In a nutshell.

'Tis the season for the overwhelming amount of work that all seems to be due magically at the exact same time. We (the students) are now entering into the next few weeks of study and educational HELL. Where long night and early mornings will be the trend and everyone will be snappy, cranky and close to tears at any moment. Well, at least the ones that care about making it out of this semester with a decent grade. Although it's stressful, I honestly like this time of the year..it shows how people react under pressure and as one of my friends used to say "a little bit of pressure ain't never hurt nobody!" Plus, you get to see peoples TRUE colors you also see what matters most to them, and what things they can live without. This semester has by far been one of the most challenging semesters that I have ever gone through. I have learned to balance my schoolwork, being a senator for International Students, being a PAL which is pretty much a mix between being a mother, babysitter, mentor and a friend as well as becoming a member of Collegiate 100 Women. I can say that I am proud, and I am learning in life people have little room for excuses and can careless about what you have going on as long as you fulfill the requirements for whatever it is that you signed up for. It's been a great experience having to juggle everything and I feel that I officially understand the meaning of TIME MANAGEMENT and planning ahead. I have worn more pairs of flats slack, and blazers then I care to, and I must admit it was a pain at first but now I feel unprepared and uncomfortable if I am not business casual. I guess when the is presented "do we grow up over time or all at once?" It's safe to say that "growing up" is something that happens over time, after you have experienced certain things, and have been resented with various situations. You grow without realizing it, and you the vision of who you want to be seems to come into focus more than ever. Well, for me it has. First semester down, three more to go.

For those dealing with any type of stress here's a great website to gain coping skills from. http://www.helpguide.org/mental/stress_management_relief_coping.htm

The "G" Word

I've always been curious of lifestyles that are different then mine. Not in a judgemental way but in a way that I am smart enough to understand that everyone is different and that we should be able to appreciate every ones story. I have a roommate that lives on the side facing me, and although we aren't close friends she speaks and is relatively friendly. During the beginning of the semester she had a young man that I am assuming was her boyfriend come and stay and spend the night. Which was fine by me, I'm not a prude or anything. After a few weeks they broke up and she was hurt by the whole situation, (which is expected being that break ups are hard) and I offered the best advice I could by saying "God has someone in his sights for you that will be a million times better." After that,life moved on as usual, and eventually she started seeing someone new, her new "friend" was a girl named Markita. At first it threw me completely off. I was confused, and then slightly irritated. Not because they were same sex but because I liked Kita as a person and I was ready to yell at my roommate if she thought I was going to allow her to use this girl as some emotional crutch. However I sat down with my roommate and she explained that she has always had feelings for her but being that she was raised to think that it was a sin. Which I understand, in many black households you aren't taught to hate gays, however you always hear that's not what "we" do. Or "that's a "white" thing. Now we all know that isn't a true statement and although we are still new to that lifestyle many young LGBT African Americans don't know where they fit in, and what's worse they don't have any outlets to turn too. On HBCU campus' especially in the south and there aren't many if ANY LGBT "clubs" or organizations. I think that Kita stated it best when she said "In the Black Community we don't really fit in, and in the Gay Community where there aren't many blacks we don't feel as though we fit in either, so where do we go?" And that's the question, where do they go? Who do they turn to if they have questions? The whole point of College is trying to find yourself. How can you find yourself if there is no one willing to help those who are still trying to figure out who they are?

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/brooklyn/young-black-brooklyn-males-struggling-sexual-identify-fuel-brooklyn-hiv-crisis-article-1.1326622

The Road to Tenure and Dr. McGriggs

Earlier this week I went to visit with the advisor of my club Young Democrats.  My advisor, Dr. Mike is also the head of the Political Science Department and is extremely easy to talk to. (If you are a Political Science major, I suggest you acquaint yourself with him).  Anyways, we got onto the topic of Professors at the University and somehow Dr. McGriggs was brought into the conversation, I asked Dr. Mike if Dr. McGriggs was a tenured professor and he replied, "no, he signs a contract every year, like everyone else." Which made me wonder why exactly some professors decide to go start on the tenure track and why others don't also, why teachers who have been here as long as Dr. McGriggs have, decide not to become full time professors at all. For those who don't know, a tenured professor is defined as "a senior academics contractual right not to have his or her position terminated without just cause." So does that mean everyone else can be fired just by saying something administration doesn't like? And how many others believe that Tenure shouldn't be determined by whether or not you "wrote a book"? Like who has time to sit and write a book being that the vast majority of teachers already are teaching a million and twelve other classes. I brought this issue up during Dr. Mathison's class and we further discovered that the number of tenured teachers is extremely low at this school because if you are denied "tenure" you are forced to quit that following year. I think I can speak for everyone if you ever consider teaching at the university level the most attractive route would be the "Tenure" route however after learning what I have, that would probably discourage more than most. 

More information about tenure can be found here: http://jerz.setonhill.edu/about/tenure/