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All in the Mind
On the first day of any of the psychology courses she teaches, Janis Walters sets a key expectation for her students. I tell them that by the end of the course, they should have a grasp of basic psychological concepts, says Walters, an associate professor in BMCCs Psychology Department. But more importantly, they should be able to apply them in their everyday life. The proper study of psychology, she explains, goes beyond textbooks and theories. The challenge is to get away from the dryness of theory and make it real. Walters teaches courses in personality development and abnormal psychology; in all cases, she avoids framing concepts in terms of moral absolutes—right vs. wrong—pushing her students instead to understand who a person is, based on where they came from, their experiences, and all the social, economic cultural and environmental factors that shape personality. How personalities are formed By the same token, Walters has little use for the timeworn nurture vs. nature debate. Actually, I think most serious psychologists now believe the debate is outdated and that personalities are formed by a combination of inherited and acquired traits, she says. Most people in the field agree that neurotransmitters affect our behavior, but neurotransmitters are affected by our environment—so there are complex interactions between the two. Born in Australia, Walters moved to New York after completing her undergraduate studies. She earned a Masters degree at City College and a doctorate in educational psychology at the CUNY Graduate Center. She then went on to a multifaceted career in medical education and clinical psychology, returning to school to do a postdoctoral program in psychoanalysis at Adelphi College. She joined the BMCC faculty in 2000. In teaching about—and studying—personality development, Walters is particularly interested in the capacity of individuals to change and grow. We come into the world with ingrained biological temperaments and characteristics, which set the stage, she says. But what happens in our environment after that determines how our personality unfolds and develops. But do people really have the capacity to change? The capacity to change I believe if someone wants to change, they can change, Walters says. Of course, when someone is in a stressful environment, they may revert back to earlier ways of coping. But for the most part, we do grow with our experiences. We do change. Culture, she says, can play a key role in shaping personality. In Japan, for example, children are encouraged from an early age to focus on the welfare of the group and individualistic behavior is discouraged. Conversely, here in the U.S., students are expected to speak up and show their individualism in the classroom. So culture is an important factor, and I incorporate it into my teaching as much as I can. Not surprisingly, Walters derives great pleasure from the cultural diversity of the BMCC student body. The students here are diverse and non-traditional—and they bring out the best in me, she says, adding, I was a non-traditional student too.
Author: CUNYBMCC
Keywords: BMCC Janice Walters
Added: December 4, 2008
Pat Hanrahan, Wichita Magazine's Wichitans of the Year 2008
Wichitans of the Year Wichita has no shortage of standout citizens, but without these 10 individuals Wichita wouldnt be what it is today. From revitalizing crumbling buildings to easing the suffering of those in need, theyve gone beyond the call of duty, giving their time and talents to make our city a better place. They didnt ask to be called heroes, just live like them. Wichita magazine will honor the following citizens on December 2, 2008. Lighting the Way Pat Hanrahan, United Way Director Pat Hanrahan can pinpoint the exact moment that confirmed his career path. He was at a day care funded by United Way in 1975, when a four-year-old boy sprinted toward him. Hanrahan had recently moved from Iowa to head a United Way branch south of Houston, Texas, and was meeting with folks the nonprofit had helped. The boy wrapped his arms around Hanrahans legs and called out, Daddy. I had never seen him before or since, Hanrahan says, but I know I made a difference in his life. I can sill feel that hug if I think about it. Hanrahans first gig with United Way came right out of college in Iowa City. Hanrahan had done interviews with the nonprofit for KXIC radio and was impressed with the charitys mission. When the directors position opened up, Hanrahan applied and got the job. With my interest in public service, thats where the spark was, Hanrahan says. After a 10-year stint at the Texas branch, he moved to Wichita in 1985 to direct the United Way of the Plains. Since then, Hanrahan has increased the nonprofits fundraising to more than $16 million a year. He has created programs such as the 2-1-1 hotline, a call service that directs volunteers or people in need to more than 2,000 programs across the state. Operators handle everything from counseling referrals to coordinating volunteer efforts for high school students. In the past two years, the call center went from handling 10,000 inquiries to nearly 40,000. Hanrahan says that when he moved to Wichita, he intended to stay for five years. Twenty-three years later, he credits his change of plans to the altruism of Wichitans. I think this has always been a generous community. People really care about each other. —S.J.C.
Author: wichitacitymag
Keywords: wichita city magazine pat hanrahan united way volunteers 211 young professionals community andy griffith
Added: December 4, 2008
Sebnem Ferah - Cakil Taslari (Turkish Rock Music)
Şebnem Ferah is a Turkish singer and song-writer. She was the head vocalist of the all-female hard rock band Volvox until 1994, after which she went on to pursue an illustrious solo career. Her music style varies from pop rock to hard rock though her later albums have progressively incorporated more of the hard rock sound. http://www.seboist.net/ http://www.sebnemferahfan.com/ An important change in Şebnem's musical career occurred when one of Volvox's records was featured on Turkish Radio and Television Corporation, the Turkish state television. She was noticed by Sezen Aksu and Onno Tunç, both important figures in Turkish music, and subsequently became a vocalist for Sezen Aksu. She released her first solo album Kadın in 1996, and has gone on to release a total of five full studio albums, the last one being Can Kırıkları, released in 2005, which also marked her return to the hard rock genre after her previous experiments with soft rock. She is seen by many as the leading rock artist in Turkish music and one of the most admired singers in Turkey. In addition to composing the music and writing the lyrics of every song in her albums, she occasionally sings cover versions of work by artists of similar vocal qualities and style, like Amy Lee and Skin, on stage. On her third album, Perdeler, she collaborated with the Finnish cello rock band Apocalyptica. Şebnem's current group consists of Buket Doran (bass guitar), Metin Türkcan (electric guitar), Aykan İlkan (drums) and Ozan Tügen (keyboard), who have been performing with her in studio and on stage since her 3rd album, Perdeler. Discography: 1996: Kadin (Woman) 1999: Artik Kisa Cümleler Kuruyorum (I Form Shorter Sentences Now) 2001: Perdeler (Curtains) 2003: Kelimeler Yetse (If Only Words Were Enough) 2005: Ask Kirintilari (Pieces of Heart) 2007: Istanbul Konseri (Istanbul Concert)
Author: Maym00n
Keywords: sebnem ferah cakil taslari turkish rock punk pop alternative music video clip klip turkey türkei türkiye turquie turquia turchia turkije turkki индейка 七面鳥 칠면조 火鸡 火雞
Added: December 3, 2008
Auburn Fires Tuberville
AUBURN, Ala. (AP) - Auburn has dismissed Tommy Tuberville after 10 years as coach of the Tigers. That word came Wednesday from The Birmingham News. WSFA 12 News has not independently confirmed this information, though we working to do so. We have a crew in Auburn and are gathering more information. There was no immediate confirmation from Auburn officials. Tuberville was 85-40 in his decade with Auburn, including a 13-0 season in 2004 when the Tigers finished No. 2 in the nation. But Auburn went 5-7 this year and was routed 36-0 by rival Alabama, currently ranked No. 1. If Tommy Tuberville has been fired, it's news to everyone in the Auburn football program. WSFA 12 Sports Director Jeff Shearer spoke with Jimmy Perry, Auburn's Director of Football Operations, and Perry says he and Auburn's assistant coaches, "Have not been told a thing." They're going about their business as usual. The Auburn players have not been told anything either. AuburnSports.com and the Opelika Auburn News are also confirming the coaching change though there is still NO confirmation from the University. Tommy Tuberville has been at Auburn for 10 seasons, averaging 8 and-a-half wins and 4 losses per year. In 2004 the Tigers were 13-0 and ranked number 2 in the nation. This year Auburn fell to 5-7 and lost the Iron Bowl for the first time in 7 years, the worst loss in Tuberville's career on the Plains. Auburn would owe Tommy Tuberville $ 6 million dollars to buy out his contract. A players meeting has been scheduled for 6:00pm WSFA 12 News will have the latest as it becomes available.
Author: sportboy1208
Keywords: auburn alabama Tommy Tuberville fired war eagle roll tide crimson lol
Added: December 3, 2008
Nancy Andreasen - National Medal of Science - Brain Researcher
Nancy Andreasen is a world-renowned psychiatrist, whose ground-breaking work with schizophrenia earned her the National Medal of Science in 2000, one of only a dozen such awards ever given. Her best-selling book, The Broken Brain: The Biological Revolution in Psychiatry, was nominated for The National Book Award. Iowa Public Television visited with the U of I professor in January of 2002 to discuss her work with schizophrenia, the disease that afflicts one in every 100 Americans; the career change that led her from a professorship in English to a Ph.D. in psychiatry; and her appearance in the PBS series, The Secret Life of the Brain. For more from IPTV visit... http://www.iptv.org/video/
Author: IowaPublicTelevision
Keywords: IPTV Public Television Living in Iowa LII schizophrenia science research mental health City
Added: December 3, 2008