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What does your job entail?

I am currently working at Common Cents, a not-for-profit in New York City which administers the largest service-learning initiative in the U.S. Service-learning is the idea that students, especially those in ele-mentary and middle school, are in the position to learn a great deal through participating in various community and service-based activities. My day-to-day duties predominantly involve helping schools that are currently enrolled in our Penny Harvest program. I communicate with, visit, and support the 800 "Penny Harvest Coaches," or school teach-ers/guidance counselors/school social workers, that run our program. When I'm not supporting these educators, I am tasked with researching and assessing Common Cents' existing theme-based curriculum, and helping to develop and implement new curriculum areas designed to enhance child philanthropy.

Do you use what you learned in Government in your job now?

One of the biggest assets I've accumulated as a Government major, and one that I often times find myself employing at Common Cents, is the ability to coherently and respectfully present oral arguments to groups that have varying, sometimes conflicting, interests. Whether it was a mock trial in Constitutional or Communications Law, or one of Profes-sor Seyb's raucous senatorial debates held in Politics of Congress, I am confident that being a Government major has sharpened my oratorical skills and persuasive abilities. This is something I use on a day-to-day basis whether it be addressing colleagues at program meetings, school children on visits, and in many cases, ornery teachers reluctant about joining our program.

What did you originally want to do after Skidmore? How did you get to where you are now? How did your Skidmore education help you succeed?

In the immediate months following graduation, I was probably still in denial of the fact that college had indeed come to an end (a testament to Skidmore as an institution, of course). I found myself at a cross-roads, considering just about every possible career path or entry-level job that had something to do with a varying interest of mine. Over-whelmed as I was, I constantly found myself going back to the idea that politics have historically been driven by grass-roots initiatives and indi-viduals who dedicate their time and talent to some form of service (whether it be on a national level, or your hometown.) More so than anything else, being a Government major helped affirm this desire to

involve myself in some service-based opportunity. I then began browsing local government jobs within Mayor Bloomberg's office, and came across a fellowship program called the NYC Civic Corps. You can check out more information regarding the Corps by visiting nycservice.org , but essentially, it's a 10-month fellowship that places accepted applicants at a local city agency or a leading non-profit locat-ed within the five boroughs of NYC. Stressing "education" and "youth development" as impact areas I wanted to serve, helped NYC Service place me at my current host site, Common Cents.

What classes were most interesting to you when you were in college? Who was your favorite professor?

I genuinely believe that every Government course taken at Skidmore has provided me with the much-needed contextual background and understanding of many hot-button political issues of the day. When-ever I read news regarding politics, or watch Meet the Press for instance, I can almost always refer back to a specific class, lesson, or idea, that was developed in one of my Government courses. The two courses which stand out to be particularly relevant are Poli-tics of Congress and Communications Law. Both courses, taught by Professors Seyb and Ferraioli, respectively, deal with real-life, pressing issues that are currently being debated by politicians, pundits, and everyday people. Whether it was the recent SOPA act, or the ongoing debate on gerrymandering /redistricting, I cannot help but to be fondly reminded to those two classes.

What is your favorite part of your job?

Far and away, my favorite aspect of working at Common Cents has been visiting participating schools and speaking with students, teach-ers and school administrators. When I speak with students, I am often discussing current events, and helping them understand the issues affecting their local, city-wide, and national communities. As a result, many of these meetings work as mini-social studies lessons and lead-ing related exercises (reading newspaper articles, community mapping, etc. )Through doing this, I have come to find that the passion for U.S. history, politics, and social studies sparked at Skidmore, has been matched almost exclusively with a desire to educate and inspire stu-dents regarding these subject areas. As a result, I am currently looking at teaching positions in private and charter High Schools that seek History, Political Science, and like-minded humanities courses. This brings me to the answer of the next question...

If you could have any job, what would it be?

Ultimately, I aspire to become a Government or U.S. History Profes-sor who has the ability to educate and inspire students in the same manner that my Skidmore Professors did for me.

Lex Curry ‘12

My thesis investigates the complexities of French immigration policy and anti-immigrant sentiment directed at Algerian im-migrants living in France. I concentrate on labor-based immigration from North Africa to France during the post-WWII in-dustrial boom and the economic fallout of the Oil Crisis of 1974. Additionally, I explain how the Algerian Revolution, recent debates on secularism and Islam, and growing crime and poverty rates in the French suburbs affect relations between North African immigrants and French citizens.