Re-cap!

Whoa, talk about busy! These last few weeks have been absolutely crazy! Here's a recap of what's been going on in my life:

I had multiple exams over the past few weeks. From Spanish to histology and a religion paper as well, I've been busy studying. I usually go down to the library to study, but sometimes I'll go over to Roger Bacon, the science building to study. Science majors have 24-hour access to the building.

I've also been busy with Read for the Stars, a new club on campus. I'm actually vice president so it has been kind of crazy lately. The club goes into Albany's inner city schools and promotes literacy and education. Last week the students made their first visit into the school, so I have been busy coordinating the activities.

Also, we had our first practice for the Bhangra Team! This is a north Indian dance team and I just tried out this semester, so I need to learn the whole 7 minute dance! The first practice went very well. It's a lot of fun, but I also need to practice in my own time. We're performing at Siena's Fall Fusion, a multicultural talent show on November 15th.

Well, thats about all I have time for now, but I promise I'll update more often!

-Indira

A long week

Although this week was a shortened one for Siena, it was certainly long enough for me. It was pretty "rough" to put it short. Homework, homework, homework, that's all it consisted of. I've come to find out quickly that college is a big step compared to high school. For me high school was far from a walk in the park, there were a lot of late nights and early mornings doing homework, but college seems like the homework just keeps coming. Now I don't want to scare you because there is certainly time for fun in college as well as the ability pass with good grades; however, you have got to be very disciplined with your time. The most difficult aspect of homework in college is that the courses and curriculum are much more strict. It's tough on me when i spend 4 or 5 hours on homework at night, pass in my paper and receive a "B" or a "C", especially when in high school I received all "A's". Although I haven't got the grades I've wanted on all my papers and labs, there have been helpful resources for me to go to in order to do better. Each department has tutoring sessions for free, teachers have office hours, and peers and classmates are always willing to help. One the greatest perks of Siena is their ability to help you succeed in college. Nobody wants to see you fail. If a student does fail its because they just don't care or aren't willing to put in the time to understand the material. Professors want to help you, which, in my eyes, is awesome. I had a problem with my labs this week and couldn't understand what I was doing wrong. I made the initiative to go see my professor and we sat down for an hour, chatted about the rubric and grading system and I could finally see where I was going wrong. Our little talk will save me time in the future doing labs and allow me the chance of attaining a better grade. Never be afraid to ask a question your unsure about today, cause it could save you big time tomorrow!!!

Keep it real...

Josh Baillargeon

Sportsfans!

The beginning of Fall means the baseball playoffs are right around the corner. I don't know if that means anything to you but it means I get to root for my Los Angeles Dodgers. This year it also meant my Economics professor could root for his Chicago Cubs, my Basic Logic professor could root for the Milwaukee Brewers, and my Philosophies of Love professor could root for the Boston Red Sox.

I particularly like to watch the games with my friends in my residence hall. As soon as game time begins everybody is watching and reacting to what is going on all simultaneously in different rooms. It might sound strange but it can become hilarious at times with people shouting across the hall. Looking toward the World Series I'm hoping for Dodgers v. Red Sox. My roommate is a die hard Red Sox fan and, as I said, I love the Dodgers. On top of that he thinks my mere presence in the room is bad luck for the Red Sox. That should make for some real fun, stay tuned for further developments!

My Long Weekend

Hi everyone,

How's it going? I hope all is well.

So, Siena has no classes today (Friday, 10/10/08) for President's holiday. I remember this time last year when I was a freshman, I was so excited to go home for the first time and be with my family. This year, my family is coming to visit me (so as you can imagine, I am quite excited). Campus is very quiet due to the fact that most students are home. I'm happy for the freshman that they are mostly all home with their families. 

So believe it or not, I actually have some pretty exciting stuff planned for next week. HaHa, its the truth, I swear. This tuesday, I am going to a Study Abroad Dinner on campus. If you want to study abroad, it has to be planned very far in advance. I am looking to go junior year (next year) spring semester. The dinner seems awesome! First, we all have all this international food and then past students who have studied abroad tell us about their travels and their internships. 

Also, I have set up an appointment with the Study Abroad Office here at school for the following day to discuss my future plans. I would absolutely love to go to England. 

So I will keep everyone posted next week on how my interview went and how the dinner was!

Keep reading guys! And can someone please leave me a comment and show me some love!

Love,

Patrick Creegan

Real World?!

So the last 2 weeks have been insanity. I feel like I am so immersed in studying, group projects, and homework…it is crazy! I have two major group presentations in the works: Operations Management and Taxation. Siena is big on group projects and class presentations. While they may seem annoying, they are excellent preparation for what you will encounter in the business world presenting to colleagues, clients, and so on.
Speaking of the business world…I mentioned last time I wrote that I was applying for a summer accounting internship at Pricewaterhouse Coopers, one of the “big four” firms. My resume was selected for an interview, which I had last week and it went great! They did the interviews right here on campus at the career center. I was so nervous! I got an email yesterday though that they were very impressed, and want to have me to their New York City office for another interview and to meet one of the partners of the firm. They are paying for me to come down to the city and for a hotel!! So exciting!

I’ll keep you posted!

.: | Greg

My First Case!

Hi everyone!

How are you doing? I hope that everything is going well for you.

As stated in some of my previous blogs, I am a member of the Student Conduct Review Board here at Siena. I sit on this committee with eight other students ( 1 more fellow sophomore, 4 juniors and 3 seniors) and six faculty members. Our job is to interpret Siena life and protect the rights and responsibilities of every member of the college community. We face really tough cases as a board but its amazing how we all work together and formulate an exceptional opinion that benefits both the college and the student. As a review board member, I try to get the best facts possible and get as many answers as I possibly can. We do not look look to harm the student. To be honest, I am a student so I give them the benefit of the doubt. I am involved in so many clubs here but the Review Board is something that I am most proud of. It's kind of funny because people always say as a board member, you should be careful because you are prosecuting fellow students on a small campus. I feel like a powerful judge when people say that. It's actually pretty sick.

So, today your favorite rookie had his first case. There were so many witnesses and it went over 3 and a half hours. The whole board was so focused and I was so proud to take part in such an awesome experience. My goal as a board member is to make sure that with every sanction (punishment) that I help assign, I want it to be a learning experience for all parties involved. I do not just say, okay well, you had a violation, we should expel you. That isn't my job. It's our job to find the facts and to help all students learn and make the most informed decision to benefit Siena and the student.

I heard we have had plenty of readers, thats awesome guys! And to my fellow bloggers, let's keep up the good work baby!

Yours truly,

Patrick Creegan

Transitus

In my now three years at Siena I had yet to attend the Transitus. "The what?" you might be asking. Well, as you may or may not know, Siena bills itself as a Catholic, particularly Franciscan college. That means the college is inspired by, and models itself in many ways after the example of St. Francis of Assisi. Every year, a short prayer service is celebrated "commemorating the passing of St Francis' soul into eternal life." This is the Transistus.

As I said, this was the first time I had attended and I have to say it was rather moving. Every Franciscan friar on the Siena campus came to the event, solemnly proceeding into the chapel here on campus. Among other attendees were various professors and administrators, not to mention students and their families.

During the service I was struck by, among other things, the strong sense of community that Siena has the fortune of fostering. It is easy to overlook this treasure but events such as the Transistus serve as little reminders that the "Siena community" is more than just words.

Enjoy,
Michael DiSiena

"Where there is charity and wisdom, there is neither fear nor ignorance." ~St. Francis

The first game!

After weeks of practicing and hardcore dry land training the hockey team finally had their first game. All of our hard work and extra efforts paid off as we gave Oswego State a thumping, 8-2. The first five minutes turned out to be a little scary as our captain got a minor concussion driving to the net, but that only fueled the flames for our success. Coach kicked us in the rear after seeing our sluggish start and we rallied to a 4 goal first period. The second proved to be even better as we pounded in 4 more goals and added to their misery. When the third period rolled around coach tapped me on the shoulder. He told me "Get ready, your going in." Being that I'm a freshmen i didn't expect to get too much playing time. I was surprised to see that I was the back-up goaltender for our opening game, but i hadn't expected to play. I was so nervous it was ridiculous. The last thing I wanted to do was blow a 7 goal lead in twenty minutes of hockey! Low and behold my anxiety only made me play that much better. I only let in one goal on the power play off a rebound, no biggy. My teammates were awesome, so supportive. They could tell I was nervous and made every effort to relax me. They really came through for me. They've made me feel more a part of the team and taken me under their wing. We all hang out both on and off the ice. The team has, in a way, become my family. We in fact have two games this weekend and hope to pull out some wins. I hope ya'll attend the home game against Robert Morris! Keep it real.

Peace, Josh Baillargeon

Sorry!

Hey guys, sorry about no posting last week! The days just keep getting busier and busier as we get closer to midterms...

Anyway! This upcoming weekend is parents weekend, which is awesome. I miss my parents (you will too when you go to college believe it or not!), and I cant wait to see them! My sister is coming up as well, along with my boyfriends parents & grandmother, and my best friends mom and younger sister. I'm really excited to spend the weekend with all the good old, loud, Long Islanders! And plus, my Uncle John makes this AMAZING Penne Ala Vodka, and he's making some with my Dad right at this very moment to bring up to me this weekend! It made my day :o)

On the bad side, I sprained my ankle! :o( Boo! It's so swollen-- I have a kankle, and sausage toes. Pretty hot I must say. Ha-ha, but thats what I get for being a klutz I guess. I should be off my crutches in a week or so, hopefully sooner! Cause those things really really stink.

On a lighter note; MY BEST FRIEND IS COMING TO SEE ME OVER HALLOWEEN WEEKEND! I am so so so excited; its always awesome to have friends from other schools come visit. She goes to Boston University, which if you've never been there, its basically just a bunch of buildings in Boston. It doesn't really have a "campus", so for her to come here to Siena and get a dose of campus life will be fab-o. I miss her terribly!

Alright guys, time to go clean my room a bit, this way when my parents come they see I'm keeping it somewhat clean! Just kidding-- my room is always clean :o)

-Laur

PS- I noticed Greg had mentioned in his last blog about any questions any of you may have. I'm sure I can speak on behalf of everyone that writes for this blog, that if you feel as though you have absolutely ANY questions, don't hesitate to ask any of us! :o)

Debates!

Those of you keeping up with the news realize what an intense presidential election we've got in front of us this year! I've been reading the news and trying to keep up with what's happening with the economy and the presidential candidates. Last Friday, I watched the presidential debate between McCain and Obama. They actually showed the debate on a projector screen in a room on the side of the dining hall. They had some snacks and chair set up. I went with a few of my friends. When I got there, I was surprised to see so many people I knew showed up. A lot of people were even watching it in their rooms and you could hear it on when you walked up and down the halls in the residential dorms.

It makes me happy to know that so many young people are taking advantage of their right to vote and are keeping themselves informed. There's another debate this upcoming week between the vice-presidential candidates which I'm also looking forward to.

Siena has also been providing students with forms in order to register to vote or to obtain an absentee ballot. I'm really glad the school is making it easier for students to vote and have their voice heard. I'm actually keeping an extra eye out for my own absentee ballot which should arrive soon in my mailbox. I made sure to stop by my town hall before I came to Siena and put myself on their mailing list.

So for those of you who are old enough to vote, I say go out and do it! Take advantage of your rights and help make America a country you can be proud of. And for those of you who cannot vote, make an effort to be knowledgeable about the candidates. I strongly believe this is an election which people will be talking about for years, especially with the state of our economy.



until next time,
Indira