Lindsey Wilson teams with BCTC for new degrees

BCTC C.A.R.E.S.
enough to recycle
page 16
Professor enjoys
China exchange
page 21
Established 1998, Volume 8, Number 1
October 2006
Lindsey Wilson Passport, please
teams with BCTC Students
benefit by
for new degrees attending
School of Professional Counseling
opportunities at Regency campus
By NICOLE HUBER
Managing Editor
Lindsey Wilson College’s
School of Professional Counseling has begun offering degree
programs in Human Services to
Bluegrass Community and Technical College students.
According to Stacy Springston,
coordinator for the School of
Professional Counseling at BCTC,
students will
have the option
to pursue a
bachelor’s
degree in Human Services
and Counseling or a
master’s degree
in Mental Health
Counseling.
The classes are being held at Regency Campus on
Friday and Saturday. Individual
courses consist of three weekend
sessions. According to Springston, bachelor’s requirements can
be completed in 18 months and
master’s requirements can be
reached in 24 months.
To qualify, interested students
must have completed 60 credit
hours or have an associate’s
degree.
These programs are new to
BCTC, and Springston says that
they have been “extremely successful” at the other Kentucky
Community and Technical College campuses. Weekend classes
offer better accommodation for
working students, mothers, fathers, and others who aren’t able
to attend classes throughout the
week.
“The School of
Professional Counseling is the only
one of its kind
in the nation,”
says Springston.
“The creation
of the school
signifies Lindsey
Wilson’s commitment to mental
health counselor
education.”
Lindsey Wilson College is
located in Columbia, Ky., and is
accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
Applications are currently being accepted. Interested students
should contact Springston. Her
office is located at Regency Campus in room 109. Students may
also inquire by phone at (859)
967-9443 or e-mail springstons@
lindsey.edu.
events
By CAROL LEATH
Courier Staff
The Multicultural Affairs department has an innovative and fun way
for students to learn about our cultural
differences. It is the passport project.
Passports work along the same lines
as the passports needed to travel from
country to country. Students get their
passports stamped when they attend
multicultural events or take designated
classes.
Each stamp has a dollar amount
associated with it. After students
accumulate $1,000 in points, they are
eligible for prize drawings to be held
at the end of each semester. So far,
the prize list consists of a laptop computer, CDs and a trip to an undisclosed
destination.
Charlene Walker, vice president
of Multicultural Affairs, said, “Pass-
Photo by CASS DWYER
Erin Howard explains the passport
program to student Chris Rockefeller.
ports will allow students to travel all
over the world without leaving their
campus home.” Walker explained the
program’s objective: “Education is the
key to promoting an appreciation of
the world and the impact that global
awareness plays on the economic
development in the Bluegrass community.”
Several classes can earn a passport
stamp. The classes include foreign
languages, criminal justice, journalism and English. Eligible classes
are listed in the Passport. All that is
needed to earn these stamps is to complete those classes.
Since this program will still be
offered next semester, students may
want to keep this in mind when scheduling classes for the spring semester.
Vera Foushee, Multicultural Affairs
administrative assistant, sees the passport project as “a way to introduce
students to diverse cultures.”
Passports are free. They can be
picked up at events sponsored by
Multicultural Affairs or in Room 211
of the Oswald Building on the Cooper
campus.
Page October 2006
From the
President’s Desk
Dr. Jim Kerley
Managing Editor
Nicole Huber
Business Manager
Gregory Spurlock
Page Designer
Lucie MacDonald
Reporters
Alex Allgeier
Najah Allouch
Steve Alvarado
Emily Devine
Cass Dwyer
Ashley Ellison
Justin Fortner
Thomas Gibbs
Emily Gullett
Carol Leath
James Magers
Joe Malone
Nasim N. Sadr
Faculty Advisor
Tammy Ramsey
Photographer
Patsi Sedivy
The BCTC Courier office is located
on the Cooper Campus
in MB 240. Contact us with story ideas,
opinions or suggestions at 859-246-4619
or via e-mail at
bctccourier@gmail.com.
Fall semester is in full swing with
many initiatives and activities at Bluegrass Community and Technical College. As administrators, we always
enjoy the annual ice cream socials
on each of our six campuses, and we
always make a competition regarding
who dips the most scoops for students.
Although it was a healthy competition, I think my chocolate swirl won
the battle of the scoop. We find it
exhilarating to meet students and
welcome them to the fall semester, a
great way to begin the semester and to
say thanks to the reason we exist, our
students.
As many of you know, we have had
some changes on the Cooper campus
that affect students. Most notably, we
now have a revamped food service
area. Regretfully, we do not have a
hot grill, but it is the goal of UK food
services to provide fresh sandwiches,
salads and soups throughout the semester. Your suggestions are welcome
as we continue to improve this area.
We put out bids to change how we do
food service on Cooper campus, but
we did not receive successful vendor bids to operate the food area; we
asked UK to reconsider for this year.
They were agreeable, but without a
hot grill. The cost was prohibitive,
since money was lost last year on
this area. We will continue to work
with UK food services to address this
important area for students.
Another change has been the bookstore, formerly operated by Kennedy’s, and now operated by Barnes
& Noble. Barnes & Noble have the
contract for all community/technical colleges in the state of Kentucky;
this was implemented on Cooper
campus this fall. We have met with
them several times, and they are 100
percent committed to quality service,
and they assured us they are will meet
the needs of students and faculty at
our college. Again, please provide
any advice to us or the bookstore;
improvements can only be made if
we are aware of issues or problems.
Thanks for your patience with these
two important issues; you should see
continued improvement as we move
forward in the semester.
New programs are in the works,
such as the new equine programs.
At Bluegrass, we will have the first
jockey academy in the country, working closely with Chris McCarron,
a hall of fame jockey. Bluegrass is
working closely with Kentucky Community and Technical College System
with this new innovative program.
Other equine programs are also in the
works; it makes sense that our college
is taking the lead with such programs,
since we are in the heartland of horse
country. It was an honor to greet the
first class of l6 participants from all
over the country; Chris and his team
deserve much credit for this giant step
in the quality of horse racing.
Another new initiative is the film
program. We will begin this January
with a certificate program in film production. This program will basically
provide technical skills in film production. Hopefully this will encourage more Hollywood-type films in
Kentucky. We have a strong advisory
board for this new program, with leadership from Arthur Rouse, Tim Davis
and Teresa Tope.
We are working intently on nursing
expansion. This new expansion will
provide approximately 125 slots for
the nursing program, from nursing aid,
practical nursing to registered nursing
programs. We recently announced a
$1 million gift/investment over five
years to make this a reality. There are
many great paying jobs in health care,
and this is our way to bridge opportunity for more people to enter health
programs.
As many of you know, nursing is
facing a dramatic shortage, and as a
college we must address these needs,
and, in doing so, provide exciting
career opportunities for our students!
Please give thanks to our innovative
faculty at all our campuses, and our
dedicated staff. We are blessed with
gifted faculty and staff who go beyond
the normal to enhance educational
opportunity for students in the Bluegrass Region. As always, thanks for
choosing Bluegrass Community and
Technical College.
Best wishes,
Jim Kerley, President
October 2006
Join the
Alumni
Association
By NOELLE HAMILTON
Contributing Writer
The BCTC Alumni Association
was organized to assist members in
keeping in touch with each other and
with their college. Students who have
completed 12 credit hours, graduates,
faculty, and staff members are eligible
for membership. The Alumni Association also offers an Associate Membership for those who do not qualify but
are interested in BCTC’s wellbeing.
The association promotes the
continuing interest in the current and
future activities on our campuses.
Newsletters and updates will keep
members informed and connected
with BCTC. Alumni Association
members receive added benefits every
day such as, special event invitations,
monthly socials, scholarship fundraisers and countless networking opportunities.
Andrea Ooten, the Alumni Association director, stated, “The more students get involved, the more activities
can be planned, the more we can do.”
By joining the Alumni Association prior to graduating students will
receive the first year of membership
free. Annual membership is $10.
For more information about joining
the Alumni Association, you may contact the Development Office at (859)
245-6588 or e-mail Andrea Oooten:
andrea.ooten@kctcs.edu.
BOO!
Page Bookstore
ready to FLIGHT
5191
serve you
Remembering...
By JOSEPH MALONE
Courier Staff
Barnes & Noble
takes over at BCTC
By MEGAN GREENWELL
Contributing Writer and
ASHLEY ELLISON
Courier Staff
As of July 17, Barnes & Noble
took over the bookstore at the
Cooper campus location of Bluegrass Community and Technical
College.
The bookstore previously was
operated by Kennedy’s.
Pete Hylen is the new manager
of the BCTC bookstores at the
Cooper and Leestown campuses.
He has worked in the industry for
30 years and will be spending most
of his time at Cooper campus.
Hylen said his goals for the
bookstore were to “serve the students, get adoptions from faculty,
and focus on customer service.
…We have also brought in a lot of
BCTC merchandise for students.”
A lot of people might be
wondering why the bookstore
changed. According to Carol Behr,
Kennedy’s Bookstore manager,
the BCTC book store had a lease
with UK beginning in 2001, and
Kennedy’s operated at this location
for about five years.
Behr explained that KCTC decided a few years ago to have one
company to operate at all of the
community college campuses, and
Barnes & Noble received the bid.
“We feel that we have had a very
professional and respected relationship with the faculty, staff, and
students of BCTC,” said Behr.
Although books for BCTC
classes will still be available at
Kennedy’s, Kennedy’s will not
be able to accept BCTC students’
financial aid vouchers. This is an
exclusive right of Barnes & Noble.
Dr. Jim Kerley, President and
CEO of BCTC, stated, “I am confident that Barnes & Noble will do a
good job here at BCTC.”
Both Kerley and Hylen pointed
out that the prices will be very
competitive at the new Barnes &
Noble bookstore.
Students can use any Barnes &
Noble gift card at both Cooper or
Leestown campuses.
The bookstore at Cooper Campus will be open from 8:30 a.m.
– 7 p.m. on Monday and Thursday,
8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Tuesday and
Wednesday, and from 8:30 a.m.
– 3 p.m. on Friday.
The Leestown bookstore is
open from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday
through Thursday and 8 a.m. till
noon on Friday.
On the Cooper campus, the
bookstore is currently located on
the first floor of the Oswald Building.
In the future when the new
building for Cooper Campus is
complete, Hylen hopes to move
the bookstore into a larger area in
the new building.
On the Leestown campus, the
bookstore is located in Building C
off the student center.
According to Hylen, he and his
staff are excited to serve BCTC
and would like to hear from students if they have any ideas for
improving the bookstore’s service
or merchandise.
Remembering the crash of
Comair Flight 5191 at Blue
Grass Airport is hard on
most people in Lexington,
Kentucky. After 49 out of 50
people died in the crash on
August 27, it made a deep
impact on the city of Lexington as well as people from all
around the world.
The airplane mistakenly took off from the wrong
runway. Analysts say two
controllers, rather than one,
should have been in the
control tower before the plane
took off.
Pilot James Polehinke was
the lone survivor. He was
rushed to the University of
Kentucky Hospital, where he
underwent several surgeries.
Many Lexingtonians were
notified almost immediately
by mass media outlets both
local and national. Local
news centers cut regular
programming to air the eerie
sight of a burnt, downed
plane and police officials roping off the scene of the crash.
Flight 5191 held passengers from Kentucky, Florida,
Ohio, Canada, London and
other places from around the
world, making the crash an
international disaster.
The Blue Grass Airport left
a memorial flag and banner
near the site of the crash
where families and friends
could leave flowers and other
sentimental items in remembrance of those whose lives
had been taken.
Page Viewpoints
‘Liberal media’ difficult to find
By GREGORY SPURLOCK
Courier Business Manager
It is always nice to have someone to blame. The dog ate my
homework. I didn’t get your
message because of my cell phone
company. Whatever the problem
happens to be, there is someone
else who can be blamed.
I had an old friend who said,
“An excuse is an excuse. Whatever
it is, it is just an excuse.” This
seems to be the reality in our current society.
Lately, I hear the constant
mantra of blaming “The Liberal
Media.” Like a bad nickname or
an overplayed song, this phrase is
constantly and repeatedly parroted
on radio and television talk shows,
most of which are obviously
biased against any semblance of
disagreement with current Republican policies.
The reality of the media in 2006
is that liberal viewpoints are seldom heard on the airwaves unless
they are being ridiculed by a rightwing talk-show host. Viewpoints
and talk-shows for the so-called
“conservative” side are dominating
the media as corporations scramble
to purchase the remaining independent radio and television stations.
I am not sure what is conservative about our country’s fiscal deficit or destroying the environment.
Liberal doesn’t seem to be the only
word that others are redefining
these days.
A.M radio no longer broadcast
both sides of a political conversation. Opposing viewpoints are cut
off in mid sentence, while republican supporters get praise for their
stances. Fairness must be in short
supply this year.
Where is the “Liberal Media”
these people are constantly ranting
against?
Clear Channel, which operates
nearly 2,000 stations making it
the largest owner of radio in the
United States (www.freepress.
net), are much of the problem. As
owners of Lexington radio stations
WVLK and WLAP, they have apparently switched both stations to
an “all-Republican, all-the-time”
format.
As a result, listeners are forced
to listen to rightwing mouthpieces
spewing propaganda as if it is actual news. Even local personalities
such as Dave Baker and Sue Wiley
make no secret of their Republican bias. National syndicated talk
show hosts such as Sean Hannity
and Rush Limbaugh continue the
constant barrage of hatred against
anything perceived as being liberal
or Democrat.
Misinformation and government
propaganda abound as we have
Sean Hannity on WVLK proclaiming, “Yes, we found weapons of
mass destruction in Iraq!” while
neglecting to mention that they
were buried unusable leftovers
from the First Gulf War.
Bill Clinton is apparently to
blame for everything that is wrong
with America, according to these
self-proclaimed experts on political policy. Clinton is also at fault
for our terrorist problems, the fail-
October 2006
ure of the dot com corporations,
and whatever else they can blame
on him.
That is a pretty amazing feat,
considering that Republicans have
controlled both houses of Congress
and George “Dubya” Bush has
been president for nearly six years.
How many “Hillbilly Heroin”
addicts got off as easy as Rush
Limbaugh? I would like to see a
comparison between his medical
treatment and how other prescription drug addicts in Eastern Kentucky have fared in our system of
corrections. Yet, there he is on the
radio, taking up space that should
be filled up by somebody else.
Where is the liberal media? Not in
Lexington, Ky.
I miss the days when A.M. radio
played oldies, before the corporations took over and started pumping right-wing propaganda down
my throat. Today’s talk-show hosts
manage to take a 30-second sound
bite and invoke a 45-minute, onesided argument.
I challenge anyone who reads
this to find me even ONE talk
show on Clear Channel that is liberal or even honest enough to give
“liberals” a voice without berating them or calling them againstAmerica, without religious values
or “supporting the terrorists.”
At what point did it become
Un-American to question authority
and government? This is not your
parent’s media. Rush Limbaugh
has little in common with Walter
VIEWPOINTS: Liberal media myth
continued on page 7
Danville students
build grill to benefit
community groups
Bluegrass Community and Technical College’s Welding and Machine Tool Program at the Danville campus
teamed up with First Southern National Bank to create
and build a portable grill for the community. The Grill is
attached to a trailer so it can be transported easily by a
car and will be used by Boy and Girl Scouts, Big Sisters
& Brothers, the United Way, Shriners, Red Cross and
other student & community organizations.
Welding instructor Bobby Coffey said, “The project
provided a grill at no charge for local non-profit groups
and an opportunity for the students to demonstrate to
the community some of the many skills they acquire at
the college.”
Students are encouraged to participate
Phototheir
by LAURA
LYNCH
and express
viewpoints
in the
BCTC Courier. All viewpoints are the
Those involved in the grill project, left to right: Bobby Bradley,
opinion of the writer and not the BCTC
Steven Simpson, Travis Whitehead, Junior
David
Nalley,the
Courier. Campbell,
The BCTC Courier
reserves
Levi Hines, Matthew Richards, Davidright
Mullins,
Amos
Reid,
Instructor
to edit Viewpoint articles or reject
any
articleBolton.
that violates our Editorial
Bobby Coffey, Spencer Rhinehart and
Brian
policy.
October 2006
Page Constitution Signed and Sealed
By MEGAN GREENWELL
Contributing Writer
The student government at BCTC has made some adjustments to its constitution. According to Natalie Webb, student activities coordinator, the Student
Government members have been making revisions for some time now.
“The constitution needed some updating to reflect the college’s new name, as well as the creation of the Student Government Senator positions for all six
BCTC campuses,” said Webb.
“Senators are a branch of the Student Government whom we hope will hear the voice of the students and relay the music back to the Student Government,”
said Olivia Nichols, former president of Student Government at BCTC. “I believe the Senators represent a step forward to promote Student Government as
well as the activities and options available for all students.”
Webb pointed out that the group was first established in the early 1980s and the original Association of the Student’s constitution was written back then.
Revisions were also made in 1990 to reflect the name of Lexington Community College Student Government Association.
According to Webb, this is the third draft of the constitution that has been prepared since the 1980s. Current student officers and students who have attended
Student Government meetings are the ones who have voted on the changes.
“By creating the new positions, more BCTC students will be heard,” stated Webb. “A direct voice from the students will help out in future meetings.”
The senators will benefit the student body since there will be one senator for every 1,000 students at the six BCTC campuses, Webb explained. The number
of the senators for each campus will be based on the 2005 enrollment:
Cooper campus-nine senators
Leestown Campus-three senators
Regency Campus-two senator
Lawrenceburg Campus-one senator
Danville Campus-one senator
Winchester Campus-one senator
Webb explained, “The number of representatives will increase as enrollment on these campuses increases in years to come.”
SGA officers for this year are as follows: president, Stephanie Watkins; vice president Rita Burke; secretary, Derek Forrester.
The next SGA meeting will be held on Monday, November 6 at 2 o’clock on the Cooper campus in Room 210 of the Oswald Building. All interested students are encouraged to attend. Additional information about SGA is available from Natalie Webb at (859) 246-6524 or Regina Shank at (859) 246-6523.
Political science class conducts annual poll
Most feel Bush’s Iraq policy will not succeed, yet 40% say he’s done a good job
Bluegrass Community & Technical College Political Science students completed a political issues poll of 1,449 registered voters in Fayette and surrounding
counties. The counties polled were Bourbon, Clark, Fayette, Franklin, Jessamine, Scott, Madison, Mercer and Woodford. The total number of people polled
was 1,449, with 1,027 responses from Fayette County. The margin of error was
±2.6%. The poll was conducted the week of September 18, 2006.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Are you registered as a Democrat or Republican?
Democrat 63.1%
Republican 33.2%
Undecided 3.7%
In general, how do you feel George Bush has done in his job as
president so far?
Outstanding 9.9%
Good
40.0%
Poor 26.1%
Bad 22.3%
Undecided 1.8%
In general, how do you feel Governor Ernie Fletcher has done in his job for us so far?
Outstanding
4.6%
Good
36.2%
Poor 37.8%
Bad 17.7%
Undecided
3.7%
In general, how do you feel Ben Chandler has done in his job as a
congressman so far?
Outstanding 13.6%
Good 59.2%
Poor
9.7%
Bad 4.0%
Undecided
13.4%
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
In general, do you feel that the country is on the right eco
nomic path?
Yes 40.9%
No 50.6%
Undecided
8.5%
How do you feel about the chance of President Bush’s policy on Iraq being successful?
Probably will succeed 28.2%
Probably will NOT succeed 60.0%
Undecided
11.8%
How do you think the U.S should resolve the Iranian nuclear issue?
Military Action 14.9%
Through Diplomacy
70.9%
Undecided 14.2%
If the elections for the Supreme Court of the Commonwealth of
Kentucky were being held today, which candidate would you vote for?
Mary Noble 37.7%
John Roach 25.2%
Undecided 37.0%
Age category
18-35
36-55 56-65
Over 65
Won’t say 5.8%
36.1%
26.3%
30.1%
1.7%
STUDENT POLL continued on page 11
Page Story behind
bouquets isn’t
a pretty one
Columbian workers toil under
unsafe conditions, get paid little
By MARIA CHURCH
Special to the Courier
Did you receive roses on Valentine’s
Day? How about a bouquet on your
birthday? If you did, chances are that
those beautiful blooms were imported
to the United States from Colombia.
On Friday, September 22, I had
the opportunity to listen to Luz Maria
Peñaloza speak to BCTC students and
faculty about the unjust and unfair
working conditions for the 110,000
men and women who work in the
flower industry in Colombia.
Peñaloza represents CACTUS, a
non-profit organization, which provides training in labor rights, legal defense mechanisms, and worker health
and safety awareness to the men and
women in the flower industry.
The lush-green landscapes that
surround Bogotá, Colombia once
provided its people with consumable crops such as potatoes, beans
and squash. Today, these water-rich
soils are concealed beneath seemingly
endless miles of plastic greenhouses
– forcing Colombia to import much of
its food from other countries. Currently, Colombia produces 82 percent
of the flowers that are imported by the
United States every year.
It is easy to presume that such a
profitable industry would provide its
labor force with an adequate salary
which meets the basic necessities of
life. This misconception however,
couldn’t be further from the truth.
Back to my original question – Do
you know how much the dozen roses
you received cost? Likely the price tag
was around $60.
According to Peñaloza, the production cost of a long-stemmed rose in
Colombia is 18 cents a piece. The
sale price that a U.S.-based retailer
pays the Colombian flower industry
for a rose is only 55 cents. Put into
perspective, for $6.60 a flower retailer
like Kroger profits $53.40 on every
dozen roses sold to the American
public.
The average female laborer in
Colombia’s flower industry cuts,
trims and bundles 300 flowers per
hour – totaling 25-dozen roses every
hour. During the peak export season
in February, a woman in Colombia
can work as much as 15 hours a day in
greenhouses that reach 90° Fahrenheit
in order to meet the insatiable demand
for flowers in the United States.
As compensation for the backbreaking labor, the average Colombian woman receives $180 per month
– the equivalent of three dozen roses
sold in the United States. The minimum wages received by these women
is only enough to cover 45% of a
family’s basic necessities of life each
month.
In addition to the physical injuries
women sustain due the repetitive motion of cutting and trimming hundreds-of-thousands of flowers every
year, the exposure to the dangerous
chemicals and pesticides used in the
flower industry pose many health risks
to women – especially during their
childbearing years.
Of the 127 chemicals and pesticides
used in Colombia’s flower industry,
20 percent are either not registered or
banned for use in the United States.
The majority of women in the
flower industry are unable to afford
the expensive tests necessary to prove
that the prolonged exposure to these
chemicals caused illnesses or birth
defects in children.
This injustice allows flower-growing companies to escape any form
of liability and fails to compensate
women for injuries or illnesses due to
chemical exposure.
Therefore CACTUS, in conjunction
with Witness for Peace, is speaking
out on behalf of women – who make
up the vast majority of the workforce
in the flower industry.
Peñaloza, along with her translator, Amanda Martin, a member of the
international team with Witness for
Peace, are campaigning against the
trade agreement between the United
October 2006
Diversity
at BCTC
Outreach program celebrates
Hispanic Heritage month
By JUSTIN FORTNER
Courier Staff
Hispanic Heritage Month
was celebrated at Bluegrass
Community and Technical
College.
The event is orchestrated
by Hispanic Outreach Program Coordinator Erin Howard and Vice President of
Multicultural Affairs Charlene
Walker.
As part of the Hispanic
outreach program, the festivities included art, music, and
traditional folk dancing from
various Latin countries, as
well as screenings of Hispanic
movies.
A special guest who was
featured during these events
is Enrique Gonzalez, a local
artist from Venezuela who is
famous for what he calls “long
art,” which features uniquely
elongated figures and canvases.
On Wednesday, September
27th, Gonzalez assisted with
a mural painting in the BCTC
States and Colombia. The proposed
agreement, currently being negotiated
in Congress, fails to adequately address the many health risks and unfair
working conditions in Colombia’s
flower industry.
Peñaloza’s first visit to the United
States will take her to numerous
colleges and universities as well as
church organizations throughout our
region.
In an effort to bring light to the
proposed trade agreement, Peñaloza
will be visiting the states of Virginia,
Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina
main lobby. More information
on Gonzalez can be found by
visiting www.gonzalez-art.
com. (See related article on
page 20.)
The on-campus events ran
through October 5.
“We haven’t seen the attendance we had hoped for,
but we have seen a positive
reaction from the Hispanic
community,” said Howard.
“We always encourage
more students to participate so
that they may gain a perspective on another culture,” she
added.
Another incentive for students to participate is that the
scheduled events all count as
points for the passport program, which allows students
to earn points by participating
in multicultural events and
classes to win prizes.
Howard said BCTC has
seen a rise in enrollment
among Hispanic students, a
possible result of events such
as those held during Hispanic
Heritage Month.
and South Carolina. The month-long
speaking tour is expected to conclude
in Washington D.C.
Peñaloza urges everyone interested
in this worthwhile cause to contact
their Congressman to vote against any
trade agreement between the United
States and Colombia that fails to
address the improvement of working
conditions in the flower industry.
In the words of Peñaloza, “Colombia exists!” The welfare of the people
in the flower industry is now in the
hands of politicians – their livelihood
should no longer be ignored.
October 2006
VIEWPOINTS:
Liberal media myth
Continued from page 4
Cronkite or news anchors in the
1960s who simply reported the
news.
After yet another day of listening to this drivel, I went home
and turned on the TV. Bush, Bush,
Bush, Fletcher, Fletcher. The same
right-wing biased viewpoints all
over my Cable TV. The partisan
bickering seems inescapable.
Five media conglomerates (Viacom, Disney, Time Warner, News
Corp. and NBC/GE) control 70
percent of the primetime television
market share, according to www.
stopbigmedia.com. Minority ownerships control only 1.9 percent of
television stations; this is a 10-year
low, down 14 percent since 1997.
The accurate term for this phenomenon is “Corporate Media.”
One study by Media Matters for
America, in the week before the
recent 9-11 anniversary, studied
12 reports from network evening
broadcasts covering President
Bush’s speeches and statements on
Iraq, terrorism and national security. Only five had responses from
Democratic officials.
Even the majority of newspapers across the state seem to
have corporate Republican bias.
Trey Grayson’s announcement at
Fancy Farm that he was considering challenging Ernie Fletcher for
Governor dominated the headlines,
diverting attention from excellent
speeches by potential gubernatorial candidates Crit Luallen and
Greg Stumbo.
Grayson later decided not to
run against Fletcher for governor,
diminishing these front-page news
articles into non-stories for the
Kentucky political media.
Many people I have spoken to
have given up on the rude culture
that now infects the corporate
right-wing media. Why call in to
state your opinion if you will not
be allowed to express your viewpoint? Democrats are swift-boated
as being against the government
and for dictators who rightfully
disapprove of this government’s
By ASHLEY ELLISON
Courier Staff
Parties, candy, costumes and ghosts! Halloween is the only time of the year when people are
actually encouraged to dress up, walk around to
strangers’ houses and get FREE CANDY!
Some people might think that Halloween is
only for small children. But today, it is just as
common for college students to dress up and
go to a party or a club for Halloween as it is for
small children to dress up and go trick or treating.
“I have to work this year on Halloween, but
they want us to dress up,” said BCTC student
Aaron Morgan. “I work at the Home Depot, and
I am going to be the Grim Reaper on a fork lift!”
Another BCTC student, Kevin Hogue, said
“I am probably going to have a costume party
and then go downtown to the bars, I am going to
dress up as Frisch’s Big Boy!”
“I’m going to have a costume party at my
house, and me and some of my friends are going
to be the Village People,” said BCTC student
Sarah Guthrie.
Who started all of these festivities? According to history.com, Halloween dates back 2,000
Page actions in foreign countries. Lies
and hearsay are being paraded as
the truth, especially if it makes for
good ratings.
Big Brother has arrived and free
speech is apparently the enemy.
The recent $40 million ABC
miniseries entitled “The Path to
9/11” demonstrates that networks
cannot only air bias, they can also
misrepresent the facts.
The status of the attempted
documentary was forced to admit
it was a “Docudrama” due to
political pressure and likely the
threat of lawsuits. An estimated
20 minutes of scenes were deleted
after criticism from Clinton administration officials including John
O’Neill and Former Secretary of
State Madeleine Albright.
Original footage of Bill Clinton
was also deleted. The disclaimer,
which only aired three times on the
Sunday night beginning episode,
was forced to be changed from
“Based on the 9/11 commission
report, to “Drawn from a variety
of sources,” according to an article
by Associated Press reporter David
years ago to the Celts. It originated as “The festival of Samhain,” or the festival of death.
The Celts lived in the areas known today as
Ireland, The United Kingdom and Northern
France.
To the Celts, October 31 was the night before
the New Year. They believed that on this night
the boundaries between two different worlds- the
world of the living and the world of the dead-became nonexistent. Celts believed that during this
time it was easier for their priests to predict what
would happen during the future because of the
presence of all the unworldly spirits.
During the annual “festival of Samhain” the
Celts built huge sacred bonfires, where they
offered crops and animals as sacrifices. These
sacrifices are believed to have been made into
the Celtic deities. The Celts also dressed up in
costumes, mostly animal costumes, and tried to
predict each other’s fortunes.
This tradition continued on until 43 A.D. when
the Romans took over the Celtic’s territory. Then
the combined group of Romans and Celtic’s
decided to combine “the festival of Samhain,”
with two Roman celebrations. “Ferelia” was the
Bauder.
If this is the “Liberal Media”
where are the commercial-free
viewings of Democratic viewpoints?
Ann Coulter sells her hate-filled
books bashing 9/11 widows on
every available program on Cable
TV, but Al Franken or opposing
viewpoints are nowhere to be
found. Am I the only one who sees
the right-wing tilt here?
Why didn’t they let me decide
if Cindy Sheehan and the Dixie
Chicks were bad people? The
media ostracizes anyone who dares
tell the truth or has an opposing
viewpoint. Lately, fewer people
defend their rights to free speech.
Shouldn’t Cindy Sheehan have the
same freedom of expression as Bill
O’Reilly? At least she seems to
have manners!
Nobody would have to SHOUT
down the other person if we all
were allowed to have our say.
Watch out because your religious,
political or minority viewpoint
could be next to be censored by
the corporate media.
first, where they celebrated the passing of the
dead. The second celebration was a day to honor
Pomona.
Pomona was the Roman goddess of fruits
and trees. Her symbol was the apple, and this is
believed to be where “bobbing for apples” came
from. It was at this time when the tradition of
“bobbing for apples” was incorporated into Halloween.
The Romans continued to celebrate these
three holidays - “festival of Samhain,” “Ferelia”
and “Pomona”- as one holiday until the 800s,
when Christianity was spread into the area. Pope
Boniface IV made November 1 “All Saints Day”
a day to honor saints, to be celebrated instead of
“The festival of the dead” with a church-related
holiday. This holiday was called “All-Hallomas”
or “All-Hallows.”
Eventually October 31, the night before “All
Saints Day” (better known as “All-Hallomas,”
or “The Festival of Samhin”) became known as
“All-Hallomas Eve.” Ultimately, it became what
we still refer to today as “Halloween.”
Page October 2006
Capital City is more
than just the Capitol
Frankfort home to history, candy,
great food, shopping and museums
By ELIZABETH WORSTER
Contributing Writer
Ask any resident of Frankfort what there is to
do here, and they will laugh and say “nothing
besides Wal-Mart.”
Half of the natives opt to go to Lexington for
fun and relaxation while the other half strictly
lives by Louisville and the fun things you can
do there. However, I am going to prove them
wrong.
Frankfort is home to more history and exhibits than the average resident can think of. It is
home to Rebecca-Ruth Candy, Daniel Boone’s
Grave, Buffalo Trace Distillery, Kentucky State
University, the Salato Wildlife and Game Farm
which is right off Louisville Rd., the Capital
Expo and Liberty Hall, the haunting place of
the “gray lady.”
The Game Farm is a popular attraction. Admission to the Game Farm is free and is open
from dawn to dusk. Visitors to the Farm can
see animals such as elk and bobcat. The Game
Farm also has geese running around and a pond
Photos by REBEKAH WORSTER
to fish in. It’s a very peaceful spot that is great
for picnics.
Frankfort has several overlooks from which visitors can see stunning views of the Capitol.
The Expo is an arts and crafts fair that is held
on the first weekend of June and offers fair
close at five. Much of the town closes down at
My sister ordered a Vegetarian Kabob for just
rides, live music, many various events and fun9 p.m., with the exception of some stores and
under $10 and for dessert we split the cost of
nel cakes. The Expo is a huge deal in Frankfort. restaurants that close at midnight or stay open
Baklava, which runs $2.50.
Why, I’m not sure yet, but you can usually find
24 hours.
For the amount of food presented, it is well
traffic jams and hundreds of people watching
Since that failed, we went to try Nema’s
worth the price. Nema’s also offers hookahs, a
the fireworks on Friday night.
Grill which is one of the few authentic, foreign
water pipe filled with different tasting tobacco.
On a rainy afternoon, my sister and I veneateries in Frankfort. Instead of being Mexican,
You can rent one for $12 and it lasts for about
ture out to tour our hometown. Coming to the
Chinese or Italian, this one is Persian. As soon
45 minutes. Every Friday night belly dancers
realization that half the places we are visiting
as we walked in, our senses became empowered
perform at Nema’s, free with dinner of course.
we have not been to any other part of the year
by the smell of the Iranian dishes.
As soon as we were finished eating, we decidexcept Christmas, we brave the rain and start
Nema’s is well-decorated in beautiful designs. ed to travel along Broadway where most of the
walking.
The music is Middle Eastern, and the menu is
downtown shops are. We went into Completely
We decided to have lunch at Marshall’s
filled with tastes ranging from a regular hamKentucky. This store has moderately overpriced
Backstretch Diner that was shown in the movie
burger at under $6 to a rack of Lamb at $20 or
merchandise made in Kentucky. There are baby
Dreamer. However, when we get there, it is
more. On this particular day, I decided to go
blankets from Churchill Weavers in Berea,
closed. That is what it is like in downtown
with the Nema’s burger, just under $8, and as
Buffalo Trace and Makers Mark BBQ sauces,
Frankfort. You literally have to plan a day trip
soon as I ordered it, owner Jack Etebar promjewelry, boxes and baskets, along with many
to figure out what’s open since many places
ised, “If you love burgers, you’ll love this one.”
other works of Kentucky craftsmanship. Make
October 2006
The Frankfort Cemetery is the place to
visit if you like historic monuments.
the Old State Capitol and the Kentucky Military
History Museum.
The history museum is my sister’s favorite spot;
she tends to like the way that it is set up. There is a
huge room devoted to a timeline and instead of pictures on the wall, you will find interactive videos,
life-size objects, old cars and games to play. One
area is dedicated to the celebrities who came out of
Kentucky both past and present.
After leaving the history museum, we decided to
give Marshall’s another try. This time it was open
and we found ourselves wandering into the lounge
where there are pictures hanging on the wall of
when they shot Dreamer.
Right next door to the diner, there is a little
restaurant called Melanie’s on Main which serves
relatively cheap sandwiches, soups, salads and daily
specials. However, it is only open during lunch. The
owner, Melanie Baker states that there are a lot of
state workers, judges and attorney’s who come in
and have nicknamed it the “Courthouse Café.”
Heading uptown towards Kentucky State University, we stopped at the Frankfort Cemetery
that is the resting place for Daniel and Rebecca
Boone, many Kentucky governors and painter
Paul Sawyier, among many others. The cemetery
also holds a huge military exhibit starting with the
Revolutionary War and has graves dating back to
the late 1770s.
The view overlooking Frankfort from Daniel
Boone’s grave is breathtaking. On one side you
have the downtown shopping, bars, library and
restaurants, and on the other is the capitol looming
large above the city. The river stretches for miles on
either side right below you.
One of Frankfort’s biggest projects recently
has been restoring the Grand Theater. It was once
Frankfort’s only movie theater. Located on St.
Clair, for years it was abandoned and is now bought
and being changed into Frankfort’s only art house.
Regal Cinemas has donated movies, chairs and
equipment.
The people working to restore the theater have a
Page program called “Sponsor a Chair” where someone can come in with $200 to donate. This pays
for a chair for the theater with the person’s name
inscribed on it.
Progress at the theater is evident, as a marquee
has been raised in front of the building. The business is volunteer only. No one is paid to work
there, yet the volunteer rate has grown.
The Grand Theater shows old movies or movies
just coming out on DVD and host concerts and
shows. Recent shows have included Some Like it
Hot, Good Night and Good Luck, and Wizard of
Oz. In conjunction with the Kentucky Book Fair,
Oscar winner Patricia Neal will attend a screening
of Hud at the theater on November 10.
Check out the Grand Theater’s Web site at
www.savethegrand.org for a history of the project
and a schedule of upcoming events.
Out of the many tourists who come to Frankfort, I asked one why he likes coming here so
often.
U.S. Army Staff Sargent Lee Scarborough explained that he keeps coming back because of the
people he has met and the history.
“I went to a wedding at Buffalo Trace a couple
of years after I read a book about Simon Kenton
who hunted in Kentucky, and he talked about
traveling from Ohio to the Indian hunting grounds
which is on Buffalo Trace,” Scarborough said.
Being from Knoxville, Tennessee, and being
stationed at Fort Knox, Scarborough comes here
as much as he can and he loves eating at Gibby’s
because the food and service is good and the location is in the heart of downtown Frankfort. For
two people he states, the price is approximately
$16.
So if the you find yourself with nothing else to
do, plan a day trip to the Capital City. Go a scenic
route down Leestown Rd. that takes you past a
view of the Capitol, or take an even more scenic
route down Old Frankfort Pike. Experience what
Frankfort has to offer .
sure to travel upstairs to look at local artwork
for sale.
Next door to Completely Kentucky is Poor
Richard’s Books which has been in Frankfort for 28 years. It’s no Barnes & Noble by
any means, but the book selection is pretty
good for a local bookstore. We do have a Liz
Taylor, spelled “Lizz” who is co-owner with
her husband Richard Taylor, who is a former
Kentucky poet laureate. The wide selection
of books in the store is based on the Taylors’
love of books and what they want to sell.
Poor Richard’s has old and rare-to-find
books starting from under $1 to over $135 as
well as soon new books and, of course books
by authors who are Kentucky natives. Poor
Richard’s is a must-see for any book lover;
however, Lizz warned us that if someone
finds a used and rare book and they leave it at
the store, chances are when they come back,
they won’t find it anymore. Go upstairs and
past bookshelves, you will see some old rocking chairs with a view of the Old Capitol and
Broadway.
Between Completely Kentucky and Poor
Richard’s is Kentucky Coffeetree Café. Along
the walls are floor-to-ceiling shelves with
books for sale. The café hosts live music and
poetry readings from local artists on the first
Friday of every month. The drinks they offer
are like those you would find at any small
coffee shop, along with specialty drinks depending on the season.
If shopping isn’t your thing, go to the
Thomas B. Clark Center for Kentucky HisDaniel Boone’s Grave at the Frankfort Cemetery receives many visitors. Although some have
tory. The $4 admission includes the Hsitory
questioned whether Boone is really buried in Frankfort, most accept this as his resting place.
Center, as well as two other sites including
Page 10
N
October 2006
ewcomers in a
ew land ...
International students succeed despite challenges
By NASIM N. SADR
Courier Staff
More than 70 international students taking
classes at BCTC this semester are faced with
many challenges to stay in America for educational purposes. A variety of factors, including
cultural and academic issues, make it difficult
to adjust to the daily life in this society.
Students are faced with a difficult process in
obtaining a visa, and they are limited to three
minutes to present their documents. The US
Consulate requires having a bank account with
a balance of $15,000, for international students
to maintain their immigration status; otherwise,
they will have to return to their home country.
Some of the important academic and cultural
issues the international students have to deal
with daily include:
Academic Issues: The biggest problem that
an international student must face regards their
being required to maintain a full-time course
load each semester. Because of the language
limitation, some of the incoming students have
difficulty in understanding course lectures, and
it is difficult to catch up with other classmates.
However, some perform better in courses that
do not require a high level of spoken English.
For example, Janet Torrez, 25, from Costa
Rica has taken a full load of classes for almost
a year. She says, “the first year of classes is
really hard. Especially as some teachers speak
very fast and it is hard for us to understand
them, but we cannot drop the course because it
will keep us out of status.”
Job issues: International students are not
allowed to work off campus. They are only
able to work with on-campus job opportunities,
if available, and for no more than 20 hours per
week while school is in session.
Scholarships: Many incoming students
have succeeded in overcoming many barriers
or competition in their academic environment
or with their educational goals. Statistics show
as a whole that international students tend to
maintain higher grade point averages than their
American counterparts. In addition to other
challenges, many think international students
receive a great deal of financial support from
their college. In actuality, there are fewer options available to them than there are to American and “in-state” students.
“To be eligible to get a scholarship here the
average grade has to be 4.0. It would be so nice
if we had as many chances to get a scholarship as
American students,” said Rahul Patel, a 20-yearold BCTC student from Zambia.
Cultural & Language Issues: Many incoming
students have sufficient reading skills, but they
are weak in conversational skills. Therefore, they
may not be encouraged to get involved in student
clubs or other college activities. Sometimes, after
the first year, a student may end up becoming
homesick or depressed.
In terms of sports activities, they need to switch
their passion to the American popular sports. As
Patel says, “We had passion about soccer back
home, but here everyone has passion for basketball.” Patel also mentioned that it is hard to find
something in common between two different
groups of people who have been raised in two different cultures.
Gender Roles: The role of the women in some
cultures is not as public as it is in this society.
This may cause uncomfortable feelings in some
male international students when they have to
interact with their female classmates.
Wendell Sparks, the international advisor at
BCTC, described the process of coming to the
U.S. for foreign students as being like a “U”
Curve. At first, the students are on the top of
the “U” Curve with hopes of being in America.
Then they face problems and have to adjust with
society and learn from experience. They may get
to the bottom of the curve by experiencing loneliness and essentially being on their own. Eventually, they will participate in programs and begin
to gain more knowledge from their classes. At the
first orientation meeting at BCTC, students are informed that they should go out and make friends,
speak the language and learn about the system,
and soon after they will get back on the track.
Fortunately, BCTC offers a strong support system to keep international students informed about
social activities, which can include trips, cookouts
and parties that offer great opportunities to meet
many interesting people from many different
countries.
Photo by ERIN HOWARD
International students gathered outside the AT Building on Cooper campus, left to right:
Alex Murphie, Nasim Sadr, Janet Torrez, Raquel Hidalgo, Shristi Shrestha, Ashma Shrestha.
October 2006
Page 11
Against All Odds
A mother’s strong will guides her to a new career path
By NAJAH ALLOUCH
Courier Staff
Oksana Makarova is a true survivor. Despite all of the obstacles that stood
in her way in the past few years, she is a strong and successful woman and
student at BCTC.
Makarova came to the United States five years ago from the Ukraine in love
and married to a doctor from London, Kentucky. She had all the hopes and
dreams of a promising new life.
After two years in a troubled marriage, she said enough is enough. She
contacted social services to find a
safe haven for herself and her two
young boys, now ages 4 and 8. She
ended up in a shelter for women in
Mount Vernon.
She spent three months there
going through all of the raw emotions. Why her? Why her children?
She started to really feel sorry for
herself. Then one morning she
woke up and looked at her children
and thought to herself, “What am
Photo by CASS DWYER
I doing?” That day she decided to
Oksana Makarova works on a
stop
feeling sorry for herself and
project in her dental lab class.
to be strong for herself and her two
young boys.
With no job, no place to live, and being in a foreign country, Makarova had
to make some decisions. First of all, she was no longer going to be a victim.
Second, she was going to get an education and make something of herself.
Makarova had some English background from classes in Ukraine but her
native language is Russian, which is much different than English.
Makarova had to decide what she wanted to do for a career. She was always
fascinated with the medical field, and she knew she would want to do something related to that.
She started taking general classes at the BCTC in London and Somerset. She
knew she was headed in the right direction. She had taken most of her general
classes and then moved to Lexington to continue her education.
When she was in high school she also used to attend an art school where she
picked up many talents. The thing she liked to do the most was sculpting with
clay, so when she found the dental lab technology program she decided to go
to that field. Luckily, the general classes she had already taken fit perfectly
into the dental lab school. In that program the students mold the crowns and
bridges which the dentists use to cover large cavities, something she knew she
would love to do.
Makarova has had to struggle in every aspect to survive. Juggling a life
with two boys, going to school full time and just trying to make ends meet can
sometimes be a bit challenging.
Makarova expressed her love for the United States because it has given her a
lot of opportunity. She said, “The nice thing about this country - they take care
of the educational part, they help put money in somebody’s future, and really
help somebody.”
She expressed her gratitude because through financial aid she is able to
study, and receives some financial help for her two children. She is relieved
that she does not have to get a job saying, “Financial aid is great. If not I
would probably be working in a McDonald’s somewhere.”
Despite the fact that English is a second language to her, through her hard
work she was able to be in close competition with the rest of her class and she
even received a scholarship because of her outstanding grades.
Eventually, in gaining experience and knowledge in her field, Makarova
would love to open her own dental lab.
In this lifetime, you run into people who truly inspire you with their
strength, hard work, and perseverance. Oksana Makarova is one of those
people.
Favor
24.8%
Not Favor 56.9%
Undecided 18.3%
10. Gender
How would you rate the response of the city to the recent crash
Male
42.1%
of Comair Flight 5191?
Female 57.9%
Outstanding
42.5%
FAYETTE COUNTY RESIDENTS ONLY (#11-17)
Good
48.8%
11. If the elections were being held today, who would be your choice Poor 3.5%
for Mayor?
Teresa Isaac
40.1%
Bad
1.2%
Jim Newberry 43.7%
Undecided 4.0%
Undecided 16.3%
16. Will a candidate’s support for buying Kentucky-American Water
12. How do you plan to vote on the purchase of the Kentucky Ameri make you very likely, somewhat likely, somewhat unlikely or
can Water Company in November?
unlikely to vote for that candidate or will it have no effect?
Yes
47.5%
Very Likely
20.1%
No
32.4%
Somewhat Likely 23.1%
Undecided 17.6%
Somewhat Unlikely
10.0%
Do not plan to vote 2.5%
Unlikely 15.1%
13. In the election for the Fayette County Sheriff, which one of the
No effect 31.7%
following candidates are you most likely to vote for?
17. Do you think it is important for a mayor to have experience in
Brad Flynn 23.9%
local government?
Kathy Witt
60.9%
Yes
68.5%
Undecided 15.2%
No
26.9%
14. Do you favor a new tax for public safety?
Undecided 4.6%
STUDENT POLL
Continued from page 5
15.
Page 12
NEW
SEASON
FOR
BLUEGRASS
FILM
SOCIETY
(Information below is taken from bluegrassfilmsociety.blogspot.com)
BFS Fall 2006 Schedule:
Series Rationale: “the struggles of individuals
in small groups against a larger society”
8/24
Ghost in the Shell (Mamoru Oshii: Japan,
1995) 82 mins
8/31
Kontroll (Nimrod Antal: Hungary, 2003) 105
mins
9/7
The Edukators (Hans Weingartner: Germany, 2004) 127 mins
9/14
Dirty Pretty Things (Stephen Frears: British, 2002) 97 mins
9/21
The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons From
the Life of Robert McNamara (Errol Morris: US, 2003) 107 minutes.
9/28
Farewell My Concubine (Kaige Chen:
China, 1993) 156 mins
10/5
House of Fools (Andrei Konchalovsky: Rus-
October 2006
Film society to promote
multicultural experience
By THOMAS GIBBS
Courier Staff
The Bluegrass Film Society has started its
run for the new school year with plans to show
28 films from 24 countries in 24 weeks.
Each film will be shown at 7:45 p.m. on
its scheduled date in the main auditorium of
the Oswald Building located on the Cooper
campus. All showings are free and open to the
public.
Schedules for both the fall and spring
semesters, as well as additional information on
the Bluegrass Film Society itself, can be found
at the organization’s website/blog located at
http://bluegrassfilmsociety.blogspot.com, or
by sending an e-mail to bluegrassfilmsociety@
hotmail.com.
Set up by BCTC English coordinator
Michael Benton, the blog has a personal listing
service that students are free to sign up for and
is the site of Benton’s routine announcements
relating to the BFS and other Lexington-area
cultural events. Students and other members
of the BFS are encouraged to take part – either
through simple discussion of the films or by
submitting writings related to film in general,
including personally written reviews, articles
and any other resources.
The Bluegrass Film Society finds its roots
in Benton’s past as a grad student at Illinois
State University, where he and two friends
sia, 2002) 104 mins
10/19
No Man’s Land (Danis Tonavic: Bosnia,
2001) 98 mins
10/26
What Time Is It There? (Ming-liang Tsai:
Taiwan, 2001) 116 mins
11/2
Bad Education (Pedro Almodovar: Spain,
2004) 106 mins
11/9
The Celebration (Thomas Vinterberg: Denmark, 1998) 105 mins
11/16
101 Reykjavik (Baltasar Kormakur: Iceland,
2000) 88 mins
11/30
Hop (Dominique Standaert: Belgium, 2002)
The tentative schedule of films for
the spring:
Carandiru (Hector Babenco: Brazil, 2003) 146
mins
Tsotsi (Gavin Hood: South Africa, 2005) 94 mins
The Tracker (Rolf de Heer: Australia, 2002)
realized that too many films were slipping past
their fellow students unnoticed. One of the first
highlights of the Illinois State University Cinema
Society was a two-day festival concerned with
showing films from Iran.
After finding employment at Bluegrass
Community and Technical College, Benton says
he became aware of President/CEO Jim Kerley’s
mission of community outreach and diversity in
culture and thought. With this in mind, Benton
petitioned for the creation of the Bluegrass Film
Society in order to use it as a tool not only for
entertainment’s sake and the general promotion
of foreign film in general, but also to help foster
better cultural awareness through global cinema
not usually found accessible to most Americans.
“It’s important for Americans in a post 9/11
world to now, more than ever, understand other
cultures and ways of life. Some of these films
are fantasies, dramas, documentaries, etc. but
all push us to think about our own way of life,”
Benton said.
Benton calls it “estrangement” – by
watching these films, Americans will hopefully
become immersed in the new cultures they present and become temporarily estranged from their
own, which allows them to then “return” and see
it with new eyes; things they previously took for
granted, for example, are now plainly seen and
better appreciated.
Benton says he’s trying to get this to happen.
“I think that is education,” said Benton.
90 mins and Gulpilil: One Red Blood (Darlene
Johnson: Australia, 2002) 56 mins
Time of the Wolf (Michael Haneke: Austrian
Director/French Film, 2003) 114 mins
Taste of Cherry (Abbas Kiarostami: Iran,
1997) 95 mins
Amores Perros (Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu:
Mexico, 2000) 153 mins
Code Unknown (Michael Haneke: Austrian
Director/French Film, 2000) 118 mins
In the Mood for Love (Kar Wai Wong:
Hong Kong, 2000) 98 mins
Lady Vengeance (Chan Wook-Park: South
Korea, 2005) 112 mins
The Magdalene Sisters (Peter Mullan:
Ireland, 2002) 119 mins
Aimee and Jaguar (Max Faberbock: Ger-
many, 1999) 125 mins
Hedwig and the Angry Inch (John Cam-
eron Mitchell: US, 2001) 95 mins
October 2006
Page 13
CAPOEIRA: Martial arts & modern dance
By CAROL LEATH
Courier Staff
Cooper Campus’ front lawn was abuzz with
an exciting activity on September 7.
Members from the Four Seasons Martial
Arts Gym came to give an instructional, educational and exciting demonstration of a spar
dance known as Capoeira.
Steven Harris, who is a manager in the
Information Technology Service department
on the Cooper campus, gave a brief history of
Capoeira.
The word “Capoeira” means open field.
Capoeira was developed by African slaves,
who were moved to South America after being captured during the slave trade.
Capoeira incorporates three main elements:
martial arts, dance and rhythm. Capoeira
started as martial arts, and dance was added
in order to disguise exactly what the slaves
were doing. Since the slave masters were
mostly Catholic, the slaves only had one day
of recreation. Sundays were a day of rest, no
sugar cane fields, no labor at all. This was
usually the only time they had to practice.
The slaves used drums and string instruments as a warning system. If master was
coming and a Capoeira game was getting out
of hand, a designated song would be played,
and the competitors would cool things down.
Music, as a form of communication, was used
much like it was in the United States, when
runaway slaves were told where to hide, who
to see and when to lay low. Capoeira developed as a type of training to aid in escape.
Women were also taught a form of Capoeira, called Maculele. Maculele involves
Photo courtesy of STEVEN HARRIS
Steven Harris, right, looks on as Capoeira
performers demonstrate their athletic moves.
two participants, each using two machetes. Machetes were used chiefly because the women had
them on hand as part of their work in the sugar cane
fields. The Maculele training was a primarily taught
as a form of protection from the slave owners. The
use of machetes has been replaced in most parts by
wooden sticks.
Regina Harris, wife of Steven Harris, has been
involved in the local Capoeira troop for five years.
She said, “Anyone can do this. If I can, anyone
can.” And indeed she could. She showed her ability during the exhibition, holding her ground against
the men of the group. She also taught a few moves
to Erin Howard, multicultural affairs’ Hispanic Outreach Coordinator; Michele Kelley, a freshman and
massage therapist; and Connor Hanagan, a sophomore computer science major.
Hanagan, who was a gymnast in North Carolina,
said it, “was fun” and that he was, “very interested
in learning more.”
Kelley agreed, saying she was, “interested in
checking out how to get into this. It is really fun.”
Angela Osbirn, a senior pre-veterinarian major
reflected, “Beautiful, it is amazing what you can
do with the human body.”
The troops’ leader, known as the grand mestre,
is Gildo Valu. He has been involved in Capoeira
for over 30 years. Mestre Valu would like to
bring Africans to the U.S in the near future to
demonstrate the various types of Capoeira.
Capoeira is a life-long journey. In order to
become a grand mestre, one must be involved in
the art for over 20 years.
Steven Harris is at the instructre mestre level.
There is more to Capoeira than just knowing the
moves and history. In order to advance, he must
share the history of the Capoeira with others.
Harris said Capoeira is also “humbling.” He
added the old Chinese saying, “Before enlightenment, you carry water and chop wood. After
enlightenment, you carry water and chop wood.”
Harris explained that this saying serves as a
warning for capoeiristra not to “go off on their
high horse.” You must give back in some form
to your school and community. Instruction and
education are a way to do this.
Harris concludes, “Capoeira is a life’s journey, a
learning experience, a humbling experience. The
inner strength obtained is the ultimate achievement.”
For more information, contact Steven Harris at the Four Seasons Martial Arts Gym, 1591
Winchester Rd-Ste 106, Lexington, or call 859245-5082. Harris can be reached by email at
sbharr0@gmail.com.
Brazz Tree brightens the mood
their “music is extremely diverse.” He added
that they “try to bring diversity to all styles of
music, folk, rock, including American rock,
combining them into our own sound.”
The multicultural affairs department
McKinzy Joseph, sophomore, biology/radikicked off the semester on the Bluegrass
ology major, who is also a musician, said he,
Community and Technology Cooper
“really likes what they’re doing!” Freshman
Campus with an outdoor treat. A free
concert by Brazz Tree was enjoyed by all. Nathan Browning added, “great tunes.”
Swift says of their style of music, that she,
Brazz Tree, a duet out of New York,
“hopes to inspire you with our music to dance
consists of guitarist Brad Hammonds
and violinist/singer Mazz Swift. Two and and sing … whatever makes you happy.”
Gary Brady, an environmental science major
a half years ago Swift put an ad in the
felt they succeeded, “They’re Hot!” he depaper seeking musicians who wanted
clared. Victoria Holden says Swift has “wonto form a group. Hammonds responded
derful voice and serious talent.”
and the two have been making music
Brazz Tree is with W2 Entertainment and
ever since.
managed by Wally Saukerson, who put them
Students and faculty came to listen;
on the National Association of Campus Activisome even found it a pleasant way to
ties list. They are now on a year-long tour.
spend lunch.
They came here from Centre College. Their
English Professor Carol Hunt came to
next stop was Eastern Kentucky University.
listen when she was told by three differThe Kentucky leg of their tour ended with
ent people that there was “really good
Union College. Nashville, Tennessee was the
live music” being played outside.
next stop on their trek south, with their finale
The group writes all of its own music.
slated for Jacksonville, Florida.
Brazz Tree also plays folk and folk rock
Mike Benton of the Bluegrass Film Society
favorites. According to Hammonds,
By CAROL LEATH
Courier Staff
said, “They are very good. I wish the campus did this every day. It is a good opportunity for people to see live performances
instead of the canned music.” He added,
“Events like this increase the communal feel
of college.”
Brazz Tree’s CD, Quest, was also offered
for sale. Information about Brazz Tree can
be found at Brazztree.com.
Photo by CASS DWYER
Brazz Tree, made up of Brad Hammonds and
Mazz Swift, performed at the Cooper campus.
Page 14
October 2006
Sherri Carr, Sponsor/Advisor
of the BCTC IAAP Student
Organization accepted
the IAAP Student Chapter
Membership Growth Award
in recognition of outstanding
membership growth for the
2005 -- 2006 academic year.
The award was presented
by Kay Enlow, CPS/CAP, the
International President of the
International Association of
AdministrativeProfessionals.
Most student members
of this organization are
IMD majors, but any BCTC
student with a business-type
major is welcome to join.
By CASS DWYER
Courier Staff
TAKE FIVE:
The hottest picks
for upcoming shows and album
releases:
Park it Like it’s Hot - Recent
releases most likely to be heard
blasting from cars in the epic
battle for K-Lot parking:
1. Lupe Fiasco Food and Liquor.
This album, produced by the Jigga
Man himself, is a beautiful and
bangin’ showcase of several hip
hop styles. Not to mention the totally rad single out right now about
skateboarding, “Kick, Push.”
Conscious and well-written lyrics
laced over deliciously fresh beats.
2. Beck Information. The latest
cut from Beck is a throwback to
the wilder and more electronically
driven sounds of the “Odelay”
days. The album blends genres,
mixing eclectic beats to form some
of Beck’s most solid work to date.
This album’s not a loser, baby.
3. Vince Gill These Days. A
43-song journey on a four-disc set
through rock, country, Americana
and bluegrass. I smell a Grammy.
4. The Killers Sam’s Town. The
sophomore release from The Killers has lost some of the 80s glitz
and brit-pop sound and matured
to undertones of twangy Americana laced with heavy guitars and
powerful lyrics. Dig this deep, it
satisfies.
5. Diddy “Press Play.” Or stop.
Then eject. This album gives
us the standard bling-bling and
over-dramatic synthed out beats
that are stagnating commercial rap
today. Despite the bevy of talented hip-hop artists who lend their
talents to this album, Puff Pappy
P. Diddle Dizzy Daddy can’t seem
to go anywhere new or inventive
on this release. Pop your collar
and download the ringtone for full
effect.
Put That Needle on the Record - Be on the lookout for these
upcoming albums:
1. Moby Go! The Very Best of
Moby. Drop Date: October 24
2. The Deftones Saturday Night
Wrist. Drop Date: October 31
3. Foo Fighters Skin and Bones.
Drop Date: November 7
4. …And You Will Know Us by
the Trail of Dead So Divided. Drop
Date: November 14
5. Snoop Dogg The Blue Carpet
Treatment. Drop Date: November
21
No Parking on the Dancefloor
- Put on the dancing shoes and
get the VIP passes out for these
upcoming shows in the Kentucky
area:
1. The Blue Man Group.
Tuesday, October 24. Rupp Arena,
Lexington.
2. The Apparitions with The
Scourge of the Sea, Malachi.
Saturday, October 28, 9 p.m. The
Dame, Lexington.
3. An Evening with The Disco
Biscuits. Friday, November 11.
Bogart’s, Cincinnati, OH.
MUSIC MIX
continued on page 23
photo courtesy of IAAP
Excellence
Without
Excuses
Administrative Professionals
organization seeks participants
By JAMES MAGERS
Courier Staff
The International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) is
looking to help students refine their skills and connections within the world
of administrative professionals. According to the IAAP’s web site, its purpose is to “provide information, education, and training to set standards of
excellence recognized by the business community on a global perspective.”
With that in mind, it is easy to see why the IAAP is a valuable resource to
students. With an international membership of around 40,000 people spread
throughout almost 600 chapters, there are ample opportunities to network
with like-minded students and professionals. In the spring of 2006, three
professionals from the Blue Grass chapter were made available to mock
interview graduating Bluegrass Community and Technical College students
and offer advice on their resumes. Activities such as these aid students in
advancing toward their professional goals.
According to Faculty Advisor Sherri Carr, the 2006-2007 academic year
looks to be a promising one. In August, the BCTC chapter was awarded the
Student Chapter Division Growth Award.
Along with school functions, the group will be looking at opportunities
for fundraising and community service.
Information is now being collected for those interested in joining the
IAAP’s student division. The current student fee is $24; however, the
group’s treasury will pay $10 of that in order to help out its students. To
sweeten the deal even more, food will be provided for the students at each
meeting. This year three officers return, including Vice President Cheryl
Robbins, Secretary Whitney Praska, and Treasurer Tracey Ginter. Once
meetings are established, a vote will be held to elect a new president.
Graphic design, web design, IMD, and CIT majors interested in joining
or checking out a meeting should contact Sherri Carr at (859)246-6294 or
sherri.carr@kctcs.edu.
October 2006
RAMADAN
By NAJAH ALLOUCH
Courier Staff
It is a peaceful time for the millions of Muslims in America and
all over the world. It is a time of
prayer, peace, and family. During
this very special month, Muslims
all over the world fast daily from
dawn until sunset daily for the entire month. The first day of Ramadan was on September 23, and it
will last 29-30 days.
Ramadan is the ninth month of
the Islamic calendar. The Islamic
calendar is lunar, which means it
follows the moon, so every year
the month shifts about 15 days.
Fasting Ramadan is one of the
five pillars of Islam, along with
photo by www.fotosearch.com
praying five times a day, giving
zakat (a specified amount of charity to the poor), the belief in God and the prophet Mohammed, and
going to pilgrimage in Mecca once in a lifetime (if able financially
and physically).
During this month the Islamic holy book was revealed.
Ramadan is meant to teach human beings patience and compassion for the poor. It is the most religious month in the Muslim
calendar. During the day Muslims abstain from food and drink. It is
a month meant to purify the soul.
While fasting Muslims pray,
read the Islamic holy book
called the Quran (pronounced
Koran) and try to become
closer to their Creator.
When it is time to break
fast, Muslims usually pray the
evening prayers. After prayer,
family and friends gather together for dinner. After dinner,
most people pray the night
prayers and a special prayer
in Ramadan called taraweeh.
photo by www.islamicfinder.org
In the evenings, most families spend time together and
enjoy desserts.
Muslims wake up before dawn to have a light meal, called sahoor,
which is similar to a breakfast. This could consist of breakfast
foods and fruit. Some people even eat full meals, called sahoor to
gain their strength for the day. After eating, they pray the morning
prayers and carry on with their days.
At the end of the month there is a three-day celebration marking
the end of Ramadan called Eid al Fatr (pronounced eed al fater). It
is similar to the American Christmas. It makes Muslims feel rewarded for all of the hardship during the month. Families get together
and have big dinners. Everyone buys new outfits to wear for that
special celebration. Gifts are exchanged and sometimes money is
given to the children called Eidiya (pronounced eediya).
Page 15
A Month
of
Blessings
Muslim student sees Ramadan
as month of peace, compassion
By NAJAH ALLOUCH
Courier Staff
There is one month during the
year that I truly love. During this
month I see people become patient,
loving and compassionate toward
others. It can truly change you. To
me and many people like me, it is
a treasure. The month I am talking
about is Ramadan.
My name is Najah Allouch and
I am an Arab-American Muslim.
Many people feel that we are violent
people, that all we have in our
hearts is hate and anger but it is just
untrue. Most Muslims, just like most
Christians or people from any other
religion, are good people. We love,
we adore family, and we appreciate
friendship. We have good morals
and good values, just like most good
people all over the world.
I would love to share with you the
experiences of this great month.
Ramadan is a month that is known
for its time of forgiveness, of compassion towards others, of mercy
from God. It is said that in this
month the gates of hell are closed. It
is said to be better than a thousand
months. For every good deed you do
it counts as if you had done ten good
deeds.
Ramadan is a very hard month
to endure. It involves fasting from
dawn until sunset every day for the
entire month, and let me tell you
that can be very difficult at times.
Fasting means to refrain from any
food or drink.
Fasting cleanses your soul. It
makes you appreciate all of the
things that you are blessed with,
it humbles you, it makes you feel
compassion for all of the poor peo-
ple who can feel that type of hunger every day. At least at the end of the day we
have a big dinner. Poor people don’t have
that luxury. That is why in this month we
are expected to give zakat (pronounced
as zakaat), which is a portion of money
every Muslim must give to the poor on an
annual basis. This money is either given
personally or through a charity. The
main thing is that it must be paid.
We are taught to not only fast from
food and drink but to try to refrain from
conflict, from anger, from mean words.
Our prophet (peace be upon him -- this is
what we say when we mention any of the
prophets) says, “Saying a nice word is
like giving to charity.” And he also said,
“To smile in the face of your brother (implying any human being) is like giving
to charity.” We are to be kind and loving
to each other. We are to be forgiving, not
only in this month but in every month.
But for some reason, like I said, this
month brings out the best in everyone.
I love the way family and friends always gather to break fast together, having
wonderful meals together, thanking God
for all they have and are blessed with.
There is just so much peace and love in
the air.
We spend a lot of time reading our holy
book, the Quran (pronounced Koran). We
spend a lot of time praying. We spend a
lot of time trying to help those who are
less fortunate than us. We spend a lot of
time doing good things, which in turn
cleanses our hearts and souls. For one
month, we truly do become less selfish,
less self-centered.
That is why I love this month so much.
When I know that this month is over, I
always shed a tear. It is sad because this
month, called “the month of good,” is
gone for another year. Despite its hardships and struggles, I always can’t wait
until this month comes around again the
next year.
Q
Page 16
October 2006
uit throwing it away!
Student group promotes recycling paper,
cans, plastic and cardboard on campus
By REBECCA GLASSCOCK
Special to the Courier
You read the newspaper. You
know what’s happening. You
know that the United States
uses one quarter of all the
energy used each year and that
our country emits one quarter
of the carbon dioxide. You’re
aware of the fact that our planet
is heading into the sixth great
extinction and that the climate
is changing too fast. You are
probably sad that the beautiful
mountains of eastern Kentucky
are being sheared off to pull
out the coal that will power our
homes.
The magnitude of the
problems are more than a bit
overwhelming and will most assuredly require serious action at
all levels, including at the level
of you and me. Yes, at the level
of you and me. We have the
power to do things that hurt the
earth, or we can make conscious
choices to help. We can walk or
ride a bike to school, change our
bulbs to compact fluorescents,
adjust the thermostat to save
energy, choose durable rather
than disposable goods, and we
can recycle. Recycling is such
an easy action, but it really is
a valuable one. Here are some
facts about recycling:
• Americans throw away
about 35 billion aluminum cans
every year. If all these cans
were recycled, we would save
an amount of energy equivalent
to 150 Exxon Valdez oil spills
annually.
• Aluminum can recycling
saves 95% of the energy needed
to make aluminum from bauxite
ore. Energy savings in 1992
were enough to light a city the
size of Pittsburgh for six years.
• One recycled aluminum can
saves enough electricity to operate a TV for three hours.
• Americans discard 4 million tons of office paper every
ear. That‘s enough to build a 12
foot-high wall of paper from
New York to California.
• The EPA has found that
making paper from recycled
materials results in 74% less air
pollution and 35% less water
pollution. This means that every
ton of recycled paper keeps
almost 60 pounds of pollutants out of the atmosphere that
would have been produced if the
paper had been manufactured
from virgin resources.
• Every ton of recycled paper
saves approximately four barrels
of oil, 4200 kilowatt hours of
energy and enough energy to
heat and air-condition the average North American home for
almost six months.
• Plastics are made from
petroleum - a limited nonrenewable resource. It is predicted that
by the year 2040, the Earth‘s
usable petroleum reserves will
have been depleted.
• Americans use 4 million
plastic bottles every hour — yet
only one bottle out of four is
recycled.
• Making tin cans from recycled steel takes only one-fourth
of the energy needed to make
them from new steel and creates
only one-fourth of the water and
air pollution created by making
cans from new steel.
• Americans use 100 million steel cans a day. We throw
away enough steel every year to
build all the new cars made in
America.
We want you to recycle at
home, and at school. To make
it convenient and easy for
you to recycle at school, our
college is introducing a new
recycling program called BCTC
C.A.R.E.S. (Campuses Advocating Responsible Environmental
Stewardship). Look for the blue
containers with logo you see
below:
In these containers, place:
• CARDBOARD (packing
boxes, pizza boxes, and any box
that does not have a plastic coating; empty and flatten)
• CANS (empty aluminum
soda cans and rinsed steel food
cans)
• PLASTIC (soda and water
bottles, detergent and condiment
bottles)
• PAPER (white and colored
paper, envelopes, calendars,
notepads, folders, newspapers,
magazines, brochures, and
phone books).
If you have a Rosie Recycler
at home, you already know that
you can place all of your materials together in the same container. Please do not put food waste
or other non-recyclable items in
the containers.
These recyclable materials
will be taken to the regional
recycling facility for sorting.
The sorted materials will then
be remanufactured into new
products.
BCTC is offering an additional recycling opportunity. We
are excited to be working with
Cartridge World, located on Virginia Avenue in Lexington, to
recycle used printer cartridges.
Just place your used cartridge in
one of the green-lidded cartridge bins around campus. For
each cartridge recycled, BCTC’s
Sustainability Task Force will
Photo by LUCIE MACDONALD
BCTC student Crystal Miller
created the logo seen below.
receive money to help with the
recycling program and other
sustainability efforts. As an
alternative, you can take your
used cartridge directly to Cartridge World. If you purchase a
reconditioned cartridge from the
company, as a BCTC student,
you will receive a 5% discount.
Make make a commitment
today to help make this campus
more ecologically sustainable.
If you have questions or would
like to help, please contact the
chair of the Sustainability Task
Force, Rebecca Glasscock. Her
email address is rebecca.glasscock@kctcs.edu.
Logo created by BCTC student CRYSTAL MILLER
October 2006
Page 17
Business aids recycling effort
Cartridge World to refill, recycle used printer cartridges
By GREGORY SPURLOCK
Courier Business Manager
Everyone has heard the saying
“Recycling Makes Sense.” For Peter
Healy, it also makes business cents.
Healy is the owner of Cartridge
World and has recently helped
institute a program at Bluegrass
Community and Technical College
that recycles and refills printer ink cartridges. The recycling program pays
cash for the used cartridges which
are then refilled with ink and sold to
other customers or back to the original
person after being refilled.
Healy has also shared his expertise with BCTC business students in
forums, such as the recent Extreme
Entrepreneur tour that was sponsored
by the BCTC Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) club.
After moving from Clonmel County
Tipperary in Ireland, Healy worked
for Alltech Inc. for 12 years. “I always
had a goal to own my own business
before I turned 40,” and at 39, he
decided to invest in a Cartridge World
franchise.
Before selecting a franchise in
which to invest, Healy studied many
different franchises and flew to California to meet with representatives of
his top three choices.
“I almost started a real Danish Bakery with a real Danish baker in charge
of our products. My mother was from
Denmark and I believe there is huge
potential for ‘real’ Danish pastries,
both from a consumer and a catering
perspective.”
Healy explained the process of
becoming a franchisee. “You want to
know that the franchisor knows what
he is doing. They, of course, want to
be sure you have what it takes to run
one of their franchises. They look at
your financial position, past business
experience, aptitude for the business
and your general attitude.”
“You must ascertain if the business
is for you. Will you enjoy working
in that arena? In addition you want
to interview as many of the existing
franchisees to gauge their success and
satisfaction with the business,” said
Healy. “Franchisors are not allowed
to make potential earnings claims, so
you have to do your homework.”
Healy interviewed 12 franchisees
in person and interviewed 20 more on
the phone before deciding to invest in
Cartridge World.
Healy, who has been married to
wife Vikki for 11 years, has three
children and two Jack Russell terriers
when he is not working at least 10
hours a day, including most weekends.
“In the first year or two of starting a new business, it is nose to the
grindstone all the time. My life is very
different from when I was an employee but it is not difficult to work long
hours when it is for you.”
Advertising is a crucial part of the
marketing mix for any new business,
especially small businesses with a limited marketing budget. Healy advertises on radio and with local tabloids
and college newspapers, including the
BCTC Courier. The Cartridge World
delivery vehicle is wrapped with the
company logo and contact information.
Entrepreneurs often are expected to
learn the language of business. Healy
was challenged by the linguistics of
business-speak.
“When my bank asked me to provide a three-year Pro-Forma business
plan, I was taken aback. Terms such as
P&L (Profit and Loss) and Cash Flow
projections scared me.”
Healy responded by purchasing
books such as Franchising for Dum-
mies and Accounting for Dummies,
among others.
“Now, these terms are familiar and,
more importantly, they are business
practices that are carefully monitored
on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.
I also took advantage of free seminars
at the Small Business Development
Center and free advice from accountants, attorneys and more,” Healy
explained.
Another point emphasized by Healy
was the value of networking. “Without
networking, you don’t know what is
going on in your marketplace and you
will not be as likely to position yourself to avail of opportunities. Word of
mouth is the most powerful marketing
tool and also the cheapest. Nobody
will recommend your business if they
don’t know you.”
Cartridge World Lexington
373 Virginia Avenue, Suite 103
Lexington, KY 40504
Photo by PATSI SEDIVY
Peter Healy is helping BCTC recycle old printer cartridges.
BCTC students receive 5%
Discount with student ID
Page 18
October 2006
Multicultural Affairs
By CAROL LEATH
Courier Staff
Staff dedicated to celebrating diversity
The Multicultural Affairs Office staff is a diverse group who have come together to promote awareness, understanding and acceptance
of cultural diversity at Bluegrass Community and Technical College.
Each staff member has projects aimed toward this goal. They are happy to talk to students, faculty and staff about upcoming events
and to accept any help or ideas as well as answer any questions.
They are responsible for a lot of events produced on the BCTC campuses. The multicultural affairs staff is indeed approachable. You
feedback is appreciated, your ideas wanted, and your opinions valued.
Here is an introduction to those who give us a break from our normal routines by sponsoring multicultural events on campus.
Give them a smile, a thank you, a nod of the head when passing in the hallways or attending an event, and don’t be surprised when you
get an appreciative smile in return.
was sent to an alternative school. It
audience when I was on stage.”
passport.
wasn’t until his senior year of high
As they say, the rest is history. DaFoushee started as a part-time
school, after being expelled, that it
vis is a poet, actor, public speaker, and employee and is now a full-time
was discovered that he suffered from
storyteller. And this is still just the tip staff member and part-time studyslexia and attention deficit disorder. of the iceberg.
dent. She likes her job very much
Davis states, “By this time, I had
To find out what else Hasan Davis
and credits having this position to
joined
a
street
gang.
When
others
is
doing,
visit
his
Web
site
at
www.
Kammy McCleery. Foushee said,
cultural arts services
looked
at
me,
they
saw
a
menace
to
hasandavis.com.
“Students looking for jobs or job
outreach coordinator
Hasan Da- society.”
hunting related issues will benefit
His mother did not give up on him.
vis, cultural
by talking to Kammy.” (McCleery
She encouraged him to get a GED.
arts services
is in Student Development Center
Davis did very well on the GED,
outreach
located in the Oswald Building,
finishing in the 90th percentile. Davis
coordinator,
Room 103. She helps students
calls this event, “a crossroads.” He
is known to
find jobs, work on their resumes
many BCTC states, “I was still struggling, but I reand will give advice on how to
ally wanted to make it, and for the first
students for
make the most of an interview. )
his portrayal time ever, I believed it was possible.”
Foushee is right at home in the
He got a break. The director of
of York,
Multicultural Affairs office. She
admissions at Berea College admitted
(slave of
is an international student. She is
Davis.
William
originally from Belarus, in eastern
Davis was expelled - twice.
Clark of Lewis and Clark fame). DaEurope, and is a tutor at BCTC.
-Erin Howard,
Then he decided to major in comvis gave performances on BCTC camShe translates English to Russian
Hispanic Outreach
munications. Davis states, “The skills
puses during Black History Month in
and Russian to English.
Coordinator
I learned in my theatre and communiFebruary, 2006. He has just finished
Foushee says she, “understands
cations classes transferred into incredthe big National Finale of the Lewis
the feelings and anxiety many
ible things.”
and Clark Bicentennial commemorainternational students have.” Also,
Davis’ senior year was indeed
tion in Missouri.
“International students may not be
Davis lives in Paint Lick, Kentucky, incredible. He was “elected homecomfortable asking certain queswith his wife Dreama Gentry and their coming king, served as president of
tions about things that American
the student body, and received the
two sons Malcolm, 7 and Christostudents take for granted.” BeNavy V12 award, one of the highest
pher, 2. Busy with work, speakcause she can empathize, and in
awards the college has for outstanding administrative assistant
ing engagements and family, Davis
a lot of cases, she has been there,
Vera
contributions to human kindness and
explained how he finds time to do so
done that, she can indeed help.
Foushee,
interracial understanding.”
many things: “I have been conducting
Another one of her assets is her
(proDavis graduated, went to law
unauthorized cloning experiments I
ability to put people at ease. She
nounced
my basement in hopes of being able to school, although he did not want
is very easy to talk with.
Foo Shay),
meet the demand for services (no luck to practice law. He did, however,
Helping is what a good adminisis the first
become assistant director of the Black
yet)”
trative assistant does. In the Mulperson
Davis’ Web site is full of interesting Culture Center and served in the
ticultural Affairs office, Foushee
Mayor’s office in Lexington.
you’ll
information. Some of the highlights
pays the bills, acts as liaison beDavis continues: “During that
see when
or lowlights will be printed here, but
tween coordinators and performers
time, I heard about a program through
entering
for a full appreciation of some of the
and speakers, and pays the guests
the Kentucky Humanities Council
Room 211
obstacles he has overcome, www.
speakers. She also takes care of
called the Kentucky Chautauqua. The of the Oswald Building. She is
hasandavis.com is a must read.
the paperwork for all Multicultural
council was looking for people to act
the administrative assistant, and
An angry Davis grew up in innerAffairs staff.
as historical characters, and I really
the person to see concerning your
city Atlanta, Georgia in the 1970s
She is taking medical terminolmissed the connection I felt to an
and 1980s. By the seventh grade, he
passport picture and obtaining a
hd
ASAN
avis
“I believe learning
more about the rest
of the world
and other peoples,
languages, and cultures
teaches you a lot about
your own identity
and culture.”
vf
era
oushee
October 2006
ogy classes, but is not interested
in nursing. She is leaning toward
something in dentistry, but has not
ruled out working in some capacity with international students.
Foushee has been married for
three years to Lexington native
Lovell Foushee, whom she met in
Belarus. He was doing mission
work for Crusades for Christ, and
she was an active volunteer.
Vera Foushee said, “Students, all
students, can come (in) anytime
and I will try to answer any questions they may have.”
ws
endell
parks
international students and
scholars services
coordinator
Entering
Wendell
Sparks’
cubicle is
like entering a small
personal
museum.
It is hard
not to
notice
the beautiful and diverse collections of pictures, dolls, puppets,
screens, gourds, bowls and the
like that encompass much of his
tiny space. International students whom he has helped have
given him mementos from their
home countries which he proudly
displays.
Sparks has two master’s degrees-one in international management, and the other in international administration. BCTC
students interested in becoming
international students as well as
faculty thinking a year in a different country teaching would look
good on their resumes, should
go to Wendell Sparks to get
the paperwork started. He can
explain what an I-20 is and the
difference between that and a J-1.
These are forms that international
students (I-20), and international
teachers (J-1) are familiar with
and are necessary for anyone
wishing to become international
students and or teachers.
If there are problems with these
forms, or the filling out of these
forms, he can help.
International students have also
relied on his expertise to help
with their concerns and problems
with the Social Security Office.
If anyone needs to know the rules
and regulations, or information
about how or keep their student
status or clarification on communication received from the
government, he is indeed the
go-to guy.
“I have always been interested
in international cultures,” Sparks
said. He has worked with the
exchange student program, arranging the exchanges as well as
serving as host family to students.
Sparks was raised in Northeastern Kentucky. His parents still
live there, and he travels home
often. He is divorced and has
no children. He said he speaks,
“English, Spanish and Hillbilly.”
He has worked in Arizona,
Florida and western Kentucky
and has lived for five years in
Hawaii. He joined the BCTC
staff three years ago.
Sparks enjoys going to multicultural events, particularly retreats. He has attended retreats in
Blue Lick, Kentucky, and before
that at Mammoth Cave. These
retreats have a local flavor. For
a more worldly exposure, there
have been workshops dealing
with plane hijacking and terrorist attacks, and a trip to Newport
Aquarium to give participants an
underwater sea experience.
BCTC students and staff who
would like information about
spending a year or even a semester in another country for college
credit can pick up catalogs from
Sparks, who will answer any
questions they might have.
Sparks pointed out that, “International Education Week is
the week of November 18. All
students and faculty are invited
to come see, enjoy and learn.”
The location of the exhibits
will be announced at a later date.
Page 19
jc
ames
hambers
diversity outreach
coordinator
James
Chambers,
Diversity
Outreach
Coordinator, is a
graduate
of Eastern
Kentucky
University and is
currently working on his master’s
degree in sports administration.
He worked for three years at the
Martin Luther King Alternative
School in Lexington. He has been
on staff at BCTC since January.
Chambers is well traveled. He
hails from Shelbyville, Kentucky,
attended Henry Clay Senior High,
where in his senior year he played
basketball. He then went to EKU
on a basketball scholarship. The
next stop was France. He lived in
France for 18 years, 15 of those
years were spent playing basketball. While in France, he met and
married a North African woman,
who is now a teacher in Lexington.
They have two sons, ages 19 and
4.
Chambers believes “physical
fitness and education go hand in
hand.” He has started soccer and
basketball intramural teams at
BCTC. He plans to add volleyball,
table tennis, and maybe softball in
the near future.
The Cooper campus teams are
slated to compete against the
Leestown campus teams; the plan
is to eventually have teams at each
BCTC campus playing against
each other. Teams are open to men
and women.
As diversity outreach coordinator, Chambers is not limited to
sports projects.
One of his pet projects is a tierbased mentoring program entitled
100 BMW (Black Men Working).
The program starts with 25 BMW,
that is black men with jobs, who
mentor to 25 college men, who
mentor to 25 high-school students,
who mentor to 25 middle-school
youth. These men come from all
walks of life and many different
professions, including athletes,
doctors, maintenance, accountants,
professors, mechanics and lawyers.
Of 100 BMW, Chamber says, “Its
aim is to teach young men responsibility and to let them know that a
successful man can obtain a twoyear degree or attend trade school.
Not everyone is four-year degree
material, but that does not mean
give up. There are more options
than the streets.”
Students and faculty who are
interested in the sports programs,
100 BMW or who would like to
help should contact James Chambers at the Multicultural Affairs
office, Room 211 of the Oswald
Building.
eh
rin
oward
hispanic outreach
coordinator
Erin Howard, Hispanic
outreach
coordinator,
describes
herself as a
highly motivated, creative young
professional.
She is articulate in English and Spanish, as well as functional
in Portuguese. She left out that she is
also very busy.
In addition to her job at BCTC, she
serves as a community liaison for the
college and the Hispanic community. She also publishes a biannual
bilingual newsletter about educational
issues that affect Hispanics. She is
working with the Cardinal Valley Center and other community members to
bring basic Spanish literacy programs
and Adult Education programs.
Howard serves on various community and college committees: Mayor’s
Hispanic Task Force, Agency for
Substance Abuse Policy, ESL Action
Team, Advocate for Educational rights
MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS
continued on page 20
Page 20
Multicultural Affairs
Continued from page 19
of underserved students.
On the campus front, she is working
with the other members in multicultural affair, academic affairs and
global partnerships in order to offer
a summer immersion/service learning program in Morelia, Michoacan,
Mexico.
She is married, and does not have
children, “yet.”
Howard does manage to find some
free time. “I love to paint, read, workout, watch/play sports (soccer, football, baseball, etc.). I was a gymnast,
and I love to travel. My dream trips
would be a tour of the Mediterranean
Island, tour of Italy, tour of Israel. I
also want to visit all Latin American
countries and Spain one day.”
Erin Howard concluded: “ Tell the
students (that) I love my job! I hope
each student can take the opportunities that surround them to learn more
about themselves and other cultures
and peoples. I believe learning
more about the rest of the world and
other peoples, languages, and cultures
teaches you a lot about your own identity and culture. Also, serving other
people is way more rewarding than
being served or serving yourself.”
cw
harlene
alker
vice president
multicultural affairs
Charlene
Walker
has served
as interim vice
president
of Multicultural
Affairs,
and now
the word
“interim” is
no longer necessary.
The tenured professor is the
new vice president of multicultural affairs for the Bluegrass District, which incorporates International Affairs, Hispanic Outreach,
Diversity Outreach and Cultural
Arts Outreach.
Walker has accomplished quite
a lot in a relatively short time.
She was raised in Hazard,
Kentucky, and graduated from
Eastern Kentucky University with
a bachelor’s degree in social work
October 2006
and a minor in corrections.
Walker earned her master’s
degree in counseling from EKU
and completed additional graduate
courses in women’s studies and
Appalachian studies at the University of Kentucky.
She became the first degreed
African-American social worker
in the Kentucky River area.
Walker has lobbied in Washington, D.C. for advocacy and funding of women’s educational programming, developed statewide
curriculum for Kentucky single
parent/homemaker programs, and
has spoken statewide and nationally for the displaced homemaker
conferences and workshops.
Walker initiated and coordinated the first King Holiday celebrations in Hazard in cooperation
with Perry County schools.
Walker moved to Lexington,
Kentucky in 1988 and has been
a faculty member at Lexington
Community College, now known
as BCTC, since that time.
She has taught student development and counseling courses for
the past 15 years, including the
master student course.
Charlene Walker is interested in
more than just an academia. She
is creative and fun.
Named Miss Black Kentucky in
1974, Walker was a judge in the
2006 Miss Kentucky pageant.
Walker coordinated student activities that produced the first UK
homecoming queen from Lexington Community College and
followed that with the first- and
second-place candidates for the
next two years respectively.
Walker established Unity, a
student organization that incorporated understanding with the
entire student population around
issues relating to African-Americans. She also helped Unity put
together a float for UK homecoming parade.
Walker currently has several
projects in the works. She is organizing a trip to the Underground
Railroad Museum, to take place in
November.
She will be attending a Pow
Wow in October concerning land
in Winchester that is about to be
commercialized instead of preserved. She will speak on this
subject at a later date.
Charlene Walker is the mother
of two and “Nana” of one.
Painting our portrait
Artist
Enrique
Gonzalez’
paintings
on display
at Cooper
campus
ed, including students from China,
Panama, Russia, Venezuela, Haiti
and more.
BCTC also unveiled a painting
Gonzalez did for the school. The
painting is on display in the AT
lobby above the main doors as you
exit toward the Oswald Building.
Photos by PATSI SEDIVY
Hispanic Outreach Coordinator Erin Howard
with the mural painted by BCTC students.
Special to the Courier
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, artist
Enrique Gonzalez led participants in painting
a collage/mural depicting the different cultures represented on campus.
Students of many nationalities participat-
Artist Enrique Gonzalez led the painting
of a mural depicting different cultures.
October 2006
CHINA
Page 21
Even exchange: Professor James Goode
teaches abroad, explores ‘country of contrasts’
By CASS DWYER
Courier Staff
Photos courtesy of JAMES GOODE
Earlier this year, BCTC Professor James
Goode traveled around the globe as part of an
exchange program to China to teach at Changsha
University. The college, located in the southern
Hunan providence has a 12 year-relationship with
BCTC and is currently trying to integrate a community college concept into the Chinese education
system.
Goode, along with several other professors, was
one of the first to teach a full-credit course during an intensive four-week session. Goode was
responsible for teaching American Literature to
the students and noticed many differences between
classrooms and students in America and China.
“They’re much better students, but that’s deceptive,” said Goode. “They go through a rigorous
testing process; you’re dealing with the cream of
the crop.”
Students in China lead a drastically different life
when compared to their American counterparts.
There is no running water in the dorms. Goode noticed that the students washed their clothes by hand
using boiling water. Students would leave large
thermoses to be filled in
front of the cafeteria
and collect them later
in the day.
Chinese
students are
also
Changsha University in China has had an
exchange program with BCTC for 12 years.
under a tremendous amount of pressure from their professors with very demanding assignments. “I couldn’t
assign something that was too daunting,” said Goode.
Many only sleep a few hours a night in order to be prepared for the following day’s lecture.
Goode found he was also under pressure in the
Chinese education system. China is still governed by
the Communist party, and there were cameras in all
of the classrooms. He was not allowed to advocate or
speak on his opinion to his classes, and all lectures were
recorded and monitored.
“I was worried, but I knew before I went over there
how it was going to be,” said Goode, who used analogies to safely
teach some of the controversial
material
that defines the early part of
American
literature studies.
In between his teaching
responsibilities, Goode was
able to travel around the
country. A highlight of the trip
was in Xi’Anchian where Goode
saw the terra cotta soldiers of the
first Chin dynasty. Over 8,000
larger-thanlife statues
of the
emperor’s
soldiers
were
discovered to
have been
buried as
a way to
protect
Emperor
Chin in the
afterlife. Goode said the exhibit was breathtaking
and fascinating.
In addition to teaching, Goode is also a farmer
and spent time with village farmers in Taizimiao.
Goode and his wife were the very first foreigners
some of the villagers had ever seen. While visiting
a vocational middle school, observers crowded
around the windows outside to watch the “westerners” as they interacted with the class.
Goode and his wife were served a 14-course
meal and treated like royalty. Goode said that the
food in China is nothing like our version of Chinese food. Even their Wal-Mart carried items such
as live eels and frogs.
Goode’s overall impression of China was a
“country of contrast.” In the classroom, there
would be state-of-the-art technology, yet people
were driving around in cars circa World War II.
“One foot in the past, and one in the future,”
added Goode, “It was spectacular, absolutely spectacular.”
Professor James Goode took time out from
teaching to visit the Great Wall of China.
Waterlilies grace Changsha University’s
reflecting pond. At left, Goode photographed a pagoda in the Hunan Province.
Page 22
After-school
program offers
more than just
homework help
By STEVE ALVARADO
Courier Staff
With the help of 21st Century and a few diligent
BCTC staff members and students, education has
gotten a proverbial facelift at Tates Creek Middle
School.
An after-school program, whose name is chosen
by its young attendees — who, this year, settled on
“Titan University” — has begun its third consecutive year of after-school tutoring, homework help,
and enrichment classes at Tates Creek Middle
School.
The program, which from its inception was targeted at Tates Creek due to unsatisfactory academic
grades, will once again try to make considerable
strides in improving the academic success of many
of its students, and at the same time breathe some
life into the somewhat monotonous and repetitious
grind of everyday school life.
“Our main goal is to improve (academic success), in particular: math, language arts and general
literacy,” said Sheila Simpson, project manager for
Community Education.
Though their main goals focus on somewhat
common subjects, the academic courses themselves
are hardly limited to the obligatory and redundant.
The program offers a wide-array of classes with
an emphasis on hands-on involvement. Some of
the more unique courses include: CSI Forensics,
Robotics, Visual arts and Guitar.
It is that variety in subjects and the unique
approach to teaching those subjects that makes
this program somewhat an anomaly among most
academic assistant programs.
“Students need enough variety in classes to
choose,” said Simpson, who confirms that although
the main goal is to help improve the academic
prowess of at-risk students, the importance of
making those courses “hands-on and stimulating
enrichment activities,” is paramount.
Simpson, along with a few associates, originally
got the concept for the Tates Creek Middle School
program from the long-running Bluegrass Community and Technical College Summer Youth
Program.
Though students who are struggling academically are primarily targeted, any student from Tates
Creek Middle School is eligible to participate.
Volunteers, helpful students and staff members
from various colleges around Lexington (including BCTC) are often seen participating and even
instructing their own classes in the after-school
program.
Potential volunteers should contact Sheila Simpson at (859) 246-6676 for more information on
how to get involved.
October 2006
What’s
for lunch?
Students hungry for additional food
service options at Cooper campus
campus due to finding good parking.”
The good news is that the Atrium is not finished
With the separation between the University of
and there will be many changes coming within the
Kentucky and Lexington Community College, there
semester. Cooper campus has ordered new equiphave come many changes. The students who spend
ment such as vending machines, which require no
most of their days on the Bluegrass Community Tech- labor. By the end of this semester the school plans
nical College Cooper campus might say the toughest
to have burgers, an organic yogurt machine, hot
change to deal with is the food service. pockets, juices, energy drinks, healthier snacks, and
Many students rely on the campus to offer them
breakfast biscuits.
nourishment throughout their busy school day. The
Currently, a committee is being formed of
University of Kentucky agreed to continue to help
students, faculty, and staff that will help make
the Cooper campus with its food services until July
decisions about the new changes. The commit1, 2006. BCTC administration put out a call for bids
tee will guide the menu and discuss expanding the
to food service vendors and waited to see if there
hours. They will be “looking for the right balance
would be any offers. No one came to bid, according
between labor and money,” said Gonzales.
to Randy Gonzales, Vice President for Finances and
One thing that will help with the cost of labor is
Administration.
using students who are employed at BCTC in the
Administrators approached UK again, but they
expansion of hours. Another thing the committee
could not help because the Cooper campus service
will be considering is a change in the name from
was losing money. The service they provided required Atrium Café to one that is more BCTC inspired. a lot of labor, which, in turn, required a lot of money
To help with the transition, the Cooper campus is
that BCTC simply could not afford.
currently providing four microwaves that are availIf the Atrium Café continued with the same serable in the Atrium, as well as a vending machine
vices it has had in the past, Gonzales said that extra
with sandwiches and instant lunch noodle boxes.
money would have to be subsidized out of student
There is also a vending machine in the lobby of the
tuition. With nowhere to turn, UK agreed to sign
Oswald Building with ice-cream bars.
another yearly contract with Cooper campus in an
Other foods that are available now in the Atrium
agreement that they would scale down the labor and
include two choices of soups, cold sandwiches, peado what is necessary for UK not to lose money in the nut butter and jelly sandwiches, salad, fruit sauces,
project.
and cottage cheese.
This meant that BCTC had to get rid of the grill,
Students and staff may have noticed that the
which eliminated the availability of pizza and sausage Academic Technical Building’s coffee shop is now
biscuits. They also had to cut the hours of operation to replaced with faculty offices, due to the loss of
reduce the cost of labor.
money and small amount of traffic.
Junior elementary education major Micah Jackson
Another change is the raising of the
said he was “disappointed in the fact that they could
prices. These raises are consistent with that of the
have done something about it before the semester
food at the UK campus. As UK food prices go up,
started, and would much rather have a fresh sandwich so do prices at the Cooper campus. The agreement
than one from a vending machine.” with UK will be reviewed in April 2007.
Jackson works at BCTC in the instructional media
Some students were upset this August when
department at least 20 hours a week and attends
they saw the changes in the campus’s food
classes full time so he stated that he “really depends
services. They should be aware that some camon the campus for his meals.”
puses have no food services at all. Our other
David Heffner, a sophomore physics major said
BCTC campuses such as Lawrenceburg, Danville,
that he “preferred the other” in reference to the
Leestown, and Regency depend only on vendchoices available last semester. He also stated “I want ing machines. According to Gonzales, this is “not
something warm, and don’t want to have to leave
inconsistent with a community college.”
By EMILY GULLETT
Courier Staff
October 2006
Page 23
fotofraud
See if you can find 8 differences in the before and after photos below. (answers are at the bottom of the page)
Photos courtesy of www.freefoto.com. Photo illustrations by LUCIE MACDONALD
MUSIC MIX
continued from page 14
4. The Black Keys with The
Black Angels. Wednesday, Nov.
15, 9 p.m. Headliners, Louisville.
5. Coalition of the Willing.
Thursday, Nov. 9, 9 p.m. The
Dame, Lexington.
The Dame: www.dameky.com
Bogart’s: www.bogarts.com
Headliners Music Hall:
www.headlinerslouisville.com
Give it a spin - The Top 5
albums and song downloads:
WRFL 88.1 FM Lexington Top
5 Albums
1. M.Ward Post-War
2. Belbury Poly The Owl’s Map
3. Califone Roots and Crowns
4. Wolf Eyes Human Animal
5. Beach House Beach House
CD Central Top 5 Albums
1. The Decemberists Crane Wife
2. Beck Information
3. Robert Randolph Colorblind
4. My Morning Jacket OKONOKOS
5. The Killers Sam’s Town
iTunes Top 5 Downloaded
Albums
1. Tenacious D The Pick of
Destiny
2. Evanescence The Open Door
3. John Mayer Continuum
4. Hannah Montana I Got Nerve
+ The Best of Both Worlds
5. The Killers Sam’s Town
Research Opportunities for
Healthy Recreational Users of
Cocaine & Other Stimulants
Researchers with the University of Kentucky College
of Medicine, Department of Behavioral Science are
conducting research to examine the physiological and
behavioral effects of cocaine and other stimulants.
All information will be kept confidential. You may be
eligible if you are between 18 and 50 years of age;
are in good health; are using cocaine or other stimulants recreationally (for example, Adderall®, Ritalin®,
Amphetamine, Ephedrine, or Methamphetamine).
Eligible volunteers will be paid for their participation. For more information and a confidential interview
please call 859-257-5388 or 1-866-232-0038.
fotofraud answers: stripe in flag, tire part, pumpkin ear, yellow labels on sign, image on green sign, woman’s blouse, sidewalk curb, bakery name
Page 24
Mentoring program
stresses self-esteem
By CAROL LEATH
Courier Staff
Kaleidoscope’s fall mentoring
schedule began on September 19,
2006, with a workshop entitled SelfEsteem - You are beautiful!
This was not a workshop to instruct
women on correct makeup or the latest
in designer clothing, but one to help
women understand that true beauty
comes from within.
There was no man bashing, no
women are better than men, stronger
than men, or anything along those
lines.
The main focus was to give women
the necessary tools to understand
themselves better, to forgive themselves for whatever was holding
them back. It was a time to focus on
ourselves and what we want for ourselves, goals and ambitions. Women
came to realize that it is all right to say
no to husbands, boyfriends, children,
friends and other family members.
The importance of role models
and their rightful place in our lives
was discussed. You pick your role
models. Our mothers are our first role
models, but we do not have to become
our mothers unless we want to. The
expectations we have to live up to are
our realistic expectations of ourselves.
Handouts, with thoughtful questions
were to be filled. This starting point
served to direct particpants’ focus.
We were partnered up and questioned
about what the other person had to say
and how we related to their comments.
A lesson in listening is one we can all
benefit from.
Following your dreams and making your own dreams come true is a
message not only women can benefit
from. Overcoming the negatives imposed on us by others and ourselves is
a real and serious problem for everyone at some point in his or her life.
The guest speaker for this workshop
was Marta Miranda. Miranda is an
instructor of social work and women’s
studies at Eastern Kentucky University.
She was an excellent choice for this
workshop.
Miranda came to the United States
from Cuba 40 years ago. More than
15 years ago, while on her way to
visit a friend, she was driving through
Northeastern Kentucky and felt a
connection to the land. She decided
she wanted a house and about 15 acres
of this land. That was her dream,
and she made it happen. Family and
friends thought she was crazy. She
showed them. Miranda now describes
herself as Cubappalachian. That’s part
Cuban and part Appalachian.
Miranda made the workshop interesting, thought-provoking and funny,
even though she was in mourning.
Thunder, her 12-year-old Malamute
had just died. Thunder and Miranda
had adopted each other. He was her
first friend. Thunder is survived by
Flannel, a rescued cat, and of course,
by Marta Miranda.
October 2006
Lawrenceburg
Phi Beta Lambda
goes to Nationals
By ELIZABETH WORSTER
Contributing Writer
Seven students of the Phi Beta
Lambda Lawrenceburg Chapter
competed in the Spring Leadership
Conference held in Louisville last
semester.
The Phi Beta Lambda chapter
has been held on BCTC’s Lawrenceburg Campus since 1995-96
and has competed in nationals all
over the country in places such as
Denver, Dallas, Orlando and, this
year, Nashville. Along with one
other chapter on Leestown, the
Phi Beta Lambda was once just
open to business students but now
is open to anyone who wants to
join no matter what BCTC campus
they attend.
In he fall, there is a Leadership Training program called Fall
Leadership Conference where the
presidents get together as well as
the treasures and secretaries.
Members who wanted to compete for the spring conference
were to assume they were in
positions for a company and were
required to create a presentation
that showed off their knowledge
and skills in a particular field.
The first place winners won
for desktop publishing where the
students were to make a magazine
cover and calender. In multimedia,
students had to deal with Identity
Theft in a four- minute commercial. The Lawrenceburg campus
also won first place for the largest
percent increase in membership.
The seven students who competed were all winners:
Bill Shinkle and Connie
Rutherford, Desktop Publishing
Carol Aldridge, Brittany
Carlton, and Sharon Newby,
MultiMedia Presentation
Chris Spaulding, Computer
Concepts
Angela Hudson, Business
Communications
Priority
Registration for
Spring 2007
Oct 30 Nov 17
Photo submitted
Phi Beta Lambda members, left to right, standing – Connie Rutherford,
Sharon Newby, Angela Hudson, Sharon Breeding (adviser), Ann
Aldridge, Brittany Carlton. Kneeling - Bill Shinkle and Chris Spaulding