Gator Tales: Online Student Panel

Collaborative

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Nothing, absolutely nothing.

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Hello everyone welcome alright. So as you guys are tuning in and we're waiting for everyone to join us all kind of go over some tech updates in best words of advice but while I'm doing that if you guys all wanna chat in where you're tuning in from today so we can kind of we can see where you're coming in from but so you guys can see each other. See were coming in from all over the world and all over the country that's.

Awesome my name is Amanda. I'm in admissions counselor and I'm joined today by three lovely students of ours, so will let them introduce themselves in a few minutes.

Awesome open from Pittsburgh. So kind of some best practices. If you guys are having any issues with audio with visual of anyone video eyes best practices to refresh your page so refreshing reload is our best advice. We do record these panels too so they will be posted on our virtual page, but you can also always email your admissions counselor and asked for ask for according to wash back later if you have any tech issues. There is also closed captioning in your top right corner, so if you're having trouble hearing everyone, you can click on that and then you can read along.

But that's kind of the best type practice I have a few of my colleagues working behind the scenes to help with the flow of your questions, so as you can see, your questions are being approved and showing up on your screen, so that's kind of to help us streamline everything. Make sure every question is answered and work from there.

But I will allow my awesome panelist to introduce themselves, UM one quick note is As for fall planning. I saw some questions about that. As far as fall semester 2020? What we're planning to do as of right now. We're doing everything possible to continue on campus learning in the fall. So we're doing everything we can. We missed the community. We are residents of learning campus in our community works great when we're all together, we all miss that so our goal right now.

Hi, I'm Jack. I'm a rising junior. I'm just finished sophomore year. I'm from Guelph ON Canada so I am technically an international student which kind of gives a different perspective to things. I am a history major with an education studies minor on campus. I am on the men's varsity soccer team as well as the Mens club hockey team. I'm apart of fraternity on campus and obviously I work in admissions as well, so I'm looking forward to answering any questions that you have.

Hi Ryan, I'm Caroline. I'm a graduating senior class of 2020 from Pittsburgh, PA. I'm a biochemistry major, global studies minor. Uhm, I'm on the premed track, uhm and I currently have a job lined up to work at you PMC. After I graduate I'm just take a gap year.

Campus I was pretty heavily involved in Alpha Phi Omega, which Carla touched upon is the service fraternity on campus. I was president and pledgemaster. I'm also a sister of Alpha Chi Omega which is a sorority on campus and I was servicing fundraising chair for them with that. Sorry I did a service trip to Jamaica for entire week with girls from all over the country. Sisters smell over the country where we really tried to help build up schools. Um, I'm also. I was vice president of UNICEF on campus.

And then secretary of UNICEF uhm, I used to intern in the office of admissions and I've also shadowed about five different positions through connections I've made through Allegany last time I was also a health coach with the Meadville Medical Center for a couple semesters there and last summer actually did a program at University of Alabama at Birmingham, where I did research on nephrology.

Oh, and I've also done research on campus for a couple semesters I worked with the Chemistry Department for two semesters and I worked as a senior comp student for two semesters in the Biology Department, and I also did research one more semester on polymers in the Chemistry Department.

Yeah, so as you can all see they're all incredible. Uhm, so if you have any questions about any of the things students are involved in specifically, feel free to message on below or things in general. I will get started by asking each of you to describe what a typical day in your life looks like when you're on campus. So day-to-day classes, meetings just what your typical day looks like as a student Jack. If you want to take this one away.

Sure, so I'm like I mentioned I'm on the men's varsity soccer team, so in the fall when I first come in, it's quite a busy semester. So each day you're going to be waking up in various times for your classes. You can go through your day-to-day classes. You could have possibly 0 classes a day, 123, or even possibly 4, just depending on how you organize your schedule for this semester. Every day I'll go to Brooks, which is one of our dining halls on campus getting nice.

Luncheon and then if I have time in the afternoon, I'll start doing some homework. But again in the fall I'll have my soccer practice is that I'll have to go to, which does take up a fair amount of time. It's about 2 hours per day of training, then obviously kind of getting up there, getting back and everything does take up some more time, so in the evenings after practices, I'm usually doing my homework, making sure I'm staying caught up on academics one time out of soccer season. It's a little bit different. I have more free time, so I'm able to.

Um, interact with my friends just a little bit more. A lot of my friends are all on the soccer team, but I'm still able to interact with them in different setting. So again, I'll have my regular classes, but we can usually go to a nice dinner at Brooks or mckinley's which is the other dining Hall and usually hang out a little bit the afternoon before I'm going to the library somewhere else to study for the rest of the evening.

OK, I'll go next. Uhm, so this past semester I'll just go through my schedule by fat. So about 10:00 am I would have microbiology, but before that I usually get up. Have like a bagel with cream cheese in my room and make some coffee. Uhm, shower, you know the usual and then I'll go to microbiology at 10:00 o'clock, which is one of my favorite classes of the day. Great way to start the day. Absolutely love that class and then about 11:00 AM. I'll go to biochemistry and then we get out like 12:15 usually. So then I can grab lunch with a couple friends.

Just like Jack set up, Brooks usually is, where most students go or mckinley's, but I like to go to Brooks on will say it's Monday. Um, so I like to have my fried chicken and fries. Uhm, and then often go to lab I mattia breakfast bio this past semester so I often like watch presentations that sophomores or freshmen give. So as a senior like being able to help them and give constructive feedback is really really helpful with the professor still in the room of course and everything and like working together to try to.

Open perfect their presentation skills and such within the field of biology and then usually after lab I'll swing over to like my comp lab for a couple hours and try to get some images or try to get some data. Just try to finesse a couple of things. I'm squeeze it in there and then. I'll usually go to dinner about 6:00 PM and Brooks and I'll get dinner with like my whole sorority. Pretty much we all sit together and it's super nice and then will head up to chapter usually at 7:00 PM which is on the top floor Brooks.

Usually chapter is like an hour ish to an hour and a half and we'll just talk about business. An really bond. It's great, it's a fun way to like relieve stress and just catch up with everyone. Uhm, but also help the chapter like going the best direction we can make it and then after chapter I usually head to the gym and then if I have like a tutoring shift for chemistry I'll swing by there. But usually I finished the night doing homework in my room with my roommates.

Yeah, and for me, um, so last semester and for this whole school year I was working on my senior comprehensive project, so I definitely decided to not take a lot of classes in order to focus more on my comp. So last semester wasn't too heavy on the workload. You know. I was taking yoga. I was taking band and so like my Monday Wednesdays were not as heavy with course work, but I focused more on my comp and then Tuesdays and Thursdays is when I had most of my classes. So there's days where I would be from like 930 all the way.

Two 430 in classes nonstop because I had lab as well as classes. An Comp Group. Uhm. So yeah, I worked out in the end it was just I also have Fridays off a man, but I use those to work in admissions since I am an intern there. So I like I work for like 8 hours a week and then with other time I would also use it to prepare for anything for Newman on the Catholic group, or for Latinos on their eyes. So it wasn't as busy. In hindsight, with clubs or.

Such, but I did that on purpose again.

So as you can see, our students are definitely very well involved, whether it be with athletics, uh, wife clubs, activities, classes, meetings, whatever it may be. But our first question came in kind of ties in with work study jobs, which is also very popular for students. Get involved in on campus. So if any of you have had work study jobs, can you talk about what kind and how easy it was in the process that find a job or what your friends may have experiences, especially around that class schedule.

Um, I'll go first for that. So yeah, some my job in admissions is a work study job, and I've been working on machines for 3 1/2 years now since my first year and the reason why I have that job is because of professor actually thought I would fit for the position and she helped me write a resume as well as a letter of recommendation. So in a lot of ice, tell people that if you're looking for a job, talk to professors because they might have a job available that they might need someone in the lab or.

They might be doing research on campus and they need something. Need a students help.

There's also off campus work study jobs. There's a database on Allegany on alleghenys page where you can look up jobs that people are posting on and off campus and just look through that pie and see if you can get that. But yeah, mine was through some through a connection. I think that's also the bus waiting to find a job.

Um, so I actually got my job to be a TFs bio again through, like a professors connection being an upperclassman and working in the Biology Department for a couple semesters. Professor is definitely want someone who's experienced and who knows what they're doing to be working closely with them, and so it's really one of those trust things they really want to make sure that they can trust you, but there's a lot of jobs on campus and I would say all of my friends who have tried to find a job have been able to find a job, and they usually pretty happy with it. My one friend.

Is a painter so she paints like fences and stuff and railings that needs to be touched up or sometimes like parts of walls that have just been shipped or whatever, and when she's not painting, which is usually like December or still like February ish is the slowest part she gets to do homework when she's working. So there's also people who work at the gym who just say hello to people as they come and make sure they swipe their card so it's pretty easy to get a job and it really depends on like how much work you want to put into it. Depending on where you want to be hired. Or do you want to work?

A lot of jobs are very up front like this is a low key. Kind of relax job where they just come out and say like right in the interview. This jobs little bit more intense so be ready which is really beneficial 'cause you know what you're getting into whenever you go for it. Some jobs don't require you to submit a resume at all, but Karla did. Sub jobs don't require a lot of recommendation at all, but Carlos did. My job didn't require either of those things. It was just more of a connection and kind of proving yourself over a couple of years there. But it really depends on what you want to do.

The why center to work at the gym. You don't need a resume and you don't need a letter recommendation. It's pretty nice to get into.

Yeah, there's definitely a lot of opportunities on campus to find work again. I work in admissions, and that's a little bit more of a not strenuous process, but you're doing day-to-day stuff all the time.

Terms of kind of actually finding schedule. It's very flexible. Kind of making sure that you're getting to your class in everything if you need to leave 510 minutes early to make sure you're on time for your class, that's not a problem at all, but usually able to give a lot of input on when you're available for your workout. It doesn't ever conflict with your classes or anything else. I'm obviously athletics as well.

But yeah, it it's really. There's so many opportunities Caroline was mentioning working the why center. We also have Inter murals that go on for different sports in Rio basketball, which is a very popular intermural at Allegany. And there are referees that they need for those basketball games. And that's another job that you can have. So any sort of job that you're looking for you can find on campus. There can be some more like working with professors, but at the same time just some low key.

Refereeing basketball

Alright, so um, you guys stay really busy during the week you work really hard. Uhm, So what are typical weekends like for you? So what are you involved in? What do you like to do to kind of relieve stress or whatever it is that you enjoy doing, whether it be a game for soccer or whatever it is, yeah.

So I'll start uhm, usually on weekends, uhm.

Specially 'cause I was working my comp this past semester. I spend a little bit of time in the lab. I'm not going to lie on Friday is kind of want one of my weak points where I really feel like, you know I should take advantage of the time and just go to lab, but that's often not what happens, so I'll stay at lab usually until like 7:00 PM and then I'll probably head over like a friends room and we'll watch a movie or something. A lot of clubs often have stuff going on, so like I know I made like a stuffed animal at the Gator. That was a total blast and then.

Usually Saturdays. I let myself like sleeping. Um, sometimes I go to market house to get breakfast in town. Sometimes I'll go to coffee shop with some friends to do some homework, just a different vibe.

And then usually I get lunch and just kind of chill. Saturday afternoons. Maybe go to the gym, maybe do some laundry Saturday nights. I usually also just hang out with friends, keep it casual, a man then Sunday is I let myself sleep in a lot more. Definitely go to the gym. Definitely do my chores and definitely do a lot of work. Often time is spent at the labs as well on Sundays 'cause it's kind of like trying to get back into the swing of things for me.

Yeah, definitely. On the weekends, while you're probably have to do some work, it's also time to really look after yourself on the exact same way. I definitely like to sleep in a little bit kind of catch up on sleep that I might have missed during the week, but again, you're also going to be doing some sort of work, but again, you find a lot of time to hang out with your friends. what I didn't know until I actually got out again, it was. There's a nice big game room that we have where you can go play, ping pong, foosball, skeeball.

Cool, there's a lot of different options that you can go to. Sometimes I go to go to that with my friends and just play different games for hours, especially on Saturdays. On Sundays. My fraternity has a lot of different meetings that we usually have to go too, so that's a little bit more of a structured day. But again, it's it's different from school work still, so it's kind of a nice relaxing thing that would have. But yeah, it's definitely time that you can find to look after yourself.

Yeah, and since I was also senior I was working on my thesis. Are my comp. Uhm so that took up a lot of time, especially with the workload and I really wanted to do well on it. But actually there's a lot going on in Meadville and a lot of people don't know about it. If you joined several Facebook groups or just look up activities and such, there's so much going on. There's like poetic evenings where you can go to the market house and you know it's like a poet night. It's a lot of fun.

The market house we have mentioned is a jam. I love that place so much. There's a lot to do. Um, there's also first Fridays, which is where local businesses actually get together on the 1st Friday of each month and they host an event. Or you can go around just to meet people as well. That's also a great opportunity to meet some more people of the community, you know, get involved too as well. There's also service opportunities there service Saturday, once a month, so there's lots to do in Meadville. You just have to seek.

How an definitely like figure out what kind, how much you want to be involved in.

For me, I'm also since I was the president of Newman. I also have to focus on preparing for mass on campus on Sunday nights. Um, so that also took up some time for me, but for the most part, yeah, it was a lot of accompanying this semester and last semester as well.

Alright, next question, um kind of pertaining to both Jack and Caroline, but also Carla to speak to outside of Greek life. What percentage of students are involved in a sorority and fraternity? How big of a present? How big of a presence to Greek organizations have here on Allocatings canvas?

Yeah I can start us off on that one. There are a lot of students that are are in fraternities, sororities on campus. It's definitely something that a lot of people are aware of, but there are also a lot of different organizations that aren't affiliated with returning your stories as well.

In terms of presences on campus, I would definitely say that fraternities and sororities stuff we have a presence Caroline mentioned going to Brooke on Monday nights with her sorority. My fraternity does that as well. We also have a chapter on Monday night so you'll walk into Brooks and you'll see rows of tables at different fraternities and sororities. Having Neil everything that's a really public way of seeing how strong of the community that each returning sorority are. But there's also different events that take place with.

Changing stories each semester. There's what's called run out, which is a very fun event where all the different features in stories display their new members to the rest of the well. Essentially to have campus. But the other fraternities and sororities. It's a lot of fun that takes place. I'm right in front of Brooks, and you have a lot of people just coming to watch because they always have two different fun things and do a lot of different cheers. and I know Caroline has a lot of other different examples of organizations or examples of.

Returning sorority events that take place as well.

Yeah, and as someone who's not in a social Greek organization, we have to realize that Albania has this very small student body, so you're definitely going to know people that are in a Greek organization. So like I didn't think it was right for me to join one, and but I do have a lot of friends are in in various Greek organizations. I joined Alpha Phi Omega, which is a service fraternity because I felt like that was right for me. It's Service Oriented Leadership Fellowship.

So that's why I wanted to join that. There's also um, honors honor societies, which is technically like another side of Greek organizations. But yeah, I do feel like you might think there like a big part of Alleghenys community. Yes, they are, but it's because there everyone's just involved in various various things that makes it realize, like yeah, we like to be involved and we like to help out in the community as much as we can.

Alright, next question um is touching on uh, what the dorms are like. So if you guys can talk about that question about how do you find a roommate? So I'll tie those two together. So just kind of touch on how you guys found your roommate somewhat. Your dorm life experiences Ben. We are college where you live on campus for all four years. So kind of touch on what that experience has been like for you, Yeah?

I can go first, so for finding a roommate, uhm, I went through the random draw. Uhm, so that's when rez life actually sends out a questionnaire where you can just answer these questions like your study habits, your sleep habits and such to try to match you with someone that's compatible with you or not I had a rough first roommate. I'm not going to lie. We weren't at all compatible, and so then I decided to try to work things out.

But then she laughed. And then you know things happen. I decided to move to a different dorm. So my first ever was Edwards Hall, which is now a first year dorm right by wife center and then the second semester I decided to ravine, which is up the Hill. People think it's like out in the Woods. It's actually, I think, one of the most beautiful dorms to live in. It's very quiet, large rooms as well, so I really, really enjoyed that.

Then for my sophomore year, I.

Lived in in uh.

I lived in the new man how's life totally forgot. I lived in a Newman house? Which is specifically for the Catholics or anyone. That's interested in living with like a Catholic oriented community. So you know, there's several houses like that, as well on campus such as a Spanish House. The Front House International House. Even there's a bunch of others that you can apply to and see if you can get into.

My junior year I studied abroad my first semester, so my second semester when I decided when I came back to Allegany, I lived in Brooks Hall, which is the all female dorm which is not for upper cough when I believe. And then this year I lived in NV 2, which is also upperclassman in a trip, the only triple in the whole campus. With my best friends. And that's definitely has its own kitchenette and such. So there's various layouts I do suggest looking up different videos online that I saw when I was.

Looking at dorms my first year, um, as well as we looking at the website for bugs life to see how the how it's oriented in the dorms to see if one might suit you better or not. But do realize it is a dorm where you have to share with other people so something to adjust to.

Yeah, and I can go off at all but uhm so oftentimes certain dorms are like Super Social and some dorms are really much more of quiet place to study so it really depends on what you're looking for in that kind of atmosphere personally. I did random draw just like Carla whenever I was coming into new student ended up working out really well. I left with the same girl for the whole year. She was really, really nice. And we just got along pretty well. Uhm and I even like I would see around campus and we don't live together anymore. After that because she came in.

And already so I'd see around campus and we were always really nice and friendly. So that was one of those success stories. I think even when I was competing in like wing fest earlier this year where it's a wing wing eating contest, she was a trooper and paid money so that I could eat ranch with my hot sauce. Incredible, we ended up winning the wing fest actually and we raised like a but I think it was like $200 for women services down to Meadville. and I like to think it's because of that good roommate. I had freshman year that gave me the ranch.

That allowed me to compete on the winning team. We beat a lot of organizations which was super exciting so I was not prepared for that. But yeah, there's a lot of great different like living circumstances you can be in a. I also live in one of the triples that Carla just mentioned and I like to live there because it's close to Steffi don't, which is the biology and Chemistry Department, so it's like easy for me to get to the lab and not really have to worry about walking up a big Hill or not just cause I'm a little bit lazy sometimes, especially if I go to the gym. I'm super lazy.

Um, so I like to live close to like the academic building where I have the most classes. Uhm, and I would say like a lot of the dornes are pretty nice, especially when you get to like upperclassman housing. I'm super super please. We have a dishwasher or we have a stove and oven. So many cabinets really. It's incredible to share with huge so it's really nice to live upperclassmen, but the first couple of years might be a little bit of a struggle. I lived in the old SAE house.

For a really for like the first year, UM, which was kind of nice but also at the same time it was a little bit beat up. I'm not gonna lie, but nobody lives there anymore so you won't have to be living in that kind of situation ever again. But it's cool to live in a frat house, I guess. I don't know.

Was my most fun experience, but the dorms after that greatly improved.

Yeah, so um, for my roommate, freshman year or first year I was paired with another soccer player most or a lot of athletic teams. They usually pair their first year teammates together so you have someone to wean off of right away that you know, especially for all athletes. You've come in a little bit early for preseason with them, so you get to know them even before school is actually started and you have very similar schedule your first few months so.

You can can go around with each other and make sure you neverlost or make sure you're always at the right place at the right time.

I'm obviously just finished sophomore year, but for my sophomore year I was living at my fraternity house which is on campus. I was lucky enough to have a single. It's one of the only things that you can usually get a single year sophomore years to be living in fraternity house, which is kind of another perk of being in a fraternity. So I'm playing again to live there my junior year in another single room, but kind of like both of them said you live on campus for all four years, but it isn't like you want to be with a roommate for.

All four years, you're not going to be sharing a room with two deaths on opposite sides of the room. You will hear in room or have your own space to work with in your senior year. Oftentimes, you can actually have a house on campus. There are many different houses on canvas that you can get with a bunch of different friends, so.

It's really never that kind of typical residence Hall setup. There's always kind of variation, especially like they were saying when you come into your classroom years, you're going to have a wide variety of different setups that you can choose from.

Alright Jack building off of that these next two possibly 3 questions are you, tying them all together, So what is soon athlete experience like as far as work load? Is it possible to have a job on top of that? What time commitment is a hockey team, so just kind of tie. Those two together as far as time commitment workload and what sports are offered here at allocating.

Yeah, so um, as a student athlete you are definitely going to have a little more on your plate. But the great thing about Allegany is your student athlete. You're not just naturally, you're not just a student. Both the athletic Department and your professors. We are accommodating. As long as you give them a heads up that you're missing class for an away game, they really don't mind at all. You will have a little bit more or less time to do work, but when you come in.

During your first year, a lot of teams I know for soccer team you have what's called study table. So essentially you have to go to the library a certain amount of times, certain amount of hours per week. So you sign in sheet. It's all on the honor system, just kind of do work there.

It it really kind of forces you to make sure you're doing your work, because if you don't you might be running some laps after practice. One time you usually have a problem with that, and in fact a lot of athletic teams have really great cumulative GPA is because the coaches really do understand that while you are an athlete, you are the D3 School, so academics is just as as important, so they really do stress that. I'm excited it for hockey, the hockey team. It is a club sport so rigorous as an.

Varsity team we will have two practices a week than a game. But again, if you're if you have a lot of school work that night and you can't make a practice, it's not a problem. It really isn't as big a time come in, but it is I would say just as much fun. It's all student runs so we have a student who is the coach.

The sinners in charge is it also students. So it really is a cohesive environment on the hockey team.

But again, you aren't as.

It isn't as stressful as environment. You're not having to think. Oh no, I have practice so I can't do as much work. If you have a lot of work, it's not as big a problem, and then that third question about the sports offered in college. We have a wide variety at both the varsity and club level. I can mention on the club hockey team, we don't have a varsity hockey team, so the club hockey team is our highest level of hockey teams at Allegany, which is actually kind of great because you get a lot of great competition. We play against other schools who also don't have.

Versity team some? But if you want to take a look at all the different sports offered at the college, you can go to alleganygators.com and it shows you all of the different sports teams. Swim and dive is a big one. I know Amanda, that's close to her and she was a swimmer at Allegany. But there's such a wide variety and it's a great support system from the school as well. Everyone's trying to go to the different games.

Which are your peers in your friends as their representing Allegany?

Can you quickly touch on the study Hall? Is that required for all student athletes as far as time management goes? And I've seen some questions come in about the equestrian club, so does anyone? Has anyone had an experience with that? What that is like as a club team on campus as well?

Yeah, so I'll start off with the UM study Hall. It isn't required for all student athletes. It's it's really up to the coaches to decide, but.

I'm pretty sure all athletic teams have some sort of variation of study Hall. Sometimes you'll all come together with your coaches and you'll just sit down and do some work within the library. There's a lot of different binders within the library, where again, like my soccer team, we can go in. It's an honor system. You sign the hours that you, therefore making sure you got the certain amount so it isn't required through Allegany Athletics, but it is something that most coaches implement because.

They really do want to see you succeed both on the field but also within the classroom and for the cross dream team. I don't know as much about. I'm not sure if Caroline or Carla do, but it's very much like the club hockey team where it's a lot of a lot of it is student run, but it really close environment.

Yeah, for the equestrian team we can get you in contact with the current student that is involved in that. When I was sitting in Allegany actually had a friend who is present in the Quest Rehan team. It's very much is club level team where you compete against other local schools. The Barnes about 2030 minutes away. So that's where you can get your practice in. I believe they ride western. I actually don't know exactly what that which one it is, but I can send you the link for that. We can get you in touch with the current student that's involved in equestrian the alligator.

Um, all right next question. What is your favorite Allegany tradition?

So it's actually just talking to Amanda earlier about how I really, really missed it. Um, but it's called late night breakfast. Um, if you guys haven't heard about it, I'll give you a little way down so you know you're working hard all semester in these classes that are really, really rigorous and then finals. Come around and you're like, wow, I really have to do well on this exam.

What better way to take a break when studying then go to Brooks at 10:00 o'clock at night. The dining Hall and have late night breakfast. All you can eat. You don't have to swipe in. All you can eat. They usually give you a free gift like a little Beanie. One year I got a little Tumblr one year, so it's really nice and then you go into the dining Hall and this is a rare experience. The whole dining Hall is all breakfast so like they have Donuts, they have muffins. They have everything at.

Every single station is breakfast. It's amazing. It's incredible. So then you sit down with your best pals and you have this great meal of really eating a lot and then you take a little bit to go with you. You know, for the morning and other days so you really stock up but the people who are serving you food are the president of the College Administration.

Literally your professors. I've had like a couple of professors doing it, so like literally the people who are going to be giving me the exam the next day, or like good luck and serving you food. You know it's incredible. It's just nice way to have a good community. It brings everyone together. Everyone always goes. It's huge. The line will be outside of Brooke starting at like 830 like everyone gets really into it. It's just it's a great way to relieve stress and we just all come together. And it's a great way to end this semester before finals start and just catch up with everyone you see everyone you know you're like, hey, how are you?

Everyone, it's a great. It's a really good time so I really missed late night breakfast at Sonic with tradition. It happens every single semester at Allegany Wednesday night of Study Day 10:00 PM be there or be square.

So it's a really good time and, um, Amanda was telling me that, like apparently, one of the admissions counselors, her mom did it for the sun and the family who is a senior in college, like they had their own. Many one at home with the quarantine and everything. and I think I'm going to make my parents cook me. Breakfast went out at 10:00 PM now.

It's a really good way to come together. I love it phenomenal.

Yeah, I was also going to say late night breakfast. I was thinking about it last week. Come before final started and my parents were like OK, we got you so they made me breakfast and I think that was really nice of them.

Or other traditions. I would say that SRL discussion religious life was such a big part of like my Allegany experience. So anything that we do there from having our Thanksgiving dinner, it was very something that I love so much as well as during studied as well. Newman gets together and house in like a senior send off and we like give gifts to seniors.

For potluck type of thing. So that was one of my favorite things. I'm also sad I wasn't able to do that this year, but again, it's just we try to do something virtual and I think that's what makes me love it even more. And why I continue to do a lot of things. For the SRL office, so that's for me.

The one that can popped into mind right away was run out, which I mentioned earlier. I think that's kind of very fun thing that happens once a semester. Everyone's looking for it for weeks on when you come back after winter break that's everything. Or that's the only thing you can think about until it actually happens. So that's definitely one thing that I thought of right away. They have already mentioned that so.

There is not necessarily tradition that I, well, I love all the traditions, but there's nothing that really just popped into my mind except for the different performances that take place through here at Allegany. There's a lot of talented people at Allegany. One thing that I always enjoy going to is orchesis, which is a student run dance performance. I answer, I would never be able to go up in stage and do that, but there are so many talented dancers at Allegany and they're able to choreograph their own dance performances. I think it's like a 2 hour performance.

The auditorium is always packed because you'll have people going three nights in a row going to all the shows because it's just so incredible in that something that I was able to experience my first year, I made sure to go back again my software and I'm sure I'll go back again. My junior and senior as well, because it's just such an incredible.

Thing to be able to see how talented all the allegations.

All right kind of building off of that. Um, tying these two questions together. So how would you describe the general vibe of the school? What you Rita Alleghanian, particularly when you're deciding? I mean the kind of talk about your first year experience. So how you chose alleghanian? What that transition was like for you?

So for me I am from Waukegan IL which is like an 8 hour drive. It's far away from Allegany, but one of the reasons why I decided to go to Allegany was because of the Environmental Science Program. I literally just looked up online top environmental science schools Allegany at the time was rank socket and I think right now it's ranked 4th in the whole nation. It's a great program and I absolutely love it. When I came to visit, I just fell in love with the school.

Not only is it a beautiful campus, but it's also made me feel very welcomed when I was just walking around and students were just greeting me even though I was just a perspective student at the time.

They knew that for me that was the right choice for me. I needed. I wanted to come to Allegany um, for my first year. It was I. I'll be honest, it was hard. I was very homesick. I'm being far away. Also being a first jump student. Not only was this all new to me, it was new to my parents and so we were all on with those like a new journey for all of us. So it was hard to for me as a shy person to go out and meet other people, meet people in my dorm, but slowly, just through joining clubs such as.

Newman, for example, or Alpha Omega. My second semester joining these different organizations has helped me figure out what community apart of and how it can contribute to the school.

So as like for July, I wish they Allegany is very, very collaborative and welcoming, no matter what. Even if you have an idea in your head, just go out to professors and ask for help. They are more than willing to help you out through the journey of you figuring out what you want to do career wise or as a person as well. So yeah, it was hard. My first it might be hard for some people as well, but I know it's one of the experiences that I'm very grateful for, and it's made me much more stronger person in the end.

Yeah, I'm just going off of that. Um, for me. I looked at a ton of different schools. I really wanted to make sure I found like the perfect fit the right bit. I'd worked really hard in high school and I really wanted to get myself the best shot excess I could. So I did a lot of Tours. I did a lot of overnight. Uhm, I watched a lot of panels so.

Ultimately, for me, Allegany was one of the last schools I looked at. Just because I knew it was closer to my home, so I know I didn't have to go out of my way to kind of plan to travel there and everything. But when I went, I gaining for the first time I was walking around the campus and I really, really liked it and I remember watching a panel of students and they asked, you know, like.

Why did you choose to go to Allegany and one of the panelists said it's because I knew I'd feel comfortable but push there, so I think that's like the right academic vibe here, but also socially too. So you want to be around people to succeed, you want to be around people who are comfortable around you, but also will push you to be like your best version of yourself. And that's really a collaborative environment that Allegany fosters. So I got to talk to professors after that little panel and I heard this information.

And I was really thinking about it and I was talking to a professor in the chemistry Department who I later had a couple of years later, and I said, what would you say is like the vibe of the chemistry Department and she said without a breath hesitation collaborative. Definitely collaborative. So a lot of times when you go to school, the chemistry apartments in a lot of departments in general. Two are like super competitive, every man for himself. It's a Shark Tank, but Alleghenys is definitely not like that. So I was talking to her and she said it's a Super Collaborative.

Environment, even if you're working in inorganic lab and someone's working in a polymer lab, you guys can become friends and you guys can chat and bond over this experience together and work together to help solve these really complex problems. So I think that is what really slowed me on going to alleghanian then also like experiencing it for myself. I can see that that's 100% genuine and true. It's really collaborative atmosphere, it's everyone trying to help each other out. So my roommate came in one of the first days and I had on her mom was like Catholic school teacher and I told her about Newman.

So like I I knew right away like you might want to be really interested in going to discover. Meaning everyone. Uhm, and I think she did I don't. I don't really haven't followed up too closely about that, but it's just a really collaborative environment where I'm trying to help each other like find their place and help each other like find where they were going to best flourish. So I think the vibe of Allegany would be comfortable, welcoming and definitely collaborative for sure, so I think that's what sold me on Allegany.

That's why I've stayed at Allegany for four years, and that's why I'm so proud to be graduating from Allegany. I'm sorry, but it's really. It's a very, uhm, unique atmosphere in general, and I think I'm super lucky to have had that.

Well, not makes Allegany so great. Is the people? Uhm, I came from a very small high school with a great community atmosphere and that's kind of what I was looking for for college and as soon as I walked onto Alleghanies campus, I knew this was the right fit for me I.

And because I know that I'm going to take my ear buds out and say hi to French are just people I know everyone's going to be saying hi no matter what I just I won't be able to listen to music around campus because it would just be too distracting I'd have to bring it in and out all the time but also just as great are the professors professors are so caring then to see you succeed they're very genuine what they're doing if you are struggling they will reach out to you to make sure that you're doing OK.

Not just from an academic personal standpoint as well, I tell a story all the time about when my econ professor is. I'm just talking my first year just because I was sort of interesting Nikon and he found out that I was from Canada and so my professor would constantly talk to me that where he had been in Canada and just kind of only share stories about how much he loved can. and I was like, yeah, I love Canada to an on the final day after finishing my final exam, I was taking up to him.

He said I have something for you and he held up this 5 cent Canadian coin and he talked about the significance of it under calling and he said it's worth a little bit of money on eBay. It's fairly rare and then I said oh that's really interesting and he said here you go and he gave it to me so throughout his master he was able to make a connection with me that I would never was anticipating. And at the end he gave me a very rare coin which I still have in my room. and I think that is kind of adding that shell, whether it's professor as soon they're going to remember.

Details about you and at the moment that you aren't expecting they're going to pull out those details and make a conversation, or do a very very nice gesture. and I think that really is what makes algae so great.

Just adding on real quick because you're inspired me to tell this story. Um, I've often seen exam questions, but I'm in, um, it's very fun. Um, I've also like received a ton of emails since I've graduated from Allegany. Uhm, just like trying to catch up with me and different professors reaching out, which is truly incredible, because they still care about what I'm doing, even though I haven't had their class for like 4 semesters or five semesters, they definitely know to keep in touch and different professors. Who else around the coffee shops and such.

They're super Super family and they always want to keep in touch and like to know you more and figure out how they can kind of help you get to the next step. Super Amazing, I never I am so grateful I never could have imagined that.

Alright, so we have a ton of questions still unanswered, so I'm gonna let the students give a chance to type in their emails. I'm just in case. So like there's a question here specifically for you Caroline, but research so just so you guys can follow up with students afterwards. One of the last questions that we had some comment about campus safety and security. So if you guys could talk about your experiences with that while you're typing in your emails for the students that be great.

I'll go first on that one. I feel very safe on campus. It something that I didn't really think about going into college, but I'm just hearing not different stories but just kind of hearing different concerns from people around me. It's something that I started to think about it a little bit more, but I've always felt very safe on Alleghenys campus. The public safety that work on camp. Very friendly. There are people that if you ever need to talk to them, they will always.

They will always be more than willing to have a conversation with you. We also have what's called these blue boxes on campus, so every blue box or every box. There's a help call button they can press and it dispatches right to do public safety's office. And they say that anywhere on campus that you are, they can get there within 2 minutes with in the car. So that makes me feel just even more safe. And everyone that you're at you can see another one, so there's never time we're in the middle of nowhere with no blocks around.

The so that just makes me feel even more safe on campus.

OK, I want to be honest. You guys, um oftentimes my sleep schedule is thrown off by my college life. So I have often spent hours at the library until like 2:00 AM or 4:00 AM sometimes. If it's open that late. Uhm, doing homework and so.

I walk home a lot and I'm often at these late hours. I'm often alone.

Uh, which is slightly terrifying. You know, 'cause? I'm not used to walking that late at night, but I've never had any kind of experience. I've never heard of anyone having kind of like a bad experience walking home at night or anything like that. So it's really amazing that the community is so safe and so comfortable. and I know that it's going to do everything it can to help you stay safe. Public safety is always just a short call away there, always ready to go. I've kept my key locked in my room a couple times. I'm not going to lie just 'cause I'm forgetful sometimes.

And I called Public Safety and they're always there within 5 minutes like they're ready to go. They're always there to help students out, and it's truly incredible. I think Alleghenys very, very safe.

Yeah, and I would also agree I've never had any negative experiences with some walking alone at night, especially since some on Main Street. They did put up lights before our year, so it's very bright on the Main Street as well as I used to live behind Brooks, not area was also well it I think so again, I don't. I didn't have any bad experiences, always felt comfortable. I also knew that if I had an issue or concern I can always call public safety and there also.

Willing to walk with you or drive you to your dorm if you feel unsafe.

Here there was times where I felt uncomfortable walking to Ravena know because it was far off, but it was because it was very late at night. But honestly, I was, I felt lazy, safe and it might be different for other people. Again, I've never heard anything negative about that.

All right, last question, um, just for the few participants still here before we can wrap it up and call it a night. Just kind of just talk about high getting changed you for the graduating seniors, but you're going to miss most and we're good to go.

Caroline, if you wanna take a Jacker Caroline just how I like any change you so far what your favorite thing about it is and if you're graduating what you'll miss most?

OK, so Allegany has definitely changed me. Uhm, so when I was in high school.

Uhm, I was really involved in tennis and Matthewman Marching Band and orchestra. Uhm, so I had all these different things that had going on but then I came to college. Uhm an I was able to talk to different kinds of people and I tried even more new things which really opened up my mind to being much more like an open person and open minded person. Much more understanding, much kinder than I might have been in high school. We all have classes we struggling and we all have hard semesters here in there. So it made me realize.

A lot more of what it means to be like a global citizen and be a part of, you know, the larger world and how important like sustainability is. Even though I'm not in a mental science major, I have had a lot of great experiences and a great conversations talking to people within like different majors and just opening my mind to different things. I hadn't considered an even though I hadn't taken those classes necessarily like I still learned a great deal. So always like being open to learning new information and you know, I always like trying to learn the most you can to be the best citizen you can be.

Is one of the things I definitely learned from Allegany that I hadn't really ever considered before in my life. Um, so one of the things.

Is the other question what I'm going to miss most? Is that what it is? Sorry, yeah. OK, so I'm definitely going to miss. Just walk into class like I know it's super simple to say, but like when you're walking to class you have your coffee in your hand and you know you prepared for that lecture. You know all their readings, you did all their homework and you're going in and you're going to sit down and have a great lecture. It's going to be a beautiful day and you have great things planned for the day. That's what I'm going to miss most is like just walking to class with my friends, chatting, catching up and trying to work together.

As we get to like the first step of the day, the first class that's going to be the thing I miss most. 'cause Allegany is such a beautiful college and the people there are so incredible, I'm definitely going to miss those interactions when you're still kind of half asleep, it's truly amazing.

Yeah, for me. You know, I've been taking some time to reflect on my last four years.

Yeah, I'm lucky enough that I'm not leaving yet.

Go for it, Carla.

OK, Carla, go ahead and then will finish up with Jack so there's like a weird tech lips there.

OK me.

So I've definitely taken some time to last for years to try to reflect on like what happened last for years.

Miyagi does have like Interdisciplinary or liberal arts education that I value so much being a comic major in environmental studies major. It's definitely gave me a larger, wider perspective on how to look at environmental issues or just what I as an individual can do to help my community. It's also helped me realize, like as a first Gen Latina woman, how? How do I play a role in any table that I set in? So that's definitely been an eye opener. And also learning experiences for me.

Um, and you know something that almost definitely trying to learn more about myself. Learn other about other peoples, other peoples stories. Allegany has been.

Has taught me so much and what I can do in the future, and I think that's something that I do. Appreciate unpromising alveolus. Carolyn, I do. I will definitely miss being on campus. It's definitely became my home the last four years and something that I've become used to. But I'm also excited to see what the Knox with the next step for me will see what happens.

Yeah, almost almost band I miss my organizations that I was apart of. But again, I think it's also time for me to like go and see what else I can do.

So again, yet I'm sure I'm going to miss it when I finally leave, but Allegany really has changed me for the better so far and I'm sure it will even more or the next years. But one thing that really has stood out to me that is.

Is my independence think I'm someone I came a very independent, but I think I've.

Confidence in being in in knowing that I can do the right thing for myself, that mean I don't love hanging out with other people with other people, but.

It's something that I was always worried about doing or something isn't feeling fully company. Now I'm fully capable of being independent when I need to be, and Allegany has a lot of support systems, but at the same time.

There it gives you something you need to figure out who you are as a person.

Alright, well thank you all for joining us today for the student panel. The recording will be posted on her website at some point in the next week or reach out to us for any recordings. Definitely reach out or any of our panelists with any questions you may have. Your admissions counselors will be following up with you to kind of fill in any gaps. If there's anything else you would like to know more about. I mean, huge thank you to our panelists are coming here today too. Are graduating seniors. We wish you the best of luck. You guys are absolutely incredible Jack. So are you? But thank you for taking the time out of your day to do this.

I like anyone would be the same without you, so thank you all. Enjoy the rest of your evening in your weekend and enjoy.

Thank you.