Anna Arroyo is a speaker for the Active Minds organization. Active Minds, formed in 2001 by Alison Malmon, is an organization that helps people get over mental barriers. SUNY Cobleskill asked Arroyo to speak with the students about mental health. Arroyo talked about what she went through in college and what she did to get over her eating disorder.

Arroyo explained that mental health affects a lot of people. College students go through many changes that affect who they are and what they do. A college student may go through depression, overwhelming work, and many other feelings. Mental health is caused by three things; genetics, the environment, and neglect or abuse. As college students face new environments, unrecognized faces, and stress they are in risk of developing a mental health issue.

There are ways to deal with mental health. Arroyo stated “The best way to handle a mental disorder understands that you are not yourself, talking to people about it, and getting professional help.”

“This is going make me realize how much of a social life I don’t have,” laughed Brian Sprague, a senior at Columbia High School, as well as an avid user of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, MeetMe, and Tumblr. “But I check all my social networks about 15 times a day. If I wasn’t connected, I would sulk in teen angst.” Sprague also continued with, “Social media means an escape from reality. It allows me to be whoever I want to be.”

The idea that social media somewhat defines who we are is an ever-growing concern. People today are so concerned with how other people view them, that they will act inversely in order to receive some sort of reaction from other people.

But there’s another side. It also is a way of keeping in touch with family members whom you can’t simply visit every day. In the economy of today, people are receiving jobs in which they must move from their hometowns, in some cases their home countries. Social media is a fast and easy way to stay in touch with the people you love. Without its grasp on the world, it would take days if not weeks to receive communication from the other side of the planet. With the ease of social media, all it takes is a click.

Social media has become a world-bonding instrument. It can connect people who are thousands of miles apart. In Reham El Shimy’s case it is a vital source of communication. El Shimy, a Facebook and Twitter user, is currently studying at SUNY Cobleskill, more than 5,000 miles away from her home in Cairo, Egypt. “It is a GREAT way stay connected,” she remarked “I have friends back home, and it’s the easiest way of communication!” When asked if she’s addicted to social media, she projected, “I probably spend around three hours a day in total online. But I wouldn’t call myself addicted.”

Staying connected isn’t directly affected on far distances though. “Social media is a way for me to be connected with people at all times, even in my isolated area, so it helps ease separation anxiety,” stated Josh Walsh, a graduate and local of Middleburgh, New York and a frequent Facebook user. “Without constant access to social media, I would literally do nothing.” Walsh’s idea leads way to the prime concept of social media, to be social. It lets us stay in touch with people we wouldn’t necessarily see on an everyday basis, be it family or friends.

Jessica Shaul, a freshman of SUNY Potsdam and a user of Facebook and Youtube, expressed, “Social media is another form of communication without leaving the comforts of my room or home. It’s a way to stay connected with the world… I’m allowed to use the technology that I need or want to use at the time.”

Shaul is part of a growing amount of people who are learning to use social media responsibly. They allow themselves the fun that is associated with social media, but they have enough will power to pull the plug when they get too involved.

The convenience of social media may be its greatest downfall yet. Anyone with Internet access has the access to social media. You just simple open up a browser and type in the desired social media site, and you have unlimited use. These days you don’t even need a desktop to achieve this. Most smart phones on the market today have Internet access already built into them.  This drives the occurring question: are we addicted to social media or are we simple just using it because it’s everywhere?

The next morning shortly before your shift you get a call from your boss. She explains that she will no longer need you because another co-worker shared what you posted and she finds it highly unprofessional. After hanging up the phone you feel shocked. Why would your friend show your boss your personal information? Well, anything you put on your Facebook page can be shared or seen one way or another so it’s really up to you to decide what you post.

The previous scenario is an example of one of the risks that Facebook can pose to everyday users. It all started when one Harvard student, Mark Zuckerberg, began this public personal blogging site in 2003. Now there are over 500 million users, with the potential to record their every thought and action, who their with and where they are. So what happens to Facebook users who willingly provide information that is taken too far? Or users that use it responsibly for networking? Or even the user that really doesn’t invest time to look at their settings? Well, there are a number of risks to users that post information, photos and comments with no regard of who is going to see them. At the same time there are a number of benefits to the users that have become successful with sharing beneficial ideas, spreading awareness, making more friends, etc. By becoming mindful of how your privacy settings work you can protect yourself. Some users are not even aware that what they are posting cannot only be seen and taken by advertisers but also by scammers, peers, employers, and law officials.

In accordance with numerous worthy news sources privacy settings for Facebook have been controversial since day one. You sign in to your Facebook account and it seems like each time some sort of privacy setting has been removed, added, or changed. What does that mean to us users? Well, specifically stated by Joan Goodchild, senior editor of CSO (Chief Security Officer) Online, on “The Early Show on Saturday Morning” we are not well protected. Goodchild identifies that privacy settings revert to a less safe default mode after each redesign. Facebook ads may contain malware. Scammers are creating fake profiles and your real friends unknowingly make you vulnerable. Your information is also being shared with third parties.

Jessi Lane, a SUNY Cobleskill graduate, experienced her information being shared first hand. “If your smart phone is linked to your Facebook, other people with smart phones can access your phone number whether you want them to or not,” she stated with concern, after her telephone number had been accessed by an unwanted person.

When it comes to unwillingly being affected by privacy issues, a Schoharie County native says it makes her nervous. “I have people who are blocked who still find ways to access my profile, get personal information and view my pictures,” said Rosie Lamport, a new mother residing in Stamford, NY. “I couldn’t tell you how, but it’s made me nervous and my husband and I have talked about me getting rid of my account.” Not being aware of how someone gains access to your personal information and photos can be quite nerve wrecking. It would appear that someone created a fake profile to secretly access her information. In that case she really can’t be protected, and neither could you.

Some users may willingly make their information public or explicit and not be concerned with who sees it, possibly even displaying inappropriate, disrespectful, or unlawful content. They don’t realize that they are putting themselves at a high risk. Not only could they be offending readers, but they could be losing a current or future job prospect. A survey conducted by the online employment website, CareerBuilder, found that 37 percent of hiring managers use social networking sites to research job applicants. They are particularly looking to see what your character is like. Corresponding to the scenario in the beginning of the article, you can be set in a position and still lose your job by being irresponsible on Facebook.

Are you anxious to go change your Facebook settings yet? Well, if you answered no then you may be among those who don’t care, among those that believe they are responsible users, or in between. Users in control of their settings, and accountable for what they post could be considered responsible. Lynn Helme, an advocate for animal rescue, says she uses Facebook mainly to spread awareness about adoptable animals that are at risk of being euthanized unless they find a foster or adopter. She also spreads awareness about animal abuse and the lack of proper legislation. When asked, has Facebook affected you in a positive or negative way, she answered with positive and said “I have seen many, many animals in the worst conditions be rescued into amazing homes due to networking on Facebook. It is powerful when used properly.” When it comes to posting content that may seem inappropriate she explained that she has posted things that are somewhat disturbing or upsetting for the sake of the adoptable animals and spreading awareness about the cause. She is aware her information can be seen and says, “I don’t post anything personal and when you are spreading awareness and trying to find adopters for animals, the more people who see it the better.” It is nice to know that in the midst of error, good things can be brought forward.

Along with Helme, Clair Puciato, an Albany resident also feels that Facebook has affected her in a positive way. “I think because I am older I am not drawn into any drama, no one writes negatively to or at me and vice versa,” she said, also expressing that it makes her feel good when people ‘like’ her posts. “I like seeing what my good friends have been doing, I kind of use it like a newspaper for people I know,” she added. She admitted when it comes to posting anything that could be deemed inappropriate she has posted photos of her partying with friends or something funny. Unfortunately that could be looked down upon by an employer. But when asked, are you concerned with your information staying private? She said, “I put it on the internet so I know nothing is private, really. Once it is on the internet anyone can access it.”

Previously when Mark Zuckerberg created Facebook in his Harvard dorm room he may not have imagined the controversy it would have created today. The rapid growth of the company has expanded to new heights. Looking for ways to make money, investors will do what they can to get the information they need. That means altering our privacy settings and tapping into information they feel is of use to them. There are ways you can avoid becoming a victim or being affected negatively by the threats that Facebook poses. Always keep up to date with your settings and what you are sharing. Facebook offers a privacy blog where you can learn about all of the privacy settings and updates. Be responsible with what you are posting. Keep in mind that it’s not only you reading the information but advertisers, scammers, peers, employers, and even law officials.

Sungsik is from Seoul, South Korea the capital city. Korea is a highly developed country and being in the capital city there are a tremendous amount of activities for him to do or enjoy. Most importantly, “It is easy for me to talk to my friends; they easily understand me,” he says. He later stated that the most difficult thing being here is not the classes; it’s the culture difference. “Sometimes I had to sit alone in the cafeteria eating,” he claimed. He smiles as he is talking along with his girlfriend. A twenty year old Asian, who he describes as witty and spoiled, always stays with him. They like hanging out together with their similar interests. I asked him why he doesn’t spend time with his roommate, Steve. “I don’t really like talking to Steve, he looks mean,” he says.

SUNY Cobleskill is becoming increasingly diverse.  In this Spring Semester 2013, there is a small percentage of Asians: 1.3 percent, 4.8 percent are unknown or have not claimed citizenship, 93.9 percent are American students. There is no question that this is going to be hard work and it takes effort to do so. It takes time and effort to study about unfamiliar cultures. It takes stretching our powers of empathy and creativity to adjust teaching practices to fully include families of different cultures. According to the Librarian of Van Wagenen, April Davis, “They should hang out together and understand each other; like twenty years ago when most students interacted with each other all the time.”  We are in the same place seeking knowledge in the same institution; we like to find joy and see everybody educated and doing well in their life. Building bridges to learn about others culture could stimulate a positive pace in education. Just think how many students will grow socially and academically when everyone reflects the traditions and contributions of all the cultures in the school campus.

Sungsik came to America with five other students. However, they are not really close to each other. “They have their own schedules, and live in their own bubbles and are isolated from other students,” Sungsik says. He also described them as “quiet.”  When Sungsik is bored; he usually just hangs out with his girlfriend or just play games because Cobleskill is far from New York City. There is not much for him to do, plus he is embarrassed to talk to the American students. “I’m not fluent in English, and I don’t know what to talk about,” he says. He jokes about “going shopping at Wal-Mart.” Most students are walking and sitting with their hand on their phone texting and not verbally interacting.

This is quite common at SUNY Cobleskill because everyone is in their own bubbles. Unless you are eager to talk to somebody, you will be alone. A division of cultural differences is noticed on the school campus. It is making progressive steps towards the negatives. For instance, you see the segregation of Asians and Americans; they are isolated from each other, lack communication, and create misunderstanding.

According to civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr., “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.” Cultural differences between students create a much larger gap than social standing and religious differences. Different nationalities have different beliefs structures, and experiences. However, students at SUNY Cobleskill do not like to learn and understand each other’s backgrounds. Everyone is for themselves. “Men hate each other because they fear each other, and they fear each other because they don’t know each other, and they don’t know each other because they are often separated from each other,” said Martin Luther King, Jr.

There are students who cannot accept the cultural differences and are forced to leave school. According to Syd Bloom, a resident Director in Dix Hall, “There are two types of people: there are people who are facing a problem and solve it, and there are people who cannot overcome that problem and give up.” She also said, “This is just like students with differences in background in cultures.” She has seen so many students, not only the internationals but the American students themselves, have that problem. “They come and go,” she says.  Lucas Victoria, who spent two semesters at SUNY Cobleskill, says, “It’s hard to make friends and understand everyone’s culture when we have our own things to do and our own lives to live; nobody has time for that.”

It has been noticed that students’ lack of communication, isolating themselves, and misunderstanding towards each other is creating cultural differences. This is creating a negative impact on the whole of the SUNY Cobleskill campus. It is also an issue created by social media, which has made students only care about themselves, and become much more anti-social. As a result of different backgrounds, we see segregations of races and nationalities at SUNY Cobleskill.

This message can be found posted along the high green fences outlining the off-limits construction area for the new Center for Agriculture and Natural Resources on the North side of campus at SUNY Cobleskill. Walking along the outside of the fence for the site, noise can be heard from within indicating activity and progress on what is now just an empty skeleton on a firm concrete foundation. By the summer of 2014, this structure, which is accessible now only by mud roads at gated entries, will be complete and finally open to more than just the design and build teams.

Just a couple hundred feet up the road from the site is the facilities office where Facilities Project Manager and campus contact for the new center, John Rose, can view the building’s progress out of his window. Rose, with a desk-space piled high with architectural plans, campus diagrams, and project binders, enthusiastically explains features of the new building design while offering a peek at various drawings and papers. He had been asked to serve as campus contact for the project, making him the voice for the college at meetings with contractors, managers, architects and engineers. His involvement started as early as the first planning phases, where he was able to work with faculty and staff on what they wanted to see in the finished product.

The multistory steel frame that Rose sees from his window everyday will eventually become an ultramodern building, which will be the home for three distinct academic departments at SUNY Cobleskill; Animal Science, Plant Science, and Fisheries and Wildlife. Students, faculty, and staff from the different departments will be intermingling in a building housing new classrooms, laboratories, offices, greenhouses, a café, meat-processing center, and fish hatcheries. This consolidation of program within the Center for Agriculture and Natural Resources will have a significant impact on the academic experience for students, as well as the overall recruitment efforts of the school.

Rose says that for the campus, the project was long overdue, but regarding the current status and progress of the building he does not hesitate to say “[It] is going great!” The Center for Agriculture and Natural Resources is ahead of schedule for the winter and is slated to open at the same time as what Rose calls the campus’ sister project, a new dorm building; which is to be sited where the livestock barn (the Walters Barn) currently stands. According to Rose, the residential townhouses and suites will be very close to a main door of the Center for Agriculture and Natural Resources, and both ultramodern buildings will complement each other and help to attract new students.

Assistant Professor of Agriculture Business Management, Dr. Jason Evans, shares much the same opinion as Rose with regard to the timing of the new center. Dr. Evans says that for projects like the new Center for Agriculture and Natural Resources, “It’s about time.” The $38, 766,000 project designed by Ennead Architects, will offer 93,000 square feet of space dedicated to highly modernized instruction, which Evans believes will strongly enhance what SUNY Cobleskill currently offers. “We have excellent facilities [like the Dairy Complex and Equestrian Center] on campus, and the classrooms need to catch-up.” Evans also adds that with departments like Animal Science, Meat Processing, and Agricultural Business growing, more space is needed to accommodate what they can each do.

In addition, Dr. Evans, who is also a faculty advisor for Epsilon Pi Tau honor society, the Livestock Show Team, and the American Animal Producers Club on campus, describes how he thinks the building will have a very positive influence on how students perceive the quality of their education. “The new state-of-the-art infrastructure will help students to embrace the special and unique programs that SUNY Cobleskill has compared to land grant schools,” says Dr. Evans. Students may develop a new self-image that they “can do what the big schools do,” indicates Dr. Evans. He also highlights the hands-on approach that the school has and how the new building will make this just as beneficial to learning as time at a research-based institution.

With the combination of the three departments in one center, Dr. Evans believes that this will facilitate collaboration among faculty in areas like grant writing and interdisciplinary courses. He describes current programs that are in the works already where some of this collaboration will be occurring. “We’re working on trying to get a USDA grant to build a food systems curriculum…that will pull together [programs like] food production, food science, and nutrition,” explains Dr. Evans. Agricultural business students, he goes on, will also be able to work with food systems students if plans to convert the carriage house into an Agricultural retail center are carried out. Dr. Evans says that the retail center will be “for campus produced foods…fish, meats, sauces, veggies, milk, and culinary products [like baked goods and meals].”

In speaking about the planning process behind the project, and the recognition of faculty and student needs, Rose also highlights the cooperation of the different departments. Faculty from the Animal Science, Plant Science, and Fisheries and Wildlife were willing to allow some inter-mingling of spaces within the building for the sake of satisfying program needs, and “Programming is key,” says Rose. “ It took a lot of time with the programming part [and talking to the different academic departments] because we’ll never get that kind of money again.” Careful planning needed to be considered regarding the design of the building and the incorporation of program so as not to waste the funds.

Regarding the design of new building, Katie Mulcare a Junior and Animal Science major at SUNY Cobleskill says that the building may work really well with all of the related majors interacting in the same space. However, regarding the new center’s success; “It depends on how it turns out,” Mulcare says. She has her concerns about the smells from the fish hatcheries and meat processing center affecting the overall experience that students have. “With the smells…no one will want to go to class there,” she says.

Addressing this concern about ventilation, Rose indicates that very sophisticated and state-of-the-art systems will be in place to properly circulate air. “This is a very good design [by Ennead Architects]…” says Rose, and the smells “shouldn’t be an issue at all.” In addition to the building’s systems that Rose indicates will be relatively self-sufficient and easy for facilities to maintain, the new Center for Agriculture and Natural Resources will be LEED certified at the silver level, at least. LEED certification, which is based on a point system, ranks buildings according to sustainable design aspects. The more eco-friendly a building is, the higher the level of rank that it achieves. “There are two silvers on campus right now that are certified and registered…” says Rose, and that with the new building “We’re trying to shoot for gold.”

Overall, Evans concluded that with the construction of the new Center for Agriculture and Natural Resources, and efforts being made to improve academic programs and facilities, “I am really excited about what we could become.”

This research is funded by the institution, SUNY Cobleskill, for start up costs and then funded by grants, after providing the necessary data from the initial results to prove that the research is valid and worth granting the funds. Several grant applications have been submitted, but it is uncertain at this time whether SUNY Cobleskill has received any money from them yet. “Once the projects become more developed and successful we hope to get grants to hold workshops or complete summer research internships,” Peterson stated. “One large grant we are looking at is sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to create a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU). This is a paid ten week long summer internship that would be competitive with the other nationally renowned research and medical facilities who also hold these. This would certainly attract some of the top biology students in the country.”

Dr. Zeng and Peterson collaborate with a professor from Clemson University, North Carolina, who has developed and provided them with the gene necessary to produce the transgenic plants. Two other students, Gavin Eysler and Jonathan Winning, are beginning to work on similar projects this semester. They are trying to introduce other desirable traits such as disease resistance into soybeans. “However, this project provides Biotechnology students with extremely unique and intensive laboratory research experiences which could have contributed to their success. Of the past few graduates, two are now working towards Ph.D.s at Penn State, another at Cornell, and others are now working in the biotech industry,” Peterson said. “Also, I have been presenting the soybean research at scientific conferences, which has led to greater networking with other institutions and hopefully attracts new students to the school. For instance, our plant virus project came about by connection made at one of these presentations.”

The NEAC championships kicked off on Friday, February 15^th. The Cobleskill Fighting Tigers competed against Wells, Cazenovia, Gallaudet, and Saint Elizabeth’s. It was a long and hard three days for all the athletes. Even though the pressure was high the sportsmanship was at its all-time best. After one would finish the race he or she would congratulate the rest as they finished.

The Fighting Tigers fought well and hard in every event. Freshman Rachael Degnan set two school records with her outstanding times in the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 2:23.41 and the 400-yard individual medley with a time of 5:03.00. Other performers earned All-NEAC honors from junior Sarah Duger who captured Second Team All-NEAC honors in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:19.19 and a Third Team All-NEAC in the 100-yard freestyle in a time of 1:01.00. The relay team of: Tyler Little, Jessa Pacatte, Sarah Duger and Rachael Degnan earned Second Team All-NEAC honors in the 400-yard Medley Relay with a time of 4:47.09.

At the end of the NEAC championships the results were:

Women

1. Wells College-534
2. Cazenovia College-480
3. College of Saint Elizabeth-348
4. Gallaudet University-280
5. SUNY Cobleskill-236

Men

1. Wells College-477
2. Cazenovia College-448
3. Gallaudet University-423
4. SUNY Cobleskill-341

SUNY social media followers (Facebook, Twitter) may vote once per round, per matchup on the SUNY Mascot Madness website, which is hosted by the Generation SUNY Blog (blog.SUNY.edu; use shortlink for Mascot Madness: http://ow.ly/hTCNj). The SUNY System Administration Office of Communications, at  http://ow.ly/hTCNj, will begin promoting SUNY Mascot Madness beginning this week via Facebook (Facebook.com/GenerationSUNY) and Twitter (Twitter.com/SUNY) with #MascotMadness.

For further information on the Mascot Madness competition or to speak to Coby T. Tiger, interested parties can contact the SUNY Cobleskill Office of Sports Information at (518) 255-6244 Mondays through Fridays between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Competition Schedule:

Round 1:                              Monday, March 4 12:00 p.m. – Sunday, March 10 11:00 p.m.

Round 2:                              Tuesday, March 12 12:00 p.m. – Sunday, March 17 11:00 p.m.

Round 3 m Quarterfinal:  Tuesday, March 19 12:00 p.m. – Friday, March 22 12:00 p.m.

Round 4 – Semifinal:        Monday, March 25 12:00 p.m. – Thursday, March 28 12:00 p.m.

Round 5 – Final:                 Friday, March 29 12:00 p.m. – Thursday, April 4 12:00 p.m.

Seeding & Bracket Information At:

http://fightingtigers.cobleskill.edu/custompages/Support%20Fighting%20Tigers/MascotMadness-bracket.pdf?tab=2013sunymascotmadnessseedings

Previously, the Reptile Club wasn’t having the best of luck. They had the intentions of incubating a clutch of eggs in hopes of getting a few babies. Unfortunately, they had the wrong type of incubator and it fried of all of the eggs as well as their hopes for a successful clutch. At the time, the club was run by Vincent Farell. After he graduated, he handed his vision onto the shoulders of Steve Jackson.

The original goal of the club was to breed local snake species in order to relieve some of the stress on their populations. They might not have had such a good start, but they’ve bounced back twelve fold. The club has increased the publicity and awareness for the club by doing programs and holding meetings in which they educated people on the proper way to handle and care for the different species of snakes they have in their possession.

They recently purchased the correct type of incubator, and are currently trying to breed some snakes in order to get a nice clutch of eggs to incubate. The potential candidates are narrowed down to four pairs of local snakes. They include; Chain King snakes; Striped King snakes; natural variations of Corn snakes; and some White Rat snakes. If plans go as planned they should have a nice group of baby snakes, which they plan on selling to generate some revenue for the club.

The club has come a long way and has some very big plans for the next few months. They plan on going to a zoo and getting the details of its reptile exhibit, going to a Reptile convention and talking to some high-end breeders, going on hikes in order to observe and hopefully collect some species and are even currently looking for a separate building for breeding.

If interested in becoming a member and are not a wildlife major, but have a love for snakes, the club is always looking for interested members. Be on the lookout for fliers with upcoming events and up-to-date details. But if you can’t wait that long, you can get some more information from their Facebook page or just by showing up at the meetings in the Herpetology Room on the second floor of the Home Economics building at 12:15 on Thursdays.

Since 2007 smoking has been banned from college dorms. This law has been passed because of dorm fires that were started because of lit cigarettes. According to Lauren Mineau, a reporter from the Times Union, a new nonsmoking law will take effect on January 1, 2014. This law is to ban smoking on campus grounds and campus vehicles. This law was decided on June 12, 2012 by the SUNY committee. It will affect sixty-four SUNY School’s campus.

The outcome of this law will affect everyone in one-way or another. Ryan Rickson, a freshman at SUNY Cobleskill, said, “Good, I can’t wait to not be suffocated when I walk past a building.” The ban may lead the people that smoke to move to other colleges to find an education that allows their freedom to smoke. James Marigan, a sophomore who has been a smoker for three years said, “I think this will be a wake up call for people like me that are addicted and need to quit.”