I just wanted to tell you a little about my time in Turkey this past summer. I went in the summer of 2008 also but this time I stayed for two months instead of just one. I enjoyed myself even more this time which I had thought was literally impossible! I learned so much and, as I was able to communicate fairly well (I took both Survival Turkish courses here at the university last year), I could explore more of the country on my own without feeling hesitant about getting around and not knowing the language. My language skills really improved after spending just two months fully immersed in the culture, especially my listening skills. It was amazing to see how much I improved from the beginning of the trip to the end. I was so surprised at how quickly one could pick up a language in just a short period of time! I spoke as much Turkish as I could, picking up on new words and phrases and incorporating them into my language use. I believe that to be able to truly learn a language and truly know it you must go to the country (or countries) where it is spoken as the main language and use it, speak it, read it, and listen to it each and every day. There is only so much practice you can get by a book or course before you have to dive right in and fully immerse yourself in the language. You must have passion and patience, for learning a language in a comprehensive manner is not the easiest thing to do. But for me, language learning is just as much about learning new words, phrases, and grammatical points as it is learning about another’s culture and way of life, which is always fun and fascinating! Next time, I’ll tell you about the many adventures I had while in Turkey See you then!
-Sam-

Hi everyone! As Senior year begins, I have started to think about my options for next year. My first choice program is Teach for America. This a program that gives students with exemplary leadership skills the opportunity to teach in Title 1 schools and get their masters degrees in Education at the same time. The program heavily subsidizes the tuition to different graduate schools and participants are also given a full teachers salary while part of the program. This is one of the most prestigious and difficult to get into teaching fellowships in the country. Binghamton has someone who recruits for Teach for America which is how I came to applying for the program. After meeting with a recruiter, I submitted my application. I was so excited to find out that I was going to be skipped through the second round 3o minute phone interview straight to the full day final interview! During this interview I had to prepare a sample lesson plan, talk about educational issues, did team problem solving activities, and had a final interview. It was a great day and now I am super nervous/ excited to hear back from them!! I strongly encourage anyone who is interested in education both as a teacher or administration or issues in education as well as people who just want to help people to check out their website and amazing program!!!

Last week has been characterized by two huge events: the Binghamton College Fair on Wednesday and the Parents Weekend, where, as expected, parents come up and enjoy some quality time with students.

On Wednesday, I had the chance to be behind the Binghamton University tables at the fair. I was surprised by the number of people who came to the huge Broome County Arena. Binghamton may be pretty far from big cities, but there is no shortage of high schools in the area. The Decker School of Nursing had their own table, and advisor Judy Monroe and assistant director Jennie Orton were delighted to have me help advertise. While I did not have the experience of a junior or senior clinical attending student, I was more than glad to discuss campus life and freshmen experiences. I noticed a bunch of shy males stealing Decker brochures from our table. Don’t be shy. Nursing is a noble profession.

Parents Weekend was unique in a sense that my parents did not come up. I had just visited them the week before, so it did not make sense. Instead, I helped guide lost parents around, watched little siblings and students joust with inflatable weapons, played laser tag for Late Nite, enjoyed a campfire with fellow ambassadors, decorated my room with blue mood lights, bought a student discounted version of Windows 7 Professional ($29 at theUltimateSteal), watched “Where the Wild Things Are” (great movie) in the theater by the nearby Walmart, and prepared my Halloween costume. I will let you know of next weekend’s adventures with my cardboard box and spray paint costume:)

And while life is just fun-filled and busy, there are always little things that can make you chuckle and brighten your day. Just yesterday, I was drying my hands with a push button air dryer, and someone sharpied written instructions next to the pictures. 1: Push Button. 2: Receive Jellyfish
Kudos to that simple act of vandalization that made my day.

Maturity is knowing when and where to be immature
-Randall Hall

Catch Joey K, Apprentice Word Puncher, on Mondays and every other Thursday when he’s not trying to find a new way to procrastinate

My roommates and I spent a good two hours of our Friday afternoon cleaning every inch of our room. Why? Because this past weekend was Binghamton University’s Family Weekend (and we wanted our parents to believe that we are as neat as they trained us to be). The weekend was a load of fun! Here’s a list of just a few of the events that the University had to offer:

- A vendor fair: We got a chance to sample free, innovative food items sponsored by Sodexo Campus Services!
-a Nature Preserve Tour
-a Meet the Deans Session for each of the six schools of Binghamton University
-a Family Weekend Concert: Performances by the Women’s Chorus, Harpur Chorale and University Wind Ensemble
-Late Night Binghamton Family Weekend Edition featuring a show by mentalist Jim Karol
Fall Woodstock Festival: a carnival outside of College in the Woods that featured fun food, games, and tie-dye!
-a family brunch sponsored by Hillel at Binghamton

Check out the weekend’s entire schedule here!

It was also a nice treat to go out to dinner with my family. Sure, dining-hall food is great! But, sometimes, it’s nice to eat something else for a change.
After they left, I had to get started on two papers that I had neglected earlier in the weekend. But at least I didn’t have to take a break to go down to the dining halls. My family and both of my roommate’s families stocked our room up with food and water bottles (144, to be exact) that will last us until Thanksgiving...or...maybe next weekend.

-Helaine

Niagara Falls

Winter is well on its way and that means we’re heading into break season with Thanksgiving and Christmas.  For those of us who haven’t taken many chances to explore what New York state has to offer other than “The City,” these breaks can be great opportunities to go out and explore the world around you.  If you’re an out-of-stater or a foreign student, don’t let the idea of being stuck on campus or in Binghamton over the break depress you as you see your friends going home to see family.  Think of it as an opportunity to explore on your own.  Take a bus to a famous sight; Greyhound around the country, or even organize a trip into “The City” to see a Broadway play.  Better yet, you could organize a day trip to Niagra Falls, which is just 3 hours away by car and visit one of the most beautiful sights in the U.S. Take a three-day weekend and go to Saratoga Springs, visit Albany or Syracuse; Greyhound it to Boston. The limits are just about endless.
Don’t let the Holiday Season get you down because you miss the ones you love. You’re not alone in this sentiment, so find someone and turn the break around, make it work for you and give yourself a chance to see more of the awesome country we live in.
If you want an easy-to-plan and fun trip, see Niagra Falls. I went earlier this month and it was amazing to see the power of nature’s fury.  It was beautiful and frightening, but something I’d never have wanted to miss.
You don’t have to go abroad as I did to experience amazing things, they’re everywhere around you, waiting for you to open your eyes and see them anew; take advantage of these opportunities! 

Boo! Next Saturday is Halloween, a holiday that I most look forward to each year. I love to dress up and become a whole new character for one night! So where is one to go to slip into this new character? Walmart has a few good costumes as does Hot Topic at the Oakdale Mall. My favorite ones are at Spirit Halloween next to Walmart, although it is a bit on the expensive side. Many times, I just buy a few new accessories to go with a dress, shirt, pants, etc that I already have and I’m ready to go! Another thing I love about Halloween is pumpkin carving! I love to pull out all the seeds and cook them in the oven, covering them with butter and salt. Yum! Also a favorite of mine is warm apple cider with donuts. There are so many great things that come along with holiday of Halloween, as well as autumn in general. My favorites include apple picking and the leaves changing to astonishingly beautiful colors! Just last Wednesday, I went on a little “hike” around the campus, taking pictures of the various colored leaves on the trees. It was so beautiful to take in the view, especially from Mountainview community. Hope you are enjoying autumn as much as I am. And enjoy it while you can- unfortunately the rainy, cold, and snowy weather is setting in already. Until next blog, Sam

Hey guys, I’m Dennis, currently a junior majoring in chemistry and minoring in Chinese at Binghamton University. I’m from Brooklyn, New York and graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School. Growing up in the city is really different from living in a city like Binghamton, but I welcome this new experience because it’s a good way to expand my horizons. My hobbies include arts and crafts (which led me into becoming the vice president of Imagination Craft Work, but more on that later) and photography.

ICW is an awesome arts and crafts club on campus. We hold a series of workshops throughout the semester where students create crafts ranging from lanterns to dream catchers. As I mentioned before, I enjoy photography, a lot. It all started with my first digital camera, Canon SD800IS, that I got for Christmas and birthday combo gift in high school. I had a blast during my senior year of high school because I took a lot of pictures for my school year book.  At that point, I realized that I had a genuine interest in the art of photography. Fast forward to 2008 and I got my first digital Single Lens Reflex camera, the Canon D40. I was blown away at the quality and the flexibility of my camera and had fun taking pictures with it. And now in 2009, I have a photo blog here, portraying the life of a college student. Make sure to check it out!
-Shutterbug Dennis