Navigating the News

by Alisha Leu

Student Services Intern, Community College of Vermont

As the election draws nearer, the need to be an informed citizen grows more critical. If learning where candidates stand on issues seems overwhelming, that’s understandable, because navigating the many news outlets, the multiple pundit viewpoints, and the countless campaign ads can be difficult.

Today, most American media outlets offer a biased perspective. So, what do you do? Diversify your sources.  Use a variety of media sources that cover the full range of the political spectrum. Hopefully, you will find some consistencies in the facts presented, and you can develop your own well-rounded and informed viewpoint.

As someone who cares deeply about the political process, I can’t stress enough the importance of being informed. Politics can be very frustrating at times, but at the end of the day, being engaged in this process is the lifeline of our democracy. As President Abraham Lincoln said in his famous Gettysburg Address, we are a “government of the people, by the people, for the people.” And we can’t have a government “of the people” if the people are interested, informed, and vocal.  Let your vote be your voice.

If  you’re looking for a list of diverse news outlets, check out the Doing Democracy display at your CCV academic center, and while you’re there, pick up a voter registration form!

Who's Who Running for Office

by Alisha Leu

Student Services Intern, Community College of Vermont

In mere weeks, on Tuesday, November 6, Americans and Vermonters will take to the polls to pave our path for the next four years. There are some big offices up for election, headlined by the Presidential race. The Presidential race makes any election appear to be bigger or more important, but the truth is, each and every time we are asked to go to the polls, voting is equally as important! In addition to the national offices, including one US Senate seat and the US Representative, state and local officials are up for re-election, too.

In an effort to be an educated voter, here is a cheat sheet that will inform you of what offices are up for election, who is running (including who the incumbent is) and a brief description of what each office does. Before you head to the polls, review the list and do a little research on the candidates to make sure that you vote for the candidate that you feel will best represent your views. Remember, every vote truly does count, so make your vote your voice this November.  And be sure to answer our poll - do you plan to vote in the upcoming elections?

President/ Vice-President- The President is the head of Government and Commander in Chief of the United States. The President is responsible for executing the laws; convening and adjourning Congress; and appointing federal executive, diplomatic and judicial officers. They are elected to a 4-year term. The Vice-President is elected on the same ticket as the President. The Vice-President serves as the President of the Senate and casts the tie-breaking vote if necessary. They are first in the Presidential line of succession and would ascend the Presidency in the event of a sitting President leaving office for any reason.

            Barack Obama/ Joe Biden (D) Incumbent

            Mitt Romney/Paul Ryan (R)

US Senate (Bernie Sanders seat)- Represents the people of Vermont in the US Senate. The primary responsibilities include debating prominent issues; voting on bills, resolutions and treaties; and confirming appointments of cabinet members. Each term is 6 years.

            John MacGovern (R)

Bernie Sanders (D) Incumbent

Representative to Congress- Represent the people of Vermont in the House of Representatives. Their primary duties are to introduce bills and resolutions and vote on bills presented to the house. They are elected to a 2-year term.

            Mark Donka (R)

            Peter Welch (D) Incumbent

Make Your Master Plan

I don't know about you, but I often wish I had a clone, a butler, a personal assistant - or just more hours in the day, so I can tackle my long and mighty to-do list.  Alas, I do not have the luxury of Alfred the butler or a Hollywood-style personal assistant.  What I do have, though, are some time management tools and a master plan. 

A syllabus informs students of their responsibilities and  instructor expectations and provides a semester roadmap of class topics and due dates.  However, those due dates on the syllabus are likely not the only priorities you are juggling.  Many CCV students have to schedule work and family obligations along with CCV assignments.  And many students are taking more than one class, so they are having to reference more than one syllabus.  Can you imagine driving with more than one roadmap?  If I have to pay attention to the road and try to read a few maps at a time, I very well may end up lost or in a road-side ditch.  Drivers should follow one set of clear directions.  Well, the same principle holds true for student time management - students should work from one time management tool.  To be most successful, you should devise a master plan that allows you to track and manage all obligations from the different facets of your life - work, school, family and community.

The CCV Student Planner is a great tool to help you track your assignments and obligations.  The planner has the added benefit of providing the CCV Handbook, CCV policies and procedures, and tips and tricks for student success.  The 2012-13 planner has tools specific to time-management:

•  Planning Your 168-Hour Work Week, pg. 12-13
• Time Management Self-Assessment, pg. 15
• Semester Planning Calendar, pg. 16-17

 I also recommend writing in major tests and assignments for all of your classes on the semester planning calendar on pages 16 and 17.  The calendar provides an at-a-glance view of your entire semester.  If you notice you have 4 assignments due the same week, you can plan ahead and allow plenty of time to start your work and avoid a seriously stressful work crunch.  A larger, printable version of the semester calendar is available online.

Google Calendar is another powerful time management tool - and it's free.  Google Calendar allows students to view obligations in a daily, weekly, or monthly format.  Users can also create and track tasks and print an agenda that serves as a to-do list.  Another bonus of this application is that users can access their calendar from any computer with their Google username and password.

 Finally, I recommend you take the advice of Jimmy's Time Management Fairy.  And if you know of any cool time management tools, please let us know what works for you.

Making the Most of Your Back-to-School Launch

by Debby Stewart, 
Dean of Students, Community College of Vermont
 

You chose the classes, signed all the papers, and bought (or rented) your textbooks. Getting to this point has taken a fair amount of preparation, but now what? Launching into the semester can feel a bit like starting a marathon. Sure, you’re excited but the finish line is miles away and there’s a good deal of work (and some apprehension) between you and that moment of completion with its ice cream, cheering fans, and photo finish. 

So…how to get from here to there? Whether it’s one class or four, online or on-ground, there are some simple things you can do during your first weeks of the semester that will help you to be successful over the long haul, and—most importantly perhaps—make this experience one you want to remember!

#1 - Ask Questions

For most of us, entering college is like being part of a whole new world. There are new processes and terminology. Even if you've been to another college or taken different classes at CCV, there are bound to be differences. The most successful college students ask questions early and often! 

So don’t be afraid to ask for clarification or feedback from faculty and staff. They want you to succeed and will appreciate your willingness to do your best. In fact, asking questions is one of the best ways to distinguish yourself as a serious student. 

#2 – Bring On the Meet & Greet

Take some time at break or outside of class to introduce yourself to others. Worried you won’t have anything to say? Start by asking questions about your classmates, why they chose a class, what they want to do with their lives, how they juggle their different responsibilities. Most people enjoy talking about themselves, so a few open-ended questions can really break the ice. 

Getting to know your classmates will not only make the semester a more satisfying experience for you, it may help you learn more and retain it longer. Collaborative learning is a type of activity when students work together in small groups to solve problems and complete tasks. Many CCV faculty use collaborative learning, for the benefits it offers students, but even if you don’t find yourself using it in class, you can use your introductions to pave the way for study groups and other helpful discussions.

#3 - Try a Different Perspective

One of the most rewarding aspects of being in college is meeting people who are different from us. It’s one of the reasons we travel to new destinations, try new experiences, or entertain ourselves with the tales of different characters. While it’s meaningful to work with new people, it can also present us with challenges, particularly if we haven’t had a lot of practice.

To get the most from the experience of working with other people in your class, try listening empathetically—seeing it from the other person’s perspective—first. Seek to understand by asking clarifying questions. If you find yourself disagreeing strongly with something that’s been expressed, take a moment to understand your own thoughts before speaking. When you’re ready to express your disagreement, focus on the ideas or actions, not the person speaking them. Be respectful. It can be difficult to give and receive criticism or manage disagreement, but this too is an important part of working effectively with others.  

#4 - Prepare Your Pep Talk

No matter how well you plan for the semester, you will probably encounter some unanticipated obstacle or problem. It’s the one constant in life! If this is your first semester at college, you may even begin wondering just why you wanted to start in the first place.  Changing your life—like running a marathon—is challenging work, the kind we take one quarter-mile at a time. 

That’s why it’s important to know, right now, what you’re going to say to yourself when things get tough, when you face that long, steep climb up a hill, and when you feel like giving up. Think about the reasons you want a college education, visualize yourself walking across the stage to get your associate’s degree (the cheers of your adoring family and friends), and remind yourself of things you’ve accomplished in the past, things that were hard but worthwhile. Write down these thoughts now—while you’re excited and fresh—so you’ll have them when they’re needed. And talk with your most supportive family and friends: give them an assignment! Ask them to cheer you on—and treat you to a cup of coffee and a sympathetic ear—when you find yourself discouraged. In fact, make a date now for somewhere around the halfway or three-quarter point.  

Adventures and Learning in Costa Rica

Have you dreamed of exploring tropical rain forests? Spending the night in a village with an indigenous community?  Swimming in warm tropical waters? 

Have you always wished you could experience first-hand the central role culture plays in all forms by exploring the music, dance, food, art, sport and language of a different country? 

 Nope – you do not have to live an Indiana Jones-like life to have such adventures.  You might consider enrolling in CCV’s fall study abroad course Intercultural Communication with travel to Costa Rica.

This course offers students the unique opportunity to travel to Costa Rica to experience first-hand the central role that culture plays in all forms of communication. During the first half of our trip, students will center themselves in the mountain community of San Luis, a small community located right next to Monteverde, near the “Tico” village of Santa Elana, and adjacent to one of the world’s most famous tropical cloud forest reserves that sits high along the continental divide. The second half of the trip will begin with an overnight in the tiny indigenous Bribri community of Yorkin, where CCV students will travel up river in a motorized canoe and spend time with a women’s artisan group. The rest of the trip will be spent in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, a tiny and lively beach village on the Southern Caribbean coast that is home to many distinct cultures, including Indigenous as well as Afro-Caribbean and Latin peoples, and residents from some 40 different nations. In both locations, CCV students will immerse themselves in Costa Rican culture by engaging in a wide variety of educational and nature-based activities. 

•  Experience the music, dance, food, art, sport, and language of three distinct Costa Rican communities.
• Contribute to the development of a socially responsible ecological tourism movement by staying at two beautiful and modern eco-lodges: one is nestled in the breathtaking mountains and the other in a stunning tropical coastal paradise. 
•  Improve your cultural literacy skills by visiting an Indigenous reserve; interviewing community leaders; eating meals at local folks’ houses; touring an organic coffee farm; helping local farmers milk their cows; listening to live calypso music, participating in a fiesta; and taking dance, cooking, and craft lessons.  
• Engage in some of the following once-in-a-lifetime optional activities: do a zip line canopy tour; take surf lessons; take a guided bike ride or horseback ride along the coast; relax at the beach; learn traditional fishing techniques; visit a botanical garden, hummingbird garden, and/or butterfly garden; take a night or sunrise hike; or participate in a community service activity with young children at an Iguana captive breeding center. 
•  Visit one of Costa Rica’s largest and most diverse traditional craft villages and purchase locally made souvenirs for your family and friends.                                                         
   

Visit http://www.ccv.edu/study_abroad to learn all of the details about this course, the trip, and the application and enrollment process.  You can also ask your advisor for more details. There are only a few remaining seats, so please submit the application as soon as possible.

Buenos dias!

Good Clean Fun - With Your Trash!

Photo from http://lessonplans.craftgossip.com/recycle-your-lunch/2010/08/28  

by Debby Stewart, 
Dean of Students, Community College of Vermont
 

If you have children, you may feel a little like a beleaguered recreation director by this time in the summer. Good weather sure makes things easier, but the pace at which kids can burn through activities is daunting, if not exhausting. What's a poor parent to do – especially when the parent has end of summer semester papers to revise, projects to craft and exams to ace?

Look no further than your recycling bin. Cereal boxes, oatmeal cylinders, toilet paper tubes, and egg cartons can all be used to fuel your kids’ imaginations. If kids are old enough to handle scissors, you can give them a roll of masking tape, a pair of kid-approved scissors, and access to the paper garbage.  Since a blank page or empty canvas can be a bit overwhelming, start by issuing a challenge: Create a robot! Design a sculpture that looks like grandma, dad or the dog!  Build a town, a kingdom, or an amusement park!

Sometimes kids can be slow to warm to these kinds of projects, and may need a little help getting started. Don’t let that discourage you. Few things are more satisfying than the act of transformation--making something out of nothing.  Depending on the age and interests of your child, you may want to play together. An imaginative project can “romance” both children and adults alike, particularly as the possibilities unfurl. One robot or sculpture begets another, castles multiply, roads require vehicles, and everything can benefit from a layer of paint.

You can also use plastic recyclables—like mini bottles of shampoo or mustard and ketchup containers—to create magic potions for play in the tub or wading pool. Add a little shampoo and a few drops of food coloring to each bottle, fill with water, and you've got the makings of a terrific witches’ brew or silly soup. If your kid delights in the creepy, toss some small plastic spiders or snakes into the mix.

For toddlers, you can simply freeze ice cubes of different color and then slip a few at a time into their water as you bathe or play with them. The contrast of frozen cubes and warm water can be fun for young children, particularly as the colors dissipate and mix to create new blends.

Once the creative energy is flowing and your child is engaged in a project, you can steal some time to focus your energies on end of semester assignments – or, you just might decide to take a time out and dig in to some imaginative play with your child.

For more ideas on how to crank up your children's creativity through simple and easy projects, check out this website: http://madebyjoel.com/.  What are your best tips for keeping kids entertained during the dog days of summer?

Dream BIG

Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream.  I have a dream.  And I’d be willing to bet you have a dream, too.  Upon entering Community College of Vermont, students dream of earning an Associate’s Degree.  Initially, some CCV students don’t know what their dreams are beyond a degree, and their dreams take shape as they progress through their degree plan.  Other students start CCV with clearly defined career goals and dreams.  

Sometimes students doubt they can achieve what they really want, sometimes the path to achieving the dream seems long and arduous, and sometimes unexpected snafus rudely insert themselves into students’ lives, making goal-realizing-journeys even more difficult.  The good news is that commitment and a strong desire to earn a degree paired with grit and perseverance are more powerful than obstacles students may encounter.

CCV is an Achieving the Dream leader college.  Achieving the Dream is a national nonprofit helping community college students overcome obstacles to finish school, earn degrees and realize dreams.  Last year, Achieving the Dream asked students how their college experiences are helping them dream big.  

You can check out the entries of community college students from around the country.  And we want to ask you – are you a community college student who DREAMS BIG?