the experience - Monroe College

THE EXPERIENCE
Monroe College Honors Program
Volume 4, Issue 3
Fall 2015
Looking Ahead: Winter 2016
A
s the Fall semester is coming to an end, it is time
to look ahead to the Winter 2016 semester. The Honors Student Board and Professor MacDonald have
been hard at work to plan and organize more fun
events for the coming months. The winter semester
will kick off with some fun ice skating action at Rockefeller Center. This has become a tradition; this will be
our third year going! We are also planning more socials and get–togethers to pass through the cold times.
There will be a Trivia Night where teams can answer
questions to win prizes. We are also going to give you
more chances to get to know your professors better
and their passions during Honors Tea Talks. Also,
check out the Honors classes that are offered as they
will guarantee you great experiences and more trips to
attend. As you see, there will be lots of exciting new
opportunities and events to make sure that our Honors
Students keep busy over the cold season.
Caroline Sandow
In this Issue
Page 2 — Editor and Coordinator Messages
Page 3 — Class Trips
Page 4 — NCHC in Chicago
Page 5 — NCHC in Chicago
Page 6 — Student Spotlight and
Page 7 — Harvest Gala
Page 8 — Faculty Spotlight
The attendees at the Harvest Gala
WN16 Honors Courses
If you have not registered yet or you are not sure if you
have chosen the right classes, here is a little overview of
the Honors courses that are offered in the winter semester 2016.
HN150—The Honors Experience (BX & NR)
HN240—Art and Culture of World Dance (BX)
HN250—The American Presidency (NR)
HN450—Honors Program Research Seminar (NR)
EN121—Analytical Thinking, Writing, and Research
(BX & NR)
LA254—AIDS/HIV in Society (BX)
The team that made presentations at NCHC Chicago.
The Experience
Message from the Editor
As the semester is slowly coming to an end, I have to say it has been a pleasure editing and
publishing the newsletter for all of you. There have been so many exciting opportunities and
events, and I was lucky enough to find staff to write a little bit about all of them.
In this issue you will find what you and your fellow students have been up to this semester. We will also give
you a glimpse into the future. We have also started a complete new segment with our Student Spotlight. We
hope to give all of you the chance to get to know a little more about the other Honors students. If you have an
idea of who should be featured in the next issue or if there is anything else you would like to see, please let me
know. This newsletter can only be successful if we all work on it together.
Lastly, I want to wish everyone a relaxing winter break, you deserve it. You made it through the semester with
all its challenges. I hope to see all of you with new energy and a positive attitude in the next year.
Caroline Sandow
Quote of the Issue
“Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety
-nine percent perspiration”
—Thomas Alva Edison
Message from the Coordinator
It never ceases to amaze me—the semesters go so quickly! Fall 2015 was no exception.
We welcomed in a class of nearly 100 freshmen, offered nine Honors courses, and had a
jam-packed calendar of events. My favorite part of every fall is getting to know the freshmen. I had the pleasure of teaching some of them in HN150, and others I have been meeting slowly at various events. I’d like to remind the freshmen—and all Honors Program
members—this is your program. Please never hesitate to come to me with questions,
comments, or concerns. I want this experience to be enjoyable and memorable for everyone.
For me, I really enjoyed our Third Annual Community Service Weekend. Seeing our community go and serve
others was truly rewarding. And the reflections that I have read have been touching. I also had a lot of fun at our
Harvest Gala, which was a party to celebrate you! I can’t forget about going to the NCHC Conference in Chicago;
I was very proud of the students who represented our Honors Program. And while it is just in a few days (before
this issue goes to print), I know everyone will do a fantastic job at Honors Conference Evening.
And while the Fall has been great, it has also been exhausting. We have worked very hard in all of our Honors
classes on projects and Honors Conference Evening, so the upcoming winter recess is well deserved. I hope all of
you have a joyous and healthy holiday season. I will see you in 2016! Happy New Year!
Prof. Kathryn MacDonald
Coordinator, Honors Program
The Experience
The Gin Game
O
gin. Fonsia aln Saturday, December 14 , 2015, a group of exit- ways wins, maked students headed to the city around noon to watch one ing Weller frusof the most iconic Broadway shows. I do not take Pro- trated while this
fessor Mauricia Pitocchi’s class, but was lucky enough just brings more
to go with them to the show after winning the Honors
credence to her- The students outside the Golden Theater
Harvest Gala limbo competition. One of my good
self. As they
friends, Symonea Thomas, won the karaoke contest and play, they employ in conversations about their families
since we both had an extra ticket we could invite the
and how their life was before being in the nursing
two remaining of our quad group and make it a girls’
home, but ultimately it changes into a competitive naday out. After waiting in a long line to get in the theater, ture as they search for the others weakness and even
the drama class awaited eagerly for the shown to start. bring them up in rather brusque manners.
th
The Gin Game first premiered in the John Golden Theater in 1977 and now, after almost 40 years, it returns to
the same place with a limited run where it first raised
astonished reactions from the public and numerous reviews. It is the first rematch on Broadway in nearly 50
years. The Gin Game was written by Donald L. Coburn,
starring James Earl Jones and Tony Award winning actress Cicely Tyson. The play is a two-person play revolving around Weller Martin and Fonsia Dorsey, two
elder residents in a nursing home. One night, they encounter each other and start to enjoy each other’s company as Weller teaches Fonsia to play the card game,
As you evaluate the play in a more in-depth demeanor,
you realize that it is more than just two elders playing a
card game. They are both in need of the human connection they are lacking in the nursing home, even though
it may be faulty. “The Gin Game presents a clarifying
portrait of the loneliness that may come with age, and
the difficulties of forging a relationship when our personalities have quite naturally become calcified by experience” (Charles Isherwood, 2015). The play won the
Pulitzer Prize for drama in 1978.
Valerie J. Robles-Rios
Amazing Edison
T
homas Alva Edison is the one man who has completely changed my outlook on life,
since I was properly introduced to him
in my HN 314 class.
On November 13, 2015, our WorldChanging Discoveries class visited the
Thomas Edison Museum in New Jersey. Self-guided, we were greeted by a
whiff of history as we explored Edison’s workshop/laboratory where we
were shocked with the marveling conditions of his tools and machinery that
date back almost 150 years. I was overwhelmed with
the feeling of admiration of what
Edison and his team had accomplished.
The HN314 students at Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison has truly revolutionized life with successful patents, such as the light bulb, the
battery and even the telephone.
Hats off to one of the greatest men
who ever lived!
Joni-Kay Meads
The Experience
NCHC Conference: Chicago Recap
A
s some of you may have heard, this November five Honors Students traveled to the
“Windy City” of Chicago to represent the Monroe College Honors Program at the National
Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) Conference. The five students: Keann Grayson, Jamie
George, Caroline Sandow, Nathalie Waldschmidt, and Keyla Zapata, along with Professor
MacDonald, had a great trip and would like to share their experiences with you.
Keyla and Nathalie at the Idea Exchange,
presenting on the “Honors Alumni Network”
NCHC 2015 in Chicago was overall a very remarkable experience.
Presenting our poster presentation to many other Honors students
and faculty was a great opportunity, which I enjoyed thoroughly.
The interest and the in-depth conversations that we had concerning
our topic added to the success of it. Apart from presentations during
the conference, the Windy City, with many attractions, did the conference justice. From networking, meeting other honors students,
presenting our poster, being a part of other presentations and experiencing the rich culture that Chicago offers, attending the National
Collegiate Honors Council Conference 2015 was an exceptional
experience.
Keann Grayson
The National Collegiate Honors Council conference
was an experience that I will always remember because of the presentations, activities, and evening
events that were part of it. I enjoyed many different
things from the conference. First, the city of Chicago
and the architecture of the city reminded me of a
smaller New York City. The conference’s presentation were also educational and informative. Moreover, the entire experience was amazing, and it would
be one of the memories from Monroe College Honors Program that I will remember forever.
Keyla Zapata
The Monroe College team with keynote speaker,
Emerson Spartz.
The Experience
Describing this year's NCHC conference in Chicago in a couple
of sentences is impossible. It was just such a great experience
that I will never forget. Not only did I really love presenting at
the conference and exchanging ideas with people who came and
talked to me during my session, I also really enjoyed meeting a
lot of Honors students from around the country, and learning
how their Honors Program works. NCHC gave us all the opportunity to get to know the group on a more personal level, and we
all had so much fun exploring the city of Chicago. It was a really memorable experience that I definitely will remember as one
of my Monroe Honors highlights!
Nathalie Waldschmidt
A moment captured with the skyline of Chicago.
The NCHC Conference in Chicago was yet another fun-filled
learning experience during my Honors journey. The various
new ideas and historical sites were hallmarks for this remarkable, educational trip. Not forgetting a chance to share my research on Bob Marley, which in itself opens doors to exploring new thoughts and ideas. It was a vibe! NCHC 2015 taught
me indeed to make no little plans!
Jamie George
Caroline and Keann also presenting
at the Idea Exchange.
My favorite part of Chicago was that I had the chance
to travel and explore a new city. I really love travelling, and I love that the Honors Program gives me a
chance to do that. The conference was also really interesting, and I met so many great people. I took a lot
of new ideas home with me that will help me in the
future with my job as the Newsletter Editor as well as
for my future classes. Once I saw the conference first
hand, I just had to apply for the Northeast Regional
Honors Council Conference in Cambridge next year. I
hope that I’ll be accepted!
Caroline Sandow
All dressed up at the NCHC 50th Anniversary Gala.
The Experience
Student Spotlight
Name: Valerie Julianne Robles-Rios
Nickname: Vara
Major: Freshman in the Bachelor’s Program for
Health Service Administration
Favorite Quote: Pleasure always follows Pain
W
hen you first meet Vara, you immediately notice her positive attitude and her kind view on the
world. In our conversation I was able to understand
where this is coming from.
Vara has been born and raised in Puerto Rico and only
came to the United States to study at Monroe College
in August. So far ,her favorite part of the college is the
Honors Program. In her past she has always kept busy
which can be seen by her countless club memberships
in high school as well as volunteer work and internships.
When she was in high school, she was involved in the
Honors Society, the 4H Club (which battles environmental issues) the MIT club (which stands for I care
about you in Spanish), and was dedicated to helping
less fortunate people. Vara was also the president of
the student council, which gave her a chance to be involved in many organizational things in her school,
for example, the production of the drama club. In her
free time, she volunteered at a young adult’s church
group as well as in a government association that tries
to protect the environment. She was also involved in
several sports teams, including softball, volleyball and
soccer. She has also had the chance to take part in an
internship program from the Boston University in
which she learned about Investigate Journalism and
one of her pieces even got published in the local newspaper. In another internship, she had the chance to
work in a veteran’s hospital in Puerto Rico. In this
program she got to work her way through all he different departments of the hospital. This really brought
out her passion for the health industry as it was one of
the most fulfilling experiences of her life.
Like everyone, Vara also had
to overcome some obstacles in
her life. When she was young,
people used to make fun of her
for her voice, which made her
shy and unsecure; however,
she was able to get through
this with the help of the Spanish and English forensics club.
This club helps students to improve their public speaking.
Today, Vara does not seem shy
at all. She is rather the opposite, an extrovert that accepts the world with open arms. This is also evidenced
by her involvement in the Muslim Society Association
at Monroe College. The MSA tries to bring people of
different believe systems and religions together in an
open conversation. Vara herself comes from Spanish,
Italian and Korean descent and her grandmother is a
Buddhist. Vara has been raised with the Catholic and
the Muslim religions.
When asked about her future plans, she says she does
not know where she will go yet because there is such a
beautiful and big world out there that she cannot make
this decision yet. However, she does hope that she will
always be able to help the less fortunate. Her goal in
life is to be a hospital administrator or work for the
Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
In the Honors Program, she likes to meet all the different people that are involved in it. She also enjoys taking part in Community Service, as it helps her in pursuing her passion of helping others.
Overall, Vara is an open and hard working person. We
are sure that we will see and hear a lot more of her as
she works her way up to graduation.
Caroline Sandow
The Experience
Harvest Gala
O
n Friday, November 6, 2015 at 6 PM, the
doors opened for the very festive Honors Harvest
Gala, which was held at Gaddy Hall on the New Rochelle Campus. A beautifully decorated room, mouth
-watering food, thirst-quenching drinks, and entertainment were some of what made this night a great
success. The organizers of this semi-formal gathering did an exceptional job with the harvest décor of
the hall, which was topped off with an impressive
photo booth that was open to all guests throughout
the night.
The flawless selection of music and smooth transitions from genre to genre was maneuvered by board
member, the Outreach Officer Xavier Arce. The music fit perfectly with all the events of the night, including a very interesting battle of musical chairs.
Xavier also led the gala guests in their karaoke competition, which was won by Honors member Symonea Thomas, who blew everyone away with her
alluring voice. The intimate group of Honors members and their plus ones looked extraordinary in their
attires. This led to a “Best Dressed” award that was
given to a crowd favorite at the end of the night—
The night’s entertainment was placed in the hands of Neysha Gonzalez.
Honors Newsletter Editor, Caroline Sandow, who
led the guests in games, dancing, karaoke competi- The night was packed with the most entertaining mution, and more dancing. She kept the guests entersic, performances, and led by an amazing group of
tained throughout this event and did overall an instudents and Professor MacDonald who went beyond
credible job. Laughter spread like wildfire through- what was expected and executed an unforgettable
out the night as Caroline made jokes, witty comnight.
ments, and simply kept her audience engaged.
Kimloy Chang
Posing for the camera!
Enjoying food at the party!
The Student Honors
Board
The Electric Slide!
Limbo!
The Experience
In the Spotlight—Professor Gregory Cassiere
Are you originally from here? Yep, Bor n and r aised in Pelham,
New York.
How did you become a teacher? I did not r eally become it. I
just always was kind of a teacher. I always taught other people.
What do you like about it? When I was gr owing up, sometimes
I had a hard time in school. There were things about the education
system that I did not like and I figured as a teacher I could change
those things, make it better for the next generation. Also, I love to
stand in front of the classroom. It gives me the chance to act funny
and make a connection with students. But also, they listen to you
and you have the chance to shape their way of learning and thinking for the future, I like that.
Contact Us:
Newsletter Editor:
Caroline Sandow
csandow0167@monroecollege.edu
Coordinator:
Professor Kathryn MacDonald
kmacdonald@monroecollege.edu
(914) 740– 6452
You may also send emails to our new
address: Honors@monroecollege.edu
What is the difference between teaching an Honors Class and
teaching a regular class? Well, the students make the differ ence, they are usually already well knowledgeable and highly disciplined. They understand that it is important to get good grades and
work hard. Also, they want to be diversified and they are interested
in the world around them. That is why so many of them volunteer
and do community service in their free time, because they care
about it. When you teach an Honors class, you can be sure that the
students will take that knowledge with them and apply it in their
regular lives. It is more rewarding from a teacher’s perspective to
know that the students care and are involved.
What do you like about the Honors Program at Monroe? I
think it really helps develop leadership. Professor MacDonald does
a great job with teaching people how to take charge and take more
from the classes for their lives. People in the Honors Program understand that not everyone can be an A student but what is important is that you try and you care about it. For example, when you
see students whose first language is not English but they put themselves out there anyway and overcome the difficulties of an accent.
The program teaches you how to be confident and apply yourself.
Do you have any advice you want to give to the Honors students? Always use par ts of what you lear ned in class and take it
into your regular life. Enjoy learning, go to the museum, read a
book, do something that inspires you and makes you more educated
at the same time.