May 2013

We e k of Apr il 29, 2013

www.ccnycampus.org

Over a Century of Service to CCNY & the Harlem Community

CAMPUS SURVEY

We Asked You Expect to be surprised by the results of our poll PAGE 8

Answered General Petreaus Comes to CUNY Get to Know Our Downtown Campus

PAGE 5

PAGE 14

In This Issue: 03

Coccola:Our Newest Dining Option

By Carly Turnkwalter

Vo lu me CCXIV, Nu mb er 5

Editorial Team Editor in Chief Ryan Wallerson

03

Landslide! Meet Your New USG Officials

By Kishan Singh

04

Which Mayoral Candidates Care Most About Us?

By Sofi Biviano

04

Good-bye to Goldstein

By Richy Rosario

05

General Patraeus Stationed at CUNY

By Helene Werckmeister

05

One Bathroom for All

By Kristine Abrenica

Managing Editor Louis Oprisa News Rochelle Sterling Opinions and Features Nikeeyia Howell Arts Eitan Negri Copy Chief Hannington Dia

Design and Web Design Squad Sofi Biviano Chastity Lewis Elina Vargas

06

A Mother’s Love

By Alison Gregory

08 08 12

Special Report: The 2013 Campus Survey CCNY Abroad: Reaching New Shores CWE: Where Mature Students Learn Best

By James Botwina and Brendan Lawton

Social Media & Public Relations Ikè Nwankpa

Faculty Advisors Linda Villarosa Georgia Scott

Cover Design by Chastity Lewis

Adelphi University graduate students are engaged and challenged, and our scheduling is structured to support your professional life outside of the community. As of Fall 2012, 93 percent of Adelphi students who earned a master’s degree held jobs related to their area of study.

Our graduate programs include: Business Creative arts Education Healthcare Psychology Science Social work Learn more at our Graduate Open House.

Wednesday, May 8, 2013 5:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m.

To register, visit connect.adelphi.edu/graduateevents.

A D E LP H I U NI V E R S I TY

ADELP HI.EDU/GRAD UATE

CHI.ADE

NEWS

Coccola: Our Newest Dining Option By: Carly Trunkwalter Adding some diversity to our local dining scene this spring, the casual Italian restaurant, Coccola, on 138th and Amsterdam, is already becoming a staple for students to enjoy a glass of wine or cold Moretti. The restaurant, which started business in February 2013, offers a tasty menu of daily brunch, lunch and dinner. “We keep a small menu of fresh and well made dishes,” says managing partner, Antonio Vallo.

Eating Well on a Budget Truthfully, the menu is anything but modest except for its prices. The most expensive entrees are $14 during dinner.

The average lunch is priced at $8.50. The menu is completely Italian, which translates into more bang for your buck portions.

Culinary Specialties They hand make all their own pastas, lasagna and gnocchi dishes and desserts.

The brick oven’s 12 inch pizzas are Antonio’s specialty. The oven was specially designed to resemble an authentic Naples wood burning pizza oven.

Perks for CCNY Students Happy Hour is from four to seven. You will find all beer and wine priced $4.00 each, along with a small menu of appetizers under $7. They make their own sangria too. In the evenings when you present a school I.D. you are complimented with a free glass of wine or beer with your candle lit dinner.

The Dining Experience In the warm months, Coccola has a wall of windows that open out to the street, as well as 16 tables of outdoor seating. The lunch clientele is mostly City College and Columbia students. Dinner is mainly a casual date scene.

The music is a relaxing, upbeat collection of alternative styles. This friendly social spot contributes to the evolution of our neighborhood which is constantly in motion. Buon Appetito!

Photograph by Natalie Renteria

Landslide!

“Students Run City” candidates elected to fill nine student government executive positions By: Kishan Singh

“Students Run City” (SRC), the slate composed of current Undergraduate Student Government officials, has been re-elected by an overwhelming majority of CCNY students.

SRC defeated “Students Advocating Students” (SAS), a coalition of independent students, capturing nine executive seats with approximately 80 percent of the vote over a three day election period.

Melody Niere, the current USG vice president of campus affairs, was elected to the president, earning 82 percent of the vote. She defeated Depak Borhara, a Skadden Scholar who captured 18 percent of the vote.

The USG president-elect tells The Campus, “I’m excited and honored to be elected as the student body president. I have big shoes to fill; however, I believe that my team has a lot to add to the work of the current administration.”

Keanu Adams, a CCNY student, says he’s glad the SRC candidates won the election. “They have the experience needed to lead USG,” he says. “By the end of their terms next year, USG will be better than ever.”

President-elect Melody Niere

And the Winners Are President Melody Niere

Executive Vice President Mohammed Alam

Treasurer Abhinav Chintakunta

VP Campus Affairs Ram Rana

VP of Academic Affairs Michelle Emokpae

VP of Community Affairs Carolina Martinez

VP of University Affairs Ramdat Singh

VP of Evening Affairs Dalia Nazzal

VP of International Affairs Toni-Ann Preston and her team will put in place a oneyear plan that will improve on many initiatives initiated by the current USG administration. Their proposals include a 24/7 library, improved career center and food during overnight study sessions.

Eduarda Rosario, president of the CCNY Italian Club, admires the winners, but believes a few fresh faces might have been good, too. “I think that students could have benefited from a change,” Rosario says.

The newly elected officials will be sworn in at the 2014 Freshman Convocation, which will welcome the class of 2017. To find out more about their plans for next year, visit www. studentsruncity.org.

Where to eat on Amsterdam Avenue.

WWW.CCNYCAMPUS.ORG

3

NEWS

Which Mayoral Candidates Care Most About Us? At least John Liu and Bill Thompson showed up at a recent CUNY forum

Democrats Bill Thompson (left) and John Liu at the Professional Staff Congress Mayoral Forum.

By: Sofi Biviano Only two mayoral candidates showed up to talk about the future of higher education on Tuesday, April 23rd at Baruch College.

The two in attendance at the CUNY-sponsored forum, John Liu and Bill Thompson, both “Progressive Democrats,” said they are looking for ways to ease the economic strain on students caused by reduced funding and resources. (Think about who cares about CUNY students in September, when it’s time to cast your vote in the mayoral primary.)

Liu would like to amend budget rules so that community colleges have more access to state funds. He described “The People’s Budget” and a “reform tax system” that puts money back into public education by steer-

Photograph by Sofi Biviano ing clear of Bloomberg’s flat income taxes.

“I plan to determine a city budget that represents public needs,” said Liu. Perhaps the loudest voices that evening were the CUNY adjunct professors. Though few students (or candidates!) attended the forum, numerous adjuncts expressed their concerns about funding, the two-tier faculty

system and the overall future of CUNY. The room buzzed with energy as everyone agreed on one topic: a change is needed in the CUNY and NYC public school systems. With the Bloomberg era coming to a close and CUNY Chancellor Matthew Goldstein stepping down this summer, that change may be right around the corner.

Good-bye to Goldstein

CUNY’s chancellor announces his retirement

By: Richy Rosario CCNY alumni Matthew Goldstein will be stepping down this summer from his position as CUNY Chancellor. In office since 1999, Goldstein has had a remarkable run, accomplishing many things during his tenure. His accomplishments include establishing the William E. Macualay Honors School, the CUNY graduate school of Journalism, the CUNY school of Professional Studies, the CUNY school of Public of Health, and The New Community college, the first one in about 40 years.

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Media coverage of Goldstein’s resignation has been glowing. The “New York Post” news article was entitled “Good as Goldstein,” and the “New York Times” called him the man who saved CUNY. Still, Goldstein’s legacy gets decidedly more mixed reviews from others. In a “New York Times” letter to the editor, two graduate students insisted that “Goldstein’s initiatives lowered academic standards and restricted faculty autonomy, while black and Latino enrollment dropped.”

“During his tenure,” they continued, “Mr. Goldstein’s total compensation dou-

bled to well over half a million dollars, and top administrators’ salaries increased.

Meanwhile, tuition has almost doubled, and more than half of CUNY classes are taught by adjuncts who make under $20,000 annually.”

Still, even critics agree that Goldstein’s accomplishments outweigh any shortcomings. He stressed this in the official announcement of his retirement. Said Goldstein: “I take enormous pride in what we have accomplished, together, to ensure an unparalleled educational experience for every CUNY student.”

WWW.CCNYCAMPUS.ORG

NEWS

is back David Petraeus Stationed at CUNY Thefromgeneral his scandalous love By: Helene Werckmeister

You might remember David Petraeus as the director of the CIA who had to resign last November after a very public extramarital affair. But the new David Petraeus is coming to CUNY. Indeed, he will be the next visiting professor of public policy at the Macaulay Honors College, his appointment starting in August 2013.

In a statement, CUNY officials focused on the positive. “This appointment represents a major forward step in our mission to educate global citizens by connecting Macaulay students to the top leaders of New York City and the world,” said Ann Kirschner, Macaulay’s dean.

Petraeus’s lawyer, Robert Barnett, says the general was approached by many universities, but chose CUNY because he admires its diversity of students, locations and offerings. (He will also teach at the University of Southern California.) Petraeus

noted in a university press release that he looks ”forward to leading a seminar at Macaulay that examines the developments that could position the United States – and our North American partners – to lead the world out of the current global economic slowdown.”

Still, the highly decorated Petraeus, sixty, is most clearly remembered for the scandal that drove him from his office. After being caught in an email sting, the married general had no choice but to resign from the CIA when his affair with his biographer, Paula Broadwell, became public knowledge.

Some CCNY students think his appointment is a bad idea. “Can we trust someone who did that?” wonders Julio Perez, a senior in film studies.

Senior Vijay Nazareth disagrees. “He’s

triangle–right into the trenches as a Macaulay professor

smart!” he says. “I think it’s good!”

Others don’t really care, as long as Petraeus is qualified. “Okay, he made a mistake…so what?” insists Sean Mack, also a senior student. “It’s always the home situation versus the work situation!”

Opinions aside, Petraeus says he’s honored to teach at CUNY, and respects the many achievements of students who are the children of immigrants or immigrants themselves.

“As the son of an immigrant who settled north of New York City,” says the general, who is of Dutch descent, “I identify with them and applaud their achievements in earning a place in CUNY’s honors college.”

One Bathroom for All Everybody’s welcome to use this restroom in the NAC.

Photograph by Natalie Renteria

How CCNY ended up with a gender-neutral facility By: Kristine Abrenica Would you use a gender-neutral bathroom, a facility designed to be used by anyone and everyone at the same time?

You can see it for yourself on the third floor of the NAC near the Education Department. In March, CCNY became the fifth CUNY school to have gender-neutral bathrooms installed on campus.

The idea was spearheaded by Melody Niere, USG Vice President of Campus Affairs, based on suggestions directed toWWW.CCNYCAMPUS.ORG

ward the “Tell USG” campaign soliciting anonymous complaints and suggestions.

“There are many people on the City College campus who don’t identify with [being] either [male or female] and feel uncomfortable when entering a bathroom,” explains Niere about a small, but vocal population of transgender students at CCNY. “There have been complaints made by students stating that they have been harassed, both verbally and physically, by others who felt uncomfortable around their identity.”

The new bathroom has gone under the

radar for most CCNY students, though some have seen and used it. “I think having gender-neutral bathrooms at CCNY is a step forward in open-minded thinking,” says Ramchandra Rana, a junior. “It is a new experience for most entering a genderneutral bathroom, even for me, but I am quite open to the idea of it and would love to see how far it goes.”

What’s next? USG has also proposed family rooms for mothers to breast-feed their babies or for parents and caregivers to take children of the opposite sex.

3

FEATURES

You Only Get One Mom By: Alison Gregory

I WISH

I could have the year 2010 back. That was when my mother told me she was afraid that I’d die. But it wasn’t my life we should’ve been afraid for.

It was hers.

Six years ago, after my first failed attempt at college at SUNY Oswego, I enrolled at Westchester Community College in the fall semester of 2007. I also began to date a guy who was horrible for me.

Although I knew this, I fell into a comfort zone that, looking back, is what I imagine

hell to be like. Even after the relationship took an abusive turn, I was under a spell.

My parents lost it. They took my car, so I took the train to see him. The truth was that I was terrified to leave him because I thought, for reasons that made sense to my twenty-one-year-old self, that he could destroy my life.

Most arguments with my parents about this terrible time in my life were the same. But one stands out. My mother was crying, begging me to call a domestic abuse advocate. I responded with the usual “I will,” with no real intention of doing so. Then, through her tears, she said,

In honor of the month we celebrate mothers, a student looks at life with and without her mom

Top, the author as a child, pictured with her mother; at right, the author today.

6

Now

“I’m afraid I will get a phone call in the middle of the night from the morgue to tell me you are dead.”

Now I wish I could walk into that room as the twenty-five-year-old I am now and smack some sense into the younger version of myself. I completely dismissed what my parents said to me. I would love to tell my mom, “Yes, you’re right.” I just want that time back.

IN MARCH 2010, my mother began to feel ill. Several years before, doctors had discovered a growth in my mother’s ovary, and she had a hysterectomy to ensure that any and all cancerous cells would be gone.

After the surgery, we thought she’d be fine.

Even with the new symptoms, doctors assumed the worst to be precautionary and scheduled my mom to have three rounds of chemotherapy. She was always a positive person and had a strong spiritual relationship with God. We followed her lead-that this wasn’t a huge deal. I wasn’t alarmed when she asked me to shop with her for a wig once her hair had all gone; she did it with a smile on her face.

During this time, I was still seeing my abusive boyfriend and found a way to keep my relationship and family life separate.

I enlisted in the United States Air Force without telling him. I saw this as the only way to escape and start over. Part of me thought I wouldn’t be strong enough to leave him unless I was on the other side of the country. When I was offered a job and given a date in July to depart for basic training, I began to see a light at the end of the tunnel.

My mom’s first chemo date was April 16th at Yale New Haven Hospital, the day before my 22nd birthday. After that appointment, she picked me up at work, which I thought was a great sign since the chemo tends to wipe out a patient’s white blood cells. But when she became very sick, she never began to feel any better.

WWW.CCNYCAMPUS.ORG

FEATURES Everything happened very quickly after that. My mom was admitted to Greenwich Hospital on April 20th and put on a respirator “as a precaution” on April 24th.

I will never forget the last conversation I had with her. The nurse told mom that she wouldn’t receive lunch until she took a supplement-iron, I think. Frustrated and sick, I heard my mom curse more times than in all the years I’d been alive combined. If I had been afraid before, now I was terrified. If I could have taken the pain upon myself, I would have in a second.

On Tuesday April 27th, my dad and I received more bad news. The surgery in 2007 hadn’t actually removed all of the cancer cells. What began as ovarian cancer spread to my mom’s liver, colon

with my goals reinforced and a supportive group of family and friends behind me.

It has taken me longer than most to navigate through young adulthood and college without my mother. But I have done okay. I am now studying advertising and public relations, something I have been passionate about since high school.

While at WCC, I realized that I wouldn’t have to go away to school to follow this dream when I found CCNY, which would allow me to stay close to my support system. My goal is to work for a public relations firm that focuses on promoting products I love. My dream job is to one day work with either the New York Yankees or Disney.

I AM THANKFUL and fortunate

“I know th at mom woul my db of everythi e proud ng done, but I I’ve wi was here to sh she tell me.” and stomach lining, all in the fourth and final stage. The reason she never recovered from the chemotherapy was because her lungs had begun to fill with liquid. This is usually cancer’s last act before it claims another life.

As a family, my father, brother and I decided that we could still save her from one thing: living miserably through stage four cancer. We decided to remove her from the respirator and prevent worse pain and suffering. My mother died on April 27, 2010 at the age of fifty.

Everything that happened threw my life into perspective. I finally left my abusive ex. Surrounding myself with the people who loved me most was the strength I never realized I needed. With Basic Training just three months away, I decided it would be best to stay at home with my family. Considering the circumstances, I was able to get out of the contract I signed and continue life as a civilian. My mindset shifted from wanting to escape my current life to the need to embrace all of the wonderful people in it. A year later, I re-enrolled in Westchester Community College

WWW.CCNYCAMPUS.ORG

to be able to share in my happiness and success with the other two-thirds of my personal cheerleading squad: my dad and brother. I still share the grade of every good paper with them, and they pray for me before every test. I know that my mom would be proud of everything I’ve done, but I wish she was here to tell me.

In many ways she is. My mother taught me to work hard for what I wanted and that I would find my way when I was meant to. When I was younger, I didn’t try very hard in middle and high school.

On the rare occasion I studied really hard for an exam and did well, my mom would say, “Funny how that works, huh? You study and then get a good grade, what a concept!” Now that I have taken responsibility for my future and have pride in my education, these words make me smile at least once each week.

As I move forward, it’s painful to imagine growing up and settling down without my mother. Thinking about what an amazing grandmother my mom would have been and all of the parenting advice she would have had makes me miss her more. Many of these feelings remain bottled up because my outlet, my rock, my mom, isn’t here for me to vent to.

Even though I can’t create and share memories with my mom, I have learned to slow down and stay close to the people that I love. I’m the kind of person who always wanted to fast-forward to the next thing, forgetting that it was about the journey and not the destination. But my mother always told me: “God has a plan for you.” This time I am listening.

CCNY Students Reflect On Their Mothers As CCNY students face the end of semester stress and the anticipation of summer, it is easy to forget Mother’s Day. During the month of May, remember to do something nice for your mother, grandmother or any influential female figure in your life. These three students take a moment to reflect on what their mothers have done for them.

“I appreciate her always being there to listen. She doesn’t always have the right things to say, but I’m glad she is there to hear me out.”

—Tulay Kuplei, English Major

d

“My mother raised me, worked full time and went to school. She still always gave me everything I needed.”

—Wayne Middleton, Ad/PR Major

d

“When I was sick on the way here from Bangladesh, my mother took care of me for an entire month. I’m still alive because of her.”

—Jubair Hossain, Biology Major

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SPECIAL REPORT

CAMPUS SURVEY

happy

YES 78 Are you with CCNY?

YES 78

YES 78

Photographs by Louis Oprisa and Natalie Renteria

Recently, members of The Campus polled 100 students in the rotunda of the NAC during club hours on a Thursday. The questions delved into the general (academics, administration, money) and the scandalous (sex, drugs, drinking).

NO 15

NO 15

Understand that our poll is far from scientific, but read away. By the time you’re done, you won’t ever look at the library (or its couches) the same way again.

A

cademics

40 7 35 35 40 40 35 25

7

NO 15

Neither.

I just couldn’t get in anywhere else

How difficult are classes at CCNY?

Just right 72 • Too hard 17 • Not hard enough 12 Have you ever cheated on a test?

Yes 48 • No 52

How I will take the world by storm: the world by storm: doI will you ke the world bytake storm: envision your life after college?

8

I will take the world by storm:

I will take the world by storm:

Terrified I will never get a job:

Couldn’t get in H

live for moment: HHey,ey, live forthethe moment:

ey, live for the moment:

Terrified getget a job: TerrifiedI will I willnever never a job:

Couldn’t get in anywhere else WWW.CCNYCAMPUS.ORG

SPECIAL REPORT

Who’s Who Who’s Who

CCNY used to be the Harvard of the prolétariat.

What do you think of it now?

ho’s Who Gender Male 53 Female 47

Here’s what our 100 CCNY survey respondents look like

Academic year Freshman 25 Sophomore 24 Junior 26 Senior 21 Super senior 4

How do you feel about adjunct professors?

Fine, it still is 40 Angry, why can’t we still have really High standards? 28 Confused, what’s a prolétariat? 32

Too many of them 30 Better than professors 15

Accounting 1 Bio 8 Business 6 Education 3 English 8 Economics 3 Engineering 13 Film 1 History 1 MCA 7 Math 2 Music 4 Political science 3 Pre-law 1 Psychology 10 Physics 1 Sociology 2 Studio art 1 Theatre 1 Undecided 24

SEX

D

Have you ever seen anyone having sex on campus?

Yes 31 No 69

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AND

Can’t tell who is and isn’t an adjunct 55

Major

RUGS RINKING

Where are students having sex on campus?

Library 53 Stairways 9 Roof 5 Dorms 5 Everywhere 5 Don’t know 23

“I would sleep with a professor.

Just for kicks, but also if I needed to pass the class, and definitely for an A!” –Anonymous

Have you slept with a professor?

Yes 6 No 90 Not yet 3 I wish 1

Have you had sex on campus

Yes 20 No 80

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7

AN’THave you gone to class MEMBER drunk or high?

2yes8

SPECIAL REPORT

2yes8

65 NO

?

PRESIDENT PRESIDENT PRESIDENT PRESIDENT & OUR LISA PRESIDENT & OUR LISA & &OUR LISA OUR LISA & OUR LISA ADMINSTARTION ADMINSTARTION

ADMINSTARTION ADMINSTARTION

–Anonymous

Could you identify President Lisa in a lineup?

Yes 31 • No 69

Can you spell her last name? No 81

ADMINSTARTION The staff at registrar’s office is…

Efficient 23 Rude & unhelpful 36 Don’t know / Don’t care 41

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“The president of our school is a woman?!

Shows how much I’m aware of what’s going on here.”

Ciocclo 1 Cioco 6 Coico (correct spelling) 8

Your longest wait at the bursar was…

CAN’T REMEMBER

2yes8

oney M

Half hour 53 • One hour: 19 • Two hours: 14 • Three + hours: 14

Do you receive financial aid?

65 NO

Do you struggle to pay tuition?

Yes 41

Yes 70

Is CCNY’s tuition...

No 30

No 59 10

Too high?

57

Just right?

43

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Grad_newAd_75x9.indd 2

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4/11/13 10:21 AM

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FEATURES

City College Abroad: With added destinations, CCNY’s study abroad program offers a unique experience for growing numbers of CCNY students This summer, hundreds of CCNY students will head all over the world to study abroad. The experience offers more than a vacation with classes.

In the past year, City College more than doubled its list of available countries from six to 13, and some offer unique service learning opportunities—from building a school in Ghana to focusing on agriculture and development in the Dominican Rewpublic. And though many students have written off study abroad as too expensive, it may be a better value than you think, even during these tough times.

Here, we offer a look at what it means to “study the world.” (To learn more, go to NAC 5/216.)

A Personal Encounter of the Foreign Kind By: Elina Vargas Some experiences are unforgettable. The summer of 2012, I participated in the Study Abroad program in Spain. It was my first time traveling alone and my first time leaving American soil for any destination other than the Dominican Republic. I was so excited to travel and meet new people from all over the world. I cried when I said goodbye to my family; I knew I’d miss them, but I couldn’t wait to experience Europe.

I’m accustomed to sharing space with travel companions, whether family or friends, so this newfound independence was a fresh experience. I did have a roommate, but still, no one was checking up on me the way I’m used to living at home.

Traveling alone made me feel like an adult.

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Study abroad programs in Ghana (right, below); and Argentina (left).

Because I commute from home, I’d never had a roommate before Spain. That aspect of the college experience had eluded me until then.

I attended La Universidad Internacional Mennedez Pelayo for the duration of the summer session and found it extremely interesting. During my stay, I took Spanish and history courses. I was expecting to be teased about being an American from my professors, but that was never the case. I didn’t feel like an outsider in the classroom; everyone was actually quite warm towards me. They recommended places to visit during my stay, as well as warning me about places I was better off avoiding.

We were taken on class trips to get acclimated with our surroundings. Getting to learn about another country and its history was simply an awesome experience.

It was refreshing to study a country other than the US. I made friends by the second day, relationships I’ve maintained since leaving.

During my weekends, I partied European style and traveled to different locations, first Barcelona, then Milan in Italy.

While traveling, I stayed at hostels, which I didn’t know were much different than hotels. They reminded me of the dorm rooms I’ve never lived in, which further contributed to this adventure.

Studying abroad is expensive. There’s no way around it, but if you ask me, it was an excellent use of every dollar and cent spent.

I learned so much about myself during my travels, more than I have during any other experience in college and in my life. It’s made me wiser and more confident in myself. I also appreciate the world as a whole lot more than I already did. I’d like to believe that I’m more open-minded to new experiences and less American centric than I was before.

I can’t wait to travel again and see what the world has in store for me.

WWW.CCNYCAMPUS.ORG

FEATURES

Reaching New Shores How to Pay For an International Adventure By: Rachel Finley The suitcase is semi unpacked, the sunscreen applied but only one thing is missing before all of Greece, Japan, Spain, or whatever country you choose becomes a new potential stomping ground: funds.

Financing a six-week excursion can be troublesome to the mind as well as the wallet. If $2,500, the average cost of a two-

month study abroad program, is too much to pay out of pocket, students may, and probably will, find themselves buried in a pile of financial aid paperwork. But with a little help from study abroad advisors and the financial aid office, paying for your foreign adventure does not have to break the bank.

First schedule an appointment during advising hours with Study Abroad Coordinator Juan Mercado, Kenneth Yanes or Ninive Gomez. They can point students in the direction of scholarships based on merit, ethnicity and program. This kind of financial aid may pay for half of the

program.

Check the billboards outside the Asian, Latin American and Black Studies departments, as well as the ones outside language departments for scholarship information that is updated weekly.

Just as financial aid can roll over and help pay for on-campus housing, financial aid can also be rolled over to help get students out of the country for a little while.

Just complete the FAFSA and speak with a trip coordinator to allocate aid to the right place. Honors College students on scholarship can roll money over to study abroad as well. Happy travels!

Where to Go CCNY’s Study Abroad program offers 13 different locations for students to enhance their education and more importantly, their world experience. Seven of these are new additions, while six are continuing programs.

NEW ADDITIONS

CONTINUING

Costa Rica CCNY/Veritas

Mexico CCNY Program

Argentina CCNY/

Guatemala CCNY/

Summer Program, San Jose

in Development and Social Change, Mexico City

UNTREF Language, Literature and Culture Program, Buenos Aires

CIRMA Language and Social Science Program, La Antigua Guatemala

Dominican Republic

Morocco CCNY/CCCL

CCNY International ServiceLearning Program, Santo Domingo

Summer Program in Arabic Language, Rabat

Ghana CCNY International

Language, Literature and Culture Program, La Rioja

Cuba CCNY/UH Science and Technology Program, Havana (STEM Majors only)

England CCNY/Roehampton University International Summer School, London

Italy CCNY Language and Culture Program, Senigallia & Ancona

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South Korea CCNY/ Yonsei University Global Village Program, Seoul

South Africa CCNY/ Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University Social Sciences Program, Port Elizabeth

Service-Learning Program, Kobina Ansa & Accra

Spain CCNY/ULR

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SERIES

DECONSTRUCTING CITY COLLEGE A series of articles that take a look inside the various departments at CCNY.

Center for Worker Education

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WWW.CCNYCAMPUS.ORG Photographs by Louis Oprisa

Where “Mature” Students Learn Best By: James Botwina and Brendan Lawton

M

any at CCNY’s main campus in Harlem have never heard of the Center for Worker Education (CWE). That’s because it’s located downtown, in the Wall Street area at 25 Broadway right across from Bowling Green and near the famous charging bull statue. But CWE offers a unique opportunity for students over 25 to return to college—or attend for the first time—and finish their degrees while working.

The idea of a CCNY campus for working people came during the economic crisis that New York City faced in the early 1980s. The goal was to give union workers who had not finished college easier access to going back and obtaining a degree. CWE students make up a very small percentage of all CCNY students, but earn 15 percent of our college’s bachelor degrees each year— and CWE’s graduation rate is high than City College’s uptown campus. CWE dean Juan Mercado describes his school as “a downtown jewel of a college that many students of CCNY have no clue about.”

Sizing Up The vast majority of CWE’s 650 students are women (85 percent) and over half attend school full-time in the evening.

Sixty percent of the school’s population falls between the ages of 30 to 40, which offers “older” students a comfortable learning environment. CWE’s semester schedule is the same as the CCNY’s north campus, but the daily class schedule is different; the earliest classes begin at 6 PM to accommodate the majority of working students. The school also runs classes on Saturday. CWE students can take classes uptown, and students at the Harlem campus can also take CWE courses.

Who’s Who? CWE’s faculty of 12 is small, but the professors and staff bring a wealth of experience. Carlos Aguasaco, who teaches Spanish, recently won best video at the Cartagena International Film Festival in Columbia for WWW.CCNYCAMPUS.ORG

“Medialengua.” Elena Romero, a Communications Coordinator/Academic Advisor at CWE, recently authored the well-received book Free Stylin’: How Hip Hop Changed The Fashion Industry.

Other notable members include: Librarian Seamus Scanlon is the author of a one-act off-Broadway play called “Dancing at Lunacy” off Broadway. Kathlene McDonald, chair of arts and sciences at CWE, authored the book, Feminism, the Left, and Post War. Three members of the staff (who also teach) are alumni: Deborah Edwards-Anderson, Jason Chappell, Warren Orange from the class of 1993.

What Undergrads Can Study CWE offers three separate majors: Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education, and a Master of Arts in the Study of Americas.

Along with these majors, CWE offers many other classes from foreign languages to digital photography. Most students come once or twice a week for three hour a week four credit courses. Some courses incorporate both classroom lectures and distance learning via the Internet making it easier for students who have long commutes.

What’s Hot? The City College of New York made a 3-year agreement with the agreement with the Mexican government that will enable the College to host Cátedra Cultura de México, a series of Mexican culture lectures, on its campus and at offsite locations in New York City. Dr. Angelina Muñiz-Huberman, a novelist, poet and literary critic who has published 45 books, presented the spring 2013 lectures from April 23rd to the 25th, which were simultaneously translated to English. One of the lectures was actually at CWE while the other two were at CCNY’s main campus here in Harlem and Instituto Cervantes New York in midtown.

Themed Spanish-Jewish Relations, the lectures covered Mexican Contemporary

literature and The Spanish-Jewish Kabbalah. More lecturers like Muñiz-Huberman will come during future semesters.

Another thriving sector of CWE: QUEST classes, designed for students who love to learn. These 35 not-for-credit, peer-taught classes have 200 members (nearly a third of CWE’s enrollment), mainly senior citizen doctors, lawyers, professors and journalists. They design and administer their own curriculum, and receive no grades, attendance requirement or homework assignments. Courses cost $500 and are open to CCNY students 25 or older.

Life after CWE Since about half of CWE students are union workers and nearly all students have jobs, CWE’s mission is to facilitate upward mobility in various job sectors. Like us, CWE students graduate with a CCNY diploma and have had their graduation ceremony in Aaron Davis hall.

The Real Deal For many of its mature students, CWE offers a refreshing alternative to the relatively younger student population of City College in Harlem.

For example, after a stint as a Navy aviation electrician, Lestiel Kelly began at the main campus, but felt out of place among the freshmen in her required core classes.

She took off a year from college, but picked up her studies once she found out about CWE. Evening courses allow her to work and take care of her family during the day and go to school only twice a week. “People come to CWE because they have a passion for knowledge,” says Kelly. “Whether it is for their personal benefit or a pay raise at their current job, these students are ambitious.”

After graduation, Kelly hopes to work in public administration to help other veterans who may need assistance adjusting to life after active service. She and other CWE students show that it’s never too late to learn.

15

All winter,

we’ve dreamt of and awaited warm weather. We’ve dreamt of dresses and short sleeves, longboards and sunglasses.

What we don’t dream about, what we often fail to even associate with what we so desire are our impending finals and due preparation for said finals.

As the collective student body toils away in libraries and computer labs, try and remember

Lavender Week ‘13;

the great time in great weather we enjoyed.

When your journey is complete, run for the sunbathed hills,

for it will be Summer.

During the school’s creation in the early 20th Century, a series of underground passageways were built to connect all five Gothic buildings on the North Campus Quadrangle. Why the Gothic Tunnels exist, we don’t know. But we’ve performed our own mini-archaeological excursions through CCNY’s inner sanctum. Marvel at what we found beneath your feet!

P.S. Sorry- we can’t tell you exactly how to access the tunnels. But on the bright side, that’s all the more reason for you to explore and find out for yourselves.