The Spirit - Niagara County Community College

Monday
October 3rd, 2016
your paper...
The
Spirit
Niagara County
Community College
Issue 2
Fall 2016
...your voice!
Happy Harvest!!
Transfer Fair Gives
Opportunity to NCCC Students
Written By:Trace Gillis
Twice a year, NCCC holds a
transfer fair for students looking
to attend 4-year colleges after
their time here. Held once each
semester, the fair is held in the
main gym, with more than 20
colleges in attendance as well as
multiple branches of the military.
All colleges have a table with at
least one representative to give
you details on their school. I went
around to a few tables and asked
some questions that the general
student body at NCCC might be
better off knowing the answers to.
The first question I asked each
school had to do with costs for
both in-state and out-of-state
residents. One thing I had always
wondered was whether an out-ofstate student at NCCC would get
in-state tuition at a SUNY school
if they were to transfer. Here is
what a representative from SUNY
Cortland had to say: “If the student has a permanent address in
New York State, they will receive
in-state tuition...At Cortland, we
give an automatic scholarship of
$5000 to out-of-state students.” I
looked into it, and found that your
permanent address has to be in
the state for at least a year before
you can receive in-state tuition at
a SUNY school. A representative
from St. Bonaventure told me that
one thing some schools overlook
is the amount of veterans coming from community college. At
St. Bonaventure, a veteran automatically gets their tuition cut in
half, and can join a program to get
the rest of their tuition covered.
I was also curious to know how
common community college
transfers are at most schools.
A representative from SUNY
Farmingdale gave me the most
shocking answer I heard all afternoon. She stated that Farmingdale brings in almost as many
transfers each year as they do
incoming freshman. While I am
aware that “transfers” does not
just mean a community college
student, a large portion of that
group may very well be a community college student. When I
asked all of the representatives
how community college students
fare grade-wise, they all gave me
the same answer. All said that
community college students do
just fine at their schools. The St.
Bonaventure representative as
well as the Cortland representa-
tive both pointed out that 90%
of their graduating students are
employed within 6 months, and
obviously some of those students
are from community college.
For those who still have not figured out where they will be going
after NCCC (if you plan on going somewhere), the transfer fair
could be a huge help to you. It is
well organized, and easy to talk to
any school you are interested in.
The spring semester will be here
quicker than expected, so do not
miss your next opportunity to find
a school that fits your interests.
Are We Getting the Best
Hospital Service?
Written By:Ashley Jolliff
Every year hospitals in the U.S
are visited by 136.3 million outpatients. That is almost half of
our nation that gets taken into a
hospital in just one year. With a
life-threatening patient at hand
it’s not uncommon for a hospital
to be filled up on space, causing
them to turn the harmed patient
away. These unpleasant situations
are causing expansions through
the United States. Expansions are
booming in Western New York’s
plans for million dollar surgical
and emergency department upbringings that have taken appearance or will be in the near future.
how back in April of 2016 Kenmore Mercy Hospital has completed their 8-million-dollar
Ambulatory Surgery Unit. The
article states how “The project
followed expansions of operating rooms, the inpatient orthopedic unit and emergency department. The hospital also added
a da Vinci Xi robotic system.”
Kaleida Health, who was ranked
low, had just announced a $7.8
million expansion for their DeGraff Memorial Hospital. According to an article posted by
the Buffalo News this will be
the first renovated on the emergency department since 1975.
The expansion will be relocating
and now will be facing twin city
high way giving it better access
to life-threatening patients. “With
a new location and added space
comes the opportunity to implement the most efficient processes for staff productivity which
equates to better patient care,”
says Dr. Jill Pawlowski, the site
director of DeGraff’s emergency
medicine. DeGraff’s expansion
has been approved by the state
department of health, and will
begin its adjustments in 2017.
According to the Buffalo News
back in July of this year WNY
hospitals were ranked average or
lower in a federal survey. These
surveys rank the hospitals according to infections, complications, deaths, and timeliness care
among other categories. Out of
17 hospitals in our area, 11 were
ranked two-stars, and six ranked
three stars out of five. The twostar rankings were given to Kaleida Heath, Erie County Medical
Center, and Mercy Hospital all
of which were under expansion
or in the mince of expanding. ECMC was the last hospital to
An article by Bizjournals writes, have low rankings on the federal
Above: Sister’s Hospital in Buffalo, NY
survey. They are planning a $5
million orthopedically radiology
expansion. This expansion will
be one of the two units, $12.5
million Russell J. Salvatore orthopedic unit also in take has
given ECMC a place offering
surgery and rehabilitation. This
plan will reduce unnecessary
ER visits and give accuracy and
high volume for Western New
York’s regional trauma center.
These rankings have caused confusion and mishap for families
and patients trying to choose the
best hospital in the area. With
these million dollar expansions
and notice of the low rankings
western New York is making a
difference and is improving to
support this community and giving us the service we deserve.
The Spirit is written and edited by students of Niagara County Community College and are solely responsible for its editorial policy and content.
Features
The
Spirit
Page 2
Let’s get Festive for Fall!
Written by:By Kaitie
Cartwright
What better way to celebrate the
autumn season than going to a fall
festival? Events range from child
friendly to adults only and all are
guaranteed fun! There are more
than a couple options to choose
from for this upcoming weekend.
For kid friendly entertainment,
Canalside in downtown Buffalo
is hosting their own festival October 8th from 10am-10pm. Activities range from a pumpkin patch,
petting zoo, bounce houses, and
a wizard’s obstacle course. Live
music, food trucks, and a beer
garden are also included. They’re
wrapping up the evening with
two movies; Monsters Inc. showing at 5pm and Hocus Pocus premiering at 7pm. For further information on this day-long fest,
visit www.canalsidebuffalo.com
Another great choice for the
family is The Great Pumpkin
Farm Fall Festival hosted at
1199 Main St. in Clarence NY.
Enjoy WNY’s largest fall family friendly festival this weekend
featuring their own petting zoo,
amusement rides, hayrides, the
World Pumpkin Weigh-off, and
many more events. Each weekend has their own unique twist
with varying activities. The Great
Pumpkin Farm is open every
weekend until October 31st from
10am-10pm. For details, visit
Above: A Picture of The Great Pumpkin Pyramid; located at The Great Pumpkin Festival in
Clarence, NY
www.thegreatpumpkinfarm.com.
The Historic Cobblestone District
is hosting an adult-only “Local
Edition” Oktoberfest on October
8th from 2pm-10pm. Located at
Buffalo Iron Works in downtown
buffalo, the festival is featuring
all local breweries, including Big
Ditch Brewing Company, Flying Bison Brewing Company,
Great Lakes Brewing Company,
and many more! It includes music, free parking, and beer of
course and all proceeds benefit
the German American Musicians
Association. Tickets are $5 for
just admittance or $25 includes
admittance and 20 tickets for
beer and food. Visit www.buffaloironworks.com for detailed
ticket and festival information.
roe St. in Ellicottville, NY. Local
venues hold their own entertainment including but not limited to;
discounts at local shops, live entertainment, food, arts and crafts,
and rides. Holiday valley offers a
designated shuttle to take festival
goers up to the ski slopes and restaurants nestled away in the ski
For a weekend long event further resort. This festival is great for
south, Ellicottville Fall Festival is adults and children of all ages.
hosted on October 8th-9th in the More information can be found
www.ellicottvilleny.com.
entire village located on Mon- at
Scary Movie Sequels, Just in Time
Written by: Kaileigh Hill
As we trade in our calm summer vibes for something a little
spookier, our movie industry
has presented us with some new
films to help set our atmosphere
just right. This Halloween season we are introduced to many
sequels of some notorious horror films, making these new
coming movies, irresistible.
Starting with Blair Witch, which
opened in theaters on September
16th, is a sequel to the Blair Witch
Project, which came out 1999.
Both movies are based upon the
urban legend of the Blair Witch in
Black Hills Forest, who, presumably, haunts and later kills those
who stay in the forest overnight.
In the Blair Witch Project, the
point of view is from the found
footage of three film students who
were documenting the legend and
went missing. Leading to the sequel of the Blair Witch. In the
2016 Blair Witch, one of the film
students, Heather’s little brother
comes across footage of his sister
in a house in the Black Hill forest
and sets out with intentions to find
his sister with 4 of his friends. The
Blair Witch Project uses cameras
from 1999 making the story seem
realistic but the quality in rough
shape. The movie is mostly dark,
and it’s very hard to tell what’s
going on in some scenes. But this
darkness and unawareness make
the audience weary. The Blair
Witch, on the other hand, uses
newer technology to film such as,
mini cameras on each person on
the trip, a flying drone, and a hightech camera. This sequel captures
many more terrifying moments
and are bound to have the audience jumping out of their seat.
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Origin of Evil comes out as a
follow-up to the 2014 Ouija. The
first Ouija from 2014 was about
a teenage girl, in this generation, who uses a Ouija board she
found in her house, and mysteriously dies. Her friends use the
Ouija board to contact her when
strange things seem to start haunting them. In contrast, Ouija: The
Origin of Evil is set in the 1970’s
and focuses on when that specific
Ouija board was brought into the
house. In this follow-up movie,
a young girl becomes possessed
due to the Ouija board being used
in her house. While both movies
seem to be the same quality of
horror, Ouija: The Origin of Evil
may be a tad scarier, due to the
possession aspect of the movie.
Finally, on October 26th we can
end our month with Rings, a sequel
to one of the most famous scary
movies of this generation, The
Ring. This 2002 movie was about
a woman who investigated the
death of a teenage girl. The cause
of her death was unknown and it
was said that she had watched a
tape before getting a phone call
that said “7 days.” Ironically 7
days later was when the teen had
died. While investigating the tape,
her son watches it and receives
the same phone call which pushes
this investigator to get to the bottom of the tape to save her son.
The expectations from the original movie, may have been met by
this sequel. The Rings made the
deadly video viral, the main protagonist has the video sent to her
in email which makes her vulnerable to open it. The video seems
to go viral and reborn into society.
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COUNCIL AND APPROVED BY NYS DMV
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The Spirit is written and edited by students of Niagara County Community College and are solely responsible for its editorial policy and content.
Features
The
Spirit
Page 3
What is wrong with
Critics?
“I know some of the critics, both
in print and online, do not like the
movie. That’s okay; everyone has
a right to their own opinion even
when it’s wrong.” (Ostrander continued on Cinemablend). “Just as
I came prepared to love the movie, they came prepared to hate it.”
And it is not just Suicide Squad
critics hated. Cult classic movies like Psycho, Caddyshack, and
Fight Club have all been loved by
audiences and panned by critics.
So should we care what critics say?
Well yes and no. Randy Rumley
an English professor and fellow
critic at NCCC says “A good reAbove: A scene from the recently new movie Suicide Squad, feat. characters (L to R), Captian
view can help or hurt a film. Either
Boomerang, Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Katana, Rick Flag, Killer Croc, and El Diablo
by praising it or pointing out its
Written by:By Brad A critics’ job is to give a non-bi- are the movies that are getting the flaws. It’s whether the critics own
Wunderlich ased review of a subject. Whether highest reviews. They also are personal bias effects the review.”
it is a movie, a show, a song, or not going to the movie because
Let’s say you saw a movie you
even a book. But unlike most they like a character or the film We all have movies we either love
actually liked when you saw it
moviegoers movie critics have to maker like moviegoers do. We or hate. It is just that another part
in theaters. But when you saw
see every movie that goes on the might think a movie is good just of a critics’ job is to save us time
a review saying it was bad you
screen. So they know every cli- because we really like a character. to see a movie or not. And they
are just like Huh? That is the
have their own opinions as we do.
ché in every movie. But as movexperience most people are haviegoers we just want to be enter- An example of a movie critics Are they right? Sometimes no.
ing with the recently released
tained by the movie and not look like, but audiences hated, was So if you like Batman vs. Supermovie Suicide Squad. The movfor the tiny details in the movie. Birdman. It got a 91% for crit- man and Tank Girl. You can hate
ie is getting rave reviews from
ics on Rotten Tomatoes. But Paranormal Activity and Noah.
fans but the critics have a differSince critics watch a lot of mov- some audiences didn’t like the
ent opinion. Whose got it right?
ies they expect to see something film even with the critics’ help.
creative and new. The movies that Suicide Squad writer John OsFirst of all what is a critics’ job?
put twists and turns in their plot trander even said on cinemablend
Current Student
Registration
FOR WINTER
& SPRING 2017!
Earn 50 T-Wolves Dollars if you register
for classes during your assigned week
(October 17 - November 4th)! Bring a
copy of your Winter or Spring schedule
to the Registration & Records Office
(A-201) to get your bucks!
Don’t delay! Register before new students!
Here’s what to do:
Who is my Advisor?
✓ Make an appointment with your
advisor NOW
You can find out by going to Degree Works:
✓ Check your T-Wolves Email for
specific registration instructions
✓ Run a Degree Evaluation
✓ Register for classes using
Course Scheduler
✓ Click Degree Evaluation at the bottom of
the NCCC homepage
✓ Log into Degree Works
✓ Your advisor’s name and contact
information is listed at the top of your
evaluation
Questions? Contact the Registration & Records Office (A201) at
716-614-6254 or email at registration@niagaracc.suny.edu
The Spirit is written and edited by students of Niagara County Community College and are solely responsible for its editorial policy and content.
Sports
The
Spirit
Page 4
The Sabres Start Once
Again!
Written by: Austin Wilson
As the fall season rolls around,
Sabres fans are already asking the question of playoffs this
year. With the help of key factors such as Ryan O’Reilly,
Brain Gionta, Robin Lehner,
Kyle Okposo, and Jack Eichel.
It just may be an exciting season for the boys in blue and gold.
The preseason is underway, and
the Sabres are currently 1-1-0,
but don’t let that one loss fool
you. The Sabres outshot the
Wild in game one of the preseason, boasting potential for
the possible season. Game two
against the Sens showed the Return of Ennis, Lehner, and the
new face of Kyle Okposo. Sabres won 3-2 in overtime, the
star of the game being former
Calgary center men Derek Grant,
who scored 3 points in the game.
According to The Hockey News
Yearbook Magazine, the Buffalo Sabres are going to finish 6th
in the Atlantic, and have a 50-1
chance in winning The Stanley
Cup this year. This would be the
6th year in a row that the Sabres
could go without a playoff spot.
With such a tough conference,
also skated along with players
the likes of Alex Ovechkin as he
played in the World Cup of Hockey this year on Team Russia. Sabres also acquired Taylor Fedun,
Justin Falk, and Andres Nilsson.
Ryan O’Reilly will be coming
fresh off of Team Canada, Rasmus Ristolainen from Team Finland, Robin Lehner from Team
Sweden. A big factor in the Sabres making the playoffs this year
will rest on Lehner’s back. The
Photo courtesy of Austin Wilson
formally out of shape goaltender
(245lbs) has dropped some 20 to
it’ll be hard for the Sabres to grab be a more focused and mature 30 pounds this summer training in
a spot. The Sabres although get- player saying “You know you’re mixed martial arts. Defenseman
ting the 6th spot in their Division not going to score every night in Jake McCabe couldn’t believe the
sounds unrealistic. Only three this league, so there’s going to transformation saying “He looks
teams in the Sabres Division ac- be those nights where you help like a new guy,” Gorges saying “I
tually made playoffs last year. It your team in some other way. didn’t recognize him when he first
wouldn’t be farfetched at all to say I think I started to learn that.” came in,”. Lehner coming into
the new season as a completely
Sabres could grab at least 4th in
their division this year. They most When it’s said and done the Sa- new goaltender could put the Sacertainly have the tools to do so. bres need a good defense this bres in a playoff spot this year.
year. With no one impressing
The first thing a Sabres fan wants down in the minors, the Sabers Is Buffalo’s new defensive changto know is if Jack Eichel will tried shaking it up by trading es enough to grab playoffs this
perform at top shape this year. Mark Pysyk and two picks away year? Will Eichel, Lehner, and
The recent North American team for Dmitry Kulikov. Kulikov, 25 Kulikov produce this year? All the
member is coming into his sopho- years old, comes to the Sabres answers to come as the preseason
more season with high expecta- this season with 7 years’ experi- approaches the regular season.
tions from everyone. Now living ence on his back, and an offenwith his close friend and team- sive mind, as he doubles that of
mate Reinhart, Eichel seems to Mark Pysyk’s numbers. Kulikov
Concussions
and the NFL
Written by: Terry Pierre
Football is one of the greatest American sports to ever be
played. As a fan, it has its ups
and downs and sometimes teams
even cause you to have symptoms
that replicate a mini heart attack.
What fans don’t see is the amount
of pain and affliction athletes
cause to their bodies on a daily
basis. Many athletes will play injured for the simple fact that they
think they can play through the
pain or in some situations they are
unaware of the severity of their
injury. While some injuries allow athletes to continue their seasons, others are not so fortunate.
Football is one of the most dangerous sports played in America, and
and in relation with youth football, with starting ages of around
five years, the amount of damage that can occur, can be deadly.
tigue, Amnesia, Disorientation/
Mental Confusion, Sensitivity to
light, Nausea And/or Vomiting
Parents around the United States
have banned their children from
playing little league, middle
school and even high school football, out of fear of concussions.
The NFL has been going through
a billion dollar lawsuit since
2011. With 21,000 retired former
NFL players that have been handled through the Supreme Court
a settlement was reached in 2013.
The Settlement would reward
those with ALS (Amyotrophic
Lateral Sclerosis) $5,000.000,
CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) $4,000,000 and to the
families of the deceased and $3.5
Million for those dealing with
Advanced Alzheimer’s disease.
Since the 2012 season the statistics on diagnosed concussions decreased until just last
season (2012: 261, 2013:
Since 1966, concussions have 229, 2014: 206, 2015: 271).
played a major part in the NFL One talented and attractive wide
injueries since its merger with the receiver, Calvin Johnson retired
AFl.. Concussions are brain inju- after only 9 seasons. “I put a lot
ries that are either caused when into the game and it’s unfortunatethe head suffers a traumatic blow ly taken a lot out of me. But I feel
or when the body is shaken and good at where I’m at; I get to spend
the brain is jostled as a result. more time with my family. I just
In the early days concus- got married so everything is going
sions weren’t seen as they good right now,” Johnson said.
are today, people didn’t re- Johnson has a long list of injuries
alize the amount of damage that contributed to his retirement.
they were actually
causing.
Photo Courtesy of InsuranceJournal
Symptoms
of
a
concussion
range
as
follows:
Severe and Persistent Headaches,
Blackouts, Poor Balance, Fa-
The Spirit is written and edited by students of Niagara County Community College, and are solely responsible for its editorial policy and content.
News
The
Spirit
Page 5
Bullying and Suicide Prevention
Written by: Sarah-Lynn Niles
One of the many important epidemics that children and adolescents face around the world
is bullying. Bullying can happen anywhere, especially inside
a school building. However,
students whom are continuous
victims of bullying experience
emotional challenges including
thoughts or acts of suicide as a way
to “get out” or “forget” those experiences. According to the Center
for Disease Control (2014), suicide is the third leading cause of
death among children and people
with about 4,400 deaths per year.
What is bullying? Bullying can
happen in many forms and fashions including stereotyping, antagonizing, exclusion, namecalling, and teasing. Studies have
shown that 55% of students have
been bullied because of their
looks, 37% on their body shape,
and 16% on the color of their
skin. However, we only know
about the situations that have
been reported, as only 64% are.
Children who attend elementary
school are first subjected to the
act of being bullied or bullying
others. Studies have shown that
90% of fourth through eighth
graders have reported being victims of bullying and almost 40%
of children who attempt suicide
make their first try in elementary
and middle school. From 19701990 suicide rates have tripled
among children between the ages
of five and fourteen. Although,
the suicide rate among the group
is only 1%, the behaviors are quite
prevalent. Students who move on
to middle school face a higher
chance of becoming a victim or an
offender of bullying. According
to the Indicators of School Crime
and Safety (2013) about 28%
of children between the ages of
twelve and eighteen reported being bullied at school. Suicide rates
among the ages of ten and fourteen have grown more than 50%
over the last three decades (AAS).
With the information provided
from a nationwide survey answered by students who attend
private and public schools and are
in grades nine through twelve, the
CDC founded that 16% have seriously considered suicide, 13%
have created a plan, and 8% have
tried to take their life in the twelve
Land Of The Free, Home
of The Scared
Written by: Baylee Olds
Guns. This word means a lot of
different things to a lot of different people. Guns are in the
spotlight more so recently than
ever before. Why the hype? Why
is everyone taking such a clear
and definitive stance on guns?
issue, but rather the person behind the gun. These people may
believe more accessible mental
health services may pose as a solution. Some people see police officers as having too much power
and using excessive force when
it’s uncalled for, some people fire
back with asking why is the force
even necessary? Why are people
not listening to cops? There are
those who would rather be armed
should something happen in their
school or workplace, and there
are those who fear guns and don’t
want people around them to have
the option to be carrying a weapon.
Both sides of each of these coins
have a common denominator we, the people, fear for our lives.
months preceding the survey.
forming students has continued
to make a positive impact. After
College students face the same seeing years of such behaviors
challenges as well. Research has certain school districts have made
shown that about 6% to 8% of col- it a requirement to teach students
lege students have reported having about bullying and suicide preserious suicidal thoughts due to vention, speakers visit schools
an accident that had resulted from to explain their inspiring stories
being bullied. However, only 1% and students are informed about
to 2% have actually attempted it. bullying and suicide hotlines.
School involvement with in-
Suicide and Crisis Hotline #’s:
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline:
1-800-273-8255 Available 24 hours
everyday
• 24 Hour Crisis Hotline~Buffalo & Erie
County: 716-834-3131
• 24 hour Crisis Services~Niagara County:
(716) 285-3515
You’re Not alone; All calls
are Confidential and 100%
free!
Courtesy of Niagara , Buffalo, and Erie counties, suicidepreventionlifeline.org, and
Kathleen Chiarella
Bayer and Monsanto
“Creating a Global Leader
in Agriculture”;
How About GM-no.
Written by: Erin Nicosia
toxic chemical. The chemical
also runs off into the water, and is
In the last few weeks, you’ve known to cling to soil very heavprobably heard about a merger ily, meaning that if you want to
between the companies Bayer plant a garden downstream from a
and Monsanto. Although this Monsanto farm, you are growing
In 2016 there has been a total
news may have been overlooked your plants in glyphosate-infested
of 41,876 gun related incidents.
because of more sensational sto- soil. Monsanto supplies 26% of
10,751 deaths and 22,356 inries, it is still a very important the worlds seed market, and with
juries have resulted from these
topic that deserves everybody’s Bayer controlling 17% of the pesincidents. There have been 485
attention, simply because it ticide market, these two compachildren (ages 0-11) killed or incould negatively impact the en- nies can be a deadly combination.
jured and 2,286 teens killed or intire food industry of America.
jured. There have been 290 mass
shootings, 1,558 accidental uses
Not only do mega corporations
First off, Bayer is a well-known control the market, they will shut
and 1,301 instances of defense.
pharmaceutical company that down the production of organic
But this is not a new wave. Guns
produces products such as Aspi- crops, because when a company
have been around for a while and
guns have existed longer than America owns half the world’s rin, Coppertone sunscreen, and becomes too large, it is bound to
just the past couple of years. civilian guns, and we have more Claritin. Although Bayer pro- monopolize the market, causing
The question is why Americans mass shootings than any other duces helpful, everyday products, all smaller portions to fail. Not
suddenly have such strong opin- country. Around 3% of guns in they have also experienced issues to mention, but if your crops are
ions on firearms all of a sudden. crimes are obtained legally, while with several of their medications planted near a Monsanto field,
causing severe, long-term effects
the rest are obtained illegally, on many patients. They have pro- and your crops end up with secAmericans are scared. That’s the meaning any law surrounding the
ond-hand glyphosate, Monsanto
reality here. There have been mass ability of one to obtain a weapon duced several birth controls that will sue you for growing with
shootings nationally and interna- becomes meaningless here. De- have altered women’s bodies their products, even if it was not
tionally as well; One example be- spite the fear of guns rising, ironi- forever, as well as several blood your intention. With the number
ing the Orlando Nightclub shoot- cally so is the sale of guns. Since thinners, such as Xarelto, which of local farms around here we
ing, which was the deadliest, and the Orlando shooting gun sales can be deadly. However, in 2011, have always had a steady supply
largest public shooting massacre have spiked 40%. There is more Bayer owned 17% of the global of produce, but with the mega
in American history, killing 49 to be learned than just statistics pesticide market, according to corporation that Bayer and Monpeople. Another example, the in- and the information being relayed an article by Jeff Spross, for The santo are trying to create, all of
cident in Paris, in which AK47’s on the 5 o’clock news. Before you Week. It is very interesting that a America’s farming will eventuand bombings took at least 128 take a strong and clear stance on company like Bayer would be in- ally be industrialized, and fall into
lives. This alone is enough to set the second amendment it’s impor- terested in the pesticide industry, the hands of pesticide producers.
fear in people’s hearts. There’s tant to consider every angle. Guns which is why many are wary of its
been shootings in places like can be a matter of life or death, plans to take over the controver- For now, although this deal is up
movie theaters, schools, and the these are not just numbers we are sial company, Monsanto. Mon- in the air, and rather scary for most
work place. People fear daily ac- talking about, they are human santo produces genetically modi- farmers, it is not looking good
tivities due to the gun violence lives. Are guns the problem? Are fied organisms, in short, GMOs. for Bayer and Monsanto. Both
they’ve seen thus far. Another people the problem? Is it better to These foods are modified to resist company’s shares have greatly
possible added layer to the in- have the ability to protect your- pests and herbicides used to kill decreased in value since the ancreasing fear of guns is the recent self, or as a gun owner are you weeds, such as glyphosate, more nouncement of the proposed plan,
question raised within the police running a risk of incident? The commonly known as Round-Up. and when that happens during an
force. It is being speculated that first step, according to experts is The process for farmers that use attempted merge, it is often that
police officers are shooting un- to do research into the problem. Monsanto’s seeds is to plant the the merger does not work out.
armed people without just cause. According to Dr. Steven Stack, GM crops and then to spray the However, if it does, the food inThe media’s attention has been president of the AMA (American fields with glyphosate and other dustry of America is about to take
very focused on that subject as Medical Association) research chemicals to prevent weeds from a dangerous turn. It is our responwell as the underlying issues sur- would help “determine how to growing. The issue with that is, sibility to boycott Monsanto’s
rounding that subject. People are reduce the high rate of firearm- our government does not test for dangerous chemicals and continseeing so much of this all the related deaths and injuries.” glyphosate in the routine pesti- ue to by your produce from local,
cide testing of our crops, mean- organic farmers. Don’t let corpotime; it paints a picture of constant
ing that we are consuming this rations overrun our food industry.
violence and death at the hand of
anyone armed with a gun. These
shooting incidents paired with
the way they’re being portrayed
spark the opinion of Americans.
There are people who believe gun
control is the answer, while some
people believe guns are not the
Photo Courtesy of WND.com
Photo Courtesy of www.globalresearch.ca
The Spirit is written and edited by students of Niagara County Community College, and are solely responsible for its editorial policy and content.
Page 6
Bulletin Board:
The
Spirit
STALL STREET JOURNAL
Volume 17, ISSUE 3
Sept 26 – OCT 3, 2016
Tuesday 9/27
Future Events
Wednesday 9/28
Interested in putting on events in
the
Create fun events for the
whole campus with the
Senate Programming
Board
Student Housing
Village?
Our meetings are @
4:30 PM
every Wednesday
Our meetings are
@ 2:30 PM every
Wednesday
in G117 – B
In the Great Hall
Thursday 9/29
Open Senate Meeting
September 29th @12:30 PM
In G117-B
Win 1 of 2 parking spots anywhere on campus!!
Tickets are $5 for 1 and $10 for 3
The winner of the office will be contacted:
September 29th by The Foundation Office
To enter go to:
http://www.niagaracc.suny.edu/alumni/raffle.php
This raffle is open to all faculty, staff, and students for a
parking space
at the Sanborn campus.
*Excludes specifically reserved parking spaces.*
The Stall Street Journal is produced by the Office of Student Life (G117-D). If you would like to advertise your program,
stop by the office of student life or email: skenney@niagaracc.suny.edu. Forms are due the Monday the week prior to
the event
The
Spirit Staff
Fall 2016
Faculty Advisor
Amanda Haseley
Faculty Mentor
Marc Pietrzykowski
Layout Editor
Kathleen Chiarella
Features
The
Weeds: A Food Source for the
21st Century
Written by: William Habschied
ach, it’s also used as an herb.
Weeds are a nuisance and are undesirable in specific situations,
often growing vigorously in the
wrong place, and choking out
plants that are more desirable.
Yet, if one inspects the north terrace of Niagara County Community College (NCCC), one will
find weed growth measured in
feet under conditions of drought
and meteorological record breaking heat. Therefore, can society put this persistent pest, the
weed, to work as a food crop?
Professor Stanko was asked if
the horticulture department at
NCCC attempted to grow edible
weeds for consumption. The professor explained that the green
house has limited space, and at
the present time, the horticulture
department had no plans to grow
weeds for commercial research.
Professor Stanko was also asked,
if research on weed consumption
is not taking place at NCCC, have
other horticulture departments experimented with growing weeds
for the purpose of consumption?
Yes, says Professor Stanko. “But
remember, once the horticulture
department grows a weed for
food consumption or medical purposes, it is no longer considered
a weed.” In addition, she noted,
“The only reason it’s a weed
is because it’s growing somewhere we don’t want it to grow.”
Since, societies’ eating habits must change due to our over
population, and because citizens
are encouraged to eat insects or
Asian Carp, (a nuisance fish from
the Mississippi), could you see
in the not too distant future, the
world populations’ eating weeds?
Professor Stanko states that we
will buy weeds from the supermarket that can feed the growing population, but they will not
be called weeds, or considered
to be weeds, instead, they will
be cultivated plants on purpose.
Until your favorite produce section decides to sell official edible weeds, the suggestion
would be to photograph, sketch,
or watercolor a weed, or better
yet, write a poem. Bon appétit.
One expert at NCCC is the horticulture department Professor
Carolyn Stanko, who is a Certified Nursery Landscape Professional (CNLP). Professor Stanko
says weeds that we find in our
backyards, flowerbeds, and gardens are classified as species
of plant families. Most common are the dandelion, a perennial, and purslane, an annual.
Weeds can feed birds with the
seeds they produce, insects eat
the green leafs, bees pollinate
the flowers, and weeds hold soil
with a very strong root systems.
Their help should be appreciated, Professor Stanko claimed,
as long as the weeds do not
over grow the cultivated garden.
Professor Stanko went further to
describe how weeds could feed
humans. For example, dandelion greens are used in salads
and people have been known to
make dandelion wine. Weeds
such as burdock, and purslane
are also used in soup and salads. Plantain is cooked like spin-
Not All Habits Die Hard:
Written by: Meghan Bozeman
It is difficult to get out of the
bad habits that got most college
students through their previous high school career. Plenty
of college students make a habit
out of the things that can be detrimental to their education. In
some cases, some students end
up failing or dropping out. Things
as simple as skipping class or
procrastinating homework assignments are just a percentage
of the majority of habits that
some college students fall into.
Procrastination is the burden of
most, if not every, college student
and can hinder their academic
performance, according to Brennan Hubbard. Hubbard is a staff
writer at UNCA (University of
North Carolina at Asheville) that
states, “As deadlines approach,
students say they find themselves
using their time for anything but
homework.” There are numerous
reasons as to why college students
procrastinate whether it is feeling
overwhelmed by the task at hand,
distraction, or just laziness. For
most students, prior to college,
the work that is required of the
average student in a high school
setting is allocated into smaller
units and students spend less time
studying and procrastinate their
assignments. In a college setting,
it is very common to see students
who will spend an extensive
amount of time studying at the last
minute and find that their works
may not always be adequate.
At NCCC, two professors had different views on how procrastination has affected student’s grades
Page 7
Spirit
SUGGESTIONS FOR
STUDENT
SUCCESS
from the Student Success
Committee of NCCC
Hello Students!
Just a reminder that Advisement time is upon us.
Be sure to contact your Academic Advisor to schedule a meeting time with your advisor to go review
your goals and schedule classes for next semester.
Come prepared with a degree evaluation and list
of courses so you can effectively plan your schedule
with your advisor. Be aware that your advisor may
have changed from last semester. If you do not know
who your advisor is or if you are unsure if your advisor has changed, you should find out by signing
into DegreeWorks. This can be done via the NCCC
homepage at the bottom of the screen under Students; the third link down is Degree Evaluation.
Registration for spring 2017 begins October 17th,
2016. Meet with your advisor as soon as possible in
order to make the best possible schedule and address
academic concerns.
Best Regards Always,
The Student Success
Committee of NCCC
WANT AN AWESOME SCHEDULE NEXT SEMESTER?
GET ADVISED DURING CURRENT
STUDENT REGISTRATION
AND REGISTER BEFORE NEW
STUDENTS!!
and their overall education. Daniel House, who is a professor of
Math at NCCC, was asked how
the procrastination of students affected their education and overall
grades. He said, “It affects them
greatly because students think NEW!! WINTER INTERSESSION! Students now have
they can get it all done at the last the opportunity to take a class during Winter Intersession!
Classes will be held from January 3 – January 14, 2017.
minute and don’t realize the reperCourse offerings will be viewable on Banner Web as of
cussions of it.” On the other hand,
Marc Pietrzykowski, who teaches October 3rd. Students will be able to register for Winter at
Journalism at NCCC, had a differ- the same time as Spring. Registration for this intersession
ent take on the subject based upon
is open to current matriculated students.
his experience. Marc said, “It’s
a lot harder for students to finish WINTER & SPRING 2017 Current Student Registrathings because they have family,
tion Begins October 17th!Spring courses are available
obligations, children, etc. What
and viewable on Banner Web. Current student advisement
seems like procrastination often
& registration for current degree and certificate seeking
is that people bite off more than
students will begin on October 17. Your registration date
they can chew and need a rest.”
Any number of things can become will be assigned based upon your total credit hours to date.
apparent and discourage one’s Please check your T-Wolves email for detailed registration
academic goals. Although those information. Schedule an appointment with your advisor
soon.
outside obligations are imperative
and shouldn’t be ignored, learning
how to budget your time effecIF You Do Not Know Your Advisor; go to NCCC’s
tively is key in a college setting.
homepage, and click “Degree Evaluation” at the bottom
Whatever the reasons may be it is of the page. Log into Degree Works using your T-Wolves
an issue that needs to be assessed.
Email Login information. Your advisor’s name and conI asked a few college students
tact information can be found at the top of your degree
who go to different universities evaluation. Appointment sign-up sheets should be posted
how they prevent the stress that
on your advisor’s office door. You MUST meet with your
comes from procrastination and I
advisor to obtain your RAP number before you can regisreceived the same answer from the
ter on Banner Web.
majority. The majority agreed that
in order to assess this issue is to
condense the tasks that are given
Earn 50 T-Wolves Dollars if you register for
to them into smaller parts instead
classes during your assigned week (October
of attempting to get everything 17 – November 4)! Bring a copy of your Winter
done in one overwhelming setting.
and/or Spring schedule to the Registration &
Records Office (A-201) to claim your dollars!
T-Wolves dollars can be used to purchase
items in the School Spirit Store in the H Building Concession Stand (across from the main
gym).
GET REGISTERED!!!!!
Features
The
Spirit
Page 8
Concerts through the Year at Artpark
Written by: Allison Frazier
Artpark has become a growing
hotspot for all ages to go to enjoy
a good time and see their favorite
bands. They have a wide selection of bands every Tuesday and
Wednesday evenings that have
selected times to play. They call
it Tuesdays and Wednesdays in
the park. Some concerts are better known and popular than others but it is still a great place to
go whether you know them or not
to have some fun. This past summer the series started with Dolly
Parton, which was the first time
in a while she had been in town.
A lot of bands that are not as
well known a lot of the time get
their starts and attention through
small venues such as Artpark.
Other bands like Styx and Barenaked Ladies rocked the stage
and big crowds were drawn in.
July 12th the band Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals
played. They are almost a mixture of various kinds of music
collaborated into one band. They
got voted under the top “Concerts
You Shouldn’t Miss” listing in
the Buffalo News. Music editor
of the Buffalo News, Jeff Miers,
Above: Aerial view of ArtPark’s Beautiful Outdoor Concerts Stage!
ranked them and stated “A pleasing eclectic mix of blues, folk,
soul, reggae and rock music, Ben
Harper is a master of many musical styles.” Ray Lamontagne who
is a cover artist musician was another act that Jeff Miers admired
stating “His very unique singing
style, and recent release of “Ourboros” will take you on a psychedelic Pink Floydesque journey”.
Artpark offers this concert series every summer starting in the
beginning of June and lasting to
the end of August. They list their
next lineup way ahead of time
to give people enough time to
get their tickets and be prepared
for the upcoming shows. Prices
of tickets very depending on the
band that are playing but generally it can range from $10-$100
and they also offer free concerts
scattered around. Artpark is a
great place to go to enjoy a variety of music but as well as that
other events are offered on different nights as well. They hold
events like the Lewiston Jazz
Festival and Family Movie nights
that always bring people together.
Historic Lewiston is a very interesting place to go get together
and have fun. If people are in
the mood for a new experience
they should check it out. You
have a wide variety of different cultures, music, festivities
and food to keep you entertained
for ours. It’s under Buffalo’s top
places to visit and the town definitely owns up to their reputation.
If people have never visited, it
should be on the to do list to do.
Niagara County Community College
Child Development Center
Spots are available for children 18 month-4 years old!
We serve children of students, alumni, staff, and community!
Open Monday-Thursday 7:45a.m.-5:00p.m.
Friday 7:45a.m.-5:00p.m.
We take Financial Aid, DSS, and Private Payments
Flexible scheduling
New York State Licensed & Nationally Accredited
Enroll NOW!!!
Visit: A Building, Room 161
Call: (716) 614-6244(46) http://
www.niagaracc.suny.edu/childdevelopment/