ommunitarian - Delaware County Community College

 The
ommunitarian
C
Volume 16, No. 1
www.thecommunitarian.org
September 29, 2010
AdvancePA says affordability of community colleges at risk
By Cass Hamby
Staff Writer
Gina Stewart, a single mom
who had dropped out of high school
in her senior year, always wanted to
attend college. She never thought she
would have the opportunity to earn
her GED let alone afford to continue
her education.
Tired of working three jobs to
make ends meet, Stewart eventually
gained her GED and started looking at
the possibility of a quality education
and workforce training.
“If it was not for state grants
and community colleges, I would
not have been able to continue my
education,” Stewart said. “I would
not have had the money to attend
even one semester of classes.”
Pennsylvania
community
colleges that have made higher
education possible for students like
Stewart are now at risk. Without
key support from all levels of state
government and state funding,
community colleges may not be able
to respond to the needs of students in
economically challenged situations
who cannot afford higher education,
experts say.
In response to this situation, a
statewide campaign titled AdvancePA
was launched in April by community
college administrators. According to
a recent press release, AdvancePA
will concentrate on “expanding
opportunities
for
community
colleges” and hopes that this will be
given consideration in the 2011 state
budget.
Community college advocates
are sending a message to lawmakers
that
Pennsylvania
community
colleges make education affordable
for students who would otherwise
miss out on higher education.
“Fourteen
community
colleges are economic engines for
Pennsylvania, providing 400,000
people of all ages and walks of life with
education and cultural opportunities,”
states the Web site, adding that one out
of five Pennsylvania undergraduates
attends a community college and four
out of five students are enrolled in
workforce development courses to
increase their workforce skills.
Dr. Jerry Parker, president
of Delaware County Community
College, and the president of the
Pennsylvania
Commission
for
Community Colleges, reported that
earlier this year, AdvancePA released
a statewide survey, conducted by
Zogby International, which indicated
“the extraordinary depth of support
and great demand that community
colleges enjoy in Pennsylvania.”
Parker said the poll validates the
importance of community colleges to
the public.
Continued on Page 2
(Photo by Cass Hamby)
Gina Stewart studies to make her goal of a December graduation.
Spilling the beans
By Saundra Maddox
Staff Writer
When DCCC opened its new STEM building last
semester, who would have thought that one little coffee
stand would have such a huge impact on the campus.
Burlap and Bean originated as an independent
company almost four years ago in Newtown Square.
One of the four owners, Christine “Christi” Endicott,
is the manager of the Marple campus Burlap and Bean.
Endicott alternates between her two establishments.
According to Endicott, Burlap and Bean was
originally created to provide an atmosphere which
supports the community, local musicians, and artist.
Endicott said DCCC approached the family-owned
business, a fair trade store, about providing the school
with on-site coffee through an independent company.
Endicott believes that being at DCCC has created
great opportunities for her business. “It has helped
build awareness of the company,” Endicott said. “We
see about 300 to 400 people a day and because people
do prefer us in such a high demand we have extended
our hours.”
Several students find Burlap and Bean to be
reasonable and are happy to have it on campus.
Continued on page 2
(Photo by Lucas Rodgers)
B&B cafe employees Andy McCarthy, Alyssa Prox, Anna Miron, and Nathan Greenwood smile for the camera.
Award winning martial artist teaches students to excel
By
Steven Leitzel
Gerald Williams Jr., 27, meticulously puts on his uniform,
carefully zipping his pants and jacket so as not to wrinkle anything.
He then ties his first degree black belt around his waist, in a manner
befitting one’s greatest trophy. Williams brushes his hair for a moment
before stretching in preparation for the calisthenics that signal the start
of his Tae Kwon Do class.
“I love it — the kicks, the punches, the adrenalin rush — I love
it all,” Williams says. “I love the push-ups, the sit-ups, working hard,
the sweat running down into your eyes. I really like the sweat.”
In addition to working for Plant Operations and Construction
Services at Delaware County Community College, Williams has been
teaching Tae Kwon Do to DCCC students since the fall of 2009.
Williams recently competed for the U.S. Martial Arts Team at
the 2010 World Martial Arts Games held at Mandalay Bay in Las
Vegas, Nev. He was awarded a gold medal for the team portion of the
tournament, and also a silver medal in individual competition.
According to Williams, this event was paramount because a
plethora of nations were in attendance, as well as the U.S. Olympic
Committee and talent scouts for an upcoming martial arts reality series
seeking the next Bruce Lee.
While attending the recent Martial Arts SuperShow at the
MGM Grand in Las Vegas, he was able to meet people such as actor
Arnold Chung and Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Lyoto
Machida.
Williams then came across a booth manned by a USMA coach.
While the USMA Team normally requires a live physical tryout,
Williams’ recruitment was based solely on a demo tape he submitted
from an Atlantic City, N.J. competition.
Williams claims that the DCCC Tae Kwon Do program started
because his maintenance supervisors, Len Miscannon and Tommy
Womack, suggested he take his passion for martial arts into a new
venue. Following approval from Andrew Johnson, director of
Wellness/Athletics/Recreation, the program was launched.
Although originally taught in the student lounge of the Campus
Life Department, Williams’ class was subsequently relocated to the
newer, spacious and more private confines of the aerobics room in the
STEM building.
Williams teaches basic self-defense techniques from 4:15 p.m.
till 5 p.m. on Tuesdays, and Tae Kwon Do from 3:15 p.m. till 4 p.m.
on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Despite the fact that the classes are non-traditional (belts cannot
be promoted due to insurance purposes), Williams encourages
participation.
“If you’re looking for other avenues of exercise, martial arts
promote flexibility, strength, speed, endurance and discipline,” he
says. “My classes are more fun, and they’re free to Delco students
and faculty.”
At the age of 16, Williams began his martial arts indoctrination
at Dyer’s Karate in Collingdale, under the instruction of Chris Dyer.
Williams eventually achieved the status of first degree black belt and
was ultimately hired as one of Dyer’s instructors.
While developing a taste for a more competitive form of martial
arts, Williams sought out the tutelage of Master Bobby Harris, owner
Continued on page 3
Inside ...
DCCC student travels to Pg. 3
South Africa
Should we lower the
drinking age
Pg. 4
DCCC spring athletics
recap
Pg. 6
Students savor summer in Pg. 7
Florence
Page 2
September 29, 2010
CAMPUS
Community colleges
use AdvancePA to
reduce tuition
From page 1
“It came back loud and clear that nine out of 10 Pennsylvanians are
supportive of community colleges,” Parker said. “We are using this poll as
a spring board to [reach] our community legislators.”
In addition to the survey, AdvancePA.net has an electronic petition
open to the public and to let the state know the public backs the community
colleges. Parker said that a committee of DCCC students, including the
student government, is working to build awareness on campus to encourage
their fellow classmates to sign the petition. The committee attended
orientation, Springfest and other organized events to spread the word.
According to Parker, DCCC students are leading the way with almost
1,000 student signatures. The goal is 10,000 signatures and the AdvancePA
Web site has logged around 7,000 signatures. Once the goal is reached,
AdvancePA plans to announce the results to state legislators and decision
makers as well as encourage those that supported the petition to write
their senators, making it known that they personally support community
colleges in time to impact the 2011 budget.
“Our biggest concern is [that] enrollment increased 10 percent
last year and went up another 3 to 4 percent this fall,” Parker said. He
reported that the state’s current budget used federal stimulus money to
fund community colleges this year. This replaced the state funding and
will go away the end of June, leaving DCCC with a 10 percent loss in their
budget next year. Parker emphasized that DCCC needs the state to restore
this money to avoid increasing tuition to their students.
“Affordability of community college is at risk,” Parker said.
“Expenses, utility cost, and ongoing expenses would drive the increase.
The only recourse we will have is to pass this on to the students. Without
state funding we may be putting affordable tuition out of reach for some.”
Stewart, now a business administration major at DCCC, said she has
signed the petition.
“I have three classes remaining this semester and am planning to
graduate in December 2010,” she added. “I also have two daughters that
have used the funding to put themselves through community college.
There is no way I could have helped them with tuition. So here are three
women ranging from 21 to 43 that have benefited. It has made a difference
in our lives in a positive way.”
Contact Cass Hamby at [email protected]
Burlap and Bean’s new STEM cafe
From page 1
Kyle Malatesta, 17-year-old and
an Applied Engineering major, has
never had cafeteria coffee, he said he
prefers Burlap and Bean. “My favorite
item to get is coffee,” Malatesta said
and agrees that Burlap and Bean have
decent prices.
Aleah Giandonato, 21-year-old
paralegal major, believes that Burlap
and Bean has reasonable prices for their
items. “My favorite item to get is the Ice
Carmel Cappuccino,” Giandonato said.
She has had both cafeteria coffee and
Burlap and Bean, but prefers B&B.
Open House.
But not everyone on campus
expressed their satisfaction with Burlap
and Bean. Kathryn “KC” Campbell,
a Library Circulation and Catalog
Assistant, said she does not prefer
Burlap and Bean over the cafeteria
because she tries to stay away from the
tempting sweets. “I will go to Burlap
and Bean for my snack,” Campbell
said. “I like the freshness of the food,
smoothies, and quality of customer
service.”
Although Jennie Hutchins, also a
Library Circulation Assistant, admitted
that she loves to get the Mango Pina
Colada smoothie she thinks Burlap
and Bean is expensive. “It has a
limited menu and seems unorganized,”
Hutchins said. “Not to mention that the
line is constantly long.”
One might wonder what Burlap
and Bean has in store for the future.
Endicott said “the business is
choosing wisely for the business and
community.”
Contact Saundra Maddox at
communitarian @dccc.mail.edu.
Get closer to your dream
of getting a degree.
Join our Open House at our Center City campus.
Thursday, October 14th
5:30 to 7:00p.m.
&
Saturday, October 16th
10:30a.m. to Noon
s
On-the-spot transcript evaluation
s
Financial aid and scholarship information
Peirce College
1420 Pine Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
$50 application fee waived for those who attend and apply
888.GO.PEIRCE, ext.9000
www.peirce.edu/openhouse
Small college. Big opportunity.
September 29, 2010 Page 3
CAMPUS
Award winning martial artist
inspires students to excel
From page 1
of Harris Sport Tae Kwon Do in Philadelphia.
Harris was a member of the U.S. National Karate
Team during the 1980’s. Williams claims that
Harris, who is known for mentoring his pupils to
the highest level, has nurtured his progress into
the arena of martial arts competition.
Williams refers to such contests as “Sport
Karate,” which falls under the category of
point-sparring. It is full contact, but — unlike
sparring in boxing, during which lighter blows
are primarily used as practice — scoring is
awarded for striking the opponent in specific
places, similar to fencing.
“We usually wear headgear, handgear and
footgear, but it depends upon the rules of the
competition,” Williams says.
He states that individual tournaments
have separate divisions for weight, age and
four different color belts, black being the elite.
In addition, as many as 5,000 contestants
pay an entry fee between $65-$75 for what
could potentially result in medals, plaques,
six-foot trophies and a cash prize ranging from
$500-$1,000.
(Photo by Katy O’Dwyer)
Gerald Williams shows off his moves and his medals.
South African street service:
an economy in crisis
By Maxwell McAdams
Senior Staff Writer
I had never driven on the left side of the road and it had been years since I had last operated
a manual transmission. So renting a car in South Africa should have been like learning to drive
again. But I was not as cautious as a new driver for a friend once mentioned that – like a bicycle
– a stick shift needs to be mastered only once. Consequently, I, with a reasonable amount of
confidence in my muscle memory, put my Toyota Yaris in first gear began to pedal.
Just as my half empty Coca-Cola bottle lurched from my cup holder, so did the man parked
in front me leap from his car.
“That really sucks, dude!” said the American driver -- trying not smile – whose rental SUV
was now sharing a parking space with my Yaris. This blasé response was appropriate for several
reasons: first, it was my fault; second, it wasn’t his car; and third, the damage to his bumper was
negligible. My plastic bumper, on the other hand, was concave and discolored.
I agreed that “it sucked,” apologized and exchanged insurance information.
Generally, my head is the coolest degree of calm, but as he pulled away and I looked at my
mangled bumper, my composure melted, my face flushed and from my lips ruptured a stream of
obscenities that included Afrikaans expletives I did not realize had penetrated my vernacular. I
didn’t feel any better, so I sat on the curbside and glared at the gaggle of old women peering out
at me from the window of an insurance company across the street. That’s when Peter tapped me
on my shoulder and told me that he could help.
Standing behind me in a tattered shirt and jeans of indefinable color, Peter was a sight and
smell to behold, but he insisted that he was once an auto mechanic and I wanted to believe that
he could repair my rental’s damage.
I couldn’t bear to face the rental agent who, beaming from ear to ear, had proudly offered
me, his first American customer, the small business’s only new vehicle.
My heart raced as Peter unscrewed the bolts, placed his hand inside the bumper and pushed
with all of his strength. But, to my pleasant surprise, following a muted “pop,” the dent was
gone.
“Eish!” he said.
“Eish!” was the sound Peter made when he realized that the screws could not re-fastened
to the bumper. A set of tiny internal washers, which had kept the screws in place, now were lost
somewhere deep within the plastic tub and Peter could not find them.
My eyes must have said everything for no sooner did he pull out a roll of duct tape, did he
sheepishly tuck it back inside of his pocket. What was I thinking when I let this walking Heineken
advertisement operate on my rental car? But, he was still confident that he had a solution, so,
without a better option, I allowed him to try again.
We walked to the hardware store and I let him shop for me.
Back under the Yaris, sweat pouring from his brow, Peter used the force of his entire body to
align the bumper. Skillfully, he applied new screws and washers which tightened perfectly.
“There,” he said. “Now there’s almost no damage.”
I was shocked, thrilled, and now obligated to compensate him for his work because this was
not a favor. It was a business.
Many South African men are industrious by necessity and such street-side transactions are
commonplace. Often, when a South African cannot find a job opening, he creates a job, regardless
of whether the services rendered are wanted or needed.
Take South Africa’s “car guards,” for example. Without any government designation, these
men and boys operate autonomously at every parking space, from the hospital to the movie theater
to the roadside. It is their duty to protect your car, and, they do… if you pay them. In reality, they
are theft insurance agents who, if not paid, will ensure that theft occurs.
Every so often, multiple “car guards” will try to charge a driver simultaneously. In such a
situation, it is always best to pay one of them and drive away quickly. For to not pay any of them
can be a hazard to the body of your car.
Some street entrepreneurs are less aggressive, less obvious and far more persistent. Just
asking “this type” for walking directions, for instance, is to take on a new hire.
“Excuse me, is the supermarket to the left or the right?” I once asked a man in Kimberly as
Williams
intends
to
utilize
the
aforementioned tournaments as preparation
for his future goals. “I would love to someday
compete in Tae Kwon Do at the Olympic
Games,” he says.
Furthermore, he aspires to be a member
of Team Paul Mitchell, a professional karate
squad that travels the country and participates in
various tournaments. The team is sponsored by
the same Paul Mitchell that manufactures hair
care products.
Williams may have an abundance of
opportunities awaiting him in the future.
However, he might just settle for staying
home and opening his own school in Greater
Philadelphia.
“That’s my goal, my dream,” Williams says.
“The whole reason I went to Vegas in the first
place was because the SuperShow helps people
start their own business.”
Contact Steven Leitzel at
[email protected]
Seek and you shall (not) find
By Lacey Ama
Staff Writer
Every Tuesday at 9 a.m. students and staff
circle the parking lot to find a space. Cars are
backed up to the entrance of DCCC at Media
Line Road waiting to see where to park. Four
or five cars always end up parking on the grass,
and another bunch park down the side of the
path leading to the new S.T.E.M. building.
“Two years ago, it didn’t used to be so
full,” Vartan Stepanian, 21 architecture major
said. Stepanian believes this is due to the
overflow lot up by Media Line Road.
Another student, Dwayne Deloatch, 21,
a business management major agrees with
Stepanian. Seeming rather concerned about the
parking lot issue, the question of whether or
not it is fair to give students tickets for parking
on prohibited areas came up. “It’s not fair for
students to get parking tickets from security,
especially when there’s not even any spots for
us,” Deloatch said. “It basically depends what
time you come…Come early, nice spot-late no
spot!”
Even students who come to visit friends
at DCCC are aware of this situation. Grace
White, 21, an elementary special education
major at Saint Joseph’s University was eager
to share a few words about it. “I find the same
situation occurs at my school’s parking lot, if
students want to find a space they must get
there by 8 a.m. or earlier,” White said.
Like Delaware County, Grace White finds
that there are more students than spaces. At
White’s school, there are only three lots, one of
which is off limits to students and staff. When
White comes to DCCC she notices that there
are several cars parked in the grass and in the
overflow lot. “The overflow lot doesn’t even
look safe, or paved,” White said. “If students
are paying a ton of money to come here, then
some of the money needs to be going towards
a better lot.”
The Delaware County Community
College website offers an update on the
construction of the parking lot. Parking lot O
will be expanded for approximately 100 more
cars to fit. Until now, the parking lot wars will
go on. . .
Email Lacey Ama at [email protected]
we passed each other on the sidewalk.
“You’re going the wrong direction,” he said. “I’ll show you.”
The market was at a greater distance than I had anticipated so, after 15 minutes of walking,
I felt obligated to grant his monetary request. Ten Rand and a minute later, we reached the same
cross roads at which we had begun walking.
“Right down there to the left,” he said.
For those who choose not to indulge such entrepreneurs, there are guerilla capitalists.
Most prevalent in this line of work are the airport, bus and train station bag caddies. They
aren’t difficult to spot -- they wear unofficial looking bright orange vests that read, simply,
“official” -- but they are difficult to avoid.
If you must carry a single bag of luggage weighing more than 10 pounds, or more than
one bag, it is best to walk at a brisk pace. If you walk leisurely, or if, god forbid, your bag looks
uncomfortably heavy, it is a certainty that you will be intercepted by a caddy.
They are skilled “hustlers” who will slip an unsuspecting traveler’s awkward looking bag
onto their own shoulder, all the while engaging the traveler in conversation: “Where are you
from? Ah! That is my favorite city. You should not be carrying such a heavy load. We must hurry.
Your transportation leaves soon!”
For services rendered, R15 is generally expected.
According to Statistics South Africa 2010, more than 25 percent of the South African
population is unemployed, yet able and willing to work. But as no work is obtainable, many
are forced to support their families by performing odd jobs on the street; until the South African
government is able to foster a stable economy, there will be no end to street service.
Although “guards” were not permitted to work within my car rental agency’s private parking
lot, the expression of my agent, after viewing my Yaris’ bumper, gave me the impression that his
rate would be a great deal more than R5.
“At least you didn’t dent it,” he said to me as he counted the scratches and marked them on
a repair diagram. “Dents are expensive repairs.”
Contact Maxwell McAdams at [email protected]
Page 4
September 29, 2010
EDITORIAL
You can inquire and we shall inspire
By Katy O’Dwyer
Executive Editor
Hello and welcome new and returning DCCC students.
Thank you for stopping at one of our kiosks, the B&B cafe, or
some random table or desk to pick up this back-to-school issue
of The Communitarian student newspaper.
I hope we are doing our job in entertaining and informing
you of all the happenings on and off campus.
I’ve been the editor here for a year and a half now, and have
seen lots of good (and bad) copy hit my desk.
All of The Communitarian crew and I are mysteriously
compelled to enter the world of journalism. Why? I really
couldn’t tell you.
With all of its deadlines, inflated workforce, story-hacking
and angry editors, any aspiring writer would back off and say
“Hmmm.... I think I’ll major in English.”
But, we are story tellers of the truth and can’t help but face
the torment of writing and editing copy.
We do it for ourselves as some kind of catharsis, but we also
do it for all of you. You, the reader, we believe must be informed
and so we seek to find and report the things most interesting and
provocative to you.
I’m sure we don’t always succeed in doing so. In fact, I
know that some of the articles and issues go unread by many in
this school. Some of you are too busy and a few of you probably
just aren’t interested.
Well, I’m glad if some of the formerly disinterested are now
reading this and I hope you’ll indulge me.
This semester marks my last as executive editor. I really
enjoyed doing this job -- for the most part -- and I’ve learned a
lot about writing, editing and working with people.
I’ve met all sorts of interesting characters at this school,
and I’m sure there are plenty more who would make excellent
subjects, and I’m sure you all know someone or something
interesting happening at the college.
So, I’m going to seize this opportunity and ask you to write
me. Write to me about anything you want. Ask me and I shall
answer.
We always like to hear what you think about the paper, or
what you want us to write about.
If any of the opinions or articles written by a member of the
staff bothers you, write a letter about it. We love challenge and
inquiry so let us have it!
Contact Katy O’Dwyer at [email protected]
Letters to the Editor...
I came across your newspaper The
Communitarian. I did read most of the articles
and found them interesting and amusing,
exposing facts through criticism and irony, but
I would not say the same about the title [of the
publication] The Communist.
I am sure, as in all articles irony was used
in the title as well as a form of criticism for
having uniformity in education. I think, if the
newspaper pretends to be the voice of all the
students of the College, this title unwillingly
echoes back a negative feeling in the mind and
spirit of international students coming from
former communist countries- and there are a
considerable number of these students in our
College.
To make matters worse, the symbol of the
“hammer and sickle”, catches the eye of each
reader. That is a typical communist, Stalin era
symbol with the two tools allegedly symbolizing
the unity between the industrial proletariat and
the peasantry in the former communist countries.
Today it is found in many flags of remaining
communist countries in the world.
Coming myself from a former communist
country – Albania, where communism reigned
for about 50 years, just the look at this symbol
brings back bad memories in my mind. People
in my country would at that time, in a hideous
way, refer to these two tools as the tools of
destruction. The hammer used to destroy human
values of the society, and the sickle used to
“cut heads” of people opposing the regime.
Life under communism was difficult and
dangerous. It was difficult because people were
impoverished by having their private property
ripped off. They were not allowed to have their
own cars, were paid enough to lead a life based
only on necessities, were not allowed to pursue
their religious beliefs, and the list goes on and
on…. Life was dangerous because should you
dare complain against all this, you would end up
in prison and your family deported to the most
remote areas of the country with barely any
contact with former relatives and friends. Young
people like you could be put to prison even for
the simplest reason of having sung Beatles’
songs … unbelievable, but it is true.
[In] my opinion the title as well as this
symbol does not reflect what the newspaper
presents to the readers.
By Lucas Rodgers
Managing Editor
moderation.
With all this talk of binge drinking, it may
seem like an absurd idea to lower the drinking
age, thus making alcohol more accessible to
teens. However, it is very likely that lowering
the drinking age to 18 may actually reduce the
cases of binge drinking and number of alcohol
related deaths among teens.
One of drinking’s primary appeals to teens
is the illicit nature of the activity. If the drinking
age was 18 instead of 21, it would reduce the
thrill factor for teens consuming alcohol. This,
in turn, would lead to less binge drinking and
fewer alcohol related deaths among teens.
Cigarettes are a fine example of this
phenomenon.
To a 15-year-old, smoking
cigarettes may seem cool and rebellious, but to
an 18-year-old, smoking loses some of its appeal
with the health risks and increasing costs that go
along with it.
Of course, addiction is a huge factor with
cigarettes. Tobacco is the leading cause of
preventable death in the U.S., killing about
443,000 people a year, according to CDC.
It makes no sense that teens are allowed to
purchase tobacco products at the age of 18, but
must wait until they turn 21 to consume a less
addictive substance that kills fewer people per
year.
America is one of the few countries to set
the drinking age so high. Many countries in
Europe, Asia, Africa and elsewhere have a legal
drinking age of 18 or lower; some countries have
no arbitrary drinking age at all.
Italy happens to be such a country with
no established drinking age, although 16 is the
generally accepted age required for purchasing
alcohol.
I studied in Florence in June, and I must
say, I don’t recall observing any drunken Italian
teenagers roaming the streets. On one occasion,
I did witness a group of Italian youths, who
appeared to be around the age of 14, enter a bar
and attempt to buy alcohol, but the bartender
denied them the sale.
In countries like Italy, few people actually
drink with the objective of getting drunk. Alcohol
is generally considered a recreational drink to be
consumed in moderation with a meal or among
family and friends. If it works for them, why
not for us?
Lowering the drinking age to 18 in the U.S.
will teach teens to drink more responsibly in
moderation. If an 18-year-old can be considered
responsible enough to serve his country, vote,
marry, and buy tobacco, he should also be able
to purchase and consume alcohol.
Thank you,
Ajtanga Duka
Young Americans can fight, but not drink
“Old enough to fight, old enough to drink.”
This argument has been tossed around time and
time again, but it must hold some validity if it’s
such a common phrase.
The idea of lowering the drinking age,
specifically to 18, in the U.S. is quite a
controversial issue. There are various arguments
for and against such a proposition, in addition to
the one mentioned above.
One reason people are hesitant to lower
the drinking age is a fear that it will increase the
death rate among teens, primarily in accidents
related to drinking and driving.
According to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, approximately 3,500
teenagers died in car crashes in 2008. Of these
teens, 25 percent of drivers had a blood alcohol
content of 0.08 grams per deciliters or higher.
Though alcohol impairs one’s driving abilities,
it is not a constant or sole factor in these car
crashes.
While considering these statistics, it
should also be noted that most teens consume
the majority of their alcohol by binge drinking.
Binge drinking is the act of consuming large
quantities of alcohol in a short period of time;
it is far more deadly, and impairs one’s senses
and reaction time even more than drinking in
Contact Lucas Rodgers at communitarian@
mail.dccc.edu
The Communitarian is produced by both
current and former students of Fundamentals of Journalism II in collaboration with Campus Life and published at
Delaware County Community College.
Students who would like to write for
the campus newspaper and have already
completed Fundamentals of Journalism
I should register for Fundamentals of
Journalism II (ENG 131). Students who
have completed both classes are welcome
back to join the senior staff. For more
information, see Bonnie McMeans in
Room 4311, call 610-359-5271, or send
an e-mail to [email protected] or
[email protected].
Executive Editor
Katy O’Dwyer
Managing Editor
Lucas Rodgers
Layout Editor
Katy O’Dwyer
Junior Editor
Steve Leitzel
Senior Reporter
Maxwell McAdams
Reporters
Lacey Ama
Cass Hamby
Adam LaMarra
Steve Leitzel
Saundra Maddox
Willie McGonigle
The Communitarian
Opinion Policy
The opinions expressed on the
editorial and the op-ed pages do
not necessarily reflect those of The
Communitarian staff or college. We
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matter relating to Delaware County
Community College, and responsible
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Please write “letter to editor” in the
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September 29, 2010 Page 5
OP-ED
Environmentalists
How are the untalented
find no welcome
hacks so successful?
at the White House
By Adam LaMarra
Staff Writer
By Bill McKibben
Los Angeles Times
(MCT)
I got to see the now-famous enthusiasm gap between liberals and conservatives up close
last week, and it wasn’t a pretty sight.
The back-story: I help run a global warming campaign called 350.org. In midsummer, we
organized an effort to urge world leaders to put solar panels on the roofs of their residences. It
was part of the lead-up to a gigantic Global Work Party on Oct. 10 (10-10-10), and a way to
give prime ministers and politburos something easy and visible to do in the fight against global
warming. One of those crucial leaders is, of course, Barack Obama.
And so we tracked down the solar panels that once had graced the White House roof, back
in the 1970s under Jimmy Carter. After Ronald Reagan took them down, Unity College in rural
Maine put them on its cafeteria roof, and they’ve remained there since. That college’s president,
Mitch Thomashow, immediately offered us a panel to take back to the White House. Better still,
he encouraged three of his students to accompany the panel.
And so, on the day after Labor Day, we set off in a biodiesel college van. It couldn’t have
been more fun. Guitars, iPods, excellent snack food, rallies each night. Wherever we could,
we’d fire up the panel, pour a gallon of water in the top, point it toward the sun, and eight or nine
minutes later we’d have steaming hot water coming out the bottom. Thirty-one years old and
it worked like a charm - a vexing reminder that we’ve known how to do this stuff for decades.
We just haven’t done it.
That’s what we kept telling reporters as they turned out along the route: If the Obamas
would put solar panels back on the White House roof, it would help get the message across
- the same way that seed sales climbed 30 percent across the country in the year after Michelle
planted her garden.
There was just one nagging concern as we headed south. We still hadn’t heard anything
conclusive from the White House. We’d asked them (for two months) if they’d accept the old
panel as a historic relic returned home, and if the president would commit to installing new ones
soon. We’d even found a company, Sungevity, that was eager to provide them free. Finally, on a
Thursday evening, the White House agreed to a meeting at 9 the next morning.
The two bureaucrats who met with us in the Executive Office Building spent a lot of
time bragging about the administration’s environmental accomplishments, including the great
work they were doing on federal buildings. I was beginning to despair that nothing could stop
the flow of self-praise when one of the three seniors from Unity raised her hand and politely
interrupted.
I already knew that these students (Jean Altomare, Amanda Nelson and Jamie Nemecek)
were special, but my guess is the bureaucrats hadn’t figured that out. Unity is out in the woods,
and these kids were majoring in things like wildlife conservation. They’d never had an encounter
like this. It stood to reason that they’d be cowed. But they weren’t.
One after another, respectfully but firmly, they asked a series of tough questions and
refused to be filibustered by yet another stream of platitudes.
Here’s what they wanted to know: If the administration was serious about spreading the
word on renewable energy, why wouldn’t it do the obvious thing and put solar panels on the
White House?
The bureaucrats refused to answer the question. One kept smiling and saying, “If reporters
call and ask us, we will provide our rationale,” but they didn’t provide it to us.
They also refused to accept the Carter panel, or even pose for a picture with the students.
Asked to do something easy and symbolic to rekindle a little of the joy that had turned out so
many of us as volunteers for Obama in 2008, they point-blank said no.
If you want to know about the much-discussed enthusiasm gap between Democratic and
Republican bases, this was it in action. As Altomare told the New York Times: “We went in
without any doubt about the importance of this. They handed us a pamphlet.” Nelson added: “It
was really shocking to me to find out that they really didn’t seem to care.”
The normal way to handle a failure like the one we had at the White House is to claim
some kind of victory. We could have said we had an excellent exchange of views and that the
administration had taken seriously our plea. But that would have been lying.
Alternatively, we could have rounded on the administration and taken our best shot. It
would have been easy enough right then and there to chain ourselves to the White House fence
with the panel next to us. It would have gotten some serious press.
But I couldn’t stand to make that enthusiasm gap any wider, not seven weeks before an
election. True, it’s the moment when we might have some leverage. But no less true: The other
side is running a long slate of Senate candidates who boast that they don’t believe in climate
change.
And a confession. We’d walked past Obama’s official portrait on the way out, and despite
the meeting we’d just had, I couldn’t help but smile at the thought that he was president. I could
remember my own enthusiasm from two years ago that had me knocking on doors across New
Hampshire. I admired his character and his smarts, and if I admire them a little less now, the
residue’s still there.
And so I couldn’t help thinking - part of me at least - like this: The White House political
team has decided that if they put solar panels on the roof, Fox News will use that as one more
line of attack. Jimmy Carter comparisons aren’t what the administration is after.
If that’s their thinking, I doubt they’re on the mark. As far as I can tell, the right has a far
better understanding of the power of symbols. Witness the furor they’ve kicked up over “the
mosque at ground zero.” My feeling is that we should use the symbols we’ve got, and few are
better than a solar panel.
Actually, I’ll be surprised if the White House doesn’t put up solar panels within a year.
But even if they do, that would just be the barest of beginnings. Which is why, with other
environmental leaders, we recently issued a call for ideas about a campaign of civil disobedience
next spring at power plants and coal mines but at White Houses too, if they don’t turn at least
a little green.
We’ve run out of spare decades to deal with climate change the summer’s events in the
Arctic, in Russia, in Pakistan proved that with great clarity. We know what we need to do, and
we must do it. Enthusiastically.
Music is great. Music is golden. Music
is also, well – faked. A far cry from the
enormously talented bands of prior decades,
such as the Beatles and Kinks, contemporary
glitzy, glamorous, and highly untalented pop
artists have emerged from the woodwork.
So, how do you make more than a million
dollars a year if you’re an untalented hack who
cannot sing or play an instrument? Easy. Make
your song as fake as the nose you breathe with.
A device known as Auto-Tune allows
singers to sing notes at the correct pitch,
regardless of their talent. According to Time
Magazine, Andy Hildebrand invented AutoTune in 1996. Auto-Tune uniquely identifies
notes that are sung out of key and reproduces
the notes in the correct key.
Say, for instance, that you are a driving
along in your car and “Staying Alive” by the
Bee Gees comes on your favorite radio station.
Naturally, you start singing along: “And
now it’s alright, it’s ok, you may look the other
way. We can try to understand the New York
Times...” You’re voice breaks in a loud squeal
on the high registered B flat. But just when you
thought it was 7th grade all over again, you can
pull out a handy Auto-Tune, sing in a lower
octave and have the notes come out at the same
pitch as Barry Gibb’s rendition, albeit instead of
the rich tone and quality of Gibb’s voice, your’s
will sound robotic and simulated.
The result of Auto-Tune is a synthetic
voice, reminiscent of a robot’s. Singers, rather
than go for a real, emotionly driven vocal full
of feeling such as Tina Turner on “River DeepMountain High” or Bob Dylan’s sandpaper
shearing vocals on “Idiot Wind,” singers prefer
a robotic simulation of their voices that corrects
any imperfections and make it difficult for the
listener to distinguish one singer from the next.
In 1998, pop-songstress Cher used AutoTune in a way that made her sound like Rosie
the Robot Maid. On her track “Believe” she
modified the settings on Auto-Tune to produce
an even more robotic reproduction of her voice.
This modification soon took off with untalented
rap artists such as T-Pain and Kanye West,
who have used Auto-Tune’s robotic quality to
detract listeners from their monotonous singing
voices as well as the uninspiring lyrics their
ghostwriters write for them.
But Auto-Tune can be benificial for
singers who may drink alcohol or smoke too
many cigarettes and other substances causing
irreversible damage to their voice. Singers who
go on hectic world tours and perform on a nightly
basis may suffer from fatigue which affects their
ability to sing as well as their audience would
expect them to. Thus, the singer can still give
the overpaying concert goer the show that they
came to see. Aging singers may also benefit from
the use of Auto-Tune as their voice deepens with
age and they may not be able to hit notes that
they could earlier in their careers.
The bottom line is the use of AutoTune is just plain wrong. It’s cheating your
audience. Auto-Tune needs to stop being used
if contemporary singers want any credibility.
Young and upcoming singers should revert
to practicing and acquiring talent rather than
faking it. When this day comes contemporary
music will be enjoyable.
Contact Adam LaMarra at communitarian @
dccc.mail.edu.
UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH
Visit Prospective
Students at
www.cgs.pitt.edu
for upcoming
visits and
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[email protected]
Page 6
September 29, 2010
SPORTS
A successful spring for DCCC athletics
By Willie McGonigle
Staff Writer
The spring athletic season has come and gone and DCCC
athletes enjoyed a successful spring season with all three
teams qualifying for the post-season action in the Eastern
Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference.
Under the direction of Manager Paul Motta the Phantoms
baseball team became the first team in the 40-year history of
the EPCC to go a perfect 16-0 and win the championship.
Leading the way for the Phantoms were players Michael
Delio, Matt Debarberie, Andrew Dunn.
The Phantoms were also led by second baseman Evan
Cline. Cline maintained a batting average of .487, had 28 runs
batted in,19 stolen bases, seven doubles, two triples while
only striking out twice in 78 at bats.
Cline dominated on the field as well having a fielding
percentage of 96.4. Brain Bayliss led the way as the starting
pitcher for the Phantoms.
“We really earned it because we put so much effort into
our work ethic. We did a lot of positive things and it paid off
for us.” Bayliss said. “Motta is a fantastic baseball coach and
a great ’Motta-Vator’. He is a player’s coach and we are so
thankful to have the opportunity to learn from him during our
career at DCCC.”
For the first time in five years the Phantoms softball
team under the guidance of Lindsey Kujawa finished the
regular season with a record of 3-3. All three of the Phantoms’
wins came over Luzerne County Community College. The
Phantoms wins over the Trailblazers came by an average of 12
runs per game. The Phantoms also qualified for the playoffs
but their game was not played for an unknown reason.
The tennis team led by Coach Megan Barclay finished the
regular season with a record of 3-4 that was good enough to
the reach the post season tournament as the fourth place team.
Christopher Rechner and Jessica Englebert led the Phantoms
to finish second in the post-season tournament.
(Photo By Andrew Johnson)
Contact Willie at [email protected]
Softball pitcher Ashley Silpath delivers a pitch
Fall 2010 Wellness Programs
Monday
Yoga 4:00 PM
Tuesday
Abs & Arms 1:30 PM
Self Defense 5:00 PM
Wednesday
Abs & Arms 12:30 PM
Martial Arts 3:00 PM
Th ursday
Yoga 12:30 PM
Martial Arts 3:00 PM
Yoga 4:30 PM
Friday
Fitness Variety (something different each week)
12:00 PM
(Photo By Andrew Johnson)
Baseball team accepting trophy after winning championship.
For more information contact Director of Wellness, Athletics and Recreation Andrew Johnson Jr.
[email protected], room 2507 or extension 2507.
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September 29, 2010 Page 7
INTERNATIONAL
Students savor summer in Florence
A waterfront view of the Arno River and the Ponte Santa Trinita bridge.
(All photos by Lucas Rodgers)
Lucas Rodgers, managing editor
of The Communitarian, traveled
to Italy for DCCC’s Summer in
Florence Program in June.
Students could choose from two
different Humanities courses.
“Being engulfed in a different
culture was a great experience,”
Rodgers said.
An Etruscan amphitheater at Fiesole, a small hill town of Florence.
A statue of Dante Alighieri stands at the Basilica di Santa
Croce. Dante was a Florentine politician and author of the
epic poem “The Divine Comedy.”
DCCC study abroad students stop for a rest on a Florentine vicolo. (From left to right, left row) Peter
Gaynor, Mark DiLucca, and Josh Stricoff; (from left to right, middle row) Dave Anthony, Dom Gibson,
Rachel Stricoff, and Rachael Pritchard; (from left to right, right row) Jackie Dublisky, Sophia Williamson, and Sam Mirante sit outside the entrance to the Boboli Gardens.
September 29, 2010
discover yourself
Page 8
what will
you do?
When Omar transferred
to RWU, he knew he
wanted to jump right
into the community.
A member of the
Multicultural Student
Union and an Orientation
Advisor, Omar made
connections all over
campus. When the
English major decided
to take a class in Latino/
Latina Literature, the
fact that RWU didn’t
offer one didn’t stop him.
Omar proposed the class,
found a professor to teach
it, rounded up some
students and had the
course accepted by the
Provost. Omar is paving
his own way at RWU.
What will you do?
www.rwu.edu
Omar
Class of 2011
North Providence, R.I.
English
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[email protected]