Gibbs colleges closing..........

Yesterday, it was made known to all students and faculty who did not already know: All Katherine Gibbs colleges will be closing. For good. Next year. Here in New York it didn't really make headlines, but the bad news has been out there since last Friday. Here is an e-mail I received from Gibbs New York:

Dear Student:
Katharine Gibbs School in New York takes our educational commitment to you very seriously. We are honored that you chose our school to be your educational partner and to support you in achieving your career dreams.

We announced today that the decision has been made to begin a gradual process of discontinuing operations at the school—what’s called a “teach-out.” We want to assure you that our teach-out process will allow you to complete your program. Effective immediately however, no new students will be enrolled at Gibbs-New York.

In November of 2006, a decision was made by Career Education Corporation, the parent company of Katharine Gibbs, to sell certain schools, including the Gibbs-New York campus. CEC has been working hard with interested buyers to finalize a transaction that made sense for both parties.Despite the company’s best efforts, it could not find a suitable arrangement that would be acceptable to the purchaser and also appropriate for our students, faculty and staff. We considered the decision to undertake a teach-out very carefully, looked at all of the alternatives and took additional time to do so, in order to ensure an outcome that takes into account everyone’s best interests.We are committed to fulfilling our promise to provide you with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in your chosen career. Student services, including externships, career services and financial aid will continue to be available to you through the teach-out. Your classes will continue to be offered on campus. Our graduates also will continue to receive all necessary services. Upon closure, records and other support will move to one central location accessible via the Internet, except as otherwise necessary for them to remain local. Graduates will be appropriately notified of final arrangements.

We understand that news of this decision will likely be met with some level of discomfort and uncertainty. With that in mind, we have attached a student FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) to provide you with some additional detail that we hope will address some of your questions or concerns.

We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and any disruption to your educational experience. We will keep you informed throughout the process and pledge all of our efforts to helping you complete your education.

Very truly yours,
Wynn Blanton,
President
Katharine Gibbs School, New York

Although this shouldnt affect my expected graduation from Gibbs, the student population will unfortunately dwindle by each passing semester. However, I truly feel bad for the professors here that could be unemployed in the near future. There may be very bright and very well-known and well-spoken professors that under normal circumstances I would meet in a classroom could very well be on an unemployment line very soon. Hopefully Gibbs students won't get lost in the shuffle while this "teach-out" is going on.

politics.... (in particular, a rant about Giuliani)

Well, this year's presidential race is one of the most heated ones in recent history. Today alone, two people dropped out of the race for president, Rudy Giuliani and John Edwards. However, Giuliani's case was a very strange one because it seemed more like he was running for Governor of Florida instead of President of the United States. Giuliani spent about one month campaigning almost exclusively in Florida, and was criticized by the media and by potential voters. In my opinion, Giuliani shouldnt have just focused on Florida as the presidency is for all 50 states and not just the state of Florida. If he wanted to focus only on Florida, he shouldve tried running for governor or do what Hillary Clinton did not too long ago - Move to another state and run for senate. Even in Giuliani's "new home state" he placed third in the primaries. I surely hope Rudy Giuliani learned his lessons -
1. don't count on all your votes coming from one state.
2. If you want to run for President of the United States, don't ignore any of the states that are voting for you.
3. If you want to stay in one state, run for senate or governor and don't waste your money convincing the rest of us to vote for you.

These can apply to just about any candidate from any political party.

As for John Edwards, he made a good effort, but the rivalry everyone's paying to see is Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. I cant wait to see who wins that one!

The NYC subway....

The New York City Subway is a very complex one. It is one of the few in the world to remain open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Most of the time it is dependable, but sometimes it can be a pain in the backside. When I go to school every morning, it always seems like at least 1 student or professor gets caught in some kind of trouble in the subway. The subway troubles in particular can be just about anything, from a train with mechanical problems to a sick passenger on the train. I was stuck on the 4 train on my way to school just last week because of a sick passenger downtown! There are over 20 subway lines and over 450 stations in New York City so people are bound to have at least one moment when it seems to take forever to get from one underground station to another.

Where i find peace and happiness

To me, peace and happiness can be found in many ways. One way I can find peace is to simply get away from whatever stresses me out. For example, if I am excessively stressed out at home, I usually go out for a walk or go to a friend’s house to either talk about the situation or to take my mind off of the situation in order to find inner peace. Whenever I am outside for a walk, I can take my mind off of the stresses in my life by seeing the sights of the outside world including the city scene and the trees. When I go to a friend’s house, it doesn’t always include me talking about whatever problems I am having but it can just become a time to unwind, relax, and to simply have fun.
However, going out for a walk and going to a friend’s house are not the only ways I can find a sense of peace and happiness. Whenever I feel tired coming back from a long day at school or anywhere in general, taking a short nap can be a way to find personal peace for me because I consider it to be a way to free myself and to take a break from reality for a short time. I can also be at peace when I am entertained. For example, I am entertained when I am watching shows like Family Guy on TV, or watching a sporting event such as baseball or football.

my first blog

This is my first time writing a blog so bear with me...

My name is Paul Rivera from the Bronx, NYC, I am 19 years old and these blogs will not only tell you about my life, but they will also tell you about me and the infuences in my life (positive and negative.)

Today I start my second quarter at Katharine Gibbs School here in New York City, majoring in Computer Network Operations (CNO), and the experience at Gibbs has been pretty good so far. My first quarter was pretty challenging because it was the first time I entered into a college setting and I did not know what to expect. Luckily, I wasnt afraid or overwhelmed and I took on all of the challenges in my classes and passed my first quarter courses.

This quarter i'm more experienced and I'm ready to pass all my courses again!