Alpha Theta Phi Chapter - Phi Theta Kappa - LaGuardia Community College

by Kai-Shanet Blackwood Upon arrival to the Strong Museum of Play, I was greeted with huge, brightly colored toy building blocks which was part of the building’s exterior facade; it immediately drew my attention towards the building. However, it was not until I entered the building that I realized my initial impression of what I expected to see in this museum was all wrong. I thought the museum would be a formal display of different toys and how it may have evolved or maybe have information on the history of play but when I entered I saw children walking around with their parents and a big toy store. It was unexpected but a relief to know I may actually be playing. After receiving my armband, my friends and I were greeted with a woman dressed in an Elmo from Sesame Street costume. For the fun of it, my friends and I decided to take a few pictures with Elmo. Before we officially entered the exhibit area there was a quote on the wall above us that read “It is a happy talent to know

by Hyun Lee The Phi Theta Kappa HIA Regional Conference in Rochester, NY was the second conference that I have attended. It was larger compared to the first conference that we had over the summer in Westchester. I found it to be more dynamic regarding the content because we had keynote speakers and many activities to do. Among all the programs from the conference, I found the seminar group activity to be the most valuable because we were able to share our thoughts with PTK members from around the New York region. These Seminar Groups were discussion sessions that took place after we listened to each keynote speaker at the conference. It was interesting to see how everyone differently interprets ideas and seeks solutions throughout my seminar group. Our seminar leader was one of our advisors from LaGuardia, Ann Matsuuchi. She was a great moderator because she made sure that everyone had a chance to speak up their opinions so no one would feel excluded in the group. During the sem

By Diana Gil Barona I do not tend to watch or hear motivational speeches because all they are trying to do is sell a product or trying to influence the way someone acts or behaves; however, in our regional HIA conference in Rochester, NY, I had the  opportunity to listen to Justin Fosu-Jone who more than giving a normal, boring speech trying to convince his audience, he gave an interactive, heart warming speech. The way he presented his material made the audience feel related to it and willing to interact in the different activities he had during his presentation, from walking around the room to acting and singing. He spoke about four different kinds of personalities which are expressive, drivers, amiable and analytics. The expressive tend to challenge the reality and inspire people to think outside of the box. The drivers prefer take over relationships, they also like to have a To-Do list and get things done on time. This type of personality loves to be in charge; therefo

By Dipa Rai Getting an opportunity to attend the 2016 HIA/Leadership PTK conference, which was hosted by Monroe Community College in Rochester, New York was a wonderful experience for me. This was actually the first time that I was away from my home for three days (Nov 28-30). Our officers team from Alpha Theta Phi chapter, along with our two advisors, headed to the conference on Friday missing the Monday class schedule which was exciting and overwhelming at the same time. After a 6-7 hour bus ride, we were greeted by Monroe Community College chapter. They were full of excitement and energy.  After leaving our stuff in our hotel room, we headed down to the opening session of the conference and for dinner. The next day, we were divided into different seminar groups for discussion after each keynote speaker. This division into different seminar groups was really effective in terms of getting us to meet new people, to learn about other PTK members' experiences and to listen

by Chokey Tenzin In my collective culture, we are taught to always respect our elders, which can be a good thing but not so much when we are expected to follow instructions without asking any questions. As a result, I grew up to speak only when I’m being spoken to. Coming to America at the age of 14 was quite an adjustment, the culture was completely opposite to my own. Since arriving, I’ve learned that you tend to fall behind when you don’t speak up or ask questions. So, I had to change that perspective because I felt that I was alienating myself from various growth opportunities such as networking with people and sharing ideas. Now, as a college student, I’m still learning to find myself to try new things and be confident to speak up for what I believe in. After I graduate from LaGuardia in fall 2017, I plan to continue my education, and simultaneously work at a law firm, where I can gain hands on experience. Once I have my Bachelor's Degree, I would like to further continue to

By: Soleil Griffin At the Phi Theta Kappa New York Region Honors Conference, there were a variety of Keynote speakers who attended. One speaker in particular, Dr. Elizabeth Johnston, focused her speech on how beauty plays a major role when it comes to getting noticed; especially in politics. The title of her presentation was called “Have You Seen Her? ‘The Politics of Beauty and the Problem of (In)Visibility’”. This is where she focused on how the campaign election could affect Hillary Clinton and how ones beauty affects many women in our society today. In her speech she noted that beauty could give us access to power; however, that power is always limited. When it comes to getting hired in the work place women tend to earn less than man even if they have the same educational background. That being said, women tend to make up only 4% of CEO’s for Fortune 500 companies. Regardless of whether they meet the qualifications for a job, women tend to be judged based on how they look

by Christian Esquivel Attending the HIA conference in Rochester, NY was a non-stop, educational experience for our PTK officer team. From the moment we got there on Friday, we were greeted with a delicious dinner and had a guest speaker and fellowship events lined up. Throughout the weekend, our spent time at Monroe Community College participating in various activities, including experiential learning trips and even an exclusive club fair. We had amazing guest speakers, my favorite being Dr. Nayda Pares-Kane who spoke about the history of urban racial segregation and housing projects in Rochester. The segments were arranged in a way that we would listen to a speaker on a relevant, global topic through the lens of sociology, history, or poetry and then we would split off into "seminar groups" to unload and discuss the topic we had just learned about. This was an amazing experience and I cannot highlight enough not only the diversity of ideas exchanged, but the boldness by whi

by Hyun Lee By being an officer at Phi Theta Kappa, I have met many individuals with potential. The motivation and inspiration that I get from the community that we have is a gift. Starting with the nine Alpha Theta Phi officer team members to all the regular and non-regular volunteers who work together for the wellbeing of our chapter, we are on our way to creating a new vision of coming together. As the president of the PTK, the family is what I wanted us to be and here we are now. The workshops that the officer team has completed with Professor Singh helped us become strong leaders and create the unity among the chapter officers. Because of this, we were able to come together during the Spring II semester to research the HIA (Honors In Action) project which concentrates on individualism and collectivism. Dr. Doctor and Ann Matsuuchi, who are the other advisors for our chapter, guided us with the previous experience of the projects so, we were able to settle down with a s

by Tsewang Rinzin While it was a long journey traveling from Queens New York to the city of Rochester, it was worth it. The three days of the Honors in Action Conference, from Friday, November 28 to Sunday, November 30th, were definitely a great learning experience. The host college, Monroe Community College had done a wonderful job hosting the event. And I am fortunate to meet very curious, inspiring future leaders. Students like Lekita Stenson from Mohawk Valley Community College is truly inspiring. Lakita, on top of being Vice president of leadership in her PTK chapter, is also a full-time student. She also takes care of her children. In addition to the lectures from the authors, scholars, and speakers, we also got a chance to take part in two fellowships. The first fellowship was sponsored by Regional Officers and Zeta. Most of us were exhausted from the long day, but this fellowship really energized us. We were assigned multiple activities which we have to complete as

By Erica Nieves From October 28 to 30, I had the opportunity to attend Phi Theta Kappa Regional Conference in Rochester, New York. During the conference, there are keynote presentations that connect to the themes of the Honors in Action project. The first keynote speaker, Dr. Nayda Pares-Kane, choose the theme Individualism and Collectivism for her presentation “The Politics of Barrio Public Housing in Rochester, NY”. The topic she chose to present had a slight personal connection to me: it was about a Puerto Rican community in a housing project in the city of Rochester. As a young Puerto Rican woman, I knew a few things: I knew that we have American citizenship. I knew that Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory. I knew that there are even heavily concentrated neighborhoods for Puerto Ricans, like Spanish Harlem, for example. But I wasn’t familiar with the history of the migration of Puerto Ricans coming to the U.S. In 1917, Puerto Rico became a U.S. terr