Field Journal

Date: April 11, 2017

Date of the Week: Tuesday

Location: Corporate Building in Livingston, NJ

Time: 12:00

Observers: Samara Jones

Habitat: Rest area with benches and tables with umbrellas. Green grass surrounds a small lake that has a fountain pouring out water continuously. Woods surround the right side of the rest area.

Weather: 72 degrees, sunny and warm

Remarks: I see the ducks walking around and flying in and out the lake. It's peaceful outside. Barely can hear any cars on the road, or any other outside noise besides the fountain in the lake.

Comments: I learned that taking time to come outside during my workday helps me to be more relaxed and allows me to collect my thoughts. It motivated me to go back to work and tackle any task that I have yet to meet.

Personal Account: April 17th, 2017: It felt relaxing to sit and take a break from my job for a moment and not think about clients, or numbers, or deadlines that needed to be met. I basically took 20 minutes not to think about much, but just observe what was around me. I've walked past the area that I was sitting many times since my company has been in this building. I have never really took the time to sit and enjoy my the rest area until that day. Being outside made me dread going back to the stuffy office that was waiting for me. The fresh air made me feel relaxed. I couldn't believe how beautiful it was outside with the trees and water. It almost felt like I was sitting in a picture. Somehow being outside made me feel more rejuvenated, because when I came back into work I had a spark of energy that I didn't have before. That very moment I made it up in my mind to make sure that I take time out from my busy day to go appreciate what is right outside my window.

Field Journal II

Date: April 14, 2017

Day of the Week: Friday

Location: Backyard of House in Piscataway, NJ

Time: 18:15

Observers: Only Me

Habitat: Back yard full of grass and in the middle stands one big tree. Underneath the tree are flat rocks that form to make a sitting stool.

Weather: It is 62 degrees and windy.

Remarks: The sun is fighting to stay, but it will soon set. The trees are swaying, because of the wind.

Comments: As I sat in the quietness, I felt a sense of gratefulness to be alive. I felt motivated to travel the world and spend more time with my family.

Personal Account: April 17th, 2017: What I came to realize while sitting out in nature, is beauty is all around us. Taking a moment to truly view my surroundings made me want to see more of the world and find beauty in other places. Sitting outside I meditated and just soaked in the atmosphere around me. I was grateful to be able to see the trees and feel the grass. There are people who aren't able to see what I see almost everyday. It made me feel grateful to have my sight and sense of touch. I listened to the birds chirpping in and out of the quietness that surrounded me. Those moments of sitting in nature gave me a feeling of peace. Some days are so hectic, that I don't allow my body to rest until I go to bed. Sitting outside gave my body a moment of rest as well as my mind. For 20 minutes I just paid attention to what was in my eye view. I got to see how the world moves and hear how the world sounds. I also see how humanity has stricken the earth of its natural beauty by cutting down trees and polluting the air. We as human beings have not been taking care of mother earth the way we should and should be ashamed. There is so much beauty in the world we live in. I hope that the world only gets better and that we all learn to appreciate it more.

Campus Resources

 

 

 

They say that two heads or better than one. I have come to realize this saying fits well when it comes to developing a career plan. I've come across a lot of students that have a career in mind, but need guidance on creating a proper map that will walk them thru their academic journey. I decided to seek assistance, and made an appointment to speak with an academic advisor at the Advising Transfer Services/ Career Services/Work Life Services in the College Center building, room 340. I met with a Nichelle Hunt who assisted me with developing an academic plan in order to place me on the right track to completing my major. Nichelle guided me thru the necessary classes that I should be taken each semester and even provided me with an estimated time of completion. Ms. Hunt also spoke with me regarding my options with transferring to a four year college in order to further my degree. It felt great being able to get direction and have someone give me more clarity on what step I needed to take next in order to achieve my academic goals. I would definitely recommend every college student take time out to speak with an academic advisor; it will help better increase your chances of reaching your goals. You can make an appointment with Ms. Hunt Monday-Friday, from 9am-4pm; I guarantee it will be worth your time.

Jahmai Is My Home

When I think of the word "Home", the phrase, "Home is where your heart is." , always comes to mind. I guess that comes from moving around a lot as a child. During my elementary and middle school days, my parents moved me, my sister, and brother from numerous towns in New Jersey and Virginia. So, I've learned that a home isn't a house or apartment, but more or less the people that dwell in the house or apartment. Home is who you share your space with and feel comfortable doing so. It can be anywhere, a hut, a hill, a beach, or a cliff or even your car, it doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is if you feel safe and comfortable wherever you are. Home to me is family and friends, and people that you love. For a long time home was wherever my parents were. It didn't matter if we were in a hotel, or in a cabin. As long as I was with my parents, that was where I considered home. Now that I have my own child, home is wherever he is. I can move anywhere around the world, but if I don't have my son it won't feel like home. My son is my heart and he is my home.

The Neighborhood House

My first experience of education was in preschool at The Neighborhood House. Although there were many other more polished preschools in my hometown, I attended The Neighborhood House because it was across the street from my great grandmother's house, so my parents wouldn't have to worry about after care while they worked. Plainfield is divided into four sections, West End, East End, Southside and Northside. The Neighborhood House was located on the West End and every preschooler that lived on the West end would have to attend.

The school is smack in the middle of one of the most dangerous areas in the town, but somehow feels like a safe haven. Even though, the Neighborhood House wasn't a rich school, the teachers that worked at the school had so much compassion and care for the students that it made the school feel like a home away from home. The school opened my mind to reading, writing, music, and art. Behind those colorful walls, I got a chance to use my imagination and creative skills. At times you would not even realize all the chaos that was taking place behind the doors. It was like we built a world inside of a world. Most of the teachers that taught at the school during the time I attended, didn't even live in the neighborhood, but traveled just to help cultivate our minds. The classrooms were filled with minorities, but the majority of teachers where Caucasian and treated us like we were their very own. My first friendships were established there and till this day many still exist. When it came time for my son to attend preschool, I gladly walked him into the colorful building and even stopped and said hello to some of the old staff that is still there to this day. The fact that the school posses teachers that have been there for over decades let me know just how dedicated they are to what they do. To me The Neighborhood House is the heart of the West End of Plainfield.

The Wonderful World Of Kevin

I got the opportunity to sit down with the eccentric Kevin Fullagar. Kevin and I discussed his family life, future plans, as well as his dreams. The very first thought that entered my mind when I  fist seen Kevin was, "he has a very interesting beard". In actuality he has only been growing his beard for only a few months now, but you could never tell from the looks of it, you would think that he has been growing it for years. Kevin is currently studying HVAC at NCC, but also dabbles in art and writing, which I believe his true passion lies. Actually, I got an opportunity to peak at some of Kevin's work in class one day. I arrived early, and noticed him drawing something that resembled a Japanese cartoon character. Honestly, it reminded me of the cartoons that seems to be famous with kids these days. Which explains his desire to want to illustrate and write a children's book. From his love of Horror, Sci-Fi, and Fantasy flicks, I can tell the book would be full of imagination and intrigue.

A fellow Jersey native, Kevin was raised by his father and mother who have been together for close to 35 years, something you don't see very often. Although his father was a mixture of everything from Irish to English, he was raised more on his mother's Italian traditions, which his father didn't dispute. Kevin graduated high school in Chatham, New Jersey and then went off to attend art school in New York. Kevin has had an opportunity visit places like England and Italy, and even enlightened me on a beach called Dungeons where he plans on getting married in the future. Hopefully, it will be his current girlfriend, who happens to share in his Italian heritage as well as his passion in art.

Kevin and I talked so much, that time just seemed to pass by so quickly and before I knew it, it was over. However, the most important part of what I took from our interview was his love of family and friends, his love of art and his love of cereal; which we don't agree on by the way.