Introductions to our posts/topics

Each intro below leads you in to a set of posts. Click on posts to the right to read more!

GREEN CHEMISTRY: Please read posts by Stephanie Stassi and Erin Etherson. Green Chemistry is a field of science that aims to minimize potentially hazardous waste and maximize “green” (environmentally friendly) processes. The field of Green Chemistry is a relatively new area of science but an extremely important one. Over the past several decades the impact of toxic substances on our health and the environment’s has come to the attention of all and Green Chemistry was developed to combat this. Our guest lecturer, Dr. John Warner, is one of the founding fathers of Green Chemistry and will be giving an informative and important lecture.

SPACE EXPLORATION: Please read posts by Chloe Oetting, Ryan Colligan, Tony Scott, Ben Stern, Jamie Hefetz, and Demario Reed. The 1950s marked the start of space exploration. From then, much has been learned. As a result of a growing interest, in what was thought to be an endless abyss, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration was formed. Missions to the Earth’s moon and Mars followed soon after. Each of these missions had a specific, yet very important, task. These tasks could be anything from: finding black holes and their origins, bringing back lunar samples, to even applying real life things such as Aerogels to help assist a mission. Furthermore, some things are just out of our reach as humans, for now; a prime example of this would be the usage of the Mars Rover. As history shows, we will progress and seek more answers, just as we have since the 1950s.

GENDER & POWER, RACISM & ANTIRACISM: Please read posts by Jacqueline Whitman, Lindsey Kregel, Lanie Oles, and Kevin Agyakwa. Gender, racism, and inequalities seem to be timeless issues that continue to progress as time goes on. These topics continuously plague our society and we cannot escape them. Guest speakers Jane LaTour, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, and SUNY Potsdam’s own Dr. Youngblood and Dr. Mitchell will be addressing these prominent issues with unique views. So be there or be square, and be prepared to think outside of the box!

CONTEMPORARY MEDIA: Podcasting & Global music: Please read posts by Angela de Gregory, Amber Reid, and Amanda Ryan. Podcasts and the changing access to the radio aid the development of the familiarization of global music. Different music and the media are expanding more than ever, and we believe more people could become exposed to this technology and other cultures by attending these events.

FILMS: Days of Glory, Fierce Green Fire. Please read posts by Lucellys Ortiz, Joseph Roger, and Rachel Grefke. Films serve the purpose of educating their audience in an entertaining way. At the Making the Future presentation they will be screening Days of Glory and A Fierce Green Fire: Battle for a Living Planet. These films will enlighten the audience on topics that are not often spoken about: Algerian soldiers in World War II and grassroots environmental movements.

EDUCATION: Please read post by Adriana Rizzo on Teaching Writing in the 21st Century. Are you an educator? Do you want to become one? Are you interested in the changing world due to technology? With the innovations in technology the world of education is drastically changing. In this blog post, you can read how technology is becoming mandatory in all
classrooms and how it can be beneficial to any student.

Chilean military coup, the other 9/11. Please see post by Jimmy MacAleer. Are you familiar with the brutal takeover by military coup in Chile on 9/11/73? most people aren't so you could be one of the few who are informed about this monumental topic and know something that none of your friends know. So read this blog post by your fellow Potsdam
student and be amazed.

Ancient agriculture. Please read the post by Kelcie Adams. Not too many people question where their food comes from. Sure, we know local versus corporate grown food, but what if we were to look beyond that? Studying ancient agriculture allows us to see how we first domesticated our food sources and what foods are "truly local" to our area.