What SCCC has taught me outside enrollment.

So, today's post is my final post guest-blogging here at My SCCC Daily.  And I have to say I have learned some important lessons, with apologies to K. Moore.
When I first realized I was going to be blogging here I panicked for two reasons: firstly, I have enough trouble pulling myself together to keep up on my own blog, and secondly, as I mentioned in my first post, Schenectady was completely alien to me.  After initially dropping the ball, I was informed that dropping the ball was simply not an option.  I had to figure out how to accomplish what I needed to accomplish, even if I didn't believe I could (special thanks for the shove goes to, oh, you know who). No doubt, I will have to be reminded of this lesson again, but I think it is one of the big ones we all must learn, especially as students.  Just acting and accomplishing even when we doubt ourselves, is a skill that successful people utilize, and I'm guessing that acting in this way is what makes nontraditional students and returning students so well-adjusted.  Teachers will always give us assignments we're unsure about, bosses will always give us jobs that make us question our capabilities, but we must remember that not only are others always depending on us, but we are depending on ourselves.

So, I think I figured it out.  I blogged on a topic I knew little about.  Surely, had I been here for a month, rather than a week, I would have gotten even better, but once I actually decided to step up to the plate, I think I did what I thought was impossible.  It's pretty funny to think that a school I never enrolled in taught me this much.  On that note, I will allow you all to welcome back K. Moore, the true proprietor of this blog.  But do me a favor; if you like K. Moore's blog, put yourself out there too: leave a comment or better yet, join a club and then leave a comment.

Sayonara SCCC,

Dana

The semester is coming to a close, and so is my time here.

Well, I am sure SCCC students, much like myself, are hitting the proverbial wall when it comes to the semester's work.  Still, you all must hang in there until that Glorious Thursday of Freedom also known to some as Christmas Eve.  In between jobs, families, winter sleepiness, and generally feeling burnt out, we must pull ourselves through to the end of the semester.  Here's a little inspiration to remind us why all this hard work and stress is worth it:

• It's important to keep focused on the things that make us happy, and to share that joy with others, SCCC alumni Janice Dejordy did, and now she's reaping the benefits.
  

• The great Thomas Edison, whose machine works is known to us all as Schenectady's GE headquarters had some witty things to say about hard work.
  

• Watching good television (especially in the city where it was first demonstrated) is a classic way to recharge and have a laugh, check out Ugly Betty (character Marc St. James is from Schenectady).
  

• Good theater also helps too!  The Mop & Bucket Co. Improv Theatre sounds like a great stress- buster. Check them out!

Keep working hard!
Dana

Astral projection of myself to Schenectady.

In my continued exploration of all things Schenectady, I've been thinking about the types of places I might like to go or things I'd like to do, were I a visiting student.  So here is my virtual itinerary for my virtual visit.

While you may not even know what a vegan is, college is certainly an ideal time to learn about diverse cultures and lifestyles, especially if they are healthy ones.  Schenectady is to home to Big Guys Pizzeria and Moon and River Cafe.  From my online perusal, Big Guys is your typical pizzeria that also offers a vegan menu with non-dairy cheese pizza, subs, calzones, and even fake meet toppings.  Wierd? Maybe.  Different? Yes. Delicious? You bet your bippy!  Unfortunately, I couldn't find a virtual menu or even very many reviews.  Actually, the one review I did find specifically mentions that they have never tried any of the vegan items.  Clearly, the reviewer was not a curious, intellectual SCCC student, attempting to expand his or her horizons.  I fancy myself as a vegan restaurant reviewer, and I urge you to do the same.  There's a special thrill in making oneself a foodie for the day; real restaurant reviewers taste several dishes in a sitting (to get a "feel" for the cuisine), which basically embodies the values of any healthy college-aged male, and many females like myself!  After you steal a copy of the menu (just kidding) sit yourself down and write a witty little review, so that Steven S. isn't the only, lonely guy here talking about this stuff. 

Fortunately, Moon and River Cafe does have their own website. They even boast a scan of their menu; still, the best shot at reading it is to print it out, since half of it is upside down (hopefully SCCC students don't have a print quota like us Rose Buds)!  None the less, after salivating for several minutes a casual glance over the thing, I would totally be down for the tofu tapenade sandwich washed down with a vegan chocolate banana shake.  I suddenly have a strong urge to visit Schenectady-- nobody makes this stuff in my area of Albany! What's also great is that they seem to have events happening every night, (read: live music).

What else would you do, oh, guru of all things Schenectady, you ask?   Well, I'd be taking it back to the good old days, and I would go to the roller rink.  Maybe, I'd even go there as a field trip with my SCCC club friends.  This place really rocks my skate socks.  They have a Cheap Skate night where four dollars gets you in the rink, grooving to the sounds of the 70's, not to mention a Family Night, so all of you non-traditional students can get in on the fun without breaking the bank.

Last, but not least I would explore SCCC's campus and take a stroll down to visit K. Moore so I could find out some other fun things that some of the clubs and organizations are doing.

Dana

Bad parking

It's no secret that the parking at SCCC is a problem for students.

However, you have less to complain about than other local schools. Most colleges charge for a parking space. I would say, on average, about $40 a year, but don't quote me on that figure. And, don't think that because they pay this fee that they can find parking spots in the same vicinity as their classes.

Last semester at St. Rose, I went the cheap route: I didn't buy a parking permit and tried my luck parking on Western and Madison Avenues.

There were occasions when I would be running late to class, and this seemingly small dilemma quickly became a disaster. Instead of being five minutes late, I was walking into class fifteen minutes late because I had spent the last ten minutes circling the school for a parking spot. Once I had finally parked the car, I had to walk a couple of blocks to my class which made me even later.

Then there was the first week of school.

I didn't read the signs and parked on the wrong side of the street on the wrong day of the week. A little something often referred to as alternate parking. The ticket cost me more than a parking permit for the entire semester would have.

So, this semester I bought a permit, and on my first day with access to the student lot, I was feeling good. I didn't have to wait for all the cars on Western to pass me before I could begin to parallel park in some tight space.

But, instead of finding myself at peace with the parking lot, I ended up ten times more frustrated. There was absolutely, positively, no parking anywhere. I circled the lot once or twice, and then stalked some girl walking to her class for her parking spot.

Most of this is old news. It's week seven already and I have adapted to my Fall 09 routine. But, what does any of this have to do with the parking at SCCC?

Well, let me tell you: students here at SCCC get to park for free- it's a privilege. Imagine paying $40 to park in this same parking lot with the same parking issues. When you feel like complaining about it, just zip your lips. Grin. And, bear it. At least it doesn't cost you anything.

But, now I turn to my case in point: just because parking is free, it doesn't give you the right to park like a jerk.

The past two days, I've come to work and pulled into the next available spot in my favorite parking zone.  Each morning, I dodge the morning commuters zipping off the highway onto Washington Ave on their way to work in Schenectady or Scotia.

These busy, often times negligent, drivers, however, are not my problem. I have been safely reaching the building just about every day for the last 4 years.

However,  I am losing my patience with another driver. For two days in a row, I have had to park at an angle because of this lazy driver who sloppily parked in the spot next to mine. Two mornings in a row, same reddish car, same parking spot, and same damn messed up parking job.

Come on, what is the matter with you? Can't you see the two painted-white lines?

I have been parking here a lot longer than you have, and I demand some respect.

I believe that I have OCD when it comes to parking spots. I get furious when anyone parks in "my spot," even though the spaces are available on a first come first serve basis.

Now, this afternoon when I left work, the reddish car was gone: most of the cars parked there this morning had left. And, there was my car, all alone, looking like I had been the orginator of horrible parking.

It wasn't my fault. Shame on you dirty reddish car!

If the car is there again tomorrow, maybe I'll leave an anonymous note:

Link round up weekend: NYC

I don't know what you did this weekend, but I sure had a blast! Lately, I have been extremely busy with work, family, and school, but this weekend I gave myself a break and did something fun.

Truthfully, I didn't treat myself to a weekend of fun because I really wanted to. In fact, I kind of had to go. The trip was optional for students in ENG 498, but since Baby Brother hasn't seen his Abuelo and Abulea in such a long time (they live in NY), it was mandatory that we make the trip to NY.


The Yankees were playing the second round of the playoffs in the Bronx this weekend so the D train was packed!


Unfortunately, we didn't have tickets to the game, but I did have a metrocard and plans with my friends from Saint Rose to meet up at MoMA.

Saturday was also the Spanish Club's annual trip to NYC. I'm not sure what they had planned, but they always find fun things to do when they visit NY.


Well, the fun and games are over and it's back to work.

I've got a lot to catch up on. Wish me luck!

Columbus celebration or not so much?

It's Monday, week 6, here at SCCC, and I know what you're probably thinking, "We're the only school that's open on Columbus Day."

Well, you're probably right. Most schools in the area are off from school today. If you have children, they're definitely home. I never understood why a community college, which has many nontraditional students, ages twenty-four and up, many of whom have children, didn't give its students holiday's like Columbus Day off.

When I was a student at SCCC, I dreaded the College's "non-holidays". The Schenectady City School District gets, on average, about four days off from school a month. That means that almost 4 days out of the month I had to struggle to find childcare and dip into my savings to pay for it. Many of their days off are due to staff meetings and conferences- things inapplicable to a universal calendar.

On the other hand, all of our calendars designate Columbus Day as a holiday, and I think that SCCC should recognize this. St. Rose does. HVCC does.  SUNY Albany students don't have to go to classes on Yom Kippur- yet another holiday that is recognized by the Schenectady City School District.

If we could organize our school's schedule to include some of these days off and still meet the minimum number of hours required to be an accredited school, SCCC could make the lives of many of its students much easier.

Perhaps our attendance today means much more than we realize.

There are conflicting beliefs and interpretations about our national hero, Mr. Christopher Columbus. Some believe that Columbus discovered America in 1492. And, that's why today we celebrate his designated holiday.

However, there is another school of thought that is often omitted from our elementary school books. Some believe that Columbus's actions were cruel including: his use of slavery and violence against the American Indians, forceful projection of Christianity, and the transmission of diseases that would have lasting effects on the native population.

Are SCCC and other institutions that do not honor Columbus Day as a holiday suggesting that we believe that we should not honor Christopher Columbus as a American hero?

The Rated G version of Christopher Columbus
This morning, I asked my five year old if he knew why he had the day off from school on a Monday.

 "No," he said.

"It's Columbus Day. Do you know who Columbus was?"

He was anxious to answer, "Yes, he came to our island on a boat."

Maybe I shouldn't have, but I did.

I informed my five-year-old, little boy that, "When he came here he wanted to build houses for people to live in, and so, all of the Indians who used to live in the forests had to leave."

"Did they die?" he asked me. Big Brother often worries about death.

"No. Wait, yes, some of them died from diseases. Those men on the boats didn't bring their toothbrushes and use the soap when they took their showers, and so, they were full of germs when they landed in America. The Indians weren't used to all these germs and some of them got sick and died. The others, they moved to little communities away from the European men who were busy building house and taking over the forests."

The moral of this story: Brush your teeth and wash up with soap!

For those of you who do have today off, Say Schenectady has a list of things to do and celebrate the holiday.

Open Letter To the Four Year Private College Students who owe more than $40,000 in loans

Even with financial aid and scholarships, the average debt associated with a four-year private school education comes in at around $40,000. My calculations are based on my own two years at The College of Saint Rose; I have borrowed $24,000 to date.

During my first few years of college at SCCC, I didn't owe a cent. Actually, I got paid to go to school. Now, not everyone had the same experience as I did; I was eligible for all the State and Federal aid available. Getting my A.S. at SCCC was the best decision for my wallet.

Yeah, I know what you're probably thinking... You don't get the same 'experiences' that we Private School Students get from living on Campus.

Well, we're working on that here at SCCC. This is what our future dorms will look like.

Don't worry four year private school students, all you'll have to do is...

- pay $300 a month and have it paid off in 134 months, or just over 11 years.
or
-pay around $500 a month and pay off the loan in 80 months, or about 6 1/2 years.

Whatever your budget, you should be able to pay off your loans by the time your ready to retire.

What can be done with 40K

49k could purchase about 45 new computers for a school

You could sponser 110 children for an entire year at Feed the Children






Or you could act like the rich and famous and buy a Tiffany & Co Platinum 27.08ct Diamond Sapphire Bracelet