C'mon Everyone...Let's SCIENCE!

 VIRTUAL TALK THIS WEDNESDAY

John Bateman...scientist, conservationist, assistant professor, Honors advocate, and all around good guy.  He has so much enthusiasm and passion for the world around us and wants to share that with everyone.  His unique approach to all things science is one that is infectious (see what I did there?  Science word?) for everyone...even those of us who claim that science is not a strength (or maybe even a joy).  When I asked him to describe his talk this Wednesday (and his class in the spring), this is what he had to say:

Are you curious about the world around you? Have you ever wondered about the world around us or natural phenomena you’ve witnessed, such as how a rainbow forms, how our universe began, or why we no longer have dinosaurs? If so, you’re already on the path to being a scientist. While the word “science” can intimidate a lot of people, at its root it is about curiosity and inquiry, finding order out of chaos, and testing predictions. Science is a powerful discipline that has reshaped our society again and again. Can you imagine a world without it? It would be like going back to the Stone Age, as the growth of humankind is dependent upon science. Without it, progress stops. So, imagine for a second…what would your life be like without antibiotics, clean water, electricity, or (gasp!) your smartphone? Despite this, we live in a time where the word science in America seems to have a stigma attached to it. Half-truths and outright lies have created a cloud of doubt that hangs over the heads of too many citizens, and due to this, progress is likely slowing as a result.

I hope that I’ve caught your attention by this point and that the last sentence is not sitting well with you. If so, I have something to offer so that you are not one of those with a cloud of doubt enveloping your head.

This coming spring, I am teaching an Honors science course that is designed for non-science majors and this Wednesday, I'm going to touch on some of the things the course will entail.  In short, we are going to talk science in the modern age and how we can all take steps to juggle everything that is out there.  In the talk (which does not require you to take the course), I hope to start to instill an appreciation for science and an understanding of the scientific method.  I want students to be able to comprehend the level of rigor and certainty it takes for a new finding to be deemed acceptable by the scientific community. We will cover a number of science topics that are considered hot-button issues in our country, such as vaccines, evolution, the age of our Earth, climate change, gene modification, and the re-wilding of extinct species.  

Then, in the spring, students will investigate both sides of the story and be able to come to their own factual-based opinion. Hopefully, you will then be willing to share that opinion with others. My goal for students taking the course in the spring is that they will be able to weed through the massive amount of information that is available to us (or, in some cases, shoved in our face) to find the truth. I hope you can attend my talk. Perhaps I might even see you in class come spring!

Count me in...I'm there.  Will YOU be?

Wednesday from 5:00 - 6:00 via WebEx.

Password is HonorsTalk4 if needed.

....Satisfaction Brought It Back

This week's blog title is the second half of the oft-repeated phrase "curiosity killed the cat" that few seem to really know.  I love it because it implies that curiosity and the satisfaction of that curiosity is a cycle.  That when we embark on a life of exploring that which we are curious about, we then will lead a life full of interesting pursuits and moments of satisfaction.  That sounds pretty incredible, doesn't it?  There is a reason that STAY CURIOUS is the motto of Honors.  In service to that and to all of our intellectual endeavors in the pursuit of satisfaction, our next Honors talk will focus on curiosity itself.  Dr. Jonathan Keiser, the FLCC Provost, has this to say about the conversation we will have...

Cultivating Curiosity: Who is going to encourage you to Stay Curious after graduation?  …you are!

Curiosity is often an overlooked and under researched personality trait in the Cognitive Sciences despite a widespread belief that it’s an important attribute for personal growth and career success. This Honors Talk will provide a brief overview of some research on curiosity and offer suggestions for developing a curious mind to support self-development, interpersonal relationships, and professional achievements.

Jonathan Keiser became interested in how be people learn and acquire knowledge while teaching Biology courses as a graduate student. He later went on to formally study learning and teaching theory and earned a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction with a doctoral minor in Educational Psychology from University of Minnesota. He served as a consultant to City University Hong Kong in designing and assessing discovery enriched curriculum which focused on leveraging and cultivating students’ intellectual curiosity to gain a deeper and broader understanding of discipline-specific learning outcomes across multiple fields of study. Fostering curiosity is a core tenant of his personal and professional philosophy for managing teams and leading a learning-centered organization.   

I hope that you can join us on MONDAY, 10/18 from 5:00 - 6:00 in room 2310 or via WebEx.

You can also earn an Honors point by attending an event being put on by the Social Science department the next day, Laker Day.  Some information on that event:

Meagan Sylvester is an author and senior lecturer at the Cipriani College of Labour and Co-operative Studies in Trinidad and Tobago. She will give a virtual talk on the role of music in Caribbean society, on Tuesday, Oct. 19, from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. via this link.

Sylvester’s research topics include music and national identity in Calypso and Soca and music and human rights in the Americas. Her talk is titled “People Power Movements in Caribbean Festival Culture: The Calypso Experience.”

The event is part of the History, Culture and Diversity series organized by Robert Brown, professor of history.

Join at this link: https://flcc.webex.com/meet/robert.brown

Hope to see you at one or both of these events!  Free T-shirts to those who come!  :)

Look...and Look Past

 

This week, on Wednesday, we have another FLCC alum coming to talk to you about some important things.  I asked her to share a short explanation of who she is and what she would talk about it and this is what she said...

Hi, I’m Jenna and I’m an alcoholic…but, I’m also a Criminal Defense Legal Assistant, a graduate of the FLCC Creative Writing Program, a sobriety and mental health advocate, a runner, a rock climber, a good friend, a respectful daughter and a supportive sister. Let’s talk about how all of that is possible while the first fact will forever be true!

In just these few sentences, we have such a powerful statement.  Most of society, and perhaps you yourself, would focus on the phrase "I'm an alcoholic" and perhaps not pay attention to the rest of it.  But there is so much here.  These labels we attach to people - like the week we talked about mental health - can sometimes be overly limited.  They can focus too much on one thing to the exclusion of everything else.  Jenna, like Laura from a couple of weeks ago, is more than just that short phrase.  She has accomplished so much in her life and we cannot look at her and just see that one word.  Alcoholism - like any addiction - is a disease.  We need to acknowledge that and we need to treat it just like we treat any other disease.  

We also need to not reduce those who suffer from it to JUST that.  Jenna may not look like what you think of when you see the word 'alcoholic' and that is yet another reminder that we have to fight the urge to judge others and to make assumptions about who they are based on the labels they may carry.  She is not just her disease.

I invite you to come see her.  REALLY see her.  Listen to her.  And maybe we can all learn something about addiction, sobriety, and strengthen our own life and choices.

Wednesday, 10/13

5:00 - 6:00

Room 2310

Or via WebEx.

Where Three Roads Began...

Good evening, friends…

How many of you are earning your degree in Liberals Arts?  Do you know what you are going to do afterwards?  Go into the work force?  Go onto to a four-year university or college?  Don’t know yet?  Well, have we got a talk for you, then.  Come virtually or in person on Friday, from 5:00 – 6:00 to listen to three speakers talk about how they walked the very path you are on.

Let’s face it, a Liberal Arts Degree from a Community College is sometimes a catch-all for students who aren’t quite sure what career they want to pursue.  For others, it’s a way to complete general education requirements before continuing on to a four-year institution (and beyond) for more focused study.  Regardless of why a Liberal Arts degree is chosen, the path from that degree to a job and a career is sometimes a meandering one and sometimes leads in unexpected directions.  Join three alumni of FLCC as they talk about the choices they made and the places it led, and is still leading, them.

Cheyenne works as a social services assistant at the VA and lives in Geneva.  She has done various things in between her graduation and her current position.  Jeff is an instructional designer at FLCC.  After earning his liberal arts degree here, he went on to get his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees from Buffalo State.  He currently lives in Fairport with his family.  Mandi Brown is currently a Technology Clerk for the Launch Pad at Buffalo & Erie County Public Library.  She, too, has done a number of other things between graduating and what she does now.  She currently lives in Buffalo.

All of these are valuable, valid, and worthwhile uses of an Associates degree and perfectly acceptable ways of being in the world.  And they are worth hearing about, too.

So, join us!  T-shirts available for all FLCC students who attend!  (Will be mailed to those who attend virtually).

Three very different people.

Three very different journeys.

Three very different results.

Date:  Friday, 8 October 2021

Time:  5:00 - 6:00

Location:  2310 or WebEx