Heyyyy everybody 🙂

My name is Shanda Snyder. I’m a senior, graduating in May. I’m a Criminology Major, Sociology Minor. Currently, I’m living in State College, at an off-campus apartment. I grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania!! (GO STEELERS!) For those of you who aren’t that familiar with the landscape, it’s full of hills and lots of bridges, too!! I really love where I grew up, and depending on the opportunities for employment, I would like to stay there  after I graduate. In terms of what I want to do, I’m not 100% sure yet. Because Criminology is such a broad topic, it’s hard because you can see yourself being in so many different careers. So, in other words, I have no clue. I got interested in this class because I barely remember geography from middle/high school but I’m terrible at directions and describing areas and certain environments so I figured this class would be good for me. 🙂

In terms of what I’ve learned so far, I’ve already made a crucial connection between what I do as a Criminologist and what Geographers do. Under the umbrella of social sciences, we all share a common belief that the people alter the environment based on a myriad of factors. In Criminology, part of what we learn is how certain environmental or nature-based circumstances can make all of the difference in opportunity for the population socially. And with the use of geography, I will be able to extend my research to find more connections between the environment and its effects on neighborhoods. An example would be a neighborhood after Hurricane Katrina, and Manhattan. Our every day lives are influenced by the geographical landscape which we have constructed our communities on. It will be interesting to learn more about how both people and nature connect, and how we as people have influenced the environment as well!