December-January 2015 - Passaic County Community College

Transcription

PCCC’s
Page 1
December 2014/January 2015
VI SI O N S
Volume XLIII Issue 2
The Student Newspaper of Passaic County Community College, Paterson, NJ
Human trafficking in our own backyard
By Mahmuda Alam
Although we believe slavery ended in the U.S. in 1865, human trafficking
is still going on around the globe. Human
trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery in which traffickers use force, fraud,
manipulation and/or coercion to control
the victims and gain profit from their
work. They use violence, threats, deception, debt, bondage and other manipulative tactics to trap the victim in horrific
situations in America. All these victims
share one common experience – the loss
of freedom.
There are two types of human trafficking: sex trafficking (commercial sex)
and labor trafficking (labor/services). In
the United States, sex trafficking usually
happens in online escort services, residential brothels, brothels disguised as massage businesses or spas, and in street prostitution.
Labor trafficking has been found in domestic
servitude situations, as well as sales crews, large
farms, restaurants, carnivals and more.
Currently, Passaic County Community
College’s E.O.F. program is publishing a Creative Writing Chapbook to make the community
aware about the effect that human trafficking has
on the community as a whole. Amanda Kibler, a
tions and this is one of the reasons why PCCC
is having this program so people can see there’s
help available for them,” she said. Lopez hopes
that those individuals who are fortunate enough
to recover can serve as an inspiration for those
men and women still suffering.
Liberal art student and a part of the E.O.F.,
Niyeli Garcia answered that, “If we all put some
effort in this matter, then we could make some
changes and differences.” She believes that it
is our responsibility to
help those in need so
they will not have to
go through the ordeal
alone.
The victims of
human trafficking are
frequently
tempted
by false promises of
profitable jobs, stability, education, or a
loving relationship. In
the U.S., the victims
can be men or women,
adults or children, foreign nationals or U.S. citizens. According to the Polaris Project, globally,
the International Labor Organization estimates
that there are 4.5 million and 14.2 million people
who are trapped in forced sexual and labor exploitation.
Usually runaway and homeless youth,
victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, or
social discrimination are targeted by traffickers.
Foreign nationals, who paid large recruitment
and travel fees to labor recruiters, often become
highly indebted to the recruiters and traffickers.
Traffickers control and manipulate these individuals by leveraging the non-portability of many
work visas as well as the victims lack of famil-
“They use violence, threats, deception, debt bondage and other manipulative tactics to trap the victims in
horrific situations in America and
all these victims share one common
experience – the loss of freedom.”
staff tutor, has been collecting all the interested
students work such as, poetry, articles, drawings,
fiction or non-fiction stories about human trafficking.
Laura Lopez, a student majoring in mathematics and also working with E.O.F. for the human trafficking program said, “What inspired
me to do this program is the fact that this issue is
so unnoticed. People do know about human trafficking, however, they believe it’s elsewhere but
in the U.S. Human trafficking is in every corner
of the world including United States.”
Lopez also mentioned that there is hope
for the victims of human trafficking. “There is
always a way for them to get out of their situa-
iarity with surroundings, laws and rights,
language fluency, and cultural understanding.
Human trafficking is a market-driven criminal industry that is based
on the principles of supply and demand,
like drugs or arms trafficking. Many factors make children and adults vulnerable
to human trafficking; however, it does not
exist because people are vulnerable to
exploitation. Instead, human trafficking
is operated by a demand for cheap labor,
services and commercial sex.
As stated by Polaris Project, annually, human traffickers produce billions
of dollars in profits by victimizing millions of people in the U.S. and around the
world. Traffickers are estimated to exploit
20.9 million victims, with an estimated
1.5 million victims in North America alone. Despite growing awareness about this crime, human trafficking continues to go unreported due
to its underground nature, misconceptions about
its definition, and a lack of awareness about its
indicators.
If there is anyone you know who needs
help, you can call 1-(888)-373-7888 National Human Trafficking Resource Center SMS:
233733 (Text “HELP” or “INFO.”) Hours: 24
hours, 7 days a week. Languages: English, Spanish Website: traffickingresourcecenter.org
If anyone is interested in writing creative
poetry, fiction or non-fiction stories, articles and
artwork for the E.O.F. Chapbook, you can email,
Amanda- at [email protected] or stop by the
E.O.F. Lab in A-207 for more information.
Statistics Box
41% of sex trafficking cases and 20% of
labor trafficking cases referenced U.S. citizens
as victims.
Women were referenced as victims in
85% of sex trafficking, and men in 40% of labor
trafficking cases.
The International Labor Organization
estimates that there are 20.9 million victims of
human trafficking globally, including 5.5 million children and 55% are women and girls.
From December 7, 2007, through December 31, 2012, the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) answered
65,557 calls, 1,735 online tip forms, and 5,251
emails – totaling more than 72,000 interactions.
http://www.polarisproject.org/human-trafficking/overview/human-trafficking-trends
Staying awake in class is simple
By Sally De La Cruz
Here’s how to stay awake in class: Never go
to a party the day before you have class. In doing
so, you will have enough energy to wake up and focus on your teacher’s lesson. If you have pulled an
all-nighter, make sure to have coffee nearby. Often,
students socialize with their friends, BFF, or significant other throughout the night; only use a computer
for school work, and make sure you finish all your
homework before you go to bed.
Think about making a curfew for bed time
and making a friend in class just in case you fall
asleep; they can slap you awake. For emergencies,
have a 5 Hour Energy drink just in case the coffee
doesn’t work or if you still need an extra jolt to get
you through the day. When it is time to go to bed,
put your cellphone on silent for calls or text. Next,
only put sound for the alarm. You then have to make
sure you have a snack with (Continued on Page 7)
In this issue
News.............................Pages 1
Health...........................Pages 2-3
Features........................Pages 4-7
Arts/Entertainment.....Pages 8-9
Opinion........................Pages 10-11
Technology...................Page 12
What you Missed.........Pages 13-15
Poetry Corner...............Page 15
Letters from the Editors.....Page 16
Page 2
Editor-in-Chief
X’Zaviour Johnson
Senior Editors
Albert Bustos
Nicole C. Richardson
Staff Writers/Staff Editors
Albert Bustos
DeMond T. James
Jada Osgood
Faculty Advisors
Walter Behr
Geoffrey Kenmuir
Christine Redman-Waldeyer
Alumni Representative
Sadia-adu Phillips
Contributing Writers
Mahmuda Alam
Chris Arroyo
Jenice Brown
Sally De La Cruz
Lissette Gomez
Aaron Montanez
Jesse Montanez
Roger Moreno
Michael Obeso
Sandra Olortegui
Dima Samhori
Priscilla Trastoy
Staff Photographers
Albert Bustos
X’Zaviour Johnson
Harley Mesidor
Raheen Nelson
Layout Design
Albert Bustos
Assistant Layout Design
Jada Osgood
Contact us at:
[email protected]
Health
Suicide: The second-leading cause of
death among college students
By Nicole C. Richardson
Mid-semester began with a tragedy that quickly became the news around campus. Rumors circulated
about what happened at the downtown parking garage
across the street from Dunkin Donuts. According to the
North Jersey news website, a Clifton resident died by suicide. As disturbing and emotional this subject is for many
people, it is important to recognize the signs most commonly associated with suicide.
Since 2012, the Centers of Disease Control and
Prevention reports there has been approximately 46,000
suicidal deaths in America. This is 10th leading cause of
deaths for Americans and someone is affected every12.9
minutes in this country.
However, among college students, the rates are
lower totaling less than 7.5 percent per 100,000 college
students. Still, suicide is the second-leading cause of
death amongst college students between the ages of 25-34
as stated by Emory University.
Thoughts of ending one’s life usually begin with
feelings of depression. Sometimes school can become
very stressful to where a student may not actually verbalize their feelings but show signs of being withdrawn
from everyday activities, have difficulty adjusting to the
demands of college life and even patterns of self-destructive behaviors in cases of extreme depression.
Kaveh Zamanian, PhD and a clinical psychologist,
advises everyone to not take these warning signs lightly.
The behavior “may be rationalized as a normal thing, but
in reality it’s a sign of somebody who’s caught up in hopelessness, despair, and issues of self-esteem.”
He also states, “Mental health issues have been on
the rise, so college counseling centers are becoming better
equipped to deal with these life-threatening situations.”
As a PCCC student, there are several things you
can do if someone you know talks about taking their life,
feels they are a burden on others, or believes they have
no reason to live. Pay attention to the behavior and mood
changes and talk with a professor privately. You should
never feel as though you are betraying a trust. If someone
is openly telling you how they feel, they are crying out for
help. Sometimes they are quiet about what is going on in
their lives and have reached a final decision to end their
life.
If you are thinking about suicide or know someone
who might be a danger to themselves, go to the Wellness
Counseling Center, located in the Enrollment Center on
225 Market Street on the second floor at the Center for
Student Success. There, the counselors are willing to help
students who need someone to talk to confidentially. They
also offer immediate assistance and can help you get in
touch with the resources needed in event of a crisis by
calling this number, 973-684-5524.
Passaic County Community College,
Department of Public Safety Tips
The following tips are intended to help pre- The following tips are intended to ensure
vent thefts from occurring on campus:
personal safety:
• Never leave any personal property of value unattended in the fitness cen- • Avoid walking alone at night.
ter, game room, library, classrooms, cafeteria, offices, restrooms, etc., even
if it is only for a few moments. Many thefts occur when people leave their • While on campus, use the buddy system when traveling between books, laptops, tablets, cell phones, handbags, hard drives, USBs, jewelry,
classes, especially after dark.
etc., unattended while they go to use the rest room.
• While on campus, use the bridges to travel between classes and to
• Keep personal valuables, such as handbags, wallets, textbooks, laptops, your vehicle. If traveling to a class that is not connected by a bridge cell phones, etc., out of plain view. Thefts can occur even if you don’t look for the Public Safety patrol vehicle and always ask an officer walk away from your personal property. For example, a cell phone placed
for an escort if you feel unsafe. If you ever feel unsafe and no
next to you on a table in the library could be quickly grabbed when you Public Safety Officer is in sight, contact the Public Safety Office for look away.
an escort at 973-684-5403.
• Do not lend cell phones, tablets, laptops, etc. to strangers because they • If you have a cell phone, keep it readily available with pre-pro could run off with it.
grammed police and campus emergency numbers.
• Keep a count of personal valuables you entered campus with, and do a • Keep to well lighted, commonly traveled routes.
count each time you enter and leave an area to make sure you still have the same number of personal valuables.
• Avoid shortcuts and dark isolated areas.
• Stay alert and aware when walking and holding a cell phone to your • Walk
ear, especially when outside campus because someone could snatch the phone and run off.
• If your wallet or handbag is stolen, cancel all credit cards and unused bank checks immediately. Report this to the Public Safety Office as soon as possible.
• Please ensure Public Safety (room E-100) has your latest contact
information on file.
Page 3
Health
Is your cafeteria making you fat?
It’s not always easy to try and eat healthy
on campus. Of course, you have your go-to favorites: salad bar, fresh fruit, protein bars and
yogurts, but is it still enough to keep you from
packing on the pounds?
Over the course of a week, the cafeteria
puts out a menu, which is sent to all Panther’s
portal accounts to download. The menu will feature items such as your daily dose of French fries
and chicken, homemade soups, vegetables, and
starches.
Most students tend to go for the chicken
and fries because it is the least expensive food
for purchase. With $2.99, you get about two
servings of carbohydrates and three small pieces
of protein, which averages out to about 530 calories according to Calorieking.com.
To the average person, that may not seem
like a lot of calories, but looking at the nutritional content, this meal is packed with 1,120 mg of
sodium combined, which quickly puts you near
the recommended intake of 2,300 mg a day suggested by The Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
In fact, people who consume too much
sodium are at risk of fluid retention, increased
blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and congestive heart failure as stated by the
Mayo Clinic organization.
Recently, the cafeteria introduced the
Action Station Pasta Bar. It was a very exciting
time last semester to witness culinary students
cook in front of a live audience. They had their
pasta, oils, sauces and other condiments on display.
Students, along with faculty and staff,
had their choice of meat and vegetables to create the perfect pasta blend. This inventive idea
received a lot of praise and a tummy full of satisfaction. However, the amount of pasta served
in those large plastic bowls was a meal a person
could survive on for at least two days.
One serving of pasta from the Action Station
Pasta Bar ranges between 350 to 500 calories
outside of the extra additives based on MyFitnessPal food database. The issue becomes when
the servings double, which is most likely what
happens in the cafeteria. Then, because of limited time between classes or work breaks, people tend to eat the whole meal to avoid throwing
food in the garbage.
Interestingly, the healthier food choices
are greatly limited. The fruit cups are expensive
for a couple of strawberries, grapes and melon.
It almost seems better to purchase it from the
supermarket up the street for about the same
price where you get a variety of fruit and more
for your money. Additionally, purchasing a plate
of cooked vegetables is usually about one scoop
depending on which student cook serves you. If
you ask for more, you end up paying double the
price at the register.
This is not to knock down all the hard
work the student cooks put in to create our dining experience. They are in school and learning
to become professional chefs, but the cafeteria
needs to provide the calories per serving so that
it does not contribute to obesity that is occurring
all throughout the United States campus-wide.
It’s important to pay attention to the
amount of food you consume. Over time, calories add up, not just what you eat in the cafeteria,
but also what you buy from Wendy’s, Dunkin
Donuts, and other surrounding food chains that
you give your money to over the course of the
semester.
In an article by Carolyn Robbins, “How
to Eat Healthy in a College Cafeteria”, she suggests a few ways to help students avoid weight
gain. These tips include calculating your caloric intake for the day and try to eat whole foods;
don’t leave the cafeteria without grabbing a
piece of fruit; use USDA MyPlate graphic as a
guide to help with portion control and review the
cafeteria’s menu to get a sense of the healthier
foods for the week.
Now that more people are increasingly
concerned with living a healthier lifestyle, hopefully the cafeteria will provide the campus community with nutritional information, via calories
per servings, so that everyone can choose food
wisely. As the saying goes, “A moment on the
lips, last a lifetime on the hips.”
Holiday spirits in the Hamilton Club
tion effects could not have been present.” Furthermore, Heinemann states
that these orbs are energetic imprints manifested in the physical world
from outside our physical reality.
Even still, I couldn’t help myself and I started showing the picture
around asking if anyone has ever heard of orbs. Ironically, I stumbled upon
a psychic who also attended the faculty and staff holiday party.
Being new to the campus community this was her first party and
she said, “I entered the building and felt the warmth then a cold breeze
came from the winding staircase. I looked up and saw the silhouette of a
woman with long hair pinned into a bun wearing a long dress. Then, she
disappeared.”
She also stated that when she went into the main room where the
fireplace was located she saw two ghostly, pale-faced men wearing tuxedos standing behind a Public Safety personnel who used to work for the
Academy. Later she said, “This was my first time in the Hamilton Club
and I learned from a co-worker that the Hamilton Club used to be a gentlemens’ club a long time ago.”
After the conversation, I immediately read the history on the Hamilton Club from PCCC’s website. The club opened in 1897 and later reopened after the Great Fire in Paterson in 1902. These ghostly images or
presence she felt could possibly explain what the psychic saw during the
event and maybe even the orb energy at the dessert table.
If what I was hearing and seeing was true, I’d hate to think of
what kind of energy force exists in that club. However, ghost phenomenon
and orb sightings
made for an interesting story during
one of the biggest
events on campus.
If you doubt there
are spirits in the
Hamilton
Club,
visit and decide
for yourself. Until then, may your
spirit be merry all
season long. Have
a chilling holiday!
For the end of the year celebration, President Rose hosted a huge
extravaganza for faculty and staff at the Hamilton Club. Everyone came
dressed in their best holiday attire to socialize, eat and be merry.
As a staff writer for Visions, I had the privilege to attend the gathering. My purpose was to assist Editor-in-Chief, X’Zaviour Johnson, as he
prepared to report on the party for the December issue of Visions.
We walked around, interviewed people and shared a few laughs
with our professors. Time passed and I found myself at the dessert table. I
decided this would be a great place to take a picture using my IPhone.
Usually, I can get a decent picture as long as the lighting is right.
However, the lights all around the club were dim except for upstairs and in
the halls near the bathrooms. I took the picture anyway then complained
about the fogginess of the photo.
Brittany Smith from the Student Government Association happened to pass by and thought she’d assist me in capturing the picture. The
result was no different from my own photography skills. So, I showed her
the photo I’d taken when she said, “You have orbs in your photo.”
Naturally, I became inquisitive and learned that orbs are energy spirits. She
pointed out the three large circles that seemed to photo bomb my picture.
Later, I discovered there were four lingering at the dessert table.
Now, I love a good horror or ghost movie, but to be in the actual
presence of spirits, I was ready to hightail my way out of the Hamilton
Club. However, I hung around until the party was over then decided to get
more knowledge on the subject.
I researched orbs, and to my surprise this new phenomenon in the
psychic community, or those that delve in the paranormal, started to gain
traction in the 1990s. These specks of light circles can be seen using a
digital camera. According to a ghost website, the camera manufacturers
claimed these “orbs” to be microscopic particles floating in the air. However, the evidence points toward the opposite.
Dr. Klaus Heinemann, a former Stanford and NASA materials science researcher, wrote an article “Orbs 101-What do orbs in your picture
means.” He said, “By making use of digital photography, it appears that
Spirit Beings have devised a means to provide irrefutable evidence of their
existence.”
He also refutes the argument that the orbs are merely dust particles.
According to a photograph experiment he conducted “under clean room
conditions, where airborne particles of the size that could explain reflec-
Page 4
Features
If You Really Knew Me
By Jenice Brown
We all walk the same halls and attend the
same classes. Everyone has different things that
they struggle with. We all have secrets, weird fetishes, dreams, doubts and fantasies. The list is
endless. Within 45 seconds of meeting someone,
we conjure up a whole life for that person and
then we judge. Oftentimes it’s wrong; there are
rare cases where we actually pinpoint a person
for who they really are. People are extraordinary,
yet we never get to see what they really have to
offer until we actually give them a chance.
To the unassuming eye, 19-year-old Liberal Arts major Keymadah Swann, appears quiet
and passive, not a lover of basketball. She opened
up to me stating, “I’m usually just quiet, but recently I’ve been trying to break out of my shell.”
Unabashed, she spilled her love of basketball,
it was apparent that it was something she cared
about deeply. She then shared her goal of making it out of Paterson and joining the WNBA.
John Wooden, basketball player and
coach of UCLA, formerly known as ‘Wizard of
Westwood’ said it best, “It’s the little details that
are vital. Little things make big things happen.”
Swann lamented that people only see her as an
introvert. They don’t really know the other side
of her, the fun, easy going side that loves music
and laughter. Her amazing personality might be
missed if we judge too quickly.
“Nothing upsets me. I’m happy, positive
and motivated.” Ilya Vyalskiy a student in his
second year of nursing informed me on a windy
October morning. The typical person viewed
him as “different” he said, until actually talking
to him most people did not know he was from
“Today you are you that is
truer than true, there is no
one else alive that is youer
than you.” - Dr. Seuss
Russia. “With my demeanor, it is a surprise to
people that I do body building for fun.” Even
though people like Vyalskiy may look normal,
he had a fascination that was not guessable there are so many more like him out there.
We all secretly aspire to be the next,
Kanye West, Barack Obama, Bill Gates and so
on. The feeling we get when we talk about our
forthcoming future is overwhelming, both positively and negatively. We want to be something
great, something people will remember forever. That is Andre Brown, age 19, a PCCC
student majoring in Performing Arts. “People
would describe me as wise, knowledgeable and
intelligent, also somewhat of a rebel.” Brown is
aware that he may come off as something else to
other people, a musician-type, but he has more to
offer. Brown is also a humanitarian. His goal is,
“all about the greater good of society.”
People often refrain from getting to
know others because they are shy or have a fear
of rejection. That is the least of Tania Perez’s
problem. Perceived as friendly and open, Tania
loves meeting new people. Despite her happygo-lucky persona, Tania had something that she
struggled with. It made her afraid to talk to people before for fear of being judged, and she shyly
shared her inner skirmish with me. “What was
the first thing you noticed about me?” she asked
flipping the script. I was befuddled; I was not
aware of what she meant. I answered her question that I thought she was shy, not at all as open
and friendly. “My tooth,” she said, “I have a
chipped tooth.” I was thrown off balance. I was
unaware of her minuscule blemish because she
had such a great personality. Nevertheless, it is
something she struggles with.
“Today you are you that is truer than true,
there is no one else alive that is youer than you.”
Dr. Seuss’ quote suggests that everyone is different and unique in their own way. They all have
something about them that no one knows about,
or no one would ever even think about. The next
time you pass a person in the hall say a quick hi
or smile, you never know what interesting quip
you will end up learning.
Importance of learning outside the class
By Sandra Olortegui
In History classes we learn about the past
to understand the facts of the present; in Math
classes, we appropriate the necessary tools to
solve real problems in every day life, and so
on. We could make a long list and include every
class and discipline that PCCC has to offer.
At the same time, outside the class, students share experiences with those who interact, discuss, and debate, which invites them to
walk a path toward other learning. Perhaps this
is “invisible learning” for some, but
for those who experience and build,
will be valuable lessons saved in “the
backpack of knowledge,” that students
will carry throughout their lives.
Tony Traverso, a 22-year-old
PCCC student, knows this very well, and he
would rather experiment with hands-on activities than learning in a regular classroom without
moving from his desk. For this reason, he is now
a member of the recently opened Graphic Design
& Fine Art Club, in order to have direct contact
with works of art and reinforce his education in
his Graphic Design major.
When the Graphic Design & Fine Art
Club opened last October, Traverso thought
joining would be very helpful for him, and
complement his designing lessons taught in the
classrooms. When asked about what his first impression of the club was, he replied, “It is a place
where we can not only use and improve our
knowledge with different designing programs,
but also show our skills in drawing, coloring,
and have a good time doing what we like to do:
to put our major in practice either drawing on
paper or designing on a computer.”
Traverso affirms that experimental learning showed him how the real world operates, and
he now has a sense of what kind of obstacles he
would have to face in the near future; now he is
prepared to overcome those challenges. “When
I’m in the club, I try to go beyond and learn
some lessons that are not yet taught in the classrooms,” Traverso says. “I picture myself already
designing for clients, so instead of working on a
file that has been already set up by the professor,
I try to recreate one myself and start designing it
from scratch.”
are more critics. Everyone expresses what they
think about your work according to their different points of view, which I respect and learn a lot
from that.”
Learning outside the class has made Traverso a more curious person, something that
makes him stay several hours in the library after the club is done, having his own experiences and learning from it. However, this hasn’t
stopped him from socializing, and he has made
new friends in the process. “I met this
guy, Oscar, who is also a tutor in the
lab. He does not only help me with my
Web Design class, but also with my
Graphic Design lessons. I’ve learned
a lot from him. More than a tutor, he is
my friend.”
With a convincing voice, Traverso says
that learning outside the classroom has definitely
been very helpful for him. He invites students
who are interested in expanding their knowledge to join the club, and he emphasizes that
the student has to be focused on their goals. “I
believe I learn way more those days when I do
hands-on-activities and I face learning outside
the classroom, away from the blackboard. I’m
determined to think that education should have
something to do with the real world, and with
this century.”
“You can learn a lot from
the person next to you.”
In spite of not having a classroom that is
especially designated for the club he belongs to,
with all the materials and implements used for
designing and drawing, including the right furniture and other artistic needs, Traverso says that
he loves being a member of the Graphic Design
& Fine Art Club because it fulfills his desire of
learning outside the class. He believes that the
club has given him the chance to learn from the
person that sits right next to him. He can always
ask – and be lectured without asking – about how
to improve his design, what colors are the ones
he should be using, and what he has to change in
his work in order to be functional.
“You can learn a lot from the person next to you,” repeats Traverso. “If I
weren’t in the club, I think it would be
a little difficult for me to learn outside
the classroom by myself because I like
criticism a lot. When one is learning
and putting that knowledge in practice
with other members of the club, there
Features
Page 5
By Dima Samhori
Love for education has no boundries
After achieving his master’s degree in
Education from Brooklyn College, Professor
Howard Schwartzberg started his career as a
teacher in several public schools in Florida and
New York. After 42 years of service, Professor
Schwartzberg retired, but his passion for teaching remains.
Professor Schwartzberg found a new career at PCCC as an ESL teacher in 2006. That
was not the end of his ambitions. His affection
for mathematics encouraged him to create a new
math program at PCCC in fall of 2010.
Today, Professor Schwartzberg is Director of Developmental Math Tutoring Programs
and Professor of Mathematics that run at PCCC.
And with the help of his staff, including
students at PCCC and several math professors,
those programs have helped hundreds of students
to improve in mathematics at several levels.
The first and most popular program is
“Boot Camp”. This program was founded by
Professor Schwartzberg.
It is a 15 hour free-of-charge course that
helps students who have low math test scores
and want to improve in a short period of time.
The course is divided into several class periods
from five to six days a week. There are morning
and evening classes offered.
There is an evaluation test at the beginning of the course and a final test at the end.
If the student successfully completes the
course he can skip level MA 10B and possibly
MA025 and go straight to college level!
Research at PCCC found that students
who participated in this program as well as other
college level students.
The second program that is directed by
Professor Schwartzberg is the “R.A.M.P.” This
program is mandatory for students who score
low at the college placement test.
Students can start the program at the beginning of a 15-week semester and if successfully completed, they can register for MA010 the
following semester.
This program has given students a second chance to improve their math skills and
score higher rates.
Professor Schwartzberg also works with
students that are part of the Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics program.
This program offers high school students
from Paterson and Passaic districts to take col-
lege courses.
It helps students to save time and make
an easy transition from high school to community college and then a four-year college.
Last, but not least, a math team program
was created last year at PCCC that allowed our
school to participate in a yearly competition between community colleges in New Jersey.
PCCC came in third place last year with
the help of Professor Schwartzberg and several
math professors.
As an honor to all of his efforts, PCCC
awarded Professor Schwartzberg three awards
through his career:
• “Presidential Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Passaic County College” in 2013.
• “Most Dedicated Staff” award in 2012.
• “Most Dedicated Staff” award in 2011.
Professor Schwartzberg is the most popular professor at PCCC. He dedicates his time
and efforts to help students who are in need to
improve and succeed.
When the storm hits
By Lissette Gomez
If you are not prepared for the unexpected, expect to go through the hassles. Two of the
deadliest hurricanes affected the state of New
Jersey.
Jahed Ullah, a 23 year-old actor and a
theater major here at PCCC, experienced the effects of Hurricane Irene. In 2011, Irene tore up
the coast from August 20th to the 28th. This category 1 hurricane claimed the lives of 67 people
throughout the East Coast of the United States
and the Caribbean.
sewage holes for the water to run into.”
This action made by the government
showed a great improvement in Ullah’s neighborhood when Hurricane Sandy came about.
There wasn’t flooding on Ullah’s street this time.
the other hand, there was a gasoline crisis.
“I did not expect Hurricane Irene On
“During the gas shortage, my oldest
to cause this much damage.” brother waited in line for about two hours, and
when he finally got to the pump, he was sold
gas at six dollars per gallon.” The particular gas
station was later fined for illegally over pricing
gasoline.
“If a storm were to strike again
Christopher Christie, the governor for
the
state
of New Jersey, banned the Blue Laws
we would be prepared.”
for those affected by Hurricane Sandy, giving
The following year in Hurricane Sanpeople the chance to regain what they lost. “In
dy reigned from October 22-31. The aftermath
a way, lifting the Blue Laws was almost unnecwas perhaps more severe than Hurricane Irene.
essary because the mall is always open on SunAbout 200 people were killed; the loss of propdays. If people needed an outlet to charge their
erty was absolute for thousands of people, and
phones, people should’ve given donations inthere was a gas shortage that affected everyone Taken in front of Ullah’s house before the entire stead of retail stores selling to people who lost
including businesses and employees.
everything they owned. They need to rebuild
street was flooded by Hurricane Irene in 2011.
In 2011, Ullah and his family
their homes, get new cars, home appliwere forced to move out of their house
ances, etc.,” expressed Ullah.
Hurricane
Sandy
Hurricane Irene
when Hurricane Irene flooded their entire
“If a storm were to strike again,
basement destroying everything in it.
we would be prepared. We have extra
“The boiler, heater, clothes, foundation, Year
canned foods, lighters and matches,
2011
2012
washing machine, dryer, etc. were all
candles, canteens for gas, etc. There are
Category in NJ
damaged by the storm,” Ullah stated.
things we have no control over like liv1
1
“When my family and I returned
ing across the Passaic River.”
to our home the kitchen smelled terrible Wind Speed in NJ
For more information about how
75 mph
75 mph
because there was no electricity to keep
to prepare for superstorms and hurrithe fridge cold causing all of the food to Overall Death Toll
canes, you can visit:
67
186
spoil. I did not expect Hurricane Irene to
www.livescience.com and type in
Overall
Damage
$15.8 billion
cause this much damage.
“hurricane preparation.”
$50 billion
Cost
Lissette Gomez
We’ve had flooding prior to this stormmaybe two or three times while living in this
house near the Passaic River. After Hurricane
Irene flooded the area, the government finally
took action and leveled the streets or built more
Stats Box
The Literary Panther is on the prowl once
again searching for talented students to show their
works and creativity in its journal.
Submit your best works for a chance to get
them published in the Literary Journal. This will be
our third issue, so tell a friend to tell a friend about
this opportunity. Published works look great on a resume, so sieze the moment.
We will be collecting: *artworks, *photography, *poems, *short stories *fiction, and *essays.
Submission Deadline:
*February 28, 2015*
Publication date to be determined
-Submission Guidelines-
*Short stories, fiction, and essays are limited
to 1,500 words.
* No more than: 1-4 pieces of art, 1-4 photographs, 1-4 poems.
-Submission Format-
*Literary works: Microsoft Word document file.
*Artwork/photographs: High quality jpeg file
with a resolution of 300 dpi.
-How to label your submissions-
Last name, first name, submission number
(Example: DoeJohn1.jpeg)
Email submissions to:
[email protected]
Page 6
Features
By Aaron Montanez
Veteran’s Point of View
“I wanted to make a difference... so
many before me had answered the call”
September 11, 2001 lit a fire
under many Americans. We were attacked on our home turf and many
innocent people died. Many young
Americans walked into recruiting offices around the country and
signed up to service our nation and
fight terrorism.
However, this is not the
reason Michael “Mike” Diamante
enlisted with the U.S. Army. Diamante enlisted in October of 2006
because he wanted to “not feel like
a waste of oxygen really. I saw
around me so many kids getting
involved with drugs and the wrong
side of the law. I wanted to make
a difference. I had completed a semester at college but decided to put
that on hold to volunteer in service
of my country just as so many before me had answered the call.”
Diamante served five years
completing two tours of duty. One tour in Iraq
that lasted 15 months and one in Afghanistan for
12 months. Diamante still has 69 months left in
his eight year contract
During his deployment Diamante lost
friends. The first was Casey P. Mason, who was
killed by a sniper in Mosal, Iraq on November
13, 2007. The second was Andrew C. Wilfahrt a
soldier under Diamante’s command in Afghanistan; who was killed on February 27, 2011, when
he stepped on an IED (Improvised Explosive
Device).
Michael Diamante in the Middle East After five years of service, Diamante was
ETS (End Term Service) and was placed in Active Reserve for the last three years of his contract.
Diamante returned to civilian life in
2012, “It was not too hard, but after attending
college again and seeing how these young adults
acted and expressed themselves really turned me
off. No one had a sense of honor, no one had
discipline, and no one really acted like an adult.”
Diamante said he had
some “slight anger issues” and he
was “very upfront and even mean
toward people.”
He also said that he had some
trouble sleeping, “but this was not
due to nightmares or anything, I
was just getting used to a new life
and my mind kept running.” Diamante admitted he did not like
coming back to normal life. He said
he felt “useless” in college and he
felt driven to work and contribute,
just as he had in the military.
Diamante says that the
military did what they could to
prepare returning soldiers to come
back to civilian life. “They have a
MANDATORY week long workshop people have to go to before
they leave the service. This helps
you prepare a resume, and for general civilian life.” He goes on to say
that the military “did their job” with preparing
him to return to civilian life. Diamante says it
helped that he did not develop PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) despite being hit by 13
IEDs and being in eight close combat fire fights.
Diamante whole heartedly believes that
the military is a great route for people. He recommends anyone who is thinking about joining
to go ahead and pull the trigger. “I still believe I
am a more disciplined and goal-oriented person,
among many other qualities, than your normal
“civilian.”
My grandmother died
By Chris Arroyo
Survey shows 4 out of 10 students lie to their professors
It’s mid-fall semester and assignment due dates are around the corner! This doesn’t mean that all students are busy cramming for exams, but
figuring out the most bizarre excuses for late and missing assignments, or
even missing out on a lecture!
Passaic County Community College of Paterson caters to a broad
spectrum of different cultures and work ethics, being located in the heart
of a city that was once a mecca for immigrants coming into the United
States.
“I had this one student tell me one of her family members was
murdered,” recalls Mario Gonzalez, a Literary Studies tutor at PCCC. “Afterward, I felt cheated because I found out from the other students that it
was a lie.”
A recent survey of 50 randomly chosen students on the Paterson
campus shows that 40 percent of the students admit to lying to one of their
professors about a late assignment. 22 percent say they’ve given a legitimate excuse, while only 32 percent say they’ve never asked for an excuse
on their assignment. The other 6 percent chose not to answer.
Excuses like “I couldn’t make it to the last class because it was
Beyonce’s birthday,” while not common, are sometimes used by students.
Professor Marcia Parchment, a member of the Psychology Department,
says the most common excuse used by her students is “My grandmother
passed.”
But with professors placing all assignment due dates on the syllabus and the colleges recent switch to Blackboard, is it really worth trying
to justify a late assignment?
Take this example from my own sociology class when a classmate
told Professor Mosley that she was going to miss class for one of the tests
we were having in November. When the professor questioned her, she said
she had an emergency.
Without missing a beat, Professor Mosley replied, “What kind of
emergency do you have that you know about it a month in advance? It’s a
vacation, and if you miss my test for a vacation, [laughs], don’t even think
about trying to make it up.”
Still, students find ways around the syllabus. Narmein Basuf,
Health Science major, recalls an excuse “her classmate” used on more
than one occasion, and it worked every time: “I sent it to you; I’m not sure
if you received it?”
Professor Jose Arroyo, who teaches Criminal Justice at PCCC,
asked students in his Criminal Justice class if they’ve ever given a fake
excuse to one of their professors and only two of them responded “yes.”
“I don’t get a lot,” he says. “It’s usually no more than two or three per semester. But, there was one crazy one I remember. The student said he was
mugged and his book bag was stolen. I still don’t know if it’s true or not.”
It’s almost an art in itself because is it really practical to make every deadline? Jasmine Sarita, a Psychology major, says the most convincing excuses come when you “...know what attitude, facial expressions and
tone you have to use to sell your lie. You can’t think about it; you just have
to say it without feeling any guilt.”
***Juried Art Exhibit***
Cash Prizes! Open to ALL PCCC Students.
Please submit entries online at:
www.pccc.edu/artcontestsubmissions
Criteria:
*Artwork must be 2-dimensional (Painting, Photography,
Drawing, Print or Computer Generated Design)
*Artwork must be no larger than 18 x 24 inches
*Artwork must not weigh more than 20lbs
*All entries must be framed and wired for hanging
Important Dates:
*March 16th: Finalists Notification
*April 23rd: Artwork Drop-off
*April 30th: Exhibition Opening & Award Ceremony
*May 22nd: Artwork Pick-up
For more information please contact:
Prof. Rachel Bomze [email protected]
Spring Exhibition will be held in the Broadway Gallery
*Deadline: March 2nd, 6:00pm*
Supported by PEARSON
Page 7
Black Friday, Wonderful or Hectic?
Is Black Friday a day to rejoice? Retailers say no.
Features
ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT
ARCHITECTURE
STEMDESIGN
TECHNOLOGY
MATHEMATICS
HONORS
COMPUTING
By Michael Obeso
Black Friday starts immediately after Thanksgiving, offering
special deals on all the most popular goods. Do you plan on purchasing
an Xbox One for yourself, or a pair of shoes for your girlfriend? Black
Friday is a chance for many to take advantage of great prices.
Imagine your favorite retail store on one of their busier days: now imagine that times ten. Expect to wait on lines just to get in the retail store to
• Offers Degrees in the Hottest Fields
shop because the amount of people is just ridiculous. There are impatient
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people waiting to buy their goods, people talking, temperatures rising
standing with an Associate’s Degree, advising support
from body heat and hostility.
Now, instead of the consumer’s experience, what about the em• Access to high paying internship and co-op programs
ployee’s point of view? What is it like for employees working in that
hectic store? Well, I sat down with Lissette Gomez, an employee at a
• Connect to over 22,800 job postings through
retail store and full-time student here at PCCC, to find out what it's like
Career Development Services
to work on Black Friday.
“My first impression of Black Friday was ‘This is very hectic!’”
exclaimed Gomez.
“The store was very hot due to the mass of people in the store.
The store became messy, clothes were on the floor, hanging off racks,
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and people were sassy and rude from waiting in a long line for some
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time.”
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Truth is, customers want to get in and out with their deals. Black
Friday doesn’t seem to be the day to do that, unless you waited outside
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the building in front of the line two or three days prior, but who wants to
do that? Oh, right… customers.
“I was surprised to find out people would camp outside to get
deals on clothing or shoes,” Gomez added.
That’s not the only surprising thing you’ll see on Black Friday,
Office of University Admissions, University Heights, Newark, New Jersey 07102-1982
though. In past events, customers would get stepped on, push one another, and fight just to get the upper hand. It almost seems that for some
people mannerisms get tossed out the window. Fortunately, Gomez never had to deal with anything that serious, just arguments and untidiness. Transfer Ad
5 x 7”
“Customers would argue over prices of items that are already marked
down, to be
marked down even lower when prices are already extremely low; I guess you can’t please
everyone,” Gomez said comically.
There are also a lot of things that can happen quickly on Black Friday. Shoplifting is
another issue that retailer must worry about.
“Definitely one of the most perfect days for shoplifters. There’s not enough security
and even if there were, there are too many people in the retail store to pay attention to one
individual; one can be diverted very easily.”
But the worst thing about Black Friday is the pay isn’t even great for all those hours
you put in. Retail stores do not offer holiday pay, which is certainly not in line with the spirit
of the season. And when you consider that many work the night of Thanksgiving, as well as
Black Friday, one would assume there would be some compensation.
“Just don’t expect more money in your wallet just because
it’s busier and after a holiday!”
Also, seeing as it can be crazy to be an employee at a retail
store on Black Friday, especially for those who experienced it
firsthand, you might not want to work on that day ever again.
It also seems like most people that do, don’t have a choice.
Questions like, “Can I take that day off?” or “I got important
plans that day, do I have to come in?” are most likely ignored.
Your manager is going to need you there!
“I don’t go out on Black Friday; Cyber Monday is where it’s
at!” stated Gomez.
Still, if Gomez did shop for Black Friday’s deals, how would
she act on the playing field?
“I have manners and when I shop, I put things back where
they were because I know how it is for employees working in
retail. Just because there are deals, I’m not going to run around
like a chicken with its head cut off. I treat it as if I’m home or
at a friend’s house; you should behave and be considerate.”
Now that we know what to expect, I can say you might not
want to work Black Friday. There will be long lines of people,
rudeness, temperatures rising, arguments with customers and
no extra pay. But even with all that, remember, your manager is
going to need you there!
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A L W AY S O N
(Continued from page 1)
Staying awake in class
you at all times. Remember food is energy and energy keeps
you awake. Do not wait to the last minute with assignments.
This will cause stress, and if
you have stress, you cannot
sleep.
When you do feel yourself slipping in class, try to
get involved in the lecture
by answering questions.
Remember, you cannot fall
asleep if you are talking.
Images from www.becuo.com
Page 8
By Aaron Montanez
Features
Enjoy the fall season
Here is how you enjoy the fall season. You know when the days
begin to grow cooler and nights begin to grow longer the air becomes a
little crisper and it begins to feel just slightly different. You have to start
dressing just a little bit warmer and the world around you slowly becomes
more colorful. Orange, red, amber, brown, and gold start to fill the trees
and maybe you have apple cider and pumpkin pie at your favorite coffee
spot. Then you go pumpkin and apple picking with your family. At this
time of year you start to think how you enjoy the smell of apple flavored
donuts being made while giant spiders, skeletons, zombies, and Frankenstein festoon the yards of the houses all around.
On the perfect fall night, a classic horror movie starts to play on
television and then you might want to watch some old Scooby Doo episodes or Ghostbusters. You can savor the fact that storefronts have their
windows decorated with Jack O’ Lanterns and, at home, commercials
come on T.V. selling candy. The kids start to talk about who they want to
be for Halloween mentioning everything from Darth Vader and Bobba Fett
to cowboys and princesses.
As the night approaches, the children run around giggling and
laughing and trying on their costumes at the store. You go to the store and
buy all different types of candy: Jolly Ranchers, Now and Laters, KitKat
bars, and Snickers; Blow Pops, Laffy Taffy, Skittles, then M&M’s find
their way into your cart. Finally one night you hear the doorbell ring and
those famous words are shouted with joy from younger and older children
alike, “Trick or Treat!!!” Then you answer the door to witness all these
smiling little faces. You hand them each a couple of pieces of candy then
you shut the door and smile a little because fall is here and that is how you
enjoy the fall.
Be ready for next Black Friday
By Lissette Gomez
Image is from www.bbc.com/news/uk-30241459
Shopping on one of the busiest day for retailers, Black Friday, may
be the most stressful and yet the most rewarding day a person can have.
Consumers like Michael Obeso usually does his shopping on Black Friday
to beat the prices. “There is a way to organize all of your shopping trips on
Black Friday to get everything on your list with no hassles,” said Obeso.
“Before heading out to the stores you have to prepare yourself a
list of priorities. You need to figure out which items should be bought first
and where,” Obeso stated. “I write down a list of the things I need or want,
search online on the web to see which stores have the items, and I write
down the prices.”
Even though Obeso always prepared himself for Black Friday, unexpected events inevitably occur. “Nothing goes as planned on this day
except for waiting on line. You expect to wait long hours but afterwards
the rule is anything goes.”
According to Kimberly Amadeo, an expert in U.S. Economy, 92 Asda store in Wembley, London. Employee trying to control competing
customers.
million people shopped on Black Friday and spent 57.4 billion dollars in
2013. “Though more people shopped in 2013 than the 89 million people
on 2012, the money spent in 2013
Money spent
was less than what Year Number of shoppers
consumers
spent
Approx. 126 million Approx. 52.4 billion
in 2012,” Amadeo 2011
2012
Approx. 89 million
Approx. 59.1 billion
wrote.
Black Friday always generates crowds and crowds of people of all 2013
Approx. 92 million
ages and upbringings. Many note that any excitement you may perceive
Approx. 85 million
in camping out for cheaper prices is completely overrated when you step 2014
through the doors. “... prepare yourself mentally in order to deal
with the savage nature bestowed on some consumers in the retail
stores.”
“There are hordes of people with their friends talking, smilDescription
Year
ing, and laughing while they wait on line before the stores allow Country Deaths Injuries
people to go in. Once people are able to get inside the stores, beUSA
2
Murder and suicide 2014
lieve me, they are not smiling and laughing anymore.”
at a Nordstorm in
“Safety is a big issue on Black Friday because when peoChicago
ple become impatient from waiting for parking spaces, waiting on
elongated lines, being neglected by workers who are bombarded
USA
1
Costco worker is
2014
with questions and requests, they become undomesticated and you
stabbed by a shopneed to be cautious of these people. You will know when you see
per.
them.”
Blackfridaydeathcount.com displays the number of deaths
USA
1
4
Teen falls asleep
2013
and injuries sustained during the shopping chaos. In present day
while driving after
America, the death count is seven, and the injuries total 98.
shopping.
“Watching people buy so many products I always wonder
if they truly need it. Who am I to judge? Maybe they will donate
USA
2
5
Father charged with 2012
these things and or give it as a present to their friends and family.”
both daughter’s
There are some organizations who have events during
death in a crash
Black Friday such as The Hall at Patriots Place. It is a modern museum which gives free admission to those who donate clothes on
after shopping.
Black Friday.
USA
1
Walter Vance is
2011
“Personally, I am very considerate of others and am tidy
when I shop. I treat someone else’s business as if it were my home.
trampled by Target
Other people should view it the same way so shopping on Black
shoppers.
Friday isn’t as nerve-wrecking as it seems,” Obeso said with a rational perspective on how to shop on the busiest day in retail.
USA
1
Employee of Jo-Ann 2010
“Once people are able to get
inside the stores, believe me,
they are not smiling and
laughing anymore.”
Black Friday Annual Sales Report
Black Friday Death & Injury Report
“…prepare yourself mentally in order to
deal with the savage nature bestowed on
some consumers in the retail stores.”
commits suicide.
Arts/Entertainment
Page 9
Things to experience: Vans Warped Tour
By Jesse Montanez
It’s a hot, sticky day in the middle of
July, but that won’t stop the army of kids outside
PNC Bank Arts Center from rocking out with
their favorite bands. This is Vans Warped Tour,
a traveling music festival that tours the U.S. all
summer long. It’s so big that the concert extends
into the parking lot.
Vans Warp Tour started in 1994 by Kevin
Lyman, and began receiving sponsorship from
Vans in 1995. The tour showcases a variety of
artists like punk acts Blink 182 and Sum 41,
to pop star Katy Perry. The diversity in music
makes it a popular draw for fans of Hip Hop,
Metal, EDM, and Hardcore.
As you stand in line waiting to get inside,
there is a bit of a culture shock of alternative lifestyles all around. Tattoos, stretched ears, black
clothes, and illegal drug use are all present. Most
people are surprised by the mix of styles and interests that make their way to Warp Tour. PCCC
alumni Deandre Belton, 19, saw all these different people coming together as a huge positive.
“It was an awesome experience seeing all kinds
of people of different background and races being brought together by music.”
Walking in, you are immediately thrown
into the fire; bands play as soon as you enter. The
first thing you do is go to the big board where
you see the times for all the bands playing.
Belton recalls the madness saying, “It was pretty
crazy, and there were 4-5 bands playing at the
same time on different stages.” As soon as you
walk to a stage, the craziness begins.
At Warped Tour there are many performances so you need to schedule who you’re going to see early on. There are usually 6-7 stages
being played on all at once. Belton recalls the
pandemonium. “People were crowd surfing,
moshing, and singing their hearts out; the place
was never quiet.”
But Warped Tour is a very special tour for
one huge reason, the artists. Not only do you get
to see your favorite musicians play their hearts
out, you may run into them while getting a hot
dog. Most of the bands playing are usually DIY
bands, running their own tours and bookings.
Every band has a merchandise tent where
you can buy t-shirts, CDs and posters, most likely, a member of the band will be selling it to you.
It’s what sets Warped Tour apart from every music festival in the world. Here you don’t get the
normal handshake and photo; you truly talk to
and meet them. Belton recalls, “The thing I liked
the most were the conversations I got to have
with the members of my favorite bands.”
The whole scene is something of an annual phenomenon, something to truly experience. Even though it is one of the biggest tours
in the world, it still has a personal touch. Passionate musicians playing their hearts out for
kids who are just as passionate about the music.
Belton says, “If you go to Warped Tour, whether
you like the music or not, I’m sure it’ll be a day
you’ll never forget.”
New club showcases talent and stirs interest
By Priscilla Trastoy
At the Center for Student Success
Lounge, applause could be heard from all over
the room. The charisma by readers was fierce
and the power behind their words sent chills
throughout the room. Even if there were one or
two nervous readers, the support and encouragement by the crowd offered them the reassurance
to read with pride in their work.
On November 13, 2014, the Real Artistic Writers Club (RAW) hosted their first poetry
reading as a newly initiated club with a turnout
of about 30 students, professors and readers. The
president of the club Najaiah not only participated in the reading but also acted as MC with a
lively and inviting personality.
Reading slots were granted upon the rule
first-come, first-serve. It was definitely taken advantage of by students interested in sharing their
work with others. Ronny Moultrie Sr., Human
Services major and part-time student at PCCC
said, “When I saw the flyer, it interested me as
an unpublished poet to let people know about my
work.”
When called up to recite his poem, Moultrie surveyed the room and jokingly said, “I’m
probably the oldest one in here.” With that, he
introduced himself before the audience and read
two of his poems that are called “Believe in Me”
and “He.”
“Believe in me” is a poem he had written
about a quality relationship, whereas “He” was
written about his relationship with God. Moultrie later mentioned, “I reflect on where my life
was years ago and compare it with where I’m at
today.”
Flyers were posted around the school
just a month before the event but personal invites were also used as a means to get people
involved. Another reader, Amanda Kibler, who
works in the E.O.F department as an English
tutor, learned about the poetry reading by the
president of RAW and was invited to join their
weekly meeting later on that day.
Kibler has been writing poetry in a way
to express and discover herself. She said, “I like
to write about everything under the sun, but I
mostly write about struggle and journeys whether it is personal or emotional.”
At the RAW reading, Kibler read a poem
of hers called “Friday Night Phone Call.” Her
poem descriptively spoke of a man who holds a
special place in her heart, her grandfather. The
description and the heartwarming depiction of
her grandfather earned her a gracious round of
applause.
Some readers recited their own work
while others read a piece from a poet they admired. Some read about their experiences of
having been incarcerated while others read about
a lost love. All were welcome to be shared without censorship.
Andre Gemini Brown, a double major in
Performing Arts and Human Services, stylishly
recited two of his poems called “Psalm 91” and
“Why didn’t you love me?” Brown is a member
of RAW and hopes to run for President of the
club next semester.
Brown first discovered RAW’s existence
when Prof. Schmidt, the club advisor, reached
out to him about a poem he had written that was
published in the Literary Panther. He is the author of two published poetry books and a children’s book called “A Day in Town with Mr.
Brown.”
Brown chose to read “Psalm 91” at the
poetry reading because he felt it sends out a message of enlightenment. He said, “We should dig
within ourselves. Everything is possible since
we all have gifts to be cultivated.”
The treasurer of RAW, Miguel de Jesus,
also participated in the Poetry Reading. Just a
few days before the Poetry Reading took place,
De Jesus switched from an Engineering Science
major to an English major because the club reignited his passion to write.
De Jesus chose to recite three of his poems titled “Education of Communication,” “I
Can’t Fight,” and “Professor Schmidt.” With
power and sophistication, the words were lyrically dispersed from his mouth and were consumed by his audience of listeners.
The poem, “I Can’t Fight,” is a personal poem that was written in the shoes of a man
who murdered a young girl in a shooting. “I enjoy the challenge of writing from other people’s
perspective,” De Jesus said. The poem revealed
the cowardice of a man
who tried to
use a weapon to feel
“We should dig within ourselves. Everything is
possible since we all have gifts to be cultivated.”
- Andre Gemini Brown
Professor Schmidt
Poetry Reading: “RAW” But Tasteful
Miguel De Jesus reading his poem "Education
of Communication" at the Poetry Slam.
control and was left with nothing but excuses for
his actions.
Before revealing the name of the last
poem, De Jesus chose to save it for the end since
it was written for someone in the audience. The
poem spoke in admiration of someone who inspired and encouraged him to do what he always
had a passion for. The poem was written in ode
to the club advisor of RAW, Professor Schmidt,
who cheered heartily and thankfully for each of
her students.
De Jesus later mentioned, “It’s important
for listeners to know that it’s okay for men to be
poets. It’s okay for men to be in touch with their
softer side, and it shouldn’t be viewed as feminine at all.”
RAW invites all members of the student
body and faculty to get involved with the poetry
club and future events they hope to hold on campus.
There will be a RAW Kick-off Reading
on February 5th, a Black History Poetry Celebration on February 19th, a Women’s History
Month Poetry Celebration on March 24th and a
National Poetry Celebration with Martin Espada
on April 2nd. All of these events will be held in
the Paterson Room during SGA hours, which are
Thursdays from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m.
Don’t miss out on RAW events. It might
be chance for you to learn something new, meet
someone new, explore the perspective of another
or discover who you truly are through writing.
For more information, please contact the Club
President Najaiah at [email protected].
edu or the Club Advisor Professor Schmidt at
[email protected].
By Albert Bustos
Arts/Entertinment
Video Production Students
Get Hands-on Experience at Golf Outing
Oct. 8—At the 12th Annual Golf Outing to benefit the PCCC Foundation, Communication’s Instructor Walter Behr gave
several of his Video Production students an
opportunity to get hands-on experience in
filming and editing film by taking footage of
the day’s events at the golf outing. The outing
took place at the Black Bear Golf Club.
Professor Behr believes it is very important for students to have a hands-on experience instead of just solely studying from
the textbook. He says it is important for students who major in Communication and Video Production to better acquaint themselves with
the equipment before transferring to a four-year
college.
Professor Behr doesn’t think it is wise
to transfer a PCCC student to a four-year college without ever having that student pick up a
camera—let alone work with it. He wants his
Communication students to leave PCCC more
prepared and with a better experience for a fouryear college.
The golf outing was a perfect opportunity for Professor Behr to provide students with a
familiarity with equipment. Students who volun-
had at the club. The volunteer students had
their own table and were also able to partake in the buffet dinner.
The video equipment consisted of
three professional cameras, extra batteries,
tripods and lighting equipment. Students even
used their own phones or personal cameras to
shoot footage.
The students took turns filming. Everyone had a chance to use the equipment. As the
day went on students were becoming more
comfortable with setting up camera angles.
They were learning more and more on how
the actual video production process really works.
Professor Behr is the instructor for the
Communication Department and says it is wise
and very important for students to gain this type
of experience. He is even building a film studio
on the Paterson campus. The filming studio will
be near the English Department in the room that
was previously used for testing.
With Professor Behr’s expertise in this
field, he is giving his students one of the best
ways of learning, and that is through this type of
hands-on experience.
Albert Bustos
Page 10
Professor Behr instructing his students
teered to be a part of this opportunity had the advantage of learning how to handle professional
equipment under the watchful eyes of a professional.
Students took footage of everything including the inside of the Black Bear’s Club, the
beautiful sceneries around the golf course, golf
players taking shots at their golf balls; they even
interviewed players and people that were connected to the PCCC Foundation. The day was
also perfect for filming outside; it was real sunny
and warm with a slight breeze.
Toward the end of the day footage was
also taken of the buffet dinner and of a raffle they
Latino Heritage
Art Exhibition at PCCC
Oct. 9—Latino Heritage Month reception was held for artists Sigfrido Duarte, Irely
Martinez and Hernando Rico Sanchez to showcase their artwork in the Broadway Gallery at
the Paterson campus. The exhibition was titled
Feelings/Sentimientos, which is another word
for emotions.
Robert Rosado is an art dealer and curator who defined what “feelings/sentimientos”
meant in both Spanish and English before he introduced each artist to the crowd. He said it is
to feel, to experience, to perceive, to sense, to
regret and to feel sympathy for.
Sigfrido Duarte was born in San Francisco de Macoris in the Dominican Republic.
He said the work of an artist speaks more than
words.
He only attended one year at a fine arts
school because his doctor said oil paints were
causing him to have breathing problems and advised him to stop. At this time, he was about nine
years old and painted secretly in his room. His
parents knew he was still painting because of the
paint stains on his clothes. Duarte was basically
a self-taught painter.
While he studied medicine at a university, he never let go of painting. Art was his life,
love—everything. He feels a connection to his
art how a mother or father would feel about their
children. He explains, “It’s my creation.”
One piece of his titled Calle de las Damas
features women dressed in colorful, silk dresses,
walking up a street in Santo Domingo.
He was asked if he ever worked with
children and if they have the ability and vision to
create art such as his. Duarte said, “Many people say there’s an artist in every child. As an art
teacher at my church in West N.Y., I confirm this
to be true. You must show them to express themselves freely.”
Duarte’s inspiration comes from people,
places, things and experiences that have touched
his heart, especially his parents. Duarte said,
“The main principle is that you must love what
you do. If you love art … fall in love with it.” He
learned this from his parents.
His mother was a teacher for more than
Feelings/Sentimientos
30 years, and she loved education. His dad was a and studied painting. She
farmer, and he learned to love his land.
was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and abandoned
painting for 15 years but resumed in 1997. She was inspired to paint memories of
her native land such as one
of her pieces in the gallery
titled Ninos en la Charca.
Hernando
Rico
Sanchez was born in Bogota, Colombia. At 19, he
moved to the United States By Hernando Rico
Sanchez
where he studied at the Art
Duarte with his painting“Zona Colonial II”
Students League. He later earned a B.F.A. from
Duarte has 50 years under his belt in painting Kean University in New Jersey and a M.A. in
and says he is not finished. Duarte stated the sec- Museum Studies from the University of Alcala,
ond he believes that he has finished is the second Spain.
he has closed himself from continuing to learn Sanchez’s work is about child abuse and
and achieving greater works.
violence against women. About his art he says it
“You must grow every day, not only in is like walking inside the mind of a person who
age, but in the way you are and how you carry has been abused and where lives are ruined. Sanyourself. Always keep an open mind and heart to chez invites the viewers to ask themselves what
grow and learn. If I believe I know everything I they can do to help A.S.A.P.
will close myself off from learning from others. His work is created through computers.
I am sure if you observe a child for a minute or He describes it as a collage of images, where on
two, while he or she is drawing, you will learn average each one is composed of 6 to 20 images.
something from that child.”
He prints them out on photographic paper that
Irely Martinez is a painter, graphic and contains a metallic wash.
textile designer. She was born in Anasco, Puerto All the colors and effects are made digRico, where she studied art at the Inter-Ameri- itally. The colors he uses mostly are red, green
can University of Puerto Rico and at the Escuela and blue. To Sanchez, red signifies blood; blue is
de Bellas Artes in Old San Juan. She has also life; green is the continuation of life. The emoworked on restoring religious images.
tion Sanchez is mostly inspired by is anger.
Martinez immigrated to the United States The exhibit curator, Robert Rosada,
in 1986 and continued her work with designing works in partnership with La Ruche Art Contemporary Consortium and Fundacion Manos a
la Ayuda Inc. You can contact him at 201-2512753 or visit www.larucheart.com. For Fundacion Manos a la Ayuda Inc. (Hands Help Hands)
contact Lucy Santiago at 973-460-8781 or visit
www.handshelphands.org.
For information on the exhibitions in
PCCC contact Jane Haw, Gallery Curator at 973684-5448 or visit www.pccc.edu/art/gallery.
Albert Bustos
By Albert Bustos
Ninos a la Charca
By: Irely Martinez
Opinion
Page 11
Forget making resolutions
Start your year with a theme
New Years is like the spring rebirth of
failed attempts, unfulfilled promises, and the
resurrection of last year’s goals that never quite
rendered much success. It’s no wonder why only
8 percent of resolvers actually achieve their resolutions according to a study by the University
of Scranton. So, this year forget about this American ritual and start your year off with a purpose
and a theme.
Now, someone may be wondering, how
is this different from making a resolution? A resolution is just a promise one makes to start or
stop doing something, whether good or bad. But
how many people know that promises not kept
are just little sprinkles of lies planted throughout
the year. We tend to be more faithful to the tradition rather than the resolution itself.
Instead, beginning the year with a purpose gives you a way to focus on an end goal.
Of course, losing weight is a wonderful idea, but
you won’t be successful at it without making it
a meaningful experience. Discovering the why is
just as important as figuring out the how.
Once you have pinpointed your reasons
for doing something, decide how it can be incorporated into a theme for the next 365 days.
Creating a theme will bring a new perspective on
how you view New Year’s resolutions, and could
help you stick to a plan that may actually work.
Consider again the idea of losing weight.
Perhaps the theme for the year could be focused
on practicing good health. Weight-loss could be
just one component to the theme of good health,
along with exercising, eating better, or getting
regular check-ups. Essentially, you would continue to do things throughout the year that will
make you healthier. In the end, doing all of these
things will add up to a healthier version of you.
If you are thinking about a theme for
2015, here are a couple of ideas that can jumpstart your creativity beginning January 1st.
Happiness: The year 2014 had its shares
of ups and downs but this time around spend the
New Year doing whatever makes you happy.
Don’t focus on life’s problems. In some ways
these difficulties are unavoidable. However,
concentrate on how you can bring bliss into your
life and in what ways it can benefit you the most.
Ask yourself, “Does this make me happy or does
this bring me the greatest satisfaction?” and if
the answer is yes, go for it!
Life of Adventure: Perhaps last year had
you stuck in a rut and your daily routines left you
wanting a little spice in your life. Starting the
year with the theme of adventure might be just
what you need to give you a thrill and take you
out of your comfort zone. Do things that cater
to your sense of adventure and exploration like
sky-diving or a canopy zip-line tour along the
Catawba River, and you might just end up better
off for it.
Giving More: The old adage goes it is
better to give than to receive. Giving of yourself makes a world of a difference. It warms the
hearts of those you show kindness toward. It’s
not always the materialistic things that most people remember, but how you pour into an individual’s life that makes the experience of human
interaction worthwhile. So this year give more
of your time to charitable deeds, patience, optimism, inspiration, smiles, laughter, hugs and
compliments. Whatever it may be, you’ll find
yourself affecting the lives of others in the most
meaningful way all year long.
Making it Happen: Let 2015 be the year
to conjure up the muse of imagination and dream
bigger than ever before. Is there an idea giving
you restless nights or an unfinished project starving for attention? Don’t let another moment pursuing your passions pass by. Take action and do
it. Create, connect, and network with the right
people to get your dreams off the ground. By
New Years Resolution Statistics
staying focused, you’d be surprised how much
you can achieve if you believe you have what it
takes to make it happen.
No matter what January will bring, resolutions are made to be broken. As an alternative,
create a theme because this will let you focus on
a purpose and allow you to find ways to integrate
anything that you do to produce the intended result. It’s not about setting goals since anyone can
set goals at any time. It is more about examining
what you want and where you see yourself, then
incorporating it into your life and enjoying all
the New Year has to offer.
Have a Happy New Year and begin it with a
theme for 2015!
Data
Percentage of Americans who usually make New Year's Resolutions
45%
Percentage of Americans who infrequently make New Year's Resolutions
17%
Name: Cassandra Harvey
Major: Human Services
2015 Theme: Loving Me
Name: Ashley Radecki
Major: Accounting
2015 Theme: Live Life to the Fullest
Percent of Americans who absolutely never make New Year's Resolutions 38%
Percent of people who are successful in achieving their resolution
8%
Percent who have infrequent success
Percent who never succeed and fail on their resolution each year
49%
24%
People who explicitly make resolutions are 10 times more likely to attain
their goals than people who don't explicitly
Source: www.statisticbrain.com/new-years-resolution-statistics/
Visions is the student newspaper
of PCCC. It encourageous the student body
to get involved. Students majoring in journalism, writing, or graphic design are not the
only students that can benefit from joining
this club. It gives one the experience of a
working environment.
Visions is always looking for writers, photographers, graphic designers, cartoonists, editors, etc. If you want to learn
more, Visions holds its meetings on Thursdays in room A218 at 1:15pm or email us at
[email protected]. You are always welcomed
to share your ideas or just to observe. For
further information check out our web page
at: www.pccc.edu/visions.
7 Common New Year’s Resolutions
• Drink less
• Quit smoking
• Volunteer
• Manage stress
• Lose weight
• Get Organized
• Save money
Name: Roxanne Adamson
Major: Occupational Therapy
2015 Theme: Education and Career
Fulfillment
The Alumni Association
The Alumni Association of Passaic County Community College was formed to foster alumni pride and to
maintain a strong foundation of affection and appreciation
for the college that gave our alumni their start. Governed
by a volunteer Board of Directors, the association provides an opportunity for alumni to volunteer their time and
talent to advance the cause of education and to strengthen
the college-community relationship. Staying connected to
your colleagues provides opportunities for life-long, satisfying friendships.
For more in-depth imformation of the Alumni Association please visit: http://www.pccc.edu/alumni
Name: Veronica Rosario
Major: Music
2015 Theme: Dream Big and Achieve the
Impossible
Technology
Page 12
Blackboard Mobile Learn App
PCCC makes college journey painless and fun for all students.
By Roger Moreno
PCCC has made many improvements
over past years, and students agree that the
Blackboard Mobile App is one of the most helpful of those upgrades.
Jose Quintana, a student from PCCC
stated, “I think it’s really helpful and useful. It
shows all the classes I’m taking and all the tasks
or reviews posted on there. I found out about
the app in one of my classes when my professor
mentioned it. I went to the apple store and downloaded it and I like the app ever since.”
PCCC student, Brian Ruiz, stated “I’m a
part time student; I spend most of my time at my
job where I am one of the bosses there. Sometimes I forget that I have homework and have
papers to write.
The app actually helps because I can
check my phone at my job and it notifies me
whenever my professors post any assignments
or grades. And I’m not obligated to have a computer in front of me in order to know when the
professor hits me up and post things up.”
Besides the app, PCCC had made access
to Blackboard simpler. The blackboard now can
be found right in the tool bar on the PCCC website. Every time a student logs into their portal,
Blackboard can be accessed as fast as two clicks.
By Staff Writer
And we all love to have access to the import- download. Don’t
ant things in a matter of less than 3 clicks on the we all love free
computer.
stuff?
You
can
also customize and
edit your classes on the app. The app gives you
an amount of options of what colors you would
like to add to different classes.
However, not every student is aware The app can become very useful for
of the mobile app. Students have suggested those who are working and need a reminder for
that PCCC should have posted advertisements whenever you get assignment. At any moment at
so every student knows that there’s an app for any time you can access Blackboard. All that is
Blackboard. Some don’t find Blackboard use- needed is your PCCC portal information, log in
ful because not every professor on campus uses and you’re there. This application can be found
it. Eugely Tejada, a PCCC student said, “I have in the app store in iPhones and also in Google
used blackboard once. I think it’s pointless be- Play in Android phones.
cause none of my professors use it so I don’t see As mentioned before, students love the
the point of using it. I have never used the app idea of having Blackboard as an app, but some
before; I wasn’t even aware it was available.”
find it’s pointless. It’s your option to choose
This application was implemented Fall sides, whether you like it or not—it’s your
semester 2014 to make new high school gradu- opinion. What’s important right now is for you
ates college experience more fun and up to date, to download the app and check it out yourself.
and also to make current students’ lives easier. You be the judge or be thankful for not having
No matter where a student is, the app will tell to struggle every time to find Blackboard on the
you whenever the work you submitted was grad- computer—now you can access it through your
ed, new assignments, homework, etc. The cool phone. I mean how awesome is that?
thing about this application is that it is free for
“The cool thing about this
application is that it’s free for
download.”
Accounting LibGuides:
A Means Toward Improving Grades
In an effort to improve student academic performance in all accounting courses, Prof.
Ed Pagan, Business Dept., decided to make use
of the PCCC LibGuides to upload and share accounting information that would benefit students
on a large scale.
Professor Pagan published his AC-101
LibGuide in September 2013 and it has been a
go-to for students ever since. In 2014 Professor
Pagan published two other LibGuides for AC102 and AC-205.
Having been an instructor since 2002 and
a full-time professor at PCCC for nine years, it
has been his impression that Accounting courses
are not easy courses to pass. With a desire to provide all accounting students with a standard set
of tools for success, Professor Pagan has been
working hard to post accessible information onto
the LibGuides.
“I wanted to provide a basic and standard
set of information for all accounting students,”
Pagan said. All features on the Accounting LibGuides are intended to help students succeed by
providing information through various learning
methods such as videos, practice tests, summary
notes, and links to free online tutorial sources.
The LibGuides also provide blank accounting
forms for students to use when working on class
or homework exercises and problems.
The web links tab on the LibGuides
brings students to tutorial web sites that are public, free and can be accessed without the need
for online registration. Pagan evaluated each of
these sources to make sure they met course standards and would be easy to use rather than be an
additional headache.
The Chapter Notes tab was added to
provide students with necessary need-to-know
written, summary information for each chapter
covered in a course. Many times, students asked
Professor Pagan if they could copy or take a picture of his personal notes. Yet, he knew that his
bullet point lists wouldn’t be enough to give students an understanding of the lesson. “I began
to expand and upload my chapter notes and now anecdotal evidence that the Accounting Libmore and more students are starting to gravitate Guides are helping. He first observed 13 trouble
towards it,” Pagan said.
spots during the 2012/2013 academic years, but
now the number has gone down to 10 during the
2013/2014 academic years.
One of the newest additions to Prof. Pagan’s Accounting LibGuides are videos of himself explaining practice problems that coincide
with chapter topics. Loddymer Pina, a business
major that has taken Prof. Pagan twice has said,
“This semester, Pagan put up videos of him explaining certain subject matters. If the notes aren’t enough and I’m stuck on a problem, I go to
the videos and it helps.”
Pagan hopes that these videos will boost
student grades, especially for those students that
take his AC-205 online course. The practice exProf. Pagan works out a problem in a video he ercises used in the videos are also provided so
that students can use the print outs of those prachas posted on the Accounting LibGuides.
tice problems to follow along with his explana
Professor Pagan has also taken account- tions.
ing course assessment results to a new level. In The Financial Accounting 101 LibGuide
the past, assessment results were used to address currently ranks #4 out of the 184 LibGuides that
administrative requirements. Accounting topics are listed on the PCCC website. Prof. Pagan is
that gave students trouble were identified and also able to monitor the popularity of each of the
communicated to other accounting instructors in features he includes on his LibGuides. Within
the business department. After following this ap- the last 14 months, one of his practice tests alone
proach for a couple of years, Professor Pagan ap- has gotten over a thousand reviews.
proached Professor Cox, Chair – Business Dept., To access the Accounting LibGuides,
about providing all accounting students with students must first go onto the PCCC website.
the assessment results. These topics, which are On the left side of the PCCC homepage, they
now included with discussion, are identified as will find a Library link that they can click on to
“trouble spots.” By having observed the trouble uncover all of the resources the library offers. At
spots of students in the academic year of 2012 the bottom of the page, underneath Academic
to 2013, he was able to identify and address 13 Support, there is a link to the LibGuides at which
trouble spots. These trouble spots were observed the Accounting LibGuides can be selected.
across multiple course sections as a result of his Although Pagan has worked a lot on his
comprehensive assessments of many accounting LibGuides, he admits, “I’m almost two thirds
courses across two campuses, day and evening done. There’s a lot of work to go.” In hopes of
classes.
seeing more improvement in class averages, Pa
Pagan said, “If students were made gan will continue to makes videos and upload
aware of the problem areas other students expe- more information necessary to facilitate student
rienced, they could become aware of and hope- learning.
fully improve in those areas.” To date, there is (Continued on page 14)
By Albert Bustos
What you missed
CIS students share valuable
work experience via internships
On Sept. 24, 2014, the CIS
Department hosted their summer
presentations featuring students
from Information Technology and
Graphic Design. The students presented their internship experiences
by talking about their tasks, accomplishments, what they learned and
what kinds of challenges they had
to face. These presentations helped
the CIS Department improve classes to better equip students for their
careers. It took place in room H307
in the Hamilton Hall building.
Most of these students dealt
with similar situations, but each was
unique presenting different challenges based on the companies each
student chose to work with. From
working hands on, the knowledge
they gained served as an invaluable
work experience that they can utilize in future endeavors.
Orli-Elle D. Perimuter, a
Graphic Design major, did her internship at a business where they
make trademark logos for companies, create ads, websites and
company branding. Perimuter’s job
entailed making logos for clientele
based on specific demands given by
their firm. She’d come up with ideas
and her boss would give her useful feedback. Her boss taught her
technical skills and certain tricks in
graphic designing.
One challenge she faced was
a creative block. She said, “Sometimes it’s just staring at the screen
waiting for a good idea to come.”
Additionally, she helped her boss
reorganize a messy website into a
clear and organized design. Perimuter learned about weebly.com,
which is a website that helps create
other websites. Most importantly,
she learned to make the client happy.
She said classes like GD
211 Advanced Graphic Design and
GD 205 Typography prepared her
for this experience. Her internship
led to a future project that requires
Perimuter to work alongside her
boss part-time.
Cesar A. Tudela works as
an network administrator. His internship was at a clothing company
called Group USA. His tasks consisted of designing a database for
record keeping of purchases. He assisted with troubleshooting network
issues and installed a server
and a firewall to separate his
network from the company’s
network.
One of Tudela’s main
obstacles were programming
and assigning a purchase order database. He gathered all
the information for what the
company wanted the database
to do and added the information to reports.
Tuleda learned how to
communicate with upper management, which is a skill that
anyone will need in this line of
work. He learned virtualization and got permission from
the manager to purchase, install and create a virtual server.
Tuleda said classes like CIS
108 Programming Fundamentals,
CIS 125 Micro Computer Software,
CIS 165 Fundamentals of C++
Programming, CIS 281 Network
Administration 1 and CIS 290 Database Fundamentals among others
helped prepare him for this internship. Tuleda suggested to the CIS
staff to add a virtualization class to
help other students who are learning about this career.
Ramon Ruiz is a technician
at the County College of Morris and
did his internship with Group USA.
Ruiz’s accomplishments were creating a mini-lab. He was set-up
with a hyper virtualization server
and used the mini-lab to practice
software updates. He created four
virtual machines, two servers and a
backup server.
His concern was creating a
diagram in his mini-lab, which wavered his confidence for the fear of
messing things up. To prepare him
for this internship, he took CIS
classes here at PCCC, which he
credits to having helped him along
the way.
The next student was Ana
C. De la Rosa, a Graphic Design
major, who did her internship at a
company called NextWave. Her
tasks were to design business cards,
fliers, raffle tickets, post cards, and
edit photos in Photoshop. Her challenges were working with QuarkXPress, but eventually she learned
how to use it. She also learned how
to use CMYK and RGB in PDF
files.
Albert Bustos
Page 13
Ulises Hernandez’s CIS Internship Presentation
She was offered a part-time so that no one has access to certain
job as a graphic designer. She said things in their campus cruiser.
she had a great experience, “It made He worked with VMware
me more likely to pursue a career in connection servers, PCoIP protocol
this field.”
devices, the Teradici Management
Kevin Sanchez, an network Consoles and he scheduled firmadministrator, did his internship ware updates. If that wasn’t enough,
at Bergen County Technical High he had to troubleshoot data lines at
Schools in Bergen County Academ- the new Enrollment and Student
ics, the Paramus campus, and the Service Center building.
Teterboro campus.
Challenges he faced were
His tasks were replacing working in very tight, uncomfortpower supplies, memory, fans and able places and using the new techCPUs. During his internship, Ber- nology like management consoles.
gen County acquired a new build- He said it was a good experience
ing where he worked with two other overall. At the end, he added that
people in networking. He was faced the industry is leaning toward virwith working with Macs and being tualization, the same concept Ruiz
a team player with other interns mentioned during the presentations.
who were fooling around instead of Last was Sabbir Choudhury,
being committed to the task at hand. a Technical Support major, who in
He learned how to use Macs stalled software and hardware, and
efficiently and also imaging. San- had to troubleshoot Ethernet cachez said, “This is the type of work bles to set up networks for PCs and
I want to do; it’s a dream job.” Due printers.
to his good work ethics, he was giv- His challenges were worken a position as a tech support.
ing with fax machines and needing
Ulises Hernandez, also a help from other workers. He had a
network administrator who works general idea on how to do things,
for the I.T. Department here at but for certain issues he just didn’t
PCCC, assists faculty and students have all the credentials.
with I.T. issues like repairs, perfor- Choudhury learned to work
mance issues, removal of viruses, as a team and to communicate with
login issues and other tasks.
them. He learned to listen carefully
Hernandez did his intern- to the clients’ needs and worked on
ship here at PCCC. Outside of his desktops with VMware. He learned
usual duties, his new responsibili- not to be afraid to ask questions on
ties were working with newer ship- things he didn’t know and to be a
ments of laptops. With the new lap- professional at his own level of extops, he set up the physical address pertise.
to Identity Service Engine. This is
security for students and faculty
PTK challenges students to pledge NJC4
By Dima Samhori
PCCC participated in the NJC4 event that
was held throughout the week of October 27-31,
2014. The event took place in Paterson, Wanaque and Passaic campuses. Students, professors
and staff at PCCC all participated in the event to
support the NJ Community College Completion
Challenge.
Founded in 1918, PHI THETA KAPPA
is the oldest honor society serving two–year
colleges around the world. This organization rewards high achieving students’ scholarships for
continuing their studies. Members can join PTK
based on their superior academic achievement
and by invitation from their local chapter.
Why completion matters:
While 79 percent of students entering
college plan to earn an associate degree, just 45
percent meet their goal and graduate.
Sadly, the U.S. has fallen from first to the
16th percentile among the leading 34 industrialized economies in the world when measured
against the percentage of citizens having earned
college credentials or a degree. If this issue continues, our country will not be able to compete in
a global economy.
Also, students with community college
credentials have higher starting salaries than students with baccalaureate degrees. In addition, in
less than five years, 65 percent of all new jobs
will require a postsecondary credential according to College Completion Corps, an organization dedicated to helping students succeed.
The C4 program plan includes: events
that are held in all participating community colleges, follow-up on students’ progress throughout the school year, and convocation meetings of
members.
(Continued on page 14)
What you missed
Barrett said, “We had more than 800 signatures last year from
(Continued from page 13) As president of Phi Theta Kappa's Alpha Eta Chi Chapter, Nelton Barrett and active mem- PCCC and are hoping for more than that this year.” He added, “We are
ber Miguel De Jesus were present and available throughout the event. supporting students to help and encourage them to complete their college
Students signed the big banner giving their name, student ID number, and at least achieve a two-year associate degree.”
signature and date of pledging as an act to affirm their commitment to At the end of the event, all work was submitted to the advisor of
completing their education.
PTK, Dr. Martin Bookbinder.
This year the number of pledges increased reaching more than
The pledge:
1746 signatures at PCCC alone.
• I commit to planning for college completion.
As part as the C4 plan, the college will monitor and support the
• I commit to discussing career planning with college instructors and progress of students in their completion efforts throughout the year.
staff.
• I commit to seeking advisement on course selections to ensure timely For more information on the NJC4:
college completion.
www.cccompletionchallenge.org/
• I commit to learning about and using college support networks and
Also available:
resources aiding college completion.
Alpha Eta Chi – The PCCC Chapter of PTK
• I commit to serving as a role model by attending classes, being
www.pccc.edu/prospective/academics/honors-at-pccc/phi-theta-kappa
prepared, participating in and engaging in discussions with instructors and students inside and outside of the classroom.
• I commit to reaching out to students in need by encouraging, nurturing and guiding them toward college completion.
• I commit to helping at least one other student succeed.
Page 14
(Continued from page 12)
The event was held for a whole week at PCCC where all the C4 activities
were held to support PTK. Banners were displayed around the campus.
Posters and flyers were also available for students and staff to read and
get more information about PTK.
Accounting LibGuides
The Accounting LibGuides are optional but anyone looking for
a higher grade in any AC-101, AC-102 or AC-205 class, regardless of
campus or day or evening session, should make use of them.
We in the business department wanted to bring accounting support
to students 24/7 to not only just pass the courses but to get better grades.
Students can access the LibGuides on their cellphones or other portable
devices to study wherever they are,” Pagan said. “While it’s still a work
in process, it will get better and I will continue to add information. In
fact, students are approaching me and suggesting topics to include. I always welcome such suggestions.”
Stem Research Partnership with the Department of Electrical Engineering at
Fairleigh Dickinson University selects PCCC students to participate
Six students enrolled in the Electronic Engineering Technology (AAS-EET) and Engineering Science (ES) programs at PCCC are taking part in
a collaborative research project on radio transmission technology for wireless communication channels at the metropolitan campus of Fairleigh Dickinson University. Pictured below are the students and faculty on their first day at FDU.
From L-R, Daniel Zuluaga, Luis Corona, Dennis Reer, Dr. Zhiwei Mao, Angel DelValle, Kevin Huertas,
Dr. T.M. Lalumia, Juan Sanchez, Byran Diaz, Pedro Castro-Ventura, and Christian Tafur.
This research project is being conducted under the direction of Dr. Mao of the FDU Department of Electrical Engineering and was coordinated
by Dennis Reer, Director of the STEM Program at PCCC. The project is an ongoing part of PCCC’s STEM Student Research Opportunity program,
which is designed to expose students to original research projects while encouraging them to continue their STEM studies and transfer to four-year
institutions.
The program will last for six weeks and students spend every other Friday at FDU working with MATLAB programs to analyze the basics of
secure communication, radio interference and system design issues. At the end of the project, the students will give a group based presentation on their
work.
These students were selected by Dr. T. Mariano Lalumia who teaches Engineering Science (ES) and Electronic Engineering Technology (EET)
classes here at PCCC. Dr. Lalumia also meets with them every week in the Electronic Engineering Lab for group discussions and advice on their assignments. Louis Corona, who graduated from PCCC with an AAS-EET degree and is an EET Lab Assistant, serves as the student group leader and
mentor.
Contact Dennis Reer Director-STEM Program at 973-684-4739 for information on STEM activities.
What you missed
Page 15
PCCC’s Annual Thanksgiving Luncheon
By Jada Osgood
On November 20, 2014, Passaic County
Community College held its annual college-wide
Thanksgiving Luncheon. This event was sponsored by the Student Government Association.
Many students joined in on the gathering and enjoyed an afternoon of food, friends and fun.
At the luncheon, students enjoyed a
Thanksgiving spread of turkey with stuffing,
yams, string beans, salad, sweet potato and
pumpkin pie, washed down with hot apple cider. Students enjoyed their meal to the sound of
smooth jazz music playing. PCCC professors
and staff served the students.
Staff Assistant Finance Administrator
Ann Marie Keegan said, “It makes you feel good
to give back to the students.” Keegan said she
believes it’s good exposure for the college’s cafeteria and makes the school want to eat there.
It was also PCCC Controller Sandy Lev-
it’s first time serving at the event. “It’s very fun.
It’s nice seeing happy faces of students.” While
he happily served a student some string beans he
said, “Next year I’ll wear a chef’s hat.”
Students were lined up outside the door
for the chance to gather and dine with friends
and family. The students that attended the luncheon gave nothing but good remarks.
PCCC student Asia Alexander sipped on
hot apple cider and said, “It’s lovely. The music
is really comforting. It’s definitely a great opener
for the season.”
“It’s a very nice event and very well put
together,” said PCCC student Ronny Moultrie.
“It is a friendly and peaceful atmosphere.”
While at the Thanksgiving luncheon,
many students and staff reflected on what they
were thankful for. Both Keegan and Levit said
they were thankful for family and friends. Alex-
ander said, “I am thankful to come to PCCC and
I enjoyed my time here.” Moultrie said, “I am
thankful that God is still in control.”
By the time students left, they had smiles
on their faces and tummies full of turkey just
waiting for next year.
Image from www.treasuredbirthdays.com
Domestic Violence Awareness Month:
Domestic Violence 101
By Jada Osgood
On October 27th, Passaic County Community College held
an event that brought awareness to domestic violence. The event
called Love Shouldn’t Hurt: Domestic Violence 101 was put together by the Student Government Association, the Student Programming Committee and was presented by the Passaic County
Women’s Center. Volunteer Coordinator Caitlin George, from the
PCWC, spoke to PCCC students about being aware of domestic
violence.
The event was informative and a success. If a student did
not get the chance to attend the event, these are some of the points
covered from the presentation.
Domestic Violence Defined:
Domestic violence is defined as a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner.
Domestic violence can happen to anyone regardless of race,
age, sexual orientation, religion, or gender. Domestic violence affects people of all socioeconomic backgrounds and education levels. Domestic violence occurs in both opposite-sex and same-sex
relationships and can happen to intimate partners who are married,
living together, or dating
Domestic violence comes in all types of abuse: physical,
emotional, psychological, sexual, spiritual, financial, legal, medical, isolation and reproduce coercion.
Cycle of Violence
Anxiety
Tension Phase: Clouds Build Up
Constant check in with partner
Incident Occurs: The Storm
Reconciling/Calm: Quiet After the Reasons a person won’t leave an abuStorm
sive relationship
Loves the partner
Some Warning Signs of Abuse
Believes things will get better
Won’t take no for an answer
Lack of resources
Controlling/Bossy
Nowhere to go
Isolates partner
Fear of the unknown
Uses guilt trips
Intimidation
Blames victim for the abuse
Physical beating
Tips for Helping a Victim
Show compassion
Some Warning Signs of being Abused Give options/Ask questions
Sudden change in appearance
Do not blame victim
Reacts oddly to directions
Do not criticize the abuser
Bruises
Do not make decisions for victim
Avoids friends
Remember leaving is not easy
If anyone needs or knows of someone suffering from domestic violence,
the Passaic County Women’s Center is there to help. It is located at 1077 Madison Ave. in Paterson, NJ. Their business hours are from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and there
is a 24-hour hotline number to call at (973-881-1450).
Poetry Corner
Poems by Gemini Brown
Confessions of a B.B.W.
Everything about me is BIG
BIG hips BIG lips
Even the breast on my chest are BIG
My boyfriend says I’m not just BIG
I’m beautiful too
But when I see the Skinny Minnie’s of
the world
I can’t help but think it’s NOT TRUE
When I’m naked, I’m like EWW
I hate my rolls
I’m going to lose 50
No, matter fact 100 pounds is my goal
My Mother’s BIG, my sister’s BIG, my
Brother is the same
I dream of being part of the cheerleading team and
Wearing a two piece to the beach and
not feeling ASHAMED
When I walk by I hear the snickers and
see the taunts
It’s ok because one day, I’ll look like
the girls
ALL the guys want
Whenever I walk by they’re like hey
mammi looking juicy
I’m tired of this shit, I wish they would
quit
I heard I could lose weight by smoking
Lucy’s
I don’t know what they see in me
It’s like they’re drunk and seeing double
Eventually I’ll get to where I want to be
Sincerely yours, a struggling B.B.W.
Gemini's Inferno
The streets are hot, humid and hazy
Ignited with the essence of our ancestors
Filled with untapped potential, and a focused mind
There’s no time to be lazy
Late Nights & Early Mornings
Sun up to Sun down we get around
This life is never boring
We are stars soaring through the dimension of the physical
Future, Present or Past Mercury moves fast
The message from my mouth is purely spiritual
Waking up makes you seem like a nut but
The feeling is imperial
I've taken 5 minutes to honor my gifts
After that, it's back to uplift my sisters and brothers
Through the shift to grand wisdom and higher learning
My position is the Kernel
My army defends Light
We throw material desires in the fire
Welcome to Gemini's Inferno
Letters from the Editors
Page 16
Letters from the Editors: We are a peculiar people
By X’Zaviour Johnson, Albert Bustos, and Nicole C. Richardson
you off balance.
In the powerful words of James Allen, “Keep your hand firmly upon the helm of
thought. In the bark of your soul reclines the
commanding Master; he does but sleep: wake
him. Self-control is strength; right thought is
mastery; calmness is power. Say unto your heart,
‘Peace, be still!’"
With this said, take the time to recharge
your mind and body during the break. After a
semester of learning, taking test and studying
for exams, catch up on sleep. Resting helps to
provide social, mental and physical rest, which
will help to rejuvenate your body during winter
break.
Once you have taken time to release the
stress, reflect back over the past semester and
take some time to think about your overall learning experience. Jot down what worked well for
you and what did not. Locate potential problem
areas like family and work life, time management, goal setting etc. and write down how you
plan on improving these areas in January.
Most importantly, do what makes you
happy so you can be refreshed for spring semester. Studies show happy people live longer and
are less stressed according to Harvard School of
Public Health. Once you are refreshed, you’ll be
able to return to school on a positive note.
Have a wonderful semester break and
happy holidays!
Editor-in-Chief - X’Zaviour Johnson
Senior Editor - Albert Bustos
Senior Editor - Nicole C. Richardson
By Albert Bustos
As we prepare to end one semester and
begin another, we must look at the progress we
have made. Passaic County Community College
is located in historic Paterson, NJ. Known as the
“Silk City,” Paterson’s reputation has greatly decreased as the city gains its acknowledgement as
one of the most dangerous places to live in New
Jersey. With a lack of motivation and support,
growing up in an urban environment isn’t the
easiest.
As this semester comes to an end, the
Visions team would like to extend a huge congratulations to the students who made it through
another semester here at PCCC. “We Made It!”
Being a student in a college whose main
campus is in the town of Paterson is a hard task.
Having to deal with the dangers of commuting
and walking the streets in the dark to attend night
classes or study sessions with other classmates is
not easy. Knowing that I have a goal and a team
behind me to back me up is motivation enough
to press forward toward my goals.
Those who fought through by getting
their college responsibilities done “made it” for
now. We completed this obstacle/semester and
on to the next one right?
Will there ever be a time where it’s OK
for us to become stagnated due to a “break?”
How long should a break be? The length of a
winter or spring vacation, or a break that can last
months possibly even years?
We must constantly prepare, practice and
perform at that which makes us unique. From
artists to engineers to journalists to professors,
we all must work hard and well to see the fruits
of our labor. Did President Obama slack off at
his job to become our 1st African-American
president? Did Jesus rest on the Sabbath? Do the
stars you see on TV like your Brad Pitts, Taylor
Swifts or even your Lil’ Waynes sit in front of a
TV and say, “I’m going to ‘chill’ today and I’ll
get that done tomorrow … maybe.” No, I don’t
think they did because it takes hard work to succeed, especially to be where they’re at.
From a fellow student to another, getting
too comfortable can cost you years that could
have been spent making progress. Prepare for
the spring my fellow PCCC peers. As one storm
finishes, another is in the works preparing to hit

December-January 2015 - Passaic County Community College

Transcription

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