March 2010 - Bergen Community College

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VOLUME - 17
The Torch
ISSUE - 2
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THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF BERGEN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Semester Kickoff with Harvard Graduate!
PHOTO COURTESY OF HONORS ASSOCIATION
Ayelet Shimron
Editor-In-Chief
Talk about receiving that
much needed educational kickin-the-butt! Those who attended
the speech given by Bergen
Community College alumnaHarvard
graduate,
Natalya
Vinokurova,
witnessed
the
inspirational journey she had
undergone upon arriving to
America from Minsk, Belarus.
From BCC to Harvard University
she was left with a profound list
of endless opportunities.
The event was organized
by the Honors Association and
the turnout was spectacular.
Vinokurova spoke about the
Honors Program at BCC and
how it helped her get into her
dream school. Her purpose was
to encourage students to follow
in her footsteps and repeat her
success.
She graduated from BCC
in 97’ as valedictorian and a
mere two years later, graduated
from Harvard with Honors. Not
only has Vinokurova worked
as a research professional and
was a finalist in the Economist
Competition, but she impressively
speaks six languages as well.
In her speech titled “Successful
Life,” Vinokurova gave a detailed
description on her view of success,
Students pose with NatalyaVinokurova pictured
stating, “I stand before you, some
12-14 years after sitting in those
very same seats, facing some of
the same choices you’re [faced
with] today. . . My definition of
success encompasses three facets:
relentless pursuit of happiness;
helping others; and being true
to yourself.” A favorite quote of
Vinokurova’s, incorporating all
three, is by Rabbi Hillel. “If I am
not for myself, who will be for
me? If I am not for others, what
am I? And if not now, when?”
Vinokurova firmly believes
that excellence means giving
everything you do your best
shot; “Life is too short to do
otherwise.” It is our responsibility
as young adults of this generation
to help those less fortunate than
ourselves.
For the past eleven years
Vinokurova has done countless
amounts of interviews, including
prospective Harvard University
applicants. One of the main
questions asked is “How much
community service have you
done?” which she affirms helps
students get into college.
In order to be true to yourself
in life, you must love what you do
and do what you love. It seems
intuitive to do this, but very few
people actually succeed. “It’s
not what your parents want.
It’s not what’s expected of you.
It’s you succeeding to do what
you personally love to do,” says
Vinokurova.
When asked how she ended
up transferring to Harvard
Vinokurova
responded,
“I
applied.” She declared that
simply applying to Ivy League
schools
infinitely
increases
your chances of getting in. “The
more lottery tickets you buy,
the higher your chances are of
winning.” The obvious answer is
a combination of excellent grades,
high test scores and an interesting
See Harvard Grad on pg 2
collaboration of community
Newark Mayor Shares Vision of Hope, Reform
Carlo Santelli
Sports Editor
With impeccable poise and conviction,
Newark Mayor, Corey Booker, delivered
a message of hope and reformation to a
packed audience at Bergen Community’s
Anna Maria Ciccone Theatre on Tuesday,
February 2nd, 2010.
As the keynote speaker of the program,
which served as the opening ceremony for
Bergen’s Black History Month, the Bergen
County raised Booker used his brilliant
oratory skills to captivate the multi-ethnic
crowd, with awe inspiring tales and odd,
defying campaigns. Booker revealed
glimpses of his childhood as a young black
man all the way through his current tenure
as Mayor of New Jersey’s largest city.
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to
justice everywhere, yet with that notion in
mind, I would like to proclaim to you that I
have never been more hopeful in my life,”
Booker, a Stanford University graduate,
explained to the mostly youthful crowd.
Indeed, throughout Booker’s seventy
minute speech, there was an underlying
theme of hope, reform, and a promise
for a better Newark in the years to come. Booker enumerated a hand-full of city
sponsored initiatives such as a “teacher’s
village” with affordable housing units
where college professors and high school
educators can live and gather, as well as a
five year plan to drastically reduce crime.
“I believe Newark is going through a
cultural and economic renaissance, and
will again become a vibrant, desirable city
to live in,” the 40 year old mayor shared,
visibly excited and passionate about his
mission.
Yet, Booker’s climb to power was not
an easy one, nor was it without setbacks. Booker told a heart warming story of
how as a young City Council Member he
conducted a ten day hunger strike in order
to protest the violence and crime taking
place around one public city housing
project. Throughout the week and a
half protest hundreds of people from all
faiths and walks of life joined him each
morning in prayer. This caused the media
to take notice, and soon the mayor at the
time promised to take action to make the
housing development safer for the families
living there.
A small victory, but Corey Booker has
been a man of, and for, the people since
day one.
A number of years ago following
Winner for News & Arts and Entertainment Writing Award and Layout & Design 2008-2009,
Winner of the General Excellence Award 2007-2008
New Jersey Press Foundation Better College Newspaper Contest
a snow storm, one Newark resident
messaged Booker’s Facebook.com page to
tell him to send city workers down to his
senior citizen father’s home to help him dig
out his drive way. Booker responded with,
“What’s the address? I’ll do it myself.” Sure
enough within an hour Booker, along with
several others, showed up at the address
and dug out the elderly man’s sidewalk and
driveway. This and many other stories have
displayed the young politician’s philosophy
of service and humility.
Amid heroic stories, the Yale Law
School educated Booker also voiced
concerns about African Americans’ falling
school grades, test scores and high drop out
rates. Those negative academic indicators
also had a direct correlation to blacks’ poor
health and high incarceration rates.
With those facts laid on the table,
Booker challenged the audience to take
action.
“Internal frustration must manifest
itself in outward change,” noted Booker,
adding “Democracy is not a spectator
sport. It is a full contact sport.”
Among his concluding remarks, Booker
proudly confided that Newark led the
nation in 2009 in violent crime reduction;
a clear sign of Booker’s persistent effort,
unmatched commitment to the city of
Newark and its people.
The program concluded with the
Democrat mayor fielding several questions
from audience members.
Onlooker Bergen Community College
freshman, Michelangelo Parisi, summed
Booker’s talk up best when he remarked,
“He ain’t nothing but a brotha.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF HFNJ.ORG
BCC News
Page 2
March 2010
Bergen Breaks Ground for New Student Center
Travis Weite
Copy Editor
For those of us who started
our Winter Break early by not
paying attention to administrative
announcements,
we
were
surprised to find much of Bergen
Community College fenced
off on the first day of Spring
Semester, affecting just one side
of Pitkin; not Ender Hall, Tech or
West Hall.
The sectioning off of BCC
caused chaos as we tried to find
our way from Parking Lot A
to the S section of Pitkin. In
addition to the parking terror,
we were disappointed to see that
the pizza place, as well as the
Dunkin’ Donuts, was no longer
there.
As
the
semester
has
progressed, we have found that
the familiar pizza place has
moved to the Cafeteria, and the
Dunkin’ Donuts is now located
near the Ciccone Theatre. The
reason for this displacement, and
the fencing off of an area that
all BCC students once passed
through regularly, is due to the
reconstruction of BCC’s Student
Center.
Despite construction starting
nearly a month ago, the official
Ground Breaking Ceremony
took place on February 24,
2010, behind the fence and in
front of the new entrance (to
be) of the Student Center. The
event drew some familiar faces
such as Dr. G. Jeremiah Ryan
(President of BCC), Mr. Cid
Wilson (Vice Chairman of
BCC Board of Trustees), and
Dr. Dennis McNerney (Bergen
BCC administrators gather for unveiling of new student center.
County Executive) to name a
few. Each of them gave a short
speech discussing what the new
Student Center would mean to the
students, faculty and staff.
The speeches were followed
by the cliché use of golden
shovels to dig a little dirt off of
the construction site. Afterwards,
the attendees gathered for a
reception in West Hall for some
handshaking, photo opportunities
and to congratulate those who
have worked so hard to construct
the new Student Center.
The new Student Center is
designed to be the “new space for
student’s to build a community
among themselves,” as put by
Nestor Melendez (Director of
Student Life). The area will act as
“the face” of BCC as its new front
entrance with outside seating, and
a large, external canopy to protect
students from the elements when
waiting for the bus.
PHOTO BY TRAVIS WEITE
The new Student Center will
include a satellite office for Public
Safety and a new information
desk that will rest in the center of
the area. Our favorite coffee stop,
Dunkin’ Donuts will be returning
to the Student Center with a
larger café area for students to sit
and dine. According to President
Ryan, “Students coordinated with
the architects to design the layout
for the new Student Center,” to
make sure it met student needs.
It was this collaboration that
allowed the inclusion of a new
Meditation Room, wider and
easier wheel chair access and
more offices, newly renovated
bathrooms and office space, for
clubs and organizations.
Student Government will also
have a new office located in the
Student Center. “Students have
been struggling for space,” says
Hamama Bushra regarding the
lack of space available for student
clubs at the moment, “[this new
Student Center] guarantees space
for the students.”
The idea of renovation is a
thought that has been in the minds
of BCC administrators for some
time, but according to Dennis
McNerney, it was necessary for
BCC to “expand [its facilities]
to accommodate the growing
number of students.”
This
renovation is an acknowledgement
of the administration that they
have heard BCC students’ plea
for more space. The renovation
has also kept in mind some of the
Environmental Club’s initiatives
by using “green technologies”
such as a green roof, energy
efficient light fixtures, and water
saving devices in restrooms for
the new Student Center.
These are just a few
features that will be included
in the new student center. The
administration also conveyed
their appreciation of BCC
students’ patience throughout the
construction process, which is
scheduled to be completed by the
end of 2010.
“How Bad Is The Bookstore, Really?”
Travis Weite
Copy Editor
Bergen Community College
students are incredibly frustrated
with the high prices of textbooks
at the college bookstore. Most
BCC students blame the bookstore
itself for these price hikes; this
accusation, as convenient as it
may be, is not the true reason
behind higher textbook prices.
The BCC bookstore is not
run by BCC, but by a company
known as Follett, that rents out
the area on campus; no different
than Dunkin’ Donuts renting
space but not “belonging” to
BCC. The fact that the bookstore
is owned by Follett, means that
Follett sets the high textbook
prices, not the people who work
in the bookstore.
Now that we have established
who sets the textbook prices, let
us discuss why these prices are so
high. There are two answers to
this question. First off, publishers
conduct minor revisions to older
editions of textbooks and relabel them as “new editions.”
This allows the publishers to
charge a higher price for the
same textbook. Despite popular
belief, the bookstore does not
choose to buy these “new” and
expensive editions. These highpriced textbooks are requested by
different departments and faculty
of BCC; the bookstore must buy
them to have them available for
the students.
Since the students are
buying these textbooks from
the bookstore, it is assumed that
the bookstore is the cause of the
higher prices; a classic reason to
“blame the middle man.”
Second, Follett is hurting
because most students are buying
their textbooks elsewhere. As a
result, the company increases the
price of textbooks to compensate.
This creates a cycle between the
students and the bookstore. The
fewer books bought, the higher
the prices get, and the more
unwilling students are to buy
from the bookstore, and so on and
so forth.
Many students accuse the
bookstore of stealing money
from BCC students, but they
do not realize how much the
bookstore gives back to BCC
students. According to Deborah
Sousa (Director of Budgets for
BCC), the bookstore donates a
minimum of $700,000 annually
to BCC, sometimes even more,
depending on their end of the year
profit; $10,000 of which goes
directly to the BCC Scholarship
Fund for BCC students. “The
money the bookstore donates
helps to decrease tuition for
students,” says Sousa. That being
said, the more students buy from
the bookstore, the more profit
the bookstore makes, the more
money the bookstore donates to
BCC, and in return, the lower
tuition will be.
In addition to donating a
percentage of their profits to
BCC, there are many other ways
continued from pg 1
service.
life, but more than anything, it
The benefits of going to an makes your life more interesting.”
Ivy League school comes down to Vinokurova went on to state
the variety of knowledge you’re that education, along with an
exposed to; knowledge you could interesting life, cannot have a
never imagine possible. You are price tag attached to it.
sitting amongst those who are
If you are already working as
passionate about learning. “No, hard as you humanly can at BCC,
it does not guarantee success in you will exert that same amount
of effort at a four-year school.
According to Vinokurova, “If you
continue to never give up, you
will be tremendously successful
by definition, regardless of the
amount of degrees you choose to
accumulate.”
Vinokurova’s speech exerted
sincere passion; viewers could
not help but apply her words of
wisdom and pursue success for
themselves. In ending her speech
Vinokurova left the crowd with
two very meaningful quotes,
the first being her own, “As you
pursue excellence, help others,
be true to yourself and persevere.
Make sure to take your time, and
in which the bookstore gives back
to BCC students. The bookstore
helps organize many events to
bring authors to BCC and have
their books readily available
on campus.
Also, since the
bookstore is owned by Follett,
and not BCC, students who work
for the bookstore are not subject
to BCC’s Work Study Program,
which means you are allowed to
work at the bookstore for more
than 20 hours per week. Students
can take advantage of working
two jobs, one at the bookstore and
the other as a work study student
for BCC.
The
bookstore’s
main
competitors are online textbook
rental/selling companies.
The
pros and cons of buying books
in the bookstore as well as from
online companies are as follows:
I have worked for the
bookstore for two semesters. In
my time working there, I have
learned a few helpful hints that
will make life easier on BCC
students. Students will get the
most money for selling their
textbooks to the bookstore during
finals week; even if the book was
not bought from the bookstore,
the bookstore will gladly take it.
I would also advise students to
start buying their textbooks two
to three weeks before the first day
of classes. The bookstore has a
limited supply of used textbooks
so coming in before the semester
starts will almost guarantee that
you will get a used book.
TABLE BY TRAVIS WEITE
Harvard Grad
enjoy the process.” The second,
of Rabbi Hillel, which hangs on
her office door, “I get up. I walk.
I fall down. Meanwhile, I keep
dancing.”
March 2010
BCC News
Let’s Book Swap It Out
The book swap in action
During
this
Ayelet Shimron
economic turmoil it
is no doubt students
Editor-In-Chief
everywhere
are
going on scavenger hunts to get the best bang
for their buck. With the genius idea of holding
a book swap, we were able to satisfy the needs
of many students.
Students were put into a business scenario
in which some were the sellers, while others
were the buyers. Situated in the convenience
of our own campus, students did not need to
journey too far to get the textbook they needed
for a price they loved! Thanks to Chair of the
Textbooks Committee, Alyson Ann Cina,
we could not have asked for a more satisfied
student body. In an interview, Cina discussed some of
the setbacks involved in getting this event
approved. “To me it was blatant that the
prices of textbooks were a huge problem that
required a short-term and long-term solution
to relieve some of the financial pressure
students face.” With this terrible economy,
the amounts of students returning for another
semester are being drained right out of the
roster. You should be able to afford all your
books for all your classes without limiting
yourself to picking and choosing which class
to take according to the textbook price. The guidelines of this event allowed any
student who wished to sell their textbooks the
ability to sit at a table with their books laid out
before them, while anyone who wished to buy
was given the freedom to walk up to the seller
and make the purchase. The transactions were
as easy as that!
There are many people who come to
Bergen for the sole reason of hoping to receive
a quality education for less money. When your
books cost an amount that equals a significant
percentage of your tuition, BCC students feel
that there is a problem. Cina did the necessary research to find
out what other schools were doing to make
education an affordable necessity, rather than
a burden. She had gone to campusbookswap.
org, which is where the idea of students
exchanging textbooks came to mind. To be
PHOTO BY AYELET SHIMRON
practical, students could not strictly swap
books without money involved, because
the chances of finding two students who
coincidentally require the others textbook
are quite slim. “In order to incorporate sales
into the equation, we had to go about signing
contracts to make sure we were not violating
any boundaries,” says Cina.
The bookstore was not thrilled about this
flourishing event, but they understand the
circumstances. Cina states, “I met with the
manager, he’s a good guy and I understand
he does have a business to run. But we also
have [BCC students’ interests to keep in
mind which have been addressed by the]
student government; I feel like there’s a
divided interest there. The bookstore has
to reach their quotas and make their profit
while Student Government has the interest of
helping the student body. We want to do what
we can without completely destroying our
relationship with the bookstore.” The ideal
solution would be for SGA to collaborate with
the BCC bookstore and come up with a plan
that benefits both parties.
The event turned out to be such a success
that Cina excitedly asked permission to
extend the book swap by a couple days.WINSAM, an all-news station at 1010 on your AM
radio visited BCC to interview those students
involved in the swap. In one interview a
student responded, “I got much more money
swapping my books over selling them off a
website such as half.com. Not only that, but
it makes me happy to help out my fellow
students.”
When asked, have you ever considered
renting a textbook? Another student replied,
“I was looking into it until I read that, say you
damage the textbook, it’s your responsibility
to purchase it. The book swap allows the
student to see the book’s damage and make
the decision for themselves.”
The student-run event turned out to be
a great success! With the ability to bargain,
swap, buy or sell, both parties walked away
with a smile on their faces and no more deep
holes in their pockets.
No One But Ourselves Can Free Our Minds
During
the
celebration
of
Black
History
Month,
Bergen
Community College takes hold of a birthday
celebration dedicated to the unforgotten
Jamaican singer/song writer/musician, Robert
Nesta, better known as “Bob” Marley.
Jeania Adams, Gemma Figaro and
Catherine ‘Ashakai’ Balgobin are the women
who put together this successful program. The
event was put together very well in a sequence
of Adams doing the welcoming, followed by
Balgobin introducing “The Reflection of Bob
Marley’s Life and Music”. Desline Darden, a
student at BCC, read an excerpt and last, but
certainly not least, Professor Celeste Finney
doing the closing remarks.
With his best known hits including “No
Woman, No Cry,” “Could You Be Loved,”
“Stir It Up,” “Jamming,” “One Love,” “Three
Little Birds” and others, Bob Marley is
known to be reggae’s best-selling artist whose
albums have sold more than 20 million copies
worldwide. Bob Marley gave the world the
gift of brilliant music, inspiring everyone with
his work. “Me only have one ambition, you
know? I only have one thing I really like to see
happen. I like to see mankind live together.
Black, white, Chinese, everyone. That’s all,”
was all Marley ever asked for.
Semsem Elshami
Staff Writer
The one and only, Bob Marley.
His work stretched across the world
for nearly two decades and till this day
remains timeless and universal. Bob Marley
still remains the most widely known and
recognized performer who succeeded in
reggae music. His work is also credited to his
success in helping Jamaica’s music spread to
audiences all over the world. “My music will
go on forever. Maybe it's a fool say that, but
when me know facts me can say facts. My
music will go on forever,” said Bob Marley.
PHOTO COURTESY OF BOB MARLEY.COM
Page 3
Amateur Night at the Apollo
Brendon Miel
Staff Writer
In recognition of Black History
Month BCC hosted its annual trip to
the Apollo Theatre in NYC. The world
famous Apollo Theatre is recognized
as the launching point for many careers
and the place where many performers
took their first step into the limelight.
Performers such as Michael Jackson,
James Brown and Lauren Hill made
their debut on the Apollo’s stage, way
before they ever became famous.
Prior to the show, BCC students had
dinner at Londel’s Restaurant, one of
New York’s well-known spots, where
they served southern style chicken,
pork and rice.
In case you have not seen a
broadcasted showing of amateur
night at the Apollo on television,
the competition is combined into
two segments. The first segment is
called Young Stars of Tomorrow,
where young performers, up to the
age of fifteen, compete on stage. The
second segment consists of the older
competitors. While the audience is
discouraged from booing the younger
amateurs, the adult competitors do
not have this luxury. For them, the
audience is given free reign as to who
they choose to “boo” off stage. There
were fourteen performances on this
particular amateur night.
Among the “Young Stars,” Austin
Broughton won the spirits of the
audience with the empowering last
speech of Martin Luther King Jr..
Among the older competitors, a twentyyear old going by the name of “Touch”
won third place with his impressive
dance moves, wooing the women in the
crowd. In addition to dancing, “Touch”
is also a singer and songwriter.
In second place came a rapper,
Amateurs show off their talents.
Kay-Nellz, from Maryland describing
the hard choices in life through lyrical
jive and poetry. He aspires to take the
music industry by storm. In first place,
Clark King, hailing from Georgia,
impresses and rouses the crowd with
a jazzy funk style of music. On the
Apollo website, he mentions that his
inspiration comes from his vocal
coach, Carmen Bradford, a four-time
Grammy Nominee.
Allowing the crowd to be a part of
the show by calling audience members
to the stage as well as using the whole
crowd as judges according to their level
of volume, made the event all the more
exciting. All in all, the night at the
Apollo was as eventful as expected.
PHOTO BY DALIA MORILLA
A De-Vine Fashion Show
Dalia Morilla
Contributing Writer
A success! De_Vine Fashion Show
held in respect of Black History Month,
in the Anna Ciccone Theatre was
an experience never to be forgotten.
As a tribute to the Black History
Month Celebration, current Bergen
Community
College
students
put
their ideas into
action to create
an event full
of
creativity
with a touch
of Caribbean
style. De_Vine
sponsored by
the
African
Student Union
along with the
help of other
organizations
on
campus
have
given
African
Fashion
another
meaning.
Catherine
Balgobin,
also
known
Ashakai, began
her
fashion
career at the
young
age
of
fourteen. Model strikes a pose.
By her late
twenties her designs were popular in
the Caribbean, allowing her to present
her line of fashion in the well known
Caribbean Fashion Week magazine.
Spending more than two months
practicing and preparing for this event,
she and eighteen designated models
illustrated their full potential, giving
the audience a true sense of a fashion
environment. The outfits worn by
the models were extravagant, artistic,
vibrant and full of imagination.
Throughout the course of the event,
the audience was left speechless when
presented with garments ranging from
African evening wear, to swim wear, to
street wear. The highlight of the event
was when the artist Mad Stuntman
performed his well-known song “I
like to Move It,” which is also the
theme song for the movie Madagascar.
De_Vine Fashion Show was an overall
success. Its final product proved to be
one that was well organized,, which
gave Bergen
Community
College
‘s
faculty, staff,
and students
the notion that
anything can
be done when
hard work and
dedication is
present.
Obama’s
in
the
WhiteHouse,
where
are
you?BCC
theme
for
Black HIstory
Month
Title
of
slideshow:
“Come
out
the
kitchen
Mary”..
meaning get
out the house.
Pushing
women who
got out the
PHOTO BY KAREN HU house to bring
in an income.
Women had to go into the work force,
into the industrial fieild, which is how
the womens rights issues/movement
came about, realizing women can do
what men do. When men told women
do get back in the house the women
refused realizing they could do it better
then their men.
Intro to slideshow: History tells the
people where they have been and what
they have been, but most important,
history tells the people where they still
must go and what they still must be
-John Clark.
BCC News
Page 4
March 2010
New Eco-Friendly Careers with LEED
Carina Tesone
Co-Editor
With sustainable and eco-friendly
efforts on the horizon, Bergen Community
College is recognizing an emerging field
for the environment by introducing its
“Bergen Goes Green” program.
BCC has joined the U.S. Green Building
Council - NJ (USGBC-NJ), a leading
nonprofit organization in sustainability, a
BCC press release says. BCC and USGBC
now share a "strategic partnership that will
allow the College's Division of Continuing
Education, Corporate and Public Sector
Training to offer USGBC Leadership
in Environmental Energy and Design
(LEED) courses
Through its LEED program, the
USGBC is able to develop the standards for
more eco-friendly (sustainable) buildings
and construction.
“Our partnership with the U.S. Green
Building Council will establish Bergen
Community College as the region’s leader in
sustainability education and information,”
says President Dr. G. Jeremiah Ryan.
“Together, with our own sustainability
initiatives, this partnership allows the
College to provide the community with
access to information on cutting-edge,
progressive technologies and strategies.”
Thus, it was only natural that on
February 8th, Bergen’s Division of
Continuing Education would be proud to
host an Open House Seminar for LEED as
part of the “Bergen Goes Green” program.
LEED is a national certification system
to measure, improve, and create greener
buildings by such methods as: conserving
energy costs, implementing renewable
energy, using eco-friendly construction,
reducing carbon dioxide emissions, and
much more.
“Green-collar jobs spark more interest
and stand out from the rest of the market
place,” said Brian Wennersten as he
presented the Seminar; Wennersten is a
LEED AP (Accredited Professional).
How can buildings affect the
environment, you ask? The facts and
figures speak for themselves:
“Buildings in the United States are
responsible for 39% of CO2 emissions,
40% of energy consumption, 13% water
consumption and 15% of GDP per year,
making green building a source of
significant economic and environmental
opportunity,” reports the USGBC.
Wennersten also described how
virtually every career could benefit from
The Extraordinary Juggler,
Greg Kennedy
There was one act where he
rolled the balls around a giant
circular track. He would roll three
or four balls around, catching them
at certain rhythms, step through the
circle, and do it behind his back.
Another favorite of the crowd
was when he juggled a sixteen
pound bowling ball, a hatchet
and a bean bag. The audience,
which ranged in age from seniors
to young kids, laughed at his
humorous faces as he tossed each
item under his leg.
Personally, I liked when he
juggled illuminating objects.
The stage was dark and all that
the audience could see were
mesmerizing patterns of colored
lights. I felt almost hypnotized.
Sure, he dropped his prop a
couple of times, but that did not
take away from the “Whoa!” factor.
In fact, I could hear one little kid in
the back of me say “Whoa!” every
time he executed a trick. If you
did not go and personally see the
“Whoa!” moments, you can check
him out on YouTube.
PHOTO COURTESY OF
INNOVATIVEJUGGLER.COM
PHOTO COURTESY OFWWW.USGBC.ORG
Galen, Master Flutist
PHOTOS BY LYDIA SNYDER
Lydia Snyder
Staff Writer
When someone mentions
juggling, the picture most people
get in their minds is of someone
tossing three balls in the air and
not dropping them. This seems
very difficuly, especially if you
have never tried it yourself, but
what about four balls? What about
seven? And then try it with clubs,
knives, hats and throw a bowling
ball into the mix. Not only that,
but who can bounce the balls off
slanted boards, or roll eight of them
around a giant clear basin? Enter
Greg Kennedy, the Innovative
Juggler.
His show is called the
Innovative Juggler because of the
many varieties of juggling and
maneuvering of objects it includes.
In the first half, it featured the
traditional juggling tricks involving
bean bags and clubs. Then, he paid
tribute to Michael Moschen, the
inventor of contact juggling, with
a dramatic, one-white-spotlight
contact juggling act. He said
Moschen had inspired him to try
different things with juggling. In
the second half, he showed us the
results of his experimentations
with juggling different ways.
LEED, including: architecture, interior
design, real estate, facility management,
landscape
architecture,
construction
management, and engineering. For
example, if you work in a company, the
knowledge and skills you acquired in
taking LEED courses could allow you to
steer construction projects into the right
direction for your company. Not only could
you get more “green” in your pocket, you
could help conserve the environment, as
well.
A new study by Booz Allen Hamilton
released by USGBC reported that,
“Greenbuild 2009 predicts green building
will support or create 7.9 million jobs
between 2009-2013 and will contribute
$554 billion to the U.S. gross domestic
product.” Greenbuild is the sector in
USGBC specializing in green-collar
careers.
According to the Division of Continuing
Education, thus far, there are approximately
35,000 projects currently using the LEED
Rating System nationwide. As of February
2010, seventy-eight buildings are already
LEED certified in New Jersey. Such
companies listed ranged anywhere from
banks to universities.
BCC is integrating green efforts
for its Student Center, as well. Pradeep
Kapoor (LEED AP Elected Chairman of
the USGBC - Northern NJ Chapter) is the
Project Manager in charge of the Student
Center Construction. Kapoor works for
DMR Architects. According to a newsletter
from DMR, “The new [student] center has
been designed to incorporate many energy
and water efficient features including a
green roof which manages storm water
runoff. The final result is a facility
that meets the needs of the academic
community while being considerate of the
surrounding environment.”
Nine LEED courses are now offered at
BCC. Among the topics covered are: Green
and Sustainable Interiors, Environmental
Concerns and Legal Issues and Solar and
Renewable Energy.
The press release also mentioned
that, “Many courses offered as part of
this partnership will carry continuing
education credits and certifications for
various professional organizations.”
Bergen hopes to eventually create a
new curriculum that primarily focuses on
the environment. For more information,
visit the Division of Continuing Education
in the Technology Building or go to www.
bergen.edu.
Galen AbdurRazzaq has been
playing the flute
for about fifty
years, a sufficient time to be called a ‘Master’
at it. Originally from Orlando, Floridath he was
invited back to Bergen on February 15 after a
successful performance last year. Galen played
for the lunch crowd in the cafeteria. A small stage
was set up against the wall between the cafeterias
main entrance and the food court exit, but you
could hear the music all the way down the hall.
Galen plays jazz, or as he calls it, “AfricanAmerican classical music, better known as, ‘the
Jazz’ ”. His pickup band, consisting of drums,
tenor sax, cello, keyboard and miscellaneous
rhythmics, backed him up while he played the
flute. For one number, he switched out to the
piccolo; the flutes smaller, higher pitched cousin.
And sometimes the flute didn’t play at all for a
Lydia Snyder
Staff Writer
few minutes, allowing each instrument to lead at
least once.
No one had music in front of them; it was
all in their heads. They had a strong rhythm that
held them together. You could tell the rhythm by
looking at some of the students as they bobbed
their head to the beat. A few even busted out in
some moves at a particularly rhythmically strong
section.
They songs they played were mostly jazz
standards. My favorite was “Lazy Bird”, by John
Coltrane. I also liked the slow song they did
which featured the tenor sax. Galen called it a
‘Lady’s Choice’, saying that the ladies always like
the slow songs to dance to.
Judging by the students’ reception and
applause after each number, I would say Galen
has a good chance of getting invited back next
year, and if he is, anyone interested in good jazz
should check him out.
BCC News
March 2010
Page 5
Bergen Community College’s Board of Trustees
Nicole De Los Santos
News Editor
On February 3rd, 2010 the
Board of Trustees met in TEC128 for the monthly meeting
concerning the school, county
and state. Twelve individuals met
and sat at the table, consisting
of G. Jeremiah Ryan, E. Carter
Corriston, Cid D. Wilson,
Carol Falleni Otis, Dorothy L.
Blaskee, Malcolm J. Curtis,
Richard Dressel, Dr. Arron R.
Graham, Germaine M. Ortiz,
Ron
Subramaniam,
Wendy
Dodge and Judy Veronne. The
Board of Trustees looks over the
governance of the school as well
as making sure its mission on
education runs smoothly.
The opening proposal was the
concern of Gary Porter, BCC’s,
Academic Vice President, who ill
be switching positions next fall,
and now in need of finding his
replacement.
It was brought up that the
schools enrollment has risen by
almost 10% and the percentage
of full-time students by 24%,
unheard of with the numbers
from the Director of Registration.
Following this was the
proposal for more available online
classes, labeled as ‘Distance
Learning’. Online classes have
risen by 6% since 2003; which
may not sound like a lot but really
is considering exactly how many
students we have attending BCC
today. The exact numbers would
be: Seating at 5203 and seats
filled being 4943 meaning 95%
of the online seats are taken and
being used. Now available we
have 18 online degrees achievable
as well as additional science
courses; for example physics.
Plans that want to be
accomplished
are
organic
qualities on BCC that are being
met as well as the hopeful Fall
expansion of web-enhancing to
all classes. There are demands
for dual enrollment students,
online degree students, union/
industry agreements (for those
who are working an in a union),
non-traditional students and dual
admission in general.
Speaking
with
Edward
Piterelli about what exactly
dual enrollment would mean for
BCC he provided the expansion
of students for degrees being
available to high school students.
Students who take on college-level
courses would be earning credits
before they even graduate high
school; notable even freshman
have this option which would
mean all four high school levels
have the ability to earn credits
quickly. “Online classes are an
incredible enabler for everyone to
learn.” Schools that are already
doing this are: Bergen Tech,
Park Ridge, Glenrock, Teaneck,
Ridge Wood, Bergen Technical
School in Paramus, Academies
of Dwight, Englewood and
Teterboro.
Another topic that was
discussed would be concerning
the construction going on at
BCC; how successful the science
wing has turned out to be, being
quite pleased with it. The Student
Center is receiving its renovation
at the moment as most students
have come to notice and it is
likely that the next target for
some facial-reconstruction will
be the Meadowlands building.
Things that were spoken
quickly about and lightly of would
be a talk about reimbursement
towards addressing the policy for
officials of the college, education
in affairs, education in student
affairs, and foundation/grants
available. The Board mentioned
their Monte Carlo trip which
would meet to discuss and receive
funding and grants for students at
BCC.
A final note would the passing
of NJ Stars Notification Law.
High school students wanting to
attend BCC have to make note
that the eligibility requirement
is to inform the school for earlier
transactions since it needs to be
known ahead of time.
The Board was also happy
to note about the achievements
going on at BCC; particularly
how well the basketball team is
doing (remaining undefeated at
23 games as of the meeting date),
celebrating Black History Month
and the ‘Going Green’ program
from April 9th-20th.
The next Board of Trustees
meeting is set for March 3rd,
2010 in TEC-128B at 5 pm.
A Weekend of Leadership in the Pennsylvania Mountains
Ayelet Shimron
Editor-in-Chief
Nicole De Los Santos
News Editor
On February 19, 2010,
roughly one hundred Bergen
Community College students
anxiously piled into two buses
and drove to the Split Rock Resort
in Lake Harmony, Pennsylvania
for ‘Leadership Weekend’. The
goal of the weekend was to teach
students about ethics, morals, and
how they could improve their
leadership skills overall.
The hope of the weekend’s
coordinators was aimed to instill
into the students their teachings,
to be used in the leadership
roles they may encounter in life.
The weekend was coordinated
by Nestor Melendez (Director
of Student Life) and the hard
working members of the Student
Activities Board.
Melendez and S.A.B. did an
incredible job, organizing the
event and conducting seminars
that truly helped students gain
Fun at leadership weekend
a better understanding of the
abilities that they are capable
of. Melendez has worked very
hard to relate to BCC students
and address the concerns they
have with BCC. The success
of Leadership Weekend was
a testament to Melendez’s, as
PHOTO COURTESY OF AYELET SHIMRON
well as the Student Activities
Boards,’ dedication to BCC.
They both show a want for the
future generation the students to
properly know how to step into
the world and work with their
skills in order to make it better.
Upon arrival, students were
given keys and assigned rooms;
students did not know who they
were rooming with ahead of time.
The idea shocked many, but it
gave the opportunity to make
friends and get to know someone
who you have not known prior to
the experience.
Students received binders
titled “I AM THE FUTURE,”
which consisted of papers
regarding how Leadership would
go, wise words to live by, and last
but not least, the first thing most
looked at: the itinerary.
The three day weekend was
planned out from morning to
night; other than breaks and time
for food, students were taken to
workshops aimed at getting the
attendees better acquainted. The
workshops focused on students
working together in pairs, making
future plans, solving problems,
figuring out what can be done to
better improve themselves.
Alternate speeches given,
each covering a different goal
oriented topic, were hosted by
Amparo Codding, Win Win Kyi,
Nestor Melendez, Lew Wheaton
and various other speakers. Allin-all, Leadership Weekend
succeeded to instill morals
within, not just the mind, but the
hearts of students; morals that
will forever be carried with them
through their journey of life.
Golden Dragon Acrobats of China Light Up the Stage
Nicole De Los Santos
News Editor
On February 7th, 2010 the Anna
Maria Ciccone Theater was filled to
capacity with an audience waiting
to see the famous Chinese acrobatic
touring company, the Golden Dragon
Acrobats.
The acrobats are chosen from
many various parts of China and
come together to perform under
the charge of Danny and Angela
Chang. The show is a mix of
unworldly flexible and acrobatics as
well as traditional Chinese dance.
The Washington Post hails “There
is a precision and beauty about
everything these performers do.”
The two hour show had so
many people involved that it was
impossible to keep track of. Soft
palette-toned, bright neon, sparkles,
sequins, jumpsuits and clothing of
heritage and costumes were worn
that the amazing movements were
done in.
There were small tables, bowls,
hats and sports balls being juggled;
and even at times people being easily
thrown around the air as if they
were feather-light objects. All of the
performers were able to bend and
contort their bodies to stupendous
forms, throwing/catching objects,
jumping through both circles in a
‘8’ shaped hoops (and then a third
circle at the top), water dancing and
even a man who was able to reach
the top of Cicccone’s auditorium
roof via stacking chairs atop of
each other. The audience looked up
in fear, worrying if he would fall,
but cheering loudly as he made a
Superman-flying motion and waved
down at the crowd. He slowly
climbed down; throwing the chairs
down so that they landed safely on
a makeshift trampoline until he was
safely on the ground; greeted with
applause.
Each performance had the
audience asking for more and more;
nothing ever a bore. Everyone did
a captivating performance and even
kids were imitating the acrobats
during show intermission and
after the show. A second showing
followed later in the day, attracting
another large audience that awaited
the show with glee. Hopefully we’ll
see more of the Golden Dragon
Acrobats sometime soon.
PHOTO BY NICOLE DE LOS SANTOS
BCC News
Page 6
Chem to Admin and Again
Academic
Vice President
Dr. Gary F. Porter
will be changing
offices this upcoming semester; from the third
floor admissions department to the Physical
Science Department and as a professor of
chemistry at a class near you starting Fall 2010.
Since the summer of 2005 Porter has
been a large part of BCC and he wishes to
continue working in the county he grew up
in and continues to live. He commented that
it continues to be a wonderful opportunity to
work from your own hometown community
college. After spending the first 1/3 of his
career working closely with students in and out
of the classroom he admitted that he can’t think
of a better way to spend the last 1/3 except doing
the same thing. “It helps keep me young and
makes me a better father with my own sons,”
he stated after mentioning it wasn’t exactly
common for a father to be the one handing
his own son a diploma after graduating from
school. “Bergen has been a big part of my
family with one son who has graduated and
two nieces who will be graduating this May.”
Porter had requested that he’d be allowed to
step down from his position as Academic Vice
President and go back to his long-time love of
Chemistry; having attained his Ph.D in the field
and making an assortment of publications. His
request was granted upon recommendation by
President Jeremiah Ryan.
Porter has been a major part of Bergen
Community College and to its students. His
broad experience for the school alone range
from the Honors program, the Center for
Intercultural Understanding, PTK (Phi Theta
Kappa) Chapter for professional admissions
as well as supporting and overseeing BCC’s
student paper ‘The Torch’.
Porters work at BCC has a wide variety
as mentioned, putting note into the actual
accomplishments he has done as Academic
Vice President leads to a variety of different
fields:
working to continue education,
promoting the transfer of New Jersey
community college associate degree graduates
into baccalaureate degree programs at public
four-year colleges and universities throughout
the state, supporting reaccreditation efforts,
leading credit efforts to create late start
programs at south county campus, leading
college efforts to create a governance council
among colleges and leading administrative
Nicole De Los Santos
News Editor
for faculty leadership positions. Additionally
there’s also working with faculty to create new
academic divisions, new department structures,
redesigning the master course syllabus,
program review process and resurrecting the
faculty development program.
Having a long list of proficient fulfillments
of course comes with time and experience.
Having worked since 1975 through 1996 as
a technician for Quality Lab Control, six
years as a teaching assistant, a researcher
in Enzymology and Department of Health
Director he’s obtained more than the basic
steps for everything that led up to now. During
that time, in 1984, he began starting out his
career to ‘Higher Learning’ at Upsala College
in East Orange, NJ.
At Upsala Porter was a part of the Science
club as well as the Council for Fraternities
and Sororities; both for five years along
with chaperoning school dances. In 1990 he
became Department Chair of Science and
Engineering in the Health Department Lab
at Passaic County Community College where
large improvements in science came to fruition:
department laboratories, developing a new
science program and the engineering program.
Working with students in 1991 Porter was a part
of Sigma Xi for ‘Research in Biochemistry’ by
the Scientific Research Society. From 19961998 Porter became Chief Academic Officer at
Warren Community College; holding the same
position at Jamestown Community College in
west New York from 1998-2005.
Other positions held from 2006 to 2008
include Chair and Vice Chair of Academic
Officers of Association, in addition Chair to
General of Coordinating Committee from
2007 to now. A noteworthy level of excellence
happened when Porter was presented the 2008
Community College Spirit Award for his
exemplary service to one of the states nineteen
community colleges. He was recognized for
his leadership and service as a Chairman of
NJ’s Community College Academic Officers
Association and the General Education
Coordinating Committee.
Porter commented on being excited on
teaching in chemistry and being able to do it
all over again. He will remain as Academic
Vice President until June 30th and come next
Fall he’ll be known as Professor Porter.
March 2010
BCC Used A Little Beatle Magic
Re-experience the magic of the Beatles
Matthew Cole
Features Editor
“With a little help from [our]
friends,” being Beatle Magic, we
can re-live the extraordinary years
of BeatleMania. This Beatles tribute
band musically, personality-wise and
aesthetically personifies the four-man
group to near perfection. The group
had the crowd clapping, singing along
and even laughing with the Beatle-like
antics in their two set performance. This was far beyond that of a
traditional concert in which the music
is hosted. The mannerisms and
characteristics of the Beatles truly
played a major part in the band’s act. Witty banter between Lennon and
McCartney, shots at Harrison’s quiet
personality and all around comical
improv.
The massive fifty-six song set list
of Beatle Magic consisted of all the
great ones you know and love; “Come
Together,” “Imagine,” “Hey Jude,”
“Yellow Submarine” and many more. The drummer of Beatle Magic was
impressive; pulling out all the stops to
get the audience really into the music.
PHOTO BY STEPHEN ZHENG
Stephen Zheng
Staff Writer
One audience member even screamed
out, “Nice sticking, Ringo!”
The show was staged in three acts
depicting the phases that the Beatles
have gone through. In the first act
they emerged wearing straight black
suits dawned from Beatlemania. In
the second act they glimmered in the
same outfits, as when they posed for
the, Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club
Band. In the final and third act they
appeared uniquely normal.
Overall, the show was very
entertaining. All the Beatles fans
clapped in happiness as they heard
the beautiful singing. As guitar
riffs roared, patrons soared in their
minds, re-living actual Beatles
concerts. Truly, the cover band Beatle
Magic, has made themselves into the
reincarnation of the Beatles in our
own era. The turnout at the event truly
showed how many Beatles fans are
out there, as they all packed the BCC
Anna Maria Ciccone Theatre to pay
homage to one of the greatest bands
of all time.
BCC News
March 2010
Legality for Illegal Students
Nicole De Los Santos
News Editor
A bill that’s been causing much
debate among the New Jersey
legislative houses has come to offices
with a large plan: letting illegal
immigrants qualify for in-state at
public colleges and universities.
Naturally this would cause quite the
uproar.
The bill was honestly a hotpotato game between the Democrat
and Republican parties with no one
wanting to drop their argument and
lose. The Democrats are in favor;
equality, helping the economy and
fairness upon tenure; whereas the
Republicans were against it stating
that NJ didn’t have any money at
the moment so this was absurd and
especially that it wasn’t fair to U.S.
citizens that don’t live in the state but
still are public college and university
students.
The New Jersey Office of
Legislative Services openly said that
state revenue wouldn’t rise if the bill
was proved since the state doesn’t
collect from public colleges and
universities.
After several hours of more
hot-potato arguing the bill was
done with a score through the
Assembly Appropriations at 7-4 and
Senate Budget and Appropriations
Committee 8-6. The trick was to get
it passed this before Governor Jon
Stevens Corzine leaves office since
he’s in favor for it and Governorelect Christopher James Christie isn’t
exactly the happy camper and opposes
the bill entirely. Although the bill was
won approval by both sides it never
came to pass and was never legalized,
being put-out.
Bergen Community College’s
own President G. Jeremiah Ryan is in
favor of the bill. “The undocumented
kids have a tough time anyway.
They’re really good about going
to class. Then they stop because
they can’t afford to go to a fouryear institution.” Cid Wilson, vice-
chairman to BCC’s Board of Trustees,
agrees with the whole idea. “This
is not about remittance, this is not
about lawbreaking. They came here
because they’re parents brought them
here.”
New Jersey is honestly quite
packed with people and quite a few
being illegal. Most parents bring
their children here at a young age and
only want the best for them; mainly
going to school to make something of
themselves that they originally never
could in their home-country. They
want the same things that a legal
citizen of the United Sates would
want; the only thing holding them
back is a little piece of paper that the
government likes to hold over their
heads in a taunting-fashion. This
bill would still have students filing
an affidavit swearing that they have
applied to become a legal American
citizen or will do so soon when
eligible.
After hearing from people who
are and have been illegal for years I
know how hard it is to become a legal
citizen. It’s not a simple matter of
writing your name, address, phone
number and e-mail on an application
and sending it out to wait for a manila
envelope to come in the mail saying
you’re a citizen. It takes years to get
that paper and in that time you could
be caught and deported. It isn’t fair
either to those who have been students
here for what appears to be their
whole lives and never have equality
after all this time.
Here’s to hoping that all goes
as planned and that NJ will be the
11th state that supports this; the
others being California, Illinois,
Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, New
York, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and
Washington (though Oklahoma ended
their support in 2008). Although the
bill didn’t come to pass this round it’s
always a possibility that something
will happen to turn things around.
The sooner this is all able to happen
the better; no on should be denied an
education.
Page 7
BCC News
Page 8
March 2010
Haiti’s Continuation of Strength
PHOTO COURTESY OF MCTCAMPUS.COM
Perpetua Romain
Staff Writer
It has been over one month
since the infamous tragic
earthquake in Haiti destroyed
the lives of many. There have
been fewer headlines covering
the devastation and people are
starting to lose interest.
A number of doctors are
leaving the country, causing
medical emergencies to go
untreated. However, in the midst
of this turmoil, countless stories,
both upsetting and wonderful,
have risen from the disaster.
Food distribution began
in Haiti, providing water and
nourishment to the unfortunate
families affected. At this time,
various fundraisers had been
held and organizations that raised
money began distributing the
profit throughout the country, to
provide families with tents and
supplies which had later been
called ‘Tent City.’
Unfortunately
weather
conditions such as hard wind and
rain caused excessive mud and
freezing temperatures which has
made it more uncomfortable to
reside in Tent City. However, this
is the safe alternative to living
inside homes that are still standing
for risk of crumbling down in
the event that another aftershock
occurs. There are many children
that are facing difficulty in
survival as well. Some schools
still harbor un-rescued children
who are buried underneath the
debris of buildings with pure
uncertainty as to whether any
have survived, or if all had died.
At sight of this, many people
have opened their hearts and
homes to care for an orphan
Haitian child, by choosing to
adopt. Some were successful,
especially considering the fact
that they started the process very
early. About 90 orphans were
illegally taken and brought to the
United States to be distributed
within
particular
adoption
agencies. Some claim this was
done with good intentions only
while others claim this was done
for personal gain. Despite the
reasoning behind these actions,
the Haitian government is
determined to fully enforce their
law to protect the people.
Consequently,
some
Americans are held captive
in a government facility for
undermining the law and
illegally adopting orphans. The
government wants to ensure the
well being, safety, as well as
survival of the children. Even so,
more survivors were found in the
Bergen Community College
Give till it HELPS!
rubble remaining.
A man named Evan Muncie
was taken out the rubble and
found alive on February 8th,
2010; twenty-seven days after
the primary earthquake had
occurred. “We thought we had
lost him,” says a family member
of Muncie. “He’s very confused
and it looks like he lost about 30
pounds.” Surviving on practically
nothing for nearly a month is just
one of the many reasons why the
Haitian population praises and
keeps such a strong faith and
perseverance for survival.
February 12th, 2010 marked
one month since the earthquake,
and all the people of the land had
a massive celebration, not only
to praise and honor those they
have lost, but also a celebration
of life and witnessing a milestone
through all the turmoil.
Bergen students have been
stepping it up to aid the victims
of Haiti, truly keeping in mind
the recent slogan, “Give Till
It Helps.” Students have been
walking around with canisters
so others can donate and the
African Student Union organized
a T-Shirt drive to send clothing to
the victims in Haiti.
There are many possibilities
and ways to continue helping.
The R.O.S.E. Foundation of Haiti
held their first fundraiser event on
February 20th to aid in achieving
financial goals to provide the
country with blankets, mosquito
nets, nourishment, etc. Their
operation ‘Drop a Duffle’ has
gotten people in the community
involved in receiving a large
donation of duffel bags. In April
2010, members of the R.O.S.E.
Foundation plan to visit Haiti to
distribute the duffle bag survivor
kits as well as nourishment.
“Haiti was beautiful before
the recent devastation and can
once again be, with the help of
everyone,” states Pierre Romain,
the president of the foundation.
For more information on how
to become more involved in aid
continuation please visit www.
rosefoundationofhaiti.org.
College oF SCienCe and HealtH at
William PaterSon UniverSity
Diane Asmar
Major: Biology
Student Club Organization Campaign
Please contribute $1 to help us reach our goal of $10,000 for Haiti
your next discovery.
African Student Union
Albanian Student Association
Anime Club
Art Club
B.C.C. Health Club
Bergen Lit
Business & Finance Club
Black Student Union
Chemistry Club
Chess Club
Chinese Club
Community Service Club
Criminal Justice
Christian Student Association
Dance Club
Debate Club
Dental Hygiene
Early Childhood Association
Environmental Club
Filipino American Association
Fitness Club
GLBT
Hillel Club
Honors Association
International Student Association
Italian Club
LASA
Math Club
Media Club
Model UN
Muslim Student Association
Music Interactive Club
Nursing Club
Out of Homeostatis Club
Paralegal Club
Peace Club
Philosphy Club (LOGOS)
Phi Theta Kappa
Ping Pong Club
Polish Club
Psychology Club
Respiratory Therapy Club
Rotary Club
Student Activites Board
Student Government Association
Shy Club
S.T.A.R. Club
Theatre Club
Torch
Turkish Club
Video Game Club
Women's Club
$10,000+
$10,000
$9,500
$9,000
$8,500
$8,000
$7,500
$7,000
$6,500
$6,000
$5,500
$5,000
$4,500
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$3,500
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$2,500
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$1,500
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$500
$0
Diane has a head for science and a heart for kids. As a student in the
College of Science and Health at William Paterson University, she knows
she’ll graduate ready for dental school, a career as an orthodontist, and a
life of making smiles brighter.
Find out what’s
Transfer Information Session*
next for you at an
upcoming event. Undergraduate Open House
Sunday, April 25............ 12:00 p.m.
*Make your reservation online at wpunj.edu/undergraduate.
Begin eXPloring at William PaterSon UniverSity.
Plan yoUr neXt move at
For more information, please contact Professor Lori Talarico at ltalarico@bergen.edu.
Thursday, March 25 ...... 4:00–6:00 p.m.
wpunj.edu/undergraduate.
BERGEN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Brown Bags &
Books–Discussions
HISTORY MONTH
March 2010
“Writing Women Back Into History”
3/1
Monday
Glass Case Exhibits
Library
Presented by The Women’s Institute,
Program Coordinator Sandra Sroka and
Jennifer Migliorino-Reyes
Opening Tea,
C-211, 2:30-4:30 p.m.
Presented by Prof. Susan Baechtel &
Dr. Ifeoma Uzoka-Walker
3/3
Wednesday
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Susan Fuhrman
Ciccone Theatre, 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
President, Teachers College,
Columbia University
Teachers College, Columbia University,
Tec-119, 1:00-2:00 p.m.
Masters and Doctoral candidates
Information Sessions
3/4
Thursday
The Poetry of Phillis Wheatley,
C-316, 12:30-1:30 p.m.
Presented by Dr. Dorothy Altman
3/5-3/7 Friday-Sunday
“War in Paramus” by Barbara Dana
E-101, March 5 and 6 at 7:30 p.m.
and March 6 and 7 at 3:00 p.m.
Student Production
Special Appearance: Playwright Barbara Dana,
along with several of the original cast members,
will attend the March 5 performance. Ms. Dana
will hold a question and answer session after the
performance.
3/8
Monday
International Women’s Day:
An International Display of Women’s Attire
Cafeteria Display Case
Presented by Tia Ivanko, Kate Plessing and
Dr. Ifeoma Uzoka-Walker
Women’s Studies Open House
Cafeteria Entrance, 12:30 p.m.
Presented by Dr. Maria Makowiecka
“Looking For Prince Charming:
A Celebration of Women’s History Month”
Bergen Community College
at the Meadowlands, 3rd Floor
9:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.
Presented by Professor Ellen Feig
3/9
Tuesday
“Writing Women” Workshop
C-314, 12:30–1:30 p.m.
Presented by Dr. Dorothy Altman and
Dr. Leigh Jonaitis
3/11 Thursday
Book and Brunch (Brown Bag Lunch)
C-325, 12:30-1:30 p.m.
“Acacias Bloom’’ by Debora Vogel
Presented by Dr. Maria Makowiecka
ARS Electronica “Women’s Issues”
Ciccone Theatre, 7:30 p.m.
Original music composition in three
pieces and dance presented by
Dr. Linda Marcel entitled “It’s Her Turn”
3/15 Monday
Women’s Studies Open House
Cafeteria Entrance, 12:30 p.m.
Presented by Dr. Maria Makowiecka
3/16 Tuesday
Women in Science and Mathematics
Panel Discussion
C-316, 12:30-1:30 p.m.
Moderated by Dr. Joan Tscherne and
Dr. Ifeoma Uzoka-Walker
3/18 Thursday
Book and Brunch (Brown Bag Lunch)
A-305, 12:30-1:30 p.m.
“Night Women” by Edwidge Danticat
Presented by Prof. Stacey Balken and
Professor Kelly Keane
3/27Saturday
The Mystifying Magic of Lyn
Female Illusionist
Ciccone Theatre, 3:00 p.m.
Tickets: Adults $14, Children
(17 and under) $10
Presented by This & That from Here & There
3/29 Monday
Closing Luncheon
Tec-128, 12:30-2:00 p.m.
Tickets: Faculty/Staff $5, Students $1
3/30 Tuesday
Book and Brunch (Brown Bag Lunch)
A-305, 12:30-1:30 p.m.
“Three from the Earth” by Djuna Barnes
Presented by Dr. Jessica Datema
Join one, two, or more of
these lunch-time book discussion
groups. Reading materials will
be available in advance in
Rm. A-333 or at the Library’s
Circulation Desk. Read a
new author or greet an old
friend. Brown bag your lunch
if you like beverages provided.
All programs will be held
at 12:30 p.m.
Co-Sponsored by the
BergenLIT Club
3/11 Thursday, C-325
12:30-1:30 p.m.
“Acacias Bloom” by
Debora Vogel
Presented by Dr. Maria
Makowiecka
3/18 Thursday, A-305
12:30-1:30 p.m.
“Night Women” by
Edwidge Danticat
Presented by Prof. Stacey
Balken & Prof. Kelly Keane
3/30 Tuesday, A-305
12:30-1:30 p.m.
“Three from the Earth”
by Djuna Barnes
Presented by Dr. Jessica
Datema
EXHIBITS
3/1 Glass Case Exhibits;
Library
Presented by
The Women’s Institute
Program Coordinator
Sandra Sroka and Jennifer
Migliorino-Reyes
3/8 International
Women’s Day: An
International Display of
Women’s Attire;
Cafeteria Display Case
Presented by Tia Ivanko,
Kate Plessing and Dr.
Ifeoma Uzoka-Walke
Page 10
The Torch
AYELET SHIMRON, Editor-In-Chief
CARINA TESONE, Co-Editor
TRAVIS WEITE, Copy Editor
NICOLE DE LOS SANTOS, News Editor
MATTHEW COLE, Features Editor
CARLO SANTELLI Sports Editor
RUWAN MAHAYAGE, Layout Editor
NITA LIM, Layout Editor
DAWN FOSTER, Layout Editor
ISLAM ELSHAMI, Ad Manager
PROF. LEW WHEATON, Advisor
ILLUSTRATORS
BRAD GORE
BRENDON MIEL
STAFF/CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
CESAR ALVAREZ
JONATHAN SHIMRON
DALIA MORILLA
LYDIA SNYDER
STEPHEN ZHENG
CHRIS RAGHOOBAR
RACHEL KAMINER
KATRINA MARIE BOTTI
BENJAMIN DE BRASI
ANDONI DEMETRIADES
A. MARTINEZ
EMILY PRENDERGAST
FRANK REVOLLI
PERPETUA ROMAIN
CONTACT INFO
400 Paramus Road
Paramus, NJ 07652-1595
ROOM:
B-101
PHONE:
201.493.5006/5007
E-MAIL:
editorinchieftorch@gmail.com
For News and Op-Ed
newseditortorch@gmail.com
For Features
featureseditortorch@gmail.com
For Sports
sportseditortorch@gmail.com
THE TORCH, a member of the Associated
College Press and the College Media
Association, is the official student newspaper
of Bergen Community College. The purpose
of THE 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.
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 form, 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 editorinchieftorch@gmail.com
or delivered to The Torch office, B-101. 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.
Opinions and Editorials
March 2010
Modern Woman or Traditional Woman?
Ayelet Shimron
Editor in Chief
Behind every strong man stands a
strong woman. The role of women in
today’s culture is progressing toward
a revolution we have never seen in the
history of mankind. “C’est la vie” to the
days when women were
confined to the kitchen,
taking care of the children
and catering to her husband
as the “ideal housewife.”
What society once
viewed as the perfect
female meant sacrificing
the ability to bring in a
financial income for her
family. Slowly but surely,
women have had the ability
to speak up and re-assume
their rights as socially
capable and equal to men.
Those who stereotype the
role of women tend to be
brainwashed,
befuddled
mass market consumers;
isolated from the depths of
modern culture and stuck
in a time period long gone.
I was born into a family
of women who still hold
firm to their traditional
values. My grandmother
from my dads side, sixth
generation born and raised
in Jerusalem, grew up
studying Torah alongside
her eleven brothers and
sisters. I, on the other hand,
first generation born in the
United States, found my
right of birth to fall under
very different circumstances. I admire
those who conform to religion when it
comes to their personal set of rules and
values. My predisposition to scrutinize
leans more towards disparagement
against both men and women who
conventionally comply with being
subservient to men.
As a young woman living in the
21st Century, I’ve witnessed countless
instances in which women have been
devalued. On account of all women, I’d
like to state that my views are strictly
egalitarian; not one sex is predominant
over the other.
In 1956 Life Magazine put out an
issue that enthusiastically praised the
virtues of the “perfect woman” during
the Eisenhower era. “The ideal woman
was a middle-class housewife. She was
thirty-two years old, lived in the suburbs,
and had gotten married at age 16. Over
the course of a marriage to just one man
she already given birth to four children
by the time she reached that young 32.”
Society neglected to draw attention to
how demanding a woman’s job actually
was at the time.
Leading into today’s modern-day
society, the role of women only becomes
more and more difficult as we progress
into a future of mutual equality. What
was once the hard working stay-at-home
mother and wife, is now the hard working
woman and financial contributor to the
family. Men are essentially receiving
two for the price of one! Yet we still hear
complaints.
According to writer Virginia Woolf,
whose ideas are associated with the First
Wave of feminism, men tend to socially
and physically dominate women.
“Women are simultaneously victims of
themselves as well as victims of
men and are upholders of society
by acting as mirrors to men.” We,
as a nation consist of a social
construct in which women are
restricted in society.
The misconstrued image of
women’s so-called “place being
in the kitchen” was not an easy
element to rid from society’s
mindset. Prior to the 1919 passage
of the Nineteenth Amendment to
the United States Constitution,
granting women the right to vote,
women who took the initial effort
towards equality belonged to
the more privileged middle and
upper class.
It wasn’t until the second
wave of feminist activity in the
1960’s that brought about a larger
crowd with a louder voice. Instead
of blaming individual women
for failing to adapt to women’s
proper role, they blamed the role
itself and the society that created
it.
The movement encouraged
women to understand aspects of
their own personal lives as deeply
politicized, and reflective of a
sexist structure of power.
If we, as a nation, hold hands
in unity, change becomes an
inevitable phenomenon. For one
to create change, one must be in position
to initiate the willpower and energy
to bring change. Every idea, every
adaptation we have to society, every
teaching that continues to be taught
religiously, began with one individual. In
the words of Farrah Fawcett, “God made
man stronger but not necessarily more
intelligent. He gave women intuition
and femininity. And, used properly, that
combination easily jumbles the brain of
any man I’ve ever met.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF SUITE101.COM
The State of the Union
Andoni Demetriades
Staff Writer
In Section 3, Article II of the
Constitution it says, “He shall, from time
to time, give to the Congress information
of the State of the Union…” It was with
these words that President Barack Obama
began his State of the Union speech
on January 27th, 2010. The President
tackled a great deal during his address,
putting forth an ambitious agenda for his
second year in office.
The President began his speech
by recapping the steps taken by him
and his administration during his first
year in office. To emphasize his point,
President Obama reminded everyone of
the conditions that were present when he
first took office. This reminder was a
constant theme throughout 2009 for the
Obama Administration.
As for looking ahead into the New
Year, President Obama spoke about the
many goals he hopes to accomplish.
He spoke about the education in our
schools and how success would be what
is rewarded, not failure. “In the 21st
century, one of the best anti-poverty
programs is a world-class education,” he
stated.
Also, by lightening the financial
burden of college students by making
school loans more affordable, limiting
a borrower’s payments to ten percent of
his/her income and forgive remaining
debt after twenty years, and ten years for
work in public service.
President Obama also talked
about immigration reform, standing
by military families, efforts to repeal
“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, and doubling
the country’s exports over the next five
years by launching a National Export
Initiative that will help small businesses
and farmers.
As for national security and the war
on terrorism, the President spoke briefly,
saying only the following, “Since the
day I took office, we have renewed our
focus on the terrorists who threaten our
nation.”
The President spoke of many issues
in his speech, but the highlight of his
speech was the economycontrary to 2009
where the main priority was health care
reform, note the national unemployment
rate that steadily climbed over 10%.
To improve the economy, the
President had a great proposal to take $30
billion of the money repaid by Wall Street
banks and to give it to local community
banks. Doing so would allow the flow
of credit to small businesses. Due to the
climate in the economy, lending has not
happened as easily.
President Obama also spoke of
eliminating all capital gaining taxes
on small business investments and
providing a tax incentive for small
and large businesses to invest in new
equipment and plants.
Another important step President
Obama wants to take is to cut the tax
breaks given to companies that ship
American jobs overseas and give tax
breaks to companies that create jobs here
in the United States. This is essential
for the simple fact that there are people
in the United States that are not only
capable, but willing to do these jobs.
It is with steps like these that our
economy will start to improve. With the
ever growing national deficit, there is
one more step that must be taken and that
is to put a stop to excessive government
spending. On the issue of spending,
the President had the following to say
“Starting in 2011, we are prepared to
freeze government spending for three
years. Spending related to our national
security, Medicare, Medicaid and Social
See State of the Union on
pg
13
PHOTO COURTESY OF MCTCAMPUS.COM
Opinions and Editorials
March 2010
Roving Reporter
“How do you feel about the
book swap event?”
Is Health Care Reform Dead?
A. Martinez
Staff Writer
Alison Ann Cina
Major: Liberal Arts, World
Languages, and Cultures
“Quite successful, personally I was
able to sell all my books from last
semester and because I sold all my
books, I recouped all the money I
spent on books for this semester.
Also, several student sellers have
made over four-hundred dollars.
It was so successful that we
had to extend the book swap a
couple extra days due to student
demand.”
Baffour Addai
Major: Liberal Arts
“I looked forward to the book
swap since I saw the ‘Book Swap’
flyers. The book swap has allowed
me to help students find books
cheaper and gather money to buy
my books for class.”
Benjamin Scalera
Major: Undecided
“I felt like a salesperson. It has
helped me get rid of books that
otherwise would have sat around
my house.”
Elizabeth Puma
Major: Culinary Arts
“Great, I got to sell some books
and raised one-hundred dollars
for bus transportation and other
books I needed for my classes this
semester.”
John Zuener
Major: Business Finance
“It’s been great. I’ve been able
to find a lot of books I needed at
great prices and have also been
able to sell most of my books from
previous semesters. I would love
to see this event happen again
instead of having to sell books
back to the bookstore. It’s not fair
for them to buy back our books for
twenty dollars and then sell them
back to students for a hundred
percent more.”
Sabrina Daquila
Major: Liberal Arts
“This book swap has benefited me
because it helped/allowed me to
get rid of books and raise cash for
other expenses. I was also able to
find a couple books I needed at a
low price.”
The Torch
...is hiring!
Page 11
Andoni Demetriades
Staff Writer
For most of 2009, the talk
dominating every television
news station, newspaper and
blog was the health care debate.
From day one, President Obama
made it clear that health care
reform was at the top of his
agenda. Unfortunately, his first
year in office did not produce
the desired results, even with a
Democrat super majority. So
what exactly happened?
The initial deadline was to
pass a bill before the August
2009 recess, which did not
happen. It was on this recess
that many in Congress went
home to angry constituents who
blatantly opposed a Government
takeover of the nation’s health
care system. Frustration was
expressed at town hall meetings
throughout the country. One of
the things that upset most people
was the clear rush by Democrats
to pass a bill as quick as possible
with the least amount of debate.
The second deadline became
Christmas. In the month of
November, the House passed
their version of a bill, H.R. 3962,
which was a heaping 1,990
pages. Democrats needed 218
votes and were able to squeak by
with 220. Now it was up to the
Senate to produce a bill, because
eventually, the two would have to
merge before a final vote could
occur. The Senate did produce
a bill; one that was 2,074 pages,
which never made it to a vote.
As the House and Senate
worked around the clock, so were
two politicians in Massachusetts.
Scott Philip Brown and Martha
Mary Coakley were vigorously
campaigning for the senate
seat left vacant when Senator
Edward Moore ‘Ted’ Kennedy
passed away August 25th, 2009.
At first, this campaign race
did not draw much attention, as
most assumed the Democrat,
Martha Coakley, would easily
win. After all, MA is not exactly
a bleeding, red state. For the
better part of six decades, the
state’s two Senate seats were
dominated by Democrats. The
unthinkable
happended
as
Republican Scott Brown won,
putting an end to the Democrats
60 vote super majority.
The key to Brown’s victory
was that he openly campaigned
on the premis that if elected, he
would be the 41st vote to stop
the Senate bill; believing a fresh
start was in order. The people of
MA, a state Obama won by 26%
over John McCain, still voted
for Brown, which sent a clear
message to Washington. That
message being an overwhelming
number of MA citizens were not
happy with the direction health
reform was headed.
So where does health reform
go from here? Is reform dead?
Absolutely not!
President
Obama made it clear in his State
of the Union address that the
issue is still on his radar and
tried to encourage Congress
with the following, “Here's what
I ask of Congress, though: Do
not walk away from reform.
Not now. Not when we are so
close. Let us find a way to come
together and finish the job for
the American people.”
So what must be done? The
President needs to deliver on his
promise of transparency, and
allow the C-Span cameras to air
all discussions and debate—s
omething that did not happen in
the tail end of 2009, as certain
members of Congress worked
behind locked doors, literally,
to discuss health care reform
issues. Considering that health
reform is for the American
people, they have a right to know
what is going on; doing so may
even foster more public support.
Both parties need to put their
money where their mouths are
when it comes to bi-partisanship.
Reform on this scale should not
be coordinated by any one party
alone. In order to achieve what
is best for the American people,
both sides need to be involved in
the process. Only in this fashion
can true reform be achieved.
Men Should Respect Women,
and Women Should Respect Themselves
Travis Weite
Copy Editor
Throughout history, women
have endured some of the
greatest hardships mankind
has ever known.
It is the
embarrassment of mankind that
the majority of men have not
truly started to respect women
until the last century. It was
not until the early 1900s that
the majority of women in the
United States began to voice
their opinion against the idea
of the stereotypical woman.
Even today, many women are
still disrespected throughout
the world, and even in the
United States. This lack of
respect is shown through the
“glass ceiling”, lower salaries
for female employees at some
corporations, and even through
“cat calls” that are made by male
BCC student’s toward women
walking through the hallways.
However subtle this disrespect
may seem to some men, the
mentality of treating women
as weaker than men is echoed
throughout the country. Despite
these obstacles, some women
have made great strides in
showing the world what women
are capable of.
One such echo came
about in the 2008 Presidential
Election.
The two biggest
questions of 2008 were, “Will
the United States get to see
its first African-American
President (Barack Obama)?”
and “Will the United States get
to see its first Female President
(Hillary Clinton)?”
After
Barack Obama became the first
African American President in
the United States, the “dream”
of the great Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr. became a reality; the
dream of women such as Susan
B. Anthony has yet to become a
reality in the United States. The
United States has yet to elect a
Female President, but Hillary
Clinton is the first female to
make it as far as she did in the
2008 Presidential Race. Had
Presidential Nominee, John
McCain been elected, Former
Senator Sarah Palin would have
become the first female Vice
President of the United States.
With the children of today
seeing women, such as Hillary
Clinton, strive for greater things
and taking on tremendous
leadership roles, perhaps the
United States will see its first
Female President within our
lifetime. As of now, the only
possible Female Presidential
Nominee would be Sarah Palin
for the Republicans, since the
Democratic Party is most likely
to stick with President Barack
Obama as the Democratic
Presidential Nominee for the
2012 Presidential Election.
However, there is always
the possibility that a female
contender will arise within the
next 3 years. Even President
Obama did not become a well
known political figure until his
success in the 2004 Senatorial
Election of Illinois. After all,
if Americans in the 1960s, or
even the late 1990s were told
that an African-American would
become President in 2008, very
few of them would have believed
it. The issue of the United
State’s first Female President is
a prevalent issue for this month.
The month of March is
We are looking for...
Writers and Reporters, Photographers, Cartoonists,
Those Interested in Graphic and Web Design
recognized as Women’s History
Month. If you are a man,
take this month to show your
appreciation and respect toward
the women in your life. Men,
open doors for your female
friends and classmates, and
thank your mom for everything
she has done for you. If you are
a woman, take this month to
reflect on the obstacles you have
faced as a woman. Evaluate
whether or not you are showing
respect to you fellow women
and to yourself. Women, respect
yourselves enough to dress
appropriately for school and do
not worry about attracting cute
guys. Guys who are respectful
will be attracted to you because
of your self confidence and
elegance, not how much of
your body you reveal. If you
are doubtful of this, ask any
girl who wears a Hijab about
how often guys try to talk to
them. Most importantly, do not
just respect women during the
month of March, but year round.
If you do not already, use this
month to start appreciating how
much women have done for you
in your life, and how much they
have done to better society.
...and we do pay
for your services
Please attend a meeting, held in B-101, every Tuesday at 12:30 for more information
TURN QUALIFYING
CREDITS
into a career
Transfer qualifying credits from your community college to earn a
bachelor’s degree from DeVry University. With a bachelor’s degree in
a growing career field like Business Management, Information
Systems or Healthcare Technology you can be one step closer to your
dream career.
Paramus Center
81 East State Route 4, Suite 102 | Paramus
DeVry.edu/NewJersey | 201-556-2840
Program availability varies by location. ©2010 DeVry Educational Development Corp. All rights reserved.
Paramus, NJ / Bergen County Community College / 10x16 / 3.26.10 & 4.23.10
Opinions and Editorials
March 2010
Page 13
Cannabis the Killer?
PHOTO COURTESY OF MCTCAMPUS.COM
Matthew W. Cole
Features Editor
New Jersey has become
the fourteenth state to legalize
Marijuana. What does that mean
for the average college student?
Absolutely nothing, unless you
happen to be stricken with a
severe illness.
This recent law passed by
the General Assembly and State
Senate says that it is up to the
physician to decide how much
cannabis a patient is prescribed.
However, a patient is only
prescribed a maximum of two
ounces of cannabis over a thirty
day span.
The
New
Jersey
Compassionate Use Medical
Marijuana Act, was officially
signed on January 18, 2010. The
law will take effect six months
after this date. Patients are to pick
up their medical marijuana from
a new type of pharmacy called
– alternative treatment centers
– which, will be the source of
the marijuana. These alternative
treatment centers will both be the
producers and distributors.
State regulators, concerned
citizens, educators and law
enforcement opponents cited
California as an unsatisfactory
example of a state that allows the
legal use of cannabis. California’s
regulations on cannabis are
loosely regulated if not at all.
New Jersey citizens seem to fear
the same thing happening here
that happened in California. But
At the Alternate treatment centers is where you get your marijuana
to compare California to New
Jersey is comparing Apples to
Oranges.
Many people still seek the
assistance of medical marijuana,
but will not be entitled to it. What
will those people do? Most will
be prescribed painkillers that are
more powerful and even more
addictive than medical marijuana.
Yet for some reason cannabis gets
a bad rap for being addicting and
dangerous. How many people
have committed suicide from
State of the Union
continued from pg 10
Security will not be affected.
But all other discretionary
government programs will.”
In the end, the most
important thing that can be
taken from this State of the
Union address is President
Obama’s confidence and
optimism in America and
its people. “The spirit that
has sustained this nation
for more than two centuries
lives on in you, its people.”
smoking cannabis?
“I don’t think it [marijuana]
contributes very much to people
dying. It’s not in the league of
alcohol or tobacco,” said Dr.
Stephen Sidney in an article from
Medical News Today. Dr. Stephen
Sidney is an Associate Director of
Clinical Research with the Kaiser
Permanent Health Plan, who has
studied the effects of marijuana
use on life span.
As citizens you might also
be wondering in what form the
government will be dispensing
the marijuana, however, the bill
does not clearly state this yet.
The bill does state that usable
marijuana is the, “dried leaves,
and flowers of marijuana and
any mixture thereof, and does
not include seeds, stems, stalks
or roots of the plant.” But as the
deadline creeps ever closer the
health department will likely set
guidelines as to the specifications
marijuana will be taking.
So we, as American citizens,
are allowed after the age of twentyone to drink alcohol and after
the age nineteen, smoke tobacco
with the government knowing
full well that each of those things
can do significant harm to our
bodies. We are also allowed
prescriptions of dangerous drugs
such as Oxycodone and Percocet
leading to more overdoses, which,
according to the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention,
is over 26, 000.
A quick list of the diseases that
make a patient eligible for medical
marijuana according to the bill
are: cancer, seizure disorders,
Lou Gehrig’s disease, multiple
sclerosis, muscular dystrophy,
glaucoma, severe spasms, HIV/
AIDS, inflammatory bowel
disease and any terminal illness,
The question comes down
to, “Isn’t the government
supposed to be looking out for
our best interests?” Instead the
government is making a more
compelling argument for the use
of medical marijuana. As we
pop pills prescribed by doctors
that they receive from chemists,
who manufacture them in a lab,
who really knows the detrimental
effects, they can cause in the long
run.
Learn something from all the
celebrities we lost last year from
overdoses, and those we know
personally who have lost their
lives from overdose; then decide
if the legalization of marijuana is
a mistake.
Features
Page 14
March 2010
Keeping Your Body and Brain in
Shape
The body and
brain
perform
very significant
roles in a healthy
lifestyle.
They
rely on each other, which is why it is important to
“Keep Your Body and Brain in Shape.”
The word “exercise” is derived from the
Latin root “exercitium,” meaning “to maintain, to
keep, to hold off." This means that a person needs
self-discipline during those times of temptation
and ambition to create and sustain a healthier life.
Exercising can help shed those pounds that sneak up
and improve our attitudes.
To keep your mind and body in balance,
exercise is vital. Staying healthy, however, does not
necessarily mean performing rigorous activities.
Unlike other forms of exercise, walking is not
strenuous. So, whenever possible, take a brisk walk.
Walking from the main building to Ender Hall
works well, and studies show that walking can clear
your head and help you think better. Walking, above
all, is good for our moods because it gets the blood
circulating, which allows oxygen and glucose to
reach the brain. When you have more time, try other
exercises such as jogging, swimming or weight
lifting. Switching up your workout routines helps
stimulate the brain even more. All forms of exercise
have long been hailed as an aid to brain-power
longevity.
Although the amount of hours you put
in the gym matters, what you put into your body
Emily Predergast
Staff Writer
matters more. We need to feed the brain and body
the right kinds of food. If you look lean and sculpted
in a bathing suit, but your body is starving for the
right nutrition, your health and thinking will suffer.
You know the drill: fruits and veggies, not chips and
cookies.
The optimum health occurs when our
brains “gently” remind our bodies to pick up the
pace and pick up an apple. Remember- “[we]’re
either optimum, or [we]’re not!”
Newark’s Prudential Center
received a double dose of hard
rock when Breaking Benjamin
and Three Days Grace hit the
stage last month on their 2010
co-headlining tour. Both bands
delivered their all with heavy
beats, solid riffs, and an energetic
attitude that showed their fans
exactly what defined rock music
in the past decade.
After being together for 10
PHOTO COURTESY OF MCTCAMPUS.COM
years now, Breaking Benjamin
was ready to bring out the big
guns on their latest tour. The
crowd roared once guitarist
Aaron Fink was the first to enter
the stage, playing the opening riff
to “I Will Not Bow”.
The band was accompanied
by large screens behind them,
projecting different graphic
designs for each song. During
“Blow Me Away”, from the Halo
2 soundtrack, the screens showed
footage from the Halo video game
series. Songs like “So Cold” and
their finisher, “Diary of Jane”,
garnered a powerful response
from the entire audience, who
stood and sang each song word
for word.
The band’s best performance
of the night was a cover of
Aerosmith’s “Dream On,” with
singer Ben Burnley’s voice
sending chills throughout the
arena as he paid tribute to the
late great musicians of our time,
including Kurt Cobain, John
Lennon, & Michael Jackson.
The sirens blared as Three
Days Grace then took to the stage,
starting with their latest single
“Break.” They brought a whole
new surge of energy to the stage
with their most famous songs like
“I Hate Everything About You,”
“Pain,” “Home” and “Riot,” the
latter two featuring appropriate
pyrotechnics. Highlights of their
performance included an eerie
keyboard interlude and powerful
drum solo by Neil Sanderson,
followed by Apocalyptica’s “I
Don’t Care” (which features
singer Adam Gontier).
Later, an emotional Gontier
came on stage and sang Phil
Collins’ “In the Air Tonight,”
dedicating it to a dear friend
who had passed away, claiming
“she loved this song.” Finally,
the audience themselves became
animals singing to “Animal I
Have Become,” ending things
with a bang.
Breaking Benjamin and
Three Days Grace are two of
the biggest rock acts of the past
decade. Both have new albums,
Dear Agony and Life Starts Now,
which are available now.
One DJ one voice
University; depending where you
are will depend which station
you get. Tune into 90.3FM for
Ramapo College and 103.3FM
for Princeton’s College Radio.
Taking WPSC as an
example, most of what they
feature on their station is rock
and roll. They have few talk
shows. They have a weekday
morning show from 6am to
9am. On Mondays from 6pm
to 9pm is a comedy talk show
and on Saturday mornings from
6am to 9am they hold intelligent
discussions on literature. They
also have other genres of music
such as: Urban, Jazz, Gospel and
World.
Sadly, we do not have a radio
station at Bergen Community
College due to lack of sufficient
bandwidth available in our area
for even a 250-watt station. .
College radio is something
every college student should
really give a chance. Who knows
you might even like what you
hear.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MCTCAMPUS.
The Top 10 College
Movies
The best college movie.
in “MobiMouse.” The mouse cursor speed can be
adjusted, which is essential for easy control of the
cursor when using the phone.
For Blackberry Storm users, this application is
only available in trial version, but the full version
will be available by the end of the March 2010. If
you are a Blackberry user and hate getting up to use
the keyboard or mouse, then you should check this
application out in your Blackberry App World for
the price of $9.99.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MCTCAMPUS.COM
Are you tired of
getting up from your
bed or couch and
walking over to your
computer every time you want to use the keyboard
or mouse? Well Blackberry users are in luck as an
application called “MobiMouse” was released in the
Blackberry App World on June 9, 2009.
“MobiMouse” is an application that allows
blackberry users to use their own Blackberry phones
as wireless keyboards or wireless mice to connect to
their computer from wherever they are in the room..
“MobiMouse” is not a very complex application
so almost any Blackberry user can figure out how
to use it and without having to read complicated
intructions.
“MobiMouse” consists of two modules, one
which runs on your PC and one that runs on your
Blackberry phone. It requires a Blackberry phone
with an operating system that is BlackBerry OS
4.5 or higher and a Windows PC running .NET
Framework 2.0 or higher. The application also
supports wireless control via bluetooth and Wi-fi
and a wired control via USB.
You can use this application even if your PC
lacks a wireless connection. You can also assign
your own specific hardware keys on your Blackberry
Keyboard through the PC Module, along with the
ability to control your volume from your Blackberry
phone, turning your Blackberry into a DVD remote
when watching movies for those media cravers
out there. The Blackberry keypad is used to enter
text and the trackball is used to control the mouse
When was the last time you
listened to a college radio station,
none-the-less any radio station at
all for that matter? There are so
many ways to make yourself the
DJ when driving in your car, that
you most likely don’t use the radio
for anything other than your preprogrammed stations. However,
this means you are missing out on
all the features college radio has
to offer.
College radio is a different
breed when compared to other
mainstream
radio
stations
that you might be thinking of.
College radio is for the type of
people looking for music that is
not made popular by mainstream
media.
Mainstream stations must
have a pre-approved playlist by
music directors. Most college
radio stations do not have to give
a pre-approved list to anyone,
they have much more freedom,
especially when cracking jokes
or making discussions.
The
universities
around
Bergen County that have the
best college radio would be
88.7FM, which covers William
Paterson University and Rutgers
PHOTO COURTESY OF CLEMSON.EDU
MobiMouse- Blackberry’s
New Computer Keyboard
Stephen Zheng
Staff Writer
Matthew w. Cole
features Editor
And you thought you had it Hard.
Two Shows in One Hitting
Newark Hard
Chris Raghoobar
Contributing Writer
College Radio
Stations: Anyone
Listening?
Control everything from your Blackberry
Cesar Alvarez
Staff Writer
Whether it’s partying or just
having a good time with your
friends, there’s no denying that
college movies sometimes depict
the best and worst in all of us.
Without further adue here are the
top ten.
10. Sydney White.
A modern twist in the
Cinderella tale. This movie
follows a young girl trying to fit
in the sorority that her mother
belonged in. Unfortunately, for
her the new “sisters” are not
caring and throw her out of the
sorority, now Sydney wants to
get back at them with the help
of a few social misfits and a love
interest can Sydney do it?
9. Animal House
This movie launched the
career of John Belushi, with
hilarious performances by the
cast yet some of the jokes and
pranks are too dated and the
movie has lost some of its flair.
8. Accepted
High School Senior Bartleby
Gaines is rejected by every college
he has applied to so he decides to
create his own school for rejects
called the South Harmon Institute
of Technology or S.H.I.T (yes go
ahead and giggle)
7. Van Wilder
Ryan Reynolds stars as a goofoff student with no intentions of
graduating college.
6. Revenge of the Nerds
A classic from the 80’s that
pit of course Nerdy guys against
Jocks. You know who’s going to
win this one right?
5. PCU
Jeremy Piven stars as a
suave guy who cares more about
partying than school. A must see!
4. American Pie 2
The boys are back for a new
slice of the pie. Fortunately for
us this means hilarity as we see
them get stuck in hilarious and
sometimes “messy” situations.
3. Going Greek
This little known movie has
a great charm to it. Shame it
never got the attention it should
deserves.
2. Old School
A contemporary classic that
some might call Will Ferrel’s
funniest movie and boy they’re
not wrong.
1. Road Trip
Sex, mishaps and wacky
adventures follow a group of
guys trying to claim a video tape
that puts one of them in a sticky
situation with his girlfriend. A
must see. PHOTO COURTESY OF IMDB.COM
Features
March 2010
When in Rome
Rachel Kaminer
Staff Writer
Rome is the city of love and
romance. Coincidentally, it is also
the setting for the movie When in
Rome, which came out in January
2010, starring Kristen Bell and
Josh Duhamell.
Bell’s character, Beth, is a
girl who refuses to believe in true
love. When she attends her sister’s
wedding in Rome, Beth grabs
a few coins from the “foolish”
fountain of love. The men who
threw those coins into the
fountain are now infatuated with
her. Meanwhile, Beth is smitten
by Nick (Duhamell). However,
she is unsure of whether or not
their love is real. It is her decision
to ultimately either believe in true
love or to live in doubt of love for
the rest of her life.
Although this story sounds
extremely cliché, When in Rome
has many quirks that make it
worth watching. One thing
that is important to mention
is that Beth is not the girl who
sits around waiting for a man to
sweep her off her feet.
Beth is independent, and
her character adds a welcome
freshness to the “damsels in
distress” of today’s movies.
Duhamell’s character, Nick,
is not really the “Hollywood
Hunk” who comes to rescue the
woman either. He is a clumsy
sports reporter, who is portrayed
as real person and not as the
classic Hollywood portrayal of
a man who seems untouchable.
The men who fall under
Beth’s spell after she picks
up their coins are extremely
entertaining to watch and well-
played by the actors. They include
a street magician, a narcissistic
male model, an entrepreneur who
specializes in selling sausages
and an Italian artist. They all add
their quirks to the movie.
There is one part of the
movie where the artist is driving
Beth to an event and she tells
him to drive like he is in Rome.
Instantly, he starts driving the car
over sidewalks and even into the
Guggenheim Museum in New
York City.
All in all, the movie was very
entertaining and I feel my money
was well spent. Despite how
cliché the movie sounds, this is
one film that is definitely worth
seeing.
PHOTO COURTESY OF
HOLLYWOODOUTBREAK.COM
Page 15
Hungry for Change
“You’ll never look at
Matthew w. Cole dinner the same way again,”
is the motto from director
features Editor
Robert Kenner’s Oscarnominated documentary Food, Inc. This movie
opens the eyes of audiences into the inner workings
of our nation’s food industry. The film features
experts Michael Pollan (best-selling author of The
Omnivore’s Dilemma) and Eric Schlosser (Fast Food
Nation) who offer insight into exclusive interviews.
Unknowingly to you, our nation’s food supply is
being controlled by a handful of corporations that
put profit before people. Not that these corporations
threaten the livelihood of our American farmers; they
threaten the health of consumers, our environment
and the safety of the average worker.
The food industry has managed to genetically
engineer chickens with bigger breasts in a shorter
time, herbicide-resistant soybeans and corn as
well as grow tomatoes that do not go bad. As a
result of industrializing the food industry, we have
new strains of E. Coli and dangerous bacteria that
cause 73,000 Americans to come down with food
poisoning each year.
America is now filled to the brim with adults
and children that are either obese or have diabetes,
Old McDonanld’s farm is dead.
and, in most cases, both. As Americans, we take
for granted the ease of being able to walk into our
local supermarket to pick up fruits, vegetables, and
slabs of meat to feed our family’s hunger, but do you
really know what you are eating?
Food, Inc. looks deeply into how we, as a society,
are affected by the food industry having control over
the food that we put into our stomachs.
PHOTO COURTESY OF HUNGERFORCHANGE.COM
Playing Attorney and Prosecutor
When in Rome poster.
The Jersey Shore hits
Reality
Nicole De Los Santos
News Editor
February 16th, 2010, marked
the release of Capcom’s latest
game in the Phoenix Wright
video game series, titled “Ace
Attorney Investigations: Miles
Edgeworth.”
The first game in the series
holds true to the original game- Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeplay, with lawyers and prosecutors worth for the Nintendo DS
battling it out to see who will be
The crime is a murder and the
victorious in the courtroom. The
player
is required to use tools that
game is available on Nintendo’s
a
forensics
investigator would use
DS (double-screen) handheld
to
look
for
fingerprints, blood
game console, which is a simple
stains,
patterns,
leftover objects
“point and click” handheld game
from
quick
crimes
and witnesses.
system with a stylus. Its console
In
this
game
you
play as the
look compliments and continues
protagonist,
Miles
Edgeworth,
to carry on the traditional
gameplay style of the Phoenix who was originally the antagonist
you had to fight in early games of
Wright Series.
The goal of the game is to the Phoenix Wright series as well
collect evidence and determine as Maya Fey, a key character in
who is guilty of a crime that the game. The player’s diligence
has been committed, how he/she in his/her investigation will
committed the crime and under be reflected in the courtroom,
meaning that a courtroom judge
what his/her motive was.
will not rule in your favor if a clue
is missed in your investigation,
and the game will end.
A new keynote in this game
is “logic” which helps the player
link clues from various crime
scenes to later be used for
questioning. Replacing Maya Fey
Trucy Wright is Kay Faraday,
who like the previous femalesidekicks, assists the player in
solving crimes. This sidekick had
a “Crime Reproduction Gadget”
which, as the name, implies,
allows for the crime scene to be
recreated in snippets for easier
crime-solving.
A feature that fans of the
game are likely to enjoy is the
return of a large number of
characters from the first four
games in the series, who assist the
player in five different trials and
investigations. The game is sure
to be another sensational addition
to the Phoenix Wright series and
one that fans of the series are sure
to enjoy.
PHOTO COURTESY OF
ACE-ATTORNEY.COM
Cliche fist pumping New Jerseyans
Katrina Marie Botti
Contributing Wrter
The Jersey Shore “reality”
show is supposed to be a
television show based on the
true experience, of true Italian
“Guidos” and “Guidettes,” at the
Jersey Shore. This is certainly
not the case since the majority of
the Jersey Shore’s cast is not even
from New Jersey.
This reality show has made
Jersey Italians look ridiculously
horrifying. Any true Jersey boy
or girl, Italian or not, knows that
Jersey boys and girls do not act as
crazy and immature as the show
portrays the typical Jersey Italian
to be. Additionally, since the cast
is being displayed on a reality
show, they are trying to put on an
act as opposed to acting like their
true selves.
We all know by now that
a reality show is nothing like
reality.
This proves true in
Jersey Shore as it is obvious
that the characters on the show
are portraying a stereotype of a
Jersey Italian at the Jersey Shore.
This gives viewers a negative
image of what the Jersey Shore is
actually like. For example, on the
show, Italian girls are supposed
to be tan 24/7 with hair too big
for their heads and wear dresses
that barely cover one inch of their
bodies. Well I am an Italian, and
I do not have “big” hair from the
nineteen eighty’s, and as far as
being tan all the time, Italians have
nice olive skin, not fluorescent
orange pigmentation. In reality, not (quote)
“reality,” the Jersey Shore does
not represent true Italians at
the Jersey Shore. The show just
wanted to find the most dramatic
people, who exemplified a
stereotypical image of Italian
Americans, who would cause
the most dramatic outbursts on
national television.
If you had a hidden camera
on all the cast members, you
would find that when they went
back to their homes, they do not
act as ridiculous in real life like
they do on camera. Viewers
should always keep in mind that
a “reality” show does not portray
actual reality, and Jersey Shore is
nothing but a “reality” show.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MTV.COM
IMAGE COURTESY OF MCTCAMPUS.COM
iPad: Bigger Not Better
Stephen Zheng
Staff Writer
For the past two years there
has been a rumor that Apple has
been working on making a tablet.
The rumor has finally been
confirmed with Apple’s release
of the new “iPad” on January
28, 2010. Despite the excitement
that has resulted from Apple’s
new product, the million-dollar
question remains, “Does the
Apple iPad live up to the hype?”
The first thing people will think
about when they see the iPad is
that it is just a gigantic iPhone
rather than a tablet.
The Apple iPad is just a
bigger version of the iPhone,
with a 9.7 inch flat-black screen
and a single home button on its
face. The iPad is a combination
of a smart phone, a laptop, and
an ebook reader all compressed
into one. It can do all the basic
things that an iPhone can do with
its amazingly fast Safari Browser,
music feature, great video
playback, faster services and
speed with the 3G Network by
AT&T. The iPhone also provides
users with the ability to download
and use the applications from the
Apple Appstore.
The Apple iPad might sound
like a very nice and powerful
device, but there are more cons to
the device than pros. The iPad’s
inability to multitask is a major
letdown for a device that can
download apps and do a lot of
other impressive things, but you
can only use one application at a
time. The iPad also lacks Adobe
Flash, which is very disappointing
for the product’s extremely fast
Safari Browser.. The iPad also
lacks a camera, iChat capabilities
and has no HDMI port making,
playing videos on a 4:3 screen a
horrible experience.
The most troublesome thing
about the iPad is the virtual
keyboard. The virtual keyboard
is just like that of the Apple
iPhone keyboard, except that it is
just too big and over spaced. It is
very awkward to type on a virtual
keyboard that has a 9.7-inch
screen making it uncomfortable
for the user. The major setback
of the Apple iPad is the price
you have to pay for its services.
3G services, are very pricey to
begin with, and users have to pay
an extra $50 to $80 every month
just to use the service to run their
device.
Overall, the Apple Ipad is
really not worth the money for
all its low specs and functions.
The iPad received a massive
amount of hype but it will take
buyers’ feedback to know for sure
whether or not it will sell right off
Apple’s shelves.
Features
Page 16
Seeing the World
through Ocean Eyes
Chris Raghoobar
Contributing Writer
“Ocean Eyes”, the new release
by electronica sensation Owl City,
is taking the world by storm. This
storm is very peaceful, vibrant
and colorful. With its upbeat
melodies, loads of synthesized
goodness, and serene lyrics of
child-like wonder, “Ocean Eyes”
helped Owl City go from obscure
internet sensation to one of the
biggest
new
artists of the
past year.
“Ocean
Eyes” is Adam
Young’s latest
album (Owl
City has two
other
selfreleased
albums), and
is a pop album
much unlike
anything we
are used to.
Adam,
the
one-man force behind Owl City,
writes songs about the little
things in life that make us stop
and wonder.
Many people might be
familiar with "Fireflies", the
album's lead single, which
exemplifies that sense of wonder
in a nutshell. Songs like “Dental
Care” reveal Adam’s sillier
side, paying homage to the everfamiliar visit to the dentist’s
office. “Hello Seattle”, an older
tune which initially made him a
Myspace favorite, is a bubbly ode
to the well-known west coast city.
Even a solo powerhouse like
Adam has help from friends, most
notably Relient K and vocalist
Matt Thiessen. Thiessen sings on
“Fireflies” and “Tidal Wave”, and
wrote the song “Cave In”.
A two-disc
deluxe
edition
of “Ocean Eyes”
was
released
in late January.
The
second
disc
contains
seven
bonus
tracks, including
“Sunburn”,
a
summary
love
song written for
the soundtrack
to The CW’s
90210. The bonus
disc also has
“Strawberry Avalanche” and ‘Hot
Air Balloon”, which were digital
singles released last summer to
promote “Ocean Eyes”.
With its tingling keys, breathy
vocals and feel-good lyrics,
“Ocean Eyes” is definitely a huge
win for Adam Young’s basementbred alias Owl City, making him
the biggest sleeper hit we have
seen in a long time.
PHOTO COURTESY OFOWLCITYMUSIC.COM
New Musical Artist
Brings Life to Hip Hop
Perpetua Romain
Staff Writer
A New Musical Artist Brings 17 tracks; 15 originally produced
Life To Hip Hop
and 2 with well searched samples
Prepare to welcome an aspiring including
singer/songwriter
musical artist, determined to James Blunt. His lyrics focus on
provide inspiration to current and education, success, and respect. In
future generations of Hip Hop his track ‘Real Recognize Real’,
music, while also succeeding in he and his featured artist ‘Big
college. “Raising The Bar” the Tone’ speak on higher education
mix tape is a remarkable fusion and achieving greatness. Artis’
of Hip Hop, Smooth Jazz, Soul, first music video for Real
Contemporary Rock, and more.
Recognize Real will be released
Each track has its own on February 20, 2010.
meaning and moral, with lyrics
“I am very excited about
both appealing and relatable “Raising the Bar” being released
to the college student. Jaquan because people can understand
Barnett; New Jersey native is my vision of what it means to
an independent artist based raise the bar as far as making
in
Hollywood,
California. exceptional Hip Hop music,” says
He attends The Los Angeles Barnett. “Many feel that Hip Hop
Recording School, pending an is a genre that has lost its appeal
Audio Engineering Degree. Along for many reasons.”
with his brother Alshan Barnett,
Raising The Bar is available
he has founded Beautiful Noize to download for free at www.
Entertainment, LLC (B.N.E.) beautifulnoizeent.blogspot.com
where he primarily produces Hip where you can also view his new
Hop music. “Raising the Bar”, music video as well as receive
his first official mixtape, was updates about his music, artists,
released December 29th 2009.
and the label.
Jaquan, a.k.a. ‘Artis’, created
a diverse rhythmic compilation of
Jonathan Shimron
Contributing Writer
Have you ever thought
about using anabolic steroids?
If so, you are not alone. Once
viewed as a drug used solely
by bodybuilders and athletes,
the use of this drug is now
becoming increasingly more
common with teenagers and
college students. Here is an alarming
statistic to get us started:
According to a study done
by Men’sHealth.com, an
estimated 1,084,000 adult
Americans have reported
using steroids, but you can be
sure that the actual figure is
significantly greater than this
statistic.
Studies in the United
States show us that the
majority of users are middleclass men with a median age
of 25. These men are mainly
athletes who strive to become
varsity athletes.
The truth
of the matter is that only one
of many hundreds—or even
thousands—of people might be
able to realize his/her dream of
becoming a varsity athlete. The
expectations are higher than
ever, and some people will do
anything to gain a competitive
edge. Steroid use is much more
widespread in college sports
than first believed. There is a domino effect
March 2010
Water or Juice?
at work here, for if one athlete
realizes that his teammate has
an advantage from steroid use,
added side effects as well. If you are willing to use
steroids, do not be surprised
when severe acne starts
appearing on your face and
body or if you start to develop
breasts. I am sure the ladies
will love that! Some more
serious side effects include
liver
cancer,
testicular
shrinkage, heart attacks, and
elevated cholesterol levels. Do
not forget about withdrawal
symptoms, which include
mood swings, fatigue, and
restlessness, loss of appetite,
insomnia,
reduced
sex
drive, and depression. This
depression can lead to suicide
attempts, and if left untreated,
can persist for a year or more
after the user stops taking the
drugs.
The main reason people
Accurate portrayal of a steroid user
use steroids is to become
then you can be sure that he bigger and stronger. Nothing,
will be inclined to try it, as well. however, can beat the look of a
People are always looking for natural body, and this can easily
a quick fix, for that magic pill be done by training the healthy
that can change their lives and way. All you have to do is eat
improve their performance. the right foods, stay committed,
If you want that magazine- endure strength training, and
cover body, you need dedication you will see a big difference.
and commitment. If you do With the high physical and
not enjoy going to the gym, monetary cost of steroids, your
steroids cannot help you. I will body (and wallet) will thank
be honest, the steroid user may you in the end.
gain muscle faster, but with
Top Ten Apps for Smartphones
Dawn Foster
Staff Writer
Facebook
Twitter
Facebook and Twitter are
applications you can find on
almost everyone’s smart phone
so users can keep
up with their social
networking during
the day.
Pandora
(iPhone/Blackberry/
Android)
If
you
have
not already heard,
Pandora
Radio
is free, personal,
internet radio. It
streams full songs
for free based on
the artists and songs
you like. Pandora’s
system
analyzes
songs
by
400
different
musical
attributes such as
harmonies, instruments, and
tones to figure out what other
songs you would like to listen to.
Meebo/AIM/Google
Talk
(iPhone/Blackberry/Android)
Whichever client you choose
to chat with, there is an app on
your smart phone for it. Meebo
is one of the most popular apps
because it integrates nearly every
chat client into one: AIM, Yahoo,
MSN,
Facebook,
Myspace,
Google Talk, ICQ, and Jabber.
Google
Maps
(iPhone/
Blackberry/Android/Windows/
Nokia S60)
You already use Google Maps
to find directions, so why not use
it on your phone? This app for the
Android has the most features
including: navigation, search by
voice, and labs. However, this app
gives everyone location, driving,
you can view places nearby you
and see their star rating, address,
and how costly the place is.
NetNewsWire (iPhone)
NetNewsWire is a handy
RSS reader so you can read the
latest updates from your favorite
website or blog.
Bolt! Browser (Blackberry/
iPhone)
If you are you
are
unsatisfied
with the Safari
browser, or you
just want a speed
boost, the Bolt
app is a good
alternative.
It
claims to be
25% faster and
Bolt minimizes
data transferred
so your battery
can last longer. It
lets you browse
the internet fullscreen and has
Living in a world of apps. a private web
PHOTO COURTESY OF MCTCAMPUS.COMbrowsing feature.
transit,
CourseSmart
and walking directions, traffic (iPhone)
reports, satellite and street view,
CourseSmart is an electronic
plus business listings and reviews. book website that lets you buy
Yelp
(iPhone/Blackberry/ and read your school textbooks
Palm Pre/Android)
with an E-reader, laptop, and now
Yelp is a new social on your iPhone with their app that
networking website where you has over 8,500 college textbooks.
can read and post reviews of any
Textfree Unlimited (iPhone)
public facility you can think of:
With this app, you can send an
Restaurants, stores, clubs, bars, unlimited amount of texts for free
schools, health services, beauty after buying this $5.99 app. You
services, parks, museums, law can send texts to any phone when
firms, and more. Inside the app you are connected by WiFi.
What to do for Saint Partick’s Day
Emily Prendergast
Staff Writer
The phrase "Everyone wants
to be Irish," is commonly heard on
St.Patrick's Day. This once-a-year
holiday has everybody, including
the non-Irish, celebrating the
traditions of the historic day with
a little green spirit.
The early Irish immigrants
brought their traditions for St.
Patrick’s Day to the United
States. According to Brendan A.
Rappel of Gryfons Publishers
and Distributors, it was not until
1737 that Irish immigrants really
celebrated this day. In fact, it was
in Boston, Massachusetts that the
public first celebrated St. Patrick's
Day. Over time, these Irish
traditions were practiced by other
Americans and St. Patrick’s Day
eventually became a nationwide
holiday.
Common festivities on St.
Patrick's Day are wearing green,
eating Irish/green foods, drinking
Irish beverages (Guinness), and
attending parades. One of the
largest parades you will not want
to miss is the New York City's
249th St. Patrick's Parade on Fifth
Avenue. This year, the parade will
be held on Wednesday, March
17, 2010. For those who prefer
to stay inside, you can watch an
amazing performance of Irish
River dancing at the Radio City
Music Hall from March 17th21st. Book your tickets now at
http://www.radiocity.com/events/
riverdance-310.html.
Other locations that go all
out to celebrate this magnificent
holiday are Harley's Irish Pub, in
Hackensack, NJ and The Porter
House, in Montvale, NJ.
Or if you prefer to stay home
and cook a cozy festive dinner,
there are many Irish foods to be
prepared in respect to the holiday.
Most Americans mistakenly
perceive corn beef and cabbage as
the only Irish cuisine. The more
traditional cuisine in Ireland is
ham and cabbage or bacon and
cabbage.
A traditional Irish
breakfast would be something
like fried eggs, pork sausage,
pudding (black and white
sausage), tomato, potatoes, and a
good helping of toasted bread and
hot coffee.
If you are worried about your
wallet, but still want to enjoy
some Irish spirit, rent a few
good Irish movies such as: My
Left Foot, Darby O'Gill and the
Little People, The Quiet Man, or
Waking Ned Devine.
Long ago in Ireland, St.
Patrick's Day was considered
a holy day. Surprisingly, pubs
were not open for business and
there was no drinking or parades.
Fortunately, times and traditions
have changed. So on this festive
holiday, may the luck of the Irish
be with you- because we all have
a wee bit of Irish in us on St.
Patrick’s Day!
Features
March 2010
Page 17
One Foot In The Door
Guide to Eating
Organic
Dawn Foster
Staff Writer
PHOTO COURTESY MCTCAMPUS.COM
Is organic better for you?
What is the deal with “organic” foods? You have
heard the label thrown around and placed on items
from oranges to potato chips and know that the label
symbolizes health and higher prices. Many of us cannot
afford to go completely organic, but we can still shop
smart. Here is your guide to how to do it the right way:
- Shop around when you buy organic. www.
LocalHarvest.Org and www.EatWellGuide.org are
great sources of organic foods. Also try to look at
family farms, independent vendors, and farmers’
markets in your area, which often sell organic food
cheaper than the supermarkets. Buying directly from
local farms helps to support your community farmers,
and the food is fresher and pesticide free.
- Fruits and vegetables with soft or digestible skins
contain large amounts of pesticide on the skin. Studies
have shown that produce treated with pesticides have
lower vitamin levels and that the pesticides increase the
risk of diseases such as breast Cancer and Alzheimer’s.
- If you cannot afford to go completely organic,
try growing some of your own fruits and vegetables
without the use of pesticides. The following produce
(a.k.a. The Dirty Dozen) contain the highest pesticide
counts : peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery, nectarines,
strawberries, cherries, lettuce, grapes, pears, spinach,
and potatoes. The produce that is least likely to
be contaminated with pesticides are the following:
asparagus, avocados, bananas, broccoli, cauliflower,
corn, kiwi, mangos, onions, papaya, pineapples, and
peas; this produce can be bought as non-organic
without having to worry about pesticides.
- Always read the label when buying meat. Modern
methods of raising animals often involve feeding them
with hormones, some animals are even fed remains of
their own species, antibiotics, inhumane treatment, and
genetically modified food. Look on the label for words
such as “Hormone Free” or “USDA Organic.”
- Recombinant Growth Hormone, better known
as rBGH, is a hormone given to cows to help them
reproduce faster. Research has shown that rBGH
and its sister hormone, rBST, increases chances of
developing breast, prostate and colon cancer. To avoid
this hormone, buy organic or just look for the words
“Hormone Free” when you buy a carton of milk.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MCTCAMPUS.COM
Matthew W. Cole
Features Editor
It is okay to feel embarrassed about
living at home. At one time or another,
we all have to either move back in with
our parents or live under their roof for
longer than we would like. If you are
going to a a community college, such
as Bergen, then you are among friends
and have nothing to feel embarrassed
about. Living on your own is not what
it used to be. We hear stories from our
parents about how they moved out and
got an apartment at eighteen, but what
exactly are they trying to say?
It is nearly impossible for a full
time college student, even if they
are working two jobs, to get an
apartment with the economy as it is.
Apartments nowadays are even more
expensive than they were a few years
How we, college students, love helping around the house.
ago. Sure, we all look at Craigslist. hard earned money on necessities,
com with a shred of hope, searching such as school; as opposed to luxuries,
for affordable rent with all extremities such as our own place. College
included, but if we succeed in finding students who work full time, or have
an advertisement like this, more often two part time jobs, can easily pay for
than not the offer is too good to be an apartment; but who wants to waste
true.
money on an apartment while you
After weighing the pros and can save for your education or even
cons of both sides, living at home a future home? Attaining a college
as opposed to renting is the best degree and pursuing a career should
solution to financial woes; even if you be a college student’s highest priority,
are asked to contribute to monthly not seeking a rental when one has the
expenses. The amount you would pay option to live at home.
to live with your parents is far less
Life is filled with hard decisions,
than the amount you would have to the most prevalent being the decision
pay for a rental.
to live at home or rent. Whatever you
With that said, having your own decide, it is your happiness that is
place just makes life so much more most important, whether that means
bearable. The feeling of moving up in working to afford an apartment, or
the world and starting a new beginning living back home with your parents;
is one that cannot be matched.
either way, do not be embarrassed for
In the real world, we must use our choosing one over the other.
A Virtual Matrimony
Islam Elshami
Staff Writer
We have all heard about Match.com,
PerfectMatch, JDate, eHarmony, and plenty
of other online dating websites by now, but the
question is, “Are they effective?” Believe it or
not, they really are! The main reason online
dating exists is to help those who are shy , have
busy lives, or just for those who plan on expanding
their horizons.
Email is another commonly used technique
to communicate with singles online. With a very
powerful and successful matching system, large
and extremely active communities, safe and
reliable
places to date, private mailboxes,
and plenty of other
positive
features,
finding
your future
partner
could not
be
any
easier. Many
people
who have
used online
dating sites
have succeeded in finding their “true mate.” Others have
also succeeded in simply finding individuals to create
friendships with. The first thing you should ask yourself
prior to registering yourself on one of these websites is
“Am I looking for a short term relationship or a lasting
bond?”.
As you discuss your likes and dislikes, you’ll have a
bigger picture whether he or she is your type or not. Online
Dating can be a fun process but keep in mind that there are
some pros and cons.
There are some precautions to take when using an
online dating site. Make sure you do not post important
details about yourself that you do not want a “stranger”
knowing. Take your time with learning more about the
people you find on these websites. View their photos and
videos to gauge a sense of who he/she is. After you have
taken these steps, and you have a better understanding of
him or her, you may consider communicating with select
people over the phone for a more personal and intimate
conversation.
If you decide on meeting this individual, make sure
you inform a friend or family member that you are going
to see him/her. This is the most important guideline when
meeting someone for the first time. As effective as online
dating is, one must protect him/herself online as they
would in person. If you choose to try online dating for
yourself, be careful and enjoy the adventurous experience!
PHOTO COURTESY MCTCAMPUS.COM
Egg and Sperm Donations
Nita Lim
Staff Writer
Want to learn how to make some money without
giving an arm and a leg? Well in that case, you can
just donate sperm and eggs!
The idea of donating your eggs is looking
increasingly good especially if some people are
willing to give you $10,000 for it. Many people who
would like to have children but find it impossible to
conceive are turning to donating eggs and sperm to
make that perfect bundle of joy.
For a woman to become an egg donor, she must
be 21 or older as required by the guidelines set by
the American Society for Reproductive Medicine
(ASRM), and no older than 35. Before eggs are
donated, several medical visits are required to
conduct a gynecological exam and a series of
medical and psychological family history tests.
The amount of money given to the donor
is considered a compensation for the pain and
discomfort one must endure. The ASRM gives
donaters $5,000 or more as compensation, which
they consider to be a “required justification.” Prices
escalate, however, when couples are looking for a
donor with specific attributes.
You cannot have a baby with just the egg; sperm
is needed. The ideal sperm donor is a healthy man
between the ages of 18 and 50. The first step in a
sperm donation is examining how well the donor’s
sperm survives the freezing and thawing processes.
This is done because sperm is stored frozen in
liquid nitrogen until it is used. Poor sperm survival
prevents about 50% of men from becoming donors.
The sperm donating process is done through
masturbation, and clinics require the donor to
abstain from sex or masturbation for three days
before the donation. As a result, the sperm count
reaches a maximum build.
Tests are done on the sperm,as well as the donor,
in order to evaluate any Sexually Transmitted
Diseases (STD’s), family history, mental illnesses
and medical conditions. The pay of a sperm donor
is about $50 to $400. The more “decorative” the
male and his profile, the more his sperm will be
worth.
Whether you are looking to do this for some
extra money or for a friend/family member, look
up all of the facts before you decide to donate your
sperm or eggs. Go to www.ivfnj.com for more
information.
Duke it out boys! I need the healthiest one.
ILLUSTRATION BY BRENDON MIEL
See it
a’s
on the are
LargeSt
Screen
IMAX® IMAX Corporation
Opens
Mar. 5
IMAX® Theatre Palisades Center—West Nyack, NY
4270 Palisades Center Drive; 4th Floor “thEATery” Level
Information: (845) 358-IMAX Groups: (845) 353-5555 x200
Showtimes & Advance Tickets: www.imax.com/palisades
Visit www.imax.com/palisades to purchase tickets and to access
our Facebook page for additional event information
March 2010
Sports
Page 19
Bergen’s Ping-pong Team
Carina Tesone
Co-Editor
NEW JERSEY CITY UNIVERSITY
EMPOWERED
INSTANT
DECISION
NJCU has everything you
need to succeed, personally
and professionally, in the
global economy.
DAYS
Attend and empower yourselff with an
answer before you leave campus
mpus and
we’ll waive your $35 application
plication fee!
TRANSFER TUESDAY
March 9 & 23 • April 6
3:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Transfer Students must bring to the
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
(HepburnHall, Room 207): Official
transcripts from all colleges attended,
completed application and an essay.
All transfer students must have
earned a minimum of 12 college
credits with a minimum grade
point average of 2.0.
TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT,
PLEASE CALL 866.586.7823
OR E-MAIL ADMISSIONS@NJCU.EDU
2039 KENNEDY BOULEVARD
JERSEY CITY, NJ 07305-1597
du
.e
U
JC
.N
U
ed
er
w
po
Em
Every spin had a specific tactic, every
serve had a calculated curve, and every
player displayed great sportsmanship that
is too often underestimated by a game of
Table Tennis (Ping-pong).
Bergen Community College Pingpong Club faced off against 10 universities
including Rutgers, Columbia, NYU, and
NJIT on February 28th, 2010 in the Big
Apple; New York City. This competition
was organized by The National Collegiate
Table Tennis Association (NCTTA)
whom hosted their bi-annual Ping-pong
tournament at the Fashion Institute of
Technology (FIT) for colleges in the New
York City Division.
“It’s our 4th time playing as a club
representing Bergen at a national level
competition and we’re feeling pretty
good,” began Giancarlo Tello, founder
and President of the Ping-pong Club.
“Our level of play has been increasing
every semester and I’m proud to say we
are ready to make an impact as one of
only 7 community colleges in the nation
that compete.” Four members attended,
including Tello, Adrian Marasigan,
Longfei Tu, and Tengfei Lu.
Tello began his club only about a
year ago, rallying many others to join.
Although the club does not have a coach,
that does not stop Tello from taking new
members under his wing and entering
tournaments.
“I began playing in high school, and
then started training at the Boys and Girls
Club of Newark,” Tello said. He competed
in the official USA League for a year
before focusing solely on College Table
Tennis.
The setup was simple: colleges versed
one another on dozens of ping-pong
tables, attaining as many victories as
they could for a chance to be considered
the “winner” and advancing to Nationals.
While some just played for fun, a select
few had begun to master the sport by
training professionally since childhood.
“I’ve competed in 3 tournaments
since fall 2008,” said Adrian Marasigan,
24, one of the club members. “I became
interested, because I really liked it,
but never played it seriously. During
competitions, Marasigan commented,
“It may seem intimidating at first but
everyone here is encouraging and being
nice about not having any formal training.
You learn a lot here because people give a
lot of helpful advice and tips.”
One exceptional player from Rutgers
University was Judy Hugh, 20, whose
mother, Lily Yip, played Table Tennis
in the Olympics. “My Mom played
professionally in China and then in the
U.S. for about 15 years,” began Hugh.
Yip started training Hugh when she was
8. As mother and daughter, they tried out
for the 2004 Olympics in doubles, but they
narrowly missed by one spot. Together,
they have won U.S. Open Titles, and since
college, Hugh has continued playing. “I
might as well since I had so much training
already,” she said. Since her sophomore
year, Hugh has been President of Rutgers
University Table Tennis Club. But as for
having her Mom in the Olympics, Hugh
stated, “It’s a lot to live up to.” Her mother,
brother, and stepdad all train and play
together.
One piece of advice Hugh gives to
other aspiring Ping-pong players is to
“Practice. Practice. Practice. At least 4-5
times a week if even to touch a paddle; it’s
better than 3 hours in one day a week.”
Another skillful player, Jike “Keke”
Sun, 20, from Baruch College was
professionally training in China at seven
years of age. “The training is very hard.
Before I didn’t like it, but after I quit, I
found it to be fun and find myself doing
better than before.” Taking pressure out
of the equation, having fun, and making
friends are what motivate Sun to play
Ping-pong.
Though Bergen has not broken into
one of the main contenders yet, the Pingpong Club continues to recruit, train,
and practice every week. To this date,
it has beaten a couple of major colleges
including Stevens University and FIT.
For more information about the NCTTA
tournament go to www.nctta.org where
the scores will be posted.
Lady Bulldogs in the Regional Championships
Carina Tesone
Co-Editor
The 2009 – 2010 Basketball Season
proved to be a challenging, yet rewarding
season for the Bergen Community College
Lady Bulldogs. Two good scrimmages and
two early league wins had them feeling
good about themselves. Unfortunately,
things got difficult, and by the winter
break, the Lady Bulldogs had stumbled and
bumbled to a four wins, nine loss record.
Undaunted, the Lady Bulls continued
their quest to the post season by winning
the next 13 of 15 hard-fought games and
winning a spot in the regional playoffs.
With the addition of Point Guard Ashley
Devaney, the Bulldogs have become a
3-guard, running, pressing, defensive
machine, that includes: Tanika “T” Mills,
Chelsea Sahler and Amanda “Amjay”
Jimenez; Center Hannah Jensen is a deadly,
accurate 3-point shooter; and Michaela
“Micky” Hayes provides the muscle and
clean-up work under the boards. Yojaira
“Yo” Orozco, Christina Rhyme, Nicole
“Nicky” Gotelli, and Yesenia Cruz ride
shotgun with 2nd team duties.
“It was hard work, but together, we
have grown into a team,” said Amanda
Amjay Jimenez, one of the Lady Bulldogs’
defensive specialists.
The Lady Bulldogs were 11-3 at
home, and from the start of the pivotal
game, the Lady Bulldogs jumped on the
Lady Vikings like wild, hungry dogs.
They made it clear to the Cumberland
Community College Lady Vikings, that
the dog pound is no easy place to play in
and an even harder place to win in. Lady
Bulldog Fanatics banged drums, yelled,
screamed and stomped their feet while the
Lady bulldogs and Lady Vikings went to
war. When it was over, the bulldogs had
chased, trapped and ran the Vikings down.
They would be the first team to fall, but
not without a gritty, determined, fight! A
clutch defensive play by Amjay sealed the
victory.
Final score, 64-62, Lady Bulldogs.
Season record, 16-8.
Ashley Devaney led all BCC scorers
with 21 points, Tanika Mills, added 16, and
Hannah Jensen finished with 9. Michaela
Hayes ruled the boards with 18 rebounds.
Gloucester County College Lady
Roadrunners, the last team standing
between a trip to Lackawanna College and
the end of the Lady Bulldog’s season, had
managed to out hustle the Lady Bulldogs
at their house a week ago and were feeling
confident about the upset. It was the battle
of the 3rd (us) and 6th(them) seeds.
“We’ve gotten better and smarter.”
Assistant Coach Lynne Gladstone said,
“We won’t make the same mistakes we
made at their house.”
Head Coach Tracy Green’s pregame
talk, was short and simple to the Lady
Bulldogs. “I’m not ready for our season to
be over and I want to go to Lackawanna,”
she declared. “I don’t think the league
respects us. Let’s make them respect us.
Let’s beat this team decisively and go to
Lackawanna!”
All in, hands held high together,
“BULLDOGS!!! RUFF!!”
Leading the chase, Tanika “T” Mills
lead all scorers with 27 points, Ashlyey
Devaney played a stellar game, scoring 16
points, handing out 6 assists and 5 steals.
Michaela “Micky” Hayes was a beast on
the boards, with 11 rebounds and 6 points.
Chelsea Sahler had 11 points and Hannah
Jensen contributed 5 points, Nicole
“Nicky” Gotelli came off the bench and
added 4 points and handed out 3 assists.
The Lady Bulldogs started the game
in their traditional 3/2 match-up zone. But
the excellent perimeter shooting of the
Lady Roadrunners, quickly forced them
out of it; with both teams playing tough, in
your face, run you into a hard pick, woman
to woman defense. Three-pointers by the
Lady Roadrunners kept the game close in
the first half, but it was only a matter of
time before the chase-and-trap, push-andpressure defense wore the Roadrunners
down.
Final score: 71-46, Lady Bulldogs.
“Who’s house? Our House!!, Where we
goin’!? Lackawanna!!
PHOTOS BY KAREN HU
March 2010
WWW.BERGEN.EDU/THETORCH
VOLUME - 17
ISSUE - 2
Men’s Basketball Team Clinch Undefeated Season
Their Time is...NOW!!!
Carlo Santelli
Sports Editor
With a clear claim as the supreme
team of the land, Bergen Community
College’s Men’s Basketball team
completed an unblemished 30-0 season
on Thursday, February 18th with a 9275 victory over the Cumberland County
Dukes.
The Bulldogs now head into the
Region XIX playoffs as the top ranked
team in the National Junior Collegiate
Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division
III poll. Their road to a national crown
commences Monday, February 22
at Lackawanna College in Scranton,
P.A, and assuming the men in purple
continue their winning ways, they will
be competing March 11-13 in Delhi, N.Y.
for a NJCAA Division III National Title.
Despite their undefeated season,
Bulldog’s Coach Sean Kelly, along with
his roster, seemed hungry for more, as
they headed into the playoffs.
"We may be undefeated, but we are
still unaccomplished," the fourth year
coach said. "We have a lot of work to do
to get where we want to be."
In their season ending bout, the
Bulldogs used a second half surge to
break away in front of a rowdy and vocal
home crowd. Sophomore David West
led the home team with a 20 point effort,
as four Bergen players scored in the
PHOTOS BY KAREN HU
double-digits.
West is the team leader in points per
game with 17.5 this season, yet, the team
is quite balanced, and receives an even
contribution from all its players.
"We don't run a star system here,"
Kelly pointed out.
Indeed Bergen’s top scorer, West,
has plenty of support from the team’s
top rebounder, Elgin Brown, the top
assistor, Jimmy Schmitt with an average
of 7.1 assists per game, as well as the
team’s lead blocker, Jayvon Beaty who
completed the regular season with 1.9
blocks a game.