February 2008 - Bergen Community College

Science Made Easy
battles depression
pg 6
“Fuming”
students
plan to
organize
smoke-in
pg 3
The Torch Sports Top 10
takes a look back at
some ‘Giant’ defining
moments pg 20
Jack Johnson
leads off this
month’s
Album Anecdotes pg 12
February 2008
2008
February
Online at: www.bergen.edu/thetorch
MySpace: www.myspace.com/bcctorchnewspaper
Vol. XII
XII
Vol.
Issue 10
10
Issue
BCC is Smoke Free,
Campus Reacts to Ban
BY ERVISA BILALAJ
STAFF WRITER
PHOTO COURTESY/BCC PR
Although construction is still taking place, classes will be begin July 1. See story on pg 3.
Civility Code:
Reduced to Civility Amendment
BY JILL BARTLETT
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Students will not be required to
sign a civility code to attend Bergen
Community College, but BCC
President Jeremiah Ryan intends to
press ahead with an amendment to
the current Student Code of
Conduct that addresses civility.
“The way I understand it is that
the student handbook will be
amended, and that a dialog is
starting to happen with the
Student Government Association
and other clubs,” stated Susan
Baechtel, director of Public
Relations at BCC.
In an interview this month,
President Ryan said he thinks asking students to be courteous and
respectful is a reasonable request,
and that he intends to bring both
student government and the facul-
ty senate together to draft the proposed amendment. A previous
“Code of Responsibility” published
in The Record led to a controversial
outcry regarding free speech.
See a draft proposal,
page 11
“I think the idea of having a simple statement that says what the
college expects of people in terms
of behavior is powerful,” Dr. Ryan
stated. “[However] in a place this
big, and this complex, asking people to sign [a code] is probably
unworkable. “
Dr. Ryan said his new proposal
intends to be careful about the
possibility of infringing on free
speech. He has enlisted the help of
Seton Hall Law School Professor
Paula Franzese; the college is cur-
rently making arrangements with
Franzese to conduct a civility conference with all 19 community
colleges. It has not yet been decided whether she will be involved in
drafting the new amendment.
“We are in discussions regarding
what she should do; we do know
that we want her to speak and that
we want her to speak with students
as to helping us to understand how
we should carry out civility,” said
Baechtel, “We are trying to make
[the conference] happen before the
end of the semester, but that
depends on her availability.”
BCC made national headlines
during winter break over a proposed Civility Code after The
Record published a front page story
accompanied by the proposed new
code that took most of the faculty
Bergen Community College
became a smoke-free campus Jan. 1
-inside and out, including parking
lots and walkways- but in the first
weeks after the ban was enacted, the
college’s public safety officers were
quite busy enforcing the new rule.
And though there’s no smoking
here, some of the addicted are
going just off campus to nearby
grounds, or even hiding in their
cars for a quick fix.
“I smoke in my car, but we are
going to have to find a place,” said
Sony, a liberal arts major.
While many non-smokers
applauded, BCC’s switch to a
smoke-free campus -making it one
of the few in New Jersey and in
the nation to do so- some students
complained that it all happened
too quickly and they were unaware
of the new rule. Some students
said the change was not advertised
enough, especially to new spring
semester students who are attending BCC for the first time.
However, while public safety was
busy enforcing the ban during the
first few weeks of the semester,
public safety officers reported in
early Feb. that it is now seeing
fewer violations as more people
become aware of the new rules.
Toni, a psychology major, doesn’t
like the new smoke-free environment.
“I am paying to come to the
school, and as an adult, contribute
a major amount of money to the
school,” she said. “I should not be
treated as a high school student
and told not to smoke.”
Some other students were
offended, stating “it is like we are
doing drugs or something.”
See Civility . . page 11
PHOTO COURTESY/ALISON PLATT
An illegal light-up on campus.
Many non-smokers, however,
like the new law. And some smokers who want to quit respect this
initiative as another way to help
them quit.
“I am happy the school did this
because this will help make quitting easier, says Lauren, a business
marketing major, “knowing that I
am unable to go outside and
smoke anytime I want; it makes
quitting much easier.”
According to the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), 44.5 million US adults
were current smokers in 2006 (the
most recent year for which numbers are available). This is 20.8%
of all adults (23.9% of men,
18.0% of women) -- more than 1
out of 5 people.
The numbers were higher in
younger age groups. In 2006,
CDC reported almost 24% of
those 18 to 44 years old were current smokers, compared to 10.2%
in those aged 65 or older.
Nationwide, 22.3% of high
school students and 8.1% of middle school students were smoking
in 2004. The study also shows
more white and hispanic students
smoke cigarettes.
About half of all Americans who
continue to smoke will die because
See Smoke-Free . . page 11
TV and Radio Studios Go Digital with Podcasting Test
BY JOE POLLICINO
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
On the west side of BCC’s campus is one of Bergen’s best-kept
secrets: the Radio Production and
TV studios located on the first floor
of the new West Hall building.
Mixed in with various practice
rooms and classrooms, the studios
are as new as the building and
have some of the best equipment a
broadcasting student could be
offered, warranting a jaw-drop
upon first sight.
The building is where the
Communications Department has
its home. Tucked in the back of
the second floor hallway, inside a
small office is where you find the
quirky, friendly, and intelligent,
Marshall Katzman. He is one of
the main people in charge of anything radio related to the school
STAFF PHOTO/JOE POLLICINO
BCCs new radio studio located in West Hall
and always has a smile on his face.
Many years ago, Professor
Katzman headed a radio club that
did closed circuit radio on Bergen’s
campus, and for a while even
shared airtime in an agreement
with Ramapo College. But all that
ended in the 1980’s, and it’s been
Prof. Katzman’s passion to have a
campus radio station again.
Now his efforts are about to bear
fruit. Rumors have been abuzz
around campus about a new
“WBCC Radio,” but until now it’s
been all talk. However, just this
month Prof. Katzman received
word from the Center for
Institutional
and
Media
Technologies that his proposal to
develop video and audio podcasting for Bergen has been approved
as a pilot project.
For now, the pilot will be evaluated for use in preparing and
delivering course instruction.
Prof. Katzman, however, said he
has already made a request to
develop programming.
BCC’s new President Jeremiah
Ryan is a major advocate for a
radio station and said he is very
excited to see it get put into action,
“That’s why we built it, so we
want to use it,” he said of the station. “We are literally in the first
stages of it.”
The radio studio had been used
for a mere handful of hours every
week and appeared to be more of a
trophy room, used to entice
prospective students. It is completely broadcast-ready, yet it sits
there mostly gathering dust. Now
it will get a work-out.
The studios in the building are
completely digital and connected
to the Internet. The studios also
can be used to podcast, and video
podcast. The content can be edited before it is posted for streaming
and downloading, meaning the
school could potentially screen for
so-called “touchy content.” Then
it would be placed onto iTunes for
See TV and Radio . . page 15
THE TORCH
PAGE 2
FEBRUARY 2008
BCC NEWS
Disasters Lead Volunteers to
Train for Emergency Response
BY ERVISA BILALAJ
STAFF WRITER
More
than
50
Bergen
Community College students,
staff and faculty attended the first
training session in late Jan. for the
college’s
newly
formed
Community Emergency Response
Team, known as CERT.
Led by Lieutenant Jardine, who
serves as coordinator of the program, CERT operated under the
priority of training community
members to respond to disasters.
Lt. Jardine also opened the first
class, and then introduced
Sergeant Barry D. Leventhal from
the Bergen County Police.
CERT started in 1985 in Los
Angeles, where natural disasters are
regular occurrences. Now, 28 states
and Puerto Rico have the CERT
program, including New Jersey.
CERT classes are offered each
Thursday and after completing the
training “all members will receive a
Certificate from the Bergen
County Office of Emergency
Management and are registered
with FEMA as CERT members,”
said Sgt. Leventhal.
The program is focused on personal training, preparation, and
self-protection. The reward for
training in CERT consists of protecting yourself, your family and
your community, said Leventhal.
“CERT is not meant to supplant
first responders but to enhance the
community’s preparedness capabilities,” he said.
CERT personnel could assist
during and after an emergency
with evacuation support, information dissemination and victim support," Sgt. Leventhal
said of CERT's purpose in the
event of a campus emergency.
"Having trained CERT personnel may reduce panic in
how the campus responds to
instructions from authorities.
Then, he reminded volunteers
that they should be prepared for
the most common hazards here in
Bergen County, which are flooding, winter storms, and transportation disasters. Though not typical,
they also need to be trained for terrorist attacks as we now live in a
post-9/11 America.
“As a personal counselor, one of
my responsibilities is to help students with mental health issues
and support their success at the
college,” said Cristina Haedo, a
counselor with Student Services.
“I attended the training because I
know that our department will be
one of the first to be called upon to
tend to the college community in
case of a disaster.”
With the help of a PowerPoint
presentation, Sgt. Leventhal went
over what the program will cover,
including training and practice
outside of the class, and a training
schedule. Training includes
Disaster Fire Suppression, Disaster
Medical Operations, and a Light
Search & Rescue, Sgt. Leventhal
said.
Sgt. Leventhal said being prepared is as basic as having an emergency kit or just carrying a whistle,
some duct tape and a flashlight.
He demonstrated a flashlight
which lasts for two years without
batteries. In the event of a disaster,
See Cert . . page 15
Aids Awareness Day a Success
BY BIANCA KUAZKO
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
“HIV is not airborne-but ignorance is.”
That was the message at Bergen
Community College’s first AIDS
Awareness Day, held in unity with
World AIDS Day which is recognized annually on Dec. 1.
Thanks to Professor Mary
Flannery and Dr. Barbara Davis,
both of BCCs science and technology department and Dr. Charles
Bordogna, English professor and
head of BCCs Center for the Study
of Intercultural Understanding,
students were educated about the
truth behind both the HIV and
AIDS epidemics worldwide. Also as
part of BCCs involvement, the program was integrated into biology
classes in the fall 2007 semester.
Major themes of the day included
HIV testing for students,
HIV/AIDS prevention and the
AIDS epidemic in Africa. Hundreds
of students stopped by to read pamphlets and ask questions regarding
HIV/AIDS in the student center
where tables were set up. Red HIV
awareness ribbons were distributed
and donations were also solicited for
a fundraising raffle with the proceeds donated to UNAIDS to assist
in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
The program was created in
accordance with the United
Nations (UN) sixth Millennium
Development Goal, which is to
combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and
other diseases. The United Nations,
in an effort to end world poverty,
has established eight so-called
“Goals” that it hopes to reach by
2015- only seven years away.
The day’s activities featured guest
speakers such as Dr. Nils Hennig
of Mt. Sinai Medical Center and
Doctors
without
Borders/
Medicines Sans Frontiers (MSF).
The MSF program is an independent international humanitarian
organization that delivers emer-
PHOTO COURTESY/BCC
Volunteers raise money to fight AIDS around the world.
gency medical aid in over 70 countries. MSF volunteers raise the
concerns of their patients with
assistance through governments,
the United Nations, other international bodies, the general public,
and the media.
The MSF provides antiretroviral
(ARV) therapy to more than
80,000 people through 65 projects
in more than 30 countries, but Dr.
Hennig explained to students and
faculty, that there are 33 million
people infected with HIV worldwide, as well as six million people
in urgent need of antiretroviral
treatment.
“MSF treats the world’s poorest
and sickest patients, and the people respond,” he said.
In Uganda, for instance, 90 percent of HIV/AIDS patients
attended MSF programs and took
medications regularly.
“In the US you have to persuade
patients to keep coming in to get
the help they need,” said Hennig.
A shortage in health care workers, a lack of treatment centers,
and a lack of medications in a lot
of countries worldwide are among
the main problems MSF faces
today, according to Hennig. “It’s
sad that in every single country
I’ve been to, I have been able to get
a Coca-Cola but what is really
important, which is medication, is
missing,” he said.
Hennig concluded his presentation by opening the floor to questions and showing slides of the
effects of AIDS worldwide, providing devastating images of those
infected and the many children
orphaned by AIDS victims. The
final slide was of a distorted, very
uncomfortable Kama Sutra position which read: “If you think this
looks dangerous, try it without a
condom.”
Next on the dais was Elisabeth
Lothe of the United Nations
Department of Peacekeeping, who
explained that the Peacekeeping
Dept. authorizes and deploys people to stabilize post-war, post-conflict populations- both civilian and
refugee alike. The UN Peacekeeping
Force works directly with the
United Nations International
Children’s Emergency Fund
(UNICEF) and the United Nations
Population Fund (UNFPA), an
international development agency
whose main concerns are equal
opportunity and the reduction of
See Awareness . . page 11
PHOTO COURTESY/ALISON PLATT
Students can learn any of 11 languages at BCC.
BCC Speaks
Many Tongues, Now
Offers 11 Languages
BY JILL BARTLETT
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Bergen Community College
added three new languages this
semester to its program, making
BCC the only community college in New Jersey to offer eleven
world languages. The new languages added to its program are
Arabic, Chinese and Latin.
Languages already taught here
include French, Italian, German,
Russian, Spanish, Korean,
Japanese and American Sign
Language (ASL).
In addition, a full language
program will be available to students enrolled in summer courses
for the first time in the history of
the college. All 11 languages will
be available on the 100 level during the Summer I session, and on
the 200 level during Summer II.
“My aim is that we can eventually degree students in all of these
languages,” stated Professor
Magali Jerez, who has been
developing and expanding the
foreign language program for the
past two years as the department’s coordinator.
In order for a student to receive
a degree in a language at BCC,
he must take four semesters of
the language which include level
I, level II, intermediate I, and
intermediate
II
courses.
Currently, students can attain
degrees in Spanish, French,
German, Japanese, Italian and
Russian. During the fall semester
of 2008, all eleven languages will
also be offered on Saturdays
Professor Jerez hopes to complete a four semester sequence
for all languages during her
tenure as the department coordinator, and she is hard at work on
the task ahead.
Of all languages offered,
Spanish has the most classes and
highest enrollment. American
Sign Language is second, followed not far behind by Italian
and Japanese.
Three semesters of American
Sign Language (ASL) are available this semester, and she foresees that by the end of this
semester, after presenting the
Intermediate ASL II course to
the Academic Senate, four
semesters of course curriculum
will be in place for the fall of
2008, enabling students to be
degreed in that language.
Both 100 and 200 level courses
in Korean, Arabic and Chinese
will also be available for enrollment during the fall semester.
Jerez learned that Arabic,
Chinese and Latin were offered
at other community colleges, but
not at Bergen, during a modest
research project last year of all
the languages offered at all community colleges in the state.
“Latin is not a priority right
now, but if enrollment takes off
we will complete it,” said Jerez.
“At some point I would also like
to include Greek and Hebrew as
well,” Jerez noted.
All eight new classes have been
approved as General Education
courses, they are: Intermediate
ASL I, Arabic I and II, Chinese I
and II, Latin I and II, and
Intermediate Russian II. Online
registration is available for all of
these courses.
T-Mobile Antenna Delayed
BY ROBERT TORRES
STAFF WRITER
Construction of a cell antenna
on campus – which created quite a
controversy last semester – is a few
months behind schedule, and the
tower won’t become operational
until late March.
The delay in construction was due
to some internal problems between
T-Mobile and its contractor, said
Administrative Vice President
Timothy Dacey. Construction of
the cell antenna commenced on Jan.
2 with interior wiring of the Anna
Maria Ciccone Theater where it will
be located. This involves pulling out
wiring and installing new wires for
the antenna.
According to Jennifer Harsley, a
T-Mobile representative, the
antenna will be turned on by
March 31. However, full completion of the antenna won’t occur
until July 15.
The new antenna will provide
better signal strength for current
T-Mobile users, however, there
will be no improvement for other
cell carriers.
Some in the campus community
and neighbors of the campus
objected to construction of the
tower, arguing that cell antenna
pose possible negative health
effects. T-Mobile said the antenna
is well within the guidelines set by
the federal government.
THE TORCH
FEBRUARY 2008
PAGE 3
BCC NEWS
Fuming Students Go Digital; Organize Protest on MySpace
administrators have chosen to hide
their friends. The newest blog on
the site titled “Smoke-In” says that
the profile has about 70 friends,
and is actively seeking more.
What is clear is that some BCC
smokers are heated about the new
policy and are using MySpace to
air their grievances.
“Don't accept this,” a person
named Erin writes in a comment
on the webpage, “We have to fight
back, we have to be organized
(more organized than the protest
we never had, or the petition we
never handed in). We're not gonna
take it.”
The profile’s background music,
Twisted Sister’s 1984 hit “We’re
Not Gonna Take It,” sets the stage
for the MySpace page. The “about
me” section of the profile states
that the site was created by a group
of friends who want BCC students
to unite to protest the ban.
BY JILL BARTLETT
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Some Bergen Community
College students are in the midst
of forming a digitally organized
protest against the new smoke-free
policy on campus.
This movement requires no
mega-phones, no large crowds, no
petitions, no microphones, and no
face-to-face contact. Instead its
center is just an anonymous
MySpace user profile called
“Smoke at Bergen,” and a few
strategically placed fliers distributed on campus to draw users to
the site. The site’s goal: to promote
a campus “smoke-in” sometime
this spring.
Whether the protest will ever
come to fruition is unclear. The
Torch was unable to verify the
actual friend count listed on the
MySpace page because the profile
“By spring I want to have enough
people together to [organize] a
"smoke-in," the site states. “For
those of you who don't know what
I mean...All the smokers [would]
get together at a certain time and
light up outside. I'd love to see
public safety run around and try
and write everyone's name down.”
The site and its postings list several reasons against the ban. Some
argue that cigarettes are a legal
product and the students at BCC
are largely of smoking age. The site
also complains that smokers have
rights too, and some kind of smoking area should be afforded them.
In a reply message sent to The
Torch’s MySpace page, the profile’s
administrators -who remain
anonymous- listed many reasons
they are so upset.
“My group and I could fill your
ear with reasons against the smoking ban,” the anonymous adminis-
Organizing smoking ban protest
trator said. “The first day I came to
Bergen and had my little orientation class I was told ‘This is college. You're not in high school anymore. If "this isn't high school
anymore" why do I still have to
sneak and smoke cigarettes? If
"we're all adults here" why am I
being scolded for exercising my
rights?”
The no-smoking policy states
that the main reasons for the ban is
that smoking has been clearly
labeled by the NJ State Legislature
and the NJ Dept. of Health as a
substantial health hazard to both
the smoking and non-smoking
public. But on MySpace, students
are quick to argue it.
“Obesity beat out smoking as the
number one killer in America a
long time ago,” one anonymous
student writes.
See Smoke-in . . page 15
Bergen Bids Farewell to Chief Sahlberg BCC Meadowlands Campus:
Classes Commence
in Leased Space July 1
BY CHARLES SAMILJAN
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Around 14 years ago, Fred
Sahlberg was hired at Bergen
Community College as Assistant to
the Director of Public Safety. His
résumé consisted of a master’s
degree in Administrative Education,
and 25 years with the Teaneck
Police Department ending as a sergeant in the burglary squad.
Within a year and a half at BCC he
was promoted to Director of Public
Safety, a post he held until last
month when he surprised the college
community and decided to retire.
After 39 years as an authority figure one expects Chief Sahlberg to be
gruff, but instead, he came off in an
interview as an old friend or someone’s “cool” father. When asked if
there was anything at Bergen that
kept him motivated and charged to
keep doing his job to the best of his
ability, Sahlberg said he truly
enjoyed the people that he worked
with and around at Bergen.
“My officers were always motivated and willing to help.” Sahlberg
explained.
“They all worked together
towards the same goal of protecting
the college, while showing me and
each other the respect that oils the
machine of a fully functioning
team.”
Fourteen years as the eagle’s eye of
Bergen would obviously give a man
the perspective to see how things
have changed. Since his start here,
the population at BCC has
increased from around 10,000 to
about 15,000 students. Over the
years, with that kind of increase,
students seemed to get slightly more
rowdy. His answer to maintain the
peace at the college was simple.
“Increase visibility,” he said.
BY JILL BARTLETT
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Chief Sahlberg had a
refined knowledge of dealing
with people and situations
in a rational way.
Sahlberg made it a point to ensure
the safety of the students and teachers by making sure that there was
always a security officer in sight. At
night, there would be a guard watching over the lots, so people would
feel safer just walking to their cars.
Chief Sahlberg had a refined
knowledge of dealing with people
and situations in a rational way, and
his tenure at Bergen was highly
praised.
Now, after 14 years of dedicated
service, Sahlberg has retired. Even
though he has left BCC, he is still
PHOTO CREDIT/BCC PR
Fred Sahlberg
an inspiration.
He is following his own dreams
now. Immediately after retiring,
Sahlberg started his own business.
Since he was a boy, he dreamed of
captaining the ferry from Weehawken
to NYC. Well, he has done one better.
He’s started a boating company, offering eager people boating lessons in
case they too want to get their own
commercial boating license.
Good luck Fred, and thanks.
Bergen Community College’s
new South Campus in the
Meadowlands area won’t be completed until 2010, but classes will
begin July 1.
The college will offer preliminary,
non-credit courses which will commence on July 1, 2008 in an effort
to anticipate the opening of
Xanadu, the Meadowlands new
entertainment and retail colossus
slated to open in November. The
classrooms will be located in a leased
building within the Wall Street West
complex just across from Xanadu.
The main objective of the campus will be to train employees on
an as-needed basis for events happening at the Izod Center, Giants
Stadium, and Xanadu itself.
Sue Johnson, vice president of
the continuing education at BCC,
says they are “anxious and excited”
about opening for July 1 and are
eager to plan the curriculum,
“which will focus around training
entry level employment positions
in hotel/restaurant management
and ESL courses.”
Ten classrooms of about 20 students will have access to a cafeteria
and a child-drop off center this summer as phase one of BCC’s planned
South Campus begins. Phase two
will incorporate general education
courses at the site, which should
begin within the next 6-12 months
The campus will train
employees on an as-needed
basis for events happening
at the Izod Center, Giants
Stadium, and Xanadu.
The plan is that the new campus
will offer regular curriculum courses between July 1 of this year and
2010, the slated date for the South
Campus completion.
The college will be publicizing
courses and registration requirements prior to July 1.
Older Students Find College Education a Timeless Experience
BY PATRICIA MIHALIO
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
As you shuffle from class to class,
do you ever stop to notice the men
and women of varying sizes, colors
and ages on campus every day?
Chances are, some of the students
you pass by everyday are the same
age as your parents, or even your
grandparents.
Statistics published by Bergen
Community College’s Center for
Institutional Effectiveness and
Research show that of the total
14,608 students registered in Fall
2006, some 4,745 were adult students over the age of 25.
Nationwide, studies conducted
over the last several decades show a
steady rise in enrollment of college
students between the ages of 25 –
69. Today, this demographic once
referred to as “non-traditional” college students, make up such a large
percentage of the total U.S. student population that they are no
longer
considered
Total full and part time adult
non-traditional.
students (age 25 and over)
Recent
statistics
from
the
U.S.
Academic Total Adult Total BCC
Department
of
Year
Students (25+) Students
Education show that
Fall 2003
5,063
13,991
adult college students
Fall 2004
5,153
14,325
are the fastest growFall 2005
5,314
14,762
ing group in the
Fall 2006
4,745
14,608
country. According
to the Degrees of Source: Bergen Community College’s Center for
Opportunity study
Institutional Effectiveness and Research
conducted by Capella
University, in 1970, 28 percent - or from professional advancement
2.4 million college students -- were was my lack of a college degree,”
25 years of age or older. As of late said Debbie Martin, a 38-year old
2006, that number had almost Sussex Community College stutripled to 6.7 million students age dent. “Although I had the experi25 and older from a total U.S. stu- ence and the work ethic, I had
reached a limit as to how far I
dent population of 17.6 million.
“After spending most of my adult could be promoted within a comyears working long hours in pany and what salary I could earn
hourly-wage clerical jobs, often without a college degree.”
Two major factors contributing
having more knowledge than most
of my co-workers and some of my to this growth of the adult student
superiors, I realized that the one population in the U.S. are
major obstacles holding me back increased life expectancy and eco-
nomic globalization, according to
the Degrees of Opportunity survey
conducted by Capella University
in August 2006
“Baby Boomers,” the generation
of adults born between 1946 and
1965, currently range in age from
42 to 61 years of age, and have an
overall life expectancy of 78 years.
This means that many have at least
another 17 to 36 years of life ahead
of them, and, if they’re lucky, they
will be productive years.
The majority of adults in this age
group are active, healthy and are
eagerly planning what they want to
do in their next phase of life.
Many of these people have spent a
large part of their previous life in
the workforce, military or raising a
family and have returned to college
to change careers, fulfill a lifelong
dream of earning a college degree
or simply for the joy of learning,
according to the Framing New
Terrain: Older Adults and Higher
Education study co-sponsored by
STAFF PHOTO/ALISON PLATT
Older students aren't necessarily old.
the American Council on
Education and the MetLife
Foundation.
For these older students, the
responsibilities of supporting and
caring for their family, and working and fulfilling community obligations makes returning to college
much more difficult, but it does
not diminish their desire to learn,
grow and improve, as was discovered in the Degrees of
See Timeless Experience . . page 15
THE TORCH
PAGE 4
FEBRUARY 2008
Graduating Bergen Community College Soon?
CONSIDERING TRANSFER?
Transfer Presentations Spring 2008:
Monday, March 3
William Paterson University
Thursday, March 6
NJIT
Monday, March 17
Rutgers University
Thursday, March 20
Ramapo College
Monday, March 31
Montclair State University
Thursday, A pril 3
New Jersey City University
Meet with representatives from area colleges here on campus.
Time: 12:30 p.m. - 1:25 p.m.
Room: S -138
Around the Corner, Ahead of the Curve
THE TORCH
FEBRUARY 2008
PAGE 5
BCC NEWS
Child Development Center Grows Up: Celebrates 25th Year
BY MELISSA FLORES
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
As you walk through the doors of
the Child Development Center at
Bergen Community College, you
can’t help but notice the splashes of
color everywhere. The classrooms
look like themed playrooms and
the walls are plastered with pictures of smiling tykes, aged two to
four years.
The center, known on campus as
the CDC, celebrated its 25th
anniversary in December with an
open house where faculty, alumni,
and parents were invited to see
how it has grown and expanded
over the years.
Guests were given the chance to
sign a guest book, leave a note or
tour the center. Some visitors
hadn’t seen the center since it
opened 25 years ago, and seemed
pleasantly surprised at how things
PHOTO COURTESY/CDC
Children make bird planters during class time at the Child
Development Center in Ender Hall.
had changed.
“It is still a very loving environment and has grown and developed,” said Bonnie MacDougall, a
professor in the English department
and a parent who once utilized the
center. “They provided peace of
mind for me, now my daughter is
25 years old and married.”
Located in Ender Hall, the CDC
serves as a learning facility to both
children and BCC students majoring in early childhood education.
The children who attend the center are introduced to math, creative
arts, science, social sciences and
even computer technology.
BCC students enrolled in the
early childhood education program
must complete two rounds of field
work at the center before they are
eligible to receive a degree. In the
initial field work assignment, the
student works once a week for
three hours, and teaches three lessons before the semester ends. The
second field work program requires
the student to, once again, come in
once a week for a three hour session, but also to teach a lesson
every day he attends the Center.
“The staff consists of three group
teachers, one assistant director, and
one director, Dr. Ursula ParrishDaniels,” said Assistant Director
Sally Dionisio.
The staff works hard 11 months a
year, Sept. through July, to provide
affordable childcare and assist students with hands-on experience in
the field of child development.
The Center is licensed by the
Division of Youth and Family
Services (DYFS) and all the teachers are certified in early childhood
education.
The enrollment process operates
on a first-come, first-served basis.
Children can be enrolled either as
full-time, which is 25 hours or
more, or part-time, which is 16 to
24 hours. A “drop-in” service is
offered to BCC students who are
enrolled for a full semester, but
they don’t necessarily need to be
full-time students. The “drop-in”
service means BCC students can
drop off their child for a couple of
hours while they go to class, but
can only do so on the days they
attend classes.
Hola! Ciao! Go Study Abroad
BY ROB TORRES
STAFF WRITER
What do you know about BCC?
You
know
that
Bergen
Community College is an institution where one can obtain an associates degree after two years of
school or by completing the necessary amount of credits needed to
graduate or transfer. But did you
know that BCC also has a study
abroad program? Yes, you can
study abroad while enrolled at a
community college.
Dean Amparo Codding is the
advisor of the study abroad program for BCC through the
College
Consortium
for
International Studies (CCIS). It
started in 2000, and since then 12
students have studied in foreign
countries including Italy, Australia
and Costa Rica. There are 31
countries and 80 programs to
choose from, all available to those
who qualify. If you are interested
in studying in a foreign country,
there are a few steps needed to get
started.
First, students should plan a year
in advance. The reason for this is
due to funding, grades, how long
you’d like to stay in the country,
the location of your stay (either in
a city or rural town, etc) and more.
Once you make an appointment
and meet with Dean Codding you
will be asked to determine and
state the reason why you want to
study abroad, attended BCC for at
“This is an experience
that will have an impact
for the rest of their lives.
It did for me.” –Dean
Amparo Codding
least one semester, have no remedial classes to take, and have a minimum GPA of a 2.5. Along with
that, you’ll have to answer a preliminary questionnaire and write a
statement of purpose to see if you
are eligible. Once approved, you
will then compite an official application which includes the application, three letters of recommendation, and an official transcript.
This is needed to see what classes
you would be eligible to take overseas and which classes would transfer over to BCC.
The cost varies with the country
and program, whether it is a
fall/spring semester (3-4 months
long and 12-18 credits) or a summer semester (4-6 weeks and 6-7
credits), but it ranges from $3,000
to $15,000 a semester. If you do
not have money readily available,
you could always apply for financial aid such as grants and loans to
help out the cost. This is another
reason why planning a year in
advance is necessary. You will need
to have ready your passport, visa,
and vaccinations.
“I strongly encourage students to
consider this opportunity and to
study or travel overseas in order to
get a different perspective of the
See Study Abroad . . page 15
U.S. Justice Thurgood Marshall,
the Man and his Legacy
BY BOB NESOFF
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The late U.S. Supreme Court
Justice Thurgood Marshall was
cantankerous, but he was someone
who must be cherished for his wit,
humor and devotion to civil rights,
according to Prof. David Troutt,
Esq.
Troutt, moderating a recent
panel discussion at Bergen
Community College on Marshall’s
legacy, told a capacity audience
that the Justice was motivated by
the racial prejudice he had suffered
as a young man and was determined to put an end to it so that
future generations would not be
denied education and societal
standing based on race.
“He was a man of the people,”
Troutt said. “He would be upset
to have been forgotten.”
To commemorate Black History
Month, the panel discussion featured speakers on the life and legacy of Marshall, who was born in
1908 and died in 1993 after serv-
Thurgood Marshall
ing in one of the top judicial posts
in the country.
The panel of four AfricanAmerican attorneys spoke to a
near capacity audience in the auditorium in BCCs main building
auditorium. It had originally been
slated for a lecture room, but had
to be moved when the attendance
outstripped the seating capacity.
Students representing both BCC
and Hackensack High School were
in attendance.
Each of the panelists echoed the
same basic theme, that Marshall
never let adversity stop him as he
fought for equal recognition of
African Americans.
“He was refused admission to the
University of Maryland Law
School because of his race,” Trautt
continued. “He went to Howard
University to complete his education and earn a law degree.”
At Howard, traditionally a black
university, Marshall’s classmates
included famed poet Langston
Hughes, Kwame Nkruma, the
future president of Ghana, and
musician Cab Calloway.
One of the prime deterrents to
getting a thorough education,
according to the panelists, was the
1896 Supreme Court decision in
Plessy v. Ferguson that “separate
but
equal”
facilities
was
Constitutional. This inequity
motivated Marshall and in 1954,
he argued before the Supreme
Court and won the landmark
See Thurgood Marshall . . page 17
STAFF PHOTOS/NICOLE JANUARIE
Members of the Chinese Club serve guests of their New Years Celebration
Chinese Club Offers
Bridge to Old Culture
BY NICOLE JANUARIE
STAFF WRITER
Like the famous writer Paolo
Coelho once said –“the story of
one is the story of all humanity.”
In its own way, the Chinese Club
offers that message by both promoting its culture to non-Chinese
students while also explaining the
similarities it shares between them.
The goal of Ying Ying Yang,
president of the Chinese club, is to
introduce Chinese tradition to
Americans. She conveys such
knowledge through interactive
activities such as free Chinese lessons and providing ethnic cuisines
on occasion. Yang also wants to
dispel stereotypes while she aspires
to get Americans to recognize the
significance of her culture.
“We do kiss on cheeks and give
hugs” she exclaimed, meaning that
she has just as vibrant a personality
and as loud a voice as the American
standing next to her. “We just differentiate in looks and color.”
Her second goal is to bring
Bergen’s Chinese community
together and create a so-called “safe
haven” for international students
emigrating from China. The club
provides new immigrants with
knowledge of American customs,
the little things all immigrants
inquire about upon entering a new
country. Some members commented that the club is a home
between classes and a welcome
addition to their social lives. They
said that the club exposed them to
many people by enabling them to
socialize at events and meetings.
Every so often the international
students association and the
Chinese club combine to do cooperative projects; World week is an
example of one that they will be
celebrating together. Fun events,
such as having your name painted
in Chinese and made into a book
mark, or having a session of free
Chinese lessons, will be offered.
The clubs mailing list consists of
more than 100 students, including
many who have made lasting relationships that they have carried to
Anyone interested in
learning about the
Chinese culture can join.
the outside world for future networking privileges. However, an
everlasting memory of their time
spent together is what most will
treasure.
Anybody interested in learning
about the Chinese culture can join.
The club has meetings once a
month and usually before any major
events, like the Chinese New Year
which was on February seventh.
Members at monthly meetings.
THE TORCH
PAGE 6
FEBRUARY 2008
THIS & THAT
Our Thoughts on Your World
Science Made Easy: Battling Depression
BY MOSES ONWUCHEKWA
ILLUSTRATOR
STAFF PHOTO/ALISON PLATT
“Proper”
Cell Phone
Etiquette,
Jersey-style
BY MANNY SIMOES
GUEST WRITER
In order to train for this exercise,
one must first understand the key
credentials required for proper cell
phone usage in our society. The
few, but necessary, items required
for this are:
Phone
Mouth
Sense of humor
Step one is simple. Find a crowded, yet quiet place. A college
library, or possibly a bookstore
would help to maximum outcome.
Another spot might deplete the full
effectiveness of this exercise, further lessening the value of its purpose as a whole (keep in mind the
point here is very important).
Situate yourself near the core of
activity, where you find the most
people busy and occupied. Most of
humanity would consider “reading” a book to be something that
See Etiquette . . page 17
Have you ever woken to a bright
sunny morning yet grown increasingly gloomy as the day progresses? Experience decreased energy,
restlessness and irritability? Maybe
there is a lingering feeling of hopelessness and pessimism hovering
around you. You have a persistent
anxious or empty mood. If you or
anyone you know is experiencing
feelings such as these…you or that
person may be depressed.
At what point can you tell
whether you have crossed over
from feeling blue to being
depressed? Is having a "bad" day
considered depression? There is a
thin line between feeling down
and being depressed. In most situations, people go from the former
stage to the latter without even
realizing it. The only guideline
one could use is what is referred to
as the 'OBL' method. That is how
often, how bad and how long does
the individual feel depressed.
How often: Is it every day, three
times a week, or twice a month?
How bad: Is it extremely severe
that one contemplates suicide or
just experiences feelings of irritation?
How long: Does it take a long
time to come off this feeling?
Does it feel like this until a social
get together with a loved one?
Does it only feel like this at
work, or in other daily situations as well?
These are some questions
individuals should ask themselves before choosing to consult
with their doctor who can ultimately diagnose if they are
depressed or not. Depression is a
mental health disorder that
impairs the way one sleeps, works,
think about himself and about
other things. It is a psychological
disease that could impair judgment. Scientifically, depression
occurs when there is an imbalance
in the Nervous system. It is not a
disease for "weak" people as it is
thought to be. It is not something
that can easily be willed away.
As with any disorder, treatment
can take time and varies from person to person. Some people need
therapy to get better. Others need
to face their fears. While several
need to surround themselves with
optimistic people to boost their
self-esteem.
Types of depression:
The three most common types of
depression are major depression,
dysthymia and bipolar disorder.
Major depression
As the name implies, it is an
severe kind of depression that can
make an individual so uncomfortable that he/she may think of sui-
cide. It is an illness that involves a
lengthy feeling of despair and
utmost loneliness. The person is
consumed by a dull mood exceeding ordinary grief or sadness. It
alters the person's actions like
sleeping, studying, playing, working or other pleasurable activities.
While some people have a single
episode of major depression, for
others it lasts for a long time.
Dysthymia
This is the type of depression
has minor side effects for the most
part, but lasts a long time. The
individual suffers from unceasing
depression. Dysthymia can be a
result of not taking care of a Major
depression in the past. People with
dysthymia could lead a normal life
but periodically feel down or even
get depressed. A major side effect
of this disease is insomnia, fatigue,
binge eating, withdrawal or
utmost pessimism. Due to its
lengthy period, an individual may
get a jolt of anxiety once in a while
without any threat posed towards
him.
Of all the types of depression,
many Americans suffer from dysthymia because, for the most part,
it is barely noticeable.
Bipolar disorder
This disorder is also called
manic-depression. People
with bipolar disorder
have extreme mood
swings, hence the
name manic (very
high)
depression
(low). These mood
swings can be rapid
or gradual. A person
with manic depression tends to be
over talkative, restless and anxious,
and possessing a great deal of energy. Mania depression affects thinking and impairs judgment, influ-
encing one to make decisions that
may cause embarrassment. If left
untreated, bipolar disorder could
escalate to a different state. A
bipolar patient might feel so
depressed someday that going to
work or school may seem impossible, while others days, would feel
an outburst of endless energy.
Symptoms
How would you know if you or
your loved one is suffering from
depression? Different people
exhibit different symptoms of
depression, and they vary between
Depression:
• Chronic pain
• Restlessness and irritability
• Lack of sleep or excessive sleep
• Binge eating
• Decreased energy
• Emptiness in mood
• Pessimism
• Suicidal thoughts
• Concentration loss
• Sadness
Mania:
• Excessive energy
• /increased talking
• Extreme or abnormal happiness
• Having trouble concentrating
• Having trouble remembering
Causes of depression:
Depression is not always triggered by one cause. In some cases it
could be a combination of many. It
could be the death of a loved one,
a break up, loss of a job, feeling of
guilt or shame, pessimism, etc.
Also, people with low self esteem
or individuals posed with constant
stress are prone to depression.
Studies have shown that women
are more prone to depression than
men. This is due to hormonal fluctuation, pregnancy, miscarriage,
See Depression . . page 17
New “Jurassic” Student Faces Culture
Shock and More Than an Age Adjustment
BY BOB NESOFF
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
A controversial scene from Optimum Online’s annoying TV spot
Dial 877-555-5555 for
Bias of Women and Latinos
BY ELISA CERVONE
MANAGING EDITOR
While scanning through the TV
universe this winter, you’ve probably caught that annoying commercial for Optimum Online that
seems to play repeatedly during
lunch and dinner.
Not only is this commercial loud
and insufferable, its frequency has
implanted the spot in my head.
The simple reggaeton jingle
accompanied by a ten digit phone
number to call, has such a brainwashing effect I find lots of people
are talking about the commercial
and how obnoxious it is.
The TV spot opens with a reg-
gaeton artist, singing about how
much he loves Optimum online
digital cable. In the middle of the
song, three mermaids appear,
chanting the phone number in
time with the reggaeton jingle. A
few seconds later, the three mermaids, now in shorts barely covering anything, and spandex tank
tops, tell us the phone number
again -- like we did not catch it the
first time. No, I won’t give you the
phone number -- though it is in
my head!
The commercial then cuts to the
same three women, now lying on
towels representing the flags of
Puerto Rico, Canada and United
See Stereotypes . . page 17
Most American colleges and universities today host a plethora of cultures:
Pakistanis and Indians, Brits and Irish,
Jews and Arabs, and all manage to
meld their diverse backgrounds into
one melting pot of a student body.
Despite the cultural differences,
they all have one thing in common…their age. Most college students fall into the 17 to 22 age category and share many of the same likes
and dislikes that transcend whatever
differences they may have: dating,
music, and social activities.
But increasingly there is a new segment of student wandering the campus who would relate more to Fonzie
than to Jack Black; to Judy Garland
than Britney Spears (yeah, both spent
more time in rehab than on stage),
and to the Doobie Brothers than the
Jonas Brothers.
This new segment is fairly easy to
spot. They dress differently, walk a
bit more slowly, sometimes have
white hair and probably drive a
Buick, or some other sensible car.
And they are probably older than the
parents of the majority of students.
I am squarely in the middle of this
new group, a group I have dubbed:
the “Jurassic Students.”
After more than 45 years, I decided
to return to college. Looking around
the hall during registration, it was easy
to see that I wasn’t the only one in my
age category (How old? None of your
business!) who had decided to reenter
the halls of academia. In fact, there
were several waiting in line for classes
who made me feel positively youthful.
My hair may be white, but at least I
still have it, and I was able to shield
my eyes from the glare coming off the
scalps of many of those around me.
Then I went into class and the age
difference hit me between the eyes. I
was at least 50 years older than the
next oldest student, who was probably 16 years younger than my
youngest daughter. On the first day
of class, I was wearing a sport shirt
and slacks; they were wearing jeans
and tee-shirts. In fact, I don’t remember anyone wearing jeans when I first
started college somewhere in time
between creation and the Vietnam
War. Oh well, these guys did look
pretty comfortable and relaxed.
At least I could relate culturally to
the professors. Then I met them. Both
dressed more in tune with what I was
used to, but at least one of them was
closer in age to the students than he
was to me. And, fortunately, both were
experienced and knew more about the
subjects than I did.
Okay, that’s one of the reasons I was
here: to learn.
That, I would assume, was the basic
reason for many of the jurassic generation attending college. We know that
you never really stop learning and now
that we had time to truly apply ourselves, we were going to take advantage
of the opportunity. In my case there
was the added bonus of finally being
able to work toward the degree, I had
walked away from so many years ago to
take up a job offer as a New York magazine editor, and later as a reporter for
a daily newspaper.
The truth of the matter was that
even though I had entered college after
serving in the Army, I could have been
more mature about the way I tackled
school work and applied myself more
to studies than to fraternity, sports and
social activity.
I expect that in less than two years,
I’ll have sufficient credits for a BA.
That’s personal satisfaction. My wife
has her BA, and additional certifications; two of my daughters have
degrees, one with a Masters and another who will be attending BCC for a Vet
Tech degree; one of my brothers is an
MD and the other is a Ph.D., while my
sister has her BA. I could put the title
“Hon.” before my name by grace of
having won a couple of elections, but
the feeling and satisfaction of being
able to add AA and then BA would
complete a life cycle for me.
It’s fortunate that sometimes we are
given the opportunity to go around
again. It doesn’t make up for lost time,
but it certainly can fill in some emotional gaps. I think the Army’s slogan,
“Be all that you can be,” pretty well
sums it up.
THE TORCH
FEBRUARY 2008
PAGE 7
THIS & THAT
Our Thoughts on Your World
The Hangman’s Noose Is Never a Joke
BY NICOLE JANUARIE
STAFF WRITER
Last month, Martin Luther King
Day was commemorated and we celebrated his dream about desegregation and civil rights. But how far
have we really come in fulfilling the
dream of the King?
The hangman’s noose -- a symbol
of racial hatred – suddenly has reappeared in America.
The case in Jena, Ala, has gotten
national attention. Yet, there are
other cases, so many that recently
The New York Times ran a map
showing the spots around the country where nooses were found. A
noose was found dangling from
Madonna G. Constantine’s office
door at Columbia University
Teachers College in October. Also in
New York, an emergency officer
found a noose dangling from his
locker in his unit department in
Brooklyn. But there have also been
seemingly less harrowing nooses, like
Halloween decorations last fall of
black mannequins in nooses.
What is the noose really and why
does it have so many people upset
and angered? This was and currently
still is a device used to hang people
to death. On innumerable occasions,
the mentioned knot was used to
hang a person of color from a tree in
the ritual of lynching.
Lynching: the performed act of
killing blacks, done by angry vigilantes usually in a mob, with the
attempt of preserving white
supremacy. Hanging the bodies from
a tree displaying them high above
ground was an exudation of power
and control. The burnt and tattered
bodies were signs of warnings to all
others, a way of instilling fear and so
called discipline into a suppressed
nation. Just the mere sight of the
noose was a threat and a reminder
for the black individual to know his
or her “place” in society.
It is with this history that the noose
is reappearing on the scene. It was a
noose that escalated a crime in Jena
into a national story.
The story is that in December
2006, six teenagers were charged
with second degree murder as a result
of battering a white student, named
Justin Barker, using their tennis shoes
as alleged murder weapons. But less
known to people, at first, was that a
number of incidents occurred prior
to this event. One of them included a
black student who had the “audacity”
to attend a party of white people at
school, causing outraged white
teenage boys to assault him. The
white students merely suffered minor
school suspensions as a consequence,
according to Fordham Law Professor
Robin Reinhardt, in a lecture recently on "Jena Justice." His lecture
touched on the investigations into
the events and attitudes surrounding
the high school and racial tension in
Jena. This lecture took place on
Thursday, January 17, 2008 at MKA
in Montclair. Shortly after this
episode, three white students hung
nooses from a so-called “white” tree
on campus after black students asked
permission from administration to sit
under the “white” tree. These events
preceded the battering of Barker.
When the media ultimately reported the whole story of how Barker
came to get battered, it stirred up
indignation among both races and
triggered a civil rights march to
release the black boys from their
severe charges. The support of the
people influenced the authorities to
COURTESY OF DAMON WINTER/ THE NEW YORK TIMES
Protest Demonstration in Louisiana post Jena 6
lighten the charges against the black
students, who said the boys were acting out of fury. The message sent by
the white teenagers was one of a hate
crime that implied: know your place,
white supremacy will prevail.
Despite all this, many still think
the noose can be a harmless joke.
When I posted a question online
about the noose, Anita Pejic, a student at BCC, explained: “I never
thought of it as a racial gesture. It's
just a piece of rope tied in a loop.
Actually, first thing that comes to my
mind when you mention or see the
noose is cowboys, Will Smith's
"Wild, wild west" song and Clint
Eastwood movies. Remember, I'm a
farm girl. I use rope/noose as a functional/practical thing. Not as a symbol or intimidation object.”
But another student, Craig
Sanders, said “The noose is a powerful and symbolic message of some of
the darker and sinister aspects of our
nation's past. It personifies nothing
less than a brutal inhumane death
caused by human beings to each
other and because of its symbolic
nature it can never be taken as a
senseless joke. Death is never anything to take for granted or joke
about. This statement hasn't even
brought race into the subject.
Regardless, it is a powerful symbol
that shows the barbaric violence of
man against another man, let alone
that this brutal form of execution
was primarily used in the south to
inflict severe emotional pain on
many African Americans.
When we know better we do better, but many of us do not understand the message black people see
when they see a noose. Some consider angry reactions against the noose
in things like Halloween decorations
as being too sensitive. Those were
one of the remarks made by households who displayed black mannequins hung from trees during
2007’s Halloween season.
“Is that a funny Halloween ghoul
in a noose hanging from your neighbor’s tree? Or is that a racist symbol
of lynching hiding in the Halloween
tableau?”- was one comment made
in a Oct. 27 article in The New York
Times headlined, “This Halloween,
Man in Noose Wins a Reprieve.”
The article, by Paul Vitello, quoted
Richard Lachman, professor of sociology at the State University of New
York at Albany, who commented
that “It cannot be taken as a joke,”
he said, considering the history of
lynching in the United States.
“What if my great-grandfather was
lynched?” was a question asked by
Rev. Johnny Gamble, pastor of the
Friendship Baptist Church
I say, not acknowledging the
thought behind the deed is insensitive and offensive all on its own, like
the remark made on the Golf
Channel by anchor Kelly Tilghman.
She said, on national television, that
young players who wanted to challenge Tiger Woods should "lynch
him in a back alley."
In a story in The Times about the
issue, one man, Jerry Altman, commented “A two-week suspension is
not enough. The Golf Channel's
Kelly Tilghman should be fired for
her
joke
about
lynching.
Broadcasters hold a public trust to
do the right thing. The insidious
racism that used to be part of the
mainstream now merely lies just
below the surface of our society. But
it's there. Racism is a disease that
will be wiped out only when public
consciousness is raised and when
perpetrators are held accountable.”
My objective throughout this article has been to raise consciousness
about racial tolerance and about
acknowledging the past to be able to
bury it and move forward from there.
The occurrence of racial attacks and
hate crimes are done out of ignorance
and an unconsciousness about the
truth. We should do better as an educated and diverse generation.
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THE TORCH
PAGE 8
FEBRUARY 2008
OPINIONS & EDITORIAL
Wake-up Boomers and Gen-X: It’s not Laziness. It’s a Generation Gap
BY TARYN FONDI
GUEST WRITER
“It’s not that complicated, I’m just
misunderstood,” goes the song by
popular artist P!nk, on the title track
“M!ssundaztood.” The song underscores what seems to be the large gap
between today’s teenagers and their
parents. This gap is exacerbated by a
parent’s increasing frustration in
their child’s so-called “laziness.”
The term “lazy” has been used
numerous times to refer to members of my generation who may
prefer to sit in front of their computers, rather than take part in an
outdoor sport, or an indoor sport,
or anything that involves sporting
of any kind. However, I do not
believe this is an appropriate or fair
title to give teenagers, simply
because they enjoy being on the
internet. Nobody questioned the
potential of 70s teens who entertained themselves with stationary
pet rocks, did they? Okay, well,
maybe a little. But why doubt the
potential of a teenager, who is, of
course, actively increasing their
WPM – that’s words per minute –
studying for an exam, preparing
homework, writing papers, catching up on the last episode of Grey’s
Anatomy, and watching the
‘Evolution of Dance’ on YouTube?
Are we lazy? I think not. Are we
wizards of multi-tasking? Yes.
The statistics are in our favor.
Studies show that teenagers work
an average of 7.1 unpaid/paid
hours of labor at their jobs and
doing homework per day. That
adds up to about 50 hours week
not including time taken out for
actual class hours - a very adult
workweek for a teenager, I’d say.
According to the National
Institute of Mental Health, at least
10 percent of teenagers suffer from
some kind of anxiety disorder. As
many psychology students know,
correlation does not prove causation, but the rising workloads for
teenagers and the steep rise in
stress cannot be coincidental.
Despite this, a teenager cannot
outrun or outwork the stereotype
that he or she is slothful and unmotivated. Is this perhaps because
some statistics show that more
teenagers are watching television
rather than actively participating in
something less stationary? Or is it
the result of statistics regarding
America’s alarming rate of childhood obesity? Well, obesity does
not equal laziness, or vice versa.
John Popper of Blues Traveler was
an astonishing 450 pounds, but his
band toured at least 300 days out of
365 for almost two years. Popper
gave people the “Run Around” for
years with Blues Traveler, so he was
most certainly not lazy.
If obesity and lack of motivation
are not the reason behind this
stereotype, what is? It comes down
to one key point: a misunderstanding. To compare a teenager’s workload to the generation before us is
about as fair as taking out the old
high school photos of your mother
and telling her that the outfits she
wore are outdated. Culture is the
most constantly evolving thing on
this planet, and cultural standards
need to evolve with it. In 1984,
about 50 percent of all college students aspired to advanced degrees.
This means once they were done
learning about Reaganomics, listening to “When Doves Cry” by
Prince, and acid-washing their jeans,
they graduated from college and
went on to jobs. Today, about 75
percent of college students aspire to
advanced degrees beyond the fouryear Bachelor’s degree. By any standard, this means teenagers are highly motivated because they are willing
to work longer at school to have a
greater chance of getting a betterpaying job with an advanced degree.
So what can one do about this
growing stereotype, only further
fueled by the insane popularity of
internet sites such as Myspace,
Facebook, and other stationary
time-consumers like video games?
Teenagers can only do one thing:
keep on keepin’ on. As we enroll in
colleges in record numbers, achieve
higher grades than previous generations, and continue to be the burgeoning entrepreneur generation;
we have all and nothing to prove.
Our cultures may very well be different, but their discotheque is our
chat room; their “hangin’ in the
quad” is our Facebook, their “get a
job!” is our “go to college!” and we
respond with equal fervor.
If only the Baby Boomers and
Generation X would look past the
fads, just as we blissfully ignore the
gaping ozone layer hole they
helped create, they’d see the potential in our technologically
advanced generation. The things
dreamed up in front of a computer
– social networking, online shopping, architectural blueprints, scientific breakthroughs, DNA mapping and meteorology, among others – are extraordinary. A parent
might consider hours in front of a
computer lazy, but we don’t see it
that way. We see it as it truly is:
potentially revolutionary.
“Once they were done learning
about Reaganomics, listening to
“When Doves Cry” by Prince, and
acid-washing their jeans, they graduated from college and got a job.
Hey, I think
I’ve seen her
before. . .
Editor-In-Chief
Managing Editor
Layout Editor
Entertainment Editor
Sports Editor
Illustrator
Jill Bartlett
Elisa Cervone
Louis Campos
Amanda Ferrante
Danny LaFaso
Moses Agwai
Staff Writers
Letter to the Editor
Mathemeticians Can Read Too
Dear Editor,
Having read my latest purchase
at Barnes and Noble, A
Mathematician
Reads
the
Newspapers by John Paulos, and
having attended a historic joint
meeting of the BCC English and
mathematics departments, I decided to do my own analogy as “A
BCC Mathematics Teacher Reads
the Torch,” and use it regarding
Amanda Ferrante’s lead news story
“Changes Ahead for Remedial
Math” in the Dec. 2007 Torch.
In that article, remedial success
rates for English and mathematics
courses were given for the last five
years, from 2002 to 2006. The success rates ranged from 69.6% to
66.1% in English and 58.2% to
48.7% in mathematics. The first
thing I wanted to ask was, where
was the less than 20% success rate
(the shocking 80% failure rate)
claimed in a news story by Ms.
Ferrante in the March 2007 Torch?
These success rates in mathematics
remedial courses quoted in the Dec.
2007 issue are two and a half to
three times that of the March 2007
claim. Is this later article a retraction
or correction of the claims of March
2007? Nothing is said about this.
Unfortunately both English and
mathematics remedial success rates
appear to be trending down over
time. Even though there were only
five pairs of data points, I calculated
a correlation between them. The
value of the correlation coefficient
was over +0.9, on a positive scale
from zero to +1,1 and this was statistically significant, even though
there were only five data points.
This means that more than 80% of
the variation in one discipline’s
remedial passing rates can be
“explained” by variations in the
other discipline’s rates. Since correlations are not necessarily causative,
I would interpret these figures to
mean that there is a common cause
for the decline in both variables,
probably a gradual overall decline in
academic skills of the students taking BCC remedial classes in both
English and mathematics over time.
I also discussed these numbers with
Ms. Tonia McKoy, of BCC’s institutional research department. She told
me that these were overall figures for
all English and mathematics remedial classes, and included data from
Mat 045. Although Mat 045 is,
strictly speaking, a remedial class (I
myself studied the material of this
course in tenth grade), at BCC that
course is a pre-requisite for the calculus sequence. The population of students taking the course is not the
same as those in Mat 011, which is
basic arithmetic. Also, the W (withdrawal without penalty) and E (unofficial withdrawal) are counted as part
of the total, which would reduce the
overall success rate. Although there
may be arguments made for including this data, I think it hinders our
perception of what the problems are
in remedial education at BCC. We
need to focus on the core of basic
remedial courses if we are to begin to
understand what is happening in
remedial education, and what
remedies might be tried to increase
student’s success in this area.
I can appreciate the frustration
felt by students who feel locked in
to seemingly endless sequence of
remedial courses. I believe that,
after years of benign neglect, the
BCC administration is finally paying attention to the problems of
remedial education. This academic
year, the class sizes were reduced in
remedial mathematics courses,
although these sizes remain the
highest in the entire state. There
was a joint meeting of the BCC
English and mathematics faculty
to discuss the problems associated
with remedial education. Let us
hope that steps like these continue,
but also that simple and superficial
solutions are not proposed (or
imposed) for what are very complex and complicated difficulties
that are found in remedial mathematics education. The probability
of future success at the college level
is very high for those students who
successfully complete the remedial
program. This ultimate goal of
success in college level programs
should not be sacrificed by making
remedial education a meaningless
exercise just to increase pass rates
in remedial classes.
Very truly yours,
Walter Rothaug
The writer is a member of the
BCC mathematics faculty.
1
Correlations can also be negative, representing
an inverse relationship between the variables.
Ervisa Bilalaj
Paul Ibañez
Nicole Januarie
Robert Torres
Contributing Writers
Kerry Beekman
Alex Kozar
Bianca Kuazko
Melissa Flores
Taryn Fondi
Patricia Mihalio
Joe Pollicino
Charles Samiljan
Manny Simoes
Matt Yanosky
Advisor
Pat Winters Lauro
Mailing Address:
400 Paramus Road
Paramus, NJ 07652-1595
Room L-115
Phone: 201-493-5006
Fax: 201-493-5008
[email protected]
The Torch, a member of the Associated College Press and the College
Media Association, is the official student newspaper of Bergen
Community College. The purpose of the The Torch is to report on
the events at BCC and the local community and to offer the BCC
community a forum for the expression. The opinions expressed in
The Torch are not necessarily those of The Torch. All the materials
submitted to The Torch become property of The Torch.
Corrections
The Dec. 2007 issue of The Torch reported Christine Haedo
as the current advisor of the Muslim Student Association. She
is now co-advisor of the Turkish Club along with Lena Bakir.
Jon Yasin is the present advisor to the MSA.
THE TORCH
FEBRUARY 2008
PAGE 9
OPINIONS & EDITORIAL
Hillary Clinton: Hate her or love her?
On
Feb.1, 1960, four black freshmen
attending nearby A&T University in North
Carolina decided they were going to sit at the
‘whites only’ Woolworth’s lunch counter. The
owners refused service to the four, brushing
the incident off as a freak-occurrence, and
simply closed the lunch counter for the day.
In the days that followed several students
joined the original four, going back to the
Woolworth’s lunch counter everyday to sit in
silent protest of the unjust treatment blacks
across the nation were facing. While local
politicians urged the college’s administration
to talk the students out of their silent protest,
the president told the four to follow what was
in their hearts. By the summer of 1960,
Woolworth’s lunch counter was fully integrated to serve both black and white patrons. The
four students, Ezell Blair, Jr. (now Jibreel
Khazan), David Richmond, Franklin McCain
and Joseph McNeil were given the name the
Greensboro Four. Their silent solidarity gave
birth to the sit-in, and served as a pivotal
moment in American civil rights history.
It is in honor of these bold Americans who
portrayed courage, wisdom and resolve in the
face of diversity that The Torch’s banner color
this month is Kente cloth.
Originating as the clothing of Kings in
Ghana, the Kente cloth is now synonymous
with black culture.
BY ELISA CERVONE
MANAGING EDITOR
There are many sides to
Senator Hillary Clinton. She
can be the loving and supportive wife, as she was when she
served for eight years as First
Lady; she can be the Junior
Senator from New York,
engaged in the rough and tumble world of the US Senate;
she can be the loving mom to
daughter Chelsea. And she can
also be the first female candidate
running
for
the
Presidency of the US.
This in itself is a huge undertaking and one Senator
Clinton should be extremely
proud of. Women throughout
America are flocking to her
side by the thousands. But,
many are also annoyed with
her. The reason for this annoyance is the continued support
she shows for her husband, former President Bill Clinton.
Mrs. Clinton said recently on
the Tyra Banks Show, that she
“never doubted Bill’s love for
her,” but that is hard to believe
considering the many times her
husband has been linked to
extra-marital affairs. Some
may look at Mrs. Clinton and
see a strong-willed woman, not
afraid to fight for her husband
and take him back after his
wrongdoings. Still, others look
at Mrs. Clinton and see a selfserving, conniving politician
who stayed with her philandering husband to gain a Senate
Seat that led directly to a run
for the presidency.
Women throughout
America are flocking
to her side by the
thousands.
Senator Clinton finished
behind Senator Barak Obama
in the Iowa Caucuses and the
South Carolina Primary, taking
only the New Hampshire
PHOTO COURTESY/JGRAB1.WORDPRESS.COM
Senator Hillary Clinton
Primary to a win thus far. Mrs.
Clinton is still the frontrunner
for the democratic nomination, but will face a stiff challenge this week in Maine and
then must gear herself for
“Super Tuesday” on February
3rd. On that day, 22 states will
be up for grabs in a day that
could “make or break” a candidacy.
Recently, Clinton was just in
our home state of New Jersey
last month as she split the day
between Bergen County
(Hackensack) and Hudson
County (North Bergen) in an
attempt to woo the Garden
State into a win as NJ participates in “Super Tuesday” for
the first time ever.
Her platform as of the
moment? National Health
Care, the creation of more
jobs, the end of the war in Iraq,
tax reform and rebates and
more government funding for
programs that will help those
of the inner city.
Many believe in what she
says, many do not. Many like
that her husband campaigns
for her, and many do not.
That is the problem that faces
Senator Clinton. The name
Clinton can be as magical as it
can be deadly for her in this
Presidential Race of 2008. It is
both a blessing and a curse. It
just depends on where she is
running and who she is speaking before.
But, love her or hate herwhen the name Senator Hillary
Clinton is raised, all of us will
have an opinion, and we will
voice it.
How do students at BCC feel about Hillary Clinton?
The Torch encourages article
submissions and letters from students
and faculty, but reserves the right to
edit. Please send articles to
[email protected]
Attention Students!
Concerned about Health &
Safety on campus and want
to have a voice?
A short survey from the
BCC Health & Safety
Committee will be coming
out soon. Watch for it in the
next few weeks!
“Although I don't think
Hillary Clinton will win
the 2008 election, I do
believe she will have a big
impact on U.S. politics as
we know it, which will
open the doors for more
capable women to run for
President in the future. I
believe that our country is
in need of a new perspective
in running the government.” Pat Mihalio - 46
“I don’t think she has a
chance to win but who
knows! I think this country is going to stick with a
man to run the country, I
don’t think they can deal
having a woman as a
leader.”
Jackie Nadarse - 22
“I will not vote for her
by any means. She is not a
good woman figure at all
to be running this country.
She stayed with Bill even
though he cheated on her,
for what so she can be
where she is now? What
type of role model is she to
Americans and to the
human race?”
Christine Kennedy - 20
“I have mixed feelings
about everyone who is
running for presidency this
year. I think though it’s
great a woman is running; we need a change of
paste. Bill was alright but
I think Hillary will do a
better job.”
Joe Henelly - 21
“ I am pretty neutral
with all that is been going
on. I think it will be good
if we had a woman as
president. The only subject
that I have mixed feelings
on is her views with
Medicare but overall I
don’t think she is a bad
candidate.”
Susan Musson - 20
Enough with the Special Treatment, Athletes Need Rules Too
BY ELISA CERVONE
MANAGING EDITOR
Since the dawn of sports, the star
male athlete has been given preferential treatment. The fact is that star
male athlete can get almost anything, all because he can either hit or
throw a baseball; throw, run or catch
a football; or dribble and shoot a
basketball. To have these gifts and
physically perform better than the
other guy puts you in that special
stratosphere where your skills make
the difference over whether your
home school or hometown wins the
game. And when the big game is
won, the athlete is elevated to “hero”
status. These are the all-American
players ready to go on to college or
maybe even directly to the pro ranks.
They are the young men who older
men live vicariously through. They
are the young men who bring fame
and fortune to their school or home
town, bringing smiles to the faces of
boosters, alumni and those who sit
on the boards of directors.
So exalted are they that unfortunately, they become the young men
who can get away with anything, and
it starts early in their lives. This is the
attitude that many of these players
bring with them when to the NBA,
the NFL and the MLB when they go
pro. It is an attitude and a way of life
that they can not easily quit. From
the time they are old enough to win
that first biddie basketball game, they
are showered with special favors making life a joyous ride. A prime example of this was in 1997 when the
notorious football star, OJ Simpson,
former Buffalo Bills football player,
was found liable for killing his own
wife, yet was found not guilty in a
criminal trial. Later, in 2006, he
gained further notoriety when he
wrote a book titled If I Did It, which
claimed to be a first-person fictional
account of the murder -had he actually committed it.
No wonder star athletes often
believe they can do whatever they feel
like doing. Didn’t Kobe Bryant, former Nets basketball star, get accused
of sexual abuse and then acquitted?
Or how about Chris Henry and Odell
So exalted are they that
unfortunately, they become
the young men who can
get away with anything. . .
Thurman? The two are both football
players for the Cincinnati Bengals
who have been in the news for drinking and driving, as well as possession
of illegal drugs. Also, most recently
Michael Vick, Atlanta Falcons quarterback, was caught breeding dogs to
fight. If they didn’t
win, he drowned
them. Several months
ago there was a sexual
harassment trial of
New York Knicks
manager and coach
Isaiah
Thomas.
Madison
Square
Garden (home of the
Knicks) brought this
“athlete’s lifestyle” to
the forefront of the
local and national
news. On one hand, it
is wonderful that
Thomas and Madison Square Garden
must pay a sizable settlement. What is
not wonderful is the fact that NBA
Commissioner David Stern is not
punishing Thomas or the Knicks in
any way. He claims that the League
can not interfere since it was a civil
suit. Since he was found guilty in a
court of law, Thomas should be made
an example and fined and/or suspended by the League. It is a “black-eye”
for the NBA, as one of its teams in the
biggest market in all of the country
finds itself in the center of such a
firestorm. The words Thomas used,
the attitude Thomas displayed, the
fact that he still does not think he did
anything wrong, is all unconscionable.
Thomas acted like the worst sort of
vile street punk, and still has no
shame.
Thomas enthralled the nation during his college career after he led the
Indiana Hoosiers to an NCAA championship. His good guy image as
point guard of the rough-and-tumble
Detroit Pistons deflected a lot of negativity that was thrown at his “bad
boy” teammates. Thomas was always
the “golden child,” but behind that
gold was a reputation that no one
knew about. It finally came out with
this trial in New York City.
Thomas is still smiling, even
though he was told by a judge to pay
a sizable settlement to the young lady
he maligned so badly. He is still smiling because his lawyers are appealing
the judge’s decision. He is smiling
because he still has his job as Knick’s
general manager and head coach. He
is still smiling because the NBA commissioner will do nothing to him.
Of course, not all athletes are like the
ones mentioned here. There are actually true, kind-hearted male athletes in
this world. But it’s the bad eggs like
these who are becoming the stereotype
because they decided to take advantage of the power they have. It’s hurting the game, and it’s a disservice to all
the decent players out there.
THE TORCH
PAGE 10
FEBRUARY 2008
Bergen Community College celebrated Black History Month
with these distinguished African-American speakers.
BY MOSES ONWUCHEKWA
ILLUSTRATOR
Ernest Green, a member of the historic
Little Rock Nine, spoke on “The
Integration of Central High School, Little
Rock, Arkansas: 50 Years and Counting.”
Byron Motley, a noted baseball
historian, spoke and showed a film about
the Negro Baseball League.
Newark Mayor Cory Booker, a major
supporter of presidential candidate Barack
Obama and a Bergen County native, spoke
on “Preserving the Legacy of Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr,” an event that was podcast.
Charlotte Blake Alston used her gift of
music to share stories, songs and poetry of
the African-American experience, and
traditional stories told in African villages to
both young and adult audiences. Her
performances have been heralded in The
New York Times as “…eloquent storytelling…”
THE TORCH
FEBRUARY 2008
Civility
PAGE 11
. . . continued from page 1
and student population by surprise.
Dr. George Cronk, chair of
BCCs philosophy department,
criticized the code, saying it is the
equivalent of a loyalty oath and
violates both free speech and the
long-held tradition of academia as
a place for a free exchange of ideas.
“I got involved in this because the
administration sent me an early
version for my reaction, and when
I read it, I hit the ceiling,” he stated, “and I responded against it
because I thought it was a real
threat to academic freedom, civil
liberties, and it was a fantastical
reaction to problems that are not as
severe as the college president has
said. I think the college president
and the administration have given a
misimpression to the public about
Bergen Community College.”
Professor Charles Bordogna, professor of English and head of
CSIU, BCCs Center for the Study
of Intercultural Understanding
stated in an e-mail that “The
Record presented the Code as a
done-deal – as policy. It never was.
The perception created in no way
matched the reality.”
Professor
Bordogna
also
expressed concern for faculty
members who may be having trouble with a few students, but did
not reference any specific cases of
student misbehavior.
“My suggestion is to offer some
training on dealing with difficult
classroom behavior,” he wrote.
The story was picked up by other
media outlets and made its way to
the local six o’clock news. Dr. Ryan,
subsequently, wrote a piece that was
published in The Record’s op-ed section that explained his view on the
issue, and also noted that he was getting a broad spectrum of opinions
before formally adopting a code.
“We want people to argue, I
mean, that’s an important part of
growing up and being in college,”
Dr. Ryan said in the interview with
The Torch. “When you have a class
that’s full of people with different
points of view, that adds to the
quality of the class and it adds to
your learning. But, you don’t have
to call people names, you don’t
have to use profanity, you don’t
have to threaten violence to someone who disagrees with your point
of view and that is the kind of
behavior we are concerned about.”
According to BCC judicial board
records, incidents are not on the
rise at Bergen. The college had 149
incidents that were reviewed at
Judicial Board hearings from Jan.
to Dec. of 2007, down from 150
for the same period in 2006.
However, Dr. Ryan said Bergen
County Police, who moved onto
campus for the first time last fall,
reported incidents of verbal
threats. In a letter to Dr. Ryan, the
county police said it had responded to 69 incidents that it considered “more serious investigations,”
which included 18 calls for medical assistance, 17 for theft, six for
terrorist threats and four arrests.
Dr. Ryan also stated that there
have been so many cases of uncivil
behavior that the Judicial Board –
which hears the cases -- had to
increase its meetings to once a week,
from once a month. Dr. Ralph
Choonoo, director of the Office of
Student Life and head of judicial
affairs which handles conduct cases,
said he and Dr. Ryan had discussed
allowing the judicial board to meet
once a week if the need arises, but it
hasn’t been necessary thus far.
Some students said they are mystified about a student misbehavior
problem.
“Personally, people just act inappropriately,” stated Andrew
Palmer, a sophomore at the college
studying philosophy and business.
“They act loud in the student center, they leave their garbage, and
they throw things. That’s pretty
BCC Adjusts
of the habit. Each year, according to
the American Cancer Society, about
440,000 people in the United States
die from illnesses related to cigarette
smoking. Cigarettes kill more
Americans than alcohol, car accidents, suicide, AIDS, homicide,
and illegal drugs combined.
To help ease the transition, Albert
J. Ferrara from the department of
health services of Bergen County
hosted part of personal enrichment
workshop about smoking cessation
to nearly 40 students of three
“Introduction to the College
Experience” classes, as well as to
other students. The smoking cessation group provided this workshop.
In addition, seven employees of the
college signed up for an employee
smoking cessation program, offered
by the Human Resources dept.
Knowing how hard the decision
to quit smoking can be, Professor
Stafford Barton, a personal counselor at BCC, said smokers need to
make a personal choice when it
comes to quitting.
“We don’t want to force students
. . . continued from page 1
to quit;” he said. “It has to be their
own decision. Once they make
their decision they can come into
room A-118 for further counseling and referrals.”
He said BCC is also offering a
student-only smoking cessation
program at Englewood Hospital,
but only three students have
signed up so far. Ten are needed to
start the group.
Public safety officers tried to
maintain the new rule, but they
have been faced with many students who are still smoking
around the campus. Lieutenant
Marie Jardine said they are not
issuing fines, but they are gathering identification cards and documenting the names to possibility
create a list of repeat violators that
they will share with the Office of
Student Life, run by Dr.Ralph
Choonoo. So far, there are no
penalties for violating the ban.
“I know it is a difficult transition
for everybody to get used to,
including the faculty and students” she said.
Online at:
www.bergen.edu/thetorch
MySpace URL:
www.myspace.com/bcctorchnewspaper
Bergen Community College Code of Responsibility
DRAFT
In the full knowledge of the commitment that I am
freely willing to undertake as a student, I promise to
respect each and every member of the college
community without regard to race, creed, political
ideology, lifestyle, orientation, gender or social status
sparing no effort to preserve the dignity of those I will
come in contact with as a member of the college
community. I promise to Bergen Community College
that I will follow this code of Responsibility.
1. Honesty, integrity, and a respect for all
will guide my personal conduct.
2. I will embrace and celebrate differing
perspectives intellectually.
3. I will build an inclusive community
enriched by diversity.
4. I am willing to respect and assist those
individuals who are less fortunate.
5. I promise my commitment to civic
engagement and to serve the needs of
the community to the best of my ability.
much the extent of it. I heard
recently about someone getting
their stuff stolen out of their locker downstairs in the lower gym,
that’s the most extreme example of
student misbehavior [I know of ].”
Some faculty said they resent the
publicity that unfairly paints BCC
as rife with badly behaved students. Ignacio Acosta, president of
the
Student
Government
Association, said he doesn’t think
BCC is particularly uncivil.
“Inside our group within the student population, we are not uncivil to each other,” he said. “What I
can say is, in a population of
25,000 – 10,000 continuing education and 15,000 traditional students – you have to expect people
to bump heads at some point “
Dr. Ryan said while BCC might
not be especially uncivil, the number of cases reflects a coarseness
that is not acceptable.
“Even though those numbers are
small compared to what happens at
a place of 15,000, I don’t think I, as
a president, can ignore it, and I
think the expectation of the greater
community and of the faculty is that
we do something,” he commented.
The concept of a code reportedly
arose after three alarming incidents
last semester. The first involved
2,000 copies of racial slurs printed
and left in a copier in the library.
The second concerned postcards of
the college’s own direct mail that
was returned to BCC with remarks
like “Where are all the white
males?” apparently in reference to
the mailer’s photograph of BCCs
multicultural population.
The third upsetting incident
occurred when a group of neoNazis reportedly informed the college it would attend its open forum
with U. S. Senator Bob Menendez
last August. Several individuals were
stopped, searched, and politely
asked to give pamphlets to security
Awareness
poverty. HIV teams are also
deployed in conjunction with these
programs. There are 20,000 peacekeepers currently stationed in the
African Congo, 26,000 of which
will soon be deployed to Darfur to
provide security to UN staff already
there to help.
Among its many works, the UN
is fighting the war against AIDS
discrimination among HIV/AIDS
infected people and co-workers.
“In the military in many countries,
if you are HIV positive you get let
go,” said Lothe.
She showed an informational
video and explained the three methods of combating HIV: protection,
testing and, if you are diagnosed,
treatment. “HIV is not a death sentence, silence is the threat,” she said.
The third and final speaker was
Dawn Breedon, author of the book
Remember to Breathe, and motivational speaker for the New Jersey
Buddies organization, whose mission is to provide support and education to those infected and affected
by HIV/AIDS in Bergen and
Passaic counties. Breedon’s positive,
enthusiastic, and healthy demeanor
belied the fact that she has been living with HIV for the past 16 years.
Breedon began her talk by sharing that she found out she was
infected with HIV when she was
five months pregnant with her first
child. If that wasn’t devastating
enough, at the age of three-and-ahalf Breedon’s son was murdered
with cyanide poisoning by his own
for safekeeping during the forum.
The items were returned after the
forum. The neo-Nazis were never
identified as BCC students.
However, The Record came to the
story by different means. Dr. Ryan
said The Record called BCC in
Dec. after a disgruntled parent
contacted the newspaper over what
she deemed unfair treatment by
the Judicial Board.
Bad behavior isn’t anything new
at Bergen. A December 1981 issue
of the school newspaper, then
called The Bergen Monitor, reported graffiti “marring the first month
of school.” The front page of Feb.
1982’s Bergen Monitor reports a
security guard was attacked on
campus by a former student of the
school. The attack left the security
guard in the intensive care unit of
The Valley Hospital. Neither incident led to changes in the BCC
Code of Responsibility.
Dr. Choonoo said the difference
between then and now is that today
the college has an official structure
in place to deal with conduct issues.
“I think the difference is that, for
one, the judicial board itself has a
system now,” he said. “Before we
had a system, we had a disciplinarian, such as a vice-president who
would just say ‘don’t do that again.’
Now, we have a set educational system of having a group of people
two faculty members, three staff,
two councilors and students who
listen to the cases and then determine an outcome. Now that it is
less arbitrary, we are documenting
more of those cases.”
He added that many of today’s
incidents emanate from the classrooms, and he thinks it is because
the college encourages reporting
incidents today.
“We let faculty know that if they
are having an incident with a disruptive student that they need to
report it and not wait until the end
of the semester,” he added.
. . . continued from page 2
STAFF PHOTO/BCC
BCC President Ryan joined in commemorating Aids Awareness Day.
father who, after killing his son,
committed suicide. In the midst of
all this tragedy, Breedon made a
decision. “I decided I was going to
fight back to stay healthy, and succeed,” she said
Breedon pointed out that
HIV/AIDS doesn’t discriminate by
race, education, financial status, or
religion. She also informed the audience that seven out of ten teenage
girls have, or have had, a Sexually
Transmitted Disease (STD) which
could have led to HIV/AIDS.
“Take the Lead,” was this years
AIDS day theme and Breedon told
everyone to take the lead in protecting themselves against HIV/AIDS.
Breedon is a survivor, a published author, a motivational
speaker and mother to an 11-yearold son who is HIV-free. Breedon
will graduate in May 2008 with a
Masters Degree in Human
Services; she continues to try to
educate as many people as possible
on the risks, consequences, treatments
and
programs
for
HIV/AIDS.
“With education and behavior
modification, we can prevent the
spread of HIV,” Breedon said.
THE TORCH
PAGE 12
FEBRUARY 2008
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
February’s Album Anecdotes
BY AMANDA FERRANTE
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Ah, music. It’s what takes us out
of our every day routine and gives
us an opportunity to sit back,
relax, and enjoy the tunes. In an
age where accessing music is as easy
as singing it, record sales are taking
a hit. These picks are managing
well, given the circumstances.
Maybe you like rap; maybe you
like rock- but while we gravitate
toward one genre, it’s important
that we recognize great music
when we hear it.
Jack Johnson/Sleep Through The
Static (February 5): One thing
that’s great about Jack is the feel
good simplicity offering music for
every mood. The fifth album from
the surf-loving Hawaiian isn’t exactly up to par with his total music
potential, but nevertheless a fun jam
that will serve as party fodder this
spring break on the beach. “If I Had
Eyes,” the first single of the album,
is heating up radio waves as Jack’s
Jack Johnson Sleep Through The Static
effortless vocals and easy beat have
that special something. The title
track is easy going and sweet- there’s
not much to the song other than a
petite pounce of drums and an easy
riff. Then again, one of Jack’s biggest
selling points is his simplicity.
Sheryl Crow/Detours (February
5): On this album, Sheryl’s the
female counterpart of Jack, but with
more experience and flare. She’s
keeping it simple with light guitar
riffs and springtime beats on the first
single, “Love is Free.” The lyrics on
Sheryl Crow Detours
the album, however, are anything
but simple, as she’s dabbing into
politics in attempts to raise environmental awareness. Obviously she’s
done “Soaking Up The Sun.” The
record’s overall tone is somber and
calm, with a certain sense of determination and hope. "Make It Go
Away [Radiation Song]," touches on
her breast-cancer experience, and
she even squeezes in a “Lullaby for
Wyatt,” to serve as the last track and
pay homage to her newly adopted
son. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone
Lupe Fiasco The Cool.
Magazine is calling it her best
sounding work in nearly a decade.
Although Travers is godly in entertainment Journalism, that may be a
stretch- Sheryl dominated the early
90s with a knack for girl power
before the Spice Girls were even
thought of.
Lupe
Fiasco/The
Cool
(December 18): Though the
album came out two months ago,
it’s reigned supreme since on the
Billboard Rap Charts. What’s great
about Lupe is that he’s ditched the
Ill Nino Enigma
typical rap M.O and manages to
innovate a special sound that’s all
his own- the album isn’t just cleverly titled- this guy is pretty cool.
On Lupe’s second album, his
vocals take a page from Kanye’s
book, but he blows you away with
tracks like “Superstar” and “Streets
on Fire,” and has you singing in
seconds (with a little help from
Matthew Santos). The easy hooks
and modern beats are something
See Anecdotes . . page 17
Is Heath Ledger's Death
Enough To Make Him A Legend?
BY ROB TORRES
STAFF WRITER
Actors in Hollywood come and
go, but the fortunate ones become
household names -some even
become legends. This isn't an easy
process. Though a few are instant
sensations the public can't get
enough of, most work their entire
lives before their talent is recognized. In the crazy world of show
biz, everyone has a chance to
become a star. But do they need to
die to become a legend?
Heath Ledger's sudden death on
Jan. 22 was shocking, especially so
because it came in the midst of
public anticipation of the new
Batman film, The Dark Knight, in
which Ledger plays The Joker. The
actor was only 28, and many suspect that his demise resulted from
an overdose of sleeping pills. There
was speculation that after his
masseuse found him unconscious
and naked on the bed of his SoHo
pied-à-terre, rather than call 911,
PHOTO COURTESY/DAILYMAIL.CO.UK
Heath Ledger 1979-2008
she called Mary Kate Olsen,
Ledger's former fling. Could
Ledger have been saved? She did, in
fact, call 911, but the initial phone
call made will remain a mystery.
The Australian actor's end is
comparable to that of another
popular Hollywood figure, James
Dean. Dean, who had starred in
just 3 films, was killed in a car
accident in 1954 at the tender age
of 24. Best known for his perform-
ance in Rebel Without a Cause,
Dean received two posthumous
Academy Award nominations, one
for his work in Giant, the other for
his performance in East of Eden.
Dean had had many television
appearances, but it was Rebel
Without a Cause that made him a
star. Is the same fate awaiting
Heath Ledger? Ledger was nominated for his performances in Ned
Kelly, Brokeback Mountain, and
Candy, but he never took home a
statuette. Now gone, will he
become the second person in
Tinsel town history to receive an
Academy Award after slipping the
surly bonds? (The first was screenwriter Sidney Howard, for Gone
With the Wind.) Will he tie Dean's
record of two posthumous nominations?
My prediction: Ledger will be
nominated for an Academy Award
for his performance as The Joker he'll win, and go on to become a
legend.
Chic Antique: An Oldie but
Goodie You Should No
Longer Be Deprived of…
BY AMANDA FERRANTE
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
It’s clear that the music industry
has taken a dive, and whether it’s
the downloading age or just a new
generation demanding very little
(cue in the High School Music fans),
there are some acts that came out
so long ago, that our generation is
just deprived of its altitude. With
the help of the Internet, my own
music library, and my pop (who
was actually around when Elvis
first came out) you’ll be introduced
to something old and different,
putting a whole new spin on an
(Oldie but a Goodie.)
Fats Domino is just one man you’ve
got to hear. Domino put a New
Orleans spin on what came to be
Fats Domino
known as rock and roll. Born
Antoine Domino in 1928, he learned
the fundamentals of music from his
brother-in-law, Harrison Verret.
At 14, he left school and worked
days in a factory so he could perform at local nightclubs. As the 40s
moved in, Fats’ tunes caught the
ears of Dave Bartholomew, who
would become his writing partner
on many of Fats' hit songs. Fats
joined the Dave Bartholomew
Band in the mid-40s.
Fats signed with Imperial records
on December 10, 1949 and cut
eight tracks including “The Fat
Man,” which was regarded as the
first rock and roll record, reached
#2 on the charts and sold a million
copies. Though Fats was greatly
successful, he never had a number
one hit. Domino’s staying power
was based on the solid musicality of
See Antique . . page 17
PHOTO COURTESY/NYMAG.COM
Kanye West poses with his mother Donda West
What Can't Kill Him, Can
Only Make Him Stronger
BY PAUL IBANEZ
STAFF WRITER
Kanye West went from being a
Chicago emcee known for always
donning a Louis Vuitton backpack, to becoming an international superstar almost overnight.
After suffering the loss of his
mother, Donda West, this past
Nov., life has been a whirlwind for
this multi-platinum star.
There is no question that
Kanye's superego can make it hard
for normal people to relate to the
“Con Louis Vuitton Don”, but
after losing his mother to complications from cosmetic surgery, he
has become more human than his
usual superstar ego. West was
recently seen crying while performing "Hey Mama" at a concert
in Paris a few weeks after her passing. He also was seen playing connect four with Beyonce during a
New Year’s Eve party at the Palms
in Las Vegas.
In Sept. 2007, Kanye's third
album Graduation broke industry
records by becoming the year’s
highest selling album in terms of
first week sales with 957,000
copies sold. This came at a time
when hip-hop CD sales dropped
nearly 30 percent. With Kanye's
lyrics progressing while his music
relates to all types of demographics, there is no question why he
earned eight Grammy nominations, including Album of the
Year.
Kanye’s freshmen and sophomore albums, The College Dropout
and Late Registration, have also
both been previously nominated
for Album of the Year, but this
most-prized Grammy still seems
to evade this talented singer/songwriter/producer.
Kanye's flashy style also earned
him
GQ’s
prestigious
“International Man of the Year”
title in 2007. He has also been
known to pen a guest column for
Complex magazine, and has graced
the cover of countless magazines.
Kanye West has reached the level
of his metaphorical “big brother”
Jay-Z as a rapper, but as a producer there is no question he is the
best. He has produced tracks for
artist Common (which was nominated for three Grammy’s), and
2008’s most anticipated album,
Lil' Wayne's The Carter III (set to
release March 18, 2008).
Kanye's infamous pink polo can't
hurt his credibility as a rapper anymore, and his sampling creativity
had doubters in the past, but there
is no question most of them are
coming around after the release of
Graduation. No doubt this past
year was the year Mr. West solidified himself as a living legend in
music. R.I.P. Donda West.
THE TORCH
FEBRUARY 2008
PAGE 13
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
The Year The Music Industry Broke Down
BY PAUL IBANEZ
STAFF WRITER
There is no doubt 2007 was a bad
year for the music industry. With
CD sales dropping 15 percent from
2006, the industry has cut down
on staff and artists; even big name
A&Rs and executives like Rob
Stevenson, who signed acts such as
Fall Out Boy and The Killers, can’t
avoid the cut. The music industry
is in a recession- and big hits just
can’t cut it any more.
To counter these loses moves
were made and new ideas came
about in 2007. Madonna recently
signed a huge 120 million 10-year
deal with concert promoter Live
Nation. It’s the largest deal in history, involving not only future
albums and tours, but merchandis-
ing, film and TV projects, DVD
release, and music-licensing agreements, bringing an end to
Madonna’s 25-year relationship
with Warner Music Group.
Radiohead also shocked the
industry this past year, releasing
their newest LP In Rainbows on
their website under the terms that
Radiohead fans could download
the new licks for whatever price
they keyed in. Some chose to pay a
penny, others elected to pay
upwards of $20.
Def Jam president Jay-Z stepped
down from his position due to
contract issues. Jay-Z still is signed
to Def Jam as an artist, and still has
one album left on his contract to
release. Jay-Z had a four year stint
as president, garnering 28
Grammy nominations this year for
Def Jam- the most in the company’s history.
Starbucks started their own
record label Hear Music, signing
Paul McCartney and simultaneously ending his longtime relationship with label EMI. Trent Reznor
of Nine Inch Nails left Interscope
Records after 13 years.
So, what’s to blame for the frenzy?
Some may say it is the greed of top
executives, who live off the talents
of many artists. The quality of
music is also in question, especially
within the genre of hip-hop, where
labels thought marketing big hits
or “one hit wonders” would save
the industry from downfall, but
CD sales dropped 30 percent.
With the industry marketing one
hit wonders like Soulja Boy’s
“Crank That,” the quality of hiphop albums has really down-graded. Artists like Common are not
getting as much publicity or airplay
as Soulja Boy, but are being well
recognized when it comes to the
quality of their albums, as
Common was nominated for three
Grammy’s. In a recent interview
seen in XXL Magazine, Nas was
heard saying hip-hop hit a reces-
sion, and that one hit wouldn’t
make anyone millions anymore.
Instead, it will take a quantity of
quality albums and hard work to
achieve success- a blueprint that has
worked for many established hiphop artist like Nas, Common and
Jay-Z. It took these artists hard
work and time to develop their
albums, and each did not achieve
success until a few albums were
released, enabling them to reach a
wider range of audiences.
It is going to be fun to see major
labels smacking their heads on the
mistakes they made in 2007. But
on an optimistic note, this is a time
for independent hard-working
artists to really make a name for
themselves; 2008 may just be the
year when the garbage is finally
taken out.
Powerhouse David Homyk Knocks
Hard on the Music Industry’s Door
BY AMANDA FERRANTE
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
New York City is home to so many
of our favorite things- a great slice of
pizza, countless landmarks, and a
powerhouse talent sure to make the
music industry fall to its knees.
Having produced tracks for Kelly
Rowland and Solange Knowles,
David Homyk is the city’s hidden
treasure as he sings, composes, produces, and plays every instrument
under the sound-making sun and
he’s good looking. You’re in for a
treat.
While David resides in The Big
Apple now, he was raised in
Charlottesville, Virginia, where he
says he’ll end up and buy a farm.
David and I sat down in true New
York City cliché- a Starbucks on a
cold winter day- and ended up conversing for hours about music, love,
and life.
David began composing at age
eight.
I fell in love with Scott Joplin and
Ragtime music,” he says of his early
years. He took piano lessons and
eventually picked up a guitar, and
whatever other instrument he could
get his hands on.
“I came from a town where playing
guitar is like playing soccer in
Bolivia,” he says, making the commonality clear.
PHOTO COURTESY¡/THOMAS OLSON
David Homyk
David’s versatility is what shines
through in his music. In the sweet
ballad “Hard to Make a Friend,” his
baby soft vocals take you away on an
emotional path full of sweet whispers
and a dash of typical pop that’s just
enough to lift you off the ground. His
voice is very much comparable to
Jesse McCartney, but instead of a
shameless puffball, he’s a pull-nopunches hunk. The track would slip
easily into a soundtrack role, providing the perfect backdrop for a
breakup scene.
In “It’s so Easy Now,” David’s
sweet voice hits the highs and lows-
showcasing a somber tone about a
song that he says is an (optimistic)
tune of finding a good place. He
sings, “I’m free as the rain just keep
coming down. There’s something in
my heart- I just can’t figure it out. It’s
so easy now. Now you walked inside
my heart and I just can’t figure it out,
suddenly it’s just so easy now.”
What’s best about the song is the
heartfelt effortless vocals that turn
into powerful chords over deep
struck piano.
Of his production process, he says,
“I marry different sounds and construct a song.” When it comes to
how songs are born, he says, "Songs
just appear in my head all the time,
and the really catchy ones stick.
That's why my songs are so catchy they all got stuck in my head to
begin with."
The real hidden treasure on
David’s soon-to-be-released EP is
“Knock, Knock,” a feel-good ditty
that will have you singing in seconds. Ladies, you’ll wish you were
the girl he’s talking about. With
jazzy hums and a bountiful base
line, David’s plead “Baby girl, take
me back please” leads you to believe
the undertone is R&B, but then a
banjo-like guitar finds it way in
along with a subtle whistle.
When asked about his influences,
a plethora of musicians are counted,
See David Homyk . . page 11
Sweeney Todd:
Depp and Burton do it Again
BY DANIEL LAFASO
SPORTS EDITOR
Entering the theatre a bit skeptical about viewing a two plus hour
long musical, regardless of the talent therein, I approached Sweeney
Todd with a certain apprehension.
Ten minutes into the film, captivation and astonishment swept all
that away.
Johnny Depp and Tim Burton
have collaborated on some of the
best gothic films of this, or any era,
and Sweeney Todd is no exception.
In fact, it is just about the best film
that this duo has ever unleashed
onto the movie going public.
Depp’s performance as Benjamin
Barker, a young barber in
Victorian London who was
PHOTO COURTESY/THOMAS OLSON
Johnny Depp as Sweeny Todd
wrongfully imprisoned, is truly
phenomenal and award worthy in
every single scene. Burton’s fiancée
Helena Bonham Carter plays Mrs.
Lovett, Barker’s partner in crime,
and does a magnificent job. Both
actors leant their true life voices to
the film’s soundtrack, thus making
the appeal of the film that much
better.
Supporting roles played by Sacha
Baron Cohen, Edward Sanders,
Alan Rickman, and Timothy Spall
all add to the film’s majesty; and
each has a song or two as well.
This being a Tim Burton film,
there are the usual dark and eerie
tones throughout, and fans of the
musical from its Broadway days
will not be disappointed either.
The soundtrack and accompanying score, kept intact by Stephen
Sondheim, work so well on screen
that it’s hard to imagine this tale
being told in any other way.
All in all, the performances are
outstanding. Burton’s direction
and storytelling ability, as usual,
are remarkable, and I award
Sweeney Todd; the Demon Barber of
Fleet Street, two thumbs as high as
they can possibly go.
PHOTO CREDIT/LAURA DESANTIS OLSSON
Silence Will Fail
Silence Will Fail:
Proving Jersey’s Still Got It
BY DANIEL LAFASO
SPORTS EDITOR
One could argue that modern heavy
metal is nothing more than angry
teenagers with instruments and that
no real talent is required. One may
also argue that modern metal is the
most intelligent, talented and poetic
sub-genre in the world of rock and
roll. In the case of Bergen County
metal act Silence Will Fail, no argument is needed. In what can only be
described as the musical equivalent of
all of the worlds atomic weapons
being unleashed simultaneously,
Silence Will Fail brings an all out
metal bombardment with their
album, In the Fires of Adversity. There
are three things that all good heavy
metal bands must have in order to be
considered among the elite of their
peers: talent, songwriting ability, and a
terrific live show. The men of Silence
Will Fail have all three and more.
The sound of Silence Will Fail is
composed of many different elements. The all out thrashing of the
guitars played by Brian Kurczewski,
and the man they call “Fox” can be
attributed to American metal pioneers like Lamb of God and the
almighty Metallica. Bassist Eric
Hauser comes out with smooth,
swirling bass lines, and pulsating
drums are courtesy of Jake Rea. The
full frontal growl and crisp melodies
are brought by the very talented Tony
Polizzotto. The band’s general sound
is a cross between Lamb of God and
Killswitch Engage, yet these Bergen
County boys somehow bring a certain flare to the music that is all their
own. When listening to early tracks,
such as “Pillowfist,” it is easy to see
why this band has come as far as they
have in such a short time. “The
mood of In the Fires of Adversity, I
would say, is dark, raw, and full of
righteousness. Also, our songs vary
from dark to showing a softer side
without losing the heaviness we strive
for, [the song] “7th” is a perfect
example. Then we have songs like
“Remember the Fallen”, “The
Poison”, and “Bury Me”. All of these
with positive messages to always
strive and push through the hard
times, because in the end you’re a better person for it,” says front man
Tony Polizzotto.
While the New Jersey metal scene
has been losing its luster in recent
years, Silence Will Fail shows no
signs of slowing down, or giving up.
“Honestly, man, it’s an honor to be a
part of the NJ metal scene. There are
a lot of metal bands that have come
out of Jersey, just name a few God
Forbid, ill Nino, 40 Below Summer,
so to be a part of what these bands
helped start for us is an honor,” says
Polizzotto. “Yet at the same time the
scene right now is kind of at a standstill, but we see it growing again as
time goes on more, and more people
are coming out to shows and that’s
refreshing. We feel like it’s our duty as
a band to help get the scene back to
where it was and needs to be.”
Back in Dec. in the boys’ hometown of Clifton, the band brought a
packed house to its knees in
Dingbatz, a popular Jersey metal bar.
With such action packed anthems as
"The Poison" and "Bury Me",
Silence Will Fail had made it clear
that they were there to play for keeps,
and from the opening chord to the
final drum slap, not a single soul in
the building could stand still.
Record labels, A&R managers, and
all heavy metal enthusiasts take
notice, there's a new leader in the
Jersey rock revolution!
Silence Will Fail can be heard at
Http://www.myspace.com/silencewil
lfail, you can also hear them on 89.5
FM Sat. nights.
THE TORCH
PAGE 14
FEBRUARY 2008
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
the radar
scoping out the
places you’ve got to be
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
(02/29, 8:00pm)
TOP SHOW:
ST VINCENT
w/ foreign born, basia bulat
Bowery Ballroom
6 Delancey St., New York,
New York
$15
Annie Clark's clever, original
instrumentation and whimsical, witty lyrics made her an
easy choice for this month's top
show. Her album was a staple
of mine for quite a while, and
every time I relisten, it's still
good. I've never seen her in
person, but my unerrantly
trustworthy gut tells me that a
musician of her obvious quality
will be unbelievable live. At
fifteen bucks (maybe $25
including commute), this show
is nothing but a steal.
BY AMANDA FERRANTE
BY JOSH EVANSEN
(02/24, 7:00pm)
BEDOUIN SOUNDCLASH
w/ Westbound Train, beat union
The Knitting Factory
74 Leonard Street, New
York, NY 10013
$13 adv/$15 atd
(02/29, 6:00 PM)
DARKEST HOUR
Blender Theater at Gramercy
127 East 23rd Street,
New York, NY
(03/01, 8:00 PM)
BLIND MELON
Hiro Ballroom
371 W. 16th St.,
New York, NY
$20
21+
The Venue Vortex:
A Whirling Mass of Shows
AMANDA FERRANTE
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Starland Ballroom, Sayreville,
New Jersey:
The Guerilla Carnivale Tour
Featuring Ill Nino with Bobaflex,
Droid, & Bergen’s own Dispute
to Flames
Sunday, February 24
All That Remains
Friday, March 7
Live
Saturday, March 15
What’s Going on in Entertainment
Convention Hall, Asbury Park,
New Jersey:
Taste of Chaos Tour Featuring
Avenge Sevenfold, Atreyu, Bullet
for My Valentine, & More
Saturday, March 15
The Izod Center (Formerly
Continental Airlines Arena), East
Rutherford, New Jersey:
Van Halen
Thursday, March 13
Avril Lavigne with Boys Like
Girls
Sunday, March 30
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
• A reunion is in the works for
Stone Temple Pilots. Frontman
Scott Weiland told the Miami
Herald the band will reunite in
“the coming months.” Velvet
Revolver guitarist Slash told
Billboard.com that Weiland will
be rejoining his previous band,
STP, for some shows this summer.
He also said that Weiland would
be working with VR on their
third album starting this spring.
• Marilyn Manson is firing
back against allegations that his
music influences teenagers to act
out on violent urges leading to
tragedies such as the Columbine
High School shooting. Manson
told the Boston Globe “…We get
blamed for every act of violence.
They don’t have a Grammy award
for school shootings, but I guess I
would get one if they did,
whether I asked for one or not.”
• Linkin Park has chosen “Given
Up” as their next single to be
released off Minutes to Midnight.
Madison Square Garden, New
York, New York:
James Blunt
Friday, February 29
Radio City Music Hall, New
York, New York:
Gipsy Kings
February 25
Aretha Franklin
Friday, March 21 & Saturday
March 22
Terminal 5, New York, New York
The Hives with The Donnas
Friday, March 7
Of the video shoot, lead singer
Chester Bennington said on his
Website, “We are starting to shoot
our new video for 'Given Up' and
I think it's going to turn out really good. The band has decided to
go with a live video and I think
it's perfect for the song. We
always do really big expensive
videos and it's nice to take a break
from that."
• Rumors are swirling about
Metallica revealing American
tour dates. Metallica’s first confirmed concert this year will be in
Poland on May 28th. The metal
pioneers are putting the final
touches on their currently untitled ninth studio album due out
later this year.
• Beloved actor Heath Ledger
was found dead in his New York
City apartment on Tuesday,
January 22nd. Police said his
death may have been drug-related
as “prescription-type drugs” were
found near his body. Ledger was
known for his roles in “Ten
Things I Hate About You,” “A
Knight’s Tale,” and “Brokeback
Mountain.” His last role was the
Joker in this summer’s Batman
feature, “The Dark Knight.”
• “Hannah Montana & Miley
Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds
Concert” movie grossed $29 million during its opening weekend.
The film will be in theatres for
only a week, but given the numbers, that’ll do for Disney. Fifteenyear-old Miley Cyrus is “superstoked.”
• Live Nation, the world’s
biggest concert promoter, will
replace Ticketmaster early next
year with its own ticket service
livenation.com. Ticketmaster,
which in 2006 sold about 20 million tickets for Live Nation shows,
will still handle concert by smaller competitors such as AEG Live,
as well as the NFL and other
sporting events.
• In 2007, record sales went
down 36% since 2000. Album
sales were down 15% with massive layoffs in the industry. The
Eagles, Paramore, and Kanye
West were among the record
industry’s saviors last year.
JUST FOR LAUGHS: CRAZY
COMEDY
Radio City Music Hall, New
York, New York
Will Ferrell’s Funny or Die
Comedy Tour
Sunday, Feb 24
CLASSIFIED AD
Beacon Theatre, New York, New
York
Frank Caliendo
Friday, March 14
CHILD CARE (Oradell, NJ)
Nice family needs help
w/school pick-up, drive to activities: 1-2 days/week, 2:30-5:30
and school breaks (if available).
Non-smoking,
English-speaking
woman
w/car. $14-$16/hour. Contact
by email:
[email protected]
THE TORCH
FEBRUARY 2008
Study Abroad
world, of other cultures, of other
people, of other points of view.
Student that have returned have
said that the most valuable experience has been learning about
themselves, identifying their
strengths, realizing how much
they had matured and grown in a
short period of time, and having
developed life-long friendships
overseas. This is an experience that
will have an impact for the rest of
their lives. It did for me,” says
Dean Codding.
Melissa Toscano, a fellow BCC
student has returned this semester
from studying in Italy. She says
the reason she went to Italy was
because she is of Italian descent
and has studied the language for
five years, the trip provided for a
perfect opportunity to practice the
language. She also wanted to see
where her parents grew up and
wanted to learn more about art,
even though she is majoring in
Biology.
“The best thing was definitely
the art and on-site classes. I
. . . continued from page 5
learned all about a painter's life,
techniques, and analyzed his
works right there on-site in front
of the painting. Imagine discussing the Coliseum’s history and
analyzing the architecture right in
front of it,” enthuses Toscano. It
was about $8,000 in tuition and
fees, and the school provides
housing for $4,000.
Melissa recommends this program saying, “I think everyone
should have the experience of at
least living in another country for
a while and if they could study
there, it really is a surreal experience to see how differently the
information is presented when
you’re studying it from a perspective that's different from that of
the United States.”
If you are interested and need
more information, check out the
BCCs study abroad website at
http://www.bergen.edu/studyabroa
d for more details.
The Bergen Room Treats
Campus to Fancy Fare
PAGE 15
Smoke-in
. . . continued from page 3
Said MySpace user Erin: “We are
adults, fully capable of making our
own health decisions, and if the
school wanted us to be healthy, why
is there a Nathan’s on campus? Why
are there soda machines around
every corner? What makes cigarette
smoking any different than saturated fats? Their argument is secondhand smoke, if we are smoking outside, this eliminates this issue.”
Another big complaint on the site
is that no one seems to know the
penalty for defying the ban. A wide
array of very differing punishments
have been floating within student
conversations on campus, the common thread among them being that
there really has been no clear punishment set for violators of the ban.
Some students say they are being
told that they can be legally prosecuted if caught lighting up on
campus. Others have been told by
public safety officers that they are
not allowed to talk about it.
Dr. Ralph Choonoo, director of
Student Life and judicial affairs at
BCC, said there is no single policy
regarding the ban.
“The smoking violation is like
any other violation on campus” he
said. “If someone violates the policy, a public safety officer will
engage them, or any administrator
can engage them. If somebody
decides they are going to be uncivil about this or any policy, there is
a likely chance they are going to go
to the judicial board immediately.
Sometimes there are people who
make mistakes…they didn’t know,
or there was some mix-up; they get
the benefit of the doubt. There has
been one student who got a letter
from the judicial board [in reference to the smoking ban] this past
week, and that came from his attitude more than anything else.”
Dr. Choonoo showed a copy of
the college’s new no-smoking policy, which includes a section titled
“Sanctions Against Violators.” It
reads: “Any employee who violates
this Policy shall be subject to
appropriate disciplinary action.
Any student who violates the
Policy shall be subject to disciplinary measures in accordance with
the provisions of the Student Code
Timeless Experience
Opportunity study.
For this
group, despite the financial and
logistical obstacles it poses, education is well worth the time, effort
and expense because they view
education as a life goal, a privilege
and a never-ending journey.
Said student, Ms. Martin: “With
a house, husband and children to
care for, I knew returning to college wouldn’t be easy, but we discussed the pros and cons of my
returning to college, and agreed
that the benefits outweighed the
extra work required of each family
member while I was at school or
doing homework.”
Many of these older students have
also witnessed first hand the birth
of technology, and the advent of
economic globalization. They
understand that in order to remain
CERT
. . . continued from page 3
a valuable part of our ever-evolving
society, they must upgrade their
knowledge and skills to stay
employable. They also know that
with the rapid pace of technological
advancement, enhanced job skills
and a solid educational background
are vitally important to their continued earning potential. The
attainment of a college education
has long been an engine of a person’s financial security and social
status and today, more than ever
before, it is an important component of life-long financial stability.
Today, most good colleges and
universities will market their diverse
student population to increase
enrollment. Therefore, if it’s true
that diversity is a hallmark of a wellrounded education, it is also true
that you will not only earn a degree,
but also gain a richer and broader
understanding of yourself and the
world around you through interactions with older classmates. So, the
next time you have a chance to chat
with a classmate who looks to be the
same age as your parents or grandparents, take the opportunity to talk
to them. Without a doubt, you’ll
learn something about them and,
just as importantly, be able to teach
them something about yourself.
Regardless of whether you’re 18, 68
or somewhere in between, everyone
has something important and special to share and after all, isn’t that
what education is really all about?
For more information about
today’s adult students, visit
www.degreesofopportunity.org,
www.luminafoundation.org or
www.bergen.edu/pages/3535.asp
. . . continued from page 6
he said, it’s members of the community that are called upon first.
“Many lives are saved by citizens,” he said, adding that we
should all be prepared for disasters.
What is most important is that
everyone should know their exact
location at all times and where the
fire exits are in classrooms, offices
and other areas. In case of evacuation, one should always take all
personal identification cards and
medication records. People who
lose these things in disasters have
to start from scratch. Besides that,
we all should
have a kit ready
with the immediEARN YOUR BACHELOR’S DEGREE
ate things like
ONLINE AT ST. JOHN’S UNIVERSITY:
water and food.
The Quality of St. John’s and the
Once again Bergen Community College would like to announce
the spring opening of The Bergen Room Restaurant, on February 6,
2008, located in C-210 in the Pitkin Education Center.
The Bergen Room is staffed by students under the supervision
of Professor Donald Del Nero. This is our open invitation to you
to experience first-hand and what the Hotel Restaurant
Management program is about.
Hours of Operation are as follows;
Wednesdays 1200 p.m. to 12:45 p.m.
Thursdays 7:00 p.m. to 7:45 p.m.
Reservations are highly recommended, please call 201-447-7222
internal please call at BCC ext. 7222. If you or your guest are
unable to fulfill your reservation please inform us of your cancellation so that we may inform our staff.
of Conduct. Other individuals,
including visitors to the College,
who violate this Policy, may be
asked to leave the College premises. All violators are also subject to
sanctions provided by applicable
laws and regulations.”
The smoking ban took effect
after the Student Government
Council conducted a survey of
campus students and faculty last
spring that showed a large percentage condoned a “smoke-free” campus. The findings were presented
to BCC’s Board of Trustees, along
with a list of 34 colleges around
the nation who were “smoke-free”
at the time. Of SGCs original list
of 34 smoke free campuses, six
provide limited designated outdoor smoking areas.
Bergen’s policy bans smoking in
all buildings and areas of College
property. This entails that smoking
is prohibited on the grounds, playing fields, walkways, roadways,
parking lots, in and around the
perimeter of any building.
STAFF PHOTO/ERVISA BILALAJ
Cert volunteers in the classroom
He said 911 should only be used
in case of a real emergency and in
other cases, it’s best to know the
local police precinct numbers.
What is more important is not to
panic in an emergency. Disasters
are caused by nature, by humans
and even by technology. They are
obviously unexpected and often
overwhelming, but a little preparation and patience goes a long way.
Then a video was played, showing a case when the CERT team
was the one to save lives, using
simple supplies and methods they
were taught. After the video, questions were asked to the audience
and everyone was asking and
responding back. In just one lecture, the class learned tactics to
make changes in case of disaster.
“I feel it is good to know and if
anything happens I want to be prepared for myself, my family and
people around me;” Marlena, a
criminal justice student, said.
“Because of my major, this training
is going to be very helpful.”
Convenience of Distance Learning
Designed for working adults like
you, our fully accredited online
degree programs are flexible and
affordable. Choose from three fully
online programs:
s Bachelor of Arts in
Liberal Studies
s Bachelor of Science in
Administrative Studies
s Bachelor of Science in
Criminal Justice
A world-class Catholic university,
St. John’s has educated leaders since
1870. We also belong to Sloan-C, a
consortium dedicated to outstanding
online education. You’ll enjoy
advantages like these:
s The same faculty and
courses as on campus
s Online programs fully
accredited by Middle States
s Laptop computers for full-time
students — and more
For more information contact
Elizabeth Alexander, Assistant Director of Online Learning and Services:
1 (877) STJ-5550, mention ext. T2786A | [email protected]
www.stjohns.edu/learnmore/01335.stj
TV and Radio
anyone to download.
It’s a whole new digital world for Prof.
Katzman, who still recalls the little Radio
Club that he headed after joining Bergen in
1980. The radio station was then located in
the space that is now the Child Development
Center. The radio club did shows that were
sent by a closed carrier circuit, which was a
signal that went through the school.
“If you had a transistor radio, you could
pick it up in the school,” said Prof.
Katzman, his smile growing even larger as
he spoke of his years with the little radio
studio. “They were sending the signal via
telephone wire to speakers in various parts
of the school.”
Podcasting has some advantages over
. . . continued from page 1
past methods when it comes to course
instruction.
“If you’re taking music 101, they have to
listen to music outside of class,” said one
professor who asked not to be identified.
“This is the perfect venue to run the programming.”
There
have
already
been
a
number of classes for radio and TV production, which means students can create
and run programming, ranging from a
community bulletin board to student run
programs, he noted.
If any students are interested in eventually programming for the Radio Station,
e-mail WBCCs General Manager, Paul
Shenkler, at [email protected].
THE TORCH
PAGE 16
FEBRUARY 2008
Keep Bergen Informed!
Learn about publishing, media,
graphic art design and writing.
Join The Torch.
We need writers, reporters,
photographers and students with
interest in graphic arts.
For more information, come to a Torch
meeting, held every Tuesday at 12:30
Room L-115, or e-mail
[email protected]
Basketball Tournament
Register in Student Center
or L-116
Contact : (201)447-7452
or
[email protected]
Date: 03/08/08
Time: 11:00am—5:00pm
You can make a team of three and the price is
team ($10/person) pre-registered.
$30 a
($40 at the door).
Players will need proof of insurance and Id the day of the
tournament. Spectators will be charged $3. The proceeds of
this tournament will be donated to Habitat for Humanity
WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH - KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Francine Prose
Tuesday, March 4th
11:00 AM - Ciccone Theatre
Francine Prose is the author of eleven novels, including Blue Angel, which
was a finalist for the 2000 National Book Award. Her newest book, Reading
Like A Writer, was published in the fall of 2006. She has also written fourteen
books of fiction, including A Changed Man, winner of the Dayton Literary
Peace Prize, and Blue Angel, a finalist for the National Book Award. Her stories, reviews and essays have appeared in The Atlantic Monthly, Harper's, Best
American Short Stories, The New Yorker, The New York Times, The New
York Observer, Art News, The Yale Review, The New Republic, and numerous other publications.
A distinguished critic and essayist, she has taught literature and writing for
more than twenty years at major universities. She lives in New York City and
Francine Prose
is the current president of PEN America.
WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH - FEATURED SPEAKER
Jhumpa Lahiri, Author of The Namesake
Thursday, March 20th
11:00 AM - Ciccone Theatre
Jhumpa Lahiri’s debut collection, Interpreter of Maladies, won the 2000
Pulitzer Prize for fiction. It was translated into twenty-nine languages and
became a bestseller both in the United States and abroad. In addition to the
Pulitzer, it received the PEN/Hemingway Award, the New Yorker Debut of
the Year award, an American Academy of Arts and Letters Addison Metcalf
Award, and a nomination for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. Lahiri was
awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2002. The Namesake is her first novel.
Jhumpa Lahiri was born 1967 in London, England, and raised in Rhode
Island. She is a graduate of Barnard College, where she received a B.A. in
English literature, and of Boston University, where she received an M.A. in
English, M.A. in Creative Writing and M.A. in Comparative Studies in
Literature and the Arts, and a Ph.D. in Renaissance Studies.
Jhumpa Lahiri’s
Comparative Studies in Literature and the Arts, and a Ph.D. in Renaissance
Studies. She has taught creative writing at Boston University and the Rhode
Island School of Design.
THE TORCH
FEBRUARY 2008
Thurgood Marshall
STAFF PHOTO/ BOB NESOFF
Prof. David Troutt, Esq., Panel Moderator
Brown v. Board of Education decision declaring Plessy unconstitutional. In all, Marshall argued
before the court 32 times, winning
29 cases.
That same year President John F.
Kennedy appointed Marshall to
the federal bench. Ultimately
President Lyndon B. Johnson
named him U.S. Solicitor General
in 1965 and then elevated him to
the High Court in 1967, where he
served until his retirement in 1991.
Panelist Janice Robinson, dean of
Affirmative Action at Rutgers Law
School, Newark, humanized
Marshall.
“The guy was a cut-up in law
school,” Robinson said. “He was a
brother who took risks and was
not just a historical figure. He had
persistence and vision.”
She admonished the student audience to “…learn skills before you
can dismantle the master’s house.
You need strategies to deal with
others and yourself. You need to be
respecting others and yourself.”
Etiquette
. . . continued from page 6
requires a lot of concentration,
hence the reason we chose a
library/bookstore.
The next step requires a little
more effort, and may rely on the
dependability of the person you
are trying to reach. Check your
contact list and look for someone
with whom you are on steady
speaking terms. You will then
attempt to call this significant person, and hang up after a few rings.
This will reliably cause your
friend, in turn, to attempt to reach
you by calling back. What plays a
big part in this exercise is how loud
the ringer is on your phone. You
want to make sure that when the
phone rings, the whole building
will take notice and focus their
attention on you. This is very
important.
The third step will require timing
and precision. Upon receiving the
inevitable call you have been destined to take, make sure you allow
your phone to ring the maximum
number of times before answering
it. While in the process of picking
it up, make sure to stand, if sitting,
or, stay standing if you already
were. If the ringer plays a tune you
happen to like, feel free to bob
your head or dance freely during
the gap of time after the first ring
and before the initial pickup. Next,
you will extend the arm outward to
look into the phone’s caller ID.
Now that you realize who is calling, and that the call is, in fact,
important so that you must answer
right at that moment.
At the start of this next step, the
phone must be opened and
answered. The preferable answering phrase should be screamed, or
at least shouted at a reasonable volume. Loudly responding with
phrases like “yellow”, “howdy” or
“what’s good” while picking up the
phone may be used to improve the
crudeness of this exercise. Begin a
conversation by asking what the
person is doing. By this point, you
should have gained the attention
of at least 60-70 percent of the
room. Continuing on with the
conversation, break into a long
story or explanation, starting with
something similar to ‘Oh my god,
you’ll never believe what happened
the other day”, or anything of that
nature, to make sure the audience
becomes even more interested in
what you have to say.
After your story is finished, make
Stereotypes
States. Apparently, however, that
part was quickly cut from the commercial after several consumers
complained that it was a disrespectful way to present the flags.
Finally – or at least it feels that
way to me -- the commercial ends
with the reggaeton singer, finishing his irritating jingle accompany
led by those three lovely ladies –
this time holding umbrellas (isn’t
that original!) -- and once again
repeating the Optimum online
phone number. That grating song
is then stuck in your head for at
least the rest of the week.
Good marketing skills? I guess
you could say yes because it deliberately embeds the tune and the
ten digit number in your head. I
disagree, however. The commercial
is targeted towards kids who like
rap and promotes stereotypical
images of Latinos and women. .
. . . continued from page 5
Felicia Smith, staff counsel for
Travelers Insurance Company, also
a panelist, urged the audience to
“…stand on your feet and do the
best work you can.
“Thurgood Marshall had to blaze
trails,” Smith said. “I don’t think
happiness was the most important
legacy of his work”
The final panelist to speak,
Navarro Gray, a graduate of Hofstra
University Law School and law
clerk to Bergen County Superior
Court Judge Edward V. Torack,
credited Marshall’s example for his
own education and success.
“His work affected me as a law
clerk and inspired me to succeed,”
Gray said. “I wanted to go to law
school so that I could work to
change things as Justice Marshall
did.”
The discussion was attended by
several hearing impaired students,
sitting in the front row.
Interpreting for them were
Shannon Loughran and Jeanne
Fernerees-Boylan, providing those
students with a comprehensive
word-by-word description of the
proceedings.
Marshall died on Feb. 24, 1993
at the age of 85, only two years
after his retirement.
sure to finish off the conversation
with a dramatic closing. What you
say will be entirely left up to you.
At this time you will realize you
have captured the attention of
many people. You have changed
the expressions on people’s faces
and awed them just by one phone
conversation. How people react
will depend on how effectively you
pulled it off. Be prepared for loud
chanting of approval, and
applauding as it is much needed.
You did something few dare to do,
and for that you are being commended on your performance.
After finishing, you may leave, or
possibly get a personal escort by an
employee. A police escort may
even be necessary because of the
crazy fans. Chances are they
admire you so much, they will be
hounding you for autographs.
Complete these steps after reading and following the instructions
thoroughly, and you may find
yourself teaching others “proper”
cell phone etiquette. You are now
just a step closer to being accepted
into the ranks of our society,
which was the one true goal you
felt needed to be accomplished.
. . . continued from page 6
Optimum wanted to create a buzz;
but by focusing on one ethnicity
in such a tacky way, it is not exactly being consumer friendly.
The commercial is targeted towards kids who
like rap and promotes
stereotypical images of
Latinos and women.
It’s fine to focus on Latino’s, but
is it necessary to have a guy rapping on an island with sexy Latino
girls? What is the message that the
company is advertising about this
ethnicity? Do they think its harmless humor?
This commercial is as prejudice
as the “Bada Bing” commercial
that gets a lot of air time as well. In
this commercial, old Italian men
in sweat suits with their under-
shirts showing and young African
American men with “bling”
around their neck sing a “badabling” jingle.
This commercial, just like the
Optimum commercial, is considered humorous and harmless, but
it perpetuates silly stereotypes
about Italians and African
Americans.
After a while, when is it going to
stop?
Not all Italians are Soprano
wannabes, and not all African
Americans love flash. Marketers,
like everyone else, need to stop
passing judgment on vast groups
of people and find a better way to
sell their product.
Still haven’t seen Optimum
Online’s commercial? Visit:
www.youtube.com and search keyword:
Optimum
Online
Commercial.
PAGE 17
Depression
menopause, single parenting etc.
Ironically, men prone to depression
are more likely to commit suicide.
Unlike women, men tend not to
discuss their depression. Men
admit less to depression which
leads to suicide.
Treatment for depression:
While most times it is easier to
cure depression by being around
optimistic people, there are some
cases where a professional therapist is needed. A professional
could give counseling, psychotherapy or prescribe anti depressant
medication. Like the saying goes
"a problem shared is a problem
half solved". Just talking to someone about the depth of crisis in
your life could break the bondage
of depression. This is highly thera-
Antique
his recordings and live performances. He dominated rock and roll in
the fifties; he sold more than any
fifties-era rocker, only to be beat
out by the king, Elvis Presley.
Fats Domino made big waves in
the rock-and-roll scene in 1955
when his song, "Ain't That A
Shame," was covered by Pat
Boone. Boone's version went to
number one, and Domino's version on Imperial went to number
ten. The song established both
artists as stars. Fats could be heard
in the background on the records
of other artists, like Joe Turner and
Lloyd Price. He continued to write
many hit songs with Dave
Bartholomew. In 1956, he put five
songs in the top forty, including
"I'm In Love Again" and Fats' rendition of a song that had reached
number one for Glenn Miller in
1940, "Blueberry Hill". The latter
went to number two and was
Domino's highest charting record
ever. In 1986 (the year before I
was born) Fats was inducted into
Anecdotes
new and different for rap. “Kick
Push” has summer anthem potential as subtle horns shine over an
easy as 1-2-3 beat. Lupe rocked
out Nokia Theatre earlier this
month and had a packed house
singing along to an intricate full
set with a band and all of his company to back him up. The songs
actually sounded better than the
record, which is always something
to tip your hip-hop hat off to.
Ill Nino/Enigma (March 11):
Metal is always a challenge- bands
always run the chance of sounding
like a bunch of noise with some
screaming, but Ill Nino seem to
find the balance with their Latin
edge, most namely, precious per-
. . . continued from page 6
peutic. It builds up one's self confidence especially in cases of guilt
or hopelessness.
Please remember, if any of the
symptoms listed above persist for
several weeks, you might be
depressed. Positive thinking, facing your fears or communion with
loved ones may work take you of
depressive state. However, if all
fails, the best way to treat depression is to see a psychologist. More
so, it's only a professional that
would tell you if you're really
depressed or just under a lot of
stress. Don't spend countless days
contemplating if you depressed or
not, do something about it.
Remember, Depression can be
treated!
. . . continued from page 6
the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Last year, Kohl’s featured
Domino’s 1958 hit “Whole Lotta
Lovin’” in their holiday campaign.
Perhaps it was the warm, fuzzy feeling Fats gives, but it was a sure fit.
Fats currently resides in New
Orleans where tragic Hurricane
Katrina flooded the area in which
he lived. Fats was missing for several days, but was eventually
recovered by a Coast Guard helicopter. The devastation claimed
everything Fats and his family
owned. Fats Domino returned to
stage on May 19, 2007, at
Tipitina’s at New Orleans, performing to a full house. The
rythm and power of Fats’ tracks is
just unparalelled- there’s nothing
like it, and it doesn’t seem as if
there will ever be.
Download these: “All By
Myself,” “Whole Lotta Lovin’,”
and “When My Dreamboat
Comes Home.”
. . . continued from page 12
cussion, that slows down the mayhem. Pushed back from its original February 8th, release date,
Enigma is the fourth album for
the New Jersey superstars.
According to the band’s official
site, “Enigma seeks not to blur but
to obliterate the geographic lines
that separate us and prove that
music is one medium that knows
no boundaries.” That method
shines through in the lyrics- a few
favorites off the new record are
“Finger Painting,” “Guerilla
Carnivale,” and “Hot Summer’s
Tragedy.” Check out The Venue
Vortex for The Guerilla Carnivale
Tour’s Jersey stop.
David Homyk
like Cam’ron, Pink Floyd, JoJo, and
Tom Petty, but two stand out.
“Kurt Cobain and Roger Waters- if
those two weren’t born, I wouldn’t be
a musician,” David says.
The jump says a lot about his taste,
and ultimately, his artistry.
While David shares the science to
composing, it’s clear that he’s not just
another face for the music industry
to stamp and mass produce, but a
true talent whose intelligence is his
greatest asset. Earning a B.A in economics, and another B.A in philosophy from the University of Virginia,
David even managed to minor in
astronomy, and it’s in his best interest as he’s sure to touch the stars.
Entering an industry that crumbling so rapidly, David’s reminiscent
of a blind man walking into a room
. . . continued from page 13
in which he’s memorized its entire
contents, with the utmost confidence and certainty that his knowledge will suffice.
“It’s disheartening to watch the
[music] industry collapse, because I
do have that sweet dream of signing
with a big label and just playing my
songs,” he says.
David’ playing the Gravity Lounge
with Constantine Maroulis in his
hometown, Charlottesville, at the
end of Feb. Stay tuned for tri-state
shows in the coming months- you’ll
be hearing David knocking before
you can say Hollywood.
For more on the powerhouse producer, singer/songwriter, and composer,
check
out
www.myspace.com/davidhomyk.
PAGE 18
THE TORCH
FEBRUARY 2008
THE TORCH
FEBRUARY 2008
PAGE 19
SPORTS
BCCs Briana Kovach Receives National Rank
BY ALEX KOZAR
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Despite a somewhat tumultuous
season for the girl’s soccer team,
freshmen co-captain Briana
Kovach managed to get noticed in
ways that even she did not expect.
The Lady Bulldogs went a troubling 4-9 this season, but Kovach
was able to tally 11 goals and 8
assists in her first season -- statistics
that ranked her 25th nationally in
goal scoring at Bergen Community
College, a Division III school. She
not only earned the respect of her
teammates but that of her coach as
well.
“Briana is a very dedicated and
skillful player,” said Gazwan
Ihssan, head coach of women’s soccer at BCC, “she has a great deal of
experience on the field and is a
PHOTO COURTESY/BCC PR
Briana Kovach
quick player who knows how to
handle the ball.”
Briana played high school soccer
for
Hawthorne
Christian
Academy, garnering countless
awards as a defender. But it was
when she came to play for Bergen
this semester that she stepped up
to the forward line to help spark
the attack. And she did plenty of
that.
Like so many other students,
Briana chose to attend Bergen due
to the high tuition costs at private
universities. She is pursuing an
Associates of Science here, and
plans on studying physical therapy
when she transfers to a four year
school, where she has high hopes
of continuing her soccer career.
It appears as if she will have a
bright career wherever she goes;
becoming a captain in freshmen
year is no easy feat. However,
Briana is familiar with team leadership; she was the captain of her
high school team in her senior
year. Nonetheless, she was still a
bit surprised by Coach Ihssan’s
choice to make her co-captain,
along with two other returning
players.
“I was not expecting to be cocaptain for the team since it was
only my first year playing,” Briana
said. “It was a little different being
the youngest one on the team, but
having a leadership role when others were older than me, I was not
sure how they would react to me,
but there were two other co-captains along with me so I did not
have as much of a responsibility.”
She remains upbeat about the
prospects of next year’s season,
even though some of the older,
more experienced players will be
lost to graduation, as is the case
every year. What keeps all the girls
coming back is the team’s neversay-die attitude and camaraderie,
she said.
“I think the best part about our
team was the bond we had as a
team,” she said. “We all got along
for the most part and always had
fun no matter what we were doing.
We had some tough games but we
also had some amazing ones. Even
if we were losing we would still
pick each other up and fight till the
end of the game. Sometimes it was
frustrating, but it was all worth it.”
The women of the soccer team
will have a year to think about how
to improve their game for next season. Briana’s optimism could be
the team’s best friend following a
season that did not quite meet its
expectations.
“We should have a good season
next year, and correct the mistakes
we made this year,” said Kovach.
it even started. The Blazers were,
once again, picked to finish near the
bottom of the NBA standings. So
far, Portland has proved the critics
wrong by going 27-19, which is currently good enough to make the
playoffs in the always tough Western
Conference. Superb play from rising
stars Brandon Roy and LaMarcus
Aldridge have also helped this years
surprise team. Honorable Mentions:
New Orleans Hornets, Los Angeles
Lakers, and Washington Wizards
(due to Gilbert Arenas Injury.)
Most Disappointing Team:
Miami Heat
Regardless of injuries, a team that
has Shaquille O’Neal and Dwayne
Wade in 75% of their games should
not have the worst record in the
NBA. The same team that won the
2006 NBA Championship, and
made it to the second round of last
years playoffs currently has 27 more
losses then wins, leaving plenty of
questions to be asked. Honorable
Mention: New Jersey Nets, Chicago
Bulls, and Los Angeles Clippers.
New York Knicks
The Knicks are once again struggling to play team basketball -and it
is visible in their record thus far.
They currently are in last place
within the Atlantic Division, an
unacceptable position for the team
that has the highest payroll in the
league. Outside of a three game
winning streak, where they surprisingly blew out title contender
Detroit, there has been little to talk
about this season. Jamal Crawford
has been playing well, Nate
Robinson has shown great improvement, and The Knicks have been at
their best when Stephon Marbury
does not suit up. The Knicks may
have trouble improving in the near
future, as they are stuck with many
bad contracts and no financial flexibility. After the season is over,
expect to see rising star David Lee
opt out of this year’s deal and look
elsewhere to continue his career.
New Jersey Nets
A team with Richard Jefferson,
Vince Carter, and Jason Kidd has
no business with a 20-26 record.
Even with big man Nenad Kristic
on the injury list, the Nets should
be a top five team in the Eastern
Conference -no questions asked. To
make matters even worse, Jason
Kidd is having a good statistical season while teammate Richard
Jefferson is averaging a career best
26 points per game. Vince Carter
has slowed down, however, prompting thoughts that he and Jefferson
simply do not compliment each
other since they are so similar. The
Nets still have hopes of a playoff
spot since the East is weak. There
have also been recent rumors of
trades for either Stromile Swift, or
Jermaine O’Neal. Either trade
would put the Nets back in position
to make the playoffs, with potential
for home court advantage.
The NBA Midseason Report
BY MATT YANOFSKY
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
As All-Star weekend arrives, the
NBA has had many surprises and
disappointments so far during the
2007-2008 season. We here at the
Torch will be handing out our
midseason awards as well as an
honorable mention to praise those
who fell just short of winning. We
have also profiled the seasons of
both the New Jersey Nets and New
York Knicks thus far. All statistics
are as of Feb. 2, 2008.
Most Valuable Player: Chris
Paul, New Orleans Hornets
This Wake Forest product has
been phenomenal so far during the
2007-2008 season. leading the
Hornets to a 32-13 record. Paul
has lit up the stat sheet averaging
approximately 21 points and 11
assists, 4 rebounds, and a league
leading 2.5 steals per game. His
knack for being a team player has
helped first time All-Star and
Teaneck native David West have
the best season of his career.
Without Paul, the Hornets would
be headed to the same place they
went last season- the NBA draft
lottery. Honorable mentions:
Kevin Garnett, Lebron James, and
Kobe Bryant
Rookie of the Year: Kevin
Durant, Seattle Super Sonics
Durant has begun his NBA
career with an immediate impact.
Following a phenomenal freshman
year at The University of Texas,
where he was named national player of the year, Durant has averaged
nearly 20 points and 4 rebounds
per game. Durant does have room
to improve defensively -and on
shot selection- but expect him to
be a top player in the league for
many years to come. Honorable
mentions: Al Horford, Juan Carlos
Navarro, and Jamario Moon.
Most Improved Player: Hedo
Turkoglu, Orlando Magic
Turkoglu, a former bench player,
has stepped up big time for the
steadily improving Orlando Magic.
The Turkish import has averaged
over 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 4
assists per game. Turkoglu has also
proven to be an excellent clutch
player, making big shots and leading Orlando to victory. Honorable
mentions: John Salmons, LaMarcus
Aldridge, and Andrew Bynum.
Defensive Player of the Year:
Marcus Camby, Denver Nuggets
Camby has a good shot of winning the defensive player of the
year award for the second straight
season. The former New York
Knick has averaged career highs in
both rebounds (14) and blocks (4)
per game this season while helping
the Nuggets attempt to secure a
playoff spot. Honorable Mentions:
Bruce Bowen, Kevin Garnett, and
Kobe Bryant.
Sixth Man of the Year: Manu
Ginobili, San Antonio Spurs
This all-action Argentinean has
spurred San Antonio’s season by
scoring nearly 20 points 5 rebounds,
and 4 assists per game off the bench
for the defending NBA champions.
Manu nearly made the All-Star
game as a reserve player. Whether he
was an All-Star or not, Ginobili and
the reigning NBA champion San
Antonio Spurs expect to be a fixture
in the playoffs. Honorable
Mentions: Travis Outlaw, Leandro
Barbosa, and Jason Terry.
Most
Surprising
Team:
Portland Trail Blazers
The Blazers were 32-50 last season
and ended up having first pick in
this years NBA draft, choosing big
man Greg Oden. Much to their dismay, Oden went down with an
injury, costing him his season before
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THE TORCH
PAGE 20
FEBRUARY 2008
SPORTS
Torch Sports Top 10 Looks Back
at the Giants Championship Season
BY DANIEL LAFASO
SPORTS EDITOR
Once again sports fans, it’s time
for another edition of the Torch top
ten. This time we’re keeping it local,
bringing you our top ten moments
from this years New York Giants
NFC Championship season, culminating with a most improbable victory at Super Bowl XLII.
10. Moment ten would have to
be the goal line stance that the Gmen’s defensive corps made in
Washington in week three. It was
third and goal for the Redskins, in
the games waning minute, and the
Giants defense was the team’s only
hope of breaking out of their 0-2
start. Washington running back
Ladell Betts accepted the handoff
in the backfield, and not once, but
twice, was denied any yardage by
the Big Blue Wrecking Crew. This
watershed moment got the Giants
on the path to an eventual six game
win streak, and is our number ten
moment for the 2007-08 season.
9. Giants General Manager Jerry
Reese called quarterback Eli
Manning “skittish” after his performance against the Minnesota
Vikings, in which the team lost 4117 and Eli did not perform well.
Since that remark, Eli played like a
natural leader, with a tough as nails
demeanor in the pocket, and would
go on to become Super Bowl MVP.
Whether it was fuel for Eli’s competitive fire or not we’ll never know,
but Reese’s comments sure seemed
to do the trick, making them our
number nine moment.
8. The 2007 NFL draft was highlighted by LSU quarterback
Jamarcus Russell going number one
overall, and the heart-wrenching
anticipation of Brady Quinn going
22nd overall. However, the Giants
draft was one of the biggest reasons
that they now own the Lombardi
trophy for the first time in seventeen years. In the first round, they
chose cornerback Aaron Ross from
Texas, who played a monstrous role
in their success this season. Next up
was wide receiver Steve Smith, who
made some of the biggest and most
game saving catches of any receiver
in Giants history. Kevin Boss, a
backup tight end, was selected in
the fifth round and filled in
tremendously
when
Jeremy
Shockey broke his leg. Last, but not
in any way least, was running back
Ahmad Bradshaw, whose 80 plus
yard run in Buffalo sealed the playoff fate of the boys in blue, and who
also played a major part in the post
season success that the team
enjoyed thereafter.
7. This particular moment did
not take place on the field, but in
the Giants hierarchy. Steve
Spagnuolo was named defensive
coordinator on January 22nd of
2007, replacing former coordinator Tim Lewis. Spagnuolo’s
approach to a defense that seemed
so unbelievably sloppy and mismanaged in prior seasons, reinvigorated the play of Michael Strahan,
and made quick work of the transition from the college level to the
NFL with cornerback Aaron Ross.
Spagnuolo may or may not remain
with the team, but his passion and
overall contribution to this year’s
success makes his hiring our number seven moment.
6. Not normally does one make
the argument that a loss can be a
positive. However, in week seventeen, when the New England
Patriots came to East Rutherford,
the Giants played them as well and
as hard as any opponent had all
year. The Giants even outplayed
the Pats for most of this game, but
ultimately there would be no stopping the Patriots en route to their
16-0 record. The Giants, to a man,
took way more from this game
than they lost, which instilled in
them the confidence needed to
pull off one of the greatest upsets
in Super Bowl history.
5. Giants fans the world over
were hoping against hope that the
G-men would play the Tampa Bay
Bucaneers in the first round of the
playoffs. In the end, they got their
wish, and there was not a Giant fan
worth his or her weight that did
not outwardly believe that New
York would even come close to losing this game. The Bucs are simply
not talented offensively, and while
defense wins championships,
offense must hold its own in some
semblance in order to achieve post
season success, which was the main
reason the Giants handled Tampa
as easily as they did, winning 24-14
in convincing fashion.
4. R.W Mcquarters was signed by
the Giants in the hopes that his
special teams expertise would jolt a
kick return team that had struggled
in prior seasons. His punt return
late in the fourth quarter of the
divisional playoff game against the
Dallas Cowboys has cemented his
place among Giants lore forever.
That return set up the late scoring
drive that proved to be the winner
in a 21-17 nailbiter that came
down to the game’s final play.
Ironically enough, Mcquarters also
intercepted the final pass of Tony
Romo’s, and the Cowboys, season
that began with such hope, and
ended with Terrel Owens crying to
media after the game.
3. The Giants secondary had
been on fumes ever since clinching
a playoff spot in Buffalo.
Considered a weakness all year, the
cornerback core needed to come up
big in Green Bay, making sure that
Brett Favre and the Packers didn’t
get the overtime winning drive that
everyone expected. Corey Webster,
on the first pass attempt of O.T.,
intercepted Favre’s sideline throw,
and Lawrence Tynes would atone
for a missed field goal with six seconds left in regulation by putting
the ball through the uprights from
47 yards away to propel the Giants
to Super Bowl 42.
2. Speaking of Lawrence Tynes.
The former Kansas City Chief
place kicker had missed key field
goals all season long, and even
botched a potential game winner
with six seconds left in the AFC
title game. However, when called
upon in overtime, in frigid conditions at Lambeau Field, sailed a 47
yard kick straight through the
uprights. No kicker in NFL history had kicked a field goal from
that yardage at Lambeau Field in
the playoffs, but Tynes made certain that his gaffe at the end of the
fourth quarter would not be his
final hoorah as a New York Giant.
1. Every television viewer the
world over saw it, and most still
can not believe it. Eli manning,
with 35 seconds to play, floated a
corner end zone pass to Plaxico
Buress for the leading touchdown,
giving the Giants a 17-14 edge
over New England. Patriot fans,
players, coaches, and every football
fan on the planet were now witnesses to the NFL’s first 18-1 season, courtesy of Eli and Plaxico.
Manning’s heroic effort to dodge
and weave a possible game ending
sack, hurl the ball to David Tyree,
and then float the exceptional pass
to Buress out dueled Tom Brady
and the nearly perfect Pats. For the
first time in seventeen years, the
New York Giants were Super Bowl
champions, and no one can ever
take this away from them.
That’s going to do it for this edition. We here at the Torch hope
you enjoyed reading it as much as
we did writing it. Check back next
issue for another Top Ten! And as
always, post any comments, suggestions or random sports musings at
www.myspace.com/
bcctorchnewspaper.
BCC Sports Schedule Winter 07-08
2007-08 MEN’S BASKETBALL
Tues.
Sat.
Tues.
Thurs.
Sat.
Tues.
Thurs.
Sat.
Sat.
Tues.
Sat.
Tues.
Thurs.
Sat.
Tues.
Thurs.
Sat.
Tues.
Sat.
Tues.
Sat.
Tues.
Sat.
Tues.
Sat.
Mon.
Wed.
Fri.
Dec. 4
Dec. 8
Dec. 11
Dec. 13
Dec. 15
Dec. 18
Dec. 20
Dec. 22
Jan. 5
Jan. 8
Jan. 12
Jan. 15
Jan. 17
Jan. 19
Jan. 22
Jan. 24
Jan. 26
Jan. 29
Feb. 2
Feb. 5
Feb. 9
Feb. 12
Feb. 16
Feb. 19
Feb. 23
Feb. 25
Feb. 27
Feb. 29
Sun.
Mar. 2
Thurs.
Fri.
Sat.
Mar. 13
Mar. 14
Mar. 15
*Middlesex CC
A
*Atlantic Cape CC H
*Passaic Co. CC
A
*Raritan Valley CC H
*Ocean CC
A
*Sussex Co. CC
A
*Burlington CC
H
*Gloucester CC
A
*Cumberland CC
H
*Union CC
H
*Camden CC
A
CC of Morris
H
Berkeley College H
*Brookdale CC
A
*Middlesex CC
H
*Passaic Co. CC
H
*Atlantic Cape CC A
*Raritan Valley CC A
*Ocean CC
H
*Sussex Co. CC
H
*Gloucester CC
H
*Union CC
A
*Cumberland CC
A
*Camden CC
H
Reg. XIX-Div. III (1st round)
Reg. XIX-Div. III (1st round)
Reg. XIX-Div. III (2nd round)
Reg. XIX-Div. III Semi-finals
(at CC of Morris)
Reg. XIX-Div. III Finals
(at CC of Morris)
NJCAA Div. III Nationals
NJCAA Div. III Nationals
NJCAA Div. III Nationals
(at SUNY-Delhi-must qualify)
*GSAC Div. III Opponent
7:00
3:00
7:30
7:00
3:00
7:00
7:00
3:00
3:00
7:00
1:00
7:00
7:00
1:00
7:00
7:00
3:00
7:00
3:00
7:00
3:00
6:00
1:00
7:00
A
A
A
A
A
Head Coach: Sean Kelly
Asst. Coach: Matt Odalen
Asst. Coach: Ty Della Monica
2007-08 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Tues.
Sat.
Tues.
Sat.
Tues.
Thurs.
Sat.
Sat.
Sat.
Sun.
Tues.
Sat.
Tues.
Thurs.
Sat.
Sat.
Tues.
Thurs.
Sat.
Sat.
Tues.
Thurs.
Dec. 4
Dec. 8
Dec. 11
Dec. 15
Dec. 18
Dec. 20
Dec. 22
Jan. 5
Jan. 12
Jan. 13
Jan. 15
Jan. 19
Jan. 22
Jan. 24
Jan. 26
Feb. 2
Feb. 5
Feb. 7
Feb. 9
Feb. 16
Feb. 26
Feb. 28
Sat.
Mar. 1
* Middlesex CC
A
*Atlantic Cape CC H
*Passaic Co. CC
A
*Ocean CC
A
*Sussex Co. CC
A
*Burlington CC
H
*Gloucester CC
A
*Cumberland CC
H
*Camden CC
H
Ulster Co. CC
A
*CC of Morris
H
*Brookdale CC
A
*Middlesex CC
H
*Passaic Co. CC
H
*Atlantic Cape CC A
*Ocean CC
H
*Sussex Co. CC
H
Northampton CC H
*Gloucester CC
H
*Cumberland CC
A
Reg. XIX-Div. III (1st round)
Reg. XIX-Div. III Semi-finals
(at CC of Morris)
Reg. XIX-Div. III Finals
(at CC of Morris)
*GSAC Div. III Opponent
5:00
1:00
5:30
1:00
5:00
5:00
1:00
1:00
1:00
1:00
5:00
3:00
5:00
5:00
1:00
1:00
5:00
7:00
1:00
3:00
A
A
Head Coach: Ken Black
Asst. Coach: T.B.A.
2007-08 WRESTLING
BCC’S ASTRONOMY CALENDAR
February 14
First quarter moon
February 21
Full moon
February 29
Last quarter
In 2007 a paraglider
survived
temperatures near -50 degrees
when sucked up by thunderstorm
updrafts to 30,000 degrees above
Australia’s N. New South Wales.
In 1979 on this day the daily
temperature was -54 degrees set
in North America’s coldest month
record.
From 1992 till now Boise and
Pocatello Indiana have temperature
highs between 65-71 degrees only.
Still have not exceeded their high
temp(s).
Sun.
Jan. 6
Wed.
Tues.
Jan. 16
Jan. 22
Wed.
Sat.
Wed.
Sat.
Jan. 30
Feb. 2
Feb. 6
Feb. 9
Thurs. Feb. 21
Fri.
Feb. 22
Sat.
Feb. 23
*GSAC Opponent
Nassau CC
A
Invitational
*Middlesex CC
H
Williamson Trade School
A
w/ Stevens Coll. of Tech.
*Gloucester CC
A
Northampton CC Invit.
A
Yeshiva University
H
District Championship A
(at Gloucester CC)
NJCAA Nationals
A
NJCAA Nationals
A
NJCAA Nationals
A
(at Rochester CC, MN)
(must qualify)
10:00
6:00
7:00
6:00
8:00
7:00
Head Coach: Milt Rehain
Asst. Coach: Mike Heslep