Honors held our semi-annual welcome dinner for new students Wednesday night, and it was great fun! Thank you to all the new students who joined us, and for being so kind and cooperative with our little event photographer!
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Category: Students
Ivan Dives In
Ivan Bakin, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences and a member of the Honors Program, volunteered at the Carpenter’s Brook Fish Hatchery located in Elbridge, NY. Only twenty minutes off campus, the Hatchery has been operating since 1938 when it was created by the joint efforts of Onondaga County and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Carpenter’s Brook is one of four county run hatcheries in New York and boasts over 100 miles of streams and 10,000 acres of impoundments. On their website, it is noted that this hatchery is one of the state’s most prosperous and utilized sources for fish license sales.
During his time at Carpenter’s Brook, Ivan assisted in the maintenance and upkeep of the facility, such as cleaning out empty pools and transporting different fish from pond to pond. He states that this volunteer work was both “engaging in a truly physical way” and also “helped me to understand the management and stewardship of natural resources.” His time there was beneficial to both the hatchery and the surrounding community; the fish need to be taken care of constantly so that they repopulate the streams for fishing, recreation, and environmental stability. Overall, Ivan states that his work with Carpenter’s Brook Fish Hatchery was a highly rewarding experience.
Written By Samantha DeTore ’15
Karen Hall on 9WSYR Live
Last month, in the wake of the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary, our very own Karen Hall was asked to join Christie Casciano on News Channel 9 to discuss changing gun culture in modern America and we could not be more proud of her. Karen has studied American popular culture in the post-war period and her specialty is the crossover between entertainment and US militarism, now widely called “militainment.” She discusses with Christie the importance of working with children’s perceptions of violence and gun use; providing the young with a wider range of heroes they can look up to beyond the individual fighting with gun in hand, which is so often tied to our concept of strength and patriotism. She expresses the desire to focus on “the helpers”: firefighters, teachers, helping parents, and the numerous others that are patriotic and help without the use of violence. Sorry, so excited for Karen that I’m spoiling the interview for you! Watch below and listen to the words of wisdom that she has on this very serious subject that continues to be an issue for America and many other countries today.
Tutoring Program at Nottingham High School Looking for Volunteers
The English tutoring program at Nottingham High School seeks to improve social literacy by providing academic tutoring and mentorship to “English as a Second Language” students. Tutors will help Nottingham High School students from all over the world, and with a variety of backgrounds. Honors Alumnus, John Cardone ’11, started the program in Fall 2010.
The program runs Mondays-Thursdays from 2:30-3:15 pm. Tutors can select the day, or days, that work with their schedule. Transportation will be provided.
Interested students are encouraged to attend a general interest meeting on Friday, January 18th at 3pm in the Honors library. If you cannot attend, please contact either Tom Green at tbgreen@syr.edu, or Zach Zeliff at ztzeliff@syr.edu.
Here’s what some previous volunteers have to say:
“It is a joy to work with students who are so committed to their education. These students face the most difficult obstacles, come from the harshest of circumstances, but are still some of the hardest working students you will find. I always leave feeling rewarded.” –Zach Zeliff
“This program is a great way to engage with our local community, while making a significant difference in students’ lives. I am always amazed by their work ethic.” –Tom Green
Honors Student at the Great NYS Fair!
Ashley Burke volunteered at the New York State fair, working with area 4 H members. 4-H represents a partnership between the Cornell University Colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Human Ecology and county Cornell Cooperative Extension Associations. 4-H helps youth ages 5-19 to develop and apply useful knowledge and skills, as well as positive attitudes about work, people and communications.
Ashley reflected on her experience: “My responsibilities included leading a group of 4-Hers on the textile review program. The 4-Hers had sewn various garments and had made it to the state level to present their garments while at the fair. The days started off with either a skill related activity, i.e. modeling and walking on stage, or a sewing community service project, i.e. cool packs for military service men. Then they mannequin modeled and participated in fashion shows throughout the day. I was responsible for making sure the 4-Hers were dressed and on time for each activity, leading them in the fashion shows and teaching the community service projects. It was also important to assist them with their sewing skills and develop their confidence in front of a crowd.
“This experience was extremely enriching as I was able to help out a program in which I am deeply invested. I was able to serve as a role model for the 4-Hers to show them that you can participate even after you are no longer age-eligible for the program. Additionally, I was able to use skills that I have learned throughout the years and pass them onto today’s youth. I find it very rewarding working with pre-adolescent children because the excitement level they have when they achieve something is heart-warming.”
Honors Students Receive as They Give
Like thousands of others during the holiday season, Honors student Brian Cheung helped out at The Samaritan Center, serving dinner to the needy. He said that the experience reminded him of the importance of charities in the community. He commented that, “It was nice to see exactly how many people rely on the Samaritan Center as a source of food. Being able to interact with the community was an eye-opening experience, and really showed me the need that the community has for both supplies and manpower. I hope to come back many times, hopefully building a relationship with the Samaritan Center and some of its patrons.” Take a page from Brian’s book: give and receive throughout the year!
For more information on The Samaritan Center, please visit http://www.samcenter.org/
