Welcome Back!!!!!

Dear Class,

Welcome to the Spring semester. And, if you can believe it, the semester that goes the quickest. Before you know it the humidity of summer will return and your first year is over! Joey and I congratulate you and welcome you back. :)

How were each of your break's? Any good stories? I hope you each took time to be with family and to relax. :)

Each of you are registered in FYM 102 for the semester. This course is an abridged version of the fall. That being said, if you keep up with communication and complete the sparse assignments, each of you will pass with flying colors! There are some assignments which are due throughout the semester. I hope you each put some time and effort into completing them.

For the time being, I need you each to confirm your registration with Blackboard - specifically with this course. If you are having any complications, please email me or Joey. That's it for now; Joey and I will be emailing the course syllabus early next week.

One last update: I recently moved to Colorado. I now work at Colorado School of Mines as Coordinator of Student Academic Services. That being said, I am no longer a New Yorker. Marymount has been gracious as to extend the teaching position through the spring because of the nature of the course (internet and email). Nonetheless, if I can ever be of assistance to you, never hesitate to ask. I will always help as best I can - even from Colorado. :)

The picture above is where I work. :)

Colin A. Terry

Holiday Season

The holidays are a special time in New York, regardless of your religious orientation or belief. It's a time full of spirit, bright lights, good smelling candles, and crisp, snowy air!

In spirit, I thought I would forward this guide to the holiday's. It's from 2008, but many of these beautiful sites exist annually. GUIDE

Changing Majors...Declaring?

Brew @ 2:00: Coffee Hour with Advisement

Wednesday, October 21, 2009
2:00 – 3:00pm
Office of Academic Advisement, Nugent LL

During this hour, Advisement will be offering free coffee and (of course) free advisement to anyone who seeks our services. This hour will be set aside for walk in sessions where students can discuss: Degree Progress, Major Requirements, Transfer Credits, 4 year Academic Planning, Academic Policies, and more. No appointment necessary! RED Event


Majors & Minors Exploration Week

Monday, October 26, 2009 - Thursday, October 29, 2009
In the Black & White, 12pm - 3pm

The Office of Academic Advisement invites you to take part in our Majors & Minors Exploration WEEK! For each day, Faculty and Students will represent their programs at tables set up in the Black & White. If you are Undecided, you will have the opportunity to ask questions. If you are thinking about changing your major or adding a minor, this event is your chance to get more information about other programs.

Day 1, October 26: Humanities – Communication Arts, English, Humanities, Philosophy & Religious Studies, French, Hispanic Studies, Creative Writing, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Journalism, Media Studies, and Promotional & Professional Communications

Day 2, October 27: Business & Social Sciences – Accounting, Business Management, History, International Studies, Political Science, Sociology, Asian Studies, Economics, Political Economy, Social Work, and Teacher Education

Day 3, October 28: Arts – Studio Art, Graphic Design, Art History, Photography, Arts Management, Drama Therapy, Music, and Theatre Studies

Day 4, October 29: The Sciences – Biology, Psychology, Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology, Chemistry, Environmental Studies, Forensic Psychology, I/O Psychology, Mathematics, and Neuroscience

Any Question – contact Lauren Franson, Office of Academic Advisement, LL Nugent Building

Get Out of the City...

Looking for a great way to get out of the city? To celebrate the Autumnal flavor of October and November, get out of the city and head up state. Just a quick Metro-North ride will transfer your view from cityscape to landscape.

I recommend Cold Spring New York (pictured above). I visited over the summer and it was a fairly magical, "pleasantville" place.

For more information on Cold Spring, check out: LINK

For more information on weekend getaways, check out: LINK

Common Ground

Post Diversity Class Recap:

First, my sincere appreciation for your attention and courage to speak on such a complex issue. I hope you each found the conversation insightful and thought provoking.

As we discussed in class, there are numerous different ways to identify oneself. Even in a fairly homogeneous class (homogeneous defined as first year students at Marymount), there was disparity between our own identities. Further, we noticed that our personal values are highly related to our identities. This relationship, an ever-changing and evolving relationship between our identity and that which we value, is just one part of the complex and difficult theory that is diversity.

As you progress through college, always remember that we have numerous identities, some self ascribed and some societal, and these identities play a major role in who we are and what we value. For this reason, always respect the values and identities of others, especially when they are different from your own.

At the end of class I asked you to complete a common ground activity anomalously. Reading through the responses, our seemingly homogeneous class shares many similarities. In fact, in each of the 12 categories there were at least three "YES" responses. As we move forward as a society and class, remember that we have differences but we share similarities as well. Never forget to respect the differences we share and to embrace that which connects us.

Best Secret Resource

Dear class,

I enjoyed reading all of your secrets and resources. To be frank, I learned more about the city and am grateful for all the great new suggestions. I hope you each log on to one another's blog and discover the many secrets...

My favorite? Definitely Molly's blog on the B Cup (LINK).

Cheers!

Mr. Terry

Diversity

Dear class...

We will be discussing Diversity at our next class session. Diversity takes many forms and numerous, varied constructs. In order to refine our conversation, please note your interest in the following topical areas:

- Sexual Identity Diversity (LGBT, Queer, etc.)
- Socio-Economic Diversity (Poverty, Affluence, "Middle-class", etc.)
- Race-Based Diversity (African American/Black, Chinese-American, etc.)
- Identity Based Diversity (Multiple constructs, etc.)

Please note your interest via a comment to this post.

See you all next week.