Feeling Creative?

Vol 3 No 11

The following comes to us from the Genesee Valley Council on the Arts, and, more specifically, a former FLCC student named Connor Keihl.  He did an internship over the summer and when he saw this competition come through, he immediately thought of the experiences he had as a student at FLCC and times he had in the Honors House.  I know it's a rough point in the semester, but you absolutely have time and you might just find that writing a story clears your head and relieves some stress.  Best of luck to all who take this on!

GVCA’s New Deal Writing Competition

The Genesee Valley Council on the Arts is hosting their fourth annual New Deal Writing Competition! This is a short story competition where the writer is asked to use a painting chosen by the staff of GVCA as inspiration for their short story. For this year’s competition, we have selected Jacques Zucker’s “Fountain, Central Park” from our New Deal art gallery as your inspiration. The painting chosen is featured below.

            GVCA will be accepting submissions for the competition from July 1, 2018 - April 5, 2019. The first-place winner will be awarded $200, second-place $100, and third-place $50. However, the first-place winner will additionally be published in GVCA’s annual magazine, Artsphere. This is an international competition, so we hope to receive a wide array of submissions, however it should be noted that prize money will be given in U.S. dollars. This contest will use blind judging—that is, the author’s name will be withheld from the judges until the competition is complete—so we ask that every author omit their personal information from their piece(s). Instead, please include a one-page cover sheet for each submission that includes: title, author, address, and phone number.

Here are some more guidelines and requirements for the competition:

●      There is a $5.00 submission fee per piece submitted, up to three (3) pieces

●      Entrants must be 18+ years of age

●      The piece submitted must be previously unpublished

●      All entries must be 10,000 words or less

●      There are no genre restrictions

●      Winners will be announced May 5, 2019

●      Email entries to betsy@gvartscouncil.org in WORD doc format

            If you’re interested in reading the pieces of winners from previous years, or finding out more information about the contest, check out our website: http://gvartscouncil.org/writingcompetition/

Thank you for submitting!

       

           

Posters, Parties, and Presentations

Vol 3 No 10

convocation (n.)

late 14c., convocacioun, "assembly of persons; the calling or holding of a meeting, assembling by summons," from Old French convocation and directly from Latin convocationem (nominative convocatio) "a convoking, calling, or assembling together," noun of action from past-participle stem of convocare "to call together," from assimilated form of com "with, together"  (Harper)

We are rapidly hurtling toward the end of the semester and it's not going to slow down until we get right to the end.  It's always amazing to me that the end sneaks up on me every time.  This is my 15th year of teaching and I'm STILL surprised that next week is Thanksgiving and and then we are on into December.

And speaking of December, there's an amazing opportunity for all Honors students and I hope I will encourage you to take part.  It's the Fall 2018 Honors Convocation.  Twice now we have hosted an Honors Convocation and both times it has been an amazing experience for those who participated.  The first part is something open to all.   The poster session.

Poster sessions are a staple of student and faculty conferences and research across all disciplines and in all sorts of contexts.  It's more than just a chance to be creative and colorful, it's also an opportunity to think about what is truly significant and important about the work you are doing.  Showcasing this work celebrates the importance of intellectual rigor and taking the value of your learning beyond the walls of the classroom.  Faculty at North Carolina State University describes this kind of poster as a "[a] source of information, [a] conversation starter, [an] advertisement of your work, [and a] summary of your work" (Hess, Tosney, Liegel).  To be effective, a poster has to be a "visual communication" so that you can "get your main point(s) across to as many people as possible" (Hess, Tosney, Liegel).  We aren't a formal conference and you won't be judged on your poster, which makes this the perfect place to practice a skill that will serve you well as you move on in your academic career.  So, plan a poster!



To help with the poster making process, we will be gathering at the Study-a-Thon in the library on 11/29 at 7:00 to make posters together.  I'll bring markers, crayons, colored pencils, and poster board.  Bring any supplies you need and come on out!  There's food and other amazing things in the library that evening, as well.  Come relax and make posters with us.  I always end up wanting to go home after I've committed to going to this evening in the library, but you know what?  It does me good.  I always have an amazing time with the students who gather and we have great conversations about everything from what's going on in our Honors classes to popular television shows to plans for the future both near and far.  At this point in the semester, it is so important to take time out to just relax and making a poster can be a great way to do that.  You don't need to be an artist or creative or even prone to staying in the lines when you color.  You just have to figure out how to visually represent something you're learning.  We have to brag about Honors, so let's do it together.  And let's do it in a way that lets us relax a little bit as well.  You can even get help with other classes as well - or play games, have snacks, get a massage.  So many worthy reasons to go.

As for the Convocation, there's another piece in addition to the poster display.  That evening, for an hour, we gather in Stage 14.  This is a very special capstone for the day.  At that time, four Honors students will present their work to those in attendance.  They will present some aspect of the work they've done and leave some time for questions as well.  As something of a mini conference, these students are invited to practice skills that will serve them so well as they move forward in their academic and professional careers. Although speaking about a large conference on criminal justice, I agree with a faculty member who describes presenting as "the opportunity to showcase and get feedback on your work" as well as being "an opportunity to make connections, collaborate and explore" (Beshears) In short, it's a way "to feel as though you are making a real difference" (Beshears).  In the last two Convocations, we have had everything from memoirs and literary narratives to research papers and reflective essays.  Students have shared portions of their projects, journals, papers, presentations, or other elements of their work.  Perhaps this will be YOU?

Works Cited

(with implied hanging indents) 

Beshears, Michael L.  "The Benefits of Presenting and Attending Professional Conferences."  In Public Saftey.  American Military University, 13 Mar. 2017, inpublicsafety.com/2017/03/benefits-presenting-attending-professional-conferences/.  Accessed  Nov. 2018.

Harper, Douglas.  "Convocation."  Etymonline. Online Etymology Dictionary, 2018,  www.etymonline.com/word/convocation#etymonline_v_18320.  Accessed 15 Nov. 2018.

Hess, George, Katherine Tosney and Leon Liegel.  "An Effective Poster."  Creating Effective Poster Presentations.  North Carolina State University, 2013, projects.ncsu.edu/project/posters/index.html. Accessed 15 Nov. 2015.

Join Us!

Vol 3 No 8

I spent last week at the National Collegiate Honors Council annual conference.  This year, in Boston, we were treated to some excellent presentations and breakout session on every topic from assessment to outreach, from study abroad to preparing for interviews.  The theme of the conference was "Learning to Transgress" and while there were many presentations and discussions on this topic (transgress:  infringe or go beyond the bounds of (a moral principle or other established standard of behavior).  That said, however, the most common thread I saw was how to better help and serve students facing various issues with mental health.  It was nice to see it so openly talked about and I will talk more about it in another blog.

What I want to do in this blog is invite you to experience some new adventures with us.

First, classes for Spring 2019.  While we don't have a LOT of options, the choices we do have are amazing and well worth making room for in your schedule if you can.  You'll see posters going up soon - and here's a look at the main one:

See what I mean?  Important topics in writing and literature.  Vital issues that face women and minorities in today's world.  And then the seminars - one on Harry Potter and the other on superheroes?  How can you go wrong?  Remember, anyone can sign up for Honors courses; so, grab your friends, make room in your schedule, and go for it!

The second invitation is for a new place for Honors students and those interested in Honors to gather and converse.  Like Facebook Messenger, it allows for group conversations and individual messages, but it does NOT require Facebook.  Called GroupMe, it allows you to create an account using Facebook, email, a phone number, or an already existing Microsoft account.  Just click here to join us:  FLCC Honors Studies Gathering Place.

You can also scan this code with your phone camera and it should hook you up!

You'll be seeing this link on Facebook and Twitter and even via email and on posters in the near future.  We hope you'll help us create something of an Honors House online!

We Got Hugs

Vol 3 No 8

The following is a transcript of the little speech I gave at the Honors Dinner on October 30, 2018.  We had an amazing gathering of faculty, students, staff, and alumni where we shared food, stories, hugs, tears, and laughter.  For those who came, thank you.  For those who did not - I hope to see you at next semester's dinner.  :)

There is a Tweet that keeps popping up on my Facebook feed that says “we have officially hit the point in the semester where every college kid is at least half sick, probably in the midst of an emotional breakdown, and very behind in several classes.  Please be nice to us. We’re trying our best and we all just need a hug.”  This has resonated with me for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that it is also true for faculty – but that isn’t really important right now.  What gets me about it is that I first saw it right after I sent out the Honors Study survey and, for those of you that did it, you’ll remember that there was a question on there that asked what concerns you face as a student.  The top three responses are so telling:  Time management or procrastination (73%), stress (71%), and (tied for third) work load and mental health (49%).  Ouch, right?  It rather makes me wonder how different the responses would be if I had asked at the beginning of the semester.  Part of me thinks they would be radically different, but part of me thinks that Honors students tend to be aware enough to know that they face these things regardless of what point of the semester we happen to be in.

Lately, it feels like I do nothing in my classes but teach content and talk about the crises we are facing in the world around us – the barrage of dark and painful news that greets us each day and makes many of our hearts hurt.  But, as much as we are members of communities both large and small, I think that it is equally important to acknowledge that our individual worlds are in flux as well.  This is not a permanent state and, in some cases, it’s just par for the course as we watch October die into November and realize how few short weeks there are until the end of the semester (seven, counting Thanksgiving, if you’re wondering).  I mean, this is what you all signed up for as students right?  You are rapidly becoming used to this, if you haven’t become so already.  I mean, it still hits you like a ton of bricks every time, but at least it’s not catching you entirely off guard anymore. 

 …right.

Anyway, this feeling becomes even more pronounced for Honors students, and not because the courses are harder, exactly, but because the demand on you is a little bit higher.  Sometimes – okay, nearly all of the time – this demand on you comes equal parts from yourself as well as your faculty.  37% of you wouldn’t value class discussions more than other aspects of your Honors courses if you weren’t actually participating.  It’s hard to hide when its seminar seating, and personal reflection requires a certain amount of vulnerability.  That teaching style that over half of you value most in your instructors?  If we break it down, it’s one that challenges and expects you to be more engaged, attentive, and self-aware than you might have to be elsewhere.   We know that, and, for the most part, we also know that you are up to the task.

But you are so tired.  I can see it in your faces and in your postures.  I can sometimes tell it in the work you are doing.  I can hear it in what you say and how you say it.  I read it in your Facebook posts and in your informal writing.  But I can also see that you are not giving up.  You still have your dreams and your big ideas, you still come to class and engage in those conversations you love so much, you’re still planning for the future.  You’re poring over course offerings as you build your schedules for next semester.  You’re looking at colleges and transfer programs, and wondering what it will be like at a whole new school.

And you’ll make it.  You’ll figure it out.  Some of you may stumble and need to regain your footing, but you’ll make it.  You may make it in a way that you never expected, but you’ll make it.  I’ve seen it time and time again in countless different ways.  Those stories, some outwardly big and some quietly so, are what make every day that I do this – in the face of my own exhaustion – worth it.  I mean it when I tell my students that they are going to change the world.  Even if the only person they change it for is themselves.  And I know that my fellow faculty feel much the same.   You will make it.

One of the things that will sustain you is….well…coffee.   But, beyond that, it’s the people around you.  They understand better than anyone the pressure you are under and the pressure you put on yourself.  In their own way, they are doing the exact same thing and who better to be there to help shore you up than someone who also needs shoring up for the same reasons.  Get help when you need it, lean on one another, stay focused, have goals and make sure you take time out for yourself.  Go play in the leaves if it ever stops raining.  Or just go play in the rain.  Go bowling and have a chuckle at how low your score is.  Or at least laugh at the shoes.  Do art.  Make words.  Sing at the top of your lungs.  Jump up and down on your bed.  Laugh until you can’t breathe.  Binge watch some Netflix.  Make an ice cream sundae and eat it without guilt.  Get together with other students and have some pasta…oh, wait.  Good job!  In other words, do whatever makes you truly happy for a little while. 

And then get back to work.  Because no one can do this for you; in the end, you have to stay the course and do the work on your own.  You chose the path you are on and you have to be the one who walks that path.  You have to do the work and make the grades and be satisfied with the results.  Or you have to accept that you’re going to fail this time, but that it isn’t the end of the world and you can learn from failure.  You can always pick yourself up and do better next time and mistakes can be the most amazing teachers.  No matter how it all plays out, you have to realize and accept that all of it really is on you.

But if you need a hug?  You’ll find one in Honors.  From me, from a classmate, from another faculty member.  We’ve got hugs.  All you have to do is ask.