Blog overhaul

So, maybe, I figure, it's about time to overhaul this blog.  I have some great stuff here.  I have some not-so-great stuff here.  Because of this, I'll be creating a whole new blog for professional arguments and stories instead of mindless rants.

Stay tuned.

Conor Grennan, author of Little Princes, visits Bona’s

Conor Grennan, author of Little Princes:  One Man’s Journey to Find the Lost Children of Nepal, visited St. Bonaventure’s campus Monday to deliver a speech to the class of 2015.

Little Princes tells the story of Conor’s first experience with the children at the Little Princes orphanage in Nepal.  Before long, he comes across a horrifying detail:  These children are not orphans.  Child traffickers fooled their families and sold the children into slavery. 

When Conor realizes that he has a responsibility to these children, he embarks on a journey to return the lost children to their parents.  He endures civil war, Maoist leaders, limited food, and the treacherous mountains of Nepal to bring them home.

He and his organization, NGN—Next Generation Nepal—have returned an alarming 250 trafficked, abused, and malnourished children to their homes.

But he won’t brag about it.

Search engine filter bubbles should be popped

If you are going to use the Internet, use it wisely.

Growing evidence shows it feeds us what it thinks we want, not necessarily what we need.

Eli Pariser, author of The Filter Bubble, says that search engines filter search results to cater to your favorite past selections.  Pariser cautions this can lead to search engines confining many people within their own preferences and narrowing their worldview.

But don’t worry.  If you follow a few simple steps, you can pop the filter bubble.

Murphy Laps, twice as long

Black ink titled my fresh notebook page with “Five things I noticed,” after taking a lap around the inner walls of Murphy this afternoon.  “This isn’t too bad,” I thought, not realizing I should have brought my running shoes for the three consecutive laps I would take post-list.

Number one, sounds of different shoes walking.  Two:  Room 111’s sign changed, now displaying “Journalism/Mass Communication” on the door.  Three, you must sign the equipment back into the lab.  No exceptions.  And so on.

Meanwhile, my syllabus rests impatiently on my green folder, and I wonder when we will read through that so I can get back outside and in the sunshine.

Instead, we lap again.  What can you hear?  What can you taste?  Is the water from the fountain a little bit metallic?  And we return to our wheely seats to make another list.

Sharp

     A round lake, with buildings like a shopping mall between it.  Sunny skies, and my hair is three feet long.  A friend, and her Grandmother insists I change into blue shorts.  Sand, and people I don’t know.  And a shark.  A dominating, spiteful, sharp-toothed shark.  Naturally, as the shark approaches, the lake becomes a hurricane, and my friend, a mermaid.

     Let’s play a game:

     To see a shark in your dream indicates feelings of anger, hostility, and fierceness.

Round three, day two. I'll get more creative with titles soon.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

What do you mean I have to write on my first day back?  About walking the halls?

Black ink titled my fresh notebook page with “Five things I noticed,” after taking a lap around the inner walls of Murphy this afternoon.  “This isn’t too bad,” I thought, not realizing I should have brought my running shoes for the three consecutive laps I would take post-list.

            Number one, sounds of different shoes walking.  Two:  Room 111’s sign changed, now displaying “Journalism/Mass Communications” on the door.  Three, you must sign the equipment back into the lab.  No exceptions.  And so on.

Bona's, round three

Monday, August 29, 2011

     Today was the first day of classes, but not for me. Although sleeping until noon’s rewards were not disguised, I felt misplaced without my fresh notebook and RSVP pens strapped to my back in the Hickey.  Not to worry, Amanda.  Tomorrow, you’ll be glad you had today. Three undergrad classes separate my morning from my evening, two in which the promise of interviews and deadlines will call official end to summer vacation. The other?  I’ve read the Odyssey already.

     I was unable to find a food today that I could swallow down as a side salad to my feelings.  Both do well together somewhere deep inside my tummy, but instead, emptiness left both my mind and Pooh Bear belly unsatisfied.

Students and faculty say they still feel unsafe after Bin Laden’s death

           ST. BONAVENTURE (May 9)—Students and faculty at St. Bonaventure University agree that the recent death of Osama Bin Laden was a step toward a terrorism-free world, but they still don’t feel safe.

            Barack Obama announced the capture and death of Bin Laden May 1, leading to debates over if the correct precautions were taken while capturing and killing him.  Students and faculty said they were unsure if American forces needed to kill Bin Laden in order to capture him.

            “I felt a sense of satisfaction that everybody was elated despite the fact that the majority of the country spent the last 10 years complaining about the war and George Bush,” said Tim Crino, a freshman English major.

“I have always thought that the war was worthwhile,” he said. Crino said that he believed that the recent turn of events will certainly be helpful to squashing terrorism.

Academic and social factors affect Bonaventure retention rate

ST. BONAVENTURE (April 19) – Despite a 3.7 GPA, Nate Carson, a freshman business major, will be transferring out of St. Bonaventure University.  He’s dissatisfied with the business program.

For every 500 freshmen who attend St. Bonaventure, 100 are likely to transfer before the end of the year.  While other private liberal arts colleges have a less-than-70 percent retention rate from freshmen year to second year, St. Bonaventure’s rate is 82 percent, according to the most recent statistics from the federal Department of Education.

St. Bonaventure, a campus of about 2,000 undergraduate students, flaunts its 14:1 student-to-faculty ratio, but students said they question the quality of the faculty and the facilities.

James Tantalo, a freshman finance major sporting a 4.0 GPA, considered transferring after complaining about a professor.

Students disagree on housing lottery fairness at SBU

 

                ST. BONAVENTURE (Mar. 18) – Students at St. Bonaventure University said they disagree on the fairness of the housing lottery system.

University officials say they use a lottery system to provide students with a ranking in which to select campus housing for the following school year.  Those with the lowest numbers pick first.

Chris Brown, coordinator for residential education and housing, said raw lottery scores are assigned by a random, computer-generated process.  “Not only is it functional, but it’s also necessary,” he said.

However, a student’s raw lottery number can be altered based on behavior, Brown said.

Students are awarded 50 points if they hold campus leadership positions, like an officer of a club or a captain of a sports team, Brown said.  If a student is a member of a club or organization, a Division-1 sports team, or if a student completes at least 20 hours of community service, the student earns 25 points per club, he said.

Students say lack of interest, possible funding prevents pro-choice group at SBU

ST. BONAVENTURE (Feb. 11) – St. Bonaventure University students recognize SBU for Life, the pro-life group on campus, but are unsure if a pro-choice group is necessary.  No students have made progressions to start a club, and its funding may be controversial, students say.

SBU for Life co-presidents Martin Spear, a senior psychology major, and Taylor Janak, a senior education major, join with Fr. Peter Schneible, adviser of SBU for Life, to plan controversial yet respectful discussions where students are welcome to share their opinions.  “We’re not going to judge anyone,” Spear said.  “We want to get education through learning what students think the issues are.”

SBU for Life sponsors discussions about all forms of pro-life, including extremism, euthanasia, stem-cell research, death penalties, and war, said Spear.

 “They say, ‘Tell us your ideas!’  It’s polite conversation, not ‘You’re wrong!’” said David Pesci, senior biology major and pro-choice advocate.   “What I like about SBU for Life is they don’t say there’s only one way to do things.”  Members don’t push pro-choicers away, he said.

The Warming House without a House?

This is my last story from JMC-201.  When I reported the news, everything was extremely tense with the Warming House still!  I am happy to say the Warming House is in the process of moving into their new digs!  This is dated December 10, 2010.

                ST. BONAVENTURE (Dec. 10) -- Fr. Daniel P. Riley, O.F.M. started The Warming House with a small coffee stand for older people in the Olean area to offer warm coffee and warm conversation on the 400 block on North Union Street in 1974.  It was a place where the town and St. Bonaventure communities came together to help build relationships and help the town flourish.  All were welcome.

                That has been the goal of The Warming House:  To provide a welcoming, positive atmosphere for those who were in need of a little warmth.  It developed into a soup kitchen, and has been at four different locations within the last 30 years.

This summer, Olean’s Urban Renewal Agency notified The Warming House that its lease was ending, and the soup kitchen would have to find a new place to accommodate its guests.  Larry Sorokes, Director of the Center for Community Engagement at SBU, and Jamie Ryder, Director of the Warming House, have already looked at nearly 20 new locations in Olean.  However, they’ve had difficulty in finding a place which would be just as welcoming.