I guess since this is the honors blog, ill start off my first post on something honors program related.
Being an honors student can be a great thing. It can also be a bit unbearable at times. With the GPA requirement, it can be stressful, especially when you have 3 tests and a paper due over a two week period, the same two weeks that coincidentally happened to coincide with that honors trip to punderson (yay trip! Boo timing!)
So this brief post (ive got to get back to studying some espanolz yo) is dedicated to the things that get me through the day. Heres a short list:
-Friends visiting at work
-Frostie runs (yay wendys!)
-Receiving random movie quote texts.
-Taking a 10 minute break from life to send a text message with the lyrics of "wannabe" (spice girls) in its entirety to my roommate
-Looking at the massive pile of books my brother has for his classes (warms me up inside every time)
-Walks
-Turning my dorm room into a massive pillow fort (havnt done it yet, but the thought of doing so keeps me thinking positive)
What are some of yours?
-Tanie
(PS: ronnette was hatin on my pic i posted. discuss.)
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Is the President what we had hoped?
How about a shift to politics? As you all know, President Barack Obama is now in office. The whole nation is patiently (to a point) waiting to see if the promises of CHANGE and reform are going to come to fruition.
Last night (Feb. 9th), President Obama gave his first prime-time address to the nation since the inauguration. He was as poised as ever, giving a very determined effort to assure the American people that the economic recession depression will be handled in a timely matter, avoiding the permanent depression that will inevitably destroy the nation. Now, I know that this recession is the worst since the Great Depression, but the use of frightening rhetoric is beyond being abused. There are mixed opinions among top economists, and none of them are claiming the sky is falling in the next week or two.
Furthermore, President Obama made the seemingly proud statement that the new stimulus bill will not contain any pork. (Pork-barrel spending: Legislators add projects of interest into bills that will benefit either themselves or their districts.) The only reason the President can claim this is due to the way projects are being typed up into the legislation. There are still frivolous projects, such as a Frisbee park, a new club house for a golf course, and re-turfing of the Whitehouse lawn, written into the current draft. President Obama even spoke of a freeway to be developed in Indiana, where he was speaking, as a result of the stimulus.
Now, I was one of the students strongly supporting Barack throughout the campaign and actively engaged in doing my part to get him elected. That does not mean, however, that I will sit idle as he goes back on his promise to all Americans. How do you all think the new President is doing??
Last night (Feb. 9th), President Obama gave his first prime-time address to the nation since the inauguration. He was as poised as ever, giving a very determined effort to assure the American people that the economic recession depression will be handled in a timely matter, avoiding the permanent depression that will inevitably destroy the nation. Now, I know that this recession is the worst since the Great Depression, but the use of frightening rhetoric is beyond being abused. There are mixed opinions among top economists, and none of them are claiming the sky is falling in the next week or two.
Furthermore, President Obama made the seemingly proud statement that the new stimulus bill will not contain any pork. (Pork-barrel spending: Legislators add projects of interest into bills that will benefit either themselves or their districts.) The only reason the President can claim this is due to the way projects are being typed up into the legislation. There are still frivolous projects, such as a Frisbee park, a new club house for a golf course, and re-turfing of the Whitehouse lawn, written into the current draft. President Obama even spoke of a freeway to be developed in Indiana, where he was speaking, as a result of the stimulus.
Now, I was one of the students strongly supporting Barack throughout the campaign and actively engaged in doing my part to get him elected. That does not mean, however, that I will sit idle as he goes back on his promise to all Americans. How do you all think the new President is doing??
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Honors Course Requirements
There has been a lot of debate, both in the Honors office and amongst Honors students, pertaining the Honors courses required during the first 2 years in the program. Some feel that Honors students have a desire to go above and beyond what is necessary to receive a diploma. Others feel that if the courses were not a requirement that the program would have a hard time getting enough students to register --maybe not even getting enough students to keep the courses open.
Personally, I would have rather had some of my 200 -level major courses as Honors than the actual Honors courses offered. I understand the need to have a course to create a cohort atmosphere for the Honors students, but the HON 200/201 courses are set up for just that. Honors courses should be major-directed since that's what we're all here for in the first place: to get a particular degree.
Any comments? Please, be my guest :)
Personally, I would have rather had some of my 200 -level major courses as Honors than the actual Honors courses offered. I understand the need to have a course to create a cohort atmosphere for the Honors students, but the HON 200/201 courses are set up for just that. Honors courses should be major-directed since that's what we're all here for in the first place: to get a particular degree.
Any comments? Please, be my guest :)
Monday, February 2, 2009
Meshing Together
CSU Honors Students are a pretty close-knit group. For many of us, the first time we met fellow CSU students was during the Honors welcome reception, and friendships formed from those nervous conversations. A lot of these friendships have lasted the entire college experience and beyond.
However, some Honors students are shy when they first get on campus, and making new friendships can get scary at times. The Honors Program would like to make the Honors experience as fulfilling as possible, both academically and socially.
Ideas have been tossed around since I've been in the program--white water rafting, retreat house, education symposiums...but nothing has come to fruition. Anyone have any suggestions? Comment!
However, some Honors students are shy when they first get on campus, and making new friendships can get scary at times. The Honors Program would like to make the Honors experience as fulfilling as possible, both academically and socially.
Ideas have been tossed around since I've been in the program--white water rafting, retreat house, education symposiums...but nothing has come to fruition. Anyone have any suggestions? Comment!
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Honors Program 2.0
Today I want to talk about the current transitions of the Honors Program. As you all know, I hope, Dr. Margolius stepped down as Director of the Honors Program (we thank her for everything she accomplished!). The new Director is Dr. Peter Meiksins. Dr. Meiksins is a Sociology professor here at Cleveland State, and is proving to be as great of a director as he is professor.
Dr. Meiksins is interested in making a few changes to the program. First, he would like to change the notion that the roots of the Honors Program lie in academia. Although academics are a huge portion of the honors curriculum, Dr. Meiksins would like to create a complete honors experience.
Furthermore, Dr. Meiksins is very interested in supplying Honors students with study abroad and internship opportunities. From an intership with the Washington Center (meeting in MC Auditorium at 11am on 2/2) to projects across seas with the Fulbright grant (meeting in MC 102 at 12pm on 3/5), Dr. Meiksins wants Honors students to interact with new cultures and bright people such as ourselves as much as possible.
Community service is also a part of Dr. Meiksins agenda. As staff for the Honors Program, I have created the Honors "Big 10" Service Award. All Honors and University Scholars students who verify 10 hours of completed community service with an official nonprofit organization by March 31, 2009 will receive an award at this year's Honors Graduation Ceremony. Starting in the fall semester, an HON 201 class will be offered surrounding community service within the fields Honors students will be entering after graduation.
All in all, the future of the Honors Program seems full of opportunity and growth. Thanks to all of the Honors staff who have been working hard to ensure the smooth transition and I can't wait to see what the future has in store for this great program :)
Dr. Meiksins is interested in making a few changes to the program. First, he would like to change the notion that the roots of the Honors Program lie in academia. Although academics are a huge portion of the honors curriculum, Dr. Meiksins would like to create a complete honors experience.
Furthermore, Dr. Meiksins is very interested in supplying Honors students with study abroad and internship opportunities. From an intership with the Washington Center (meeting in MC Auditorium at 11am on 2/2) to projects across seas with the Fulbright grant (meeting in MC 102 at 12pm on 3/5), Dr. Meiksins wants Honors students to interact with new cultures and bright people such as ourselves as much as possible.
Community service is also a part of Dr. Meiksins agenda. As staff for the Honors Program, I have created the Honors "Big 10" Service Award. All Honors and University Scholars students who verify 10 hours of completed community service with an official nonprofit organization by March 31, 2009 will receive an award at this year's Honors Graduation Ceremony. Starting in the fall semester, an HON 201 class will be offered surrounding community service within the fields Honors students will be entering after graduation.
All in all, the future of the Honors Program seems full of opportunity and growth. Thanks to all of the Honors staff who have been working hard to ensure the smooth transition and I can't wait to see what the future has in store for this great program :)
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Winter Wonder Land
I know this isn't very substantive...but it's pretty much the topic of the day...
Why didn't CSU, and the Cleveland public school system, close for the am classes today? Furthermore, why close the campus and schools for classes for the afternoon? All this does is create unnecessary traffic jams and confusion. I know I'm from the Cleveland area, and should be used to the snow, but when my options are going to class or saving my car from obliteration, I choose playing hooky.
Any comments? Go for it!
Why didn't CSU, and the Cleveland public school system, close for the am classes today? Furthermore, why close the campus and schools for classes for the afternoon? All this does is create unnecessary traffic jams and confusion. I know I'm from the Cleveland area, and should be used to the snow, but when my options are going to class or saving my car from obliteration, I choose playing hooky.
Any comments? Go for it!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Honors Blogging and Such and Such
So, I'm trying to get this blog back up and running for the Honors Program. I know most of us have Facebook to keep in touch with fellow students, but this blog allows us to delve deeper into those relationships. If fact, Facebook is kind of the current topic of my mind...
Lately, I have been receiving numerous note tags on Facebook(if you are not a Facebook user: notes are random blogs or mass questionares on the site. You can "tag" someone in the note, signalling the person to read the note). In particular, notes on "25 Things About Me". I was contemplating what I would say about myself in 25 lines, or if I was going to even repeat the note, when I realized how little I know about the other people who completed the survey. Yes, I know their major, who they've befriended in the past year, and what their favorite television show is, but I don't know what is really inside these people. Advancements in technology have lead to widespread communication, but the advancements also have a downfall: people don't talk one on one regularly. When Facebook, Myspace, and texting are our main forms of communication, we lose the delicate personal nature of communication. Most of the items of the "25 Things About Me" lists would have been perfect anticdots, but texting usually doesn't include those simple tidbits about a person. So, next time you are browsing Facebook during that class, stop what you are doing and start up a conversation with the stranger next to you. You may be surprised by how much more you can get out of a simple "Hi, my name is..." than "poking" your friend in the dorm.
Lately, I have been receiving numerous note tags on Facebook(if you are not a Facebook user: notes are random blogs or mass questionares on the site. You can "tag" someone in the note, signalling the person to read the note). In particular, notes on "25 Things About Me". I was contemplating what I would say about myself in 25 lines, or if I was going to even repeat the note, when I realized how little I know about the other people who completed the survey. Yes, I know their major, who they've befriended in the past year, and what their favorite television show is, but I don't know what is really inside these people. Advancements in technology have lead to widespread communication, but the advancements also have a downfall: people don't talk one on one regularly. When Facebook, Myspace, and texting are our main forms of communication, we lose the delicate personal nature of communication. Most of the items of the "25 Things About Me" lists would have been perfect anticdots, but texting usually doesn't include those simple tidbits about a person. So, next time you are browsing Facebook during that class, stop what you are doing and start up a conversation with the stranger next to you. You may be surprised by how much more you can get out of a simple "Hi, my name is..." than "poking" your friend in the dorm.
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