Andy Cunningham

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Spring Break Taught Me Life is a Balancing Act

Posted by Andy Cunningham on April 20, 2014 at 3:49 PM

Alternative Spring Break was an incredibly humbling experience. I was able to help an 83-year old woman keep warm. Her house had no insulation, air conditioning or heat. Her name is Miss Mary Hudson and she was nothing but stunning.

On top of this, I was able to spend the week with amazing people doing amazing things in an amazing place. I cannot recommend doing this program enough.

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Topics: Student Experience

5 Reasons Why I Chose Fitchburg State University

Posted by Andy Cunningham on April 16, 2014 at 3:16 PM

Well, it's the final countdown.

High school students from around the U.S. have applied to colleges and they're beginnig to find out whether they've been accepted or not. Now it's up to the student which college is best fit for them. I figured since people are making their decision now, this is the best time to write, "Why I Chose Fitchburg State University."

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Topics: Student Experience

I Think I Just Found My Inner Artist & He's Not Half Bad!

Posted by Andy Cunningham on April 15, 2014 at 2:29 PM

Art drawing is one of the courses I am enrolled in this semester. Throughout the class we have done many different types of drawing. Coming into this class, I had barely any experience, but I can honestly say I'm getting to be pretty good at this drawing thing. I think I found my inner artist. 

This is one of the first drawings we did. I used pencil to draw the cube objects and then shaded it. Being able to come up with this drawing was difficult because I didn't know where to start. When I finally got started, I kept messing up so I found myself erasing a lot and fixing my mistakes. This type of drawing is called cubes in linear perspective and I'm quite happy with it. 

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Topics: Student Experience

Alternative Spring Break: Building Houses for Habitat for Humanity

Posted by Andy Cunningham on March 28, 2014 at 2:59 PM

With spring break impending on the Fitchburg State community, I hear about everyone's plans. People going on vacations, seeing friends from home and reconnecting with a sense of peace from schoolwork for a week. I, on the other hand, have other plans.

Way back in September/October, I was selected to be a participant in Fitchburg State's Alternative Spring Break program. It is a program that is coordinated through Habitat For Humanity. This year, we are lucky enough to be traveling to Lucedale, MS. Where exactly is Lucedale? Right here!

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Topics: Student Experience

Writing Screenplays is Hard!

Posted by Andy Cunningham on March 26, 2014 at 1:40 PM

The title says it all—Writing Screenplays is Hard!

For the spring semester of my sophomore year, I decided to take a writing for film and video course. In the course description it says that you work throughout the semester on a feature-length script, which is 120 pages. I figured it would be a challenge, but this has been one of the hardest things I've done in filmmaking.

I give a lot of credit to anyone who writes screenplays professionally. This is the first time that I've ever attempted to write a feature-length script. You need to come up with a conflict and characters that people will actually care about and that can sustain for two hours. I've come up with a treatment, character bios, and now I'm starting to write the actual script, which I'll be working on until the end of the semester.

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Topics: Student Experience

Commuter Appreciation Week Was a Blast!

Posted by Andy Cunningham on March 24, 2014 at 2:19 PM

It's Commuter Appreciation Week at Fitchburg State University, and let me tell you, I am certainly feeling appreciated!

Becky Lindley and her amazing Commuter Affairs staff have a week of events that are sure to make any commuter student feel welcome and appreciated. So find out what it's like to be a commuter here, and see how much the university truly values us! 

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Topics: Student Experience

Sometimes You Just Need to Relax & "Let it Go"

Posted by Andy Cunningham on February 28, 2014 at 11:33 AM

What's the point of being an adult if you can't be a little childish sometimes? Tom Baker said that. Whose Tom Baker you ask? This guy.

Tom Baker aside, I've found this quote to be very relevant right now. I have not been very childish lately. I've been Mr. Serious Pants. It was recently that I realized I haven't had a whole lot of time for myself. Time for me to enjoy myself and have fun. There is so much fun to be had on this campus and I haven't had the chance to take full advantage.

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Topics: Student Experience

Falcon Buzz: New Student Social Media Team on Campus

Posted by Andy Cunningham on February 27, 2014 at 10:36 AM

Hello, current and potential students. I'm going to drop some important news on you.

You might want to sit down for this. Are you sitting? Could you please just do it for dramatic effect? Listen, I don’t care if you’re reading this at your grandmother’s funeral, the fact that you chose to read this at her funeral shows you don’t have much tact so sitting down shouldn't be that much of an issue for you.

You're sitting, right?

Thank you.

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Topics: Student Experience

The Truth About Frankenstein ... Well, Sorta!

Posted by Andy Cunningham on February 9, 2014 at 10:09 AM

I am currently enrolled in Approaches to English Literature. The class is devoted to learning about various ways we can study literature, and we're reading Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.

Going into the class I knew four things about Frankenstein:

  1. I was supposed to read Frankenstein going into my senior year of high school.
  2. I did not read Frankenstein then.
  3. There is a burning cabin involved.
  4. I vaguely recalled the scene from Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein when Frankenstein throws a little girl in a lake, I might be remembering that wrong too.

The point is, I didn't know anything going in. Now strap in because I'm about to give you a very brief and probably a very inaccurate summary of Frankenstein !

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Topics: Student Experience

Being a Left Brainer in a Right Brained World

Posted by Andy Cunningham on February 6, 2014 at 9:34 AM

Last week my Art Criticism professor pointed out in front of the class that I was definitely the left-brainer of our group compared to a group of communications, film, and photography majors. I have always had an interest in art but it was very diffcult for me to shape how I felt about it into words.

I am a very straight-forward, black and white, yes or no kind of person. I knew taking this Art Criticism class would take the knowledge of art I did have to the next level by now having to apply what I knew. Professor Wadsworth [the one who was my professor in Italy as I previously mentioned] picks on me in a fun way since I am way too analytical, but I see it as a challenge to help activate my right brain.

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Topics: Student Experience

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