Our Newest HawkTalk Blogger: Meet Brandon Hart
HELLO EVERYONE! My name is Brandon Hart and I am so happy to announce that I am a part of the HawkTalk family. I am eager to share with you my outgoing personality and my crazy outlook on life. For starters, I come from Long Island, New York. I say Long Island like LAWWWNGG ISLANDDD. From Cawwfeee (coffee) to Wartaaa (water), you can already imagine that I carry out every vowel in the english language. I am a proud alumnus of the...
A Note of Thanks…
After months of anticipation, preparation, and excitement, the Wagner College Class of 2016 has arrived! I hope each and every first-year student had memories that will last for a lifetime. This year’s theme was YouBelong @ Wagner! Throughout the summer, my fellow Orientation Coordinator Allison Dufford and I have been engaging new students to connect with Wagner College through Social Media. Whether it was tweeting to us...
A Summer Farewell
As the summer draws to an end, it means that Wagner’s fall semester is right around the corner. Soon, all students will be back on campus returning to a daily routine that we grew so accustomed to before the summer. The last few days of summer serve as a great time to reflect on what transpired during the last three and half months. When I look back, I realize that even though my stay in Chicago was shorter than expected, it is an...
El ultimo/the last one!! See you later Peru!!
During my weeks in Peru I learned many things and made such great friends. I had such a good experience learning about my own culture on my own and have so much more to appreciate the wonderful landscape as well as the people. Through CIS abroad, I had many advantages and opportunities to enjoy certain areas I had never been to. My teachers did such a good job to make me understand clearly, and I do feel that I've reached my goals...
Ten Must See Attractions in Chicago!
In this post, I want to suggest ten attractions one should see when visiting Chicago. The list is in no specific order because people will enjoy some experiences more than others based on their likes and dislikes. Without further ado, here is the top ten must see attractions of Chicago, of course in my opinion after spending the summer there. 1. Visit Millennium and Grant Park The famous bean of Chicago is a must see architectural...
Farewell to Singapore
In less than eight hours, I will be on a plane on the way back home to California. It is amazing how fast these seven weeks have passed by! I have had the best summer of my life, full of new experiences, great memories, and new friends. It will be strange going home and not being able to go out to dinner at a hawker center drinking sugar cane, some spicy dish, and sweating from the humidity. Nevertheless, I am excited to see how...
Farewell to Summer Classes
This past Friday was the last day of my six-week study abroad program here in Singapore. I will be staying here until the 21st of August, but I had to say goodbye to my five other classmates from America who were here with me on my journey to Singapore. It is amazing how a place can bring a lot of different people together to have an experience of a lifetime. Over my six-week cultural course, I had the opportunity to learn about...
Machu Picchu, part 2
Coming down from Wayna Picchu was a bit of a pain because hiking up for an hour and a half made my legs shaky coming down from there. Step by step, I made it back to the entrance, signed my name out, and on with the tour!! Off to see Machu Picchu! Some of the steps to get up to the main scene where all the famous pictures are taken were partially redone and not original. On our way heading to the top of Machu Picchu and while our tour...
Machu Picchu, Aguas Calientes, and Wayna Picchu
Hey everyone! Probably the best highlight out of studying abroad was seeing one of the seven wonders in the world, Machu Picchu. Although it was sad for once not to spend Father’s Day with my father, I sure did appreciate more than ever the fact that without him I would not have had the opportunity to experience all that I have during my stay in Cuzco. To start my journey off to Machu Picchu the whole group took an hour and a half...
Who Has the Better Pizza: Chicago or NYC?
As a student living in New York City and having the opportunity to play baseball in Chicago, I had to settle the debate of which city has the best pizza. These two cities have had an ongoing debate about who possesses the better tasting pizza. New York City’s pizza is famous for its large, wide, and thin shape. On the other hand, Chicago’s pizza is renowned for its tall crust, which encloses the large amounts of cheese and chunky...
A Day at the Ballpark
Unfortunately, my stay in Rockford was cut short because of the Epstein Barr virus, most commonly known as mononucleosis. I was not able to recover from the illness while I was in Illinois, so with the advisement from my doctor, I traveled back home to State College, Pa. Here, I was able to finally fight off the sickness and return to my usual self. Although my stay in the Midwest was cut short, I still saw and took part in some...
Peru 2012
My Peru 2012 was absolutely amazing. I am home now and realize how much I learned and experienced through my adventures. Dr. Celeste Gagnon is an amazing influence and instructor, she opened doors for enlightenment as well as opportunities for the future. The experience as a whole was one of the greatest I've had. I had so much fun with all my new experiences. Diversifying myself with food, culture, knowledge, were all tools that just...
Chinese Art Painting
In my cultural class last week, I experienced two things that I have known about but have never really gotten the chance to try. Earlier in the week, I had the chance to try traditional Chinese painting. During the Chinese painting class, I discovered that I am more of an abstract artist. The first bamboo drawing that I made had too many leaves everywhere. It also had bad placement. By the end of the class, I realized that in...
Last day in Huanchaco
Sat was our last day in Huanchaco. We finished up in the lab in the morning and then after lunch said goodbye as is appropriate... on the beach!
Our Last Week in Peru
Hey all, sorry I have not written sooner. This is our last week here in Peru, how unfortunate! This past weekend was awesome though! Besides it being Peru’s independence day, “Veinte Ocho”, we went and visited two other archaeological sites up north and let me tell you, it was amazing. It was very similar stuff to the Huacas we study everyday but different at the same time. It was cool familiar with all the information to be able to...
Peculiar Pacay
While here in Peru, I have recently discovered the strange looking and strangely delicious tasting pacay fruit; well, technically it is part of the legume family. But when we live in a world where tomatoes are fruits and watermelons are vegetables, I think classification of foreign delicacies should be rather lenient. The pacay fruit is a relative of snow peas, mostly because of the way it is packaged. The fruit is encased in a long,...
All kinda teeth
So we have hit a number of people with mal-eruption and extra teeth. Both are vary uncommon in Peruvian prehistoric samples. People generally have very straight teeth, the result of breast feeding and eating a diet that requires much chewing.
Thanks!
I can't believe I'm sitting down to write my last blog post of the summer. I've spent eight weeks here and in just a few hours, I'll be making the drive home one last time. In case you in need of a quick summary of my summer, I've provided it below. This summer, I have made the drive to Wagner from my home on Long Island and back eight times. I've planned countless events for PRSAB, several of which will take place during...
City tour of Cusco
Hello all, I know it has been a while since I have posted but I was having trouble overseas with the internet, and now that I'm back I can't wait to tell all my stories from Peru. Well, the first tour CIS made for all of us was the city tour. I got the chance to go into places I was not able to go before since I didn't have a ticket. We got to see the inside of the main Cathedral in the main plaza, and Inca ruins that remained in the...
Simbal, Simbal. Que tal?
On Saturday, June 21st, we hiked to the archaeological site of Huancha, located in the mountains on the edge of Collambay, a community outside the small town of Simbal. There, I had a chance to step into the shoes of an archaeologist conducting field work. I learned many lessons that day, both the easy and the hard way. Lesson # 1: Wear multiple layers of sunscreen on any and all exposed skin. Peru is located very close to the...
Things are looking up!
Lately things have been tough in the lab for us here in Peru. We have been studying a lot of commingled remains that have been tough to take data from. Recently things have started to turn for the better! The remains have been getting more organized and better for data collection. We must of just hit a rough patch. The organization of some of the remains are a bit hectic, but we make our way through it. Things are moving along and...
up the mountain
This weekend we got out of the lab and into the field. We headed up into the Andes to work on some looted tombs. On Sat we hiked to the site on Cerro Huancha, at 3184 ft above sea level on the south side of the Sinsicap valley. On Sun, we hiked up the north side of the Sinsicap valley.
A Very Cultural Experience on a Friday Night
Last Friday night was one of the most interesting nights I have had so far in Singapore. Me and four other Chinese classmates from my National University of Singapore class decided that we wanted to spend some time at Arab Street together. Picture this: a group of five people, one young Chinese girl not even in her twenties yet, another girl of Indian descent who is in her mid-twenties, a tall, young, Russian man who is in his early...
A weekend in Simbal
This was one of the most excellent weekends I have experienced while I have been in Peru. On Friday after having a pretty rough day in the lab, we set off on our adventure to Simbal. Simbal is a "campo" community located about an hour up the mountains from Huanchaco (where we are currently staying). We had the opportunity on Saturday to travel up to another archaeologist's site and help out, which was greatly embraced. We sifted...
Waka Huaca
Last week, I took my first visit to Huaca de la Luna. The Moche once used this platform mound as an administrative center for religious rituals and political ceremonies. The Huaca walls are covered with ancient architecture and art from generations of Moche governments. Every time a new person would come into power, the new government would construct a new building and sculpt new paintings to commemorate the new ruler. However, they...
Round Two
Today was a great day here in Peru. The weather was clear, warm, and over all a beautiful day. As a group we got visit Huaca la Luna and the museum today. This is my second time visiting Huaca la Luna and the museum. I had a blast and learned some new information that I didn't get the first time around. The lab has been great! It was a rough start analyzing all the commingled bones, but now the burials seem to be a bit more complete....
Learning about the Paranakans
I have found that these past two weeks have flown by. Every day has been so busy, that I had not gotten a chance to sit down and write about all of the adventures I have been having. Recently, my cultural class has been going on myriads of different field trips. Out of all of the field trips we have gone on, I found one particular experience that piqued my interest. It was when my class went to tour a place called the Baba House....
a Chan Chan
Chan Chan is the largest prehistoric city in the Moche Valley. The occupation is AD 1100-1400.
Moche bling
Today was an interesting day in the lab. We found an individual who had silver decorations implanted in his canine teeth. As far as I know, this is the first such case found in the Moche valley. This is the right canine with the drilled hole for an implant visible. This the the left canine with the hammered silver circle still in...
All Aboard for Sandboarding!
This was one of the best impulse purchases in my entire life. I decided to embark on this adventure less than 24 hours before it took place with people that I did not know, in a country whose language I did not understand. I now fully understand what it means to trust your instincts because most of the time they're right! For anyone who does not know what Sandboarding is, first off, you're missing out. Secondly, I can explain it with...
visitamos Huacas de Moche
A friend arranged an amazing tour today of the Huacas de Moche archaeological site. We are working on human remains excavated during the early 2000s, but new work continues every day.
Work and Play
Hello everyone! Peru is still awesome and I do not think that is going to change anytime soon. The weather has changed a bit since I have first arrived. It was originally sunny and hot every day, which is odd for this season in Peru, as it's the beginning of their winter. But most recently it has been cloudy and a bit cooler, but still beautiful and full of new and interesting facts to learn every day. I am having an amazing time...
The Gracie Mansion, The Port Richmond Partnership & Gratitude
Last night I did something I never thought I'd ever have the opportunity to do. The Port Richmond Partnership received the Partnership Award from the The New York City Department of Small Business Services. That sounds like a lot of words that don't mean that much. Allow me to explain... I'm sure you're familiar with Port Richmond as a community after reading my other blog posts, but the Port Richmond Partnership hasn't been...
Hola from Nick!
Hello there! It's Nick reporting from Peru! It has been an amazing time since the start of the trip. Traveling from the United States into Lima, and then from Lima into our current location Trujillo has been great! Day 2 of our lab research was very exciting. In the lab we are analyzing remains, and most recently we have been even analyzing juvenile remains. We are located in a museum between the Huaca de Luna and Huaca de Sol, two...
al Museo
We got started working in the lab on Friday! Here are a few photos: These are the remains of a middle-aged male recovered from Plaza 2b, tomb 4. Nick worked hard to pick through the fragments to see if there are any more identifiable pieces. What remains are tiny pieces of skull bone (light colored bits) and fragments of dessicated brain (dark...
Hemos llegado
We arrived in Lima early this morning and headed to our Hostel - El Patio, in Miraflores. Most things went smoothly. Tonight we fly up to Huanchaco!
The First Five Days of Singapore
I cannot believe that I left California five days ago! My trip in Singapore has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life. The city has changed dramatically since the last time I had come to visit, which was eight years ago. My cousins have been very gracious and took it upon themselves to take me to many places around Singapore. They have brought me to some hawker centers (outside food markets that sell freshly cooked...
My Brother’s Wedding
Hi Everyone! I apologize for my long absence! It has been a hectic two and a half weeks, and I realized that I am somewhat behind on keeping everyone updated with my travels! My brother's wedding down in Southern California was absolutely wonderful! It was very exciting and I must say that my brother and his wife were a very happy couple that day. As part of the bridal party, I particularly enjoyed the photo session we had with the...
An RA at Home
As the new school year draws closer and closer, I've been reflecting a lot upon my sophomore year here at Wagner. First of all, I can't believe I'm actually half way done with college and in just two more years I'll be graduating. I can't believe how much I've grown as a person with everything I've experienced in the last two years. I can't believe I feel so at home here now and that sometimes my parents refer to my return to...
Why I Belong @ Wagner
"Cheers to making memories and calling Wagner College home" So, during these past few days I have been asking my fellow Peer Leaders why they belong at Wagner College. In correlation with our theme: You Belong @ Wagner2016, I realized I never truly sat down to think about why I belong here. I guess it all started back in May 2010... That's right! The great year of 2010—not too long ago, you say—instead of working our annual Admitted...
I <3 Ecuador
Two posts in one week? Here I am again, sitting down to write my fourth blog post of this summer. Tours have been picking up! I assume with the start of summer vacation, many high school seniors are really starting to think more seriously about college. I remember when I finished my junior year. I had no idea how close I was to finishing such an important chapter of my life and starting a new, brilliant chapter filled with...
Port Richmond & Clever Closings
So here I am, sitting down to write my third blog post. A lot has happened in the past week or two in my life. One thing that didn't happen, however, was the discovery of a catchy way to end these posts. Maybe I'll think of something before I end this one. So just after the last post I made, I went to an important dinner at President Guarsci's house. President Guarsci has a really large presence on our campus. In fact, it's not...
The Rockford Peaches
This past Monday, one of the few days I have had off from baseball, I was able to take part in a fantastic restoration project. With the help of the people spearheading the operation (my host family), I was able to help in the reconstruction of historic Beyer Stadium here in Rockford, IL. Beyer Stadium hosted the Rockford Peaches of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) from 1943 to 1954. Most people not from...
When in Rome…
Buona Sera miei amici, It is almost 6:00 pm here in Florence. I would first like to apologize again about my late posts to the blog. I was unaware of how much work I'd be doing, all crammed into a month! It's basically a semester's worth of material packed into 2 classes for 5 hours, 4 days a week. Talk about exhausting. So enough about work. This post will be dedicated to one of my trips through the LdM program. My first weekend...
So much to do, so little time to write about it
Buon Giorno miei amici! I am terribly sorry that I've been MIA with my blog posts recently. Everything here has been wild and very hectic, so I'll try to tell you everything that's happened so far in this post. First I will talk about my friends. I live in an apartment on Via San Antonino with my roommates Pete and Joey, as well as a floor of girls above us that attend the same program we do. So far, we have all become the best of...
Preparation to Head Down South
This week has been a hectic week for my family! I had two aunts, Aunt Mei and Aunt Yi, and one cousin, Kexin, arrive in Sacramento from Singapore two days ago, and my family and I have been taking them around to see the sights around town and have them get a sense of what California is like. Kexin took a beautiful picture of the sunset at our house yesterday evening, and I wanted to share the rural sight of my home. In all...
From Dream Job to Higher Education: Meet Anna!
Chris: Anna, great to meet you these past few days. Tell us a little about yourself… Anna: Well, I grew up in Massachusetts, about 20 minutes outside of Boston. Both my parents are from Italy, so my older brother and I are first generation in this country. I went to a small liberal arts college, much like. Wagner and studied Early Childhood Education and Psychology. After I graduated I landed my dream job teaching preschool! After...
The Countdown Begins…
Hello Fellow Reader! As you may already know Orientation is about 72 days away! So, in just 72 days you will be moving onto campus, meeting new friends, learning about Wagner College and all it has to offer, speaking with your advisors and professors, educating yourself on new policies and opening your mind to new ideas! Sounds like a lot... huh? Well, don’t rush your summer away even though this is probably the first time in your...
Corpus Christie in Cuzco, Peru!!
hey everyone =) I have not realized that i picked the best month to study abroad in Cuzco, Peru. I had no idea there was so much going on in the month of june. It is legit the month of festivals besides the big one at the end of june called Inti Raymi. Well this past thursday I did not go to school because its holiday for everyone in Cuzco, it was Corpus Christie!! Now I did not know what this was until I looked it up and witnessed it...
Week #2
Another week has come to a close on the Wagner College campus. With the completion of this week, a lot more students have moved onto campus so I’m not as lonely! All of the PA students here are participating in a five year program that requires them to take summer classes. Also, some of the athletic teams including football and basketball are here to keep me company, too! This week I gave several great tours to really interesting...
The Start of Summer
Hello, first let me take a second to introduce myself. My name is Trey Nicosia and I am from State College, PA, and recently completed my freshman year at Wagner. I am a member of the Seahawks' Baseball team and will be playing in a collegiate wood bat summer league in Rockford (IL) over the next few months. Throughout the course of this blog I hope to share my experiences both on-and-off the field. Memorial Day weekend is...
My first post!
This is my first official Hawk Talk post! Blogging on here is a lot different from the amateur blogging I did once from my middle school xanga and myspace pages. It's also a lot different from, tumblr, the blogs I've had to keep for class and my facebook page (does that count as a blog?). Either way, I'm excited to tell you a little bit about my journey this summer. And I'm so happy you're here reading it. I actually feel a...
Adventure by the Pacific
So this Memorial Day weekend, my family and I decided to take a short trip out to the coast of California to Monterey, California. This was the second time that my family and I went to Monterey. The last time we made a visit to Monterey was about two years ago, and we were excited to visit again! Monterey is famous for its beautiful scenery, fresh air, and relaxing atmosphere. When you enter the city, you see a lot of people on...
Vamonos a Peru!
This summer 3 Wagner students, 1 alumna, and 1 professor will be traveling to the colonial town of Huanchaco, on the north coast of Peru. Working with Museo Huacas de Moche and MOCHE Inc they will do some archaeology, some ethnography and some community service/development work. Follow the adventure!
Three Flights, Two Bags, One Amazing City
Buona Sera! Good evening from me writing at 7:00 pm over here in Florence. I would be lying if I said the trip was easy. Believe me it was stressful. But now, I'm finally in Italy for the first time ever! I am staying in a three bed room apartment with three other guys. The first guy I met was Jestin. He is incredibly friendly and chill, which is awesome. He came to Florence with his girlfriend, which I love because I think it's...
Long way from home and flights but I am finally here in Cusco, Peru!
Hi I am Vanessa, I am now an upcoming junior, and I will be travelling to Cusco, Peru. I wil be taking two spanish courses during my stay so I can improve on my spanish. It is sad leaving my friends and family but I am also very exciting to know what Cusco has to offer me. After a very long from Newark to Lima and then another flight to Cusco, I am finally here. The city is amazing and although for the first day I had a bit of...
Goodbye NYC, Buon Giorno Firenze
Buon Giorno! My name is Erik Arntzen and I am a senior Arts Administration and Art History dual major at Wagner. For the next month, I will be posting on this blog to talk about my adventures and exploits traveling from New York to Florence. I will be taking two courses at the Lorenzo de Medici Institute, while taking some trips and tours to other cities in Italy. I promise to upload as many pictures as I can! Waking up today and...
Talking with “The Talk”
New York City can leave behind some great memories! Yesterday, I attended a live taping of the new talk-show The Talk live from New York City! The show stars some of the funniest women on talk show television today: Julie Chen (Big Brother Host), Sharon Osborne, Sheryl Underwood (Comedian), Sara Gilbert (Big Bang Theory) and Aisha Tyler (Comedian). The show had two guest appearances: Rachel Ray (Who doesn't know of her) and the one...
School’s Out For Summer!
Another year is complete here at Wagner College! As the suitcases roll along the cobblestone paths and friends say goodbye to their rooms, summer 2012 is about to begin! No matter if you are from the sunny beaches of California or the snowy hills of Colorado, everyone loves what the summer brings. Although the summer is here, let’s remember Wagner College is open and running! We are awaiting the Wagner College Class of 2016’s arrival...
Finals Week
So wow... it's finally over (almost). Since the last day of classes was on Monday, Wagner's been pretty quiet. Most people have been studying for their finals and doing take-home finals. I was pretty glad when one of my professors gave our class a take-home final, that is until I started working on it. It's turing out to be much longer and harder than the final would have been if he were to just give one in class. The past two reading...
Last Week of Classes
So! This week is the last week of classes at Wagner and it has been great. This past weekend was Wagnerstock, and almost everyone came out for it. Everyone just kind of hung out on the Oval during the day enjoying live music, a big blow-up slide, a huge (free) barbeque… and the list goes on and on. The radio station Z100 was even there. After all that was over was the annual concert. Wagner got Gym Class Heros to come and perform for...
Frequently Asked Questions
Hey everyone, So I was giving a tour yesterday morning, and as I was answering the families’ questions, I thought about all of the things I wondered before I came to college and thought I'd share some of the more frequently asked questions that I get from perspective students and their parents. Are the floors in Harborview coed? Yes. Most of the floors in Harborview are coed but there are some floors that are not. On the floors that...
Staying Fit!
Stretch Out Warm the Body Up! Cardio is always the best to relieve STRESS! Securing Strength! Keeping the body fit! Whew! Good Workout! A lot of talk goes around when first entering college about the freshman 15. I know I had that problem, but I got through it and now I'm 40lbs lighter! These students here make sure they balance a healthy lifestyle by going to the gym to stay fit! They say it helps with the stress too. I HEAR...
Long Distances
Hey all! Sorry it has taken so long to write. I got back from Spring Break( which I spent back home) and got caught up in the whirl of mid-terms and rehearsals and I totally lost it! But amongst all of the craziness I couldn't help but think of a looming question in the back of my head. Being from Califronia, I do not get to go home alot. I love it here at Wagner and I would not change my decision to come here, but I do get homesick...
What is this weather?
So after Spring Break, the weather here at Wagner was beautiful! Everyone was outside, laying in the oval, eating lunch outside the union.... it was great. But these past few days have been so ridiculously cold! I was giving my tour this morning (which as everyone knows, the best tours are Tuesdays at 10) and my face was numb. When we got to the Hawks Nest, the girl's dad that I was showing around, got so excited to see Starbucks, he...
Goodbye Italy!
Friends and Family, Our trip to Italy was a great success! Our knowledge of ancient cities is greatly increased... Signed, Drs. Smith and Reynolds, Nicole, Jillian, Antonia, Michael, Nicole and Rory ...
Rome
Buongiorno! We have arrived! Rome is amazing. So much to see and do and so little time. The train ride from Naples was quick and the Italian countryside was beautiful....
Pompei and Herculaneum
Hi all, Today we visited the Roman cities of Herculaneum and Pompei. As you can image it was pretty amazing! ...
Update from Port au Prince
Since arriving in Port au Prince our journey has been hectic, moving and at times overwhelming, but all of the students will agree that it has already been an undeniably amazing experience. We are staying on a compound operated by the Haitian American Caucus in the Michaud region of Croix des Bouquets. We share the compound with about 20 students from Howard University in Washington D.C., a few interns, HAC staff, three dogs and an...
Valley of the Temples
Day 1 We arrived in Italy yesterday after-noon from JFK to Palermo, Sicily. After our rooftop breakfast overlooking the beautiful capital we were on our way to explore the ancient Greek ruins in the Valley of the Temples. We met our tour guide Giovanna who led us through the ancient city along with the aid of our Professors Smith and Reynolds. It was an amazing experience to witness the catacombs and the temples of Juno, Zeus, and...
Haiti Trip
This trip is designed for us to help Haitian children with education. English, French, and math are the main classes that the Wagner students have the responsibility to teach. Also, the students are helping HAC , the Haitian American Caucus, building the first community bank of Michaud. an impoverished area of Haiti. These photographs are of the first two days of our trip. You will see pictures of important monuments,...
On the way to Italy
For those of you who are hearing about our EYH Rome trip for the first time see the course description below. Course Description: This trip is designed to be an integral part of HI 252: Ancient Mediterranean Cities, making both the Mediterranean and the extraordinary ancient sites in Italy come alive in your imagination. We will spend the first part of the semester studying the evolution of democracy, art and theater in ancient Greek...
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