Jenny Ortiz

As a faculty member, I can't fathom being the last person to walk into class nor can I  imagine being the first to leave the lecture hall. After class there are always  students who want to discuss the material. It's my job to provide an…

by Jenny Ortiz A a Freeway Flyer, I've been given some tough time slots to teach. Currently I have a 7 in the morning business writing class at St. John's and at at LaGuardia Community College a 6 in the evening writing class that ends…

by Jenny Ortiz When it comes  giving a negative message, Gerald Alred cites Francis Weeks in saying, "to be completely direct and forthright, striking to the heart of the matter immediately, is also to be blunt and perhaps offensive. To…

By Jenny Ortiz It's no secret that as a society, we get our basic legal information from the television show "Law & Order." When I interact with students, most cite this show along with "CSI," "NCIS" and "House" as their favorites…

By Jenny Ortiz Remember the high school locker and how convenient it was? Books and jackets were left behind and locked up tight. My locker, although messy, was notorious for having everything: an extra pair of sneakers, sweaters, blank…

By Jenny Ortiz Given that classes during winter sessions are so short, missing a class or two can mean failing the class. Currently at LaGuardia, my students and I have only two months together in which to answer to What is Literature?…

By Jenny Ortiz There's a difference between blue and yellow. There's an obvious difference between a house and a cardboard box. When did the difference between academic administration and politicians become so hard to define and…

By Jenny Ortiz Student 1 is always 2 minutes late because her job won't let her leave early. Student 2 has never been to the museum. Student 3 is pledging to a fraternity while, his buddy, student 4 is trying to keep a GPA of 3.89.…

By Jenny Ortiz Most of your students don't know who Chuck Norris is. Many of them don't watch as much television as you think. The only reading they do is if it is assigned to them and that is done haphazardly. The news is not only…

By Jenny Ortiz Freshman. Freshies. Freshmeat. Whatever the term for first year students may be at any college, what is agreed upon is that in the next four years they will learn a lot in and outside of the classroom. From day one, their…