Life After UNHM

Truthfully, I am not a big-picture type of girl. I tend to live in the "now" and only really worry about the future when the situation calls for it. I know that since my senior year is close (oh geeze) I have to begin to think about what my life will look like after my UNH Manchester days.

I would love to work for a company and their social media. I have been exposed to the power of social media recently, both through my experiences in my various jobs and classes that I am currently taking. It would be really great to just spend all day posting to Facebook or Twitter, managing these sites, and tracking trends and visitors.

Some people have heard me say that, way back in high school, all I wanted to do what learn physics and be an astronomer. I

just wanted to star gaze all day, find planets, and discover this unknown expanse we have above us. Now, with all my journalism interests, I would rather write about those discoveries. Not that making those discoveries wouldn't be cool too, I just work better with text on paper.

I see myself writing. Writing all the time, no matter what the subject is or the time of day. I would be this guy to the right...seriously. I write for fun normally, so I can not imagine my time outside of UNH Manchester spent any other way.

Of course, I see myself with a job (how would I support my crazy writing hobby?). But, I am aware that the field I chose to go into is not always promising.

As you can see, I am all over the place. One sure-fire way to get me to ramble is to ask me "where do you see yourself in five years?" I tend to "go with the flow"; my plans in the past, when they failed, failed horribly and I received emotional whiplash from that. I have learned that planning is not always the best thing, especially when you set things in stone.

I do plan, don't get me wrong, but I tend not to make concrete ones. For example, saying "I want to get into BU graduate programs and nothing else" is a concrete plan, but saying "I want to get into a graduate program" allows for shifts and changes within your life style.

I know that my time at UNH Manchester is limited, but I hope my experiences here will help shape what I want to do after.

A Look at Our Dean's Regina McCarthy

UNH Manchester currently has three Deans; the Interim Dean of the college, and two assistant Deans who deal with student affairs and resources. The dean's of UNH Manchester, like the rest of the faculty and staff, are in a league all their own, meaning that they go above and beyond.

Regina McCarthy, the Assistant Dean of Academic Student Services, is one of the three Deans on campus, but plays a vital role in the running of this institution.

McCarthy received both her undergraduate and master's degree at Northeastern University, her undergraduate degree being awarded with highest honors.

Before her arrival to UNH Manchester, McCarthy worked as an Education Counselor and within the Dean's Office for the College of Business Administration at Northeastern University. She joined UNH Manchester as the Director of Academic Counseling in 1985, the same year UNH Manchester became one of the colleges of UNH.

While her tasks are many, McCarthy oversees many departments on campus such as the study abroad program, the Center for Academic Enrichment, Academic Counseling, First Year Experience, Student Activities, and many more. She ensures that not only are the departments running smoothly, but that they are providing a service to the students of UNH Manchester that will help them on their journey to graduation.

Many can list the things that McCarthy does around this campus, but was it most apparent, and what her profile on the Faculty and Staff Directory page on the UNH Manchester website says, is that she "is committed to student support, enrichment and transition, and helping students find their purpose and passion".

Also participating in other things such as co-facilitating Social Justice training, and aiding in the training of numerous student leaders on campus, McCarthy goes above and beyond to reach out and help students. "She and I both connected because we were both first generation college students," Alyssa Paquin, a senior in the psychology program, said. "When I was first looking at graduate programs she was one of the first people that took the time to help me find the best fit."

McCarthy not only shows a commitment to the students of UNH Manchester, but to the Manchester community as well. She is an asset to the university that will aid in the growth of the programs, the students, and the college as a whole.

My revised article

Video games are about as varied as the people who play them; they range from one player to an entire group, but what makes them so special? And why should people, particularly parents, be more open to the inclusion of them within their home?

Games, no matter if they are played through a console or not, tend to break barriers between people; they create a common objective that everyone must strive towards which causes a community to be created.

You might be thinking why can't we just do this with TV, movies, or books? Well, you can, but video games bring a different experience. Mostly, the three other things are one sided - they only talk at the viewer. However, video games allow the player to interact and make their own choices. The viewer of a movie cannot chose a different street to drive the actor's car down, but in video games we are able to.

Yes, video games are fun, but why do they get such a bad reputation?

Games do have a rating system, which should be followed; they are rated for a a reason and the majority of the scrutiny that video games receive tends to come from those that do not follow the careful rating system.

There are some games that are just pure mayhem, such as Saints Row and Grand Theft Auto. They include a lawless world in which any crime goes unpunished, but others are not so violent and empty. Games such as Dragon Age and Mass Effect include themes such as good vs. evil, and the importance of building trust with your squad mates. They not only show us good morals, they show us that when faced with impossible odds greatness can be achieved no matter where you come from.

Overall, video games are a great, new-age way to teach important morals to the population. Though, be aware that ratings, and even one's own opinion, should be followed above all.

Introductions are in order....

While this blog is for a class that I am currently taking, my hope is to tailor this blog to my hobbies and keep it. 

I am a student majoring in English in the New England area. 

As the title of my blog might hint at, I am a gamer, but I also happen to be a woman. Go figure, right? Well, I plan to add my two cents to all things video games and gender issues.

I can already hear the collective sigh from across the internet as you think, "not another one".

I promise you, I will try to be as fair as I can...hopefully.