Not only does Adelphi University have one university song....they have three! Alma Mater (official university song,) Hail to Adelphi (The Official University Anthem from 1906 to 1920,) and Adelphi Univeristy Fight Song are the university songs that contribute to the thread of Adelphi's many traditions. Below is a podcast of Chinese International student Nian Ma singing Hail to Adelphi in poetic verse.
The question above is one of the many inquiries that Adelphi students have about Information Technology (IT) technicians and their role here at Adelphi. Charles Kulins, Manager of Customer Services for the IT department takes a moment of his time to clarify the top misconceptions about this division, share his guide for safe computing, as well as promote the services that the department provides that are underutilized by students.
TOP MISCONCEPTIONS
·IT technicians are allowed to touch your computers.
o“We take care of [and touch] Adelphi owned equipment. If it is a student or faculty owned equipment we can [only] provide advice and troubleshooting equipment.” For liability reasons.
·IT technicians can see your password
o“If you forget your password we can reset it, but we don’t know it.”
·IT help desk hours are 24/7
o“Help desk hours are the same as library hours. Only during the special week of finals are we open 24 hours,” even though the library is only open from 8am-3pm Monday through Thursday.
·Unlimited printing
o“Printing is controlled so you get 500 sheets black and white per semester and it doesn’t carry over. Black and white costs .05₵ and color costs .15 ₵”
“Prior to putting this system in place, students would print a 200 page document and leave it in the printer.”
GUIDE TO SAFE COMPUTING
1.Make sure you save things often
2.Don’t click on anything your not sure of (cleaning viruses from peoples machines is the number one task here.)
3.Download music and videos the right way. Most student downloads are not legal and the recording and movie industry monitor our network and are very easy trace. Sometimes people share movies and videos without even knowing because they don’t know how the software works. A lot of times it’s unintentional.
Students run the peer-to-peer workshops and that is probably the most under used service. For this semester there is at least four sessions per month. I would say that 50 percent of them are cancelled due to lack of attendance.
According to the IT website Atomic learning is a service that we provide for anyone on the Adelphi network. [This service] is a compilation of small video tutorials broken down into two-minute videos.
With 57 students and 16 instructors, Adelphi University came from very humble beginnings. In 1863 what is now called Adelphi University was once called Adelphi Academy. According to the Adelphi University website, Adelphi Academy was a prepatory school in Brooklyn, NY located on 412 Adelphi Street headed by Dr. Charles H. Levermore. 147 years later Adelphi Academy has grown from being on a street in Brooklyn to establishing a University campus in Garden City with additional centers in Manhattan, Hauppauge, and Hudson Valley.
Parking, food, and the amount of days off are just are just a few of the many things that students at Adelphi complain about. Year after year, topping the list of student grievances is the dissatisfaction with academic advisement. Many students feel as though their advisors are not very helpful in the process of choosing courses or coordinating their academic work to their career goals outside of Adelphi.
“We want students to own their academic education,” said Lester B. Baltimore, Associate Provost of Academic Affairs in the Office of Academic Services and Retention. The idea that role of an advisor is to choose which courses students enroll is a common misconception that couldn’t be any farther from the truth. “The slogan of this office is ‘advisors just advise students make choices,’” said Baltimore.
When it comes to learning it is highly encouraged and recommended that students be proactive about their education and not rely solely on the help of their advisors. “Students should come having some thought and maybe some research on the topic/subject that they would like to discuss,” said Baltimore. He goes on to say that the responsibility of an advisor is a “heavy” one that “includes informing students about what they need to know” and helping them to identify their strengths and weaknesses in order to set academic expectations.
“If you’re considering going on an archeological dig an advisor would say, ‘here are some courses for that,’” explains Baltimore. “Advising is not just picking courses... Advisors help students develop in their academic area of interest.”
Planning your future and making important decisions is a significant part of the college experience. By Adelphi requiring students to be at the forefront of their academic decision making process the university is inertlyhelping students engage and develop necessary life skills sooner rather than later.
On the totem pole of life no one likes being the "new guy". Whether your new on the job, school, or sports team, society has trained the masses to believe that being the "new person" in an unfamiliar environment is a negative thing and therefore brands you as inferior. In 1946 Jim Young, an Adelphi freshman defied the preconceived stereotype of inferiority by leaving his mark at Adelphi by proposing the idea for the university mascot and emblem which was later implemented.
Choosing the right courses, professors, and class times can be some of the most stressful and frustrating part of the registration process. Many students spend a great deal of time choosing these variables in order to create the optimum environment conducive to their learning. Unfortunately, some time despite all the planning, things don't work out favorably and students are put in a position to determine whether or not they will withdraw from a class or accept a failing grade.
A course withdrawal is when a student officially removes them self from a course with the instructors written consent. If a student chooses to withdraw from a course they receive no credit for that course and the withdrawal appears on their transcript as a "W." On the contrary, accepting a failing grade results in the acquisition of course credit, but a decrease in Grade Point Average.
"A 'W' is always gunna hurt you better than a poor grade," said Annette Uvena, Coordinator of Academic Services. "A 'W' doesn't affect your GPA."
In order to help assess if you need to withdraw from a course in the early stages of the semester, early warning letters are sent out by Lester B. Baltimore, Associate Provost of Academic Affairs Academic Services and Retention. The early warning system was created to help identify students who are experiencing academic anxiety. Frequent absences, failure to complete assignments, and poor class participation are just some of the examples of actions that would result in an early warning letter.
“We recommend students who are getting ‘D’s’ and ‘F’s’ that is going to lower your grade to withdraw,” said Uvena. Uvena adds that it if a student is contemplating withdrawing they should have exhausted all of their possibilities such as “speaking with the professor and going to the learning center.”
For those who are considering just sticking it out, all hope is not lost. If you receive a poor grade and you choose to repeat the course, you won’t get the credit again, you’ll get the grade and both grades will be averaged into your GPA, stated Uvena.
This decision may be a little more critical for students planning to continue their education in grad school where their transcript is a major determinant of their acceptance. Before making any rash decisions Uvena advises that you talk with someone about it. “Your transcript wants to look consistent of what you’re capable of.”
Brown-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), also called Black-Eyed Susan, is a flower that significantly contributes to the aesthetics of Adelphi’s landscape as well as its tradition. As a member of the sunflower family, the Brown - Eyed Susan holds the title as Adelphi’s university flower. Native to North America, this flower can be found in bloom campus wide throughout the summer.
Here at Adelphi there are six residence halls on campus that house a little more than 25% of Adelphi’s student population. Each residence hall is run by a Resident Hall Director and a minimum of four resident assistants who advise residents, promote a healthy and positive residential community, as well as confront and document disciplinary issues or policy violation.
Each RA is assigned a primary residence hall and floor that they must supervise however their position does not limit them to only overseeing their designated building which has led residents and other members of the Adelphi community to think that RA’s have swipe access into all residence hall’s but contrary to popular belief that is not the case.
Guy Seneque, Director of Residential Life
“I personally don’t think that RA’s need 24/7 access to the buildings,” said Guy Seneque, Director of Residential Life and Housing. “RA’s are not entitled to have access to every building. You have an assigned area.”
Many RA’s such as first year RA Christianna Molina and third year RA Arielle Hall feel as though swipe access into all of the residence halls will aid them in being able to do their job more efficiently.
“If there is an incident and you need to call an RA from another hall for assistance you need to leave the incident to get help,” said Molina. During RA training Residents are strongly encouraged to gain assistance from other staff members when handling various incidents especially when working in a building with a smaller staff (Waldo Hall, Chapman Hall, and Linen Hall) which consists of four Resident Assistants as opposed to a building with a larger staff that consists of six or more Resident Assistants.
The Cat Cup Challenge is an annual competition amongst the residence halls that has been an Adelphi tradition since 1994. Each school year, Adelphi’s Campus Recreation department hosts and sponsors this year long competition where students compete in a series of events in hopes of winning prizes, getting participation points and ultimately winning the Cat Cup trophy.
The Cat Cup Challenge was created in an effort to provide fun and unique activities for resident students to participate in, in order to stimulate a sense of unity within each residence hall. Although the Cat Cup motto is “battle of the dorms,” the challenge has always allowed the participation of one commuter per team according to Jennifer Schroeckenthaler, assistant director of Campus Recreation.
Although some commuters like the idea of having their own Cat Cup team it was never discussed. If there was a commuter team “who would take home the trophy?” said Schroeckenthaler. Although the chances of commuters having their own team look pretty slim, Schroeckenthaler adds that “The Center for Student Involvement has been pushing for a ‘Commuters Cup,’ so that may be implemented in the future.”
The Fall 2010 semester brought about many changes to the dining services at Adelphi University. In order to better accommodate the needs and wishes of students and faculty, Adelphi’s food provider, Lackmann Culinary Services, embarked on a building and menu transformation to the University Center cafeteria and Post Hall during the summer of 2010. Among the many changes that were made, the most noticeable include the newly renovated UC Cafeteria dining area, Nikos Cafe replacement of Sbarros in Post Hall and the addition of the Chee Burger Chee Burger Burger franchise in the UC Cafe. Even though the modifications received a lot of positive attention, it magnified the fact that many students were unhappy about the dining hall hours of operation.
“Ideally the dining services should be open 24 hours,” said Adelphi freshman Felicia Smalls. “If not, they should have longer hours”.
“Cherry Valley is getting expensive,” said Smalls. “I get hungry at 2am.” During the week Post’s Charcoals Grill and C-store are opened by 9am- 1am whereas on the weekend they both open at 5pm and close at 11pm.
Midnight Madness is one of the most anticipated athletic events at Adelphi University. Every year students look forward to the car giveaway, electronics, and cash prizes, as well as performances by the Step, Hip-Hop, Dance, and Cheer Team. Amidst all the buzz about this event that kicks off the official start of basketball season everyone seems to have one question: “does Midnight Madness really start at midnight?”
“In the past we’ve done it at 10pm so the teams can officially come out at midnight,” said Suzette McQueen, Assistant Athletics Director. “This year were going to start it a little bit earlier so that it will be more convenient for friends and family to attend.”
This year’s midnight madness took place on Friday October 15th and started promptly at 8pm. The outpour of fans, family, friends, and supporters were not only to cheer on the basketball team but also to honor the women’s lacrosse team with a ring ceremony for winning the 2010 NCAA Division II national championship in the spring.
Admission to attend midnight madness was $3 per person and all proceeds went to The Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Out of the seven residence halls on campus the one that’s most likely to be in a tale around a campfire is Waldo Hall. The infamous third floor of Waldo has been said to be the home of a female suicide that dates back to many years ago.
From generation to generation there have been numerous variations about what actually occurred on the third floor of Waldo but the only factors that remain constant are: the room (325), suicide method (hanging), and sex of the victim (female).
“I heard that an international student didn’t want to go home so they killed themselves,” said Kevin Vilbig, a junior and 2nd year resident assistant in Waldo Hall. “I’ve had residents come to me and tell me they’ve heard ghost noises.”
Depending on who you talk to they might reference a tree located next to the ramp outside of Waldo that is dedicated to Liz Fiorella Boggio (1979-1998) who students say is the girl who took her life.
The stories about Waldo’s ghosts and suicide seem to be popular amongst Adelphi students but not amongst the staff.
“I don’t believe ghosts exist. Period. Not just in Waldo,” said Meghan Hudson, Residence Hall Director of Waldo Hall. Furthermore, Guy Seneque, Director of Residential Life and Housing said that since his arrival in 1999 he hasn’t heard of any ghosts let alone a suicide on campus thus helping to put an end to circulation of these myths.
“There’s nothing to do on campus” is an expression that is not unique to Adelphi University, but is one that has plagued the campus for years. While rated as a "Best Buy" school in Fiske Guide To Colleges for the fifth consecutive year, Adelphi students say the school just doesn’t make the cut when it comes to on- campus activities.
In an effort to stimulate awareness about the 80+ clubs and organizations Adelphi has to offer, the Center for Student Involvement has created an organizational network called OrgSync for students to gain access to what’s happening on campus. Through this network students can search and join organizations that best fit their interests, as well as discover numerous involvement opportunities. Starting with the class of 2014, all incoming freshman will be required to set up an OrgSync account as a part of their registration process during orientation.
Along with CSI, the Residential Life Department Leadership and Development Team is rising to the occasion to increase on- campus participation by starting a new advertising campaign promoting programs that happen in Res Life. Like CSI, Res Life will begin to send out weekly emails starting the week of October 11th to advertise upcoming departmental programs going on during the week/weekends making on-campus boredom a thing of the past.
New bleacher seats, lights, sound systems, heating/ cooling ventilation and tiles are just a few of the many renovations that were made to refurbish the swimming pool located in the lower level of Woodruff Hall. Contrary to what some may think, the pool is strictly for exercise purposes. “This is not like a community pool” said Les Boyce, Assistant Director of Campus Recreation, “this pool is predominantly used for lap swimmers.”
Don’t know how to swim? No problem! A 6-8 week non credit instructional swim course is planned to be offered with hopes of getting classes started and completed before the 2010 winter break said Boyce.
According to the Campus Recreation website, all students, faculty, staff, and Campus of Recreation and Sports (CRS) members are more than welcome to use the pool, putting a halt to the rumor that the pool is only for the swim team and other athletes.
The intention of this blog is to help separate fact from fiction on all things pertaining to Adelphi University. Through this blog I hope to put to rest Adelphi myths and lend some factual insight on things heard through the campus grapevine. Nothing is off limits. My ultimate goal is to make students more informed about their school, making a clear distinction between what it does and doesn’t have to offer while learning about Adelphi History along the way.
