Positively

Geneseo

OUR MISSION
Positively Geneseo was established to
recognize individuals and organizations
for their efforts in spreading positivity
across campus. Through this, we
emphasize our values of Tradition,
Excellence, Innovation, Community
and Integrity.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Faculty & Students
How do you feel you have made a positive impact on the
Geneseo campus?
Dr. Kodjo Adabra.....................................................................................P1
Michaela Ciovacca & Dillon Peterson............................................P2
Kaitlin Pfundstein & Gretchen Goble..................................................P3

How has your involvement on campus changed your

perspective of Geneseo in a positive way?
Dr. Robert Feissner......................................................P4
Holly Greco & Alexandra Salerno............................................P5
Abby Golfo & Mikayla Dibelka...........................................P6

What has been your most memorable moment at

Geneseo?
Donald House.............................................P7
Dan Martin & Gina Suriano..................................................P8
Samantha Vell & Victor Borges.............................................P9

If you could leave one piece of advice to spread positivity,

what would it be?
Gabrielle Soethout.............................................P10
Paige OConnor & Jacob Feldman.............................................P11
Emily Victoria & Tom Kohn.............................................P12

What makes you happiest at Geneseo?

Terry Peck & Alexis Mynio..................................................................P13
Cole Battaglini & Julian Faccibene............................................P14
Stephanie Carelli & Kaitlyn DiResta.............................................P15

Organizations
How do you feel your organization has made a difference
on the Geneseo campus?
Dumbledores Army..............P16
What is your proudest achievement as an organization?
Gajjda Bhangra...................P17

In your own words, what is the purpose of your

organization?
Sigma Kappa...................P18
How has your organization positively influenced its members?
Ultimate Frisbee...........P19

What would be your advice for organizations to promote

positivity?
Geneseo First Response...................P20

Glossary........................P21
Meet The Authors....................P22
Special Thanks...................P23

How do you feel you have made a

positive impact on the Geneseo
campus?

Dr. Kodjo Adabra

French Language Program Coordinator
Geneseo is a campus where diversity
is strongly promoted and I believe
that my presence at Geneseo is
undeniably a reflection of that policy.
Building upon my diverse
background, it goes without saying
that the kind of courses I teach in the
department of languages and
literatures allows my students to gain
reliable knowledge about unfamiliar
cultures and literary corpus, thus
arming them with more tools in a
their quest for becoming a citizen of
the world and escaping the danger of
single stories.

Featured Students: Michaela Ciovacca 16

Dillon Peterson 16
Kaitlin Pfundstein 18
Gretchen Goble 16
1

Michaela Ciovacca 16
Psychology
Pathways, AOD

I am a Pathways and AOD

advocate, meaning I provide
support and referral services to
other students. I feel that my most
positive impact has come from
being a Pathways peer advocate,
and not only because I talk with
students about the problems and
stresses they're experiencing, but
also because Pathways continues to
teach me things that open my mind
and extend my empathy for all
humans. Because of Pathways, I
have grown to be a kinder and more
accepting person, and I think
kindness and acceptance can go a
long way in terms of having a
positive impact.

Dillon Peterson 16
Economics, Math Minor
Ultimate Frisbee, Juggling Club
If you are positive towards
people, they will in turn be
positive towards you. Whether it's
holding open a door for someone
or giving a smile to someone you
don't even know, it can have a
hugely positive impact on their
day. I do these things as well as
bring my positive attitude to our
Ultimate practices so that
everyone can enjoy themselves
and the team while also getting
better.

Kaitlin Pfundstein 18
English Adolescent Ed & Psychology
IRC, NRHH
I hope I've made a positive
impact in the connections I've
made with people on the
Geneseo campus. As an RA
and a member of IRC, I have
an opportunity everyday to
reach out to other students on
this campus to try to make
their time here as memorable
and productive as possible.

Gretchen Goble 16
Biology
Alpha Kappa Phi
I feel that I have been able
to make connections with
underclassmen throughout
my time here and serve as a
role model to them. I try to
be as friendly and
welcoming as I can be, so I
feel like people feel
comfortable coming to me
for advice.

How has your involvement on

campus changed your perspective of
Geneseo in a positive way?

Dr. Robert Feissner

Biology Professor
I have been involved in
projects and activities with
many groups outside of the
Biology Department. Without
exception I have noticed the
same things in every group;
Geneseo faculty, staff, and
students selflessly work to
improve the experience of
Geneseo students. When I first
came to Geneseo, I was happy
to be able to work at such a
great school. Now, I'm not just
happy, I am proud to be a part
of the Geneseo Community.

Featured Students: Holly Greco16

Alexandra Salerno 16
Abby Golfo 16
Mikayla Dibelka 16
4

Holly Greco 16
Business Administration, Marketing Minor
Marketing Club, AST
My involvement on campus has really
enhanced my experience at Geneseo.
Transferring here my junior year, I didn't
know if I'd have the opportunities that I
would have had if I came in as a freshman.
However, I quickly learned that was not the
case. Even seniors are encouraged just as
much as freshmen to get involved. Everyone
wants to be a part of something or find
something they are truly passionate about. By
joining Alpha Sigma Tau and becoming
President of Marketing Club, I learned that
earning a position in a club or being an active
member of an organization gives you many
opportunities. Staying busy on campus is a
great way to gain experience, develop skills,
and meet new people.

Alexandra Salerno 16
Communication, Musical Theatre Minor
My involvement on campus has made
MTC, WLI
Geneseo a dream for me. I cannot
express enough how positive and
empowering this school is when people
come together, work hard, and create
something beautiful. Whether that was
displayed during my time on the PD
Team for WLI or whenever I'm
performing in a show, I've felt the
dedication and commitment from
everyone as well as the absolute love for
whatever we were involved with. We
can all agree that sometimes Geneseo is
a bubble, however I've been able to
build the foundation for my entire life
from being inspired by positivity at
Geneseo and I think that's more
important than anything else.

Abby Golfo 16
Communication, Sociology Minor
GOLD, GSTV, GLK, Geneseo Athletic Communication
Being involved on campus
allowed me to interact with
Geneseo in a whole new way.
When I first stepped foot on
campus, I was nervous about how
to navigate the new landscape. I
stepped out of my comfort zone
and started to take advantage of
the opportunities that Geneseo
has to offer. I actively sought
opportunities to be a part of what
makes Geneseo great. By being
involved, I was able to connect
with so many people and learn so
much about the world and
myself.

Mikayla Dibelka 16
Psychology
Dumbledores Army, Stitches
My involvement on campus has
allowed me to connect with
others who have shown me new
perspectives, opened my eyes to
issues that I might not have
realized existed, and offered a
support system that has helped
me through many struggles,
whether they knew it or not. This
has been an amazing contrast to
the competitive academic face of
Geneseo that many people see.
6

What has been your most

memorable moment at Geneseo?

Donald House
Mathematics Adjunct Professor

I have such a long history

with Geneseo. I graduated
from Geneseo in 1977. I met
my future wife here in 1975. I
was a graduate assistant in the
Education department in 1980,
received my Masters of
Education from Geneseo and
have been an Adjunct teacher
for 16 years now. If I had to
pick one moment, it would be
my 1st date with my wife.

Featured Students: Dan Martin 16

Gina Suriano 16
Samantha Vell 16
Victor Borges 16
7

Dan Martin 16
Economics & International Relations
SA, CAC, RA, GOLD
Last year's Relay for Life. When
we turned over the signs with the
number of how much we raised.
It's just such a surreal experience
being able to be on that stage and
know that I had a major impact on
Geneseo raising over $172,000.
It's more than that too though. It
was so amazing being apart of a
campus that is so dedicated to
helping such an amazing cause
curing cancer and for us to all
come together in those 12 hours
and raise so much money, its
hard to describe in words.

Gina Suriano16
Communication & Sociology
FSC, APO, Its On Us
My most memorable moment
at Geneseo has been
participating in the planning of
the inaugural festivities to
celebrate Dr Battles'
inauguration and Geneseo's
campus community. I was
given the opportunity to be
involved in the entire planning
process from the beginning,
and it was amazing seeing how
the entire campus came
together to celebrate this
momentous occasion in
Geneseo's history.
8

Samantha Vell 16
Childhood with Special Education
Italian Club, String Band, RLK

One of my most memorable

moments in Geneseo was an event
that I hosted with Italian club. We
are a new club on campus, so we
are always happy when our visions
for events actually come into
fruition. We worked with Professor
McClure and held an event in his
backyard making pizza in his newly
built pizza brick oven. With fresh
ingredients, innovative recipes,
and sunshiny weather, we were
sure to have a successful
afternoon! This event facilitated
conversations between staff and
students in a more informal setting
and I think it captured the essence
of what Geneseo is all about.

Victor Borges 16
Psychology, Math Minor
Emmelodics, NRHH

I am the president of my acappella

group, Emmelodics. Over half of the
members of our group either
graduated or transferred, so we were
left in a position where we had to
accept more new members. We were
very excited to welcome 10 new
members, but I was nervous about
the progress we would make this year
because of the number of new
members. That nervousness quickly
disappeared with the hard work of
every member of our group. When we
first sang an arrangement I wrote and
saw the smiles on every single
person's face, I knew that I had
absolutely nothing to worry about
with this incredible group of students
that I have the honor of leading. 9

If you could leave one piece of

advice to spread positivity, what
would it be?

Gabrielle Soethout 17
Childhood Special Education & History
Cross Country, Tour Guide, CEC
One of my favorite quotes, "Be
kind, for everyone you meet is
fighting a hard battle," by Plato
summarizes my philosophy on
spreading positivity. I think it is
especially important to realize
everyone has something going
on in their life that you may not
know about. One of the easiest
ways to brighten someone's day
is simply to smile at them or ask
them how they are doing. People
remember the way you make
them feel, so by always having a
smile on your face even when
things gets tough exudes
positivity and inspires others to
do the same.

Featured Students: Gabrielle Soethout 17

Paige OConnor 16
Jacob Feldman 18
Emily Victoria 16
Tom Kohn 16
10

Paige OConnor 16
Business Administration, Psychology Minor
Volleyball, GOLD, SHRM, HERO
My advice would be to pay it
forward. The little things
count: Hold a door for
someone, smile, give a
compliment, perform a
random act of kindness, or be a
friend. Always remember to
put yourself in someone else's
shoes, you never know what
they have had to walk
through.

Jacob Feldman 18
Psychology, Cognitive Science Minor
GAAG, Lifeguard

Never stop smiling. You

never know who just
needs to see a smile to
make their own day
better.

11

Tom Kohn 16
Economics & Math, Political Science Minor
Alpha Kappa Psi, WGSU
The most important piece of advice
that I can offer is BE YOURSELF.
There's a lot of pressure and
preconceived notions weighing on
incoming freshmen, but regardless of
the pretenses you parade around,
you'll eventually get to a point where
you realize that you've wasted your
own time not being true to yourself.
There are so many opportunities here
to pursue any multitude of interests,
but time is usually a rare commodity
amongst busy students. I'd say before
you commit yourself to things, make
sure you're doing so for reasons
consistent with whatever it is you
believe is right for you. And the beauty
of things is, over four years, that will
change.

Emily Victoria 16
Psychology
IRC, RA
Come out of your shell. Open up
and talk to that person you sit next
to in class everyday. Talk to people
in line while waiting for food. You
never know who you will meet.
These four years go by so quickly,
and you really have to take
advantage of the time while you
can!

12

What makes you happiest at

Geneseo?

Terry Peck
Mathematics Department Secretary
The positive environment at
Geneseo makes me happy. People
are generally pretty happy to be
here, whether it's to work or attend
school. The students and faculty are
respectful and polite and they show
their appreciation, which makes my
job rewarding.

Alexis Mynio 16
Business Administration, Environmental Studies Minor
ARD, NRGH, CAC, Sigma Kappa, Its On Us
I'm the happiest during the first
warm day after winter. The campus
comes alive again and everyone's
mood completely changes. I love
seeing people out on the green and
walking around. You're reminded
how many people actually go to
Geneseo because sometimes it can
seem a little lonely during the
winter.

Featured Students: Alexis Mynio 16

Cole Battaglini 16
Julian Faccibene 18
Stephanie Carelli 17
Kaitlyn DiResta 16

13

Cole Battaglini 16
Political Science & Communication
Dumbledores Army, GCR
I love the small-community
mentality here at Geneseo. By
senior year, you feel like you know
everyone, both faculty and
students. In Geneseo, if one truly
makes an effort to stretch beyond
one's boundaries and integrate
oneself into the community, there
is very little sense of "otherness" to
be felt when you walk the streets
or stroll through the campus.
Everyone is part of one big team
and we all share in our values,
symbols, memories, knowledge
base, and community mentality.

Julian Faccibene 18
Biology, Human Development Minor
GFR, Quidditch, AOD
One of my passions in life is
working in the Emergency
Medical Services. I am a big part
of my fire department
ambulance company at home in
Long Island. Here at Geneseo, I
am a big part of the Geneseo
First Response. Working for
GFR is one of the greatest
aspects of Geneseo that makes
me happy. I also am happiest
spending time with my friends
who I love on campus.
14

Stephanie Carelli 17
English & Psychology
English Club, AAC
What makes me happiest at Geneseo
is having the privilege to meet and
interact with such amazing peers on
campus. I always see other students
taking an extra moment to say hello
or to hold the door for someone else,
which not only makes the days a little
better, but also inspires me to pass
on their acts of kindness. In my time
spent at Geneseo, there has never
been a moment when I felt alone or
could not reach out to other students
when in need. This campus is filled
with some of the most welcoming,
caring, and dedicated people I have
ever known.

Kaitlyn DiResta 16
Biology, Psychology Minor
Bhangra
My friends here at Geneseo
are the main contribution to
my happiness. The friends I
made in freshman year, and
the friends I made through
Bhangra are always so
supportive of me. They
celebrate with me when I
make accomplishments, and
they boost me up when I'm
down.

15

How do you feel your organization

has made a difference on the
Geneseo campus?

Dumbledores Army

We allow a place for many people to

come and have fun, as well as a social
network that is available if a student is
struggling with something academically
or personally.
16

What is your proudest

achievement as an organization?

Gajjda Bhangra

Our proudest achievement as an organization

has been taking this dance we love and
spreading it even further than the SUNY
Geneseo campus. We have gone to bhangra
competitions and general dance competitions
and have either placed or won many times.
We've helped to get the Geneseo name out
there and we gladly represent our school.
17

In your own words, what is the

purpose of your organization?

Sigma Kappa

Our purpose as is to lead by an example of a

sisterhood unlike any other where every sister
is respected, valued and supported. As a
premier organization of the Geneseo
community, we will forever embody the
enthusiasm that sororities and fraternities
should put forth when interacting with one
another and our community.
18

How has your organization

positively influenced its members?

Ultimate Frisbee

Ultimate carries with it all of the benefits

of playing a competitive sport - individuals
learn teamwork, leadership, and work
ethic. Most of all, however, the unique
spirit of the ultimate community provides
us with a great community experience, in
which we learn the value of true friendship
and camaraderie.
19

What would be your advice for

organizations to promote
positivity?
Geneseo First Response

Loving what you do will create a positive

environment for you to thrive in. If you find
your niche and pursue your passions, you
will enjoy every minute of what you do!
Don't be afraid to reach out and explore new
options - You'll never know what you might
fall in love with if you don't try something
new.
20

Glossary
AAC.....Academic Affairs Committee
AOD....Alcohol and Other Drug Program
APO.........................Alpha Phi Omega
AST...Alpha Sigma Tau
CAC....Colleges Against Cancer
CEC.....Council for Exceptional Children
FSC...................Figure Skating Club
GAAG..Geneseo Area Gaming Group
GCR.Geneseo College Republicans

GLK....................Geneseo Late Knight

GOLD...Geneseo Opportunities for Leadership
GSTV.....Geneseo Student Television
HERO..Higher Education Resource Opportunities
IRC.......Inter-Residence Council
MTC.Musical Theatre Club
NRHH....National Residence Hall Honorary

RA..........................Resident Assistant
RLK...Royal Lady Knights

SAStudent Association
SHRM..Society for Human Resource Management
WLI......Womens Leadership Institute

21

Meet The Authors

Erica Doherty 17
Positively Geneseo Programming Intern
Being an intern for the Positively Geneseo Campaign, I have realized
positivity is contagious, like a chain reaction. Whether it be an act of
kindness or a simple smile , spread it! You might just change someone's
life without even knowing it.

Wilson Zhang 17
Positively Geneseo Marketing Intern
Working on the Positively Geneseo campaign has allowed me to see and
hear the great things that individuals and organizations in Geneseo are
doing. I hope that recognizing them for their efforts in making a
difference will influence others to do the same. I am proud to be part of
the Geneseo community and appreciate all the people who continue to
make it an enjoyable experience.
22

SPECIAL THANKS TO:

Our Nominators & Nominees

Keith Walters Photography
Department of Student Life Interns
Divison of Student & Campus Life
Charles Chip Matthews
Tiffany Brodner
Lauren Kuski
Dr. Battles
23

Positive thinking is more than

just a tagline. It changes the way
we behave. And I firmly believe
that when I am positive, it not
only makes me better, but it also
makes those around me better.
-Harvey Mackay