A Student's Look Back at Their VZ Experience

 Adam Blyth, Verrazzano Class of 2021, completed major in Communications Design and Digital Media

As a Verrazzano Honors student, I received a unique and interactive experience, one that I would have missed out on if I did not apply for Verrazzano. From VELAs to community service, it drove me to become more active in the outside world.

Before the pandemic, many VELAs were outdoor field trips. One VELA that I attended was in Central Park, where we learned about the park’s history and its various landmarks. I also recall going to the San Gennaro festival in Manhattan when I was a freshman, in my second month as a university student. The trip really helped me meet new friends and talk with old friends. I am normally socially anxious, so having a smaller group that felt like family helped to get me out of my shell.

My Verrazzano classes were not large sized classes, which also made me feel more comfortable, and the professors were top notch.

I took part in many forms of community service, the most memorable being my time volunteering in soup kitchens or churches to help the less fortunate. I would bag and organize food and drinks, and interact with all kinds of people.

For my capstone, I chose to shed light on unacceptable behavior within gaming communities. Many allegations of sexual misconduct have come out about certain gaming circles, and it’s an issue that should not be overlooked. Using research and tying in my personal experience as a spectator at some gaming tournaments, I wanted to tie together all of the information and put it in one place. Patterns of misconduct and red flags are easy to notice when it happens multiple times within similar circumstances. For those who use discriminatory behavior towards women and children, it breeds an “untouchable” feeling when they have power over those who are “below” them in the hierarchy of the gaming community.

In my research, I brought in various examples and related them to other cases such as with prominent coaches, to show that it is not exclusive to one particular group. I provided suggestions on how to minimize its continuation, such as educating the young. The concept of consent is something that should be explored in depth in K-12 education.

Verrazzano Honors helped me to think outside the box. Our team-building exercises at orientation tested our abilities to overcome obstacles in a puzzle-solving manner, and all of my experiences thereafter refined my point of view on college and extracurricular activities.