In America, celebrating the New Year is always huge. People all across the country gather with family and friends to celebrate change and welcome a fresh new year, in which there are endless possibilities. The most recognized celebration takes place in New York City where there is the famous ball drop and hundreds of thousands of people from around the world gather in the streets to see it. And if you aren’t there in person, you are probably one of the billions of people watching it on TV worldwide. Sure, there are fireworks in Boston and Providence, but seeing the ball drop in New York City is truly a once-in-a- lifetime experience.
The ball drops at One Times Square – a tradition since 1906. Ball dropping has been around for decades all over the world. In Greenwich in 1833, a ball was installed to signal the time to ship captains. The ball would drop to indicate that they needed to set their chronometers. Since then, about 150 time balls have been installed around the world, though very few are still used or are working. The composition of New York’s New Year’s ball has also changed over time. When it first appeared it was made of wood and light bulbs; later on it was made of iron, then aluminum and most recently crystals.
While New Year’s Day is the official holiday, our celebration is reserved for New Year’s Eve (December 31). Just before midnight, everyone does the countdown from the last ten seconds to the New Year. And in New York City, the countdown is done on a large, computerized screen. The event is so popular that people will show up at all hours of the day just to secure a spot. Early in the day the police start to section off Times Square with barricades, starting from right where the ball drops. The rule is that once you‘re in, you can’t get out or else you will lose your spot. So bring food with you and wear warm clothes!
If you do your research, you’ll find that the one way to get close to the ball is to stay at a hotel in Times Square close to where the ball is dropping. Why does this matter? Once the area has reached capacity the police guard the barricades at every block making sure that no one can get through, except for those who need to get back to their hotel. Before you know it, you are up front with everyone else and you won’t have to wait as long as those who have been there since the early morning to see the ball drop.
Standing outside you can hear live music and watch the performances by famous singers on large screens. If you are lucky enough to be outside the MTV studio you can watch all the performances going on in there, and maybe even see your face on their live show when the camera circles the building outside. You never know who you will be standing next to, either. Perhaps someone from England or from China – it’s always exciting.
When midnight draws near and the ball is about to drop, everyone becomes even more excited, yelling and screaming and laughing. In the last ten seconds before midnight, everyone counts backward in unison, all eyes focused on the brightly colored ball that has started to drop. Finally, when it reaches the bottom, everyone is shouting, hugging and kissing in celebration. Confetti is released from above, and it looks like it is snowing pink, blue, red, yellow. It is the most incredible sight you will ever see!
As the Director of the new University Advising Center, kindly provide a brief introduction and outline your academic background and areas of expertise.
I joined the faculty and staff of Roger Williams University in May 2003. Since that time, I have developed new programs that support the academic success of all RWU students. In 2003 I was part of the initiative that launched the now very successful Student Advocacy Office, which manages our student mentoring program. In September 2008, I opened our first University Advising Center. Prior to moving to Rhode Island I directed a Careers Office for the College of Humanities & Fine Arts at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and served as an adjunct faculty member in the English Department and the Honors College. I earned my B.A. in English and M.Ed. in Counseling Psychology at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
How long have you been teaching? What about RWU attracted you to the school?
Although I taught for 14 years at UMass Amherst, I do not teach at RWU. Instead, I have worked with many talented and dedicated faculty and staff colleagues in developing new programming that provides support and guidance to students in their efforts to create thriving academic and social lives at RWU. I was attracted to RWU because of the atmosphere of creativity and innovation that is the hallmark of this institution.
Please provide a general description/overview of your department and your plans for the department in the future.
The University Advising Center (UAC) guides and empowers students to make sound decisions about their education, as well as their professional and personal development. The UAC supplements and complements our faculty advising system. A staff of full time professional academic advisors offers a developmental and holistic advising model. Any undecided student, or any student in transition, is welcome to use the services of the UAC. Advisors meet with students for the first time at the beginning of the academic year, review the advising process, introduce a formal decision-making process for choosing a major and assist in planning an appropriate academic schedule for the next semester. We work in close partnership with faculty advisors and offer professional development programming throughout the year to support faculty in developing their individual advising practices.
We hope to expand the advising staff, develop a peer advising program and expand the professional development programming for faculty advisors.
What type of services does your department offer to international students? Are there any new services, plans or ideas that we can look forward to?
As the UAC expands its programming, we hope to develop a peer advising program to support international students. We look forward to partnering with the Intercultural Center to create a welcoming advising environment for international students.