Special Invitation, Special Wish

Vol 2 No 11

An Invitation and a Wish

A Special Invitation!

In the hopes of making our first Convocation a positive start to a new tradition, we are holding a poster-making session in the library on the evening of November 30 – the night of Study-a-Thon!  So, along with making a poster in a casual, fun, AND productive environment, you will also get access to the other amazing things the library does that evening.  The Writing Center and the Math Center will be there, yoga and chair massages will be there, and even free pizza will be there!  We will have more information about WHERE in the library we will meet – but I hope you’ll make plans to join us.  Bring your poster board, your crafting materials, your course materials, and your good ideas and let’s be crafty together!  To help you start brainstorming, here are some wonderful poster making links:

• “Creating a Successful Poster” – Brown University (even more links on this page)
• “Creating a Poster” – University of Wisconsin-Madison (more in-depth steps here)
• “The Basics of Poster Design” - Washington NASA Space Grant Consortium (don’t let the name scare you!)
• “Poster-making 101” – Bates College (some technical help here, too)
• “An Effective Poster” – North Carolina State University

A Special Wish

As the rush of the holidays barrels down on us, complete with all the hectic chaos that the end of an academic semester holds, I hope that you can take some time during this upcoming break to take stock of all the blessings and positive forces you have in your life.  Being a student is a challenging role and so many of you are not just students, but also family members, friends, caretakers, employees, activists, community servers, church members, and countless other things.  There is a whole network of people supporting you, even if that network is small outside the college.  Take the time for yourself to ensure that you are as healthy and happy as you can be.  And may you take a moment to be thankful for all that you have and for all the promise your future holds.  Travel safe and be well.

Giving Thanks

The world is dark and dangerous, 

The days are long and bleak, 

And so my eyes stay close to home 

For the Thursday of this week. 

A day of thanks for all I have 

Though I feel it every day 

The rays of color in my life 

That keep back shades of grey. 

Friend and family lines are blurred 

As we lay the table fair 

And in these bustling moments, 

I lay my soul to bare. 

I love you if you’re reading this, 

My life you’ve wreathed in light 

May you find what you are looking for, 

Be it here or gone from sight. 

May each memory you have now made 

And those of days now past, 

Bring you peace and joy unbound 

And love to everlast.

T. Merrill

Happy Thanksgiving, friends.

Honors Event!

Vol. 1. No. 5

TO:  FLCC STUDENTS

RE:  HONORS DINNER, Sponsored by the FLCC Student Corps.

DAY:  October 18th, 2016

TIME:  5:00 - 7:00

WHERE:  Stage 14

WHAT:

I have wanted, since mid-summer, to have an event that was open to both Honors students and students CURIOUS about Honors.  In my mind, I was thinking a room, some pizza, and a lot of mingling.  I didn't have a lot of ideas as to how to go about planning such an event, however, so I set up a meeting with Jennie Erdle, Director of Student Life and Dreamer of Big Dreams.  That was when everything exploded into this event to which I am now inviting FLCC students.

By the time our meeting ended, my pizza mixer was wholly and truly transformed and I couldn't be happier.  The precision and grace with which Jennie took my idea from me and rewrote gives me the feeling that this is how Jennie always looks at the world.  So, if you are imagining sitting in a classroom eating pizza, think again.  Replace the classroom with Stage 14 and replace the desks in a circle with round tables with real linens and tableware.  No more pizza -- instead, think pasta (gluten free) and sauce (meatless red and alfredo) with breadsticks, salad, and cake.  Instead of awkward conversations and small pockets of people that you know from class, think instead of speakers who will share with you their stories about Honors. Instead of posters leaned up against the white boards, we will have real people talking about the courses they plan to teach in Honors in the spring.  And instead of badly drawn pictures with dry erase markers, we will have Honors T-shirts for the first 50 students who come.

I am lining up some folks to talk to us -- not about numbers and requirements or credits and schedules, but instead about passion and curiosity, about intellectual adventures and the value of real learning.  You'll see faculty who are excited about teaching, enthusiastic about subject areas, and excited to learn from their students just as their students learn from them.  You'll hear about the fascinating courses we have up and coming in Honors in the Spring.  You'll read the words of Honors students who came before you and listen to college administrators as they talk about what makes Honors special and important to them beyond just enrollment and educational mandates.  You'll hear from people who very much care about students in general and about Honors in particular.  And, of course, you'll have time to talk with the people at your table about your own experiences in Honors.

All in all, I'm grateful that Jennie took my small idea and exploded it into something about which we can really get excited.  I've already invited all the students in Honors courses to come and I hope that this will act to reinforce that.  I hope also that this blog will find its way to those who might be curious about Honors and they will find their way to us that evening as well.  Whether already enrolled or just curious about it, this is a great way to learn about Honors and to celebrate the amazing things that faculty and students alike are coming together to do.

Come join us for food, fellowship, and fun.  Honors - where all you have to be is curious...and hungry!

"I would like to help others rediscover....wonder -- to want to engage with it, to want to learn, to want to share what they've learned, what they've figured out to be true and what they're still figuring out." - Sarah Kay