October - Reading Area Community College

Transcription

News and views from RACC
October 2012
FSJ
Vol. 16 | Issue 2|Free
Reading aRea CoMMunity College
Wi n $5 0 in FR ee ga s!— Page 5
n
n
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n
n
inside the advising Center — Page 6
transfer students: Meet your new BFF — Page 11
students get scoop on suicide prevention —Page 32
Front street Fashionista — Page 34
Pets & Peeves — Page 36
Front Street Journal
Meet Hannibal — Page 22.
i t luRks in tHe s CHuylkill
P age 3
2
FRONt StReet JOuRNAl
The Front Street Journal
The Student Newspaper of
Reading Area Community College
The Student Union Building
10 South Second Street
Reading, PA 19603
610-372-4721, Ext. 5262
FSJ@RACC.edu
2012-2013
Editorial Board:
Editor-in-chief
Dawn Heinbach
Associate Editor
Wayne Hood
Business Manager
Alexa Korber
Secretary
Sana Malik
SAB Representative
Michelle Simko
Faculty Advisors
John Levan
Al Walentis
Layout & Design
Al Walentis
The opinions expressed in this newspaper are the opinions of the writers and
do not reflect the views of the college
administration, faculty, or staff.
October 2012
letter from
the editor
By Dawn Heinbach
Editor-in-chief
Hello, FSJ readers and fans! Thank you for
picking up this October issue, the second one
since we made major improvements. You
will continue to see new and exciting
changes to the newspaper. The “Front Street
Fashionista” debuts this time, and you can
be featured in this section by sending us a
photo of you in your best swag. The Front
Street Journal staff strives to provide different topics so there's something of interest for
everyone. Feel free to send your comments
or suggestions to us at FSJ@racc.edu.
We are just one-third of the way through
this semester and I've heard a lot of groaning
under the weight of classes, homework and
other responsibilities, myself included. Just
hang in there! December will be here before
we know it. Take one day at a time, stay fo-
cused and push your way through to the
other side.
Taking time to relax is also important, and
I encourage you to attend the upcoming International Festival on October 10th. Who
doesn't love freshly-prepared ethnic food,
live music and celebrating? Other interesting on-campus events this month are
singer/author Traciana Graves, October
16th; mentalists The Evasons, October 25th;
and Dress Up For Halloween, October 31st.
The Student Activities Board and Student
Government Association put much effort
into bringing these fabulous programs to
you, and many of them are FREE. Leave
your homework for a few hours, or attend
between classes. You'll feel refreshed and
de-stressed.
Good luck with mid-terms, and stay positive!
Congratulations to Kiki Saint Fort on passing her clinicals!
Tami, Wendy, and Sue
Follow us on Facebook!
MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the Front Street Journal
is to provide a forum of the free exchange of ideas and information among
all members of the college community.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Letters are encouraged but must be
signed, short, simple, and to the point.
Character assassination is not allowed.
Letters should be typed or neatly
printed with the writer’s name included.
The Front Street Journal will try to print
all letters received, but reserves the right
to reject any letter for publication without giving a reason.
Submission deadline
October 12, 2012
on the cover: A mammoth carp washes up near the campus after the flood of 2006 in this
file photo courtesy of the Reading Eagle.
October 2012
3
Meet
our
staff
Here are some of the students who made this issue possible
Alexa Korber
Alexa Korber is very
happy to be the Front Street
Journal's new Business Manager. She is excited to start
doing some writing and to
get to know the wonderful
staff. Besides FSJ, Alexa is
also a Ravens Ambassador.
She loves this job because
she works with some great
girls and has the opportunity to help students every
day.
In her free time she can be
found reading or writing. In
her opinion, this is what she
was born to do. She is a second year Liberal Arts Transfer student and hopes to one
day be a high school English
teacher.
Wayne Hood
Wayne is FSJ's Associate
Editor and covers the sports
section. He is in his second
year as a Communications
major, and plans to transfer
to Penn State Berks upon
graduating. He's an avid
sports fan, and also enjoys
writing poetry, short stories
and song lyrics. He also
loves movies, especially the
horror genre. When not writing or watching a movie, he
can be found in the gym. The
journalism experience that
the Front Street Journal provides will help Wayne pursue his goal to become a
sports journalist and published author.
Sana Malik
Sana Malik is the Front
Street Journal secretary and
a Liberal Arts Transfer
Major, currently in her third
semester here at RACC.
After earning her associates
degree, she plans on transferring to Temple University
to pursue a degree in Journalism.
Jed Holzmacher
Jed Holzmacher is a nontraditional student at RACC,
and a staff writer for FSJ. He
plans to graduate in May
2013 and continue his criminal justice degree at Albright. Jed serves the college
as Vice-President of PTK
and is part of the Leadership
Program. A long-term single
parent, Jed's daughter now
attends RACC as well. He is
active in several community
organizations including
Berks Big Brother and Sisters.
do you know what’s Really in there?
By Dawn Heinbach
Everyone has heard stories of freakish items
that have been found floating in the Schuylkill
River or washed up along its banks. And then
there's the stuff that isn't easily seen, such as
toxic chemicals, raw sewage and sediment. Although the Schuylkill was highly polluted as late
as 1947, federal and state environmental agencies
as well as privately funded organizations have
succeeded in their efforts of rejuvination. But
nonpoint source pollution, which comes from
many indirect sources, continues to be an issue.
What can we do to stop it?
Trash. One of the obvious forms of pollution is
trash. Seeing plastic containers, beer bottles,
plastic bags, and other human-related trash along
the banks is not only unpleasing to the eye, but
also affects the aquatic life. You may assume that
this garbage comes from people who are walking
near the river or using the area as recreation, and
they are guilty of leaving this trash behind.
While that may account for some of the waste, it
is by no means the only source. If you discard an
item that belongs in a trash can anywhere else
but there, chances are that it will wind up in the
Schuylkill. Wind will blow the empty soda bottle, bag or paper far from where you left it. Cigarette butts are often carelessly discarded. Make
sure you dispose of your butts in an ash tray or
even keep them with you until you reach a
garbage can.
Continued on page 4
Learn more
• Schuylkill Action Network
(SAN): www.schuylkillwaters.org
• Environmental Protection
Agency: water.epa.gov
• RACC Natural Science Professor Andrew Lapinski's website: www.riverbase.org
• Schuylkill River National &
State Heritage Area:
www.schuylkillriver.org
• Natural Resources Defense
Council:
www.nrdc.org/water
4
October 2012
teacher spotlight
tara oswald
unraveling the mysteries of math
By Michelle Simko
As I begin my educational career at RACC, I will have the opportunity to meet many people
along the way. One of my early
encounters was meeting Tara
Oswald. I had a really good feeling about her the first day and
thought to myself, “I really
would like to get to know her.”
There is no better way to do that
than utilizing the Front Street
Journal as a tool.
She was honored to be chosen
by me for this month’s Teacher
Spotlight. Although I am a new
student and writer here at
RACC, two weeks into the new
school year, I was so fortunate to
cross paths with Professor Oswald and I look forward to the
rest of the semester learning
from her. They say there is a reason for every occurrence or
event in one’s life, and my low
math placement score is what
landed me in Oswald’s Math 020
and presented her with the opportunity for “15 minutes of
fame.”
Oswald has been teaching at
RACC for the past eight years.
She received her Bachelor’s of
Business Administration from
Webber College in Florida and
Master’s degree in Curriculum
and Instruction locally at Kutztown University. Something I
have in common with her is that
I plan on continuing my education at Kutztown University for
a Bachelor’s degree in accounting. She enjoys being a piece of
the pie and making a difference
in the life of a RACC student,
and watching her students grow
to their fullest potential and
carry this forward once they
graduate and leave the doors of
RACC behind. Oswald wanted
to make a difference in children's lives and coming from a
line of educators, she believed
teaching was her calling. Her father is a high school administrator, and her mother teaches in an
elementary school; making the
pot even sweeter, she married an
elementary school principal out
of Chester County. Having
River
Continued from page 3
Storm drains. People don't always realize that these storm
drains lead directly to the Schuylkill. When your neighbor changes
the oil in his car and dumps the used oil into the storm drain, it's
flowing straight into the river. This applies to other types of trash
that finds its way into these drains.
Runoff. Rain or melting snow must go somewhere, and it doesn't all soak into the ground. The chemicals on your lawn, herbicides and pesticides used by farmers, bacteria from livestock and
pet waste, the mound of trash at the landfill all present a threat to
the river. Areas that are not located near the river will still have an
effect. The runoff will make its way to the nearest stream, which
flows into the Schuylkill.
Our individual efforts will keep the river healthy for recreational
use, consumption and species habitats.
much support and knowledge
surrounding her, she is able to
promote and encourage students
to collaboratively work through
problems. In my opinion, she
sits in that chair very well. There
is nothing like being taught how
to figure out algebraic equations
and learning that you can administer those techniques in
everyday life. The solutions to
life's problems may not be numeric, but they are solutions.
Oswald grew up in Nazareth,
Northampton County, and
Reading, Pennsylvania; she currently resides in Douglassville.
Eleven years ago she said “I do”
to her best friend and confidant,
Todd Oswald. Together they
brought into this world a daughter, Emily, now seven, and an
adorable 20 month old, Aiden.
Their family members also include two fury cats named
Degas and Gaby. When she is
not busy assisting her college
students, Oswald is spending
time volunteering at her daughter’s school, driving her daugh-
ter around to various activities,
helping her husband fix up
things around their home, working in the garden, and most importantly, having quality time
with her family.
She has traveled to places
such as Baltimore, Maryland and
Washington, DC (another commonality we share; I was born in
Washington, DC). But nothing
can compare to her most memorable moments in life: The day
she walked down the aisle and
became Mrs. Todd Oswald; the
birth of her son and daughter;
and the chance to teach and
guide students through this part
of life’s journey.
Do your part to keep the
river healthy
• Dispose of trash in the proper place. Don't throw it out
of your car window or on the ground.
• Don't pour oil or toxic chemicals into storm drains.
• Dispose of hazardous waste containers, such as cleaning
solutions, properly. Read the container for proper disposal directions.
• Everything can be recycled. Find your local recycling
place to safely dispose of electronics devices, cell
phones and appliances.
October 2012
Parental
Patrol
5
By Michelle Simko and Chrissy Shouey
It’s that time of year again, which brings
the hustle and bustle of “school is in session”
and the start of fall sports. Share your experiences with us. If your first few weeks didn’t
go so smoothly and you are pulling your hair
out, feel free to write us and ask for advice!
If you have young children just beginning
their educational career, let us know how
the first day went.
Front Street Journal's “Parental Patrol” is
a new beginning for parents attending college, holding down a career, and handling
all that life dishes you on the home front.
We are here to help you through your journey at Reading Area Community College
and beyond!
Submit your stories to FSJ@racc.edu
need gas?
Here’s how to get $50 free
The Front Street Journal is getting Tshirts, and we need a logo! Create our
name, Front Street Journal, using your best
art work. If we choose your design, you'll
win a $50 gas card. The winner will be chosen by our Editorial Board and staff.
Submit your design in a digital format to
FSJ@racc.edu by October 19th. Please include your phone number.
Winner will be announced in the November/December issue.
FSJ Staff and writers are ineligible to participate in this contest.
Poetry Contest
•
•
•
•
Hosted by Alvernia University
Students are invited to submit one or two poems
First prize $50 (two poems will be selected)
Second prize $25 (two poems will be selected)
Submit poems by email to
john.rochowicz@alvernia.edu
by October 10
The poems will also be considered for publication in
Alvernia's literary magazine, "Zephyrus."
On October 24 at 2 p.m. in the Franco Library, students will read their prize-winning poems. A notable
Berks County poet will be the guest poetry reader.
You are invited to attend this poetry reading whether
or not you enter the contest.
For more information on the Greater Reading Literary
Festival, contact
Anna Hehn, Berks Hall 121
610-372-4721 x5103
Readingreads.com
6
October 2012
turning higher education into reality
inside B111
Auria Bradley
Enrollment Services
Coordinator
"My favorite thing
about my job is working with new students. Some are
unsure of what they
want to do, and I explain the process and
make them comfortable. They leave
happy that they came
to the appointment
and with all the necessary information."
Gretchen Barrell
Enrollment Services
Coordinator
"The best thing about
my job is helping people. I like seeing someone who doesn't think
they can do it, and
after they complete
the program they
come back to share
their success with me."
By Dawn Heinbach
At the very end of the first floor in
Berks Hall, tucked away in the shadows,
is a room that serves as one of RACC's
many offices. But what happens in B111 –
the Advising Center – is of special importance to new students. Along with rooms
B118 and B121, the Advising Center is
part of the larger circle of Enrollment
Services. The advisors and staff who
work in these offices are the ones who
help new students are encouraged to take
a walk into the world of higher education.
The duties performed are many and
varied: new student registration, new student orientation sessions, scheduling of
placement tests and evaluating the scores,
collecting high school transcripts; evaluating transcripts from other colleges for students who are transferring to RACC;
entry advising; and fielding the countless
telephone calls from people who have
questions about any of the above-mentioned items or just general questions.
Students who are undecided about their
major, who are registering for classes for
the first time, and current students who
have academic questions and aren't sure
where to go can come to the Advising
Center for assistance. The staff in B111
strives to answer their many questions. If
the answer is unknown, they help direct
the student to the person who can provide
the answer. It is logistics, and these competent people have all this knowledge
about RACC – who does what, the right
person to ask, which office performs what
tasks – in their bank of knowledge in
order to achieve the goal of truly helping
a student get the answers they need.
The Ravens Ambassadors are also located in this office, and are available to
answer questions, accompany students to
their campus destination, and provide
general assistance.
New students are encouraged to take a
walk down that long hallway to the last
room on the left. The hallway may be
dark, but inside B-one-eleven is all the
light you need to begin your journey at
RACC.
"I love my job at RACC because of the students, and because of the diversity. I meet such wonderful and inspiring
people who really have enriched my life. I meet single
moms who want to better themselves for their children; I
find 18-year-olds who don't know what they want to do in
life, and I can help open up all the possibilities available to
them. Getting an education can change their lives and the
lives of several generations after them."
Carmela Capellupo-Beaver
Enrollment Services Coordinator
October 2012
7
Voices from the Advising Center
Jill Melones
Enrollment Services
Coordinator
"My job is fulfilling
because I get to assist
students in beginning
their next adventure
in life, whether it's a
first-time adventure
right out of high
school, or whether
they're coming back to
school to start a brand
new adventure. It's really great to see them
light up with the excitement of moving in
a new direction."
Debra Hettinger
Enrollment Services
Processing Specialist
"The best thing I like
about my job is the
satisfaction that I get
when I help a student
start at point A and
get to point B; and to
see them graduate and
know that I had a part
in their success."
Michelle Williams
Administrative Specialist, Enrollment
Services
"I greet the students
when they come into
the Advising Center,
receive transcripts, I
scan and file all the
documents that come
in our office, and
make appointments. I
also proctor placement
testing and work in
the Welcome Center. I
like helping the students."
Terry Rowles
Enrollment Services
Coordinator
"Almost every day I
meet with students
and we discuss scheduling and school-related or other issues. I
also have the responsibility to visit the Career and Technology
Centers and talk to
high school students
about college. I like
being a reflection of
RACC, and I love
working here."
Rosemarie Lauterback
Enrollment Services
Coordinator
"I love my job at
RACC because I love
working with the students and staff. I like
seeing them reach
their potential, realizing that they can do
what they thought
they couldn't. RACC
has a lot of good stepping stones to reach
their goal. I love
RACC's atmosphere,
the environment, and
the opportunities it
gives people."
Tracey Rudnick
Enrollment Services
Coordinator
"What I do here is fulfilling because I get to
help students who initially may not know
all the appropriate
steps of college. Helping them take small
steps and leading
them through the
process is the most rewarding."
David Zimmerman
Enrollment Services
Coordinator/Career
Link Specialist
On what he does
every day at RACC: "I
work in the Welcome
Center, I do group advising after placement
tests, and I see
prospective students
who want information. I help new students register for
classes, and I coordinate with the CareerLink for people who
come here for job
training."
Calley Stevens Taylor
Director of Advising
& Enrollment Services
"My favorite part of
the job is when a conversation starts with
someone saying, "I
have no idea," and
ends with them saying, "I understand;"
whether it's students,
faculty, or staff."
Anna Hehn
Enrollment Services
Coordinator - Assessment/Transcripts
"I like my position
here at RACC because
most of what I do is
working with the students' records, their
incoming grades, trying to help them find
credit for life experience, transferring
credits from other institutions, other methods to earn college
credits. I also go
through the admissions process with the
incoming nursing
classes."
Peggy Wetzel
Assistant to the Director of Advising & Enrollment Services
"My job is fulfilling
because I assist students in creating better opportunities for
their future that they
might not have had
otherwise."
8
October 2012
election 2012
Meet your third party candidates
By Zach Bender
Everyone is familiar with the two major candidates for President, Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney.
But have you heard the names Gary Johnson and Jill Stein, the
Libertarian Party and Green Party candidates for President?
Third party and independent candidates have historically
played an important role in November. In 1912, Theodore Roosevelt of the Bull Moose Party ran and won 27.4 percent of the
popular vote against Republican William Taft and Democrat
Woodrow Wilson. Although Woodrow won the presidency,
Roosevelt’s campaign was the most successful third party candidacy to date. The 1992 election was also a remarkable year
for the Independent. Ross Perot ran and was included in the
debates against then-Governor Bill Clinton and President
George H.W. Bush. He garnered 18.9 percent in the general
election and used that momentum to campaign again in 1996.
In 2000, Green Party candidate Ralph Nader played a controversial role in which many argue thats his campaign’s success
in states such as Florida handed the election to Republican
George W. Bush.
This election cycle, Pennsylvanians have two third party
candidates on the ballot to choose from – Libertarian Gary
Johnson and Green Party nominee Jill Stein.
Gary Johnson is a former
Governor of New Mexico
and served from 1995 to
2003. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of New Mexico in
1975. While in school, Johnson started a handyman
business which eventually
grew into a multi-million
dollar corporation and one
of the largest employers in
the state. In office, he was
nicknamed “Governor
Veto” because he used his
veto power over 750 times –
more than all other sitting
governors nationwide during his time in office combined. He balanced the
budget as governor and left the state with a surplus when he
left office in 2003. In the 2008 Presidential election, he endorsed
Republican Congressman Ron Paul of Texas. Gary Johnson has
run on a fiscally conservative, socially liberal platform which
includes:
• Ending the federal War on Drugs
• Withdrawing all troops from Afghanistan
• Abolishing the IRS
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Enacting the Fair Tax
Submitting a balanced budget
Repeal of the Patriot Act
Legalizing gay marriage
Cutting taxes and federal spending
Support of 2nd Amendment rights
Auditing the Federal Reserve
Johnson is also a devoted athlete, and regularly competes in
triathlons and marathons. He also climbed Mount Everest in
2003 as well as having reached the summit of the highest peaks
in four continents. For more information, visit www.garyjohnson2012.com.
Dr. Jill Stein is a physician from Lexington, Massachusetts. She earned her
degrees from Harvard College in 1973 and Harvard
Medical School in 1979. Although never having held
statewide public office,
Stein has campaigned
twice for governor, once in
2002 where she finished
third behind Mitt Romney
and the Democratic Party
challenger, and again in
2010. Over her career she
has advocated for environmental health issues in several prominent reports and
has presented her findings
in front of various legislative bodies, as well as having appeared on national programs such as The Today Show
and 20/20. Her environmentally-minded platform dubbed the
“Green New Deal” includes:
• Investing in green energy and green research
• Bringing over 16 million green jobs to the economy
• Ending taxpayer funded bailouts and break up too-big-tofail banks
• Ending corporate personhood
• Abolishing the electoral college
• Repealing the Patriot Act
• Cutting military spending
• Withdrawing troops from Afghanistan
• Creating a 90% tax on bonuses for executives who received
bailouts
• Creating a single-payer universal healthcare system
• Forgiving all student debt
For more information on Green Party candidate Jill Stein,
visit www.jillstein.org.
Do you know a successful RACC alumni who deserves to be profiled in Front Street Journal?
Send contact information to fsj@racc.edu.
October 2012
9
Be prepared to cast your vote
By Richard DiGirolamo
Do you care about the economy? Do you
care if there will be a job for you when you
graduate? Do you care about your financial
assistance or if our country goes to war?
How about the future of health care and
your right to choose what will happen to
your body? The economy, health care, samesex marriage, abortion, the environment, education, immigration, Social Security,
Medicare, foreign policy, gun control, terrorism, and the role of government are some of
the key issues surrounding this election.
One or more of them WILL affect you, so I
have just one more question: Are you ready
to vote? This is not a question about being
ready to get the election process over with;
this is a question of being prepared. A lot is
happening in this country and your vote is
more important now than it ever was, so let
me ask again: Are you ready to vote? Let’s
find out.
Are You Eligible to Vote? To register to
vote in Pennsylvania, you must be:
• A citizen of the United States for at least
one month before the next primary, special, municipal, or general election
• A resident of Pennsylvania and the election district in which you want to register
and vote for at least 30 days before the
next primary, special, municipal, or general election
• At least 18 years of age on or before the
day of the next primary, special, municipal, or general election.
Are you registered? If you are not sure,
you may confirm your registration by contacting your County Board of Elections or by
calling the Pennsylvania Elections Division
at 1-877-868-3772; however, I found it easiest
to visit www.votespa.com and confirm my
registration online. The information that you
will need to confirm your registration is your
name, date of birth, and the county in which
you live.
How do I register to vote? If you are not
registered to vote you have several options.
You may pick up a voter registration form at
The Ravens Nest, located in the Student
Union Building on campus. The Student
Government Association is very interested in
helping students make sure they are registered. By the time you read this, they will already have held two registration drives on
campus in September and will be holding
another on October 2, 2012, but they are
ready and willing to help you register any-
You will need a photo ID
Due to the new Voter ID Law in Pennsylvania, it will be mandatory to have an acceptable form of photo identification in order to vote from this November forward. Acceptable forms are as follows:
• A Pennsylvania driver’s license or non-driver’s license photo ID (PA driver’s licenses
and non-driver’s photo IDs are valid for voting purposes 12 months past their expiration date).
• A valid, unexpired U.S. passport
• An unexpired U.S. military ID - active duty and retired military (A military or veteran’s ID must designate an expiration date or designate that the expiration date is
indefinite). Military dependents’ ID must contain an expiration date and must not be
expired.
• An unexpired Employee photo ID issued by Federal, Pennsylvania, County, or Municipal governments.
• An unexpired Student photo ID from an accredited Pennsylvania public or private
institution of higher learning, including Pennsylvania universities, colleges, seminaries, community colleges, and private two-year colleges (Your ID must contain your
name, photo, and have a current expiration date). The Student Government Association here at RACC is working on getting the credentials needed to make your RACC
Student ID valid for this election and forward. If you find yourself needing a valid
ID, check with the SGA to see if we will have the credentials in time.
• An unexpired photo ID card issued by a Pennsylvania care facility, including longterm care facilities, assisted-living residences or personal care homes.
time. Another option is to register in person
at your County’s Voter Registration Office;
the Berks County office is located at 633
Court Street, 1st Floor Reading, Pa.
An important note for students: If you’re a
student in Pennsylvania who has moved to a
new county or a new state to attend college,
you have two choices on where you register to
vote. You have the right to register and vote
where you live now, whether that is an oncampus or off-campus address. Or, you may
choose to register at your home address.
There is a registration deadline in Pennsylvania. The deadline to register to vote is 30
days prior to each election; for this November's election, that puts the deadline at October 6. Applications received after that date
will be processed for the next primary, special, municipal or general election.
You can get an ID for free. If you don’t
have any of these forms of ID, you may be
entitled to get one free of charge at any PA
License Center.
If you do not have an ID you may still
vote. No one legally entitled to vote will be
denied the right to do so. If you do not have
a photo ID, or are indigent and unable to obtain one without payment of a fee, you may
cast a provisional ballot, and will have six
days to provide your photo ID and/or an affirmation to your county elections office to
have your ballot count. Furthermore, if you
have a religious objection to being photographed you can still vote by presenting a
valid without-photo driver’s license or a
valid without-photo ID card issued by the
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
Where do I vote? Polling locations are decided by your address, if you are unsure of
where to cast your vote you can ask a neighbor or check online at: www.pavoterservices.state.pa.us – then follow the link
labeled “Find Your Polling Place”.
You might need an absentee ballot. If
you’re a student in Pennsylvania who has
moved to a new county or a new state to attend college, and you are already registered
to vote somewhere else, you may apply to
change your address to where you are living
now or vote using an absentee ballot. Absentee ballots can be found online at
www.votespa.com, or you can apply to the
County Board of Elections for one. Once the
ballot is completed it must be sent to the
County Board of Elections. The address for
your local County Board of Elections can be
found by using the County Information Link
at www.votespa.com.
10
October 2012
Before deciding who will get your vote, get the facts
So here we are again – or maybe this is
your first time voting? No matter; you
should still have some idea of who to vote
for. Whether you are registered Democrat or
Republican, you should get to know your
candidates and what they stand for. One of
the first things you should do is research.
That means turn off the television, which is
full of mudslinging exaggerations and
downright lies from both parties. Sit down
behind a computer and start finding out
what these candidates stand for. This election, after all, is about the type of country
you want to live in.
You can find a lot of information in just a
short period of time by visiting credible websites that tell you about all the parties and
their platforms. The party platform is basically the policy that the party follows; a list
of things they support or believe strongly.
Try visiting http://2012.presidential-candidates.org. You can Google “Party Platform”
and find a number of links that will take you
where you need to go. Each party has their
platform, or ideology, spelled out for you to
read; however, this does not mean that the
candidates actually believe and stand for
their platform. To find out, you must look at
each candidate’s voting history and decide
whether their policies and ideas match up
with yours; so here is a little help.
I should mention at this time that most of
these issues are complex and I am only giving brief summaries of what I have found to
be general truths about the candidates. For
more information on any of these topics you
can certainly research further, and also
watch the upcoming debates scheduled for
October 3, 11, 16, and 22.
Here is where the Presidential Candidates,
Barak Obama and Mitt Romney, stand on
some important issues that might concern
you. On the issue of:
Jobs & the Economy: Obama wants to create jobs by bolstering the middle class, accomplished by ending tax loopholes for
corporations, providing tax cuts to small
businesses, investing in a clean-energy economy, and putting Americans to work rebuilding our infrastructure. Romney
subscribes to the trickle-down theory, which
means that giving tax breaks, incentives, and
other economic benefits to the wealthy will
eventually “trickle down” and the money
will find its way into the economy. President George W. Bush utilized this plan for
eight years.
Taxes: Obama believes in a progressive tax
code which would involve raising the tax
rates for the high income level proportionately and increasing the tax cuts and credits
of the middle and low income level. Romney
believes in taxing the middle class more and
giving a tax break to the wealthy; however,
no specifics are available at this time.
Health Care: Obama believes in health
care reform. Obama signed The Affordable
Care Act of 2010 into law; the Act introduced
comprehensive reforms on national health
care legislations and will eventually expand
coverage to 32 million uninsured Americans.
Romney opposes the Affordable Care Act of
2010 and vows to dismantle it even though it
resembles the exact plan he implemented as
Governor of Massachusett,s. He has yet to
put forth any plan of his own.
Abortion: Obama is pro-choice. Romney
was pro-choice in the past but is now pro-life
and has said he would like to see Roe v.
Wade overturned.
Same Sex Issues: Obama publicly announced his endorsement of same-sex marriage during the taping of an interview with
ABC's Robin Roberts on May 9, 2012. Romney does not support same-sex marriage or
civil unions.
Social Security: Obama is firmly against
cutbacks on current or future social security
benefits and is not in favor of privatizing the
agency. He would like to find a bipartisan
solution to strengthen Social Security for future generations. Romney wants to reduce
benefits to high income earners and raise the
retirement age in order to make Social Security fiscally sound.
Foreign Affairs: Since President Obama
took office; the United States has ended the
war in Iraq, decimated al Qaeda, killed bin
Laden, and is beginning to wind down the
war in Afghanistan. Romney has managed
several companies and successfully rescued
the 2002 Olympics. He has also managed to
upset some foreigner leaders due to his lack
of knowledge when it comes to foreign affairs.
These are only a few of the issues at stake
in this election that can change the direction
of this country. Hopefully you will find what
it is that you care about and be passionate
enough to research it and get out and vote.
Front Street Journal
is looking for YOUR submissions!
Are you the type of person who always has something to say?
Do you have an opinion on things that are happening right now...
in your life, community, or government?
Do you write down your thoughts on paper or electronically?
Use your skills to stand out on college scholarship applications
and improve your resume!
Email FSJ@racc.edu if you are interested in learning more about
the opportunities our club offers.
October 2012
11
a transfer student's best friend
ensure a seamless transition
By Dawn Heinbach
Everyone needs a best friend. They give you emotional support, listen to your problems, and offer advice. Transfer students at RACC really need a second
BFF during their time here, and they might not be
aware that this friend patiently awaits their arrival on
the second floor of Berks Hall.
The Transfer Center facilitates the process of starting at RACC and then continuing to a four-year
school. You will receive advice on the classes you are
taking, and how they will transfer to your intended
school. Some classes will transfer, but only as electives; others will apply to your curriculum, reducing
the classes you must take at that institution. Every
school adheres to particular criteria when accepting
classes from another school. Jane Dietrich and Mike
Johnson steer students in the right direction regarding
the classes you take at RACC. They can minimizes
your chance of spending time and money earning
credits that won't transfer or that you really don't
need.
“There are a lot of commonalities with transfering,
but each student's situation is unique. It depends on
their major, how many credits they have, the program,
and the school that they plan to transfer into,” Johnson
advised. Most 4-year schools want two courses from
the social sciences in the student's General Education
core; most students choose Psychology and Sociology.
But some schools want one of those courses to be History. Other schools want Anthropology of Religion, or
a Macro- or Microeconomics class. That's not something you want to discover while in your final semester at RACC. Johnson and Dietrich coordinate the
transfer process to go as smoothly as possible.
RACC has dual admissions agreements with Temple, Alvernia, and Kutztown. You can sign this letter
of intent in the Transfer Center. Although the student
is not bound to it, the school must honor it. The benefits of signing a transfer agreement are several and include waived application fees, waived placement tests,
and consideration for academic scholarships.
Once a student has taken a few 100-level courses is
a good time to make an appointment at the Transfer
Center. Some students seek advice from Johnson or
Dietrich every semester when they are registering for
classes, and that's a good habit to develop. Johnson
says that you don't have to make a decision where you
want to go right away, but you can start the research
process.
Make the best use of your time at RACC. To be certain that you're taking all the classes you need, and
that they will be accepted at your intended institution,
visit the Transfer Center. Like any BFF, they've got
your back.
Jane Dietrich - Transfer Center Assistant/Advisor
October 22nd Transfer Fair
• Schmidt Training & Technology
Center, first floor
• 10 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 – 6
p.m.
• More than 30 schools will be
present, including West
Chester, Shippensburg, Kutztown, Bloomsburg, East
Stroudsburg, Millersville, Lock
Haven, Cabrini, Albirght,
Alvernia, and Cedar Crest.
• Playing “transfer bingo” gives
you a chance to win some
school swag.
Where to go
•
•
•
•
Transfer Center
Room B216
Transfer Center Hours:
Monday, Thursday, Friday: 8
a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, Wednesday: 8 a.m. 7:30 p.m.
• Appointments are necessary
and can be made in the Tutoring Center, B209.
Jan-Michael Johnson - Transfer Specialist
12
October 2012
What do you think of the new cafe?
What is your favorite smartphone app?
students
speak out
I think the new café is just
weird. My first experience consisted of confusion and silence.
The first thing I noticed was that
there was no kitchen. I was surprised at first, and then I noticed
that food was already prepared;
I imagined it was just like a
Turkey Hill. I got my food and
when I went to pay for it, I noticed there were no cashiers. The
transactions were done by machine. Then I thought it would
work like a Sheetz “MTO” machine but give change back. I
was wrong.
The customer service was
amazing, but it was more difficult to work than I thought it
had to be. I don’t even get
change back, and I was really
mad about this. However, my
money wasn’t lost; it was just
put onto a card. Still, what if I
never go back or it is the end of
the semester and I still have
money on that card? Then I sat
down to eat and everything was
silent. I grew up with cafeterias
never being quiet so I felt weird.
All in all, I miss the old cafeteria
system.
David Gieringer
I think the new café is nothing
but an inconvenience and huge
waste of time and money. Now
the café is all vending, which is
fine, but the machines do not
take cash; just debit or prepaid
RACC ID card. But what hap-
pens if your ID does not scan?
You must spend five dollars to
get a new one. Or what happens
if you do not have a debit card? I
do not understand why the
vending machines are so expensive. I mean, come on – $2.50 for
a tuna sandwich!
I went up to get lunch and
they told me how to use the machine. Once I said I did not have
my ID, and they basically told
me to leave. I do not think I am
the only one who had an experience like that. I think we need to
have more variety as well; not
just cold food that can be heated
up. That is also very unhealthy.
Before, the cafeteria was not
only a place to eat, it was a place
to hang with friends or do homework. Now I hardly see any of
my friends. They plugged the
outlets and the atmosphere is
different, weird even. Before
when you looked into the café
you could see all walks of life;
everything from people doing
homework with their clicks to a
four hour Magic game tasking
place. To me, that was great because you could become friends
with anyone. Now it feels like
just an unfriendly grab and go
station.
Alexis Freeman
I have mixed feelings about
the new cafeteria. I don’t like it
because I loved interacting with
the kitchen staff and they had
better food choices.
Another reason why I don’t
like the cafeteria is because I
know the former manager of the
kitchen, who is also a good
friend of my father’s. At the end
of the spring semester last year, I
found out that she would lose
her job before the summer semester started. I was so upset because she would be out of a job
and I wouldn’t get to see her.
The third reason why I don’t
care for the new cafeteria is the
machines. What if there’s a glitch
in the machine while you’re buying an item?
Another part of me likes it. I
think it looks interesting, it
seems to be more convenient
when purchasing items and
there are more options when it
comes to food and drinks. I recently bought an item from the
cafeteria and it’s really cool.
When you’re finished selecting
your items, you go to the machine and you scan your card or
your item first. Then you swipe
your credit card and that’s it. To
sum it up, I don’t like the cafeteria because it took a person’s job
away, but I like the cafeteria because of its wide selection of
items.
Gabrielle Brossman
I absolutely hate the new cafeteria. I find that there is nothing
to eat there and nothing is fresh.
I loved the old cafe because it
was nice having something
baked for you right then and
there. Now, when I go to the
new cafe, I don't really know
what to get and nothing is fresh.
The bread on the sandwiches is
always soggy when I get them in
the morning, and there really
isn't a variety of food to eat for
breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It is
all the same and not very good
food at all.
Gabriella Wertheim
I really do not like the new
cafeteria. I do not know why
they changed it. I heard from a
friend that it was because the
school was not making money
before. The selection of food is
very small now.
There are only two microwaves in the café and though
I have never seen a line at the
microwaves yet, I’m sure there
has been and will be. I also noticed that the microwaves get
dirty from constant usage, and
perhaps students are not aware
they are sharing these microwaves and are not cleaning
up after themselves.
The new cafeteria makes the
school feel less like a school. It
feels like I’ve all of sudden
walked into a Turkey Hill.
Sheila Aguila
Editor's note: Avanti, the company who operates the cafeteria,
is an outside vendor. They have
a contract with RACC to provide
the food, but the cafeteria is not
operated by RACC. It was
Avanti who was not making
money; not the school.
I have an older Blackberry
which doesn't run at the higher
speeds of some of the newer
phones. I mostly use it for texting, phone communications and
emails. I do, however, have one
app on my phone: Facebook. So I
guess by process of elimination,
I would say that Facebook is my
favorite app.
I was recently in what resembled a large room with a vending area. I didn't take notice if
they served any food but there
were plenty of vending machines. I grabbed a bottle of
water out of the cooler and proceeded to pay. To my surprise,
there was a self-checkout lane
which I thought to be both
speedy and efficient.
Roger Voit
More on Pages 13, 14, 15, 16, 17
October 2012
Students
speak out
My favorite smartphone app is
the translator app. I find this application very useful because
English is my second language. I
learn new words on a daily
basis, and being able to look up
a word and find what it means
in a language I already understand is priceless. Needless to
say, it is a very quick way to
look it up since it only takes a
couple seconds. It translates
from English to Spanish and
from Spanish to English, which
is awesome, because sometimes
you don’t know how to say
something in English and when
you type it in, it tells you right
away. In addition, it also has a
unique option in which it speaks
out the word you are trying to
translate, so not only are you
learning how to write it but how
to pronounce it as well.
I think that the new cafeteria
has turned more into a fast food
place, which is convenient at
times but not as healthy. Personally, I don’t like the fact that you
can’t pay with cash, because that
forces students to open up an account that maybe wasn’t really
necessary. I think it should be up
to us, whether we want to pay
with cash or not. Another thing I
don’t agree with is the fact that
this new layout is closing the
door on opportunities for students to work on campus [by
plugging the outlets]. So I like it
to an extent but I think it could
have been better.
Maria Aria
My favorite app on my smartphone is Instagram. Instagram is
a quick and smart way to take
pictures with your phone and
share them with groups of people within the same social network. Instagram comes
equipped with various unique
filters that give me the option to
edit my photos. I love the filter
feature because it gives my photos a very vintage-style look. Instagram is my favorite app
because I take my phone everywhere with me. When I come
across nice scenery I can quickly
capture, edit, and share my photography with friends around
the world.
I found the new cafeteria at
RACC to be quite a surprise. The
cafe has a new selection of hot
meals, healthy foods, and
gluten-free snacks for students.
When I last visited the cafeteria I
found it to be less crowded and
the staff was friendly. It was
brought to my attention that students can now add money to
their ID cards to purchase meals
during the year. Students can
also purchase food with
debit/credit cards as well. I find
the new cafe very well organized
and convenient for students this
year.
Jesmarnick Dorfils
The question of what my favorite smart phone app is a challenging one, being that I don't
own a smart phone. I don't really believe in having that type
of technology right at my fingertips all of the time. I feel that it is
being abused by people more
than it is being used for the right
purpose. I believe they are a big
distraction from reality, and are
destroying real person-to-person
social communication. If I had to
pick, though, some of my friends
have shown me this app that
you can hold the phone up to the
speakers while it's playing a
song and it will tell you the
name of the song and the artist
just by hearing it. I think that is
really cool, helping people to become familiar with music they
may not otherwise be.
Wes Mekeel
If I had to choose, I would say
that my favorite would have to
be my Nike running app. I like
this app because it keeps track of
all my runs to date. Also, it
tracks how far I ran each session.
I can even choose different
routes each time I go for a run.
Jose Gomez
my banking app which allows
me to keep a ledger of all transactions I make with my debit
card. Instead of keeping a transaction book I can simply input
changes in my account into my
phone and it computes balances
and cash flow differences. I no
longer have to worry about losing or misplacing my ledger or
forgetting to add something into
my books.
RACC has done an amazing
job with the changes they have
made to the cafeteria. In past semesters I would never visit the
cafeteria for lunch; only on quick
occasions to purchase an item in
the vending machine. But since
its new renovation I find it to be
a very entertaining place. The
food is also very good and there
is a vast variety of items to
choose from. My friends and I
meet there for lunch at least two
times a week and we’re able to
have a very pleasant time.
Joslynn Done
My favorite smart phone app
is the calendar application. I use
it several times a day and then a
few more times in the evening to
plan accordingly for the next
day. The calendar smart phone
application syncs with my Outlook calendar on my computer
so I am constantly informed of
upcoming appointments and
events. It has other features
which allow me to set reminders, define repeat parameters, and send notifications to
others via email. I rely on my
calendar app on my smart phone
every day!
Daniel Pape
My favorite app would be
Viggle. Viggle is an app where
you record a piece of a program
that you’re watching on TV and
you gain points for watching it.
The more points you gain, the
more rewards you can get. You
can get an Apple TV, an iPod
Touch, or even $10 off of iTunes.
It's very convenient and fun to
do!
I have to say, I do approve of
the new cafeteria. It's modern,
the colors pop out at you, and
it's very eye catching. Better than
13
what it looked liked last year.
The only thing I'm concerned
about is the convenience of cash.
Last year, you were able to buy
everything with cash as well as a
credit card. Now you can't buy
anything with cash except for
buying through the vending machines. It could just be a preference of mine, though. However,
this is the same concept as Kutztown University.
Rebecca Hill
is Facebook because I use it to
keep in touch with my friends
and family around the world. I
can view photos of my family
and be informed of important
things such as birthdays, anniversaries, reunions, and so on.
The only downfall with Facebook is that it is very addicting. I
found myself spending hours
upon hours finding new friends
or searching for more family
members. In fact, there have
been times that I would toss and
turn in bed thinking about what
people are doing on Facebook. I
felt like I would die if I went ten
minutes without it.
Nichole McDowell
I would have to say that my
favorite smart phone app is the
ESPN Fantasy Football app. I am
in a fantasy football league and
it is so much more convenient to
access my team anywhere there
is Wi-Fi, instead of having to
have my computer with me at all
times.
I enjoy the cafeteria at RACC
for a couple of reasons, the
biggest one being that I like to
eat, and the cafeteria serves
some good food. Another reason
I enjoy it is it is a nice place to go
if you have breaks in between
classes and need to just throw in
some headphones and get some
work done on a computer. It
might not be quite as good of a
place to get work done as the library, but I still enjoy it nonetheless.
Sage Bowman
14
Students
speak out
Having a smart phone puts
anything that I could possible
need right into the palm of my
hand. There seems to be an app
for almost everything. While
many people love Angry Birds,
Temple Run, and Draw Something, I love the nursing apps.
There are many apps in the nursing section that have helped me
a great deal. Since nursing is my
passion, I want to do and study
as much as I possibly can to succeed. I know that probably
sounds nerdy, but in fact, it is
fun and educational.
Some of the nursing apps that
I have are Web MD, which helps
you look up different drugs,
their side effects, and what they
are used for; and NCLEX-RN,
which would be very helpful to
many nursing students since it
helps you study for the actual
RN test. This app has 3,864 questions within a wide range of topics. Some of these apps cost
money and some are free. You
can see a whole list of the nursing apps in the app store under
“medical.”
Amanda Bennett
The new cafeteria at RACC is
a good idea gone wrong. The
idea of placing money onto an
account which you can access
with your RACC ID is a great
idea, but taking away the option
of paying in cash is one of the
worst concepts ever. Cash
should always be an option.
Scanning a card might be faster
and more convenient for some,
but cash payment is the only
way some people prefer to pay.
I have seen many unhappy students come out of the cafeteria
making statements like, “I’m
never buying anything in this
cafeteria again” and “What kind
of idiots don’t accept cash?”
Also, taking away freshly
made food deters me from
spending money there. I would
much rather eat something made
in a kitchen than a packaged hot
pocket or granola bar. Another
mistake they made was not placing prices on any of the items. I
like to know how much something is before I buy it and
everyone I talk to feels the same
way.
Nick Prosser
is Call of Duty: Black Ops Zombies. In my opinion,it has better
graphics than any other smart
phone app that is currently
available. This app is the equivalent of having a portable Xbox
360 with the game Call of Duty:
Black Ops. It is the funniest and
most challenging smart phone
app to date.
RACC has really improved the
cafeteria for the 2012-2013 school
year. The college has invested
largely in self-service machines
and easy card payments. Their
selection includes healthy salads,
deli sandwiches, and chicken
sandwiches. Students can now
transfer money to their student
ID cards and use their IDs to
make purchases at the self-service checkout. RACC has made
the Berks Café experience more
enjoyable and convenient for
their students.
Editor's Note: It is Avanti who
has made the changes to the
cafeteria. It is now called the
Avanti Market.
Matt Bycsek
Instagram. I love to look at all
the photos everyone takes and I
love the creativity that everyone
puts into it. It is also fun to add
filters to the photos because it
adds even more creativity. This
app also allows me to show off
my artwork and a lot of people
follow me just because of my art.
Gabriella Wertheim
is Instagram because I recently
deleted my Facebook acount,
and Instagram is the next best
way to socialize. Another reason
why I like Instagram more than
Facebook is because it’s so private. Instagram doesn't collect as
much information about you,
such as phone numbers, emails,
etc. I love the fact that Instagram
is mostly a photo app, but at the
same time, it's also a socializing
app. Taking pictures and editing
them is something anyone can
do, and everyone enjoys. You
also can choose who “follows”
you or not, and you can set all
you pictures as private, so that
no one can see them.
Sheila Aguila
Google Maps. It's a great app
because it allows you to pinpoint
your exact location at anytime,
anywhere in the world, using
satellites. You can find your location and also find detailed directions to any destination. It
informs you how long it will
take and the best route, whether
you are driving a car, riding a
bus, or walking. Google Maps
also gives you detailed information on the destination you are
seeking. Information such as
ratings, user comments, the telephone number, and the email
address are available in seconds.
You don’t even have to know the
full address of your destination;
Google uses information of other
users and assists you in searching for whatever you are looking
for. This free app is just as good
as the average GPS, which can
cost up to $100. I use Google
Maps so often I forget what I did
without it.
Nick Prosser
What is my favorite app? It
would have to be the Nordstrom
app. It is a shopping app, and it
always keeps me updated with
the latest fashion and trends.
They have a lot of designer
clothing, beautiful jewelry, shoes
and hand bangs. Another awesome thing about this app is that
free shipping and free returns
are always available!
Nordstrom has many things for
men, women and children. This
app also offers decorative things
for your home. People who love
to shop and are always looking
for designer clothing should definitely download this app.
Magdeley De La Cruz
October 2012
In my opinion, music is one of
the best discoveries; so many
genres and artists to listen to that
sometimes it is difficult to
choose. My favorite smart
phone app is definitely Pandora.
There is a variety of radio stations which you can search by
artist, genre, or composer. One
thing that I really like about Pandora is that it shuffles between
old and recent songs, so it does
not repeat and you don't get
bored. Lyrics are also available
for most songs.
Pandora has many additional
features that a regular radio station does not. For example, if
you hear a song you like, you
can bookmark any track or
album. Information about the
artist or band is included for
every album. You can even
share the station you are listening to on Facebook or Twitter.
You can listen to Pandora whenever and wherever, which I love,
because there is no waiting for
your favorite radio station to
play the songs you like. The best
thing about Pandora is that it is
free!
Jennifer Hernandez-Rivera
My favorite app is Twitter because I believe it is better than
Facebook. Twitter is like a newspaper. It allows you to receive
information about anything
from sports to breaking news
from CNN. Twitter also lets you
tweet what is on your mind and
also tweet pictures from where
you are or what you are doing.
You can follow who you want
and block who you do not want
to see tweets from.
Twitter also allows you to
communicate with celebrities a
lot easier than facebook. You are
able to follow them and see what
they are doing, and ask them
questions. They usually answer
a handful of tweets. I have already received tweets from Stuart Scott, SportsCenter anchor;
David Akers, kicker of the San
Francisco 49ers; and Mark Mulder, former pitcher of the St.
Louis Cardinals. It is pretty cool
when they tweet you back.
Charlie Schaeffer
October 2012
Students
speak out
My favorite application on my
smart phone is the eBay app.
The reason why it is so important to me is because I run a
business at home through eBay.
When I sell an item, it lets me
know when the buyer paid for
the item, and notifies me when
the items I buy are shipped. I can
also receive emails from buyers
through Ebay. In order to be a
good merchant, I have to respond accordingly and efficiently.
While there are many applications available on the smart
phone for everyone's interest, I
do not want to waste my time
playing games. I'd rather spend
my time doing something that
benefits me in the long run, such
as making money. This handy
and convenient application
makes it easier to run my business, and it's easier than carrying a laptop all day.
Adriana Spirache
I would have to say my favorite smart phone application is
Instagram. This application allows me to take pictures and add
different features to the picture.
It also gives me easy access to
upload the picture to my Facebook account and other social
networks. This is very convenient, because at one click of a
button my picture is uploaded
for my family and friends to see.
I love taking pictures of my
son. With Instagram, I can take
his picture and change the color
format, add boarders, and just
bring out the beauty in the picture. I post pictures of my son so
that my family and friends who
don’t live around here are still
able to see him grow up. When I
first downloaded this app I must
admit I did not like it. I thought
it was stupid, but the more I
used it, the more I began to like
it. Now I use it almost every day.
This application also allows
you to see pictures that your
friends post, as long as they have
this application themselves. You
are also able to add captions to
the pictures, “like” pictures, and
leave your own comment of
what you think about the picture. It is strictly pictures, so you
don’t have to worry about seeing
posts like on Facebook. It is also
interesting to see what people
actually take pictures of; it can
give you a different outlook of
something. I can definitely say
that I am very glad I found this
app and that I continued to use it
after my first impression.
Jasmine Mathews
If I had to pick one app to call
my favorite, it would probably
be Instagram. Instagram is an
app that lets you take pictures
and then edit them. You can also
choose from existing photos that
are saved on your phone. I like
this app because it can take regular pictures and transform them
into better looking ones. Instagram lets you put many different filters on pictures, meaning it
can turn a picture black and
white, and it can make the picture more vivid.
Instagram also lets you
search for other pictures and
other users that have this application. You can like and comment on pictures that other
people have taken. Searching
through other people’s pictures
is also fun. You can look at what
other people are taking pictures
of during their daily lives and
see how they change their pictures through this application.
Instagram turns everyone into a
photographer and the sky's the
limit when deciding what to take
a picture of next.
Melissa Grande
Technology today knows no
boundaries, and the smart
phones that everyone is using
are a perfect example of that.
These phones come in all different shapes and sizes but essentially they all do the same thing.
They are what keep most of us
connected to each other and
available for contact at any convenience. There is much more to
the phones of today than just
calling and text messaging.
Now, these smart phones use
many easily installed applications for any number of other
uses. We can use our phones for
just about anything these days,
and we do it with these Apps.
My favorite app would
have to be the Shazam app. This
application to a smart phone allows one to hear a song that they
are unfamiliar with and have the
song looked up via the app.
What happens is, it will listen to
a section of the song and analyze
it. This comes in handy so much
during some of those long car
rides listening to the radio. Now
I can look up these songs with
extreme convenience.
Mke Swavely
There are so many apps to
choose from for a smart phone,
but my all time favorite app is
Songpop. I love it; it’s so addicting. It's is a simple “Name That
Tune”- style trivia game where
users compete with each other to
guess the name of the song
and/or performer. Only having
seconds to guess the right song
or performer makes it very challenging. You can choose random
users or you can compete against
your friends on Facebook. You
listen to song clips off a playlist
and test your music recognition,
then send challenges to your
friends. Playlists are diverse, including Modern Country, Modern Rap, ‘80’s Alternative, ‘90’s
Alternative, Famous Female
Singers, J-pop and so much
more. When the music starts
playing, the trivia questions start
appearing. Answer quickly to
earn points; the player with the
most points wins the coins.
Coins unlock different genre
groups. The more coins you
earn, the more music you can
unlock. If you haven’t downloaded it yet, I would suggest
you do - you will not be disappointed!
Heidi Cade
is Instagram. This app is used to
take photos and edit them with
the options it has. Another use
for this app is to take an ordi-
15
nary photo, and give it more
character. Many people, like myself, capture random things that
happen to them through out the
day. I use Instagram to express
anything new, but I use it mainly
for photos of my daughter.
Instagram is also used to follow your friends, family, celebrities, fashion pages and much
more. I also can share my photos
with Twitter and Facebook. I
love to take pictures all the time
and this is a great way to display
them; it makes it easy to create a
nice photo in a couple of seconds.
Sydney Domagalski
Technology is a big part of our
everyday lives. By now most
people are aware of IPhones and
the famous app store. There are
over 500,000 apps available in
the app store, from games to
books, and if I had to pick my favorite it would be Pandora
Radio. I am a huge music fanatic,
and it is a free personalized way
to listen to all the kinds of music
that I love. You can create an account and pick certain artists or
songs that you like, and Pandora
will generate music from that
genre and time period. Pandora
also allows you to like and dislike a song so that they know to
either play that song or not play
that song in the future. I like listening to all different types of
music from Nirvana to the Backstreet Boys, and Pandora allows
me listen to whatever I am in the
mood for. It can also make mixes
of certain radio stations that I
choose. Pandora can also give
you more information about the
artist and song, and why they
chose to play you the track. Pandora will continue to be my favorite Iphone app until they
come out with a better music
radio app.
Emily Adams
is Mint. I use it to keep track of
my spending habits, and where
and how I spent my money. A
lot of times it helps me see if I
am going over my allotted
budget for the month.
Erica Griffin
16
Students
speak out
is Instagram. Instagram s a free
photo sharing program launched
in October 2010 that allows users
to take a photo, apply a digital
filter to it, and then share it on a
variety of social networking
services, including Facebook and
Twitter. Taking pictures has always been something that I love
to do, and I love looking at other
people pictures as well.
One reason why I love this
app so much is because you can
follow your friends or even your
favorite celebrities. The pictures
that these people post show up
on your newsfeed and you can
look at them and even provide
some feedback on them if you’d
like. There is a section under
each photo where you can start a
conversation or “like” the photo.
Another reason this is my favorite app is because you can
put a filter on your photos. Some
of the photos I take of myself or
other things do not look very
good, but when I filter them the
photos usually come out looking
ten times better. A third reason
Instagram is my favorite app is
because you can keep up to date
with what your friends are
doing at the moment. Just like
Facebook has written status updates, Instagram has visual status updates. Being able to
connect with friends is one of
my favorite things about this
app.
Cailin McGinley
My favorite application is Free
Music Download Paradise Lite
(android freak). The best thing
about the app is that is it free. It
is the most advanced sound
search app on the Android Market. I like this app because one
can download almost every song
one thinks about. I can download and listen to my African
tunes and my gospel songs. It is
also very simple, fast and pretty
reliable.
You can preview the songs be-
fore you download them; that is
a really nice feature. Also, it lets
you download multiple songs at
once. The music has very good
clarity, and there are no interruptions, unlike most apps. It allows one to access great music
and very current music.
Zaranita Johnson
would have to be Big Oven. It
gives you so many great recipes,
and it actually taught me how to
cook! It has many different
recipes including desserts, appetizers, andmain dishes.
I like the new cafeteria a lot. I
started at RACC in August of
2009. The food became much
more healthy than before, and
I'm glad. It was not good at all
for me to eat junk food everyday.
Brittany Dale
RACC's cafeteria was renovated last summer; I noticed that
it looks bigger, cleaner and
much more organized. I used the
cafeteria a couple of times and I
like the atmosphere and space. I
also noticed that is a self serve
cafeteria. The foods are fresh and
pre-cooked. They have a large
selection of beverages, fresh
fruit, and chips. I do not have
enough time to use the cafeteria
as much I want to. I go to school
right after work and the majority
of the time I bring my own water
or fruits from home. I think that
it is very convenient because
some people do not have enough
time to eat or bring food from
their home.
Maribel Garcia
I would have to say that my
favorite smartphone app is
Soundhound. So many times in
the past I have heard songs either on the radio or in different
places and wished I knew the
title or the artist, but now with
Soundhound on my phone I
have access to that information
withinseconds.
Heather Zajac
My most favorite app, and one
that I would have bought a
smart phone just to use, is the
Facebook messenger app. I have
a lot of family in Canada and the
only way I can communicate
with them is by phone or email.
When I realized that this app is
virtually a texting app I was over
the moon. I’m now finally able
to text my family, on a regular
basis, on just about anything and
everything that happens in my
life at any time of the day just as
I would any of my other friends
and family.
I was not pleasantly surprised
when I first saw the ‘new’ cafeteria. Last semester I would frequently eat lunch there after
class and I always enjoyed the
food and the human interaction.
Now that is all taken away. Machines have replaced humans, as
well as the quality of the food. I
know the people who worked in
the cafeteria were students who
need to make a living and pay
for school, so I have to wonder
how this has affected them and
what they will be doing now.
Laura Hoffman
would have to be ESPN Scorecenter! I like this app because I
am a big sports fan! I love all of
the Philadelphia teams and this
app allows me to be updated on
all the scores and breaking news
with each team. There is also a
tab in this app that allows me to
watch a virtual baseball game
which is really cool, especially if
I’m in my room doing homework and want to watch the
game! This app is exactly what
any sport fan needs and it's free,
which makes the app even better.
I think the new cafeteria is alright. The new updates have really made it technology-savvy. I
never bought anything in the
cafeteria last year and haven’t
this year, but i think it looks really nice. I think the downside of
the new look is the jobs that
were lost because of it. I know
that the number was probably
not that significant but in the job
economy these days, a job is
very hard to get. Otherwise I be-
October 2012
lieve the improvements that
were made were really well
done.
Ashley Long
My favorite smart phone application is the Global Positioning Service also known as GPS. I
enjoy GPS as I travel frequently
for business in places I’m unfamiliar with. Having GPS on the
phone helps eliminate a navigator unit such as “TomTom.”
Having GPS on a smart phone
helps navigate through life’s adventures and the convenience of
being on your cell phone helps
reduce your overall clutter. It's
very handy!
The new cafeteria introduces
new ideas and ways of thinking
at RACC. I have been attending
RACC since 2008/09 and remember when you had real people, real customer service, and
real food made to order. I’m sad
to come back this year and not
see familiar faces, freshly made
foods, and more people out of
work in America. I am somewhat biased as I haven’t tried the
food or seen how it is made but
if it is all vending machines and
electronically controlled, then I
feel very adamant about my
statements. The new age of machines has come and all I can ask
is, what job is really safe?
Chad Miller
I can't really say I have one
app in particular that is my favorite. There's a small core of
apps that I use on a daily basis,
but spend no more time on one
than I do on the other. Games
come and go on my phone, as I
play them, grow bored and
move onto the next game. Anyway, that special group of apps I
do use on a daily basis would be
the multimedia apps: Twitter,
Facebook and Instagram. Having moved here a few short
years ago, my entire life is based
in Pittsburgh, so staying connected with my friends is essential to me. Without them, I
would surely be in a mental asylum.
Abe Burger
October 2012
Students
speak out
there is a lot to learn and much I
don’t understand. I don’t know
if there is a limit to the number
of recordings but either way this
App is great!
When a person spends twelve
hours in the car a week, back
and forth between two different
colleges like I do, there is a lot of
study time lost. In the last three
weeks I have been loving my
Voice Memos App; it has really
been a blessing. I record all of
my classes and I am able to rehear my lectures while driving. I
personally am a very aural
learner and it has been a great
tool; especially for Anatomy and
Physiology and Physics where
This is my first semester at
RACC and I am unfamiliar with
what the market looked like before; however, I have never seen a
cafeteria that looks like the selfcheck out from a grocery store. It
is a very cool concept, except I
hate the self-check out line. I am a
people person; I enjoy getting to
know the lady from whom I buy
my lunch. I find it frightening that
more and more of our daily lives
are spent communicating with
computers, rather than humans.
The Avanti Market is very cool
and something I have never seen
before, but I will miss the human
element.
Sarah Dungan
would have to be ESPN Scorecenter! I like this app because I
am a big sports fan! I love all of
the Philadelphia teams and this
app allows me to be updated on
all the scores and breaking news
with each team. There is also a
tab in this app that allows me to
watch a virtual baseball game
which is really cool, especially if
I’m in my room doing homework and want to watch the
game! This app is exactly what
any sport fan needs and it's free,
which makes the app even better.
I think the new cafeteria is alright. The new updates have really made it technology-savvy. I
never bought anything in the
cafeteria last year and haven’t
this year, but i think it looks really nice. I think the downside of
the new look is the jobs that
were lost because of it. I know
that the number was probably
not that significant but in the job
economy these days, a job is
very hard to get. Otherwise I believe the improvements that
were made were really well
done.
Ashley Long
17
app. The app is super useful because it gives me a better understanding of the word and also
helps me decide what word to
use. I like the feature of voice
commands, so if you cannot
spell the word all you have to do
is pronounce it.
Henry Alvarez
The first thing I loved about
the new cafeteria was the quiet.
The atmosphere is so different
from that of a high school lunchroom. The students have more
respect for the staff and other
students. There is never any
yelling or fighting like in every
high school lunchroom.
Keenan Engle
The new cafeteria is great! It's
a wonderful place that has all the
comforts and conveniences for
students to utilize during time at
school. The café has plenty of
chairs and tables for students to
congregate before and after
scheduled classes. I love the new
scan-and-pay feature. It's very
convenient for quick and efficient service. As a new student at
RACC, I can see myself stopping
at the cafeteria a lot.
Rebecca Aul
Sportacular has to be my favorite iPhone application. It's
my lifeline to the sports world. I
never seem to have the time to
sit in front of the television and
watch my favorite teams, let
alone catch the highlights.
is called Capital Pushups. The
Sportacular has a favorites tab
reason this is my favorite is bethat allows me to peek at all of
cause it helps my chest get bigmy teams without searching
ger. The point of this app is to
through a huge list. I love this
get you to the point where you
app! I use it to keep a close eye
can do 125 push-ups in a row. I
on
my Philadelphia Phillies
like to work out a lot and one of
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when
I am at school and work.
my problem areas is my chest.
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Jamie Gatchel
Since I have been using this app
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seemed like less choices and less
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people to interact with. After a
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want to get your chest bigger. If
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couple of days, though, I have
it works for me, it can work for
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discovered it is a lot faster and
you, too.
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there are still many choices. AlDana
Chatters
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though I do miss the one type of
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hotdog on hot rollers.
Joseph Hinkle
would have to be the Dictionary
18
October 2012
life after RaCC
linda erskine
Explore Your Options!
Join us for an Open House - Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Schmidt Training and Technology Center
Meet faculty and find out about the programs
we offer
Learn about financial aid, scholarship and
payment options
Talk with current RACC students
Explore student activities and support services
Tour the campus
Bring your friends and family!
Register online at www.racc.edu/admissions
or call 610.607.6224.
Registration for the Spring Semester begins
October 15, so apply now online or visit the
Welcome Center in Berks Hall.
Follow us on
Like us on
www.racc.edu • 610.607.6212
Sponsored by the County of Berks
By Sana Malik
After tiring of factory work, Reading area
Behavioral Specialist Linda Erskine decided
to change her life by applying to RACC. She
first pursued a Medical Lab Technician degree, but switched to the Social Work/Psychology transfer degree program after
realizing that she had always wanted to help
people. Erskine explains. “When I was a
child, I had always wanted to be a police officer or a teacher. Now I’m both!” After
graduating RACC in 1995, Erskine transferred to Alvernia University to finish her
Bachelor’s degree in social work. Checking
for job prospects during her junior year, Erskine says that “I began to notice that many
places wanted people to have a Master’s degree also, so that’s when I figured I’d continue my education at Marywood
University”.
Soon after entering the Masters of Social
Work program at Marywood and commuting to both Lehigh and Scranton campuses,
she began to appreciate the discipline she
learned at RACC. “When I started at RACC,
we didn’t have regular semesters. We
worked on a 10-week schedule that made me
stay organized while I worked and went to
school.”
After graduating, Erskine worked at
CHOR as a Drug and Alcohol counselor for
adolescents before settling into her current
position as a Positive Behavior Support Specialist at a small private school. When asked
if she had any words of advice to give current students, she says this: “Take advantage
of everything RACC has to offer. This is a
great place to start; no other school has
helped me with my educational journey as
much as Reading Area Community College.”
“I would not have had as many
opportunities in my career had I
not began at RACC.”
October 2012
CReative
CoRneR
Untitled, by Kim Stahler
Mantis on campus, by John Levan
19
20
CReative CoRneR
Perfect camouflage by Dawn Heinbach
Praying for a meal, by Dawn Heinbach
The best
backyard bug
zapper, by
Dawn Heinbach
Untitled, by Kim Stahler
October 2012
October 2012
CReative CoRneR
ABOVE: Hydrant
falls, by Jed Holzmacher
RIGHT: Sub-merge, by
Jed Holzmacher
21
22
October 2012
adventures
a day dedicated to
CoRPse-eating
BiRds
By Dawn Heinbach
International Turkey Vulture day. I had
never heard of it either, but September 1,
2012 was designated as such. It makes one
wonder why such a strange-looking bird
would be celebrated. What do we know
about turkey vultures, besides that they eat
road kill? How can such a bird, considered
ugly by so many, deserve its own day of
awareness?
Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, Kempton,
hosted a program in honor of this day and to
provide an answer to that very question.
Red Creek Wildlife Center, a wildlife rehabilitation facility in Schuylkill Haven, delivered a 45-minute presentation about turkey
vultures. They even brought their own mascot: their resident vulture named Hannibal.
Peggy Hentz and Morrie Katz, founder and
co-founder of the Center, talked at length
about the bird's physiological features,
habits and habitats, and defense mechanisms.
Vultures are the earth's sanitation crew.
Without them, we would soon be in a dirty
and dangerous environment. These birds
devour dead wildlife which would otherwise slowly rot, producing toxins and exposing us to bacteria, disease and parasites.
While the U.S. has a healthy population of
both black and turkey vultures, they are in
decline in other parts of the world, presenting a dangerous problem for those societies.
When you look up in the sky and see a
large, dark bird circling without flapping its
wings, it's probably a turkey vulture. They
are experts at soaring – the practice of catching the rising air currents from thermals pro-
duced by the earth's escaping heat. They
can soar for 8 hours at a time, expending little energy to keep aloft. They are also experts at dynamic soaring, which is flying on
currents produced by wind sheer. Next to a
mountain or cliff, the wind current flowing
towards this is stopped abruptly by the edifice. Vultures catch this bounced air current
and gain more speed each time they circle.
This flight skill is taught to military glider
pilots.
Vultures eat rotten meat so polluted with
toxins that it would make humans severely
ill and even cause death – even if we cooked
it first. Their stomach juices are so acidic that
a DNA test cannot be performed on the contents. In fact, one of their defense mechanisms is to regurgitate and fling the sticky,
Continued on page 23
Morrie Katz of Red Creek Wildlife Center looks on as turkey vulture Hannibal
sports his "eagle pose."
October 2012
23
Fast facts
• Turkey vultures do not have a septum. Looking at them from the
side, you can see all the way
through their nose.
• An adult vulture weighs about 7
pounds before eating.
• Vultures are found on every continent except Antarctica.
• Turkey vultures have a red head
and are large. The head of black
vultures is black, and they are
smaller and more compact.
• They can smell the gases given off
by decomposing flesh from up to
three miles away.
• Vultures are almost immune to
most other illnesses from which
other animals suffer, like West
Nile Virus.
• Native Americans used vulture
feathers in their healing ceremonies because they recognized
that these birds have an exceptionally strong immune system.
• Vultures have no syrinx (bird vocal
cords) and therefore can produce
only hissing and grunting noises.
• They are one of the few animals that
truly have a negative carbon footprint. They don't expend a lot of
energy, and they leave nothing
behind. It's as if your garbage
collection company picked up
your trash bags and vaporized
them so that they never even
reach the landfill.
• They utilize a process called urohydrosis. They urinate down their
legs and this helps the body cool
off. It also disinfects the feet.
If you go
Throughout the year, Hawk Mountain
Sanctuary hosts multiple environmental
awareness programs, from presentations about different birds to tagging
your own Monarch butterfly. You can
also bird-watch during the migratory
season from the North Lookout, and
hike various trails.
Hawk Mountain Sactuary
1700 Hawk Mountain Road
Kempton, PA 19529
610-756-6961
www.hawkmountain.org
Birds
globulous fluid onto a predator. It's caustic,
smells to high heaven, and... well, you get the
picture. Having treated several vultures over a
22 year period, Katz assures us that “the vulture vomit is so nasty, the stench so unbearable, that it makes skunk spray smell like
something at Boscov's perfume counter.”
If they're lucky enough to find a large carcass, vultures can double their body weight in
one meal. This means that for the next several
hours, they are too heavy to get airborne.
Their feet are not lethal weapons like the talons
possessed by birds of prey. So this is when
they would employ the vomiting technique if
approached by a hungry predator. You may
spot a group of turkey vultures sitting motionless on the ground or on a fence, their wings
extended; it can be kind of creepy if you don't
realize what they're doing. This posture,
called the horaltic pose, indicates that they've
consumed a meal and are waiting for it to digest so they can fly again.
Like other species, vultures have developed
certain specializations that make them very
proficient at their job. The head and neck are
bald. It would be very difficult to clean and
preen all the gooey and icky stuff that would
cling to feathers after eating. They have a third
eyelid through which they can still see, but that
prevents germs from getting in their eyes as
they eat. They can close their ears with a flap of
tissue. A membrane plugs the throat, and another membrane closes the nose. This is to
keep out the crawly things that have already
begun eating the carcass before they get to it.
Throughout the program, Hannibal perched
on Katz's hand, which he rested on a tall pole
for support. The vulture hammed for the audience, spreading his wings in an “eagle pose”
and slowly turning his head side to side. He
was comfortable being handled and being in
front of a crowd of people. Hentz explained
that Hannibal was a human imprint. He was
found as a baby, and instead of delivering him
to Red Creek where he would have received
proper nutrition, been raised by another bird,
and been released, the man kept him for a year
as company while he drove all around the
country in his tractor trailer. About a year
later, he either escaped or the guy released
him. Hannibal was spotted in a woman's yard
trying to eat her dog's food, which had been
Hannibal's regular diet for the past year. The
woman was familiar with animals and immediately recognized that Hannibal had been
raised by humans. He was brought to Red
Creek and has lived there ever since. He cannot be released because he doesn't know how
to interact with other vultures; he has absolutely no idea how to survive in the wild. He
can't foster other vultures because he doesn't
realize that he IS a vulture, and attacks them.
He serves as an educational bird for presentations such as this one.
Now that we know more about them, it's
easier to understand why turkey vultures have
a day designated just for their celebration.
They do much good for all animals and are deserving of such recognition.
24
October 2012
City movie festival
spotlights workshops,
student short films
The Greater Reading Film Festival is gearing up for its seventh
annual run Thursday through Sunday, October 25-28, at the RC
Movies 11 and IMAX Theater, opposite the RACC campus.
Besides official selections and feature-film winners, the festival
will showcase award-winning short films in the adult, high school,
and college categories on Saturday afternoon, plus a series of educational workshops Saturday morning.
The scheduled workshop sessions include Screenwriting: the Art
of Adaptation with Alan Hines, An Actor’s Workshop: Auditioning
for Film with Ann Gillette, Storytelling in the Age of Digital Film
with Kevin Hackenberg and Documentary Filmmaking with Mark
Dworkin and Melissa Young.
“The festival provides a wonderful opportunity for students to
learn about the nuts and bolts of filmmaking,” said Al Walentis, an
adjunct professor in the Humanities division and film festival committee member.
“Digital technology opens the door to everyone to make a movie,
and the college films demonstrate what any student, armed with
only with ambition and an
idea, can accomplish.
“One of my former Film
Studies students is now apprenticing at Universal Studios in Hollywood, and
another has a starring role in
an independent production
awaiting release.”
Another highlight of this
year’s festival is a Sunday afternoon screening of Misa’s
Fugue, a documentary about a
Holocaust survivor, set
against the backdrop of original family photographs, primary footage from the era,
and art and music created by
students at Fleetwood Area
High School.
The film has captured the
attention of actor Tom Hanks
and is being touted as a contender for best documentary at the
Academy Awards.
The director and producer Misa’s Fugue, Sean Gaston, will participate in a discussion after the film.
The festival, focusing on Reflecting Our Community Through
Film, kicks off at 7:30 p.m. Thursday with a reception at the Goggleworks followed by the screening of Girls in the Band, an independent film that tells the stories of groundbreaking female jazz and big
band instrumentalists from the late ‘20s to the present.
October 2012
25
Film
Friday’s schedule highlights two more featured selections,
documentaries by the Seattle directorial team of Mark Dworkin
and Melissa Young. Dworkin and Young will attend the screening of their films, We Are Not Ghosts (6 p.m.) and Shift Change
(7:30 p.m.). They will be on hand for a “Meet and Greet” between the films and for a panel discussion afterwards.
We Are Not Ghosts looks at the residents who are reinventing
a post-industrial Detroit as a vibrant new self-sustaining and
human-scaled city. Shift Change tells the stories of employeeowned businesses that compete successfully in today’s economy
while providing democratic workplaces.
Tickets for single films are $8 for adults and $5 for students
with ID. All access passes (includes all films, workshops and
special events) are $50 for adults and $25 for students (student
all access excludes opening night reception).
The Greater Reading Film Festival is sponsored by the Berks
Arts Council. Additional information is available at http://berksarts.org.
5HDG\IRU\RXUEDFKHORU·VGHJUHH"
You can do this.
Start at our Open House.
7KXUVGD\2FWREHU
Registration: 5:30p.m.
Presentation: 6p.m.
6DWXUGD\2FWREHU
Registration: 10:30a.m.
Presentation: 11a.m.
Find out how many of your credits will transfer from
Reading Area Community College and learn about
ӾQDQFLDODLGDQGVFKRODUVKLSRSSRUWXQLWLHV
$50 application fee waived for those who attend and apply
www.peirce.edu/OpenRACC
888.467.3472, ext. 9000
1420 Pine Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102
FACEBOOK.COM/PEIRCECOLLEGE
@PEIRCECOLLEGE
26
October 2012
All About October
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Across
October's birthstone
This famous British rock band released their first record,
Love Me Do, in 1962.
In the early Roman calendar, October was the _______
month.
Spanish spelling of October
October's flower.
U. S. planes bomb this country in 1966.
This crashed on October 29, 1929
The name for the hibernative state of many insects.
This international organization was founded in 1945.
We turn our clocks back this month in accordance with
this
This state became our 36th in 1864.
Lack of this substance in leaves that makes them turn
colors
October is _______ _______ month.
The fire in this city burned for about 30 hours in 1871.
This model of the first automobile was put on the market
in 1908.
A football is also called this
Martin Luther King, Jr. won this in 1964.
How many days in this month?
This is a day of remembrance on which purple is worn in
memory of gay teen suicide victims.
This fruit is at its peak in the fall.
In 1957, Russia launched this first satellite to orbit the
earth.
When the temperature goes below 55 degrees, this
insect will "hibernate."
A mammal usually associated with Christmas that mates
in October
1
2
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5
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39
Down
This guy demonstrated his electric light in 1879.
President G.W. Bush signed this in October, 2008 to aid
failing banks.
This local company became an independent company in
1996. (Now owned by Alcatel)
The first _____ _____ was performed at this Nevada test
site.
This country music star was killed when his plane crashed
in California.
This popular theme park opened in October 1971.
This German celebration began in October 1810.
The _____ _____ work week was officially sanctioned by
the American Federation of Labor, 1933.
This 7.1 earthquake occurred in 1989 in the U.S.
This sports season is in full swing.
October's dominant zodiac sign
This famous U.S, statue was dedicated in 1886.
The only insect that migrates n the fall to a warmer
climate.
Ghoulish day of the year
This prestigious college was founded in 1636.
Every year, October ends on the same day as this month.
This well-known philosopher was born this month in 1844.
October is Adopt-a-Shelter ______ month.
Answers in next issue
October 2012
27
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28
October 2012
a bachelor’s degree
from Albright College
Complete your bachelor of science degree in an evening accelerated
program developed for working adult students.
Bachelor’s degrees in:
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Program benefits:
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entire program
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dcp@alb.edu | 1-888-253-8851 | www.albright.edu/atnight
October 2012
29
Chew on this
enjoy this healthy salad feast
By Chanel Morales
Hey fans! Or should I say healthy chewers? I promised you some advice about
healthy eating on a budget, and here it is. I
decided to include a recipe as an example.
It's a simple salad that I created, and believe
me, it tastes awesome! Here is the low
down:
It's low in calories, so you won’t have to
count them; it has only 200.
It's made with fresh garden greens and
vegetables which you can find at your local
supermarket, but I prefer to visit my
farmer’s market. They offer good quality
home-grown food.
It's all combined, so you don’t have to add
the dressing just before serving it; just mix
everything and enjoy.
Hello! It helps you lose weight! That’s
right – it has nutrients and vitamins your
body needs to support itself. Booyah!
You can have it at any time. Well, except
for breakfast, because that's a whole new
show.
Jai's Amazing Salad
Ingredients:
spinach
onions
kale
garlic
red cabbage
cilantro
broccoli
balsamic vinegar
cauliflower
olive oil
red pepper
a few lemons
green pepper
baby carrots
non-fat unsweetened yogurt
Chop the spinach, kale, red cabbage. Simmer broccoli and cauliflower till medium
I use hummus for protein, but you can
have tuna, salmon, grilled chicken, grilled
steak; anything that's not fried. This recipe is
inexpensive because all the ingredients can
be bought locally. It is no hassle to prepare,
it saves you time, and best of all, it costs no
more than $15. It can feed 5 people or it can
be your lunch for a few days. If you make
tender (you want to leave it a bit raw, not
over cooked or too tender, about 10 minutes). Chop onions, cilantro and peppers.
Wash everything in a big deep bowl. In a
separate container, mix the yogurt, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and lemon juice.
Mix till creamy. Add some honey or agave
for a sweet taste. Drain broccoli and cauliflower. Mix everything together. Add
creamy dressing, toss it all up, and let chill
in the fridge for 30 minutes. Serve with
your favorite meat, and garnish with the
raw baby carrots.
this salad, let me know how you like it!
Please feel free to email me with any suggestions you have.
cm55010@ravens.racc.edu.
Like us on Facebook:
facebook.com/FrontStreetJournal
Follow me on twitter @jaifoodie88.
30
October 2012
students speak out
What is the best thing you have ever done in your life?
Send your submissions to FSJ@RACC.edu for publication in
the next issue.
4
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Dr. John C.Morgan
Former RaCC
professor's students
inspire ninth book
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64
Dr. John C. Morgan, former adjunct professor of humanities and a teacher of philosophy for nearly ten years at RACC, has a
new book out with ties to Reading Area
Community College: A Teacher, His Students, and the Great Questions of Life: A Beginners Guide to Philosophy. The book
came about as a result of the encouraging
words of many of his students over the years
who suggested he needed to write a short
book about philosophy based on the experiences they had in his classroom.
Following the traditional divisions of philosophy, the book is based on eleven major
philosophical questions, such as: Who and
what am I? How can I know anything?
How should I live? Is there life after death?
Dr. Morgan's classes were based on dialog,
not lectures; the book follows this pattern
using stories in the classroom, including a
final short story addressing the question:
What is time?
There are other RACC connections to the
book which will be published early in 2013
by Resource Publications, Eugene, Oregon.
Dr. Linda Riccardi, who teaches philosophy
at RACC, has written the preface. The cover
of the book shows Dr. Morgan and students
outside in the meditation garden, a project
philosophy students initiated some years
ago. Dr. Morgan was one of the earliest supporters of the college and taught the first
philosophy here as well as working in the
administration. This is his ninth book. He
now is an adjunct at Albright College and
has a regular Reading Eagle blog.
October 2012
ask the FsJ angels
Dear FSJ Angels,
I am the first
person in my
family to attend
college. This is
my third semester
at RACC and I
am in the nursing
program. The
problem is my
parents. They
don't understand
what I'm trying
to do with getting an education. They think
that I should just get a job and earn money.
They don't like the fact that I only work parttime right now so that I can focus on my
schoolwork, and that I'm not home as much
to take care of my younger siblings and help
around the house. I have stuck with it so far,
but it is really, really hard and it is only
made harder by the lack of support from my
parents. I feel like giving up. What can I do
to cope with this? Am I doing the wrong
thing by going against my parents?
Signed,
On the Edge
Dear “On the Edge,”
I completely understand what you are
going through! My parents and I haven’t
seen eye-to-eye on my decision to attend
school as well. I know that this time is very
difficult and giving up may seem like the
best thing to do, but don’t! Part of growing
up sometimes means distancing yourself
from your family so that you may be able to
achieve your goals. I know that it is hard to
push on when you need the support of your
parents, but try to put yourself in their shoes.
If you are truly the first one in your family to
attend college, it may be hard for them to
understand just how much an education can
benefit you in the future. Take the time to
show them some hard facts about how much
more money a college grad will earn over a
lifetime versus someone who only has a high
school diploma; this may help them to understand your position. As for your helping
to take care of your siblings and helping out
around the house, try making a schedule
that you and your family can stick to. Detail
when you have time to commit to your family and home and your schoolwork and job. I
hope that these suggestions help you and
your family come to a solution full of love
and support.
Good luck with all your studies!
Sincerely,
FSJ Angels
i am a
31
RaCC Raven
Christine Shouey
I am originally from Bellefonte, PA, located right outside of State College. My
boyfriend and I had been living in Michigan
but in the midst of the recession, we had lost
our jobs. There were not many other leads
there so we decided that relocating to his
hometown of Reading, Pennsylvania, was
the best thing for our family. He got a job
here. After much thought, I finally decided
to take this opportunity to get a degree, with
the hopes of gaining employment that will
not be tarnished by another downturn in the
economy.
I am a mother of four boys, ages 17, 14, 5,
and 9 months. I also have three stepchildren, ages 12, 10, and 8. We have a very
lively house! I come from a not-so-large
family with two brothers, so my big clan is
shocking even to me! There are definitely
enough people to have our own baseball
team.
Currently I am not involved in any activities or clubs at RACC. I would like to
change that within the next semester. I am
extremely busy just keeping up with my four
boys and classes.
The most recent struggle I have had to endure was juggling being pregnant, and taking on this new experience of college at the
same time. I feel it has brought me out of the
shell where I have spent a lot of my life. I
now have a lot more confidence in myself
and I am more outgoing. I have learned that
I can handle much more than I thought I
could. I first considered taking a semester or
two off after having my last son, but instead
I jumped right back in to classes. I tend to
place a lot more importance on school now.
If I would have gone to college immediately
after high school, I know I would not have
taken it as seriously.
I enjoy crocheting, reading, anything outdoors, and spending time with my children.
About Christine Shouey
Major:
• Pre Law/Public Administration with a
concentration in Political Science
Favorite books:
• I love all novels by Nicholas Sparks,
along with all the movies that he has
brought to screen.
Favorite musical artists:
• Lady Antebellum, Steel Magnolia, Old
Crow Medicine Show, Taylor Swift, Bob
Seger, Alison Krauss, Carrie Underwood
Favorite quote:
• Once expanded to the dimensions of a
larger idea, the mind never returns to its
original size. - Oliver Wendell Holmes
Are YOU a RACC Raven? If you are a student, you are a Raven! This section is designed to capture the diversity of the student
body, share their struggles or stories, and emphasize the fact that even though we are different, we are also the same. If you would like
to be included in this section or want to nominate another student, send contact information to FSJ@racc.edu.
32
October 2012
Ron Pappalardo engages the audience during his presentation about suicide prevention./Photos by Kiki
Saint Fort and Aleksa Fotache
Can suicide be prevented?
By Kiki Saint Fort
Ron Pappalardo took the stage on August 23 at the Miller Center
for the Arts, speaker and author Ron Pappalardo came to our campus with his powerful message about suicide prevention. Generally
not a lighthearted topic, Mr. Pappalardo’s message was neither
gloomy nor disheartening. As he paced in front of the small but attentive group of attendees, his speech carried hope and purpose. Not
only did Pappalardo share how he experienced feelings of depression during his youth, he welcomed the group into his story. His
son Joshua had made several unsuccessful attempts at suicide; his attempt at age seventeen would be his last. Joshua burned himself to
death. The moment in which Pappalardo found his son on fire
would forever change his life and its direction.
It was after this that Pappalardo began working in the field of suicide prevention. He would later write a book, “Reconciled by the
Light,” which details his journey through the grieving process and
his resulting personal growth. This experience would lead him all
over the United States and abroad to teach anyone who was willing
to hear his story. He promoted awareness of the serious dangers of
letting suicidal tendencies go unchecked.
During the show, Pappalardo shared with us not only alarming
statistics but also preventative measures. He separated facts about
depression from the myths, and stressed the importance of promoting an anti-bullying atmosphere in the classroom as well as the
workplace. Pappalardo spoke about Joshua's long battle with depression, which began in middle school and stemmed from bullying.
It was not hard for all in attendance to connect with the story. We remember too well the bullying scenarios that played out during our
youth.
Pappalardo stated, “In the eight years since Joshua's death, I’ve
learned a lot about suicide. Most importantly, I've learned that in
most cases it’s preventable, if you know the warning signs and what
to look for.” And what is the biggest cause of suicide? His answer:
“If we defeat depression, we defeat suicide.”
October 2012
33
suicide
Join the Front Street Journal!
$4.00 - Students
with RACC ID-no exceptions
Two of the helpful strategies he presented
were:
“The simple act of keeping a journal or a
diary reduces the incidences of depression.”
“Service. When you do something nice for
someone else, your brain chemistry changes
and it makes you feel good too.”
Pappalardo introduced a theory from a
man named Dr. Viktor Frankl. He explained
that “Frankl became very famous in Europe
because during his tenure not one single suicide happened. Frankl believed that young
people in Western Europe and America were
suffering from something called an “existential vacuum.” What it means is that a lot of
us don’t really know who we are and why
we’re here; the purpose of our lives in unclear. When we can't find this deep meaning
or purpose, sometimes we think life’s just
not worth living anymore and we give up.
Dr. Frankl was very successful in helping
people find the meaning and purpose in
their lives.”
I knew of Viktor Frankl and enjoyed his
book, “Man’s Search for Meaning.” I agree
with Frankl and Pappalardo that everyone
needs a purpose. I believe in service and
enjoy helping others. I believe that a large
part of my life will always be centered
around service to others because I feel good
when I do this. That alone keeps me in the
right frame of mind, and imagining my life
with no purpose or direction helps me to understand how depression can easily take root
in someone’s mind. Although the topic of
suicide prevention is a sobering, it is too important to shy away from. Pappalardo made
it clear: “I have to say that I’m not here to
shock you. Nobody wants to talk about suicide; in fact, I don’t even like to talk about it.
But it’s something we have to deal with.”
Suicide is one of the leading killers of
youth, especially college students. Pappalardo's presentation highlighted the keys
to making suicide prevention a success: early
detection of depression and implementing
the combative strategies of journaling and
service.
$7.00 - Staff/Faculty/
Community Ed Students/
with RACC ID-no exceptions
How to help
Send contact information to fsj@racc.edu.
The
Multicultural/
International
Festival
Wednesday,
October 10th
Schmidt Training
and Technology Center
11 AM - 1 PM
(Cultural Food)
11 AM - 2 PM
(Entertainment)
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38
34
October 2012
the Front street Fashionista
Pumped up kicks
By Sana Malik
Ahh, school shopping! Honestly, it is the
only activity I look forward to during the
Back-to-School rush. This season, I have my
sights set on THE hottest shoe, the Wedge
Sneaker. I can hear you say, “Eww! A wedge
sneaker!” and I get it. It sounds terrible, but
hear me out. The trend of adding
heels/wedges to sneakers started in the mid-
What’s what
• Striped top: $17,evanity.com
• Jeans: Cheap Monday, $94,
generalpants.com
• Wedge Sneakers: Xhilaration,
$30, target.com • Bag: Retro Black Faux Quilted
Messenger Bag, $32, chicnova.com
• Bangles: $21, diva.net.au
• Earrings: $9.99, modcloth.net
• Ring: $27,
fantasyjewelrybox.com
• Hat: River Island, $21, riverisland.net
Photo: Polyvore.com
to late nineties with awful results. This time
around, fashion designers with some serious
design cred like Isabel Marant, Marc Jacobs
and the über sophisticated See by Chloé
have tackled this trend. Of course, with
these high end designers come high end
costs: Marant’s downtown-cool version will
set you back about $725. Now, if you’re anything like me, you want to look super stylish
while staying on budget. Thankfully, these
sneaks are so in demand that Steve Madden
offers up his version at a cool $149 and Target (my go-to for on-trend) has a pair that’ll
only set you back 30 bucks. I’ve already
placed my order with Target and while I’m
waiting for my package to arrive, here’s how
I’ll be wearing the look when I finally get my
shoes.
October 2012
BELOW: Isabel Marant $725;
hergoodybag.com
RIGHT: Steve Madden $149;
victoriassecret.com
TOP, OPPOSITE PAGE: Target $30;
intheircloset.com
Happy Birthday,
Air Force 1’s!
The iconic Nike sneaker is celebrating its
30th birthday this year! Now, what’s the
best way to celebrate a milestone? By introducing a new look! This year, Nike will celebrate by unveiling a few new designs that
utilize some of the best features from their
30-year history such as the popular black
denim style, and some new styles that feature a reflective surface. Nike will also be introducing a low, foamposite version of their
Air Force One. Available in Teal and
Pewter, this version is guaranteed to keep
the Air Force One in sneaker-head closets
for the next 30 years.
RIGHT: Available late October 2012, the
Nike Air Force 1 Low Foamposite in teal;
$300. kicksonfire.com
35
36
October 2012
Pets & Peeves
don’t pluck before you plant
By Victoria Batista
Whether we’re walking down the street or
walking across the room, let’s face it ladies,
we’ve all encountered the “Hey baby’s” and
“Pssst, what’s up beautiful’s.” And let’s be
honest, it’s annoying! You hear that, fellas?
ANNOYING! Personally, I feel that approaching a woman with that type of intro is
a setup for destruction. You’ve got to plant
the seed before plucking the flower! Women
want to share some type of familiarity with
the other person. OK! OK! There are going to
be times where you might not know the person like you know your Uncle Bob, but the
timing should be ripe, not rotten.
First thing's first: be a gentleman. Acknowledge her not as “Hey baby,” or “Yo,
Respect goes a long
way in first encounters
beautiful,” but as woman. If you don’t know
her name, I promise you’ll know it and have
it stored in your contacts list if you approach
her with some R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
Break the ice with a casual comment;
whether it's a similar interest or hobby, it’ll
get the ball the rolling. Let’s set up a scenario: you’re by yourself waiting for the elevator and an attractive woman wearing a
New York Knick’s graphic tee walks over.
You give her a quick glance in order to make
some eye contact. She looks and smiles. You,
then, smile and look away. While riding in
the elevator together you comment about the
shirt; something along the lines of, “Nice
shirt. Are they your favorite team?” BAM!
And there you have it! The seed has been
planted.
After your ride, depending on how well
the conversation went, you just might have a
name and number from the cutie in the
Knick’s tee. If not, don’t get upset and curse
her with a profanity-drenched tongue, but
simply say, “See you around,” or “It was
nice talking to you. Have a good one!”
Maybe some of you guys know the
process, but again, hearing it from a woman
gives you better insight on how we truly feel
about being approached. Good luck!
My two cents on nine-tenths of a cent
I don’t have a lot of pet peeves but one of
them is the price of gas. Gas prices go up at
the slightest mention of bad weather, good
weather, moderate weather, a season
change, the introduction of a new iPad app,
the Astros beating the Phillies, or any number of other factors. It seems like every time I
fill up, the price of gas has increased, and
lately I have not had the money to fill the
tank, so I just get by with what I need in
hopes that the price will come down until I
find myself needing more.
First off, what is with the 9/10 of a cent?
Just make it an even number. Do they really
think we are fooled by $3.99 9/10? I know
that is $4. Just once I want to ask a clerk for
my 1/10 of a cent change.
Another thing I find suspicious is that the
media is always forecasting when the prices
are going to make a big jump in the upcoming months. How do they know? I often
wonder if the media is tipped off by the oil
companies as a way to get us used to the
idea before they actually pillage us, so we
don’t have a violent reaction.
And finally, when I see reports of record
profits at $10 billion dollars for one company, I have to ask: When is it enough? The
rest of us are losing our jobs and taking
home less in our paychecks and the oil companies are reporting record profits. I am all
for free enterprise but I think the oil companies have us over a barrel.
Join the Front Street Journal!
FSJ Upcoming Deadlines:
Issue
November/December
January/February
Deadline
10/12/12
1/4/13
FSJ Meeting dates:
October 20
December 15
All meetings are Saturday mornings at 11:00 a.m. in
the River Room, fourth floor of Yocum, unless otherwise specified.
The Club Hub is the perfect place to inform the RACC community about your club's meetings, news, and activities!
Please submit information to FSJ@racc.edu.
October 2012
37
Have you Read...?
Fiction: What's the point?
By Alexa Korber
It all started like this. I was in the living
room, sprawled on the couch, reading the
last page of a book called Bareface by C.S.
Louis. It was good. It was more than good.
For the last few days that I had been reading
it, I felt like I was living inside it, and now
that it was over I was feeling that mixture of
sad and happy that only certain books, and
certain stories, can bring you. Then my stepfather came in.
“You should read this,” I said to him, and
meaning it. “You should really, really read
this.”
He glanced at the book and then shook his
head. “No thanks. I don’t read fiction.”
I had never heard anybody say that before. Naturally, I asked him why.
“Well, why should I? I’m real and that
book isn’t. What’s the point?”
He left without giving me a chance to respond, and in hindsight this was probably a
good thing. I read a lot of books and the majority of them are fiction. The hours, days,
and years I spent reading them had not felt
like a waste of time. In fact, they had felt like
a very good use of time. I knew that fiction
had done something for me, but when it
came to describing it I could not find the
words. This led me down the path towards a
very interesting question: What exactly is the
value, and the point, of reading fiction?
I went to Joey Flamm Costello, Communications and fiction writing teacher, for help. I
told her my story and posed this question:
How would you respond if someone made
the claim that fiction had no value? Her response: “I completely disagree, and emphatically so.”
Flamm Costello could see what my stepfa-
ther was getting at and how he arrived at his
conclusion. His train of thought was that fictional works have no effect on a person’s life
and are essentially a waste of time because
they are, well, fictional. She went on to elaborate how this thought process is untrue,
starting with, “We are all born with a desire
to hear stories.”
Think on this for a moment. Peoples who
lived thousands of years ago have some
form of storytelling. Think of the Sumerian
Gilgamesh, and epic tales written in
cuneiform upon clay tables. Think of the
Grecian Odyssey and Iliad, battle scenes
from which are found on ceramic fragments
in every museum. Go back even further:
Hunter-gatherer tribes from the beginning of
time have left cave paintings on walls. Now
look at today. The smallest children ask for
stories at bedtime, and we have entire stores
dedicated to books – works of fiction being
the most prominently featured. So if fiction
were so valueless, would the process of storytelling not have died out as humanity advanced?
The fact that it has not proves that fictional
storytelling must have some necessary value
in relation to humanity. This value, according to Flamm Costello, lies in the definition
of humanities itself, the academic category to
which works of fiction belong. “Humanities
teach us how to be human, how to be a good
person.” Indeed, fictional stories have been
used as a means to teach for a long time.
They say that Jesus himself taught morality
in parables. Aesop used fables to educate the
masses in right and wrong. Going more
modern, John Steinbeck used The Grapes of
Wrath and its cast of colorful, fictional characters to bring awareness to the very real
suffering of the Great Depression. In all of
these instances fiction rubbed elbows with
real life, and has been used as a means to
benefit it.
Let us delve even deeper. Consider the
goals of a fiction authors today: They want
their book to be readable, sellable, and enjoyable. In order to do this, they must have talent and a cohesive, entertaining story, but
they must also have characters who are believable – who act, think, and come across to
the reader as real people would. The goal,
then, of these writers is to mimic real life. By
reading fiction, one can see the workings
and functions of real life. Seeing things written out clearly on the page, working to understand characters' motivations, can help us
see layers in our own lives we may have
never considered before.
This thought is summed up beautifully in
a quote by Julian Barnes, a prizewinning
English author: “Books say: she did this because. Life says: she did this. Books are
where things are explained to you. Life is
where things aren’t.” In fiction, there must
always be a reason why or else the story
does not move you to read more. Conversely, people in real life always do things
for a reason, but that all-important why? is
often hidden from view, sometimes even
from where thought or action originates.
But in life, if the story is muddled or confusing or just seems to be standing still… that is
just life, is it not?
Not so in fiction. The possible resolutions
and explanations for people’s words,
thoughts, or actions found in works of fiction
can have a very real effect on helping us to
understand our own lives. Herein lies one of
its biggest values. So what are we all waiting
for? Let’s go read!
Hours: Tuesday-Friday 11-7, Saturday 10-4,
Sunday 12-4
10% discount on new bikes or
accesories for RACC students and staff with
ID (Expires November 30)
38
October 2012
Fall diy fashion
By Victoria Batista
Fall – that time of year when rustic-colored leaves blanket the earth; when the light
nippy winds call for scarves and jackets.
When transitioning from tanks and flops to
boots and long sleeved tops, keeping a sleek,
chic, edgy presentation is key. Incorporating
earth tone colors that inhabit the environment into your wardrobe is no surprise;
we’ve been doing that for decades. But it’s
2012, ladies and gentlemen, and if rules were
made then they can be broken.
Rumor has it wearing white after Labor
Day is a no-go, but according to this year’s
Fashion Week, wearing white is the new
“black.” Throwing on a white blazer, a white
top, white slacks, and black shoes would be
a five hundred dollar fine if the Fashion Police were against the all white wave, but for
2012 fall fashion, it's very “in.”Coco Chanel
said it best: “Fashion fades, but style is eternal.” Spending money to keep up with every
season’s trends can be a hassle. So why not
remix what you’ve already got? Doing it
yourself betters your buck and can be very
entertaining. This year a lot of women have
dyed their hair in an ombre. For those unfamiliar with an ombre, it’s a coloring technique that starts off as one color and
graduates into another. But this method isn’t
just for hair. You can also ombre old denim
shirts and jeans.
Still maintaining this falls’ white trend but
with a flip, you could bleach the lower half
of your denim clothes. All that’s required for
this craft is a bucket of warm water, bleach,
gloves, and rubber bands. In order to give
your denims that “fading into another color”
look you want to tie the portion of the cloth
so that you can mark where you want the
bleach to stop.
Fill the warm bucket of water with two
cups of bleach and dip your desired area
FRONT STREET
FASHIONISTA/
FASHIONISTO
Hey RACC student, do you have
awesome style? Do you want
everyone to see? If so, send a picture of yourself featuring your personal style to fsj@racc.edu and you
could be featured in the Front
Street Journal!
into the bucket. Let it sit for approximately
15-30 minutes. Once it’s done, let your item
air dry. After it has been fully dried, you’ll
want to wash and air or machine dry them.
Once your ombre process is complete, you’ll
be ready to rip and run in your new fall
look!
October 2012
39
going for the goal...Being successful at RaCC
By Steven Welch
At the beginning of every year, millions of Americans set annual goals referred to as New Year's resolutions.
Some that top the list are losing weight,
becoming debt free and even finding a
new boyfriend or girlfriend. However,
even though many people try to succeed, they end the year disappointed,
because they didn’t complete nearly half
of what they expected.
The same can also be related to the
thousands of RACC students who begin
the semester with high hopes of getting
on the President’s academic list. We start
off doing well and somehow we end up
doing completely horrible. If you think
you are in this category, well, don’t
COME
VISIT
TRANSFER
FRIDAYS
November 9,
2012
January 11,
2013
March 29,
2013
PLUS:
TRANSFER
INFORMATION
SESSIONS
available Tuesdays
and Fridays at Noon
and select Saturdays
at 9 a.m.
INDIVIDUAL
APPOINTMENTS
available
weekdays
To apply or schedule a visit:
www.oafa.pitt.edu/transadm.aspx
sweat it, because reading this article is
the first step towards your success.
In order to be successful as a student
you will need to do five things:
Have a clear goal and put it in a place
where you can see it daily. As the ancient
texts say, write the vision and make it
clear (Habakkuk 2:2). Keeping very specific goals helps determine how geared
you are to achieving them. There is a big
difference between barely passing and
leaving the course in the 90% range. Once
you figure out what you want, put it in
places where you can look at it daily, such
as on your bedroom door, or inside the
cover of your notebooks.
Focus on what needs to be done before doing what you want to do. This
means doing your school work before
you text or Facebook your girlfriends
about weekend plans.
Complete all assignments on time. If
you turn in all your work on time you
must get a grade. The cool thing is that if
you are concerned about the time limit
then you may also be concerned about
the quality of your work.
Find help when necessary. By necessary, I don’t mean bug your teacher for
extra assignments as the semester ends.
Rather, take advantage of the resources
you have paid for. This includes the
math/writing lab located in berks building room 209, or use the 24/7 online tutoring center. If you don’t like these
options, try to meet with your teacher
outside your classes to discuss what you
are having a hard time understanding.
The coolest advice about succeeding in
college is to have fun! Yes, I said it – enjoy
life. Just as you need to find time to study,
and to rest, you also need to find time for
play. There is a time for everything, and a
season for every activity under the heavens (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Not only are you
young, but studies have shown that taking
part in fun activities can reduce stress,
which makes focusing a lot easier when
it’s time to get back to work.
If you follow these five simple steps,
then you grades as well as your stress
levels will be doing pretty good by the
end of the semester.
40
RaCC slams a
shot of alcohol
awareness
Explaining what's going to happen during the show.
A
Shot of Reality presented their show
to the RACC Community at the Miller Center
on September 12. This interactive show included the
audience's participation
and educational sketches to
address the dangers of
binge drinking, drunk driving, health and other alcohol-related issues.
All performers have extensive training in alcohol
awareness education, improv comedy, and interactive theater.
Photos by
Cody Hudzik
Actors demonstrate the effects of alcohol on the heart and liver.
October 2012
October 2012
41
>ZEKhdh>D/^^/KE^
t/d,dDW>hE/sZ^/dz͊
DĞĞƚdĞŵƉůĞĚŵŝƐƐŝŽŶƐƐƚĂīĂƚ
Reading Area Community College!
Wednesday, November 7
6:00 p.m.
Training and Technology Center Room 118
ͻ>ĞĂƌŶĂďŽƵƚƚŚĞďĞŶĞĮƚƐŽĨƚŚĞŶĞǁƵĂůĚŵŝƐƐŝŽŶƐƉƌŽŐƌĂŵ
ͻDĞĞƚƌĞƉƌĞƐĞŶƚĂƟǀĞƐĨƌŽŵZĂŶĚdĞŵƉůĞ
ͻ>ĞĂƌŶĂďŽƵƚƚŚĞƐĞĂŵůĞƐƐƚƌĂŶƐĨĞƌƉƌŽĐĞƐƐƚŚƌŽƵŐŚĂƉĂŶĞů
discussion
ͻŝƐĐŽǀĞƌdĞŵƉůĞhŶŝǀĞƌƐŝƚǇ͗ĞƐƚŽĨďŽƚŚǁŽƌůĚƐͲŝŶƚŚĞĐŝƚǇ
and the suburbs
ZĞŐŝƐƚĞƌďǇEŽǀĞŵďĞƌϱ͘ŽŶƚĂĐƚZdƌĂŶƐĨĞƌ^ƉĞĐŝĂůŝƐƚ:ĂŶĞŝĞƚƌŝĐŚ
ĂƚϲϭϬͲϯϳϮͲϰϳϮϭĞǆƚ͘ϱϮϳϭŽƌũĚŝĞƚƌŝĐŚΛƌĂĐĐ͘ĞĚƵ͘
'dÊ<W<͊
>ĞĂƌŶĂďŽƵƚƚƌĂŶƐĨĞƌƌŝŶŐƚŽdĞŵƉůĞĂƚƚŚĞZdƌĂŶƐĨĞƌ&Ăŝƌ͘
KĐƚŽďĞƌϮϮ
ϭϬ͗ϬϬĂ͘ŵ͘Ͳϭ͗ϬϬƉ͘ŵ͘
DĞĞƚǁŝƚŚdĞŵƉůĞdƌĂŶƐĨĞƌĚŵŝƐƐŝŽŶƐĐŽƵŶƐĞůŽƌƐĂƚZƚŽŐĞƚ
ǇŽƵƌƋƵĞƐƟŽŶƐĂŶƐǁĞƌĞĚ͘
E͛dD</d͍
^ĐŚĞĚƵůĞǇŽƵƌǀŝƐŝƚƚŽdĞŵƉůĞƚŽĚĂǇ͊
ͻdƌĂŶƐĨĞƌdƵĞƐĚĂǇ;DĂŝŶĂŵƉƵƐͿ
ͻdƌĂŶƐĨĞƌĞĐŝƐŝŽŶĂǇ;DĂŝŶĂŵƉƵƐ͖ŵďůĞƌĂŵƉƵƐͿ
ͻhŶĚĞƌŐƌĂĚƵĂƚĞKƉĞŶ,ŽƵƐĞ;DĂŝŶĂŵƉƵƐ͖ŵďůĞƌĂŵƉƵƐͿ
ͻsĞƚĞƌĂŶ/ŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶ^ĞƐƐŝŽŶƐ;KŶĂŵƉƵƐĂŶĚKŶůŝŶĞͿ
sŝƐŝƚĂĚŵŝƐƐŝŽŶƐ͘ƚĞŵƉůĞ͘ĞĚƵͬǀŝƐŝƚƚŽůĞĂƌŶĂďŽƵƚƚŚĞƐĞƐƉĞĐŝĂů
events and more.
42
October 2012
sports
Pitching for a cause
By Wayne Hood
A local animal shelter may have just hit a home run.
The Animal Rescue League in Cumru Township is getting big
league help from a major player. Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Chad
Billingsley is stepping up to the plate to show his support.
Billingsley and his wife, who own a home
near Robesonia, began volunteering at the Animal Rescue League of Berks County last year
during the off season. The pitcher has always
had a profound love for animals and wanted
to help.
“I’ve been a pet lover all my life and it’s just something I really
wanted to take part in” said Billingsley.
So the major league pitcher is using this baseball season to help
raise both awareness as well as money for the Rescue League.
All season long Billingsley has pledged to donate $100 for every
strikeout and $1,000 for every win he records. So far the pitcher has
raised $7,200 dollars.
Even more spectacular is the opportunity to meet Billingsley personally.
If you match one of his strikeout donations at $100 you get the opportunity to attend a meet-and-greet with him at the shelter on November 7. If you match one his $1,000 game
winning donations, you get two tickets to join
Billingsley and his wife at the Animal Rescue
League's Annual Gala, being held at the
Crowne Plaza in Reading on November 9.
Proceeds from this event will help ring in the Rescue League’s 60th
anniversary Diamond Jubilee celebration.
For more information contact Ashley Mikulsky, Director of Development at the ARL, at 610.373.8830 ext. 117 or
amikulsky@berksarl.org.
Online pledges may be made at www.berksarl.org
the Weigh-in
dodgers pitcher Chad Billingsley throws for charity
October 2012
43
Chase for the nasCaR
sprint Cup is officially on
By Courtney Sterner
The twelve drivers who qualified for the
2012 Chase were revealed on Saturday, September 8th at Richmond International Raceway. Going into the race, the top-ten drivers
were already locked into the Chase. Hendrick Motorsports drivers Jimmie Johnson
and Dale Earnhardt Jr., as well as Roush Fenway Racing teammates Matt Kenseth and
Greg Biffle, all clinched their spots in the
Chase back at Bristol Motor Speedway,
while the other six in the top-ten clinched a
spot at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Kasey
Kahne was pretty much guaranteed at least a
wildcard spot in this season’s Chase with his
two wins earlier this season. That left the
twelfth and final spot up for grabs for one of
possibly five other drivers.
Going into Richmond, the final wildcard
spot was held by Kyle Busch. Jeff Gordon
could take over by finishing eight spots
ahead of Busch, while Carl Edwards, Marcos Ambrose, Ryan Newman or Joey Logano
could take over the spot by visiting victory
lane for the second time this season.
When the green flag waved after a ninety
minute rain delay, all eyes were mainly on
Kyle Busch and Jeff Gordon.
Gordon quickly showed that he was on a
mission when he qualified on the front row.
The four-time champion held the lead for a
couple of laps starting on lap 7 before his
teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. reclaimed the
lead. Gordon’s hopes for a 2012 Chase spot
quickly faded, however, when his car’s handling began to diminish and at one point, he
was put one lap down.
Kyle Busch, who started the race in the
15th position, was moving up through the
field, but could not manage to break the topfive all night, although his Joe Gibbs Racing
teammate, Denny Hamlin, appeared to have
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the car to beat all night, leading 202 of the
400 laps.
At one point, it seemed as if Gordon and
Busch would both miss the Chase when
Ryan Newman took over the top spot from
his car owner, Tony Stewart, on lap 300. It
wasn’t long before Clint Bowyer passed
Newman 13 laps later.
Still, things began to “flip-flop” for the
two drivers after that last wildcard position
in the Chase. Gordon’s car got better and he
was posting quick lap times, while Busch
began to struggle.
The final twenty laps were full of excitement. Gordon finally had gotten his car to
drive the way he wanted it all race long as he
moved from 5th up to 2nd. Kyle Busch, on
the other hand, was caught one lap down
and could not make any ground on the lead
lap cars.
44
October 2012
artwork on display by RaCC
professor and students
By Victoria Batista
Do you enjoy aesthetically pleasing forms of creativity? If so,
take a walk on the artsy side with guest artist and RACC assistant art professor Susan Duby for an art exhibition at the Art
Plus Gallery. Her acrylic landscape paintings of Berks County,
along with 42 pieces from RACC students, are being displayed
until October 28th.
If you go
Art Plus Gallery
604 Penn Avenue,West Reading
Wednesday – Saturday: 5 – 8 p.m.
Sundays: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
(610)-375-9122
CLOCKWISE FROM
TOP: Susan Duby in
front of her painting
"Winter Pond"; an installation shot of her
work; an installation
shot of student work.

October - Reading Area Community College

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STS APP GUIDE – IOS DEVICE

VALENCIA 2 Y100

Credit Cards - General Electric Credit Union

The Front Street Journal - Reading Area Community College

January/February 2014 - Reading Area Community College