This Week@NCC - Norwalk Community College

This Week@NCC
March 31, 2015
Volume 29, Number 10
I N T HIS ISS U E
Pages 2-4
Academic Festival Schedule of
Events
Lumina String Quartet to Perform
Page 5
UConn Counselor on Campus
Job Interview Workshop for
HL-SCI Students
Career Expo 2015
The Alexander Technique
Page 6
Archaeology Club to Host Author
Marilyn Johnson
TEDxNCC Talk: The Voices in
My Head
French Hospitality School Principal
to Visit NCC
Page 7
News and Announcements
S U B M ISSI O N S
to Karen Hart
khart@norwalk.edu
Next issue published:
April 7, 2015
Deadline for submissions:
April 2, 2015
This Week @ NCC is published
by the Public Relations Office of
Norwalk Community College
Copy Editor and Writer
Karen Hart
khart@norwalk.edu
Copy Editor and Writer
Madeline Barillo
mbarillo@norwalk.edu
Graphic Designer
Cindy Zaref
czaref@norwalk.edu
NCC To Hold 18th Annual
Academic Festival “Got Smarts?”
Norwalk Community College’s 18th
Annual Academic Festival will be held
on April 1 and 2, with many exciting
events taking place on both the East and
West Campuses. Professor Riaz Lalani
and Professor Linda Legters will once
again be co-chairing the two-day event.
This year’s Academic Festival will
feature “Ain’t I a Woman?” a musical and
theatrical celebration of four renowned
African-American women: novelist Zora
Neale Hurston, folk artist Clementine
Hunter, abolitionist Sojourner Truth, and
civil rights worker Fannie Lou Hamer.
There will also be film presentations
including Rhyme Pays—The Marketing
of Cool, and Crossing the Bridge—Global
Music Unites German and Turkish Musi- Poster design by NCC student Amanda Bartley.
“Got Smarts?” logo design by Valentina Stefanidis.
cians, a “Shark Tank” panel for budding
entrepreneurs, a multi-media presentation of a recent trip to Cuba by NCC faculty
and staff, a jazz ensemble performance, a “Got Smarts Quiz Bowl” and an NCC
Idol Talent contest which will feature the musical talents of the NCC community.
Iconic rapper Chuck D will be the keynote speaker. He will appear in the
PepsiCo Theater on Wednesday, April 1 at 2:30 p.m. to share his views on the
music and entertainment industries, as well as racial politics in America.
Chuck D is the leader and co-founder of the legendary rap group Public
Enemy, the author of two critically acclaimed books, and a political activist,
publisher, radio host, and producer. In 1987, he redefined rap music and hip hop
culture with the release of Public Enemy’s debut
album, Yo Bum Rush the Show in 1987 delivered a
powerful articulation of the realities facing black
people in the late 20th century. Public Enemy has
continued to stress the importance of history and
self-determination in the forward movement of all
who have been oppressed.
Between 1987 and 2009, with Chuck D at the
helm, Public Enemy has released 13 albums, toured
63 countries, and influenced hip hop communities,
social justice struggles and political activism
Chuck D (Photo by Walter Leaphart, 2005)
throughout the world.
Academic Festival
Schedule of Events
Wednesday, April 1
10:00 a.m., East Campus,
PepsiCo Theater
Musical Theatre: Ain’t I a Woman
A Musical and Theatrical Celebration of Four Renowned
African American Women: Renowned Novelist Zora
Neale Hurston, Exuberant Folk Artist Clementine
Hunter, Fiery Abolitionist Sojourner Truth, and Fervent
Civil Rights Worker Fannie Lou Hamer
10:00 a.m., East Campus, Gen Re Forum
Film: Rhyme Pays – The Marketing of Cool The relationship between hip hop and advertising, and
how purchases being made may have been influenced
by their popularity within the hip hop community.
Sponsored by the Baker Library. Presenter: Professor Christine Japely
10:00 a.m., East Campus, Room E229
Passage: The Literary Magazine of the AEFYE Division
Passage showcases the writing of students in the
Developmental English classes and provides a model for
study and discussion in the classroom.
Presenter: Professor Forrest Helvie
10:00 a.m., East Campus, Room E225
Discussion: The Equality of the Human Races
A discussion of Anténor Firmin’s 1885 groundbreaking
book that supported the equality of the races.
It challenged the dominant
and prevailing views of the
day and is considered one
of the foundation texts in
critical anthropology.
Presenter: Antoine Lèvêque
10:00 a.m., East Campus, Room E230
Workshop: To Dream the (Im)possible Dream:
The Process of Career Selection
Determining and achieving your career aspirations.
Presenters: Eric Rambusch, Professor William Grodman,
and Kiran Somaya
11:30 a.m., East Campus, Gen Re Forum
Shark Tank
Students compete with elevator speeches about their
business proposals. Judges from the Fairfield County
business community select winners and provide feedback
on thought process for selecting winners.
11:30 a.m., East Campus, Room E219
Reminiscences of Cuba – An Academic Perspective
A multimedia presentation by NCC faculty and staff
about their trip to Cuba.
Presenters: Professor Angeles Dam, Professor Robert
Emigh, Diane Donovan, Professor Hannah MoeckelRieke, Professor Janie Burkhardt, and others
11:30 a.m., East Campus, Room E227
Film & Discussion: Crossing the Bridge – Global Music
Unites German and Turkish Musicians
Musicians jam on the Bosphorus, plus commentary and
update by NCC Anthropology student Onur Sengul on
youth life in Istanbul.
Presenters: Professor Mary Francis Carmell and Onur Sengul
11:30 a.m., East Campus Atrium
Musings: Journal of the Arts
A multimedia presentation featuring some of the best
student work in the arts.
Presenters: Professor Laurel Peterson with Editors Sandra
Botha and Lauren Lodato
1:00 p.m., East Campus, PepsiCo Theater
Music: Jazz Ensemble
A selection of instrumental jazz and rock music.
Presenters: Professor Dave Wonsey and the NCC Jazz
Ensemble
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1:00 p.m., East Campus, Gen Re Forum
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall,
Who’s the Smartest of Them All?
Students, faculty and staff compete
in a Quiz Bowl format for fun,
prizes and bragging rights. Sponsored by the Tutoring Center.
Presenter: Diane Donovan
1:00 p.m., East Campus, Room E227
Film & Discussion: Crossing the Bridge - Global Music
Unites German and Turkish Musicians
(Encore of 11:30 a.m. performance)
1:00 p.m., East Campus, Room E228
Student Presentation: A Preschool Classroom Study
on Garbage Trucks
Teaching project with a classroom of three- and four-yearold children investigating the children’s interest in the
garbage truck that came to their school.
Presenters: Christine Yacker, Early Childhood Education
Student Teacher and Professor Kathy Coppola
2:30 p.m., East Campus, PepsiCo Theater
Keynote Address
Chuck D., founder of Public Enemy and social activist
4:00 p.m., East Campus Atrium
Music: Music Club
Thursday, April 2
10:00 a.m., East Campus, Gen Re Forum
Panel Discussion: The Secret of My Success NCC alumni share how they transitioned from students
to successful professionals. Sponsored by the NCC
Foundation.
Presentors: Amy Murphy-Carroll and Rob Chernow
10:00 a.m., East Campus, Room E229
Building Support for GLBT Folks and Friends
An NCC community town hall discussion of ideas. How
to create and sustain programs, events, and support/
affinity groups for
GLBT people and their
friends on campus.
Presenters: Professors
Craig Machado and
Catherine Brackett
10:00 a.m., East Campus, Room E221
Workshop: Who Wants to be a Millionaire
An Interactive Game to Explore Personal Finances/Credit
Presenter: Jill Russo Foster
10:00 a.m., East Campus, Room E226
19th Century “Street Smarts”
Abraham Lincoln’s “Defective” Education and the Myth
of the Self-Made Man
Presenters: Professors Lisa Dresdner and Steven Berizzi
10:00 a.m., East Campus, Room TBD
Panel Discussion: Helping Veteran Students
Transition to College
Highlighting aspects of military training that can be
leveraged to enhance a veteran’s academic success.
Presenters: Erik Rambusch, Amy Kaplan, Brian Barkman
and Professor Chuck Gabor
10:00 a.m., East Campus, Room TBD
Workshop: If You Can Envision It, You Can Achieve It!
A collage workshop on making your own inspiration board.
Presenter: Melissa Slattery
11:30 a.m., East Campus, Gen Re Forum
Film & Panel Discussion: Crossing Blurred Lines
A Conversation about Gender, Sexuality, Masculinity and
Violence Prevention in our Communities.
Presenters: Dr. Cathy Milton and students of WMS105 –
Gender in the Everyday World
11:30 a.m., East Campus, Room E230
Do You Know What You’re Listening To? Using Your
Library Smarts to Find Out Librarian Kelly Jackson will be taking a look at Public
Enemy’s Fear of a Black Planet
album and discussing rap
samples as audio information
and using information literacy,
research skills and library
resources to learn about what
you are listening to.
Presenter: Kelly Jackson
11:30 a.m., East Campus, Room E108
Performance: To Be or Not to Be...Smart A collage of student-written monologues on personal
experiences by Acting I students.
Presenters: Professor Christine Mangone and students
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11:30 a.m., East Campus, Gen Re Forum
Lecture: Ferguson and Beyond
Prominent historian, author, educator and TV pundit,
Dr. Jelani Cobb of UConn provides insights on the events
in Ferguson, MO and future ramifications.
Presenters: Dr. Jelani Cobb of UConn and NCC
Professors Christine Japely and Althea Seaborn
1:00 p.m., East Campus, Gen Re Forum
Presentation: Changing Demographics and Income
Inequality Insightful commentary on how America is changing by
leading expert and captivating speaker, Dr. Manuel Pastor
of USC. A workshop for those interested in continuing
the conversation will follow. Sponsored by the Committee
for Diversity and Inclusion.
Presenter: Dr. Manuel Pastor, USC
2:30 p.m., East Campus, Gen Re Forum
Panel Discussion: I’m Done, Now What? An interactive discussion between the audience and panel
members regarding their experiences after NCC and what
to expect once students transfer to another academic
institution. A networking session follows the discussion.
Presenters: Professor Susan Steiz, Amy Murphy-Carroll
and many former NCC students
2:30 p.m., East Campus, Room E230
Practicing Global Intelligence: A Hands-on
Workshop and Introduction to Model UN
Participants will learn about the national model UN
conference format and practice collaborative problem
solving through role play in a
realistic scenario.
Presenters: Professor Hannah
Moeckel-Rieke with students
Yuri Hamlet, Maddy Vose, Ayla
Faila, and Margaret Kamimoto
2:30 p.m., East Campus, Room E229
Discussion: America’s Future, NCC’s Future, Your
Future, and Demographic Change
An interactive conversation based on Dr. Pastor’s 1 p.m.
presentation, this breakout session will focus on the
personal and local implications of the changing face of
America, Connecticut and NCC.
Presenters: Professor Janie Burkhardt and Gail Stevens
2:30 p.m., East Campus, Room E223
Food Deserts/Food Apartheid: A Call for Food Justice
An exploration of the consistent lack of affordable
and available healthy nutritional foods in the poorest
communities.
Presenter: Professor June-Ann Greeley
4:00 p.m., East Campus, PepsiCo Theater
Grand Finale: NCC Idol Students, faculty and staff compete
for prizes and bragging rights in a competition similar to American Idol. Audience members will
participate in selecting the winner. NCC’s Avenue Q cast
members will entertain while the judges are deliberating.
A raffle will be held for Academic Festival attendees with
many prizes including an iPad.
Presenters: Christine Mangone, NCC’s Avenue Q cast,
and NCC Idol contestants
6:00 p.m., East Campus,
Gen Re Forum
Movie of the Month: Exit
Through the Gift Shop
Iconic street artist Banksy’s
hilarious “mockumentary”
about the gullible art
establishment. A fun film
whether you’re an art
aficionado or not.
Presenter: Riaz Lalani
In addition to the events, information tables will be
set up in the East Campus Atrium for the following:
Wednesday/Thursday, April 1/2, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Get Smart/Give Smart – Collection site for the NCC Food
Pantry. Please bring boxed dinner mixes or rice.
World Autism Awareness Day – Sale of baked goods and
autism awareness items to benefit Autism Speaks.
The Voice: NCC’s Student-run Newspaper – Distribution
and promotion
Model Rocketry and the Newtonian Telescope –
Demonstration by the Math/Physics club
Thursday, April 2, 12 to 4 p.m.
Student Emergency Fund Giving Site – In conjunction
with the NCC Foundation’s Annual Day of Giving event
which was postponed due to snow.
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UConn Counselor on Campus
for BGS Transfer Program
Tuesday, March 31, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
East Campus, Student Success Center
Lisa Siebert, Academic Advisor/
Counselor for the Bachelor of General
Studies (BGS) Program at the University
of Connecticut, will be available to our students
this semester.
To make an appointment to speak with her, students
should call the Student Success Center at (203) 8577255. If they are unable attend any of the NCC sessions,
students are invited to call Siebert at UConn Stamford at
(203) 251-9517 or email her at lisa.siebert@uconn.edu.
The BGS is a good fit for many students, and Siebert
will assist those interested by explaining the program and
its requirements, the application process and deadlines.
Please inform your students of this opportunity. For
additional information please contact Susan GebhardtBurns, Liaison, Norwalk Community College/UConn
BGS Program at sgebhardt-burns@norwalk.edu.
Job Interview Workshop
for HL-SCI Students
Tuesday, March 31, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.
East Campus, Room E217
The Health and Life Sciences Career Initiative is offering
a Job Interview Workshop for all HL-SCI students.
The Work Place and Engage Staffing will team up
to administer this event, at which students will learn
techniques such as:
• How to prepare for an interview
• Proper attire
• Effective communication
• How to prepare questions for interviewers
• What to do after an interview
…and much more!
All students should bring their resumes for review.
This event is funded in whole by the Connecticut
Health and Life Sciences Career Initiative (HL-SCI), a
Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and
Career Training grant, as implemented by the U.S.
Department of Labor.
Career Expo 2015
Tuesday, April 7, 12 to 3 p.m.
East Campus Atrium
NCC will host Career Expo 2015 where such vendors as
Verizon, Lowes Home Improvement, Veridian Energy,
Green Moon, Whole Foods Market, ICON International
Inc. and AXA Advisors, LLC, will be among those on
hand to provide information about their companies and
accept resumes.
For information on the full list of vendors, contact
Kiran Somaya, Director of Career Services at (203) 8576947 or email ksomaya@norwalk.edu.
Find information online at NCC Career Central by
clicking here: http://bit.ly/1EqFAWM.
The Alexander Technique
Tuesday, April 7, 12:30 to 1:30pm
West Campus, Exercise Science Lab, Room H007
(on the ground floor of the Center for Health,
Science and Wellness)
The next event in the Spring 2015 Wellness Series is a
presentation by Vincent Fraser, Cranio-Sacral Therapist,
Certified Alexander Technique Somatic Therapist.
Find resilience through awareness of body tightenings
and revisiting them, releasing back and neck pain,
unlocking musical potential among others. This educational method, studied by John Dewey and Aldous Huxley,
teaches how to change faulty postural habits, enabling
improved mobility, performance and alertness. “Moving
mindfully” can help reduce tension and relieve pain.
The event is sponsored by the Pitney Bowes
Foundation Wellness Center and the
Exercise Science Student Club.
For further information, please
contact Tyler Griese, EdM,
HFS, Norwalk Community
College Assistant Director of
Wellness at (203) 857-7195
or tgriese@norwalk.edu.
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Archaeology Club to Host
Author Marilyn Johnson
Thursday, April 9, 8 p.m.
(Refreshments at 7:30 p.m.)
East Campus, Gen Re Forum
The Norwalk Community College Archaeology Club
will welcome author Marilyn Johnson who will speak
about her new book titled Lives in Ruins. She writes of the
passion and grueling work of archaeologists and the race
against site destruction by looters, development and war,
and the importance of cultural heritage management. Her
book will be on sale prior to the lecture, and the author
will sign them.
Johnson is an avid archaeology, anthropology and
history enthusiast. She took
courses, joined digs and tracked
archaeologists in the Caribbean,
the Mediterranean, Newport,
RI, Fishkill, NY, Machu Picchu,
Deadwood, SD, and more.
All are invited to attend and
admission is free. For additional
information, contact Professor
Ernie Wiegand at ewiegand@
norwalk.edu or (203) 857-7377.
N e w s
and
TEDxNCC Talk: The Voices
in My Head
Tuesday, April 14, 1 to 3 p.m.
East Campus, Gen Re Forum
Guest Speaker Eleanor Longdon discusses her long
journey back to mental health after being diagnosed as a
schizophrenic and spending time being hospitalized and
heavily medicated. She makes the case that it was through
learning to listen to her voices that she was able to survive.
This talk is for “voice hearers” and their family
members, clinicians, students and the general public.
All are invited to attend and admission is free. For
more information call toll-free (855) 810-5924.
A nnounc e m e nt s
French Hospitality School
Principal to Visit NCC
Professor Yves Quissac, principal of the Lycée des métiers de
l’hôtellerie et du tourisme d’Occitanie in Toulouse, France
will be the guest of the Hospitality Management and
Culinary Arts Program from March 30 through April 1.
Since 2013, Chef Professor Jeff Trombetta and Adjunct
Professor T.J. Diagne have been working with Quissac
and his colleagues to establish an exchange program among
hospitality students from both institutions.
In 2014, Trombetta and Diagne led a group of 10
NCC hospitality students to Toulouse during the spring
recess as the culmination of their studies in International
Food and Service Management.
Quissac is visiting the NCC
campus to advance establishment of a permanent exchange.
This summer two students
from Toulouse will intern at
Woodway Country Club in
Darien, arranged by Diagne,
who is a club manager.
During his visit, Quissac
will meet with NCC President
David L. Levinson and Dean Vanessa Morest to discuss
developing a formal arrangement for ongoing student
exchanges between the two institutions. He will also be
the guest of the NCC Foundation at a dinner practical
Monday night staged by NCC Hospitality students.
He will also participate in the Academic Festival on
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Wednesday. Diagne, who is president of the Connecticut
Club Managers Association, will host Quissac at a club
managers conference on Tuesday.
Lycée des métiers de l’hôtellerie et du tourisme
d’Occitanie offers bachelor of technology degrees. Established in 1916, the school is one of three national schools
certified for the ISO 14001 quality standard. Through the
years, Quissac has served as an ambassador for Toulouse
and has promoted the area in France and abroad with
special emphasis on the region’s gastronomic culture and
the Academe de Toulouse, which includes six hospitality
educational institutions in the Midi Pyrenees Region.
Free Tax Preparation and
Filing through VITA Program
NCC VITA Preparation Schedule:
Saturdays: Now through April 11 (except for Easter
weekend, April 4, when the college is closed) 10 a.m. to
3:30 p.m. in West Campus, Rooms W138 and W140.
Tuesday and Thursday evenings: Now through April 14
(open during Spring Break), 7 to 9 p.m. in the UBS
Student Success Center, off the East Campus Atrium.
Faculty Help Needed for
NCC Live!
Deadline to Apply for May 2015
Graduation is April 6
Please inform students that the deadline to apply for May
2015 Graduation is Monday, April 6 at 5 p.m. in the East
Campus Records Office (room E102). They must bring
the following documents with them:
• Completed Graduation Application and Degree
Evaluation sheets (see myCommNet). Both must be
signed by an advisor.
• A Curriculum Check Sheet
(if a Degree Evaluation
is not met)
• A completed Student
Survey
All students must also meet
with an advisor prior to submitting an
application for graduation.
NCC Continuing Notice of
Non-Discrimination
Norwalk Community College does not discriminate on
the basis of race, color, religious creed, age, sex, national
origin, marital status, ancestry, present or past history
of mental disorder, learning disability or physical disability,
sexual orientation, gender identity and expression or
genetic information in its programs and activities. In
addition, the College does not discriminate in employment
on the basis of veteran status or criminal record. The
following persons have been designated to handle inquiries
regarding the non-discrimination policies: Dean of
Students Carol Smith Harker, Title IX Coordinator, at
(203) 857-7013 or charker@norwalk.edu; or Americans
with Disabilities Act (ADA) Coordinator Fran Apfel
at (203) 857-7192 or fapfel@norwalk.edu.
On Friday, May 1, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., 12 to 15
area high schools will be attending “NCC Live!” Faculty
volunteers are needed to run three, half-hour workshops.
If you can help by running a workshop, please reply to
Robin Morris at rmorris@norwalk.edu.
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