I`m Still Here: Veterans At BCC

Transcription

The Torch
“Truth No Matter The
Cost”
BERGEN COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENT NEWSPAPER
IGNITING STUDENTS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
VOLUME XXI . . . No. III
FDU-BCC Form Alliance to
Ease Transfer
DESIREE MOORE
staff writer
Fairleigh
Dickinson
University (FDU), located in
Teaneck, New Jersey, signed
a partnership with Bergen
Community
College
on
October 16th that will provide
the opportunity to seamlessly
transfer credits into a Bachelor’s
or Master’s program. Not only
will credits be transferable, but
there will be generous academic
scholarship
incentives
to
sweeten the deal.
The overall incentive of
NOVEMBER 2013
TORCHBCC.COM
this formation, named BCCFDU
Scholar’s
Program,
is designed to pave a clear
and affordable path between
Associate’s and Bachelor’s and
Master’s programs at FDU.
“We share a commitment with
Bergen Community College to
do something about the rising
cost of a college education and
to help more families afford
an education that will make
a difference,” said Fairleigh
Dickinson’s President, Sheldon
Drucker.
Continued on pg. 7
Vargas stands firmly behind his stance as an American without legal citizenship, waiting on the day this country recognizes it.
Photo courtesy of pbs.org.
No Comment: The Undocumented Story of
Jose Antonio Vargas
JOSEPH CIRILO
He confided in
the discovery of
journalism...
staff writer
Dr. B. Kaye Walter, president of Bergen Community College and Sheldon Drucker,
president of FDU sign an agreement that will provide BCC students a more affordable pathway to FDU.
Photos by Russ DeSantis Photography and Video, LLC
Jose Antonio Vargas, closing
keynote speaker of Latino
Heritage Month, is a Pulitzer
Prize winning journalist who
immigrated to this country
as a young man, misled about
his legal status, but with great
expectations for his future.
As Vargas took the stage
on October 14th, he was met
with thunderous applause from
the students and faculty in
attendance at the Anna Maria
Ciccone Theatre. To be in New
Jersey that day was an especially
significant day for Vargas and
other immigration advocates,
as Governor Christie had
announced the day before that
he reversed his position on the
federal Dream Act, which would
give in-state college tuition rates
to students living in the country
without legal permission.
When Vargas immigrated
to Silicon Valley, CA in 1993,
it was after his grandparents
had worked to save up $4,500
to secure him a green card and
safe passage here, as his mother
was denied a visa to enter the
country. It was not until going
to the Department of Motor
Vehicles to get a learner’s permit
four years later that he found
out that the documentation his
grandfather had purchased was
fake.
The vivid memory that
Vargas painted about returning
home to confront his grandfather
about what happened was one
of being told: “What are you
doing showing that to people?
You’re not supposed to be here.”
Vargas’ life would subsequently
be consumed by years of living a
dark lie in a place that he “wasn’t
Continued on pg. 8
I’m Still Here: Veterans At BCC
JOSEPH CIRILO
staff writer
Soldiers, Airmen, Marines, Sailors; the
veterans that make up a total of 250 or
so students that attend classes daily here
at Bergen Community College, come by
various titles, backgrounds, and names.
For those few combat veterans who have
served overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan,
the transition to civilian life, coupled with
the difficulties of life as a college student,
can often feel like an uphill battle.
Thankfully for them, people like Mike
Martinez, of the BCC Veteran’s Center
in Room L-113, are here to provide
assistance to those seeking to enroll in
college for the first time.
Everything from the vast amount
of paperwork required by the Veteran’s
Administration to what is required
from all students registering for classes,
is handled by faculty like Professor
Martinez. “There’s a lot of paperwork,
a lot of processing stuff; so we help
to facilitate that process,” Martinez
explained.
While the statistical graduation rate
of those veterans registering for classes is
largely unknown, Martinez went on to say
that he has seen much more progress in
those veterans that gave themselves some
time for a “breather” to process things,
I
N
PTSD can occur after experiencing
a traumatic event, such as exposure to
combat.
Most people suffering from PTSD have
some stress-related reactions after such an
event. According to the“Understanding
PTSD Treatment” booklet available at
BCC’s Veteran Center, fear, sadness,
guilt, anger and insomnia are common.
About 60 percent of men and 50
percent of women experience at least one
traumatic event in their lifetime, but only
about 8 percent of men and 20 percent
of women will develop PTSD, according
to MakeTheConnection.com; a website
specifically designed to help identify the
early symptoms of the disorder, and help
patients and veterans better understand
what can be done. For those who have
experienced combat, the figures are much
greater.
“It comes in one form or another.”
Martinez commented. “Some will come
Private Chris MacGregor before deployment, after an IED assault, and after returning home, discharged in here to talk about it and all I’m trained
from injuries sustained in combat. to do is point them in the right direction.
Photo courtesy of Lalage Snow They need someone they can relate to.”
Professor John Giaimo is this so-called
“right direction,” present to help student
and figure out what it means to be back everything for you paperwork-wise.”
The most difficult part of this transition veterans anyway he can. A combat veteran
to civilian life.
“It’s just a culture shock,” Army was not in the paperwork, however, but of Vietnam, Giaimo can easily relate to
veteran SPC Ronald Hernandez said. rather facing the challenges that come the hardships that come with adjusting to
“You have to be a lot more hands on with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or civilian life, as well as to student life.
here, whereas in the military, they do PTSD.
Continued on pg. 7
S
Time to Lead by Example - Pg. 11
Framework for the Future - Pg. 6
I
D
Pg. 10 - Loving to Hate education
Pg. 3 - Same Sex Marriage
E
VOLUME 21 ISSUE 3 | NOVEMBER 2013
It’s Time to Welcome a New Addition BCC, V.I.P
2
News
THE TORCH
BLAIR DELONG
staff writer
Bergen Community College
has many services to offer its
students. One of the newest, The
Violence Intervention Prevention
Program (VIP) provides services
involving domestic and dating
violence, sexual assault as well
as stalking. Professor Shari
Franschman, the director of the
Violence Intervention Prevention
said ”We want to educate the
community. We want to empower
survivors.” According to the New
York State Coalition Against
Sexual Assault, at least one in
four college women will be the
victim of a sexual assault during
her academic career; furthermore
80 percent of these assaults will
be committed by an acquaintance
of the victim. These numbers are
staggering, considering that there
are more than 17,000 students
attending BCC for the 2012-2013
semesters.
VIP works with several
programs around Bergen County
such as Shelter our Sisters, who
assist women and children who
are victims of domestic violence,
including emotional, economic,
sexual and physical abuse. They
also work with healingSPACE,
who provide free services to
survivors of sexual assault
and abuse. Not only does the
VIP Program work with these
organizations but they also
provide training to the 20 student
ambassadors that represent VIP
on all three campuses.
These ambassadors are not
only trained to listen to a survivor
but also be a resource and provide
any and all information a survivor
needs. Randy Ruisech, a student
affairs coordinator for VIP
said, “This has been a positive
experience for me. I’ve learned
a lot about sexual assault and
unhealthy relationships; it’s not
always physical but mental as
well.”
Thanks to the hard work of
not only Prof. Franschman, but
the Vice President of Student
Affairs, Dr. Naydeen GonzalezDe Jesus, both were instrumental
in getting the resources VIP
needed, like an office to operate
from. Because of this cooperation
from the administration and
student services, VIP could
become a great resource for the
BCC community as a whole. The
VIP has not only offered these
services but has also garnered
national attention. Franschman
said, “The Clery Reporting
Center
(supports
initiatives
and legislation that support our
mission and provide a realistic
framework for accountability)
wants BCC’s VIP program to
offer training webinars to further
The Silent Factor in
a Loud Debate
PEPE ROMERO
news editor
On the same day that speakers during
a gun control debate at BCC failed to
mention mental health issues as a possible
root to violent behavior in society, a shooter
at Paramus’ Garden State Plaza opened
fire and eventually took his own life. Data
and experts show that the debate reflects
what the public in general fails to address,
which is an ailment that is bedeviling the
fabric of our communities. As the effects
of such disregard mount, they are reaching
the hallways of our school, and as Mr.
William Corcoran, Executive Director of
Safety, Security, and Crisis Management
describes, “it’s not a gun problem, it’s a
society problem.”
Mr. Juan Pacheco, a former gang
member and currently a Youth Violence
Prevention Specialist, along with Mr.
Robert Farago, founder of the website “The
Truth About Guns,” shared their opposing
views in a debate titled: Gun Control, A
Civil Debate on a Loaded Topic, at around
noon on Monday November 4th, in the
Anna Maria Ciccone Theatre.
Mr. Pacheco utilized anecdotes of
his upbringing in his home country, El
Salvador, where he was part of a notorious
gang called Mara Salvatrucha, or MS13, to argue that people are “brought up
to believe in lies” which make them look
to guns as a means to defend themselves.
However, he labeled violence as “The
language of the inarticulate” and urged the
audience to consider him as an example
of how education can reform any member
of society. Mr. Farago on the other hand,
argued the constitutionality of bearing
arms, and emphasized the importance
of society to be prepared to defend itself
from its own government.
Towards the end of the debate, when
asked if there is a connection to be made
between the decaying mental health
issues afflicting American society and
gun violence, they resorted to more
of the same rhetoric they had already
mentioned. Then, at around 9:20 p.m. of
that same day, Richard Shoop, of Teaneck,
walked into the Garden State Plaza and
fired six shots at various targets, without
hurting anyone, before taking his own life.
According the NJ.com, Shoop’s friends
Continued on pg. 4
The mission of the Violence Intervention Prevention Center at Bergen
Community College is to educate
the community on sexual assault,
dating violence, and stalking through
supportive services and prevention
programs.
Photo courtesty of V.I.P.
educate other schools.”
According to the “Advocate
Core Training Manual,” being in
a college environment there are
plenty of opportunities for dating
other students. Whether or not
it is a healthy relationship, one
always has rights. As a matter
of personal authority, you have
the right to manage your life
according to your own values
and judgment. If your partner
says no, it means no. There is not
any gray line; this is a matter of
personal safety and comfort. If
your partner can not respect this,
than you have a problem on your
hands. While each relationship
has its own dynamic, some can
be extremely unhealthy and
detrimental to one or even both
partners. Not only do you have
needs but you need to grow as
an individual as well. If this right
is hampered, you could find
yourself in a situation that can
cause an unhealthy environment
which could lead to domestic
abuse, or worse.
If you or someone else you
know have been a survivor of any
of the aforementioned situations
there are so many resources
you have access to. VIP
maintains an online counseling
link on their website, www.
bccviolenceprevention.com, as
well as many other resources
including Student Services,
Judicial Affairs and Health
Services. VIP maintains a 24
hour hotline 1-877-9-SAVEME.
These services are for the
students, and you should never
be afraid.
A Sorrowful
Event
RICARDO MONTERO-HERNANDEZ
editor-in-chief
A student was found self-harming in
a Pitkin Education Center bathroom,
in the Paramus campus of Bergen
Community College.
Bergen County Police Officer
Christopher Ham received a call on
Tuesday, November 12th, from Public
Safety that a student was attempting
against her life in one of the campus’
bathrooms. Officer Ham responded to
the call and, upon arrival, tried talking
to the student; After not complying
with Ham and other Public Safety
officers on the scene and continuing
to injure themselves, the student was
then physically restrained.
The student was taken to
Bergen Regional Medical Center
for Psychological evaluation and
treatment.
If you or someone you know is
in a similar situation, please seek
counseling at the BCC counseling
center located in the Health Office, or
dial 1-800-273-8255, for the National
Suicide Prevention Lifeline. There are
trained professionals ready whenever
you need them to help you with your
situation, you are not alone.
JOIN THE TORCH
Meetings every Tues., 12:45 p.m., SC-111A
Corrections to stories that appeared in the October 2013 edition:
Pg. 10 “Tech makes smoking less deadly” e-cigs NOT allowed on campus.
Pg. 21 Answers to puzzles: Pictures 4 & 5 are identical.
Crossword answers: across: 4. BOO 9. MYSTERIOUS 10. GRIN 11. DARKNESS 12. DARKNESS - down: 1. TREATS 2. CAULDRON 3. BROOMSTICK 5. SPOOK 6. CEMENTARY 7. HAYRIDE 8. COWARDICE
5-Hour Shot to
the Heart
pg. 6
Paralegal Studies
pg. 5
3
Christie Holds Down
New Jersey pg. 4
Parking Lot Surveillance
pg. 5
NEWS
The Torch
Framework for the Future
A Shift in Culture at BCC
Same Sex
Marriage
A Battle is Won, but is There An End in
Sight?
BLAIR DELONG
staff writer
Faced with the daunting task of having to
defend their own office and other student
club space, SGA’s executive board made a
simple request that brought the imminent
dismantling of the student center to a halt.
PEPE ROMERO
news editor
“Framework for the Future” it’s
a five year plan that the school’s
current administration has
launched in order to improve
major aspects at BCC. In the
second of a three part series,
The Torch looks to identify and
examine these changes that are
taking place, and inform of its
immediate and future impact on
students and faculty.
As mentioned on the first
part of this series, in order to
institute a “One-Stop-Shop”
- a place where admissions,
registration, and financial aid
can be processed by the same
staff member- the student center
would have been converted into
a welcoming center. Faced with
the daunting task of having
to defend their own office
and other student club space,
SGA’s executive board made a
simple request that brought the
imminent dismantling of the
student center to a halt.
OPRA
Open Public Records Act, or
OPRA, is a state law that allows
for the public to have access to
government records maintained
by NJ public agencies. SGA’s
e-board figured that if they
had a chance to go over the
state grant that appropriated
the funds for the construction
of the student center, which
was finished in 2011, perhaps
they could find something that
SGA Senator and News Editor at the
Torch, Pepe Romero speaks at October’s Board of Trustees meeting.
Valerie Batista // The Torch
would protect that area from
becoming something other
than student space. Therefore,
they made an OPRA request to
administration, and within 24
hours of their inquiry, Silvana
D. Raso, partner at Schepisi &
McLaughlin P.A.,which is BCC
Board of Trustees’ legal counsel,
contacted them asking to narrow
their request. Such documents
are so vast in volume, that
the legal costs and the time it
would take to gather them were
enough to get the attorney’s
office
involved.
However,
before SGA’s e-board had an
opportunity to discuss which
documents would best serve
their purposes, they were asked
to drop their request. SGA kept
Continued on pg. 6
As of 12:01 a.m., Oct. 21,
2013, New Jersey became the
14th state to allow same-sex
marriage after a last minute
appeal withdrawal by New
Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s
administration. “The governor
will do his constitutional duty
and ensure his administration
enforces the law as dictated
by the N.J. Supreme Court.
Ensuring that marriage equality
has found a new foothold on
the East Coast,” Christie’s
administration said.
There
are
concerns,
however. “It’s great news for
New Jersey, but what about the
rest of the country?,” said Jessi
Melendez, Treasurer of Bergen
Community College’s PRIDE
club. While the states have made
individual legislation possible
for same-sex couples, the rest
of the country has been slow to
follow. “There is still work to
be done,” added Samuel Grady,
the Vice President of PRIDE
club. While same-sex marriage
is recognized in 14 states, the
other 36 do not recognize them.
So, if a couple is married in the
state of New Jersey, Texas will
not recognize the union and
refuse the rights of marriage to
the couple.
The debate over gay-rights
rages on in the remaining 36
states. Most of the “Blue” or
mostly-Democratic areas of the
country have recognized that
same-sex couples should have
the same rights when it comes
to marriage, just as a straight
couple would have. With
Victory for same-sex marriage in New
Jersey.
Photo courtesy of Open Walls.
same-sex couples able to be
legally married, they can share
many benefits, which include
health and life insurance
benefits that a traditional
marriage would offer. However,
the big question remains: why
should a same-sex couple
be denied the benefits that a
heterosexual couple is privy to?
The “Red States,” or
Republican states, have fought
tooth and nail to deny a simple
civil right to individuals based
upon the assumption that
same-sex marriage would ruin
the institution of marriage.
However, according to the
Centers of Disease Control
and Prevention, there were
2,118,000 marriages in 2011,
while in the same year there
were 872,000 divorces. That
is a 41% divorce rate. Nearly
150,000 same-sex couples have
either married, registered civil
unions, or formed a domestic
partnerships, but only 1 percent
of them have gotten a divorce.
Not only has this been a hotly
debated issue in political circles
but religious as well. As the
Roman Catholic Church refuses
Continued on pg. 6
Voter Education, Not Political Platforming
BCC’s Voter Education Forum is aimed at raising awareness on the
importance of elections and how they affect current issues.
EMANUELE CALIANNO
staff writer
BCC’s Voter Education Forum took
place on October 22nd, in light of the
gubernatorial election and minimum
wage referendum. An educationoriented event, forums like these
feature Q & A sessions with members
from the political arena, and are
aimed at raising awareness on the
importance of elections and how they
affect current issues.
For this occasion, the school
invited
Student
Government
Association President Alexis Bravo,
Hawthorne
Council
candidate
Jeff Gardner, Montclair NAACP
President Thomas Reynolds, and
Wayne Council candidate Barbara
Marmolejos, with Ivan Wei, Bergen’s
NAACP President and chief organizer
of the event, taking the podium as
moderator. After obtaining approval
from administration to hold the event,
Wei and his collaborators had high
hopes: “We wanted to teach our fellow
students about the impact of their votes
at every electoral level, regardless of
political views. We picked our speakers
to be informative and energetic, and
expected an audience of 200 to 300
students,” said Wei.
Initially, all speakers spoke
intensely but neutrally, maintaining
the forum on the path it had been
set to create. Questions like “Why
should students vote?”, and “How can
politicians be held accountable for
issues in the community?” received
clear and objective responses that
listed specific student issues, such
as the education budget and college
loans. However, while early phases
proceeded in the expected manner,
things eventually took a turn; speakers
ceased to uphold the objectiveness
requested, and the forum began to
mix voter education with political
platforming.
When asked about her views on
local elections, speaker Marmolejos
refrained from giving a direct
answer, and instead talked about the
poor support she felt was given to
her town by Governor Christie. On
the other hand, in response to being
questioned about the relevance the
minimum wage referendum held, SGA
President Bravo began by saying “I
don’t support the referendum.” By the
same token, Reynolds brought along
an NAACP report card of Christie’s
administration, which, while common
practice for these affairs, was not
compared with a report card of Senator
Buono’s past offices.
Towards the end of the event,
Marmolejos and Gardner pulled out
flyers to promote their respective
municipal
campaigns,
asking
for support from any Wayne and
Hawthorne resident on campus. At
various points throughout the forum,
speakers interrupted and contradicted
Continued on pg. 5
4
News
THE TORCH
Christie Holds Down New Jersey for Another Term
DESIREE MOORE
staff writer
As of Tuesday November 5, 2013
Republican Chris Christie successfully
earned his bid for reelection as New
Jersey’s governor. Christie campaigned
across college campuses in New Jersey
for the past two months in attempts to
gain more votes, but what does this mean
for NJ public schools?
Christie’s prominent platform has
been education reform and overall budget
management. Due to potential bankruptcy,
the major changes were to pensions and
health benefit system for teachers.
Christie’s campaign estimates that
taxpayers have saved over $132 billion
over 30 years and saved retirees their
pension because of it. Actions such as
extending the pre-tenure period from 3 to
4 years and allowing districts to let go of
tenured teachers if they have consecutive
years of poor ratings were taken due to
the connotation that a teacher would have
a job for life, regardless of performance.
Christie believes that putting the students
first in order for America to prevail over
our competitors in the competition that
is academia, “They believe in teachers
unions. We believe in teachers,” Christie’s
campaign declares.
As for higher paying positions such as
Superintendent, tenure has been revoked,
and the position instead calls for a three
to five year contract, which makes them
more marketable when their contract is
expires. According to OnTheIssues.org,
as of February 2011, Christie decided to
curve the scale for these position holders
by creating a pay-rate ratio based on
student population.
According to the State of New Jersey’s
Department of Education, Christie’s
overall incentive is to make teacher
effectiveness and student achievement
the key agents behind every policy and
practice. He is adamant in parental
communication through technology,
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and his wife Mary Pat speak with the media at Brookside Firehouse in Mendham, New Jersey, Tuesday, November 5, 2013.
Chris Pedota // The Record/MCT
allowing parents to understand their
rights, responsibilities, opportunities, and
options. By incorporating the SMART
system, it will allow parents the access to
their children’s class performance as well
as teacher’s evaluations.
Christie, a moderate Republican, is
pro-life and against marriage equality.
While against marriage equality, he
dropped his appeal to the Supreme
Court which recently legally recognized
marriage equality in the garden state.
This recent move may have tipped the
Governor’s hand, moving to the center on
an issue that looks to be key in 2016.
Christie’s campaign estimates that taxpayers have
saved over $132 billion over 30 years and saved
retirees their pension because of it. Actions such as
extending the pre-tenure period from 3 to 4 years and
allowing districts to let go of tenured teachers they
have consecutive years of poor ratings were taken due
to the connotation that a teacher would have a job for
life, regardless of performance.
NOVEMBER 2013 | VOLUME 21 ISSUE 3
News
Parking Lot Surveillance
YAIDELISSE ROMAN
staff writer
How safe is your vehicle? Think about
it. Many students do not know that there
aren’t any cameras watching over their
vehicles while in class. While Public
Safety regularly monitors the parking
lots, it is not as effective as having
cameras watching over all of the parking
lots at once.
The amount of vehicles vandalized
and broken into has increased since 2011.
In the public safety crime logs, there have
been 9 thefts and 14 vandalisms between
2012 and 2013. Currently, there are no
cameras in parking lots B, C, and D, while
all those vehicles are left at the mercy of
criminals.
Director of Public Safety, William
Corcoran has been working with
Homeland Security to make some of these
TORCHBCC.COM
5
The amount of vehicles vandalized and broken into has increased since 2011. In
the public safety crime logs, there have been 9 thefts and 14 vandalisms between
2012 and 2013.
changes around the school. He received a
$157,000 grant from Homeland Security
for new cameras in the parking lot and
other Public Safety essentials.
So, what do you do if your car is
vandalized? Quickly notify public safety
by dialing 6 on any school phone, or go to
the public safety office. If seconds count,
call 911 immediately.
If someone is caught committing a
crime, they will be charged. Cameras
have already proved helpful in stopping
crimes around other parts of the campus.
If a crime is caught on camera, public
safety hands over the tapes to the county
police.
Will parking lot surveillance improve security on
campus?
Shamin Chishti // The Torch
Mr. Corcoran stressed the importance
of a collective effort while tackling safety
issues around campus, “Keeping this
college campus safe is everyone’s job.
I’m the Director of Public Safety, but it’s
everyone’s job. We can’t keep this college
safe without the students, the faculty, the
staff, the visitors, and everybody else.
For a real safe environment, we need
everybody to be on the same page.”
While cameras are installed in
vulnerable areas around the parking lots,
it is recommended to not leave valuables
inside the vehicles. Every student needs to
play their part in contributing to campus
safety.
Inside BCC Paralegal Studies
FELLIX LYU
staff writer
Bergen Community College holds many programs that
help students in the near future. This includes programs
for nursing and legal studies majors. For students in legal
studies, there are ways to ensure stability in their future.
The two programs that can be considered as the most
essential for paralegals would be the ABA approved
Legal Nurse Consultant Certificate Program and
the Paralegal Program. The Legal Nurse Consultant
Certificate Program can be earned in one year. A
hopeful paralegal must have more dedication as it takes
two years. Both programs were created to meet the needs
of an environment for the paralegals in the New York
metropolitan area and Northern New Jersey.
As a paralegal, you can make $35,000 to $55,000 on
salary, depending on the position that you are attempting
to receive. Although, experienced paralegals can be
compensated $50,000 to $100,000. BCC creates a
helpful learning environment and prepares its paralegal
students to be successful. Professor Lawrence Joel
became the successor of the program after Professor
Gerald Meisel conceived the curriculum.The professor
has been maintaining the Paralegal Studies Program
since the year 2000.
Professor Joel maintains the paralegal program as
well as the ABA Approved Legal Nurse Consultant
Certificate Program, established in September, 2008.
Paralegal studies at BCC becomes ABA approved
Photo courtesy of kent.edu
Professor Joel commented, “These programs both have
been graduating students for several or many years.”
Professor Joel informed that the programs have
regional and national reputation and that all professors
are practicing attorneys who are experts in their fields.
Students who have exceeded their own expectations have
been excellently placed in durable jobs. Those who are
interested in having a career that can provide a protected
life, should choose the nearby classes that offer paralegal
paths.
left: SGA President, Alexis Bravo. center: Former candidate of Wayne County Council, Beth Marmolejos & Montclair NAACP President,Thomas Reynolds right: Former candidate for Hawthorne Council, Jeff Gardner &
SGA President, Alexis Bravo
Voter Education, Not Political Platforming
Continued from pg. 3
each other when talking about the gubernatorial
candidates, adding an element of rebuttal that is not
the norm at education forums, and which was not at all
addressed by the moderator.
Dr. Ron Milon, BCC’s Vice President of Administrative
Services, had both positive and critical commentary for
the day, “Any effort made by the students to inform and
educate really deserves praise. Unfortunately, similar
situations are typical of these events.” He continued
by saying that the lack of bipartisan representation
also played a factor in hindering the event’s balance.
Aside from President Bravo, who is part of the Young
Republicans Club, there were no other supporters of the
Republican Party.
Bravo herself commented in the afternoon by saying
“I have very high regards for our guests. Many of them
are not Bergen County residents, and coming to our
campus shows dedication to the community and to
young voters. However, all speakers, myself included,
could have done a better job to maintain neutrality and
not voice personal beliefs.”
Following the forum, Ivan Wei has stated that this is
to be only the first of several events focusing on voter
education, and that aspects of its turnout will be used as
guidelines for the future in order to aim for an approach
that will ensure balance and focus on student issues.
6
News
Same Sex Marriage
THE TORCH
A Battle is Won, but is There An End in Sight?
In 1802, President Thomas Jefferson
wrote a letter to Baptists from Danbury,
Connecticut the following:
“Believing with you that religion is
a matter which lies solely between Man
& his God, that he owes account to none
other for his faith or his worship, that the
legitimate powers of government reach
actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate
to recognize same-sex marriages, the
Vatican considers it to be a sin according
to the Bible. Most conservative religions
have also refused to recognize this legal
right that has more legal complications
than religious.
with sovereign reverence that act of the
whole American people which declared
that their legislature should “make no law
respecting an establishment of religion,
or prohibiting the free exercise thereof”,
thus building a wall of separation between
Church & State”.
So why have states been swayed by an
almost religious agenda instead of going
along with allowing anyone to be treated
to living the way they see fit? Straight,
Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual or Transgender,
they have right to pursue their own
happiness and if wanting to be married
to their partner is that pursuit, who really
has the power to deny this to them?
Framework for the Future
A Shift in Culture at BCC
its location, and student club space was rearranged in
order to “allow for more collaboration among clubs
and organizations,” according to Mr. Greg Fenkart,
Coordinator for Student Development.
The Welcome Center was created, and it is now
located where student life used to be, in room A-115.
The One-Stop-Shop has a presence in the student
center without taking away any of the student space.
On the surface, a middle ground was found. In the
absence of negotiation, some astute legal maneuvering
by SGA, and flexibility by the administration gave way
to both parties attaining their objectives. However, this
would only be the start of a sequence of unpopular
decisions by the BCC administration that would stir
strong emotions among the student body.
Honors Hall: Only a Seven Minute Walk Away
The Judith K. Winn School of Honors was relocated
from its office on the third floor of the Pitkin Center
to an area next to Paramus Road. Roughly a seven
minute walk, Dr. William P. Mullaney, Vice-President
of Academic Affairs, “didn’t feel the location would
be too much of an inconvenience.” Such decision was
made together with BCC President Dr. B. Kaye Walter
and it was based on student feedback last semester. At
the time, honors students expressed an interest in an
area where they could gather and work together with
PTK Association members. This area was conceived
in a “double wide” - a mobile home consisting of two
units that are connected- by Paramus Road.
Dr. Mullaney is “committed to refurbishing” the
space, and is also considering creating an “Honors
Path”, that would make the walk an experience
in itself. Unfortunately, while the intentions were
clearly to benefit the association, accessibility to the
premises have been inconsistent at best. Hiring a full
time support person was “important,” Dr. Mullaney
said. However, a vacation by this staff member in the
middle of the semester along with varying hours have
made access to the Honors Hall unpredictable and
frustrating.
Honors students voiced their dissatisfaction at the
September Board of Trustees meeting. In this meeting,
the Honors “Trailer”, as it is referred to by some angry
students, was only one of several issues raised.
Library Closed on Sundays
A decrease in enrollment along with millions
of dollars in over time have made this years budget a
tight one. When looking at the costs of keeping the
library open on Sundays, Dr. Mullaney said that the
5-Hour Shot
to the Heart
GREG KOCIUBINSKI
contributing writer
Say you are walking to class or through
the cafeteria, your mouth wide open
with a yawn escaping, having that “two
o’clock feeling”. Out of the corner of
your eye, you spy a nice vibrant bottle
in one of the vending machines, colored
with red and orange and gentle purple.
Upon closer examination, you read the
label: 5-Hour Energy: Hours of Energy
Now, No Crash Later!” It seems as if it
is the golden solution to your problem -a small two-ounces liquid that will give
you the burst of energy you need to get
through the rest of your day, it very well
maybe be, but just like everything in life,
nothing is guaranteed.
Essentially, that burst of energy is due
to the large amount of caffeine that is in
the shot. The regular two-ounces liquid
bottle holds 215 mg of caffeine, with
the “extra strength” version holding 242
mg. That is about three-to-five times the
amount of caffeine in a regular 12 ounces
can of soda, and 100 more milligrams
than in an original Rockstar or Monster.
Compared to a black 16ounces coffee,
which has 145mg, 5-Hour Energy packs
quite a kick. Along with all the caffeine,
a shot of 5-Hour Energy also contains
various combinations of vitamins and
minerals, some of these going far past the
daily recommended values. According to
its nutritional facts, a bottle of regular
strength 5 Hour Energy contains over
8000%DV of Vitamin B12.
All of this combined with the regular
doses of caffeine someone has in a day,
whether it be from coffee, soda, morning
The regular two-oz.
liquid bottle holds 215
mg of caffeine, with the
“extra strength” version
holding 242 mg.
Will students make the right choice?
Brian Felix // The Torch
latte -- it adds up. As with any drug,
negative side effects and even overdose
can occur from too much caffeine.
Mild effects from too much caffeine
can include jitters, nervousness, and
rapid heartbeat, with more serious side
effects as high blood pressure, nausea,
and vomiting, according to a Food and
Drug Administration fact sheet. Since
December 17, 2009, thirteen people were
found to have ingested at least one 5-Hour
Energy before their death, according to
an F.D.A. study.
Before you skip a good night’s sleep
and buy a 5-Hour Energy to make up
for it, consider if the potential outcomes
from it are worth it. Is staying out late and
taking a 5-Hour Energy to wake up a bit
really worth the chance of health risks?
data supported his decision to close it for that day. Dr.
Mullany also argues that BCC is the only Community
College that had its library open on Sundays. He also
says that any “decrease in service doesn’t feel good”
but with limited funds, he opts to focus “resources on
students”. When asked if he expected the reaction from
the student body, he says he had “no idea the firestorm
it would cause.” In order to make sure this closing
does not affect academic performance, Dr. Mullaney
does have a proposal on the works that would extend
library hours during finals and also during that time,
the reopening of the library on Sundays. SGA pledged
to gather 5,000 signatures petitioning the library to be
permanently open on Sundays, and such initiative it’s
still in the works.
As the bridge between the student body and the
administration, SGA would have liked a less conflictive
start to their term. By the same token, members of the
BCC administration, each of who do not have more
than one year at their respective position, are striving
to provide the best possible student experience. As Dr.
Mullaney put it, they find themselves in the difficult
position of not “letting politics affect the way they
are servicing students.” Nonetheless, it seems as if
all those who are a part of the BCC community are
affected, one way or the other, by forces which fall
outside of academia.
News
TORCHBCC.COM
I’m Still Here: Veterans At BCC
According the US Department of
Veterans Affairs website, the most
effective method of treating PTSD to
date is counseling and medication; a
combination of psychotherapy in the form
of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors
(SSRIs) to raise the level of serotonin in
the brain.
The two SSRIs that are currently
approved by the FDA for the treatment
of PTSD are Sertraline (Zoloft) and
Paroxetine (Paxil). To a lesser extent,
some doctors prescribe benzodiazepines
to treat anxiety, but is not recommended
for long-term treatment as they do not
treat the core PTSD symptoms and may
lead to addiction.
While the post-9/11 G.I. Bill
Lance Corporal Becky Hitchcock before deployment, after an IED attack and returning home.
provides
financial support for education
Photo courtesy of Lalage Snow from her “We Are The Not Dead” gallery
7
and housing to individuals with at least 90
days of aggregate service after September
10, 2001 or individuals discharged with a
service-connected disability after 30 days,
receiving an honorable discharge from
service, it does not repair the damage done
in the aftermath, when coping becomes
the next big challenge.
And while the scars, often
invisible, never truly go away, one
anonymous student offered the words of
Langston Hughes, that quote,
“...was a saving grace in their first few
months back.”
“Been scarred and battered.
My hopes the wind done scattered.
Snow has friz me,
Sun has baked me,
Looks like between ‘em they done
tried to make me
Stop laughin’, stop lovin’, stop livin’But I don’t care.
I’m still here.”
FDU-BCC Form Alliance to Ease Transfer
The agreement outlines that students
may enroll as entering freshman or
throughout their first year at BCC. All
credits acquired from BCC, up to the
maximum of sixty four that are part of
an associate’s degree, can be considered
for transfer at FDU. The BCC-FDU dual
admissions program is aimed to transition
BCC students in Bachelor of Arts and
Bachelor of Science degree programs at
FDU, as well as a combined Bachelor/
Master’s program.
“Bergen Community College has
prioritized providing opportunities and
resource for students to succeed here,
graduate from here and transfer to other
intuitions,” BCC’s college president, Dr.
B. Kaye Walter states. “Partnerships
such as this one with our fellow county
resident Fairleigh Dickinson University
reflect our commitment to securing
opportunities for students entering the
next phase of their educational journey.”
Additional scholarships and grants
are available as well. Members of the
international two-year honor society,
Fairleigh Dickinson is an institution that features more than 100 undergraduate
and graduate degree programs including doctoral programs in nursing, clinical
and school psychology, two international campuses, as well as partnerships with
internationally renowned institutions and special programs, with status from the
United Nations
Phi Theta Kappa, will receive $16,000
per year in scholarships in lieu of the 40
percent reduction rate in tuition. Students
who show academic excellence, holding
a 3.5GPA or higher, will receive $1,000
per year in scholarships in addition to the
reduction rate. Students who qualify for
the NJ STARS II program with a minimum
3.25GPA, will receive the $2,500 per year
New Jersey in-state scholarship as well as
the additional reduced tuition or the Phi
Theta Kappa scholarship. Even students
looking to dorm can receive a $1,500 per
year housing grant for the Metropolitan
Campus or College at Florham.
Fairleigh Dickinson is an institution
that features more than 100 undergraduate
and graduate degree programs including
doctoral programs in nursing, clinical
and school psychology, two international
campuses, as well as partnerships with
international
renowned
institutions
and special programs, with status from
the United Nations. The Silberman
College of Business is accredited by
the prestigious AACSB International –
the Association to Advance Collegiate
Schools of Business, and has been named
among the nation’s best by The Princeton
Review. Not to mention, FDU’s School
of Pharmacy welcomed its first class
in 2012, while it unveiled a dynamic
curriculum incorporating technology,
a global perspective, and multiple
master’s degree options. This university
is distinguished by its use of innovative
technology, notably their Global Virtual
Faculty program.
“The BCC-FDU Scholars Program
builds upon FDU’s close partnerships
with community colleges and provides
Bergen Community College graduates
access to a full range of undergraduate
and graduate degree programs,” Drucker
added. This alliance focuses on an
important factor in academic achievement,
the cost of tuition and enrollment at a
four-year school. Drucker notes, “Just as
importantly in these difficult economic
times, these students will be eligible for
a significant reduced tuition rate, as well
as scholarships and grants.” BCC-FDU
Scholar Program members qualify for up
to 40% reduction from the appropriate
FDU institution rate upon completion of
an associate’s and through participation
in the program.
The Silent Factor in a Loud Debate
said he was becoming paranoid after a drug-possession
charge from earlier this year. While in this case it would
be easier to make an argument for a connection between
this young man’s disturbed state of mind and his actions
that led up to him turning the firearm onto himself,
statistics and professionals around the school agree it is
no coincidence.
“The issue at heart is mental illness,” according to
Dean of the Center for Student Success, Mrs. Jennifer
Reyes. Reyes says that people have a much easier
time talking about a relative’s heart condition or
cancer treatment than about their mental disorder. She
says people are “Ashamed to say they are living with
someone who is Bipolar or has any other mental disorder
because it is a taboo.” Nonetheless, the chances of such
experience being a part of reality are very high.
According to a National Alliance on Mental Illness
report published in March of this year, one in four adults
experience mental illness in a given year. The report also
points to approximately 60 percent of adults and almost
one-half of youth ages 8 to 15 with a mental illness
having received no mental health services in the previous
year. Despite these figures, Dean Reyes says “There is
not enough research to support a policy change on a
government and local level” and as a community college
we lack “Long term therapy” as only crisis intervention
is available.
A large share of this intervention is available thanks
to a grant awarded to BCC by the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services. Known as the Garrett Lee
Smith Suicide Prevention Grant, this program, on the
second of a three year project, aims to promote wellness,
connectedness, campus and community mental health
treatment and resources, as well as suicide prevention
training for students, faculty, and staff. The program
has already trained 152 students, 48 faculty/staff and
NAMI’s Mental Illness Facts and Numbers report states that one-half of
all chronic mental illness begins by the age of 14 while three quarters by
age 24.
Mental illnesses has become increasingly apparent
Illustration courtesy of nicholasjv.blogspot.com
4 community members in Mental Health First Aid
Trainings Sessions. Those sessions were voluntary, 12
and 8 hour, Mental Health First Aid Trainings at the
Paramus campus. Yet, despite of these efforts, reports of
a student having to be restrained by members of campus
safety and Bergen County Police from potentially fatal
self-inflicted injuries were circulating around campus
and in the media as recent as last week.
Juhi Bhatt, Coordinator for Judicial Affairs, says that
the established “Culture of reporting” fails the students
because it is more “reactive” than “proactive”. Such
system relies on a Behavioral Intervention Team,or BIT,
to identify “Students in distress.” Nonetheless, Tariq
Bryant, currently a BCC student, says that anything
“Could happen any day,” in which case, BIT members
would be left with little time to react.
NAMI’s Mental Illness Facts and Numbers report
states that one-half of all chronic mental illness begins
by the age of 14 while three quarters by age 24. While
the reports acknowledges that treatment could be
effective, it also states there are long delays-sometimes
decades- between the first appearance of symptoms and
when people get help. For BCC’s students, Dean Reyes
suggests the best plan of defense is to “seek counseling.”
The Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Suicide Prevention
Program is located in G208.
On a day when a young life was lost because of
paranoia stemming from a legal matter, some will mourn
the loss of a life, and some will find comfort in the fact
that no one else was hurt. However, the question of
where exactly mental health issues fit in the discussion
about gun control and violent behavior, will be left up for
debate. Considering suicide is the third leading cause
of death among individuals from ages 15 to 24, and 90
percent of those who die by suicide had one or more
mental disorders some will wonder why the question
merits to be up for debate at all.
8
No Comment:
News
THE TORCH
The Undocumented Story of
Jose Antonio Vargas
supposed to be.”
He confided in the discovery
of journalism, and the by-line that
accompanies each published article,
solidifying his name in American culture.
“For me, being a journalist, and being on
a piece of paper was actually a way of
existing.” Vargas told the audience. “I
thought I could just write my way into
America.”
Vargas’ next year would bring new
challenges as he was swayed by a quote
in The Life and Times of Harvey Milk:
“If a bullet should enter my brain, let
that bullet shatter every closet door,”
prompting him to oust himself as a
homosexual as he could not as an illegal
immigrant.
Without being able to marry and
acquire legal citizenship in the United
States, the plans of his grandparents were
shattered, and Vargas had to find his own
way.
Over the next 12 years, Jose Antonio
Vargas would go on to publish articles
with the Philadelphia Daily News, The
Washington Post, and The Huffington
Post all with a fake Social Security card,
doctored and photocopied.
He would also go on to use this SS
card for the Pulitzer committee when he
won the Pulitzer Prize in 2008, and the
White House when he went to cover the
presidential campaign that same year.
In 2011 he would go so far as to
publish an essay with the New York
Times Magazine revealing his status
as an undocumented worker, which
would earn The Sidney Award for an
“outstanding piece of socially-conscious
journalism.”
At his speech, however, Vargas would
not only describe his own personal story
of struggle, lies, hard work, and advocacy
for immigration reform, but would
reveal that President Barack Obama was
approaching two million deportations
at the current rate by 2014. In addition,
he pointed to the $4.46 million paid in
local taxes by illegal immigrants in 2010,
and how there is nothing stopping them
from starting a business and employing
American workers.
To this day, Vargas has not received
legal citizenship in the United States.
At 32, he is no longer eligible for the
DREAM Act relief, which would halt
deportations for immigrants under the age
of 30 and provide work permits for them.
However, after it was passed, he tweeted
his excitement by saying: “WAKE up
DREAMers. A new day has arrived.
You made this happen. Thank you and
congratulations! #WeAreAmericans.”
Vargas’ story includes a call to the
Immigration and Custom Enforcement
(ICE) asking whether or not they would
deport him, to which they replied, “no
comment.” This, he says, is a metaphor for
the American outlook on immigration.
Invigorated by his words, a few Bergen
students stood up to share their family’s
stories of immigration to the country,
from the days of Ellis Isle, to more
recent travels from abroad. To conclude
his address, Vargas stood at his podium
and left the student body with one last
message that he could give: “As far as I’m
concerned, I am an American. I’m just
waiting for my country to recognize it.”
PTK Gets Active
Members of PTK Society along with advisor prof. Win Win Kyi (center) at Tough Mudder Englishtown, NJ
Photo courtesy of PTK’s Facebook
KAREN BLAKE
org; Evan Wesley, Thirst Project
staff writer
Phi Theta Kappa continued to demonstrate
its philosophy of service throughout the
fall. Through October and November,
among a wide variety of activities that
included cupcake sales on campus to
raise money for the American Cancer
Society, members were also involved in
environmentally friendly events such
as the New Jersey Water Symposium, a
benefit concert, and a project aimed at
serving veterans. Moreover, along with
members of the Student Government
Association, they participated in the
“Making Strides Against Breast Cancer”
event held at Overpeck Park in Ridgefield
Park on Sunday, October 20th.
The NJ Water Symposium raises
awareness of international water
resource management and local water
sustainability. On November 7th, the
executive board of Bergen Community
College’s chapter of Phi Theta Kappa,
Alpha Epsilon Phi, began the event with
a presentation of their honors-in-research
project. Other speakers included; Maria
Brewster, President of the Westchester
Chapter of UNA-USA; Dr. Maria Rosal,
Coordinator of NGO Sagrada Tierra; Ray
Cywinski, United Water representative;
Kennedy Ogoye, founder of justsaveone.
representative; and Ivan Wei, Bergen
Bring Back the Tap representative.
A concert benefiting Sagrada
Tierra, an NGO building wells in rural
Guatemalan schools as a management
technique was held in the student center
on Friday, November 8th. The bands
and artists who performed include; The
Lawless Few, the M&M Project, Green
Knuckle Material, On the Rocks, and
Thank You Hair. Donations received
during the concert went directly to
benefit Sagrada Tierra.
The Wounded Warrior Project is
an organization dedicated to serving
veterans and active service members
injured either physically or mentally
while in the military and their families.
The Wounded Warrior Project hosted
“The World’s Toughest Mudder” on
November 16th and 17th in Englishtown.
Phi Theta Kappa members volunteered
their time on Sunday, November 17th
from 11:00am to 6:00pm. They assisted
with registrations and customer service,
as well as, motivating and encouraging
contestants throughout the event. Anyone
interested in obtaining additional
information regarding the Wounded
Warrior Project can contact WWP
directly at woundedwarriorproject.org.
Slow Down Honey, I’m Diabetic
Of note is the prevalence of diabetes
when compared to ethnicity; diabetes is
most common in non-Hispanic blacks,
followed subsequently by Hispanics,
Asian-Americans, and non-Hispanic
whites. Moreover, diabetes is the seventh
leading cause of death in America, and
the leading cause of both blindness and
kidney failure. Diabetes also causes over
above left: Dave Thoen works out in Eden Prairie,
Minnestoa.
BRANDON RENO
contributing writer
Over 30 years ago, Dr. Joseph Giangola
was practicing his residency at Long
Island College Hospital in Brooklyn, NY.
One day, he decided to visit the dialysis
and surgical units, and upon entering
the rooms, noticed the miserable and
sick patients suffering from diabetes and
asked himself, “Is this the best we [can]
do?” From that point on, Giangola, who is
now the Director of the Diabetes Program
at Hackensack University Medical Center,
dedicated his life’s work to studying and
improving the treatment of patients with
diabetes.
As part of his keynote speech for
Bergen Community College’s annual
Diabetes Awareness Day, Giangola
discussed a multitude of possible causes
of diabetes and numerous statistics,
as well as debunking some common
misconceptions about diabetes, namely
that obesity is the sole cause of diabetes.
According to Giangola, although there
is significant correlation between the
two, particularly in the Southern United
States, only a third of all morbidly-obese
above right: Dave Thoen and his family says grace
before dinner in Bloomington, Minnesota. Thoen
received “islet” cells to treat his form of diabetes.At
the table are his wife Denise, son Reese, left, and
Riley, right.
David Joles // Minneapolis Star Tribune/MCT
individuals in the U.S. have diabetes.
Instead, onset of diabetes have other
causes, including genetic predisposition,
environmental
pollutants,
insulin
resistance.
Giangola weaved in and out of both
Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, detailing a
few sobering statistics to the audience.
According to the statistics gathered by
Giangola, about 26 million people, or
just over 8 percent of the U.S. population,
have diabetes, and as many as 79 million
people have prediabetes, which is the
period of time where an individual
meets some of the criteria for diabetes,
but not enough to make a full diagnosis.
bottom: Marjorie Poche, who found out she had
Type 1 diabetes at 57, tests her blood sugar at
her home in Plano, Texas, before going out to play
tennis.
Lara Solt // Dallas Morning News/MCT
60 percent of non-traumatic lower-limb
amputations.
In terms of treatment, Giangola
likened himself to a financial consultant.
Whereas some illnesses have more clearly
defined treatments, diabetes is different
for every individual afflicted with it. The
definition for what constitutes Type 1
and Type 2 diabetes isn’t as clear as one
might expect for instance, as both types
have subcategories that patients can fit
into. There is no cure for diabetes, and
unlike some other diseases, it attacks the
body slowly over a long period of time.
Therefore, managing the treatment of
diabetes is mostly up to the patient.
With regard to the approximately 26
million people suffering from diabetes,
the health care related costs are immense.
A total of $245 billion was spent on
healthcare as a result of diabetes, with
$176 billion being a direct cost from
diagnosed diabetes in 2012, according
to the American Diabetes Association,
or ADA. The remaining $69 billion is
credited as “reduced productivity.” The
ADA also notes that after adjusting for
age and sex differences, the average
expenditure per individual would be
reduced by almost two and a half times
the amount currently spent.
Giangola declined to postulate on the
future of diabetes, saying that he was
“not a futurist.” After his talk, a panel
of individuals diagnosed with diabetes
shared their experiences living with
the disease. Despite the prevalence of
diabetes in every ethnicity, the panel was
exclusively white. Nevertheless, the panel
did well to illustrate how diabetes can
impact an individual at any age. Of note
was Thomas, a young blond-haired boy
diagnosed around his fourth birthday.
As the rate of diabetes continues to
increase over the next few decades, the
research required to effectively improve
diabetes treatment will have to be scaled
accordingly to match and as of now, it is
unclear whether or not we’ll be able to
match it.
News
TORCHBCC.COM
WHAT IS THE MEANING OF LIFE?
Andre Cross
Permpoon Intanam
I don’t know. Living? Just
be happy. No matter what.
I think the point is to figure out as you
go. You live you gain your experience
and you make it work for you.
James Kariuki
To me, the meaning of life is
something simple you have to do
every day and to have fun. I cannot
define life.
Roving reporter done by Jason Felix
Officer Tomi
Live life to the fullest. Be kind to
everybody. Don’t let anyone steal
your joy. Life itself is precious.
Live every day like it was your last
because life is precious.
Darian Delgado
The meaning of life is how you
perceive it; be it good or bad,
purposeless or fruitful, it is what is is.
BCC is comprised of
people from various walks
of life. We asked people
throughout campus what
the meaning of life is.
Hassan Ahmad
Achieving something and becoming
somebody. You only have one life to
live. Make yourself something out of
it. There are so many people in the
world but there are people who say
‘Oh look that’s Brad Pitt!’ or ‘That’s
Tom Cruise!’ why not people say
‘Oh my god that’s Hassan!’ Become
somebody that the whole world can
recognize you as an individual
9
10
News
The Torch
THE TORCH, a member of the
Associated Collegiate Press and the
College Media Association, is the
official student newspaper of Bergen
Community College. The purpose of
THE TORCH is to report on the events
at BCC and the local community,
and to offer the BCC community a
forum for expression. The opinions
expressed in THE TORCH are not
neccessarily those of THE TORCH.
All the materials submitted to THE
TORCH become property of THE
TORCH.
Editor-In-Chief
BRANDON REIS
Co-Editor
JEFF CARBONE
Copy Editor
PEPE ROMERO
News Editor
ROGER ECHEGOYÉN
Features Editor
JESSIE CASTELLANOS
Sports Editor
BRIAN FELIX
Layout Editor
NATHAN FISHMAN
Ad Manager
VALERIE BATISTA
Photo Editor
PROF. LEW WHEATON
Advisor
Corrections
The Torch strives for the highest
journalistic standards and accuracy.
Readers are encouraged to contact
us if they find any mistakes in any
edition of the Torch.
Editorial and
Opinion Pieces
As an open public forum, The Torch
welcomes guest opinion pieces and
letters to the editor from any member
of the Bergen Community College
community. Materials should be
submitted to eictorch@gmail.com or
delivered to The Torch office, SC111. Such submissions must include
the writer’s name, contact information and affiliation with the college.
Students should include their major;
faculty and staff should include campus title or position. Opinion pieces
are limited to 600 words and letters
to the editor to 200 words. The Torch
reserves the right to edit and to refuse publication of any submission.
The Torch offices are located
in Room SC-111,
400 Paramus Road
Paramus, NJ 07652-1595
201.493.5006/5007
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Loving to Hate Education
THE TORCH
editor-in-chief
Education should always be respected,
no matter the circumstances or the
provider of this crucial service. Sadly
enough, a diploma can technically make
you more successful than intelligence
alone, something that I personally hate.
It is not a rarity that some
students
underestimate
education
as a monotonous, unnecessary life
requirement, something that must
be done because parents and society
demand it. They fail to see the personal
growth and future impact that a diploma
can provide; they seem to misunderstand
the true reasons as to why every child
on this planet deserve to be educated,
and in turn, why every student deserves
a chance to prove themselves. Students
simply love to hate education, and that
love is blind, and deaf, and apparently
has low test grades.
Education is about learning to
persevere, it is about increasing one’s
desire to succeed, and it is about the
organization of ideas and situations
which humans will use forever. On
the other hand, there are many things
worth fixing in regards to the education
system, such as the way that people are
taught, not simply what they are taught.
Basic curriculum changes need to take
place in order to remove outdated,
irrelevant lessons and instead provide
tools to use later on in life, tools that
can help everyone, not only those
who decide to make a career out of a
particular subject.
There were times when I sat in a
class, statistics class for example, and
wondered why instead of being taught
the Standard Deviation Equation, I was
not taught things such as how to do my
taxes, how to make a bank deposit, how
to manage stocks or how to properly
deal with conflicts. I wondered why
things like that were overlooked by
those who made the curriculum and
instead taught me the symbolism of
“The Great Gatsby” and that a cell uses
the mitochondria to produce most of its
Adenosine Triphosphate; why do I need
Are courses beginning to feel pointless?
to know that? For what reason did I take
tests and did homework on things that
were going to become irrelevant once
I chose to become a journalist? To this
day I do not know.
However, past all my teenage
skepticism and confusion towards the
education system, it became obvious
to me that I was not sitting there to
learn where Adenosine Triphosphate
came from, but instead I began to
acknowledge the other motives for my
presence there. I acknowledged the
benefits that education was bringing
to me at a psychological level, giving
me more strength of character and
providing me with an unquenchable
desire for knowledge, no matter how
irrelevant it may seem at the time. It was
leaving me with so much more than a
3-page essay. My personality was being
molded to fit society’s requirements and
showing me that life will not be about
luck, but about perseverance.
No matter who is talking about
education, there is one thing that should
be universally accepted: Tests are not
a fair way to determine a person’s
intelligence; it is like telling a monkey, a
fish, and an elephant to climb the same
tree. It is up to the professors to prepare
the monkey, the fish and the elephant
equally before the test, and the rest is
up to each of them, which in turn tests
the character of each student.
Education is regarded in many ways;
everyone involved in it has a different
opinion, and nothing can be guaranteed
about it. There are an infinite number
of factors that influence an individual’s
overall learning experience and final
outcome. However, it is of utmost
importance that students learn to
appreciate and accept the benefits of
education, as well as recognize the
weaknesses of the system, and in turn
develop ways to improve it.
Whether you are a monkey, a fish, an
elephant, or any other type of animal,
remember that there are many types of
unique intelligence, most which can be
exploited by simply listening to that old
person with the pencil behind the ear,
and ultimately, your unique skills and
type of intelligence can be expanded
upon for you to use in the future, until
life has you loving to hate something
else.
Government Shutdown: How and What Happened?
JEFF CARBONE
copy editor
From October first through
October 16th the United States
federal government shutdown
for the fourth time since 1990.
Over that time and since then
there has been a lot of posturing
on either side of the political
spectrum as to exactly who is
at fault and why it happened,
but not many have spoken about
how it was allowed to happen or
about who was actually affected.
Though
the
federal
government didn’t shut down
until October first, 2013 the
road that allowed it to happen
started all the way back
in 1974. According to the
Cambridge University Press,
in a 2008 article called “The
Congressional Budget Process,”
in 1974 Congress passed The
Congressional
Budget
and
Impoundment Acts.
In respect to the government’s
shutdown the important parts of
the bill are as follows: Congress
creates an annual budget known
as a ‘concurrent resolution,’ that
isn’t signed by the president,
and because filibusters were
Though the federal government didn’t shut down until October 1,
2013 the road that allowed it to happen started all the way back
in 1974.
prohibited to prevent the passing
of a concurrent resolution
virtually any ‘rider’ (or unrelated
potential law) could be attached
to a budget bill in an attempt to
get it passed. That last aspect as
well as the clause that allows for
a ‘continuing resolution,’ which
according to The Cambridge
University Press, allows the
government to use a temporary
budget if an official one can not
be written and must be signed by
the president helped set the stage
for what happened last month.
As no concurrent resolution
has been passed the federal
government has been running on
a series of continuing resolutions,
up until House Joint Resolution
59 or Continuing Appropriations
Resolution 2014. H.J. Resolution
59 would have funded the
government at essentially the
same levels as it had been
funded according to The US
Government Printing Office,
however it included a provision
to defund The Affordable Care
Act, more commonly known
as Obamacare. This provision,
written by the Republican House,
prevented the Democratic Senate
and President from passing
and signing H.J Resolution 59.
When an agreement on a new
continuing resolution could not
be met by September 30th at
11:59pm, the Government shut
down.
There were 87 different
federal agencies affected by
the shutdown, including over
30 which were closed entirely.
Agencies that were at least
partially closed include; The
United States Courts, The
Consumer
Product
Safety
Commission, the Environmental
Protection
Agency,
The
Department of Education, and
NASA, according to CNN.
Programs affected include
Veterans Affairs and Women
Infant Children, both of which
help people right at this college,
the former paying those who
were brave enough to serve our
First Place Awards: General Excellence, Layout &
Design, Column/Opinion 2011-2012
Winner for, Enterprise/Investigative Reporting
2011-2012
Winner for News & Arts and Entertainment/Critical
Writing, Features, Sports Writing, 2011-2012
New Jersey Press Foundation Better College
Newspaper Contest
First Place Awards
Society of Professional
Journalists: Breaking
News Editorial,
Editorial Writing,
Best All-Around
Non-Daily Student
Newspaper
country and the latter helping
young mothers pay for essentials
for their child so they can afford
school.
On October 16th, with the
government about to default on
its multiple loans if a budget
wasn’t passed the House of
Representatives
passed
a
continuing resolution proposed
to them by the Senate which will
fund the government through
mid-February according to The
New York Times. According to
CNN, roughly 500,000 federal
employees were furloughed and
according to The Washington
Post and Standard and Poors the
shutdown cost about $24 Billion
in economic output. Let this
shutdown serve as a reminder:
people we voted for to represent
us allowed the country to come
to a grinding halt, and if we so
choose we are allowed to replace
them.
BCC Student S.P.R.E.A.D.S. the Message
pg. 12-13
11
OPINIONS
The Torch
Chairman Corriston answering his phone in the middle of a Board of Trustees meeting.
Time to Lead By Example
BLAIR DELONG
staff writer
Respect is a word that many people throw around,
but have seemingly forgotten the meaning. It is an
unspoken rule that in order to gain it you must also
give some first. In the case of Board of Trustees
Chairman E. Carter Corriston, I believe there has
been a massive amount of disrespect from the
Chairman over the course of this semester.
During a very interesting presentation given by
Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. William
P. Mullaney and Vice President of Student
Services Dr. Naydeen Gonzalez-De Jesus on
November 4th’s Board of Trustees meeting called
“Promising Practices for Promoting Student
Success”, a phone started to ring. The assembled
student body and faculty and others in the crowd
looked around for the culprit, but no one could
quite pin the offender down, that is until our very
own Chairman took his phone from his pocket
and answered what seemed to be an unimportant
phone call. Chairman Corriston did not run out
of the meeting, nor did he excuse himself after
taking the phone call. This leads me to believe
that the call was unimportant and answering the
call in the first place unprofessional.
This is just a one example of the disrespect he
has shown not only to his own administration but
there have also been instances in the past when
he has shown absolute disregard for students
as well. During the October BOT meeting, a
member of the Student Government Association
as well as a member of the Torch was shown
nothing but absolute arrogance when the student
asked for an apology for Chairman Corriston’s
unprofessionalism during the September BOT
meeting while speaking to members of the SGA
and was regarded as a child to be swept away and
silenced.
How can a member of a group that is supposed
to have the college’s best interests at heart show
such utter disregard to his charges? Shame on you
Mr. Corriston. Perhaps it will be in the best interest
Continued on pg. 14
Arguing Gun Control Arguments
editor-in-chief
Humans should not limit themselves
to simple yes or no opinions due to the
influence of society. Correct decisions are
not one of the two opposing ideas, and
important decisions should not be made
in that sense. For example, Democratic
and Republican, pro-choice and pro-life,
for or against gay marriage, religious or
atheist, pro-gun or against.
These political controversies are not
perfect ideologies for there to be only two
choices in each matter, therefore people
should not feel oppressed to choose one or
the other and blindly abide by the group’s
rules and beliefs. So, why do you do it?
Outside influence has been proven to
make people blind, oblivious and ignorant
to their own free will; from religious
groups all the way to political parties, and
all the way back to gun control, which
is an issue that the United States has not
been able to deal with properly.
Particularly in this issue, it is a
necessity to listen and appreciate the
reasons as to why the other party believes
what they do, regardless of whether or not
you agree with them; there is a reason for
their position in the controversy.
There are many arguments regarding
the gun control issue, most of them valid,
but nothing is going to get fixed if there
is not a type of compromise. These two
groups of people are blindly agreeing and
denying without listening to each other’s
reasoning, leaving us with two groups
of angry, senseless mobs who wish for
resolution but with no way to help resolve
the issue.
Simply out of objectiveness, here are
the majority of the arguments for and
against the Gun Control Controversy
according to BalancedPolitics.org. A
sarcastic and skeptical dissection of these
arguments is utterly necessary, that way
Continued on pg. 14
(left) Juan Pacheco, a former gang member and youth violence prevention specialist debated (right)
Robert Farago, writer and founder for the gun blog “the Truth About Guns.”
S.P.R.E.A.D.
spreading more than a message
All photos by Tania Boghossian // The Torch
Spreading Peace Reaching Excellence And Diversity
YAIDELISSE ROMAN
staff writer
On November 2012, Ra Oof Clark, 19, was
robbed at gunpoint. Clark, an African-American
BCC student was traumatized, yet inspired by
that sinister event. This is what sparked the
flame, making him realize how bad our society
can be. He began to question society, the media,
and why these things were happening. Society
glorifies and idolizes so many things like
marijuana, teenaged moms, and guns, which
made him feel embarrassed of his generation.
Clark wanted to make a change with a
positive message, so he went out into the public
and noticed upcoming trend-setting styles like
Marijuana leaves printed on socks, the term
“Swag,” and Tapout shirts. Then it clicked:
“Why not combine both of the ideas of a positive
message and clothing?” eventually creating a
fashion line known as Spread. “It started out
as an idea, then it manifested into something
greater,” said Clark. This Bergen Community
College business major student is planning to
continue working on Spread after he gets his
degree and continues his education.
Spread stands for Spreading Peace, Reaching
Excellence and Diversity. It was created to
divulge a message of a positive mind set. It is a
way to get everyone together to spread peace and
love, like a family. It is meant to be more than
just a clothing line and apparel; it is a way of
Although Clark’s fashion line
was started only a year ago
in November 2012, as a new
fashion designer, he already
has some advice to give.
“People are tentative when
it comes to their own ideas.
Everyone has a voice and
their own mind, but people
don’t express it because they
are scared of what society
thinks and what their friends
think, and that’s one of the
main reasons a lot of people
don’t express themselves;
society might look down upon
it.
living. Spread is meant to show that you are not
alone, It is meant to build families, friendships,
confidence, morality, and other positivelycharged bonding elements. Clark dedicates a
considerable amount of sacrifice and effort into
Spread in order to make it grow and help bring
out the maximum potential in everyone.
The Spread clothing is affordable for college
students. Prices range from $13 Beanies to $15
T-shirts to $20 hats. Some of the proceeds go
for a good cause; ten percent of all profits go to
multiple charities.
Although Clark’s fashion line was started
only a year ago in November 2012, as a new
fashion designer, he already has some advice
to give. “People are tentative when it comes to
their own ideas. Everyone has a voice and their
own mind, but people don’t express it because
they are scared of what society thinks and what
their friends think, and that’s one of the main
reasons a lot of people don’t express themselves;
society might look down upon it. But I feel like
whatever you have a passion for, let it be fashion
or video games or even spreading a message. I
feel like you should embrace it, go for it, and
don’t be afraid.”
Clark feels like he built the platform for
something that is much larger than himself. It’s
all about spreading the message. It does make
him emotional to wonder about the lives he could
change and the people he has helped in the past
year. He has made presentations in high schools
spreading the message of peace. This Bergen
Community College business major student is
planning to continue working on Spread after
he gets his degree and continues his education.
14Editorials
THE TORCH
The following piece is the winning piece of
October Bards and Scribes 24 hour writing
contest by Joseph Cirilo
1901
Of all the bars in all of Manhattan,
I took a chance one night and walked
into some place on the Hudson. Every
Friday night I’d order a scotch, hoping to
God that I’d meet someone I could never
dream of, but I never had that wild and
reckless attitude to ever make a move.
That night I caught the brightest
orange-brown eyes I’d ever seen; raven
hair draping across her shoulders, a smile
that could melt an iceberg, and a sickly
green sweater, all torn and frayed at the
wrists and pockets; barely held together
by the poor job she’d done stitching up
what remained of it.
“What do you think of her?” I asked
the barkeep.
He squinted his eyes down towards
her sitting six seats down with a bottle
of champagne from 1901, laughing with
a couple of strangers from out of town.
He just shrugged his shoulders and
continued absent-mindedly cleaning a
glass.
With my hands in my pocket I strode
over to her, hanging my head, trying
to control my heavy breathing and the
painful thumping in my chest as my
heart twisted and turned, aching for me
to walk past her and forget I was ever
there.
“I’m Ben.” I said outstretching my
hand to her without thinking.
“Amie.” she grinned, taking my palm
in her delicate grip.
“Look, I’m sure you get this all the
time, but you have the most incredible
smile I have ever seen.”
She giggled shyly and averted her
blushing face from my view.
We talked a few hours about nothing
at all, at first, over the screeching old
speakers overhead. She told me her
astrological sign, how she never went a
month without dying her hair, and I told
her about the lucky pair of socks I wore
every Friday night, and how I only drank
scotch to make myself appear interesting.
Hours later she talked about her late
father, and how all she knew of love was
from old movies and F. Scott Fitzgerald.
How finding the real thing, untainted by
sexuality, or social stigma, would be the
climb up Everest for her; something she
could look back on, even if it was all she
ever had- even if it only lasted a moment.
I stuck around a little while after she
kissed my cheek and headed to the bus
stop to catch a lift back to White Plains,
mulling it all over. I guess she had a point
about falling in love.
“Last call, kid.” the bartender said
minutes later. “You want me to call you
a cab?”
I paused a moment and thought,
looking down at that green sweater she’d
left draped across her barstool.
“No.” I said plainly, swinging the old
garment over my shoulder. “I think I’m
okay.”
“You know I can’t let you drive.” he
said. “How are you getting home.”
I laughed a little as the answer
lingered in my mind.
“I’m not.” I replied. “I’m ‘gonna go
climb a mountain.”
Writing Contest
The Scribe’s 24 hour Scramble is a creative writing contest
sponsored by the Bards and Scribes creative writing club.
The contest will be held on a monthly basis.
The first contest will begin on Saturday, November 23th at noon and
submissions need to be in by Sunday, November 25th at noon.
Anyone interested in participating has to register for each contest
separately by emailing the club at: bardsandscribes@bergen.edu
The writing prompts, word count, and submission guidelines will
be sent to all participants via blast email at noon on the contest start
day and all entries must be returned via the bards and scribes email
address by noon the next day. All late entries will be disqualified.
There will be a prize awarded for the winning entry each month.
The prizes vary month to month. The submission will be judged by
the club’s e-board, with the final decision being made by the club’s
faculty advisors.
The contest is open to any current BCC student.
If anyone would like additional information they can always stop
by the bards and scribes club hours, Thurdays, 12:30 – 1:30 in room
L-141.
Time to Lead By Example
of all for you to look at a dictionary
and consider the
respect and what
quite frankly sir,
been displayed on
correct definition of
it stands for, because
the attitude that has
your part thus far this
semester has been akin to a spoiled child.
If it is expected for the members of BCC to
respect each other and the administration
that you seem to lead, maybe it is time
to start showing the students respect by
example, not by mistakes.
Arguing Gun Control Arguments
perhaps we may reach a fair compromise.
Arguments for stricter gun control: 1.
most violent crimes are committed with
guns. 2. The number of possible active
shooters will be reduced. 3. A criminal
may kill a victim with more ease if he or
she has a gun. 4. Suicides and crimes of
passion will be reduced. 5. The Second
Amendment was targeted towards militia,
not towards civilians or individuals. 6.
Crimes that may have been less harmful
may escalate due to the presence of a
gun. 7. Legalized gun ownership means
that guns can easily fall in the hands
of children. 8. Local terrorism will be
reduced.
All of these arguments are valid;
however, there are gaping holes on some of
these. Most violent crimes are committed
with guns but one is certain that you
can kill people with almost anything;
A criminal may kill a person whether
or not he or she has a gun, there are too
many factors there besides the simple
possession of the gun itself; suicides may
be delayed but not reduced, and crimes of
passion can be committed with anything,
at moments of extreme anger or fear a
human does not think clearly, making
guns optional at such times.
All of these arguments are valid; however, there are
gaping holes on some of these.
Sadly, we cannot ask the men who
wrote the Constitution to clarify on this
matter, so that’s an eternal fight there. Are
crimes more dangerous if a gun is added?
How can one even measure the danger of
a crime? Local terrorism may be reduced
but only in terrorism involving guns,
which leaves about half of an arsenal
available, but I suppose the number can
be a bit reduced.
Arguments against stricter gun
control: 1. Criminals will always find
ways to obtain guns, leaving citizens
defenseless. 2. Crimes are often prevented
due to the presence of a gun. 3. The 2nd
Amendment protects individual gun
ownership. 4. Weaker individuals cannot
protect themselves against assault and
other such crimes. 5. Guns in possession
of citizens are added protection against
government tyranny. 6. Police are often
too overwhelmed to protect all citizens. 7.
Banning guns will create a black market
for guns regardless. 8. Banning guns will
take another piece of our liberty, inching
us closer to totalitarianism. 9. Reasonable
gun control can be set, so a ban would be
unnecessary.
These are all great points, but yet
again, not good enough to convince
the other party. I thought the job of law
enforcement was to defend the citizens
against criminals, and either way, it is
illegal to kill people whether criminal
or innocent, and vigilantism is illegal as
well. Crimes are often prevented because
one of the parties has a gun? At which
point the victim becomes the aggressor,
still making it a crime. The second
Amendment is once again mentioned,
our forefathers should have explained that
better.
There are other ways to defend oneself
against assaults, and some ways do not
involve murder; if we wanted to prevent
ourselves from government tyranny, the
answer was to not have any government
at all but that did not work out. Police
officers have back up and even SWAT
teams to help them, random citizens
with guns are not a very reliable ally;
black markets for guns already exist
everywhere on the planet, so that would
not be much of a change. Finally whether
or not the government chooses to become
totalitarian, they have more than enough
resources to stand up against civilians
with guns, making a revolution very
difficult to carry out.
The only truly concrete argument here
is that a reasonable gun control law can be
passed, leaving both parties with half of
their desires met, making the controversy
much easier to deal with. Starting with
larger caliber assault rifles, these should
be banned since they are made to kill
large numbers of people and nothing else,
which makes the argument of self-defense
seem weak, since a regular individual
does not need this type of weaponry to
defend a suburban home or wherever they
may live. Citizens prescribed with antipsychotics or any type of said drug should
not be allowed to obtain a weapon, since
the medicine may make them unstable and
easily violent. Obligated education should
be put in place for gun owners, teaching
them ways to protect their children or
family members from their gun, and how
to effectively storage their weapon.
These are some steps that could
be taken towards a more acceptable
solution to the Gun Control controversy.
Otherwise, a stand still will stay in place
while the country watches more people
die unjustly due to a poor compromising
technique by our leaders: men and women
who need to learn to compromise instead
of continuing with their overly-developed
skill of blind disagreement.
15
FEATURES
The Torch
Ender Hall, where the wild thoughts are.
Tania Boghossian // The Torch
Take a Walk on the Wild Side. Of Ender Hall.
EMANUELE CALIANNO
staff writer
At first glance, one may get the sense that social
interactions are sparse and difficult to initiate at
BCC. Sure enough, campus life at Bergen may
not compete with 4-years colleges, but students
don’t need to transfer or live in a dormitory to
make social contact, and perhaps a bit more. A
recent survey conducted by The Torch questioned
25 students on their sexual preferences and
activities, aiming to shed light on recurring trends
and encounters taking place.
Out of the 25 randomly selected students,
15 reported having sex with another student
here on campus. Of these, there was an almost
even split between casual flings and committed
relationships, while five reported multiple
partners, ranging from two to four students.
Students were not afraid to share their kinks
and fetishes; the most frequent responses showed
strong preference for rougher stimulation which
includes slapping, scratching, biting, bondage,
and hair-pulling, with other preferences including
role-playing and cosplay.
However, the most interesting factor coming
out of this survey is the sexual fantasies the walls
of BCC inspire. From the bathrooms to the woods
behind Ender Hall, our campus seems to serve as
a stimulating setting in the collective imagination
of the student body. The most common places
people see themselves living out their fantasies
are the library and classrooms, with others
surveyed indicating their club’s office, the golf
course, the pool, and even an administrative
room. Outside campus, people continued to show
fervid imaginations, reporting a variety on their
intimate pursuits.
Several students indicated a desire for public
sex and exhibisitionism, agreeing that the risk
of being caught greatly adds to the excitement.
Others replied by showing preference for
hentai pornography, unusual locations such as
a penthouse or a barn and being stimulated by
Continued on pg. 19
The story involves
Danny, the little boy
with psychic powers;
having survived
his possesed father
and the ghosts in
the Overlook Hotel
in Colorado is all
grown up
Between Team
Veggies and
Team Meats there
are opposing
arguements
reaching for the
same goal, a healthy
lifestyle
Doctor Sleep
pg. 16
Meat vs. Veggies
pg. 20
Movember, Formerly Known as November
BRIAN FELIX
layout editor
We’re half way through this month
formerly known as November, and
we’ve already seen those mustaches take
shape. We’ve seen the porn star ‘staches,
connoisseur ‘staches, and even trucker
‘staches. Let’s admit it, no one is trying
to bring back the mustache for the sake
of bringing it back; its purpose is to raise
money and awareness for men’s health.
Movember claimed legitimacy in
2004 by a group of friends in Melbourne,
Victoria, Australia. They decided to create
Movember, although at first the idea did
not have a cause. They organized an event
where 30 men would grow a mustache for
30 days in order to raise awareness for
prostate cancer and depression in men.
That’s when Movember went from silly
pub shenanigans to an actual movement
worthy of participation. This group would
later become the Movember Foundation
charity.
Movember is held during the month of
November, where men grow mustaches
to raise awareness, education, and funds
for men’s health. Men all over the world
now grow their mustaches to support
the cause for men’s health, specifically
prostate cancer and other cancers that
affect males. According to the Movember
Foundation, since 2004, Movember has
grown both figuratively and literally
to become a global effort with over 1.1
million participants in formal campaigns
in countries including Australia, Canada,
Spain, South Africa, Ireland, England, and
the United States. In 2010, participants in
the United States alone raised over $7.5
million.
In order to take part in raising funds
for Movember, men must register at www.
movember.com and must have started
Movember clean-shaven. Men that sport a
mustache for Movember are known as Mo
Bros and the women that support them
are Mo Sistas. For the rest of the month,
men must grow and groom their Mo’s and
seek out sponsorships for their mustacheContinued on pg. 20
16
Features
THE TORCH
When Fairy Tales Grow Up
BLAIR DELONG
staff writer
Telltale Games the developers behind the sleeper hit,The
Walking Dead, are at it again. The Wolf Among Us,
Episode I: Faith, is based on the DC comic series Fables
by Bill Willingham. The series features most of the
fairy tales told to children. Characters we all know and
love (or loath) like Snow White, Beauty and even the
Woodsman make appearances in one way or another, and
interact with the main character Bigby Wolf, the sheriff
of Fabletown, an area of Manhattan that the characters
or Fables have moved into have an exodus from their
respective homelands.
Bigby and many of the other non-human Fables have
to make use of a magic spell called Glamour to keep
“mundies”, or regular humans from recognizing them.
It just so happens that Bigby Wolf is the Big Bad Wolf
from the Little Red Riding Hood fable. The population
of Fabletown find it hard to trust in him because of
his previous actions as a bloodthirsty killer before the
exodus.
The first episode of the series centers around a grisly
murder in Fabletown, and it makes The Wolf Among
Us a cell-shaded noir influenced investigation. The
interaction between the characters at times can get pretty
vulgar and it is funny to see and hear Mr.Toad weaving
a tapestry of profanity like a masterful artisan. This is a
fairy tale for our generation. Mixing both a gritty script
with a more adult theme to the fairy tales we were told
as children.
The art style is the same as The Walking Dead series
of episodes but the controls have changed slightly. The
player still have control over Bigby as he investigates
rooms and the conversations are still timed giving a
frantic on the spot decision that kept The Walking Dead
so tense. Telltale Games did improve the combat, which
Photo courtesy of flickr.com
is still context based and might get frustrating at times
but it has been retooled to make it a bit easier than The
Walking Dead.
The Wolf Among Us is available both on the Xbox
Live Arcade and Playstation store for $5.99, which for
the amount of story and gameplay the player will get is
almost a steal. If you were a fan of The Walking Dead
series, give The Wolf Among Us a shot, and take a trip
down the profane and violent rabbit hole that Bigby lives
in.
Nightmares Come to Life
YAIDELISSE ROMAN
staff writer
Let’s take a walk into the paranormal, a
journey through a world which remains
hidden from the human eye. That is the
world in which the now middle-aged
Dan Torrance lives every second of his
life in the horror tale written by Stephen
King.
“Doctor Sleep,” the sequel to his
famous 1977 novel “The Shining,” is
a dark and terrifying novel. The story
involves Danny, the little boy with
psychic powers, who, having survived
his possessed father and the ghosts
in the Overlook Hotel in Colorado, is
now all grown up and has retained his
shining abilities. He has spent some
time battling an addiction to alcohol
by attending Alcoholics Anonymous
and working in a hospice facility. Dan
secretly helps the dying regain full
function of their minds by invading
their thoughts using his “shining,” thus
The True Knots are a group of almost immortal
beings that look like normal vacationers that
live off of the spiritual mist or “steam” that the
psychics give off when tortured.
earning him the name “Doctor Sleep.”
There is also another character with
this strange ability named Abra Stone,
who used her shining since she was
an infant, predicting the 9/11 terrorist
attacks and protecting her parents;
ever since, she has continued using
her abilities for practical jokes, like
sticking spoons to the ceiling. Dan
and Abra soon find each other, which
is a good thing, because a tribe called
the True Knots is targeting Abra. The
True Knots are a group of almost
immortal beings that look like normal
vacationers that live off of the spiritual
mist or “steam” that the psychics give
off when tortured. That mist being
essential to their survival causes them
to continuously torture the psychic Dan
and Abra, otherwise they themselves
evaporate.
The duo is led by a beautiful woman
named Rose the Hat, who in reality
is none other but Rosa Mystica, the
negative version of the Virgin Mary.
She leads them to the Overlook Hotel,
which is the base camp for the True
Knoters. The story is chilling to the
bone; once you pick it up nothing can
separate you from it. King is a master at
his art, and one can rest
Photo courtesy of flickr.com
Love Through the Eyes of Two Women
ROGER S. ECHEGOYEN
features editor
Love hurts. It begins simple and ends in tribulation. The
loose adaptation of Julie Maroh’s graphic novel, “Blue
is the Warmest Color” directed by Abdellatif Kechiche
changes the familiar formula on the romance genre,
instead of boy meets girl, its girl meets girl. We’re
introduced to Adèle (Adèle Exarchopolous), a teen in
her final year of high school. Her future is unknown
to her, her love life is stale, and her friends discuss the
usual chit-chat of “Who’s the cutest guy in class.” She is
pushed to date one of the guys in her classroom. During
their first date, Adèle catches a fleeting glimpse of
woman with blue hair. She is instantly awe-struck from
her. After her first sexual experience with her boyfriend,
she realizes that she doesn’t have any attraction to males.
She encounters the girl with the blue hair again in a
lesbian bar. Emma (Léa Seydoux) starts asking Adèle
questions about her personal life then asks if she is busy
the following day, they meet up. Eventually the two
become friends and later, it develops into a relationship.
The three hour film depicts their relationship in way
that the audience could sympathize with the two without
being bias to one partner. The cinematography brought
a new approach to digital filmmaking that has not been
used lately. It is vivid and paints the streets of France
with gorgeous color. The performances from both
actresses will be a must-watch for any aspiring actress.
The two faults for the film is its running time and
Photo courtesy of imdb.com
its graphic sex scenes. The sex scenes range from five
minutes up to ten minutes, felt more like hardcore porn
than actual love-making. Although I understood that
these two are in love and lustful for each other, the
director seemed that he was more in the mood to watch
two beautiful women having sex instead of considering a
more realistic approach to it. Even without those scenes,
the film felt long, and the director’s over-indulgence to
random topics within the film may tire some viewers.
Overall, this new breed of coming-of-age story serves
a new kind of audience that should be hungry for more
films like “Blue is the Warmest Color.” “Blue is the
Warmest Color” earns a C+.
Features
TORCHBCC.COM
17
Affordable Vehicles for Students
HELEN MAFINEJAD
contributing writer
Saving money for students is a big
priority, especially with the way things
are going on with the economy right now.
Tuition is on the rise and books seem to
be getting more expensive every year, and
it is hard to keep up with all the expenses.
Many students have bills to pay, so
finding an affordable car to get to school
or to work is a big must for students, but
what automobile would be suitable and
affordable for the student on-the-move?
When looking for a car, the main
aspects we look for is the price, great gas
mileage, safe & reliable, the make and
year of the car, and the features that it
may have. Many cars may have an ipod/
aux port, navigation system, CD changer,
sun roof, heated seats, etc. These features
are appealing to the eye and when looking
for a car you want to look stylish and
cool. The most sought out car company
that people look for are either Honda or
Toyota. A 2013 Toyota Camry has a 25
city mpg, combined 28, and highway 35.
A 2013 Honda Accord has a gas mileage
of 26 city, 29 combined, and 35 highway.
These two car companies are known to
have safe and reliable cars anywhere
from the Honda Accord, Civic, Odyssey
and Toyota Camry, Corolla, Rav4. Many
students may not be able to afford a 2013
car, but there are many other options to
paying. Many dealerships offer leasing
and financing at an affordable low cost,
and are willing to work with the buyer
on payments. This particular option is
great for students, because they do not
have to pay off the car all at once, and can
pay anywhere from $150-$350 a month
Toyota has the new established 2014 Prius plug-in and Honda has made the 2014
Honda Accord plug-in. The Toyota Prius plug-in has a mpg of 50, has great cargo
capacity, tire pressure monitor, and pre-collision system.
top right: Honda 2013 has proven itself to be a great buy for
students, with great gas mileage and a stylish look.
Photos courtesy of flickr.com
depending on the make and model of the
car.
I have a Honda Accord myself and I
am pretty happy with it. It is very safe
and reliable and as a student that is a
big relief. Hondas can range in price
from anywhere from $10,000 - $24,000
and Toyotas can range anywhere from
$8,000-$17,000 whether it is a used or
new model. Both car companies also have
electric hybrid vehicles which are safe on
the environment and affordable to buyers.
Toyota has the new established 2014
Prius plug-in and Honda has made the
2014 Honda Accord plug-in. The Toyota
Prius plug-in has a mpg of 50, has great
cargo capacity, tire pressure monitor,
and pre-collision system. The system
CONTACT US TO LEARN MORE OR TO APPLY: IONA.EDU/OCTBERGEN
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will determine if a frontal collision is
unavoidable, and if so, it automatically
applies the brakes and retracts the seat
belts to help prepare for it. The all-new
2014 Honda Accord plug in has a 124 city
and 105 highway mpg. The Honda accord
plug in has many safety features such as
forward collision warning, lane departure
warning, vehicle stability assistance,
etc. Safety is a big thing when driving
because accidents aren’t planned. When
looking for an affordable car that’s the
main priority we have.
800.231.IONA
Transfer to Iona College and
Move Your World in the Right Direction
JESSICA SCAPARRO ‘13
> BA Psychology
> MA Industrial Organizational Psychology candidate
When Jessica Scaparro first met students from Iona, she was
impressed with their enthusiasm about their experiences. “I wanted
so badly to have that same excitement.” As a transfer student, Jessica
obtained a rewarding internship at March of Dimes, completed a
service trip to Zambia, and served as a student campus minister.
OPEN HOUSE NOV. 3
IONA_Print_10x7.5_cmyk_Bergen-10-21-13.indd 1
Move the World.
She is now staying at Iona to complete her master’s degree in industrial
organizational psychology. With over 45 undergraduate majors and
35 minors in leading areas of study, led by working professionals and
leaders in academics, we are confident that transferring to Iona will
be one of the best decisions you’ve ever made.
NEX T TRANSFER TUESDAY SESSION IS NOV. 12
10/21/13 6:20 PM
18
Features
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Fear and Loathing in the Vegetarian Lifestyle
ROGER S. ECHEGOYEN
features editor
Last New Year’s Eve, there was a
thought that was running through my
mind, and I decided that turning this
thought into action would benefit my
life in the long run. On December 31st
YEAR 11:59 p.m., I became a vegan.
No more meat, no more chicken, no
more animals, period. This shocked me,
more than Billy Ray Cyrus watching
his daughter’s “Wrecking Ball” music
video. It was a good decision at the
time; both my parents have health
issues, and I don’t want to inherit those
unfortunate conditions. I love animals,
so I decided that it was for a good cause,
involuntarily immersing me in the
flowery world of hippies, and I would
get to try something new. By January
1st, 2013, around 7:00 p.m., I cheated on
my diet.
I reevaluated my decision on
veganism, and decided to ditch it for the
vegetarian diet. It was simpler, easier,
and I could eat pastry. Life is always
better with pie, right? Anyways, I went
head-on with vegetarianism. I looked up
veggie forums, veggie websites, veggie
cookbooks, hell: I even joined PETA for
vegetarian advice.
Note to the reader: Don’t join PETA.
PETA and ticks have many things in
common. They’re vicious, they incite
fear into people, and they kill defenseless
animals. Now let’s talk about ticks.
After the many struggles of
coping without meat, I prevailed, and
abandoned my carcass-eating days
for good. But there was something
different about me; it wasn’t my diet,
but my extreme distaste for omnivores.
I couldn’t stand the sight of a human
gorging on the limbs of a once-clucking
chicken. It made me really sick. I would
rather be tied up to a chair and watch
“Jack and Jill” on loop like Alex in
“A Clockwork Orange” than watch
kale chips, then I deeply apologize on
behalf of vegetarians; paint chips have a
better taste than kale chips.
I searched vegetarian forums as if
my ill thoughts were just conflicting
me. To my surprise, it was not. I read
Not to snobby, but I only shop at Whole Foods.
someone consume meat. It was that bad.
That is when I noticed that I was
slowly becoming a snobbish, pretentious
vegetarian. The kind that would say
snarky remarks like, “You eat meat?
We’re not cavemen!” or “Kale chips are
way better than potato chips.” If you
have ever had the misfortune of trying
up on every angry opinion about
omnivores that I could find. I also found
a website that bashes on former vegans
and vegetarians. The site posted former
vegan’s photos and hateful messages
underneath it that said, “Traitor!
Murderer! Conformist!” I had no idea
that Goths and Vegans ranted the same.
I started to realize that my distaste for
omnivores stretched to vegetarians/
vegans as well. I knew one place where
the two would meet on a weekly basis.
That place would be Whole Foods or
‘The Church of Quinoa.’ The next time
you enter Whole Foods, look at people’s
shopping carts. I guarantee you that at
least one person has a box of quinoa
in their cart. This is the go-to place for
any health-conscious vegetarian/vegan.
This eco-friendly place is where the
love for kale chips and awful-tasting
granola bars is exchanged. I realized
that vegetarians/vegans have great
ideas, but their pretentiousness gets in
the way.
That is when I noticed
that I was slowly becoming
a snobbish, pretentious
vegetarian. The kind that
would say snarky remarks
like, “You eat meat? We’re
not cavemen!” or “Kale chips
are way better than potato
chips.”
Now, it’s almost 2014, and I’m still
a vegetarian. I don’t follow veggie
forums anymore. I don’t care what
people ingest anymore. I don’t want
to generalize vegetarians/vegans for
the small population of idiots that I’ve
encountered this year. But I do have a
closing remark to say: Enjoy what you
eat for yourself, and don’t eat kale chips.
You‘ll regret it.
Being anti-hipster is the new being a hipster. Photo courtesy of MCTcampus.com
Hipsterism and the Williamsburg Massacre
BRIAN FELIX
layout editor
Behold the hipster, the stylishly disaffected breed
of twenty-somethings whose aura of irony covers
Williamsburg and the East Village. The hipster haunts
every street, campus, and cafe, creating nostalgia for
times and things never personally experienced. Most
encounter this contemporary urban clown, hijacking outof-date fashions, mechanisms and hobbies, responding
in ridicule.
According to a study by professors John Molson from
the School of Business, Concordia University at Arsel and
Helen Churchill Professor in the Marketing Department
of the Wisconsin School of Business Thompson, the
beats of the ‘50s and hippies of the ‘60s and ‘70s, both
of which had an admirable authenticity about them,
gave rise to “the millennial hipster,” which “came to be
represented as an super consumer of trends and as a new,
and rather gullible, target market that consumes cool
rather than creating it.”
Generally, psychologists who study consumers
understand that people are largely motivated to spend
money not just on things that they materially need, but
that reinforce their identity. They purchase not only goods
and services, but mythologies. Imagining themselves as
rugged, rebellious patriots, they buy a Harley-Davidson.
Imagining themselves as respected and affluent, they buy
a Lexus. Hipsters, though, follow a different archetype.
Their problem is that their purchases tend to place them
within a category whose mythology they despise. That’s
right: Nobody likes hipsters, not even hipsters.
So allow me to deconstruct, first and foremost, that
Let’s get real: For every cynical slacker sitting around ironically
watching Flight of the Conchords, there’s a legitimate artist who’s
working their arse off making something worthwhile.
hipsterism is about things and materialism such as Pink
Floyd’s discography on vinyl as well an iPhone packed
with apps. Throw in a steady certainty that your tastes
are superior to everyone else’s, and you’re on your way
to establishing a hipster aesthetic. The second element is
imitation, the mixture and patchwork of elements from
pop culture to create sensibility. Whether it be the entire
film career of Wes Anderson or house remixes of your
favorite records, imitation is essential to hipsterism.
Finally there’s irony, a way for hipsters to emotionally
distance themselves from sincerely appreciating things.
Obviously, hipsters produce an irritation in me, one
that until recently I could not explain. I realized they
provoke me because they are, despite the distance from
which I observe them, an amplified version of myself.
And in regard to the hipster’s ironic “appreciation” of
things that are not traditionally considered cool, I’d
argue that some hipsters do sincerely appreciate all of
the aforementioned, either as a form of nostalgia or as
a celebration of the culture they’ve been instructed to
avoid.
Let’s get real: For every cynical slacker sitting around
ironically watching Flight of the Conchords, there’s a
legitimate artist who’s working their arse off making
something worthwhile. There’s no ironic detachment,
for example, to the music that band TV on the Radio
produce. They are artists too, and yes, they are cool. And
perhaps it should go without saying, but hipster profiling
is about as effective as racial profiling. Owning a pair of
skinny jeans doesn’t make someone cool, but it doesn’t
make them a “hipster scumbag” either.
Here’s the thing -- as fatigued as we all may be,
hipsters are here to stay. It goes without saying that
they’ve been far too exposed to be considered an
“underground” or “countercultural” movement anymore;
the hipster aesthetic has been aided by advertisers and
the mainstream media, and they have only managed to
grow in number.
After all, in the rubble of this fury, what remains for
artists and bohemians who are legitimately trying to be
part of a counterculture? One might get the sense that if
Jimi Hendrix were to show up in Echo Park today, he’d be
publicly mocked in a style-section piece on Blipsters for
wearing a feathered fedora. Critics continue to complain
that we live in an era where all art is derivative and lacks
substance, but if Hendrix, Duchamp, and Warhol were
alive today, we’d be doing all we could to hinder their
self-expression, dismissing them as hipsters.
There’s no shortage of hipsters worthy of our
mocking, but our challenge is to make the distinction
between the artists and the posers. Otherwise, when the
next generation finds its Jackson Pollock or Dorothy
Parker, we’re likely to stifle their talents with our
misappropriated cynicism; or worse, we’ll turn them into
a joke.
Features
TORCHBCC.COM
Is it Facebook Official?
NOMI EIJKENAAR
staff writer
“Are they are in a relationship? Is it
Facebook official?” It is quite a joke how
much of a difference it makes if someone’s
relationship is Facebook official or not. I
remember when I started going out with
my boyfriend, no one knew until my friend
said, “Are you kidding me? You’re not
Facebook official yet?” And that is when
I realized how much of a joke it really is.
As an experiment I went on Facebook and
“broke up” with my boyfriend online, a
few moments later I started receiving
phone calls, texts, and messages asking
me if everything was okay.
In today’s society most of our everyday
relationships are based on the use of the
internet and social networks. People get
offended if you do not “like” their new
profile picture a few minutes after it was
posted. Some complain that their friend
ignored a wall post and some lose friends
basing their judgment of someone upon
their online image. Relationships are a
much more complicated psychological
structure than being friends with someone
on Facebook or liking their pictures on
Instagram. A relationship according to
dictionary.com is “An emotional or other
connection between people”.
Showing real human connection or
affection through the internet is close to
impossible when compared to a face to
face relationship. With the availability
of hiding behind the screen, protecting
In this generation ‘liking’ a picture on a social network is considered flirtatious.
Tania Boghossian // The Torch
yourself behind a web name and not
being face to face with people; Society
is slowly losing the skill of real one on
one human relationships. The more
technology advances, and the easier it
becomes for us to use it, the less skilled
we become in forming relationships.
“When an individual’s primary means
of connecting with others is through
social media, it may create obstacles or
stunt their ability to develop face-to-face
friendships and intimate relationships,”
stated Sociology Professor Rachel Long
from Bergen Community College.
“One such issue,” continued Long,
“is that people often alter themselves or
present only part of themselves online,
and the person on the other end may
fill in the “unknown” gaps with their
own fantasy. A person they meet face-
19
to-face can’t necessarily compete with a
relationship that is based partially on halftruths, secrets or fantasies. Therefore, the
“digital”, more idealized relationship may
hinder them from developing relationships
with those in the tangible world”.
It takes way more courage to approach
a girl and try talking to her face to face
than to send her an IM on Facebook and
hope to get an answer. Technology is
taking away the struggle of building strong
and long lasting relationships. Meanwhile
technology is not all bad, with existing
and strong relationships it can help a
lot. For example, when trying to keep a
long distance relationship going, the only
immediate way of communicating is
through technology. Technology made it
easier for us as humans to communicate
with one another in an artificial way.
Understanding the emotions or difference
in tone of people through written words
shared online is sometimes impossible.
The effect of a two minute face to
face conversation is emotionally worth
way more than an ongoing hour long chat
online. It seems to be that using the web or
technology to form relationships has taken
away the skill of building relationships in
today’s world. It is important to find the
time and put in the effort to form a bond,
a fact, feelings and emotions with other
around you and call them your friends
and not the ones you are friends with on
the web.
Take a Walk on the
Wild Side.
Of Ender Hall.
But fear not, dear reader; this is only the
beginning of a long series attempting to
uncover the schools’ sexual nature.
anger, or as they put it, “hate sex.”
The attentive and slightly
malicious observer may have
realized that no report was made
of one of the biggest taboos
surrounding campus life. But
fear not, dear reader; this is only
the beginning of a long series
attempting to uncover the schools’
sexual nature. These results, albeit
temporarily small in sample
size, will represent a diverse and
outspoken group of BCC students.
React to this as you wish; be it
shock, anger, or excitement.
Cartoon by Leslie Martinez
But as your eyes move from
the paper to students nearby, think
twice before seeing these hallways
as just a place to get to and from
class.
For any questions, comments or
concerns or to take part in future
surveys, please feel free to email
me, at ecalianno.me@bergen.edu.
20
Features
THE TORCH
left: Do animal crackers
count as vegetarian?
right: How can you have
any pudding if you don’t
eat your meat?
Tania Boghossian //
The Torch
DOMENICA PAZMINO &
EMANUELE CALIANNO
staff writers
Despite it being a global source of
nutrition, commerce, and even a ritualistic
food in some religions, some people
decide to rid their soul of the murder
that is meat to become either hippies or
smug activists. We decided to take a look
at what both omnivores and vegetarians
bring to the argument:
The Science
Medicine has made it clear to anyone
besides concerned grandmothers and
bacon addicts in denial that excessive meat
consumption is not particularly healthy,
but here’s a little science for lingering
skeptics: Yale University’s Prevention
Research Center recently associated
plant-based eating with reduced risk of
multiple illnesses, estimating 70 percent
of all diseases to be diet-related, such as
obesity, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes
and certain types of cancer.
More Food Diversity
Adopting a veggie lifestyle can
open the door to a world of culinary
Veggies vs. Meats
possibilities. Fronted with cutting out a
former dietary staple, you are practically
forced to find other stuff to eat. Let’s
face it: some veggies lack in taste, and
you have to look for something to mix
those greens with. Still, this can turn into
an opportunity to experiment with new
ingredients, and you end up trying some
dishes you would have never before, often
making pleasant discoveries.
Soymilk “never” spoils
Few things will give you greater joy
when opening your fridge after realizing
the carton you buried in there for a month
is still drinkable. Unlike dairy milk, once
that expiration date actually hits, you
will be able to tell from a safe distance,
avoiding awful sniffs/sips.
Better Lovers
Can eating veggies heat things up?
As shown above, a leafy diet can lead to
better health, and thus more energy (in
and out of bed), helping you get aroused
and ready to act. On the other hand,
foods high in saturated fats such as red
meat can harm the circulatory system
and restrict blood flow, especially below
Movember, Formerly
Known as November
Movember is about the mustache and is constantly confused with “No-Shave November”
Adrian Yllatopa // The Torch
growing efforts. Not only are these men
walking spokesmen for the cause, but
they can also raise awareness through
the use of social media to document and
further advertise the need for donations.
There are different beneficiary partners
in each country.
For the United States, there is the
Prostate Foundation. The Prostate
Foundation founded catalytic research
and is improving prognostic and
diagnostic tests. The is also Livestrong,
creating a program of survivorship
as part of their many endevours. The
Movember Foundation’s ultimate goal
is to help create services free of charge
where people can get info, guidance, and
direction.
I’m sure I don’t speak for myself when
I say that since putting a pause on shaving
my upper lip on Nov. 1, I’ve endured
much playful “abuse” from friends and
colleagues, but Movember is a great
charity event. Every man should maintain
a healthy lifestyle, a good diet and take
action early when they experience a
health issue. I encourage men to get
involved every year. While growing a
mustache can make a guy more attractive
by showing that he is kind-hearted, has a
sense of humor, and doesn’t take himself
too seriously, it also spreads awareness
for a healthy and hairier lifestyle.
the belt. Additionally, a study at Charles
University in the Czech Republic revealed
that women described the body odor of
vegetarians as more attractive, pleasant,
and less intense than those of meat eating
males.
A Hard Diet to Follow
Running on plant fuel isn’t all peaches
and veggie gravy, and can actually be a
serious challenge, not only because meat
is such an abundant source of nutrients,
but because it isn’t exactly easy to look for
alternative means of nutrition. Shopping
for vegetarian items, or vitamins and
dietary supplements, can really run up
your grocery bill. Phasing into such a
different lifestyle requires a lot of work
and research, and should never be seen as
a fad or a quick diet plan.
Opposing Science
The major side effects this lack
of knowledge can bring are nutrient
deficiencies and a poor diet. NYU’s
Department of Nutrition advises
vegetarians and vegans to find alternative
sources of B12 and Omega 3 fatty acids,
found primarily in meat and fish, and
essential to the nervous system’s normal
functioning. Claiming to be better in bed
will be a hard challenge once your brain
and body start failing you.
The Veggie 15
People often associate vegetarianism
with weight loss, for good or bad.
However, when difficulties start to kick in,
many people end up stuffing themselves
with dairy and eggs to avoid starving.
This leads to a reversed dietary effect:
substantial weight gain without proper
assumption of nutrients.
Fake Meat
A marriage between consumerism
and modern science, these foods are
essentially lab created and packed with
chemicals, all aimed at replicating the
taste of real meat. Their health impact is
often comparable to those of the average
fast food menu item, if not worse.
Features
TORCHBCC.COM
Secondhand Chic and
the Thrill in Thrifting
Scraping Up the
Pieces from the
Bottom of the Barrel
21
JOSEPH CIRILO
staff writer
Michelle Perez // The Torch
MICHELLE PEREZ
staff writer
“I’m gonna pop some tags…” in a deep
monotone voice is probably the first thing
that comes to mind when you think of a
thrift store. I find there is some merit to
the chart topping anthem “Thrift Shop”
by Macklemore. Years ago your mother
would have been embarrassed to be
seen in a secondhand store, and it was
not until recently that thrift shops have
been released of the stigma surrounding
them. What is a thrift store exactly? It
is a store selling second hand clothing
and other miscellaneous household
items generally for philanthropic causes.
“Thrifting” is now a common trend
among fashionistas of all ages. Some
may ask why is wearing someone’s
old and often dirty clothes so popular?
The answer is in a simple one-liner the
Grinch himself recited, “One man’s
toxic sludge is another man’s potpourri!”
All over NYC and New Jersey,
people are rummaging through sweater
racks, digging in the shoe bins, and
reaching on the highest shelf to get the
one of a kind piece so many others have
overlooked or emptied from their own
collection to make room for a corporate
version of unique bought for fifty dollars
in the mall. In some cases, people have
found items of extreme value like the
Englishman, John Richards, who found
an original Philip Treacy bag designed
by Andy Warhol worth over $560,000.
According to the Huffington Post, he
bought the rare gem for only $30!
The key to “thrifting” is to go in with
your own rules and an open mind. If
you go in only shopping in one section,
then the chances of finding something
fabulous have already been cut down
to a frustrating one in a million. Most
people hate to try things on, but it can
make or break your purchase.
Last but not least, think practically. If
you are buying it just because it is cheap,
you probably don’t love it as much as you
want to, and you won’t wear it. It may
take some time to find something you
genuinely like, but be patient. Practice
makes perfect. At the end of the day,
“thrifting” is a fun and frugal way to
make use of old clothes in new ways.
Happy Shopping!
It is safe to say that sales in the music
scene have been spiraling down the
drain since the turn of the millennium,
prompting more and more bands to turn
themselves into something they’re not
just for a shot at getting noticed. Chris
Carrabba, previously the lead singer of
Dashboard Confessional, exemplified
this fact with the release of his debut
folk EP, “Twin Forks”, with his band of
the same name.
For Carrabba it was the perfect time
to latch onto the growing folk scene in
the U.S. and ride that train straight to
hell at any cost. While the album itself
just sounds like a rehash of old pop-emo
tunes he produced under Dashboard,
with a subtle taste of mandolin and
fiddle that gives it a sort of folk twang
Carrabba maintains that it was always
his plan to release an album just like
this.
“...I wasn’t trying to avoid traditional
folk because I didn’t love it…” Carrabba
wrote on the group’s website. “...I just
loved it so much and didn’t wanna do an
injustice to it.”
Funny how only now is folk music
becoming more popular than it was in
‘00, when Dashboard was getting itself
some exposure. Even funnier how at the
time, acoustic/emo was really picking
up fervor at the time he first entered
the industry. What’s even worse about
the quote is that none of the five tracks
featured on the EP sound anywhere close
to being “traditional” folk music. Songs
off the record include: “Something We
Just Know;” where the leftover residue
of Dashboard settled itself nicely at the
beginning of the record; and “Scraping
up the Pieces.”
The latter is about as close to folk
as Carrabba is ever going to get in his
new endeavor. While it can in some
respects double as a fair drinking song
in a rowdy Irish pub, on the whole, he
is got a long road to be in the same
Chris Carrabba’s latest EP, Twin Forks is not
just a bad representation of modern folk, it’s a
bad representation of what a talented artist is
capable of.
Photo courtesy of TwinForksMusic.com
league as bands like On the Water, The
Ballroom Thieves, Tall Heights, or The
Lumineers.What puts these bands ahead
of the game is a subtle use of digital
enhancement and effects. The music
produced is authentic, heartfelt, and
bold. Twin Forks sounds more like a pop
release that is trying too hard.
Millennial folk is in no way on the
same pedestal as artists like Bob Dylan
or John Denver, who define what it is
to be a progressive folk artist, but Twin
Forks is a fairly unimpressive group for
our variety, made even worse by making
claim to suddenly have been long
inspired by the aforementioned.
Thankfully, local groups like Not
Stalin, featuring BCC’s own Adrian
Yllatopa gives promise that our local
scene isn’t about to be overtaken by
what some think is “folk.”
The times are a ‘changing, that much
is true, and in the next few years, we may
see a huge influx of new bands trying
ever harder to live up to the expectations
set forth by generations of singers, but
let’s just hope that what we get from
them is more genuine than this.
BCC Theatre Club & Music Interactive Club Presents:
Open Mic Night
When: Every Wednesday Night
Time: 6:30PM - 8:00PM
Where: Ender Hall Cyber Cafe
22Sports
THE TORCH
Under the Radar
KENNY CHICA
contributing writer
During this fall semester of 2013, our
BCC sports programs built an outstanding
foundation of winning. Teaneck alumni
and current BCC Athletic Director,
Jorge Hernandez says each program has
continued their success since he took
over as AD in the fall of 2011. Five of
our fall sports teams reached the postseason, representing our school greatly.
So, who do we give credit to? Do we just
give credit to some of the outstanding
athletes leading the charge of their teams?
Or to the Coaching staff for doing a
phenomenal job of instilling success into
the roots of our fall programs? We must
accredit both the players and coaches for
putting together great programs, given
the lack of time to build chemistry with
students coming in and out of BCC.
The Men’s soccer team, who went
9-5-1 with 8 shutouts, reached the second
round of regionals this past season.
Defensive specialist, Jonathan Maher
quoted, “We all worked hard from the
beginning, we built instant chemistry”,
when asked about this past season’s
success. Women’s Soccer has improved
dramatically since 2011, reaching the
Final Four two years in a row, this was a
7-4 team who tasted post-season success,
eventually falling to National Champions,
Brookdale CC. This squad was inspired
by 5-game winning goals, courtesy of the
All-American Nominee, Sara Ramirez.
The success doesn’t stop there, our
cross-country men’s and women’s team
took part in our Fall Sports Success. Our
whole men’s team qualified and finished
8th in Nationals and 3rd in Regionals.
Our Women’s X-Country team had one
qualifier, Elizabeth O’Brien who finished
13th out of 36 runners in Regionals. Last
but not least, our Women’s Volleyball
team was led by All-Region middlehitter, Marissa Lortz. They reached the
first round of regionals and will look to
build on this past season’s success. We
have not paid enough attention to our
fall sports teams that have been nothing
but dominate this past fall season. As
peers, we need to go out and support
these exciting teams and take part in the
success!
Let the Games Begin!
left: Shaun Livingston (14)
of the Brooklyn Nets scores
against John Wall (2) of the
Washington Wizards during
the first half of their game
played at the Verizon Center
in Washington.
Harry E. Walker // MCT
KARIM G. DAIF
staff writer
What we three years ago deemed impossible has
come to fruition. Lebron has won two championship
rings and The Heat have hung two more banners.
Still no one from the New Jersey/New York area will
give them a pat on the back for it; they want it for
themselves. Now things begin to get interesting as
both New York teams look to contend for a shot at
the top prize.
bottom: New York Knicks’
Revamped and ready to contend, the Brooklyn
Pablo Prigioni protects the
Nets roster is studded with an all-star lineup that has
ball from the Indiana Pacers’ the likes of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Deron
Paul George during firstWilliams to make headlines. Yet these all-stars from
quarter action at Madison
a different generation are getting older in age and
Square Garden.
with big money contracts, their time to shine is now or
never. The Nets lineup, on paper, is stacked with stars
J. Conrad Williams Jr. //
and must choose video game team. But will it work
Newsday/MCT
for 82 regular season games and a potential 28 playoff
and final games? That has yet to be determined.
Then there are the Knickerbockers. The New
York Knicks took home the division title last year
and took the second seed in the eastern conference
Cross Country
YAIDELISSE ROMAN
staff writer
Bergen Community College’s cross
country team started off strong this
season against Vassar College. Freshman
Jovanie Sotomayor ran 6,000 meters
in 21:08, finishing 31st out of 103 for
the men’s team. Then came Elizabeth
O’Brien for the women’s team, running
5,000 meters in 23:47 and finishing 70th
out of 92. Overall, the team took home
6th place.
On September 14, Bergen’s cross
country team went to Ramapo and did
an amazing job. Sotomayor once again
obtained the fastest time on the men’s
team in a 5 mile race; at 28:30, he placed
40th out of 129. Elizabeth O’Brien,
keeping up to her own pace, received the
fastest time at Ramapo and placed 108
out of 194.
On September 21, Bergen was able
to keep up the good work once again,
with Sotomayor standing out to finish in
19th place out of 100. He ran the 8,000m
in 28:49s. Stephanie Zapata stepped up
her game and became the fastest runner
on the women’s team with 33:19 to run
6,000 meters. She placed 60th out of 81.
On October 5th, The Bulldogs
brought BCC the Runner-Up Award
when they went up against Mount Saint
Mary College. Sotomayor continued
to impress after he came in 13th out
of 125 runners for the 8,000m run in
30:09, and Victoria Tahhan brought her
A-game when she got the fastest time on
the women’s team with 113th out of 144
29:03.
The Bergen Cross Country team
came in 3rd place in the Regional
Tournament. Sotomayor came in 6th
out of 85 and got his personal best time
along with his team members Liam
Walsh, Edgar Aguilar, Kevin Valdivia,
and Joel Munoz. Elizabeth O’Brien got
her season’s best score and became a
national qualifier and Sotomayor made
the all region team.
Overall it was an impressive season
for the team, which will continue to find
new talents as they jog their way to more
victories.
playoffs, along with a first round victory over rival
Boston Celtics. Yet they were out-rebounded and
dominated on the glass in their eastern conference
semi-finals loss to the Indiana Pacers 4-2. Is that as
far as these Knickerbockers will go? That has yet to
be determined.
The Knicks made quite some noise by dumping
away big money contracts in Steve Novak and Marcus
Camby to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for former
number one overall pick, Andrea Bargnani, and
ending all wars by signing Metta World Peace (Ron
Artest) to help on the defensive end and to bring an
edge to the team.
Although the signings has not made a splash like
the Nets, it might just pan out for the Knicks and help
them get over the hurdle. Nothing is ever sure in New
York and betting on the home team is always like
winning the lotto. But one thing is certain, for the
first time in a long time, the New Jersey/New York
area has two legitimate contending teams to root for
(or against depending what colors you’re wearing)
and either one may go all the way. The question is;
who?
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Sports
TORCHBCC.COM
Devils/Rangers Early Season Woes
ADRIAN YLLATOPA
staff writer
Who will come out on top?
Photos courtesy of MCTcampus
Now a few weeks into the 2013/2014
NHL season, the New Jersey Devils
and the New York Rangers have not
had the start of the season that they
had been hoping for. Through the
first calendar month of the season,
both teams sit at the bottom half of
the Eastern Conference. Fans from
both teams have been finding several
targets to point their fingers at for the
underwhelming start to the season.
For The Rangers, having to play
10 straight away-games to kick off the
new season proved to be a challenge
for a team that is adjusting to new
coach, Alain Vigneault. They started
with a 4-6 record through the road trip
and one regulation loss to Montreal.
Despite the slow start, one
offensive spark has been effective
enough to prove himself worthy of the
fans’ approval. Brad Richards has had
quite the rebound from last season’s
dismal performance, now leading
the team in points. The collection of
injuries to key players such as Rick
Nash and Ryan Callahan leaves the
team with big holes in the team’s line
up. Once their scoring stars return,
don’t be surprised to see the team
flourish under the new offense-first
system.
The New Jersey Devils may as
well start carrying every good luck
charm ever known to their games.
After giving up multiple goal leads
numerous times to weaker teams in
sloppy fashion, they’ve proven to be
a better team than what statistics have
shown. After having only one win
after their first 8 games, a 2-minute
comeback against the Boston Bruins
was possibly the extra push the team
needed, as their performance has
increased significantly since then.
The goalie tandem of Martin
Brodeur and Cory Schneider ended
23
quickly after Schneider started a
collection of games consecutively, but
after being placed on injured reserve,
Brodeur started and won the next
two games for the Devils. 41 year-old
aging scorer Jaromir Jagr has once
again silenced critics and leads the
team in points after signing with the
team over the summer.
A breath of fresh air is felt with
the arrival of 22 year-old rookie
defenseman Eric Gelinas, as he
has been responsible for much of
the team’s newfound power-play
effectiveness. The Devils also are a
team not to be ignored once their play
continues to take strides.
Hopefully, these two teams can
turn in the direction they were going
in at the start of this season and make
the rest of this season one with fewer
woes and more cheers.
The Spider Wallops Back
FELLIX LYU
staff writer
Anderson “The Spider” Silva, the former
MMA champion of Ultimate Fighter
Championships, has challenged the
distinguished current UFC Middleweight
Champion Chris “All American”
Weidman to a rematch in UFC 168.
The events in UFC 168 will consist of
11 conquering matches with 22 colossal
fighters. The main event, “Silva vs.
Weidman,” will be the attention-grabber
this December in Las Vegas.
Anderson Silva has 33 wins and
5 losses. During his career, he had
6 submissions, 7 decisions, and 20
knockouts. Chris Weidman has 10 wins
and no losses. During his career, he
had 4 knockouts, 3 submissions, and 3
decisions.
During their last match, Silva was too
confident about his arm length; his reach
was known to connect punches to his
opponents. Unfortunately, this advantage
was overwhelmed by the continuous
tackles thrown by Weidman. Silva thought
he had the better reach, when in reality,
the arm length of Chris Weidman was
one centimeter longer. Anderson Silva
had 77 inches, while Chris Weidman had
a whopping 78 inch arm length. After two
Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman face off once again
Leslie Martinez // The Torch
rounds, this bout was decided with “The
Spider” collapsing from a knockout punch
thrown by the “All-American,” Chris
Weidman, shocking fans and creating
roaring applause, due to an ineffective
mockery technique being used by Silva.
In UFC 162, Anderson Silva left his
fists down, believing his courageousness
and taunting would deter the perception
of his opponent. During the entire
match, Silva allowed his perception to
be altered by his own confidence and
absolute certainty of winning the fight.
Unfortunately for Silva, Weidman did not
only specifically train for this situation,
but he also had the advantage of having
fantastic maneuverability with his
behemoth-like body.
President of the UFC, Dana White,
expects UFC 168 to be even more fantastic
than UFC 100, considered by many fans
as the greatest UFC main event ever. “I
think it’s going to be the biggest fight
we’ve ever done,” White said.
Predictions are already being made.
Silva on his quest for redemption, is
preparing physically and mentally for the
bout, not allowing a slip-up to happen
again. Weidman is reciprocating as well,
he graciously accepted this challenge to
create publicity for his dynasty’s ushering
MMA has shown to bestow the best
or the worst in a fighter, whether it be
in his or her physical attributes, or his
or her mental developments. This main
rematch in UFC 168 will have surprises
at no limitation and may exceed the
expectations of fans, twisting your
opinions during your enjoyment with the
fight.
Bergen Bulldogs Mens Soccer Round Up
Rafael Villanueva, a defense player in Jersey number
19, thinks the team should “Transform itself from a
strong defensive team to a strong offensive team and start
scoring more goals”, he believes the team is strong but is
winning due to its great protection of the goal instead of
strong moves to score in the other teams goal.
Christian Casal, player number 2 and the captain of
the team is confident the team is going to win and hopes
to make it into nationals, “I am feeling accomplished so
far and expect to lead my team to make it into nationals,
giving up is not an option right now, we are off to a great
start and have to maintain this great attitude and team
work”.
The team is fortunate enough to have an outstanding
coach, Fredy Herrera, “He knows the game and how to
lead us to win” said Christian Casal. Herrera sees great
potential in his team, he also believes the team still needs
to work on its’ attitude and team work so they can reach
their goals. Their hard work, determination and amazing
attitude towards this season is inspiring and shows how
great of a team they really are. The most important thing
to them is to work harder and form a strong bond.
Sadly, though they fought hard and had a fantastic
season, The Bulldogs lost in the second round of the
Region 19 playoffs, finishing with a strong overall record
of 9-6-1
24Sports
The Torch
SPORTS
Bergen Bulldogs Mens
Soccer Round Up
NOMI EIJKENAAR
staff writer
The Bergen Community College soccer
team proudly presents its twenty five
strong players and two great captains.
William Mera and Christian Casal;
two hard working captains with a great
vision for the team. One of the players
Jair Rendon said “We started off with a
rocky start because we were unfortunate
in our attempts to score but as of right
now we are in the lead!”
Angel Batista is a strong player of the
team and is now onto his third semester
playing for Bergen Community College.
An interesting fact about him is that he
is from the Dominican Republic, which
is not known for soccer at all, but at a
very young age Angel moved to Spain
and was raised there. That is where
his love of soccer began. He later on
in his life moved to the United States
and continued playing here. He is an
outstanding player with a great attitude
towards the team; he strongly represents
himself in Jersey number 9 as a forward
position player. While juggling between
soccer practices, games and school work
Angel managed to excel academically
Photos by Deana Deo // The Torch
with a 4.0 GPA and is a member of the
PTK.
Juan Lorza, center midfielder in
Jersey number 8 said “We have been
working as a team with really good
chemistry so far; we help each other on
the field and focus on strong team work”.
The team finished the season 9-5-1 and
made the Region 19 playoffs, earning
a first round bye. Watching previous
games, learning from their mistakes, and
working hard at every single practice
helped them earn a hard fought playoff
spot.
Continued on pg. 23
Return of the Lady Bulldogs
DEANA DEO
staff writer
Bergen Community College’s
girls basketball team had a
subpar season last year. They
ended the season with 8 wins
and 16 losses. Not the way
they would have wanted to end
the season, but the Ladies are
putting that behind them and
working on making this season
a great one.
Head Coach Green for the
lady Bulldogs has one major
thing in sight for the team. “The
main goal is to get to region 19
playoffs.”
Sophomore Ariel MannHarper when asked about the
team had this to say “The team
is looking pretty good, we still
have a lot to work on in order
to be successful this season,
but if we continue to work
hard every day and remember
to support each other we’ll be
very successful in this long
season...we can’t be satisfied...
and push ourselves mentally and
physically or else we won’t be
successful.” Three ladies from
last year will be returning and
seven new faces, to create mesh
of passionate athletes all with
one common goal, to win.
The Lady Bulldogs opened
Lady Bulldogs preparing for next season.
Deana Deo // The Torch
their season on November 5th
with a resounding victory over
Hostos, 69-56. Freshman Mary
Haines of Ridgefield Park led
the way with scoring, with 20
points. Haines, with help of
fellow freshman Luisa Velasquez
of Bergenfield, who pulled down
7 rebounds to go along with
her 19 points dominated the
floor. At time of print the Lady
Bulldogs are 1-1 and their entire
schedule can be found at ihigh.
com/bergenbulldogs under the
‘womens basketball’ tab.
Something else to keep
a look out for is Bergen’s new
talented dance team that will be
performing during both games
at halftime. Come out, make
some noise, let out your school
spirit and support your Bulldogs
and new addition of dancers on
the journey to nationals!

I`m Still Here: Veterans At BCC

Transcription

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