One Last Freshman Experience

By: Rachel Masselle '14

As my freshman year draws to an end I think about all the wonderful first experiences I had here at Elmira College. My first dorm experience; my first college classes; my first all nighter; my first job (or in my case – jobs); and my first mental meltdown. There is, however, one experience I was not anticipating this year and that was going to the Elmira Drive-In.



For those of you who are as ignorant as I was about Drive-Ins, they are places where you can watch movies from your car! Apparently they were big in the 50’s, but lost popularity and are now scarce, or in my area non-existent. At any rate, my friend, Danielle, and I had been talking about things we could do to celebrate the end of our freshman year and we decided to see Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (cause once wasn’t enough) at the Drive-In.

We pulled up and saw this old concrete entrance, painted purple (of course!), and it just reminded me how historic Elmira, New York really is. Between Mark Twain, the Drive-In, the actual town of Elmira, and let’s not forget Elmira College herself there is so much history existing here. For someone like me, who has always had an interest in history, it literally made me have an epiphany. In that moment I knew I was in the right place. In the car, sitting next to one of my best friends, and putting another experience under my belt I knew I was where I belonged. Out of all my choices in life Elmira College has been by far my best one and I am so blessed to be a student here.

As for the Drive-In I can’t wait to go again next year. It was so nice to be able to lay back in the passenger seat, put my feet up on the dashboard, and get a good dose of the quirky Captain Jack Sparrow with one of my best friends. It was an absolute great way to end the year and a wonderful, yet surprising experience. Plus, it’s cheaper than going to an actual theatre (bonus!).

And so my freshman year ends, leaving me both happy and sad. I’m happy that I am done with freshman writing, core, community service, and my first year of encore. Now, I can look forward to really diving into my majors. I’m also happy to be going home to see my family. After six weeks away from them I always miss them terribly and feel like I have to go see them. And yet I am sad to say goodbye to the friends I have made here, especially the Seniors, who will not be coming back next year.


This year has been a whirlwind. I’ve had ups and downs, joys and sorrows. But one thing is for certain I will never forget my first year at EC.

The Fountain

By: Paige Kleinfelder '14


For the past few days the temperature has crept higher and higher, causing EC students to try to find ways to keep cool. The Campus Center and Library are always good places to consider because these two buildings have air conditioning. But, with meal card amounts dwindling, staying in the Campus Center can lead to buying extra snacks and having no money for the last few days. The library poses problems, as well. First there is the problem that if you don’t have anything academic to do, you feel out of place. Then, if you are anything like me, warmer weather has brought out your louder side, which is not well accepted in places that are meant to be quiet and reserved for studying.

However, my friends and I have found a refuge from the early summer heat while still enjoying being outside. The Elmira College Fountain!


There have been dozens of class gifts, going back to the beginnings of the college, but the fountain, the class gift of 1951 and 2001, is by far my favorite. Whether I just want to sit and read a book with my feet cooling off in the water or need a place to meet up with friends, the fountain is the perfect place.


Everyone enjoy the last few days of Term III and I will see you in the fall!

Term III

By: Paige Kleinfelder '14


Every Elmira College student makes Term III their own. Some take two classes while others only take one and some do internships while others go on trips around the world. I fulfilled my six credits by taking Art Furniture Design where I designed my own table. Now, after cutting out and sanding legs, aprons, and a top for my table, I get to put it all together and oil it. I have developed a strange appreciation for handcrafted furniture, not only because of the skill it requires, but the persistence needed to sand every piece for hours.

Even though I am in class for over 3 hours every day, I have plenty of time to hang out with friends and do things I like. Since the weather has gotten nice, I find myself spending more and more time outside. The lawns on campus are often cluttered with students laying out, and while that is fun with friends, sometimes I venture alone off campus to local parks. I always take with me my camera and a book to read, but one day I brought along Josh as well. He spent most of the afternoon trying to find a tree that he could climb.


In addition to exploring Elmira, I am spending time working on my long board. Over Spring Break I finished constructing my long board, but I brought it back with me to paint.


When I go home, I will put on the trucks and wheels which are awesome lime green, and ride off.

While I was on campus, I also spend hours playing Frisbee and KamJam, watching all of Season One of Glee outside, and having Audrey Hepburn movie afternoons. But I also make sure to go to the campus events, including the Radical Raft Race, where my roommate and her teammates came out to represent the Elmira College Women’s Soccer Team.


Just when everyone thought they would make it across The Puddle, their cardboard and duct tape raft tipped completely over.

Now there is only one week left to finish my table, pack up all the stuff in my dorm room, and spend time with friends… so that’s all for now!

Musings of an Overworked College Student

By: Sarah Schwadron '14

Who ever said that term III was an easy term should be shot.

That’s just my personal opinion, but I just cannot see why everyone calls it easy. It’s a fun term for sure, but I would never call it easy. I have class from 850 in the morning to noon on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. On many days, I usually go straight to work right after class. Then I hole myself up in my room until my reading or homework is done. Then its dinner, and hanging out with some friends. And then bed to start the whole sequence over again tomorrow.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my schedule. I’m just saying that it’s not easy. Especially on days like today when I am running on five hours of sleep, having to deal with many emergencies down at the IT Desk, while also being in a little bit of pain due to my cartilage being infected.

I also don’t think that the constantly dreary weather helps anything. I’m thinking that the gorgeous spring fever inducing weather of last week was just a trick.

One thing that helps me keep a smile on my face is the idea of the summer coming up. As it stands, this summer is shaping up to be a hard one, but one that could be very fulfilling.

The week after I get home for summer, my mom is going in for some surgery. So I will be helping her recover from that. No big deal. Then I also have many applications out for being a camp counselor this summer. The one I really want to work at is an 8 week sleep away program for underprivileged children. Besides earning a great deal of money, I get to be around kids, and sometimes even act like one myself. I seriously cannot wait for that. I do hope I get that job.

But for now, I need to concentrate on the tasks at hand—dealing with resetting the internet in McGraw Hall, studying up on memory…. And a good nights sleep.

Not A Typical Weekend

By: Paige Kleinfelder '14

Just one week ago, Elmira College students hurried to make sure their mothers would have a long distance Happy Mother’s Day. For me, it was easier, my mom just wanted to come up for the weekend and go to Ithaca. Friday afternoon I packed a bag and we headed to Ithaca. There were open studios and art events taking place throughout The Ithaca Commons, along with some interesting street performers, including a couple girls singing Ke$ha songs to an acoustic guitar. The State of the Art Gallery had the opening for its members show, including works by our very own Elmira artist, Jan Kather.

Towards the end of the night my mom and I stumbled upon an empty store front with a great deal of activity going on in the dimly lit space.


It was Arcades Project, the event that kicked off Spring Writes. More than a dozen tables filled the space, piled with books of poetry and short stories, miniature books, art prints and posters. I made sure to pick up a few prints by the local artist, Kaleb Hunkele. There was also video art playing on the walls and literary inspired installation art.


Saturday morning began early with a trip to the Ithaca Farmer’s Market.


My mom and I ate fresh breakfast pastries as we walked along the dock behind the Farmer’s Market. There were long rows of booths filled with everything locally made, including pastries, clothes, vegetables, and pottery. There was also live entertainment for the morning crowd, as one man filled the space with songs.


After we left with bags filled with fresh vegetables, loaves of bread and chocolate chip cookies, we headed back into Ithaca. There we came upon another unexpected sight. A portion of the road going into The Commons was blocked off by large red barriers. Upon closer look, it was a track lined with hay bales set up for a race. The Red Bull Chariot Races were taking place that afternoon. Of course I had to stick around to see that! Each team had two members pulling their homemade chariots, hauling the third member, around the track. There were a few chariots that collapsed and a lot of chariot riders that toppled out, but that certainly added to the event.


It was an event that could have benefitted from a few Purple and Gold Elmira College togas pulling a chariot. Maybe next year… we just have to keep the costumes from this year’s May Days theme.

In Memoriam

By: Rachel Masselle '14

When I got into work Monday morning I was shaken by the news that a beloved Professor of mine, Dr. Michael Kiskis had suffered a heart attack over the weekend and had died. To the Elmira College Community and myself it was a complete and utter blow. Dr. Kiskis had been in fine health the last time I saw him at Thursday’s class and was making big plans for both our class and a book he was working on about Mark Twain and domesticity. Finding out about his death seemed unreal and to be honest I felt like someone was playing a sick joke; and a part of me wished that’s all it was: a sick joke. But it wasn’t and my peers and I had to face the reality of the situation.

We attended class that day to make a plan about how we were going to finish out the rest of the course. The Professors all felt that they did not have the knowledge that Dr. Kiskis had about 19th Century American Literature to take over the class. Therefore, we were each assigned to different English Professors who would collect our papers and grade them as best as they could. They decided we would not formally meet as a class and instead would take on this course as sort of an independent study.

We students, however, felt that it was a shame to not meet formally. Especially because Dr. Kiskis had believed that an important aspect of the class was a student driven discussion. It was then we made the decision to meet informally. We decided to take on the class discussion ourselves and explore the books that our Professor would have wanted us to read. My peers and I will do our best to carry on the “vision” that he had for the Kindle Class. I hope we will make him proud.

Though I only met Dr. Kiskis in Term III, while taking his “Kindle Class” I instantly grew attached to him. He was warm, funny, intelligent, unique, and he genuinely cared about his students. He evoked a love for literature in all his students and stressed how important it was that people not only read novels that were considered timeless and classic, but also novels that we just liked to read. He was a truly unique Professor who believed that teaching people to read for pleasure was one of his most important tasks. I only had him as a Professor for three weeks, but he touched my life in so many ways in that short amount of time. He was truly one of a kind and I don’t think any of my peers will mind me saying for them that we will certainly never forget the impact he had made on our lives.

You know you’re an Education Major when…..

By: Emily Oshinskie '14

6:53am seems a little early for the average college student, but during this Term 3 that has been the time that my alarm goes off. So you’re thinking…well, maybe she’s a morning person, she likes to get up early, go for a jog, read the paper, savor the Cappuccino instead of gulping down some caffeinated liquid that burns the average American’s throat….well, not exactly. (However, the more I wake up before the majority of campus, the more I am turning into a morning person….well, I like the perks of being one of the first three people to delight in the freshest pineapple in the dining hall). Since I am an Education Major, I have been spending 4 hours Monday through Friday at a local middle school to observe classes and see if teaching is right for me. Fieldwork is kind of like Darwin’s “survival of the fittest” approach to training for education majors at Elmira College. So far, so good. As far as I can tell, I’m on the right path….I’m still debating whether to teach middle or elementary school, but it’s a work in progress.

Every morning my two friends and I enjoy some oatmeal and contemplate the adventures of the day. When we return back to campus, we sprint to the dining hall since we are famished from the four hours each of us has spent interacting with Kindergarteners, 1st graders or 6th graders. I have been placed in a Tech Ed class with 6th graders and I will occasionally observe a 6th grade English class. This Monday, I am at the 2 week mark and I have already learned so much about teaching and the American School System. It is an exhausting experience, but honestly, one of the most worthwhile opportunities I’ve had over my freshman year. Yes, I want to go to bed at like 9:30pm every night-which also unusual for a college student- I am absolutely loving working with these 6th graders. Even though we have weekly seminars to discuss our observations in the classroom, my learning time is those 240 minutes that I spend assisting 6th graders navigate technology programs and listening to non-fiction book report presentations. When some intelligent individual stated that “experience is the best teacher”-they weren’t kidding!

The greatest television show ever

By: Daniel Patrick Moriarity '14

This week I experienced what was hands down the most disappointing moment of my entire life. Almost every night this Term III my friends and I have had a movie night, but one night we decided to watch some episodes from the first season of what might be the greatest TV show of all time, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. When we were putting in the first DVD one of our friends came in, in the name of anonymity we will name her The Deprived One. The epic fail that she accomplished to earn this title was living 19 years without EVER seeing even a single episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. As can be expected there was a good deal of shouting and pillow smothering followed by a visit from Anderson’s ever vigilant RA’s. When everything was cleared up with the Residency Assistants we showed The Deprived One the pilot episode and what might be the best episode in the first season, the one where Will and Carlton get arrested and later serenaded their fellow inmate in what might be the most beautiful baritone voice I have ever heard in my entire life. Needless to say there were many laughs shared that night, the loudest of which came from The Deprived One herself. However, despite her conversion to the cult fan hood of Fresh Prince I still will not Facebook her until she memorizes and can recite for me the theme song. Welcome to the school of hard knocks Miss Deprived.

Going Beneath The Cannon

By: Rachel Masselle '14

I promised myself I would never buy a Kindle. In my mind it went against everything a book offered. The smell of the pages in the book, the feel of the paper between your fingers, the rustling sound it made as you turned the page all didn’t exist with an e-reader. I felt like you got cheated out of some of the most delightful parts of reading. However, for a Term III class I caved and bought a Kindle.

Yes, all the stuff I mentioned before is lost when you’re reading off a Kindle, but there are also more options for a novel enthusiast when using a Kindle. For my Term III class, my classmates and I have to read novels that have gone out of print and are not considered “classic”. Our mission is to analyze these works and see why they have fallen out of favor.

Our findings so far are that there is no reason for these books to not have a high place of honor on the educational scene. All of these books have presented great insight into the time period they were written and given our class many hours of discussion about the importance it presents to our world today.

The bottom line in all of this: it doesn’t matter what you are reading, as long as you are reading something. Reading authors like Jane Austen, Mark Twain, Emily Bronte, and Oscar Wilde don’t make you any better than a person who has read Jodi Picoult, Louisa May Alcott, or George R.R. Martin. True, these authors are not hailed by educators as the crème da la crème of fiction. But they are still writers who have put their heart and soul out into the world and can be seen as valuable in one way or another. Going beneath the cannon has allowed me to renew a love of reading and to get me into new kinds of fiction that I never would have explored before.

As for the Kindle, all I can say is I’m hooked on the darn thing. I love how I can hold 3,500 books in one little tablet. I love how I can instantly download any books I want to it in a matter of seconds. And I love how all the books that are out of copyright are free, which means I can broaden my horizons for almost nothing. Don’t get me wrong, I still love books and still make weekly trips to the library in order to get my hands on those lovely pages. But I also have a portable way, a convenient way to carry my library and explore new literature wherever I go.

Spring On Campus

By: Paige Kleinfelder '14


After an amazing Spring Break of trips to museums, sleeping in every morning, and a big Easter dinner with family, I returned to Elmira College sort of sad I had to come back. I had gotten used to being at home, having homemade meals, and sleeping in my own bed. However, now that I have been back almost a full week I am glad to be here and enjoying every minute of it.

I spend my mornings in Fassett Commons working on my table for art furniture design class. The afternoons, however, are reserved for enjoying the warm weather. Last Thursday, I strolled around campus taking pictures with Cassie… and took a break at the fountain.



Campus is in full bloom, the grass is green, and the sun is shining! And Simeon Benjamin’s statue seems to be bringing in Spring.



So even if you have homework and classes to go to, be sure to get outside and enjoy Spring on campus!

A Successful Term II And A Much Needed Term III

By: Rachel Masselle '14

The end of Term II not only brings the end of finals, but also the end of Freshman Writing, Core, Community Service, and my first year of Encore. It brings a feeling of accomplishment and relief from the stresses that every freshman faces at Elmira College. But with these joyous feelings there comes a hint of sadness. The completion of all my freshman requirements means the end is near for my freshman year at Elmira, which means only three more years to make the most of my undergraduate college experience.

The second Term was very successful. I raised my GPA from a 3.2 to a 3.4, worked 3 jobs, made RA Alternate, lost some weight, and most importantly had the best time of my life! Yes it’s true, freshman year is a lot of work and you really need to step up to the plate in order to succeed. But mixed in with some of the craziness, are memories that you will never forget and a feeling of accomplishment that you can never replace. I worked hard Term II and even though I didn’t get everything that I wanted I feel confident in the knowledge that I did my best and it can only go up from here.

Despite how fun Term II was I am very happy for the upcoming Term III. This Term there is only six credits worth of classes and most of the day you are free to enjoy the beautiful weather and atmosphere that Elmira has to offer. Sure I’m working twenty hours during the week, but it will enable me to be able to save up some cash for summer and spend a little here and there at Elmira. Plus there’s so much to look forward to: the May Days Carnival, building a boat made of cardboard boxes and racing it in the puddle, and spending time with all my friends. Yes, I will still be enrolled in classes and working, but Term III allows me to take time out of my busy schedule to build relationships with my friends, make some money, and appreciate the life I am blessed to have!

The Wonderful Life of a College Student

By: Sarah Schwadron '14

Oh finals week. How I adore you. Oh wait. I actually don’t. Bummer for you.

Finals Week at the end of the winter term is probably worse than Finals week in the fall term. Then, the weather is horrible and all you want to do is curl up with a nice hot beverage and comfortable blankets and pillows and stay inside with a group of wonderful friends. Of course, this usually leads to more talking that actual work or studying, but hey. Studying through osmosis is a college student’s best friend.

Now, with the nice weather on campus (ok… so maybe not today with the rain we’ve been having) no one wants to stay inside. Walking over to work at the GTL on Monday was horrible. I got to see so many people outside on their laptops, chatting and laughing with their friends while had to go sit in the dungeon for the next two and a half hours.

My friends were among the groups of people spread out about campus, and they said they all got no work done. I didn’t either, but I earned money. So maybe it evens out?

Since we all have not been getting any work done, we have implemented a rewards system to basically bribe ourselves into studying. Whenever we are all done with studying for a night (usually coincides with someone yelling out curse words across the room, somebody else curled up in the fetal position, another person asleep UNDERNEATH a bed, and one other person making lewd gestures with a couple of stuffed animals) we’ll go out for meal. And it’s not just any meal. A big Denny’s dinner at 1 in the morning.

Since when do college students do anything at normal hours, anyway?

It’s always fun being there when the rest of the normal population is asleep. They don’t look at you weird when you start singing show tunes in the restaurant. Or throw things at each other. Or take out your laptop to finish the paper that was due at midnight (for my mom, who is probably reading this, no, that was not me =]).

Any which way you slice it, it was a great time. And a tradition for us now.

The only fun thing was not being able to open up my room when I got back to campus. My key would literally not fit into the lock. Thankfully, my RA was up and unlocked it for me (I have no roommate, by the way).

I guess there is a bright side to finals week after all…

Finals Week!

By: Paige Kleinfelder '14

It is typical for college students to be stressed during finals week, but, for me, the week before finals is much more demanding. I spent last week editing my freshman writing portfolio, putting together my philosophy of education paper, and completing two drawings. That meant spending a lot more time in the library… I finally figured out how helpful study rooms are!

So, last Wednesday, after going to Simeon’s with some friends for dinner, we all went over study room one in the library with laptops and stacks of books. After working for a few hours, I found myself writing lists of things on the side of my notes to put in my blog… I recently came across this list and thought I should share what I found:

As I write this it is 12:23am and I have spent the last two and a half hours working and laughing. My favorite three things about doing work with friends:

1. We can test insane ideas like, “What if you had to walk with your knees stuck together?” as mini-study breaks. (And in case anyone is wondering, if you try to run with your knees together it looks exactly the same as walking, but you will have a more determined look on your face.)
2. Rather than holding conversations with my laptop and assignments after having too much caffeine, I have real people to talk to.
3. I actually get more work done. (Don’t ask me how, I have no idea)

Next time I have papers to write and tests to cram for, I will be found in the library having way more fun than anyone should ever have doing homework.

Looking Back

By: Paige Kleinfelder '14

This past Saturday, I somehow got out of bed at 6:00am. Not because I am crazy and like to get up early, but because it was Honor Scholar Day. Having just received my congratulatory Gold Key letter in the mail a few weeks prior, I was on my way through the steps of training which included decorating for and working during Honor Scholar Day. So, I managed to get up, get dressed in my purple polo and khaki pants and walk to the campus center to meet up with other sleepy-eyed Gold Keys. Luckily, there were donuts and coffee.

Everyone was slightly more awake after breakfast and assignments were given out. I, along with half a dozen other people, was given the task of tying balloons together for the balloon arch. We were shown how two balloons had to be tied together. Then, the pair of balloons were to be twisted with another set. Sounds easy right? But try it while still not fully awake. There were a few balloons that tried to make a getaway, but, in the end, the arch was completed, the balloon centerpieces were perfectly tiered, and the posters were up.

Then came the difficult part: Mingling.

Okay, it isn’t that difficult, but when you have to approach high school seniors who are so nervous they can barely give one word responses the mingling can be intimidating. I just kept thinking back to last year when I was standing there surrounded by 150 other students as my mom teased me about trying to get me to take a picture with the Soaring Eagle. I was terrified of college. So, I understood the students who stood, looking around without saying anything. I let them take it all in and then asked them simple questions, like what award they received, what they planned to major in, or where they were from.

By the time lunch rolled around, everyone was more comfortable. I stood by my assigned table and waited to greet the families who would be sitting with me. Two girls sat at my table and for a while it felt like I was the only person talking. But I just kept going, asking questions and talking about my experiences at Elmira College. Then, all of a sudden, everyone started talking to each other. The students were talking, the parents were talking, and I was able to answer any questions they asked. It felt good knowing that I had an influence on one of their first experiences at EC.

By the end of the day, after decorating, cleaning up, going to lunch, answering questions, listening to speeches, and shadowing a tour of campus, I wasn’t sure I could manage to walk back to my dorm before falling asleep. As I sat in my room later that night, I thought about the day and how it was a refreshing view of EC. I was able to remember all the reasons that I talked about Elmira College constantly to my friends and family last year. In the midst of the stress and anticipation for Spring Break, it was nice to see so many students eager to come here.

Survival List for Finals Week or Week Before Finals Week

By: Sarah Schwadron '14

1. Caffeine
Cause some people don’t like straight coffee
2. Candy
Sugar makes everything better
3. A Brain
Enough said
4. Mac and Cheese or Ramen
Quick, cheap and filling food
5. A fluffy animal to cuddle with (And ducks do not count towards this)
For when the break downs start to happen (And the duck comment is for my friends who wanted to get a duck)
6. Sweeney’s open to a later time
For snack runs to help keep you up
7. Unlimited music
To help a student concentrate
8. Ear plugs (to drown out your friends)
Cause everyone has that one friend that just needs to be quiet more often.
9. Facebook to be down for the next two weeks
Every college student will tell you that Facebook is close to the devil when it comes to distractions. Unless you’re me. Then it becomes Stumbleupon.com
10. The guarantee of great grades
I’d better not be doing all of this work for nothing!

And this is my fluffy animal. Her name is Coco and I will be stealing her from the mall as soon as I can get the chance =]

Kiss a Cow!

By: Emily Oshinskie '14

At the 46 hour mark of the 60 hours of community service required for every freshman at Elmira College, you’d think that nothing else could surprise you. Well, I was wrong. Since September, I have been volunteering at George M. Diven Elementary in Elmira, NY. It has been an enriching experience, assisting 4th grade students with their reading and writing skills in a city school environment. Even as a kindergartener, I knew that I wanted to be a teacher and told my parents that when my kindergarten teacher retired, I would gladly take her job. This experience working with fourth graders at Diven has allowed me to realize that I want to work with students anywhere between 3rd and 6th grade. While I agree that it is more challenging to do community service off-campus because of transportation, I would not regret my choice to volunteer at Diven for a second. I am not only interacting and assisting students but also I am learning teaching methods and instructional designs. But enough of this teacher jargon…back to my point about surprises…..

As I drove to Diven with my friend who also volunteers at the school, and we started contemplating the possibilities of the day. When I arrived in the 4th grade classroom, I noticed written on board was a schedule of the day and next to the 1:45pm-2:30pm spot was: KISS THE COW. I didn’t know if this was some sort of game or something and initially I did not know what to make of my supervisor’s explanation. According to her, all the students in the school read way over 3,000 minutes as a whole school and because the principal had challenged them and achieved their goal, the principal had to kiss a real cow….or in this case a calf. As we stepped outside onto the blacktop, I saw swarms of young kids –most of them in green, in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. They all wildly and ecstatically chanted as their principal kissed a cow. It never ceases to amaze me what amuses kids. But I guess I’m the same way, which is why I’m going into the right career. Oh Education.

The good old days

By: Sarah Schwadron '14


Isn’t It Funny…

Term II is winding down and I can hardly believe it. I can still remember the first day of Fall Orientation. And so much has changed since then.

I have a different group of friends, a (hopefully) new dorm room, a different major and minor, ten extra pounds, a newfound dislike for a lot of chamber music, an understanding of rhetoric, along with a bunch of other things. As for whether I’m excited or upset about these changes, I’ll
let the reader be the judge of that.

I’m ready for the next term, surprisingly. And that is not just to be down with Freshman Writing, although that is a huge plus. I like the idea of having one class every day, but not on Wednesday, even if my class is from 850 to 12 in the morning.

It’s really funny how 850 seems like such an early time to me know. In high school, every morning, without fail (unless I was sick) I was up at 6 am and driving myself to school at 7 am, and I was not the least bit tired. Now, I sometimes can barely manage to drag myself out of bed at 9 for a 955 class. On those days, I remind myself that as long as I shower, it doesn’t matter what I wear to class.

That’s another thing. In high school, I would never dream of walking out the door if I had sweats on. Now, it’s nothing. I look forward to the days where I can lounge around and go to class in sweats. As it stands now, I’m wearing a blouse, khaki pants and heels for a presentation that I have later on today.

Wow. If I am talking like this now, can you imagine the nostalgia I’ll have when it is my last year here at Elmira? I cannot even fathom that right now.

Right now, it’s time for a cup of coffee and my laptop and I to become best friends while I finish this fifty page portfolio. Thank God I actually know what I am doing with it!

The Conference

By: Paige Kleinfelder '14

This past week was extremely busy for me because on top of my typical class work I was preparing for the Pennsylvania College English Association Conference. A few weeks prior I had submitted an abstract proposition for the conference with little belief that I would be chosen to present; but after a couple weeks my name appeared on the list of presenters. This meant I had to read my 20 page freshman writing paper again, cut it down, and present it to a group of professors, English enthusiasts, graduate and a few undergraduate students. So of course my fear of presenting to these people caused me to put it off. Last weekend I realized I really needed to get prepared. Eight revisions and nine excursions to the library later I had a finalized, or so I thought, paper.

As I road in the car to Erie Friday morning I was still crossing out words and writing out pronunciations next to some of the names. At 8:45am I walked into the building, went on three elevators and eventually found my way to the correct conference. I signed in, received my name tag, and was directed to the room I was to present in. I walked in and saw the chairs sitting at the front of the room. One of them was for me, I was going to have to sit there facing everyone, and wait for my chance to speak. I made my way to the front and took a seat next to my fellow presenters for that session. Two graduate students. They went first and finally I was introduced and began reading. Surprisingly my fifteen minute talk about women in Ancient Greek literature was well received and I breathed a sigh of relief. I attended another session after mine about Southern Fiction; focusing on the works of William Faulkner, Eudora Wetly, Flannery O’Connor and others. This of course made me want to find these authors stories to read. (As I write this I am thinking to myself that I would rather go look for a Flannery O’Connor book in the library than work on my nine page paper due Friday). I attended one session the following day about technology in education and how students and professors can best use the resources that are becoming available daily.

Now that I am back at Elmira College I have a new appreciation for the education I am receiving and even the long papers that I sometimes dread writing. It is always interesting to find out how other people view things that you also have a passion for such as English and literature. The conference forced me to face my fear of speaking in front of crowds and showed me the value of listening to the many different perspectives on a single subject.

Lord of the Dance

By: Daniel Patrick Moriarity '14

I danced in the morning when the world was begun
I danced in the Moon & the Stars & the Sun
I came down from Heaven & I danced on Earth
At Bethlehem I had my birth:

Last Friday I not only attended the greatest Encore event I have yet to experience, but I have also done something I've been wanting to practically my entire life, to see a live Irish dancing performance. Michael Flannery's sold out "Lord of the Dance" show was truly a masterpiece; I did not think it possible to tell a story so beautifully without saying a single word. Michael Flannery and his troupe took one of the most cherished worship songs from my childhood and once again reminded me of its perfection, albeit in an entirely different form than I am used to. The lights were enrapturing;the music, captivating; the dance troup, harmonious; and Michael Flannery, flawless. In all my life of watching Superbowl half-time shows and live concerts, I have not seen anybody as at home, as at peace, on the stage as Michael Flannery. He, and his show, are truly awe-inspiring. However, there is no need to take my word for it, you can just ask anyone from the full capacity, quintuple encore performance crowd that gave him a standing ovation.

They cut me down and I leapt up high
I am the Life that'll never, never die!
I'll live in you if you'll live in Me -
I am the Lord of the Dance, said He!

And People Say Term II is Boring…

By: Paige Kleinfelder '14



This weekend has been a string of awesome events that I need to share. Friday night after creating signs for A Capella Weekend I got together with friends to do homework (I know, that’s not exciting, but stay with me). I soon decided to see what my friends were doing in Towers. Most of them were just watching movies but I convinced two of my friends to search for people to do something else with. We managed to round up five people to play Taboo. It was probably too late at night to play Taboo and give reasonable clues, but we managed. A few pieces of pizza, lots of excitedly screamed answers, and dozens of categories later we wrapped up the game but weren’t ready to call it a night. So after sitting around and talking, four of us headed over to Perry to make t-shirts for Relay for Life. I eventually decided to leave, but as I walked back to Columbia, I heard a strange noise coming from the bushes at the back of Emerson Hall. I paused for a moment and tried to see what was there. Then I saw it: the black and white face, the fluffy tail; I was staring directly back at a skunk. As I assume most people would do, I backed up and walked as fast as possible to my dorm. I blame my curiosity on the warm weather that prompted my hope that it would be an adorable bunny.

Saturday, much like Friday, started out kind of slow: breakfast followed by homework. However, later in the afternoon my Grandparents arrived to visit and take me to dinner. We headed over to Corning to do a little shopping and grab dinner. I was on a mission to find chalkboard paint for my studio, because I, like most little kids, have the desire to draw on the walls. We finally found it and then went to The Gaffer Grill and Tap Room for dinner.

When I got back to campus I rushed to get ready for the Relay for Life. I didn’t know what to expect but it turned out to be a really fun (but also long) night. The original plan was to stay for a few hours. Then my sleep deprived mind decided that I should just stay all night. The team I was on, “Sporting” the Fight Against Cancer, walked around together all looking awesome with our matching baseball uniform style t-shirts, shorts, and knee socks. Our t-shirts were each dedicated to someone in our lives who was affected by cancer. Between walking (or rather dancing) around and watching different performances, we made a quick run to get Taboo. Our four teams of players sat in a tight circle trying to hear the clues over the music. The Joshes dominated the game with their uncanny ability to guess the correct word with two word clues. Kerri and Kelsey came in a close second. Katie and I came in third, due to my extreme use of words that were not allowed. And Brie and Ryan, two first time players of, came in an admirable last. 1/2 Time, the five guy band from EC, began playing so we grabbed some candy to wake us up and resumed our laps around the gym.

Sadly, I didn’t last the entire night and I headed back to Columbia for some much needed sleep which was rudely interrupted by my alarm clock going off at 8:30 reminding me that I had to be ready for breakfast in half an hour. So, of course, I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep again, barely waking up with enough time to throw clothes on, brush my teeth, and run downstairs to meet my grandparents for breakfast. We went to Light’s Bake Shop just a few blocks from campus. (For anyone who hasn’t eaten there, it is a quaint change from the weekend breakfast at our dining hall). After breakfast and saying good bye, I immediately went back to sleep for another two hours. I decided that I had to finally get up to do some homework before the Columbia dorm meeting (which turned out to be a “Un-Birthday Party” with presents and cake).

Now I am sitting in my friend’s room waiting to go to dinner and then to see the movie How Do You Know in Gibson with a group of friends. This weekend has felt like an entire month compressed into a weekend. I am still exhausted, but it was definitely one of the best weekends I have had here at college.

How to Deal with Break Downs—The College Edition

By: Sarah Schwadron '14

Anyone who has had extended contact with me will tell you that I have monthly breakdowns. As bad as that sounds, it’s how I deal with stress. I take on too much to do at once, and then I can manage it for while, then it becomes too much, and I cry for a whole night. As a new psych major, I know that’s not good. At all. But it’s what I do.

Without going into what caused this month’s breakdown, I will explain the colleges system on how they deal with student’s breakdown.

1- Someone gets the RA.
2- The RA calls the RLC on duty, and they both talk to you. The RLC then decides if you need to talk to the head of counseling.
3- You talk to someone on campus and they figure out ways to prevent it from happening again.

And it’s a great system. But… if you are me, that’s the last thing you need. My mother will tell you that I just need time, and only one person to talk to. And some retail therapy.

Again, not the healthiest way of dealing with my issues, but it works.

But beyond my personal thoughts, the counseling services that the college offers are great for ‘crisis situations’ (I kind of object to calling it that, but it’s not my call). Even if it happens at 11pm like mine did. My RA is great, and would not leave me alone until she was sure that I was fine. And the RLC on duty did follow up with me today. Even though it is stuff that I don’t need, it’s great to know that the campus has resources like that so readily available.

Now, to recover from my breakdown, I’m going to watch The Swan Princess, paint my nails, have a cup of tea, and study for Human Services. It actually sounds like a great night to me =]

I’m Back.

By: Paige Kleinfelder '14


The week back after term II midterm break has been super busy. I returned and I found myself faced with a large amount of work to do before classes even resumed. First I had to make sure I could meet with my group for a presentation in Foundations of Education (which we presented very well) and then I also had to finish my ten page draft for Freshmen Writing. And then it hit me, that sinking feeling as I realized I would be lucky if I got even half the sleep I got over break.

It is now Friday and I have survived my first week of classes back. I am getting back into the routine of college and classes; while also having some fun. Monday I spent an hour blowing up balloons and attempting to shove them all into my closet. No, I haven’t lost my mind. Tuesday was my roommate’s birthday so I wanted the room to be filled with balloons when she woke up. In order to do this I had to wake up super early Tuesday morning to pull them all out of my closet while she was still asleep. The problem was that I wake up with the alarm on my phone and I had left my charger at home. Somehow I woke up without any alarm, pulled all of the balloons out of my closet (managing to make loud static crackling noises). The majority of the day was pretty average, but that night to celebrate her birthday five of us sat around a round table to 1855 and enjoyed a brownie sundae. After that we had an intramural volleyball game. (Just a little piece of advice for anyone about to participate in a volleyball game: DO NOT eat a huge sundae right before hand). The game was really fun…but it may have been our excessive laughing that led to us losing by two points.

The first week after break has come and gone. I am used to getting up for classes, hurrying to get to lunch before the Core Class rush, and balancing time between homework and friends. It’s good to be back.

Snow Day!

By: Emily Oshinskie '14

Since both my Child and Adolescent Psych and Freshman Writing classes were cancelled today….I thought I’d take the opportunity to write an overdue blog! Monday mornings are usually the least desired part of anyone’s week, but after I checked my e-mail and realized I had no classes I started to drift into the melodies of the Rascal Flatts, Jack Johnson and Ingrid Michaelson, embracing Mondays mornings. I have officially survived my first week back at EC since our February midterm break. It was a long week and lots of work to do but also really great to catch up with friends. It’s amazing how quickly a week of vacation goes by, yet half way through the week you realize you miss EC and your friends and can’t wait to go back!
On Friday night my friends and I headed to Macs to check out the Wax Hands and Bamboo Sculptures. We stood in line and waited for our hands to be dipped into wax and mold our hands into various different shapes. You could either do a peace sign, “I Love You” in sign language, “Star Trek”/alien hand hand, or any other shape that you could get your hand out of the mold without breaking it.


Saturday night we got our Elmira fan gear on and headed to the Murray Athletic Center (aka: The Domes) for the Men’s ECAC West Hockey Championship! The game was packed and the energy was at an all time high! No. 1 Elmira College vs. No. 2 Neumann University….bring it! Besides EC students and faculty, a lot of people from the community come out to watch the EC Men’s hockey games. Every attempt at goal was followed by a loud sigh or “OHHHHH!” of the crowd. The adrenaline was pumping through my body as every fan subconsciously leaned forward, physically and emotionally engaged in the intense action of the game. When EC scored, fans screamed, whistled, ecstatically jump up and down, hugged each other, chest bumped….one fan even rang his purple and gold cow bell……hey, there’s something for everyone. In the last few minutes of the game, EC scored two goals on Neumann. When the final buzzer rang, everyone screamed and shouted and the men’s hockey team all celebrated….here’s a picture, in case you missed the sweaty huddle of hockey players.

the Id of The Vagina Monologues

By: Daniel Patrick Moriarity '14

What would 2 famous psychoanalyst think of The Vagina Monologues? Well lets see...

To whom it may concern,
I am writing to you concerning your recent participation in the outlandish production that was the Vagina Monologues, and in particular the speech that you yourself read. As a whole I feel that this fiasco was an unnecessarily vocal display of the phenomenon of penis envy. You need to know that your desires to stand up on stage speaking about your vaginas is not an act of pride for who you are and your fellow women, it is merely a manifestation of your unconscious desire to be a man and to possess a penis. Perhaps the greatest support of this theory from the Vagina Monologues was your performance of “My Angry Vagina”. My dear Anne, I am sorry to say that the reason why your vagina is so angry is because it is not a penis. In fact, further evidence for other parts of my psychosexual theory of development comes in the wildly inappropriate subject matter and language that pervaded the entire evening. Publicly announcing your desires for sexual relief, especially through intimate contact with another female or masturbation, not to mention the constant use of such terribly despicable slang for your own body, just supports my theory that because none of you have penises, your superegos did not develop, and therefore your morals are lacking. This does not however explain that Josh fellow… I must perform a case study on him.
Sincerely,
Sigmund Freud


To whom it may concern,
I am writing to you to let you know how much I enjoyed your performance in the V-day extravaganza, The Vagina Monologues. This was the first time that I have ever attended this event, but I am sure that it will not be my last. I think that this was a beautiful display of feminine pride, and showed every man out there why they should be jealous of us and what we have. Unlike that egotistical hack Freud, who thinks that all women are morally inferior and desire to obtain a penis, I don’t think there’s any doubt by any of the audience from Friday’s performance that we women know who we are and are damn proud of our vaginas. In fact, I think the organization has put the spotlight on an interesting topic, that maybe it is the men, not the women, who have underdeveloped superegos. After all, if men are the more moral sex, then how is it that they are the ones responsible for all of the domestic violence, assault, genital mutilation, and rape? Obviously no woman would want any of these to happen to her, so that means that the men involved are too blame. Doesn’t sound very morally superior to me… In any case, thank you very much for your participation in this noble performance and I look forward to seeing you next year.
Sincerely,
Karen Horney

You know you go to Elmira College when…

By: Sarah Schwadron '14

-your rain boots are your best friends.
-you don’t think twice about that fact someone is cutting grass in the rain.
-the thought about everything being purple doesn’t scare you.
-actually, you’re the person that came up with the idea to spray paint everything purple.
-you think it’s weird not to the see the president of your school on a daily basis.
-singing is part of your daily routine.
-your rain boots and Uggs are your best friends.
-you tell time by the chimes of the bell tower instead of looking at the clock.
-you think a hexagon has too few sides.
-the school color is gold, not yellow.
-you automatically put your class year at the end of your name, no matter what you are signing.
-you know that desserts are the best part of the meal.
-your rain boots, uggs, and student I.D’s are your best friends.
-you know the exact angle that the Soaring Eagle needs to be at on anything.
-you know not to walk around the campus without a buddy after 10pm
. -Mark Twain is the best writer that ever existed.
-you’ve gone swimming in the fountain.
-hockey is the best sport you’ve ever seen/played.
-you look in the mirror, and wonder why you look so weird, and then you realize it’s because you aren’t wearing any purple or gold.
-the iris is the best flower ever.
-you can describe an iris to anyone.
-your rain boots, uggs, student I.D.’s and a fuzzy jacket are your best friends.
-you freak out that other colleges don’t have a school shape.
-you hear snapping and you immediately start singing Simeon Benjamin.
-you cannot tell military time, but you know when 1855 is.
-you try to impress your date by taking her to Simeon’s.
-you are actually impressed by a date at Simeon’s.
-there is a field trip and the bus willing starts to sing.
-you know all the worlds to all of the Campus songs, but you cannot remember what you had for breakfast.
-you met your best friends by complaining about freshman writing.
-you know and can use all the forms of rhetoric there ever where, but cannot think of a time you would ever use any of it.
-you actually understand rhetoric.
-you realize that there is no other place where you want to be (at least, while classes are in session)

Theater and Movies

By: Paige Kleinfelder '14



A quick glimpse at what I have been up to:

The two past weekends I have been finishing up my community service requirement by working backstage for the six performances of God’s Favorite. The comedy was put on by Elmira Little Theatre at the Clemens Center. After working on the set for the show over the past month I found myself eager to see how it would all come together. It was an amazing set design because during the intermission the mansion living room had to transform into a burnt out shell of a room. This meant that rather than dressing all in black and clearing away the set in the dark while the theater was empty I found myself with half a dozen other backstage crew members each in firemen jackets. We lifted away and spun walls to reveal burnt section, then placed debris around the floor and removed the decorations. There were six performances and each was better than the one before. I never thought going to community service would be fun or that I would have so many good memories from it. I have made a lot of friends from ELT and plan on taking part in future productions. How could I pass up the chance to play dress up again, next time I am hoping to be a doctor or an astronaut.

This weekend I watched a movie with my friends to unwind after the Friday performance. I joined Pickles, Sarah, Mikayla, and Emily for what we thought would be a scary movie night. The movie choice, After Life, turned out to just be creepy. Very creepy. So in response to that I have realized a few important things:

1. My roommate is no longer allowed to pick the group movies for the weekends.
2. I am now terrified to go to funeral homes.
3. If someone tells me that I am dead, the first thing I am going to do is breathe on a mirror.
And most importantly:
4. I need to watch some old school Disney movies to try and recover.

Those are just some of the things I have been doing. But now, I must return to studying for Education midterm, which is currently scaring me more than After Life.

College Student to Parent Dictionary

By: Sarah Schwadron '14


(Some of these apply specifically to Elmira College, some to all college students)

• Call Home to ask How Everything is—I need money.
• Cup of Coffee—Five shots of espresso, plus an energy drink.
• Freshman Writing Stinks!—I don’t want to write another paper in all of my life.
• I just made something really delicious in the microwave!!—Back away, fast. And don’t eat it.
• I’m going to head over to towers tonight—I don’t want to write a paper, so I’m going to go party.
• I’m going to clean up my room—I’m going to put some shoes away and then wind up on facebook for the next two hours.
• Laundry Day—Put clothes in the washing machine and leave them there until someone transfers them for you.
• Let’s walk to the supermarket—I don’t have a car, but I need some stuff, and I don’t want to walk by myself.
• Read a Book—Fall asleep
• Sunday—Day of Sleeping until dinner time.
• Take a Nap—Write a paper.
• Take a Shower—Spend half an hour in the bathroom rocking out to music
• Watch TV/Movie—Take a nap.
• Writing a Paper—I’m going to open up a Microsoft Document and type in the MLA heading, then fool around on face book for the next three hours.

More to come.

The Side Effects of Dorm Life

By: Emily Oshinskie '14

Last Sunday I got in the car with three other phenomenal ‘14s and headed back to the land of purple and gold, excited for what this new term would reveal. I can tell you it’s already off to a great start….well, besides the 8:00am classes. But that’s a minor detail in the grand scheme of things. Break was great, but I really missed being able to walk down the hall and chill with my friends. There is nothing like dorm life and the instant community of living with other people. Ah cohabitation! Before break, my CORE professor asked our class, “What does community mean to you?” I started thinking about the community in the dorms at Elmira and started making a list about the symptoms/side effects/indicators of dorm community.

Here’s a few that I have noticed in Columbia hall:

• The girls down the hall are fanning each other with towels, so their 11:30pm facials will dry.
• Spontaneous dance parties in the hallway because you and your friends are all down with your papers at 11:58pm (because it’s before midnight).
• Helping a two friends finish up their Oreos because they have already consumed 95% of them.
• Falling asleep in your friend’s bed because you’re too tired to walk three doors down.
• Skyping with a friend’s friend, boyfriend, mother, uncle, dog, etc. (I didn’t get the whole Skyping with a pet at first but apparently people do that….I try not to judge)
• Coloring books and crayons spilled all over the floor could only mean a Disney princess and Pooh Bear coloring party (regressing back to childhood reduces stress fyi).
• Establishing one person that you plan to hug every time you see them.
• A room of people shouting out random phrases that all have one word in common tends to indicate an intense game of “Family Feud” simultaneously being played on three different laptops.
• “Jersey Shore” watching parties….I don’t think I have to elaborate on that one.
• Making Rice Krispie treats with Frosted Flakes in the microwave.
• Hearing Aaron Carter’s “I Want Candy” a few doors down and deciding to go join them in reminiscing about the pre-teen years.

This is just the beginning to a never-ending list of qualities that describe dorm life. Another professor told me recently that it isn’t always the big things that you remember in life, but it’s the smaller memories. Yes, I will never forget going to my first hockey game or going to the first day of classes at EC; however, the memories that I know will stick out are the times when I go down the hall to ask my friend for some jelly to put on my PB&J and I end up having a couple hours of meaningful and inspiring conversation.

Purple, Gold, and White

By: Daniel Patrick Moriarity '14

I have always enjoyed the holiday season. The smiles, the laughter, that indescribable feeling of optimism and the love of life that only comes during winter are things that I cherish as I enjoy them, and reminisce on with a smile when I can’t. My first holiday season was a great one, full of new friends who felt like old family, and I will remember it as long as I live. One of my favorite moments last term came on one December night, right before finals week, where my friends and I sang Christmas carols around the piano in the Anderson lobby to an ever growing audience of our peers and Ando staff. From “What Child is This?” to “Silent Night” people kept coming downstairs to join the fun and help us celebrate the spirit of the holidays. After over a half an hour of bonding and laughter we all turned to return to our rooms. As I turned to leave I looked out the window to see a halo of light created by one of Elmira College’s antique lampposts illuminate the large, fluffy snowflakes as they gently fell from the sky, almost as if it was a just-shaken snow globe left next to a burning fireplace. It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.

Trying to Stay Sane

By: Sarah Schwadron '14


Hello. My name is Sarah Schwadron, and I am an eBay addict.

Well, not really. But still. It’s become an unhealthy addiction, as well as boredom buster.

I blame my floor. When we’re bored, that’s what we will do. Go on eBay and try and find cute designer stuff for cheap. I’m not as bad as some people, as I am cancelling my account fairly soon. But I bought a bag that I have wanted since sixth grade for pretty cheap, which I’m happy about…although my bank account isn’t. Opps.

So my optimism about this semester is starting to decline a bit. It’s all thanks to Freshman Writing. Two papers due on Friday. Plus a presentation due Monday, along with a lot of reading. Most of the freshmen I know are not excited about this week. At least my Core class has one essay due on the fourth…even though that’s the same day my European History paper is due. That’s on the French Revolution so that should be fairly simple/straightforward though. Oh and I have a Human Services test on the first.

All I can say is thank God for my To Do list. If I didn’t have that, I honestly do not know if all my work will get done. Every time I find out that I have a new assignment due, it gets added to the list. While the sheet of paper becomes a bunch of scribbles to anyone else, I can decipher it and that’s all that matters.

Now it’s time to go tackle at least one paper (translation: open a word document, type in a heading, and then wind up on facebook or eBay for all the time I’m supposed to be working).

Procrastination.

By: Tyler Cuddeback '14

Procrastination. We all do it. Sounds like the beginning of an Oprah special, sure, but it’s true. And is it just me, or do we do it at the worst possible times? As it is, writing this blog is a form of procrastination for me. Sure, I get paid to do this, but I’m also looking at 3 half finished essays for Freshman Writing, studying for a week’s worth of Chinese that I’ve missed from being sick, and I have to seriously start considering what I want to do for my 10 page research paper for this semester. On top of that, I’m looking at a pile of dishes, a load of laundry, and I should probably change my sheets soon.

These all seem like easy enough tasks to accomplish, right? Throw the laundry in to the wash, do the dishes, swap over the laundry to the dryer, throw my sheets into the washer, sit down and finish up my essays, finish up the laundry and go to bed. I could have all this stuff done in a matter of 3 or 4 hours, tops.

I blame winter! Before the snow started to fall and it got so cold outside that your snot turns into icicles, my friends and I entertained ourselves by going out around campus or hanging out outside or walking around town. We found ways to blow off steam so that when it came time to do work, we weren’t so pent up that the last thing we wanted to think about was work. Right now, if we went outside to do the things we used to, after about a minute, someone would scream some random expletive and complain about how cold it was until the rest of us went back inside.

When I first moved here, people told me that the winters were cold. I live about an hour south of Elmira, so I didn’t think it would be that much of a difference. Boy was I wrong! Unless you have lived here for years, or grew up somewhere were your closest neighbor was a herd of moose or caribou, you need to throw on a big winter jacket or layer up just to leave your dorm and go to the Campus Center for Dinner.
So most of us just stay inside and try to find a way to entertain ourselves. I can’t wait for the sun to stay up later than 6PM and the snow to melt enough so that I can finally get some work done!