No Regrets...Well, Almost

Vol 2 No 23

This week's blog comes to us from one Will Maskrey, a student graduating with an AS in Business Administration this semester.  He is also the President of Student Corporation and someone I will most definitely miss once he leaves FLCC to find his way in the world.  As guest blogger, he wanted to share some of his thoughts about his experiences at the college and, specifically, an Honors class he took last semester.

No Regrets…well almost.

The year was 2016. A warm breeze cooled the asphalt that August evening as I walked to my car at the end of the work day. The typical Friday feeling of freedom and relief were painfully absent as a sigh escaped. I paused to think about everything that was ending, and what was dawning on the horizon. I never once questioned the decision to leave the stability of full time employment, and finally do something I had long put off: I was returning to college to finish my education. I was heading to Finger Lakes Community College the following Monday, and I would need the weekend to prepare for this major alteration in my life. The words to adequately describe the two years, since that day I stood in the sun and questioned my life altering decision, escape me incessantly. As I think over the multitude of experiences and choices that I have made in my time here, I can say with great confidence that I have no regrets… well almost.

This past fall I took my first Honors class, The Development of Modern Horror taught by Dr. Trista Merrill. There are so many things that made this class arguably the most important of my academic career. I could spend an entire blog highlighting the genius of the unparalleled Dr. Merrill, however most of you reading this are already aware of this fact. As great as she is, my classmates played the biggest role in what made this class the highlight of my week. Some would say that gathering a random group of people, that would be comfortable and open enough to talk about horror and fear, is miraculous feat. I agree, but to have a group of strangers trust each other enough to do this on day one of the class, that is something impossible to recreate.

The respect for each individual opinion, coupled with the care each took to ensure the safety and well-being of their neighbor is something rare in most traditional classes. I have not seen or felt this level of oneness in any of my other classes. This is what I miss about not being in an Honors class this semester. I want to be very clear that I am talking about something far beyond the physical safety I feel every day when I walk through the doors of FLCC. I am referring to a freedom to explore and question, to challenge and, in a way, be rewarded through an expansion of personal perspective. There are a few rare classes that seem to fit this model but fall incredibly short of what an Honors class achieves.

As the homestretch approaches and my time at Finger Lakes Community College is ending, one cannot help to reflect on what has been. It has been a tremendous experience with opportunities that I could not have fathomed. The only thing I would change, the only real regret that will remain when I leave here is the fact that I did not take full advantage of Honors Studies. The one Honors class I did take, that special group of people that made everything better, can never be forgotten. I owe all of them a great debt, more than they may realize. There are other groups and people that have added to my being here, but my time in Modern Horror will hold a special, permanent place in my memory.

Honors is so much more than a unique curriculum or a special class structure led by terrific faculty. It is a special journey shared only by those who are willing to stare into the vastness of the unknown and be willing to trust the person next to them as everyone jumps. The fear that can encompass making mistakes can always creep up on us during those unexpected moments. Now that I have taken an Honors Studies class, I have more people in my life to remind me of my goodness. We all could use more people to remind us of that. Honors is the place to meet the best of those people for your journey, just make sure that you don’t miss out like I almost did.

I can wholeheartedly say that I am a better human being today because of my experiences in Honors Studies. I wish more classes were like the Development of Modern Horror class I took, but if that were the case these classes might not be as life-altering. More students, and maybe more faculty as well, need to be aware of the impact Honors Studies can have on the college experience of a student.  I almost missed out on those experiences and that is why I have no regrets about my time here in Honors Studies.

FREE FOOD Matters

Vol 2 No 22

Invitation!

Come have dinner with us! 

When:  April 4th, from 5:00 – 7:00

Where:  Stage 14

Who: ALL STUDENTS interested in or curious about Honors

What:  TACOS!

What else:  shirts, coloring books, and this semester's gift

Come eat, and fellowship, and hear about important Honors matters such as…

Faculty and Staff reflecting on Honors

Students reflecting on Honors and asking questions

Spring 2018 Honors Convocation 

Poster making at Study-A-Thon 

What is Chaos Honors event

Presidential Greatness Honors event

Honors Club news 

Human Library - Honors Approved!

Fall 2018 Honors Studies classes

Spring 2018 Honors Graduation Ceremony 

Poetry Matters

Vol 2 No 22

A little something different this week....

Fluidity

Honors kids
Y’all are chill
Active participation
Happy people, fun times

Exploratory
The coolest thing
An open knowledge place
We don’t want to make knowledge restrictive

Gauging interest
Get your voice heard
What’s important to you
Anything we want to talk about, we can

It’s pretty chill
Keeping the motif
A minimal rules club
You never know with rules

Not super structured
No unnecessary hierarchy
That would be a lot of work
And we already do a lot of work

Kinda like a family
It’s all about support
Making a community
We want that space outside the classroom

Fire and drive
Loose and fluid
Instill that spark
All you have to be is curious

…Keep it going…

The above is something called a found poem. I didn't use another 'text' per se, but rather I used the words of Blinne Kreiger (with some help from Jill Bond) during the informational meeting of the brand new, near official Honors Club. As I sat there and listened, I was struck by how their words resonated with me and showed me that all the work we have done in Honors has....well...found root in these students. They are living, breathing embodiment of all that is Honors and I'm so excited to see where this new venture goes. Well done, ladies.

Why Cats

Vol 2 No 21

Before I begin with an apology and the blog – I wanted to remind everyone of this:

I hope you can make it - I've wanted a student Honors Club ever since I became Director and I'm so excited that we have students with the time and energy to make that dream come true.  But they need YOUR help to make it work!  Such a great opportunity...I can't wait to see how this developed!

That said, I want to apologize for being a little late with this blog.  I blame the loss of an hour - but honestly I was just ridiculously busy last week.  But, while I DO miss that hour, at least Daylight Savings Time means that Spring is most definitely coming and your semester is probably in full swing.  Today’s blog is a little bit lighter than last week’s, though the thoughts raised in that last blog are hopefully still in all our minds.  Today I thought I would talk about cats.

Why cats?

As you have probably noticed, we have adopted cats as the unofficial mascot of Honors, with a specific focus on their eyes.  That was a deliberate choice for a variety of reasons, and I’m happy to see that the Honors Club has continued the use of cats to represent them.

Most people know that cats are associated with curiosity…in fact, we all know the adage that curiosity killed the cat.  What many people do not know, however, is that the adage has a second half.  It would not be odd for us to celebrate cats and curiosity, but the killing part is a little strange.  Not to worry, however, for the rest of the saying is but satisfaction brought it back.  The cat will live on as we continue to celebrate curiosity and the fulfilling of the endless questions that seem to drive what Honors students do and are.

Cats have long been associated with independence, intelligence, curiosity, agility, and for being amazing companions in their own, unique way.  It is hard to watch a kitten playing or a cat hunting and not be cognizant of their sense of play and their seeming insatiable desire to explore everything.  They will push their way into places where they don’t necessarily fit and they will maintain a sense of grace while they do it.  Every cat has its own personality, of course, but even the most solitary cat will often find itself ‘accidentally’ in the same room as its human companion.

In short, I have always felt that there is something very Honors-like about cats.  They are a creature of many contradictions on the surface and often misunderstood.  They carry on despite of that and often with grace and seeming indifference.  They are solitary but also social, simple and yet mysterious.  Playful and yet also content to lay sleepily anywhere that they feel comfortable.

One of the things that has always fascinated me about cats is that of all the creatures we have domesticated, we have changed cats the least.  No matter how much we love and pamper them, they will always be true to who they are.  Tigers and lions, cougars and panthers, jaguars and lynxes, cheetahs and leopards, long-haired and short-haired, calico and Persian, tortoises and tabbies – cats of any size will always be curious and thoughtful.

And that is how I see Honors students – some many different variations and yet all harboring some of the same basic qualities of playfulness, curiosity, creativity, and a sense of thoughtful mystery.

That is Honors.

Enough is Enough

Vol. 2 No. 20

I am sad and I am angry.

Sometime during the week of February 26^th, something happened on the FLCC Campus that indirectly connects with Honors and, quite frankly, goes against everything that Honors – and this college – stands for.  At least two posters for classes being taught this semester were defaced with profanity.  The posters were for HON 200 – Women Who Kill (taught by Drs. Merrill and Ross) and SOC 201 – Racial & Ethnic Minorities (taught by Dr. Whisman).   These two classes, taught by three accomplished and educated women, were targeted for acts of vandalism.

This is intolerable.

This college celebrates values that make no room for what amounts to hate language.  Honors celebrates these same values, along with reflection, curiosity, intellectual exploration and rigor, and strives to make a place for all students regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or even mental health.  There is no room for this kind of behavior.  This should not have happened.

We live in world that seems increasingly intolerant – but there are so many voices calling out for love, acceptance, and accountability.  So many voices celebrating people who have too long been silenced.  So many voices of bravery and courage – asking for change and celebrating difference.   #metoo.  The Parkland students.  Wakanda.  We need to have those voices here.  We need to stand up against hatred, bigotry, and intolerance.

This behavior will not change what we do in our class rooms.  It will not change our values or our mission.  It will not weaken our resolve to learn and teach, to explore and expand our minds.  If anything, it will galvanize our dedication to accepting and celebrating ALL students.

The holder of that pen has no right to so anonymously dismiss the reality of the world around them.  Their actions are hateful, cowardly, and we need to make it stop.

So, in this blog, I am asking you to join me in standing up for what so many of us believe in.  Speak out against hatred.  Push back against random graffiti that seems harmless, but is not.  Don’t laugh at jokes told at the expense of women and minorities.  Add your voice to those who are saying enough is enough.

This is OUR campus.  Our refuge, our home away from home.  So many find acceptance and love here and see this as a powerful place to forward their dreams and find their wings.  And they love it here.  We love it here.  We don’t need those few who tarnish that experience to have a voice like this.  We don’t need them to hide behind a pen that leaves hateful comments on posters that dare to focus on something other than the white male experience.  That is NOT our FLCC and we all need to work together to silence those voices and deafen their message with our own.

I, for one, am angry and ready to stand up against this kind of behavior.  It is not to be tolerated here – or anywhere.

Not on my watch.