Every year during the month of November, college campuses, English students, and independent writers alike take part in the National Novel Writing Month, also known as NaNoWriMo. Now you may be asking yourself, “What is NaNoWriMo?” Well, NaNoWriMo, in short, is a creative outlet that helps aspiring writers create a novel or novella of 5,000 to 50,000 words in the span of thirty days. 

On Oct. 27, 2023, in the depths of Welles 26, Dr. Yvonne Seale, Associate Professor in History,  gave a presentation concerning The Cartulary of Prémontré, a manuscript that herself and co-editor Dr. Heather Wacha had been transcribing, ordering, formatting, and editing for around seven years. It hit the public this past June through the University of Toronto Press, and boasts a staggering 1016 pages which consist of 509 different charters with additional notes and apparatus. 

Eight months after the horrific train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, many of the ecological problems created due to the “controlled burning” of various hazardous chemicals still linger over the small town and have spread to boarding communities. Though the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has gone on record saying that this issue is being resolved due to a prolonged cleanup of the area, many people are left wondering how long they will have to wait to return to a sense of normalcy within their once peaceful town. 

The month of October includes several national observances, paying homage to everything from health conditions that deserve more recognition, to activities and animals which can be less serioust. These topics include: Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), Spina Bifida, and health literacy, as well as more lighthearted events like International Book Month, and finally Bat Appreciation Month.

On Wednesday, Oct. 18, the United States was the only country to veto a United Nations Security Council resolution that would call for a ceasefire in the conflict between Palestine and Israel so that humanitarian aid may be provided to Gaza. According to Reuters, the United States vetoed the ceasefire under the precedent of Israel’s right to self-defense and the need for more diplomacy time. 

In late September, SUNY Geneseo announced what directed study student-teacher groups were selected for further research at the undergraduate level, with the ultimate goal of the program being used to cause societal change through hard-hitting research. This is the college’s second-year of being involved in the program and the number of participants has only grown. The first year there were two students (Gaetan Jean Louis and Yarold ‘Yaro’ Bautista Martinez) with a different faculty advisor for each (Dr. Kodjo Adabra and Dr. Olaocha Nwabara). This year, the program has four students: Nora Whorton, Seynha Jean Coute, Arianna Whittaker, and Genesis Flores, with three different faculty advisors: Dr. Kodjo Adabra, Dr, Olaocha Nwabara, and Dr. Jessica Gilbert-Overland.

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers found in women in America. The month of October highlights the issue of breast cancer. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death in women in America. Awareness and prevention is encouraged for early detection and may increase the survival rates if detected early enough. 

In September 2023, the New York State SUNY System approved a new Master of Arts program in history to be implemented at Geneseo. The program will begin to accept applications on a rolling basis for the Fall 2024 academic year. According to Dr. Justin Behrend, professor of history and the department’s graduate program coordinator, the program started in response to a recorded increase in history majors at Geneseo.

On Sept. 20, 2023, during a United Nations (UN) general assembly meeting, representatives voted and launched a 15-million dollar initiative led by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to minimize the long-term effects of plastic on organic life, even that which we cannot see on a microscopic level, and the unsteady route we are traveling down as a result. 

On Oct. 8, 2021, Joe Biden, President of the United States, became the first President in history to acknowledge and recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day in substitution for the day that had been previously known solely as Columbus Day. The original movement to enact the substitution dates back to 1977. This was done through a proclamation put out by the White House affirming the pivotal role Natives have played in the modern-day, with references to the high percentages of work in public service fields along with contributions to the arts, as well the vital importance of observing the land that Americans live on which belonged to the Natives’ ancestors long before any other person stood on this country’s soil. 

Students on the SUNY Geneseo campus may have noticed the recent commencement of the annual fire safety drills. Fire drills are mandated throughout the state of New York to ensure the safety of the building’s occupants.