May 2009 - Passaic County Community College

Volume IX Issue 6
May 2009
The Student Newspaper of Passaic County Community College, Paterson, NJ
By Jerry Gutierrez
April and May are months for teachers to start
finishing up with their curriculums and for students to
feel a sense of relief to think that they will soon be
done. But this is not true for the culinary staff and student.
As most Passaic County Community College
activities and classes come to an end. It is a hectic time
has been part of the PCCC family for the past 14 years.
Hornes earned his culinary degree from the Culinary
Institute of America as well as his instructor Chef Michael Grossi who has been at
PCCC for 9 years.
The jobs of these two
men are very important for the
college. They are the ones that
keep all of the food coming
and going in a timely manner.
The culinary program is reChef Anthony Luckenback, pastry chef, stops for a quick picture while
sponsible for providing meals
preparing pies.
to the entire PCCC commuMr. Hornes feels that his culinary students are
nity, the Panther Academy and
valued individuals with great potential and great talents
the PCCC daycare.
that serve the entire PCCC community. He will conFor the PCCC comtinue to teach and demand perfection from all of them
munity they provide three full
until the end of this chaotic school year.
meals of breakfast, lunch and
dinner, but this is not all. The
PCCC culinary students also provide
catering needs to the
PCCC community.
The culinary
program also proChef James H. Hornes and Chef Anthony Luckenback pose with culinary students.
vides breakfast, lunch
and a snack for the daycare and lunch for the
for the culinary staff. PCCC depends on this great
high school, Panthers Academy.
group of individuals who take time and patience to
Mr. Hornes mentioned that April and
make food for some of the last events before the end of
May are their busiest months of the year. This
the scholastic academic school year.
is in part because a Foundation Gala leading
The Culinary Arts Programs at PCCC has been
up to graduation where the students and staff
part of the PCCC education for many decades. The
serve about 2000 people.
program is designed to prepare students for entry-level
Besides food, the students must also
positions in the culinary world.
learn about school and state codes. The stuThe program consists of 900 hours or approxidents learn these responsibilities through a
mately 28 weeks. During this time students are taught
new certification program. According to the
and tested on sanitation and safety, menu building,
National Restaurant Association, this program Chef James H. Hornes cuts vegetable in front of the class.
stocks, soups, sauces, nutritional awareness, plate presserves as a way to attain the latest FDA Food Code
entation, food costing, catering techniques, basic cookupdates, the most current regulations, best practices and
ing methods, weight and measures, baking techniques
science-based information. Now, this program is also
and more.
News....................................................... Pages 1-6
being offered as part of the curriculum in the culinary
The students learn under the supervision of
Feature.................................................... Pages 7-8
program.
some great chefs in the industry. The students and
Culinary Arts .......................................... Page 9
Chef Anthony Luckenback, a graduate from
chefs are all under the care of James H. Hornes, DirecHealth ..................................................... Pages 10-12
Johnson and Wales University makes sure that students
tor of Food Services/Chef here at PCCC.
Arts ......................................................... Pages 13-15
also have fun with some of the food such as pastries.
Mr. Hornes, a veteran in the culinary industry,
SGA........................................................ Page 16
In This Issue
Page 2
News
By Ashley Rosario
Associated Collegiate Press
Visions Staff
Editor in Chief
Naib Teferi
Managing Editor
Amy Brown
Faculty Advisors
Elizabeth Nesius, Business
Advisor
Christine Redman Waldeyer
Faculty/Staff Proof
Readers
Christine Redman Waldeyer
Naib Teferi
Staff Graphic Designer
Anny A. Almonte
Staff Writers
Jerry Gutierrez
Sashel Hinds
Nowriz Karashai
Contributing Writers
Margie Blake
Anibal Cabrera
Blanca Godinez
Andrew J. Hickman III
Carlos Kennedy
Abi Obadiah
Hannah Obadiah
Ashley Rosario
Omar Tlatelpa
John Trocano
Professor Christine Waldeyer,
a Journalism teacher at P.C.C.C., has
finally accomplished her goal of having
a Journalism option program at P.C.C.C.
This program will be offered in Fall
2009 and has been in the process for two
years due to its growing interest among
students.
The Journalism option program
will be transferable to the College of St.
Elizabeth, St. Peter’s College, and with
the possibility of William Paterson University who has expressed interest in the
program.
Students pursuing this option
will take the general Liberal Arts
classes, four core classes that focus on
journalism with a fifth course of their
choice that they can center their interest
in. The core classes consist of two
Graphic Design courses that prepare
students to do layout, a Communications
course in Ethics, and Intro to Journalism. The elective can be Spanish, Photography, Advanced Graphic Design,
Creative Writing, or Intro to Film.
The Spanish course was chosen
May 2009
“Journalism is pretty
positive for the most
part, bringing issues
out in the open, shed
light on things we
don’t know about. It’s
one source we can
get all information
from,” said Waldeyer.
because many jobs in the field now demand that students are bilingual especially in the Spanish language. The
College of St. Elizabeth has already
expressed that they would like to see
students take Creative Writing to help
strengthen writing skills.
Prof. Waldeyer dedicated a
great amount of her time starting this
program, she researched two year and
four year colleges to see what they of-
fered and contacted different schools to
see if they would accept P.C.C.C. as a
transfer program.
She has already had great success with her Journalism class with two
of her students receiving internships
with Governor Jon Corzine. She hopes
with the program to get more internships
and get more students involved in Visions.
“Journalism is pretty positive
for the most part, bringing issues out in
the open, shed light on things we don’t
know about. It’s one source we can get
all information from,” said Waldeyer.
A student with an Associates
degree in Journalism has possibilities of
having a job while going to school getting a start writing for small newspapers
like Waldeyer did while she was in college. It is another option for those who
love writing but do not want to become
an English teacher or attempt to become
a novelist.
For more information on the
program, contact Professor Waldeyer at
[email protected] or 973684-6086.
Choose the Journalism Option Program
With a concentration of 5 courses,
learn to write, report, and do layout!
The call for on-line journalism is to become the
editor, photographer, and writer!
Possibility for transfer to four-year colleges
Advisement available: contact Professor Christine Redman Waldeyer at
[email protected]
The student newspaper of Passaic County Community College,
One College Blvd., Paterson, NJ, 07505-1179, (973) 684-5288
Visions is an independent student newspaper. The staff of Visions tries to adhere to the standards and ethics of the Associated Press
Stylebook and guidelines. Any errors are solely the responsibility of staff members and advisors. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the individual writers and are not necessarily representative of the college in any manner.
Visions encourages all members of the college community to express their opinions. Letters should be submitted to [email protected]
or to Visions c/o the Student Activities office, and must include the name and phone number of the author to verify authenticity. If possible, submit letters typed with a copy on a computer disk. Visions reserves the right to edit letters for grammar, spelling, and space
considerations.
May 2009
News
By Sashel Hinds
Great success has entered the
halls of Passaic County Community
College as two faculty members: Professor Alexandra Della Fera and Professor
Richard Marranca of the English department received a grant from the National
Endowment for the humanities workshop featuring the Transcendentalists.
The workshop is entitled:
"Concord, Massachusetts: A Center of
Transcendentalism.
Transcendentalists were a
By Hannah Obadiah
The war awareness in Rwanda
has been raging on for many countless
years all over the world with many people having shed tears and protested. Innocent people have lost their loved ones
as well as homes.
Cheryl Morgan-Duncan, the
Radiography Laboratory Coordinator/
Adjunct Instructor Radiography Club
Advisor along with the radiography club
at PCCC recently had a bake sale in
March, to raise funds to ship textbooks
related to Anatomy & Physiology, and
Medical Imaging to a struggling Medical Imaging school in Kigali, Rwanda.
The books came from a collection in the radiography department
(courtesy of Eileen Maloney and Parsha
Hobson), and from the donations of the
radiography students.
The club is made up of current
senior and freshman radiography students, and also pre- radiography students.
"We would like to take this
opportunity to express our deepest gratitude to all those who supported this
school of thinkers who specialized in
nature and were a part of a huge sociopolitical movement concerning rights
for women and conservation.
Professor Della Fera really
found interest in the topic for she saw a
way to teach her students about reform
and change through the beliefs of the
transcendentalists. She also was very
interested in studying the works of Margaret Fuller, an activist for women’s
rights.
Professor Marranca was especially excited for this experience for he
worthy cause, by way of donating the
baked goods, volunteering their time at
the table, and making purchases" states
Morgan-Duncan. T h e R a d i o g r a p h y
Club has been dormant for a few years,
but has now been revived and rearing to
go. The mission of the club is to enhance the education and promotion of
the radiography program.
Some of their objectives are to
provide PCCC students with additional
educational support by way of tutorial
services, educational symposiums and
literature; sponsor and coordinate extracurricular activities including educational field trips, social seminars, community service, and functions; to initiate
educational and social interactions with
other Allied Health students.
Moreover the program aims to
promote the field of Radiologic Technology to the PCCC student body and
the public by organizing the National
Radiologic Technology Week.
"We had established that charity work would be part of the club’s
mission, and this particular charity was
a brain child of the members of the Radiography Club at PCCC after hearing
the story of this Medical Imaging
School in Rwanda that is in dire
need of assistance by way of textbooks, equipment, and instructors.
We thought the quickest way to
raise the funds to ship the books
was to have a bake sale, which
turned out to be very successful,"
Morgan-Duncan continued.
Morgan-Duncan got her
inspiration after watching a video
presentation at a recent New Jersey Society of Radiologic Technologist (NJSRT) annual seminar
in Atlantic City, and seeing how
determined and energetic these
Rwandan students were, even in
the face of poverty. The radiography students thought this would
Page 3
longed for an adventure. Also, he believes that the transcendentalists represent a part of America that had been
lost.
In order to be considered for
this award the professors had to fill out
an application and actually write an essay. It is a very honorable thing to have
such prestigious faculty members in our
midst.
They will be attending the one
week workshop this July in Concord,
Massachusetts
be a good way to kick-off the community service/charity work.
To boosting camaraderie and
morale among the radiography students
in particular, and the general student
population of PCCC, Morgan-Duncan
adds that, "our inspiration for reviving
the club was born out of the need to
attract students to the profession of radiology, to educate them on the various
professions in medical imaging, and to
provide empowerment on radiation protection in medical imaging practices."
Doors are always open for new
members. Students are encouraged to
join the club by way of flyers and college-wide e-mail.
As Herbert Hoover once said,
"Older men declare war. But it's the
youth who must fight and die!" We must
heed to this wise quotation which predicts the future ahead of us.
Our future generation can only
be secured if and only if we put an end
to a conflict that will not benefit anyone
in the end.
Page 4
News
By Jerry Gutierrez
The Arabic Culture Club had
been a dormant club for much of the
semester but that had only been a temporary condition! An awakening was
due in part by their new president Laith
Faouri. Faouri faces many challenges to
revive the club but already has much
success.
The Arabic Culture Club has
gone from almost non-existent to being
recognized by many as a rising club.
Faouri has done great things for the club
such as getting together a bake sale, a
club service project which was collaborated with the MS walk (co-sponsor by
the Nursing Student organization) and a
cultural Arabic party that many described as of this out of this world.
The bake sale was a great success. Members donated baked goods
and more. Traditional Arabic pastries
were available. The clubs efforts and
hard work paid off collecting a substantial amount for club funds.
On April 19, 2009 the Arabic Culture
Club took part in the Multiple Sclerosis
Walk at Graydon Pool in Ridgewood,
NJ. Advisor Prof. Samir Samour, a
nursing instructor, and a few club members showed up for the event.
It was a great day for a walk.
Many members walked nine miles. The
Arabic Culture Club also pledged to
raise $500 to donate to the Multiple
Sclerosis Organization.
The Arabic Culture Club ended
the semester like no other club. According to a two members they ended the
semester the right way. This is due to a
club sponsored Arabic cultural party.
Everything about
this party screamed
Arabic culture.
It seemed
that
the
club
thought about everything in every
way. The entertainment consisted of
an Arabic DJ (DJ
Hookah), a belly
dancer, and professional Dabka dancers. The highlight
of the night was to
see the many PCCC
students and the
community come
out to celebrate this
vast and rich culture.
Everyone
who was present at
the party saw a
great leader deliver
an eloquent speech
about the club’s
origins and culture.
Faouri also presented his cabinet members who gave speeches as well.
Speeches where not all that Faouri had
in mind, he astonished everyone when
he got up and sang Enta eih by Nancy
Agram.
The party was full of music,
food and dancing. The dancing atmosphere was so contagious that even Advisor Samir Samour got out and danced.
The Dabka Dancers was a nice finish.
Some attending the party mentioned that
they didn’t think it was going to be this
good. Others mentioned that they got
their money’s worth and they were
happy they had attended.
Although the main face of the
club is Faouri, he mentions that he could
not have done anything without the help
of his other board members. He counted
the support of fellow club members, 1st
May 2009
VP Wadi Nababteh, 2nd VP Ahmad
Harb, Treasurer Omar Khalaf, and last
but not least Secretary Hiba Ramadan.
These individuals according to Faouri
where key to his great success as president.
May 2009
By Nowriz Karashai
The Forensics Seminar on
April 30th provided a world of information that is a must know. For example,
95% of all music downloaded online last
year was done so illegally; that’s over
40 billion songs according to the International Federation of the Phonographic
Industry (IFPI).
Along with the growing popularity of ignoring copyright laws online,
viruses are just as prominent as the staggering statistics. According to Abdul
Hammad, former SGA president and a
graduate from PCCC holding a Computer Information Systems Associate
Degree, “The forensics team here at
PCCC tested numerous USB devices
and found that all of them contained
some form of malicious malware and/or
spyware.” Abdul has worked in the information technology department at
PCCC for four years and is currently
attending NJIT earning a Network Security Undergraduate Degree.
But the use of P2P networks,
programs like Limewire, Morpheus, and
Shareaza, are not just used to download
and share music. They can used to
search for resumes, usernames and passwords, and even student loan applications in the effort to obtain sensitive
information, such as social security
numbers, addresses, telephone numbers,
and even transactions in previous
months. As one student asked: What if
you select within the program the option
to not share any information?” According to Abdul: “Each of these programs
contain a ‘backdoor’ allowing hackers
to enter your personal computer, even if
that option is selected.” So what can
people do?
Steven Paz, a student enrolled
in the Cyber Security and Computer
Forensics Certification Program offers a
brighter side to the gloomy reality of
cyber crime: “To protect yourself, antivirus software is a must and should be
purchased for your PC. At the least one
can do is download a free program,
AVG being the one I recommend, which
will scan your computer for viruses and
prevent ones from being downloaded. A
good website is eicar.com. Check it
out.”
Victor, a student attending professor Csuha’s computer forensics and
investigations course salvaged a crude
satellite dish to demonstrate the wireless
aspect of network security. Technology
allows for the dish to collect a data
stream from a satellite, it than bounces
the signal onto an antenna mounted onto
the dish itself. Apparently, a hacker can
detect this stream and break into a wireless network using simple tools on a
computer or laptop. Indeed, using a laptop, Victor was able to hack into the
News
network supported by the dish in approximately 3 ¼ minutes!
Just when you felt comfortable
with internet security, a demonstration
of deleted material proved that your info
is not safe even when it’s deleted! Or so
you thought. Abdul took a file, deleted
it, and using a program called forensics
tool kit (FTK) was able to attain the lost
info, even when he deleted it! Apparently, microsoft windows just deletes
the path of the filename, leaving the file
itself intact. Recovery is possible. In a
few easy steps, he had his file that was
thought eliminated.
“Regardless of our backgrounds, whether you’re a lawyer, doctor, contractor or teacher, we all use
computers,” Professor Bamkole said, the
initiator of the Cyber Security and Forensics Certification in 2005 informatively stated. “We are all at risk of ID
theft, and need to be more educated
about the dangers of internet use and be
more cautious about providing sensitive
information online.” Professor Bamkole
has a background in programming and
holds a Masters degree in Computer
Science from Mercy College in New
York. He started teaching at PCCC in
2001 and is also network coordinator of
the IT department. Since 2001, only five
students have been rewarded the certificate. Whether your major is information
technology or criminal justice, only 3
additional credits are needed to obtain
the certificate which can possibly transfer to a four year university. Additionally, a job in law enforcement is also
By Omar Tlatelpa
The first week of April became
known as National Public Health
Awareness week fourteen years ago by
then president Bill Clinton in order to
promote a healthier America.
The
LGBTS club on April 2nd in the Paterson campus lobby decided to pick up the
torch of knowledge to provide a day of
safe sex education and STDs information to the student body.
The LGBTS (lesbian-gaybisexual transgender-straight) club is
headed by Stephanie Aliaga, Analicia
Bastas, Diana Levy and many others
with the help of advisor Professor
Robert Getso in an effort to provide an
environment of openness and tolerance
for all people. This club was formally
known as GSA but the club decided on
the name change to be more inclusive
and equal in status with other collegelevel LGBT clubs, said Diana Levy.
The event took place during
Page 5
feasible.
All the students conducting the
seminar had a profound attachment as
well as expanded knowledge of their
field. After the seminar, professor Csuha
handed out a book by Sun Tzu called
The Art of War. I asked “Why this
book?” Seeing as how it had nothing to
with modern technology. He replied: “It
inspired me when I was a teenager to
become involved in law enforcement,
particularly in cyber crime. Sun Tzu’s
rules of war apply to daily life and the
internet.” Professor Csuha has been an
adjunct here at PCCC for five years and
teaches, among other courses, CIS 286
and 289. He holds a masters degree in
protection management from John Jay
College in New York and specializes in
fraud examination and computer protection.
*Professor Bamkole can be
found in the Hamilton building room
H303
*For more information about
the information given in the seminar,
visit www.olddataneverdies.com
Approaches to safeguarding a
wireless network are quite a few:
1. Passwords should not be ordinary. Use numbers, symbols, and not
personal info like your name to better safeguard your password.
2. Turn off broadcasting. When not home, the broadcast for your
network should be disabled.
3. Use a mac address filter. Specify certain addresses which may access
the network.
4. Use an IP range. Set this option to ‘manual’.
5. Change passwords often. Especially for the administration and
username options.
6. Enable a firewall. Most routers come with them.
7. Pay attention in public places. Someone may be watching you on your
laptop when using a public network. Some places that offer them are
Starbucks and Barnes and Noble.
8. Try not to use wireless at all. While convenient, if wireless networking
causes too much of a scare, use a cable instead.
our student activity hour. The LGBTS
club’s arsenal on that day was a table
full of pamphlets ranging from topics on
safe sex practices, STDs information to
sexuality understanding.
The club
handed out condoms and other safe sex
related articles to those students that
wanted them. The students approached
the LGBTS members with questions
during the function. The students also
received demonstrations on how to use
these articles of safe sex.
When asked how this event
came to fruition Levy said, “The event
took about two weeks to get approved
by the SGA and with the help of our
club funds we were able to provide the
pamphlets that we are giving today,
however we did get the condoms donated to us.”
When asked what the goals for
these events were Levy said, “To raise
awareness, especially sexual practices
which affects our young community and
to bring more openness.” Levy stated
that Paterson like many other New Jersey communities has a large rate of sexual transmitted diseases. This in fact is
true. NJN news reported on a national
study done by the CDC which stated
that one in four girls ages 14-19 had
contracted an STD (March 18, 2008).
This was the second time the
LGBTS Club had done an event like
this. The first was held last year during
World Aids Day, stated Levy. In both
these events the response was overwhelmingly positive. The condoms and
pamphlets were all distributed well before cut time.
The club wants to remind the
student body that they welcome anyone
who would like to join the effort to educate people and express there concerns
to join in on their open door meetings
held on Thursdays at 1:15 pm to 2:50
pm during the student activity hour in
room A206. More information on this
club can be found in our PCCC Portal
under Clubs.
Page 6
News
May 2009
Men’s Soccer
REGION XIX/GSAC HONORS
Male/Female Athlete of the year
MVP – Carlos De la Cruz
MIP – Jerome Pryce
All Academic – Valois Rodriguez
Unsung Hero – Anthony Alcivar
Antonio Brimley 1st Team Reg. 19/GSAC
Nicodemus Eaton 3rd Team Reg. 19/GSAC
Antonio Brimley – Men’s Basketball
Kenosha Randle – Women’s Volleyball
Miesha Cooke – Women’s Basketball
Women’s Volleyball
Women’s Basketball
MVP – Carmen Santos
MIP – Rafaela Ramirez
All Academic – Somoya Bailey
Unsung Hero – Ana Peralta
MVP – Miesha Cooke
MIP – Shamyra Womack
All Academic – Jenisha Johnson
Defensive Player – Jakyia Royster
REGION XIX HONORS
REGION XIX/GSAC HONORS
Miesha Cooke 1st Team Region XIX/GSAC
Nia Generals 2nd Team Region XIX/GSAC
Men’s Basketball
MVP – Antonio Brimley
MIP – Kamar Simmons
All Academic – Ardell Roberts
Unsung Hero – Nicodemus Eaton
Kenosha Randale 1st Team Region XIX
Somoya Bailey 1st Team Region XIX
Carmen Santos 1st Team Region XIX
Male/Female sportsmanship award
Valoise Rodriguez – Men’s Soccer
Massiel Sanabria -
What does it take to keep
the Governor going?
By Andrew J. Hickman III
Located in West Paterson,
working for Governor Jon Corzine’s
office as an intern, Juana Ortiz works
diligently and successfully in maintaining an updated contact list for the office
and its members. Born with Cerebral
Palsy, Ortiz works from home-but that
does not stop her from doing what she
does best, a great job.
With only 5 weeks left as an
intern, Ortiz’s main job is to update all
contacts that Governor Corzine relies on
for getting information in order to hold
meetings, send around memos to those
in the office, and keep up with the outside news.
After a messenger drops off the
new contacts, Ortiz gets on the ball with
updating her lists and has them sent over
to Corzine’s office to be added to his
own personal and secretarial list of contacts. These contacts range from emails,
to phone numbers and home addresses.
Through an interview over the
phone I asked Ms. Ortiz how long it
usually takes to update these lists once
she’s been given the new contacts’ information. She replied with, “It depends
on how many they give me, and what
Antonio Brimley – was Honored with 2nd TEAM
NJCAA ALL AMERICAN
changes I have to make.” She further
went on to comment that this job takes
anywhere from 2-4 hours/day, ranging
about 10-15 hours/week, MondayFriday.
As a citizen of the Dominican
Republic, Ortiz had to move here to the
United States so that she would be able
to enroll in school and be given help for
her disability, because no schooling for
such was offered at the time in the Dominican Republic. After moving here to
New Jersey at 15 years old, Ortiz enrolled into the Cerebral Palsy Center,
located in Clifton, NJ. After 5 years of
working with professional instructors
and doctors, she was able to progress on
to high school where she attended John
F. Kennedy High School in Paterson,
NJ. Not until she graduated did she enroll here at PCCC where she perfected
her English and at the same time took up
the same major. She began her studies
here at PCCC in 1997, but took some
time off between graduating, which she
did this past December.
Juana Ortiz now has a degree in
English and hopes to continue working
for the Governor’s office once her internship is complete. Congratulations
Juana, and best of luck!
The Athletics Department also awarded some special
awards to individuals who have helped the Athletics
Department in one way or another.
The Recipients of the Athletics
Special Award are:
Maria Medina
President Steve Rose
Sandy Levit
Glenn McNeil
Brandi Yellin
Shakere “Ricky” Banks
Doreen Corsetto
Any students who have been accepted to and/or have been
attending PCCC, and wish to request accommodations should
contact the Office of Disabilities Services at 973-684-6395.
From the PCCC website on the home page, search "disabilities" for more
information, or call/email to schedule an appointment.
CONTACT INFO IS AS FOLLOWS:
Walter Donofrio, Disabilities Specialist
Room: A202A, Paterson Campus
Phone: 973-684-6395 press "1"
E-mail: [email protected]
Gina Carson, Disabilities Specialist
Room: PAC-218/WAC-116, Passaic & Wanaque campuses
Phone: 973-684-6395 press "2"
E-mail: [email protected]
Therese Slusser, Coordinator
OFFICE OF DISABILITIES SERVICES (ODS)
Room: A202A, Paterson Campus
Phone: 973-684-5215
E-mail: [email protected]
PCCC's newest Disabilities Specialist, Gina Carson, makes the Office of Disabilities
Services (ODS) accessible at the Wanaque and Passaic sites, providing
accommodative services to physically, emotionally and/or cognitively-challenged
students in compliance with federal laws. Disabilities Specialists can be found on the
main campus in A202A and now in WAC-116, and PAC-218.
May 2009
Feature
By Renzo Florez
My experience as an intern in the office of the
Governor Jon S. Corzine gave me a broad view on how
the Governor evaluates the feedback from his public
activities and conferences as well as the organization of
articles, press-releases and the unbelievable things that
occur state-wide.
This first hand knowledge has expanded my
interest and curiosity and made me more aware of the
things that happen in my beloved Garden State.
This valuable opportunity started while I was a
student of journalism at P.C.C.C. last fall 2008. My
professor gave me the exact information to apply and
also helped me with the intricate paperwork I needed to
make this internship happen.
As we can imagine, the Governor Corzine has
a busy daily schedule of visits, speeches and announcements that we all have to be absolutely informed of. In
the Communications and Press offices where I work, I
have to inform local newspapers and reporters from
specific areas or communities about the Governor’s
agenda in their area.
Page 7
Once the reporters covered the event for their
newspapers and other media, I retrieve their impressions and reactions from their press-release. Then I
print the article and organize it in a special folder for
the Governor to read and see how the communities understood his message. Translating press-releases were
also part of my duties. Some of these translations in
Spanish were posted on the website www.nj.gov.
Working in the State House at the Capitol
Complex was an interesting experience as well. The
building is very old but still pleasant to be in. The halls
are decorated with beautiful portraits from past governors of the State of New Jersey.
Finally, this experience gave me a close-up of
what my future career would be and the hands-on experience is already helping me in many ways. I would
like to thank all the people who helped me at P.C.C.C.
and at the State House as well as my supervisor Gloria
Montealegre, secretary to the Governor.
A long way from Ghana
By Abi Obadiah
By Anibal Cabrera
There is a saying that goes, “there is no place like
home,” and it is true. I have been in America for 7 years. I
started Eastside my sophomore year and graduated in June
2002.
America is truly the land of opportunities. In Ghana,
my home country, there are not many jobs so people find it so
hard to get a job even when people graduate from college. A
person can work at the age of 16 years in America.
In Ghana, children are only allowed to go to school
and not work but in America children get the chance to work
and go to school. I understand why children in America work
at an early age because they could use the money to pay for
their proms, graduation and home coming.
In America, students go to high school for free but in
Ghana, students pay to go to school right from the beginning.
My country is a little poor so schools and organizations do not
offer a lot of scholarships for the students to be able to attend
college.
The cost of education in Ghana is very expensive
compared to America. Schooling in America is less expensive
because there are a lot of scholarships available, financial aid
and opportunities to be a work study.
Children should take the opportunities offered in
There are scores and scores of homeless people dwelling on the streets of Paterson. I conducted an
interview with two homeless people and was surprised
to learn that they believe there may be close to 7,000
homeless living in Paterson. This was in large part due
to the lagging economy and they believed many of
them were staying with friends and family.
When it comes to panhandling these two guys
are true experts. They make their money mainly from
asking people at the drive-thru for spare change. On a
good day they can each pull in about $70. On a bad day
they will make $8 and sometimes less.
At times they stand in front of our main entrance to the college looking for people smoking to ask
them for cigarettes. They denied asking students or
faculty for change. They may have said this because
they both knew I was reporting for PCCC, or maybe
not.
When I asked them what they did with all the
money they get they said they spend 85% of it on heroin. According to the men, each bag goes for $6 and on
any given day they will go through one to ten bags.
This is the very reason they wanted the interview confidential. Crack-cocaine is another drug that
other homeless people spend their energy trying to obtain. There are also many homeless alcoholics.
They tell me that they are in a vicious circle
that is almost impossible to get out of. They have no
address or phone number to get a decent job and the
allure of being high is too much to abandon.
Asking them where they slept, they pointed in
the direction of the rail-road tracks. They tell me in the
dead of winter, sometimes they don’t sleep for fear of
freezing to death. When it’s really cold out, it’s best to
keep your body moving.
In no way are these two homeless people bad
people; they are struggling with problems that seem to
have no solution.
So when you see one of these homeless people
and don’t want to spare your change, the very least you
can do is smile.
America and get a better education. There are
the lots of people in Ghana that are uneducated
because they can not afford to be in school.
I have the opportunity to go to school
and work at the same time. I will not waste such
an opportunity. I am very grateful to be in
America.
America has taught me how to be a
very independent person and how to work hard
to achieve the goals I have set for my future.
TAKE
EN-290 “Topics in Literature” – Memoir Writing
with Professor Christine Redman Waldeyer
Fall 2009 M & W evenings
For about a decade, writing memoirs has been a rage. Families ask older members
to write memoirs. Psychologists use memoirs to help clients understand their lives.
The French word memoire simply means memory. In literature, the memoir is a
reflection on memory. A memoir explores the writer’s memory of other people or
events.
We will be reading Judith Barrington’s, Lifesaving and writing our own.
For more information write Professor Waldeyer at
[email protected]
Page 8
Feature
May 2009
Become a well-rounded
college student
By Ashley Rosario
By Hannah Obadiah
Did you ever feel like a certain
teacher made you realize your goals in
life? I did not expect much when I enrolled in Introduction to Literature considering that I tutor English on regular
basics.
Professor Andrew Pawelczak
of the English department is full of enthusiasm and passion for what he
teaches. At first I thought to myself,
"this is going to be an easy class." However, I underestimated Andy as he likes
to be called.
Andy makes his students understand that teaching and learning from
one another goes hand in hand.
He always likes to make jokes
in between lessons to lighten up the
mood of the classroom. If Andy senses
that the learning environment is too
tight, he cracks up a joke then laughs
even before the rest of the class joins in.
That is one of the funniest memories
about Andy that I will never forget.
Andy indeed taught me that
learning is not fun without a little laughter to help one along the way.
I also remember how at times
Andy would try to impersonate characters from stories and poems just to make
the reading a little bit more understandable to us.
At times I thought to myself,
"how did he do that?" He can go from
being very calm and then get into character within a matter of minutes.
Andy loves politics and is a big
supporter of the Democratic Party.
Throughout the McCain and Obama
election, Andy would make his opinions
clear in class.
He would jokingly say, "If
McCain wins, I think I am going to kill
myself." Andy as a big time Obama
supporter believes in a change for the
brighter tomorrow.
Even within the short period of
time spent in Andy's session, my views
on the world in particular have changed.
I take things lighter and understand poetry even better now.
Introduction to Literature is a
class that all students must take with
Professor Andrew Pawelczak. One will
surely not regret the chance of a lifetime
to learn and have fun at the same time.
Professor of English Department Richard Marranca, recently published “Adventures in Learning: Beyond
the Classroom” in Innovation Abstracts
on April 3, 2009, Vol. XXXI, No. 19.
Prof. Marranca gives various
suggestions to students. He discussed
basic topics such as reading, expanding
viewing choices, benefit of travel,
healthy and natural foods, mastering
your life, and the job ladder. Marranca
suggests students should read a variety
of magazines and journals such as: New
York Times, Washington Post, and Wall
Street Journal.
He also recommends watching
TV programs such as Bill Moyers on
PBS, and the History and Learning
Channel. He recommends that students
get a Hosteling International Card and
buy some travel books, like Let’s Go,
Lonely Planet, or Rough Guide.
Also, spending a semester or
summer abroad is a good way to educate
and increase cultural awareness. The
advantage of studying abroad can last a
lifetime and even lead to a new way of
life. Some places he thinks students
would benefit from visiting are Macchu
Pichu, the pyramids, Florence, and Taj
Mahal.
In this article, he advises students to exercise, do yoga, meditation,
Pilates, and others things to gain selfawareness and relax. Also, take responsibility and get rid of unnecessary
debt.One important suggestion is learning Spanish, Chinese, or Arabic.
I certainly have to agree with
Prof. Marranca on some things such as
spending a semester or summer abroad,
I’ve heard it’s a great experience, one
I’m actually looking forward to myself.
Also, I think that exercising, doing yoga
and meditation are good ways to relax
especially during midterm and finals
week. In addition, I’ve tried to eliminate
my unnecessary debt but it’s hard. I
have one advantage that he suggests and
that’s learning Spanish.
Prof. Marranca wrote, “It is
important to tell [students] that life is
not just a series of problems, but a journey and a mystery to be explored. For
this journey, it is important to have consistency and mental stability. Slow and
steady progress, and common sense,
often win the race.”
May 2009
Culinary Arts School
Page 9
Food for Foundation Gala
By Andrew J. Hickman III
By Andrew J. Hickman III
Beginning on Monday, May
18th and throughout the week, the
kitchen staff will be up to their necks
with food items and preparations for
what Director of kitchen staff Chef
James Hornes calls “The busiest week
of the year;” as we all know, graduation
is a vital part of any and every college
students’ life, especially as a senior.
Remembering the long hard
semesters it took to be able to receive
that degree and finally move on to the
next chapter of life-why not reward you
with some delicious catering from the
one and only PCCC kitchen! Why is this
week the busiest week aside from
graduation? Along with that ceremony,
the kitchen catering also sees to the
Nurses Pinning Ceremony that seats
around 300 nurses to be, the Graduate
Awards that seats around 250 students,
the Pre-Commencement Reception for
the President and his honored guests that
seats up to 75 people, and of course
graduation which seats up to 2.000 students with family and friends.
Preparations for such begin
weeks prior to the events and mostly
everything is made from scratch. The
kitchen alone cooks up to 1,500 lbs of
chicken wings along with baked ziti,
meatballs, spring rolls and hot dogs; all
prepared by the students and kitchen
staff. According to Chef Hornes the
most challenging obstacles are dealing
with the long days of preparation. The
working days of the preparation start
before 7am and run until about 10pm.
The day of the ceremonies, the chicken
wings are prepared fresh, and cooking
those takes up to the entire day.
For the graduation, the commencement will begin by 7:30 and the
food will be ready by 7:00 pm. The
Back door patio, Paterson Room and the
cafeteria are all used to seat the people
and guest of the ceremonies. Given an
exclusive tour of the kitchen, Chef Hornes brought me ‘backstage’ to see how
everything was set up and the amount of
space they were able to work with. Provided with limited walk-ins (freezers)
the kitchen had to be expanded which
gave them some more room to work and
store the frozen foods.
In total, the kitchen staff works
with 6 Convectional Ovens, 2 Walk-ins,
3 Fryers, and 2 Steamers. The service of
the kitchen and its homemade foods
provide the students and faculty with
breakfast lunch and dinner, beginning at
8am until 8pm. Along with serving our
students, the kitchen also makes lunch
for Panther Academy, the high school
across the way-250 students are served.
Breakfast and Lunch are also served to
the Child Development Center next
door, where they see to 85 children,
providing them also with a snack.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner is also
served at the Wanaque Campus, where
several of the kitchen staff transport and
serve the food to the students daily. On
top of servicing all of these students and
faculty, the kitchen staff also caters to
about 3-4 events per day! Talk about
getting in the mix.
PCCC Cafeteria now offers Pizza
By Anibal Cabrera
Director of Food Service/
Chef, Mr. Hornes, said the PCCC
cafeteria has been offering pizza for
over a month now.
The pizza is made in the
cafeteria; however, they follow a recipe and cooking directions from Joe's
pizza located at the corner of Broadway and Church Street.
I went to visit Joe’s Pizza
and had the pleasure of speaking with
Joe himself. Joe takes pride in his
pizza. He has been in the pizza business for 31 years. The price of a slice
of cheese pizza is $1.65, the same price you will find for a slice of cheese in the
PCCC cafeteria.
Mr. Hornes said, “sales of pizza are pretty high, but not as high as the
chicken wings sold in the cafeteria.”
I asked Mr. Hornes what his favorite food served in the cafeteria; he told
me it was the fish.
As for the pizza, you no longer have to walk far to get a slice of Joe’s.
On May 7th, PCCC hosted an
event located in the Hamilton Club that
held a fundraiser that awarded students
with various awards and scholarships.
The Foundation Gala seated around 250
people and is considered one of the finest events throughout the year. Along
with the preparation of the event, besides setting up the tables, decorating
the hall and coming together with a program, the kitchen staff and culinary students had their work cut out for them.
Directed by Chef James Hornes, the kitchen staff, including 10-12 of
our very own students, and several full
and part-time staff members, worked
vigorously for several days prior to the
event to make it a delicious success.
Appetizers were served along with several different buffet stations that included: a carving station that served
turkey and filet mignon, a pasta station,
the main courses that were of course
buffet style and last but not least the
desserts; along with the desserts, was a
Crepe station, set up to make the finest
crepes for anyone’s pleasure.
An ice sculpture was on display as well and was carved and shaped
by none other, but our very own kitchen
staff. “Depending of the carving, it can
take up to 1-2 hours,” stated Chef Hornes. Coming from a culinary background, Chef Hornes has been Director
of the Kitchen staff since year 2000 with
14 years experience. He earned his degree in culinary arts from the Culinary
Institute of America; prior to directing
our staff here at PCCC, Chef Hornes
also worked at the Woodmire Club, in
Long Island, and was a former restaurant owner in the 80s-as well as owning
and contributing to various catering restaurants.
Page 10
Health
By Carlos Kennedy
Hatha Yoga can be beneficial
by itself or a nice addition to other
sports and routines. It offers a full experience that stimulates the mind, body
and soul. It is more than just an exercise; it’s a celebration of life.
Although it is referred to as
Serenity Yoga in the United States, it
truly is a total body workout. Many people are already familiar with its core
benefits, strengthened and toned muscles, increased flexibility, improved
posture, and many people may be surprised to learn how much it affects the
body.
• Here are some overall health
benefits that this exercise can:
• Alleviate back and muscle pain
• Increase circulation in the organs, glands, and nerves
• Stimulate digestion and elemination
• Decrease cholesterol and blood
sugar levels
• Cleanse the body of toxins
• Improve breathing disorders
And it’s now recommended by physicians as part of lifestyle.
According to Yoga and P.E.
instructor at PCCC, Andrea T. Smith,
“Hatha Yoga places equal emphasis on
the mind, body and soul. Deep breathing and meditation techniques teach you
how to focus your attention and sharpen
your concentration as you ‘tune in’ to
the rhythms of your body. A set of
elongated movements quiets the mind
and rejuvenate your spirit.” Often after
a session you feel as if you’ve just
awakened from a deep sleep or just
floating on air.
Passaic County Community
College offers a one-credit Yoga Course
in Room E003 in Founders Hall in the
old fitness room at basement level.
Smith’s class meets Tuesdays and
Thursdays for ninety minutes and usually begins with practicing Pranayamas
are deep breathing exercises through the
nose. Ms. Smith leads the class through
a series of Asanas or poses and ends
with three to five minutes of quiet time.
The atmosphere in a Yoga class is mellow and inviting. Hatha Yoga emphasizes quality over quantity. The instruc-
May 2009
tions encourage you to go at your own
pace and perform only those postures
that feel comfortable.
Students that attend these
Classes are Pre-Med, Business Majors,
Nurses, Physical Educators,
Human Services Majors, Liberal
Arts Majors and Psychology Majors.
As such, I feel that we have
an Oasis hidden in plain sight, a
place where you can go to escape for
a moment of quiet time. With the
easy to learn techniques and
numerous health benefits, this
philosophy turned fitness craze,
offers something for everyone.
I would like to
acknowledge my Instructor Ms.
Andrea T. Smith, New Life
Magazine, and Editor Mark Becker
for their help in the shaping of this
Article.
Three Sisters Continued
from Page 10
By Hannah Obadiah
With increasing economic troubles piled on to the stress of work and
family demands, more and more Americans are suffering from depression, fatigue, and anxiety attacks.
According to the GallupHealthways Well-Being Index, 58 percent of Americans reported that they
were struggling with these symptoms at
the end of 2008. This percentage reflects an increase of those 22 million
who reported struggling earlier in the
year.
Mental Health Month occurs
each year in May and is designed to
increase awareness about mental illness.
Children's Mental Health Awareness
Week begins on May 3rd through 9th
with May 4th dedicated to Children's
Depression Awareness Day in the
United States.
National Children's Mental
Health Awareness Day is a day for initiatives and communities it supports to
promote positive youth development,
resilience, recovery, and the transformation of mental health services delivery
for children and youth with serious mental health needs and their families.
Depression is a serious health
problem that affects people of all ages,
including children and adolescents.
Mental Health Awareness Week helps
raise the awareness and reduce the
stigma of mental illness.
Early diagnosis and treatment
are essential for children with depression. Children who exhibit symptoms of
depression should be referred to a mental health professional that specializes in
the disorder.
Awareness Day raises awareness of effective programs for children's
mental health needs, demonstrates how
children's mental health with initiatives
promote positive youth development,
recovery and resilience, as well as
showing how children with mental
health needs thrive in their communities.
This awareness in May is especially relevant in these challenging
times. Through this, more people will
get involved and participate in this great
cause which will help future generations.
want her son and daughter
exposed to the Flu. Natasha is
discussing firing the nurse
maid that has been with the
family for thirty-five years.
While Doctor Chebutykin
picked up a clock that once
belonged to their mother, he
broke it. He was drunk after
losing a patient. While people
are looking at him disapprovingly, he blurts out that Natasha and Protopopov are having an affair.
When Masha arrives she and Vershinin
communicate in codes, with musical
notes. Kulygin tells Masha how important she is to him, but she asked him to
leave her alone to rest for a short while.
When everyone leaves the Sisters find
themselves discussing how difficult
their lives are and how difficult Masha
has made Andrei’s life. Olga’s advice
to Irina, who hates her job, is to marry
Tuzenbach whether she loves him or
not. After Natasha passes through the
room with a candle, Masha confesses to
her Sisters that she is in love with Vershinin. Andrei enters and tells them that
he has mortgaged the house to pay off
his gambling debts and is giving control
of his money to Natasha. Irina announces that she will marry Tuzenbach.
ACT IV: The fourth Act about
a year after the previous Act takes place
in the garden outside of the house. The
Solders have been reassigned to new
post and are passing through this scene
to say goodbye. The news about the
duel between Solyony and Tuzenbach
has arrived as gossip. Olga has moved
out the house and lives on campus at the
school where she teaches and Irina is
contemplating leaving for Moscow with
Tuzenbach. Doctor Chebutykin is a
witness to the duel. Andrei enters having to sign more and more paperwork
for the County Board. Masha cries over
being left by Vershinin, while her husband Kuylygin is trying to comfort her,
and pretends he does not know what
Masha is upset about. The news arrived
that Tuzenbach had been killed in the
duel and at the play’s end Irina, Olga
and Masha thinks about the future hoping that one day to understand the meaning of it all.
May 2009
Health
By Jerry Gutierrez
It has been a great semester for
the Nursing Student Organization
(NSO). This was all possible due to the
outstanding leadership of their executive
board, according to Advisor Professor
Griffiths. Elections where held last December for new officers. The officers
consist of Luis Gutierrez, President,
Mayra Navarro 1st VP, Jerry Gutierrez
2nd VP, Kerri Samuels Treasurer, and
last but not least Emmanuel Owuor Secretary.
On top of the hectic and rigid
nursing program, these individuals were
able to do everything that is asked of
them as part of a school sponsor organization/club. The organization finished
their hard work with the MS (multiple
sclerosis) walk, Sunday April 19 at the
Graydon Pool, Ridgewood, NJ. The
walk was a great success for the NSO as
well as the Arabic Culture Club who cosponsored the event.
The NSO has been part taking
in this event for the past two years. This
is due to the courageous initiative of
Samantha Herman, past nursing student,
whose father suffers from MS. In her
cause NSO, has dedicated the spring
service project to the MS walk.
Health Corner with Jerry Gutierrez With summer upon us staying safely hydrated is a great necessity. It's not a good idea to wait until you are thirsty to get a drink of
water. Using thirst alone as a guide for when to drink water is not
healthy. This is in part because by the time you become thirsty, it's possible to already be slightly dehydrated. Furthermore, be aware that as
you get older your body is less able to sense dehydration and send your
brain signals of thirst.
To ward off dehydration and make sure your body has the fluids it needs, make water your beverage of choice. Nearly every healthy
adult can consider the following:
Drink a glass of water with each meal and between each meal.
Hydrate before, during and after exercise. If you will be exposed to heat
or the sun outside for a long period of time make sure you get plenty of
water. People can dehydrated easily and not even know it.
If you drink water from a bottle, thoroughly clean or replace the bottle
often.
If you would like to know how much water to drink ask your
doctor or a register dietitian. Depending on your medical history, age,
and build it is recommended about 8 glasses a day, more or less.
Jerry Gutierrez is a pre-nursing student at PCCC
According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, MS is an autoimmune condition in which the immune
system attacks the central nervous system, leading to demyelination. MS affects the ability of nerve cells in the
brain and spinal cord to communicate
with each other. MS is a disease that
onset usually occurs in young adults,
and it is more common in females, both
sexes raging from age 20 to early to mid
40s.
It was a good turn out for the
MS Walk with both club advisors being
present and some members from both
clubs. Three members put the extra excitement and dedication into finishing
all 9 miles in just 3 hours.
As the semester comes to a
close and students can only think about
ending this semester; the NSO executive
Page 11
board is starting to think about the new
semester in the fall. One can see that
this organization is on a good tract of
hard work and service for the community.
The Nursing Student Organization is being recognized for all their
hard work and dedication with several
S.G.A. nominations for the S.G.A. &
Athletic Awards Dinner to be held on
April 22, 2009.
Congratulations are in place for
Luis Gutierrez, who was nominated for
the silent inspiration Award. Jerry
Gutierrez was nominated to the Silent
Inspiration and Emerging Student
Leader Award. Congratulations to all
the members of NSO the organization
was nominated for the Community Service & Club of the Year Award.
Page 12
Health
Science of Living Longer
Healthier Productive Lives
By Carlos A. Kennedy
On April 2, 2009 at 1:15 P.M. a
Physical Fitness Health and Life Style
Symposium was hosted by Professor
Ann Deblinger, Fitness Center Coordinator, at PCCC.
An illustration of people exercising appeared on screen as Professor
Deblinger began with Exercise as Science. It makes the body function better.
W h a t
makes you physically fit? In the
last fifty years of
Life Cycle Study
focus is on five
components, such
as, Cardio, Aerobics,
Walking,
building
Heart
Muscles and Muscular strength –
The
Sedentary
Death Syndrome,
is the lack of exercise, poor diet,
and a Couch Potato Life Style
which is dangerous to your Heart.
Professor
Deblinger stressed the need to exercise
at least 30-90 minutes of Cardio and
Aerobics workouts which direct oxygen
into all the tissues of the body. The
benefits are a part of the health awareness that pushes the envelope which
promotes more years of healthy living
and being productive.
A visual slide shows a football
team engaging in a scrimmage as the
presenter explains that the Heart is a
muscle and that it beats about 40 million
beats per year, adding capillaries to the
Heart so it is stronger and has the ability
to contract 40 million gallons of blood a
day. This organ requires at least 30
minutes of Cardio exercises.
Bone Health: bones tend to
require shock-like the slide of football
players- scrimmaging – and weight lifting helps bone density to grow. Calcium, exercise, adequate diet and supplements such as Vitamin D are important.
The Immune System Health:
especially digestive problems as a results of stress which can take up to 24
hours to manifest in our bodies. 30-90
minutes would help alleviate the effects
of stress rather quickly, releasing endorphins, to improve outlook on life.
Walking aides the immune system,
stress suppresses the immune system
Muscle Endurance: a visual
graphic of various recreational outdoor
activities, such as Hiking, Biking and
Running up and down stairs, muscle
growth exercises, crunches and barbells
are a recommended workout of at least
twice a week.
Modes of Keeping Physically
Fit: with the help of a personal trainer, a
maximum amount of weight training,
and strong skeletal muscles, chronic
pain and lower back pain, can be corrected with strength
and flexibility exercises.
Exercises
like Yoga and Palates are important
but don’t stress
about it. 1-7 times a
week of passive
stretching, bouncing
and stretching, body
composition and
mass index, reflect
that lean people live
longer than overweight and obese
people, if not careful, are most likely
to develop Diabetes
or Colon Cancer.
By walking
a mile the body burns a lot of calories
which regulates blood sugars. The need
in this field has created opportunities for
the following: Guidance and Fitness
Instructors, Physical Fitness, PE Teachers, EMTs, Recreational Programs, and
everyone should take a CPR course.
At PCCC an Associate in Science (AS) Liberal Arts with an option in
Exercise Science requires (27) credits in
Humanities (11) Science (6) Mathematics (3) Computer Science for a total of
65 credits. At the end of the presentation Professor Deblinger fielded a question from the large audience. The question was why Physical Education is restricted in public schools? Ms. Deblinger replied that public schools do offer
Physical Education options to students
attending public school.
She then invited everyone in
attendance to join her in testing several
of the strengthening and flexibility portable equipment on hand. Several students were observed in hands on testing
and equipment operation. For a Liberal
Arts option in Exercise Science contact
Mrs. Ann Deblinger or Andrea T. Smith
at the Fitness Center Monday-Thursday
8:00 A.M. – 7:00 P.M. and Fridays 8:00
A.M. – 5:00 P.M. This A.S. Degree
program can also be applied toward a
four year program.
May 2009
May 2009
Arts
By Margie Blake
On a sunny day in February
there was excitement and anticipation in
the air. A group of students and faculty
(with myself included) were on our way
to see someone whom I have always
wanted to see and gain some of her poetic wisdom. This person is none other
than Dr. Maya Angelou.
I had tried to see her one year
earlier but wasn’t able to because of my
work schedule. I had the opportunity to
meet with Student Activities at Passaic
County College and ride over to Brookdale Community College in Monmouth
County on February 25, 2009. The trip
took about an hour in the college van
driven by Professor Redman-Waldeyer.
As our group arrived in the
auditorium, I was amazed at the thousands of people that were already there
also waiting for this rare opportunity. I
decided to sit on the chairs that were on
the floor instead of the bleachers. The
auditorium was so crowded that I estimated that I was seated about fifty to
eighty rows from the front. It was hard
for me to see through all of the heads in
By John Trocano
Have you ever wanted to do
something you truly love? Jazmyn Arroyo, a 19-year-old student at PCCC, is
majoring in Performing Arts. Arroyo
front, but that
didn’t
take
away from my
excitement one
bit.
M s .
Angelou was
escorted to the
front by one of
the students to
a high chair that
she partially sat
on during the
entire evening.
She noted that
her bad knee
kept her from
standing
for
any length of
time.
Ms. Angelou has a sense of
humor and a deep, strong voice -- a
voice made for speaking. She began
with a line from one of her poems about
the rainbow.
I learned Maya Angelou was
eighty years old and this made me respect her life even more because of all
that she must have seen, rejoiced,
has been attending PCCC as part of the
NJ Stars Scholarship, and will be graduating this year to continue studying and
acting at Montclair State University.
As a child, Arroyo always
loved to sing and in high school participated in the NJ State Black
and Gold competition as well
as many musicals. The director of the musical noticed
that she had good instinct, a
skill that cannot be taught. It
was then that she realized
that acting was what made
her feel at home. She found it
very enjoyable. She went
straight to PCCC after
graduation and quickly began
taking Acting classes I and II.
Arroyo made her
first acting debut in Anton
Chekhov’s “Three Sisters,”
which ran at the PCCC Theater on April 7, 8, 9, and 10th.
She worked very hard for
two months but could only fit
in twice a week rehearsal
time due to her busy schedule.
When asked what
she liked about being part of
“Three Sisters,” she said she
felt that this was an unbelievable experience, an amazing
Page 13
grieved and
triumphed
in all those
e i g h t y
years. She
let the audience know
that
she
would recite
a few poems,
but
instead
talked about
issues close
to her heart
such as how
p e o p l e
should embrace each
other
no
matter our differences and that education was an important tool to get us
there.
At first, honestly, I felt slightly
disappointed that she didn’t read more
poetry. She gave us a glimpse into her
childhood and life story. At an early age
both Maya and her younger brother had
to go live with her uncle and grand-
play, and that she learned so much about
acting in general. She learned that you
need to memorize where to go on stage
and not just memorize your lines. Arroyo said “It is hard to be someone else
and you need to bring what is on paper
to real life.”
Arroyo contributes much of her
success to what she has learned from
Professor Radar who is the Director of
Theater for PCCC. He taught her to
take it one step at a time as well as made
it seem in reach for her to learn acting.
Arroyo feels Radar is a great mentor and
encourages her to reach all of her goals.
All the support makes it very possible
for her.
Although Arroyo could have
played it safe by majoring in a field that
has more employment opportunities, she
felt it was important for her to take
something that she truly loves. Her
family and friends support her all the
way and are proud of her accomplishments. Arroyo works hard studying her
craft and will not give up until she fulfills her dream in becoming a professional actress. When asked where her
drive and motivation comes from, Arroyo said she will never forget the most
significant thing one of her high school
teachers wrote in her yearbook which
was, “not to abandon your dreams.”
mother.
She had a respect for her uncle
and how he gave his best to help others
and how he was remembered for his
kindness. The one thing I do distinctly
remember her telling us was that she
was six feet tall, sixteen years old, and
pregnant. She stood outside of the
United Nations in the sixties, wanting to
go in but felt ashamed. Some forty years
later in 2008 she was invited as a guest
speaker at the United Nations to talk
about world peace among all nations in
a poem.
I have read some of her books
and poems. The first time I heard of
Maya Angelou, I was thirteen years old.
I had no idea of who she was or that she
would be the one of the world’s famous
African-American woman poets. At that
time my sister and I were watching a
television movie, that was made from
her book called, “I Know Why the
Caged Bird Sings.” Although I was very
young, I was captivated how the movie
sent a message of family trials and triumph about the story of a young girl
experiencing racism and incest in the
south in the early fifties.
The Passaic County Cultural &
Heritage Council at Passaic
County Community College
and Paterson Public Schools
Present
GREEN VISIONS
an art exhibition by
Paterson Public School
artists/teachers:
GEORGE GARBECK, LISA
PETSU LAGUNES
and MARILYN SIMON
MAY 7 – JUNE 19 2009
Broadway & LRC Galleries
Passaic County Community College
Broadway at Memorial Drive
Artists Reception
May 12
3:30 PM – 5:30 PM
Gallery Hours
Mon-Fri 9:00 am – 9:00 pm
Sat. 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
(wheelchair accessible)
Information: Jane Haw
(973) 684-5448
[email protected]
Page 14
Arts
May 2009
Theater and Poetry Project
Susan Amsterdam who heads
up the “Theater and Poetry Project, A
Language Arts Enrichment Partnership”
has been having great success since inception. The program is also known as
TAPP. The partners are PCCC and the
Paterson Public Schools.
The program consists of two
components which are professional theatrical productions and in class language
arts enrichment. Amsterdam presents a
series of professional shows in the
PCCC theater free of charge to the
Paterson students.
Some of the shows are stage
adaptations of classic children’s literature and some are music and or dance
productions. For many young people
these are life enhancing experiences,
unlike anything they have ever seen or
felt before. They learn to appreciate the
performing arts and to develop new interests in reading and writing.
In connection with the poetry
writing workshops, TAPP offers a district-wide poetry contest. The first and
second prize winners receive cash prizes
and their poems are published in an anthology along with the poems of the
honorable mention winners. This year’s
award ceremony will be on May 20th at
6:00 PM in the gym followed by a reception in the cafeteria.
Several poets visit the schools
some of which included Laura Boss,
Charles Johnson, Khalil Murrell and Jim
Reese. They conduct poetry workshops
in which they teach writing. They also
have performance poets such as Kurtis
Lamkin who reads his own poetry and
accompanies himself on an African
stringed instrument called a kora and
M.L. Liebler and AvantRetro who perform energetic programs in large assemblies in which they combine lively music and poetry.
They also have famous people
like Juno Diaz who won a Pulitzer Prize
and Patricia Smith who won the National Poetry Slam four times and was a
finalist for the 2008 National Book
Award.
The program began in 1988
with the presentation of just a few plays
during the school year and has evolved
into a comprehensive language arts enrichment program consisting of a theater
series offering 26 performances (two per
day on 13 days) during school hours and
over 40 days of in-school poetry workshops, performance poetry presentations, and Meet-the-Author sessions
during the school year.
TAPP has brought high-caliber
artistic programming free of charge to
the young people of Paterson, a disadvantaged inner-city school system having a culturally diverse population.
Since many of these students come from
homes below poverty line, most of them
would have no other chance to experience the arts.
TAPP also brings a heightened
awareness of poetry to the students and
the families of the students who participate in the annual Paterson Students’
Poetry Contest. Hundreds of people
will attend the Award Ceremony and
Reception on May 20th. The first prize
winning poems will be published in the
Herald News so the greater community
can read them.
Amsterdam hopes TAPP will
continue to encourage an enthusiasm for
reading, writing, and creativity in general.
Librarian.
Many of
you might
be
surprised to
see that
the
Librarian
performed at this event. Professor Ayala
is very proud of this fact, “The event
provides an opportunity to all faculty to
show off their hidden talents. Next year
there might be less faculty participating
for there are more and more music students to perform.”
The majority of the attendants
were in fact Music Appreciation students. The reason why so many of these
students were there was because they
had an assignment. Also family and
friends came to see the artists perform.
Everyone had a great time with the
event and many asked for the event to
be two times
a year. Professor Ayala
has plans of
making the
event twice a
year if scheduling permits.
“If you haven’t experienced PCCC night
at Trumpets then do so next year. It is a
great event and it promotes our school,”
says Professor Ayala.
The artists of the night included the PCCC students: The Dalton
Gang, Kevin Weston, Joshua Rosa,
Brian Kivelier, Ryan Champin, Joe Torres, Aixa Burgos, Adrian Lopez, Ronique Young, and Gilbert Ramos, Annamaria Chilimintris, Marlee Garlin, Pro.
Beatriz de Mello, Pro. Sam Ayala and
Ken Karol, also a performance by Prof.
Eleanzer Rodriguez, Prof. Willy Dalton,
and Dr. Adonis Gonzalez.
By John Trocano
By Sashel Hinds
When I hear the word poetry,
words become vibrant colors that come
together to form pictures. Those words
possess the ability not only to tell stories
but to evoke feeling. When I think of
poetry I think of the beauty of language
and it creates a sense of purpose within
me.
Poetry electrifies my senses.
When I experience a poetry reading, I
take in the atmosphere and hear the
words falling from the mouth of the poet
like fresh morning dew, my heart rejoices and I feel enticed.
On April 1, 2009 in honor of
National Poetry Month, a poetry reading
showcased the works of several faculty
members who work in the English Department, the Writing Center, and the
Poetry Cultural Center.
The featured poets were Maria
Maziotti Gillan, director of Cultural
Affairs, Christine Redman-Waldeyer
from the English Department, Ken Ronkowitz from the Writing Center, Professor R.G. Rader, and Professor Mark
Hillringhouse.
The poets all possessed very
distinct styles.
The first poet was Ken Ronkowitz. He shared poetry about his position as a poet and his life experiences.
He was then followed by Professor
Rader who used figurative language and
intense imagery.
Christine Redman-Waldeyer
spoke about her family and her experiences as a mother, which was refreshing. The poetry of Mark Hillringhouse is
a collage of humor about his past. Much
of the audience (as well as myself) enjoyed his piece called “Burger King.”
Finally, we were then washed
with emotion when we were serenaded
by the poetry of Maria Mazziotti Gillan
as she spoke about her family, her childhood days and how her relationships
affected her. She used her voice to mesmerize us; her words became rockets
launching our imagination. It was truly
moving.
Poetry has such importance to
the development of culture and sensitivity that dwells within us.
Musical Talents Shine in the Third
Annual Music Department Night
By Blanca Godinez
Upon entering the Trumpets
Jazz Club situated in Montclair, New
Jersey music is felt though the air. The
PCCC music students participated in the
Third Annual Music Department Night
on Thursday April 23, 2009.
The event was opened and
closed by the Dalton Gang, the unofficial “Artist in Residence.” The Dalton
Gang is a Jazz band that has been together since 1979. Professor Ayala is
very proud to have them on board for
they are very open to questions and
teach students. “The reason they open
the event is that they are the unofficial
artist in residence. Students study with
Willie and not just Willie but the other
members. At some point I would like to
make them the official artist in Residence,” Professor Ayala stated.
The second segment of the
night was performed by Professor Jay
O’Brien on the Marimba. He currently
teaches Music Appreciation in the
Wanaque Campus. The Marimba songs
were mystical and captivating, if not one
of the favorites of that night. Even
though the main theme was jazz, the
different genres gave the night an interesting ambiance.
Professor Willie Dalton’s Segment included beginner guitar students
who had the first opportunity to be involved in such an event. Many of them
were nervous and at the same time
“amped” to perform in front of a large
audience. But as soon as they hit the
stage, their talents shone through. The
pieces included Jazz favorites such as
“Mercy Mercy,” “Have You Miss
Jones,” “Blue Bossa,” and “Autumn
Leaves.” Also the Latin favorite “Oye
Como Va” that made many want to get
up and dance. The vibes felt though
each of these pieces gave the restaurant
a very classy feel.
The fourth segment of the night
was led Professor Adonis Gonzales who
also with his students performed Classical Piano pieces. The performed songs
are “Duet,” “Slow Walking Guy,”
“Violin Concerto,” “Etude Op.10.” Professor Gonzales was very happy to participate for the second time. He believes
that the event provides the students with
the perfect opportunity to show their
talents.
Professor Beatriz de Mello’s
segment included current piano students. They played “Prelude No1” and
a piano piece that was announced in the
event. They did a wonderful job by presenting their work and long hours of
practice.
Professor Sam Ayala performed along with Ken Karol, a PCCC
May 2009
Arts
By Hannah Obadiah
Recently, the English Department of PCCC
has some exciting news to report. Mark Hillringhouse’s
photograph, "Figure with Shadows and Fire Escapes,"
has been selected for the Salmagundi Club's Annual
Juried Photography and Graphics Exhibition for 2009.
The Salmagundi Art Club has served as a center for the fine arts, hosting exhibitions, art auctions,
recitals and other art events since 1871.
Determination and focus can lead a person to
great things as long as he/she does not give up hope. In
the case of Mark Hillringhouse, one can call his success
a miraculously well deserved.
Hillringhouse said, "I feel vindicated on some
level for this acceptance since it validates what I have
been trying to accomplish, and this is to create a photograph worthy of fine art, because at the end of the day,
picture making is like any other form of picture making, whether it be oil on canvas, or a digitally captured
light image on photographic paper."
Hillringhouse's photographs have been selling
By Carlos A. Kennedy
THREE SISTERS by Anton
Chekhov is the first play that Cherhov
wrote for the Moscow Art Theater. Like
many of his works it is about the decay
of the privileged class in Russia and the
search for meaning in the Modern
World.
In the play, Olga, Masha, and
Irina are cultured young women in their
early twenties who were raised in urban
Moscow, but have been living in a small
unknown provincial town for eleven
years. With their father dead, their anticipated return to Moscow comes to
represent their hopes for living a good
life. While dealing with ordinary day to
day living they come to grips with the
new realties of social change which is
sometimes scary and uncertain.
Passaic County Community
College on April 7-10th premiered the
stage play – by Cherhov – “The Three
Sisters” in Founders Hall Theater, Directed by R.G. Rader and translated by
Deloss Brown. It tends to lend itself to
both drama and comedy.
The Role of Olga, the older
sister, was played by Gladsy Rodriguez,
Masha, the middle sister, Jazmyn Arroyo, Irina, the youngest sister, Samantha Jaikaran, Andrei, brother of the three
sisters, Jorge Suarez.
ACT I: Takes place in a warm
unusual spring, a year after the death of
their father, Colonel Prozarov, who
eleven years earlier had moved from
Moscow and they are celebrating Irina’s
Birthday. The year is an unspecified
one but the overall context of this play is
centered on the decline of the privilege
class in Russia. The dramatic social
Page 15
in the $300 to $500 dollar range. With this recognition,
he wishes to raise his prices up a bit.
In terms of how this recognition has impacted
Hillringhouse, he expressed his gratitude. "It means a
great deal to me because it was a juried competition and
the judges didn’t know me personally, they only saw
my work, and I am in a show with some heavy hitters,
professional and fine art photographers from Manhattan, some of whom are well-known and who are also
photography professors from places like the School of
Visual Arts, Parsons School of Design, the New
School, and the International Center for Photography."
Although Hillringhouse was unknown to the
judges and audience, he believed in his work and photography.
To visit this New York landmark and more of
the artist reception which runs from June 15 through
June 26 at 6-8 p.m visit their website at
www.salmagundi.org/virtualtour1.htm or go to FortySeven Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10003. The club
can be contacted at 212-255-7740.
change that is about to take place has the
three sisters faced with a search for
meaning in the Modern World. The
play, like the characters, is moody and
noisy, while exploring the themes relating capacity for dreaming and the realization of the desperation of an uncertain
future. The first Act takes place in the
drawing room of the home of Prozarov.
Sisters, Olga, Masha and Irina are having a conversation recalling the past
remembrance that a year ago their father
had died. Irina tells Olga not to think of
it. Olga then recalls how the family left
Moscow eleven years ago. The Servant,
Anfisa, comes in announcing Vershinin’s arrival. Vershinin recounts how
he knew the sisters since they were little
and living in Moscow. Olga and Irina
talk about how they would be in Moscow by the fall. Virshinin becomes philosophical about their life being insignificant. Solyany a rough staff captain
mocks him by speaking gibberish.
Olga, Masha, and Irina have been teasing Andrei their brother, for being in
love with a local girl. Natasha is married
to one of the County Board Members,
Protopopov. Masha’s husband, Kulygin, arrives to take Masha to a school
function, but she angrily refuses to go.
Tuzenbach, an Army Lieutenant, expressed his love for Natasha but she
shows disinterest in him. When everyone leaves the room for the dining table
for the celebration Andrei proposes to
Natasha and asks for her hand in marriage.
ACT II: The second Act curtain opens and it is almost a year later in
mid February. Andrei and Natasha are
now Husband and Wife living in the
family house. The Sisters have invited
their friends and some performers from
the Carnival, that’s in town, over to the
house. Natasha expresses her objection
of letting them in. She’s worried about
the health of her baby Bobik. An old
Servant, Ferapont, enters with some
paper work for Andrei who is Secretary
of the County Board. Masha and Vershinin enter and discuss their love for
each other. Irina and Tuzenbach enter;
he’s still in love with her and she has no
interest in discussing Andrei’s gambling
losses that he has incurred. Vershinin is
called away by a letter from his daughter, saying that his wife attempted suicide, once again. Solyony arrives, and
is rude to Natasha and threatening to
Tuzenbach, the reason for which becomes clear later in the scene when he
expresses his love for Irina and vows to
kill all rivals while Natasha had the Carnival sent away when they showed up at
the door. The sound of Sleigh Bells
prompted Olga to the door and to her
surprise Protopopov came to take her for
a ride. She explained that she felt obligated to accept the invitation. The scene
ends with Olga complaining of her terrible headaches and Irina repeating her
wish to return to Moscow.
ACT III: The third Act takes
place four years after the opening of the
play, Irina who was twenty then, tells
Olga that she is “almost Twenty-Four,”
while explaining how washed up she
feels. This Act takes place in the bedroom that Olga and Irina share. Meanwhile a fire is spreading across the
neighborhood outside. Olga is choosing
clothes from her closet to aid the victims
of the fire, and have invited people who
have been made homeless by the fire to
come into their home. Vershinin and his
family are invited to spend the night
there, but when Mrs. Vershinin enters
Natasha objects saying that she doesn’t
Three Sisters Continued on Page 10
Page 16
SGA
By Jerry Gutierrez
There is a saying that change is
good. But there are many individuals
who don’t like change or are afraid of it.
Well, this change is something that it is
inevitable for the Student Government
Association here at Passaic County
Community College.
Elections where held at the
Paterson campus for an entire week,
from April 27 to May 1, 2009. The candidates where Kristopher Perovic running for President, Sanjeev Santhakumar for VP, Nahtascha Gleabes for VP,
Cristhina Barrera for Treasurer, Glenn
McNeill for Secretary, Danny Bassus
for Paterson Senator, and Leah Swey for
Paterson Senator.
It seems that the enthusiasm is
only in just a few individuals who take a
leadership role in their academics as
well as in school related activities. According to James (Jim) Tardiff, Director
of Students Activities here at PCCC,
students are not aware of activities at the
college. This lack of awareness leads to
low participation on part of the students.
According to PCCC’s website,
the Student Government Association is
the official voice of the student body.
The SGA is a body run by and for the
students of PCCC.
The SGA at PCCC is a very
hands on involved association. As part
of the SGA, students are provided with
an opportunity to experience a democ-
ratic form of government. These courageous individuals also receive training
for their leadership roles. Tardiff’s office holds many workshops and seminars in leadership skills for any individual who would like to become a leader.
The SGA assists in the planning of student activities, programs, and
also encourages fellow students to be
come involved in college life. According to SGA’s charter description, members of the SGA develop and promote
effective communication between the
student body, administration, and the
faculty.
The SGA also listens to student
grievances and other significant problems relating to academic life. The
SGA also participates in many collegewide committees representing students.
As a student of Passaic County
Community College, you contribute to
the SGA through the payment of Student Activities fees. Your money funds
clubs, organizations, and other social
and cultural activities. Therefore, it is
only logical that you get involved. The
following are instructions as how to get
involved with the SGA:
• Become involved in SGA activities.
• Attend open SGA meetings
• Be an SGA community volunteer
• Join a club
• Express your opinions on all matters
concerning PCCC.
The SGA consists of 10 students, with a faculty member, adminis-
May 2009
trator and Student Activities Office representative each serving as advisors. As
advisors the faculty member’s job is to
advise the SGA in what to do and what
not to do, but, in the end the SGA can
make their own decision. Sometimes
the SGA can make the wrong decisions.
Tardiff mentions that as an advisor he
lets students fail and failure promotes
learning.
Although it is a process, Tardiff says, that needs to stay within
PCCC limits. All ten students are
elected by the student body. This includes five executive members and five
senators. Each candidate for election
must have at least a 2.5 grade point average. Members must maintain a grade
point average of 2.5 or higher each semester and be registered for nine credits
to remain a member of the Student Government Association.
Students who would like to run
for office are asked to fill out an application at the office of Student Activities.
Elections are held once a year in April
for all positions. A student can only
hold the positions of president and vicepresident for one full year. This is due
mainly to stop the monopolization of the
position by a student. All other positions are able to be run for as long as
you want.
Tardiff states that he would
encourage students that are intimidated
to just GO AND GET the position that
you want. He does warn though, that an
Community service award winner
Radiography Club
Silent Inspiration award winner
Jerry Gutierrez
Most Dedicated Part-time Employee winner
Alveria Spencer
Emerging Student Leader award winner
Nahtascha Gleabes
Most Dedicated Staff Award winner
Edwin Figueroa
Advisor of the Year
Robert Getso
Most Dedicated Administrator
Patty Medieros
Student Leader of the year
Gayatri Nehrusingh
individual has to first sit with themselves and ask if they can make the time
commitment. Sometimes it is hard work
and long hours. Students who are interested have the opportunity to shadow
(follow them around for a day or two) a
member of SGA to see what kind of
work they do. It is important to know
that the students that want to run for
office will not waste their time and the
time that it takes for others to train
them, which according to Tardiff has
happened in the past.
As mentioned previously, elections and nominations happen in April
every year. Students that are interested
in running for office should pay attention to flyers, campus monitors, letters
that go out to all PCCC departments and
to all clubs, email blasts, posters and
lastly students are encouraged to sign
into the portal at least once a day to find
out what is going on that day at PCCC.
If you would like more information about the SGA, you can contact,
James Tardiff, Director of Student Activities Passaic County Community
Room E102A or visit the SGA office
Room E102B or send an email to
[email protected].
To finalize this great SGA semester let us congratulate the new
elected officials: Kristopher Perovic,
President, Nahtascha
Gleabes VP,
Cristhina Barrera Treasurer, Glenn
McNeill, Danny Bassus Paterson Senator, and Leah Swey Paterson Senator.
Club of the year
Science club
Outstanding service award winner
Edna Ortiz
Dean’s Award
Samantha Jaikaran
Student’s Choice Award-Club
Latin American Student Club
Students Choice Award-Leader
Yefry Rodriguez
Best New Club
Public Speaking and Debate Club
Program of the year
Business Club-Tax workshops
Ambassador of the Year
Alveria Spencer