Feeling kind of worn out lately? Wishing you could find some time to catch some shut-eye?
If so, I'm not surprised. Ever since classes started in January, you've probably been pedaling nonstop, logging in long days and shortchanging yourself in the sleep department.
Now it's March--the first day of spring!--and you're dragging.
No mystery why you're bushed. At 18 or 19 (or even twenty-something), who doesn't feel invincible, convinced you can do everything--work tons of hours, stay out late, fill up your plate with classes, keep that band/ball team/business going, or do whatever--without ever giving your body a break? No time or need for sleep and rest, despite what all of those old folks (parents, professors, etc.) are constantly urging.
But even people brimming with energy and youth can wind up in a bad spot if they burn the candle at both ends. Increased risks of colds, viruses, obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure--all are byproducts of being exhausted all of the time. Studies documenting the tired state of college students (the most sleep-starved group in America, some believe) also link a lack of sufficient sleep to anxiety, impulsiveness, diminished concentration, memory and learning problems, impaired thinking, and--you guessed it--lousy grades.
Worst of all, students who are sleep deprived often don't even realize that nodding off in the middle of the afternoon isn't the norm. They're so used to being exhausted that they can't imagine anything different.
This isn't a way to go to college, much less live your life.
To be sure, no one's asking you to quit your job, dump your friends, give up all of your outside interests, or turn your life upside down just to add a few more hours of zzz's to your weekly routine. Life is to be lived, after all, not slept away.
But if you're walking around yawning all of the time, if you're struggling to stay awake in your classes, if the face in the mirror each morning resembles a sleep-starved zombie (you know the look), time to pay attention.
Adding even a little more sleep to your life can make all of the difference. And since there are no classes at NCC this week, now's as good a time as any to get reacquainted with your pillow.
Monday, March 21, 2016
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
March Madness in Alabama in 1965
It’s March, and if you’re reading
NCC’s common reading by the same name, March,
do you know that there are a few important commemorative dates in the month
of March?
For instance, last week, March 7,
marked the 51st anniversary of the first historic civil rights march
from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. On that day activists, led by Josea Williams
and John Lewis,
co-author of the book, March,
began their non-violent demonstration marching to the capital of Alabama to
meet with Governor George Wallace. They were protesting attempts to prevent
African-Americans from exercising their right to vote. The marchers did not get
very far that day. They were stopped on the now-famous Edmund Pettus Bridge by
armed state troopers who ordered them to turn around. The state troopers then
stormed the protesters, injuring dozens, including John Lewis, who was clubbed
unconscious. The day became known as “Bloody Sunday.”
Commemorative dates continue in
March. March 21 will mark the 51st anniversary of the third attempt
to march from Selma to Montgomery, this time with Martin Luther King leading
the way. This march was successful and was completed 4 days later on March 25, when
over 3,000 marchers listened to a rousing speech by Dr. King in Montgomery.
If you haven’t already done so,
pick up a copy of March and read
about this extremely important time in U.S. history and learn about an issue
that is still relevant today: Civil Rights.
Monday, March 14, 2016
Did you remember to set your clocks!?
Forget 'day light savings' time...
it's time to set your watch for
Wednesday, April 13th, and
the 1 month countdown to the
First Year Experience
2016 Day of Service!
Be on the lookout for emails and signage announcing this
wonderful annual event now in its 4th outstanding year!
Information about registration and participation is coming soon.
If we all work together we can make the world better!
Forget 'day light savings' time...
it's time to set your watch for
Wednesday, April 13th, and
the 1 month countdown to the
First Year Experience
2016 Day of Service!
Be on the lookout for emails and signage announcing this
wonderful annual event now in its 4th outstanding year!
Information about registration and participation is coming soon.
If we all work together we can make the world better!
Monday, March 7, 2016
No Joke
Hard to know why, but some people still think of sexual harassment as a joke.
I was reminded of this sad fact last year when the subject came up in one of my classes and several students (all male) said they wished they could be hit on by a beautiful woman. They seemed surprised and a bit skeptical when I pointed out that sexual harassment was more about power--specifically, the abuse of it--than sex. They also seemed oblivious to the fact that harassers often do serious damage to their victims' confidence, self-esteem, and overall emotional and physical health, and that victims of this disgusting behavior have often dropped out of school, quit jobs, and had their lives derailed.
So for the record: sexual harassment isn't a joke. It's a serious violation of a person's civil rights. And it's illegal too.
I tell you this because this is Sexual Harassment Awareness Week at Nassau. Over the next few days there'll be a number of talks and discussions devoted to educating students about this important topic.
On Tuesday, March 8, Anita Hill will speak at NCC at 10 a.m. and again at 1 p.m. in the College Center's Multipurpose Room. Hill is a legal scholar, author, and law professor, but she's maybe best known for having testified before the U.S. Senate in 1991 about having been sexually harassed by then Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas. Though Thomas denied the charge and was subsequently confirmed to the High Court, Hill's testimony raised the country's awareness about sexual harassment and its impact on victims.
Besides Hill's talks, this week will feature other important programs. On Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. in the College Center, Affirmative Action officer Craig Wright will talk about what students need to know about sexual harassment--what it is, what forms it takes, and how students can respond if they feel they're being targeted. Later that day at 2 p.m., there'll be a discussion of a PBS documentary, "Rape on the Night Shift," which focuses on the harassment, including sexual assault, of immigrant women and others who feel powerless to complain. And at 3:30 p.m. (also in the CCB) there'll be a panel on the subject of student-faculty romantic relationships, an issue that has (on other campuses) sometimes led to harassment charges.
Why should you go to these programs?
Several reasons.
First--and maybe most importantly--sexual harassment occurs more often than most people think. Though stats vary from one study to another, some believe that more than half of all female students experience some form of harassment during their college years. Though male students report fewer instances of harassment, they too can be victims--and sometimes are. Since sexual harassment can affect pretty much everyone, it's in everybody's interest to know about it.
We also need to be aware of harassment for another reason. Discussions of this topic can raise awareness about our own behavior, especially actions that we might think of as harmless but that could make others uncomfortable. The jokes we tell, the offhanded comments we make, may not be intended to offend, but they might, at least under certain circumstances. Discussions of harassment (in all its forms) make us think about our own behavior and its impact on others--always a good thing.
Finally, knowing about harassment might make it easier for you to recognize when it occurs in school or work settings. Even if you're not the one making someone feel creepy, it's on you--and all of us--to work toward eliminating a behavior that violates people's rights and makes everyone look shabby. On the subject of harassment, there's no looking the other way.
So get educated! Take yourself to at least one of these programs over the next few days. It'll raise your awareness, make you more informed, and stretch you as a human being--a win-win situation all around.
I was reminded of this sad fact last year when the subject came up in one of my classes and several students (all male) said they wished they could be hit on by a beautiful woman. They seemed surprised and a bit skeptical when I pointed out that sexual harassment was more about power--specifically, the abuse of it--than sex. They also seemed oblivious to the fact that harassers often do serious damage to their victims' confidence, self-esteem, and overall emotional and physical health, and that victims of this disgusting behavior have often dropped out of school, quit jobs, and had their lives derailed.
So for the record: sexual harassment isn't a joke. It's a serious violation of a person's civil rights. And it's illegal too.
I tell you this because this is Sexual Harassment Awareness Week at Nassau. Over the next few days there'll be a number of talks and discussions devoted to educating students about this important topic.
On Tuesday, March 8, Anita Hill will speak at NCC at 10 a.m. and again at 1 p.m. in the College Center's Multipurpose Room. Hill is a legal scholar, author, and law professor, but she's maybe best known for having testified before the U.S. Senate in 1991 about having been sexually harassed by then Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas. Though Thomas denied the charge and was subsequently confirmed to the High Court, Hill's testimony raised the country's awareness about sexual harassment and its impact on victims.
Anita Hill
Besides Hill's talks, this week will feature other important programs. On Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. in the College Center, Affirmative Action officer Craig Wright will talk about what students need to know about sexual harassment--what it is, what forms it takes, and how students can respond if they feel they're being targeted. Later that day at 2 p.m., there'll be a discussion of a PBS documentary, "Rape on the Night Shift," which focuses on the harassment, including sexual assault, of immigrant women and others who feel powerless to complain. And at 3:30 p.m. (also in the CCB) there'll be a panel on the subject of student-faculty romantic relationships, an issue that has (on other campuses) sometimes led to harassment charges.
Why should you go to these programs?
Several reasons.
First--and maybe most importantly--sexual harassment occurs more often than most people think. Though stats vary from one study to another, some believe that more than half of all female students experience some form of harassment during their college years. Though male students report fewer instances of harassment, they too can be victims--and sometimes are. Since sexual harassment can affect pretty much everyone, it's in everybody's interest to know about it.
We also need to be aware of harassment for another reason. Discussions of this topic can raise awareness about our own behavior, especially actions that we might think of as harmless but that could make others uncomfortable. The jokes we tell, the offhanded comments we make, may not be intended to offend, but they might, at least under certain circumstances. Discussions of harassment (in all its forms) make us think about our own behavior and its impact on others--always a good thing.
Finally, knowing about harassment might make it easier for you to recognize when it occurs in school or work settings. Even if you're not the one making someone feel creepy, it's on you--and all of us--to work toward eliminating a behavior that violates people's rights and makes everyone look shabby. On the subject of harassment, there's no looking the other way.
So get educated! Take yourself to at least one of these programs over the next few days. It'll raise your awareness, make you more informed, and stretch you as a human being--a win-win situation all around.
Saturday, February 27, 2016
Who Needs Money, Anyway?
Crazy question, huh? Unless your circle of friends includes people with names like Gates, Zuckerberg, and LeBron, you absolutely need money--and probably the more the better. With the cost of just about everything (including, alas, college tuition) going up, it's a rare person who can say no to dollars.
That's why you need to check out the MANY scholarships available to NCC students each year. Given the more than 150 scholarships begging to be awarded, chances are there's one for you.
In case you're wondering: You don't need to be a straight A student to receive a scholarship at Nassau. While good grades are always a plus, students with respectable academic records (but not necessarily a perfect GPA) can still be in the running for an award. A student with decent grades who's been active in campus life (clubs, sports, or campus service), for example, can qualify for a scholarship. So can students who are enrolled in specific academic programs or who have specific career interests. There are also scholarships for military veterans enrolled at NCC, part-time students, residents of Nassau County, students who are active in their communities, and students who are heading for a four-year college after Nassau. The list of possibilities is practically endless.
Awards range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. Some scholarships are based on financial need, but most are awarded just on qualifications. There are no limits on the number of scholarships you can apply for or receive. So you could walk away with several awards--money you can use to cover next semester's textbooks, next year's tuition, or some other expense.
Winning a scholarship won't put you on easy street, but you'll definitely be better off with a scholarship than without one. Besides, being awarded a scholarship is an honor--a recognition of your good work, in and out of the classroom. It's something to be proud of, and of course, something to put on a college application or a resume.
Most scholarship applications are due in early to mid March, which means that the deadline is rapidly approaching. But you've still time to see what's available http://www.ncc.edu/aboutncc/givetoncc/scholarships/ and still time to apply (most applications must be filed online).
So don't delay. Somebody's going to receive each of the awards listed on the NCC Scholarships page. Somebody's going to be a few dollars richer as a result, and somebody's going to have his or her work at NCC acknowledged.
Why shouldn't you be that somebody?
That's why you need to check out the MANY scholarships available to NCC students each year. Given the more than 150 scholarships begging to be awarded, chances are there's one for you.
In case you're wondering: You don't need to be a straight A student to receive a scholarship at Nassau. While good grades are always a plus, students with respectable academic records (but not necessarily a perfect GPA) can still be in the running for an award. A student with decent grades who's been active in campus life (clubs, sports, or campus service), for example, can qualify for a scholarship. So can students who are enrolled in specific academic programs or who have specific career interests. There are also scholarships for military veterans enrolled at NCC, part-time students, residents of Nassau County, students who are active in their communities, and students who are heading for a four-year college after Nassau. The list of possibilities is practically endless.
Awards range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. Some scholarships are based on financial need, but most are awarded just on qualifications. There are no limits on the number of scholarships you can apply for or receive. So you could walk away with several awards--money you can use to cover next semester's textbooks, next year's tuition, or some other expense.
Winning a scholarship won't put you on easy street, but you'll definitely be better off with a scholarship than without one. Besides, being awarded a scholarship is an honor--a recognition of your good work, in and out of the classroom. It's something to be proud of, and of course, something to put on a college application or a resume.
Most scholarship applications are due in early to mid March, which means that the deadline is rapidly approaching. But you've still time to see what's available http://www.ncc.edu/aboutncc/givetoncc/scholarships/ and still time to apply (most applications must be filed online).
So don't delay. Somebody's going to receive each of the awards listed on the NCC Scholarships page. Somebody's going to be a few dollars richer as a result, and somebody's going to have his or her work at NCC acknowledged.
Why shouldn't you be that somebody?
Sunday, February 21, 2016
Heard any "scary" talk lately?
You know the kind I mean: conversations about racism, gun violence, abortion, immigration, sexual assault, LGBT issues, terrorism--topics likely to provoke discussion and debate and maybe make people squirm a little.
Those conversations are happening pretty much everywhere these days, in newspapers, on television, on the Internet, in college classrooms, even on the Presidential campaign trail. And why not? The issues are more important than ever, way too critical to ignore.
Yet many students seem to be trying their best to do just that. In the food court the other day I overheard two students complaining about a discussion in their English class about white privilege. One student said the topic made her nervous and she didn't "want to think about it." The other said she couldn't understand why people kept "bringing it up," for talking about it wouldn't change anything.
It wasn't the first time I'd seen students resist discussions of "hot" topics, especially when hearing views and ideas that challenged their own beliefs. Rather than jumping into the conversation and explaining their own take on the issue at hand, they too often fall silent, refusing to speak up and--worst of all--usually tuning out the other side's point of view.
College isn't supposed to be like this. In fact, at its best, college invites you to browse the marketplace of ideas, to see what others have to say, to examine or re-examine your own beliefs, and in the end to make up your own mind. It's an important part of your college experience and good preparation for the rest of life, where you're going to hear views that may seem pretty out there at times but that may also contain something important to think about. Being part of these conversations in college is a valuable lesson in thinking and reasoning.
A recent column in The New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/22/opinion/sunday/judith-shulevitz-hiding-from-scary-ideas.html?_r=0 was critical of students who not only avoid conversations about topics they find upsetting but try to persuade their schools to not even talk about them. The columnist, Judith Shulevitz, wrote, "...while keeping college-level discussions 'safe' may feel good to the hypersensitive, it's bad for them and everyone else. People ought to go to college to sharpen their wits and broaden their field of vision."
I'll second that. You obviously don't have to agree with everything you read or hear in college. But listening with an open mind won't hurt. Nor will taking part in exchanges of ideas (after all, nobody ever died from being exposed to one!). If anything, such moments will make you more equipped for the conversations to follow, better informed about those issues practically everyone around you is talking about.
So listen, think, and speak up. No need to be scared or silent......
Those conversations are happening pretty much everywhere these days, in newspapers, on television, on the Internet, in college classrooms, even on the Presidential campaign trail. And why not? The issues are more important than ever, way too critical to ignore.
Yet many students seem to be trying their best to do just that. In the food court the other day I overheard two students complaining about a discussion in their English class about white privilege. One student said the topic made her nervous and she didn't "want to think about it." The other said she couldn't understand why people kept "bringing it up," for talking about it wouldn't change anything.
It wasn't the first time I'd seen students resist discussions of "hot" topics, especially when hearing views and ideas that challenged their own beliefs. Rather than jumping into the conversation and explaining their own take on the issue at hand, they too often fall silent, refusing to speak up and--worst of all--usually tuning out the other side's point of view.
College isn't supposed to be like this. In fact, at its best, college invites you to browse the marketplace of ideas, to see what others have to say, to examine or re-examine your own beliefs, and in the end to make up your own mind. It's an important part of your college experience and good preparation for the rest of life, where you're going to hear views that may seem pretty out there at times but that may also contain something important to think about. Being part of these conversations in college is a valuable lesson in thinking and reasoning.
A recent column in The New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/22/opinion/sunday/judith-shulevitz-hiding-from-scary-ideas.html?_r=0 was critical of students who not only avoid conversations about topics they find upsetting but try to persuade their schools to not even talk about them. The columnist, Judith Shulevitz, wrote, "...while keeping college-level discussions 'safe' may feel good to the hypersensitive, it's bad for them and everyone else. People ought to go to college to sharpen their wits and broaden their field of vision."
I'll second that. You obviously don't have to agree with everything you read or hear in college. But listening with an open mind won't hurt. Nor will taking part in exchanges of ideas (after all, nobody ever died from being exposed to one!). If anything, such moments will make you more equipped for the conversations to follow, better informed about those issues practically everyone around you is talking about.
So listen, think, and speak up. No need to be scared or silent......
Monday, February 15, 2016
Be Not Invisible
So how many of you reading this are still hanging out only with friends from high school, still eating lunch alone in your car, and still heading straight for the parking lot the minute your classes end each day?
How many of you have yet to take part in a class discussion, talk to a professor, meet with an advisor, check out a campus service, go to something fun on campus, or even chat with a classmate?
Not many, I hope.
But if by some chance you recognize yourself here, time to ask yourself why.
Time to ask why you're doing your best to be invisible at NCC, why you're not having more fun in college--and why you're shortchanging your education by failing to make connections with your campus.
I know, I know: Nassau's big and sprawling and maybe overwhelming and confusing at times. All of that traffic, people coming and going in every direction, a sea of unfamiliar faces, can make NCC seem very different from high school, where life was pretty predictable.
But new situations aren't automatically to be feared and avoided. And life, including college after all, is often about adjusting to new circumstances. For students willing to make those adjustments--to speak up in class, to visit a professor during office hours, to see an advisor if they've questions, to go to a club meeting, to get to know people in their classes--Nassau is anything but scary or anonymous. It can be pretty warm and friendly, in fact. Nurturing too: a network of professors, classmates, and others can make students feel right at home.
We all know that successful college students make school a priority, go to class regularly, keep up with assignments, prepare in advance for exams, and--in short--take their education seriously. Along the way, they also make connections--academic, social, and personal--with people in their midst. They get to know professors, advisors, and classmates. They join clubs and go to campus events. They work with a tutor if they need extra help in a class. They see a counselor if they need information or advice or even just a sympathetic ear.
Invisible they're not.
Don't you be either.
How many of you have yet to take part in a class discussion, talk to a professor, meet with an advisor, check out a campus service, go to something fun on campus, or even chat with a classmate?
Not many, I hope.
But if by some chance you recognize yourself here, time to ask yourself why.
Time to ask why you're doing your best to be invisible at NCC, why you're not having more fun in college--and why you're shortchanging your education by failing to make connections with your campus.
I know, I know: Nassau's big and sprawling and maybe overwhelming and confusing at times. All of that traffic, people coming and going in every direction, a sea of unfamiliar faces, can make NCC seem very different from high school, where life was pretty predictable.
But new situations aren't automatically to be feared and avoided. And life, including college after all, is often about adjusting to new circumstances. For students willing to make those adjustments--to speak up in class, to visit a professor during office hours, to see an advisor if they've questions, to go to a club meeting, to get to know people in their classes--Nassau is anything but scary or anonymous. It can be pretty warm and friendly, in fact. Nurturing too: a network of professors, classmates, and others can make students feel right at home.
We all know that successful college students make school a priority, go to class regularly, keep up with assignments, prepare in advance for exams, and--in short--take their education seriously. Along the way, they also make connections--academic, social, and personal--with people in their midst. They get to know professors, advisors, and classmates. They join clubs and go to campus events. They work with a tutor if they need extra help in a class. They see a counselor if they need information or advice or even just a sympathetic ear.
Invisible they're not.
Don't you be either.
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