February 2016 Issue - Community College of Allegheny County

the voice
COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY – NORTH CAMPUS & WEST HILLS
February 3, 2016
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
CCAC Celebrates 50th Anniversary
Events are planned at all CCAC campuses and centers throughout 2016
MARK HUMPHREY
THE VOICE EDITOR
From humble beginnings in 1966 to
the robust educational institution that it
is today, CCAC has always been home
to numerous students. Now nearing
half a century in age, the organization
is preparing to celebrate its 50 years of
success with a series of events throughout
the year, culminating in a 50th anniversary
gala on November 19, 2016.
In preparation for the celebration,
a website dedicated to CCAC’s 50th
anniversary has been prepared. Amanda
Lawson, CCAC’s Web Content Manager,
oversaw the development of this website.
CCAC’s 50th anniversary website
showcases a timeline of events.
This timeline is stagnated in tenyear increments, and it includes a list of
employees and stories of several alumni.
These events begin with Allegheny
County’s proposal to the State Board
of Education for building a community
college in 1965 and continue up to
President Barack Obama’s visit to the West
Hills Center on April 26, 2014.
“I think the goals were to have a simple
website that would showcase people’s
stories, provide details for the upcoming
events as well as generating interest in our
shared history, “ says Lawson. “I think we
did achieve these goals and the great thing
about a website is that it can be updated
and changed if any new needs arise.”
Various events are currently scheduled
for the anniversary. The Distinguished
Alumni Awards seek to recognize fifty
CCAC graduates who have made a
difference in the world around them.
“I love that so many of our students go
on to do such amazing things both here at
home and across the globe,” said Lawson.
“It is important for new students to see the
kind of quality education CCAC provides
and I think the Distinguished Alumni
See ANNIVERSARY, cont’d on page 2
Brian Wilson / CCAC North
A banner outside CCAC North celebrates the college’s 50 year anniversary.
New coaches help supply success to students
Christy and Thomas are partnering
with Perkins to run workshops that
are meant to help students learn a new
CCAC North Campus has hired Sean
academic skill or a resource centered
Thomas and Molly Christy as the new
on a particular academic topic. These
Student Success Coaches.
workshops are intended to help students to
further their academic success.
The success coaches offer one-onone appointments in order to help them
access their areas of strength and how to
use those strengths to overcome challenges
and barriers in their pursuit of academic
excellence.
“We also can provide resources and
tips on time management, study skills and
test preparation,” says Molly Christy. The
goal, she says, is to meet students where
they are academically and provide the
support or resources necessary to help
them achieve their goals.
Sean Thomas is a recent graduate
of Slippery Rock where he received his
Master’s degree in Student Affairs and
Higher Education.
“While at Slippery Rock, I had the
opportunity to work in several offices as a
graduate student and as a student worker,
which gave me a variety of experience,”
says Thomas.
Thomas also holds a bachelor degree
in Criminal Justice and, before working at
MarySandra Do / CCAC North
CCAC, he was employed in the Pittsburgh
Sean Thomas and Molly Christy are the new student success coaches at North.
MARYSANDRA DO
THE VOICE EDITOR
They will work with students in the
developmental courses to assist them in
being successful at the college. Although
they target the students in these courses,
they are also available to help any other
students at CCAC.
Public Schools as a student aid. He is
also a proud member of Kappa Alpha Psi
Fraternity Inc. and loves the Pittsburgh
Steelers.
Christy graduated from Clarion
University with a Bachelor of Science in
Secondary Education. She loved education,
but did not want to be a classroom teacher.
Instead, she pursued her Master’s in Higher
Education to work with college students.
During Christy’s graduate program at
Geneva College, she was an Academic
Success Coach for student-athletes.
“I loved every aspect of my graduate
assistantship and knew higher education
was a great fit for me,” she says. After
graduation, she moved to eastern
Pennsylvania and worked with students
exploring different majors as an Academic
Adviser at Penn State Lehigh Valley before
coming to CCAC North and West Hills
Center.
Both Thomas and Christy can be
found in the new Student Success Hub on
the second floor, directly across from the
elevator and near the open computer lab.
The Hub also houses the office for the
Perkins Office for Career and Technical
Education.
The Student Success Hub was opened
with fanfare and a ribbon-cutting ceremony
on January 26.
IN THIS ISSUE...
03
NEWS
CCAC unveils new MyCCAC
portal
04
ARTS & LIVING
Marvel’s ‘Deadpool’ makes
its way to theaters
06
SPORTS
Women break barriers in
sports broadcasting
07
OPINIONS
Honors program students
experience India
2
The Voice
Can you hear the people strum?
the voice
MarySandra Do
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Brittany Kauer
BUSINESS DIRECTOR
Brian Wilson
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
OPEN
COPY EDITOR
Mark Humphrey
NEWS EDITOR
Carlis M. Spivey
CAMPUS EDITOR
Veronica DeAlmeida
ARTS EDITOR
OPEN
SPORTS EDITOR
STAFF
Kaitlin Bigley
Daniel Brazell
Maya Carter
Charles DeMore II
Anna Germain
Kyle J. Hughes
Jessica Rea
Allison Roup
Jared Sawl
Nick Shelton
Jennifer Weismantle
Rob Velella
ADVISER
•
PUBLICATION INFORMATION
The VOICE is the student-run newspaper
of the Community College of Allegheny
County North Campus and West Hills.
Students are encouraged to join the
staff and contribute. 1,000 copies
will be distributed on one Wednesday
each month, both at North and West.
The VOICE provides a professional
journalism experience while striving for
excellence, completeness, accuracy,
and high integrity; the organization
shall produce a nonpartisan publication
providing responsible, objective, and
fair coverage of items of interest and
importance to the CCAC North and West
campus communities.
CONTACT
Room 1018, North Campus
[email protected]
412-369-3698
Mailing Address:
8701 Perry Highway
Pittsburgh, PA 15237
Member of:
Pennsylvania
NewsMedia
Association
Pennsylvania’s Ukulele Lending Libraries
brings four strings right to your fingertips
JENNIFER WEISMANTLE
THE VOICE STAFF
It all started in late 2014 at the
Hollidaysburg Area Public Library, but
now the Ukelele Lending Library serves
multiple counties in Pennsylvania as
scores of locals try out the four-stringed
instruments.
The library staff began a collection
of quality ukuleles with help from patron
donations, the Eagle Scouts, and story
time parents and then began to lend them
to the public in 2015. Before that they had
only ten red little red ukuleles that Melanie
Ramsey (the library’s director of Children’s
and Youth Services) found at a surplus
outlet to use for their family programming
to compliment the few guitars and
electric keyboard in the children’s room
for everyone’s use. By 2014 the original
ukuleles fell apart – but things were about
to get even more exciting.
Next the Allegheny Ukuleles
Kollective came to their attention, and
they were invited to hold a concert plus
a petting zoo for the public. It was a hit,
and the photo album and video of the first
performance received over 700 views.
Then they went on to form a strong
alliance and received a grant from the
Pennsylvania Council on the Arts/the
Pennsylvania Rural Arts Alliance and a
large, very welcome donation from Ohana
Ukeleles through the efforts of Mike
Holzer, a self-described “serial hobbyist”
and coordinator of the Allegheny Ukuleles
Kollective. The group offered classes and
had several more performances, with more
to come. The next, the 3rd Annual Ukulele
Soiree, will take place in Altoona in midApril.
Because of the generous donations and
support the group was able to put together
enough ukulele kits to cover four out of
the five counties they wanted to serve in
Pennsylvania. So far, they have provided
eight kits to four libraries in Centre County
as well as six libraries in Blair County.
Eight kits are scheduled to be donated to
another eight libraries in Bedford County
in late February.
The kits consist of a soprano ukulele,
a gig bag, an electronic tuner, and an
instructional book. Before the donation
occurs they insist that at least one of their
librarians take a two to three hour training
class on the instrument which covers basic
maintenance, how to play, and tune it. This
provides the library with someone to assist
a novice player.
Melanie Ramsey of the Hollidaysburg
Area Public Library stresses the benefits
of the Ukulele Lending Library. “The
jams that are held twice a month are open
to everyone – of all ages, interests, and
Photos courtesy of Melanie Ramsey
Libraries in Pennsylvania are beginning to loan ukuleles to their patrons.
abilities. Giving the public free access to
quality ukuleles and ukulele resources
in a library setting, and combining that
with opportunities for participation in
a strong and active community group,
creates positive learning and community
connections.”
Ramsey adds that a librarian’s mission
is to empower individuals, organizations,
and communities. “This is exactly what
is happening with the libraries who are
participating in the program,” she says.
“The Director of the Hollidaysburg Area
Public Library, Janet Eldred, supports my
efforts to make our library and community
as amazing as possible with the resources
we have. We are all glad that this ukulele
program is successful and spreading!”
It all goes to show it only takes one
person one act to create an innovative
and progressive program that can benefit
a whole community. It is also another
way that libraries can provide more than
just books, they also tend to have lots of
programs and lending materials around the
world.
A separate event, a car cruise, is
planned for the West Hills on April 30.
“We are having ‘Cruise from the past
to the future.’ We will have live music, as
well as many great vintage and futuristic
cars,” says Lyons. “It is going to be a
blast!”
Several other events are planned at
the various CCAC campuses and centers
throughout Allegheny County.
CCAC, now at the forefront of
learning for many students exiting high
school and beyond, boasts an enrollment
of over 61,000 students as of 2011.
Many students are exhilarated to be a
part of such a thriving community college
– and they are equally excited to see CCAC
reach its 50th year anniversary.
“I am glad to be returning to CCAC
for my final semester. I have had nothing
but positive experiences at CCAC. I am
excited about CCAC’s 50th anniversary. I
did not realize the school has been around
that long. I have become a big advocate
of community college since coming to
CCAC,” said returning CCAC student Ed
Verbeke.
Despite the waning of the economy,
CCAC has still managed to survive and
flourish. Students are starting to return for
spring classes and enrollment continues to
grow.
ANNIVERSARY, cont’d from page 1
Awards show what a profound difference
CCAC can make in one’s life.”
There are two events planned for
CCAC’s North Campus. The first will
take place on March 12 and the second on
April 30. Nina Lyons, Director of Student
Life, discusses these events further,
saying, “One is on March 12 and features
our fantastic new Computer Gaming and
Simulation Major. You can try out some
games our students have done and explore
this major.”
In addition, she notes, Jesse Schell of
Schell Games has been invited to serve as
a keynote speaker. His presentation will
be followed by a reception where students
and other members of the community can
meet him.
3
The Voice
CCAC Library introduces new video streaming services
MARYSANDRA DO
THE VOICE EDITOR
The video streaming collections are
meant to supplement the teaching and
learning at the college. Instructors are able
to use the videos in the classroom setting
just as students may use the videos to attain
more information about topics for class
presentations.
“The library has been aware of types
of ‘academic Netflix’ services for several
years, but we didn’t have the resources
to make them available to the campus
community,” says Chris Galluzzo, librarian
at North campus.
The primary difference between
previous forms of media is the format.
“Over the years, we’ve moved from film to
VHS to DVD to BluRay,” says Galluzzo.
Also, students and faculty will not
have to physically check out any materials.
They can view the content immediately.
However, Galluzzo also adds that it’s
important to note that just like Netflix, the
video collections do not have everything
that has ever existed.
Before, a number of copies of more
traditional forms of media, such as DVDs,
had to be purchased for each CCAC
campus. Now, the library can purchase a
single copy and it will be readily available
to the full college community. Also, people
can have immediate access to thousands of
video titles regardless of where they are.
Students and faculty are able to connect
to the streaming video collection from the
library’s website: http://www/ccac.edu/
library. The library is also in the process of
integrating the video collection into subject
guides. “For example, a student who has a
history project can go to our history guide
and find a link to the history section of the
video collection,” says Galluzzo.
Users can expect 24/7 access on and
off campus as long as they have a NetID,
over 45,000 video titles, ability to create
clips and playlists, and automatic citations
(APA, MLA, etc.). Videos play through a
web browser.
“The ease of access of an on-demand
video collection should also make it easier
for curious students to learn about new
things they might not have discovered on
our book or DVD shelves,” Galluzzo adds.
For more information about the
college’s video streaming collections,
students and faculty can visit the reference
desk in the library or send questions via
email at [email protected].
Brian Wilson / CCAC Voice
Students can now use the campus library to access streaming materials online.
Stepping through the
MyCCAC portal
CARLIS SPIVEY
THE VOICE EDITOR
The MyCCAC portal is now up and
running for the spring 2016 semester.
Through a mobile-friendly system, the
portal offers easy access to important
information regarding CCAC.
The portal was made to accomplish
multiple goals. These goals include
providing a virtual environment for
students to engage with academics,
enhancing student successes through
alerts, calendars, and other resources,
reducing confusion as to where to retrieve
Features on
MyCCAC Portal:
• Check CCAC email
• Access Blackboard
• View class schedule
and find room
locations
• See calendar of
events on campus
information, and reducing reliance on mass
emails.
After logging into the portal, students
can access multiple academic systems,
and read up on events and deadlines.
Students will also be able to access their
Blackboard courses and content, student
emails, E-Services, and they will be given
the ability to easily search and register for
courses.
The portal has been a collaborative
effort of multiple teams. During the fall
2015 semester, eight faculty members
and 360 students along with the college
wide advisement staff worked on a three
week pilot test of the portal. The students
and faculty were encouraged to supply
their own personal feedback through a
completely anonymous online survey. The
feedback was received, and considered for
the spring launch.
“I think it’s awesome,” says Haley
Lansberry, who is in her second semester
here at CCAC North. “it tells you your
schedule, and breaks your day down for
you. It’s great!”
Students can easily access the portal
by visiting my.ccac.edu and signing in
with their CCAC network account. I any
problems arise, students can feel free to
contact the ITS helpdesk at 412-237-8700
or at [email protected].
For more information on the
MyCCAC portal, login to MyCCAC and
click the “Technology Training” quick link
on the home page. Various instructional
and training documents are viewable on
this page. To view student training videos,
simply follow the links on the page.
Brian Wilson / CCAC Voice
A student logs into the MyCCAC portal in the open computer lab at CCAC North.
4
Arts & Living
The Voice
Candles in the Wind: 2016 Edition
Year begins with several celebrity deaths
VERONICA DeALMEIDA
THE VOICE EDITOR
DAVID BOWIE
(Jan. 8, 1947 - Jan. 10, 2016)
Singer, Songwriter, Musician, Producer,
Painter, & Actor
“I don’t know where I’m going from here
but I can promise it won’t be boring.”
ALAN RICKMAN
(Feb. 21, 1946 - Jan. 14, 2016)
Actor & Director
“If only life could be a little more tender
and art a little more robust.”
It is just the beginning of the New Year
and already the world has dimmed with the
loss of some of its brightest stars. 2016
has wrought a surprising, if not staggering
number of deaths in the celebrity world
alone. The artists and entertainers who
dedicated their lives to their craft will be
sorely missed, their absence having already
been felt by many.
For some, these celebrities are even
considered household names, like that
of musicians David Bowie, Glenn Frey,
and Natalie Cole; along with renowned
actors such as Alan Rickman. In every
Harry Potter movie, Rickman skillfully
portrayed his character so well that he is
forever immortalized as Severus Snape, a
wizarding potion master.
Just like anyone who has seen
Rickman in his element, the talent of each
is recognized and celebrated by adoring
fans all over the planet! These individuals
made their marks and artistic contributions
by singing, acting, and performing their
way into countless hearts. Proof of this has
been trending all over social media this
past month, allowing the public to reflect
on these icons.
Resonating with this melancholic
situation is Elton John’s renowned song
Candle In The Wind. According to colyricist Bernie Taupin, the song is about
“the idea of fame or youth or somebody
being cut short in the prime of their
life...how we glamorize death, how we
immortalize people.” The song not only
relates to departed celebrities but strikes
a chord in all members of society whose
light has been extinguished.
Some have never had the privilege of
beholding these artistic men and women in
their element and are completely unfamiliar
with their genius. Sometimes icons remain
undiscovered to those whose paths never
cross or experience their art form. A fellow
CCAC North Campus student Taylor
Haney shed some light on his perspective
of these recent deaths.
Although admitting a loose knowledge
of these celebrities, Haney could not claim
to be profoundly affected based off of that
alone. “I haven’t been affected because I
wasn’t attached.” He made it clear that in
order to really care on a deeper level, one
must first share a bond or closeness to truly
be able to mourn.
Haney may be an example of a
population who never got the chance to
appreciate these deceased artists. Perhaps
youth denied him the chance, like the song
suggests, that maybe Haney “would have
liked to have known [these individuals]
but [he] was just a kid” before they died.
Even idols can pass without recognition
sometimes but that does not make their
existence invaluable or unremarkable.
It seems death has only illuminated their
significance.
“And it seems to me [they] lived
[their] life like a candle in the wind…
[Their] candle burned out long before
[their] legend ever did.”
GLENN FREY
November 6, 1948 - January 18, 2016
Singer, Songwriter, Musician, Producer,
Painter, & Actor
Founding member of rock band the Eagles
“Sometimes you get the best light from a
burning bridge.”
RENÉ ANGÉLIL
January 16, 1942 - January 14, 2016
Musical Producer, Talent Manager, &
Husband of Celine Dion
“Nobody has a perfect life. What you see
on the screen is the best of the artist.”
DEADPOOL 2016: Better Than ‘Green Lantern’
MAYA CARTER
THE VOICE STAFF
As February approaches, superhero (or
super-‘antihero’) fans everywhere are
anxiously awaiting the release of Marvel’s
first movie of 2016, Deadpool. Ryan
Reynolds portrays the iconic comic
superhero/supervillain in what is promising
to be a cinematic masterpiece which will
hit theaters on February 12.
The film follows the life of Canadianborn Wade Wilson, a delinquent who grew
up with a drunk and abusive father and the
stress of losing his mother to cancer at a
very young age. After losing his father,
he joined the military and later became
a mercenary. He took assignments to
assassinate those he believed deserved to
die, and if he failed any of these missions,
he used plastic surgery to reconstruct his
entire identity.
Wilson also later contracts an
inoperable case of cancer, which forces
him to join the Weapon X program in order
to cure his terminal disease.
The majority of those who know their
Marvel trivia are undoubtedly excited for
this film adaptation to hit the big screen,
but people who are hearing about Deadpool
for the first time may be wondering, “what
makes him superhuman?” and, “is he a
hero or a villain?”
As Marvel Universe’s online database
states, Deadpool’s powers enable him to
“regenerate damaged or destroyed areas
of his cellular structure at a rate far greater
than that of an ordinary human. As such, he
can regrow severed limbs or vital organs.”
This healing factor, much like
Wolverine’s, makes him virtually immune
to poisons and drugs. It also gives him
enhanced resistance to disease and an
Deadpool, the sassy, snarky, sort-of-a-superhero, hits makes his big screen debut this month.
extended life span.
The issue of whether Deadpool fights
for good or for evil is debatable. Certainly,
the morality of his behavior falls into some
dark gray areas. Nevertheless, fans of the
super-antihero seem unconcerned with
which side he stands, as they are far too
in love with the snarky narcissist that Ryan
Reynolds will bring to life in the theater.
Deadpool’s sense of humor also
provides him with the ability to break the
fourth wall, as we see in the trailer when he
agrees to join Weapon X and requests his
supersuit not to be “green or animated,” a
reference to his much-maligned portrayal
of DC’s Green Lantern back in 2011.
The
modernized
methods
of
advertising also prove to be unique and
aim towards the younger audiences with
their usage of emojis, and their mockery in
making the movie seem like a romance that
will arrive just in time for Valentine’s Day.
On the topic of what age range should
be allowed to watch Deadpool kick
some butt in this upcoming film, many
have argued that this movie should be
given a PG-13 rating so that the younger
Marvel fans can enjoy the action-packed
Courtesy of Fox Movies
experience. However, Deadpool fans
are responding (quite mightily) that the
character, in general, is not meant for the
more juvenile audience. Reynolds, himself,
confirmed in a joke interview with Mario
Lopez that the movie was not really part
of the “family movie” genre. Considering
the vulgar trailer that aired near the end of
2015, that might be an understatement.
All in all, this movie looks to be
one of Marvel’s best. February 12 can’t
come fast enough for all those waiting to
experience the badass, suspenseful, and
sassy phenomenon known as Deadpool.
5
The Voice
Hannibal Lector still living in the minds of home buyers
JENNIFER WEISMANTLE
THE VOICE STAFF
Because Silence of the Lambs was
such a powerful film, the idea of Hannibal
Lector still haunts us all. Unfortunately, it
seems that he still hasn’t moved out of the
home the movie was filmed in – at least,
not entirely anyway.
An hour away from Pittsburgh, the
beautiful Victorian style house stands near
Perryopolis, Pennsylvania. As quaint as it
looks it holds a sinister past. It was also
the home and headquarters of the infamous
character Buffalo Bill. According to CBS
Pittsburgh, Scott and Barbra Lloyd live in
the home and have been trying to sell it since
last summer. They already have had to cut
the price because they were having trouble
finding a buyer. The price dropped from
$300,000 to $250,000. Hannibal Lecter
may be to blame. Inquisitor.com speculates
if the home was located elsewhere – say, a
small town in Ohio, and not connected to a
famous movie – its value would be worth
closer to a more modest $95,000.
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review says
the three-story Victorian house in the
community known as Layton has been
the second-most clicked home listed on
realtor.com last year – but curiosity hasn’t
generated an offer.
Not only is this iconic place the stuff
of nightmares to some, but its single
bathroom to accompany the four bedrooms
could be a greater nightmare still.
But by far the best perk of the house
is the giant hole in the basement that can
be used for luring victims or perhaps a
weirdly shaped swimming pool? Except
these features actually don’t exist; many
of the interior scenes were filmed on a
soundstage somewhere in Hollywood.
The only rooms where filming took place
were the dining room, kitchen, foyer, and
front porch. But this house does have an
in-ground pool and wraparound porch and,
having been built in 1910, it has a classy
feel to it.
On another note, Silence of the Lambs
turned 25 this year. The book on which
the film was based is one of four that
feature Mr. Lecter, but it remains the most
memorable.
As far as serial killers go, the character
has more depth than just a spooky guy. As
the guardian.com says “Before Lecter,
fictional serial killers weren’t the sort of
people you would want to spend much
time with. But if you look past Lecter’s
obvious flaws – extracting people’s eyes
with paperclips, tearing off faces to wear
over his own… that sort of thing – he is
educated, erudite and even suave. You
probably wouldn’t mind having dinner with
him, in a very public place and provided he
didn’t do the cooking.”
Recently, the activist organization
People for the Ethical Treatment of
Animals (PETA) has expressed interest in
the home. The announced the possibility
of using the storied home as the host
of an “empathy museum” for animals,
according to a press release. PETA says
that the experience of the characters who
are starved until their skin is loose enough
to be collected by the killer Buffalo Bill is
not unlike the experience of animals who
are harvested for fur.
Even though the house may strike
many as a place of darkness perhaps a tour
and some free lotion could smooth over the
deal.
Courtesy of Realtor.com
As Silence of the Lambs turns 25 years old, the home featured in the film is on
the market, though few buyers are showing an interest.
6
Sports
The Voice
Women continue blazing trails in sports media
ALLISON ROUP
THE VOICE STAFF
“It’s a man’s world” is an old adage
that many women face still today as they
enter fields previously and still dominated
by men. The world of sports is a world
where women are still recently just
breaking through to explore.
When Jane Chastain was hired by
CBS in the mid ‘60s, she became the first
woman on a major network. She regularly
contended with her male colleagues who
were not ready to accept a female.
Jeannie Morris, who had a well
established reputation as a journalist and
writer, had an easier time getting into the
world of sports but still faced backlash
from her male counterparts as well. In the
early ‘70s, she was forced to sit outside of
the press box during a Minnesota Vikings
vs. Chicago Bears during a blizzard.
Now, 50 years later, women have the
same liberties as men: the days of sitting
in a blizzard instead of using reporter
facilities are in the past but not to be
forgotten. Females have staked their own
claim in the sports world rather than being
a pretty face to appeal to the mass of male
sports fans.
Locally, Celina Pompeani of PensTV
in Pittsburgh admits that her role is
not necessarily covering the Pittsburgh
Penguins games, but “the entertainment
side of the business.” She usually reports
on what players do in the community – off
the ice.
Pompeani says she has never
experienced different treatment or been
relegated to cover specific stories because
of her gender. “I’m not saying that it
doesn’t still exist in other organizations
and news outlets. I myself have just not
experienced that,” she says.
Recently, Stephanie Ready has
been named the first full-time local TV
commentator for the Charlotte Hornets.
Being the first is nothing new for Ready
as she also blazed trails as the first woman
to coach a men’s professional sports team
in the NBA development league. She was
also the first female full time recruiting
coach. All of these accomplishments
should diminish any negative thoughts
sports fans would have about a female play
by play analyst.
Still, these women are the exceptions
that stand out in an arena still dominated
by men.
A great moment for any woman in
sports media remains a huge headline
today simply because of different anatomy.
Certainly, these moments are thrilling,
especially all that Ready has accomplished.
But a day where it is a norm and not a
headline for a woman to be named a sports
commentator for a professional team is the
day women in the profession long for.
Courtesy of Celina Pompeani, used with permission
Celina Pompeani of PensTV is one of the few women succeeding in the
male-dominated world of sports broadcasting today.
First woman hired
as NFL coach
ALLISON ROUP
THE VOICE STAFF
Tackling barriers, the NFL Buffalo
Bills just hired the league’s first full time
female coach.
Kathryn Smith has been named
the Bills special teams quality control
assistant coach. A position held by many
former NFL head coaches the likes of
Tony Sporano, Eric Mangini, and former
Pittsburgh Steelers coach Todd Haley.
Holding this position is a great
starting point for any coach looking to
start off their career.
Of course this title didn’t come
without hard work, Smith attended St.
John’s University in Queens, New York,
studying sports management and became
manager of the men’s basketball team.
Using her experience as manager
applied and obtained an internship for
the New York Jets which lead to being
hired as a full-time players personnel
assistant. When the Jets hired head
coach Rex Ryan, who was impressed
with Smith so much so Ryan made Smith
assistant to the head coach.
Fast forward to 2014: the Jets fired
Ryan and the Buffalo Bills swooped in
and picked Ryan up as a head coach,
not one to leave Smith behind. Smith
was hired as administrative assistant to
the head coach in Buffalo. Come 2015,
the position in the Bills’ organization
for special teams quality control
assistant coach, headlines were made as
Smith was named for the position and
accepted. An exciting development for
women in sports that with hard work
and determination will hopefully soon
become the norm.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH AT CCAC NORTH
• Black History Month Display: All February
Atrium
• Speaker, Chaz Kellem, YWCA: 2/16
Room 3002, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
• Be the Match Bone Marrow Donor Drive: 2/25
Atrium, 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
• African American Poetry & Literature Profile: 2/22-2/25
Atrium & Atrium Stage, 11:30 am – 12:30 pm
• Displays on African American History and Literature
North Campus library, throughout the month of February
7
Opinions
The Voice
E D I T O R I A L : Letter
Fake Fandemonium
Since the beginning of this year, there has been an onset of celebrity
deaths. Whether the person was a music legend, a style icon, or a beloved actor,
suddenly their fan bases explode after he/she is gone. Isn’t it ironic how as soon
as a celebrity passes, people act like they’ve been fans for years?
Some people don’t understand that you aren’t obligated to pretend you are
going to miss anybody who’s passed. It’s better not to act like you can speak to
the type of person an individual was.
There is a fine line between sympathy for the loss of a fellow human
being and being a fake fan. Surely your friends who love Alan Rickman will
appreciate your simple sentiment of sympathy but there’s no need to cry along
with them. In all honesty, did you know anything about him outside of his role
as Severus Snape in the Harry Potter series? Would you have recognized his
name if it hadn’t been attached to quotes from the movie franchise? Surely your
friends could tell you that he also starred in Sense & Sensibility, and that earlier
in his life, he was actually very artistically talented. These are facts that true
fans would know. You can’t really act like you’re on their level.
By jumping on the bandwagon of mourning, you undermine the real loss
that is felt by the true fans of these individuals. It doesn’t matter how many
people around you are mourning a celebrity. The transitive property does not
apply in such cases. Their sadness is not your sadness. Their pain is not your
pain. Their loss is not your loss. You have no business representing any fan base
you were never a part of- your mourning would be in genuine if you only started
recognizing a famous person’s work upon his or her death.
You can post every quote somebody said, explicate his or her life’s work,
even create fan art – it’ll never be the same as if you had done all these things
before his or her death. You can’t pretend you cared when you might not have
had the slightest clue about who this person was. The fan bases won’t appreciate
you taking ownership of being a fan of these fallen stars when they’re the ones
who’ve spent years listening to their music, following them on social media,
and wearing their T-shirts.
Leave the mourning and the tribute paying to the people who actually loved
and supported these individuals while they were still alive. Feel bad all you
want; you just can’t say that you were a fan. In order words, you don’t get to
share in the same grief following the death of somebody if you never took the
time to appreciate this person during his or her life. It’s like showing up to a
stranger’s funeral – it’s inappropriate.
Editor:
Introducing a new branch
of American government
to the
I recently “had” to write an in-class
essay in a blue book. The essay question
was about what caused the American
Revolution, and there were seven “correct”
answers to choose from in the written
materials provided for the course. Since I
was a philosophy minor at my other school,
I used the question to review some of what
I was supposed to know about Plato’s
Republic, and massaged five of the seven
(different) “correct” answers by various
experts into the framework of Plato’s five
types of government as described in the
Republic.
Plato’s five forms of government are
Kingdom (and/or aristocracy), Timocratic
(a war or honors-loving society), Oligarchic
(participation in government based on land
ownership or money), Democratic, and
Tyranny. There are lots of things I find
interesting about Plato’s list, like why he
didn’t think very highly about Democracy,
what makes a Kingdom different from a
Tyranny, etc., but for the purpose of my inclass essay I needed to explain five causes
of the American Revolution, and five of the
seven causes listed in the course materials
fit very nicely into Plato’s five forms of
government in the Republic.
So what’s my point? Plato’s five forms
of government are based by analogy on
what he thought different types of people
are like. He thought that people (and
governments) are mixtures of appetites
(desires), spiritedness, and reasonable
rule. So a Kingdom is ruled by reason, a
Timocratic constitution is high-spirited
and war and honors-loving, an Oligarchic
constitution has spirited satisfaction of
business desires, a Democratic constitution
satisfies many unnecessary desires, and a
Tyranny is an unhappy place where the
rulers or tyrants aren’t even in control of
their own desires.
Plato’s five forms of government
are based on mixtures of three different
kinds of people, namely appetitive,
spirited, and reasonable. It occurred to
me that we might modify our Democracy,
also based on different types of people.
Specifically, we might add an advisory
branch of government run by older people
who can give good advice. It would
require an amendment to our Democratic
Constitution, but it is a possibility.
I’d thought of the advisory branch as
having two functions. The first would be
to give advice to (often younger) members
of the executive, legislative, and judicial
branches of government on matters of
importance. The second would be to record
for future generations what, exactly, they
recommend on matters of importance. The
second of the two functions would be to
provide a check on the actions of the other
branches because it would affect strongly
the judgment of history.
Ten CCAC Honors students and six
Honors faculty just returned from a ten-day
trip to India: Jan. 5-16. The trip provided
academic exposure, cultural exploration
and community service opportunities to
students enrolled in Professor Srujana
Kanjula’s Honors Comparative Cultures
and Politics of India and the US course.
The student travelers include Matt
Armento, Fred Astey, Elizabeth Beliveau,
Diana Ortega Casellas, Grace Fabean,
Julia McNamara, Callie Oliver, Constance
Paras, Brandy Teprag, and Theresa Ward,
accompanied by Professors Srujana
Kanjula, Debbie Conway, Scott Cornish,
Joe Delphia, Julia Fennell, and Patsy
Williamson.
The group landed in New Delhi and
visited such significant sites as Qutab
Minar, India Gate, Raj Ghat, Humayun’s
Tomb, Lotus Temple, Birla Mandir,
Akshardham Temple, Jama Masjid, Indira
Gandhi Museum, Red Fort, and Gandhi
Museum. They took a rickshaw ride
through Old Delhi and the Chandni Chowk
market.
A five-hour bus trip took them to Agra
where they engaged in community service,
working with differently-abled children in
the school Chirag, which was covered by
the local news media. A special lunch was
hosted by Sonam Yangdol, CEO of Agra
Cantonment, for the CCAC group where
they interacted with local bureaucrats,
local politicians, and military officials.
They also visited Taj Mahal, Agra Fort
and Fatehpur Sikri. Another day of travel
took the students and faculty to Jaipur in
Rajasthan for continued cultural exposure,
which included an elephant ride and tour
of Amber Fort, City Palace, Hawa Mahal,
Jal Mahal, and Jantar Mantar. The students
and faculty were accompanied by a local
guide who was knowledgeable, insightful,
and sensitive to cultural differences.
The group returned to New Delhi
for an academic exposure at Jawaharlal
Nehru University (JNU), a premier
public university.
The participants
attended a panel discussion on Indio-US
Relations and Indian Domestic Politics
by Professors Srikanth Kondapalli and
Sangeetha Thapliyal. The students toured
the facilities, conducted research in the
library, and interacted with JNU students.
The faculty toured classrooms and met
with administrators and faculty. Students
also had the opportunity to visit the South
Asia University, attend one of their weekly
seminars, and interact with students from
different South Asian countries.
Students and faculty also interacted
with Indian government officials at the
office of Ministry of Overseas Indian
Affairs, hosted by Vani Rao, Joint Secretary,
Financial Services, Media, and Grievances.
They learned about careers in the Foreign
Service, diplomacy, and the role of the
ambassador. The group also visited the
Indian Institute of Public Administration,
participated in a panel discussion on Indian
social programs moderated by professor
C. Sheela Reddy, visited their library,
and toured a national consumer help-line
facility.
Students and faculty visited SSMI
(Swami Sivananda Memorial Institute),
a non-governmental organization (NGO)
working on areas of education, health,
malnutrition and livelihood for poor urban
women in Delhi. They saw the NGO’s
Jehangirpuri field site which is a womenbased food service model, engaging 71
women who provide supplementary
nutrition to 30,000 poor children per day.
The group also visited Subha a micro
enterprise supported and owned by women
self-help groups who produce food items
and textiles. Students also spent time at
Balwadi which is their early child care
center.
The students and faculty describe the
trip to India as transformative, enriching
their understanding of Indian culture,
society, and politics. The students will
continue their studies in the US as they
complete the Honors Comparative Cultures
course this semester: POL 228H. On April
30, the students will meet for the final time
to share their individual research projects,
which they began in India. Plans are
underway for the students and faculty to
organize a travelogue in order to share their
experience with the college community.
the voice
LETTERS POLICY
Letters to the editor represent the opinion
of the author, and do not necessarily reflect
the opinions of The Voice, its staff, or CCAC.
All members of the CCAC community –
including students, faculty, staff, and alumni
– are welcome to submit a letter to the
editor. Any letter intended for publication
must include the writer’s name, contact
information, and college affiliation. No
anonymous letters will be accepted. All
submissions are subject to editing. The Voice
reserves the right to refuse publication.
Please limit submissions to 500 words.
ADRIAN PAUL WALLENBERGER
CCAC NORTH STUDENT & ALUMNUS
CCAC Honors: To India and Back
Courtesy of Honors Comparative Cultures
and Politics of India and the US Course
CONTACT
Rob Velella, Adviser
Room 1018, North Campus
[email protected]
412-369-3698
Deadline is one week before publication.
8
The Voice
Voices of
CCAC North
OTHERWORLDLY by Nick Shelton
What’s a memorable gift
you have given/received on
Valentine’s Day?
Emily Heins
“I don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day.”
Bie Teal
“I never really had a steady
giflriend, but I think nothing at all
would be the most awkward.”
ONE SHOTS by Jared Sawl
Jacob Gettens
“Dinner and a movie.”
Mikaela Smith
“A surprise dinner date.”
Compiled by Charles DeMore II and Daniel Brazell / The VOICE Staff
BAD JOKES by Charles DeMore II
BINNY by Kaitlin Bigley