It's over!

Well it's over. My freshman year has officially come to a close- therefore this will be my last blog. It was a great year. I met so many new people. made so many friends and really experienced a lot. It was nothing like I imagined it was going to be, but that was for the best. I'm just looking forward to summer now and then coming back as a sophomore : )
So good luck to all incoming freshman, make the most of your year.
-Carolyn

Almost done...

These last few weeks of school have been so busy! For some reason the professors decided to load on the work for the second half of this semester. With lab reports, papers, and tests, I have been spending a lot of time in the library. However, the weekends have been a nice relief from all the work. It's a lot better going out in the nice weather than compared to the snow. The past few months have also consisted of a lot of kan jam and volleyball during the week. It's nice seeing everyone outside all the time in the warm weather. Now with only a week left of classes and two finals, freshman year is coming to an end. Next thursday Kid Cudi is coming to Brockport, which I am very excited about it! Many students waited in line for 3-5 hours to get their tickets. Luckily I didn't have to wait very long for mine, but many students were very dedicated. Then on that Friday we have our "Brock the Port" where there are games and festivities going on outside during the day. I have heard that it is the best day of the year at Brockport, so I am very pumped! But I should probably get back to finishing up this lab report, I will see ya guys later.

April!

So yes, it has been quite a while since my last blog. As many of you new freshman will realize, things get so busy so quickly it's very easy to lose track of time. I can't believe that second semester is basically over. There's about 3 weeks left of classes and then finals. It's crazy. I wish I could better describe just how fast this year flew by. Spring semester went by so fast! Right now I'm just trying to get ready for all my final exams and projects. Tennis started up again, so I'm really excited about it. We actually have a pretty big tournament coming up that I'm getting a bit nervous for, but I'm sure we'll do fine. I made my schedule for next semester and I'm so happy with my classes. That's one of my favorite parts about college, getting to choose your own schedule. I'm really looking forward to taking Advanced Media Writing. I'm taking the intro class this semester and I love it. Between school and tennis and everything else I've been keeping so busy. Today was the first day I even got to just hang out outside with friends enjoying the nice weather. Hello Kan-Jam. Well thats about all for now. Promise I'll update very soon. :)

-Carolyn

Countdown to the End of Freshman Year

I can't believe it, but my freshman year at college is almost over. We have just about a month left. It seems like this year just flew by, but I guess that's what happens when your having fun .

Now everyone is starting to worry about finals, and grades at the end of the year. I have to make sure that I keep my GPA up high enough to keep my scholarship. I'm pretty sure that I'll be fine though.
The weather is finally starting to get nice outside, and this past week everyone was outside. People were playing Can-Jam, football, volleyball, soccer, and lacrosse, or they were just chilling in the sun. The Brockport campus is a great place to be when the weather is warm and the sun is shining. I myself played frisbee, football, lacrosse, and some volleyball on the sand court outside my dorm.
So right now I'm just waiting for the end of the year to come, and while I look forward to the

summer, I know I will really miss Brockport when I'm gone.

(The first two pics are caricatures of my friends done by an artist on Carnival Day.)

-Logan

Back in Brockport: Second Semester

Hey everybody! Life in Brockport is rockin' as usual. It's great being back with all of my friends from last semester. I feel as if I've made some really close bonds with people here. This also makes me excited for next year, as I now know I'm going to be rooming with several of my good friends. I just made a down payment for the six man suite that I'll be living in next year with my two roommates from this semester and three of my close friends. We already are making plans for the suite, such as all the televisions we will have, fridges, couches, and posters. As for classes this semester I'm really enjoying them. I was able to choose all the classes I wanted to, whereas last semester they were chosen for me. Also I was able to choose later classes which is awesome, as I love to sleep in. Well that's about all that's new so far this semester. Here's two new pics from since I've been back.

2nd Semester!!

So the third week of the 2nd semester is almost over! After a long break, I realized it was time to get back into the swing of things by spending nights in the library and studying for exams. With having gymnastics competitions every weekend, my semester is a lot more busy than the last. However, I am able to manage my time well so I complete all my work for classes. It is a lot of fun going on away meets and traveling with the team, so I don't mind at all being a bit more busy than I was compared to the 1st semester. Overall second semester has been a blast! I really missed the friends I made here at Brockport and am happy we are all back together. Can't wait for all the good times to come, but for now I have to get back to reading biology. Talk with ya soon!

-Natalie

Getting Back into the Swing of Things!

It's already been a week into the second semester! I'm happy to be back into the swing of things. It was really nice to reunite with my roommates and all of my friends that live in my resident hall as well as finding some familiar faces in my classes.
After having a little trouble the first week with classes, I have finally gotten in all of the classes that I like and I think it's going to be a great semester. In a couple days, I have to start deciding who I want to room with next year or if I want to apply to become a Resident Assistant.
The weather is really cold and my friends and I have been cautious of slipping and falling on the way to the dining hall and classes.
Next week is the recruitment meeting for The Stylus so a couple friends and I will be attending and continue writing articles again. On top of that, I'm helping Amanda Seef, the Editor-in-Chief of The Stylus and the rest of the members of the Society of Professional Journalists plan a journalism conference scheduled to be held in March!
Now that I'm all stocked up on food, settled into my classes and work and eager to go to the gym daily (in the frigid weather) - I think I'm definitely ready for the second semester to be in full swing.

Second Semester

So it begins again! Second semester is officially here and I have currently survived 2 days worth of brand new classes. So far so good. Honestly I'm just really psyched to be back. You wouldn't think that 6 weeks worth of vacation was really long, but honestly, I never thought it would end! It's so nice to finally be back here. I'm excited to start classes again and very excited to see all of my friends. With all of my Brockport friends living all over the state I very much appreciated my unlimited texting. My classes this semester seem pretty cool so far. I have a couple Gen-Eds but the courses that are for my major seem really interesting. I'm really excited for Media Writing being that I'd love to do magazine journalism so hopefully, that class is somewhat helpful. One thing I'm really suprised about, the amount of work I have after only 2 days...

Made it Through Finals!

Ahhh so first semester is officially over!! My last final was on Wednesday, I'm so glad to be done with tests. This semester flew by so fast though! So many things go on here, you just lose track of time. But I had a really great semester and a lot of fun. Studying for finals was pretty stressful, the hardest part was just staying focused. Going to the library really helps! With everyone leaving at different times depending on when their finals are over, it is really hard to focus in the dorms with people moving all their stuff for break. Although I am sad that the first semester is already over, I'm really glad to be done with tests for a while! Next semester doesn't start until the end of January, but I will be going back Jan. third for inter-session to start practicing again. Our season starts really soon, I cant wait! Well I wish everyone the best of holidays! :) See you next semester.

Brockport Times

It's been a while since my last post, so I decided to put up some assorted pictures that show what I've been up to at Brockport.

These are my two roommates playing video games in the dorm. In case you've forgotten, I'm living in a triple, which is why I have two roommates. Darrel is the one on the left and Tyler is the one to the right.

This is some of my friends skating at the ice rink in Tuttle. We often go on Wednesdays, and though most of us are rather poor skaters, it's always a fun time.

These pictures are from one of our late night Walmart runs, at around two or three in the morning. If you're ever bored, a late night Walmart trip always has potential for entertainment.

Here's some pics of our Broomball team, the Hard Bananas. We had a very unsuccessful first season; we didn't win any games. In our second season, however, we were undefeated in the regular season. We failed to win it all though, as we lost in the semifinals in the playoffs.

Logan Marks

Home stretch of the first semester!

My roommates and I were commenting the other day about how fast this semester has gone. We have two more weeks of classes and then finals week. Thanksgiving break was a nice break from all the hectic tests my professors decided to give me right before break. It was nice to see family after a month or two of not being home.

So much has happened over the semester though. The Keith Anderson and Kellie Pickler concert was very memorable. Working for The Stylus paid off because I got the opportunity to interview them! Halloween was a blast - I dressed up like a cowgirl all weekend long! Time definitely flies in college. I'm meeting with a group of students in one of my classes for a presentation soon, so until then - hope the college search is going well!

Back From Thanksgiving

So we had our first day of classes since returning from Thanksgiving break. Now it is time to refocus on school and crack down for finals. Finals are in two weeks, so school is still a bit stressful. But the good news is... my roommates and I won a gingerbread house making contest a few weeks ago! It was a lot of fun building our own house while eating all the candy. But I can't wait for winter break to start so this semester is over and I can begin my new set of classes in January. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

-Natalie

The Freshman Nerves

On move-in day, I was very surprised to see how small my suite room was, but the move-in crew was very accommodating and once I finally organized everything, I quickly adjusted and it started feeling like home. My suitemates and other freshman in my hall made me feel very welcome and made the goodbye to my grandma and mom so much easier.
Before I came to college, I was also very worried about gaining the "freshman 15" (which I refuse to do), but there is a gym open to all students free of charge and the food in the dining halls has been rated number one in the SUNY system for the past five years. the food staff is very friendly and the popular dining hall, Harrison features many healthy foods.
In addition, before I started my classes I was a little nervous because my course load included Human Evolution, Intro to Philosophy, Movement and Self Awareness (I didn't realize this was a dance class until the first day of classes!), Protest and Public Opinion, Fundamentals of Media and Academic Planning Seminar. In my Human Evolution class, there is a woman who is deaf and Brockport is very accommodating for people with any kind of learning disability. Most of my classes are general education classes, but I am getting a taste of journalism through my Fundamentals of Media and Protest and Public Opinion classes. In addition, the Academic Planning Seminar is very important for freshmen because it's a class that gets students acclimated to the college. The class has students in it with similar majors to mine and if I ever need help with any of my journalism classes, I have a whole class of students to get help from. Also, my advisor of the class is the chair of the communications department, which is good if I ever need help with anything journalism related and I will eventually turn to her for recommendations when I am job hunting or applying for a scholarship.
There are many opportunities to get involved with activities on campus. Although I didn't know it before I came here, Brockport is known, especially by the students and professors, for advertising campus activities all over campus including on sidewalks (with chalk, of course). As I walk out of my residence hall, I look down to see a plethora of different groups promoting meetings to join clubs, advertising sororities and fraternities or selling tickets for the upcoming concert.
The local movie theater hosts midnight movies (that Brockport students get into for $1!) and Zonies, a restaurant on Main Street has the best (and most fattening!) calzones. Although I don't participate in any of the Division 3 sports teams, club sports or intramural sports, they are fun to watch (and Brockport students get in free).
Although the Brockport Web site is very easy to navigate, you can't tell by looking at a website where the best place for you to attend college would be. I believe its crucial to attend an open house to experience the campus. During my college search, I knew I wanted to wake up every morning and walk to my classes on a beautiful, welcoming campus (and I do!). Take a campus visit, try the food, introduce yourself to as many people as you can, check out the dorms and clean out your mom's wallet at the college book store. Try not to get too overwhelmed with the college search - you WILL find the perfect college for you!

Introduction

Hey! I'm Hailey and I'm from Painted Post, New York, a small town about two hours south of Brockport. I live with my grandparents, my 16-year-old sister Whitney and my 3-year-old brother Ryland. I spend my free time hanging out with friends, scrapbooking, reading and writing.

During my four years at Corning-Painted Post West High School, I was on the newspaper and yearbook staff; played the clarinet, trombone, mellophone and french horn in marching band, concert band and pep band; and actively participated in Class Council, Student Council, lacrosse and softball. I also had an internship with my hometown's local newspaper, The Leader which finalized my decision to become a journalist.

Honestly, I became interested in Brockport accidently. I attended a campus visit at Brockport as a last resort and fell absolutely in love with the school while I was here. My tour guide, Brynn, really showed me what campus life and academics was like, but I was still unsure about coming here because it wasn't my first choice college.

It's been less than a month since I've been here and I have adjusted very well; I really love Brockport and wouldn't have chosen any other college. I live in a suite in Benedict Hall and I love my roommates and other students in the hall; everyone is a big family and I'm right at home. There are so many activities to pursue on campus as well. I already have a work study job in a computer lab which I really enjoy and I just started writing for The Stylus, the student-run newspaper that recently received the fifth place "Best of Show" award at the Associated College Press National College Newspaper Midwinter Convention. In addition to Brockport's beautiful campus, I decided to attend college at Brockport because of their excellent academic reputation. I can understand and learn from all of my professors and they are very willing to teach students the best way they learn. Also, the class size of all of my classes is 40 students or less, so I'm not just another number in the classroom.

I am very excited about getting involved in more activities and making the most of my experience at Brockport and hope you enjoy reading about my first year!

November! Already??

So, now it's a little over halfway through the semester. I'm still in shock it's November. Seriously, wasn't yesterday September? Now it's practically Thanksgiving break! Right now things are still going really well. I survived my first college mid-terms! Not as scary as I thought they would be. Tennis is over for now, which is a nice little break. For right now I'm just trying to focus on my school work... finals are getting close! :/ One thing I have to say is that I really loved my first college halloween. The campus has a lot of great activities going on throughout the whole Halloween weekend. People here really got into the holiday. I was really impressed with a lot of the costumes! One of my favorite costumes that night was definetley Sarah Palin and John McCain. So good job to Rebekah Fuller and Garret W. Roe. Well I should go study now, I love Oceanography exams! Haha... until next time.

-Carolyn

Moving In!!

Moving into my college dorm room was my most anticipated event all summer. It was often very scary to think about, considering it involves temporarily moving away from my family and all my friends from home. It’s the first time I would be living on my own in a totally new place. I knew I would have to take on many new responsibilities, like waking up for class on time, washing my own laundry, and learning how to balance my life between school, gymnastics, and social events. Leaving my friends who I have grew up with and shared so many memories with was not something I wanted to do. However I knew there was no way around it, it was time to move on. It was time to make new friends and start a new chapter in my life. Although moving away from a very familiar and comfortable place was fearsome, at the same time it was exciting to think about all the new opportunities that would open up to me. It is a time for me to grow up and be independent form my parents and find out who I am as an individual. After a fun and relaxing summer, August 27th finally came and it was time for me to pack my bags and go.

Being in the Honors Program, I was given the opportunity to move in a day before everyone else. This was very helpful because it wasn’t as crowded when my other suite-mates moved in! The move-in helpers provided by the college were very helpful, I was able to bring all my bags right up to the door and I was given a cart to lug all my belongings from the car to my dorm. After four days of moving me in and setting up my room, a bit longer than most students, my parents finally took off. I was very satisfied with how my room turned out. The dorms are a nice size and I'm able to fit all my possessions in here comfortably. I am an organized person, so the way my dorm room turned out was very important to me. Living in the suites, I have three other suite-mates in which we share a bathroom and a common room where we have our fridges, microwave, and television.

So far living in the dorms have been a blast! First off I have wonderful suite-mates so we have a lot of fun together, but we have also met a lot of cool people on our floor and in the dorms. We all hang out a lot; we play games, watch movies, and cook in the kitchen together. There are also many events that go on in the dorms. So far there have been volleyball tournaments and hall parties that consist of ice cream and pizza! Despite all the fun I have, my suite-mates and I are also very studious and spend a lot of our time in our dorm studying and getting work done. Although we have to lock our door to get peace and quiet, it is not necessary to go to the library to study, I often do homework right in my room.

Overall, after all the stress of moving in and living on my own, I am very content with how everything turned out. My RA (Resident Assistant) is very friendly and helpful in making sure everything runs smoothly in our hall, I am not too overwhelmed with schoolwork, my gymnastics team is a lot of fun, and I love hanging out with my suite-mates!

-Natalie

New Beginning

Hello, my name is Natalie Fiorilli, and I am a freshman here at The College at Brockport. My hometown is Solon, Ohio, there I live with my two parents, my two sisters, Emily and Katie, and my brother Timothy. My sister Emily is currently enrolled as a junior at the University of Illinois in Chicago, my brother attends The Ohio State University, and my younger sister just started her first year of high school. The first time for everything is filled with a mix of emotions, people are often scared to break out of their comfort zone, but at the same time excited to start a new chapter in their life. My younger sister and I are currently starting this “new chapter”.

I first found out about Brockport when I was recruited for the gymnastics team. Not many people from my hometown have heard about The College at Brockport, considering the percentage of “out of staters” is pretty low, that isn’t unreasonable. Although I have only been here for a few weeks, I am really glad I was introduced to Brockport, it has so much to offer!

I am majoring in Biology, and hope to be a pharmacist someday. With school starting up, and practices for gymnastics beginning, my everyday schedule is pretty busy. However, I would love to share with you my experience here at The College at Brockport. I am really excited for my first year here and hope you enjoy reading about my freshman year! : )

-Natalie

Brockport: The Beginning

Hey everyone my name is Logan, and I come to The College at Brockport from the central NY city of Cortland, which is about two hours from here. I have lived there for most of my life, though I was actually born in Colorado, and didn’t move to Cortland until I was two. Being the oldest child in my family, I am the first to head off to college, leaving behind my parents and two sisters. Though I tend to miss them every so often, college life is amazing. It’s an important step in becoming more independent and discovering who you really are. Being a college freshman is a great experience, something everyone should have in their lifetime.

There were several reasons why I chose to attend Brockport. The campus here is amazing for one. It was one of my favorite from all the schools I visited when I was trying to make my decision. Another reason was all the possibilities here. I’m coming in as an English major, however I have absolutely no idea what I want to do, so I wanted a school with a lot of different choices. Brockport is just such a school. They have the Creative Writing program within the English Department, yet if I wish to switch majors I know I will have many options to pick from. Lastly, Brockport was a good choice for me because of it’s location. My home is about a two and a half hour drive from Brockport. Its not too close and not too far. Just how I wanted it. When I need to go home its not too much of a hassle, yet my mom can’t come and annoy me every time she misses me. Sorry mom.

Anyway, on to life at college. I’ve only been here for two weeks yet it seems like a year has passed already, so much has happened. I was nervous about meeting my roommates but they turned out to be both be good guys. And yes, I did say roommates, as in more than one. I signed up to be tripled in a double because it saved me around $800 this semester. However I got the luck of the draw and was put in McFarlane Hall, which was the recently renovated, so my room is pretty spacious and new. It gets kind of cluttered sometimes because my one roommate, who was going to sleep on the top bunk, decided he was afraid of falling off. So we moved his mattress to the floor and that’s where he’s currently sleeping. It works out though because we made the top bunk into a shelf, and I don’t spend a ton of time in my room anyway.

Aside from worrying about meeting my roommates, I was worried about meeting new people. However, I’ve made so many new friends in my short time here. I knew very few people here when I first arrived, but now I know many people and have made several good friends. I feel like I’ve known them far longer than just two weeks. We’ve already had numerous adventures, and made more than a few good memories. For instance one Saturday a group of friends and I decided to go to Walmart at two in the morning, just because it was late and we had nothing better to do. We piled seven people into my friend’s small car (one person actually had to go in the trunk), and drove to Walmart to have our late night adventure. Or there was the time when I was chilling with friends in the third floor lounge of McFarlane at night, and we looked out into the hall and saw torrents of brightly colored balloons being pushed and kicked through the hallway. Someone had randomly decided to blow up 500 balloons, and then released them. We proceeded to have a late night balloon party in the lounge, with all the students who were still awake. Another enjoyable experience I had with some friends was competing in the McFarlane volleyball tournament. There is a sand volleyball court right outside of McFarlane, and six different teams participated in a friendly, six on six tournament on a beautiful, sunny day. My team didn’t end up winning it all, but we made it to the second round and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

However, college isn’t all about having fun (sadly). Being on my own now I have no nagging parents to tell me when I should do homework, so time management is very important. You need to figure out how to have fun, yet save time for homework and studying. It can be tough sometimes when you want to go hang with friends instead of doing schoolwork, but if you manage your time the right way you should have time for both.

So how has my Brockport experience been so far? Amazing. My first few weeks here have been great, and I have high expectations for the rest of the year. I look forward to making more memories with my newly made friends.

-Logan Marks