Geek Muses by Ms. Carmen Welsh

Honors College: The Powerful Play Goes On by Marlene Cueto

 

O Me! O Life! by Walt Whitman

Oh me! Oh life! of the questions of these recurring,

Of the endless trains of the faithless, of cities fill’d with the foolish,

Of myself forever reproaching myself, (for who more foolish than I, and who more faithless?)

Of eyes that vainly crave the light, of the objects mean, of the struggle ever renew’d,

Of the poor results of all, of the plodding and sordid crowds I see around me,

Of the empty and useless years of the rest, with the rest me intertwined,

The question, O me! so sad, recurring—What good amid these, O me, O life? 

Answer.

That you are here—that life exists and identity,

That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.

Wishing you all a very successful and enjoyable two years in the Honors College. 

Looking forward to seeing you next semester.

Happy Holidays..... 

Beyond by Professor Bert Lorenzo

Beyond the weekly grind

stands Sunday morning.

With Mom’s café con leche and the newspaper

arrives Sunday morning.

With Casey Kasem and Beatle Brunch

sings Sunday morning.

With a smile and my name on her lips my sister

welcomes my visit on Sunday morning.

With chicken nuggets, a baked potato and a frosty

ends Sunday morning.

Copyright Bert Lorenzo, 2015

A Warm Farewell to Developmental Ed. by Marlene Cueto

December 2014

As the fall semester comes to a close, I wanted to formally say thank you to all of the people at Miami-Dade College that through the years have deeply touched my life.   Many of you may not be aware, but I attended Miami-Dade College in 1984 as a student and soon began working as a peer tutor in the study skills and writing areas of what was then, I believe, Basic Communication Studies.

Rather than pursue a degree in accounting, my original major,  I soon discovered that my love for reading, writing and working with students meant I had to follow a new path.   And I did just that and I have never regretted that decision. 

After 30 wonderful years, I now prepare to say goodbye to one department as I say hello to a new one.  However, very little changes for me because my students continue being my priority. I want them to feel the joy of acquiring knowledge rather than view learning as a tedious chore.    If nothing else, I want them all to learn that they possess the ability to accomplish anything they desire. They just have to believe. 

"You must find the place inside yourself where nothing is impossible."

 Deepak Chopra

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all......

Marlene Cueto

  

Autism Panel Discussion

AUTISM PANEL DISCUSSION 

October 2014  

Michael Marino,  Dr. Susan Mankita, MSW, LCSW and Benjamin Mankita

ART GALLERY NATURALEZAS: HORACIO SILVA

 

STUDENTS ATTEND ART GALLERY OPENING RECEPTION

Artist Horacio Silva speaks at North Gallery

 NORTH GALLERY OCTOBER 2013

TANGO AT NORTH: STUDENT PHOTOS PART II

Photo Contributors

Jessica Zatarain

Jackeline Peraza

Alejandro Silva

TANGO AT NORTH EVENT PHOTOS by Marlene Cueto

Set an Academic Goal by Prof Bert Lorenzo

A new academic year lends to many opportunities including the setting of a goal.  The process of goal setting, not just the reaching of a goal, can pay high dividends.  The process of goal setting can help you, especially first year students, find a direction in which to take your education and learning.

     Where do you want your education to take you?  What do you want from your college degree or do you just simply want a degree?  Does it matter to you what the degree includes?  Because we should learn throughout our lives a goal should extend beyond formal education.  An academic goal should be about the learning that helps fashion a life not just the learning required to earn a degree.

     Without a reason for learning other than the minimum required of our formal education it makes it very difficult if not impossible to develop the habits to live a life of the mind so having a goal motivates us to develop said habits.  By academic I mean learning of all kinds, especially outside of the classroom so it includes informal as well as formal learning.  Everything I read, listen to, watch, experience is academic and a principle part of what makes me me.

     Since an academic goal should extend beyond our formal education years the more grandiose you set it the better.  Make it so grandiose that perhaps you can’t reach it.  Remember it’s the process of setting the goal and the effort in reaching it that matters not the actual achievement but also remember that if you want to achieve your goal the first and most important step in the process is writing it down.  By definition you must, not should, but must write it down.  If not, not only is it not a goal but you will never reach it.  Writing it down will help you see your goal more clearly.

     Write out in no more than two simple, short sentences your goal.  Don’t worry if your goal evolves as you and your life change.  You can always edit, update and rewrite your goal.  Also write the process of your goal.  How will you reach it?  What do you need to learn?  With the help of technology you can add pictures of what your goal looks like or how it will look when you reach it.  I set my academic goal in tenth grade but not until I wrote it down many years later did I truly begin the process of achieving it and till this day, 35 years later, I’m still in the process.

     You have an opportunity today to make a change in your life.  I know you want to change because that’s what education is about.  Learning changes us and change starts with setting an academic goal and with writing it down.

Copyright Bert Lorenzo, 2014