December 2007 - Bergen Community College

Online at: www.bergen.edu/thetorch
December 2007
Changes Ahead for Remedial Math
BY AMANDA FERRANTE
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Regular program evaluation,
combined with a disappointing
pass rate and other statistics, has
prompted the college administration to make some changes in
Developmental Math Courses,
beginning next semester.
Academic Vice President Dr.
Gary Porter said there will be
changes in testing and also in class
size, and it’s all about students’
academic triumph.
“Creating success for students in
this area is one of my top priorities,”
Dr. Porter said. “There’s nothing
more important than this.”
Vol. XII
MySpace: www.myspace.com/bcctorchnewspaper
Developmental education is in
existence to serve diverse populations with diverse needs like those
at Bergen Community College.
BCC prides itself as the leading
community college in the state,
but the BCC Student Information
System reports a 48 percent pass
rate in remedial math, which does
not coincide with the visions of
the administration for academic
success, said Dr. Porter.
In
addition,
passing
Developmental Math may be contributing to the college’s 11
percent graduation rate.
“When I see a neighboring
community college with a higher
pass rate in math, and with a higher
graduation rate than we have, it
Remedial Success Rates
FY2002
FY2003
Number %Pass
Number %Pass
Remedial English
5,552 69.1%
6,335 69.6%
Remedial Math
6,134 58.2%
6,389 57.6%
Source: IE&R BCC Student Information System
FY2004
Number %Pass
6,746 67.9%
7,098 50.7%
suggests that one of the factors
affecting our graduation rate is
developmental math,” he said.
The pass rate has declined over
time; in 2002 it was at 58 percent,
and it has been steadily decreasing
since then (see chart).
The most visible change will be
reduced class sizes. Beginning in
the
fall
2008
semester,
Developmental Math classes will
be limited to the mid 20s.
“We believe that class size is one of
a number of strategies that needs to
be put in place to increase the pass
rate for students,” Dr. Porter said.
Another change can be seen in
the spring ’08 course catalog that
Issue 9
MTV’s Real World Cast
Members Visit Bergen
See Dev. Math . . page 6
FY2005
Number %Pass
6,709 67.7%
7,172 49.9%
FY2006
Number %Pass
6,850 66.1%
6,999 48.7%
STAFF PHOTO/AMANDA FERRANTE
Ruthie Alcaide (left) and Danny Roberts speak in honor of
GLBT Week (see story page 3)
Faculty Buyout Means Goodbye to Profs Meditation Room Still Not
BY JILL BARTLETT
MANAGING EDITOR
Full-time faculty members who
have been with the college for more
than 10 years as of Jan. 1, 2008
have an important decision to
make between now and Feb. 1,
2008: Should I stay, or should I go?
Bergen Community College is in
the process of offering a “buyout,”
which would offer a one-time,
lump sum payment to longtime
faculty who agree to retire at the
end of the 2007-08 school year.
Though neither the college
administration nor the Bergen
Community College Faculty
Association, the union that
represents the faculty, disclosed exact
dollar amounts, the college is said to
have about $2 million earmarked for
the program that could conceivably
cover some 25 professors.
Typically, the idea behind a
buyout is to eliminate costly, longtime employees who have higher
salaries than newcomers. The
downside is the loss of seasoned
employees.
Michael D. Redmond, executive
vice president of the college, said
the buyout is what “colleges do routinely for many factors… including
cost control.” The last time the
college offered a buyout to faculty
was eight years ago.
Dr. Redmond referred to the
term “breakage,” which is the
monetary savings on salary that
the college will derive from the
buyout and plow back into hiring.
“We would like to hire more fulltime faculty,” Dr. Redmond stated.
It is also being viewed by the
administration as a way to keep
tuition costs at bay, especially since
New Jersey is facing a huge budget
crisis.
He added that the program is an
economic benefit to both the
college and the faculty, as they are
able to derive more monetary
value from their unused sick time.
“Instead of being passive, we can
appeal to the economic self-interest of faculty,” Dr. Redmond said.
The buyout centers on sick pay.
Over the course of many years, it is
possible that a professor could
accumulate many unused sick days
because the nature of the job is one
where attendance in class is an
20 to 22 faculty members
have expressed an interest
obligation to students, said Tobyn
DeMarco, Professor of Arts and
Humanities and Secretary of the
BCCFA. When an employee
accumulates so many sick days and
decides to retire, the question
becomes, as DeMarco put it,
“What is the just thing to do?”
The BCCFA’s current contract
with the college provides retirement
for the employee either if they are
over 58 years of age with 10 years of
continuous service or if they have
accumulated at least 15 years of
continuous service overall. They are
entitled to leave with half of their
available sick time at the daily rate
of 0.005 percent of their salary.
This number, caps off at $17,500.
For example, an employee earning $100,000 a year with 150
accrued sick days would be paid
the maximum amount of $17,500,
even though their accumulated
sick time is worth $75,000.
Enter the buyout’s mathematics.
If a faculty member earning
$100,000 a year with no accrued
sick time enters the program, he
would walk out with a total of 60
percent of his annual salary, or
$60,000.
Under the same agreement, if the
faculty member earns $100,000 a
year and has accumulated 150 sick
days he would be permitted to an
amount equal to the accumulated
sick leave for up to 75 percent of
their base salary ($75,000), plus
the maximum amount of sick pay
($17,500), for a total of $92,500.
“If a faculty member finds this
acceptable, then I believe [he]
should take it, and if [he doesn’t]
find it acceptable, [he] should not
take it. In the end, it is not a
collective decision.” Professor Peter
Martin of the Health and Wellness
department said of the issue.
Although a subcommittee of the
Board of Trustees approved the
program, it still needs approval
from the State of New Jersey
Division of Pensions and Benefits
before it can be formally offered to
faculty. About 20 to 22 faculty
members have expressed an interest
in the buyout, Dr. Redmond said.
Schepisi and McLaughlin, P.A.
the college’s attorney, is still in the
process of drafting a formal letter
of retirement for those who decide
to submit written notification of
their intention to take part in the
program.
“It is a hard decision to make,”
Redmond stated, “If you have
been here for many years, the
college is your life. So, we’ll see.”
Permanent but Remains Open
BY JILL BARTLETT
MANAGING EDITOR
After several requests from Bergen
Community College's Muslim
Student Association, a "meditation
room" is temporarily available to all
members of the college community.
The room, located L-230 has
windows facing both East and
South, allowing anyone who uses it
for Islamic prayer to face Mecca in
the East.
It is a modest room, containing a
desk, a chair, an old cabinet, and
plenty of peace and quiet, but
apparently, it was quite a while in
coming.
Student members of the Muslim
Club who devoutly observe Islam
practices sought clean spaces to
pray. They realized the need for a
room for the specific purpose
around two years ago when Dr.
Judith Winn was Bergen’s president.
The Muslim student population
currently accounts for about two
percent of the general population.
The Muslim Student Association
itself has about 20 active members,
according to Christine Haedo, the
club’s advisor.
Originally, the club was given half
a club room in the student center.
Ms. Haedo divided the room with
a curtain so that Muslim students
could have some privacy. During
the semesters that followed, the
club’s numbers fell and their half
of the room was given to another
organization. Devout students were
told to ask Public Safety to open up
empty rooms. Some prayed in corners of the library, while others,
prayed on bathroom floors.
Noting this a member of the
Turkish Club brought up the idea of
petitioning students for a prayer
room. to Lena Bakir, the Turkish
Club's advisor and tutoring center
staff member. They informed the
students that they would support
the petition if it was presented as an
“interfaith”, or “meditation”, room.
This way, students and faculty of all
faiths and spiritual backgrounds
could make use of the room.
The students collected over 250
signatures in support of the room.
Bakir and Haedo then presented
Executive Vice President Dr.
Michael D. Redmond with the petition. Dr. Redmond was supportive
and asked Ms. Haedo to investigate
what was done at other schools.
“Many four year schools had an
interfaith room but also had a
chaplain on campus. Jersey City
[State] College had an interfaith
room and they had also hired a chaplain even though they are a state college,” Ms. Haedo wrote in the email.
“Many of the two-year schools
[researched] offered rooms [which
were] very informal. One school
even partitioned off a corridor to
allow the Muslim students to pray.”
After presenting their findings,
the club heard nothing more about
their request for some time. The
two advisors were first promised a
room in West Hall that was still
under construction at the time.
Then, they were told that Dr. Winn
alluded to a permanent room as a
part of the renovations to take place
in the student center. no that Dr.
Winn is gone, plans of a permanent
meditation room have left with her.
See Meditation . . page 6
What’s Inside:
Bergen News
Former NJ Governor on Being Gay . . . . . Page 3
Celebrating all things Latino, Asian
and Caribbean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 7
Opinion
The Michael Vick Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 10
RatemyProfessor.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 11
Arts & Entertainment
Music picks: Wyclef Jean, Busta Rhymes
and more . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 12
the radar: Our calendar of the region’s
must see acts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 15
Sports
Harold Blyden Jumps to NJCAA Gold . . Page 19
BCC Winter Sports Calendar . . . . . . . . . Page 20
THE TORCH
PAGE 2
DECEMBER 2007
BCC NEWS
Diversity Weekend: The Details and Differences
BY ROBERT TORRES
STAFF WRITER
Some 114 students learned about
diversity and ways to interact with
students different from themselves
during a recent Diversity
Weekend, hosted by Bergen
Community College’s Student
Activities Board at the Fernwood
Hotel & Resort in Bushkill, PA.
The goal of this biannual trip was
to give students a better understanding of how diversity affects
our lives, how we see others, and
the proper respectful way of treating people of different ethnicities,
sexualities and disabilities.
Activities at the mid-October
weekend included lectures on the
different stages of racial acceptance, videos about minorities, a
third grade class experiment
between blue eyes and brown eyes,
poems and group activities.
The lectures mainly focused on
different aspects of diversity and its
effect on student’s lives. The group
discussed race and sexuality as well
as people with disabilities.
Admission to the trip is free and
all students are eligible to attend;
however, space is always limited so
it’s best to sign up early. Students
can register early in the semester
usually at the Office of Student
Life or speak to a member of the
Student Activities Board.
During the lectures, students
were given the opportunity to
voice their opinions on various discussion topics such as the different
PHOTO COURTESY/GREG FENKHART, BCC OFFICE OF STUDENT LIFE
Students gather for a picture at Diversity Weekend
levels of acceptance of other racial
groups, stereotypes people give and
receive based on their race, understanding the different stages of
homosexuality and understanding
disabilities. Students often formed
groups in which more personal
conversations were possible. This
was a great way to both get to
know other students and make the
discussions educational and fun.
By the end of the
experiment, the children
learned to treat others
based on neither skin
color nor race.
Videos expressed the importance
of diversity while illustrating the
struggles and pressures people go
through because of stereotyping.
Students noted how minority
groups felt about discrimination.
One video showed the lives of
Native American women who
grew up not knowing about their
tribes or their culture. White
culture was forced upon them and
they were threatened if they talked
about or practiced customs of their
native culture.
Another film explained how
Asian women dealt with hardships
when they first moved to the
United States, from the emotional
distress of losing a highly respected
career to feelings of degradation
while working at a sweatshop.
They were called racial slurs and
demeaned
with
groundless
stereotypes.
Another interesting video included a news report on a teacher who
taught her third grade class about
Students Learn About Relationship Abuse
BY PAUL IBANEZ
STAFF WRITER
Does your partner check your
cell phone calls? Do you barely
speak with or see the friends you
once had? Is your boyfriend or
girlfriend always asking for your
whereabouts?
If you answered, “Yes.” to any of
the above, you may be in an
unhealthy relationship. According
to Sian Millard, a counselor of the
Alternatives to Domestic Violence,
Bergen County Department of
Human Services.
Millard was at Bergen on Nov.
13 to speak at a seminar entitled
“A Healthy Relationship,” one of
Bergen’s Personal Enrichment
seminars.
“(Your partner) is limiting
college life; doesn’t want you to
participate in activities; wants to
isolate you, which can become
problematic and can escalate,”
Millard said.
In 2005, an estimated 76,000
domestic violence incidents were
reported in New Jersey, 79 percent
were female victims, according to
Millard. Domestic violence is very
common among teenagers and
young adults.
“How do you stop it?” Millard
asked.
Most teenagers don’t recognize
when domestic violence is happening or when it is approaching.
When it does occur, some
teenagers also don’t have the access
to counseling.
However, there are certain signs
to recognize in a violent relationship between teenagers. One sign
is manipulation often seen as jealousy where a partner is motivated
by the power to control.
Manipulation can be as
simple as phone calls, asking
“Where are you?” or “Who
are you with?”
“Jealousy is not healthy in a
relationship,” Millard noted.
Domestic violence also
occurs in patterns. In most
relationships, control by the
abuser is a key. The abuser
tends to keep his partner away
from her friends and family;
BY MOSES AGWAI
he will slowly cut off life
A
need
to
control
is
a
danger
sign.
experiences with other
people. He will monitor
Millard said. Drugs and alcohol
movements, make surprise visits to can only enhance a violent person’s
one’s job, or show up in certain will to perform violent acts,
classes. Monitoring a partner is according to Alternatives to
motivated by the power to control, Domestic Violence for Bergen
such as checking the cell phone and County.
emails, and asking friends
People can take steps to achieve a
healthy partnership. Space is
Jealousy is not healthy important in a relationship. One
has to give his partner space to
in a relationship
have with her friends and family
but, at the same time, communiquestions. The abuser will try to cate about the activities done
isolate the partner from participat- without each other. Supporting
ing in college activities and going each others dreams and future
out with friends. Manipulating the inspirations connects people and
partner’s time is very common helps them understand each other.
among abusers, and it can cause the
Understanding one’s feelings
loss of a social support system.
lessens arguments and creates a
These manipulating tactics can small change in personality that
escalate and may become physical- betters the relationship.
ly abusive. Most abuse, however,
If your relationship is experiencoccurs without physical abuse. ing some of these problems, it is
Some examples are abuse by hurt- best to seek information. To learn
ing one’s self-esteem, or using more, Sian Millard is available and
words to mentally hurt the part- willing to help at the Alternatives
ner. Reducing one’s self-esteem is to Domestic Violence for the
the beginning of creating fear. The Bergen County Department of
victim fears losing the relationship Human Services located in
or fears not having future relation- Hackensack, NJ. The 24-hour
ships. Drugs and alcohol is not the hotline is (201) 336-7575.
cause of abuse; that is a myth,
discrimination. She separated the
students based on eye color; the
blue-eyed students were segregated
from the brown-eyed students. By
the end of the experiment, the
children learned to treat others
based on neither skin color nor
race.
Fellow student Rebecca Harrison
answered some questions about
her experience at diversity
weekend.
Q: What did you enjoy most
about Diversity Weekend?
A: Getting to know the people,
bonding with them, and learning
about the ways of their culture. I
liked how after meeting people, we
got to hang out like at the pool
party. We just had a good time.
Q: What surprised you the most
about the weekend?
A: The little things I didn’t realize
like helping those that don’t need
help. For example, if we see a
disabled person heading towards a
door we automatically think they
need help, when really we should
first ask if they need help. Also asking a blind person where something is located. Just because they
are blind, doesn’t mean they don’t
know where a room is.
Q: What was the best and worst
part about Diversity Weekend?
A: We had to go to a lot of workshops and not all of them were
boring, but it was educational and
so I did learn from them. We also
watched a stand-up comedian and
other videos that got me thinking
in a different way. There was also a
pool party and hot tub, which was
a great way to meet people. In the
sauna we played ice breaker games,
and at the Halloween party we got
to dance.
Q: Why do you think diversity is
important?
A: Diversity is important to create a better understanding of
humanity. It helps diminish racism
and makes it easier to learn about
other cultures.
Q: Did Diversity Weekend
change your perceptions of
different cultures and races?
A: Yes it did. I went into it thinking I couldn’t be more open-minded
and left being more understanding
and accepting of others.
Ultimately, Diversity Weekend
was a fun experience during which
students were able to gain a better
understanding of diversity and a
few new friends.
BCC Eyes a New Vision
BY ALON MELAMED
STAFF WRITER
A vision is how an organization
would like to see itself in the future,
and is a shared image of what it
wants to be.
Bergen Community College
President Jeremiah Ryan, and the
strategic planning group feel that
Bergen’s current vision statement is
insufficient and needs to be
changed. The college’s vision statement was written in 1999 and has
dated references like Bergen’s
progress as it goes “into the twentyfirst century.” Furthermore, it lists
four major aspects of the College
that should be considered priority.
Among them are learning, service,
diversity and partnership.
As a result, the college is seeking to
create new vision and mission statements that better reflects what
Bergen is and where it hopes to be in
the future. In November, Bergen
held three discussion sessions – one
with President Ryan and the other
two with Academic Vice President
Gary Porter.
Student discussion groups as well
as several focus groups are being
planned. Additionally, the college is
seeking student input via a brief
survey offered in the library.
Students are being asked to answer
four questions on flip chart paper
located between the old and new
sections of the library. The responses to those questions will provide
student input regarding what
Bergen’s mission should be and what
Bergen should strive to become.
At one recent session, some of the
thoughts considered in the revision
process included a possible
makeover of the whole statement
and inserting a popular and
appealing catch phrase that prospective students, and everyone, can
relate to.
Another topic of discussion was
making the school more environmentally friendly. In fact, as part of
Bergen and the world’s adaptability
to the global warming phenomena,
solar panels have already been
inserted on top of the West Hall.
Student Government Council
President Ignacio Acosta suggested
that the vision statement be hung in
all classrooms when the new statement is finished. The idea is that
awareness of the school’s beliefs and
values could be inspirational for the
typical Bergen student or professor
at Bergen.
The Board of Trustees all agreed
on one key portion—Bergen should
strive to be the best educational
facility not just in the state but
across the nation, and possibly in
the world.
Bergen currently is ranked the
number one community college in
the state.
Online at:
www.bergen.edu/thetorch
MySpace URL:
www.myspace.com/bcctorchnewspaper
THE TORCH
DECEMBER 2007
PAGE 3
BCC NEWS
Former NJ Gov. James McGreevey Speaks on Being Gay
BY ALON MELAMED
AND JILL BARTLETT
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
MANAGING EDITOR
Bergen Community College’s
Ciccone Theatre hosted former
New Jersey Governor, James
McGreevey on Friday, Nov. 30,
2007, as he gave the keynote
address for GLBT (gay, lesbian,
bisexual, transgender) week. His
speech was followed by a small
reception in the lobby in which he
sold and signed copies of his personal memoir, The Confession.
Before introducing him, BCC
President G. Jeremiah Ryan noted
that Mr. McGreevey’s “relationship
with community colleges was one
of the best parts of his administration.” He credited Mr. McGreevey
with the creation of the New Jersey
Student Tuition Assistance Reward
Scholarship (NJSTARS) program
and the part-time tuition aid grant
(TAG). McGreevey is a Middlesex
Community College graduate
Mr. McGreevey opened his
speech by reading a chapter of The
Confession, in which he recounted
his struggle between knowing who
he was on the inside and remaining
who he thought he ought to be on
the outside. He did this, he said,
by “splitting in two.”
“Years later I realized I became
both Gene and Phineas from A
Separate Peace,” referencing John
Knowles 1959 novel about two
boys coming-of-age.
“The soul, and the body,” he
read, “the person who tumbled
from the tree and the person who
made him fall.”
STAFF PHOTO/JILL BARTLETT
Pictured with former Governor McGreevey are Professor Linda
Seidman of the Office of Specialized Services; Professor Jim
Bumgardner, Producer,Theatre Arts Dept.; and Professor Joseph
Mamatz of the Health Professions and Radiography Dept.The three
are co-advisors of the GLBT alliance and helped organize the event.
In 2004, McGreevey became the
first governor in U.S. history to
come out as a gay man. He left
office after threats of a sexual
harassment lawsuit became public
by a former male lover and former
state-appointee. The man who was
his gay lover had also been given a
job in his administration as head of
homeland security for New Jersey,
a post the man later resigned in the
face of persistent complaints that
he wasn’t qualified.
He also spoke of late Russian
author, Fyodor Dostoevsky.
“Dostoyevsky defined man as a
creature who can get used to anything,” saying this in regard to the
personal life he had filled with lies.
“Yes,
but
not
without
consequences,” he added.
He then read another passage
from his book relating to what he
termed, “the defining characteristic
of American political life today” –
which is he need to win, “trumping both ideology and ethics.” This
need can cause politicians to lead
double lives, just as McGreevey
himself did, he noted.
He spoke of his personal feelings,
saying the "desire does not go away
– it mutates."
"I lived not in one closet—but in
many," he said. “This was a sick
making existence.”
He described an experience he
had during his first gubernatorial
campaign while in the back of a
campaign car on the Garden State
Parkway. He looked out the
window to see then Governor
Christine Todd Whitman’s name
on a “Welcome to NJ” sign. He
then imagined his own name on
that sign, but his mental picture
saw the word "homo" spray-painted across his name.
This, he said, was his biggest fear.
While growing up, McGreevey
said he always longed for, “a loving
and sound sexual experience with
another man.” Yet he was surrounded by literature and opinion that
regarded homosexuality as “wrong.”
Back then, homosexuality was
considered an illness that needed to
be treated, he noted.
Today, there is an understanding
that homosexuality is scientifically
determined. Science has changed
radically in the last decade, allowing people to see that human sexuality is inborn.
“It is as natural as having brown
eyes or blue eyes, it’s who and what
we are,” he proudly stated.
He also alluded to studies that
show the incidence of bearing a
gay son increases with having
I lived not in one
closet—but in many
multiple sons, such that the last
son has a higher percentage of
being gay than the first son does
Furthermore, he mentioned that
homosexuality is referred to in
ancient Roman and Greek writings
such as Plato’s symposium, as well
as subtly referred to in British writings of the 17th and 18th centuries,
as well as contemporary writers.
“For many years the notion of
being gay wasn’t, if you will, set
forth distinctly,” he said. “It wasn’t
until Freud developed the concept
that many people began to look at
homosexuality as being separate,
distinct, and apart from [the
conscious being].
Religious misunderstanding was
the basis of his second key point.
“Religion and The Bible has,
unfortunately, been manipulated
over centuries. To support slavery, to
be against equal rights for individuals of color, to support the inability
of women to vote, to stop, if you
will, marriages between those of different races. And so time and time
again people have referred, whether
to Leviticus or to St, Paul, and have
taken words to use and to justify
their own narrow perspective.”
He went on to add that if people
followed all the rules of the bible,
“Well theoretically you wouldn’t be
having Monday night football
because it forbids touching a
pigskin, you’d be stoning somebody who gets an inappropriate
divorce, or stoning someone who
takes the Lord’s name in vain—
and that’s not happening.
He says he takes issue with people who selectively use bible verse
to condemn or target their animosity towards a group. “The Bible
ought not to be used to subvert its
goal as a book of transcendence
and insight, into one of intolerance
and hate,” he said.
The organization Faith in
America, of which McGreevey is a
board member, serves to find ways
to eliminate religious prejudice
that causes hate. They accept the
homosexual community and seek
to bridge the gap between religion
See McGreevy . . page 17
Get It Together: BCC Holds
MTV’s Real World Cast Members
Organizing Principles Workshop Talk about being “Out” in the Real World
BY PATRICIA MIHALIO
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
In today’s society when we are
constantly bombarded with paper,
email, phone calls, assignments and
many other daily requests, it’s helpful to know that by incorporating a
few simple habits into our daily
routines, we can survive, thrive and
get what we want out of life.
Simply put, being “organized”
means having the ability to find
what you are looking for within a
reasonable amount of time.
Regardless of style or method,
organizing is a two-part mental
and physical process of gathering,
storing, tracking and retrieving
information and objects for the
time when you need them.
During the four-hour workshop,
which was a combination of
lecture and group discussion,
common strategies used by highly
organized people were identified.
Attendees learned about the two
types of organizing personalities,
Pilers and Filers.
Pilers are visually cued individuals who stack or post things out in
the open so they can see them.
Filers are more traditionally
systematic, and prefer things to be
kept tucked-away and out of sight.
Although one approach is not considered better than the other, it is
important to know your individual
organizing style so you can establish methods that will work for
you, and fit into your lifestyle so
they will consistently be followed.
The workshop discussed 6 other
important strategies that all Pilers
and Filers should use to get and
stay organized. The tips ranged
from writing a daily list of tasks to
organizing your workspace at the
day’s end. (See chart)
Whether you are a student, professional, homemaker or a combination of all three, it is important
that you get and stay organized to
achieve your personal and
professional goals.
Are you a Piler or a Filer?
Although there is no “good” or
“bad” answer, understanding your
personal organizing style is critical
to determining your success at getting and staying on top of life’s
little details. Whether you are a
student, a professional or a
stay-at-home mom, being disorganized can prevent you from
achieving personal and professional goals. It can also negatively
affect your image and credibility
with others. On the other hand,
being organized and on top of
things can help a person be more
productive and significantly
reduce their day-to-day stress.
That was the message of a BCC
workshop held on campus Nov. 9
called Organizing Principles,
sponsored by BCC and the Bergen
County Workforce Investment
Board. The workshop was
designed to guide attendees
SIX TIPS TO BETTER ORGANIZATION
toward a more organized and, 1. Use one central monthly calendar to track all appointments and assignments.
ultimately, stress-free lifestyle. 2. Use one central notebook/pad to write important information and thoughts you
Led by Carol A. Andolena, a
gather each day.
professional organizer, member 3. Write a list of daily tasks and goals. Prioritize each and accomplish the 2 or 3
most important each day. Check off completed tasks to visually track progress
of the National Association of
and accomplishments. Be proud of what you’ve done.
Professional Organizers and
4.
Set realistic deadlines. Learn to say “No” and decline requests, and handle
25-year business veteran speinterruptions politely and without guilt.
cializing in Corporate Training,
5. Be prepared for unexpected delays by allowing time for unplanned things to
the seminar explained how
occur.
being organized saves people 6. Organize your workspace at the end of each day. Devote 5 – 10 minutes to
time and money, reduces stress
tidying your home, office or workplace so that it is neat and organized for you
and helps them achieve goals
to start fresh the following day.
faster.
Source: BCC Organizing Tips Workshop Nov. 9
BY AMANDA FERRANTE
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
This is the true story of one society that struggles each day.
As part of GLBT Week, Danny
Roberts and Ruthie Alcaide of MTV’s
The Real World brought their life
experiences of being “out” in the public and on TV to a college that prides
itself on diversity and culture.
Danny Roberts was on the New
Orleans season seven years ago and
was a then 23-year-old reserved and
good-looking man from the South
known for coming into his own,
and, coming out. The now 30-yearold shared some of his experiences
prior to and during his phase of
coming out.
“I spent most of my college years
in turmoil,” said the Georgia native,
who added he was in denial about
his sexuality and found it best to
suppress his feelings. “I just thought
[being gay] was something weirdos
in NY and LA did.”
Ruthie took her denial one step
further and admitted, “I was very
homophobic…I was trying to deny
how I felt.”
During the Hawaii season eight
years ago, Ruthie was known as the
heavy drinker who worried her
housemates constantly.
“I don’t think people knew who I
really was,” she said and advised
young people trying to come out to
break away. “It made it a whole lot
easier…spending time in a big city
[like New York]. I know it’s hard,
especially coming from a small
town…it felt like such a relief when
I just said ‘you know what, I’m just
going to be who I am.’”
Danny said it’s all about setting
your priorities straight.
“You’re going to choose a path
about your personal happiness, or
you’re going to let others decide that
path for you,” he says.
One of the highlights of the New
Orleans season was Danny’s
relationship with Paul, whose face
we never saw. Paul was a part of the
U.S. Military which formerly prohibited homosexuals from serving.
In 1993, President Clinton passed
the “Don’t ask, don’t tell,” bill stating that homosexuals may serve, but
must not be openly and publicly gay
(for this reason, Paul’s face was
blurred in all his appearances).
Danny notes that presently, there is
a shortage of troops; therefore, the
policy has been relaxed.
I was trying to
deny how I felt
The duo emphasized how stereotypes affect culture and behavior.
They asked members of the audience to declare their guilt of prejudice by a show of hands, pointing
out that we pass judgment often,
and in many different ways. Ruthie
said that most of our problems stem
from our inability to see sexuality as
part of a person’s character.
“Sexuality is [part of ] who you
are,” she says.
The “real worlders” brought their
insight to every level saying that you
always have a choice to make things
happen- in every aspect of your life,
not only with sexuality. It’s important to pay attention to our first
time impressions and steer clear of
ignorance.
“If it was a choice, we’d choose to be
straight,” said Ruthie, of the distorted
perception that sexuality is a choice.
THE TORCH
PAGE 4
DECEMBER 2007
BCC NEWS
Teaching the Science of Global Warming:
How one BCC professor is trying to give the
scientific facts without a separate agenda
BY DOUG SMITH
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
STAFF PHOTO/DOUG SMITH
Faculty, students and guests at Gallery Bergen's opening
Art Comes to West Hall
as Gallery Bergen Opens
BY KERRY BEEKMAN AND
CAROLINA MORILLO
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
More than 400 people attended
a grand opening Nov. 1 of Gallery
Bergen, the first art gallery to exist
on the campus of Bergen
Community College.
The grand opening exhibition
was a dedication to the art professors of the college. The artists are
professors who teach at BCC, such
as Paul Mindell, Bart D'Andrea,
Sharon Falk, Despina Metaxatos,
Tommy Mintz, Fariba Hajamadi,
Carlos Acosta-Rios, Bernice
Leibowitz, Jerome Press, Andrea
Geller-Jablonski, Carl Jablonski,
Suzaan Boettger, Jack Surran,
Mark Ensslin, Gregg Biermann,
and Claire McConaughy.
The professors submitted a total
of 30 works of art for the exhibition space. Each professor
contributed to the gallery by submitting roughly two works of art.
Represented at the exhibit were
eight painters, three photographers, and five graphic artists.
All of the artists have two things
in common with each other: they
love visual arts and they love to
teach.
"We want people to understand
art better by seeing it in person,"
said Prof. Boettger.
The mind behind Gallery
Bergen is former president BCC
President Judith Wynn, who
decided that a gallery should be
designed during the construction
of the West Hall last year.
The Gallery Bergen Committee
is now in charge and will decide
the exhibition themes and sometimes the paintings that are to be
displayed. For the first exhibition,
Prof. Boettger served as a liaison
between the Gallery Bergen
Committee and the two professors
who helped gather the works and
set up the installations, Prof.
Claudia Acosta and Prof. Carlos
Acosta-Rios.
There was a diversity of culture
and genre at the current exhibit.
Each piece of art depicts a different
message, emotion, and energy, as
well as ethnicity.
For example, The Will of Desire,
part of a series of paintings called
Each professor contributed
to the gallery by submitting
works of art
Gravity's Wings by Sharon Falk,
captures an energy that is dynamic,
enlightening, free and moving,
and expresses the discoveries within moments frozen in time.
The Hills Are Alive by Gregg
Biermann, captures a more haunting energy, as it shows scenes from
"The Sound of Music" in a
distorted manner.
The exhibition space is financed
by the college, but Gallery Bergen
does not have an ongoing budget
like other clubs at BCC. The committee instead has to apply for
each exhibition that they plan on
holding.
“We have faith that they (the
administration) will find some
money,” said Prof. Boettger.
“They‘re not going to leave the
room empty.”
If you would like to see Gallery
Bergen and you don’t have time to
go to the West Hall, check the link
at www.bergen.edu. Click on
“Quick Links” and scroll to
Gallery Bergen. The website
shows all the works of art in the
current exhibition.
An important dynamic is often
missing from many public discussions on global warming: its
science. In an atmosphere infused
with politics, distinguishing
between the truth and someone’s
version of the truth is difficult.
Since the science of global warming has been a huge part of his life’s
work,
Bergen
Community
College’s Dr. Roger Opstbaum
stated he has “an obligation to
present it correctly.” Take him for
his word when he says, “My
agenda is the health of the planet.”
The planet is heating up because
of our burning of fossils fuel; that’s
an undisputable fact. The cause for
alarm is well justified, but what
Dr. Opstbaum has shed light on is
the fact that this panic may be
making us overlook scientific facts.
For example, how does one know
that these new alternatives won’t
also raise temperatures?
This is what Dr. Opstbaum has
been addressing, especially when he
recently spoke to local high school
and college science teachers at a
seminar on teaching the science of
global warming. The aim was to
both demonstrate how one can have
this talk with students without
politically alienating them and shed
light on important facts that have
been swept under the rug.
In order to show the importance
of understanding the science before
committing to an alternative, he
prefaces his speeches with this: If
he had a choice between a hydrogen fuel cell and an oil car, he’d
choose an oil burning car any day.
His reasoning is simple.
When carbon dioxide (CO2) is
dumped into the air as a result of
burning fossil fuels, temperatures
slightly rise due to the fact that
CO2 retains the radiation the planet
would have released into space.
Because temperatures are increasing, more water is evaporating into
the atmosphere. On top of that,
the air’s ability to hold water vapor
increases with rising temperatures.
Bergen Community College Nursing
Students Walk to Find a Cure
Submit and Shine at the Beacon '08
Since 1993, the Beacon
Conference for Student Scholars
at Two-Year Colleges has been
showcasing the achievements of
two-year college students in academic research and writing.
The Beacon is now preparing for
2008 and is seeking students and
faculty to get involved. After
preparing papers of scholarship
and originality with their college
mentors and Professors, students
submit these papers for review.
Each submission is evaluated by
professors
from
Columbia
University, Rutgers University and
other renowned colleges. The top
three papers in each category
(from a total of 18 in each
category) are selected, and
their authors present them
at the annual conference in June.
(In fact, Bergen Community
College is hosting it this year.)
Presentations are judged on the
originality and quality of these
three items: the research , the actual written work and the oral presentation. Each category’s judge
chooses an outstanding presenter.
At the end of the conference,
both the presenter and his or her
mentor are formally recognized
and awarded $100 . Winning
papers also get published in the
Proceedings of the Beacon
Conference 2008.
For more information on the
Beacon Conference, visit
http://www.bergen.edu/beacon.
PHOTO COURTESY/THOMAS E. FRANKLIN, NORTH JERSEY MEDIA GROUP
Dr. Opstbaum during last October's citizen's meeting
CO2 is nothing more than a cat- tures to well above 800oF. In many
alyst for what has a much more of his talks, Dr. Opstbaum stated
significant impact on rising how we were spared from that,
temperatures: water vapor. The being a bit farther away from
fact is that water vapor absorbs the sun, but if we change the
more infrared radiation than CO2. chemistry of our atmosphere to
In fact, water vapor is estimated to something from which less
account for about 95 percent of radiation can escape, we risk a
the recent raise in temperatures. similar fate.
Raising the temperature increases
The professor has repeatedly
the air’s ability to hold more water emphasized that although global
vapor and, consequently, raises warming is an imminent danger,
temperatures.
jumping to a conclusion without
In Dr. Opstbaum-terms, CO2 is first knowing the nuts and bolts
like a gun, and water vapor is the about it can exacerbate the
bullet. A hydrogen car emits water problem. We are at a stage where
vapor as an exhaust, as many of the increasing temperatures can be
new commercials have been boasting. halted if we put our heads together
He further explains how the tem- and figure out a method of acquirperature drops at night more in the ing energy without adding
desert than near the coast, proving chemicals to the atmosphere.
that water vapor is a major heating
Several times a year, Dr.
atmospheric element. Furthermore, Opstbaum holds a citizen’s meeting
bio-fuels and ethanol can emit gases during which local residents attend
like methane that absorb more radi- free of charge and discuss the probation than CO2 and water vapor, lem global warming presents on a
even though their growing removes grassroots level. The first hour is set
CO2 from the atmosphere.
aside as a crash course of the sciIn his most telling piece of scien- ence for newcomers. Then, pertific evidence, the professor spective solutions and plans of
explains that Earth’s sister planet, action are brought to the table. All
Venus, went through the runaway are welcome to attend the next citgreen-house effect, the vicious izen’s meeting which is tentatively
water vapor cycle that makes global going to take place in late January
warming possible, earlier in its to coincide with the college’s
evolutionary history. The atmos- reopening. For more information,
phere trapped nearly all radiation feel free to contact the professor at
trying to escape, raising tempera- [email protected].
Team “Captain Thomas, Jr.” poses
beginning their walk
On Sunday, Oct. 21, 2007, some
20 Bergen Community College
nursing and science students along
with Nursing Professors Maryanne
Baudo and Sylvia Colon Cabassa,
Biology Professor Robert Highley,
and John Giamo of the counseling
son of BCC Anatomy
and Physiology Professor
Dr. Thomas Betsy,
Clifton School 16 fifth
grade teacher Shelley
Betsy, and little brother
of Miss Juliana Betsy,
age six.
“As parents, of course,
you are shocked when
your child is first diagnosed,” Dr. Betsy said.
He ended with saying,
“The support we have
received from students,
faculty, friends, and famPHOTO COURTESY/DR.THOMAS BETSY ily has been encouraging
for a picture with the Newark Bear before and greatly appreciated.
My wife and I are
incredibly thankful for
department all walked for team
all
the
people
who walked with our
“Captain Thomas, Jr.” to raise
team,
donated,
and helped raise
funds for the Juvenile Diabetes
money
for
a
great
cause. With
Research Foundation. Thomas
Betsy, Jr., was diagnosed with everyone’s help one day there will
Juvenile Diabetes last February at be a cure. Today, we walked a little
the age of four. Thomas, Jr. is the colder to that cure.”
THE TORCH
DECEMBER 2007
PAGE 5
BCC NEWS
“NJ for Obama” Organizing Rally Held at Pitkin Center
winning and losing the whole primary
“There are only four states with
primaries or caucuses in January,”
Mr. Barnes said. “On February 5th
there will be about 20 states with
primaries, including California,
Georgia, Illinois, New York and
New Jersey.”
BY ERVISA BILALAJ
STAFF WRITER
The gymnasium of the Pitkin
Education Center was crowded on
Nov. 17 with more than 100
supporters of Sen. Barack Obama
for President as North Jersey residents from a host of counties gathered to support the Democratic
senator from Illinois in the upcoming presidential primary election.
The event was conducted by “NJ
for Obama,” and arranged by
Susan Baechtel, BCC’s public relations officer, and the Student
Government Council. Mark
Alexander, New Jersey State
Director-Senior Advisor, told the
crowd that Senator Obama is the
best candidate for president. He
also energized the crowd with the
statement that the good news is
George W. Bush will not be
president after next year.
Mr. Alexander showed a biographical video about Mr. Obama,
beginning with his childhood and
highlighting his experience as a community organizer in Chicago, his time
as a student at Harvard Law School
and as president of the Harvard Law
Review. It continued with his work in
the Illinois State Senate, where he
worked with Republicans and
Democrats alike on passing ethics
reforms in the state government, and
calling for reforms of the death penalty. Finally, the video showed his work
in the US Senate, noting his early
opposition to the Iraq War at a time
when the war was still popular.
Mr. Alexander then introduced
U.S. Congressman Steve Rothman
(D-9th district) who told the
crowd that New Jersey is important to the Obama candidacy
because of the early February 5 primary when voters will choose their
candidate for president among a
slate of candidates, including New
York Sen. Hillary Rodham
Clinton. In the past, New Jersey
held the presidential primary in
June, making it one of the last
states in the union to vote. This
year, the state moved it to
February, making NJ more important in the race.
“We are building an army
of volunteers to get out the
vote” - Mark Alexander
STAFF PHOTO/ERVISA BILALAJ
From left: Obama Supporters Talia Young and Maureen Tracey-Mooney;
Mark Alexander, Senior Advisor, NJ for Obama; and Julie Cerf
Many people think that the race
will be decided on Feb. 5, said Jeff
Barnes the Hudson County
co-chairman of NJ for Obama. He
said that the grassroots organiza-
tion is critical to the effort, and
that volunteers will make the
difference between winning and
losing in New Jersey, which could
make the difference between
Obama on the Issues
The Torch’s Ervisa Bilalaj interviewed Mark Alexander, New
Jersey State Director- Senior
Advisor, NJ for Obama. Here’s
what he said:
TORCH: What changes can
students anticipate related to
higher education if Mr. Obama
becomes president?
ALEXANDER: Increase federal
college aid. Across the country,
millions of students use Pell
Grants to finance their college
education. Across the country,
millions of students use Pell
Grants to finance their college
educations. Two decades ago, the
maximum grant covered 55 percent of costs at a public four-year
college, compared with only 32
percent today. The first bill Barack
Obama introduced in the U.S.
Senate would have helped make
college more affordable for many
Americans by increasing the maximum Pell Grant from the existing
limit of $4,050 to a new maximum of $5,100. Senator Obama
has worked in a bipartisan way on
the Senate HELP Committee to
propose an increase in the Pell
Grant to $5,400 over the next few
years, paying for these increases
through decreased government
subsidies to banks and lenders.
Free up money for student aid
and protect student borrowers.
Currently, there are two basic
college loan programs. The Direct
Loan system allows students to
borrow from the government
through their schools. The
Federal Family Education Loan
Program instead gives private
banks federal subsidies to make
government-backed
student
loans. These privately funded
FFEL loans cost about $6 more
per $100 than loans through the
Direct Loan program. Barack
Obama co-sponsored Senator Ted
Kennedy's Student Debt Relief
Act, which encourages colleges to
participate in the Direct Loan
program and use the savings to
invest in grant aid to students.
The legislation also increases
need-based aid, and decreases fees
Also
present
was
state
Assemblyman Gordon Johnson
(D-Englewood), who spoke about
the importance of volunteers in the
campaign to get Obama elected.
Mr. Alexander concluded the
meeting by describing the campaign strategy. New Hampshire,
South Carolina and Nevada are the
states where the most effort is now
being placed by the national campaign, he said. However, he said
and interest rates for student
loans. Sen. Obama would eliminate wasteful subsidies to private
student lenders and instead
support the federal Direct Loan
program, invest the savings in
additional student aid, and add
greater transparency to the
student financial aid process.
TORCH: What is Sen. Obama’s
view about the war in Iraq?
ALEXANDER: Before the war
in Iraq ever started; Sen. Obama
said that it was wrong in its conception. In 2002, then Illinois
state Sen. Obama said Saddam
Hussein posed no imminent
threat to the United States and
that invasion would lead to an
occupation of undetermined
length, at undetermined cost,
with undetermined consequences.
Since then, Senator Obama has
laid out a plan on the way forward
in Iraq that has largely been
affirmed by the bipartisan Iraq
Study Group led by James Baker
and Lee Hamilton. He is the only
leading candidate who stood up
against the war from the start.
TORCH: What about immigration issues?
there are campaign offices in every
February 5th state. He also specifically commended the volunteer
organization supporting Sen.
Obama in New Jersey.
“We are building an army to get
out votes in February to bring
change,” Mr. Alexander said, referring to the volunteers working for
Sen. Obama. “The Obama campaign has an unprecedented grassroots volunteer organization in New
Jersey. We are organizing literally
thousands of volunteers across the
state to make sure Barack Obama
wins New Jersey on February 5.”
The meeting broke into separate
groups of the North Jersey counties.
Grassroots co-chairs for each county
gave the new volunteers an overview
of what they will be doing between
now and February 5. Activities
include canvassing events with
Obama literature, and other getout-the-vote tactics, including on
Election Day itself, said Mr. Barnes.
ALEXANDER: Barack Obama
has played a leading role in
crafting comprehensive immigration reform. Obama believes
politicians, to divide the nation
rather than find real solutions,
have exploited the immigration
issue. This divisiveness has
allowed the illegal immigration
problem to worsen, with borders
that are less secure than ever and
an economy that depends on
millions of workers living in the
shadows. Sen. Obama believes
that our broken immigration
system can only be fixed by putting politics aside and offering a
complete solution that secures our
border, enforces our laws and
reaffirms our heritage as a nation
of immigrants.
TORCH - Why is NJ important
to the campaign?
ALEXANDER-On February 5,
Democrats will vote in over 20
states, including NJ. NJ is a very
important state strategically
because it has so many strongly
committed Democrats, and we
believe that the Obama candidacy
will do very well.
PTK Presents: Afghanistan after the Taliban
BY ERVISA BILALAJ
STAFF WRITER
On October 30, 2007, Tamin
Ansary presented Phi Theta Kappa’s
the
third
satellite
seminar,
“Afghanistan after the Taliban.” He
discussed Afghanistan’s improvements after the Taliban regime left
power, the history of Afghanistan as
a zone of continuous wars, and its
foreign policy.
Ansary, son of an American
mother and an Afghani father, was
born and raised under Islamic tradition in Kabul. He is a monthly
columnist for Encarta.com and an
author. His books include “West of
Kabul, East of New York,” and “The
Other Side of the Sky,” which he coauthored with Farah Ahmedi.
Ansary also teaches at San Francisco
State University’s Osher Lifelong
Learning Institute.
Ansary first discussed Afghanistan
in the 19th century when it was the
playground of the “Great Game,” the
conflict between the British and
Russian Empires.
As a result of the Cold War, the
British created the Durand line;
dividing ethnic Pashtun territories of
STAFF PHOTO/ERVISA BILALAJ
Tamin Ansary fields questions from around the nation for PTK’s
third satellite seminar.
Afghanistan and Pakistan.
In the 1970s, Afghanistan
experienced both Soviet and U.S.
invasions.
From 1978 to 1991, Afghanistan,
under communist governance of the
“Democratic
Republic
of
Afghanistan,” saw many civil wars.
Afghanistan was under the Taliban,
which translates to “students” or
“seekers,” regime from 1996 to
2001.
“Taliban can be different people
for different reasons: drug dealers
and young men without jobs feeling
hopeless. [A] Taliban [member] can
[even] be a police[man] or even a
teacher,” Ansary said.
During the Taliban regime,
Afghanistan was a terrorist shelter
and their pit stop between Europe
and United States. Kabul was
destroyed and many production
lands were turned into landmines,
taking the lives of many children and
hurting the economy.
Most of the schools were shattered
and only religious, Persian instructors
were able to teach. Females did not
attend school; if they did they were
separated from male peers.
“Even under communism my
sisters went to high school. Females
were teachers and doctors, [but not
under the Taliban],” Ansary recalled.
Today, “Kabul is very modern,”
according to Ansary. Unlike times
under the Taliban, for example, the
dress code is not as strict.
Women are not required to wear a
burqa, the Islamic outer garment
women use to shroud themselves
with when they are in public. Men
are no longer required to grow
beards.
Socially speaking, people are now
allowed to date as they do in Western
cultures. There are two Cell phone
companies in the whole nation. In
Kabul, there are Internet cafés.
Highways are being built to improve
the country’s infrastructure.
New schools are being built within,
and outside of, Kabul
The university is reopening with a
40 percent female population. For
the first time art and music are
taught as secular lessons.
Now that electricity is almost
always available, living conditions
are improving.
However, this
panorama is to be viewed only in
Kabul; life in the provinces and
villages remains as it was under the
Taliban.
Villages are still influenced by the
extremist Islamic undercurrents that
separate the urbanized Kabul from
the rural areas
Traditionally, the mullah (Islamic
clergy) teaches only religious subjects, and the students memorize all
the lessons. They are required to
study in recitation form; that is,
students say the information learned
aloud.
However, Government funds are
financing the construction of
government schools.
Ansary stated that democracy in
Afghanistan is “challenging”; in
villages, government decisions are
still discussed at “village meetings.”
See Afghanistan . . page 6
THE TORCH
PAGE 6
DECEMBER 2007
BCC NEWS
Great American Smoke-out
Dev. Math
Enlists Smokers to Kick the Habit
BY CHRIS MAYS
step towards becoming smoke-
The hardships involved in a
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
With all the festive spirits,
high-charged events, and cheerful
people, it seemed like a party, but
in actuality Bergen Community
College was celebrating the
American Cancer Society’s Great
American
Smoke-out
on
November 13.
There was free coffee, tea, and
Danishes for those who wanted to
take the day off from smoking, or
those who just wanted to stop by
to see what all the commotion
was. “I think the Smoke-out was
beneficial to students and staff
alike,” said Alison Manche, a
non-smoker who said that BCC’s
landmark smoking ban, starting
on campus in January, will change
people’s perception of the habit.
On hand for the Smoke-out were
organizations such as Nicotine
Anonymous
and
the
Comprehensive Tobacco Control
Agency, which takes students’ special concerns and issues in offering
counseling on quitting. The groups
particularly emphasized the need to
focus on “one day at a time.” as a
person gives up the habit
Peer educators, nurses in
training, and members of smoking
cessation groups walked around
the Student Center, and discussed
the importance of making the first
STAFF PHOTO/ERVISA BILALAJ
Nursing students and Staff explained to smokers in more ways than
one why quitting is the only answer.
free. They were optimistic about
quitting, which prompted jokes by
many smokers who brought up
their own failed attempts.
Confidential tests were also given
to students about their smoking
habits so they could then see,
firsthand, what cigarettes were
doing to their health.
Giving up smoking was
compared to ending a
relationship
Giving up smoking was compared
to ending a relationship that might
be fun, but isn’t good for you.
Students were invited to take part
in an activity called Aerobic Fun,
where they were led as a group to
dance to music carefully chosen to
commemorate the end of a
relationship.
break-up of a love interest are
painful like the decision to quit
smoking, and the words of a
popular
song
that
went:
“Goodbye, goodbye,” reminded
smokers that it may not be easy,
but it is possible to do.
The groups and the event, in
general, exemplified the age-old
notion that with a strong network
of support, aligned with inspiration
and determination, smokers could
put their butts down – for good!
“Each attempt is a learning
experience,” said Albert J. Ferrara,
the Community Tobacco Program
Coordinator for the Bergen County
Department of Health Services,
pointing out that students need to
understand that the process is a difficult one, with plenty of obstacles,
yet definitely worthwhile.
BergenLit Shares Books, Poems, Plays and More
BY LAUREL KING
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
If reading is a passion, this is the
perfect club for you.
Bergen Community College’s
Bergen Literary Club is the newest
inspiration for literary-lovers on
campus to gather together in a
friendly
student-to-student
environment.
Professor Stacey Balkan recently
recalled how the club came to life.
In her second semester teaching at
BCC, she realized that most
students enjoyed reading literature
better outside of the classroom,
without the pressure of term
papers and research papers.
This gave way to a collaboration
with a few of her of an official club
where all sorts of readers can both
casually and passionately share
their own taste in literature, she
said. Student
Caressa Valdueza is the club’s
president and student Jack
Hildebrand is the program
coordinator.
Known as BergenLit, the club
allows anyone to share their
favorite books, poems, plays or
music lyrics from any genre.
The idea is to allow students to
inform others about their literary
interests outside of the topics discussed in their classes, and to help
create an environment of diversity.
The hope is that students will feel
The Bergen Literature Club was
just created this year but already
has a large group of members.
the excitement of sharing their
own love of literature without the
pressure of the classroom.
Every Tuesday, club members
meet in room S-134 from 12:30 to
1:40 p.m., and the members are
given the opportunity to give a
BergenLit presentation. The way it
works is a member is required to
read a book or poem, watch a play
or movie, or listen to music. Then,
the member must fill out a Brown
Bag Lecture Proposal, ensuring a
date to talk about it.
The club is involved in activities
other than just reading literature.
The BergenLit Club has
arranged special readings related to
ethnic groups celebrated during
the diversity weeks at Bergen.
The club has also collaborated
with the Literary Arts Series,
where Prof. Balkan is co-chair.
“[We] maintain a revolving lending library, work with the bookstore
in the selection of appropriate
books for the many diversity weeks
on campus, collaborate in
Diversity Week programming
with faculty committees and
fellow student clubs, and quite a
bit more,” Balkan said.
The revolving library, which is
found inside Bergen’s library, is
constantly running out of free
books as it has become a big hit.
In one particular meeting,
members were brainstorming possible ideas to add even more
events. Among the many ideas
discussed were performances of
student-written plays or skits,
themed lunches in the cafeteria,
Little Theatre movies, BergenLit
Reviews, panel discussions, guest
speakers, presentations by Bergen
County authors, essay contests,
and one-book literary circles.
“I love the student literary
presentations as I often find that
[in the classroom,] students are
less apt to offer their original ideas,
but at BergenLit meetings, they're
eager to share, to explore, to
teach!” Balkan said.
With all these opportunities to
express yourself through literature,
music, and perhaps even art, what
better way is there to do it than the
BergenLit way?
POETRY, PLAYS, SHORT STORIES, SCREENPLAYS
ARE YOU A WRITER?
Are you interested in developing your voice, improving your skills and
sharing your work in a supportive workshop atmosphere?
TALK TO DR. ALTMAN ABOUT WRT 204-601H HONORS CREATIVE WRITING
[email protected] (L-329) 201-493-3544
. . . continued from page 1
includes an experimental pilot class
designed to reduce test-taking anxiety. This was recommended by the
Developmental Education Report
filed in June 2007.
While Dr. Porter characterized
the changes as significant, Professor
Sandra Silverberg, Department
Head of Mathematics and
Computer Science, said what’s
occurring in math is part of a regular ongoing process of examination.
“The
Developmental
Mathematics Discipline constantly
studies the structure of courses and
departmental policies,” said Prof.
Silverberg. “Changes are always
under consideration, brought forth
and studied in an on-going fashion.
This fall, as usual, several experiments have been conducted.”
One experiment involves the
developmental math exit exam.
Prof. Silverberg said in an email
that the results of the exit test will
now be used to reward student
efforts, in addition to its standard
function as a gate test, comparable
to the English Basic Skills gate
test.
Developmental
math
students have already received
information about computation of
final course grades, she said.
Good scores on the developmental math exit tests can result in
higher grades for students already
passing the course, she said.
“In some few instances, for
students with “borderline status”
during the semester, an excellent
final score might make a positive
difference for these students who
would not otherwise have passed
the course,” she said.
Meditation
The Mathematics and Computer
Science Basic Math Workgroup
will evaluate the results of this
experiment at the end of the
semester, she said.
“If data indicates that students
have taken good advantage of this
opportunity for success, by
demonstrating an integrated
knowledge of the materials, we
will gladly consider continuing
this structure,” she said.
Some other changes might also
be on the way that could affect
students who “almost pass” the
math exam.
“Part of our strategy is to look at
the group of students that are
going to come close to passing,”
said Dr. Porter. “Instead of offering the current sequence of courses, [we’re] looking at some way of
offering an abbreviated course that
will simply help students who are
close over the hurdle.”
“The issue to me is having a
developmental program that creates success for the predominant
number of students who take
those classes,” said Dr. Porter.
Another issue is the placement
test cutoff score will be raised by
three or four points in fall 2009 at
all community colleges.
At the request of the Department
of Higher Education, six months
ago, all community colleges in the
state got together and agreed to a
set standard for all the colleges to
follow as a cutoff score. The
Presidential Council and Academic
officers agreed to implement the
standard in fall 2009.
. . . continued from page 1
Ms. Haedo stepped up, once
again, at the start of this semester to
find the present room and
requested at least a one-month
accommodation during Ramadan,
which takes place throughout
September, the holiest of all
months in the Islamic calendar.
The accommodation was granted,
extended to the end of the
semester, and open to all.
Soon after, e-mail notification was
sent out to the college community
from the Vice President of Student
Services, Raymond Smith, informing anyone who had prior problems
with the room to send a formal
e-mail to the Director of Student
Services, Dr. Ralph Choonoo. To
date, Dr Choonoo has received no
such e-mails, he said.
In
an
October
Student
Government Council meeting,
Bergen’s President, Dr. Jeremiah
Ryan, told SGC he would work
with them secure a permanent
room. He also stated there is a lot
Afghanistan
Only after the peace conference in
Bonn, Germany did the U.N. and
U.S. decide to help the country with
a written constitution, [which
included concepts of ] an assembly,
election and the right to vote.
Although the economy still needs
improvement, millions of dollars are
going to the landmines and opium
fields to prevent killings and bring
back the land’s productivity.
Afghanistan possesses 20 percent of
the world’s oil, which is found in the
north, in addition to other natural
resources.
In a conference held in Tokyo, the
outside allies estimated that $30
billion was needed to reconstruct
the country. While $19 billion was
of opposition to this on campus”
regarding the room.
Haedo attributes the opposition
to the separation of state and
church.
“From what I understand of this,”
she wrote, “the law states that if you
give an accommodation to one
group, you must equally give to
another who requests [the same].
This sounds great, but I think that
some people just want to deny people’s faith in a community college.”
During the October SGC
meeting, the matter was left with
President Ryan stating, “Until we
need that room, you can use that
room. We are not going to need
that room until we renovate the
student’s center, and that’s not
going to be any time soon. If you
want to call it permanent, we can
work that out sometime at the end
of the semester. But I think
students are using it, from what I
understand, which is great.”
. . . continued from page 5
sponsored, and only $1 billion went
to Afghanistan.
Because of the aforementioned
Durand Line, Pakistani and Afghani
governments do not have a good
relationship, which leads to inside
conflicts. In addition, there is a matter of chaos and civil order in
Afghanistan.
“[It’s] all against all,” Ansary said.
He added that although the relationship between the U.S. and
Afghanistan is based on oil, the U.S.
is not stealing Afghanistan’s oil—it
is ultimately helping the country’s
economy.
“[But
whoever]
controls
Afghanistan controls the oil,”
Ansary said.
THE TORCH
DECEMBER 2007
PAGE 7
BCC NEWS
Latino Heritage Week Sizzles
Dance, Music, Literature and Food Highlighted
BY BIANCA KUAZKO
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Diversidad. When it comes to
the Latin American experience, it’s
more than a word. From Argentine
tango and Mexican literature, to
Cuban cinema and Brazilian
Forro, this year’s “Latino Heritage
Week” gave Bergen students a taste
of the diversity of cultures south of
the border.
“Diversity Within” was the theme
of this year’s event which ran from
Oct. 19-Nov. 2. and featured the
sights, sounds and tastes of all
things Latin. Setting the tone for
the week’s events was “Diversity
Within: “A Conversation,” a
moderated panel discussion, said
Amparo Codding, Dean of
Humanities and chairwoman of the
Latino Heritage Week committee.
“That was different this year,” said
Dean Codding. “We asked students
and faculty members to share
cultural experiences of being Latino
and growing up in the United
States. We learned that we all have
universal experiences regardless of
cultural backgrounds.”
Julian Gomez, assistant director
of admissions and co-chair of the
event, said the diversity within discussion was the event that “defined
the week” for him.
“The term ‘Latino’ is looked at as
only one group of people, and this
week we got to explore how diverse
Latinos really are,” he said.
Latinos represent the largest ethnic
population at Bergen; about 27
percent of the student population
are Latino, according to statistics
from fall 2006 compiled by BCC’s
Office of Research and Planning.
Latino Heritage Week drew participation from a wide range of the
college community. The BCC
“This week we got to
explore how diverse
Latinos really are”
library was involved by showcasing
books associated with Latino
Heritage Week. Social Science
Prof. Theo Solomon contributed
with his photography exhibits.
And the Bergen Literature Club
held a lively discussion on Latin
American Literature that included
an analysis of Carlos Fuentes’s ‘La
Muñeca Reina” led by Prof. Stacey
Balkan. The discussion was held
during the club’s Tuesday brownbag lecture, said Jack Hildebrand,
the BergenLit program chair.
“We traced ideas in the story to
Greek mythology and the work of
the English poet John Keats – it
was amazing to see how Latino
culture was intertwined with other
traditions,” Hildebrand said.
A Latin American Food Fest held
Oct. 25 in the Student Center by
the Latin American Student
Association, known as LASA,
allowed students to sample a rich
and diverse Latin cuisine and enjoy
live musical entertainment with
group FIESTA. LASA also held the
week’s final event with a big
costume party on Nov. 2.
The best-attended happening
was “Fusion Tango” held on
October 19 in the Ciccone Theatre
and was open to the community.
According to Dean Codding,
about 150 tickets were sold.
Fusion Tango is a fusion of
Argentine Tango and Modern
Dance and it pushes the classic tale
of romance, seduction and betrayal
to the edge with unexpected twists.
Fusion Tango was created by
Sandra Antognazzi.
“Cine Café” featured the film
“Lejos de la Isla/Far from the Island”
on October 23 and featured director
Luis E. Salas, who answered questions in an open forum
discussion.This film is a CubanAmerican documentary that examines the drama over Cuba in the past
century. It re-introduces people
young and old to the Cuban Exile
Community
across this country.
Approximately
130
people
attended
the
Latino Heritage
Awards Dinner
held on October
24, said Dean
Codding.
The
invitation-only
dinner recognized
community leaders from the college and the community. Bergen
Math Professor
Rosa
Kontos,
Board member
Germaine Ortiz,
community volunteer
Bob
Medina
and
Council Woman
Esther Fletcher
each received an
award.
Music and perPHOTO COURTESY/BCC PR
formance art were
a big part of A performance of Fusion Tango was a highlight
Latino Heritage during Latino Heritage Week
w e e k .
Percussionist instructor Cyro college community. Cyro's credits
Baptista held a Brazilian Music read like a "Who’s Who" of modern
Workshop ) on October 24 at the music. He toured extensively with
West Hall Recital Hall to benefit the
See Latino . . page 17
Asian Heritage: “The Rise of Chindia”
BY LAUREL KING
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
STAFF PHOTOS/NICOLE JANUARIE
Only three members of the Island steel boys...still groooovin
Caribbean week
Ends with a “TING”
BY NICOLE JANUARIE
STAFF WRITER
This past week consisted of commemorating the Caribbean heritage, with various activities happening around campus that made
our islanders feel right at home. The
last day of this festival was celebrated on Friday the 9th with a steel
band called The Island Boys Steel
group, hammering us into the
weekend and out of Caribbean
week.
Many of you who are unaware of
what the steel drum or pan is, here
is a quick “411 and more” …It is a
unique cultural instrument that is
skillfully hammered to produce
just about any type of music you
can think of. One of the opening
tunes on Friday was a popular Bob
Marley hit, Stir it up, which
created a soothing atmosphere
making me want to grab a coconut
and put on a grass skirt, forgetting
the fact that I was still in the student center and protected from
the bitter cold and drizzle happening outside. The pan was initially
constructed out of 55-gallon oil
drums, which were carefully tuned
by heating the pans over fire, and
then denting them to produce
tones containing the full chromatic range of notes. A man called
Winston Simon was the first to
discover the art of denting a steel
drum and producing a tone.
The whole culture of the steel
band resulted after a couple of
incidences, dating back to the
British Colonial rule of Trinidad
in the 1800's, when hand drums
were used as a call for neighborhood gangs to collect and 'mash
up' with other gangs.
Hoping to curb the violence, the
government outlawed hand drums
in 1886. The Trinidadians now
deprived of their drums, turned to
the 'Bamboo Tamboo', where each
member of the group would carry
a length of bamboo and pound it
on the ground as the group walked
through the streets, producing distinctive rhythmic 'signatures'
which identified each gang. When
Carribean Dancers
See Caribbean Week . . page 18
“Where is this century heading?”
This was the question Dr. Gabe
Wang posed in a keynote speech on
the history of China and India
during
Bergen
Community
College’s Asian Heritage Week.
Dr. Wang shared his knowledge on
Nov. 12 of the growing economies of
India and China.
To answer this question, he
described how U.S. news reports
about China and India have been
biased for quite a while, possibly
because both India and China’s
economies have been in a period of
steady growth for some time now.
This could soon turn the tables on
America, the world’s current
economic powerhouse.
During the summer of 2007, Dr.
Wang visited China and noted several changes.
A picture shown during the presentation portrayed that younger generations have seemingly begun to adopt
the style, dress and behavior of U.S.
citizens, and the buildings are
designed similarly to those in the U.S.
It was hard to believe Beijing wasn’t
New York City’s twin.
While visiting India, however, he
noticed the culture was not as
Westernized. Very few people are
likely to accept the varied lifestyles
of the U.S, they behave in the way in
STAFF PHOTO/LAUREL KING
Dr. Ashin Nayaka recounting the
protests he was involved in to
end the suffering of the people
in Burma.
which
their
ancestors
had
generations ago
Although China and India may not
be considered equal economic and
technological competitors against the
U.S., Dr. Wang is certain that these
two large and most populated countries will become tough adversaries as
long as the relationship between
China and India continues to
strengthen and grow.
Because of this bond, the word
“Chindia” has been coined to
describe the two rapidly developing
countries’ economic and industrial
increase, not only side by side but in
peace as well.
China and India’s drastic economic
developments are due to each country’s zeal and ambition to learn more
about science and improve modern
technology. In fact, Dr. Wang stated
that Bengal, India is known as the
“powerhouse of science and
technology.” Stressing the importance
of education also contributes to both
countries’ rising economic statuses.
Wang explained that even though
China and India equally fell victim
to Western power during the
Industrial Revolution during the
late 18th and early 19th centuries,
by 2006, China’s economy increased
to 15.5 percent while India’s economy currently holds a steady 6.4 percent of the world’s total economic
status. The U.S. currently accounts
for 19.8 percent of the world’s economy. Since China and India have
banded together, their combined
percentages consist of almost half of
the world’s economy.
As of now, China has a labor force
of 800 million people (300 million
people reside in the U.S.). India’s
population is 2.3 times the size of the
European Union and, with China’s
population included, eight times the
size of the U.S. population.
For centuries China and India continued to communicate with each
other. Chinese scholars traveled to
India to study Indian medicine, technology, science, math and philosophy,
as did the Indians in China. Through
the merging of each other’s ideas,
values and knowledge, they are gradually becoming a challenge to the
Western developmental model:
domination in science and technology, and culture.
“China and India will reshape the
world and our lives, whether we are
ready for it or not,” Dr. Wang
concluded.
“The Saffron
Revolution”
In celebration of Asian Heritage
Week, Dr. Ashin Nayaka, a Buddhist
monk and visiting scholar from
Columbia University, held a lecture on
the Saffron Revolution in Burma. The
event was co-sponsored by the Asian
Heritage Committee and the
Department of Philosophy and
Religion.
Since September, 500 thousand
Buddhist monks paraded through the
streets with several Burmese supporters to protest the government’s policies
and actions against its own people.
Monks have been beaten, abused,
killed or incarcerated.
Five-hundred of these monks have
been detained in military or political
institutions. The people of Burma
attempted to offer them food, which
posed a slight problem for the monks
since they are not allowed to take food
from noon to 12:30 A.M.
As the monks walked throughout
Burma, 400 thousand badly armed military soldiers from Myanmar blocked
their way with orders from the government allowing the military to stop the
protest in any manner needed, including several arrests- and even torture.
The cause of the monk’s rally had
nothing to do with mere politics—
what they saw was the suffering of the
people because the government continued to suppress and rule harshly
over citizens’ lives.
The monks warned the government
ahead of time that if something did
not change, they would protest. In
reaction to this warning, government
See Saffron . . page 17
THE TORCH
PAGE 8
DECEMBER 2007
THIS & THAT
Our Thoughts on Your World
A Dance for Science Made Easy:
Armenians “Wash your hands!” Understanding the Lymphatic System
Remembering
Hrant Dink
BY MOSES AGWAI
ILLUSTRATOR
BY SHUSHAN BARSANOGULLARI
GUEST WRITER
In January, ethnic Armenian journalist Hrant Dink was shot dead in
Instanbul. Dink earlier had been
handed a six-month suspended sentence for insulting Turkishness and
was outspoken about the alleged mass
killings of Armenians by Turks in
1915 -- a claim that Turkey denies.
His murder has been condemned by
Amnesty
International
and
International PEN.
January 19, 2007. I was at a dance
practice when I found out about the
murder of Hrant Dink. I still
remember the anger and the hatred
that ran through my veins, the
chills that ran from my head to my
toes, and the sickening feeling that I
was about to throw up. I had to sit
down. A million questions popped
into my head, but I knew that no
one would be able to answer these
questions because no one had
answers. Even though I was upset
and angry, I still had a sense of
pride. I was proud to be an
Armenian and though Hrant was
killed, I was proud that I shared his
same dream.
Hrant was the co-founder of the
Armenian-Turkish newspaper called
Agos, and up to the day of his
murder, he had been repeatedly
threatened for being a spokesperson
for the Armenian community in
Turkey and around the world. He
was murdered for trying to bring
peace between the Turks and the
Armenians, not an alliance, but a
See Hrant Dink . . page 14
“Remember to flush the toilet, and
then wash your hands.”
For most people who use Bergen
Community College’s rest rooms,
this is a very familiar sign. It is a
phrase pasted on the walls of the toilets all over the college. The question
is: Are they helpful? Are people reading these signs, or are they perhaps
too busy to pay attention to them?
Whatever the case may be, it won’t
negate the fact that we help transport
millions of germs simply by not
washing our hands. Just think about
all the things that are touched by
other people on a daily basis: money,
toilet handles, phones, door handles,
etc. We gather so many germs
throughout our day that we could
easily catch a cold, diarrhea or long
term illnesses like meningitis.
Imagine someone digging into their
nostrils in your presence just before
reaching that filthy hand out to
shake yours. Worse still, imagine
someone peeing on their hand, and
then stretching their dripping fingers
out for a handshake–gross, right?
Well, this is exactly what happens
when we go about shaking hands,
touching doorknobs, and holding
railings. We simply do not know
where the other person’s hand has
been. While many times we do not
have any choice in whose hands we
shake because it is the traditional
American form of greeting, we CAN
control what happens to our hands
afterwards. We can choose to wash
our hands or use hand sanitizers.
This is where most germophobes lose
it. They use hand sanitizers at every
opportunity. Of course it is good to
use hand sanitizers, but excess use
may cause more harm than good; it
could even prove deadly.
Whenever we use too much hand
sanitizer over a period of time, we
lower the microbes on our hands to a
point which can eventually cause the
body to produce fewer bacteriafighting cells. This can cause us to
pick up severely life-threatening illnesses because our bodies may have
fewer antibodies available to fight the
germ. Using alcohol-based hand sanitizers are also potentially dangerous
because most contain about 70%
alcohol, the same amount present in
vodka. Think of yourself walking
around with a bottle of vodka; whenever you touch germs you pour it on
your hands. What would eventually
happen? The skin of your hands
would be stripped away of its natural
oils, causing dry and cracked hands.
We help transport
millions of germs simply
by not washing our hands.
When to Wash Your Hands:
If you decided to stop using alcoholbased hand sanitizers and stick to the
traditional method of washing your
hands, a good question to ask is:
When should I wash my hands?
The best times are:
• Before any meal
• Before you treat any cut
• Before you tend to a sick
person
• Before removing or inserting
contact lenses
• After using the bathroom
• After touching a pet
• After picking or blowing your
nose
• After handling raw food, especially meat, fish and fresh
dairy products
• After eating
• After handling garbage
Another thing we should be
extremely cautious about is
opening doors that lead out of
the restroom. Take a minute to
think about this: People go
into restrooms that have millions of bacteria in them. After
finishing their business, they
wash their hands, eradicating
millions of bacteria, and exit.
However, when they exit the
restroom, they pick up even
more bacteria than what they
came in with, just by touching
the door handle. It makes no
sense to wash your hands then,
does it? If you ultimately pick
up more germs from the rest
room, right? Wrong! To avoid
picking up more bacteria, you
are strongly advised to take an
extra piece of toilet paper with
you to open the door with.
This is why a garbage should be
located near the exit. You are able to
open the door with the toilet paper
and simply toss it into the garbage
can. It is also very important to practice good hand-washing habits. This
will also encourage people around
you to do the same when they notice
your acts of heightened awareness.
Most especially, in public toilets it
has been noted that when you use
the bathroom and wash your hands,
there is a 75 percent chance that others will follow your lead and do the
same if they are not in a hurry.
Perhaps this act spawns from the fact
that no one wants to be regarded as
being “dirty.”
While some people already
comprehend the potential dangers of
unwashed hands, others may understand its effects more on a molecular
level. To explain this further, the
knowledge of lymphatic system will
be helpful. This system is a major
feature of the body’s immune
system.
The Lymphatic System
The lymphatic system is basically a
system that wards off diseases. It
consists of lymph nodes linked to
lymph vessels that carry the lymph
fluid around the body. Lymph fluid
is colorless and contains high levels
of white blood cells. Included within this system is the body’s bone
marrow, spleen and thymus organs,
and lymph nodes. The nodes are
bean-shaped areas with a huge concentration of lymph fluid.
The lymphatic system has three
basic functions:
• to drain excess interstitial fluid
from tissue spaces back into
the blood
• to transport lipid and lipid
soluble vitamins from the
gastrointestinal tract to blood
• to carry out the body’s
immunity functions.
Immunity Functions
There are two types of immunity,
innate (non-specific) and adaptive
See “Wash your Hands!” . . . page 14
Tantalize Your Tummy: The Early Ticking Clock
TOP 5 HOT SPOT RESTAURANTS
TO GO TO THIS SEASON
BY ELISA CERVONE
STAFF WRITER
During the holiday season, the ever
present question, “Where are we
going to eat tonight?” may leave
people hungry and scratching their
heads. Rather than conversing in
confusion, put the question to rest,
and let out your pants, because the
holidays are here-and so are the top
five hot spot restaurants in the New
Jersey/New York area.
As a commuting student, life gets
hectic. Therefore, sitting down to eat
something other than love handles
and clogged arteries fried in grease
gets tricky. This season, treat yourself: Take a breather and visit these
places that satisfy your tummy without feeling so guilty about eating so
much.
IN NAPOLI
Fort Lee, New Jersey
Located on Main Street in Fort
Lee, minutes away from the George
Washington Bridge. In Napoli has
been opened since 1984, serving the
best southern Italian food. In Napoli
is a cozy place to go to with family
and friends for a special occasion or
just a night out for good eating.
They have a variety of dishes from
Veal Scallopine Picatta, Linguine
Zuppa De Clams, and the Chicken
Parmigiana. FUHGETABOUTIT!.
For the wine lovers, this is a place for
you, as the wine selection is vast.
From Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio
to Geyser Peak Merlot, they’ve got it
covered. In addition to the fantastic
food, they have impeccable service,
short to immediate table servings,
and the prices are worth every cent.
Gentlemen, if you’re looking for a
place to take your bountiful bella,
give her a taste of La Dolce Vita at In
Napoli.
IL POMODORO RISTORANTE
Staten Island, New York
This Italian restaurant in Staten
Island is definitely worth the drive.
Located on Hylan Boulevard, family
owned IL Pomodoro was started by
two Albanian brothers, Jimmy and
Ramo, several years ago. Now they
have a high reputation for their thin
crust, heart- shaped pizzas and huge
pasta dishes. Anyone who lives or
works in Staten Island has tasted the
remarkable Italian cuisine that these
two brothers have to share. IL
Pomodoro has many choices to pick
from; however, their seafood, especially their calamari, is one of a kind.
Their fish is imported from a fish market in Albania, which means the fish is
See Tantalize Your Tummy . . page 14
BY AMANDA FERRANTE
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
While today’s young women are
reaping the benefits of the evolution
of the woman’s role in society, there
is something alluring about a “picture perfect” life of marriage and
babies. The cliché of a woman’s role
as a wife and mother, cleaning the
house and preparing meals, is now
intertwined with the current female
figure, juggling education, careers,
and independence. Yet somehow,
it’s hard for young women today to
find a balance of these images as we
may be experiencing an “early ticking clock,” seeking marriage and
motherhood at early ages. This
prompts a question: After years of
women doing their absolute best to
define a positive role in society
working double time burning bras,
are we back to square one?
According to the U.S. Census
Bureau, there are 152 million
women in the United States,
exceeding the number of males
(148 million). An estimated 82.5
million women are mothers of all
ages. Some time ago, a woman’s
role was limited to the kitchen and
home in general. Now, women are
everywhere men are (except, of
course, the culprit standing in front
of a lifted toilet seat). Somehow,
women have found, and clung to a
“happy medium,” as some would
call it. We are educating ourselves,
not only on beauty and poise, but
we are finding our passions and
making money from them. Present
day, this is the ideal–this is where
every young woman strives to be.
While the experiences we partake
in as young women provide
maturity, emotional growth, and
food for our soul, motherhood is
the greener grass on the other side
that is so close, yet so far. In Mike
Newell’s “Mona Lisa Smile,” the
message is clear and valid. A movie
made in 2003 paints a portrait: the
art of the young woman’s role
approaching 1954. As character
It's hard for a young woman
today to find a balance
Betty Warren (Kirsten Dunst)
writes in a newspaper editorial, her
teacher, Katherine Watson (Julia
Roberts) “challenges the roles we
were born to fill,” by encouraging
the delicate students to question
their traditional societal roles, like
getting married prior to graduating
and halting their dreams of graduate and/or law schools. This movie
was vivid and important. The accuracy of the eager ladies was impeccable.
These girls were desperate to fill
their “roles”–and as quickly as possible. Though this was set at the end
of 1953,
it reminds me
of myself in 2007, and
some of my peers,
other young women
also on their quest for knowledge.
What is most interesting to me is
how the concepts of each gender
have evolved in design. We created
the domesticated diva and macho
man- these are cookie cutters. We,
the sometimes-flaky dough, merely
do our best to find a role, and play it
well. Somehow, no matter how
smart we women become or how
much we accomplish (according to
set societal standards), we still want
what’s next–marriage and motherhood.
This is not so for all young
women, but it’s an intriguing
thought-provoker. Have we really
been born to fill roles, or are we
born with the desire to partake in
the “phases of life”? Regardless, it’s
an ever present fight between wanting to educate ourselves and be
independent women citing, “We
can do it,” and gazing into sweet
children’s eyes holding their best
interest at heart citing, “You can’t do
that.” We are led to believe we can
“have it all,” and that may be so.
THE TORCH
DECEMBER 2007
PAGE 9
THIS & THAT
Our Thoughts on Your World
Talking with Hands: How Actions Speak Louder Than Words
BY SABRINA THOMPSON
GUEST WRITER
In the Philippines, people eat with
their hands. Thus, they use their
hands while eating delicious,
meat–and vegetable–filled fried
“lumpia” rolls. Besides the obvious,
everything else is not eaten with a
fork, but with your hands. Rice and
meat are grabbed between the
pointer, middle and thumb fingers
and neatly (or not so neatly)
popped into an eager and hungry
mouth. Filipinos feel no shame in
displaying the way they eat and
enjoy their food–it’s part of the culture It’s charming, but not so much
when countries collide and in
comes culture confusion.
With an African-American father
a Philippino Mother, I’m bi-racial,
but resemble my mother more. My
mother moved from the Philippines
to the United States after I was born.
Following tradition, she eats with
her hands. Following American tradition, I, of course, did and do not.
Growing up down South, in Texas
of all places, it became evident that
my mother was different. She grew
up in “the country,” as she calls it,
but it’s more like on a farm in the
middle of a jungle on the island of
Mindanao. I grew up in the suburbs, attended Girl Scouts, and
liked art and riding my bike.
Contrary to the typical female role
models, my mother was not like my
blonde, big haired, blue-eyed Girl
Scout leader, or like my friend’s
mothers who worked at banks or
had jobs as pediatricians or elementary school teachers. She wasn’t even
like the nosey stay–at-home
mothers who always meant well. My
mother was a work-a-holic, and she
was content managing a convenience store. Other mothers didn't
think a whole roast pig, or "lechon,"
at a child's birthday party was fancy,
or even normal. Most of all, they
didn't eat with their hands. I was
embarrassed at a young age by my
mother’s little quirks that were
merely imprints of her culture.
Of course, there were other things
that set us apart. Instead of referring
to someone as a "he," it would
come out as "she." I remember
being confused as a child because I
had been taught and consistently
Other mothers didn't
think a whole roast pig or
"lechon" at a child's
birthday party was fancy,
or even normal
sung to that the letter "Q" in the
alphabet was pronounced like the
letter "K" but more like "keh." By
the time I was in the first grade I
remember correcting my mother’s
grammar and laughing at her mistakes in verbiage. I had an unusually large vocabulary as a child. I liked
to read, write, and draw. My
mother, on the other hand, still had
trouble forming sentences, and
would be angry at me for doodling
on the walls and tease me for reading all the books I read. I used to
make up stories about what I
believed was typical for mothers to
do and say to tell my friends, their
parents, and teachers. Instead of my
mom celebrating her birthday with
our Filipino friends, eating fish
heads and whole pigs while singing
karaoke, I lied and said we spent an
evening at a fancy steakhouse.
Towards the end of junior high,
my mother’s English got a little better. She seemed to be fitting into a
less embarrassing role as my mother. However, her now semi-proper
use of grammar didn't hide the fact
that she continued to use her hands
to eat.. I started having the braver
of my friends over for dinner to eat
the delicacies I grew up eating. One
particular night at dinner, I turned
a bright shade of red when my
mother ignored the utensils she had
set out on the table and began eat-
ing her food with her hands. I just
couldn't take it anymore. "We are
in America; here we eat with at
least a fork!" I obnoxiously pointed
out. I had embarrassed her. She
didn't say anything, but instead
picked up her fork and finished her
meal without saying a word. In this
case, her actions spoke louder than
any words could have.
After that, my mom did continue
to eat with her hands, but less as
time passed. I'm not sure if my
mom was affected by my pre-teen
brattiness or was just becoming
more Americanized on her own.
Back then, I did not regret saying
what I said, but I do now. As an
adult, I miss all the endearing qualities of our culture my mom once
possessed. My family has been
through so much drama with
divorce and money issues–it would
be nice if we could go back to simpler times, when my mother used
to eat with her hands.
iPhone Competition on the Rise This Holiday Season
BY JOE POLLICINO
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The arrival of the iPhone has
prompted a battle within the
mobile phone industry toward this
new kind of touch screen phone.
While Apple has set the benchmark
with its iPhone by being the first of
its kind in terms of design and
functionality, it certainly is not the
only phone that boasts a sleek
design, MP3 and video capabilities,
a touch screen, and a unique user
interface.
Many consumers are also unaware
of the iPhone’s many handicaps.
The iPhone is only available in
America to subscribers of AT&T.
While the phone is one of the most
advanced on the market, the network it is built to run on is not. Most
cell phones now support 3G access
which provides broadband speeds to
users. This allows them to run applications like streaming videos and
overall fast email and web browsing
service; the iPhone currently runs on
2.5G known to most as “EDGE,”
which is fast- but not up to par with
the current standards. It does, how- messages. Being that the iPhone is
ever, support WiFi, but this feature incapable of recording video, you
can only be accessed a set limit of won’t be able to do the latter half
anyway.
150 times per month.
The iPhone is currently selling
The iPhone has its own rate plan
which allows so-called “unlimited” through AT&T and Apple retail
data that isn’t really unlimited. As stores for around $400. Anyone who
mentioned, WiFi access is limited wants to purchase an iPhone must
and running applications on the do so with a credit card. That’s right,
phone such as “YouTube,” are not no cash is accepted. Even Apple gift
covered as unlimited. The plan also cards cannot be used toward the
only supports 200 SMS (text) mes- purchase of the iPhone. There is also
sages per month. The iPhone has no a two phone limit per-person.
MMS capabilities, which means
you can’t send picture or video See iPhone Competition . . page 14
PHOTO COURTESY/LG ELECTRONICS COPYRIGHT 2007
Verizon's LG Voyager opens up to
reveal a full QWERTY keyboard
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THE TORCH
PAGE 10
DECEMBER 2007
OPINIONS & EDITORIAL
The Michael Vick Case
Defending Gentle Souls
BY LAURA MARCHESE
GUEST WRITER
Michael Vick, the NFL Falcon’s
quarterback who has already
reported to jail for sponsoring a
dog fighting operation called the
“Bad Newz Kennels,” will be sentenced on December 10. He faces
up to six years in prison and
$350,000 in fines and restitution. I
don’t believe this is enough punishment for him.
Vick was charged with three others, for running a dog fighting
operation where dogs were
housed, trained and taught to
fight. According to his indictment, if dogs lost fights they
would be electrocuted, drowned,
or hung. The only way to describe
a person like this would be to say
he is a sadistic psychopath who
deserves to get the most jail time
possible.
Animals are such
wonderful creatures that
have emotions and give
such unconditional love
How horrifying that someone as
successful as Michael Vick, one of the
top NFL quarterbacks, would be
capable of such heinous acts.
Obviously, he has extreme psychological problems that were never
addressed. The only positive thing is
that Vick was suspended indefinitely
from the team. I don’t think he
should ever return to the NFL again.
I’m sure this will be a controversial
subject with Vick’s fans and the NFL.
I was enraged and sick to my
stomach as I continued to read
about animal abuse cases. To name
a few: There were two brothers
who tied a puppy up and left him
in an oven to die. There was
another case in Maryland where a
landlord killed two of his tenants’
cats with a shotgun and the landlord was not charged because no
cruelty statute law existed in this
state. The judge stated that she
didn’t like what the landlord did,
but it isn’t a crime in the state of
Maryland. How infuriated I am at
statements like this! Is this teaching animal abusers that you can do
the crime, but you don’t have to
do the time? To me it is.
Animals are such wonderful
creatures that have emotions and
give such unconditional love and
comfort. There are proven studies
in which petting a dog or cat can
decrease blood pressure, create a
sense of well-being, and relieve
stress. Animals are now being
brought into nursing homes for
companionship to the elderly. And
the loss of a pet can be just as devastating to someone as the loss of a
person. Just because animals can’t
speak does not mean they are very
different from human beings.
Animals have a lot of the same
needs as humans do. They have
emotions. They cry, get sick, need
nourishment, and require love just
like people do. I can see it every
day in my cats. The only difference between animals and humans
is that animals cannot tell you
what they feel. They cannot speak,
but if you love your animals, you
can learn how your animal communicates. Even someone who is
not very fond of animals should
respect another living, breathing,
loving being.
The only explanation I have for
animal abusers is that they are just
as guilty as people who abuse
other people, and they should be
prosecuted to the full extent. Most
animal abusers have a history of
abusing animals.
Vick gave a statement apologizing
for his misbehavior. He also apologized to all the children in the world
for his immature acts. The audacity
of Vick to label his killing and sadistic abuse of animals “immature
acts.” It proves that Vick does not
see the severity of his actions. It also
emphasizes his detachment to any
type of emotion or remorse.
Would killing human beings by
way of hanging, electrocution, and
drowning be considered “immature acts” or “irresponsible behavior”? Yeah, that would really go
over well in the court system.
“Your honor, I apologize for hanging an 18-year-old girl." Or “Your
honor, I apologize for my immature behavior in drowning an
innocent elderly woman." Or
“Your honor, my client is sorry for
electrocuting his son because he
lost his baseball game."
To all the Michael Vick’s out
there, I hope you feel as much suffering as what you put those animals through. Is this too harsh a
statement? Imagine your pet being
abused or killed in this manner. I
rest my case.
U.S.-Iran Tension Nothing New
BY CANDACE BARNES
GUEST WRITER
Tension between Iran and the
U.S. is nothing new. Ever since
1979, when the U.S.-backed Shah
Pahlavi was forced into exile in
January and took 63 hostages, the
relationship between the two
countries has been “the most
unusual… we have with any country in the world,” according to
Nicholas
Burns,
U.S.
Undersecretary of State for
Political Affairs. He added, in an
interview with BBC correspondent Gordon Corera, that in his
25-year career, he has never met
an Iranian official.
On the day that the BBC headline read, “U.S. Imposes New
Sanctions on Iran,” and the
Telegraph ran a piece titled
“Iranian Regime Reaching Point
of No Return,” the headline in the
Islamic Republic News Agency
read, “Cheney After Seizure of
Middle East Oil Wealth,” and
concentrated on the fact that the
Middle East controls over 65% of
the world’s oil reserves. It also
linked the U.S. invasion of Iraq
and “interference” in Afghanistan
to an attempt to seize control of
this precious asset. These comments were made by Major
General Yahya Rahim Safavi at a
public press conference after a
speech to university students at
the Imam Khomeini’s public audience site. He added that the U.S.
“lacks the potential to attack
Iran.”
I was speaking with my Iranian
friend Zarah, who has close ties to
her family and friends still in Iran,
about the newly-imposed harsh
sanctions against Iran, and the
rumored attempt of the BushCheney administration to invade
Iran before handing over power to
the newly-elected administration
in mid-January 2009. Zarah has
her finger on the pulse of the
Iranian people (as opposed to the
Iranian state), and her comments
have been eye-opening to me. I
have long held the thought that
the Iranian populace was harshly
anti-American because of our
backing of the deposed Shah.
The U.S. would
be doing the people
of Iran a favor
Zarah has disabused me of that
opinion, saying that, “the Iranian
people love the U.S. They want
the U.S. to invade, and to throw
over the current regime. They
want democracy, like the U.S.
They want freedom–not what we
have now.” In her conversations
with her parents and friends in
Iran this last week, she sensed a
guarded optimism that the time
might actually be near when they
are delivered from the oppressive
cleric-led regime currently in
power.
“Khameini, Khomeini. It’s all
the same. It is Islamic law that
counts in Iran. The people, the
real people, don’t like it and don’t
want it,” Zarah told me. She has
been in the U.S. for 15 years now,
and takes very seriously the freedoms that we Americans take so
much for granted – particularly
the women.
So while the tension continues at
the diplomatic level, it would
seem that the grassroots opinion
in Iran at present is that invasion
by the U.S. would be worth the
hardships that war would bring to
this country, one whose regime is
labeled by the U.S. as part of the
“axis of evil.” My opinion will
probably draw many opposing
views, but it appears to me that
the U.S. would be doing the people of Iran a favor, while erasing a
known terrorist sympathizer (if
not an actual supporter and source
of personnel and arms), and eliminating the threat of another
nuclear presence in the Middle
East, if we did indeed decide to
invade this country. Iran has
been, and continues to be, a threat
to developing democracy in the
Middle East. Iranian-trained terrorist personnel continue to add
to the foment in Iraq, as well as
supplying much-needed support
to the Taliban active in East
Pakistan and Afghanistan. I do
not want the U.S. to be embroiled
in another war, but if that is to be,
I would be much happier to see it
happen over there than here at
home, and those seem to be the
only two choices with the growth
of the fundamentalist sects within
the religion of Islam.
PHOTO COURTESY/WWW.HEALTHPUBLISHING.CO.UK
No butts about it: Bergen's smoking ban begins Jan. 1, 2008
Ban Smoking? You Bet
BY HEATHER KNICHEL
GUEST WRITER
Ah, the age old question. To
allow smoking or to not to allow
smoking? Bergen Community
College is becoming smoke-free in
January 2008 here in good old NJ.
Right here, on our school grounds,
people must be at least 50 feet
away from the building to smoke;
however, that rule is not enforced
on campus.
My boyfriend, as an ex-smoker, is
making the argument that it's
oppressive and against a person's
rights to be denied smoking outside of the school, but he agrees the
school should enforce the 50 feet
law. This response perplexes me.
Oppressive? Denies people
rights?
Secondhand smoke kills more
people than smoking cigarettes.
Where is my right to not be killed?
Where is my right to walk outside
and breathe (possibly) fresh air,
instead of a lungful of smoke?
I understand that we allow people the right to drink, even when it
slowly kills them, and I'm all for
letting people pay millions of dollars over a lifetime to tobacco companies to slowly kill themselves...
IN THEIR OWN HOMES. Not
in public air, not in public restaurants, not in my clubs, not in public public place where the smoker
immediately takes away the nonsmoker's right to live smoke-free.
I know that this is a hot issue. I
understand that a lot of people
smoke, and I used to smoke too.
But that was because I was stupid
and bought all the advertising crap
that said it was cool. Sometimes I
even still buy that "a woman with
a cigarette is sexier than a woman
without" bullshit. But I am also
smoke-free now for several reasons: (1) I already have trouble
breathing because of allergies and
a low immune system that causes
me to produce more mucous than
I should (2) My grandfather died
of emphysema from smoking,
some 20-odd years after he quit
(3) I'm an adult now, and I have
goals and ambitions that make me
want to live for as long as possible;
breathing in second-hand smoke
denies me that right, every single
time I walk past a smoker.
I have a right to live
I think that my right to live far
outweighs people's "right" to kill
themselves. Nevermind what the
tobacco industry does to reel kids
in so that they start smoking at an
early age, nevermind all the advertising the tobacco industry buys,
never mind all the lies propagated
by the tobacco industry. I HAVE
A RIGHT TO LIVE, and that, I
think, is the end all, be all answer
to the debate of non-smoker rights
vs. smoker rights in public places.
Corrections
In the Oct.-November issue of The Torch, a Page 3 article about disability awareness reported that “wheelchair use is confining.” The point
is not that wheelchairs are confining, but that they are a personal assistive way of transport like a car or a bike.
Regarding a story on student discount fares, students CANNOT buy
a discount bus pass in person at NJT ticket office locations. The paper
application applies to RAIL ONLY. Students buy the passes online and
once in the system, the student pass is sent to the student each month
and charged against their credit card. The student does not have to purchase the pass from the system each month
Keep Bergen Informed!
Learn about publishing, media,
graphic artists design and writing.
Join The Torch.
We need writers, reporters,
photographers and students with
interest in graphic artists design.
For more information, come to a Torch
meeting, held every Tuesday at 12:30,
Room L-115, or Contact
[email protected]
THE TORCH
DECEMBER 2007
PAGE 11
OPINIONS & EDITORIAL
RateMyProfessors.com: Helpful
to Students, Horrific for Professors
BY JILL BARTLETT
MANAGING EDITOR
COURTESY/WWW.GLOBALACTIONFORCHILDREN.ORG
World AIDS Day 2007: 6,000 Reasons to Act
Every year since 1988 communities from around the
globe have taken part in World AIDS Day, serving to
spread awareness, facts, and the practice of making responsible decisions regarding the spread of HIV and AIDS.
This year the theme of World AIDS Day was "6,000
Reasons to Act," which served to make the world conscious of the 6,000 children who lose at least one parent
to this deadly affliction every year.
We at The Torch recognize that spreading awareness is a
great asset of ours. It is in this same spirit of awareness that
we have chosen the red banner and ribbon which adorn the
front page of this issue in honor of these 6,000 children.
Unlike any other epidemic, the spread of knowledge
CAN cease the spread of this illness. Please help stop the
spread of HIV/AIDS by getting tested, making responsible decisions about sex, and encouraging everyone you
know to do the same.
There are still many among us who remember a world
without AIDS, let us not be the last.
To find HIV Test Centers near you, visit
www.hivtest.org, www.knowhivaids.org,
or simply text your zip code to KnowIt
(566948).
Editor-In-Chief
Managing Editor
Assistant Managing Editor
Layout Editor
Entertainment Editor
Sports Editor
Illustrator
Amanda Ferrante
Jill Bartlett
Michelisa Lanche
Louis Campos
Alon Melamed
Danny LaFaso
Moses Agwai
Staff Writers
Ervisa Bilalaj
Elisa Cervone
Paul Ibañez
Nicole Januarie
Robert Torres
Contributing Writers
Kerry Beekman
Laurel King
Bianca Kuazko
Laurel King
Chris Mays
Patricia Mihalio
Caroline Morillo
Joe Pollicino
Doug Smith
Advisor
Pat Winters Lauro
Mailing Address:
400 Paramus Road
Paramus, NJ 07652-1595
Room L-115
Phone: 201-493-5006
Fax: 201-493-5008
[email protected]
The Torch, a member of the Associated College Press and the College
Media Association, is the official student newspaper of Bergen
Community College. The purpose of the The Torch is to report on
the events at BCC and the local community and to offer the BCC
community a forum for the expression. The opinions expressed in
The Torch are not necessarily those of The Torch. All the materials
submitted to The Torch become property of The Torch.
Ahhh, the age of information.
Not only is it easier for me to
remember friend’s birthdays
through social networking sites,
but I can also chat with my boy,
Matt, in California, buy a toaster,
and pay my bills—all while my cat
naps peacefully on my lap.
The wonders of the World Wide
Web never cease to amaze me.
They may, however, shock the
senses out of some college professors who thought (until after reading this article) that they were
doing, pretty decent job educating
the youth of America.
RateMyProfessors.com gives students the chance to speak out
more thoroughly than do those
useless SIR professor evaluations.
On this site, students and teachers
alike can view every entry other
students have posted. Upon opening a professor’s profile, the first
thing your eyes see are how many
yellow happy faces (good quality),
green so-so faces (average quality),
or blue sad faces (bad quality) a
specific professor received. You
can also see individual scores as
well as an overall scorecard based
upon four categories: easiness,
helpfulness, clarity, and student
interest in the course. There is also
a space to click on a chili pepper
symbol if you think the professor
you are rating is ‘hot’.
That’s right, professors. Your students are criticizing you worse
than you could have ever imagined. Your looks, your teaching
habits, your hygiene, your organizational skills, your grading
processes and your attitude are all
in question.
The good thing is, if a professor
disagrees with a certain rating or
comment posted, they are permitted to post their own rebuttal. The
MTV network has also recently
launched its own online 24-hour
college network, mtvU, which
contains a special section of videos
called “Professors Strike Back.”
The videos show professors from
around the country defending
themselves against heinous comments like, “Bring a pillow to this
one.” However, steering clear of
the site seems to be the consensus
among most professors.
Pop quiz, hotshots.
Of the following four statements, which one has actually
been written by an irate Bergen
Community College student on
the
popular
website,
RateMyProfessors.com?
A) “She seemed spaced out like
she was taken by a UFO the night
before and ended up in some
classroom.”
B) “Do not ask him to explain
anything too deeply or you will
confuse him.”
C) “She gets confused very easily
and lies about her grading
process.”
D) “Makes you wonder if a
monkey could do her job since all
she does is read off of handouts
that don’t even seem to be hers.”
E) All of the above.
If you answered E, you are correct. All four of the above statements
are
listed
on
RateMyProfessors.com—and yes,
all regard Bergen professors.
Your looks, your teaching
habits, your hygiene...are
all in question
If you are a professor reading
this, we know what you are thinking—thank God for tenure.
But that’s not the half of it. Some
of the comments made about
BCC’s math professors are especially outrageous.
Of course, as many of us already
know, the ratings of the math professors are moot anyway. It is no
use looking up any remedial professor’s ratings because all of next
semester’s listings in the course
catalog under the “professor”
heading are TBA- to be
announced.
Several students told me that
they have delayed enrolling in
their remedial math classes until a
better-rated professor is available.
The general student opinion is
that certain sections fill up faster
because those professor’s have
received higher ratings on the site.
Rather than taking a math class
with a poorly-rated professor students opt to delay their remedial
classes for a semester, or wait until
some students drop out at the
beginning of the semester and take
their places. This can put a delay
on the student’s progression
towards graduation, as no student
can register past 15 credits if they
have not started their remedial
math requirement. It also causes a
backup in enrollment.
Based on the ruminations of students involved in the English
Basic Skills (EBS) program, those
poor undergraduates are experiencing what I like to call “quasiunintelligible retort syndrome.”
“If you have different thought
than her, you get F.”
“Even if you do all the work and
be in class everyday, she still won't
give you a B.”
“Don’t waist your time or
money.”
The worst part about this situation?
I’m not too sure if their inability
to articulate somewhat of a grammatically correct review is a good
thing (maybe said professor won’t
feel as hurt) or a bad thing (perhaps said professor will finally
realize how much of a bad job he
is doing).
In the professor’s defense, someone should explain to these students that showing up to class and
doing all the work doesn’t always
constitute learning.
Either way, it’s a lose-lose situation.
But our professors are getting
some good reviews too.
“Only guy in the world that
could make boring material interesting!”
“He gives a lot of examples,
which is good, and gives you a lot
of opportunities to make you
think.”
“He is a great professor who
truly cares about his students. He
wants everyone to do well. He
takes the time to get to know
everyone in class.” (This professor
has also achieved “chili pepper status.”
“She's great; she's kind, understanding and easy to understand.
Pay attention in class and take
good notes and you won't need
anything else.”
Overall, Bergen professors seem
to be getting more yellow highquality faces than anything else.
It’s the tabulation between green
faces and blue that seems too close
to call.
Art Mimics College Environment
THE TORCH
PAGE 12
DECEMBER 2007
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
November/December Music Picks: Keeping Your Ears Warm
BY ALON MELAMED
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Although you may be getting
into the chilly December groove,
this month’s picks are bound to
make you move your body and
stay warm. Say, “Farewell!” to
those lazy winter days and “Hello!”
to the hottest artists keeping your
ears happy and warm.
The Carnival II: Memoirs of an
Immigrant/Wyclef Jean: The
Haitian third of the infamous
three-man Fugees is releasing his
sixth solo studio album featuring
an all-star supporting cast. Among
this masterful effort’s producers
aside from Jean himself is Jerry
Duplessis, producer of The Score
(1996).
As for the songs themselves,
Akon, T.I., Serj Tankian of System
of a Down and even Paul Simon
help Jersey’s Jean. In addition,
Shakira, after Wyclef appeared on
her song, “Hips Don’t Lie,” returns
the favor by appearing in the song
appropriately titled “King and
Queen.”
His first single off the album,
“Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill),” featuring Akon, Lil’ Wayne and Niia
has been available on iTunes since
August. As for the title of the
album itself, The Carnival II:
Memoirs of an Immigrant, it is the
sequel to his first album, The
Carnival (1997). Check out
www.wyclef.com for news and
updates.
Back on My BS/ Busta
Rhymes:With Jamaican family’s
roots influencing his music, Busta
Rhymes is another popular rapper
with Caribbean ties, Having been
in the music business since 1990,
“Back on My BS” is his eighth studio album to date.
Many people were involved in its
production process, however,
Busta and long time co-worker,
Dr. Dre, were the executives making sure everything went smoothly.
His first single, “Watch Ya
Mouth,” features Swizz Beatz and
another single will feature the pop-
Wyclef Jean Carnival 2
ular band Linkin Park. With
Rhymes’s “Big Bang” (2006)
debuting at number one on the
music charts, he is hoping this new
album will pull in its own share of
success. More info is available at
www.bustarhymes.com.
X/ Kylie Minogue: After being
diagnosed with breast cancer in
2005, Australian pop singer/songwriter and sex symbol Kylie
Minogue was doubtful to return to
music and show business, but in
November 2006, she performed
her first return show in Australia.
Minogue first attracted American
and European audiences during
the late 1980s with happy and
perky tunes like her cover of Little
Eva’s “Locomotion” and original
song, “I Should Feel So Lucky.”
To date, she has sold 40 million
albums worldwide. X should
return her to the limelight.
While Europe, Asia and Australia
will aurally taste the anticipated
album first in late November.
Busta Rhymes The Big Bang
North America is expected to have
copies sold by early February.
Her first single, “2 Hearts,” has
already received Japanese and
European radio air play, but critics
have given it mixed reviews. The
single, her first since recovering
from breast cancer, has several versions, making way for it to become
one of the more popular tunes this
winter, it will surely warm your
heart as well. Visit www.kylie.com
for details.[
Editors Pick – In Rainbows/
Radiohead: As an influential band
since its formation in 1993, the
British contemporary avant-garde
group has, again, set out to
advance musical culture as we
know it.
Having released In Rainbows
through their own website via an
optional “pay to download”
method, Radiohead fans currently
have the choice of paying whatever
they want for the album.
Whether it is Thom Yorke’s pow-
Kylie Minogue X
erful voice, Johnny Greenwood’s
guitar riffs, or maybe Phil Selway’s
guitar beat, the band’s formula for
success has yet to fail.
The songs featured on the album
were all played at some point during Radiohead’s countless tours.
The song, “Reckoner,” was already
featured on the band’s “OK
Computer” (2001) tour.
Aside from their musical innovation, Radiohead has always been a
part of global awareness, as they
raise and alert people about matters regarding nuclear power ,
global warming and even anti-capitalism.
While this new album features 10
tracks, once they find major label
representation, a “disc-box” containing another album with more
new tracks will be available. The
set will also include two vinyl
records featuring detailed artwork
and lyrics . For more info, or to
download In Rainbows, visit
www.radiohead.com.
Radiohead In Rainbows
Will Smith is Legend this December
BY JILL BARTLETT
MANAGING EDITOR
Widely acclaimed fiction writer
and horror author extraordinaire
Richard Matheson has been influencing horror writers such as
Stephen King for decades.
Many of Matheson’s novels have
been fodder for Hollywood screenwriters including A Stir of Echoes,
The Shrinking Man (filmed as
‘The Incredible Shrinking Man’),
What Dreams May Come, and
Hell House (filmed as ‘The
Legend of Hell House’).
Matheson’s apocalyptic sci-fi
masterpiece ‘I am Legend’ is all set
to conquer the big screen (for the
third time) on December 14,
2007, with Will Smith playing the
part of Robert Neville-- the last
man left on Earth after a deadly
received his
screenwriting credit
through the
alias ‘Logan
Sw a n s o n . ’
Matheson
had no actual involvement
in
writing the
screenplay
for
‘The
O m e g a
PHOTO COURTESY/PARAMOUNT PICTURES COPYRIGHT 2007
Man’, which
was also a
Will Smith plays the part of Robert Neville, the last
derivative of
human left on earth.
I am Legend
pandemic wipes out his family and filmed in 1971 with Charlton
all human civilization.
Heston as the lead.
Previous screenplays based on the
I am Legend tells the story of
book include 1964s ‘The Last Man Robert Neville, an American man
on Earth’ in which Vincent Price who witnesses his family, and all of
was the lead role and Matheson
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being fully alone. One would be
hard-pressed to imagine the ‘City
that never sleeps’ coming to such
an abruptly eloquent standstill.
Furthermore, everyone the world
over recognizes the NYC skyline-Los Angeles only wishes they could
say the same.
From the looks of it, Warner
Brothers did the book justice. It
has also been said that anything
Will Smith touches turns to
Hollywood gold. The readers of
Matheson’s original novel will, of
course, be slightly harsher in judgments.
To view the trailer, visit
www.iamlegendwarnerbrothers.com.
Richard Matheson’s novel, I am
Legend, is available at most major
booksellers and also online at
www.amazon.com.
10 reasons to transfer to Iona College:
We have a
ALLIES INC.
humanity, succumb to a dark pandemic that has vampire-like characteristics. After days alone turn into
weeks, months, and eventually
years, he accepts his fate and daily
routine—only to find out he is not
truly alone. Each night he bars up
his house securely and waits,
because they all want him dead.
Although the trailer does not give
too much away, it is as enticing as
the novel’s cover art depicting rows
and rows of ghastly human-like
creatures that stare at the reader as
if he or she was Neville himself.
The setting in the book makes no
mention of New York City; in fact,
the book takes place in the suburbs
of California near Los Angeles.
The movie, however, takes place in
New York City with the intense
visual element of a deserted NYC
serve to drive home the point of
We currently have flexible opportunities for you near Bergen Community
College. Learn about various opportunities where you can earn a competitive salary!
1. Ranked a best northeastern college by The Princeton Review
2. Named a best college in the north by U.S. News & World Report
3. Named a BusinessWeek Best Undergraduate Business Program
4. World-class education where faculty know your name
5. Super-successful alumni
6. 22 NCAA Division 1 (MAAC) athletic teams
7. Fantastic internships
8. Scenic suburban campus only 20 miles from midtown Manhattan
9. Dozens of campus clubs and activities
10. New state-of-the-art student and athletics centers
Learn more about transferring to Iona College
Undergraduate Open House • Sunday, November 4, 2007
715 North Avenue, New Rochelle, NY • Hynes Athletics Center
For more information and to learn about all current opportunities,
please call 866-620-0943 or e-mail [email protected]
www.alliesnj.org
Register today. Call (800) 231-IONA or register online at iona.edu
Priority application dates: Spring semester: December 20, 2007. Fall semester: July 1, 2008
Celebrating over 200 years of Christian Brothers’ Education
Earn a degree that matters
THE TORCH
DECEMBER 2007
PAGE 13
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
The Importance of Being Earnest Packs House at Ender
BY NICOLE JANUARIE
STAFF WRITER
Bergen Community College’s
production of Oscar Wilde’s “The
Importance of Being Earnest”
packed the house each night of its
short run in Ender Hall’s
Laboratory Theatre and was
incredibly entertaining.
Irish poet and dramatist Wilde
composed this comic masterpiece
for the London stage in 1895. .
The play focuses on Jack and
Algernon, young men in love with
two girls who are both determined
to marry someone named Earnest.
The story begins with Jack
Worthing (Sergio Pagan), a country bachelor who during a visit to
London disguises himself as a man
named Earnest. Jack’s friend,
Algernon
Moncrieff
(Jason
Provenzale), finds this idea appeal-
PHOTOS COURTESY/BARBARA BLISS, BCC STAFF
For Gwendolyn and Earnest, it was love at first sight
ing and also chooses the name
Earnest.
After Jack proposes to Algernon’s
cousin,
Gwendolyn
Fairfax
(Catherine Sheedy), the story takes
an interesting turn. Posing as Jack’s
evil brother, Earnest, Algernon
falls in love with Cecily Cardew
(Katie Stevens), a young girl who
has been placed under Jack’s care.
Although the vocabulary and
dialogue were arcane, the actors
were able to perfect the English
accent, and only in five and half
weeks. The students worked hard
with tapes and other materials,
Director Ken Bonnaffons said.
“Preparing for the show was
great,” Producer Jim Bumgardner
said.
Bumgardner chose this play
because he wanted “to expose the
student body and everyone else to
this amazing literature, educating
them on the excellence of Oscar
Wilde.”
Former actor and director Ken
Bonnaffons, a professor of Speech
Communications for international
students,
has
devoted the past
18 years of his life
to Bergen’s drama
department, giving both his loyalty and direction.
He said this year’s
student-actors
have a sense of
maturity
and
focus,
which
matches that of
the characters in
“The Importance
A peace offering between two gentlemen
of Being Earnest.”
“The very first
time I read it back in [my] high over -- all the intricately thoughtschool days when Oscar Wilde was out stage props are torn down.
Bonnafons compared the staging
‘standard reading,’ I fell in love
with it,” Prof. Bonnaffons said of of a production to giving birth. Like
the nine months allotted to a fetus
his desire to direct the play.
Each performance of Bergen’s for growth, five and a half weeks are
“The Importance of Being given to the students for preparaEarnest” was absolutely successful, tion and practice. The stress right
with sold-out auditoriums every before the debut is similar to labor
during the birth experience, and the
night, he said.
Now that it is on so-called “strike” actual birth is everyone’s exhibition
-- theater jargon for when a play is of a fine show.
Alicia Keys Tells it Like it is with As I Am American Gangster:
BY PAUL IBANEZ
STAFF WRITER
Alicia Keys is known for her
enriched, soulful spirit. This time
around, her third album since her
2000 debut, As I Am, has a different
and more creative sound as she tickles her ivory to soul.
Though it’s been three years since
her last studio album, 27-year-old
Keys is well established as one of the
top R&B artists in the music industry. She’s earned nine Grammy
Awards and sold over 25 million
records worldwide.
The first single off her new album,
“No One,” is currently number one
on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay
Billboard charts. According to her
website, “Within 10 hours of being
serviced to radio, Alicia first single,
‘No One,’ became one of the fastest
moving and highest charting single
on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop
Songs chart. This also marks the
highest first single debut for a female
artist in 2007 on the R&B Monitor’s
Urban Mainstream chart!”
The popular track showcases her
outstanding voice while listeners are
taken on a ride of beautiful piano
melody and perfect bass sound. Keys
is known for her beautiful vocal talent, and this track is the product of
the utmost heart, soul, and emotion.
Keys’s appeal has taken a different
direction, and her video is a prime
example. Up to this point, Keys was
Alicia Keys As I Am
not typically known for sexy album
cover shoots or figure-curving
ensembles in her videos, but this
time around, she is showing the
world her classiness and sex appeal
all at once, which is typically difficult
to do, especially with the everpresent tackiness in female artists
showing too much skin and not
enough talent. Keys need not
worry–she’s got the goods in all aspects.
As I Am has a great soul revival
sound’- think John Legend over the
years. The album has a lot of fullband arrangements and strong horn
hooks, with a fall back into the
piano—melisma combinations that
enter the limelight and push the singles off her first two albums out of
the way. The tracks “I Need You,”
“Wreckless Love,” and “Where Do
We Go From Here” are more guitar
driven songs. Linda Perry, the queen
of radio rock, (Perry has teamed
Beatriz A. Martinez (L) , David C. Monti and
Shannon L. Lamendora were featured last week
in BCC's latest production of "A Funny Thing
Happened on the Way to the Forum."
with Pink and Christina Aguilera)
co-writes three of the songs with
Keys. This is music that owes as
much too pop as it does R&B. Keys
new album is swinging to more of a
pop audience that can only benefit
Alicia’s album sales-while still staying true to her R&B roots
This album showcases Keys’s creativity, and was well worth the wait.
She has collaborated with John
Mayer on the song “Lesson
Learned.” Her boyfriend, Kerry
"Krucial" Brothers, makes and
appearance on two powerful ballads,
“No one” and “Go Ahead.” Keys
second single, “Like You’ll Never See
Me Again,” shows another side of
the delicate diva. Her low tempo
voice touches listeners’ heart and
soul. The simple kick drum with
violin and guitar samples is a perfect
fit for the catchy hook on this song
(So every time you hold me/ Hold
me like this is the last time/ Every
time you kiss me/ Kiss me like you’ll
never see me again). The video gives
us a glimpse of Alicia Keys’ acting
talent as well as Common, who is
featured in the video.
In this album, Keys’s lyrics are simple, honest and effective. The album
is a finding of Keys, through various
keyboards and vocal harmonies that
are the backbone of her work. Keys
has grown in her music and it shows
on this album. It is not her best
work, but it is worth to listen to her
most creative work yet.
PHOTO COURTESY/BRENDA HUAPAYA, GLBT CLUB
The Student Center was a real "drag"
on Thursday night, Nov. 29, when the
GLBT Club hosted their first drag
show in celebration of GLBT week.
Pictured above: Miss Angel Sheridan
of Feather's Nightclub, the events
MC, open’s the show.
Say Hello to the Bad Guy
BY PAUL IBANEZ
STAFF WRITER
From “Scarface” to “The
Godfather”, the American gangster revolved around the Italians
and Latinos, but now the tables
have turned. A black man named
Frank Lucas took drug dealing
under his control. Although Lucas
is a notorious 1970’s Harlem drug
lord with a cool, charismatic
demeanor, hi is a dangerous man
who is played by an explosive performance from Academy Award
Winner Denzel Washington. Also
Academy Award winner Russell
Crowe plays Richie Roberts, an
honest Jersey cop who plans to
take Frank down. The movie was a
decade in the making, from writer
Mark Jacobson’s 2000 New York
Magazine interview with the real
Frank Lucas. The 1970’s is beautifully captured by legend Harris
Savides who has done “Zodiac”
and “Finding Forrester.” Director
Ridley Scott sought to capture the
time frame of Lucas’s run in
Harlem and gave true meaning to
American Gangster.
“American Gangster” is a major
awards contender. The movie may
be overstuffed with Roberts’s court
cases for child custody and appealing sex scenes, and the 157
minute-length of the movie can be
a problem when nature calls, but
every minute counts in this movie.
Washington and Crowe share the
time on camera, but Lucas kept
moviegoers on the edge of their
seats. Frank Lucas’s no-remorsementality is fueled by his North
Carolina upbringing.
Lucas begins the movie as a driver for his mentor Bumpy Johnson
(Clarence Williams III). Bumpy
teaches Lucas about being a gentleman, integrity, hard work and
honesty. Lucas is in tune with the
knowledge bestowed upon him
and becomes Harlem’s number
one heroin pusher. He cuts the
middleman and heads straight to
Southeast Asia for his supply,
smuggling the drugs by paying off
military officials as well as police
officers. The drugs were placed in
the coffins of Vietnamese soldiers.
COURTESY/UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
Lucas’s brothers and cousin come
to New York to work for him. With
the wealth Lucas obtains, he needs
no less than Miss Puerto Rico
(Lymari Nadal) as his leading lady.
The brand name “Blue Magic” rolls
in millions for Lucas. The lie-cheatsteal-kill works with his philosophy
of the American way. Lucas’s business suits kept him under Roberts’s
radar unit as his suit was covered by
a chinchilla coat and hat during the
Ali-Frazier fight. The success takes
a shot at Lucas, making him a target for a rival dealer, a corrupt cop,
and a mob boss.
American Gangster is not all
intense action, but the action is relevant to timeliness. The rules everyone ignores, Lucas and Roberts follow. A church service and a massacre crosscuts as the movie closes
in on a kill when Richie tightens
his grip around Lucas. Washington
and Crowe finally occupy the
screen during the climax. It comes
down to an investigation room
with eye balling stares and a few
direct words. Washington and
Crowe clash like titans.
The movie is directed to
America’s passion for success and
wealth. The beginning, the height
of success, and the fall of Frank
Lucas make the perfect tempo to
cheer for the bad guy. This cinematic piece is another to add to
the list of movies that put you in
the bad guy’s corner.
THE TORCH
PAGE 14
DECEMBER 2007
Show Us Your Transcript and
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A
t St. Thomas Aquinas College we
reward excellence and students
who transfer to us from a commu-
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receive up to a $6,000 annual transfer
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we just might show you a $2,000, $4,000
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As a student considering transferring, we
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discuss your plans, provide you with a tour,
and a visit with a faculty member.
St. Thomas Aquinas College is a fast growing, liberal arts college that offers over 60
different majors, minors, specializations,
and dual degree programs. You can get
started this semester with a new perspective. Business Administration, Humanities,
Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Social
Sciences, and Teacher Education — all
great choices, and there are many others
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THE TORCH
DECEMBER 2007
PAGE 15
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Fall Out Boy’s Young Wild Things Tour Takes Over
BY AMANDA FERRANTE
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
It’s a chilly November night in
New York City. If you’re looking
for the place teenage girls’ voices
go to die and the bleeding ears of
the fathers who took them there,
you’ll find yourself at the Young
Wild Things Tour with headliners
Fall Out Boy, Gym Class Heroes
and, Delilah’s favorite, The Plain
White T’s.
In promotion of their third
album, Infinity on High, the monstrously successful emo-pop-punk
four-piece tag their musical pals
along for a 35-city tour that brings
all the adolescents out to play with
their homemade shirts and ripened
vocal chords.
Our fashionably late entrance
leaves my ears in utter dismay. The
song that suffocated radio waves
all summer is still haunting as the
new year approaches. “Hey There
Delilah” concludes the Plain
White T’s set, which is reason
enough for me. As thousands of
girls pay homage to the famous
Delilah, they sing, “Oh, what you
do to me…” so loudly that it’s
reminiscent of a choir. There isn’t a
mouth in the house that isn’t moving to the lyrics—even my lips had
to dance. If you can’t beat the
teeny-boppers, join ‘em!
As I sip my $4.25 water (sans
cap), Gym Class Heroes make
their way to the stage and please
every Z100 listener, prefacing their
eight-song set with the hit,
“Cupid’s Chokehold.” Their less
successful first single, “The Queen
and I,” receives a more subtle
response in retrospect, but still,
this audience, with digital cameras
in hand, is jamming out! Front
man Travis McCoy peppers his set
with the F-word and adores the
NYC crowd.
“My heart breaks for this city,”
he says, right before they perform
“Shoot Down the Stars,” my personal favorite.
As the hands of every concertgoer sway back and forth, the energy
is full of impact. GHC is conducive to the young audience that
hopelessly devotes themselves to
the music.
Fall Out Boy brings their
pyrotechnics along with their
drums, bass, guitar and, their ultimate instrument, singer Patrick
Stump’s pipes that pair so well
with the beats these boys love to
play. For starters, the boys brought
it back to the beginning with
“Sugar We’re Goin’ Down,” the
song that started their red hot
careers and earned an MTV Video
Music Award two years ago.
The sold out show was cohesive
to their massive success. In
February 2007, the band released
Infinity on High to major chart
success, reaching No. 1 on the
Billboard 200 and selling 260,000
copies in its first week, boasting
impressive numbers for the downloading age. The first single, "This
Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race,"
reached No. 1 on the Pop 100 and
No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Amidst the fire, lights and crazy cartoon images, the band played favorites
like “A Little Less Sixteen Candles…,”
“The Take Over, The Break’s Over,”
“This Ain’t A Scene, It’s An Arms
Race” and even The Killers’s “Mr.
Brightside,” bringing life to an ordinarily generic tune, which Fall Out
Boy seems to be great at.
the radar
scoping out the places you’ve got to be
BY JOSH EVANSEN
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
MUST-SEE:
Sunday (12/16) 6:30 PM
GENGHIS TRON
(electro/grindcore/experimental)
with: DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN,
SHAT, A LIFE ONCE LOST.
@ the Gramercy Theater
(127 E 23rd Street, New York,
NY, (212)777-6800)
$15
Sunday (12/16) 6:00 PM
THE RECEIVING END OF SIRENS
(post hardcore/
experimental/prog)
with: AS TALL AS LIONS , Therefor I Am,
LADY RADIATOR
@ the School of Rock
(31 Schrieffer St., South
Hackensack, NJ, 201-342-8365)
$12
Thursday (12/27) 8:00 PM
MY SUMMER
(rock/alternative)
with: STEPHANIE WHITE, New Jersey Philth
Harmonic...
PHOTO COURTESY/ISLAND RECORDS
The energy is comparable to a
Backstreet Boys concert in 1998—
only hipper and fresher. The predominantly young audience members have souls that beat with the
music. The only downfall was, surprisingly, the sound at Madison
Square Garden. The renowned
venue isn’t really geared for the type
of music Fall Out Boy creates, so
the show fell short on the sound
scale. Nevertheless, the phenomena
that is Fall Out Boy brought passion and youth to the Big Apple.
In support of the bands philantrhopic efforts, images of
Ugandan citizens flashed across the
screen during “Me and You.” The
multi-platinum band traveled to
Winter
Africa to film a video with director
Allen Ferguson in Uganda for the
song, in partnership with the nonprofit organization Invisible
Children. The organization is dedicated to curbing the problem of
children’s being forced to flee their
homes nightly for shelter miles
away in hospitals or bus parks in
order to escape abduction and service as child soldiers in the rebel
LRA (Lord's Resistance Army).
The band wrapped up its
immensely
successful
tour
December 2 in Las Vegas, but
whether the City of Lights handled the sinful screams of the
crowd is up in the air.
@ the Underscore
(1733 1st Avenue, New York,
NY, (212) 876-0203)
$8
Friday (12/28) 7:00 PM
ARMOR FOR SLEEP
(post hardcore/alternative/indie)
with: VALENCIA, Four Year Strong,
The High Court
@ the School of Rock
(31 Schrieffer St., South
Hackensack, NJ, 201-342-8365)
$20
Saturday (12/29) 6:30 PM
MURDER BY DEATH
(indie/awesome/folk rock)
with: CLUTCH, Priestess, Puny Human
@ the Starland Ballroom
(570 Jemee Mill Rd., Sayreville,
NJ, 201-507-8900)
$24.25 advance,
$28.25 @ the door
A
Rutgers
newark
Session 2008
January 2-18
The State University of New Jersey
A Open to all!
A A variety of undergraduate
and graduate courses in an
intensive learning
environment.
A Easy to register!
http://winter.newark.rutgers.edu
PAGE 16
THE TORCH
DECEMBER 2007
THE TORCH
DECEMBER 2007
McGreevey
and the homosexual way of life.
His last point was education.
He talked about the relationship
between GLBT and education.
Today, he is amazed by the opportunities for coping with being
homosexual, yet he recognizes
there is still a need for proper
guidance. To be gay is to discover,
for yourself on your own terms
what it means to be gay, which
oftentimes, becomes a personal
challenge. Without adults that are
willing to openly discuss feelings
of being homosexual, “that is
where the turmoil can happen.”
McGreevey stated.
Speaking about his own personal
experience, McGreevey stated "I
made my decision based on ignorance. I innately knew as young as
perhaps first grade that somehow I
was different, I didn’t know why,
but there was this sense of disassociation. I just knew that I was different from the other kids. I
couldn’t figure out what it was.
Within the process of "coming
out," there is a profound psychological experience that cannot be
defined in words, as the “coming
out” process itself is unique to each
and every individual, he noted. .
Finally, he says, it is important to
know that homosexuality is “natural and healthy.”
After the fateful press conference
Latino
STAFF PHOTO/JILL BARTLETT
Former Governor McGreevey signs
a copy of his book, The Confession
in which Governor McGreevey
proclaimed to a live television
audience, “I am a gay American,”
he was again, driving down the
Garden State Parkway. This time
when he looked at the welcome
sign on the Parkway, it was his
name that was there --except
someone had spray painted the
word “fag” over it - only this time
it was not a hallucination.
“The thing I had feared most in
the world had happened to me, my
once private truth, now escaped
from my imagination into the real
world, and all I felt was grace.
. . . continued from page 7
Yo-Yo Ma's Brazil Project, Trey
Anastasio's Band (of Phish), John
Zorn's Electric Masada, Herbie
Hancock's Grammy award winning
"Gershwin’s World" , Sting and
Paul Simon's "Rhythm of the
Saints".
Since arriving in the U.S. in
1980 from his native country
Brazil, Baptista has emerged as one
of the premier percussionists in
the country. Coinciding with the
rise in the public’s interest of
world music, Cyro has managed to
record and tour with some of
music’s most popular names. His
mastery of Brazilian percussion
and the many instruments he creates himself, have catapulted him
into world renown.
“The way that man played those
drums was the coolest thing I’ve
ever heard,” Andres Quintero, a
BCC student said of the the workshop.
Additionally, Rob Curto’s “Forro
Saffron
. . . continued from page 3
for All and Club de Poetas,” featured a Northeastern Brazilian
style of music, and filled the West
Hall Recital Hall with passion,
and fun, energetic music. Also
included were poetry recitals.
Representing Mexico’s tradition
of puppetry was “Marionetas De
La Esquina The Circus/ El Circo,”
which has been entertaining children and adults alike since 1975.
The Oct. 27 show at the Ciccone
Theatre was presented both in
English and Spanish, and was yet
another of the week’s events that
open to the community.
The week, said Dean Codding
and Mr. Gomez, was successful in
uniting students and faculty to
educate and celebrate Latino
Heritage because it was attended
by a wide range of people of all
different cultures.
“ By working together ,” said Mr.
Gomez, “we made this event
unforgettable.”
. . . continued from page 7
officials raised the gas prices of that
area by 500 percent as the price of gas
went from $1 to $5 overnight.
Throughout the lecture, Dr. Nayaka
showed a few videos from
YouTube.com to demonstrate just how
large-scale this march was and the brutal actions the military took against the
peaceful protesters. The destruction of
the city and the attacks on the people
were enough to provoke shock, anger,
and sadness in the students, faculty,
and citizens situated in the room.
Dr. Nayaka explained that the monks
are “not against anyone, we are just trying to negotiate with the government
to end suffering of the people.”
Because of their religious views,
Buddhist monks cannot engage in
political views, and they have to allow
others to have their own.
However, the monks are determined
to end the suffering of the Burmese people so they could live happily and freely.
Dr. Nayaka stressed the point that oil
alone makes America a rich and powerful country, which could help Burma in
its cause and time of distress.
The monks are willing to lay down
their lives in order to allow the future
of a peaceful Burma “right down to
the last monk,” Dr. Nayaka said.
- Laurel King
If you have news to share,
let us know at
[email protected]
PAGE 17
Armenians
. . . continued from page 8
way that both cultures could get
along with one another.
Not only was he involved with
helping the Armenian community,
and dedicating his life to making
things better, he was also a very close
family friend of mine. Hrant and my
father went to the same Orphanage
school together in Turkey. They
grew up becoming the best of
friends; my father was the best man
at his wedding. If it weren’t for
Hrant, I wouldn’t even be alive right
now, for he introduced my parents
to one another and was also best
man at my parents’ wedding.
Filled with so many different emotions, all I could think about was my
parents and how upset they would
be about the passing of their friend,
Hrant. We were all speechless. How
could they kill him? He lived for
Armenians all over the world and
wanted to make a difference.
My dance teacher believed that we
had to do something to show gratitude toward the man who did everything for Armenians; the “Dance of
the Doves,” is how we, as
Armanians, show that gratitude.
My dance group’s name is the
Akh’Tamar Dance Ensemble, which
is an Armenian dance group. I have
been a member of the dance group
since I was 9-years-old when my
mother enrolled my two older sisters
and me. My parents tell me that I
started dancing the same time that I
started walking, which isn’t really
hard to believe. I actually think I
might dance better than I walk,
because my friends always complain
about my inability to walk in a
straight line or walk without bumping into one of them.
Needless to say, I love to dance. I
love to dance to just about any type
of music, but I believe my specialty is
Armenian dancing, which can be
described as a mixture of folklore and
belly dancing. My dance troupe has
performed in states all over the country, from California to New York,
but primarily around the New York
and Boston areas. We are a group of
about 60 girls ranging between the
ages of 7-22, and We consider each
other family and sisters.
After Hrant’s death, we thought the
least we could do was to create a
dance dedicated to him. When my
dance teacher began talking about it
with us, I knew I had to try my hardest to learn every move in order to be
in the dance. Luckily my dance
teacher chose me and four of the older
girls to perform. It is called the
“Dance of the Doves,” because Hrant
“Wash your hands!”
(specific) immunity. When one
picks up a foreign body (more often
than not from failure to wash one’s
hands), the first lines of innate
defense are the skin and mucous.
These systems are designed to prevent microbes from penetrating the
body. The skin is a tough barrier that
prevents germs from boring in; however, a microbe might still be able to
go through this line of defense. Not
too deep into the body; the microbe
is slowed down by mucous. If the
deadly bacterium defeats this factor,
the second line of defense kicks in:
natural killer cells (NK), phagocytes,
and the warning signs of inflammation and fever.
Natural Killer Cells
NK cells are ‘blind’ cells that kill any
. . . continued from page 8
abnormally behaving cells, as well as
their own kind. They are present in
the spleen, lymph nodes and red bone
marrow. NK cells cannot distinguish
their own cells from others.
Phagocytes are cells that clean up the
bacteria by engulfing them within
themselves area; this process is known
as endocytosis, or “cell eating.” If this
process fails, B and T lymphocyte cells
step in.
‘T’ Cells
These cells fight bacteria due to
antigens present on the molecules.
Imagine an antigen to be a bulb that
attaches itself to the bacteria. Once
the T cells see this, they know who
to attack.
‘B’ Cells
B cells produce “minions” that
Tantalize Your Tummy
always fresh and has a unique taste to
every bite. This small but friendly
atmosphere is worth paying the tolls,
and is very affordable all around.
SEGOVIA
Moonachie, New Jersey
Besides the wonderful world of
Italian cuisine there is also Spanish
and Portuguese food that is “to die
for.” One of the sizzling restaurants
that is always packed is Segovia in
Moonachie. Right off Route 46,
Segovia has been owned by Manny
Martinez and Tony Treus for 20
years. This restaurant is known for
and specializes in seafood dishes and
appetizers, especially their paellas and
mariscadas. Portions are huge and the
fresh, warm rolls are outstanding, but
save room for the delectable desserts!
In addition to fantastic food, the
atmosphere is lively and fresh. The
food’s ethnic taste is true to its roots,
and the service is efficient and professional, which is always a pleasure
while dining out. All these great facts
sum up to three precautionary words:
make a reservation! This place is
always crowded and you don’t want
to miss out.
PHOTO COURTESY/WWW.SEGOVIARESTAURANT.COM
Segovia's Portugese restaurant in
Moonachie, NJ
wrote in his last column in Agos that
the year 2006 was his hardest year,
and he feared that 2007 would be
even worse.
“My computer's memory is loaded
with sentences full of hatred and
threats," Dink wrote. "I do not know
how real these threats are, but what’s
really unbearable is the psychological
torture that I’m living in. I am just like
a pigeon ... I look around to my left and
right, in front and behind me as much
as it does. My head is just as active... but
I also know that in this country, they
love pigeons and do not shoot them."
Unfortunately, he was wrong.
Shortly before his murder, he had
complained of threats by Turkish
nationalists.
“The Dance of the Doves” shows
and expresses what he was going
through up to the day of his death.
Every time I do that dance I feel a
sense of pride that doesn’t compare to
anything else in the world. The goose
bumps and the chills that run
through my body make me proud to
be an Armenian and to dance for a
cause. Our dance, however, is just a
little token for the pain and suffering
that Hrant had to suffer for his dream
– a dream that he unfortunately did
not see come true. Hopefully, his
family will.
MAMA MEXICO
Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey
For all you authentic Mexican food
lovers, Mama Mexico is the place for
you to go this month! In Sylvan
Avenue in Englewood Cliffs, Mama
Mexico was founded by Juan Rojas
Campos and his seven brothers. Born
in the tiny town of Tlaxcuapan in the
province of Puebla Juan, they decided
to spread the love of Tlaxacuapan to
Englewood Cliffs. The vivacious
party vibe will leave your mouth
watering for a tequila martini or
fruity sangria. Every Friday night is a
different showcase with a mariachi
band playing, making the evening
tasty and entertaining.
fight germs. They clone themselves
abundantly in order to equally
match the amount of bacterial cells
present.
At this point, if the bacteria still persist, the individual will need external
reinforcement available through medicine or any form of medical aid. Our
bodies undergo this process without
our knowing most times because we
are not cautious of the fact that there
are bacteria all around us. You can
help live a cleaner life. Whenever you
see the sign in the rest room that says,
“Please flush and wash your hands,”
…for the sake of a healthy lymphatic system, please: “WASH
YOUR HANDS!”
. . . continued from page 8
prepared and artfully presented.
They also have a wide selection of
seafood, Korean BBQ, Habachi,
soups, crepes, and desserts. This
smorgasbord of food is worth getting up for a second or third time. It
may be pricey at adults $30, and
children, $22, but for variety of
fresh food they have to offer, it’s
worth it, especially if you are a sushi
lover.
PHOTO COURTESY/WWW.MINADO.COM
Minado's in Little Ferry, NJ
PHOTO COURTESY/WWW.MAMAMEXICO.COM
MINADO
Little Ferry and Morris Plains,
New Jersey
Are you hungry yet? We can’t forget about Japanese food, especially a
wall to wall buffet filled with any
type of Japanese food known to
mankind. Wondering where this
heavenly place is? It is called
Minado. The hole-in-the-stomach
remedy is known for their 30 selections of sushi and sashimi that are
Don’t disappoint your tummy,
make it happy! Buen Appetite
Everyone!
For other information like location, reservations, and even a sneak
peak at their menu, Visit their sites:
In Napolihttp://www.inapoli.com/index.html
IL Pomodoro:
http://www.grabtakeout.com/index
Segovia:
http://www.segoviarestaurant.com/welcome.html
Mama Mexico:
http://www.mamamexico.com/
Minado: http://www.minado.com/
THE TORCH
PAGE 18
iPhone Competition on the Rise
. . . continued from page 9
has just released the LG Voyager,
which is only available through
Verizon Wireless. The Voyager
supports 3G connections and VCast, Verizon’s own 3G network of
pay-to-download content. The LG
Voyager also has a similar interface
to the iPhone. It also folds open to
reveal an inside that looks much like
Verizon’s LG Envy, including internal speakers for multimedia and
best of all, a QWERTY keyboard
for consumers who prefer tactile
response. It supports up to 8GB of
music through the assistance of SD
cards and can be obtained at
Verizon Wireless Retail stores for
$349, yet is available online for the
discounted rate of $299.
For Sprint users, HTC has introduced the HTC Touch with “Touch
–Flo” Technology, which permits
use of a stylus or fingers. The HTC
Touch is smart phone that runs
Windows mobile
and is geared
toward business
professionals who
use
windows
mobile for their
jobs.
T-Mobile has a
similar line of
phones made by
HTC which are
branded under TTransfer to St. John’s University
Mobile. Prices vary
but average around
the $300 range.
The iPhone is not
You know what you want from college. Now you’re ready to continue
the
only phone of
your education as a transfer student. Consider St. John’s. Our flexible policy
its kind. Compare
may let you transfer up to 90 credits. And, we offer academic scholarships.
your
options
Join us on the Queens campus for Transfer On-Site Admission Days
because you may
find your heart,
Tuesday, December 4
Tuesday, December 11
and your hands,
To schedule an appointment, call our Admission Office at 1 (866) 213-0984,
falling in love with
select option 2, visit www.stjohns.edu/learnmore/01271.stj or
another device.
e-mail us at [email protected]
Despite these setbacks, the iPhone
does have many great features. It is
slim, light and has an integrated
8GB iPod-, but you will need a
headphone adapter to plug in your
normal earplugs as the phone has a
different gauge input. The iPod uses
a visual flow of images as its menu
and also recognizes screen tilts (i.e.,
portrait to landscape) in order to
adapt to changes in aspect ratio for
things like wide screen video playback. It runs a mini version of Mac’s
OSX operating system which is primarily based on the use of widgets
as applications. This feature has
been well received by many industry
reviewers like Engadget and IGN.
The phone is completely touch
enabled; even the keyboard is displayed on screen. It also comes
equipped with the exclusive feature
of “visual voicemail,” another nifty
creation by Apple that allows users
to view and listen to voicemails in
the same fashion they would e-mail.
Users can even fast-forward and
rewind messages. The phone also
supports Bluetooth for use with
devices such as wireless headsets.
There are now other options on
the playing field for consumers who
either don’t want an iPhone or are
already subscribers on another
network. Many companies have seen
the success of the iPhone and are
now preparing phones that look
similar and have similar capabilities.
Nokia intends to mimic the iPhone
while adding “Nokia’s own touch” to
make their own version almost the
same, but better, implying they have
no issues following Apple’s lead.
Samsung also has an iPhone-esque
cell phone in the works, which is
still not set for release.
LG is working on the PRADA
phone for release in Europe only. It
DECEMBER 2007
Caribbean Week
two gangs met on a march, they
would pull out the machetes they
had hidden inside the long bamboo poles and attack viciously,
which solved none of the violence
problems. With that noticed the
government outlawed the bamboo bands as well. Stripped of all
traditional rhythmic instruments,
the Trinis turned and utilized any
objects they could find, including
garbage can lids, old car parts, and
empty oil barrels being very
resourceful as to what could be
used to fill their void. Impromptu
these instruments were used to
form the Iron Bands, which
marched down the streets playing
the same distinctive rhythms as
before.
Trinidadian Samantha Nivet
commented that the “steel bands
today are huge around carnival
time; we all pounce along the
road or “chip” to the rhythm of
the beats being played.”
The good news is that the musical competitions quickly replaced
the street fights on the islands,
Panorama competitions were what
these contests were found to be
. . . continued from page 7
called. Each band contains more
or less over 100 musicians and 300
pans, and rehearses relentlessly for
months before Carnival in the
hopes of winning the Panorama
title and being crowned champion
steel band of the year.
The particular band who performed explained that to perfect
the art takes a while, it usually
depends on the person and the
type of steel drum the individual
is playing, and on average, the
drum usually takes 5 years to
master. “The Island Boys Steel
group” can usually be found performing at wedding receptions,
cocktail hours and holiday parties. In any event their style of
sound is desired, they will be
more than happy to attend and
contribute there talent.
Celebrating Caribbean week
with talks, food, games and
music, who can ask for more, the
organizers knew just what was
needed. With that said we want
to thank Kristen Balladin for her
efforts in taking charge in these
events and to all the staff who
value heritage and culture.
Your Next Move:
Community College Students
Transfer Easily...
a
catholic
tradition
of
promise
Both our traditional Undergraduate and Continuing Education Programs
offer many options to complete your degree.
• Transfer up to 90 credits
• 28 Undergraduate Programs
• Financial aid and flexible payment options
passion
INFORMATION SESSIONS
UNDERGRADUATE
Saturday
Saturday
February 9, 2008 11:00 a.m. Alumni Theatre
April 26, 2008
11:00 a.m. Alumni Theatre
RSVP at www.caldwell.edu/rsvp/ or 973-618-3500
In the tradition of Saint Dominic, Caldwell College offers a values-centered
philosophy of scholarship, committed teaching and professional development.
With almost 80% of our undergraduate class sizes 20 or less, and a 12:1
student/faculty relationship, we provide personal attention and support that
empower our students to succeed.
Caldwell College also offers solutions for our adult undergraduates, including
accelerated courses, day, evening, weekend courses, and distance learning options.
To find out more contact us at www.caldwell.edu
ADULT UNDERGRADUATE
Thursday
Saturday
April 3, 2008 6:30 p.m.
April 19, 2008 10:00 a.m.
Student Center
Student Center
RSVP at [email protected] or 973-618-3413 to
make a personal advisement appointment.
commitment
Under graduate • Adult Undergraduate • Graduate
9 Ryerson Avenue, Caldwell, New Jersey • www.caldwell.edu • 973-618-3413
STAFF PHOTO/NICOLE JANUARIE
diversity
Traditional dancers
THE TORCH
DECEMBER 2007
PAGE 19
SPORTS
A Winning Season for New Volleyball Coach Lombana
BY ELISA CERVONE
STAFF WRITER
A new face led Bergen
Community College’s Lady
Bulldogs volleyball team to victory
this year. Her name is Lissette
Lombana and she has an enduring
passion for volleyball that showed
last month in the team’s victorywinning Region XIX Division III
Championship Tournament.
What a first season for Lombana,
who besides having a championship season, also was named the
region’s Coach of the Year. The
Lady Bulldogs this year ranked
10th in the country in volleyball.
Lombana coached volleyball for
10 years at Bloomfield College
prior to joining Bergen. In addition, she gives volleyball lessons in
West New York and softball lessons
in Hawthorne. She is also an
adjunct professor at Farleigh
Dickinson University in Teaneck
where she teaches administrative
sciences and is a counselor in the
PHOTO COURTESY/BCC PR
Lissette Lombana, Lady Bulldogs
new volleyball coach
West New York school district.
“It is great that this is my first
year being back to coach college
volleyball and for us to be able to
win the Region and Conference
and almost going to Nationals,”
said Lombana.
The championship continues a
winning tradition for the Lady
Bulldogs, which has won the same
title for four consecutive years. All
tournament honors were earned by
BCC’s Whitney Pannell of Passaic
and Gella Rae Montoya of
Teaneck. Julianne Vahalla of
Bloomfield was named the tournament’s Most Valuable player for
the second year in a row. She will
now be considered for potential
All-American honors.
“Everyone really sacrificed and
put a lot into this season,”
Lombana said, smiling. “Gail
Pizzo, who was the assistant coach
was amazing, without her and these
hard-workings girls nothing would
have happened. It was a great effort
from everybody.” L o m b a n a
played volleyball in high school and
then was recruited to play softball.
She attended Penn State for her
freshman year and then went to
Rutgers- New Brunswick, where
she received a degree in social work.
During her college years she played
beach volleyball in California,
coming back to New Jersey as a
beach volleyball pro.
Now the Lady Bulldogs season
has came to an end, although they
Lady Bulldogs= victorious team!!
are putting together their off-season training and starting to recruit
students from several high schools.
Additionally, the girls and other
Bergen Community athletes are
going to do community service as a
way of giving back to the commu-
PHOTO COURTESY/BCC PR
nity and a special thanks to some of
their senior citizen fans, she said.
Want to be a Lady Bulldog?
Contact coach Lombano at
[email protected] or come to
the athletics department and try
out in August of 2008.
Who Let the Dogs Out? Coach Sean Kelly
BCC Men’s Basketball Looks Forward to a New Season
BY ELISA CERVONE
STAFF WRITER
This year there is a new face
around the men's locker room. His
name is Sean Kelly, Bergen
Community’s new Head Basketball
Coach. This is his second year
coaching at Bergen, but his first year
in charge of the Bulldogs Basketball
team.
Coach Kelly previously coached at
Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry, New
York, where he was an assistant
coach for nine years leading his team
in the NCAA Division II.
Kelly attended the University of
Scranton and Columbia University,
where he received a degree in Social
Studies and Journalism. Besides
This year Bergen
Community College landed many recruits from
high schools in the area
coaching, Kelly teaches Social
Studies in Rockland County- but
coaching has always been his passion.
“My father was a coach for over
twenty years, and because of that, I
grew up in locker rooms; it was
great,” says Kelly.
This year Bergen Community
College landed many recruits from
high schools in the area, expanding
the Bulldogs and making them an
even tougher team to beat. Guard
Chris Creer, recruited from
Hackensack High School, has
sparked the team this season with his
amazing ball handling skills. In
addition, Aaron Darrell, Jamar
Mason, and John Houston are
bringing heat on the court.
Another addition to the Bulldogs
is forward Jordan Lee. At 6’7”, this is
his first year back on the courts since
his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)
injury.
“We have a lot of talent on this
team,” says Kelly. “This is a learning
process and a commitment to one
another. I know we have some work
to do, but I think we will have a
great season.”
The Bulldogs have played three
games this season, two on the road
and only one at home. But the home
game against Bronx Community
College was extended to triple overtime, which is a school record.
For the latest news on the Men’s
Basketball team, or to game schedules,
visit
http://
bergen.edu/pages/1028.asp
BCC's Harold Blyden Jumps His Way to NJCAA Gold
Athlete
SPOTLIGHT
BY NICOLE JANUARIE
STAFF WRITER
Harold Blyden was awarded 1st
team all American at the Nationals
which took place in Maryland this
year during May. He qualified for
the National Junior College
Athletic Association, the NJCAA
events with his amazing triple
jump performance of 14.53m as
his record.
Bergen Community College’s
Spring 2007 Track team placed 5th
the nation with only six players on
the team The team was comprised
of Derval Thomas, Joe Kufel, Steve
Harris, Joshua Lui, Brandon
Baldwin, and of course, NJCAA
winner Harold Blyden.
Harold Blyden put a great deal of
time into achieving the accomplishments,, training six days a
week, 3.5 hours a day. He found
himself practicing hard to incline
his competitiveness in the 400m
track event, the high and the triple
jump field events. So far his records
stand at 50.22sec in the 400m;
1.78m in the high jump and 14.53
meters in the triple jump, only
3.76m away from the worlds all
Harold Blyden running on air
time, best triple jump done by
Jonathan Edwards in 1995.
Harold Blyden is a 21-year-old
West Indian who grew up in St
Thomas up until eighth grade
when he moved to Bergen county.
He enrolled at Bergen Community
College five semesters ago, stepping up to meet the expectations of
hard driven coaches. He literally
coasted right into his specialties
except for one, what many don’t
know about Blyden is that he was a
spirited cheerleader back in high
school and still assist in coaching
today at his previous high school.
He received 1st place in singles,
doubles, triples, and 1st in longest
held full, and held the best basket
STAFF PHOTOS/NICOLE JANUARIE
– ‘cheerleading talk’. Being an
active band and choir member
took him on the road to Canada
and Florida, Disney world where
he performed happily. The triple
jump took him to the all leagues,
the all county, the all eastern and
the all state making the nationals
in all his endeavors band, cheerleading, choir and track. His
record still resides amongst New
Jersey’s top 20 at 47ft10.5inches.
His wish has always been to have
his mother present on the field, or
sitting on the podium as he takes
the lead, just her support would
mean allot to me he explained.
The track star conferred that it
was a nerve wrecking experience,
but acknowledges his coach as a
great supporter. “Having Coach
Eddie at my side helping me keep
focused, and determined towards
the end of the event was great!
Going into the competition,
Blyden says, “I had the mindset of
winning which was also what
helped me remain goal oriented.”
Blyden has the Olympics on his
mind already, planning to transfer
to a four year college down in the
South after finishing at Bergen and
pursue his athletic and academic
aspirations. He recognizes that if
he chooses to go in the direction of
professional sports, he would have
to be “in it, to win it,” as he says.
His passion for the games is what
Blyden proudly holds up his medal.
drives him to know that eliminating all other obligations and
distractions to devote himself
entirely will bring him to victory.
Harold Blyden takes the top spot to receive his medal.
THE TORCH
PAGE 20
DECEMBER 2007
SPORTS
Torch Sports Top 10: Most
Memorable World Series Moments
BY DANIEL LAFASO
SPORTS EDITOR
Alright sports fans, it’s time for
the newest installment of Torch
Sports Top 10. Each new issue of
The Torch consists of 10 new
things related to sports that
descend in order from 10 to 1 in a
way that we feel is appropriate.
Feel free to give feedback and
remember to check out our
MySpace
page
at
Myspace.com/bcctorchnewspaper
so you can let us know what top
10s you want to see.
As baseball’s off-season commences, and the World Series celebration in New England continues, the top 10 list for this issue
lists the Top 10 most memorable
World Series moments! So, without further a due, here goes:
10. The Arizona Diamondbacks
were only in their fourth year as an
MLB franchise in 2001, yet they
found themselves one bloop hit
away from a World Series title.
Alfonso Soriano had given the
Yankees a 2-1 lead going into the
bottom of the 9th inning, which
usually spelt doom for opponents
because the 9th inning is Mariano
Rivera’s closing time. On this
November night in Arizona, however, the 9th inning belonged to
Luis Gonzalez. After Rivera loaded
the bases, and the game became
tied at 2, Gonzalez swung at the
first pitch that Mariano brought to
the plate and hit a little floater
over the head of Derek Jeter to
make the Diamondbacks champions of the baseball world.
9. Although they have won more
championships than any other
professional franchise in existence,
the 1996 New York Yankees hold a
special place in the hearts of their
fans. This was the inaugural season
for Joe Torre as manager of the
Bronx Bombers, and was the first
of four world titles in five seasons
that Torre and his core of players
would bring to Yankee Stadium.
Yankee fans remember that the
team made the playoffs in 1995,
only to be eliminated by the
Seattle Mariners. Derek Jeter was
awarded Rookie of the Year in 96
and the Yankees overcame a two
games to none series deficit to beat
the Atlanta Braves, becoming
world champions for the 23rd
time in their stunning history.
8. Every Red Sox fan from here to
Antarctica can tell you where they
were, and what they were doing, at
the exact moment that Mookie
Wilson’s slow dribbler made its way
through the legs of 1st basemen Bill
Buckner. Buckner had a good season in ‘86, and the Red Sox seemed
destined to break their streak of
World Series futility, having beaten
the California Angels down 3
games to 1. Yet, it was all for
naught, even with game 7 played in
Shea Stadium after Buckner’s mysterious error. For any Sox fans who
haven’t looked at a recent videotape
of that heart wrenching grounder,
in Buckner’s defense, I have two
words for you: Bob Stanley.
7. The city of Toronto is not
what you would call a baseball
town, but it is the sight of one of
the greatest World Series moments
in baseball history. When
Toronto’s Joe Carter stepped to the
plate, Philadelphia Phillies pitcher
Mitch Williams was 2 outs away
from extending the series to a seventh game. Carter rocked
Williams' offering over the left
field wall, sending the Blue Jays off
the bench in celebration earning
Toronto their second straight
World Series title.
6. He is now officially known as
‘Mr. October’ on account of this
World Series moment: Reggie
Jackson and the New York Yankees
endured a grueling series with the
Kansas City Royals in 1977 before
advancing to the World Series to
play the Los Angeles Dodgers. In
game 6, Jackson not only knocked
the cover off the ball, he hit 3 home
runs in 3 consecutive at-bats. The
Yankees would win game 6 -and
the series- one year after being beaten horribly by the Cincinnati reds.
5. Willie Mays and the New York
Giants entered the 1954 World
Series as tremendous underdogs to
the Cleveland Indians. Mays was
already known around the league
as an excellent outfielder, but no
one could have foreseen the catch
that still, to this day, is an all-time
highlight. A fly ball was blooped
over Mays’s head into right field,
appearing to be a sure fire double.
However, in mere seconds, Mays
tracked the ball down and made a
back-to-the-plate, not over the
shoulder, oh no, over the BACK
catch that no major leaguer has
even attempted since.
4. Baseball fans the world around
have all heard of, seen, or witnessed the moment. Carlton Fisk
and the Boston Red Sox swept the
Oakland A’s to make it to the 1975
World Series against the heavy
favorite Cincinnati Reds. The Big
Red Machine, as they were called,
had a lead in game 6 when Bernie
Carbo hit a pinch hit home run to
tie the game, ultimately sending it
into extra innings. In the bottom
of the 12th inning, Carlton Fisk,
known affectionately as ‘Pudge’ in
the Boston area, hit a screaming fly
ball toward the foul pole in left
field. With a little help from the
baseball gods, and Fisk’s well
known waving gesture, the ball
remained fair long enough to
smack the foul pole at the top of
the green monster and send the
series to a seventh game.
3. Don Larsen forever etched
himself into the memories of baseball fans with this 1956 World
Series moment. Larsen threw a perfect game (no hits, no walks) that
fateful October afternoon against
the Brooklyn Dodgers. he Big Red
Machine, as they were called, had a
lead. Larsen had always pitched
well, but no Yankee fan in their
right mind could have predicted a
perfect game. Every Yankees fan
recalls that classic moment when
Yogi Berra caught the final out and
leapt into Larsen’s arms as the
Yankees poured out of the dugout
onto the field.
2. The Los Angeles Dodgers were
destiny’s darlings in 1988. Their season was filled with more improbable
moments than they could have possibly foreseen, especially when Kirk
Gibson limped his way out of the
Dodgers’ dugout, up to the plate, and
into World Series History. The
Oakland A’s own Dennis Eckersley,
aka ‘The Eck’, was as dominant a
closer as any since Goose Gossage.
Quickly the count was no balls and
two strikes on Gibson, who looked as
if he could hardly hold himself
upright. Gibson worked the count to
full and fouled off a few more pitches
before stepping out of the batters box
to regain his composure. When he
stepped back in, Eckersley attempted
a back door slider that never slid, running right over the heart of the plate.
Gibson, seemingly on one knee, lofted the ball into the right field bleachers to give the Dodgers yet another
unbelievable victory in one of the
greatest moments in the history of
the fall classic.
1. The 1960 World Series came
down to a deciding seventh game
between Casey Stengel’s New York
Yankees and Danny Martaugh’s
Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates rallied in the eighth inning, scoring
five runs to take the lead 9 to 7.
The Yankees, always a powerhouse
lineup, scored twice more to tie
the game at 9. Ralph Terry was
called upon to hold off the Bucs
and get the game into extra frames
when Bill Mazeroski dug in at
home plate. Terry threw Mazeroski
a fastball, which was apparently
not fast enough, as “Maz” hit it
over the left field wall at Forbes
Field to give the Pirates the most
shocking World Series win in baseball history. To this Day, Ralph
Terry has been quoted as saying
“I’m not sure what pitch it was, I
just know it was the wrong one.”
Well, there you have it, folks.
Another Top 10 come and gone.
We hope you enjoyed it as much as
we enjoyed writing and debating
it. Again, we welcome your
responses and comments at
Myspace.com/thetorchnewspaper,
and thank you for reading.
Scholarship Money Available for Fall 2008/Spring 2009
The BCC Foundation has close to $200,000 in scholarship aid to dispense for Fall
2008/Spring 2009 enrollment, and is now accepting applications. Applications are
available at the Financial Aid office (L123), the Office V.P. of Student
Services(A128B) or you can download a copy of the application from the BCC website under the "Foundation" quick link. The deadline for submitting applications is
December 21, 2007. You do not have to be on financial aid to apply. Qualifying recipients will be notified early in April, 2008.
Applications can be dropped off at the Office of V.P. of Student Services or the Financial Aid office.
BCC Sports Schedule Winter 07-08
2007-08 MEN’S BASKETBALL
Tues.
Sat.
Tues.
Thurs.
Sat.
Tues.
Thurs.
Sat.
Sat.
Tues.
Sat.
Tues.
Thurs.
Sat.
Tues.
Thurs.
Sat.
Tues.
Sat.
Tues.
Sat.
Tues.
Sat.
Tues.
Sat.
Mon.
Wed.
Fri.
Dec. 4
Dec. 8
Dec. 11
Dec. 13
Dec. 15
Dec. 18
Dec. 20
Dec. 22
Jan. 5
Jan. 8
Jan. 12
Jan. 15
Jan. 17
Jan. 19
Jan. 22
Jan. 24
Jan. 26
Jan. 29
Feb. 2
Feb. 5
Feb. 9
Feb. 12
Feb. 16
Feb. 19
Feb. 23
Feb. 25
Feb. 27
Feb. 29
Sun.
Mar. 2
Thurs.
Fri.
Sat.
Mar. 13
Mar. 14
Mar. 15
*Middlesex CC
A
*Atlantic Cape CC H
*Passaic Co. CC
A
*Raritan Valley CC H
*Ocean CC
A
*Sussex Co. CC
A
*Burlington CC
H
*Gloucester CC
A
*Cumberland CC
H
*Union CC
H
*Camden CC
A
CC of Morris
H
Berkeley College H
*Brookdale CC
A
*Middlesex CC
H
*Passaic Co. CC
H
*Atlantic Cape CC A
*Raritan Valley CC A
*Ocean CC
H
*Sussex Co. CC
H
*Gloucester CC
H
*Union CC
A
*Cumberland CC
A
*Camden CC
H
Reg. XIX-Div. III (1st round)
Reg. XIX-Div. III (1st round)
Reg. XIX-Div. III (2nd round)
Reg. XIX-Div. III Semi-finals
(at CC of Morris)
Reg. XIX-Div. III Finals
(at CC of Morris)
NJCAA Div. III Nationals
NJCAA Div. III Nationals
NJCAA Div. III Nationals
(at SUNY-Delhi-must qualify)
*GSAC Div. III Opponent
7:00
3:00
7:30
7:00
3:00
7:00
7:00
3:00
3:00
7:00
1:00
7:00
7:00
1:00
7:00
7:00
3:00
7:00
3:00
7:00
3:00
6:00
1:00
7:00
A
A
A
A
A
Head Coach: Sean Kelly
Asst. Coach: Matt Odalen
Asst. Coach: Ty Della Monica
2007-08 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Tues.
Sat.
Tues.
Sat.
Tues.
Thurs.
Sat.
Sat.
Sat.
Sun.
Tues.
Sat.
Tues.
Thurs.
Sat.
Sat.
Tues.
Thurs.
Sat.
Sat.
Tues.
Thurs.
Dec. 4
Dec. 8
Dec. 11
Dec. 15
Dec. 18
Dec. 20
Dec. 22
Jan. 5
Jan. 12
Jan. 13
Jan. 15
Jan. 19
Jan. 22
Jan. 24
Jan. 26
Feb. 2
Feb. 5
Feb. 7
Feb. 9
Feb. 16
Feb. 26
Feb. 28
Sat.
Mar. 1
* Middlesex CC
A
*Atlantic Cape CC H
*Passaic Co. CC
A
*Ocean CC
A
*Sussex Co. CC
A
*Burlington CC
H
*Gloucester CC
A
*Cumberland CC
H
*Camden CC
H
Ulster Co. CC
A
*CC of Morris
H
*Brookdale CC
A
*Middlesex CC
H
*Passaic Co. CC
H
*Atlantic Cape CC A
*Ocean CC
H
*Sussex Co. CC
H
Northampton CC H
*Gloucester CC
H
*Cumberland CC
A
Reg. XIX-Div. III (1st round)
Reg. XIX-Div. III Semi-finals
(at CC of Morris)
Reg. XIX-Div. III Finals
(at CC of Morris)
*GSAC Div. III Opponent
5:00
1:00
5:30
1:00
5:00
5:00
1:00
1:00
1:00
1:00
5:00
3:00
5:00
5:00
1:00
1:00
5:00
7:00
1:00
3:00
A
A
Head Coach: Ken Black
Asst. Coach: T.B.A.
2007-08 WRESTLING
Sun.
Jan. 6
Wed.
Tues.
Jan. 16
Jan. 22
Wed.
Sat.
Wed.
Sat.
Jan. 30
Feb. 2
Feb. 6
Feb. 9
Thurs. Feb. 21
Fri.
Feb. 22
Sat.
Feb. 23
*GSAC Opponent
Nassau CC
A
Invitational
*Middlesex CC
H
Williamson Trade School
A
w/ Stevens Coll. of Tech.
*Gloucester CC
A
Northampton CC Invit.
A
Yeshiva University
H
District Championship A
(at Gloucester CC)
NJCAA Nationals
A
NJCAA Nationals
A
NJCAA Nationals
A
(at Rochester CC, MN)
(must qualify)
10:00
6:00
7:00
6:00
8:00
7:00
Head Coach: Milt Rehain
Asst. Coach: Mike Heslep