"Hi. I'm Divina Vega. I have been a part of Capitalize On Community for about a year and a half. I enjoy being a member of COC not only for the upper level sociology credits I receive, but I enjoy helping out the community. Recently I became secretary of this organization. I now feel I play more of a role in the advancement of knowledge about this disease in the Capital Region. Fundraising has been a big part of my job as secretary. In the long run though the trips into the community are the most rewarding"

- Divina Vega

"The experience I've gained through this project is something that will stay with me for the rest of my professional career. The hands-on work that I've been a part of has not only helped build my resume but has given me valuable insight on what direction my career will take in the future. With the vast amount of projects and activities that are associated with Capitalize on Community, there is something to be gained for people studying various majors. It is a great step toward entering the professional world after college. In addition the work we're doing is very rewarding due to the fact that you're helping people in a huge way. HIV/AIDS is a terrible disease and Capitalize on Community's goal is to help spread awareness and prevantative methods to combat the growth of the disease. It feels good knowing that you may have saved a life."

- Colin DeVries

"Capitalize On Community is an amazing opportunity for students to take what they've learned in the classroom and apply it to real situations. This class goes beyond learning about HIV/AIDS as a disease, it emphasizes the human level and how we are all affected by this epidemic. The people and stories are real and the experience is unforgettable. We can no longer sit back as AIDS continues to kill, and Capitalize on Community is the
perfect way to take a stand."

- Abigail Taylor

I have found my time with Capitalize on Community very exciting, stimulating and rewarding. I remember just last spring I would be at my girlfriend’s and our friend Julie would always be leaving to “capitalize” when we were sitting around. It all started in good humor joking about “capitalizing” but soon we found ourselves always listening to her exploits and involving ourselves in her involvement! I am sociology minor (and could use the credit) and very socially conscious individual especially with many contemporary issues such as race relations. My progressive education goals led me right into co-enrollment of Capitalize on Community and Race & Ethnicity. With everything I had heard about the program and about Horton I felt it was a good decision, and then in the early weeks of each class seeing and hearing the benefits of the overlap confirmed my original sentiments. I now greatly enjoy being a part and contributing to CoC and I am thankful for the path that led me here. I have already enrolled in next semester, have recruited volunteers and have tons of great ideas to perpetuate my CoC experience and help the community. With Capitalize on Community this Semester there is a lot I have got to learn and experience to make it such a fulfilling and engaging process. Not only have I developed as a Sociologist through all the academic reading and lecturing but through the hands on, grass roots empiricism one gets with all the Community involvement. This really helps with micro level analysis that transcends the traditional macro level understanding most sociology students get within a classroom. I feel this really amplifies understanding through perspective enhancement on the dynamic and multi-dimensional factors involved with social research and sociological understanding. For me personally it really elucidates a lot of terms and ideas from Soc 287 and what they look like. CoC can really help gestate paradigm shifts to different elements of the sociological material a great benefit to a student’s development. On top of benefiting you, countless individuals and communities, bodies of knowledge and human social structure/condition CoC is fun. Every event is an opportunity to meet knew people -most involved with the group- although in many different ways. Events are also to connect with contemporaries and further social discourse. Through this you can make many friends and connections that extend beyond CoC. This makes it a great social networking tool. I have a lot of friends who are in CoC new and old. I have a good friend who volunteers at Whitney Young, I saw her at the workshop HIV testing and since we volunteer together. I was surprised how many people I knew the first class. I saw two good friends at my HVCC presentation on CoC. I have linked up in a group with my freshman year roommate and re-opened a connection with him. Additionally, I have made lots of new friends, acquaintances and peers. Capitalize on Community is a fun, social networking, chance to earn credit, enrich your education, develop skills, explore opportunities, progress as a sociologist, volunteer in the community, gather information and embrace a method/vehicle/structure for social change. That is why I find CoC so rewarding, exciting and engaging. CoC is about applied Sociology. We are resourceful and creative. The world and its problems are real but we as real people and students with a thirst for knowledge can and will make a difference.

- Dan Jones

Spring 2008 Syllabi Available
Students currently enrolled in Capitalize on Community can now download their syllabus from our site. Click the Syllabi link located in the menu for your specific syllabus. Check back as we add more classroom related features to the website.

Spring 2006 Diversity Training
Check out pictures from the Spring 2006 Diversity Training. More image galleries will be added soon.

Welcome to the New CoC Website
Our new website will bring you all the latest news and information regarding CoC. Along with this we have many new features and content for you to check out. Continue visiting as the site will be updated frequently. All pages will be online by this week.

Capitalize on Community Video
The video is now available for online viewing and download. See what members of CoC did during the Fall 05 semester.