Think Spring!

This Week @ NCC
NCC Culinary Arts Instructor, Chef Stephen Maronian Receives French Honor
Think
Spring!
April 2, 2012
Vol. 20, Number 11
Next issue: April 9
_______________
SUBMISSIONS
to Karen Hart
khart@ncc.commnet.edu
_________________
Designer, Copy Editor,
Writer
Karen Hart
khart@ncc.commnet.edu
Copy Editor and Writer
Madeline Barillo
mbarillo@ncc.commnet.edu
This Week at NCC
is published
by the Public Relations
Office and is available
on the NCC website.
Just go to:
www.ncc.commnet.edu
and click on:
“This Week @ NCC”
Norwalk Community College Chef and
Instructor Stephen Maronian has been
admitted to the U.S. delegation of the
Academie Culinaire de France.
This is a prestigious honor that celebrates
Maronian’s professionalism, dedication to
the art of French cuisine and community
involvement.
On June 16, Maronian will be inducted into the
Chef Stephen Maronian
Academie at a ceremony in Chicago, where he
will receive a medal and diploma presented by Stephen Maronian has made frequent
Gerard Dupont, president of the International appearances on television. He has competed
Academie Culinaire de France.
with other top cake designers on the “Extreme
Cakes” show on the Food Network.
At Norwalk Community College, Maronian
Maronian is one of only three chefs in
teaches classes in Principles of Food
Connecticut to be inducted into the Academie
Preparation and Catering. He also teaches
Culinaire de France.
cooking classes for children in an after school
program based at NCC and leads NCC culiThe academy has a long history. The
nary students in preparing food for the annual Universal Union for the Progress of the
Connoisseurs fundraising dinner at Stamford
Culinary Arts was founded in 1879 by
Yacht Club to benefit the region’s food banks.
Joseph Favre, and 80 chapters were formed
around the world. In 1888, in order to better
Maronian is co-owner, with his wife Lisa, of
represent the evolution and modern practice of
Sweet Lisa’s Exquisite Cakes in Cos Cob,
cuisine, the name of the organization was
Conn. Lisa Maronian also is an instructor at
NCC, where she teaches Baking.
changed to l’Académie Culinaire de France.
Stephen and Lisa Maronian met while attending the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde
Park, N.Y. Both graduated with honors and
spent several years honing their skills at
culinary establishments and top hotels.
Together they founded Sweet Lisa’s Exquisite
Cakes in 1993.
Today the ACF is present on every
continent, and has 1,080 members.
The American delegation, headed by
Chef Jean-Louis Guerin of Greenwich, Conn.,
is represented by more than 100 pastry and
kitchen chefs.
PAGE 2
NCC Academic Festival
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
You are invited to the 15th annual Academic Festival to be held on April 4th.
The day will start with a welcome from President Levinson at 9:45 a.m. in
the GenRe Forum. After that, more than 30 faculty and student presentations
and poster sessions will be held from 10 a.m. - 2:20 p.m., followed by the
keynote speech with John Prendergast at 2:30 p.m. in the PepsiCo Theater.
Following the keynote speech, there will be a reception with light refreshments in the lobby, and John Prendergast will sign copies of his book
Unlikely Brothers.
Keynote speaker
John Prendergast
Go to the following link and view the video clip from Meet the Press where
our keynote speaker John Prendergast appears with George Clooney to talk
about Sudan: http:/presspass.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/18/10743818press-pass-george-clooney-and-john-prendergast
This year’s Academic Festival keynote
speaker John Prendergast will be on hand to
autograph his book “Unlikely Brothers.” The
book is now available in the NCC book store
on the East Campus.
NCC Libguides Make Research Easier
Faculty, please tell your students about a great library resource for conducting research.
Libguides are a series of subject guides created by NCC librarians according to their
expertise ranging from architecture to science, and they are available for you 24/7 at:
http://www.commnet.edu/library/subjectguides.html
Whether you are home or at school, if you are a beginner in research, these subject guides
will be a great place to start or can point you to a database you didn’t even know NCC
has access to.
The guides contain links to library catalogs, to subscription databases such “Films on
Demand” and “NBC Learn” that allow you to watch documentary films, or NBC news
archives. They also give you tips on how to cite sources.
This Week @ NCC
PAGE 3
PAGE 3
Transfer Agreement Approved by Board of Regents
The Board of Regents for Higher Education, which oversees 17 Connecticut State Colleges
and Universities (ConnSCU), has approved a seamless transfer agreement across the 12
community colleges, four state universities and Charter Oak State College.
The proposal was approved last month by the Board’s Academic and Student Affairs
Committee after a three-hour forum allowing for public dialogue and discussion about the
issue. Importantly, while the policy is implemented across the 17 ConnSCU institutions,
faculty and staff will work with the University of Connecticut to comply with pending
legislation regarding the 30-credit common core.
“First and foremost, this proposal will help the students we serve more easily navigate the
process by which they can earn a baccalaureate degree,” said Lewis J. Robinson, chairman of
the Board of Regents. “The old saying ‘Time is Money’ has no better illustration than students
paying for and taking general education classes at a community college, only to be told they
don’t count toward their degree when they try to transfer them to a state university. It’s
nonsensical, and with this new policy, it won’t happen.”
“The faculty at our 17 institutions deserve our thanks and appreciation for being such an
integral part of this process,” said Robert A. Kennedy, president of the Board of Regents.
“Change is never easy in a higher education setting, particularly when it involves the
integrity of the classroom experience. The proposal that was agreed to today includes a
number of improvements suggested by the Faculty Advisory Committee, and I believe they
will help make the implementation of this policy smoother and protect the quality of the
courses we offer.”
The policy is competency-based, meaning students will be expected to demonstrate
competence across the knowledge and skill areas defined in general education.
By Sept. 30, 2012, the 30-credit common core curriculum will be approved by faculty at the
community colleges, state universities and Charter Oak State College, and a full major-bymajor transfer plan will be adopted by July 2013.
PAGE 4
Time's "Hero of the Planet" to Speak at NCC's 5th Annual EARTH WEEK
Monday, April 16 - 10-11 a.m.
PepsiCoon
Theater
Free Workshop
“Finding and Keeping Work with a Four-Generational Workforce”
The Student World Assembly has announced that the keynote speaker for NCC’s 5th Annual
WEEKCollege
will be L.
Hunter Lovins.
The NorwalkEARTH
Community
Extended
Studies and Workforce Education is offering a free
workshop onProfessor
“Watch Lovins
the Gap:
and Time's
Keeping
Workofwith
a Four-Generational
Workforce”
hasFinding
been named
"Hero
the Planet"
and Newsweek's
"Green Business
Icon." She has addressed the World Economic Forum and the US Congress and is a highly sought
from noon toafter
1:30speaker
p.m. Tuesday,
MarchShe
6 inhas
thealso
NCC
Culinary
Arts
Dining
at conferences.
appeared
on 60
Minutes
andRoom
Good (W121).
Morning America.
In addition to being a professor at Bainbridge Graduate Institute in Seattle, she has co-authored nine
This event isbooks,
the fifth
in a series
of free
“Pathways
to Career
Success”
workshops
at NCC.
including
Climate
Capitalism:
Capitalism
in the
Age of Climate
Change
(2011) and Natural
Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution (1999).
The workshop will offer participants a clear perspective of the four-generation workforce-- BuildThe eventGen
is open
to the
and free
charge,
but seating
is limited.
If you
would
like more
ers, Baby-Boomers,
Xers
andpublic
Gen Ys-whoofare
working
side-by-side
in the
most
talented
information or are interested in bringing your class to this event, please contact SWA President
and diverse workforce
in recent
history.
Deanna Fields
(Deannafields92@yahoo.com)
or faculty advisors Mary Frances Carmell
(mcarmell@ncc.commnet.edu ) or Robert Emigh (remigh@ncc.commnet.edu ).
Managing and navigating a multi-generational workforce effectively is an issue for both employers and workers. For example, hiring decisions made by organizations are now
more complex, tending to favor candidates who “fit” the social and technical dimensions of the job (such as fit with the supervisor, team, organizational strategy, and culture.)
There also are unspoken concerns about harmony and productivity across the generations.
The workshop will explore the challenges that these generation gaps present for both employers and job seekers, particularly during interviews. Participants also will learn how
to become a more attractive employer to a wide range of workers, a stronger candidate for a job, and a highly valued employee.
The workshop facilitator is Gary Clarke, co-founder of The Career Co-op in Westport. Clark has more than 25 years of experience in human resource management. He has
led teams for global companies such as Allergan, Nabisco, Lucent Technologies and Bell Labs.
L. Hunter Lovins
Prior to co-founding a career and talent management consulting business in 2009, he served as a group vice president of Human Resources and corporate vice president of
Talent Acquisition for large capital equipment maker Terex Corporation in Westport. Clarke is a graduate of Cornell University.
Advanced registration
is required;
seating
is limited. To reserve a seat, please call (203) 857-7302
A Word about
All-College
Mailings:
or send an email Barbara Cartsounis at bcartsounis@ncc.commnet.edu.
Requests to send e-mail messages to everyone at
the college should be sent to the Public Relations
office. We are happy to forward the message to
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If you receive an all-college email and wish to
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or the message will return to Campus News.
Instead, reply directly to the person listed as the
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Please keep in mind that the messages are sent
through the CampusNews mailbox, which is a
sort of one-way mailbox for announcements
only.
Please send all-college email requests to:
Madeline Barillo at mbarillo@ncc.commnet.edu
or Karen Hart at khart@ncc.commnet.edu.
PAGE
5
Movies-of-the-Month Free Film Series
Thursday, April 5 6:30 p.m.
East Campus PepsiCo Theater
The fifth spring offering of NCC’s popular Movies-of-the-Month
free film series will be the 1937 classic “Dead End,” directed by
Academy Award winner William Wyler. Admission is free and
the public is invited.
“Dead End” stars Humphrey Bogart, Sylvia Sidney, Joel McCrea,
Claire Trevor, and The Dead End Kids (some of whom would
later morph into the infamous Bowery Boys).
This is a searing drama whose social commentary and
understated performances still pack a wallop. “Dead End”
provides real human interest and entertainment, with a rather
timeless message about Wall Street vs. Main Street.
For information, contact Professor Gary Carlson at:
gcarlson@ncc.commnet.edu.
Connecticut’s First Mini-Maker Faire
Saturday, April 28—10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Westport Library and on Jesup Green
Do you love to make things or see how things are made? Have you made or seen anything different,
amazing or innovative? Do you know someone who has? Do you have an idea for something wild that
needs to be made? If so, the inaugural Westport Mini Maker Faire is for you. For details, please go to:
http://www.westportlibrary.org/about/news/connecticuts-first-mini-maker-faire-%E2%80%94-april-28 .
PAGE 6
NCC Live
On Friday, March 30, approximately 250 students came to
NCC from area high schools and were given the opportunity
to experience taking classes on a college campus.
NCC professors offered interactive, half hour sessions in
subjects including: architecture, criminal justice, early
childhood education, exercise science, graphic design, green
technology, media, nursing, photography, physical therapy
assistant, and keys to college success.
Groups of students arrived for two sessions offered at both
8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. They were greeted by
Provost Pamela Edington and members of the admissions staff,
and then attended three classes of their choice.
After class, the students went to the West Campus cafeteria
where they were treated to bag lunches to take with them on
their trip back to their respective schools.
Provost Pamela Edington
welcomes visiting high school
students to NCC.
FSWC and NCC Women’s Club Sponsor Mobile Mammography Unit
Tuesday, April 17-Wednesday, April 18 - 1 to 7 p.m.
The Stamford Hospital Mobile Wellness Center will be parked outside the
West Campus building and women age 35 and older are invited to receive their annual
mammogram. Appointments are recommended. Walk-ins are welcome.
The public is also invited to attend.
Please remember to bring a photo ID and Insurance card (if applicable) to the coach bus.
To schedule an appointment, call (203)276-2602 and have the following information handy:
 Insurance information

Doctor’s name, address and telephone number.
This event is sponsored by the Fairfield County Women’s Center at NCC and the NCC Women’s
Club.
For more information, contact Bernice Marie-Daly, Ph.D., FCWC director at
(203)857-6943.
PAGE 7
NCC Archaeology Club Meeting
Thursday, April 12, - 8 p.m.
PepsiCo Theater , East Campus
(Refreshments at 7:30 p.m.)
Leveling the Dykes: Improvement and Clearance in
Galloway Scotland during the 18th and 19th Centuries
Guest speaker Christine Broughton Anderson is currently writing her dissertation on the Lowland
Clearances in Galloway, Scotland. She is pursuing her doctorate in Anthropology at the University
of Massachusetts, Amherst. Her interest in Scotland and the Dumfries and Galloway region stems
from her father’s family, who were tenant famers during the period she researches.
Known as the Highland Clearances, this period of the 18th and 19th centuries is engrained in the
psyche of Scotland through songs, stories and memorials. Scottish landlords of the time successfully
implemented a range of strategies as a means of achieving the clearing of people and settlements in
tandem with agricultural improvements. The process of “ideological clearing” or the act of writing
people off their indigenous lands to create and empty available landscape, flesh out the on-going process of erasing ethnically, racially, or economically diverse groups from both physical and mental
landscapes.
Broughton will discuss how improvement strategies transformed the material and ideological world
of 18th and 19th century Galloway.
For additional information contact Professor Ernie Wiegand at ewiegand@ncc.commnet.edu.
Faculty and Staff News
Arthur Pfister (aka Professor Arturo), a member of the NCC English
Department, recently presented his literary works at colleges, jazz clubs,
coffeehouses and cafes throughout Louisiana during a Spring Break promotional tour for his book, My Name Is New Orleans: 40 Years of Poetry &
Other Jazz. Jazz Stories, a volume of his fiction, will be published in 2013
by Margaretmedia, Inc.
Kristina Testa-Buzzee recently attended the National Student Affairs
Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA) conference in Phoenix AZ.
While at the conference she participated in the Community College Institute
as well as other engaging workshops focused on enhancing student success.
The Institute featured nationally recognized community college leaders, who
helped participants to analyze the role of student affairs and focused on:
professional competencies, assessment and learning outcomes.
Testa-Buzzee is currently the NASPA Community College Division
representative for Region 1 (New England) and has a leadership role in a
newly developed national “knowledge community” focusing on the
growing population of Adult Learners and Student with Children.
Arthur Pfister and his
publisher, Mary Gehman
of Margaretmedia, Inc.
Kristina Testa-Buzzee