CAMPUS NEWS
HAVE AN OPINION ABOUT A CURRENT EVENT? WRITE A LETTER TO EDITOR@CCCNEWS.INFO. GET PUBLISHED!
Community College
Volume 10, Issue 2 Take 1! Free on Campus! October 2014
Mid-Career, 6
Dress Up, 2 INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Worst Colleges
3
New to You!
6
Murder Mystery Campus Voices
Meet the Author Haunted Places
Win at college (and keep your cool)
J on a th an Lo p es Campus News
Bones, 8
Campus Media
A Print Newspaper Distributed at Many Two Year Colleges in the Northeast.
4 13 13 14 15
From the Adjunct 18
Visit us at www.cccn.us today!
What is the purpose of higher education and how does one succeed? Conventional and traditional thinking deems it necessary, in order to secure a job and possess satisfactory social standing. However, modern day opinions suggest the true and often undervalued meaning of furthering one’s education is for interpersonal development and academic learning simply for knowledge. Now then, is it to learn and expand your educational horizons or is the means to the end, obtaining a quality employment position? This is for you to decide. This past academic year, I attended a seminar while an employee at Raritan Valley Community College. The interactive lecture was hosted by the director of Student Life, Russell Barefoot. Cal Newport’s “How to Win at College” and Stephen Covey’s “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” were highlighted readings within the presentation. This opinion piece will focus on the former. Shortly after the presentation, I borrowed a copy of the book from Russell and
read the entire thing in three sittings. I was curious, but in a cynical fashion. In preparation to writing this article, I re-read Cal Newport’s book, in order to refresh my memory on the most crucial elements. In addition, I decided to contact friends and successful collegiate peers of
my own, asking for their opinion on college success. Both of these individuals are recent graduates and are now experiencing wonderful accomplishments in their personal and professional lives. “Colleges are resources to not only get the technological or book knowledge that one
needs to succeed in the job market, but they provide resources to obtain experiences and career opportunities outside of the education circle,” said David Jacobson, a graduate of Raritan Valley Community College and Rider University. “To win is to utilize
continued on page 3
Saving money while being a student
Ke v in T . E l li s Campus News
The ability to save money while attending college may seem impossible. While I’m attending college, it’s sometimes difficult for me to save money, buy some food and pay for transportation. Also many students don’t have a high paying job, to pay for books, transportation and campus food, etc. So it’s a struggle to pay for items and transportation effectively, without breaking the bank account. Honestly! I’ve tried so many methods to spend and save money effectively, and I have a part-time job that pays minimum wage. It’s ridiculous that a college student has to struggle with poverty to just to get a Bachelor’s or an Associate’s degree. The books are way too expensive to purchase and some professors are expecting you to get the textbook immediately. Then at the same time some professors will advise you to lessen your work hours, so you’ll have more time to study and focus. Now for those of you students who are going through this right now, it’s really a struggle to pass the course without your textbook being purchased. But don’t worry; I have solutions to pass your semester without going broke. Sa v e o n B o ok s As you go into your local bookstore, whether on campus or off campus, you should look for used books. New
c o n t i n u ed o n p ag e 1 6
Why transfer to The College of Saint Rose?
Ranked as a Best Northern University by U.S. News & World Report
Saint Rose offers 70 undergraduate programs with internships that will tie your studies to the real world, building your resumé in the process. In fact, Saint Rose has been identified as one of New York’s top colleges for offering the greatest lifetime return on investment because our students graduate prepared for their careers or are recruited into top graduate or doctoral programs. Our goal is simple: to help you achieve yours. To transfer contact us at 1-800-637-8556 ext. 1 or admit@strose.edu.
TRANSFER TODAY WE VALUE YOUR ACADEMIC WORK.
WWW.STROSE.EDU/TRANSFER
Say yes to dressing up!
Julianne Mosher Campus News
I was working in retail one day over the summer when a woman approached me at the front counter. “You look just like Rapunzel!” she said. “What?” I responded cautiously and slightly confused. She looked at me and smiled, “Would you want to pretend to be her for a day?” Growing up in the 90s, I believed that I was actually, in fact, a Disney princess. I enthusiastically (and rather quickly) agreed to this random woman’s offer and began working for her dress up company. We go to events, parties and gatherings dress in character and we make the lives of little kids magical. Don’t you remember when simple things like that were magical for us, too? Halloween is a time where we can change who we are. We can dress completely out of character for one night and not get judged at all. Luckily for us, college is the prime time in our young adult lives where we can dress however we want on Halloween and not care about what anyone else thinks. But would you believe that only 50 percent of students actually dress up during this fun and festive fall holiday? When we were kids we thrived on dressing up in costumes and would compete with one another on who wore
the Power Ranger better. What happened to that? Are we at 18, 21 and 24 too cool to dress up and have a little immature amusement? I don’t know about you but I’ll probably turn 80 and still be dressing up. Whether you’re at a commuter college, dorming, or living off campus in an apartment, this Halloween you should try and get a little festive. Go to a party in costume – it doesn’t have to be expensive, make it yourself out of things you already have. It is a great conversation starter and who knows whom you’ll meet as you’re posed up as a cat. As I dressed up as a princess – actually twice for the record – I got to be Princess Aurora and the longhaired Rapunzel. I went to two events where I had to interact with children – and their parents – of all ages. I had to put on a fake voice and pretend to not be the journalism student at Stony Brook University that I am, but instead a happy-go-lucky princess with flowers in my braid. It was refreshing and eye opening to me. I was put in a situation in which I had no idea what would happen as I stood in the center of a huge Long Island shopping center on a Sunday with other characters like Cinderella’s fairy godmother, Elsa and Anna from “Frozen,” the genie from “Aladdin” and a pirate. Did I mention this was in a mall
only five minutes away from my school? I got a lot of weird looks. However, in the end of it all, it was fun pretending to be something that I never, ever will be. It taught me about spontaneity and quick thinking. It taught me that when you put on that wig and that dress you become something that others see as magical and you can’t have a frown on your face. I think that’s what Halloween is all about for us. We’re stressed with school and midterms and our futures. Why can’t we – half of the college student population – dress up for one night in a costume that makes us happy?
After you go out like that, get some (legal) drinks and candy, you’ll feel positive and happy the next morning that you did something out of the ordinary and became a kid again for just a few hours. Here’s to never growing up despite what college and society tells us to do.
The prescription for medical school preparedness PRE-MED at Sage » » » »
Applied Biology Biochem Biology Chemistry
Continue on for your bachelor’s: »
Russell Sage College, with a unique women-focused general education program and several accelerate-to-graduate-degree options.
»
Sage College of Albany, with an Innovation Thinking (i.Think) core curriculum and an emphasis on internships and career preparation.
INFO SESSION Wednesday, October 8 5 - 7 p.m. Albany Campus sage.edu/infosession
LEARN MORE Sage.edu Jacob, Biology/Pre-Med Campus News | October 2014 | Page 2
How to win at college (continued from cover)
both! To lose in college is not necessarily because you didn’t perform well, but due to the fact that the resources provided were not utilized properly.” Mr. Newport begins with a simple premise. The book reads: “What does it take to be a standout student? How can you make the most of your college years – graduate with honors, choose exciting activities, build a head-turning resume, and gain access to the best postcollege opportunities? Based on interviews with star students at universities nationwide, from Harvard to the University of Arizona, “How to Win at College” presents 75 simple rules that will rocket you to the top of the class…” The book is separated into brief chapters serving as “rules” to consider and live by. The insightful and sometimes controversial rules include: don’t do all your reading, drop classes every term, become a club president, care about your grades and ignore your GPA, never pull an all-nighter, take three days to write a paper, always be working on a “grand project,” and do one thing better than anyone else you know. The book is 190 pages in length and won’t take you more than 4 hours to read. In other words, that is 3-4 sessions of reading for about one hour, depending at your rate. It is that easy and enjoyable to read, because it flows smoothly and is of relevance to us all. This book has received special at-
tention and recognition over the last several years, due to the basic format, credibility behind its creation and most importantly, the specific tips given. Selfhelp based books have often been criticized for clichés and vague information based on individual personal improvement. Fortunately, Mr. Newport strays away from this perception and provides logic, reasoning and actual details on how to achieve success, in and out of the classroom. However, I will mention that the student reader must act upon the information, in order to learn and perform successfully. An important lesson from this book is that success has little to do with possessing a high IQ, money, and/or have a ridiculous work ethic. Success, according to the views expressed in this book, has everything to do with playing the game. In other words, success can be attained through consistent effort and using campus services, resources, and opportunities. “How to Win at College” is the remarkable guide for making the most of these four important years and getting an edge on life after graduation. Even though 75 rules are listed, several overlap. Furthermore, what Cal mentions in the introduction is something I’d like to emphasize. Not every rule will relate to you! After reading the book, pick a group of rules and apply them to your college career, especially those you know could use improve-
ment. The rules on private writing/reading and financial aid I personally utilized. I have made enhancements to my personal education based on quick lessons learned. Mr. Newport’s book is intentionally provocative, because it is a way for a smart student to see how untraditional thinking can translate to success within college. For those who are too traditional and narrow minded, several elements within the book may seem controversial and not suitable to your liking. Calvin (Cal) Newport currently serves as an assistant professor in the department of computer science at Georgetown University, the author of three “how to” books. It is a guide to
getting ahead once you’ve gotten in, with proven strategies for making the most of your college years based on “winning secrets from the country’s most successful students.” If you are interested in reading “How to Win at College” or any of Mr. Newport’s books, visit your local public and/or campus library, as well as online resources including Amazon and Google Books. “College is more about yourself than anything,” said Ricardo Frias, a graduate of Raritan Valley Community College and Kean University. “If you can conquer your ego, your procrastination and your shyness, you’ll win at college, and at anything.”
New rankings of America’s worst colleges
Lorain Watters Scripps Howard Foundation Wire
Deadlines for college applications are looming, and deciding where not to go just got easier. In its latest edition, The Washington Monthly, a bimonthly investigative magazine in Washington, released four lists of the worst 20 colleges in the U.S. Each list measured the colleges and universities by different criteria to see which were at the bottom of the pile. As opposed to a system used to rank schools for “Best Bang for the Buck,” the magazine looked at 1,700 four-year colleges and universities and identified 80 of them as the worst colleges to attend. Some were smaller than others and lacked money so their tuition was higher, but they did not offer a better education with the increased price. Others were not racially diverse or had students rely too much on federal Pell grants or loans. The magazine compiled the list to bring attention to the need for a reliable college rating system by the Obama administration and to help students pick a suitable college. “The list that we produced was the only one that had public institutions on it, and there were also a large number of minority-serving institutions,” said Ben Miller, the article’s author and a senior policy analyst for New America Foundation’s Education Policy Program. “Higher education access has to be more than just providing a spot but also serving the student well.” There were many factors used to rank the schools, some of which included net price, average student debt,
graduation rates and the rate of students who defaulted on their loans after graduation. The “worst” schools on each list were the The Washington Monthly panel. Photo by author. New England Institute of Art at the end of the day, can change the in Massachusetts, St. Augustine’s Unimission of some of these colleges,” versity in North Carolina, Benedict Miller said. “That affects how much College in South Carolina and Shimer they are going to charge people or how College in Illinois. None of these colmuch they’re going to rely on loan debt leges could be reached for comment. to make their revenue streams work.” “The need to serve students, at the By recognizing these colleges, end of the day, and the need to meet Miller said the lists draw attention to quarterly enrollment and profit targets, schools who struggle with students
NORTHEAST REPORT CARD
In the region Campus News covers, from New England to New York to New Jersey, colleges that made the various lists include: Category 1 – Worst in net price/debt/default, graduation rate:
New England Inst. of Art (Mass.), No. 1; Becker College (Mass.), No. 6.
Category 2 – Completion rate: No colleges in our region made this category.
completing their degrees or students who graduate with a debt so large, their education might not have been worth it. “When you look at these numbers and realize the stakes involved,” said Kevin Carey, director for the Education Policy Program, “and the students and how vulnerable they are, it is something that has to be done.”
Category 3 – Worst graduation rate for part-time and/or transfer students vs. the percent who take out loans: No colleges in our region made this category.
Category 4: Graduation rate adjusted for minority and/or low-income students vs. cost to attend:
Southern Vermont College, No. 2; Becker College (Mass.), No. 3; Green Mountain College (Vt.), No. 8; Paul Smith's College (N.Y.), No. 9; Daniel Webster College (N.H.), No. 14; ITT Tech (multiple campuses), No. 15; Goddard College (Vt.), No. 16; Univ. of New England (Maine), No. 18.
Campus News | October 2014 | Page 3
America’s top community college papers
J o h n Ty c z k o ws k i Campus News
Student journalism usually calls to mind print and online dailies at major public universities, with dozens of reporters, photographers and editors running every which way and working around the clock in a neverending news cycle. Community college papers usually never come to mind, and if they do, the image is more of a 4-page high school paper printed on regular paper, laid out with Microsoft Publisher and published approximately “when the staff has enough time.” The truth is, though, there are lots of community college newspapers that have won several awards in journalistic excellence and are just as notable, if not more so, as their fouryear institution counterparts. The following 10 newspapers come from community colleges all around the country, and consist of weeklies, biweeklies, monthlies and bimonthlies. But one thing they have in common is that all are flourishing and thriving at a time when many community colleges have been forced to cut back their own student newspapers.
Weeklies
The Voice: Cuyahoga Community College, Cleveland, OH The CCC Voice is a triple threat of versatility. It has print issues that cover the college’s four campuses and the Cleveland area, it produces a quality online product and posts breaking news updates online as they occur. Most recently, the paper won five Excellence in Journalism awards from the Press Club of Cleveland, compared to the three it won last year. The content itself hits the necessary journalistic standards and contains quotes, multiple viewpoints and good sourcing. It also follows AP Style well. The paper has sections for campus and metro news, entertainment, sports and opinion. The Voice’s total print circulation is 2,500, according to its online advertising rates card. Visit them: cccvoice.com The Lookout: Lansing Community College, Lansing, MI The LCC Lookout features a web site to go along with the print product, and has won several state and national awards, according to its web site. The paper’s web site is slick and laid out well, with a good balance of written and photo content, as well as readily accessible social media links for Facebook and Twitter. The stories themselves feature a good balance of viewpoints, feature quotes and demonstrate a good understanding of AP Style. The paper includes news, arts & entertainment, features, opinion and sports sections. The Lookout has a circulation of 1,700, according to its web site. Visit them: web.lcc.edu/lookout. Campus News | October 2014 | Page 4
Biweeklies
The Sun: Southwestern College, Chula Vista, CA It looks like the Sun never sets on Southwestern College, as this paper has won over two dozen awards in various areas from organizations such as the Society of Professional Journalists, the Associated Collegiate Press, the Student Press Law Center and the National Newspaper Association, to name a few. In addition to its normal print product, the Sun also publishes a news magazine each summer, El Sol, and it also maintains a robust website, which includes PDFs of the Sun and El Sol, as well as a strong social media presence on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram. All facets of the Sun, as well as El Sol, are extremely visual, with a strong design focus, and the paper follows strict AP Style. It also tackles a wide range of topics from local and state politics to campus news to entertainment and sports and has an opinion section. The Sun’s online advertising rates card lists its print circulation as 5,000. Visit them: theswcsun.com. The Glacier: Moraine Valley Community College, Palo Hills, IL The community college paper of a small Midwestern community hasn’t stopped the Glacier from picking up state and national awards like they were till carried by their namesake. In 2006, the paper won second place in the Collegiate Press’s Newspaper of the Year two-year category, and picked up a second place award in excellence from the Illinois Community College Journalism Association. The paper is written in a slightly more informal style than standard news inverted pyramid and AP Style, but that doesn’t detract from the quality of reporting. Both the paper and web site, which includes PDFs of the print paper, are also very visually oriented, with lots of photos everywhere, and the paper is also on Facebook, Twitter and Flickr. The Glacier’s circulation is unlisted, but MVCC’s student enrollment is 36,000. Visit them: mvccglacier.com.
Monthlies
The Voice: Mercer County Community College, West Windsor, NJ The MCCC Voice has secured itself a large amount of awards for not only its reporting, but also its photography. Many of these awards come from the Society of Professional Journalists and the New Jersey Collegiate Press. As would be suggested by the awards, the newspaper has a very visual component to it, with photography figuring prominently on many pages. The web site does not appear to be updated too regularly, but a full PDF archive of back issues stretching back over six years is available.
2,300 copies of MCCC Voice make it around campus each month, but figures from a survey listed on the Voice’s web site suggest that 76 percent of the college’s 10,000 students read the paper each month, in print or online. Visit them: mcccvoice.org
The Collegiate: Grand Rapids Community College, Grand Rapids, MI The GRCC Collegiate is another prominent contender in that while it prints monthly, staff continually post updated articles on the website every few days. Consequently, the paper also has a burgeoning social media presence on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. This paper also has received a slew of awards from organizations such as the Associated Collegiate Press, the Michigan Press Association and College Media Advisers. Some of these awards have to deal with the website’s multimedia nature, with some video reports as well as written articles. Circulation figures for the Collegiate are unavailable, but GRCC has a student population of approximately 18,000. Visit them: thecollegiatelive.com.
Bimonthlies
The Observer: Northern Essex Community College, Haverhill, MA The lone New England paper on this list has won several of the highest awards in student journalism, including Gold Awards from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and has won awards from the New England Press Association as well. The Observer’s web site, just launched at the beginning of September, is not as visually oriented as others on this list, but it still features quality reporting and writing in sync with AP Style, with frequent updates every few days. The paper has news, opinion, arts, features, sports and entertainment sections. Online the Observer lists its circulation as 5,000 print copies. Visit them: observer.necc.mass.edu. The Montage: St. Louis Community College at Meramec, St. Louis, MO The Montage’s claim to awards fame is a Pacemaker award from the Associated Collegiate Press, though according to its website, it’s won several other national and state awards as well. The newspaper’s web site contains archives going back five years of stories, grouped by issue, and has an archive of PDFs of print issues going back until January 2014. It has articles written in the standard straightforward news style, and contains a number of video reports, linked to the web site from the newspaper’s YouTube account. 3,000 print copies of the Montage are delivered around campus twice a month, according to the newspaper’s advertising rates card online. Visit them: meramecmontage.com.
Sponsor Videos
Click on the stills from these campus videos to learn more about each college or click on the college logos to go to the campus web sites.
Campus News | October 2014 | Page 5
Cusack’s mid-career gem gets little love
Darren Johnson Campus News
We all know about John Cusack’s early-career 1980s teen classics, such as “Say Anything” and “Better Off Dead.” He was prolific in that genre, even appearing in several other such romps, such as “Sixteen Candles.” And we also know about his more recent movies – mainly thrillers, such as the well-received “Bag Man” and “Frozen Ground.” However, unlike most teen stars who faded away and came back in their forties – there are too many to count – Cusack had a great mid-career, too. This guy has never been a has-been. And my argument for his best movie is the 1997 “Grosse Pointe Blank,” now on Netflix. This movie seems to be a mix of his early comedies and his more recent thrillers. I don’t know why this movie isn’t mentioned with other comedy/crime capers, such as “Pulp Fiction” or “Fargo.” It definitely is in the same league from a quality perspective. Yet, somehow it only has a 7.4/10 on IMDb. In fact, the plot and dialogue in “Grosse Pointe Blank” are so good, I
Campus News | October 2014 | Page 6
was certain the movie must have been adapted from a great book. But an Amazon search shows no book by the same name. Thus, it should be credited here that the movie is written by Tom Jankiewicz and directed by George Armitage. This inventive movie also uses the uniquely American “high school reunion” motif. Cusack’s character, Martin, a freelance contract killer, is strongly encouraged by his kooky secretary, played by sister Joan Cusack, to attend the 10-year reunion while in the town of Grosse Pointe, a nice suburb of Detroit. He also has a job to do there. He also needs to find himself. “It’s not me!” Martin pleads whenever he is finishing a kill. Martin wonders where the past 10 years went, and is starting to be reflective on his life as a killer. He meets up with his high school girlfriend, Debi, played by Minnie Driver, who he had stood up for the senior prom. They do go to the 10-year reunion together, but
Martin is being chased by two other assassins and some crooked feds. “I killed the president of Paraguay with a fork. How’ve you been?” he says to one assassin, played by Dan Aykroyd, who wants to partner with him. “I’m a loner, a lone gunman, get it? “The minute you start relationships, bad things start happening.” But will he fall in love again with Debi? There is absolutely nothing wrong with this film. OK, maybe it wraps up a bit too neatly and rushes the ending, but in this day and age where most movies are over two hours, I’ll take such expedi-
ence in this movie that clocks in at a mere 107 minutes. Bonus points for a cool 1980s soundtrack with the Violent Femmes, Echo and the Bunnymen, Aha and The Cure – the kind of music now played on 631radio.com. Queue this up and let me know what you think.
“It’s New to You!” is a column that finds five-star movies on streaming services that you probably missed when they originally hit.
A nocturnal nightmare: the return of bedbugs
Kristina Bostley Campus News
They can crawl in through the window during the middle of the night. They can soundlessly creep into bedrooms without giving any indication of their presence. They’ll follow their victims home from work, school, and even vacation. They can hide in the most inconspicuous of places, just waiting to attack. These intruders are not rapists or serial killers; they are bedbugs. Though they’re significantly smaller in size, they can prove to be a huge pest to their victims. The resurgence of bedbugs into mainstream society has continuously grabbed at news headlines in recent years and shows few signs of slowing down. “Goodnight, sleep tight, don’t let the bedbugs bite,” was a phrase coined after WWII, when the bedbug epidemic in the United States originally began. The critters were nearly eradicated with the use of DDT, but the pesticide became ineffective even before its ban in 1972. However, bedbugs continued to be a concern in other countries, and half a century later, that nighttime cautionary tale has come back to bite society where it really hurts. The CDC claims the recent increase in international travel has greatly contributed to the bedbug epidemic that has seized the US in the 21st century. The pests became so troublesome that in 2010, the firstever North American Bedbug Summit was hosted in Chicago to create awareness on how to combat bedbugs. Bedbugs are small, round, flat critters that are light to dark brown in color, but they turn red as they feed on human and animal blood. They typically wait about a week in between meals, but they can last as long as a year without food. Because they are nocturnal, bedbugs tend to bite people during the night. They tend to hide near humans and animals, in mattresses, luggage, clothing, even behind picture
frames and headboards. Typically, most people aren’t aware they have been bitten until bite marks appear on their skin. Luckily, bedbugs don’t transmit disease, but the pests are hard to get rid of being that their flat bodies allow them to hide almost anywhere without detection. Bedbug infestations have several implications in society, impacting the economy and general health of the population both physically and psychologically. Being that the insects can inbreed, small populations of bedbugs can multiply quickly, making them a nightmare to get rid of. Their tendency to hide in luggage and clothing allows them to hitch a ride with their victims to their next residence, thus allowing for a smooth transition from home to home. But the presence of bedbugs is just the beginning; their bites can cause adverse health reactions. A statement by Terminix, the leading pest control service in the US, claims, “Recent evidence suggests that severe bedbug infestations may be associated with anemia and that bedbug bites can result in secondary infections due to excessive scratching. Infestations can cause emotional stress and irritability.” According to an article from The Baltimore Sun, a boy who left a bite untreated developed an acute infection in his leg. A woman who had battled the bugs in her home was forced to seek therapy to deal with the implications of having them invade her life. A 2012 Canadian study published in the British Medical Journal Open concluded that bedbugs can cause anxiety, insomnia, and even depression. These medical concerns, coupled with the cost of extermination, create a costly problem for those who find they have been infested with bedbugs. Infestations rear their heads in a number of ways. People typically notice multiple bite marks from bedbugs, but they can take some time (up to 14 days) to appear on the skin. They appear as
itchy red marks on the skin, akin to a mosquito bite. But by then, the bedbugs would have had enough time to breed and create a growing population. Bedbugs shed their skin, so their remains left behind are a definite indicator that a bedbug has visited. Since they feed on blood, blood spots are often left on sheets, yet another sign of the creepy crawlers. Live bugs hide in nooks and crannies, such as seams of mattresses and clothing or behind pictures, furniture, or headboards, so checking there is a must for someone who believes they have bedbugs. There are also companies that use dogs to sniff out bedbugs, including First Response Bedbug Dogs, a member of the National Pest Management Association. The best ways to prevent an infestation is to consciously and continuously be on the lookout for bedbugs. Because hotels have constant turnover, bedbugs tend to travel with people and stick around for the next visitor. Therefore, it’s important to always check beds, closets, and even dresser drawers for bedbugs. Hanging clothing will create more of a hassle for bedbugs, so it’s smarter to stow clothes in a closet or leave them in a suitcase perched on a luggage rack for the duration of a trip. Upon the return home, all clothing and luggage should be thoroughly inspected for any indication of bedbugs. Luggage should be vacuumed and clothes should be washed in hot water to kill any bugs
that might have been missed. The treatments for bedbugs have gone through much iteration over the years. DDT was used for years, but the pests are great at developing resistance to pesticides. Malathion, pyrethroids, and diazinon were all once remedies recommended for bedbug removal, but either stopped being effective or posed serious health threats in household use. The chemical propoxur was effective in wiping out populations, but in 2007 the EPA asked for safety data that the manufacturer didn’t have yet and the pesticide was yanked from the shelves. Unfortunately, safety data that meets regulations would require millions of dollars and years to develop, and many companies are unwilling to shell out that amount of time and money. Infestations are best left to professionals such as Terminix, which has begun using a RapidFreeze technology using carbon dioxide to kill bedbugs on contact. Though experts can’t identify one single cause for the reappearance of bedbugs in the 21st century, one thing is certain: if the pesky pests are suspected in a home, office, or hotel, they must be dealt with immediately. Delaying the inevitable treatments only increases the risk of the population increasing quickly. It is best to remember the signs of bedbug presence and have an action plan in place in case they do attack.
act of sexual violence, the trauma, the terror can shadow you long after one horrible attack. It’s there when you’re forced to sit in the same class or stay in the same dorm with the person who raped you,” Obama said. “It’s a haunting presence when the very people entrusted with your welfare fail to protect you.” Lilly Jay was a special guest at the event. Before introducing the vice president, she told her story of being sexually assaulted as a freshman at Amherst College in Massachusetts. Jay said that, although she was sexually assaulted, she can move on from the traumatic experience with the support from her family and friends and reclaim her college experience. The program encourages college students to take a pledge to stop sexual as-
sault if they see it happening. “Recalling rape always hurts,” Jay said. “They help carry the heavy truth that colleges can, and should, be safer.” “It’s On Us” is directed at both men and women. It will attempt to change the way sexual assault is thought about and assign responsibility to everyone in confronting sexual assault, preventing it from happening. “They are not going to succeed the way they should unless they are treated as true equals, and are supported and respected,” Obama said. “Unless women are allowed to fulfill their full potential, America will not reach its full potential. So we’ve got to change.”
White House launches campaign against sexual assault
Lorain Watters Scripps Howard Foundation Wire
Sexual assaults have become too common at many college campuses, leaving students feeling unsafe and confused when sexual assault does happen. President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden hosted an event at the White House last month to announce a new campaign, “It’s On Us,” that will help campuses nationwide become more aware of sexual assault and how to prevent it. According to a report by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 20 to 25 percent of women at universities are raped or have been sexually assaulted, but only 12 percent of those cases are reported to law enforcement.
“It's on all of us to change that. So when you take a stand, you're recognizing that non-consensual sex is sexual assault,” Jordan Brooks, special assistant to the White House chief of staff, said in a statement. In April 2011, the vice president and Arne Duncan, secretary of education, gave guidelines to campuses nationwide to help them understand how to comply with federal civil rights laws and how to respond to sexual assaults on campus. In January, the president and vice president created a White House task force to help schools protect their students from sexual assault and give them tools to use, such as pamphlets or providing education at campus orientation. “For anybody whose once-normal, everyday life was suddenly shattered by an
Campus News | October 2014 | Page 7
Florence (and Lawrence) Nightingales in the making
Dave Paone Campus News
They’re not what one might expect. The students in the nursing department at Ulster County Community College in Stone Ridge, that is. They’re much older than the typical community college student, some well into their thirties, and far more males than one might presume in a nursing program. Perhaps the one thing that makes them different from their college counterparts is their calling to help their fellow human beings in their time of medical need. This they will accomplish as nurses. But before any of them can call him- or herself a Registered Nurse, they all must complete the required courses followed by the required test. The endless list of courses includes Psychology, two Anatomy & Physiology classes, two English classes, Life Span Development, Literacy, Microbiology, Sociology, Algebra, Nursing Dosage Calculations and Nursing I through IV, for a total of 72 credits. Then there’s a background check, drug screening, CPR certification and clinical facility requirements. “This, what we’re doing right now,
have a lower-level nursing certificate and are looking to become an RN. Currently many states, including New York, require only an Associate’s degree to be an RN, but some states, including New York, are looking to mandate a Bachelor’s degree. But perhaps it’s not the coursework but the licensing test the state gives that’s the most challenging. After completing their AS, the final step to becoming a nurse is the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses. According to Stephanie, a big part of taking (and passing) the exam is “thinking like a nurse.” That means taking the given information, applying it in a specific scenario and then choosing the correct course of action. “Actually, all answers are the correct answers but one would be more correct over the other,” said Beau. “You have to critical think and prioritize.” “It’s very scientifically based but at the same time you’re having to apply that to the human condition,” said 30 year-old Nathaniel Mehlman, another second-year nursing student. “It’s not a math test.“ That human condition is addressed through “a large psych component that’s peppered through the program,” said Nathaniel. Part of the human condition can get very disgusting. Medical professionals deal with blood, bodily fluids and pain and suffering regularly, which many people can’t stomach. “Somehow during the moment you just deal with it. You just deal with it as it arises,” said Beau. “I think it’s also that strong desire to help people,” said Stephanie, who also works at Kingston Hospital. “You kind of push all that aside and when you’re in the situation — the moment — you think about that patient and your desire to help them.” Having worked as a professional nurse in Africa, Muzit saw a lot of suffering and death. “I used to go home every day, crying,” she said. While death and suffering is part of the job, Nathaniel notes, “It’s such a small percentage of what goes on,” and prefers to look at the positive side of what he does, which alleviates that suffering. For centuries nursing was considered “women’s work” and was exclusively performed by females. All of that has changed and with so many
Students find community college a great way to pursue a nursing degree.
is the hardest part of any nursing profession,” said 34 year-old Beau States, a second-year nursing student at Ulster. “And they say that the two-year programs are actually harder because they’re more compact and more dense as opposed to spread out over four years. But I’ve got four years invested with two years of prerequisites and then two years of nursing school, as most of my colleagues.” By attending a community college students save tens of thousands of dollars they would otherwise spend at a four-year school, according to Jody Bivona Mesches, the nursing department chairperson at Ulster. Muzit Mikael, 34, was a Licensed Practical Nurse in her native country of Eritrea in east Africa but says the bureaucracy of transferring her credentials to the US is so difficult it was easier to start the nursing program from scratch at Ulster. Plus she’s pursuing a full RN degree. While attending Ulster, Muzit works weekends at the Kingston Hospital, although she doesn’t receive college credit for that. Stephanie Thorpe, 28, received a Bachelor’s degree from nearby SUNY New Paltz in 2008 as well as an Emergency Medical Technician certification, but had been considering a nursing career for a while. So she completed the two year’s worth of prerequisites and is now a second-year nursing student at Ulster. “There’s only a few that are 19, 20 years-old in this program. It’s mainly returning adults,” said Beau. Some of them are embarking on their second career while others already Campus News | October 2014 | Page 8
males pursuing the occupation (about a third of the department at Ulster) they proudly refer to themselves as “durses,” or “dude-nurses.” There’s a practical side to having durses on hand in hospitals. Beau noted with obesity on the rise in America, caring for extremely heavy patients is a problem and male nurses may be better qualified to deal with them. When Nathaniel decided to become a nurse his friends and family were very supportive. “They were pretty psyched that I have more direction in my life,” he said. According to Jody, the pass rates for the licensing boards for community college students are higher than those of four-year college students, although she’s not sure why. She thinks it’s possibly due to community colleges’ focus on direct clinical practice, skill development and smaller class sizes. “We’re able to spend more one-onone time and develop a relationship with the students,” she said. However, Ulster turns down two to three times the number of students it accepts into the program because of limited clinical sites (i.e. hospitals) in the area where students need to clock in work time. Students begin clinical practice their
first week of school so they can take what they’ve learned and apply it to actual patients right away. On a rare occasion the reality of being around sick people would cause a student to drop out of the program, but with the student body being older, many of them have had experience in the field and are over that. Back in the day when most of them were right out of high school, it happened more often. While the short-term goal for community college nursing students is to receive their AS, pass the boards and become an RN, it’s not always the last step. “I know people who are nurse-attorneys, nurse-entrepreneurs, nursepractitioners, nurse-educators, nurse-researchers,“ said Jody. “Once you’re a nurse, the sky’s open.”
Pictured below: Ulster County Community College second-year nursing students Stephanie Thorpe, Muzit Mikael and Beau States pose with “Mr. Bones” in the school’s nursing lab. Mikael and States are also pictured above. —Photos by Author.
think Innovation
think
Changing the world rrequires equires rrevolutionary evolutionary thinking that goes above and beyond, and at Vaughn that’ss the type of thinking we instill in you. Our students come with vision V aughn College that’ ordinary and expectations and leave rready eady to challenge the or dinary in the fields of engineering, technology,, management and aviation. technology
Vaughn master’s, bachelor’ss and associate degree V aughn of offers fers an array of master’ s, bachelor’ degree pr programs ograms — including one of only degree programs mechatronic metropolitan area tthe he o nly d egree pr ograms in mechatr onic engineering in the New York York metr opolitan ar ea — grounded It’ss no wonder that 92 per percent and a faculty that is gr ounded in rreal-life eal-life experience. It’ cent of our aree employed or continue their education within one year of graduation. graduates ar Set your sights on Vaughn Vaughn College and start thinking above and beyond.
1.866.6VAUGHN
ENGINEERING
Q
TECHNOLOGY TECHNOL OGY
Q
Q
vaughn.edu
MANAGEMENT MANA GEMENT
Q
AVIATION A AVIA VIATION VIA TION
Campus News | October 2014 | Page 9
Changes needed to reverse economic inequality
Rocky Asutsa Scripps Howard Foundation Wire
Skewed economic policies are a driving factor for economic inequality in the United States. That’s the opinion of witnesses at a hearing held by the Senate subcommittee on economic policy Sept. 17 chaired by Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore. Areas of significant difference in policy were taxes and deficits, trade and globalization, regulation of business and labor protection. “Every day thousands of lobbyists come onto the hill and seek to influence policy debates, usually in favor of the interests of more affluent citizens. We must make sure that the voices of millions of Americans with low or middle incomes are not drowned out by those with far more resources,” Merkley said. The hearing sought to highlight causes of economic inequality and identify possible solutions, focusing on policy where higher education and home ownership served as examples. Half of Americans are unable to pay a $400 bill without going into debt or selling something, according to a 2014 report by the Federal Reserve. Two-thirds of students from low-income households and half of four-year college part-time students risk dropping out because they work 20 plus hours as they attend school. College costs have increased more than 400 percent in the last 25 years, while median family income increased less than 150 percent. Financial aid to students grew even less. A student from a low income household would have to use 95 percent of her family’s income to go to college for a year after financial aid, Heather McGhee, president of Dēmos, said. Dēmos is a nonprofit policy group that supports a diverse middle class and seeks to reduce the role of money in politics. Amir Sufi, professor of finance at the University of Chicago, gave an example of a homeowner who had a home worth $100,000 in 2007, a $60,000 mortgage, and therefore $40,000 of home equity. However, between 2007 and 2010 the value of the home dropped to $60,000, and the homeowner lost all of his equity. “That the standard mortgage contract is inflexible, no matter the circumstances, cushions the rich from risk while passing on disproportionate risk on middle and lower income households,” Sufi said. The Fed report found that 56 percent of Americans who were unable to complete a college program they bor-
rowed money for felt the costs of education outweighed any financial benefits they received. “If we can’t count on CEOs and senior management to reinvest at least some of their corporate profits in their workers like they used to, what steps should the government take to fill that void?” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, DMass., asked. A recent report derived from a survey of Harvard Business School graduates found that a competitive U.S. economy would lift both businesses and citizens, lamenting that this is not the case today. Congress should stop giving preferential treatment to capital gains and dividends, McGhee said, noting only about half of Americans own stocks. Dividends and capital gains are taxed at Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., left, Heather a lower rate than wages. McGee and Amir Sufi. –Photo by Author She said passing a bill that would make it easier for employees to unionize by changing the current two-step trum,” Claudia Viek, CEO of the California Association vote to a single vote, giving workers more bargaining for Micro Enterprise Opportunity, said. power. “My hope is that we can take this fundamental set of “Congress should commit to investments that build repetitive failure to create living wage jobs … and drive the foundations for strong growth for a broad middle class to conversation on good legislation in the next cycle,” grow the economy from the middle out,” Adam Hersh, Merkley said in an interview after the hearing. senior economist at Center for American Progress, said. He said the top of his agenda includes investments in “If we are serious about addressing income inequality, infrastructure and education and changes in financial then we need to support entrepreneurship across the spec- products to make them accessible to more investors.
Collegefish’s Completion and Transfer Challenge
Collegefish.org, the nation’s premiere online resource for community colleges and the students they serve to prepare for completion and transfer, will be celebrating Completion and Transfer Challenge month during October 2014. Community college students, staff, and faculty are invited to attend various educational webinars held twice weekly online, free and open to all, on topics ranging from scholarships to transfer to financial literacy. For a full schedule of the webinars, go to www.facebook.com/CollegeFish, like the page, and get connected. Students who attend the webinars, like the Facebook page, and complete or update their college fish.org profile, will be entered into a drawing for a $1000 scholarship, to be selected and announced November 3rd, 2014. Collegefish.org offers transfer planning information on over 2000 regionally accredited senior college transfer choices and over $37 million in transfer scholarship opportunities. Logon today to get hooked!
Mideast airstrikes lead to debate over strategy
Kara Mason Scripps Howard Foundation Wire
Jihadist forces were sent running from a network of facilities in Syria after being hit with 14 airstrikes in September, but there are still concerns about whether President Barack Obama’s plan to destroy the Islamic State group will be effective in the long and short term. Several members of Congress have questioned whether the airstrikes are within the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force, which gave former President George W. Bush authority to go after al-Qaida after 9-11. Obama says the authorization gives any administration the ability to use force against terrorist cells related to al-Qaida. “The president should not be doing this without Congress. Congress shouldn’t let this happen without Congress,” said Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., in a speech at the Center for American Progress Action Fund. “Calling ISIL a perpetrator of 9-11 is torturing the English language.” The Islamic State group has been associated with al-Qaida in the past, which gives Obama authority under the 2001 authorization, a senior official administration Campus News | October 2014 | Page 10
official said last month in a conference call with reporters. “This is the same cast of characters we’ve had for many years,” the official said. A staple in Obama’s strategy is a partnership with Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain, which helped carry out the airstrikes. With support in the region, Obama said in a speech last week, there would be no need for boots on the ground. “The strength of this coalition makes it clear to the world that this is not America’s fight alone. Above all, the people and governments in the Middle East are rejecting ISIL and standing up for the peace and security that the people of the region and the world deserve,” Obama said in a statement recently before departing for three days of meetings at the United Nations. With regional allies, Obama said the United States will not need to send soldiers to destroy the Islamic State group. But former ambassador to Turkey and Iraq James Jeffrey said that might not get the job done. The president’s use of the word destroy is interesting, said Jeffrey, the Philip
Solondz distinguished visiting fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, in a forum at the institute. “Defeat, of course, usually refers to a state or military force that can decide it’s taken enough lumps, it’s been driven off the field, or driven back, and it wants to stop fighting and go back and lick its wounds,” Jeffrey said. “The Iraqi army was defeated in February of 1991 – signed an agreement and pulled back. That’s not the kind of thing that’s going to happen with this group.” To combat the Islamic State group, Jeffrey said the U.S and its allies must take back territory, which has happened in only a few places in Iraq. The 14 targets that were hit in the strikes were very relevant, a senior administration official said on the conference call after Obama spoke. “We know we hit what we were aiming for,” he said. Regaining territory shows the region the Islamic State
group is losing control, and that’s very important, Jeffrey said. The 6 million to 8 million Sunnis the Islamic State group controls is a big military resource, especially with Obama’s promise not to send U.S. soldiers. “Retaking the ISIS state, truly destroying it, is a task of an entirely different magnitude. This will require, eventually, a ground offensive by large formations of well-equipped forces. It’s hard to imagine those forces being trained, created and supported in the field, even with U.S. air power without U.S. boots on the ground,” Jeffrey said. More than 40 nations have offered to help confront the Islamic State group by taking out terrorist targets, training and equipping opposition fighters and cutting off financing, Obama said.
Like our Facebook page and you may win a prize!
The address is facebook.com/schoolpaper
Make Mak e the the Choice Choice That That W ill Chang eY our Life. Life. Will Change Your
#1
29
Over 29 undergraduate programs of study and over 40 clubs and organizations.
Ranked as a “Best College” by by U.S.News ws and Wo orl rld d Report for 11 straight ye yea ars rs..
Ranked #4 in the U.S. y by orr private colleges b fo ly n Monthly. on Washingtto
At St. Joseph’ At Joseph’s, s, you’ll you’ll acquire acquire the qualities you you need tto o pr prepare epare y you ou ffor or a lif life eo off v value alue and rreward. eward. You’ll You’ll also be part o off a nationally-r nationally-ranked anked priv private ate college ffor or educational e experience xperience and aff affordability—with ordability—with gener generous ous scholar ships available available ffor or student s who qualify. qualify. So scholarships students what ar are ey you ou w waiting aiting ffor? or? Visit us at www www.sjcny.edu/ .sjcny.edu/ admissionsevents admissionse vents or call us ttoday. oday.. oday BEST
Ranked as a Forbes’ “Top College” 6 straight years.
#11
#4
COLLEGES
#6
e ablle ordab #1 “Great Afford College” in Northeast n tion atio dua gradu and highest gra g Island. Long rate on Lon rate
ES HOUSES OPEN HOUS FALL OPEN FALL Brooklyn Campus Brooklyn October Oct ober 26, 26, 11:00 a.m. Long Island Campus November No vember 2, 10:00 a.m.
sjcny.edu s jcny.edu Long Island 631.687.4500 Long 631.687.4500 Brooklyn Br ooklyn 718.940.5800
REGIONAL UNIVERSITIES NORTH
2014
BRING THE W WORLD ORLD YOUR YOUR BEST BES T
Campus News | October 2014 | Page 11
Important news items from Syria to the NFL
Darren Johnson Campus News
Welcome back to “News You Should Know,” the digest of important current events from the previous month that you may not have kept abreast of. In the sentence above, I originally had the word “interesting” in place of “important,” but realized that is the problem with the news media today on the web. What we find on the web and click on are “interesting” stories, though, big picture, they may not be important. For example, I just clicked on a story out of New Jersey on NJ.com where a guy with a Jeep parked in a funny way next to a Corvette whose owner parked it diagonally, taking up two spaces. The story was accompanied by video of the perturbed Vette owner finding some jalopy next to his prized possession. That story surely was “interesting.” But “important?” Hardly. But this is what popped up. Before that, I clicked on a Vice story about an aborted “Superman” movie from the 1990s that was supposed to star Nic Cage. Interesting? A bit. Important? Hardly. But that’s the way the Internet presents news to us, and why traditional newspapers may be better at prioritizing. Here are some of those stories. I SI S We also mentioned ISIS in our last issue. Things have only gotten worse. Another American journalist was be-
headed, along with an English aid worker and French mountain guide, somewhere in the region where ISIS (aka the Islamic State) operates (mostly Iraq and Syria). President Obama announced and implemented air strikes against ISIS, and the Pentagon released some grainy video of explosions. France later joined in with similar strikes. The Iraqi prime minister, Haider al-Abadi, announced that his office had received information that ISIS would retaliate with bombings of New York and Paris subways, but, as of press time, the US had not verified this claim.
E b ol a Last month, we also mentioned the Ebola crisis that is hitting Africa. That, too, has gotten worse, and, in late September, Obama complained to the United Nations that the world wasn’t doing enough to curb the spread of the disease. Since our last edition, the number of infected has doubled to over 6000, with about half of those people dying. Obama said: “If we move fast, even if imperfectly, that could mean the difference between 10,000, 20,000, 30,000 deaths versus hundreds of thousands or even a million deaths.” Three Americans so far have gotten the virus, been treated, and survived, but West African facilities have been overwhelmed with patients, turning some away, who go home and infect others. Technology
Department of Justice map Remember the Heartbleed bug in 2013, which disabled about a half a million computers? A new virus, called Shellshock, may be much worse; and, unlike other viruses, this one could hit Apple Macintoshes. Speaking of Apple, the company unveiled a couple of new phones, both very big compared to most other smart phones, and Apple stock dipped a few percentage points after reports of a buggy iOS 8.0.1 release (which was recalled) and some bad PR that shows the iPhone 6 potentially bending if kept in a tight pocket for a while. S p o r ts Since our last issue, the NFL football season got underway. Yes, again, the Jets aren’t living up to their potential and look to be dead in the water, but that’s not the news. The NFL made it to the front pages for its slow/covered-up treatment of domestic abuse cases involving Raven Ray Rice (an elevator video where he knocks out his then-fiancée) and Viking Adrian Peter-
Notable Resignation Eric Holder, 63, tendered his resignation as Attorney General last month, after six years on the job. He was a prominent, liberal Obama appointee and the first African-American in the position. It is unclear when his last day will be, and who will be his successor. Holder has been a proponent of bettering relations with minority communities and law enforcement. The Attorney General heads the US Justice Department, oversees US attorneys and marshals, and advises the President on legal matters.
Have an idea for the “News You Should Know” column? Send it to editor@cccnews.info.
Mandel on ‘Millionaire’
N
assau Community College marketing professor Jack K. Mandel, a resident of Oyster Bay and regular contributor to Community College Campus News, won a $1000 cash prize for answering a single question on the August 28 taping of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?," a popular game show on WABC TV. Host Terry Crews, who has appeared in such movies as "The Expendables," "Blended" and "White Chicks," congratulated Prof. Mandel for his expertise. The broadcast is scheduled to run in early October. Crews, left, is pictured with Mandel.
Campus News | October 2014 | Page 12
son (photos of bloody abuse of his 4year-old son). Commissioner Roger Goodell held a press conference on the subject that really satisfied no one, but this highly profitable corporation has kept him on. Both players are suspended indefinitely.
What happened to the Beaumont kids?
Kristina Bostley Campus News
The weather on January 26, 1966, was forecasted to reach a scorching temperature of 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in Adelaide. But the sunny summer day quickly turned into a tumultuous storm of fear, dread, and anticipation of the worst-case scenario for one Australian couple whose children never returned home after what should have been a quick trip to the beach. When Nancy Beaumont handed eight shillings and sixpence to her eldest daughter Jane for the day’s expenses, she had no way of knowing it was the last time she would give her daughter anything. Jane, age nine, her sister Arnna, age seven, and her brother Grant, age four, left their residence at 109 Harding Street, Somerton Park, to catch the 10 o’clock bus to Glenelg. The trip was a quick one – just a five-minute ride that could have been traveled by foot or by bike, but the extreme heat prompted the children to take the bus instead. Meanwhile, their father headed off to work and their mother went to visit a friend in the neighborhood. The children were instructed to catch the bus by the time the highly visible clock
work early and returned home to his wife, the children had been missing for hours. The postman had seen the children around 3 o’clock, walking happily by themselves heading toward their home. Around that same time, Jim drove to the beach to look for his children while Nancy stayed at home to wait for them. Witnesses who had seen the children at the beach reported that the man seemed like a friend to the children; it was later deduced that they had probably had contact with the man prior to that morning. By the Beaumonts’ account, their children were well-behaved and obedient. So why, then, were they seen leaving the beach after the time they should have been on the bus? And nearly three hours later, why were they taking a leisurely stroll home, as reported by the postman? How did Jane acquire a one-pound bill if her mother had handed her coins that same morning? Most importantly, who was the blond-haired man seen with the children earlier that morning? Rumors swirled as residents of the town speculated what had happened to the children. If they had drowned, their belongings would have turned up at the beach – but nothing was recovered from where the children had been playing, nor could the postman remember whether they had been carrying anything when he greeted them. Another theory was more plausible: because a mysterious man had been spotted with the children, it was assumed that they had been abducted. Despite the fact that children are almost never kidnapped in groups, they were officially declared missing the following morning. An intense search commenced, unlike anything Adelaide had ever experienced. Police followed up every single lead they were given, but each one proved to be a dead end. The beaches were combed for any shred of evidence into their whereabouts; the police asked residents to check their houses, garages, sheds, and anywhere else on their property that the children could be hiding. It was one of Australia’s most notable news stories, but nothing turned up any clues. After weeks of searching, the trail was beginning to run cold. Every possible
Mutilated bodies were discovered every few years throughout town.
tower at Glenelg struck noon. Later that morning, the trio was seen on the beach playing with a tall, blond, athletically built man. When Jane purchased pastries and a meat pie with a onepound bill from a store near the beach, the store owner noted it was an unusual purchase for the familiar children. After Jane paid with noticeably more money than her mother had given her that morning, the children left the beach. It was about 12:15. Nancy stood at the bus stop waiting for the bus just minutes after noon, but her children never stepped off the bus. Assuming they had perhaps walked home or missed the bus, she headed home. By the time Jim Beaumont had gotten out of
Campus Voices By Emily Langevin
"No, I’m working.”
– Lynn Langevin, Criminal Justice Greenfield Community College (Mass.)
lead had been exhausted and the police had nothing left to follow up. Years later, in 1973, two girls disappeared from Adelaide Oval Stadium during a football game. Witnesses reported seeing the girls with a man, but the girls were never found. Then, beginning six years later, the mutilated bodies of young adult males were discovered every few years throughout the town. It was suspected that some type of rudimentary surgery had been attempted on the boys and their bodies discarded after it failed. In 1983, nearly 20 years after the Beaumont children had disappeared, the body of Richard Kelvin was discovered badly disfigured. The investigation led police to Bevan Spencer von Einem, a 37year-old accountant who was no stranger to the authorities; he had been questioned in the homicides of three young men and the alleged sexual assault of another. The drug Mandrax, discovered in Kelvin’s body during his autopsy, was what tied von Einem to the case. A witness revealed to authorities that he had spoken with von Einem about the disappearances of children throughout the area. von Einem told the witness that he had not only picked up children from the beach, but also the stadium from which the two girls had disappeared. This, coupled with the fact that von Einem liked children and frequented Glenelg Beach, made him the prime suspect in the Beaumont children’s disappearance. He was arrested and received a life sentence, but never cooperated with the police in the disappearances of the missing children. In 2007, he was questioned again after news footage showed a man who bore an uncanny resemblance to von Einem at the scene of a search for the missing children. Other suspects include Arthur Stan-
ley Brown, James Ryan O’Neill, and Derek Percy. Brown’s involvement was suspected because of how similar his appearance was to the sketch police released. Witnesses claim to have recognized the man, but no evidence was found to place him in Adelaide at the time of the disappearance. O’Neill had admitted to people that he was responsible for the disappearance of the children, but when he was questioned, he neither confirmed nor denied his involvement. Percy was in prison serving a life sentence for another murder when he was tied to the disappearance, but was psychologically incapable of remembering details. He was only a teenager at the time, and it was believed that he was too young to have kidnapped three children together. Though most people came to believe the children had been kidnapped and murdered, other theories speculated that the children had joined a cult or had been buried beneath a building in the town. People have claimed to have seen the Beaumont children throughout the years, and even a few have claimed to be the missing children. Police followed up all clues that they were given, but the mystery remains: what happened to the Beaumont children?
We asked students at three Massachusetts colleges, “Do you have any plans for Halloween?”
"Not sure yet. Maybe working, maybe going out with friends " – Haleigh Cromack, Liberal Arts Westfield College (Mass.)
"Well, yeah, partying.”
– Billy Jameson, General Studies Holyoke Community College (Mass.) Campus News | October 2014 | Page 13
An interview with a truly independent author
Marie Frankson Campus News
When I first went off to college, I didn’t know anyone but I decided to try to meet new people based on my interests. I came across a Facebook group dedicated to various genres of writing, and I got to meet and interact with authors from various walks of life and various levels (amateur, professional, etc.) and various genres. One of those authors I met was Emma Jameson, the author of “The Lord & Lady Hetheridge” trilogy, and she agreed to do an interview for Campus News to talk about her life, her works, and give some advice to college students who are thinking about a career in writing. Hi Emma. Can you share with the readers a little about yourself? I grew up in Jacksonville, Florida, but currently reside in Tennessee. I love living in the south, mostly because I dislike harsh winters, and gardening in a temperate zone is easier. However, I often fantasize about living in London. I’d definitely settle for a vacation home there! In my non-writing life, I’ve had several day jobs, but what shaped me most was working in the Department of Ophthalmology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. I assisted the surgeons and cared for eye patients, which was tremendously rewarding. What can you share with everyone about your books, without divulging too much information? The Lord & Lady Hetheridge mystery series is set in present-day London. The lead is a baron (that’s the lowest rung of England’s aristocratic class) named Lord Anthony Hetheridge. A lifelong bachelor at fifty-nine, he’s a chief superintendent for Scotland Yard who has been married to his work a very long time. In book one, “Ice Blue,” he meets Kate Wakefield, a beautiful young detective who clawed her way up from penury in London’s East End. Kate is smart, willful, and almost half his age. Along with Detective Sergeant Deepal “Paul” Bhar, Hetheridge and Kate solve a case and become much more to each other than just copper and guv. “Ice Blue” is followed by book two, “Blue Murder,” and book three, “Something Blue.” Why did you want to become a writer? Was it a struggle working on your books? Was it a struggle getting published? I have been writing since I was about seven years old. I’ve always loved fiction, and at some point in my reading career, I started imagining different possibilities for the books I read. I would disagree with a subplot, or a character’s actions, or how the author described an event. I would “improve” movies in my head and dream up new characters for stale TV shows. The best outlet for this creative frustration turned out to be writing my own books. The experience also taught me how much practice writing really takes! In my twenties, I did all the usual things—went to college to prepare myself for a “real” job, took writing classes on the side, read advice books like Lawrence Block’s “Telling Lies for Fun and Profit.” In my thirties, I wrote several books, one of them over two thousand words long. (That taught me Campus News | October 2014 | Page 14
a lot about self-editing.) But it wasn’t until I was thirty-nine that I managed to get an agent, and had my books shopped around to traditional publishers. And it wasn’t until I learned about Amazon’s program, Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), that I finally became a published author. After that, it was another two years before I could afford to write full time. Was it a struggle working on my books? Yes, sometimes. I always try to write the best book I can, and sometimes for me that means deleting false starts, extensively rewriting, or putting a story away for months at a time. Frankly, I hate working that way, since I know other writers who seem to generate fiction as easily as I’m typing the answers to these questions. But I’ve finally learned to stop wishing I had some other type of creativity and just embrace reality. As for struggling to get published, well, the “trad world” never made me an offer. In retrospect, that was one of the luckier things that ever happened to me. If my former agent had succeeded in getting me signed with “Ice Blue,” it’s easy to imagine what would have followed. I would have received no advance, or a token one of about five thousand dollars. My book would have been shipped into failing bookstores, like the now-defunct Borders, and given three months to succeed or fail. Best case scenario, I would have sold enough to get the next two books of the series out, again for little or no advance, and with no advertising or promotional effort from the publisher. Even if they did well, I would have received royalties of about twelve percent, four times a year. So I’d still be working that day job, and the publisher would own the rights to all three books for my lifetime, plus seventy years. Emma Jameson is your pen name, and you were very open about sharing that information on your blog as well as stating your real name. Why did you choose to use a pen name to publish your books as opposed to your real name? I like to tell this story because I think it’s instructive to new authors. After traditional publishers declined to publish “Ice Blue,” I thought the book must be a dud. Why else would they pass? I wanted to try out KDP and Smashwords and Nook Press, but I didn’t want to “sully” my own real name, which I was saving for future books, which would presumably be better. So I spent two seconds thinking up a phony name as part of this grand experiment. And then “Ice Blue” started to sell, and sell, and sell, while a different sort of book I published as Stephanie Abbott did absolutely nothing. And that, boys and girls, is how a trusting writer with far too much faith in the trad world ended up renaming herself Emma Jameson forever. Your Lord & Lady Hetheridge trilogy recently made it on to the New York Times Bestseller List at number 19. How did that make you feel and what does it mean for your series? Do you have any plans to write more books for this series? I was overjoyed. More than that, I was thrilled. I can’t lie, I had hopes of making the USA Today Bestseller list, but due to various factors, I mistakenly thought I hadn’t sold enough books. Trying not to mope, I fired up my Kindle and starting reading George R.R. Martin’s “A
Song of Ice and Fire” series. The phone rang—my friend C.D. Reiss. She cried, “You made a list!” Astonished, I said, “USA Today?” She told me no, the New York Times. Then she had to repeat herself about three times, and let me go so I could call my mother. I’m not yet sure what it means for my series, but I’m hoping greater visibility, and more readers willing to take a chance on an author they haven’t heard of. And yes, I absolutely intend to keep writing them. Book four, “Black & Blue,” is admittedly overdue, but it’s definitely coming. I have the series planned through book six, and then we’ll see. But I don’t foresee ever saying goodbye to Lord Hetheridge.
Are you currently working on anything not for the L & L H series? Yes, I’m so glad you asked! My next book, which I am finishing up now, is called “Marriage Can Be Murder.” It’s the first in the Dr. Benjamin Bones mystery series. These will be set in England during World War II in the imaginary village of Birdswing, which is close to the port city of Plymouth. Dr. Bones is that rarest of young men—in a “reserved occupation,” meaning he’s considered more valuable to the war effort at home instead of overseas. A resident of London, he’s shipped off to serve the small villages of Birdswing and Barking, and assist with triage in Plymouth, should German bombers strike there. In the midst of this upheaval, his wife is murdered, turning the doctor into
an amateur sleuth. Like the Lord & Lady Hetheridge books, these will be cozy mysteries, full of humor, eccentric supporting characters, and more than a touch of romance. I hope my readers will enjoy them.
If you could give any advice to college students who want to pursue writing as a career, what would you tell them? Read all you can. Seek out critique partners you trust, preferably writers so much better than you, you feel honored to know them. If you feel like you’re the most talented person in your group, you’re in the wrong group. Stay on top of the changing marketplace, and ignore any piece of publishing advice more than three years old. I can’t think of a better time to pursue a writing career than right now.
Keep on the lookout for updates from Emma Jameson on her blog at www.emmajamesonbooks.com. You can also follow her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/emmajamesonbooks as well as on Twitter @msemmajameson. She gives excellent advice about the writing process on her blog as well as allowing other authors to discuss their works and writing processes, which in turn allows fans to find something new to read.
WHY TRANSFER TO QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY? Quinnipiac is a student-oriented university in Southern Connecticut devoted to academic excellence and a strong sense of community. Our majors include nationally ranked programs in arts and sciences, business, engineering, health sciences, nursing and communications. And we’re committed to using the credits you’ve already earned. To see why Quinnipiac is your next step toward a bachelor’s degree and the career you want, visit www.quinnipiac.edu.
275 Mount Carmel Avenue Hamden, CT 06518-1908 203-582-8612 • Toll Free: 1-800-462-1944 Transfer information: www.quinnipiac.edu/transfer
OPEN HOUSE DATES October 18, 2014 November 15, 2014
For Halloween: haunted locations
J o h n Ty c z k o ws k i Campus News
Another October brings another Halloween. And while you could load up on the horror movies and hope that another person’s fiction is enough to give you your scares, why not check out the real thing for yourself? In areas of the country as historic as western New England and the Hudson River Valley, where colonial history goes back close to four hundred years, there are plenty of historic sites with intriguing folk lore about those who lived there, died and then didn’t quite move on. From haunted graveyards to cursed houses and many other places in between, here are some places in Connecticut, western Massachusetts and upstate New York to check out for your Halloween adventure and fright fix.
Connecticut
1. Union Cemetery: Easton, CT Given that the site itself has around 400 years of history underneath its belt, it’s not surprising that this cemetery is said to be a supremely haunted place. The infamous White Lady of Union Cemetery is usually seen around and outside the grounds on Stepney Road, and near the cross of Routes 59 and 111. As her name suggests, this ghost is dressed in a long, white gown, and has long, dark hair, which is sometimes described as being covered by a white bonnet. The White Lady is generally harmless, though it’s said she tends to appear in the middle of the road and make drivers think that they’ve hit her. Considering that the famed Connecticut demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren found this place worthy of investigation, and even wrote a book about it, it’s a sure bet to go here to see some paranormal activity. 2. West Peak, Hanging Hills, Hubbard Park: Meriden, CT The Black Dog of West Peak is an apparition unique in the respect that it’s probably best for your health that you don’t ever see it more than once. Since the 19th century, visitors to the Hanging Hills have reported seeing a short-haired black dog, the details of which vary with the storyteller. However, one thing that doesn’t change from story to story is this rule of three. The first time you see the Black Dog, you’ll see a friendly-looking and happy pooch, frolicking about. The second time, you’ll see him start to look a little mangy and sad, and your luck for the day, or week, will turn bad. And on the third time you see him, the Black Dog will appear mean and gruff, and you’ll die shortly after witnessing him, whether from falling off of West Peak or through some other accident. Take heart and visit the Hanging Hills if you dare!
Western Massachusetts
1. Bridge St. Cemetery: Northampto n , M A This place is supposedly haunted
by Jerusha Edwards, the daughter of the famous Great Awakening preacher Reverend John Edwards. It’s said that visitors to her grave feel unusually cold when walking near and over her grave, which is located in one of the oldest sections of the cemetery, and that they may feel aches at the bottom of their skulls. Jerusha haunts the graveyard because even though she’s buried next to her true love, David Brainerd, the two were unable to marry before he died of a recurring illness. Jerusha herself died of a fever just months after, probably because she cared for David during his illness. Unable to find peace, her ghost paces the area, pining for her lost love, even after two and a half centuries.
2. Bellows Pipe Trail, Mt. Greylock State Reservation: North Adams, MA Here, a tragic story of poor communication during the Civil War led to a restless ghost who haunts a hiking trail in the Berkshires. In 1861, a farmer named William Saunders left his home to fight for the Union. A year later, his wife received a letter saying that he had been mortally wounded in battle, and heard nothing after that. Upset, but needing help to maintain the farm and care for her children, she remarried. Saunders, alive and well, returned to his farm in 1865, and, distraught over what his wife had done, ran off to live alone in the woods near what is now known as Bellows Pipe Trail. He was known as the “Old Coot” to the locals, and he lived in seclusion. He only occasionally hired himself out as a farmhand, until he died of sorrow over his lost family. Today, it’s said that Saunders’ ghost can be seen along the trail, but that he’s only ever seen walking up the trail to Mt. Greylock, and never back down toward his home in the town.
U p st a t e N e w Yo r k
1. Cherry Hill: Albany, NY A tale of forbidden love, passion and murder in the early 19th century sets the story for the numerous reports of hauntings in the Cherry Hill house. In 1826, a drifter named Jesse Strang met a woman named Elsie Whipple, of the prominent Van Rensselaer family, in a bar one night. The two fell in love, and they became convinced that to be together and happy, they would have to murder Elise’s husband, John. Jesse shot and killed him, but he and Elsie had little time to enjoy each other’s company; Jesse was soon arrested, tried, convicted and hanged for murder. Elsie, however, was found not guilty of aiding and abetting, and moved away. It’s said that John Whipple’s ghost inhabits the bottom floor of Cherry Hill, and that those who have felt his present detect a definite anger about him. Jesse Strang supposedly haunts the nearby area around the
Cherry Hill in Albany, N.Y. —Photo by Matt H. Wade Eagle Street ravine, the location of the county gallows and his execution. 2. Sleepy Hollow Cem etery: Sleepy Hollow, NY Of course, no listing of haunted places in New York would be compete without mentioning the famous Sleepy Hollow and the legend of the Headless Horseman, a Hessian killed during the Revolutionary War. The Headless Horseman’s story goes back to before Washington Irving penned his famous 1820 short story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” which
has been the subject of numerous adaptions. According to the original legend, a Dutch man was headed back home at night from a tavern in Tarrytown and his route took him near Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. He saw a mist rise from a grave which then transformed into a headless Hessian riding a black horse. The Dutch man barely managed to elude the horseman, and it’s said the Hessian’s ghost still haunts the cemetery to this day, riding around looking for his head.
I’m getting hands-on video production experience as an intern at a media company. Forest Erwin ’15 Communication Arts
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS ®
OPEN HOUSE: Sunday,, October 19th, 10am - 2pm Sunday Take T ake our New New VIRTUAL VIRTUAL TOUR TOUR
sfc.edu sfc .e d u Campus News | October 2014 | Page 15
Saving money while in college (cont. from cover)
textbooks could cost approximately $200 or more, and that’s not including lab material. This could break your bank account. You could buy used textbooks that are discounted at a reasonable price. If not, another option is to rent your textbooks for the semester. If it’s still too much for your pocketbook, then you could also order online; the most common websites that I’ve surveyed are Chegg.com, Amazon, Bigwords or Abebooks. You could also type the title in the google search engine, and you’ll find tons of links to buy or rent that textbook. Another method is to ask your friends or family members who had taken the same course as you to give you the textbook. U s e A l t e r n a t i v e T r a n s p o r t at i o n Many students drive to class, but it seems a majority of students complain
CAMPUS NEWS
about high-priced parking tickets and passes. These students want to have reliable transportation without going broke. But you could take public transportation once in a while, and depending on your location and where your college is located, you could get a student discount for the bus or subway system. Some colleges offer free rides for active students. If driving alone or getting public transportation is a hassle, then consider carpooling; not only is it cost-effective, but also eco-friendly. You could also ride a bike or walk, which is also eco-friendly. C o u p on s For those who commute, before you go to school, you should make lunch or bring snacks to satisfy your hunger without spending on high priced campus food. You could also
for the Scripps Howard Foundation Wire.
Original Layout Template: Thomas
Johnson.
is published once or twice monthly during the school year and distributed to 32 New York, New England and New Jersey two-year colleges.
Photos and Art: Photos are taken
and/or provided by the authors of articles or are stock or PR images, unless noted.
Subscriptions ($36/year):
Publisher/Editor: Darren Johnson.
Campus News, 39 County Route 70,
Regular Writers: Writers are usually
or, better, editor@cccnews.info
college students, very recent grads or
faculty, including John Tyczkowski,
Greenwich, NY 12834
Facebook: facebook.com/schoolpaper
Marie Frankson, Kristina Bostley, Ju-
Twitter: campus_news
Justin Little and Prof. David Podos. Ad-
Advertising: Simply e-mail us or call
lianne Mosher, Prof. Jack Mandell, ditional writers include the pub-
lisher/editor, the occasional student
freelancer and college interns working
How to place a classified ad... 1. Write your ad.
2. If you are a student or college faculty/staff, ads of 20 words are FREE*. Otherwise, the cost is $25 for 20 words. Extra words $1/each. Send payment. 3. Deadline is the 20th of each month. Send to ads@campus–news.org. *Free ads must be sent via a “.edu” address. We reserve the right to refuse/edit any ad per the standards of this paper. Send check to to CCCN, 39 Couty Route 70, Greenwich, NY 12834 or Paypal: cccn@twinforks.com.
Web: www.campus-news.org 518-879-0965.
To Write for Us: Just send us a note at the email address above.
Free Classifieds
TUTORING PERFORMED BY COLLEGE PROFESSORS IN MANY SUBJECTS. VARIOUS OPTIONS AVAILABLE: IN PERSON, EMAIL AND ONLINE TUTORING. SAME AND NEXT DAY TUTORING. TUTORINGSCHOOL: WORK.COM OR 631:878:3327. SELL LOCAL ads for Campus News; very part-time – must be extroverted. Contact cccn@twinforks.com.
TUTORING ? NYS TEACHER & WRITING PROFESSOR TO TUTOR. MANY SUBJECTS. GRADE 6:ADULT EDU: CATION. *SATS*ENGLISH*COLLEGE COURSES. CALL TO INQUIRE ABOUT MORE! LAURA: 516:318:3939.
I am an Avon Representative at MCC Lowell and am looking for fellow students willing to become Avon Representatives. Contact Carol at 508-631-2384 or scalise728@gmail.com.
EDITING BY ELLEN – Accurate, experienced (16+ years) editor provides editing and rewrites of any size job. Fast, reliable service at a reasonable price. Email: EditingByEllen@gmail.com.
CAMPUS NEWS IS NOW ON GOOGLE NEWS – This paper is verified as a legitimate news organization by the world’s largest search engine! Get famous. Write for us!
Campus News | October 2014 | Page 16
use meal plans on your campus. For those who stay on campus, shop at your local supermarket to buy groceries instead of buying fast food, which is very expense after a while. In your favorite fast food joint, ask for coupons or you can print them online to be a smart spender. Find a Job or S cholar ship I know looking for a part-time job or being in a full/part-time job is hard, but it’s worth it. When looking for a job, make sure it is convenient to your schedule and does not conflict with your studies. Then make sure you make your student account at any bank; save a percent of your earnings
in the savings account and leave your spending money for the checking account. Also look for scholarships. They are everywhere online, or ask your campus student advisor. If you’re already enrolled but haven’t received any aid, keep trying! If your grades are good, many scholarship programs give you the opportunity to apply each semester. These are the most effective ways to go to school and save money with less stress and struggle. Trust me, I use these method myself to make sure I save for a rainy day.
Ebola crisis affects African economy, health system
Ayana Stewart Scripps Howard Foundation Wire
West African hospitals and clinics are so overwhelmed with Ebola patients that people with other health conditions aren’t receiving treatment. That was one issue addressed during a discussion recently about the Ebola virus that has killed thousands of people since December. “Lots of people who don’t have Ebola are dying,” Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf said via Skype. Luciana Borio, director of the Food and Drug Administration’s office of counterterrorism and emerging threats, raised the same concerns. “Ebola kills twice,” she said. “It kills people who are infected with Ebola, and it kills everybody else who has other diseases and they cannot access medical care.” About 200 people filled an auditorium at Georgetown University’s intercultural center for the symposium. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the epidemic in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone is the largest Ebola outbreak in history. Nearly 6,000 people have been diagnosed, and more than 2,800 people have died. A report Tuesday from the CDC said the number of cases in the affected countries could reach 1.4 million by January. Johnson Sirleaf called the projections horrendous and said the spread is serious. As she discussed the crisis, she highlighted her gratitude toward U.S. aid workers and President Barack Obama, saying the Liberian community needs to be reached at the “grassroots level.” “That’s the only way we can break through the denial and the
fear,” she said. Experts discussed the economic and social reasons for the Ebola crisis, which includes weak health-care systems and distrust of foreign aid workers. Eight people, including doctors and journalists, were found dead last week in a Guinean village. They were there to educate people about how to avoid getting sick. Sharon Abramowitz, an anthropology professor at the University of Florida, shared a story about a patient in Liberia calling for help and not ever receiving a response. “The problem in Liberia right now is that the phones are ringing, but no one’s answering the phone,” she said. The symposium also focused on the international response to Ebola and what to do moving forward, with some speakers saying the international community responded too late. “We allowed the outbreak to spread, and we allowed the number of cases to grow,” Ron Waldman, a public health professor at George Washington University, said. “This is a real disaster and a difficult problem to overcome.” Speakers also discussed the crippling economic impact of Ebola. Johnson Sirleaf said that many people with “high purchasing power” have fled Liberia, and Georgetown University development professor Steven Radelet said the disease is weakening the entire economic system. Radelet, who is an economic adviser to the Liberian government, said it’s deeply unfortunate that Ebola struck a fragile part of the world. “The longer this drags out, the more of a dark shadow is going to be cast on West Africa in general,” he said.
GE E L L O AS C N I U le! S AQ b A a d M r o O f f ge A e l l S T. T H o C e ak
ou M Y p l e H Can
. R E V E . U O Y BEST. TED?
R A T S T E G O ta g e o f T n a v Y d D a e REA a n d ta k e v a lu a tio n s ! t i s i v s u p a c a m p n d s c h o la r s h i r o f s u it a J o in o t c re d p y! s a e h t d i r onF r fe ester. s n a r T m a Attend throughout the se
vents e / u d e . w.stac w w t a Online r e t s i g Re le Availab
ms r Progra e e r a C c& cademi s 100+ A II Sport D A A C bs 18 N t and Clu s e i t i v rticipan i t a c P A t m a n ude rogr 40+ St ibbon P R w o l l ® - Ye chool S y l d n Frie Military ROCKLAND COUNTY, NEW YORK 845.398.4100 | www.stac.edu A U.S. News & World Report Top-Tier Institution Campus News | October 2014 | Page 17
Free speech and being a college student
David L. Podos Mohawk Valley CC
Free speech, in so many ways it is the corner stone of our democracy. But does free speech mean we have the right to say anything we want any where we want any time we want? There has been much debate over our first amendment right. The use of free speech is powerful. It can incite people to wars, or can liberate a country and its people from the yoke of poverty and despair. I am sure most people in this country covet their right to free speech, but once again, what does free speech really mean? Do we have the right to scream “fire” (when there is none) in a crowded theater? Do we have the right to yell “bomb” on an airplane when there is no bomb? Does free speech give rights to a group of American Nazis to march in a Jewish neighborhood spouting the tenets of racism? Should free speech protect a group of KKK members to march and preach in a predominately African-American neighborhood? Free speech is not always that easy. When I was a kid my mother told me, “David, free speech does not give you a license to say anything you want.” Over the years what my mother said to me would oftentimes come back percolating up into my consciousness, and I would take a moment to reflect on what she had said – and she was right. Lately I have been thinking about free speech in the college classroom. Any student who has taken my classes knows I have a salty tongue, and I often take my students to the edge of any number of controversial topics. I know I am not the first or the last college Instructor to use questionable language in the classroom, engage their students in controversial issues and pontificate at the lectern pushing my right of “free speech.” That said, I do believe the classroom should be a place to allow for open expression of opinion for both student and Instructor; and if it is sometimes painful, or makes someone uneasy, so be it. Life is not always easy, and oftentimes painful, and it is in those times when we are pushed outside our comfort zone that we stand to learn the most. The American Association of University Professors and The American Association of Colleges and Universities developed in 1940 the “Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure.” It is quite a lengthy document, and I would suggest to students as well as faculty to take a look at it if you haven’t already. It spends a good deal of time talking about the rights of professors and students in regards to free speech; however, it does tend to be weighted more towards faculty support. If you should find the energy to read it from first word to last, then go for it; however, a cursory overview should suffice and give most readers enough information to understand the basic “rules of the road.” Even though faculty has this statement of principles, sometimes it can be a shock to students (particularly freshman students) who are not use to some of the more colorful language that is used by college instructors. Back in the 1970s when I was a college freshman, I remember in my Poetry 101 class a professor who was bigger than life. He would stomp around that classroom yelling at the top of his lungs about character analysis and understanding the subtleties of an author’s prose, and so on and so forth. But what really caught my attention during one of his lectures was when he got into a debate with another student over what the meaning was behind the Beatles song “Eleanor Rigby.” The student had a completely different perspective than the professor and vigorously debated him as he supported that viewpoint. Things really began to heat up and before we knew it each were using what many would consider offensive language ; though it is good that each had the chance to bring their voice to the table. At the end of class the Professor asked what the student thought of Campus News | October 2014 | Page 18
him. The student hesitated for a moment and said, “You are a f***ing assh**e!” The Professor simply smiled and said, “OK, here I am, a walking, f***ing ass**le,” as he made his best rendition of what that character might look like by walking back and forth across the classroom as the entire class roared with laughter, including the student who said it. Of course, I am not suggesting to any student that you call your professor what that student called his, but what I realized way back then was this; that teacher allowed and supported free expression of speech in the classroom even if it meant that he would have one of his students shoot off that kind of epithet and be the butt (excuse my pun) of classroom laughter. No one, I believe, including a college’s administration, other faculty, or any review board of college professors, will ever totally agree on how far a teacher can “push” the limits of free speech. This also includes, in my opinion, an across the board agreement on far a student can “push” free speech in the classroom. To try and make this somewhat manageable and understandable, for both instructors as well as for
students, a well written, clear and cogent syllabus, which includes the “rules of the road” in regards to classroom discussion, debate, civility, etc., is a must. I spend a great deal of time going over my syllabi on the first day of class; and when it comes to the aforementioned, I make sure my students totally understand where I am coming from. I make sure they know that they have the right to agree or disagree with what I say, or what the author (from the text) says, or what another student says, or from any other outside material I may happen to bring in and discuss. I make sure they know that each and every person has the right to express themselves, and they can do so in a supportive and non-threatening environment. I make sure they know that if they debate or have something to say, they do so intelligently as well as respectfully. And finally I make sure they know that we can all agree to disagree, respectfully. I think that is free speech most of us can agree on.
David L. Podos is an adjunct instructor for the Center for Social Sciences, Business and Information Sciences at MVCC.
is the na nation’s tion’s pr premiere emiere online rresource esource ffor or c community ommunity college completion transfer preparation. c ollege c ompletion and tr ansfer pr eparation.
Community College Students can create free online profiles to:
SUCCEED
SEARCH 2000 regionally accredited s ur fo -year college s tie rsi and unive 3000 transfer scholarships, totaling over $37 million in opportunities
SELECT
SECURE
Top ten transf er colleges in their Fishbow l
ram Transfer prog admission and requirements s ite is qu pre-re
Top scholarships
Financial planning and scholarships
Two-year transfer degree completion Graduation and transfer deadlines and processes Academic goals and personalized timelines
Community C ommunity c college ollege advisors, ffaculty, aculty, and sstaff taff can ha have ve unlimit unlimited ed fr free ee ac counts to to support their sstudents tudents in achie ving these goals and miles tones. accounts achieving milestones. T ransfer A dmissions personnel can c onnect with o ver 100 ,000 of the na tion’s Transfer Admissions connect over 100,000 nation’s top tr ansfer bound sstudents tudents with aff ordable, highly eff ective subscription plans. top transfer affordable, effective
Connect C onnect at at CollegeFish.org CollegeFish.org today! today! 866.286.8453 866.286.845 3
support@c support@collegefish.org ollegefish.org
* Up to 75 credits from a two-year institution or up to 90 credits from a four-year institution. Most other colleges will only accept up to 6O credits.
If you’re like me, you worked hard for your college credits. Too hard to lose any. So if you’re considering transferring schools, you should know that Mercy College will accept more of your existing credits than most other colleges. And best of all, at Mercy, you’ll get a private education for one of the lowest tuitions in the country. Becoming part of the Mercy family was one of the best decisions I ever made. I kept more of my hard-earned credits...and even more of my hard-earned cash.
B.S., Behavioural Science - Gerontology ’15
Campus News | October 2014 | Inside Back Cover
Community College Campus News reaches community college students at 32 campuses!
Why should you transfer to Molloy College? REASON
#1 REASON
#2 REASON
#3
Your CALC professor called you by the wrong name – all semester.
You want a campus that’s alive after 3 p.m.
Your current course work is a snore.
Transferring here is not only simple . . . it’s rewarding. One of the most affordable private colleges on Long Island, Molloy offers an academically challenging yet nurturing environment, and an accomplished yet approachable faculty.
See more reasons why you should transfer to Molloy College. Visit our campus. Meet the students. Call 1-888-4-MOLLOY, email admissions@molloy.edu or visit molloyprograms.com/transfer.
1000 Hempstead Ave., PO Box 5002 Rockville Centre, NY 11571
OPEN HOUSE - Sunday, November 16 at 1:00 p.m. To RSVP, text “MOLLOY” to 75667. Community College Campus News | October 2014 | Back Cover