December 2006 - Bergen Community College

Nov.–Dec. 2006 Online at:http://www.bergen.edu/pages/880.asp
Vol. XII
Issue 3
Bergen Idol Coverage –
The Judges
Will the Students of Bergen
Survive Our Government?
BY: MARIYA GONOR
BY: ALON MELAMED
STAFF WRITER
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Doesn’t it seem like it has been
becoming increasingly difficult (if
not impossible) for an average student to live independently in
Bergen County? Let’s take a Bergen
student for example. As a result of
the budget cuts in education proposed by our beloved governor Jon
Corzine last spring (which was discussed in The Torch in the March
2006 issue), Bergen’s tuition has
increased. In addition, some major
state universities, like Montclair
State University, have canceled
some of their scholarships for the
honor students. Moreover, the rent
payments keep going up, car insurance for students (average age 1821) are extremely expensive, and
(for the lovers of shopping) the sales
tax has gone up (it is 7% now).
Sure, there is some good news. At
the end of October gas prices went
down, but for how long? I mean the
elections are pretty soon.
On October 4th of 2006, the
governor actually came and spoke
here at Bergen in our Ciccone
Theater. After his very “interesting” and “educating” speech (we all
know how politicians can talk a lot
but SAY nothing) there was some
time for questions from the public.
I tried really hard to ask him about
True, Ken Bonnaffons is not as
cruel as Simon Cowell, Linda
Marcel was not a former
Los Angeles cheerleader and Andrew
Krikun has not yet
released thirteen
studio
albums
(though he may
have been involved
with many more),
but these three professors share something much
more significant.
These faculty members participated as judges in the Bergen Idol
competition on November 15, giving remarks and comments to the
many participants performing in
the student center. The following is
an interview I held with them a
few days after the event.
Why did you decide to
participate as a judge in
the competition?
Prof. Krikun: I thought it would
be great fun to be on the panel
with Dr. Marcel and Prof.
Bonnaffons. I also thought that
this would be a great opportunity
for the students to receive constructive feedback and guidance.
Prof. Bonnaffons: To have contact
with students outside the classroom.
Some students of mine participated.
It's always interesting to see talents
you didn't know people have.
Any memorable
performances?
Prof. Krikun: I admire everyone
for getting up on stage and performing. I know it sounds corny
but I enjoyed them all! I must say
Jimmy's version of "Roadhouse
Blues" rocked.
Prof. Marcel: I was impressed
with the piano player – and hope
he takes piano class with me!
Playing becomes easier when you
add the ability to sight read as well
as play by the ear.
Prof. Bonnaffons: Loved the
Latin dancers.
Any funny moments you
recall?
Prof. Krikun: Hmmm… Just sitting up there with Dr. Marcel and
Prof. Bonnaffons.
Prof. Marcel: Sitting with Prof.
Bonnaffons and Prof. Krikun is
always enjoyable, and filled with
laughter. I do believe that at one
point I had to hold Prof.
Bonnaffons back when he wanted
to get up on stage and dance with
the dancers. Now that was the
most hilarious moment to me!
the tough situation that students
are being pushed into, but I did
not get a chance. But what I heard
him say was that we should sacrifice individual good for common
good. Does he mean students here?
I really don’t understand how
anyone can talk about the importance of being educated and not
give enough opportunities to
MOTIVATE students. You might
say that there are many scholarships and there always is financial
aid. Then, I am going to ask you to
WAKE UP and OPEN UP YOUR
EYES. Many of those scholarships
that are available are “need-based,”
as well as the financial aid by the
way. So, it does not really matter
how well you do at school because
if you are not “poor,” you will have
to pay for your education yourself.
To be more precise, your parents
are expected to pay. Consequently,
the good students are being punished for their parents’ success. It is
fair? I don’t think so.
As I mentioned before, the elections are coming up, and each of
you as a citizen and a smart student
has to make a right decision as to
our future. We have to speak up, so
someone out there will pay some
attention to OUR needs too.
You Call That A Whistle?
BY: DENISE REYES
STAFF WRITER
Bergen Community College always
has something going on in the student center – sales, dances, singers,
even an occasional game show.
Recently we had a career-related
Jeopardy game show, clubs against
clubs, set up by the lovely Sharon
Goldstein of the Co-Op office. The
Torch, SGC, and the dreadful LASA
were the competitors. It was set up
so that the three teams would sit on
one side and in the middle was a
screen on which the questions were
projected. The game was three
rounds long and the categories were
mainly job related: things such as
raving resumes, search skills, and
interviews. Sharon asked the questions as they were displayed, while
the teams eagerly tried to answer.
Many of the questions from the
Raving Resumes category were:
“How many pages is a typical
resume?” and “What do you find on
the last line of a resume?” Some of
the questions asked from the
Interview category encompassed the
ideas of “What should women wear
on an interview?” and “Where do
you leave your napkin when at a
luncheon?” At first we enjoyed the
game, watching the teams scratch
their heads during difficult questions. We had a poster and we even
attempted the wave. (Unfortunately,
Moses was not made for waves.)
Then, we noticed a slight problem
with the Torch competitors: our
“whistle.” Each team needed some
form of a noise maker in order to signify the desire to answer a question.
The Torch had a sorrowful, cheaply
made piece of plastic that barely
made a toot. LASA, on the other
hand, had a horn the size of a
weapon of mass destruction. LASA
was tearing up this game due to their
obnoxiously loud, rainbow-colored,
Kansas-sized horn. SGC had an
equivalent, the kazoo. The kazoo was
not massive, but it was loud. So the
noise competition was between SGC
and LASA. As the game went on I
realized that LASA was being chosen
for practically every question. Not
because they tooted, or should I say
bombed a country first, but
because they were louder than
the Torch team’s pathetic
squeak. It was unbearable
watching LASA gain more and
more points. They were loud,
not the first to signal.
Eventually, the Torch got in a few
punches. When the Torch hit, the
Torch knocked out! Getting in several points, the Torch finally ended up
in second place due to our disabled
whistle. Either way we received three
Starbucks gift cards that were a
whopping five dollars each. Hey, free
coffee! The Torch also got a fifty dollar check for second place. Cheating,
pumpkin-eating LASA got a one
hundred dollar check, and SGC in
last place got a twenty-five dollar
check. So the game went well and
the clubs had their fun. By the way
LASA, I do like you guys, although
you’re cheaters. Just kidding…
cheaters. I hope you do not think of
me as awful for this article; it’s all out
of love. Congratulations on the win
LASA!
Q.
Q.
Q.
Prof. Bonnaffons: I thought I was
seeing a Napoleon Dynamite takeoff… then realized the boy was
serious.
Q.
If such an event occurs
again next semester, any
suggestions for improvement?
Prof. Krikun: Definitely having
the performers stay on stage for the
panel's comments and giving them
the ability to interact with the
panel. Also, one song per performer.
Prof. Marcel: Allow faculty and
staff to enter!
Prof. Bonnaffons: When having
judges, ask participants to stay
onstage until comments are made.
Also, an organized section of
scheduled performers, with 'open
mike' stuff before and after.
What would you like to
say to a student wishing to
pursue a career in performing arts?
Prof. Krikun: Keep doing it for
the love of it. If you’re interested in
a career, always strive to improve as
an artist and learn the nuts and
bolts of the entertainment business. Learn how to deal with perpetual disappointments and stay
true to yourself.
Prof. Marcel: If you're driven by
the love of the art and you're not
afraid to work 24/7 (generally
making just enough money to
make ends meet), then this is the
career for you.
Prof. Bonnaffons: Think plastics
(I.E. The Graduate).
If you were to perform in
front of the students and
faculty – what would you
do and why?
Prof. Krikun: Good question – I
would do a rock/hip hop collaboration with my students. Fun and
meaningful.
Prof. Marcel: I've just taken up
the harp – I'd play that.
Prof. Bonnaffons: I do a mean
Lambada, but I don't have a partner…
Q.
Q.
What’s Inside:
BCC News . . . . . . . .p. 2 Science Made Easy . . .p. 5 Fashion . . . . . . . . .p. 12 A & E . . . . . . . . . .p. 16
BCC Math: Something Just Doesn’t Add Up, A Taste
of the Islansds and Something Positive, Jobs, Jobs, Jobs
CELL, PLASMA / CELL MEMBRANE:,
CYTOPLASM, RIBOSOME . . .
Dunks: Nike’s Big Little Secret, Baby It’s Cold
Outside, How To Impress a Woman
Dane Cook’s Vicious Circle Live at M.S.G.,
Iron Maiden Back in Jersey, TOOL at
Continental Airlines Arena
PAGE 2
NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2006
BCC News
BCC Math: Something Just Doesn’t Add Up
BY: AMANDA FERRANTE
& SERGEI MILEDIN
FASHION EDITOR/STAFF WRITER
Over the years at Bergen, many
complaints about the Math
Department have surfaced in and
around the hallways. Classes such
as Basic Mathematics (MAT 011,)
Algebra A (MAT 031,) and
Algebra B (MAT 032,) have
received great criticism from students and parents alike, suggesting
that the curriculum is faulty. Even
guidance counselors and other college insiders agree that the Math
Department is the biggest obstacle
for many of the students.
What exactly is the cause for such
a high failure rate when it comes to
non-college level math?
For
starters, all three classes only allow
students to retake 6 objectives;
however, there are 16 objectives in
total. Many students never make
it past the third test, and to add
insult to injury, the deadline for
dropping a class has long passed by
that time. Granted, we’re
Journalism majors for a reason, but
we’d still like a solution to the
problem. Here are some of the
problems and hopefully, some
solutions.
The Placement Test: is it really
necessary? You walk in to a computerized test which is timed, often
placing a huge amount of anxiety
and stress on you. Most people
face difficulty with math anyway;
the test does not help! Perhaps a
test designed for your major would
ease some stress and even make
more sense. Why do Journalism
majors require two college level
math courses? Unless we have life
changing epiphanies, we’ll never
choose a career requiring math.
What about the professors? Are
they going too fast? It feels like if
you blink in class, you’re missing
everything. Taking a class for a
third time when you have a 3.7
GPA sounds a little odd, right?
Well when you’ve got to get a
degree and you need to pass Basic
Math, you’ll do whatever it takes
(even though we’re writers.)
What can we do? Well, for now,
there is no way around this silly
program. It is what it is, and it’s
one of the few flaws the college
has. The only thing we can come
up with is that there’s a reason for
it (other than to drive us crazy.)
Ask around, almost every student
here has found themselves wasting
time and money on non-college
level math courses, which do not
even count towards your degree
credits. The school is seeing many
students fail and retake the course
once, twice, even three times over.
The school even has a game plan
for a “Third Attempt,” which
requires written permission.
Essentially, they’re prepared to deal
with people failing time and time
again. What’s got us stumped is
why nothing is being done about
it. Is it more important to see people hand over money for math
courses than to walk out with a
degree? Some of us would have
already graduated if it weren’t for
this crazy little thing called math.
Why must we keep driving ourselves crazy with math? Why must
we retake a class three times when
we do exceptionally well elsewhere
in school? And our favorite, why
do we have professors who don’t
seem qualified teaching math? We
don’t want to sound like ignorant
students who are simply aggravated by math. We are, in fact, aggravated; however, we’re willing to
take math, just with a bit more
ease. At our time here at Bergen
we’ve learned a great deal about
other subjects and even go as far as
to say we’ve generally had fantastic
professors. Some of them truly
have moved us and inspired us to
do great things. If we can do well
anywhere else, but as a whole student population are finding math
merely impossible, shouldn’t the
college check itself? Come on
Bergen; get your calculator out to
compute this problem!
A Taste of the Islands and “Something Positive”
BY: AUSTIN KEENAN
STAFF WRITER
On Nov. 7, BCC welcomed
Caribbean song and dance group
“Something Positive” to the
Jobs Jobs
BY: DENISE REYES
STAFF WRITER
On November 15th, the cafeteria
was saturated with students, not
for food but for jobs. The job fair
covered half the cafeteria, and it
attracted many students. It began
at ten in the morning and ended at
one in the afternoon.
As written on the flyers posted all
over the school, students were
asked to dress in their business
attire. So, as you can imagine, students were looking their best.
Everyone was friendly, and the representatives were eager to meet
BCC students and help them out.
With all the stands that were
Student Center to kick-off BCC’s
Caribbean
Heritage
Week.
Accompanying the spirited and
colorful dancers was a buffet of
Caribbean food, served by members of the student body.
Empanadas, sweet
Creole rice, and
curry
chicken
served with ginger
beer gave students
the real taste of
Caribbean cuisine.
Flavor, variety and
SPICY are three
words that might
sum up a culmination of confections
served to give students an eating
experience almost
as colorful as the
dancers themselves.
“Something
Positive” performed
with great enthusiasm, though
their set was indeed quite simple.
One singer and two congas were
seemingly all they needed to create
the Caribbean atmosphere as the
dancers twirled and jumped, oftenusing dance moves one might be
able to connect to today’s modern
hip-hop dancing.
Overall, the event was a hit with
the students, who did not hesitate
to join in clapping to the rhythm
and chanting back with support of
the music. The songs were mostly
just about life and living. Songs
about money and the hardships
that all people go through brought
the sense that life in the French
Caribbean is like life anywhere
else, and the efforts brought by the
dancers showed we can all make
“something positive” out of everyday life.
Jobs
assembled, the possibilities seemed
infinite. From UPS to the Gap and
from the National Guard to Babies
R Us -- opportunities were endless.
Many of the people who attended the job fair said they enjoyed it.
“Students are so curious about [the
secret service] field; I really enjoy
coming here and giving them a
chance to learn about it,” said special agent Jeff Johns with a genuine
smile. Another very excited group
representing Aflac Insurance was at
the job fair for the very first time.
Its members said they were having
a lot of fun, and they complimented the students’ attire. All of the
tables happily answered the questions Bergen students asked.
To my surprise, the job fair was
very successful. It was well organized, and the set-up was great. I saw
many students applying for jobs at
the tables while acquiring cool new
pens and informative pamphlets.
Many of the job offers were for
stores at the malls nearby: as if it’s
not already convenient that the jobs
have come to you – they’re close too!
Watching everyone in the cafeteria
was great. It was pleasing to see so
much drive in the students that
attended. I spotted two girls happily
filling out applications at one of the
tables I passed. One of them, Nazli,
exclaimed, “It was very helpful; I
applied to Century 21! This whole
fair made me realize how many job
opportunities
are out there.”
Her
friend
continued to
fill out her
application,
and she gleefully handed it
to the representative.
They went on
their merry
way, continuing around the tables
and looking for other places to
which they could apply.
As time passed, more students
came, applied, and left until eventually the clock struck one o’clock.
The tables were cleared, and the representatives
were gone.
The cafeteria
was put back
together, and it was as if the job fair
had never happened. I left the cafeteria, and I wondered how many
students had missed it. I really recommend going to at least one job
fair here at BCC -- it is worth your
time. If you missed it, don’t worry:
there will be more. Just look around
the school for any flyers with business suits on them. Good luck!
NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2006
PAGE 3
A Message From: African Student Union
Greetings All, This is Edwina I.
Annan, the president of the
African Student Union Club. This
message is in regards of the clubs'
general information. The name of
the club as it was stated before, is
African Student Union, also
known as A. S. U. The club was
established last spring semester.
The club meeting time and location are as follow:
Tuesdays 12:30pm-1:30pm
Thursday 12:20pm-1:30pm
Room L146, located in the Mega
Building. The meetings are held
twice a month. The aim of the
club, is to expose BCC students,
staffs, and professors, to the various diverse elements that Africa
has to offer. The diverse countries,
cultures, traditions, music, religion, histories, poverty and the life
of the people. All student whom
are interested are eligible to join.
All activities will be pertaining to
Africa. All members must maintain
the accumulative minimum G.P.A
of a 3.0. The language that will be
spoken when gathered together,
will be English. These are the A.S.
Us' executive board members:
President: Edwina I. Annan
eannan.student@bergen.edu
Vice President: Prince OwusuBoahen
lopsty@hotmail.com
Treasurer: Lindwine Meffo
meffol@yahoo.fr
Secretary: Adama Berete
african_diamond04@yahoo.com
Club Advisor: Prof. Greg Burton
gburton@bergen.edu
African Student Union
bergenasu@yahoo.com
If any further information is
needed please contact us. Thank
you very much for you time, have
a nice day.
TUTOR JOBS
up to $20/hr.
Anime Club Fight Night
EDWINA I. ANNAN &
KATHERINE PAULINO
Who can play Hangar 18 better?
Which is a better character: Peach
or Pichu?Who out-sniped who? Is
Ichigo really that strong? All these
questions were answered on one of
the best events held by the Amine
Club.: Fight Night. Rhythm
Games such as Guitar Hero 1 and
2, Brawling Games like Super
Smash Bros. and Naruto: Clash of
the Ninja, popular shooting game
Halo 2 were featured on Friday
November 10 in the Student
Center. Every semester for the past
two years, the Anime Club holds
this event to allow not only their
club members, but also students
and teachers to come and play to
their hearts content. The event
showcases popular games such as
Super Smash Bros., Halo 2, as well
as having imported anime games
such as Bleach Blade Battle and
Naruto: Clash of the Ninja 4
(which hasn’t been released in the
U.S.) to the general public, where
anybody can get in line and play
for a while or for the whole night.
Can you REALLY beat your best
friend in front of everyone? Find
out next semester on Fight Night
Round 2.
Math, English &
Spanish Majors
Must have at least a 3.50/4.0 GPA in your major.
Send resume & copy of transcript to:
Private Tutor, Inc.
345 Rt. 17 South
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
LEARN WHY YOU SHOULD
TRANSFER TO PACE UNIVERSITY
Transfer
your credits
Simple Transfer Credit Program:
Pace will accept a maximum of 68 credits from accredited two-year colleges.
Outstanding Scholarship Opportunities:
Our prestigious Deans’ Scholarship program offers qualified
students awards up to $9,000 per year. Due to limited funds,
we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.
Over 80 Majors In The Following Areas:
• Business
• Computer Science
• Education
• Information Systems • Liberal Arts & Sciences • Nursing
Outstanding Cooperative Education Program:
to Pace University.
Pace offers one of the largest, most successful Cooperative Education
programs in the New York City metropolitan area. Last year over 900
undergraduate students earned income and significant work experience
in corporations, government, and non-profit organization.
Guaranteed Tuition
Learn more
We guarantee that your tuition will not increase for up to five years,
as long as you remain registered full-time.
A New York Success Story
For more information, www.pace.edu or call 1-800-874-PACE ext A13
New York • White Plains • Pleasantville/Briarcliff • Hudson Valley
PAGE 4
NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2006
Latin Rhythm Workshop
with Prof. Tony Cruz
BY: AUSTIN KEENAN
STAFF WRITER
On Oct. 25th , BCC welcomed
back Professor Tony Cruz to have an
interactive learning seminar about
Latin music and rhythms. Cruz, also
an English teacher with a Masters
degree in both music and English language, related much of Hispanic
music and consequently a great deal of
popular music today to a rhythmic
device known as the clave.
“The clave,” Cruz begins, “has one
bar of tension and one bar of
release.” The energetic Professor
made a rhythmic diagram of the
clave to show how the first bar is
played with three notes played at the
first and fourth rhythmic pulses, and
the third being in between the second and third pulses. The second bar
is played with 2 notes on the second
and third pulses. This all probably
makes absolutely no sense to someone who has no musical background,
but in practice, the rhythm is actual-
ly very simple. Trust me when I say
that you’ve definitely heard this particular rhythm in countless techno,
rap, and R&B songs.
Cruz played many popular songs
that have the clave hidden inside their
rhythms as well as a multitude of
songs that have the clave in the foreground in order to help the student
audience understand the significance
of Latin influence over American
music. He didn’t hesitate to jump on
the drum set and play rhythms
involving the clave and even had the
entire class drumming along to help
them learn through application.
After making the existence of the
clave crystal clear, and to me, known
for the first time, Cruz recalled his
experiences outside America, favoring his trip to Africa to play drums
with the local tribe. In this town, if
you become a drummer, you’re like a
big deal. Playing with these guys was
a really touching experience. Music
is a language in itself, and you can
communicate without words.
Hey Dancers!
BY: DENISE REYES
STAFF WRITER
Did you know that there is a dance
club here at BCC? Are you aware of all
the great workshops open to you? Well
get in the know! Recently the dance
club had its first performance for this
semester at the Great American
Smoke Out in the student center. It
was an African piece and was performed marvelously to the beat of a
drum. Three of the girls from dance
club proudly showed what they could
do at the student center. Students
watching were impressed and
applauded the club’s performance.
The choreography was rehearsed for
over a month and the effort paid off.
This is the eighth year in a row that
the dance club performed at the Great
American Smoke Out. The dance
club is led by professor Joan Szabo and
meets every Tuesday from 12:301:30pm in room C-106D.
Although some of the workshops
have already concluded, there are
many more to come. On November
28, Claire Porter held a workshop in
C-106D from 12:30-1:30pm. There
will even be a belly-dancing workshop on December 19 in the same
room from 12:30-1:30pm. The next
performance will be on March 20 and
will feature a historical reprise of great
women in dance. The details of this
performance are still not complete,
but I will keep you updated! When
speaking with professor Szabo about
the dance club, she explained, “There
is a place for everyone, and this club is
for everybody and anybody who
enjoys dance. We have workshops
throughout the year to show people
how others dance around the world.
Dance is a huge part of the community. We have summer intensives that
are open to the college community,
students, faculty, staff, alumni, and
high school seniors.” She also wanted
to mention the dance club’s appreciation for Student Life. She says, “If it
wasn’t for Student Life’s budget, we
wouldn’t have the workshops.” The
summer intensives and the workshops
are free. The summer intensive,
though, is a two-week course, and it is
a more challenging dance experience.
Publicity for the workshops is posted
all over the school and is sent via Email to students who have signed up
for the mailing list.
It is never too late to join the dance
club according to professor Szabo.
Even if you do not join, students can
always attend the workshops. For
more information on dates, performances, or the club itself, go to a meeting on Tuesdays in room C-106D.
Sign up for the mailing list; it will
keep you posted on all workshops and
intensives. I hope that I will see you
there! So put on your dancing shoes
and strut your stuff into C-106D!
A Modern Day Guide to Salsa
BY: ALON MELAMED
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
"Dance: (noun): a rhythmic
movement accompanied by
music."
(Webster's
online
Dictionary)
Human evolution brought
us fire and electricity, massive
industrial and technological
change, and many words in
many different languages.
However, there is one facet
in human life that connects
humanity with emotion forever. Dancing is such a magical and emotional tool,
immense with passion and
meaning.
Today dance is less a way
of showing affection and
more a way of releasing
stress, added pressure, or
just a way of having fun.
Yet, there is one dance style
filled with these lost emotions and sensations that is
still very popular in the
modern day. Some might
say it is as hot as the sauce
and as sexy as the most
beautiful night itself. Salsa is
a very seductive dance style.
First, we must go back in
time to New York City
(NYC) in the early 1930s. A
song called "Échale salsita"
was probably the first Salsa
song played on the radio.
Radio DJ 'Bigote' Escalona
introduced the world to the
style, saying "the following
rhythm contains Salsa."
It was the beginning of a style
destined to change the world.
As the Hispanic community in
NYC began to grow, immigrants,
mostly from Cuba, began forming
particular steps and movements to
this new evolving music. It was not
until the 1960s that Salsa became a
national phenomenon.
The Mexican population on the
West Coast was influenced by the
Latin music styles their parents listened to, which was the basis for
the mainstream music played on
the radio just a few years later.
Carlos Santana was most likely the
first artist who gained immediate
popularity through the music,
combing the rock culture with the
salsa harmony. Salsa was rapidly
sneaking into American culture.
edgment and the great success that
we know today.
Salsa, though originated from an
original structure, has many forms
and shapes. A typical salsa pattern
uses three steps for every four
Note: the steps a on the figure represent the man's timing. Enjoy.
The ‘70s brought in a new wave
of popularity, and a movie called
Our Latin Thing featured Salsa for
the first time on screen. The movie
was about the Manhattan nightclub 'El Cheetah' and the sexy and
passionate dance. Latin musicians
Cheo Feliciano and Hector Lavoe
were introduced to a broader population, and they began gaining
recognition as well. In 1976,
Billboard magazine featured a full
24-page article on the rising popularity of Salsa music. Latin music
has since achieved world acknowl-
beats, with one beat knocked out
for a different use, such as a tap, a
kick, etc.
The styles usually differ from
each other in the timing and number of step changes. As seen here,
we will examine the 'NYC Style,' a
style developed by Eddie Torres, a
New York dance instructor in the
late ‘70s and early ‘80s. Today, the
style has expanded far beyond
NYC nightclub venues and can be
spotted in Europe, Hawaii and
even in Japan.
Café Bergen Celebrates Latin Heritage
BY: AUSTIN KEENAN
STAFF WRITER
On October 27th, Café Bergen put
on its show for the semester, bringing with it the culmination of Latino
Heritage Week at BCC. Latino
poetry, artwork and photography by
Hispanic students, dancing and, of
course, live music, all made Café
Bergen a spirited celebration of art.
First of all, there was the poetry,
read in both Spanish and English,
from a multitude of Latino student
sources, kicked off by a dramatic and
moving recital of the poem “El Duelo
del Mayoral” by Julian A. Gomez.
Read with great enthusiasm, it set the
mood for the performance, as well as
maintained the pacing of the presentation, with selected poems read in
between the more dramatic sets.
Authors included Eva Easton, Basilio
Guzman, Nelson Guarquila, Claudia
Acosta-Castano, members of the faculty, LASA, and Club de Poetas.
Next there was a demonstration of
Mexican Dancing, performed by
Francisco Imonaz. In traditional garments, Francisco tap danced, leaped,
and shouted with the great energy
often associated with Mexican dance.
He entertained the audience and even
asked for their help in some of the traditional dances, calling for a female
partner. Concluding with a dance
around the sombrero, the energy of
Café Bergen was in full swing.
All throughout the show, the audience was invited to view some of the
great artwork produced by Latino
students on display next to the
refreshments. A variety of sources
contributed to the exhibit, which is
better appreciated through the pictures than through any description.
Finally, the main event was a performance by Alberto Martinez from
the group Monareca. In the eclectic
spirit of Café Bergen, Martinez
demonstrated the group’s musical
concept, which is to fuse traditional
Columbian rhythms with modern
dance and techno sounds. Members
of the audience were invited to dance,
and dance they did, bringing the
excitement of Café Bergen to its peak.
As the last poem was read by
Claudia Acosta in memorial of her
father, Café Bergen came to an end.
Another great show with great variety
left the audience with anticipation
for next semester’s Café Bergen, and
what new things it will have to offer.
Basic Salsa Step ~ Woman's Timing. Start with both of your feet together
1.) Step back with your Left Foot
5.) Step forward with your Right Foot
2.) Break back with your Right Foot
6.) Break forward with your Left Foot
3.) Step weight back onto your Left Foot
7.) Step weight back onto your Right Foot
4.) Hold this beat
8.) Hold this beat Repeat Step 1
NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2006
PAGE 5
Science Made Easy:
BY: MOSES AGWAI
ILLUSTRATOR
There are many students in
Bergen today going for a degree in
science that still do not understand
how the cell works. In many biology classes students still fail to succeed in properly knowing the various parts of the cell. Examining
this issue closely, it seems that the
problem isn’t with the students
grasping the concept but with the
way most professors teach the subject. Many professors teach science
the way it is without putting any
hint of creativity in it. How boring!
This could actually make a science
student lose interest in science all
because of one teacher. However,
there are some exceptionally great
professors that make you love science to the extent that you look
forward to going to your next
biology class. (I hope.) Among the
many great professors are Robert
Dill and Paul Griffo. These guys are
so awesome that they would turn
their classrooms into play grounds.
You would laugh your lungs out
having fun and still master a difficult field of study: science. These
are the kind of professors we should
have swarming in our various classrooms. However, we all agree that
not all professors are like this. That
is why the Torch has made a section
where exclusively science-related
topics are elaborated upon to give
more clarity to the students when
they go back to the classrooms.
Moreover, non science majors
could also read and comprehend
scientific facts without even going
to lecture or lab and still enjoy it.
It is only fair that we commence
this periodical discussion with the
basic microscopic unit of life: the
cell. These are the components and
structure, simplified for better
understanding.
CELL:
Imagine there in
this country called
H.B. (Human Body)
In this country there
are many places
where you could
drink and get wasted.
These places are
called cells. Now let’s
bore down to a particular cell to see
what they consist of.
PLASMA / CELL
MEMBRANE:
You don’t want to
mess with these guys;
there are dangerous.
These
are
the
‘Bouncers’ of the
party. They protect
everyone inside and
guard against anyone
who tries to ruin the
party. This party is
strictly for V.I.P.’s
and as such, no
riffraff such as bacteria or viruses are
allowed. The only
people that could go
in are celebrity cells
like calcium, potassium etc. The plasma
membrane makes
way and ushers them
in. (Man, it’s good to
be a star.)
CYTOPLASM:
Now what good is a great party
without beautiful girls? Yep! You
read right, beautiful girls! These
girls are called cytoplasm. Without
them, cells would be a cavity, lame
and empty, but these girls give you
something to feel whether you
move north, south, east or west.
Grrr! These girls will chew you up,
so proceed with caution.
RIBOSOME:
For such an elite party there definitely has to be food available.
Ribosome, a group of cooks who
make the greatest food in the city,
are responsible for catering the
meals in this party. They work at a
place called endoplasmic reticulum, a section of the cell. However,
there are two parts of the E.R.rough and smooth. Rough endoplasmic reticulum is a place where
the food is initially prepared. Then
it is sent to Smooth E.R. for finishing and styling.
ROUGH AND SMOOTH
ENDOPLASMIC
RETICULUM:
They are simply the kitchens
where the food is made.
MITOCHONDRIA:
Power is needed for the cell. Just
as we all know that PSE&G supplies energy, so are the
Mitochondria to the cell. Basically,
without this power there is no
party. These are the power houses
of the cell.
GOLGI:
These are the servers or what you
might call waiters. They package
the meals into vesicles and also
serve them to the guests at the
party. These guys get mad tips for
their services. Besides, where they
work, they get to meet celebrities.
Don’t you wish you were them?
LYSOSOME:
If you have a party without any
maintenance team then you know
you’re in for some deep problems.
Luckily, these are the top-notch
maintenance guys that clean up
the whole vicinity. They maintain
standard cleanliness and also get
great tips doing this job. They periodically clean the rest rooms and
walk around picking up any little
dirt they come across.
NUCLEUS:
What would a party be without a
host or a boss that sponsors the
party? This is where the biggest
shot you can ever
think of resides. It is
the most elegant
room you can ever
dream of. The guy
that stays over here:
DNA.
RNA
(MESSENGER
RIBONUCLEIC
ACID):
This is one of the
biggest shots in the
whole country. He is
second in command
to the number one
man in the city. He
implements
laws
given directly from
the boss. Rumors
have it that the
mRNA clan has
been cursed with a
seal of loyalty on his
face to DNA forever.
As such he shall
never disobey DNA,
much less overthrow
him, for he dies the
very moment he
attempts
it.
However, this position he wields has
given him such
tremendous prestige,
wealth and power.
But, is it enough?
DNA
(DEOXYRIBO
NUCLEIC
ACID):
He is the biggest of
all the shots. He rules
the cell. He passes his
orders directly to m RNA.
Celebrities and other well
known reputable individuals
come into the nucleus to pay their
respect to DNA.
If you understand this story then
I congratulate you for you have
just understood the basic parts and
function of the cell. Let us know
what science related problem you
have difficulty understanding, and
if we can we will devise a means to
better explain it for greater comprehension. The email address to
send any question or comments is
mosesjefers@yahoo.com. Priority
will be given to the most-asked
questions, so log on now and ask,
your question might be answered
next in ‘Science Made Easy.’
PAGE 6
NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2006
SAB presents:
First Ever Bergen Idol Talent Show!
BY: AUSTIN KEENAN
STAFF WRITER
Wednesday, Nov. 15, marked the
pilot event of SAB’s Bergen Idol
Talent Show. Director and M.C.,
as well as SAB president, Marci
Batchelor, presided over the amateur performances, bringing her
own brand of school spirit to the
otherwise enthusiastic crowd that
turned up for the event. And, just
like in the real American Idol contest, celebrity judges attended to
lend their opinion to the hopeful
performers. In the case of Bergen
Idol, however, “celebrity” judges
included Music Dept. heavyweights Linda Marcel and Andy
Krikun, as well as the Theatre
Dept.’s legendary Ken Bonnaffons.
Unlike American Idol’s judges,
these were honest but supportive
reviews; special thanks go out to
them for being the icing on the
cake in creating the overall feel of
Bergen Idol.
The student center was packed
almost to capacity and the fanfare
of the crowd resounded throughout the building. The acts were
outstanding! At one point, members of the audience were even
invited to come up and perform
impromptu. And perform they
did. Many kids got up from the
back and their seats to take the
stage as their own for their given
15 minutes (or in this case 3-5
minutes) of fame.
Long story short: it was a total
riot. You have to love moments like
these when you never know who
will be up next, dancing their little
heart out or belting out their
favorite lyric. When diversity takes
on a new form, in the spirit of
what we really want to do. We all
want to be dancers, poets, musicians, singers, and performers, but
only a few of us will ever really get
to live that dream. SAB’s Bergen
Idol was an opportunity for the
whole student body to get up and
get a taste of that fame.
The acts weren’t a joke at all,
either. Lots of kids displayed
advanced performing talent. I
would make a special note of
“Brian” from the drama club,
doing freestyle; “Xavier’s” a capella
sweetness, and “The Duke of
Stash” and his impressive collection of spoken word poetry. They
won praise from the audience and
stood out amongst the other performers.
You may notice that the names of
all the performers and in quotes.
That’s because Bergen Idol had the
added advantage of being a stage
for students to perform, as well as
remain anonymous if they chose.
While most used their real names,
others used a pseudonym or avoided giving a name altogether, rushing up from the audience straight
into performing. Anonymous or
not, these are all kids who had the
guts to get up and show Bergen
what they’re made of; that alone
deserves recognition. A BCC
Torch shout-out goes to “Ilan” and
the dance of F-I-R-E, which
undoubtedly got the greatest audience reaction of any performance
throughout the SAB’s first ever
Bergen Idol Talent Show. Here’s to
a great show and many more!
Here’s a quick list of some of the
performers and their acts:
• Josh- “Mad Guitar Skills”
(improvised guitar composition) including such improvised works as “I was born” and
“Japan”
• Duke of Stash- spoken word
poetry including such pieces as
“Form Composition” and
“Traveling Fool”
• SAB’s Ilan- dancing to the
music of Jennifer Lopez, “My
Love Don’t Cost a Thing” and
Destiny’s Child song “Lose My
Breath” The crowd goes wild!!!!
• Brian- a capella rap including a
composed piece called “Love Is”
• SAB’s Jesella- a capella singing,
song by Sara McLaughlan
• Sharon- a capella rendition of
“Amazing Grace”
• Xavier- AKA “Bergen’s own
Superstar” a capella rendition of
“Shattered Cries”
• Kiss- spoken poetry including
the piece “Lucky Stranger”
• James Dulche and his bandacoustic version of Simon and
Garfunkle songs
• Penny- piano medley of Alicia
Keys, Mary J. Blige, and more
• Erica- a capella version of the
Lion King’s “Can You Feel the
Love Tonight?”
• Grace- a capella version of
“Seduce Me”
Distinguished Artist Steve Mackey Comes to Bergen
BY: AUSTIN KEENAN
STAFF WRITER
On October 23, BCC welcomed
Steve Mackey to the Distinguished
Artist Series to demonstrate his
own unique compositions, as well
as give students an opportunity to
experience and learn about
Mackey’s outside-the-box style. As
a preface to the rest of this article,
I would just like to say that good
knowledge of music theory will
help you read the article, but nothing is really going to help you
understand the sound of Steve
Mackey. It is something that needs
to be experienced.
Mackey, born in 1956 in
Germany, grew up playing electric
guitar and was very involved in rock
and roll. His work has won him
many praises, including the outstanding Charles Ives scholarship.
Mackey opened with a comparison of the opera composer,
Richard Wagner (pronounced
VAHG-ner), with the ‘70’s rock
and roll super group, Led
Zeppelin. Mackey stated that aesthetically the two are very similar:
“Guys with long hair screaming
really high notes at the top of their
lungs, yea, sure, it’s kinda like
Zeppelin.” He also briefly mentioned the abstract fairy tale writings of Hans Christian Anderson
as one of his major influences.
At this point, the audience was
blindsided by Steve Mackey’s
unique style. The piece he played
was called “Myrtle and Mint” and
the tonality of the piece is rather
hard to explain. While to the
untrained ear the music may sound
simply bizarre, the true artwork
lies within that experimentation
which has led Mackey to use dissonant sounds, microtones, and the
other less conventional approaches
to compositions that he is known
for. Mackey, a master guitar player, sounded wild while
bending heavily using the
whammy bar to produce
a dark and bizarre atmosphere in the song, which
was accompanied by a
spoken word piece he
explained was compiled
from several different
Anderson stories. After
the song finished, there
was a thick sense of
accomplishment
on
Mackey’s part, apparently
pleased at how surprised
and perhaps confused the
audience was left after
the performance.
Mackey went on to
explain that the tuning of
the guitar is in drop D
style, utilizing the 4th
highest string, ordinarily
tuned to the note of D,
tuned to a microtone
between F and F#. (F
sharp) With the string
out of tune with the rest of the guitar, Mackey explained that it was
then necessary to add the whammy
bar as a way of bending the other
notes to match the mismatched
tuning. He also said that the
music is not, as many would have
believed, atonal in composition.
“It’s not really atonal, so much as
it's influenced by microtones and
atonality.” For those guitar buffs
who wish to experiment with this
technique, it is a noteworthy fact
that Mackey uses a tuning mechanism to maintain the oddball tuning to compensate the extreme and
often pitch-bending sound.
With the audience stepping into
his world, Mackey was free to show
off some of his finer work. He
played, from the DVD, the premier performance of his work in
the experimental masterpiece project,
“Ravenshead,”
which
premiered at Penn State University
with the support of the Paul
Dreshner
Ensemble.
“Ravenshead” is a modern opera,
which utilizes Mackey’s musical
work to the maximum, and the
plot covers the true story of a man
who enters a race to sail around the
world and fakes his progress by circling around in the Atlantic
Ocean, using his radio broadcasts
as a faux proclamation of his lead.
The story ends with the man
entering the race with intentions to
lose at last length and climaxes
when he winds up winning
accidentally, and then committing
suicide to avoid being exposed as a
fraud.
After a quick Q-and-A session,
Mackey concluded his presentation with a piece called “Heavy
Light” which is a moody piece
written for expressive dance and
musically influenced by the movement of the dancers.
Overall, it was a great pleasure to
experience this man’s work. Steve
Mackey is a master composer of his
own truly unique style. Anyone
looking to create his or her own
individual style can learn a lot just
by listening to his work. This
installment in the Distinguished
Artist Series at BCC was one that
broke away from musical traditions, but surely is one that will be
remembered for years to come.
NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2006
PAGE 7
The Right Side of the Law
BY: FRANCINE LUCAS
COPY EDITOR
Entering into the Fall semester of
2006 I expected every class to
involve the same formula. The students would slowly walk into
chugging down the last drops of
our cherished Dunkin Donuts
while already plotting our escapes,
searching for all possible exits. For
many, the one thing to look forward to was hopefully beating traffic on Paramus Road and gleefully
laughing at everyone else behind
you, who if they were just 2 minutes earlier wouldn’t be in that
heinous predicament. For those
who were in Professor Katzman’s
TV Production II class, we knew
that every Thursday would be
something new.
Sheriff Leo P. McGuire of the
Bergen
County
Sheriff ’s
Department gave us a tremendous
gift by allowing us to work with
him and many of his fellow coworkers on the Right Side of the
Law. The television program
(which will be online and hopefully on a local cable station) provided
us with real life working experience
but sadly without a paycheck. The
semester started off with our first
meeting with Sheriff McGuire
along with the beloved Under-sheriff John Calabrese, to brainstorm
possible topics for our upcoming
shows. Once production dates were
set we began our pre-production by
building our set and taking tours of
the courthouse, the….., and the
old and new jail. As a team we collected footage from our previous
tours, while also obtaining it from
the police academy in Mahwah, the
Swat Team, Canine Unit, and reenacted arrests.
Once all of the preproduction
was done we immediately started
the show, having a new topic, producer, and occasional host every
week. Even though we had a lot of
fun and enjoyed the work we were
doing, since many of us who were
involved are broadcasts majors, we
never took for granted the opportunity that we were given. Even
though it was a structured show, it
never hindered our creativity and
made us work with what was available to us. For anyone who is
interested in any form of
expression or communication
do not hesitate to take any of
the TV Production classes
offered at Bergen. By doing
so, you are only limiting
yourself to one more experience that can enrich your life
due to the people and tools
that you will gain.
PAGE 8
NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2006
Remember Home: The Philippines
BY: CARESSA VALDUEZA
STAFF WRITER
Memories flow through my
mind during idle moments. These
mental images bring themselves to
the present. They are here again,
alive and almost touchable. I
remember the home that I left two
years ago, but simply reminiscing
takes me there again. I feel the
places in the Philippines: roads
and bridges in Quezon city, the
lights in Makati and the green hills
of Antipolo. I am riding the jeepney where passengers are packed
sitting close to each other. I hear
the tricycle engine as I wait in the
long line. The three-wheeled vehicle is very modest, but it will take
me to where I want. The air rushes
to my face as the ride goes. These
are the episodes that play when I
remember home.
Located in Southeast Asia, the
Philippines are an archipelago with
7,107 islands divided to Luzon,
Visayas and Mindanao. The country has over 170 languages as these
separated islands have slightly different cultures. There are many
wonderful
places
in
the
Philippines, brimming with beaches, historical towns and refreshing
hills and rivers. I have gone to
many of these places through
school and family trips. In this article, I am sharing three of the captivating places I went to: Tagaytay,
Intramuros and Guimaras.
Tagaytay
Tagaytay city is just an hour away
from Manila, the Philippines’ capital. It has a cool climate, and it
encounters frequent rainfall.
Tagaytay sits on the ridge, overlooking Taal Lake and Volcano.
The view is arresting. Taal lake is a
“lake within an island within a
lake.” From afar, the volcano is
blue, calm and peaceful. Tagaytay’s
Picnic Groove is the best site from
which to view the volcano. The
Picnic Groove offers huts on the
slopes where family and friends
gather. With my family, I stayed
there throughout the day,
enthralled by the lake surrounded
my mist. Being in there is stressfree and the cool weather is just
right. Tagaytay is turning more
urban and commercialized, but it
preserves well the treasures nature
bestowed upon it.
Intramuros
Near Pasig
River
and
Manila Bay,
the Intramuros
is a walled city established in 1571
by Spanish conquistadors. This
medieval city was Manila itself, but
since Manila has grown beyond its
walls, it has been a “city within a
city.” Intramuros contains parks
and ancient churches. In
Intramuros one can ride a kalesa,
which is a horse-drawn carriage.
The cobbled ground and black
light posts produce an eerie feeling
about the old days. Fort Santiago is
also found here. It was originally a
defense façade, housing arms and
officials. However, it was also a
dungeon where people were tortured. The Philippines’ national
hero, Jose Rizal, was incarcerated
here. Today, Fort Santiago serves as
a museum. Performances and art
shows are occasionally held in
Intramuros.
Guimaras
The sound of the sea and the feel
of brine air complete my beautiful
affair with Guimaras, an island in
the Visayas. To get there, we rode a
boat from the mainland. The
beach made me feel life’s simplicity. Boats with fishnets rested on
the
shore.
Seafood
was
served fresh on
the
bamboo
tables. On the sea
were some hills.
Wind blew gently
and the sky was a
canopy of blue
hue and clouds
that stretched.
Guimaras is the
perfect
escape
from the urban,
fast-paced life. It
is a place of peace
and
freedom
from worries.
I remember
how we just
sat on the
w o o d e n
bench, laughing and talking the time
away.
It has been
two
years
since I left the
Philippines.
Aside from
places, there
are people and
events to remember. I miss the tricycles and the colorful jeepneys,
rides that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. It has been
a while indeed, but dwelling in the
memories, I am not very far from
home.
The Tempest: A Rave Review
BY: AUSTIN KEENAN
STAFF WRITER
On Oct. 27, the cast and crew of
The Tempest, led by BCC Theatre
guru Ken Bonnaffons, gave their
debut performance of the
Shakespeare classic. The Tempest is
the tale of a ship wrecked ashore on
a tropical island through magical
interference brought on by the
vengeful influence of Prospero
(played by Billy Alzaher). Alzaher
delivered his lines flawlessly and
conveyed the swaying intent of his
character through both acts. In
addition, Alzaher is an active member of the performing arts at BCC
and currently is the president of the
BCC Music Interactive Club.
As the story continues, the ship is
brought to the shores of an
unnamed tropical island where
Prospero has lived for years. He
has gained power with the other
inhabitants of the island, including
the nymphs, (played by Lisa
Petrocelli, Mae Frankenberger,
Kelly McGovern, and Andrew
Trujillo and led by theatre veteran
Lindsay Astrarita as Ariel), whom
he set free, and the native Caliban
(played by Brian Arya.) Prospero
aims to bring all of the nobles who
exiled him from power to the tropical island by using the magic of
the nymphs to lead them to his
island stronghold. Along the way,
there is a subplot to overthrow and
murder the current king, Alonso
(played by Jim Lillis), planned and
nearly executed by two of the
king’s closest men, Sebastian and
Antonio (played by Stephen Siano
and Jason Verhage, respectively),
which is partially initiated by the
nymph’s trickery. Also, a jester,
Trinculo (played by Kyle Louis
Scatliffe), and a drunkard,
Stephano (played by Diamond
Sims), wind up befriending the
native Caliban with hopes to free
him from the seemingly treacherous tyranny of Prospero, and,
much to the dismay of Prospero,
his daughter, Miranda, falls in love
with the prince Ferdinand, whom
her father has called a traitor.
In the end, Prospero uses his sorcery to bring everyone together,
allows Miranda and Ferdinand to
be together, and uses magic to
ensure everyone will arrive back
home for their wedding. However,
many things are left unanswered,
as the plot to kill the king is never
fully revealed; Prospero makes
moves to appear as if to forgive
Alonso for his moves to exile him,
and Prospero’s betrayal by the hand
of his own brother, Antonio is
never addressed. It is an ending
left to the opinion of the audience.
The play was done on a
single center stage serving as both the island
terrain and also the
opening setting of a
tempest-tossed ship at
sea. Two dressed corner
stages
served
as
Prospero’s
dwelling
space as well as a cave
made home by the
native Caliban.
Brilliant use of mysterious piano music supplied by BCC Professor
Ron Mazurek from the
CD Final Bells was combined with soft and
moody lighting and
careful, yet effective, use
of choreography. The
dance was also aided by
Catherine Sheedy and
Jason VerHage, appearing to be not only
superb actors, but also
choreographers.
Bonnaffons, as well as
the actors, outdo themselves in terms of performance in this BCC
rendition
of
The
Tempest. Special mention goes to returning
BCC Theatre Major,
Salma Salloum, for her
creative yet faithful rendition of Gonzalo, a
man whom Prospero
cares about very much.
It is worth mentioning,
for those unfamiliar with
this Shakespeare work,
that Gonzalo is a cautiously wise and elderly
man. That being told,
this is not the easiest role
for a young woman to
portray accurately.
My hat goes off to the
entire cast and crew of
The Tempest for their
excellent work in this
play.
. . . is online at
http://www.bergen.edu/pages/880.asp
NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2006
PAGE 9
U.N. Sanctions Placed on North Korea
BY: JAMES ROBINSON
STAFF WRITER
Last month, it was reported that
North Korea claimed to have conducted an underground nuclear
test, drawing heavy criticism from
around the world. President Bush
stated that "such a claim itself constitutes a threat to international
peace and security" and that "the
United States condemns this
provocative act. Once again North
Korea has defied the will of the
international community, and the
international community will
respond." The United States
expressed the need to conduct air
samples of the area around the
alleged blast before it confirmed
that the nuclear test was actually
conducted. Critics insisted that the
administration's failure to conduct
bilateral talks with Kim Jong Il, the
North Korean leader, led to these
alleged tests. Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice replied, "The
United States tried direct dialogue
with the North Koreans in the
'90s, and that resulted in the
North Koreans signing onto agreements that they then didn't keep."
The Bush administration has been
adamant about not participating in
any talks with the communist
North Korea.
Just weeks later, the U.N. agreed
on sanctions proposed against
North Korea that strongly urged
against the trading of goods with
the country, including weapons
and materials that could contribute to their nuclear program.
Japan immediately placed a ban on
all North Korean imports and stated that all of the country's ships
were also banned from entering
their ports. After these sanctions
were placed on the country, the
North Korean ambassador to the
U.N, Pak Gil Yon said that North
Korea "totally rejects the unjustifiable resolution" and that "if the
United States increases pressure
upon [North Korea] persistently,
[it] will continue to take physical
countermeasures considering it as a
declaration of war." South Korea's
ambassador, Choi Young-Jian, also
demanded that Kim Jong Il cancel
his nuclear weapons programs and
"return immediately to the sixparty talks without any preconditions." China, North Korea's
largest trading ally, also voted
unanimously for the sanctions
against North Korea, but had
allowed trade to continue with the
country. Although it was reported
that trucks headed to North Korea
from China were beginning to be
inspected, Wang Guangya, the
Chinese ambassador to the United
Nations, explained that China
would not carry out these inspections. The United States has continued to press China to abandon
all trade with North Korea, in
hopes that the nation will give up
its nuclear program. The cuts in
trade with North Korea, one of the
most impoverished nations in the
world, would most largely affect
the nation’s food supply, with a
shortage of food a possibility for
the country in the coming months.
Weeks later, with China’s added
pressure, North Korea agreed to
return to six-party nuclear talks.
Sources
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WOR
LD/asiapcf/10/09/korea.nuclear.te
st0510/index.html
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WOR
LD/asiapcf/10/10/rice.korea/index
.html
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WOR
LD/asiapcf/10/11/korea.nuclear.ja
pan.ap/index.html
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/10/11/bush.conference/inde
x.html
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WOR
LD/asiapcf/10/14/nkorea.test.sam
ple/index.html
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/10/14/bush.un.ap/index.html
Military Commissions Act Draws Support and Criticism
BY: JAMES ROBINSON
STAFF WRITER
President Bush signed the
Military Commissions Act into
law on October 17th, 2006. The
bill, as passed by the House of
Representatives and the Senate,
addresses the detainment and
treatment of prisoners in the War
on Terror, specifically the use of
controversial interrogation methods and the removal of habeas corpus, which grants the defendants
the right to appeal their detainment and seek release from false
confinement. The Act comes after
the Supreme Court ruled back in
June that the military tribunals
that were currently being used by
President Bush's administration to
try the detainees violated U.S. and
international law. The President
urged Congress to pass new legislation that would authorize the tribunals and allow the interrogation
methods to continue. The Military
Commissions Act eliminates most
of the rights that the detainees
have been granted in the past
under U.S. law. However, critics of
the legislation argued that the
alleged torture of detainees, and
the removal of habeas corpus, places
us in violation of the Geneva
Conventions.
The signing of the Act has been
followed by a war of words
between supporters of the law and
those opposed to it. The American
Civil Liberties Union said it was
"one of the worst civil liberties
measures ever enacted in American
history." Democratic Sen. Russ
Feingold said, "We will look back
on this day as a stain on our
nation's history" and that the law
"allows the government to seize
individuals on American soil and
detain them indefinitely with no
opportunity to challenge their
detention in court." On the other
hand, House Majority Leader John
Boehner stated that, "By preserving this critical program and arming the President with the tools he
needs to keep America safe, our
efforts to disrupt terrorist plots and
save American lives with this vital
program can continue. I would
urge Democratic leaders to reconsider their ‘No’ votes on bringing
dangerous terrorists to justice and
put the interests of the American
people ahead of their own." Upon
hearing that the law had been
passed by the Senate, President
Bush announced that "Today, the
Senate sent a strong signal to the
terrorists that we will continue
using every element of national
power to pursue our enemies and
to prevent attacks on America. The
Military Commissions Act of 2006
will allow the continuation of a
CIA program that has been one of
America's most potent tools in
fighting the War on Terror.” The
President addressed those opposed
to the interrogation methods by
saying that the methods have
assisted the CIA in obtaining key
information from the terror suspects which has gone on to save the
American lives.
In examining the Military
Commissions Act, which is available to be read in full at the Library
of Congress's website, it states that
a system of military commissions
has been established for the purpose of placing terror suspects on
trial, where in some instances, evidence would be withheld from the
defendants. The law also removes
the right of federal courts to hear
petitions from non-American citizens wanting to challenge their
detainment. In addition, based on
his or her findings, the judge may
introduce
hearsay
evidence
obtained without a search warrant
or have classified evidence not
made available to the defense, as
described in Sections 948 and 949.
A finding of "Guilty" by a particular commission requires only a
two-thirds majority of the members of the commission present at
the time the vote is taken. In
Section 7, it states that, "No person may invoke the Geneva
Conventions or any protocols
thereto in any habeas corpus or
other civil action or proceeding to
which the United States, or a current or former officer, employee,
member of the Armed Forces, or
other agent of the United States is
a party as a source of rights in any
court of the United States or its
States or territories." Finally,
Section 108 states that, "As provided by the Constitution and by this
section, the President has the
authority for the United States to
interpret the meaning and application of the Geneva Conventions
and to promulgate higher standards and administrative regulations for violations of treaty obligations which are not grave breaches
of the Geneva Conventions."
The Military Commissions Act of
2006
can
be
read
at
http://thomas.loc.gov
Sources
http://thomas.loc.gov
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/10/17/bush.terrorism.ap/in
dex.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10
/18/washington/18detain.html?ad
xnnl=1&adxnnlx=1161623007OJhh5Y75/vxc+MHux/Mjuw
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/1
5301023/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milit
ary_Commissions_Act
http://dictionary.reference.com/se
arch?r=2&q=habeas%20corpus
from diverse areas like California
and New York, I understand why
the separation of church and state is
so important: our diversity could be
threatened by not acknowledging it.
I think if the so-called “left wing
socialists” do not take over, we are
doomed to have another House of
Representatives that cares about gay
marriage and rallies for support in
Iraq, instead of one that enacts the
safety precautions from the 9/11
commission and insures that middle
class Americans can afford health
insurance. By the way, the “uninsured middle class” is the fastest
growing demographic currently in
the US, according to recent polls.
On the other hand, in Rhode
Island, Lincoln Chaffey, the
incumbent Republican senator, lost
to the Democratic challenger,
Sheldon Whitehouse, solely over
the fact that he was part of George
Bush’s party. However, Lincoln
Chaffey was, in fact, the only member of the Republican party who
defended neo-conservatives and the
religious right voting against
Republican bills over 90% of the
time. He was the only Republican
senator that voted against the invasion of Iraq. The question remains:
do we actually have a victory in
Washington when so many liberals
are actually conservative?
With the advent of the “Military
Commissions Act,” the President
may take his war on terror anywhere he wants, foreign or domestic, by suspending the writ of habeas
corpus (the law that says you can
only be jailed if charged with a
crime) and allowing “certain types”
of torture to be practiced on
detainees. Also, with Joe Lieberman
strongly supporting a war that most
Americans oppose, Jim Webb supporting everything Republicans do
(except the war), and the number
one dissenter within the Republican
party gone, who will be left to represent us? The people who voted
against the status quo?
Democrats win the house majority, we hope…
DOUG SMITH
STAFF WRITER
As we all may know, the
Democratic Party won a decisive
majority in Congress (231 to 197,
with 7 districts still counting) and
just barely reclaimed the Senate by
a one seat difference in the midterm elections this past November
7th. This coming January, the
Democrats are poised to take the
initiative in Washington D.C. on
issues such as the Iraq policy, minimum wage, health care, and oversight on Bush’s unchecked power,
namely regarding the war on terror. My only concern is: will that
be possible for the Democratic
majority to achieve?
Unless the right people take the
initiative on these issues, this victory, which is considered a win for
the majority of the American people, may be short-lived. Leading
Democrats are increasingly being
pushed to the side and ridiculed as
“the far left” by centrists threatening to undermine the much needed change in American policy, foreign and domestic.
Jim Webb, the Senator elected
from Virginia, ran neck and neck
with incumbent Senator George
Allen. Webb was said to have won
only because of Allen’s racist attack
on a cameraman who was sent to
film him for the opposition. Allen
called the young man of Indian
decent “Macaca,” a North African
term used against native people by
colonists from France and Belgium
(where Allen’s mother was born.)
Ironically, Webb, the Democratic
challenger and winner, has been
cited stating sexist comments – he
only won because of the outrage
against the Bush Administration.
Is this what it has come down to:
running the same type of candidate against each other to see who
makes bigger mistakes?
The answer to this question worries me because in an effort to win
conservative votes, Democrats had
to run conservative campaigns in
many areas. Take Connecticut, for
example. Ned Lamont won against
incumbent Democratic Senator
Joe Lieberman by a decisive margin because of one key reason: the
opposition to the American occupation in Iraq. Shortly thereafter,
Lieberman took it upon himself to
run as an independent. He won,
promising to vote with the liberals
on every issue except the war
(unless he decides pander to all of
the Republican votes he procured
in this last election.) Whether
Lieberman is the man who will go
to Washington and talk tough to
an administration that has abused
its power time and time again is
uncertain. One thing, however, is
for sure: Lamont would have.
I want to point out that even
though this may have helped the
Democrats get back in the political
scene, Americans may not have
wanted them to do so. Coming
PAGE 10
NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2006
Opinions & Editorial
Just a Few Thoughts...
So as it goes, we recently discovered an editorial newspaper who publishes items varying
from covering a local band to poems by students at Bergen Community. "Community,"
what sense of a word. The "Underground," as it's referred to, is published by three
editors/writers, but prefer their names to be hidden. They claim they publish their and
other's works because of their dissatisfaction with The Torch for its publication. "Too
school-related" does not seem to me to make sense; after all The Torch is the official newspaper of BCC. After all, having all students commute to and from school, between work and
taking care of children, many of the students here are not aware of "administration" decisions being made that would affect them. Take tuition raise, for example, or a vote which
would require more math in order to graduate. I don't know about you, but I certainly
don't want to take more math in order to graduate, or worse, take more math to graduate
at a higher tuition rate...
But, I'm not here to defend The Torch. The idea of an "underground" newspaper is not
new. Many writers and poets, even the truest MC’s with the illest hip-hop lyrics, prefer to
disassociate themselves with the mainstream ideals. Ever watched Mos Def and the character he plays in the movie Brown Sugar? In the movie, Mos Def, what I call a true hip-hop
MC and one of my favorite lyricists, did not want to subject himself to the mainstream idea
of what hip-hop is supposed to be... thus, he rejects putting out a CD in the fear of subjecting to the mainstream....
But, social change IS deeply needed today.
Hip-hop is not the same. "Chicken noodle with a Coke on the side" is not exactly the
illest rhyme. It's a song... oh my bad...it's hip-hop. No, I argue it's not... Many people
would tell me it is... don't believe me? Listen to the local radio stations. They love the
chicken noodle song with the Coke on the side....
The irony of underground is rooted in its context. Historically, "underground" anything
- meetings, publications, religious meetings - were held due to the fear of persecution by
those who rule, both the country and the government. But, in our times, we have freedom
of speech. This constitutional right should be used to educate others. Instead, it is used to
make offensive remarks for your fellow individuals, and use the defense of "freedom of
speech" to justify their offensive remarks...
Ever heard of the Guerilla Girls? Publication started in the great city of New York. They're
a bunch of women who publish anything from art to poetry written by women. Women,
like Frida Kahlo, women like someone who is a single mother struggling because her
boyfriend impregnated her and left. These are the women who hold our society.
Unfortunately, for a man's society, they are not recognized as much as Monet, Van Gogh...
Thus, Guerilla Girls is published. Its purpose: to educate.
Underground. It's purpose: to propose a social change. But, in a country where freedom
of speech, and freedom of the press is legal, underground should not be taken as it's literal
meaning; rather, use its definition to come out of your sphere, to be heard, and to make a
social change it claims.
My point: social change will not happen by giving out their publication and disappearing
into the bushes. Our society is plagued by mainstream. Art, poetry, illest rhymes coming
from within one's soul is hardly a part of the bling-bling, women being called bitches, fcked, and used as society’s sex objects....
Sounds funny, but, the truth needs a social change.
Poets, artists, lyricists, are needed. But, hiding and disappearing into the dark evokes
fear.... and fear is what I find stops people from being different, from disassociating themselves from the mainstream.... Social change is desperately needed. More importantly, we
need individuals who are NOT afraid to make a social change. Otherwise, keep on writing
your poems and lyrics, and disappear into the dark. And if you're subjected under the word
fear, keep on dreaming of your proposed change...but, better yet, just keep on writing in
your diary like a child hoping and dreaming for something better...
Be proud. Social change is desperately needed. But, hiding is not the way to educate.
One Love
Covering:
The Underground Newspaper
BY: RACHEL FREEMAN
STAFF WRITER
She whispers, “Do you want a
copy
of
The
Bergen
Underground?”“Ok,” I reply,
intrigued. The student quickly
deals me a copy from her stack,
then disappears into the crowd. I
look down at what she’s left in my
hands. It’s a small, four-page publication, with a simple, stark layout. I
flip through the pages to find terse,
satirical articles, poetry fraught with
emotion, witty top ten lists, an
interview with a constructionworker, and a review of a local BCC
band. The material is well-written,
interesting, and most importantly,
enormously relevant to the student
body. Basically, it’s fantastic.
The same time and place, one
week later, I see the same student.
Another issue of the underground
newspaper has already been published. I approach her, ask her for
a copy, and ask her for an interview. She agrees. She explains that
the other two editors/writers of
the paper are in class, but she’d be
happy to speak for them.
So there are three editors/writers in total?
Q:
A:
Yeah, the three of us started
the paper. But anyone can
submit art, articles, band information,
anything
–
to
BergenUnderground@hotmail.com
Q:
A:
Q:
A:
What are your names?
Nice try. Not telling.
Why did you start the
paper?
We were dissatisfied with
The Torch. (no offense) The
Torch is formal, austere, and covers
only official school events. We think
that it doesn’t represent the student
body; only administration.
How is your paper different?
Q:
A:
We are casual and straightforward. Candor is the
rule. We cover unofficial events,
like local shows and BCC bands,
that occur outside of school. We
try to foster a sense of community
at a commuter campus.
I see that you have statistics in your paper. How
do you poll the student body?
We pride ourselves on
talking to people face-toface; that’s how we distribute our
Q:
A:
copies, get feedback, and gather
information for polls. Last week,
we polled 50 Bergen students for
an article about sex.
Any trouble with administration so far?
We put up posters around
campus (mostly in “legal”
places) advertising our e-mail
address and calling for submissions. Every single poster was
taken down two days later.
Strange, huh? Although, as a joke,
we gave a few copies of the paper
out to security. They loved it!
Q:
A:
Q:
A:
Where can I pick up a
copy?
You just have to get lucky,
and be in the right place at
the right time. We encourage people to pass their copy on to a
friend to increase circulation.
Thanks for the interview.
Any closing thoughts?
Although we have no
budget, and can’t afford to
pay our submitters like the Torch, a
good amount of people have contributed articles. We encourage
people to write to us about whatever’s on their minds. We’re listening.
Q:
A:
Editor-In-Chief
Copy Editor
News Editor
Sports Editor
Entertainment Editor
Fashion Editor
Photographer
Illustrator
Advisor
Louis Campos
Francine Lucas
Nicole Casamento
Danny LaFaso
Alon Melamed
Amanda Ferrante
Sergio Lopez
Moses Agwai
Dr. Ralph Choonoo
Staff Writers:
Bahadir Basaran
Rachel Freeman
Mariya Gonor
Eric Grigoriew
Jung Hae Yi
Austin Keenan
Michelisa Lanche
Sergei Miledin
James Robinson
Chloe Riccardo
Caressa Valdueza
Contributing Writers:
Kiss
Alex Sheppard
Doug Smith
Keisha Spradley
Mailing Address:
400 Paramus Road
Paramus, NJ 07652-1595
Room L-115
Phone: 201-493-5006
Fax: 201-493-5008
torch_editors@yahoo.com
The Torch , a member of the Associated College Press and the
College Media Association, is the official student newspaper of
Bergen Community College. The purpose of the The Torch is to
report on the events at BCC and the local community and to offer the
BCC community a forum for the expression. The opinions expressed
in The Torch are not necessarily those of The Torch. All the materials
submitted to The Torch become property of The Torch.
NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2006
PAGE 11
Bring Out the Donkey!
Attention!
Student
Organizations.
Post your
Event With
Us. How?
E-mail flyers or files in
.jpg format or .pdf format to
torch_editors@yahoo.com
Breasts vs. Buttocks? My Money’s on the Breasts.
BY: MICHELISA LANCHE
STAFF WRITER
Breasts: God’s gift to mankind.
Here are the top 5 reasons why I
love them:
Reason #1: Let's keep it real people. I lack them. Actually, I don't
have the size I would like to have,
so of course I love what I don't
have (as most people usually do.)
Reason #2: They emphasize a
woman's face. They kind of act like
the bottom part of a frame. One
might think that when she has
rather large breasts, men are solely
staring at them instead of her face
when she speaks, but...actually
that's probably it, but that's just a
natural human reaction. I’m sure
they’re actually listening. (I hope.)
Anyway, I really do think that they
highlight a woman’s face just as her
hair does when she wears it down.
Yes, a man looks at her hair, but it's
not what he completely cares
about.
Reason #3: They make clothes
look better. Shirts, bathing
suits…pretty much anything
except for jeans because one cannot stuff her breasts into a pair of
jeans. (Well, she can, but that's not
fashionably accepted…yet.)
Reason #4: Breasts are the defining symbol of a woman. What is a
woman? She is a strong, levelheaded, yet compassionate being.
What better symbol to use, than
breasts? They are soft and smooth,
yet firm - such a physical characteristic reflects the personality of
the individual to whom the breasts
belong. How? They add curves to a
woman's frame, and, technically
speaking, curves are smooth.
Furthermore, a woman is the giver
of life. Her breasts nurture life with
that magic juice called “breast
milk.”
And last, but not least…
Reason #5: They are soft and
squishy, and who doesn’t love soft
and squishy things? If you are not
familiar with the texture or feeling
of a breast, as Mr. T says, “I pity
the fool.”
Now, let’s discuss why the buttocks pale in comparison to
breasts.
Firstly, think about what leaves
the buttocks: bowels and gaseous
entities. (Respectively referred to
in a colloquial manner as "poopies" and "farts".) What the buttocks does is add these useless
items to the world, and after it
does, we, the people, are forced to
dispose of them – if we do not,
serious health risks are involved.
I’m not sure if one can die or get
sick from inhaling a fart (since that
is the only viable way of "disposing" of one), but one probably can.
In the 8th grade, a friend once told
me that a fart is a “collection of airborne particle[s] of crap." So, since
one can become ill from the ingestion of crap, it’s logical to assume
that he can become ill from a fart
as well. I would like to reiterate
that breasts nurture the world with
their milk: they do nothing but
make the world a better place.
Secondly, buttocks jiggle, and
most people enjoy this jiggling
attribute; however, this jiggling is
not like the jiggling of a breast. In
my world, I have a scale for everything, and, conveniently enough, I
have a Jiggle Scale. Breasts ranges
from 4 to 6 -- absolutely perfect:
they neither jiggle too much nor
too little. Buttocks, on the other
hand, excessively jiggle: they lie at
either extreme of the Jiggle Scale. If
you exercise too much, they are
considered a 10 or too firm -- the
jingle "Like a Rock" for that Chevy
Automobile Company comes to
mind. If one never exercises, her
buttocks would be considered a 1,
and it would be referred to as the
"cottage cheese booty." Basically,
this means that ripples form on
and around her buttocks. For one
to have the buttocks jiggle within
the range of 4 and 6 is difficult.
One cannot work out too much -so how much is too much? One
cannot work out too little -- so
how much is too little? A person
doesn’t have to work nearly as hard
to have breasts with the perfect jiggle: she either has “it” or lacks “it.”
Buttocks just require too much
effort.
At any rate, it's all about preference, right? So, in the endless battle between breasts and buttocks,
my money is, and always will be,
on the breasts.
Obviously, many customers are
curious about the future of ring
tones. German and Swedish
telecommunication companies
Siemens and Nokia have installed
an option to record your own personal voice ring tone, allowing you
to record a few minutes of whatever you
want, personalizing
your phone even
more.
Still, music bootlegging is too widespread not to notice.
The only music
tunes not subject to
copyright laws are
classical music samples and publicized
tunes offered to
everyone. So, when
downloading a particular song or tune
from the internet or
some text message,
make sure it follows
copyright laws.
It’s hard to believe Mr. Bell
thought about the ring tone
becoming a trend in society, but it
happened, and the technology is
still progressing.
Ring Tones – A New Music Industry
BY: ALON MELAMED
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
In a time where more and more
internet song downloads are available almost free of charge and
artists are trying to promote singles
through the radio, there is a new
evolving medium captivating the
music audience.
On June 2, 1875, Alexander
Graham Bell invented the telephone. Little did he know that this
seemingly ordinary device would
become such a main part of our
popular culture.
While on my way towards class, I
heard the ever-so-popular "wedding march" in the loudest of
tones. I was naively thinking the
college was conducting some wedding ceremony, but I was wrong.
Only a few moments later, I heard
the sound turned into a conversation of a girl talking over the
phone to her boyfriend. Ring tones
have become a little more than the
usual "bell ring." I just hope the
boyfriend knows what his girl has
planned for him…
Amazingly, ring tones using
musical features are not a new phenomenon. A 1956 Modern
Mechanix article wrote about an
innovation for the ring tone.
Instead of a common sound, it
would be featuring classical instruments such as the clarinet.
Yet, technology today makes it
possible, legally and illegally (bootleg), to download and save entire
music samples of our favorite
artists in our cell phone.
This industry of ring tones has
exploded to become one of the
biggest businesses worldwide. In the
United States alone, the industry
has become the third most popular
music source of income, reaching
an estimate of $4 billion! (2004)
What has made ring tones so popular? The desire to be up-to-date at
all costs apparently has no boundaries. The Swedish telecommunication companies Erickson and Nokia
started it all, and not so long ago.
Towards the end of the last decade,
they installed the ability to compose
a personal music tone stored in a
personal cellular phone.
This special feature opened the
possibility for each person to customize his or her own melody and
as a result, recognize his or her
phone. The official terminology
lists this feature as a 'monophonic'
ring tone. It was called mono
because the sound being produced
was made up of one tone at a time.
The ring tones revolution began.
The next phase of ring tone evolution was the 'polyphonic' ring
tone. Being able to play more than
one tone at once developed the
sound of the phone very quickly.
However, the progress of cell phone
ring tones did not stop there.
Today, the newest of cell phones
carry an option for parts or entire
songs to be heard in their original
sound. This feature is commonly
known as 'real music' ring tones.
The phones can carry almost all
kinds of music formats, most
notably MP3 or WAV.
PAGE 12
NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2006
Fashion
Dunks: Nike’s Big Little Secret
BY: SERGEI MILEDIN
STAFF WRITER
When looking around the hallways of BCC, you can’t help but
notice what your fellow students
are wearing on their feet. From Air
Forces to Jordan’s, shoes are a big
part of a guy’s wardrobe. However,
what you don’t see a lot of are Nike
Dunks.
Originally
called
Terminators, Dunks were released
in 1985 as a college basketball
shoe. The shoe slowly caught on
with skateboarders and Nike began
producing a skateboarding model
known as the Dunk SB (which
Nike Dunk
obtain. For instance,
unlike regular Dunks,
SB’s don’t have release
dates and cannot be
found in chain shoe
stores. SB’s are usually carried by skate
shops and other low
key retailers. Due to
Nike Dunk SB Tiffany limited release, hype
spreads like wildfire
included extra padding like any
easily
bumping
the price anywhere
other skateboarding shoe). Ever
from
$200
to
$1000.
since, the Dunk has transformed
Certain pairs of SB’s are limited
into a sub-cultural icon in the
in
production, which could make
sneaker world.
finding
a pair nearly impossible
Dunks vary in price and availand
unaffordable.
Just like any
ability. If one wanted a regular pair
kind
of
release,
“sneaker-heads,”
as
of Dunks,
they
are
called,
will
camp
out
in
they could
find them front of stores hoping to get an
at
most exclusive pair of Dunks. When
s n e a k e r Nike released the Pigeon Dunks, a
stores for a riot broke out in the streets of New
reasonable York and police had to contact a
price. SB’s taxi cab service to escort those who
vary
in had been lucky enough to grab a
price from pair. Among the weapons found
$ 6 5 . 0 0 - after the riot dispersed were knives
$99.00, but and baseball bats. The Pigeons are
are more now valued somewhere around
SB Pigeon. NYC shoe difficult to $2,000.
The Pigeons are nothing com-
How to Impress a Woman
Baby, it’s Cold Outside!
Wishful Winter Wardrobe
BY: ALON MELAMED
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
BY: AMANDA FERRANTE
FASHION EDITOR
So they say it’s going to be a harsh
winter. Never fear, winter fashion is
here! Feeling blue because the sun
won’t shine past 4 o’clock? Ask your
doctor for a prescription of retail
therapy; it’s proven effective for a
great deal of the population. These
new styles (for guys and girls) will
take your chills away and showcase
the best combination of style and
comfort. Sometimes we’ve got to be
babes on a budget, so pictured are
different coats and prices. Let’s
have a little something for everyone!
Long coats are in for the ladies;
they’re sharp and sexy. Eliminate
the faux fur; less is more this winter.
For the guys, dark colors are hot.
Go with the grey, navy, and black.
White works for some of you, too.
Wear what you like! Stay warm and
wonderful this winter!
pared to a pair
simply known
as
the
F LO M ’s .
Only 24 pairs
were
ever
made; three
were raffled to
the public in
Hong Kong,
C h i n a .
Among a confirmed winner
Nike Dunk SB Flom 24 pairs ever made!
was basketball
star
Grant
and artists convened above the
Hill, who later sold his to the great stage and bargained through the
Julius Erving. The shoes are said to night.
be valued at $9,000 and up.
There are said to be hundreds of
“Sneaker-heads” consider them- varieties of Dunks, some more
selves lucky to actually see the popular than others and some
shoes in person.
associated with brands such as
Nike Dunks have a strong tie Tiffany Diamonds and Heineken.
with the hip hop community. In If one was ever interested in findOctober, an event known as ing a pair, they can turn to eBay or
Sneaker Pimps held a Dunk the Nike website itself. There is a
exchange and a skate demo along pair for anyone who has a good
with performances by Clipse and fashion sense and the commitment
Ghost face Killah of the Wu-Tang to find a hot pair. Just be prepared
Clan in Manhattan’s club Avalon. to dig deeper into your pockets if
Hundreds waited outside to get you want to score something
their chance to score a pair of exclusive.
Dunks for cheap as various dealers
Wool Duffel $139.50 aegirls
Basketweave tabcoat $48.99 vsgirls
First impressions can be tricky. The
most beautiful girl could hypnotize
you in class, but her voice is as deep as
a whale. On the other hand, a girl
might dress up all messy and her hair
may be wild, but she can be the most
caring person in the world. Indeed,
first impressions can make or break a
relationship. That is why I took my
good (and bad) experiences with dating the opposite sex to show and help
us men out with what a woman does
and does not like in a man.
The aroma: Pay attention to how you
smell. A woman can sense fragrance
from miles away. It may take a little
extra effort, but like they say, Rome
wasn’t built in a day! The aroma is
what makes the ladies crazy. You smell
good, you’ve got an automatic Velcro
effect set to form any minute. “I love
your cologne,” she’ll say. Translation:
Soap ? Water? Shaving? Aftershave?
Deodorant ? Perfume. (Hopefully not
older than your dad!)
The Act: Be original. Whether it is
actually paying attention to what she
says, (though it could be tough sometimes) or opening a door for her when
she enters your car, women DO pay
attention. If you could be authentic
with your gestures and not play bobble
head during every remark she makes,
results would come more quickly.
The bill: In my opinion, when you
receive the check, you see how much
the girl you’re with is really in to you.
If she made some gesture, even if it is
the slightest one towards her purse, she
is really thinking about sharing more
time with you. In that case, you could
pay for just this time, the whole
amount. If not, split the bill in half,
shake hands and leave her for the dogs.
This is one money-sucking vampire
you do not want to mess with.
Amanda chimes in here: you want to
wow a lady, pay the bill. Are chivalry
and romance completely dead?
The End of the Date: When you
conclude your evening together and
walk her to the door, don’t ask her if
she would like to be kissed. (Amanda
chiming in again, well said. We hate
when you ask us that, if we’re comfortable, or if we’re upset. Trust me if the
answer to any of these questions is yes,
you would frieken know.) Though it is
somewhere hidden in the back of our
brain, men also have some intuition.
Use common sense and if you see the
spark in her eyes, you may approach to
first base. (Just don’t call it that if you
really want to get there.)
Congratulations – you can start dating women. You see, being with a
beautiful and smart woman is not out
of reach. With a little confidence, the
right approach, and learning from mistakes, the sky is the limit.
You CAN Study Abroad . . .
Woolaline $148 vsgirls
Worker Jacket $69.50 aeguys
B9 Bomber $298 afguys
Cord Jacket $79.50 aeguys
Canvas Jacket $34.99 aeroguys
ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS PLAN AHEAD
• Earn College credit in summer, and semester programs
• Affordable cost
• Federal financial aid may be applicable
• Foreign language proficiency not required
Argentina
England
Australia
France
Austria
Germany
Bulgaria
Greece
Canada
India
China
Ireland
Costa Rica
Italy
Czech Republic
Japan
Denmark
Mexico
Dominican Republic
Morocco
Ecuador
New Zealand
For more information visit
Prof. Amparo Codding
(your Study Abroad Advisor)
in room A-335A
or visit this website:
www.bergen.edu/study_abroad
Peru
Portugal
Russia
Scotland
Spain
Switzerland
Member Profile
Torch Staff
Louis Campos
Francine Lucas
Danny La Faso
Alon Melamed
Amanda Ferrante
Staff Status:
Staff Status:
Staff Status:
Staff Status:
Staff Status:
Editor-InChief
Copy Editor
Sports Editor
I chose The
Torch because:
Seeking
Degree in:
Entertainment
Editor
Fashion
Editor
English
Seeking Degree
in: Journalism
I chose The
Torch because:
Seeking Degree
in: Journalism
I chose The
Torch because:
I chose The
Torch because:
it’s a great
source for
self-expression
and the people
are alright
It’s Supercalafragalistic!
Ralph Made
Me :(
During the
meeting I:
During the
meeting I: Talk
pretend like I
know what I’m
doing
The Torch
Hobbies: Being
a bum
Favorite Color: purple
Favorite Drink: pimp juice
Favorite Food: sushi
Another step
in my
Journalism
career - and a
fun one too!
Seeking
Degree in:
Graphic
Design
& Conduct the
The Torch
Meeting
Hobbies: Swimming, running, art
Favorite Color: Earth Tones
Favorite Drink: Almond Milk Bubble
Tea
Favorite Food: Italian food
What The Torch members say about
me: What’s up Chief, Where is my
Paycheck!
A.K.A :Clark Kent
Favorite Saying:
I run S.G.C., S.G.C. don’t run me!
Favorite Advisor: Dr. Ralph Choonoo
Strangest Experience: Read on . . .
show where their in a circle
Strangest Experience: getting lost in
the city on Halloween and having a
crazy lady help me find my way
back
Moses Agwai
Staff Status:
Staff Status:
Staff Writer
Writer,
Artist
I had always
wanted to be
part of the
school newspaper at my high
school, but it
never worked
out w/my
The Torch
schedule. I
finally had
time for it during my 1st Semester
here. Plus, “The Torch” is a wicked
awesome name for a paper
During the meeting I: eat foot long
subway sandwiches and occasionally
listen & contribute to the discussion
Hobbies: eat, play volleyball, play video
games, watch movies & hang out
w/friends. Oh, and I like watching xxx. .
. just kidding
Favorite Color: I hate when people
ask me this question as if they’d
learn anything about me from the
the answer. But, It’s red. . . I guess
Favorite Drink: Rasberry Iced Tea
Favorite Food: I have no favoritism
when it comes to food.
What The Torch members say about
me: They think I’m a math goddess
because I’m taking multivariable
calc. I wish they were right
A.K.A :Shelly and other variations of
it (ie. Shell, Shellbell, Etc.)
Favorite Saying:
“All I want it b*tches • Big Booty
B*tches” - Notorious B.I.G. in
“Machine Gun Funk.”
Favorite female body part: BOOBS
Strangest Experience: see above
James Robinson
Staff Status:
Staff Writer
Seeking Degree
in:
Communications
I chose The
Torch because:
I actually enjoy
writing articles and hope
to one day
make it a living
During the
meetings I :
The Torch
wonder is
there’s soda in
the fridge. . . and if I could please have
some?
Favorite Color: Christmas Red
Favorite Drink: Coke Zero and Pepsi
Holiday Spice
Favorite Food: Kim’s World famous
meatloaf
What The Torch members say about
me: who’s that guy over there? Can
someone ask him to leave? Is he
drinking our soda?
A.K.A: Big Bear
Favorite Saying: “Me shooting 40 at
the foul line is just God’s way to
say nobody’s perfect” - Shaq
Favorite NES game: Legend of
Zelda or Burgertime
Strangest Experience: I was an owl
for halloween once . . . my girlfriend
was mustard
I love to write,
the written
word is my
life.
What The Torch members say about
me: She’s Super fly
A.K.A : Frandizzle
Favorite Saying: it’s like in that 70’s
Michelisa Lanche
Seeking Degree
in: Journalism
I chose The
Torch because:
I chose The
Torch because:
The Torch
Reading Alot, sports, concerts
Favorite Color: Bright Red
Favorite Drink: Dr. Pepper
Favorite Food: Tortellini Alfredo
A.K.A :Dan
Favorite Saying:
“Great moments are born from
great opportunities’ - Herb Brooks
Favorite Author: Stephen King,
The man is an absolute literacy
mastermind, and the reason I began
writing.
Strangest Experience: Finally seeing
the New York Rangers in the playoffs for the first time since 1997.
Favorite Color:
The Torch
Colada
Favorite Food: Rice
A.K.A :Enigma
Favorite Saying:
What’s popping?
Favorite Actor:Jean Claude Van
Damm!!
Strangest Experience: Meeting Van
Damm @ BCC It was emotional
Austin Keenan
Business
I chose The
Torch because:
I enjoy writing
+ meeting people. I’m an
entertainment
writer so
everything’s
fun anyway
The Torch
Hobbies: music,
videogames, movies,
anime
Favorite Color: red
Favorite Drink: Diet Pepsi
Favorite Food: noodles & hotdogs
What The Torch members say about
me: I’m the ruler of the world. . .
either that or I look like Jean
Claude Van Dam
A.K.A :Van DAAAAM
Favorite Saying: loves it . . .
Favorite Bar:The Thirsty Toad
Strangest Experience: going to BCC
Mariya Gonor
Law
they are the
Best!
During the
meeting I:
Have a lot of
fun
Hobbies: tennis,
The Torch
dancing
Favorite Color: Blue
Favorite Drink: french vanilla coffee
Favorite Food: pizza, gummy bears
What The Torch members say about
me: Only the nice things
Favorite Saying:“It’s my thing,
Let it go”
Favorite bands:Linkin Park,
Strangest Experience: being stuck in
an elevator with mean, fat and ugly
lady. . .
Staff Status:
Seeking
Degree in:
Staff Writer
General
Studies
I chose The
Torch because:
Journalism
I chose The
Torch because:
I like to write,
I saw The
Torch as a
great opportunties
During the
meeting I: eat,
laugh, and talk a lot
The Torch
Hobbies: Dance, writing, :)
Favorite Color: Purple, Blue
Favorite Drink: Strawberry
Lemonade
Favorite Food: Chicken, pizza
What The Torch members say about
me: Alon says: “She’s kind of like
the sun But brighter . . . “
A.K.A: that dancer girl
Favorite Staff Writer: Van Daam!
Woot Woot!
Strangest Experience: the pizza
incident
I felf I could
make it better
and stronger
During the
meeting I:
make jokes
Hobbies:
Hockey, basketball, and
straight chillin
The Torch
Favorite Color: red
Favorite Drink: Gatorade
Favorite Food: Lasagna
What The Torch members say about
me: That I’m pretty funny
A.K.A :Serge!
Favorite Saying:Yo
Favorite Rap Group:Wu-Tang Clan
from the rugged land of Shaolin
Strangest Experience: Being sentto
the wrong school on the first day
without a word of english
Chloe Riccardo
Staff Writer
Staff Status:
Seeking Degree
in: English/
Writer
Staff Status:
Denise Reyes
Writer
Staff Status:
Metallica, Coldplay
Caressa Valdueza
Staff Writer
The Torch
Writing, Reading,
Shows
Favorite Color: Pink
Favorite Food: Pizza
A.K.A :Baby Nugz
Favorite Saying:“Word”
Favorite Celebrity:Dane Cook - I’m
going to marry him!
Seeking Degree
in: Journalism
I chose The
Torch because:
I chose The
Torch because:
What The Torch members say about
me: I’m Quiet
A.K.A : Peluche
Favorite Saying: Party time
Favorite Club: Copacabana
Strangest Experience: scuba diving
Hobbies:
Sergei Miledin
Staff Status:
It is a fun
place to be,
socialize, meet
new people
and learn
about things
The Torch
that go on in
school
Hobbies: Soccer, Clubbing, hanging out
with friends
Favorite Color: Blue
Favorite Drink: Sangria
Favorite Food: Lasagna
as much as I
can
ask if I’m single, male torch
members say get off thier women!
A.K.A : A Fresh
Favorite Saying: Don’t worry - Be
Happy
Seeking Degree
in: Business
Staff Status:
Seeking Degree
in: Music
What The Torch members say about
me: female torch members often
Writer
I chose The
Torch because:
break backs
Hobbies: Piano
playing,
The Torch
Stare at the
sun (with sunglasses of course.)
Hobbies: music, sports, looking in the
mirror
Favorite Color: Blue
Favorite Drink: Sprite
Favorite Food: Lasagna
Staff Status:
Networking
Admin.
During the
meeting I:
During the
meeting I:
Sergio Lopez
Seeking Degree
in:
Natural
Sciences Bio
Favorite Drink: Piña
and Shut Up
Hobbies:
Photographer
Seeking
Degree in:
Black
During the
meeting I: Sit
During the
meeting I: Talk
I’ve always
loved to write
and The Torch
gives me the
voice to share
my ideas with
others
The Torch
Hobbies: bowling,
art, long walks
Favorite Color: blue
Favorite Drink: Iced Tea
Favorite Food: Japanese food and
tacos
A.K.A :Care/Chesca
Favorite Saying:
Seize the day!
Favorite bands:The Beatles,
Coldplay, Mamas and the Papas
Seeking Degree
in: Journalism
I chose The
Torch because:
I wanted to
get some experience and
perfect my
writing skills
During the
meeting I: joke
around, gossip
The Torch
around with my
Torch members
Hobbies: writing songs, poetry,
shopping, traveling
Favorite Color: Black, pink
Favorite Drink: sangria blanca
Favorite Food: Anything except
shrimp (I’m allergic)
What The Torch members say about
me: “I’m cute”
A.K.A :“The Chlomister”, Chlo-Chlo”
Favorite Saying:
“What’s going on?”
Favorite Music:Anything Pop, Rock,
Oldies, R&B, Hip Hop I love all music.
Strangest Experience: This lady
came in asking Moses about registration and dropping a class cursing
about his French teacher,
Ramdomly
PAGE 14
NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2006
Sell Your Books With us The Torch
Sell your books with The Torch, post your
unused books in the college paper for no
charge, space is limited Act Now! e-mail to:
torch_editors@yahoo.com
Include: Subject, Course #
Title of Book
Author of Book
Edition
ISBN
Contact info
Price:
Subject - Course #
Title of Book
Author of Book
Edition
ISBN
Contact info
Price
E
L
BIO-108
P
M
SA NLY
O
Environmental Science,
Working with the Earth,
Miller, G.T., Jr.
Ninth Edition
ISBN: 0-534-38-988-0
Contact: 1-201-###-####
Price: $$$$$
Available Books for sale:
WRT - 101
WRT - 101
The Blair Reader
Laurie G. Kirszner
Stephen R. Mandell
Fourth Edition
The Writer’s Harbrace
Handbook
Glenn, Miller, Webb
Second Edition
0-13-091066-X
0-8384-0338-7
Contact:
YLLANESL@gmail.com
Price: $30.00
Contact:
YLLANESL@gmail.com
Price: $40.00
WRT - 101
WRT - 101
The Blair Handbook
Toby Fulwiler
Alan R. Hayakawa
Fourth Edition
The Bean Trees
Barbara Kinsolver
N/A
0-13-099350-6
Contact:
YLLANESL@gmail.com
Price: $8.00
Contact:
YLLANESL@gmail.com
Price: $30.00
0-06-109731-4
BIO-108
PHR-103
Environmental Science,
Working with the Earth,
Miller, G.T., Jr.
Ninth Edition
Modern Formal Logic
Primer
Teller (Dorothy Altman)
Edition: N/A
The Prentice Hall
Reader
George Miller
Seventh Edition
Psychology
ISBN: 0-534-38-988-0
ISBN: N/A
ISBN: 0-13-182801-0
Contact:
YLLANESL@gmail.com
Price: $65.00
Contact:
Contact:
booksforsalehere@yahoo.com
booksforsalehere@yahoo.com
Contact:
xx2cute4uxx@verizon.net
Price: $40.00
Price: $10.00
Price: $20.00
WEX-101
SPE-111
WRT-101
WRT-201
Communication
Making Connections
William J Seiler &
Melissa L. Beall
Fifth Edition
Compact Bedford
Introduction to
Literature
Michael Meyer
Seventh Edition
Contact:
ISBN: 0-205-33542-X
ISBN: 0-312-43445-6
booksforsalehere@yahoo.com
Contact:
Contact:
Price: $20.00
booksforsalehere@yahoo.com
booksforsalehere@yahoo.com
Price $15.00
Price: $10.00
Decisions of Healthy
Living
Pruitt & Stein
Edition: N/A
ISBN: 0-321-10671-7
PSY101
Huffman, Karen
Seventh Edition
ISBN: 0-471-26326-5
NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2006
PAGE 15
BCC Arts
Behind the Scenes with The Tempest
BY: ALON MELAMED
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Being in charge of a play, it is
hard to forget all that is involved,
especially with so many characters
with so many lines to remember.
With so many people in the production unit, one mistake could
ruin a whole scene. There is one
perfect analogy that pops into my
mind to exemplify this situation. It
is very difficult building a house of
cards but far easier tearing it all
down. And the one person in
charge of all this is the director.
I caught up with the Bergen
Community College Theatre members,
who
are
presenting
Shakespeare’s play, The Tempest at
the Lab Theater in Ender Hall.
Here are some of the answers I got
from the students and faculty members involved with the play, just a
few days before they presented it.:
Ken Bonnaffons, Director:
Q.
A.
Is this your first play
directing?
No, this is not my first
directing endeavor – I’ve directed
over twenty productions here at
BCC and many plays in professional repertory and NYC.
Why did you pick
Shakespeare and why The
Tempest?
Q.
A.
The Theatre Department
tries to offer decent training for
our student actors and crews: one
consideration is to expose students
to different styles and genres of
plays by selecting a wide range of
periods of time (the Greeks to
modern), a great variety of types
(comedies, dramas, musicals) and
also kinds of staging (proscenium,
thrust, arena). Every other year we
select two seasons of shows (8
plays) to enable a good balance.
Included in that mix are plays that
are ethnic, for children, or perhaps
for the deaf community.
Obviously, Shakespeare is important in theatrical history. The language is beautiful and challenging;
the characters are interesting, and
the themes universal. We've done
several of his plays here and will
always have one every 2-3 years. The
Tempest is a nice choice because it
lends itself to actors of our students’
ages. And it is also one of his most
imaginative works, which can be
creatively adapted to perform in
arena style – we're trying theatre-inthe-round for the first time at BCC
with this production.
Q.
A.
Any problem/mishaps?
Problems? We are basically
a two-year institution. That means
we have rapid turnover in our
actors and are always taking
chances with new people – many
of whom have never been on a
stage before. As a commuter
school, most of our actors have
classes and jobs to juggle during
the rehearsal period. This year our
budget was cut by almost 50%.
Q.
A.
Tell us a little about the
cast and crew.
The cast and crew are all
BCC students. We sometimes hire
guest designers (light, sets, costumes), and do like to use community folks as well. Our graduates
return to us frequently. It is important to understand that at least half
of the students you have onstage
(& backstage) have had no theatre
experience at all. One of our greatest joys is to see these people experience and appreciate what it takes
to create. Theatre art is commonly
referred to as the most collaborative of the arts. We know that the
Spring
Semester
The Cast
rest of their lives will be affected by
the exposure to this great art –
their appreciation is lifted and the
understanding of greater themes in
life is enhanced.
Q.
A.
How were the characters
picked for the parts?
Casting the play is a very
crucial element in the creation of a
show. The reasons someone is cast
in a role can be very variable – age,
height, experience, vocal quality,
ethnicity, etc. This time I was particularly interested in spirit and
energy. The director tries to find
the best person to convey the
intentions and purpose of the character in the play. Sometimes, the
concept of a character may be
altered to fit the choice of actors
available. For example, when I did
Oedipus Rex some years ago, I did
not find the tall, powerful, elegant,
strong voiced actor I envisioned.
Instead, I cast a shortish, streetwise guy who had lots of spunk.
He proved to be very effective as
someone who would act tempestuously and rashly enough to kill (his
father) as well as to blind himself
for his mistakes (among them,
marrying his mother). In Tempest,
you will see several women performing as men…simply because
they auditioned so
strongly. I'm confident that audiences
will accept this casting
and will probably be
very impressed with
these actresses' daring
portrayals. 'Creative
casting' involves using
different ethnicities
and genders than is
traditional. You will
find nice diversity in
this cast.
The Crew
To Be Announced
To Be Announced
Assistant Director,
Tara
Marie
Abbondante:
My name is Tara
Marie Abbondante. I
am the assistant director, in my final year at
Bergen. I have been
involved in about 25
productions, including Assistant directing
Bergen County’s Young
Playwright Festival.
Most recently I performed Lucy Van Pelt
in You're a Good Man
Charlie Brown.
I graduated from
North Arlington High
School. At the time of
my graduation they
did not have a theatre
program. Having never set foot on
a stage before my first semester, the
wealth of experience and opportunities I have gained from my time
in Bergen is invaluable. I will be
pursuing my theatre education
with an emphasis on Directing.
The play is set on an island in the
year 1492. Working with all the
people was a wonderful pleasure.
They vary in experience from
'newbees' to very experienced. One
of them, Billy Alzaher (Prospero),
knows everyone’s lines and when
people call for help with a line, he
says it faster than the stage manger.
Light Board Operator, Michael
Hesleitner:
My name is Michael Hesleitner. I
am in my second year at BCC.
During the current performance of
The Tempest I am the light board
operator, where I am in charge of
all the lights that will be used during the show. I set up the lights,
make sure that they are working
fine, and if not, fix the problem.
Last year, I also worked stage
crew for You're a Good Man
Charlie Brown where I operated
the follow spot. While doing the
follow spot, I was up in the cat
walk, which is a walkway in the
ceiling above the audience. This is
where I can easily work to follow
an actor to light them up. I also
worked on the light crew for The
Elephant Man where I stood on
ladders to help hang lights.
I also worked stage crew during
my four years at North Bergen
High School. In addition, I
worked with the Teaneck New
Theatre Company, which is a community theatre group, where I was
also on the light crew and did some
stage crew for their show, Night
Watch. I hope that one day I will
work professionally, hopefully in
New York or New Jersey.
Properties Supervisor, Aubriana
Sabino:
I'm a technical theatre major here
at BCC. The Tempest is the seventh show I've worked on in the
past year at BCC. I was the stage
manager for Antigone, Ah,
Wilderness! Comedy Improv Night,
Young Playwright's Festival and
Ferdinand the Bull. I was the assistant stage manager for You're a
Good Man Charlie Brown and
Elephant Man and was the properties supervisor for Elephant Man.
As well, I've acted in Ferdinand the
Bull and participated in Comedy
Improv Night.
The cast has many props that
were created from me taking Ken's
vision over active imagination and
bringing two thoughts together.
My favorite props are the glow
sticks the spirits wear. I love how
they glow under the lighting.
Catherine Sheedy as Francisco:
This is my first play here at BCC.
In the past, I was Sophia in my
high school play of West Side Story.
I am also part of the production
for a role in a DVD movie to be
released called The Haunting of the
Danbury House. There, I play a girl
from the 1800s that’s killed and
then continues to haunt the house
where the story takes place.
Memorizing Shakespeare is more
difficult than any other production. I read over them first, then
type them out and read them
aloud. I keep the same pattern
until I see the lines in my head.
This is the first time I'm doing
Shakespeare but I know it won’t be
the last. Even though there is more
time put into learning the lines, it's
a beautiful outcome.
Right before the night of the
play, I close my eyes and pray to
god, thank him for everything's
he's done and ask for luck. It is
very calming. My character,
Fransico, is a man and a lord. I
have a fake beard to wear and a
men's wardrobe. However, I didn’t
deepen my voice. It's been awesome pretending to be a guy. I
always find it funny when people
forget the stage exists and fall, trip
or stumble off it.
Lisa Petrocelli as one of the spirits:
I have a nice little acting background. By chance, in my Junior
year at high school, I took a drama
class. Ever since, I have been a part
of 10 plays and I'll never stop!
Trying to remember my part, I
write out flash cards with all of my
lines on the back and my cues on
the front. It gets really tiring when
you have over 300 lines, but writing them helps. Once they are all
done, I can memorize a whole play
in a day or two.
Before the night of the play, I get
so excited, I can’t take it! I shake
people while screaming "Are you
ready?" I'm a huge ball of energy
since performing is what I live for
and I like showing it. By the fourth
performance everybody wants to
throw me in the garbage ‘cause I
get so hyper!
My character is just like me: a
fun, bright, lively and mischievous
little spirit working for the good
side. I felt so comfortable with my
character I got right into it. I love
the whole look they gave me.
Stephen Siano as Sebastian:
This is my tenth show performing. I memorize my lines by simply
reading them aloud, over and over
again. This is my first time acting
in a Shakespearean play. Right
before the play I try to completely
clear out my mind, sitting alone.
The character I'm portraying,
Sebastian, is very similar to myself.
In fact, the more you become the
character in real life, the more similarities between the two appear.
There you have it, just a few
members of a very big and magnificent ensemble. Hopefully, this play
will become one of Bergen's most
memorable. The Tempest was perhaps Shakespeare's last play, but I
know it is definitely not BCC's last.
PAGE 16
NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2006
Arts & Entertainment
If You Don’t like the Cook, Get out of the Kitchen:
Dane Cook’s Vicious Circle Live at Madison Square Garden
BY: AMANDA FERRANTE
about him is that
he
has
also
proven himself as
a writer, director,
and
producer
with his work on
the comedy short
film 8 Guys and
the
dramatic
short Spiral, for
which he won
the
internetbased
Pixie
Award for Best
Actor. And we
thought he was
just good for a
laugh.
What’s most
intriguing about
Dane Cook is his
ability to appeal
to young adults
by simply mocking the “trials and
tribulations” we
go through. For
instance, his joke
about not having
Dane Cook a condom when
FASHION EDITOR
It’s just past 10 pm on Sunday,
November 12th. Penn Station is
flooded with young people. Your
token whack job is sweeping the
floors with his coat, providing the
cliché train station entertainment
for the evening. Crowds of young
girls sporting “I Love Dane” tshirts and the young guys who
worship him contaminate the escalator to The Theatre at Madison
Square Garden. It’s interesting
how one man draws such a crowd
with only a microphone and his
famous little chuckle (in between
jokes.) Everyone’s here for Dane
Cook, the latest creation to come
out of the laugh machine. It’s a
Vicious Circle, but somebody’s got
to be in the middle of it.
Though it seems as if Dane Cook
came out of nowhere, his website
biography chronicles his “16 year
career” as a comedic genius. How
about that? Dane was kicking it
when most of us were just starting
pre-school. What we don’t know
you really need one and “accidentally” forgetting to pull out is not
so funny, but it’s the disposition
and attitude with which Dane so
effortlessly portrays it that makes
us laugh so hard. We have a small
problem, however. Rob Sheffield
of Rolling Stone Magazine said it
best in asking, “Where are the fing jokes?” He appeals to a new
generation and has made heads
turn, but does he actually make
substantial jokes? Here’s the reason why legendary comedians may
have their panties in a bunch: he
doesn’t have to do that much to
make us laugh.
What we’ve seen is this: Dane
Cook has sold out countless venues
by bringing out the youth. Seeing
him live, you feel his appreciation
and humility. He definitely hasn’t
forgotten what it’s like to be an
early 20-something wanting a little
bit more out of life (or at least he’s
great at pretending.) Cook has
something that very few comedians have: sex appeal. Most comedians pride themselves on having
the ability to make people laugh as
their only talent. Most of the time,
they’re right; they’re not goodlooking, and in today’s society,
what else gets you famous? Not
only does Dane get us with sidesplitting laughter, but he makes us
girls wonder what is under that
cute little American Prep getup he’s
always sporting. Faded jeans and a
graphic T-Shirt; these boys know
how to stay original (to employ a
bad 90’s saying, NOT!)
Final say on the show: it was
about as funny as his character in
the movie Waiting (2005 Lions
Gate Films.) The material was
alright; he’s definitely done better.
If it was your first Dane Cook
experience, it was great. Hardcore
fans should expect a bit more,
however. Be sure to check out
Dane’s many DVD’s and CD’s
(Retaliation, Harmful if Swallowed,
etc.) Dane’s done in New York for
a bit, but check him out next time
he comes around. Bring your girlfriend; just make sure you’ve got
that condom in your wallet!
Iron Maiden Back in Jersey
BY: ALON MELAMED
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
As Eddie roared on the stage, the
crowd was going wild. He held up
his gun, and from the ten feet of
his height, he looked down at
Adrian and laughed.
Iron Maiden, after a long hiatus,
were back in New Jersey, performing big and loud. Approximately
15,000 people came from all across
the state to see them and were having the time of their lives. Friday
the 13th combined with this great
band, one of the greatest metal
bands of all time, seemed to be a
perfect mix.
The concert opened with a thunderous and aggressive forty minute
set by British newcomers, Bullet
for My Valentine (BFMV). The
band, already supporting Guns N'
Roses, comes from Wales and is
trying to gain popular recognition
in the United States after receiving
much attention overseas.
As soon as BFMV
left the stage, it
seemed like the halfempty Continental
Airline Arena filled up
rather quickly. The
lights became dim.
The crowd starting
chanting "Maiden,
Maiden…" and a pair
of electric guitars
ripped the open air.
Promoting their new
album, A Matter of
Life and Death, the
band tried something
they have never done
before. They played
the entire 72-minute
CD, in order. It is the
first tour where the
group has tried something of this magnitude and they have
been around the music business,
touring, since 1981!
The CD is not a concept album,
though; it is filled with themes
dealing current issues, like the relationship of war and religion. With
the background stage painted by
American and British artists, Tim
Bradstreet and Melvyn Grant, the
band’s lyrics were even more significant.
Besides playing the entire album,
the band's encore performance
included
“2
Minutes
to
Midnight,” “Hallowed Be Thy
Name,” “The Evil That Men Do,”
and of course the group's signature
songs, “Fear of the Dark” and
“Iron Maiden.”
These six members appear to be
getting younger and better with
time. Lead singer Bruce Dickinson
seemed to be jumping a countless
number of times, and the amazing
solos played by all of Maiden's
members gathered numerous roars
of wonder from the crowd.
The crowd itself was made up of
everyone. Amazingly, there was a
fifty-something year old grandma
that came with her daughter and
her husband, who brought their
young daughter as well. They,
joined by the fifteen and some
thousand people, definitely rocked
all night.
Concert Review: TOOL at Continental Airlines Arena
BY: AUSTIN KEENAN
that was sprayed throughout the
entire arena. The effect was
extremely dramatic and the light
created a visual of clouds flowing
overhead along with the dynamic
laser action. I kept asking myself,
“Are they actually playing a movie
inside the light of the lasers?” I still
have not been able to figure that
one out (anyone who was at the
show will know EXACTLY what
I’m talking about).
Was it a good show? Of course it
was. TOOL is not a band that lets
their fans down in any way, shape
or form. I’m sure they’ll continue
to make awesome records and play
awesome shows, should they
decide to continue to do so.
STAFF WRITER
Metal and hard rock fans rejoiced
on Oct. 12th as the now legendary
band TOOL played their show at
Continental Airlines Arena. Fans
were in for a more mature TOOL,
with a different live approach than
in previous concerts, but surely
none could ask for more from the
band so many have come to call
the “Pink Flloyd of the new millennium.”
The band opened up with the hit
“Stinkfist” off of their critically
acclaimed
album
Aenima.
Nothing could have been more
strategic in throwing the audience
head first into the immense energy
that is TOOL. The appearance of
the stage was significantly different
from other shows TOOL fans may
remember. This time, there was no
curtain hiding the band, no
intense imagery to detract from the
band’s actual performance, yet the
overwhelming sound and experience were still there.
Lead singer Maynard James
Keenan donned a cowboy hat for
most of the show and a modest
pair of blue jeans and sometimes a
shirt. The set alternated between
songs from Aenima and songs
from the new TOOL album,
10,000 Days, and towards the end
of the concert a few songs from
Lateralus were played, ending the
concert with the album’s title track.
The only real special effects to
speak of were displayed during the
title track of 10,000 Days. During
this song, a laser light show
ensued, working the light of the
lasers off of the artificial smoke
NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2006
PAGE 17
Red Hot Snow
Red Hot Chili Peppers @ Continental Airlines Arena
BY: AMANDA FERRANTE
FASHION EDITOR
It’s pouring rain on a windy
October night. The parking deck
is packed with fans of all ages.
Smoke peers out of the driver’s side
window of the car next to mine.
All we can tell is that it’s certainly
not the smell of nicotine. Behind
us is a small boy, no more than ten,
escorted by his mother. “It’s his
first concert,” she starts. “He’s
obsessed with these guys.” Not a
bad choice for your first show.
Take a blend of screaming girls, the
boys who brought them there, and
a subtle aroma of weed in the air,
for a smoothie that’s sure to please.
Things are indeed Red Hot- we’re
at the Chili Peppers’ Stadium
Arcadium Tour.
“Can’t Stop” kicks off the show;
this tour is one of the most anticipated of the year. According to the
band’s website, “If you let go and
let this music take you by the hand
it will take you flying through skies
of sound.” This “upper” is the
band’s latest CD, Stadium
Arcadium. And to think doctors
are prescribing anti-depressants.
Just get to the record store, kids!
At the entrance, we’re given small
flashlights to use during the show.
What ever happened to the traditional lighter? Nevertheless, it is a
much more convenient tool to create the necessary vibe. Hardcore
fans decorate every seat in the
house for this sold out show.
Bringing out the vintage with
“Blood Sugar Sex Magik,” “Under
the Bridge,” and closing up with
“Give it Away,” The Peppers left
little to the imagination. The band
used live footage from the October
17th show in their latest video
“Snow” off Stadium Arcadium. It’s
a very intimate black and white
video with performance footage
and even some shots of fans.
Anthony’s wardrobe was that of his
typical style. He sported his signature vest and gloves. The Capri
pants were included! It’s safe to say
that like a fine wine, this band only
gets better with age.
John
Frusciante is one of the greatest
background vocalists of all time.
He compliments Anthony wonderfully, yet could hold his own on
stage with just himself and his guitar. Some other favorites played
included “Tell Me Baby,” “By The
Way,” “Californication,” “Scar
Tissue,” and “Fortune Faded.”
What’s most intriguing about the
band is their incredible dynamic
both onstage and in studio. Their
performances are nothing short of
phenomenal, even in the midst of
a 17 city tour (just in the U.S.!)
Through several different members, these four (Anthony, Michael
“Flea” Balzary, John Frusciante,
and Chad Smith) seem to fit like a
glove. A “velvet glove,” that is.
It’s safe to say that The Red Hot
Chili Peppers are an “oldie but a
goodie” bringing new music to the
table and always coming out with
a bang. Stadium Arcadium is
available in stores and on iTunes.
Currently the band is overseas
touring, but we should expect
something new in the coming
years! Final say: this show was
indeed Red Hot; check out
RedHotChiliPeppers.com
for
information and updates.
Fall Tracks of 2006 – What to Expect? November
BY: ALON MELAMED
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
While all of America is celebrating this month, particularly in the
last week, the music industry is
thankful for a very busy month of
new releases.
However, this month features a
number of Greatest Hits albums as
well, featuring P.O.D ("Alive,"
"Youth of the Nation"), alternative acts Jamiroquai ("Cosmic
Girl," "Virtual Insanity") and rock
band Staind ("It's Been Awhile,"
"Outside").
Among the artists that are releasing new material are Texas punk
rockers, Bowling for Soup. A year
after releasing a collection of tracks
sent to television and film, the
band is back with new songs. Their
first single, "High School Never
Ends," is gaining popularity and is
predicted to be one of winter's
cheeriest tunes. Originally, the
band debated for a long time about
the album title. Among the
options offered were All My Drunk
Friends Are Still Intoxicated, We’re
Not Fat, We Just Have Big Heads,
and many more. The band decided
to change the album name to an
even weirder title: The Great
Burrito Extortion Case because of a
headline ticker they saw on CNN.
The band continues its juvenile
and childish lyrics and song
melodies, trying to ride on the success of their previous album that
featured the songs "1985" and "Ahole" on their album A Hangover
You Don't Deserve (2004).
Another American rock band
releasing their sophomore album is
actually more of a vulgar comedy
act searching for fame. Though
formed back in 1984, it took the
wacky duo of Kyle Glass and Jack
Black, better known as Tenacious
D, seventeen years to release an
actual album. The self-titled CD
reached its highest chart position
at number 33, an amazing feat for
the band. With a five-year break
due to the artists acting in wellknown films, the duo decided it’s
time for some new music for their
many fans.
The new album, Tenacious D in
The Pick of Destiny features great
musicians like Meat Loaf, Ronnie
James Dio and even Dave Grohl.
The album is the soundtrack for
the movie with the same name,
starring the duo. The band is currently touring the world and will
arrive in New York City in early
December.
My last album on review belongs
to one of the greatest rappers of
our modern era. Born Cordozar
Calvin Broadus, Jr. and formerly
known as Snoop Doggy Dogg, he
is probably grateful his birth name
is not his stage name. In addition
to releasing his eighth solo studio
album, Snoop Dogg is also planning to publish his first novel, Love
Don't Live Here No More. (Atria
Movie Review: SAW III
BY: AUSTIN KEENAN
STAFF WRITER
You’ve seen the dead rise in Saw.
You’ve seen an ex-junkie fall into a
pit of dirty needles in Saw II. Now
get ready for possibly the sickest
experience hitting the theatres this
year. Get ready for Saw III.
By the time this is published,
most people will probably have
seen it already or else have decided
to wait for the DVD adaptation or
just plain ignore it altogether. But
those people who neglect to take
an opportunity to see it in the theatres are foolish. They will have
missed out on one of the goriest,
most surprising, and CLEARLY
most entertaining films of the year.
Saw III picks up right where Saw
II left off. Quite literally, actually,
as it opens up with a scene with the
victim
turned
perpetrator,
Amanda, executing an “experiment.” The action gets quickly
underway, as the murderous mastermind, Jigsaw, enters back into
the storyline. Fans of the previous
movies will recall that Amanda was
one of Jigsaw’s first victims in part
one, a victim who escaped the situ-
ation she was put in, and became
the faithful right hand of the serial
murderer who “saved her life.”
I will try hard not to put any
spoilers in this review out of
respect for the work. Those who
Books)
On the list of producers for this
anticipated album are the Neptunes
and Dr. Dre. Dr. Dre was also
involved in the making of most of
the album and according to Snoop,
he had a big input in it. With the
two hit singles "Vato" and "That's
that S***" featuring R. Kelly, it
seems Dogg is on the way to another easy earned platinum album.
The album itself features two
very moving songs. The first is a
remake of Stevie Wonder's "Have a
talk with God," where he sings a
new version with Wonder. The second, called "Imagine," is a hypothetical song about a world without Snoop Dogg or Dr. Dre and
where 2Pac does not die. "The
Blue Carpet Treatment" is a long
awaited comeback of Snoop
Dogg's return to his true gangster
side, calling out for racial equality.
Other new albums out this
month come from Fat Joe, Akon
and a surprise comeback from
New Jersey's Jay-Z.
“Risk It”
have not yet seen Saw III and have
not heard what an exquisitely gruesome and beautifully disgusting
masterpiece that it is should allow
themselves to be pleasantly surprised at how well crafted the
script is. Not only
does it have its own
independent storyline full of twists
and turns, but
actually
brings
together the entire
series into one diabolical
circle.
While it’s true that
the movie stands
by itself as a sick
tale of betrayal and
murder, to get the
most out of it one
should definitely
watch Saw and Saw
II before going to
see Saw III.
There are a multitude of great
things about this
movie. One interesting fact is that
where the other
movies have taken
place from the
point of view of the police trying
to unravel and solve the Jigsaw
murders, this movie takes place
mainly from the point of view of
Amanda and Jigsaw from their
command center, and of course a
sharp duality between the hunter
and the hunted.
The camera stays with the plot’s
main victim for most of the screen
time, naturally, and he endures a
trial constructed by the mind of
Jigsaw and executed by his brutal
protégé.
Death by freezing,
drowning in rotting pig entrails,
and shotgun blasts to the head are
just a few of the visual horrors the
viewer will have to endure on the
way to the ULTIMATE surprise
ending. My advice to the fans of
the series watching: keep in mind
the endings of the past two installments. You may suspect partially,
but you will never guess what’s
truly in store for the ending of Saw
III. It’s definitely the markings of
a very Happy Halloween for lovers
of the horror genre.
My rating: * * * * out of five.
BY: CHLOE JEWEL RICCARDO
STAFF WRITER
When I was in the bloom of
adolescence
I would always have this nervous
energy about taking risks.
I would be so afraid of what the
world would think of me.
I have learned now as a young
woman.
Risk It
Take the risk and grow
Take the risk and change.
Risk It
Take the risk and become a better
person.
Risk It
Stand up and speak for what you
want to do in life
Take the risk and speak your
mind.
So you can change the world.
Your world-- for that moment.
Risk It and be the person who
you want the
world to really see.
PAGE 18
NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2006
5 Best Family Movies
BY: MARIYA GONOR
STAFF WRITER
Many of my readers will agree
that we now live in a very stressful
time. Sometimes we find that all of
the distress was thrown onto our
family members, who most definitely do not deserve this. Also I
am sure that many of you will
agree that we should spend more
time with our families. What is the
best way to enjoy the love of your
relatives and relax at the same
time? Family movies are the best
answer. I carefully have chosen a
list of the absolute best for all the
ages in your household. I watched
and enjoyed all of these, so I hope
you will too.
Shrek 2 and Shrek 1
2001
Directed by
Andrew Adamson
Vicky Jenson
I spent a lot of time trying to figure out which one was better
(Shrek 1 or Shrek 2). Well, they
both are fantastic. Audiences loved
them. Some even claimed they
were among the best movies they
have ever seen. But I’ll tell you its
impossible not to fall in love with
these movies. It is not a simple
story of beauty and the beast. Ugly
and yucky Shrek does not turn
into a Prince Charming at the end
(that is my favorite part about the
movie). It teaches you to love a
person for their personality, beliefs,
and ethics. Most importantly, the
moral is that you are who you are,
and there is no need to change
yourself because someone will love
you for who you are.
“Mike Myers (the voice of Shrek) is
hilarious. Eddie Murphy was not
bad himself. I think it was his
absolute best. It is not only extremely
funny, but also very sweet.”
Kate, 20
Ice Age
2002
Directed by
Chris Wedge
Carlos Saldanha (co-director)
I loooved the film. It is hysterical.
It made me laugh and cry (sad I
know). The most amazing thing
about the cartoon was that is displays almost every aspect of our
lives. In addition, the characters
were well-rounded; not every actor
would be able to express that many
feeling and emotions. I give it an 8
out of 10.
“This film was very different from
any other that I have seen. The characters were so believable. They did
not feel like cartoon heroes at all.
The only thing I can say is that the
actors were simply the best.”
Eric 27
Monsters Inc.
2001
Directed by
Pete Docter
David Silverman (co-director)
It was very kind and touching. It
is not only for families, but it is
about families. It is about a family
that one is born into, as well as the
one that you find yourself in. It
displays a phenomenon of how
people who are not related to you
can care for you so much, and offer
protection that is not always
offered by your biological family.
Also, it is very funny and clever.
“The movie was written very intelligently. The jokes were not just for
kids. It seemed like an adult would
enjoy it even more than a child.”
Jill, 19
Open Season
Directed by
Roger Allers
Jill Culton
2006
friends with other animals. So the
whole point of it was to have fun.”
Disney's Little Mermaid
1989
By Ron Clements
John Musker
I saw it once and now I can’t wait
for it to come out on DVD. I will
buy it and watch it again and again
and again. It was not only a good
animated film, but it surely was
one of the best movies this year.
By Annie Gonor, 7 years old.
“The ‘Open Season’ was great. I
went to see it with my best friend
Anna and my dad. We all had a lot
of fun. It was great because it was
interesting and funny. The movie
was about a lucky bear that almost
got killed. He was lucky because he
lived in a house with a girl. She gave
him treats and she treated him like a
child. He loved her very much. One
day a moose got trapped on the top of
the car. The moose asked the bear to
join him. The bear didn’t want to.
Finally he did it. At the end of the
movie they were buddies! They were
This is an absolute classic. It is a
great tale of love, friendship, and
trust. You must not miss it.
Regardless of your age, you can’t
help but fall in love with the great
songs and touching story. Disney’s
interpretation of this great story is
probably the best in the world.
Displaying how far a person can go
for the one they love and having a
happy ending, it does not seem
“cheesy,” but rather extremely kind
and romantic.
Her Name is Vincent
BY: CARESSA VALDUEZA
STAFF WRITER
The 1920s roared with jazz, flappers and political uprisings. In the
midst of it all was an eccentric
poet, Edna St. Vincent Millay.
“My candle burns at both ends /
it will not last the night /
But ah—my foes, and oh—my
friends /
it gives a lovely light!”
Her immortal lines scream the
significance of seizing the day.
Vincent Millay was a genius who
delved into the fun of what life
could offer. She was not only a literary giant, but also a tremendous
delight to those around her as they
were dazzled by her charm and wit.
The 1920s lived with Edna Millay
through its progress of exploration.
Vincent Millay was the oldest of
three sisters. She was a daughter to
strong-willed Cora Millay, who
turned to single parenthood
because of her husband’s irresponsibility. Cora Millay’s brother
almost died but recovered at St.
Vincent’s Hospital. So grateful was
Cora that she vowed to name her
first child St. Vincent.
Growing up, Millay took her
mother’s role doing house chores
and looking after her sisters.
Meanwhile, her mother worked as
a nurse far from home. The
Millays’ house in Camden, Maine,
was surrounded with nature, where
Edna picked her favorite wildflowers. Despite the beauty around her,
she felt inconsolable loneliness.
She wrote poems and letters in her
diary of an ideal man who would
save her from this undesired state.
Vincent had a tremendous gift in
music and literature. When she
was young, she performed outstanding recitals on the piano. In
high school, she was the editor-inchief of her school paper. A famous
magazine for the youth, St.
Nicholas, published her poems that
won coveted prizes. “Renascence,”
published in The Lyric Year, provided her fame. Though it did not
win any awards, its prominence
caught the public’s attention.
Caroline B. Dow was so moved by
the poem that she learned about
the young poet. Finding out about
Edna’s financial paucity, she raised
funds for her college tuition.
“Renascence” was Edna’s vehicle to
literary stardom. Hopeful and
independent, 20-year-old Vincent
Millay was off to New York City.
In the city, the poet expanded her
social and professional horizons.
Many people were thrilled to meet
the “Renascence
poet.” She was frequently invited to
events where she
recited her poems.
While she basked
in the limelight,
Vincent was taking preparatory
courses at Barnard
College. A year
later, she attended
Vassar College,
which was then a
liberal arts institution for women.
Vincent was not
bound to academic regulations. She
did not like the
limits the school
imposed upon the students. She
compared Vassar to an “orphan
asylum.” She skipped classes, most
of which were the chapel sessions.
She spent her “free time” writing
poems religiously.
Soon enough, her life at Vassar
improved. She was well known and
well liked by the girls. Not only
was she a poet but also an actress.
She was alive, charming, playful
and liberated. As well as dating
men, she also dated other women.
At one point, she fell in love with
British actress Wynne Matthison
and wrote her letters: "You wrote
me a beautiful letter, I wonder if
you meant it to be as beautiful as it
was. I think you did; for somehow
I know that your feeling for me,
however slight it is, is of the nature
of love...When you tell me to
come, I will come, by the next
train, just as I am. This is not
meekness, be assured; I do not
come naturally by meekness; know
that it is a proud surrender to you."
Throughout her life, conquests,
lovers and admirers, both men and
women, surrounded her.
Eventually, Edna ends in the
arms of Eugene Boissevain. They
lived together in a beautiful farmhouse they called “Steepletop.”
They bought the house two years
after Vincent won the Pulitzer
Prize. Steepletop was brimmed
with flowers and the couple gardened together. Although their
marriage was an “open” one, her
husband cared for Edna very
much. Eugene embodied the ideal
man she wrote to in her diary during her youth. A supporter and
protector, Eugene called Edna “my
child.” Sadly, the marriage ended
after twenty-six years. Eugene died
of tuberculosis during an operation. A year later, 58-year old Edna
was found breathless at the bottom
of the stairs of her home.
Vincent’s premature death evokes
melancholia and nostalgia, yet her
poems are very much alive. Edna
did not write only ‘love poems,’
but also political ones, hoping to
appease the unruly government
and dismiss gender and racial prejudice. St. Vincent Millay lived her
life with excitement for every
moment, and in her poems, she
treasured every feeling, person and
memory.
Sources:
Savage Beauty by Nancy Milford
The Poet and Her Book by Jean
Gould
Paperclips
BY: DENISE REYES
STAFF WRITER
My boss was always asking me to do
strange things. Nothing bad of course,
just things I didn’t put on my resume,
like calling cholesterol lowering supplement companies. I don’t remember
describing myself as Starbucks expert
or typing up “experienced in ordering
sushi.” I was doing what I always do on
a week day at the office, trying to look
busy. I was playing minesweeper on
the computer when the phone rang.
“Hello this is Denise speaking. How
may I help you?” I waited.
“Hey…uh…Denise?” It was my boss.
“Denise can I speak to Betty please?”
She was on the other line. “Sorry boss,
she’s on the other line; want me to tell
her anyway?” I was about to press the
intercom button when he said, “No
no…uh it’s alright…actually you
could do it…uh do me a favor…”
Here we go. My boss’s voice always
faded in and out when asking me these
favors. “I’m gonna need you to…to
um…give me a call in about…twenty
minutes…and uh…tell me there’s an
emergency at the office. I’m trying to
get out of a business meeting.” I suppressed a chuckle. “Ookay, not a problem.” He thanked me and we hung up.
I went back to being “busy” for the
next twenty minutes. Soon time passed
and I almost forgot. So I quickly dialed
the number and sure enough he
answered, “Hello?” He knew what and
who it was, but he was acting. It was
SHOWTIME! “Hi, um Boss?” I said
in my fake panic. “We have a HUGE
emergency here at the office!” He pretended to let this soak in. “What’s
wrong? What happened?!” I feel he
deserved an Oscar. In my faux anxiety
my bottom lip quivered as I said, “my
paper clips don’t work!” I whined. “Ya
don’t say…” my boss replied. “Okay
Denise Everything is gonna be alllllrrriiiiight.” He said as if to calm my
nerves. “I’ll be there in five minutes.”
As he hung up, I heard him telling
people there’s a problem at his office.
Mission accomplished. He must have
rushed out gleefully but wondering
why of all things, paperclips. I hung up
and went back to Minesweeper.
Imagine studying in Paris
without ever leaving Montclair.
Montclair State. Using advanced technology
to advance the art of learning.
OPEN HOUSES
DECISION DAYS
Sunday, October 8
Friday, October 27
Thursday, November 9
Sunday, November 5
Sunday, December 3
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Friday, November 10
Friday, December 8
At Montclair State, you can be transported to Paris in a morning
video conference and still have time to catch a class on campus
in the afternoon. Our class sizes are intimate, with a 17:1 student
faculty ratio so you’ll never feel lost, and you’ll find our professors
deliver a healthy dose of real-life experience. A number of
programs even offer internships to help you stay a step ahead.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Friday, January 12, 2007
Montclair State. The choice that makes a world of difference.
Make a reservation for one of our Open Houses today.
For reservations call 973-655-5322
or visit www.montclair.edu/admissions/cc
PAGE 20
NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2006
Cheerleading Club
JOIN A TEAM!!!
INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS
Bergen Community College
FALL
Cross Country
Soccer
Soccer
Volleyball
-
WINTER
Men & Women
Men
Women
Women
Basketball - Men
Basketball - Women
Wrestling - Men
SPRING
Baseball
Softball
Golf
Tennis
Track & Field
-
Men
Women
Men & Women
Men & Women
Men & Women
Great Coaching! Improve Your Game! Have Some Fun!
YOU’LL LOVE THE EXPERIENCE
QUESTIONS? CALL 201-447-7182 or go to G-201 (2nd fl. above gym)
INTERSESSION S-128
FITNESS CENTER HOURS
Wed. January 3rd
Fri. January 5th
Mon. January 8th
Wed. January 10th
10:00 am – 2:00 pm
10:00 am – 2:00 pm
10:00 am – 2:00 pm
10:00 am – 2:00pm
Normal hours will resume after classes begin.
Please inform the Wellness/Exercise Science office (G-201 or G-207) if the facility is not
open during scheduled hours.
HOURS SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE