ommunitarian - Delaware County Community College

C ommunitarian
The
Volume 12, No. 3
Happy Thanksgiving from your favorite campus newspaper!
Executive
Editor Joe Smith
goes behind the
scenes at a Flyers
game.
See Page 3
DCCC maintenance man
works magic with discarded
pieces of wood.
See Page 2
November 26, 2008
The DCCC Golf
Team had a great
season and came in
second place at the
EPCC Championship.
See Page 7
Going under the knife
with Nurse Pearsall
By Laura Pizzuto
Staff writer
One’s first impression of Elizabeth “B.J.” Pearsall, R.N.,
BSN, a professor of perioperative nursing at Delaware County
Community College, is that she is exactly the type of person that
could comfort a patient’s anxieties about having surgery.
This self described “healer” has kind eyes and a sensitive
demeanor when she speaks about her experiences in nursing.
She is also a 10-year survivor of breast cancer and has undergone
surgeries herself.
“It helped me put myself in the patient’s place,” said Pearsall
about her surgery experience. “It has given me more empathy
and I am more attuned to the patient’s fears.”
Pearsall has been teaching at DCCC for more than 10 years.
She enjoys being a part of DCCC’s Allied Health and Nursing
program and working with Jane Rothrock, RN D.N.Sc., the head
of the perioperative nursing and surgical technology program,
she said.
“I like the atmosphere of academia,” Pearsall said.
Nursing and Allied Health are two of the most popular majors
Elizabeth Pearsall, R.N., BSN, feels at home near
the operating table.
(Photo by Laura Pizzuto)
for DCCC students. Nursing is a growing and secure industry
for students to enter, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics,
which reports that registered nurses have the largest number of
healthcare jobs, with 2.5 million jobs in the United States.
Registered nurses also have one of the largest growing
occupations in the United States and are expected to generate
about 587,000 new jobs from 2006-2019. Around 59 percent of
these jobs are in hospitals, the BLS reports.
Nursing jobs in physician’s offices and home health care
services are expected to grow considerably faster then in hospitals
because more procedures, including surgery, are being done on
an outpatient basis, in or outside of hospitals, according to the
BLS.
An average of two perioperative nurses per surgical
technologist is needed per surgery, according to the National
Center for Biotechnology Information.
Pearsall was attracted to nursing because she thought it was
a secure field, she said.
Pearsall has 31 years of experience in nursing at Taylor
Hospital. She has been working in the operating room, better
known as the OR, since 1985. She also worked in the intensive
care unit for eight years.
See NURSE on Page 6
DCCC veterans group hosts reception
By Walbert Young
Staff writer
The Armed Forces Information and Networking
Association hosted a reception on Veterans’ Day to
recognize, support and show appreciation for veterans
who attend DCCC. About 30 students and faculty
members attended the event, which was held in the
café on main campus.
The association has been working to reestablish its
presence after being out of service since the Vietnam
War, members said. The number of veterans in the
school is rapidly increasing and approaching levels
not seen since the late 1970s, said former Army Sgt.
Michael Clifford, 26, veteran and vice president of the
association.
The association’s primary mission, according to
Clifford’s wife, former Army Cpl. Victoria Clifford,
25, is to “ease the tension and frustration” that DCCC
veterans face upon their return to civilian life by
informing them of available benefits and helping them
to network with other veterans.
Victoria Clifford is the president of the
association.
Michael Clifford said he had a difficult time
returning to the workforce in November 2005 after
spending nearly five years in the service. His transition
was particularly difficult, he believes, because his
return home coincided with the beginning of the
Michael and Victoria Clifford are joined by David Castor at
current recession.
a reception held in the campus Cafe on Veterans’ Day. The
“It was a real uphill battle,” he said, “not knowing
three veterans are the executive officers of the Armed Forces
what programs were specifically engineered for
Information and Networking Association.
veterans.”
The Cliffords, both of whom spent time in Iraq
(Photo by Walbert Young)
and, most recently, Germany said they are committed
to helping veterans readjust to society through the
association. They are aided by faculty advisor and
Vietnam veteran Michael Sidoti and David Castor, a
student association officer and liaison to Congressman
Joseph Sestak.
While attendees enjoyed cookies, crackers, cheese
and pretzel nuggets, they picked up several handouts
from a one-inch stack that outlined the benefits and
services available to veterans, as well as their eligibility
requirements. The benefits range from health care
to housing loans, and are offered by agencies on the
local, state and federal level.
The association’s goal, in the very near future, is to
have an easy-to-navigate Web site “instead of a table
full of papers,” Victoria Clifford said. At the reception,
members signed a guest book so they could be notified
of future events and other important information.
During the mid 1970s, the veterans club was the
largest club on campus, according to DCCC faculty
member Dennis Davis. Student veterans, Professors
Linda Durkin and Labron Shuman, and financial
aid adviser Annette Kelly were instrumental in
reactivating the organization, now referred to as an
association, nearly a year ago when they planted a tree
in dedication of Veterans’ Day, said Durkin.
The association is still relatively small, but its
officers believe this will change soon. They stressed
that the association is not only for veterans, but also
for anyone who knows a veteran.
“We want to cast a net out to as many as will grab
onto it,” Michael Clifford said.
Contact Walbert Young at
communitarian@mail.dccc.edu
Page 2
November 26, 2008
CAMPUS LIFE
An artist in our midst
By Catherine Gledhill
Staff writer
DCCC maintenance man Richard Doney remembers the day
his doctor told him, “You’ll never use your hands again.”
After a head-on car collision, Doney experienced paralysis
on the right side of his body, in addition to the severe damage of
his hands. Although he was one year away from graduating as a
machinist, he was unable to complete his certificate because of
his injuries.
So 32 years ago, Doney took a job as a Delaware County
Community College maintenance man, hoping that mopping
would strengthen the right side of his injured body.
Now Doney is a self proclaimed “mopjockey,” whose hands are worn and rough from
sculpting and molding wood into functional
art.
Those same hands delicately perform the
whittling and smoothing of tiny pieces of art,
collected and stored in many a customer’s home.
Doney also taught a wood carving class his first 10
years at DCCC. When he became interested in carving wood,
Doney said he didn’t know where to begin.
So he created a course for students who wanted to learn how
to carve wood, but didn’t know how to get started. His hope was
to inspire and guide others through a process he had traveled
alone.
Eventually, he was forced to stop teaching so that he could
devote all his energy and focus toward his father, who was
diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
Doney exhibited his work while caring for his ailing father.
Through the years, his work has won countless first, second or
third place ribbons at the Media Art Fair.
Doney creates his winning pieces in a barn’s renovated horse
stall decorated with stained glass windows. He tore down the
walls and insulated the 9 foot by 18 foot space, producing his
own studio.
These hand-carved wooden bowls are created by
designer and maintenance man Richard Doney
(Photos courtesy of Richard Doney)
“If I take a deep breath,” he joked. “I’m touching the walls.”
There in his studio he patiently plans, cuts and glues his
work. First, a chunk of wood 15 inches in diameter is cut. Next
he cuts two fitches, or halves, 15 inches long. His salad bowls are
constructed of two halves glued together, creating what is called
a bowl blank disc.
Next he puts the bowl blank on a band saw and cuts it into a
disc. A face plate is attached to the lathe, a machine used to turn a
subject while being shaped by other tools. He then roughs out the
shape of the bowl. The walls are left about an inch thick.
Doney applies a coat of green wood sealer, which keeps the
wood from cracking and warping. After approximately three
months, equilibrium is achieved and the wood has shed its water
weight.
He puts the bowl back on the lathe and power sands it. Up to
a day may pass each time the bowl is oiled before the bowl can be
sanded again. He alternates power sanding with oiling, until the
oil has completely permeated the wood.
The exterior can be buffed to a silky finish and or notched, a
process used to texture the exterior with divots. A unique piece is
produced each time.
Last summer, he planted a community garden on the estate,
where he rents his studio from another tenant, whose children
help care for the garden, working and learning beside Doney.
“We grew tomatoes, beets, sweet potatoes, carrots and
broccoli,” he said, adding, he’s thinking of building a green house
in the future to house the garden year round.
He enjoys creating and working with resources from the
earth, especially local resources. His philosophy stems from a
time when “people grew their own gardens,” he said.
He also commented on the number of unhappy people in
the world. Despite an overabundance of instant gratification,
Doney said people are still left feeling “empty and dissatisfied.”
Being able to do something for yourself is more interesting and
rewarding, he said.
Doney draws inspiration from nature and all that surrounds
him. He searches the landscape for elegant organic forms that
he can replicate in wood. He has mimicked the shape of nature,
following the line, building the contour, influencing the curve,
casting the essence in sculpted wood.
He peruses the local area, constantly seeking to replenish
his stock of wood. When someone has a tree cut down he will
approach the individual and offer a proposal.
One such barter produced a set of salad bowls for a mother.
Her son was marrying soon. She lamented the loss of the tree
Doney wished to take, telling of the years her son had spent
climbing from branch to branch while still a small boy.
The tree became a salad bowl set, a wedding gift, and a piece
of someone’s childhood forever commemorated in a functional
piece of art.
Doney tries to educate people about wood, including its care,
purpose, and enduring quality. He wants people to appreciate the
medium.
“It’s not just something that drops leaves on your property,”
he said. “I look at a tree and think look at all those salad bowls.”
He feels most rewarded when customers approach him and
say how Doney’s piece is even more beautiful today then it
was 20 years ago when they bought it.
His infatuation with wood began as a 10-year-old
boy, crafting skis, stilts, house signs and benches, in
elementary woodshop. Through the years his skills
have transitioned him from carpenter to craftsman to
artist.
His work is priced from $10 for a bottle stopper to $65 for a
salad bowl. The most popular item is the salad bowl sets, Doney
said. He sells so many bowls he’s been told he should write a
salad dressing book.
Another customer told Doney if he bought anymore bowls
he’d have to build an addition on to his house.
Doney’s most valued piece resides in the Temple Chapel
in Philadelphia. He was contracted to repair and replace the
decorative wood supports also known as finales or corbels, which
run perpendicular to the chapel ceiling.
Whether large or small, Doney said, he puts the same quality
workmanship into all his work. “I try to go the extra distance,” he
said, “in all that I do.”
Doneys’ work can be seen at the upcoming Wayne Art Show,
which includes the “Reflections of Radnor Township” exhibit. It
runs from mid-February through March 2009. He has won the
“Reflections of Radnor Township Award” two years in a row.
Retirement is looming in the future for Doney. He smiles and
talks of exploring new avenues, continually learning, expanding,
and perhaps building a Web site, maybe some teaching.
Wood and all that it entails for Doney will follow him
wherever his path may turn, he said. “I love carving wood,” he
added. “Money doesn’t come into it.”
His motto is that if you do something you love, you will
always find happiness.
“Everybody shines at something,” he said. “That’s what they
should do.”
Contact Catherine Gledhill at
communitarian@mail.dccc.edu
Theater troupe brings
Shakespeare to life
By Katy O’Dwyer
Staff writer
Carrying her letter in hand, Malvolio seeks his mistress, the countess Olivia, to embrace her
confession of love. “Sweet lady, ho, ho,” he greets the object of his affection, displaying the yellow
stockings she presumably admired in a letter.
But his display of affection is in vain because someone else wrote the letter. The tricky maid
and uncle of the countess forged Olivia’s handwriting as a joke, and Malvolio is thrown into a jail
cell for making advances toward Olivia.
Such farcical scenes were brought to life on stage by the DCCC student theater troupe in a
somewhat modernized performance of William Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” which ran from
Nov. 12 through the 22 in the large auditorium on the Marple Campus in Media.
“Twelfth Night” is set on the ancient Mediterranean island Illyria and mostly centers around
Viola, a shipwrecked woman whose identity is masked by men’s clothing while she searches for her
twin brother, all the while posing as one of Duke Orsino’s gentlemen.
Cross dressing, mistaken identity, trickery, and unrequited love pepper this classic Elizabethan
comedy, and the actors here seem eager to take on the task of performing the difficult piece.
The director, theater professor Stephen Smith, wants to make Delaware County Community
College a destination for the arts, he said. “Twelfth Night” and the first DCCC Performing Arts
Festival are two projects attempting to do that, he added.
Because of his ties to many theater schools and independent troupes, as well as years of
experience as a professional actor and director, Smith believes he has the ability to beef up DCCC’s
theater scene.
“We’ve just started a Shakespeare course,” Smith said, because he feels Shakespeare’s plays
are something every actor should know how to perform.
“This is my first Shakespeare play,” said Greg Friedrick, 19, who plays Valentino.
Most of the actors in “Twelfth Night” are in one of Smith’s theater classes. “All my theater
Terence Salmon, Mario Canavarro, and Nick Roscioli as Sir Andrew Aguecheek,
Feste the Clown, and Sir Toby Belch.
(Photo by Rowland Barnum)
students are required to see the play,” Smith said, though enrollment in a theater class is not required
to perform in a production.
“I’m not a big Shakespeare actor,” said Michael Tambon, 21, who plays Antonio. “[But] the
director really knows how to work with students, and explains everything [about the play] to us.”
All performers said that working with Smith was their favorite part of acting at DCCC, second
to working with their fellow cast members.
“I like the cast,” said Friedrick, a first semester liberal arts major who is acting in his first
DCCC production. “We all have a good chemistry,” he said.
Contact Katy O’Dwyer at
communitarian@mail.dccc.edu
November 26, 2008 Page 3
An Evening of Wine
and Body Checks
By Joe Smith
Executive Editor
“Dave Schultz is going to break my head
open,” I couldn’t help thinking. “I’m going to
get beaten senseless by an ex-Flyer in the middle
of a wine tasting, of all things.”
If there’s one guideline I try to stick by,
it’s never to annoy someone nicknamed “The
Hammer.” I was breaking this rule by snagging
Schultz for a photo-op after he had just waded
through a gaggle of fans, signing autographs.
Which is exactly when my camera decided
to die on me.
When I accepted an invitation to represent
The Communitarian at a Philadelphia Flyers
game, this was not how I envisioned my night
would begin. But there I was, standing in the
Wachovia Center’s Cadillac Grille, two hours
before face-off, ready to accept the dent in my
skull that was surely coming.
Fortunately for me, Shultz’s fearsome
reputation,
built
upon
routine
facial
rearrangements of his opponents’ faces, does
not extend to college newspaper reporters with
busted cameras.
“Don’t worry about it,” Schultz said. “We’ll
try it again once you get it worked out.”
As he walked away, I took a moment to
appreciate his congeniality before resuming
my duties as a reporter. For the time being, that
meant taking part in the unveiling of signature
wines from both Schultz and fellow legend
Bobby Clarke.
The Cadillac Grille, although certainly
appropriate for the event, couldn’t be further
removed from my usual experience at a Flyers
game. The muted, purple-tinged lighting, threepiece jazz band, and plates overflowing with
gourmet cheese were a far cry from the drunken
revelry that I’m used to amidst the mob in the
seats.
For my part, I sampled the wine and food, and
generally tried to look and act like I knew what
I was doing. I must have been doing something
right, because at one point somebody confuses
me with a member of NHL Productions.
They should be so lucky.
After an hour or so, the band mercifully
ended their set and the event began to wind
down. It’s at this point that team publicist Shauna
Adams asked if I’d like to see some of things that
go on behind the scenes at a Flyers game. I said
yes, of course, and beneath my calm exterior, I
was smiling from ear to ear.
Our first stop, after a short but cramped
elevator ride and a walk through the surprisingly
calm press area, was the control room. It was
sparsely lit, the main source of illumination
being the endless array of computer and TV
monitors that control the lighting, sounds, and
other aspects of the arena. The dozen or so
employees barely noticed me, so deep were they
in concentration, as they prepared for the game,
less than an hour away.
I left the control room and was led down to
the lower levels of the arena. The corridors that
honeycomb the arena aren’t the dingy messes
that sports films might lead one to expect. The
carpeting, neutral paint job, and framed pictures
could be right out of any office building.
That is, until the hallway opens up on a
wide concrete surface, still wet from the melted
ice dripping from the recently used Zamboni
Above, a view from the press box shows Flyers fans enjoying highlights of
previous hockey fights. Below, many hockey fans dream of driving the Zamboni
during a game. This is as close as Joe will get.
(Photos by Brian McGroarty/Courtesy of Shauna Adams)
machines that dominate the space. This is the
tunnel area that leads directly onto the ice surface,
spitting distance from all of the spectacular goals,
brutal hits, and eye-popping saves that I’ve seen
both on TV and in person.
While I explored the area, Adams asked
me if I wanted to sit on the Zamboni, fulfilling
a wish that anyone who has ever picked up a
hockey stick no doubt shares. As I clambered
down, trying desperately not to break anything
on the multimillion dollar piece of machinery, I
noticed a familiar face walk by.
Flyers television analyst Steve Coates was
on his cell phone, trying to determine where he
is going to be for his next assignment.
Leaving Coatesy and the Zambonis behind,
I found myself in the area designated for the
post game press conferences, which is a lot
smaller than you’d think. I can only imagine
how cramped it gets after games, choked with
reporters asking questions of the players and
coaches.
We made our way out to the concourse area,
and along the way, it hit me that every single
person I’ve met has been incredibly nice, from
Flyers personnel to the elevator operators to
former players such as Gary Dornhoefer and
Bob “The Hound” Kelley.
I thought this over as I took a short break,
eating a delicious, if overpriced, pretzel. It was
a welcome break too, because I’m out of shape
and had been walking around a lot.
“One of the good things about working here
is that you definitely get your exercise,” Adams
said.
With the game about to begin, we made our
way back to the tunnel. It was now bustling with
activity. Officials from the NHL and the arena
crew were milling about, and I was careful not to
get in anybody’s way.
Through the opening onto the ice, I could
see that the lights have been brought down in
the arena. Someone let out a sharp whistle, and
the referees for the game made their way onto
the playing surface. As a hockey fan, I had the
urge to boo them on the spot, but I erred on the
side of professionalism and bit my tongue. One
of the crew members pulled a black curtain over
the opening as the players hit the ice from the
locker rooms.
The players were introduced, and it was time
for the national anthem. As Lauren Hart began
her stunning rendition of “The Star Spangled
Banner,” Adams motioned for me to peek
around the curtain, and I was greeted with quite
a sight: Hart, bathed in spotlight, before a crowd
of 20,000 fans. From where I was, I could almost
imagine all those eyes pointed down on me.
After the lights came back on — and with
a grin still plastered on my face — I was nearly
floored when Hart graciously let me take a picture
with her. No sooner had I started mugging for
the camera than perhaps the loudest foghorn in
creation blared out behind me. Simon Gagne had
just scored, giving the Flyers a 1-0 lead less than
a minute into the game.
“That’s a good sign,” Hart said. “Maybe
you’re good luck.”
I have since considered asking Flyers
management to let me hang out in the tunnel for
every game, for the good of the team.
With the game underway, I made my way
back to the press box. It was much busier than
an hour previous, with media personnel, Flyers
staff, and scratched players making use of the
area.
After taking full advantage of the
complimentary snacks, I looked for a spot from
which to watch the rest of the game. The space
reserved for Flyers press was full of reporters
hunched over their laptops, so I sat down in
enemy, but not exactly hostile, territory.
Hunched over the short glass partition in
the uppermost area of the arena, I had a much
different view of the crowd than 15 minutes
earlier.
While admiring the view, it wasn’t long
before I was nearly blasted out of my seat by
announcer Lou Nolan. You see, the speakers
that pipe out the announcements, music, and
sound effects for the whole arena are hung from
the ceiling, and positioned in such a way as to
maximize hearing damage for those in the press
box.
Remember that unbelievably loud horn?
Thanks to a Mike Knuble goal with 20 seconds
left in the first period, my hearing may never
fully recover.
Over the remaining two periods, I watched
as the Flyers downed the Atlanta Thrashers 4-3.
But the game was secondary to the things I saw
before the puck even dropped.
As I walked to my car, readying myself for
the joys of post game traffic, I realized that most
fans will never get to explore the stadium like
I did, see the things I saw, or meet the people
I met.
Of course, the next time I go to a Flyers
game, I’ll be sitting in the same old upper level
seats I’ve grown accustomed to. But while my
vantage point will not be any different than it has
been over the years, the view will never be the
same.
Contact Joe Smith at
communitarian@mail.dccc.edu
3
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Page 4
November 26, 2008
EDITORIAL
Show respect
for the new president
By Anthony Leone
Graphic Design Editor
Maybe it’s a generational thing. The
previous generation was fighting two
unpopular wars: a combative one in Vietnam
and a civil rights one on the home front.
More than 40 years ago, that young
generation was split into two groups: one
showing respect for the establishment and the
other spitting in its eye.
And as time went by, it seems as if each
new generation grew bolder in showing
disrespect with elected leaders to the point
where it went beyond petty remarks to
downright nasty comments.
These new attitudes have become
increasingly brazen and shameful towards the
president in recent years.
Many Americans, sadly, were atrocious
and downright belligerent to President George
W. Bush these last eight years, as a recent
example.
Many have allowed their political bias to
take over, causing them to call Bush stupid, a
murderer and a warmonger, with little regard
to the fact that he is the President of the United
States of America.
A lot of these same people have childishly
said that he is not their president because they
did not elect him.
And sadly, this same immature demeanor
has unjustly been aimed at President-Elect
Barack Obama. Because certain people cannot
see beyond either his skin color or simply his
political beliefs, they have already said that he
is not their president.
This type of ignorance is being spread
far and wide, from liberals to conservatives,
from politicians to voters. It’s the increasing
political bias of the people that is creating
this near socially accepted disrespect for any
elected official.
Believe it or not, there was once a time
in this country when saying a discouraging
word about any U.S. president would result
in a bloody nose by anyone, despite his party
affiliation.
But where is that respect now? We must
respect whoever is in office, whether we have
voted for that person or not. Yes, we can
disagree with the president. We would not
be called Americans if we ignored our First
Amendment rights and kept silent about things
we do not agree with. It was not what our
forefathers fought for.
However, there is a strong, bold line
between disagreeing and being disrespectful.
We must bring back that level of respect to
our elected officials, especially the ones we
disagree with most. If not, it just furthers
hateful feelings and severely slows the healing
process this country desperately needs.
So I welcome, respect and honor Barack
Obama as my new president. But I will also
respectfully disagree with any of his policies
and decisions with which I may take issue.
Hopefully, all of my fellow Americans will
do the same in welcoming Barack Obama into
the White House as commander-in-chief. After
all, it’s the respectful thing to do.
Contact Anthony Leone at
communitarian@mail.dccc.edu
The Communitarian is produced by both
current and former students of Fundamentals of Journalism II in collaboration with Campus Life and published at
Delaware County Community College.
Students who would like to write for
the campus newspaper and have already
completed Fundamentals of Journalism
I should register for Fundamentals of
Journalism II (ENG 131). Students who
have completed both classes are welcome
back to join the senior staff. For more
information, see Bonnie McMeans in
Room 4311, call 610-359-5271, or send
an e-mail to bmcmeans@dccc.edu or
communitarian@mail.dccc.edu.
Joe Smith
Executive Editor
Lisa Foreman
Managing Editor
Anthony Leone
Graphic Design Editor
Lilach Assayag
Web Editor
Time to get rid of the Electoral College?
Feeling relief now that Election Day is
finally over? Think again. The real election
won’t take place until Dec. 15. That’s when
the Electoral College meets to pick the winner
— and it hasn’t always been the candidate with
the highest number of popular votes.
The popular vote is for a slate of representatives to the Electoral College, where the
electors choose the next president.
More than once, the candidate with the
highest number of popular votes has come up
short, thanks to the way votes are distributed
by states on a winner-take-all basis. The last
time was in 2000, when Al Gore lost to George
W. Bush despite receiving 543,816 more popular votes.
Isn’t it time to get rid of this horse-andbuggy-era political contraption?
The theory behind the Electoral College
was that it would create a rough balance between states with large and small populations.
Without such protection, small states feared
that they would be overlooked as presidential
candidates campaigned in states with the most
voters.
Because it was the states that created the
central government, this made sense to the
framers of the Constitution.
In the modern era, however, it’s the
states with some of the highest populations
— California, New York and Texas among
them — that usually are ignored because the
outcomes in those states are considered a done
deal. Indeed, Florida is the most populous state
to enjoy — if that is the right word — a real
presidential campaign, because it’s a swing
state.
These days, candidates focus almost
entirely on a few states where the race is
close, regardless of size, thanks to the Electoral College. In 2004, President Bush and
Sen. John Kerry spent almost 90 percent of
their campaign time and money in fewer than
a dozen states. This tends to depress turnout
in states that are overlooked. It discourages
potential voters who believe their vote has no
real significance.
Giving swing states more clout is inherently undemocratic. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla.,
says it also violates the basic principle of one
man, one vote. He’s right. Sen. Nelson wants
to get rid of the Electoral College through a
constitutional amendment.
That, however, would require a two-thirds’
majority in Congress and approval of 37 state
legislatures, an almost impossible political
obstacle.
There is another way. Four states — Hawaii, Illinois, New Jersey and Maryland — already have passed bills to cast their state’s
electoral votes for the winner of the national
popular vote. This would take effect when
states with an electoral majority — 270 of the
538 electoral votes — also have passed such
laws.
The sooner we are rid of the Electoral College, the more representative our democracy
will be.
(c) 2008, The Miami Herald. Visit The Miami
Herald Web edition on the World Wide Web at
http://www.herald.com
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information
Services.
Laura Pizzuto
Junior Editor
Reporters
Katy O’Dwyer
Catherine Gledhill
Donald Wood Jr.
Walbert Young
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November 26, 2008 Page 5
COMMENTARY
Learn some manners
and respect
“World f--king champions!” yelled Phillies
second baseman Chase Utley at the World
Series Championship
celebration held at
By
Citizens Bank Park
Catherine Gledhill
Oct. 31.
No doubt
intoxicated with
adrenaline and pride, the all-star baseball hero
made quite the verbal faux pas.
Philadelphia had finally won a
championship. I can understand Utley’s error;
but, on the other hand, I can’t. In times of
anger, extreme joy, and high levels of stress, the
all encompassing word “f--k” bursts forth.
It’s just a word, people say.
But growing up, I was taught manners and
respect.
If I wanted a cookie, I had better say
“please” and “thank you” and deliver it with a
Broadway smile or it was no cookie for me.
I was taught not to mouth off to adults,
to listen to my teachers, and to never curse.
Even saying “fudge” was not an acceptable
replacement term for the commonly used fword that peppers my ears daily in today’s
society.
My father would say, “You may as well say
the real word because either word will earn you
a slap.”
I sound like a grandma, but perhaps
Grandma was right. Maybe things were better
back then.
When I sit and watch America’s youth
stroll past making their way home from school,
they spout foul language.
“F--k this and f--k that!” they holler.
“Suzy sucked Johnny’s d--k!” they scream,
oblivious to the elderly, other adults, and even
children.
Cars speed past and obscenities loud and
rancorous entwine and twist to the beat as they
trail behind the moving vehicle, their notes
ending where they may.
How about the man who flips you the bird
and machine guns a few hundred curses in your
direction while you’re driving?
Please. If you wouldn’t say it to your
mother, don’t say it to me.
I recently encountered a fellow cursing
loudly. The f-word substituted for the noun,
verb and adjective.
I approached the man and asked, “Why so
much cursing?”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t realize
there were ladies around.”
The irony is, a woman standing beside him
was delivering a speech that started with the
infamous f-word.
I suppose, in all fairness, I should have
approached her too, but I don’t think I would
have received the same answer. She most
likely would have told me to “F--k off!”
Unfortunately, when people talk this way
they sound ignorant. This is not the way
educated people speak. Their sentences do not
require the f-word to be completed.
Clearly, one’s vocabulary is lacking if curse
words are the only way to get your message
across.
Some will say it’s a matter of free speech.
We are free to say as we please, just as we are
free to disagree with one’s way of speaking.
But the issue isn’t about freedom; it’s about
class and whether we wish to appear illmannered or uneducated.
When and how did this notorious word
become commonplace?
The rise, acceptance and prominence of
cursing have many contributing factors.
Parents allow their children to partake in
too many adult activities, entertainment, and
more. They should remember that a movie
is rated R for a reason, along with the video
games and music clearly labeled for adults.
Commercials and music on television
and radio drip with sex, crime, and explicit
language, with little censorship despite young
audiences.
When I went to high school, cursing at
one’s teacher earned a student a few days of
suspension. Now it is nothing unusual.
This is unacceptable. We are supposed to
become more advanced with time. Civilization
is supposed to evolve and move toward loftier
goals.
So why are some people speaking like they
are uncivilized?
We forget that as manners and respect fade
and become obsolete, so does the respect we
have for ourselves. Each time we’re vulgar or
crude, we strip away our own character.
Vulgar language is rude and disrespectful.
Vulgar language is classless and ignorant.
Above all, some of us have forgotten what
it is to be polite. We need a refresher course on
manners.
Contact Catherine Gledhill at
communitarian@mail.dccc.edu
Get your quills out, the Edith Garlow Memorial Poetry contest is here
FIRST PRIZE: $1000 SECOND PRIZE: $800
THIRD PRIZE: $400
CONTEST RULES:
1. All contestants must be currently enrolled in a college or
university in Delaware or Chester County.
2. Each contestant may submit only one poem, a work of his
or her own creation.
3. The poem must employ a definite metrical and/or rhyming
pattern.
4. The submitted poem must be typed in conventional
manuscript form and identified on the reverse side of the
sheet(s) by the contestant’s name, name of college or
university, student number, home mailing address, e-mail
address, telephone number and signature in ink. No other
format will be accepted.
5. Submissions must be mailed to Gina Gennari c/o Delaware
County Community College, 901 S. Media Line Rd.,
Media, Pa., 19063, and postmarked no later than January
30, 2009.
6. Contest Winners will be announced in April 2009.
7. Winners will receive their prizes and read their poems
during a reception at DCCC in April 2009.
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877-518-6486
#2008
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Page 6
November 26, 2008
Kids experience homelessness first hand
By Joan Verdon
The Record (Hackensack N.J.)
(MCT)
HACKENSACK, N.J. — Fifty-five
temporarily homeless teenagers huddled
against the cold in cardboard huts on the
grounds of Paramus Catholic High School on
Sunday night. The teens were homeless by
choice to show support for those who have no
choice but to be homeless.
The outdoor sleepover is intended to
increase the students’ empathy for the less
fortunate. But participants said the economy is
already doing that, by making them realize how
quickly someone’s fortunes can change from
good to bad.
“There’s a lot of people who didn’t think
they’d ever be homeless, but if you lose your
job on Wall Street it could be you out there,
too,” said Matt Sartori, 18, of Lodi, N.J., a
Paramus (N.J.) High School graduate. You don’t
have to look hard to see growing numbers of
Anthony Valente and Zach Zoccolli, 16 year-old juniors from Paramus Catholic
High School in Paramus, New Jersey, repair cardboard sleeping areas after the
wind had knocked them down. Students slept and ate outside to learn what it
is like to be homeless.
(Kevin R. Wexler/The Record/MCT)
homeless, said Sartori, a freshman at Seton
How to create
an inexpensive
gift basket
By Catherine Gledhill
Staff writer
With recent drops in consumer sales, shoppers are tightening their budgets. So you may
be fretting over the cost of gift giving this coming holiday season.
But don’t despair. Homemade gifts and goodies are a caring and inexpensive way to say
“Happy Holidays.”
Follow these easy steps to create your own holiday gift basket. Whether you decide
to bake a sweet treat or wrap a thoughtful gift in colorful packaging, the result will be well
received.
Gather your Materials
You will need a basket, plastic basket bag, ribbon, packing material, tags, hole puncher,
gifts and scissors.
Choose your Gift
“With less money to spend this year, your gifts should be well chosen,” said Verjin
Kazanjian, an employee of Soprano’s Trattoria and Caterers in Broomall.
Kazanjian makes gift baskets year round, stuffed with imported Italian goods.
Unfortunately, Soprano’s gift baskets could be a bit pricey for the working student.
So Kazanjian suggests that you “think personal, not price” when filling your own basket.
The thought you put into the gift is more important than the price you pay, she said.
A basket filled with favorite cookies or candies shows you listened and cared, she added.
If you can’t afford certain items, you can make them at home.
Choose your Basket
It’s important to pick the right size. “Too big will leave the gifts floating and will look
sloppy,” Kazanjian said.
She recommends color coordinating the basket and wrapping because the overall
appearance is important.
According to “Betty Crocker Christmas Cookbook,” jars, cans, bottles, bags, and boxes
are another unique way to package your homemade gift.
Choose your Packing and Ribbon
Materials used for packing come in a variety of shapes, colors, and designs. Silver stars,
gold bells and spun colored packing are popular options.
Ribbons come in thick, thin, bright, dull, silk, satin, velvet and more. The choice in design
is endless. Be sure to coordinate the packing with the basket and ribbon.
Also, choose your ribbon with the recipient in mind. If the person is conservative, “you
don’t buy a flashy ribbon,” Kazanjian said.
Make your Tag
Handmade tags can be constructed of card stock, old cards, magazine pictures, glitter,
colored pens and markers.
A handmade tag gives you more control over the message, but a carefully chosen store
bought card will [also] do,” Kazanjian said.
Fill your Basket
First, place the packing in the basket. Next, organize your gifts in a pleasing composition.
Work from big to small or alternate colors and shapes to add contrast and texture. Now fill in
empty space with extra packing or small filler items such as hard candies.
Package your Basket
Place your basket in the center of the plastic basket bag. Tie off the top with a rubber band
or a twist tie. Measure and cut the ribbon, leaving excess at the end for the bow. Now, trim
the plastic bag to size.
Next, tie the ribbon around the twist or band and then tie a bow. You can experiment with
the type of bow you tie.
“Double tie big or small, curled ends” all make for a pretty touch, Kazanjian added.
Attach your Tag
Punch a hole in the tag; then pull the ribbon through. If the ribbon is too large, add some
curly ribbon to attach the tag.
Many of these supplies are available at A.C. Moore. “There are tools and materials for
every gift idea,” said Rob Armenio, an employee at A.C. Moore in Broomall.
For inexpensive store bought gifts and fillers, shop outlet stores or dollar stores.
“Have fun and don’t worry if it isn’t perfect,” Kazanjian said. “It’s because you made it
that they’ll love it.”
For more information read the “Betty Crocker Cookbook” available in book stores or visit
www.homemadegiftbasketideas.com.
Contact Catherine Gledhill at
communitarian@mail.dccc.edu
Hall University. “I can walk two blocks off
campus and see homeless people at the Dunkin’
Donuts.”
Sartori was one of a handful of
Paramus Catholic grads who showed up to
encourage the students. They’ve had their
consciousness raised by helping hand out
food and toiletries in twice-monthly visits
to areas in New York City where homeless
people congregate. The trips are coordinated by
Paramus Catholic’s Dean of Campus Ministry
Joseph Wilson, along with Bridges Outreach, a
homeless support non-profit based in Summit,
N.J.
Lois Bhatt, the executive director of Bridges
Outreach, visited the Paramus Catholic box city
Sunday and said the need for services for the
homeless is growing every day.
“We’ve seen the demand for help increase
over the last couple of months,” as the economy
has cratered, she said. “People who have parttime jobs are losing hours and people who are
day laborers are seeing those jobs drying up.”
The Paramus Catholic teens arrived at
the school midday Sunday, with refrigerator
and appliance boxes they or their parents had
scrounged from Route 17 stores. They then
staked out spots in a section of the school
grounds sheltered from Sunday’s gusty winds
by a stand of trees.
Some of the cardboard huts had whimsical
touches. One had a castle-like turret fashioned
out of flattened boxes. Another had a small
American flag mounted on the cardboard roof.
Temperatures were in the 40s during the
day, but were expected to dip into the low 20s
overnight. Last year, the first night the school
staged the outdoor sleepover, the temperature
fell to 5 degrees, Wilson said.
“Depending on how you look at it, we either
got the worst possible day or the best possible
day,” Wilson said Sunday afternoon as the
students shivered around him. It was the best
possible day, Wilson said, to achieve his goal of
making students understand what it’s like to not
have a roof over your head.
The event tries to simulate homelessness as
closely as possible. The students turn in their
cell phones, watches and iPods at the start.
They are fed “soup-kitchen style” _ made to
line up for their bag lunch and for their dinner.
The teens couldn’t bring blankets or sleeping
bags with them, and had to depend on whatever
blankets were donated to the school’s clothing
pantry, which collects clothes and bedding for
the poor.
NURSE from Page 1
Pearsall is a 1976 graduate of Philadelphia
General Hospital School of Nursing and has
a bachelor’s of science degree from Eastern
University. She is a member of the Association
of Operating Room Nurses (AORN).
Pearsall received Taylor Hospital’s first
annual Nurse Excellence Award for her
exemplary contributions to Taylor’s nursing
program after she was nominated for the
award by her coworkers.
Some said Pearsall’s experience and
expertise has made her a mentor and role
model for younger nurses at Taylor Hospital,
as well as her students at DCCC.
Pearsall currently teaches four sections
of Nursing 205, Perioperative Nursing, as
well as the simulating labs that accompany
the course. She is also a clinical educator for
surgical technology students.
Often called operating room nurses,
perioperative nurses are responsible for
keeping a safe surgical environment for
patients before, during, and after surgery.
They provide comfort and care to surgical
patients that may be anxious about being in
the OR.
Before a procedure, perioperative nurses
are responsible for obtaining the patients’
documentation, including medical history
and known allergies, as well as obtaining
consent forms.
They are also present in the OR to ensure
that the surgical procedure runs smoothly.
A perioperative nurse’s duties include
making sure that the patient is positioned
and prepared correctly for surgery, that the
required tools are set up and functional, that
the procedure performed is sterile, and that
all surgical supplies are accounted for.
Pearsall said that change is the biggest
obstacle that nurses face. There are constant
changes in procedure, equipment, and
personnel and nurses have to be adaptable,
she said.
Pearsall said that her decision to become
a nurse might sound cliché, but she “knew
that she wanted to help people.” Pearsall
always wanted to be either a nurse or a social
worker, she said.
Pearsall also wants to become a
nurse’s and patient’s advocate since she has
experience on both sides, she said.
“You’re up on everything if you teach,”
she said.
Pearsall chose to specialize in
perioperative nursing while attending PGH.
“I loved it and I was scared of it,” said
Pearsall, “but it was exciting. Maybe I have a
sadomasochism tendency, but I was drawn to
it because it scared me.”
Pearsall recalled one of her favorite
experiences in nursing. She described how
she comforted an elderly gentleman that was
undergoing surgery for cancer. Another nurse
described the patient as grouchy and abrupt
and was reluctant to care for him.
“I said to him, ‘You’re very frightened,
aren’t you?’ and he began to cry,” said
Pearsall. “We closed the curtain around us
and cried together for an hour.”
This patient remembered Pearsall years
later at another hospital visit. She has had
similar emotional experiences with other
patients, but this was the first time that she
felt such a strong connection, she said.
When Pearsall gives tours of the two
simulated ORs that students use for practice,
many are surprised by how realistic it is.
With real operating tables and tools
available, students practice their techniques
with life-size dummies. They have a real
scrub-in sink where they wash their hands.
Machines and equipment that are used in real
surgeries are present.
Pearsall plans to continue teaching at
DCCC. She says that she likes her students
and sees an improvement each year.
“Over the years my students have become
more knowledgeable and interested in their
field,” said Pearsall.
Pearsall hopes to inspire her students by
sharing her nursing stories in class, such as
the elderly gentleman that she comforted, she
said.
“I try to remind them of what’s important
about our role in surgery,” said Pearsall. “We
can touch the patient’s life.”
Contact Laura Pizzuto at
communitarian@mail.dccc.edu
November 26, 2008 Page 7
SPORTS
Congratulations
Top from left is Anthony Spatacco, Brian Smarsh and Tim Feehery. Bottom from left is Sean
Glavin and Brian Scott.
The DCCC Golf Team finished in second place at the Eastern Pennsylvania Collegiate
Conference Championship, and all five qualified to participate in the Pennsylvania Collegiate
Athletic Conference State Championship. Four of the team members qualified as “Players” and
one as an alternate. Brian Smarsh was the alternate.
At the State Championship, they finished in fourth place as a team. Player Anthony Spatacco
captured fourth place in All State Honors and received a medal for that.
(Photo courtesy of Wayne Horn, DCCC Head Co/Ed Golf Coach)
Spot
n
Professional paintball player amongst DCCC ranks
By Donald Wood Jr.
Staff writer
As a child, you idolize the athletes of your favorite sport. You look
to them for guidance and wish to be just like them as you grow up.
For many who reach adulthood, that is where the dream stops.
But for one DCCC student, he is living the dream.
Chris DeSignor, 21, is a criminal justice major playing
professional paintball for the DC Arsenal in the National Professional
Paintball League (NPPL).
When DeSignor was 14, he started to play small time paintball
with his friends in the woods by his home in New Jersey. His hobby
became an obsession and led him into the professional ranks.
Now that he has become pro, he gets perks from the sponsors.
All of his equipment is paid for and he has the best of everything,
he said.
DeSignor is on the front lines of the paintball battles because
he is a forward in the sport. That means he is the closest to the
opponents, so he tends to be a main target. “Strategy is a big part
of the game and practice
makes perfect,” he said.
He practices every
weekend,
sometimes
with his teammates and
sometimes against other
professional teams.
“We try to play against
our semi-pro team because
it is the best competition
around here,” DeSignor
said.
The NPPL has five
nationwide competitions
a year. Two are held in
California, two are held on
the East Coast, and the fifth
is selected each year from
the Midwest.
After dodging shots, Chris
DeSignor and his team
DeSignor looks to lead his
of seven players are flown
team to a championship in
to the city of the event, all
the near future.
expenses paid. First prize
for the competitions totals
(Photo courtesy of Chris
$10,000.
DeSignor)
DeSignor’s team is
currently in ninth place out
of 18 teams.
“We’re pretty good, but we’re in the middle of the pack,” said
DeSignor. “It’s a new team that I’m playing pro with so I’m playing
with a lot of people who haven’t played pro yet and who are still
getting used to it.”
With all of the positives that come with achieving your dream,
there are also negatives. DeSignor said that with all of the pressure
of being pro comes great commitment.
“It’s a lot of time,” DeSignor said. “It’s a lot of work and
training.”
Although a lot of commitment is needed, DeSignor believes it is
all worth it. While he goes to college at DCCC and works part time,
he still makes sure his dream doesn’t take a backseat to anything.
“Yeah, it’s a lot of work, but this is what I want to do,” DeSignor
said. “I want to do this until my body can’t anymore.”
Contact Donald Wood Jr. at
communitarian@mail.dccc.edu
The Phillies are phinally champs
By Donald Wood Jr.
Staff writer
The Philadelphia Phillies are the 2008 World Series
Champions. After beating the Tampa Bay Rays four games to
one, the Phillies brought a title back to Philadelphia for the first
time in 28 years.
It was only the second title in the Phillies 125 year history.
After capturing their second straight divisional title, the
Phillies faced off with the red hot Milwaukee Brewers in the
National League Divisional Series.
The Phillies won the NLDS series in five games. Brewers ace
pitcher CC Sabathia struggled against the strong Phillies hitters,
and even Phillies pitcher Brett Myers went 3-3 at the plate.
After winning the divisional series, the Phillies went on
to the National League Championship Series where they met
another streaking team in the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Dodgers came into the series the favorites because of
their stellar pitching and their mid-season acquisition of outfielder
Manny Ramirez.
The Phillies were not impressed. They beat the Dodgers with
relative ease four games to one. Ramirez hit well, but it wasn’t
enough as the Phillies hit the Dodgers’ pitching hard.
Phillies Pitcher Cole Hamels had two strong outings that
both provided wins for the team. These performances helped get
him the Most Valuable Player for the NLCS.
After all of the work that the Phillies had done all year it
came down to one series.
The Phillies would play the best team in the American
League, the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays were a young team with
very little playoff experience. In fact, this was the Rays’ first trip
to the playoffs in their short 11 year career
The Phillies bats really came to life during this series. Key
homeruns in wins came from Chase Utley and especially Ryan
Howard, who had three in the World Series.
Another unlikely homerun came in the fourth game, when
Phillies pitcher Joe Blanton hit a line drive homerun to left field.
This was the first homerun by a pitcher in the World Series in
34 years.
With the Phillies leading the series three games to one, the
two teams faced off in game five with heavy rain in the forecast.
After playing six innings the officials suspended the game.
This was the first time in World Series history that a game
was suspended.
After the game resumed two days later, the Phillies strong
bullpen outplayed the young Tampa Bay team and the Phillies
beat the Rays to win the World Series.
Cole Hamels’ perfect record ensured him the World Series
MVP.
After the win, the city embraced the moment, and Philadelphia
Brad Lidge celebrates with the team as the Phillies
capture their first World Series victory in 28 years.
(Photo courtesy of PhiladelphiaInquirer.com)
truly felt like the City of Brotherly Love.
Contact Donald Wood Jr. at
communitarian@mail.dccc.edu
Page 8
November 26, 2008
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B.S. Information Systems
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