Getting to Know Cultures Spotlight Saraf

Name: Saraf Sampritee

Where are you from? Bangledash.

Why did you choose Alfred State? I was supposed to go to Canada but my Visa wouldn’t work there because my country and Canada are not on good terms.

Do you like Alfred State? Yes I do. What do you like about it? The people are very friendly.

What is the hardest thing about moving here? The weather.

Do you find it difficult to keep up with the culture of your home country alive while trying to assimilate into American culture? No. I have traveled a lot around the world so I know how to keep up with it.

 Do you feel discriminated against? No.

What do you think are the biggest misperceptions of your people to Americans? Everyone in my country thinks that Americans are druggies but they are not.

Do you plan on staying in America once you graduate? No I don’t. I want to take over my dad’s business.

Getting to Know Cultures Student Spotlight Mester

Name: Mester Alghamdi

 

Where are you from? Saudi Arabia

Do you like being at Alfred State? Yes it’s lovely.

Tell me what you like about it. Everything here is really fantastic and it’s my first time to study in the United States specific college or University. So it’s a good experience for me. The people and facilities are really good.

What is the hardest thing about moving here? When you leave your family you got a bigger responsibility on your own for everything taking care of yourself, helping yourself, finding good people to leave with.

Do you find it difficult to keep your culture of your home country alive while trying to assimilate into American culture? It depends on personality and for me my personality to keep myself open minded. I am open to any culture. There is a big difference between my culture and American culture. I like to be friendly to every culture.

Do you practice Islam or any other religion? Yes. I am a Muslim. I practice my religion every day and pray five times a day.

You don’t find keeping up with Islamic hard while here in America? No here there is freedom people can do whatever they want to.

Do you feel discriminated against in anyway? No. I feel very accepted and not judged.

What do you think are the biggest misperceptions of Middle Eastern people to Americans? I find it funny when I meet people asking me about my accent. I tell them I come from

Saudi Arabia and sometimes they don’t know where that is. I tell them it’s in the Middle East. American assume that all Middle Eastern people are the same but we are unique. They think that we are all bad. We should be open minded and not think we are all bad people. I like to talk to people about my country and explain to them what I am like.

Do you think that once people get to know you they don’t have those misperceptions about you? Yes. Once they get to know me they become really respectful and we become like brothers.

Do you plan on staying in the United States as a permanent citizen? I am unsure at this time. I miss my family and your culture and it’s hard to travel back and forth.

Opportunities at AU

Alfred University (AU) is a campus right across the street from Alfred State College (ASC) and they offer many opportunities for all students.  An Alfred State student can take classes at AU for free as long as they are registered as a full-time student at ASC and AU students may take courses at ASC for free as well. AU welcomes ASC students to join any of their multiple clubs, organizations, library facilities and events except for sport teams. AU also offers jobs to students. I know at least three other students from ASC that work at AU  and applying for a job at AU is very similar to the process of applying for a job at ASC. It is an awesome experience to have two colleges across from each other. My college life experiences have broadened because of the comradery between the two educational institutions. I have had the opportunity to take multiple dance classes and fulfilled one of my dreams by being a cheerleader. AU welcomes ASC students to be involved in their college activities. The other day I was walking through SLC and an AU student stopped me to be interviewed about my thoughts on the collaboration between the two campuses and what could be done to improve it. I said I thought it was amazing that we have opportunities at both campuses and awareness is the key because a lot of ASC and AU students are not aware of the advantages.  Collaboration between the two institutions offers more opportunities for growth and I feel that better promotion and more joint events should be sponsored by both schools. 

Democratic Caucus Results

The Democratic caucus was held last night, Monday, January 26, at the Alfred Village Hall. There was a tremendous turnout of people interested in nominating candidates for village mayor and board trustees. Tons of students from Alfred State, faculty and staff from both schools, and community residents showed up to show support. The race is now officially on for the nominated students and long term residents.102 students and residents were registered Democrats voted in the caucus. The nominees were given three minutes to speak and convince the populace to vote for them. The first nomination was for town mayor. Jason Rodd and Justin Griggs were nominated. Some town residents were of the opinion that Jason Rodd was only running for the position because of a student conspiracy, but he assured everyone that this was not the case. He wants to be a strong voice and leader for students and fulltime residents. He is looking for the best in the two campuses. He mentioned a noise violation law, which states that a person can be imprisoned up to 15 days. “This law was created to help end parties but there are better ways to do that,” he said. Justin Grigg is the current mayor of Alfred. If reelected he wants to expand his term so that the can form better partnerships with the outside communities. Justin Grigg. won The next nomination was for the town trustees. Nick Ferraro and Peter McClain were the first nominees. Nick Ferraro is an Alfred State student. He wants the long term residents and short term residents to be treated equally. Peter McClain is a graduate of Alfred University. He is on the Hot Dog Day planning board. The winner was Peter McClain. The last nomination was for the second spot on the Alfred Board of Trustees of Alfred. Kory Shick and Tom McDowell were the second nominees. Kory is an Alfred State student and has been a town resident for three years. If elected he wants to promote economic stability and an equal inclusion of all community members. He wants the community to come together as one to solve the problems. "I have a lot of different things I would like to do. There are problems in Alfred, just like everywhere, and I have a creative and strategic way of going about them. Students, as well as village members, have a good opportunity to work together and I'm doing my part to make sure it happens" said Shick. Tom McDowell is a professor of computer information technology. He has been actively involved in the community by being a coach on several sport teams, and helping out with Cub Scouts. The winner was Tom McDowell. The Democratic caucus was held a week after the Republican caucus, which resulted in Jason Rodd, Nick Ferraro, and Kory Shick defeating Justin Grigg, Peter McClain, and Tom McDowell. In Alfred, candidates can – and often are – nominated by both parties. Now that candidates have been chosen, the three positions will be up for election in March, and a clearcut choice for the future of Alfred will be presented. Current Mayor Grigg admitted after the caucus last night that the real winners in this process are the people of the village and democracy itself, since many, many more people are now participating in the elections

Will Students on the Town Board Encourage More Voting?

Welcome back, students, to Alfred State. I hope that the semester goes well for each one of you. Have fun but don’t forget to study. A new exciting plan happening this semester is referred to on the front page. Kory Shick and Nicholas Ferraro, both Alfred State College students, have been nominated for two town board positions. The election will be in March but this event got me thinking. Will this encourage more voting among college students at Alfred State? Getting these students elected into these positions will help the college and the students be more respected into the community. Currently 1/2 of people between the age of 18-29 are registered to vote in the USA. It’s sad to think that less than 1/3 of the half actually vote in elections. Voting is a simple process that can be done anytime once a person turns 18. The college has recently teamed up with Turbovote.com to helps students register to vote, update voter registration, get absentee ballots, and get reminders to make sure they don’t forget to vote. Get out there, get involved, and make a difference in your Alfred State Community. We deserve to be respected. Don’t sit on the sidelines and let your college experience get ruined by not taking a stand to the community.

— Lynnette Lockwood

Editor-in-Chief

A Look inside Hooping a Ben Berry Exclusive

What do you know about the history of hooping? It has a very rich history. Egyptian children would make hoops out of vines and roll them down hills. Native American Indians hoop dance has existed for a while. Classic hoops were invented in the 1950’s by Wham-o.

What are the benefits of hooping? According to the American Council on Exercise the physical benefits of hoping are toning the entire body, better coordination, more flexibility, stronger core, better cardiovascular muscles, and improves eye coordination and motor skills. Hooping burns 215 calories for a 30 minute session. The mental benefits of hooping include being a stress reliever, promotes creativity, improved self-confidence, and joy.

How did you get started in hoop dance? A year and a half ago I was hanging out with my friend Emily and they were bored and she had some hoops laying around and I wanted to challenge myself. I tried to hoop around the waist but was unable too. After several hours of trying I was finally able to do it. After getting home that night I searched on YouTube hooping videos. I came across Lisa Lolly, she was really my first exposure to hoop dancing. I knew that I had to learn after that moment. I then watched tutorials but most of it was self-taught by experimentation.

What made you want to start your own company? I was majoring in paralegal. I wasn’t

That serious about it. It was a huge transition and I loved the benefits it gave me especially a boost in self-confidence. I wanted to support myself but at the same time sharing hooping. My company is called Fruit Hoops because my last name is Berry. My main objectives of my company is to offer hoop dance instruction and performance art that can include different types of circus props such as fire hoops and LED hoops.

How did you learn to make your own hoops? I found a video online about how to make beginner hoops with irrigation tubing. I bought 100 foot tubing, connectors, and pipe cutter. By using a formula I learned in high school the circumference of a circle is how I know how big to make the hoops. Then I bought colorful tape to decorate it and grip tape.

Can you tell me about hoop sizes? When you are first starting out as a hoper starting with a hoop that is bigger than what you would expect preferably at chest level is the best. In the hopping community it is debated that as you progress you should use smaller and smaller hoops. This is great if you have a smaller frame. But it doesn’t work for everyone. Bigger hoops are great for slow more controlled movements. Smaller hoops are better for quick transitions, and off the body manipulation.

What tips would you give to beginner hopers? Practice a little bit everyday if it’s only 5, 10 or even 15 minutes if you want to get really good. Don’t let videos on the internet discourage you from trying new tricks they can be overwhelming. Never lose why you love to hoop. Trying to learn how to do advanced tricks too fast can be too much and if you are hooping without really loving it can leave you feeling unsatisfied.

If interested at 7pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the Small Event Space in SLC I bring extra hoops for anyone who wants to try. I even want to try to start my own class on campus if I can get enough people interested. Email me at BenjaminBerry7194@gmail.com

One Clip at a Time

Photo of Holocaust Museum in Tennessee

In the small town of Whitwell, Tennessee there are approximately 1,600 people, with little diversity. The teachers and principal of the middle school wanted to start a project to heighten awareness about diversity and tolerance. David Smith and Sandra Roberts came up with the idea of studying the Holocaust. The teachers sought to break stereotypes and teach that regardless of who we are, people are people. When the children were learning about the Holocaust a student asked, “what does 6 million look like?” The teachers suggested that they collect something to represent 6 million. The students discovered that the Norwegians used the paperclip during WWII as a symbol of unity and wore one paperclip on their jackets to represent silent protest of defiance against the Nazi occupation. The students wrote letters to other schools, celebrities, and created a website about the project asking people to donate. The project was very slow at first but then Dagmar Schroeder and his wife discovered the project and wrote articles for the newspaper. Through these articles, Dita Smith from the Washington Post learned of the project and consequently did a feature story on NBC and ABC. The paperclip project became very popular after that and people sent letters with paperclips to the school describing who the paperclips represented. The students kept, recorded, and filed all of the letters and they received 24 million paperclips from around the world, 4 times their goal.

The paperclips were taking up a lot of space and the principal wanted to do something about it. She decided to get an authentic Holocaust railcar to hold all the paperclips and make a memorial. While working, they came across a Holocaust survivor poem about butterflies. The pathway leading up to the memorial is decorated with butterflies representing freedom. The memorial was dedicated on November 11,^th 2001.

The students in this small community in Tennessee will never look at a paperclip the same way again. The project helped give the people that perished in the Holocaust a resting place. The paperclip project started with one class of eighth grade students, with one goal; to educate students about the Holocaust. One hand was raised, with one simple question, “what does 6 million look like?” It took one idea of collecting 6 million paperclips to represent every life lost, that rallied worldwide support, transformed a community, and truly made a difference. Changing the world begins with one idea. What is yours? Take it one clip at a time. 

New Fitness Center Ribbon Cutting

A new fitness center had its grand opening on January 29^th, 2015. There has been a general consensus that the college has not been meeting the Alfred State College community’s fitness needs. This has been a goal for President Skip Sullivan and has been seven years in the making. Using new and used equipment, the athletic department wanted to expand the fitness center to give all students a new opportunity on campus for better fitness. When a student or faculty member joins the fitness center, they have full access at Orvis and in the Pioneer Center. The Orvis fitness room focuses on strength training offering: 25 cardio machines, 6 treadmills, 4 pre-core elliptical machines, 3 cybax arc training, multiple interactive bikes, 2,500 free weights and dumbbells, a hoist rise circuit, and 4 power racks. There is an auxiliary room where students can complete cross fit training and core work, and there is available space so that classes can be taught in the room as well.

Recently there has been an active debate by many clubs on campus over the use of the fitness center. Many of the clubs would like to hold classes there but it is not possible unless every club member belongs to the fitness center. President Sullivan remarked that he is excited for the students to have a place to exercise and the new fitness center is making the experience more comfortable for its members. He is ecstatic about the large response from the campus community that the fitness center has already created. Sullivan wants to provide as much as possible for the students and his next goal is to eventually add stability balls in the auxiliary room and reconstruct the fitness center fees. Take time to visit the new center. It definitely will be worth your time!  

Journal #3 Thinking Fast

I have always had trouble with thinking on my feet and this has been one of my biggest challenges during my internship. If I get too much information at once I can get confused and it is difficult for my brain to be able to process information quickly. I have always felt that my thinking processes take longer and I am more efficient when I am given one or two directives at a time. It can be difficult for me to interrupt my train of thought, switch gears and do a different task that may be asked of me. I desire to finish my thoughts and then do what has been asked, however this is not always possible. I realize that this slower step process is not what the real work world expects.  Multi-tasking has never been my strong suit, but a month into my internship I am finding that I am developing this skill. I realize that this is a skill I need to develop to be able to prepare for my future work career. 

Journal #2 International Student Regulations

There are multiple steps that a student must complete to become eligible to study within the United Sates. They must complete a Form DS-160 (Nonimmigrant Visa Application) which is an online application that requires a non-refundable fee. Due to U.S. security concerns, some male applicants, ages 16-54, may need to provide additional information on their applications by completing a DS-157 form (Supplemental Nonimmigrant Visa Application) and must be submitted at the same time as DS-160. The role of immigration form DS-157 is to determine visa eligibility and classification. Applicants can file Form DS-157 at the U.S. embassy or consulate where they are applying for their nonimmigrant visa. They must have a valid passport for travel to the United States and with a validity date at least six months beyond their intended period of stay in the United States. They need to include a photo with the following requirements: in color, taken within the last six months to reflect their current appearance, taken in front of a plain white or off-white background, taken in full-face view directly facing the camera with a neutral facial expression and both eyes open, and wearing clothing that they normally wear on a daily basis.

After an international student is accepted to study in the United States, they receive the status of an F-1 student. The F-1 visa is issued for students attending an academic program or English Language Program at a U.S. college or university. F-1 students must maintain the minimum course load for full-time student status. They can remain in the U.S. up to 60 days beyond the length of time it takes to complete their academic program, unless they have applied and been approved to stay and work for a period of time under the OPT Program. In order to qualify, applicants need to satisfy and prove several strict criteria during an F-1 visa interview, including the following: they must have a foreign residence and intend to return there upon the completion of their studies, have a sponsoring institution where the student may only study at the academic institution through which the visa was granted, demonstrate sufficient financial support and must demonstrate that they have strong ties to their home country. Strong ties are defined as a job offer letter upon completion of studies, assets (i.e., house, land, vehicle, etc.), bank accounts, and/or family.

Each international student is required to obtain an I-20 form for studying at Alfred State. The I-20 form is an identification document that provides proof of academics, legal status, and includes the date on which the student is expected to complete the degree program. This form can be shown to employers if they apply for on/off-campus employment, to the Department of Motor Vehicles if they apply for a driver's license, and to the Social Security Office when they apply for a Social Security number. The student is required to obtain an I-94 card (Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver Arrival and Departure Form), a passport and student Visa. Failure to not complete any of forms could result in deportation due to U.S. government regulations.

SUNY regulations include that a student must take a minimum of 12 credits per semester and successfully complete each class. They are permitted to take only one online class per semester, are not allowed to work off-campus, and they must remain in good financial standing at all times. The International Student Service Office will not endorse any INS (International Student) paperwork if the student’s account balance is not zero. If they are living on campus, they are expected to pay room and board fees upon arrival and if they live off-campus, an off-campus waiver must be completed each academic year. If they plan on traveling outside the U.S. the I-20 must be signed by Tricia Herritt is the Coordinator of International Student Services and study abroad.

web search 

interview 

Journal #1 International Student Services Office

History

Alfred State started accepting students in 1986. The major development in the office occurred in 2001 after the September 11^th attack. The government decided that to designate someone to keep track of all the international students. More regulations were added and more work was added to the department.

Budget

Alfred State is non-profit so they are tax exempt. She receives $4,100 per year from the college to use toward study abroad and international services. She gets $2,000 for conferences. This fluctuates every year. She gets $8,000 per year for International Club.

Staff

Tricia Herritt is the Coordinator of International Student Services and study abroad.

Policies

There is a SUNY manual that is the same for all international offices at colleges and she has a study abroad manual she created.

Clients

International students from around the world and people interested in study abroad. The international student services office helps international students make a smooth transition into the culture and student life at Alfred State. They assist them with academic issues, paperwork, banking, airport shuttling, getting jobs on campus and the surrounding area, and other challenges that might be faced. The office is involved with international club for students to hang out with other international students and do fun activities. There are no restrictions on international students coming in to study but they have to be at least 18. The only people she can’t help are out of status students which happens when they don’t maintain their visas.

Supervisor

Tricia Herritt is the Coordinator of International Student Services and study abroad. She helps them with making a smooth transition into the culture and student life at Alfred State, assist them with academic issues, paperwork, banking, taxes, airport shuttling, getting jobs on campus and the surrounding area, and other challenges that might be faced. She is the advisor to the international club. She has her bachelor degree in intercultural studies with a minor in education. She has a master’s in counseling. She was hired as an assistant to residential life and was a counselor at the health center before becoming coordinator of international student services. She started working for the international office in 2011. She had to endure a yearlong program in NYC to train for the position.