for me, but I am proud to say that I got through it.
While I was out of school, I missed work from all of my seven classes. Even though I was in extreme pain, my mother arranged for a few of my teachers to come to my house and tutor me. I worked extremely hard to do all of my assignments, and I was even able to take all of my final exams with the rest of my school. My teachers were amazed at how hard I worked and how I was able to do all of my work. Even though I finished everything on time, my grades were obviously not as good as they could have been if I had been in class. I was even able to take my SATs on my original set date, even if I had to use a walker to go into the class.
I learned so much about myself during the long 6 month process of being on crutches, having surgery, using a walker and then being on crutches again. I learned that pain and suffering makes people stronger. There were so many times that I would wonder if I would be able to deal with everything, but I pushed on and was able to come out stronger. Now when I am going through any challenge, I often remember how hard last year was for me. I know that if I made it through that, I can make it through anything that life throws at me.

Laugh

This I Believe:

I believe in laughing until you are red in the face and your stomach hurts for days. I believe in planting a garden and learning what it takes to cultivate an actual fruits and vegetables. I believe in love and the all of its undeniable effects on the human spirit, its mischievous mannerisms and especially all of its ‘off the beaten path’ tendencies. I believe in myself and if it were not for this belief or occasional pat on the back with my own hand, I would not be capable of anything. I believe in 15 minutes of silence per day. I believe in spending more time with my family than the current amount spent now. At the end of the day, my family (no matter what it looks like or how it is made up) is truly all I have. My family deserves credit for who I am and for who I will become. I believe in taking more days off than working. I believe that false hope is better than no hope at all. I think repeating this is worth it; I believe in laughing! I believe that positive encouragement can go a lot farther than negative criticism. I believe in recycling, reducing and re-using. I believe in taking a shorter shower and turning off the sink when I brush my teeth. I believe in prayer, no matter what shape or form it comes in. I believe in the potential for human spirit and its strengths rather than its weakness. I believe that simply believing can go a lot further than not believing at all.

-Blake

This I Believe

It was the usual Friday night.  My three best friends and I jumped in the car without any destination.  The first stop was usually some convenience store to pick up a few energy drinks; tonight it would be 7-11.  Gabby was driving her yellow ford explorer, which we all nicknamed Banana (clever, I know).  We all were texting different people to try and put together some plans.  But we knew where we would end up; it was where we ended up many nights this summer.  Blairstown is about forty five minutes away from the town which we call home.  And the ride there takes us through dark, unlit roads with farms all along the sides.  It’s more common to see a cow then another car, no joke.  What brought us to Blairstown was simple; Matt.  He was Jill’s crush, and just an all around fun guy. 
                Gabby had the music blasting through her speakers.  We all sang along; “I’m burning up, burning up for you baby.”  Okay so maybe we were a little old for the Jonas Brothers, a young boy band, but we didn’t care.   Jill quickly grabbed her cell phone and sang into it as her favorite part came on.   Gabby shook her head with envy.  She hated having to drive while we just goofed off.  Our windows were down, as we flew along the road feeling completely invincible.    By time we got to Matt’s house I could barely breathe from laughing so hard, and I felt like I had just done a whole abs workout. 
              We spent the next three hours driving around, making jokes, and stopping at various parties.  We didn’t really care for the company of others.  On the road, with each other, was always where we chose to be. These nights were what made our bonds so unstoppable.  I believe in friendship, careless nights, and laughing until your stomach hurts.

This i believe

This I believe-- love

It is my most sincere conviction that our purpose on this planet, if nothing else, is to love one another with such ferocity that when we depart we leave no doubt that our heart could be any fuller. I am not good at this all time. Many people I know, and most that I don’t, are not good at this either. Our world is full of hatred and ignorance in many different forms: war, racism, poverty, sexism, oppression, genocide, manipulation and bullying and a general ambivalence for anything not happening right outside our front door. I am not good at loving people who are ambivalent and ignorant—even if they don’t know they are that way. This may sound like a judgment, but I see it more as a universal truth.

That is not to say that I am not trying. I am making every attempt to love those who think differently than me, even if their thoughts are painful for others. I believe they feel this way, have this general distaste for others not like themselves because someone didn’t love them enough to be honest with them. No one ever told them it was ok not to be white, not to be straight, not to be American, not to be a Christian nation, to not shelter themselves from the pain of others. No one ever told them that people different from them were worthy of their love and respect.

Convictions are incredibly important in shaping who we are and who we become. But when we allow those convictions to become judgment and hatred we have taken them too far. I am just as guilty of this as any other person but I have made it my goal, my ultimate conviction, to listen without judgment, to respect without questioning and to love without holding back.

This I believe -

When I was in third grade my best friend's mother passed away after loosing her battle with brain cancer. Two years ago my Uncle Charles passed away after a two year battle with liver cancer. Just last year my boyfriend's mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, and shortly after that my Great Aunt died from lung cancer. One of my good friends from home had leukemia as a child and still has to go for bi-monthly testing. I could continue from here, but I guess the point I'm trying to make is that ever since I was young cancer has been a part of my life.

All of this exposure to tragedy and death, all of it due to cancer, has influenced me in many ways, but it has had the foremost impact on my career choice. I believe that there is a cure to cancer and I believe that I might be able to help find that cure. This is the reason I want to be a doctor. The sorrow surrounding the death of my uncle and aunt is the main driving force behind me and my education as a biology major. It is the thought of them that motivates me to get up everyday and study for my tests. It is the pictures of them I keep in my room that keep me going. On the days I want to give up and stop working, it's their memories that remind me of what I am trying to do.

I believe that in becoming a doctor I will be able to help save someone from the sorrows my family and I have had to experience. If I can save one person from going through what I have seen my loved ones go through, that will be enough. As a doctor, specifically as an oncologist, I want to help people with cancer. I've seen the sadness and pain that cancer inflicts, and I want to help relieve it. As I continue down this road, through college and into medical school I look forward with a brave and anxious face. I know the potential sorrows that my future job may entail, but I am so anxious to look into the eyes of a patient I have saved.

This I Believe- Listening

“Treat others the way you want to be treated” is a phrase that many of us have heard throughout our lives. I myself have heard it many times over, but there still have been those moments in my life that I haven’t lived up to it. I’ll admit I can be impatient and cranky at times, but it wasn’t until the winter of eighth grade that I realized how important it is to really listen and treat everyone with the same respect that you treat yourself.
It was an unbearably cold night in New York City as I stepped outside the van and prepared myself for my first midnight run. I had no idea what to expect. My mind was clouded by the stereotype of a drug attic, an alcoholic or an insane person that surrounds someone who is homeless. I kept reminding myself that I was there to feed the hungry no matter what the people were like. As the night progressed I met more and more fascinating individuals. Each person that I talked to had a story to tell. I learned that many of them were not alcoholics or drug attics as most assume, but they were just down on their luck. Since that night I have been on five midnight runs and each time I look forward to the people I’m going to meet and the stories I’m going to hear. I’ve had hundreds of interesting conversations over the years and each one is as important as the next. After my first midnight run I realized that there’s no way I can cure world hunger, but I can listen and to them that means the world.
I believe that no matter what status a person is you should treat them with respect and actually take the time out to listen to them. It may seem like a simple gesture to you, but to that person you are showing them that you care and making it clear that they are your equal. I believe there is no difference between someone who is wealthy and someone who is poor. We are all human beings therefore we should treat others with the same respect and dignity that we would treat ourselves.

This I Believe - Family

This essay was hard for me to write. When I asked myself what I believe, I could not pick one single topic. I sat and ponder for an answer to the question for a couple of days. A light bulb finally popped into my head. I believe in family. Family is not only a group of people that share the same blood but a group of people that have a bone with one another that unbreakable. Family are the people that give each other support, love, and care. My family made me the person that I am today. If my parents did not that they cared about my education and my well being, right now I would probably be in a gang, a teenage mother, in the penitentiary, and definitely not at Siena College. 

Currently I live with my mother and my stepfather. My parents are the driving force behind me. They support me every step of the way and lead me into the right direction. As it is fairly easy for teenagers in my neighborhood to get "caught up." Get caught up as to where they get involved with gangs, using and selling drugs, dropping out of high school and not using their potential to excel in life. Reason being is that they do not have any family support. No one to guide them because their parents did the same things when they were teenagers. The cycle just keeps on continuing.

Now lets go to the other side of my life. My biological father has four children including me. I call him my "sperm donor." He does not deserve the title of a father because he is not apart of my life. In the dictionary it states that a father gives continuous care and protection to a child. I cannot give you one story or one moment in my life when my biological father has done anything for me. He has miss every birthday, graduations, award ceremonies, etc.

My older brother and I live with our mothers. My younger sister and brother live with my father. My brother is 16 years old and is currently in a street gang. My sister is 17 years old and she has a 5 month old son. As you can see my "sperm donor's" parenting skills are not the best, nevertheless to say, this story of my sister and brother is everyday life. 

Since I cannot go back into the past and fix family's issues. I decide to hopefully guide the present into the right future. By this I mean helping today's youth to see their potential and not fall into the life of crime, poverty, and dreams of "I wish." That is why I am apart of the Siena College's Big Brothers Big Sisters Mentoring Program and for the next four years I will change a child's life. That is why I volunteer at the Boys and Girls Club of Albany to hopefully get teens on the right track. I know I cannot change the world but I can change a life.

This I Believe...

I believe in many things. However there are others much more prevalent than others in my life. I believe in peace and love and happy endings, but more importantly I believe in choice. There are so many things going on in our lives and sometimes we question. Why would God let bad things happen? Why would they do that? Is this really happening to me? I believe that God gave us the most profound gift of free will. Therefore, I can CHOOSE if I’m going to do something good, or something bad. I can CHOOSE if I will benefit myself, others, or compromise. We get so mad at others when they choose certain things, but we don’t have a right to do that. That’s something we all struggle with. I especially learned that in college. People have to make their own decisions and we need to either accept that or help by accommodating our lives. In our service settings we’re given the opportunity to offer more than this though. We’re given the opportunity to offer services that may not be offered otherwise therefore giving more options to individuals.

Straight Up: The Vice Presidential Debate

I will admit, it is difficult going into a debate with a borderline unhealthy love of the Obama Biden ticket versus the McCain Palin one. After reading every article that pops up in my iGoogle news about the strengths and weaknesses of each candidate, it was hard to take Palin seriously. I consider myself a pretty objective individual, but I can admit that I was predisposed to cognitive dissonance from 9:00-10:30 pm last night. Inwardly, I cheered everything Joe Biden had to say, choosing to ignore his stumbles, but when Palin made an equally good point, I found ways to discredit and ignore those as well. The self-fulfilling prophecy of a predicted Biden win. I of course don't like this point of view, but I feel it stretches across the broad population. At this point, those voters in November have made their decisions-- and there are very few who may swing to the other party. Here I go again! What about swing states? What about those just getting involved in the debate?Again, NY is not a swing state and the majority of minds are made up, same thing in Massachusetts so my exposure to teetering areas is limited. I will have to follow the polls more closely in reference to who is receiving more support after the next two debates.
Before the debate Caitlin, Kim, Camille and I went to see a pre-screening of Bill Mahar's documentary, Religulous. Check out the link, and check out the film. It was awesome. It will be released in all theatres today (3rd) and Spectrum Theatre is also showing us. Shout out to Br. Linh for giving Caitlin and I the passes!

Depressing

Why wasn't there more time spent on Darfur?

-Blake

Debate Watch

The debate watch last Friday was probably the high light of my week.  Honestly, as most of you know, I really didn't want to go.  As well as many others, I thought that losing a Friday night to this would be so point less.  I am so happy that I went though. 

I thought that politics was NOT my thing.  As I sat through the debate, my whole view of things began to change.  ALthough I did get slightly bored at times, I realized that this stuff can really be interesting. 

Since Friday, I have been checking up on things online.  I go to both candidates websites occasionally to look at their most recent activity.  It feels good for once to know what is going on.  I wasn't too interested in voting before but now I am VERY excited to speak my voice. =)

I am looking forward to Thursday night.  I agree with Leah... the munchies and drinks will be amazing if they have them again!!

BoNNer LoVe

April