SullReal

Voting Plans Mixed for Sullivan Students as Presidential Election Nears                           

By the Students of Journalism I / for SullReal

May 2012 — The 2008 Presidential election brought out the most student voters in history, especially for Barack Obama.  Over the course of the four years he’s been in office, support from students has dropped dramatically due to the economy, student loan repayments and lack of job opportunities relating to their careers. Shady politicians and inadequacy from both Democrats and Republicans have also been cited as the cause for a decline of interest among student voters.  Come Election Day this November, students may be away from home at school and they may lack a practical knowledge of voting and registration rules and these, too, may contribute to a decline in the numbers of student voters.

Despite what some college students — especially those from out-of-state — may believe the process of voting while attending college can be relatively easy as long as one knows what to do. When November 6th, 2012 arrives, Sullivan students will find that they have the option of voting as an absentee, or – if registered as a resident of Loch Sheldrake — they can go to a local polling place between the hours of 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. This can be considered a disadvantage, as it is hard for some students to leave the school when they have classes all day. Additionally, if they live in the dorms, they may not have access to transportation.

This spring, 83 randomly selected students at SUNY Sullivan were interviewed about their voting plans and about their feelings about the upcoming election.

Of those interviewed, 59 plan to vote in the November 2012 election, 27 don’t plan to vote, and 7 are undecided.  When asked if they are registered to vote, 67 stated they are and 38 said they aren’t.  Being that students come from many parts of the country such as California, Florida, Pennsylvania, and all over New York, 7 plan to cast an absentee ballot. When asked if they ever voted during a presidential election, 24 said they have and 46 haven’t.  One underinformed student said she couldn’t vote because she did not vote in the primary (voting in a primary is not required).

While some expressed dismay with the overall political process, others were passionate about the importance of being informed and of voting.

“Even if you don’t do it, it doesn’t count, they just do what they want anyway,” said Amy Anzano.  [The Republican and Democrats] “seem more interested in bashing each other than solving our problems.” Vanessa Miller agreed, “Doesn’t make a difference,” she said. Melliss Devore is also disenchanted. “It’s a waste of time,” she said. Jonathan Wright, meanwhile, expressed a gut reaction: “I hate voting.”

Others said they feel voting is just not a good use of their time. “The reason I don’t vote is because I don’t feel that my vote counts,” said Tamika Murray.

While the opinions of those dismayed with the process were easy to find, it was even easier to find students who are believers when it comes to voting.

“I believe voting is necessary in order to have a better outcome on who we have as a president,” said Ryan Cook. “Voting is important,” said Terrance Howard. “Voting lets people express their voice and shows that people’s opinions matter.”

“It’s important to society because it gives us people the chance to be heard,” said Danelle Lyttle, and Lisa Heralall agreed. “It’s good for our people to have a say,” she said.

“One vote can make a difference,” said Albert Miller.

Whether they were planning to vote or not, it was clear that the nastiness of the campaigning is a turn-off for those students interviewed.

Shakilya Gipson states, “Both parties fail to realize that, when debating, it is all about listening and tolerating one’s opinion. Contrary to that, they both argue and talk over one another criticizing one’s idea or attacking one’s intellect, thus, creating a non-negotiable or agreeable conversation.”

James Warren said, “They can’t agree on anything because they both are biased and favor one side, forgetting that the Constitution states that everyone is equal.” Meanwhile, he said, “Money dictates where you’re positioned at in this world.”

When asked what they feel the biggest issues are when it comes to the presidential election the students listed many topics. Among them were: healthcare, social security, federal cuts, alternative energy and funding, the current war, education, job creation or job creation failure, college tuition, student loans, funding for social programs, future plans for the country, the recession, and foreign affairs.

Voting in New York State: What to Know

Election Day is Nov. 6, 2012.

The deadlines for registering to vote in the general elections are as follows; by mail postmarked by no later than Oct. 12 and received no later than Oct. 17, in person at local board of elections, or in person at any state agency participating in the National Voter Registration Act by Oct. 26.

• If you’re a college student you can vote in either your prior district state or in the state County and local elections in the district of your colleges address which you attend.

• To download a voter registration form, click here. You may also pick one up at your local post office, public library or motor vehicle office.

Voting can also be done by absentee ballot.

• Applications for Absentee Ballots are available at your county board of elections.
• You may also download a PDF version of the New York State Absentee Ballot Application Form.
• Upon completion, applications must be mailed to your county board no later than the seventh day before the election or delivered in person no later than the day before the election.

• You may also request an Absentee Ballot by sending a letter to your county board of elections. The letter must be received by your county board no earlier than 30 days and no later than seven days before the election. An application for an absentee ballot in New York State must be either hand-delivered to a County Board of elections, not later than one day before the election, or mailed and postmarked by government Postal Service not later than seven days prior to Election Day. The actual ballot must be hand-delivered the day of election before polls close or postmarked by government Postal Service not later than the day before and received no later than seven days after the election.

Are you eligible to vote?

Qualifying to register to vote in New York State has five very basic rules they are:

• be a US citizen
• be 18 years old by December 31 of the year in which you register (you must also be 18 years old by the date of the general, primary, or other election in which you want to vote)

• be at your present address at least 30 days before an election
• not be in jail or on parole for a felony conviction

• not claim the right to vote elsewhere

On Occasion of New Anthology, Professor Reveals Her Own Writing Practices and Pitfalls

By Jessica Bogle / for SullReal

This spring, the Boston-based publisher Wadsworth published a new edition of the writing anthology Legacies: Fiction, Poetry, Drama, Nonfiction. The 1579-page volume was edited by SUNY Sullivan professor of English and writing Lynne Crockett and her colleague, Jan Zlotnik Schmidt of SUNY New Paltz.

SullReal’s Jessica Bogle caught up with Dr. Crockett in April and asked her about the book, her own writing and the writing process.

Q. What inspired you if anything to write?

A. I have always loved reading and writing (most good writers also are good readers). I used to beg my mother to buy me more books. As I grew older I decided I could write stories like the ones I read, and I told everyone that I would be a writer when I grew up. One of my most exciting Christmas gifts was a typewriter (this was in the days before computers!).  Of course, as I got older my family encouraged me to find a more practical occupation, so I got my Ph.D. in literature and became a teacher. I write now for a newspaper, The Shawangunk Journal out of Ellenville, and the editor of that paper has asked me to write for a local magazine that is being formed this summer. I also send my essays to various literary journals for publication. I write every day in my journal or on essays. Writing is a way of thinking, of analyzing the world. It also is a way to capture moments of your life on paper, to preserve future memories and thoughts. I love it.

Q. I always have a hard time finding what I want to write about and then it’s always hard to start. What do you do to begin the writing process?

A. Starting a piece is hard, though for me the most difficult part of writing an essay is the conclusion. Because I write journals, I will jot down interesting moments from my day or things that I observe (like animals) or things that annoy me (like people), then when I need an idea for an essay I take one of these journal items and expand on it. When I was a child my mother made fun of me for talking all of the time; now that I am older I use writing to talk all of the time. There are always things to talk/write about. Starting an essay for me is not as hard as it once was because I write a lot—if the essay sucks when I begin, I know I can go back and fix it. In fact, I expect it to suck when I start. Knowing this makes beginning a new work less anxiety-provoking.

Q. Do you make deadlines for yourself or do you feel that stifles the creative aspect of writing?

A. I need deadlines. If I don’t have deadlines, I will procrastinate or develop an elaborate outline but never actually do the serious writing. (By “serious” I mean writing for an audience, when I need to explain each point and use examples.) I guess that any student can identify with procrastination!

What is your favorite part of the book?

Legacies is an anthology, which means that it is a compilation of short stories, poems, plays, and essays—and I did not write them. I did write questions at the end of each chapter and the information about the writing process at the beginning and the information on genres at end of the book with my co-author, Jan Zlotnik Schmidt, who is a professor at New Paltz.

It is hard to say which is my “favorite” section. I like the chapters on identity (5), war (8), and the environment (9) the best, I think, but there are works in each chapter that are great.

I find it hard to balance things at home, homework, work, and a social life, when do you find time to write as a busy teacher?

There never is enough time to do everything. I get up early, at 5 am, to work on classes or to write, depending on which is the most pressing deadline, and I work on weekends. I neglect friends during the school year, though I am trying to do that less than I did in the past. I go through periods each semester when I am irritable and feel like nothing is getting done. But because I teach writing and am in charge of the Composition Program here at the college, I feel it is important that I also write—and, as I said before, I love to write. When I don’t write I become depressed.

How many times do you have to revise before you have your final copy? What is that process like?

This is a great question. I revise all of the time, throughout the entire process of writing the essay. And often the revisions are major—I begin an essay with an idea of where I am going, and I end up someplace totally different and unexpected. As I said before, writing is a way of thinking, so I need to think my way through an essay rather than believing that I know the answers before I begin. So I begin to write, then go back to the beginning and delete paragraphs, add more details, then move on, then go back to the beginning again and work on it some more. I put the essay aside for a while when I have a complete draft, then return to it later and rework it again when I can see it with fresh eyes (re-vise, or see again). Many of the essays I have written and published I want to revise again into longer (or shorter) works. Revision is a natural part of writing; I never am as clear or detailed or interesting as I would like to be. And revision is my favorite part of the writing process; it is the longest part of the process.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Write and read all of the time. When I was in my teens and twenties the only writing I did (besides for school) was in my journal, but even though it was personal, informal, my writing improved greatly because I did it all of the time. I often make the analogy between writing and running (or any sport, really); you do not become a runner by thinking about running. You have to do it. Reading is important because we learn about language and structure through observation. If you don’t read, you will not progress as quickly (or at all) as a writer. One of my best students this semester gets excited by the essays we read in my Creative Nonfiction class and the stories he reads in his literature class, and he told me he is experimenting with structure so his writing can reflect the style of the professionals he reads. Not surprisingly, this student’s writing, which was strong in the beginning of the semester, is much better now.

V-Day Seeks to Educate on Global Issue of Violence Against Women

Special to SullReal

The Math Department has announced the winners of the Jelly Bean counting contest held on Thursday, April 26, in the C-Wing in celebration of April as Math Awareness Month.

There were 174 jelly beans in the jar. The two closest guesses were submitted by winners:

Evelyn Stewart, who guessed 165, and

Deb Lewkiewicz, who guessed 183.

They will soon be getting their prizes which are rumored to be candy.

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Students Explore ‘The Psychology of Sustainability’

Special submission to SullReal  / from the SUNY Sullivan Psychology Club

The 6th Annual Mid-Hudson Psychology Research Conference was hosted at SUNY Sullivan this past weekend. According to organizers, it was a huge success!

The conference theme of “The Psychology of Sustainability” was emphasized in a keynote presentation given by guest Renee Bator, who is the co-chair of the Psychology Department at SUNY Plattsburgh.  The keynote discussion, entitled “Green is the New Black” presented research in social psychology that has focused on promoting sustainability behaviors on college campuses.  Student presenters from several area schools presented their work in various formats.

The Psychology Club at SUNY Sullivan organized the event. “Congratulations to the psychology club,” said SUNY Sullivan psychology Professor and club advisor Susan Rogers. “What a great way to spend Earth Day weekend!”

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On a Very Big Fire, A Very Personal Take

By Kaitlyn Davidson / for SullReal

As you all have heard, on Saturday evening on April 14, 2012, Grandview Palace went up in flames. Many people who lived there year-round lost their homes and belongings. Others lost their summer homes or jobs. Some also lost a place of many memories. I was one of those.

I spent 15 years of my life at Grandview Palace. My mother started working there as a real estate agent when I was four. I spent almost every day there while growing up.

I met my first best friend there.  I played dolls and pushed a baby stroller around the place. I used to run around with all the other kids; we would make up games, play tag and manhunt. There was also a huge game room where I would con my mom out of money to win stuffed animals in the claw machine.

After I graduated from high school, I moved there. I lived at Grandview for two years before it burnt down.

Grandview Palace felt like a castle to me. It had everything you could imagine. It had a indoor/outdoor pool, movie theater, game room, play ground, basketball court, tennis court, and beautiful apartments. Back when Grandview was called The Brown’s Hotel, one scene from Dirty Dancing was filmed in the Jerry Lewis theater. The theater was in one of the buildings destroyed by the fire.

On the afternoon of April 14, I got home between 5 and 5:30. My boyfriend was trying to take a shower but there was no water pressure. We were very confused since they don’t do maintenance on weekends, so there was no reason for low pressure, we thought. I went back into our room to do something when I heard sirens. I thought it was our neighbor’s son playing with a fire truck, but when I looked outside I saw actual fire trucks and volunteer lights flashing. I opened the door and went outside; I saw black smoke rising in the sky. I yelled, “The place is on fire! Pack everything!” My boyfriend and I began to throw our clothes and most valuable things into garbage bags. We put the bags outside then loaded up my car. We stayed and watched a while, and by the time we were ready to leave we couldn’t due to all the hoses running along the road. Not knowing the fire was going to last 24+ hours we finally walked to the gas station in Loch Sheldrake, where my mom picked us up.

It was a very sad day for everyone who was there. I was fortunate enough to grab most of my stuff, were others lost everything. The American Red Cross helped seventy-five residents, giving them shelter, food, and clothes at Sullivan County Community College’s field house, that night.

There were 396 units and 9 buildings in the complex. About 90 all year-round residents lost their homes. Five building are completely gone, three are still standing and one has one a small section still standing. Grandview Palce is now condemmed except for the house that Lilian and Charles Brown used to live in. They were the original owners of the Brown’s Hotel.

I am very thankful there were no lives lost. I am also thankful for the fire fighters, the American Red Cross, the companies that gave donations to the fire fighters during the fire, and to the individuals who are helping us in every way they can. There are fundraisers, such as: bake sales, donations, and a battle of the bands. Out of tragedies good people come out to help those in need.

* * * *

How to Help

Information on many of the fundraisers and services launched to help people in need may be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/406292289390448/

Here on campus, 5 students who were displaced by the Grandview fire are now living in the residence halls. Clothing and everyday supplies are needed and may be dropped off either at Penny Constant’s office, J-109 (administration building).

Among the items needed are pillows and blankets; towels and face towels; toothpaste, toothbrush and mouthwash; facial wash; shampoo and conditioner, liquid body soap; lotion; deodorant; umbrella.

Clothing needs include: Women’s sizes -0 or 0; size 3; size 9. Men’s size 27/28″ waist with  28/29″ length  and small size for shirts, hoodies, and such, as well as men’s tall (6′) and large/xl items.