May 2016 by The Campus Magazine at CCNY

OVER A CENTURY of service to ccny & the harlem community

May 2016

Hispanics & Black Lives Matter Why Afro-Latin Erasure Matters

Crumbling ccny

Activism at CCNY

Football returns

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s behind the holes in the walls?

A Timeline of Activism through the years

Lavender bowl renewed for second run

Respice | Adspice | Prospice Over a Century of Service to CCNY & the Harlem Community

May 2016 Issue

Magazine Staff Hispanics & Black Lives Matter

Editor in Chief Christian Hernandez Managing Editor Huma Sayiida Senior Section Editor Anthony Viola Junior Section Editor Andrew Pennant Sports Editor Jeff Weisinger Copy Editor Janice D’Gracia Contributing Editor Alexandria Naase Art Director Stacy Magallon senior Designer Carmen Quang Photographer & Photo Editor Don Gutierrez Financial Officer Diana Perea Social Media Manager Jeff Weisinger Faculty Advisor Linda Villarosa * Cover Photo by Igor Litvinov

Your Ad Here Contact Us North Academic Center 1/119 CCNYCampusNews@gmail.com CCNYcampus.org

CCNY The Campus @CCNYCampus @CCNYCampus 2

W h y a f r o - l at i n e r a s u r e m at t e r s

6-7

+++ News

Op-Ed

Dr. Andrew Grove (3) Engineers without Borders (4)

Hispanics & Black Lives Matter (8-9)

Features Activism timeline (5) Crumbling CCNY (6-7) Non-binary at ccny (10-11) Bald at 22 (12-13)

Sports Football returns to ccny (15)

Lifestyle TAPT (14)

Editor’s Note We were in the office for our weekly meeting when we first heard the news: Prince, dead at the age of 57. Around the world, city by city, everything became purple. Not everyone can say that they knew him, but we can all say that in some way his music, his legacy, helped us to know ourselves better – that’s the type of impact he had. So consider this: What type of impact will you have? This issue of The Campus is dedicated to the legacies left behind, the legacies in the making, and how we, as City College students, would like to be remembered. This issue of The Campus will be our final issue prior to commencement. Though we, just like the graduating class, are close to the finish line, we won’t be slowing down anytime soon. There’s still work to do.

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CITY COLLEGE ALUMNUS AND HONOREE IS MOURNED REMEMBERING Dr. Andrew Grove By Janice D’Gracia March 21, 2016, Dr. Andrew S. passed away at the age ON Grove of 79 in his home in Los Altos, California. Not only was he a member of the Chemical Engineering Class of 1960, but he also holds the record for the largest donation made to City College. After stepping down as chairman of Intel Corporation in 2005, he contributed $26 million to the Grove School that fall. At the time he stated, “[The City College] is a veritable American-dream machine. I hope to help keep it that way.” Dr. Grove’s contribution to The Grove School of Engineering benefitted various programs, such as the Andreas Acrivos Graduate Fellowships, the First-Year PhD

Fellowships, and the Alois X. Schmidt Scholarships. The Grove Foundation also provides support for the Department of Chemical Engineering Seminar Series and the Master’s in Translational Medicine interdisciplinary program at CCNY. Dr. Gilda Barabino, Dean of The Grove School of Engineering, stated in a CCNY press release that “Grove’s spirit would live on in the school through the culture of innovation, access, and resilience that he inspired.” Grove School student Elihu Fluery also shared his condolences: “It is gratifying that he wishes to continue his legacy through this school (the only public engineering school in New York), and through us. It is up to all of us – students, faculty, and administration – to see that his generosity was not spent in vain.” Many would say that Dr. Grove left behind

a legacy. He graduated at the top of his class at City College in 1960. He then pursued his PhD in Chemical Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley where he also joined the Fairchild Semiconductor’s Research Development Laboratory. He then began working at the Intel Corporation in Silicon Valley, contributing to the expansion of the semiconductor. In 1984, Fortune named him as one of the country’s toughest bosses. In 1997, he was selected by Time magazine for “Man of the Year” for being “the most responsible for the amazing growth in the power and the innovative potential of microchips.” For 26 years, Dr. Grove climbed through the ranks, earning such positions such as president, chief executive officer, and chairman. City College President Lisa S. Coico stated in a CCNY press release that, “our Grove School of Engineering named in [Grove’s] honor stands as a world class testament to this great pioneer.” 3

In January, City College’s chapter of EWB was approved to begin a mission that would provide over 300 Nicaraguans with clean, consumable water. They have been working for months to see their efforts become tangible and plan on visiting the more rural regions of Tadazna this upcoming summer. A specific date for the trip hasn’t yet been decided.

A f i v e - y e a r v e n t u r e t h at w i l l g i v e c l e a n w at e r t o N i c a r a g u a

By Anthony Viola

Engineers Without BOrders gives Clean water to hundreds 4

can agree that water is essential. The United States is built on EVERYONE a society where much of its population does not have to worry about having water. Unfortunately, this access is often taken for granted, as there are many places in the world that still need a sufficient water source. Engineers Without Borders (EWB) is one of many humanitarian groups that take their education to the next level, providing the world with such necessities.

EWB-CCNY strives to provide needed infrastructure such as water treatment systems and footbridges. By working with their partners in New York and on-site in the region, EWB-CCNY will provide 46% of the population of Tadazna, Nicaragua with a sustainable hydra-system that will allow them access to drinking water for years to come. Ashita Patel, an EWB-CCNY member who helped bring this project to life, believes that this mission will lay the groundwork for future engineers. “Working on this project provides the foundation for the chapter to

involve new members and work alongside professionals to design the wells,” states Patel. This venture will take place over the next five years. The goals are to survey the viability of installing water wells into the region and if they come across no substantial difficulties, they will move forward in designing and implementing these wells.

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WORKING ON THIS PROJECT PROVIDES THE FOUNDATION FOR THE CHAPTER TO INVOLVE NEW MEMBERS AND WORK ALONGSIDE PROFESSIONALS TO DESIGN THE WELLS.

-As hi ta Patel This planned expedition will give a team of six (including one mentor) the essential information needed to begin designing the water wells. Another assessment trip is expected to follow, and EWB-CCNY will maintain a five year relationship with this community. According to Jillian Panagakos, the project secretary for EWB-CCNY, one of the most important objectives is gaining a trusting relationship with those who will be using their completed work. “While we are there, we will be staying in the home of the community leader, sharing meals with the families, playing with the children, and generally fully immersing ourselves in their world,” she states. “This is an opportunity that you just can’t find anywhere else.”

Over the next five years, Engineers Without Borders-USA at City College will work alongside professionals to implement a fresh water well in Tadazna, Nicaragua.

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March 23, 1934 Anti-War Conference

Students argue against war, and argue that war is entangled with the existence of ROTC at City College. They say that uniting with the working class will help with their struggle against imperialist war. During the Vitamin Strike of 1934, workers organized into militant union, striking for “decent living conditions, shorter hours, higher wages, and union recognition.” The Young Communist League of City College strongly believed they won due to the active support of students in the strike against “the boss and his agents - thugs, police, and ROTC officers. Students were fighting for “right to free education, free books, against tuition fees, decent lunchroom, student controlled co-op store, against war/fascism for academic freedom” and believed in instituting a socialist government. Today, pro-communist organizers still exist at City College while many other students support a more socialist government moving forward.

April 11th, 1949

Hundreds of students strike at City College’s campus after allegations of Professor William E. Knickerbocker, a chairman of the Romance languages department, being anti-semitic. Earlier in the 1940s he had been accused of years of harassment and discrimination by four faculty members, and appeared to have withheld honors and advancement from Jewish students. Around the same time, economics instructor William C. Davis had been removed from overseeing the Army Hall veteran dormitory after accounts of racial segregation in the space. Thousands of students protested by staying out of classes, and many picketers were arrested. Since then, Army Hall has been demolished (1955) and while race relations at City College are far improved now, discussions of racism and anti-semitism are cropping up again in lieu of the current social climate.

1989

For years, students had been protesting tuition increases and maintenance of programs like open admissions that resulted from student activism. In 1989, the Guillermo Morales/Assata Shakur Community and Student Center was opened on campus. The Morales/Shakur Center was used to accommodate community organizers against racism, police brutality, militarization, and privatization of CUNY. The name of the community center had been considered controversial due to the connection with the Black Panther Party and is now defunct.

Activism at Ccny A timeline of activism through the years By Huma Sayiida

February 17th, 1969 Open Admission Strike

1934 student publication

The week before, Black and Puerto Rican students took over the Administration building when their Five Demands for then college president Buell Gallagher was met with evasion. The Five Demands included grievances detailing the needs to reflect students of color and oppressed peoples within the studies and resources offered at City College. On the 17th, students attacked eight buildings on campus with sulfur bombs, spray paint, small explosives, and tear gas. No students faced disciplinary action. Students would go on to take over 17 buildings and force the college to close for 2 weeks. Ultimately, open admissions were put in place at City College, which had been under process before the student strikes but implemented more quickly given the situation. This allowed for more students of color to enter the school and CCNY offered remedial classes to let more students become prepared for college. While the diversification reflected students better, unfortunately the hasty application of open admissions is often blamed for ongoing financial struggles at City College.

October 20, 2013

Morales/Shakur Community and Student Center was seized by City College authorities overnight and without warning, provoking students to protest on campus. Student organizers who had offices in the Morales/Shakur Center were not able to access their rooms or belongings. As of yet, the situation has still not been resolved and students have not had the center or their seized items returned.

From 1969 Five Demands 5

CRUM LinG B City College W h at â&#x20AC;&#x2122; s b e h i n d a l l t h e h o l e s i n t h e w a l l s ? By Huma Sayiida

many students, City College is known as a personal TO colloquially Hogwarts. The beautiful gothic architecture on campus is a driving force for a number of students to choose CCNY as their academic home. At the same time, the interiors of these buildings provide a different narrative. In both the gothic and modern buildings on campus, students have watched walls and ceilings deteriorate for years. Despite the same complaints cropping up time and time again, permanent changes on campus have been scant. Why then, haven’t we been able to see greater improvements to our infrastructure? Especially when these broken pieces begin to affect our educational conduct: allergyinducing moldy pipes, exposed fiberglass insulation in a study room, a leaking ceiling threatening to dampen club offices. The simple answer to the problem of crumbling infrastructure at City College is that there is a lack of funding. Shortage of funds is usually the response to why things aren’t working on campus, and the effects fall even harder on the shoulders of students with recent state budget allocations for CUNY being subject to massive cuts. Despite this, on-campus facilities continue to run school operations as functionally as possible. The Facilities and Maintenance department runs more than meets the eye, through a web of specialized staff that cover everything from mechanical repairs and property management to deliveries and printing copies for faculty. When something on campus needs repairing, approved faculty members from their respective departments can submit a work order which is tracked through the

An obstacle course in the NAC Hallway as the ceiling gives way to leaks.

facilities’ administrative arm. According to Vice President of Facilities David Robinson, the facilities and maintenance department aims to run like a business, where they would provide the best service to their customers with needs - in this case, the student body. Robinson says, “What we do is dynamic. We’re always taking the resources that we have, and using them in accordance with need to the campus. We work hard to make sure the quality of services and quality of life is not compromised.” The department is mostly staffed with alumni of City College, and works around the academic schedule so that routine repairs and cleaning do not greatly interfere with students’ learning experience. If this is the case, then what’s going on when bathrooms run out of toilet paper or there’s noisy construction going on outside your classroom that forces your professor to yell? The answer comes in several parts. When it comes to construction, the reason this can be a nuisance to classes is because major changes to buildings is out of City College’s hands. According to Governance and Faculty program director Alan Feigenberg of the architecture department, long term construction projects on the campus are deferred to the Dormitory Authority State of New York (DASNY). Once DASNY has control of a project, communications with CCNY regarding the academic schedule are not as nearly accommodated as with facilities. This is why students and professors will sometimes find themselves shouting over jackhammers for days at a time. These greater capital projects take more time, planning, and money when funding is already low, and this is part of the reason we don’t realistically get to see much improvement to the condition of campus. Sheer age of the gothic buildings and a lack of regular maintenance in the past means that fixes for things like leaky pipes in buildings such as Shepard Hall are more expensive to put in place. In addition, Professor Feigenberg attributes poor initial design to some of the problems in the more modern buildings like the NAC. “Something that looks like a prison clearly has an effect on our students, faculty and learning process,” he says, “it’s a real attack on people, architecturally.” Not only is the appearance of the building bleak and difficult to navigate, poor internal design contributes to problems like continuous leaks and bad temperature control in parts of the building. Even in the newer campus buildings,

while private funding was provided for the buildings to be erected, the daunting maintenance costs still fall on the college budget to provide. Fortunately, there are efforts being made to change things on campus. VP Robinson disclosed that the facilities department was able to hire an architecture firm this year to essentially audit the necessary repairs for each of the buildings on campus, which would be a long but greatly beneficial process. Unfortunately, some repairs are not made in the most efficient way right now. Professor Feigenberg pointed out that Shepard Hall has been under restoration work for around 30 years, but renovations began inside instead of outside; this means that issues such as leaks are not being addressed in the most efficient way possible, since a building needs external repairs first to prevent more internal leakage. In the long run, inefficient repairs are far costlier on a system that cannot afford it. Aside from major construction, one of the main reasons for maintenance issues within campus is withdrawn funding from New York State. When Governor Cuomo vetoed the Maintenance of Effort bill last December, he was denying proper allocations for operational costs within CUNY. With the CUNY budget slashed, tuition money from the SUNY2020 increases of $300 a year has been used for on-campus supplies when really this tuition money was intended for educational program expansion. The MoE bill has an impressive amount of bipartisan support in Albany from most state representatives, so the governor’s decision to veto it has faced a lot of criticism and contest from student activists. Currently, groups like NYPIRG have been actively petitioning for Cuomo to pass the MoE bill in hopes that proper funding returns to CUNY maintenance, and students are urged to chime in as well. The story of CCNY crumbling has been a long chronicle, with the roots of the problem spread in many directions. While we are currently still at the mercy of shoddy architecture, poor historical upkeep, DASNY, and funding troubles, students can make their voices heard through advocating for the Maintenance of Effort Bill to be passed. Meanwhile, just as campus facilities do their best to keep our school clean, we as students can do our best to leave our bathroom stalls in a more favorable condition for the next person.

Hispanics black lives matter W h y A f r o - l at i n e r a s u r e m at t e r s By Lianna Remigio

IT IS TIME THAT THE LATINO COMMUNITY RECOGNIZES ITS OWN HISTORY AND STANDS UP TO THE INSTITUTIONALIZED RACISM. the summer of 2013, after George was acquitted for the IN Zimmerman murder of Trayvon Martin, the Black Lives Matter movement began. As the popularity of this movement increased, I began to wonder: “As a Latina, what role do I play in this movement?” Growing up, I never saw myself as black or white, simply because I didn’t fit into either of those categories. I was simply Hispanic. I’ve always been a supporter of the movement. My eyes were always open to the systematic racism and violence levied against the black community. The question this raised for me was simply: “Where do I, as a person of color stand in the BLM movement?” Bunmi Aruleba, an African-American sophomore in the Sophie Davis program, says: “The [Black Lives Matter] movement has opened my eyes to the fact that racism is still alive and well… the power of social media has shown not only me but all of America how hateful some people are.” When asked about whether or not she supports Hispanics taking a role in the movement, she replied: “Yes, because I really think the movement should be ‘Minority Lives Matter’… Yes, a lot of what is shown is African-American individuals, but as far as I’m concerned, if your skin isn’t white, you have a target on your back in some way. Whether it is racial profiling, police brutality, discrimination, getting a job position, etc.” It wasn’t until I took my first class at City College that I discovered the answer. While taking African Heritage and the CaribbeanBrazilian Experience, I learned the background of my own people. Professor E. Diana Cassells’ course is designed to teach the history of African-American Heritage and highlight the struggles of African people in the Caribbean and Brazil. Upon taking the class, I learned that — racially — the current Caribbean and Brazilian population is a blend of three peoples: white Europeans, native Taíno people, and African slaves. What I discovered in this class was my own African heritage as a Dominican American. So my question was answered: I am as much a part of the movement as anyone else with African heritage.

But after learning this, I had even more questions. Why is it that, as a Latina, I am not taught about my African heritage? Why is it that more Hispanic people aren’t actively speaking out about their roles in the BLM movement? The Dominican Republic lies on the isle of Hispaniola, shared with Haiti to the east. According to a census taken in 2010, the majority of the population does not identify themselves as black, despite 90 percent of the population having African ancestry. The census describes the population as 16 percent white, 11 percent black, and 73 percent mixed. When the majority of the country is mixed, how is it possible for them to deny their own heritage? Denying blackness is not something new to the Dominican nation. In 1930, a dictator, Rafael Trujillo, began his reign in the Dominican Republic.

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of the population identifies as white. Bianca Ortiz, a Puerto Rican-Italian American Psychology student and senior at City College, shared her knowledge of her own ancestry. “I was taught about the African heritage in my race. My father taught me about how Puerto Rico has a history of African heritage from the times of the slave trade, and how the majority of the population consisted of Africans who were enslaved by the Europeans.” Based on her knowledge of the racism in the Caribbean and Brazil, she states: “I am aware of the pigmentocracy and systems of racism in these countries that result in the majority of the poor areas consisting of Africans or those of color… a lot of people believe that they are in this situation because they are poor and not because they’re black.” On the other hand, Rahudis Saint-Hilare,

THE [BLACK LIVES MATTER] MOVEMENT HAS OPENED MY EYES TO THE FACT THAT RACISM IS STILL ALIVE AND WELL...THE POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA HAS SHOWN NOT ONLY ME BUT ALL OF AMERICA HOW HATEFUL SOME PEOPLE ARE.

”

-BU NM I ARU L EBA Known for his brutality and cruelty, Trujillo was responsible for the killing of tens of thousands of black Dominicans and Haitians. His ultimate agenda was to “whitewash” the nation. He even encouraged Jewish refugees, who at the time were escaping persecution from the Holocaust, to come to the Dominican Republic. This was all in the hope of increasing the white population in the country. Even after his assassination in 1961, this culture remained embedded. It turned the nation one which denies its blackness. My own grandfather, a man in his early 70’s with a very dark complexion, once made the outrageous claim: “Los negros no son gentes.” In translation: “The blacks are not people.” It is clear that racism is not limited to the United States. Many Caribbean nations are guilty of “hiding their blackness.” According to a 2010 Cuban census, only 11 percent of the population described themselves as black. According to the Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies at the University of Miami, however, 62 percent of the Cuban population is black. Even in Puerto Rico, where 54 percent of the population is of African descent, 75.8 percent

a Dominican immigrant who is now a sophomore at City College, speaks about how his parents never discussed his African roots. “They just never brought it up,” he says. When asked about the racism in the Dominican Republic, he added: “Yes, I’m aware… I know there’s a problem with race and it’s even more prominent being that the island is also shared with Haiti. In the times of Trujillo, which my grandmother was alive for, although it was peaceful, because people were scared of him, there was also a lot of murders. I am a proud supporter of the [Black Lives Matter] movement; knowing my own roots now just strengthens that.” With that being said, it is time that the Latino community recognizes its own history and stands up to the institutionalized racism that plagues this area of the world. It is also a priority that we stand with our black brothers and sisters in this nation’s most important movement against the unjust murders and social inequality dealt to black Americans.

#BLACKLIVESMATTER 9

NON-BINARY AT CITY COLLEGE Compiled by Alexandria Naase Photos by Karen Diaz

WHAT

does it mean to identify as Nonbinary?

Non-binary (abbreviated nb) is an umbrella term used to describe individuals who feel that they are somewhat both, fall in between, or are neither male nor female. Though the term non-binary is not synonymous with intersex, many intersex individuals also identify as non-binary. Nonbinary individuals often may identify as a gender other than which they were assigned at birth and may also use gender-neutral pronouns. 10

List of some gender-neutral pronouns in the English language: they/them/their xe/xem/xir ze/zem/zir Notable celebrities identifying as non-binary: Amandla Stenberg Shamir Andrea Gibson Jaden Smith Miley Cyrus Angel Haze Ruby Rose

Sources: http://transmediawatch.org/Documents/ non_binary.pdf http://nonbinary.org

Na me : Alex Androgynous/Neutrois Pron ou ns : Whatever

Nam e: Steven Nonconforming/Genderqueer P ronou ns: They/Them

Na me: Rach Agender Pron ou ns: They/Them

Nam e: Huma Genderfluid P ronou ns: Anything goes

Na me: Isaac Agender/Non-binary Pron ou ns: They/Them

Nam e: Atera Genderfluid P ronou ns: Other/Unsure

Bald 22 at

Photo By Drilon Gjonbalaj

By Ricardo Verdesoto

MOST YOUNG MEN NEVER THINK ABOUT GOING BALD. I NEVER DID … UNTIL IT HAPPENED: A SLOW SURRENDER TO GENETICS, TIME, AND REALITY.

S ta g e 1 : S h o c k

At the age of 21 I felt like the world was mine, I felt good and looked good — my confidence was at an all-time high. I remember walking into blockbusters and making fun of a guy at the register who had a ridiculous comb-over. I thought, “this guy’s old, look at him hanging on to that little bit of hair.” It wouldn’t be long before I wished I could see that guy again to apologize. I first took notice of my own hair at a soccer game with my dad. He walked behind me to take a photo of both me and the stadium. The flash went off. I remember asking him to let me see the photo, and once I did, my heart sank. There I was with a buzz cut, maybe a four all around, and … the same kind of bald spot my dad had been sporting for what seemed to be forever was now forming on the back of my head. I knew my dad had a bald spot but, he’s my dad; that’s like a “dad-thing,” you know? I never thought I’d have that problem. My hair was always my way of expressing myself. I had skater hair: big wavy locks. I had a tapeup and Guido Spikes (all my “Jersey Shore” fans know the deal). I even had a Mohawk (when all I listened to was Korn and System of a Down). My hairstyles were distinct and brought my personality to life. In many ways, my hair was more popular than I was. But here I was, thinning out, losing it, becoming another bald man. Why me?

S ta g e 2 : D e n i a l

My hair was as thin as a newborn’s hair. No matter what I did, it always fell back down: defeated, as if it had no fight left in it. My hair was gone, it was dead. I googled hair treatments, transplant costs, Propecia, and Rogaine (because I think my grandpa uses Rogaine). My grandpa’s in his 60’s; I’m 22 — this felt unreal.

I didn’t want to believe it. I wanted to be thick-hair-Ric again. When I went on dates, girls wouldn’t make eye contact: they only stared at the top of my head. Perhaps wondering “what the hell is going on up there?” I didn’t want to let go. It was a part of me, who I’ve been since birth. But it was over. No amount of gel could cover up the fact that I’d never be able to style my hair again. It was the end.

S ta g e 3 : A c c e p ta n c e

I decided to ask my barber to shave my head. I was giving up on shape ups and on the faux hawk I had been sporting for so long. It was time to let it go and understand that there was nothing more I can do. My hair was as much as an everyday thing to me as wearing shoes was. It was something I counted on. But it was time to part ways. Looking in the mirror after my barber was done, I wondered, “who am I?” This baldegg-shaped-chubby-faced-kid. It was as if I became a new person. A person that had to fall in love with himself again, and gain all that confidence back. I never realized how cold the breeze could feel until I had shaved my head clean. No matter the season, even the slightest touch of wind felt like an Arctic blast. I didn’t want to wear hats because I had seen how many bald guys wear hats to cover their patchy hair and gross-looking haircuts. I refused to. It was almost like I was ashamed of being bald. It was tough, because my new look was eating at my confidence, at my soul. I felt like an old man, like St. Francis of Assisi or Danny DeVito, like everyone was staring at the back of my head wondering “how did that happen?”. This wasn’t most attractive look for someone as young as myself. It wasn’t until I saw The Transporter movies that I thought being bald was kind of cool.

Jason Statham is bald, and he kicks ass. Well, he’s also jacked and hits the gym for hours each day (I don’t do that). But I can be smooth also — I know I can. There was some footage of Statham with his girlfriend and he was wearing a baseball cap. I was confused. I’d never seen him wear one before, but it made sense. One time I went to Italy for vacation without a hat during an overcast day. The top of my head hurt when I showered. It was sunburnt. I went ahead and bought a hat. Hats can make statements without absolutely saying a word. They also offer protection for people who don’t have hair. I never saw it that way until maybe a few years ago. I’ve had my fair share of hats over the years: winter hats, baseball hats, fitted hats, snapback hats, Panama hats and fedoras. My collection of accessories continued to grow. My hats are my hair. I can make statements again, and now I get compliments on my hats. Funny how things can go full circle. What I’ve learned since going bald: sunblock is important for a clean shaved head, especially if there isn’t a hat to protect you. That type of sunburn is the worst. It’s important to always have lotion on hand, especially in the winter months, if you want a smooth and well moisturized scalp. Also maintaining a bald head is hard work. I have invested in razors, shaving cream, aftershave lotion, and regular lotion in order to keep my head as shiny as possible (I never thought I’d hear myself say that). My hair still shows signs of life every three days before I shave it again, but it is far from where it was years ago. It may seem like it’s possible, but believe me there’s no going back. When I look in the mirror sometimes I feel sad, because I never thought I’d come to this. Most of the time though, I look in the mirror and say, “Damn, I look good.” 13

TA PT

Should you 123

IT’S

no secret that social media apps just about control our day-to-day lives.

Whether it’s checking up on the world on Facebook and Twitter, or finding your friend’s latest #ThrowbackThursday pics on Instagram, or even watching their moves on their latest snap on Snapchat, almost anyone and everyone has dove into this new social media society. TAPT’s motive, in a sense, is to create a more college-focused social media community, where the only members are enrolled students from a specific college – in our case, CCNY students. The app combines all the elements of Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram into one, seemingly privatized app. Users can post status updates in the form of text pics, or post photos with captions in a similar way that you would on Snapchat. You can also take short videos, a recently added feature. People can also follow each other, allowing them to private message or tag one another in posts similar to “at-ing” someone on Twitter. That’s the first part of the TAPT’s downfall: by using aspects of the four major social media outlets, it becomes unnecessary, let alone, nothing unique or new. With that being said, an app that takes several features from its competitors shouldn’t be as behind 14

in?

By Jeff Weisinger

C C N Y ’ s N e w e s t, s e m i - h o m e g r o w n a p p i s s l o w ly t r y i n g t o ta k e o v e r c c n y. H o w e v e r i n a w o r l d w h e r e w e h a v e s e v e r a l o t h e r s o c i a l m e d i a a p p s t h at d o s i m i l a r t h i n g s , y o u m ay n o t b e m i s s i n g o u t o n ta p t- i n g i n in terms of uploading media. There’s no way to resize photos to make them wider or zoom in to them, unlike on Instagram where you can do both. Videos can only be seven seconds, which is shorter than what Snapchat and Instagram offer. And although a slight detail, photo filters aren’t offered. And then there’s the infamous ability to post anonymously, better known as “anons” – a controversial feature. Users are allowed to post their statuses or photos anonymously with masks used as their avatars. There’s no way for the standard user to track who posted something when marked anonymous, although TAPT HQ claims they can determine that information. The anonymous function is easily the worst part of TAPT. It makes TAPT not only an app version of CCNY Secrets, but it opens the door for any kind of hate speech, stalking, and gay bashing (which has already occurred). The feature is creepy, unnecessary and degrading for the app, making it seem amateur instead of progressive.

As far as longevity is concerned, the app is only as good as long you’re a student. There’s no value to the app once seniors graduate, thus there should be a fair turnover of users through each academic year. Cool as far as raising the download numbers, not cool if you’re trying to create something that’s alongside the big four social media apps. Despite the issues, this app does have potential to be successful within the CCNY community. However, the anonymous option virtually opens Pandora’s Box and the lack of basic uploading features makes the app seem second-rate compared to where they should be. The lack of longevity after a user leaves CCNY, or college in general, also holds the app back from being the next great thing it’s aiming to become. It is, however, a lot like Facebook, or The Facebook in its early stages . . . and that worked out well in the end. TAPT is off to a good start, but it’s far from a finished, socially recommended product. S C ORE: 5. 5/ 10

Football

Returns to ccny Lavender Bowl renewed for second run By Curtis Ashley

its initial run last year, the AFTER Lavender Bowl plans to make another appearance for City College’s Lavender Week. Flag football, the featured sports event of the CCNY spirit week, has found its way back into the lineup and plans to leave a bigger mark this year.

its second go-around, after facing some difficulties in its inaugural year. “The first year was rough,” Weisinger added. “It was really the ultimate learning curve and really as experimental as it gets. I didn’t think it was going to get renewed for a second year.” There was certainly something there; Student Life as well as the CCNY

In the event’s second year, both Weisinger and Evelyn Ortega, the Assistant Director of the Department of Student Life and Leadership Development, hope to see some improvements. “We’re opening it up to more organizations, such as ROTC. That’s why we made the regulations more flexible in terms of only half the team needing to be CCNY

“THE FIRST YEAR WAS ROUGH. IT WAS THE ULTIMATE LEARNING CURVE AND REALLY AS EXPERIMENTAL AS IT GETS.” Introduced by The Campus’ sports editor Jeff Weisinger, the Lavender Bowl aims to give the CCNY community the football experience missing on campus since the disbandment of the school’s official team in 1950. “I looked at a lot of what CCNY has done, especially the Lavender Week committee, as far as sports events, and I realized that we could do a lot more,” Weisinger said. “I know there’s a lot of people on social media saying ‘CCNY needs football,’ or ‘I wish CCNY had football,’ kind of trying to build a demand for it.” Well it’s here now. The event gears up for

community picked up on it. “The days following last year’s Lavender Bowl, I got a lot of good feedback on it. A lot of people were excited that we brought it,” Weisinger commented. The event took place in the Nat Holman Gymnasium. Each team that played was comprised of seven players, four starters and three reserves. The teams also needed to include at least one female, and two of the active players had to be CCNY students. WCCR, one of the college’s radio stations, was the 2015 Lavender Bowl champion and received a 1st place trophy.

students,” Ortega mentioned. “We didn’t get to promote it as much as we wanted to [last time],” she added, “but everyone that did show up had a really good time.” Students can contact Ortega by email (eortega@ccny.cuny.edu) or by visiting the office of Student Life and Leadership Development in the North Academic Center (Room 1/210), if they are interested in being a part of the Lavender Bowl and/or other activities going on during Lavender Week. The Lavender Bowl will take place on Wednesday, May 11 from 7pm to 10pm. 15

D I D YO U K N O W . . . That the City College once had a Museum of its own, exhibiting artifacts of the college’s history? The City College Museum opened in 1908 and was located in the south wing, first floor, room 127. The exhibit included a plaster model of the original Free Academy building, bronze busts, historical photographs, artifacts from the Civil War, architectural drawings, artwork and many other items that illustrated City College’s past. Although the Museum thrived upon its inception, the Museum closed in 1933 and the space was repurposed as a History Reading Room and quiet study hall. It is not known when this room was remodeled, nor the whereabouts of all of the Museum’s original collections, however a few of the Museum’s artifacts are still preserved at the City College Archives, such as a set of the Civil War cannonballs, several photos, and several works of art. One of the plaques from the Museum can still be seen today in Lincoln Corridor of Shepard Hall, commemorating lost student veterans. By Dalton Whiteside

VISIT THE CITY COLLEGE ARCHIVES IN NAC’S COHEN LIBRARY, 5TH F LO O R F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N ON THIS AND OTHER CCNY HISTORY.