Your 20 seconds of fame

TORDA'S FALL 2021 TEACHING

Your 20 seconds of fame

11/24/2021

Use this space to post 1) your 200 word blurb on one of the questions and then 2) your 20 seconds that you pull from that.

Things to keep in mind:

In one 200 word blurb, you might end up with multiple twenty seconds
One idea per twenty seconds--not seven or two or 80, just one. Can you rise to that challenge?
Twenty seconds is roughly 4 and a half lines of text. Don't try to write more and then talk fast.
Remember to harness your inner ballerina: speak naturally, project, don't read.

34 Comments

Cam Breault

11/24/2021 08:22:21 am

What do you feel like you have in common with the alumni you met during your interview with them?
My alumni were very hard working inside and outside the classroom. And he had his head on his shoulders during the time he was at school. He always knew when to take a break. I feel I am very much like him in the sense I'm always giving my best effort inside and outside the classroom and on and off the baseball field. I can usually tell when I start getting stressed too and can't really talk much anymore so I'll go on a walk or I'll go on a run to help. But I can also just get away by going in the car and driving just to listen to music and that will really take my mind off stuff. We are both the same as in giving back to where you came from. My alumni did a program to help students get used to college when they were in high school. I also coach little kids in baseball in the winter to help make them better players while also showing them the rights and wrongs of the game when playing. So overall I would say my match up with my alumni is very fitting as we have a lot in common.

Cam Breault

11/24/2021 08:36:40 am

My alumni was very hard working inside and outside the classroom. And he had his head on his shoulders during the time he was at school. He always knew when to take a break. I feel I am very much like him in the sense I'm always giving my best effort inside and outside the classroom and on and off the baseball field. But is also know when a break is needed

Cameron Mello

11/24/2021 08:23:59 am

How has the semester been for you academically?
This year academically has been very good. I say it has been good because I haven’t heard many negatives or concerning remarks from teachers directly about anything. Math class comes and goes, partly due to it being very easy to miss/skip and still do well, and I don’t hear much of anything from my logic teacher. The most I hear from is from my film classes and writing class. The writing teacher has only ever had positive things to say in regards to my writing, and given only constructive criticism. Film teacher also seems to be very happy with how well I do in class, and seems very supportive of whatever ideas I have to submit for class. My grades are doing very well, the grading system is not consistent across all classes but I seem to be getting a high average across them all according to their grading systems. I have been somewhat struggling to keep those grades up, not because I am falling behind on grades but because I am cutting it very close with the due date on several assignments. I tend to last minute a lot, even before college, but I am frequently now staying up very late in order to work and pass in assignments. But despite any difficulties, I still manage to get them in. If nothing else, my grade will definitely reflect how much work I end up putting in.

Billy Burns

11/24/2021 08:35:54 am

What do you feel like you have in common with your alumni? I feel like me and John both have trouble with organization and aren’t exactly ordinary students. He has/had a learning disability while he was in school, and his was undiagnosed versus mine being diagnosed. He also had his strengths in certain subjects, as I do too. I struggle with certain things, and he also had his strengths and weaknesses. John needed guidance while he was in class, and I can definitely relate to that as well, but when I am given guidance and advice on what I should be doing, I will be more successful. I like to think of this as having a prompt versus not having a prompt. I can be creative when given something to start off with, and sometimes I get stumped so to say. John is also a commuter, as I commute as well, his experience is a little different as he took the train but it still adds another effect. John also has a very good sense of humor, as I discovered from his emails, and I hope I possess a sense of humor similar to his. He has a pretty good attitude, and wasn’t too much of a complainer.

20 second version: Me and John are both commuters that have our strengths and weaknesses. We mainly share organizational issues, along with being pretty laid back. John also has a good sense of humor, and that is something that I hope I possess as well. John needed mentors, and I have been fortunate enough to have a few as well.

Michael Garifales

11/24/2021 08:24:22 am

When looking at the archives of other students at Bridgewater State University, what I feel that is very different with those students is the diversity in students, then and now. When looking at photos in the past, we can clearly see there was not a diverse school, either: an all-women’s school or an all-white school. But when looking at the school now, we can clearly see there is a diverse group of people, from all over, at Bridgewater State University. Back in the days before Bridgewater State University was diverse, it was originally a woman’s school so that women could teach. But as time progressed, it then became public for anyone, except African Americans. Looking at Bridgewater State University now, we can all agree that diversity matters, even in a public university. African Americans, Latinos, Asians, members of the LGBTQ community, transgender people, and others are part of that diversity who are here at Bridgewater State University, which is a significant step to getting the community together. This shows we can move on from the past and continue living the present because if we continue living in the past, then we can’t go anywhere in life, and lots of people would be affected by our continuation of history.

Lily Scola

11/24/2021 08:25:36 am

What is your home/home life/family life like?

I have a great home life and home. My dad’s name is Tony, my mom’s name is Kelly, my brother is 20yrs old and his name is Will. I also have an English Bulldog named Khalisee. We live in Quincy, MA in a very welcoming and nice neighborhood. Our neighbors are very nice and became our friends. WWe have events with our neighbors and family and we are very close with people in our neighborhood. I have a lot of cousins, aunts and uncles and family members on my mom’s side. My cousins are having kids now and are in their 30’s. I love seeing my cousins and babysitting. I am the babysitter in the family.We have two babies all the time, their two boys named Liam and Archie. One is 1yrs old and one is 2yrs old. I have about 20 cousins on my mom’s side. My dad's family is small and just boys, I am the only girl on my dad’s side of the family for cousins. It is fun to have holidays because there are a ton of us and we do family traditions like secret santa. We are a very big and close family. My family usually always has the holidays at our house but this year we switch and take turns. It is a lot of work to do the holidays with our whole family because there are a lot of us if you combine both sides of the family.

Aengus

11/24/2021 08:26:53 am

What I feel like I have in common with my alumni is many things that matt himself mentioned. first off, matt relates the fact that me and him both have a passion for studying law, and although he studies biology today, he says that if he had to pick another career, he would probably be involved in law. secondly, me and matt play the same sports. both myself and my alumni both wrestled at school, although my time was shorter than his, and we both did a throwing event in track and field. the last thing we both have in common would be our individual passions for our respective fields of study. ive personally gone through countless legal texts both about massachussets and federal law, but also the codes of conduct here at BSU; the field truly captivates all my interest and I don’t consider studying these texts work, I geniuenly enjoy finding the loopholes in the system, but much to that point, matthew also loves his field. Matt tells the reader during his interveiw that he started with a biology major, loved it throughout college, and still continues to fall in love with his career every single day.

David Brault

11/24/2021 08:26:56 am

Why did I choose BSU?
One of the most stressful, headache-inducing times in recent memory is easy to pick out: Looking through colleges to see where I wanted to attend. Even though I had a few options in mind, including Bridgewater State University, it was still such a time consuming activity to spend hours upon hours scouring through college websites. I found myself looking at colleges all over the place, such as University of Rhode Island, UMass Amherst, Keene State, and even some schools in Chicago. But clearly, I’m here at Bridgewater. So, what directed my focus to this state school? Well, my answer is probably the same as everyone else’s: It was cost efficient, close to home, and open to many majors. On top of this, my sister also attended BSU a few years back. While she transferred out after her second year, she claims to have loved BSU for its faculty, inclusiveness, and overall positive vibe. I can confidently say that all of these things are true, and contribute to why I picked BSU.

Hannah Bowlby

11/24/2021 08:28:06 am

What do you feel like you have in common with the alumnus/a you met during your interview with them?

I feel like we all chose Bridgewater State University for the reason that it's cheap and affordable. But this doesn't make it a bad school, I mean obviously it's no Harvard but for being a cheap state school it's got it all and plus some of its own perks. Allison and I had in common that we were risk takers but we needed some encouragement from others around us sometimes. I relate to a lot of my teammates because yes they might be better and can play division two but they came to Bridgewater State University because it's a better division three team and it's significantly cheaper. Plus you'll probably get on the field in your first freshmen year game rather than waiting till sophomore or junior year to even touch the field. Even though this is a cheap school some kids still pay for college alone here and a lot of my friends are on their own and I can relate to that.

We all chose Bridgewater State University for the reason that it's cheap and affordable. From my assigned alumni, Allison, we had in common we were risk takers but we needed some encouragement from others around us sometimes. A lot of my teammates on the lacrosse team chose BSU because they will play a lot and don't have to spend thousands of dollars.

Lily Scola

11/24/2021 08:28:21 am

What is your home/home life/family life like?

When I'm not living at school, I reside in Quincy Mass, where I live with my parents, my older brother, and my dog. I have a lot of extended family. Those would include aunts, uncles, and a surplus of cousins. More specifically, I have a great relationship with all my cousins on my mom's side. They're all starting to have children. Thankfully, they are a big part of my life.

John Bownes

11/24/2021 08:29:23 am

What do you feel like you have in common with the alumnus/a you met during your interview with them?

I feel like my alumni and I have a fair share in common, as kids we were both seen as very smart kids but as time went on we realized that that was because we only looked smart, we were not really smart kids. In the beginning of college for my alumni they didn't know what their future holds for them and thats how I feel at the moment, not sure what my future holds ahead of me. We both felt like Bridgewater State was the only option for college due to affordability and it was close to home. My alumni and I share the same humor as well and we seem to have similar personalities

Micayla Gildea

11/24/2021 08:30:10 am

Tell a story about a friend thats made you into the person you are now
Ever since I can remember, I have been a very talkative outgoing person. When it comes to friends I care alot about people and tend to put others before myself. Growing up I was bullied a lot however I was very lucky to always have my twin sister by my side to help stand up for me and we really stuck together through a lot of it. I never had a real good friend until I met Camille. Camille is my second sister and I don’t say that lightly. I met Camille in sixth grade and we were always friends but I really became close with her in ninth grade. I never understood what it was like to not feel anxious or worried around friends after being made fun of for so long. I never had a true friend until her. With Camille I could always be myself. No matter what Camille has always stuck by my side, I am truly so grateful to have a friend like her, I know we will be friends for a very long time and I am so lucky to have someone like her in my life. Camille has taught me to be myself, to keep pushing when things are hard and she will always be my best friend. I know when things get hard turning to her keeps me going and I always always say “everyone needs a camille in their life” and I live by that.

Micayla Gildea

11/24/2021 08:40:06 am

20 second
Ever since I can remember, I have been a very talkative outgoing person. Growing up I was bullied a lot however I was very lucky to always have my twin sister by my side I never had a real good friend until I met Camille. With Camille I could always be myself. No matter what Camille has always stuck by my side, I know we will be friends for a very long time and I am so lucky to have someone like her in my life.

Lily Scola

11/24/2021 08:30:14 am

I meant to say since not when.

Lizzy Hart

11/24/2021 08:31:26 am

Academically the semester has gone a lot better than I thought. I take 5 courses, 6 if you count bookclub. At the start of the year I was nervous from every class because I knew it wasn’t going to be like high school. As we got further into the year my nerves calmed down. I picked a schedule I knew would work best for me, back-to-back classes. On Tuesday and Thursday I do struggle to make it to my spread out classes; I love a good nap and take one whenever I can. The class I was most worried about was math. I have never been good at math and know it is a weakness of mine. After receiving a couple of quiz grades that I was not pleased with I decided to go to AAC for some help, one of my best decisions. All my other classes have been pretty standard. I put in the effort required and I like the grades that I get back. It can be tricky but getting back a good grade is rewarding.

Lizzy

11/24/2021 08:42:09 am

Academically the semester has gone a lot better than I thought. I picked a schedule I knew would work best for me, back-to-back classes. The class I was most worried about was math. After receiving a couple of quiz grades that I was not pleased with I decided to go to AAC for some help.

Lizzy Hart

11/24/2021 08:51:08 am

Academically the semester has gone a lot better than I thought. At the start of the year I was nervous from every class because I knew it wasn’t going to be like high school. I picked a schedule I knew would work best for me, back-to-back classes. The class I was most worried about was math. I have never been good at math and know it is a weakness of mine. After receiving a couple of quiz grades that I was not pleased with I decided to go to AAC for some help.

Lizzy Hart

11/24/2021 09:01:32 am

Academically the semester has gone a lot better than I thought. At the start of the year I was nervous for every class because I knew it wasn’t going to be like high school. As we got further into the year my nerves calmed down. I got used to the work-load very quickly. I put in the effort required and am very pleased with the grades that I get back. It can be tricky but getting back a good grade is rewarding.

Gracesave

11/24/2021 08:32:21 am

Is there anything that you read in your book-club book that you connected with, that reminds you of your own life leading up to college?
Honestly the book “Riot Baby” it’s all my neighborhood that I came from was about. My baby really showed how Black people should stand and how we get treated for being who you are within the US. If I’m 100% honest I was scared to come to Bridgewater. I was scared because I knew I wouldn’t see too many of my people here. But I found my people, I found my group, I found the people who I can relate with easily just by a clip of my finger. My baby really showed that living to the age of 18 is a really big deal as a black person, and I’m pretty sure that’s for all over. Although it does feel like Bridgewater could be the hotspot for me keeping up that wish, I don’t feel like that overall. My guard is still up, don't get me wrong but it’s up in different stances. My neighborhood led me here because at first I wanted to come here and never look back but my neighborhood brought me here those lessons taught are lessons truly appreciated and I will always forever look back.

Michael Garifales

11/24/2021 08:32:40 am

Michael Garifales

11/24/2021 08:51:34 am

When looking at the archives of other students at BSU, what I feel that is very different with those students is the diversity in students, then and now. When looking at photos in the past, we can clearly see there was not a diverse school, either: an all-women’s school or an all-white school. But when looking at the school now, we can clearly see there is a diverse group of people, from all over, at BSU.

11/24/2021 08:37:28 am

Blurb: When I was four years old, my sister Kimberly was born. She was the bane of my existence. She cried incessantly, got all of the attention. She was the worst.One day, I got sent to my room that I shared with my new, dumb, baby sister. To punish my parents for punishing me I summoned super hero levels of strength and moved a chest of drawers three times my size to block the door. No one was getting in or out. This through my family into chaos. My mother called my Aunt, who called my uncle, who called my other uncle and before I knew it they were all at my house. This is both the joy and the pain of living that close to all of your relatives. What ended up happening is that they had to take the hinges off the door and slide the door over so that they could move the chest of drawers enough to get in the room. On my end, I did nothing to help. I heard the commotion and I saw the considerable effort it took to do all that and what I did was sit on my twin bed and peer over a copy of the Charlie Brown Encyclopedia for Kids. Which, and I need to be very clear about this next part, I was not actually reading. I was just using it to cover up my scowl and surreptitiously check on the efforts to get the door open. The next thing that happened changed the course of my entire life. And I’m not even joking. Once they got the door open and the chest of drawers moved and saw that I was not crushed underneath the weight of it, they noticed the scowling kid and the book and whispered to each other that “look, she’s reading--at four--reading! Genius. She’s a genius.” Now, that I wasn’t reading was beside the point because I’m pretty sure that I was going to be in serious trouble for the whole thing except that, suddenly, because they thought I was reading, I wasn’t in trouble anymore. But then the worst thing happened, worse than any punishment they could have given me: they started buying me books. Books about horses. Books about queens. Little House on the Prairie books and Little Women and Anne of Green Gables. But, let me remind you, I couldn’t read. The tremendous guilt over my deception was worse than any spanking I might have recieved in the first place. They wouldn’t let up: books for christmas. Books for birthdays.

Twenty seconds: When I was four years old, my sister Kimberly was born. She was the bane of my existence. She cried incessantly, got all of the attention. She was the worst.One day, I got sent to my room that I shared with my new, dumb, baby sister. To punish my parents for punishing me I summoned super hero levels of strength and moved a chest of drawers three times my size to block the door. No one was getting in or out.

11/24/2021 08:47:17 am

Twenty seconds: When I was four years old my sister was born. She was the bane of my existence. She cried incessantly, got all of the attention. She was the worst. One day, I got sent to the room I shared with my dumb, baby sister. Somehow, I summoned super hero levels of strength and moved a chest of drawers three times my size to block the door. No one was getting in or out.

John Bownes

11/24/2021 08:39:27 am

20 seconds
My alumni and I have a good amount in common, we both grew up looking smart, but we were not the brightest kids. Right now I’m not exactly sure what I want my career to be and I don’t have any ideas of how to pursue it, my alumn was in the same position when he was my age. We both felt like BSU was our only option for college due to financial reasoning. I feel like my alumni and I both like to try new things, I also feel like we share the same humor and personality.

Kyara Colon

11/24/2021 08:39:47 am

I picked Bridgewater for school because it was close to home but also because it just felt like the right school. BSU was not my first choose it was my second but once i seen that i wouldn't be able to afford any other school i knew that Bridgewater was my only choose ,i'm not upset at my choose Im actually really proud of myself for choosing BSU , after seeing my older brother finish here i knew i would be able to do the same , he get so much help when it was needed and i knew that this school would be the best fit for me and some of my needs that i may need.

(20 sec ) I picked Bridgewater for school because it was close to home but also because it just felt like the right school. BSU was not my first choose it was my second but once i seen that i wouldn't be able to afford any other school i knew that Bridgewater was my only choose ,i'm not upset at my choose Im actually really proud of myself for choosing BSU

Gracesave

11/24/2021 08:40:06 am

20 second-
During book club we read the book “Riot Baby” and the book really showed me how my neighborhood was. My neighborhood pushed me right to Bridgewater state looking for a different environment to learn in. And surroundings to observe as I move around, that can help me in the work force.

Zachary Tyler Oliveira

11/24/2021 08:43:04 am

What What do you feel like you have in common with your alumni? What I think I have in common with my alumni are a few things. One of them being that in Stacy’s life she was not really sure where she wanted to go in life. This is common with me because I have a rough idea of what I want to do but not super sure tht is the end goal. The second part that I have in common with her is that she wanted to do forensics like I do.

Cameron Mello

11/24/2021 08:49:46 am

This year academically has been very good. I haven’t heard many negative remarks from teachers about anything. My grades are doing very well, the grading system is not consistent across all classes but I seem to be getting a high average across them all according to their grading systems. I have been somewhat struggling to keep those grades up because I am cutting it very close with the due date on several assignments. I tend to last minute a lot, even before college. I am frequently now staying up very late in order to work and pass in assignments. But despite any difficulties, I still manage to get them in. If nothing else, my grade will definitely reflect how much work I end up putting in.

Cameron Mello

11/24/2021 08:50:23 am

Twenty Seconds *

David Brault

11/24/2021 08:50:39 am

Aengus (20 sec)

11/24/2021 08:51:23 am

Matthew and myself more in common than most people might think. for example, we both play the same sports in college, wrestling and track, and we both currently enjoy our respective majors. while Matthew majored in biology, and im majoring in legal studies, many of the activities we participate in are very similar.

John Bownes

11/24/2021 08:52:58 am

How has the semester been for you academically?

The semester has been good, I've been going to most of my classes and getting my work done, I do tend to sleep through some classes, such as those horrible 8 ams. But I make sure to get all my work done, even if it's not on time.

Hannah Bowlby

11/24/2021 09:00:25 am

20 seconds:

We all chose Bridgewater State University for the reason that it's cheap and affordable. From my assigned alumni, Allison, we had in common we were risk takers but we needed some encouragement from others around us sometimes. A lot of my teammates on the lacrosse team chose BSU because they will play a lot and don't have to spend thousands of dollars.

Ryan McKenna

11/25/2021 04:30:15 am

I had a great semester achieving a lot academically and successfully getting smarter. For me I didn't know what I was walking into but I knew I had what it took and the determination to be great. This English class and Dr. Torda was here to improve my skills and how to become better even though I thought I knew what I was doing already.

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