NOVEMBER Â 2011
observer THE Â OFFICIAL Â STUDENT Â NEWSPAPER Â OF Â ESSEX Â COUNTY Â COLLEGE
SINCE Â 1968
THE Â STUDENT Â VOICE
CALL TO ACTION ECC  Receives  Middle  States   Accreditation  Warning Â
Passionate  Student  Body  Turns   Out  for  Open  Forum  Hamm  Holds  Court
College  Kicks  it  Into  High  Gear
by  Tsahai  General
by  Christian  Blair
E
ssex  County  College  (ECC)  faculty  and  ad- ministration  are  working  at  warp  speed  to  meet  accreditation  standards  after  re- ceiving  a  warning  from  the  Middle  States  Commission  on  Higher  Ed- ucation  (MSCHE).  A  public  dis- closure  statement  on  the  MSCHE  website,  posted  June  23rd  2011,  comes  on  the  heels  of  a  weeklong  evaluation  of  the  college  this  past  $SULO ,W ÂżQGV WKH FROOHJHÂśV DFFUHG- itation  status  in  jeopardy  for  fail- XUH WR SURYLGH VXIÂżFLHQW HYLGHQFH in  two  out  of  the  fourteen  stan- dards  required  to  remain  in  com- pliance.   While  the  warning  is  serious,  students  need  not  worry  just  yet.  Accredita- tion  remains  active  and  a  special  assessment  team  has  been  mobi- lized  to  meet  these  goals.  M S C H E  is  the  accrediting  body  for  higher  education  in  our  region  of  the  Unit- ed  States.  Evalua- tions  take  place  every  ten  years  and  ECC Â
has  been  an  accredited  institution  and  voluntary  member  of  MSCHE  since  1974.  The  commission  will  be  mak- ing  a  second,  small-Âteam  visit  to  Es- sex  County  College  next  March  to  check  up  on  our  progress  in  achiev- ing  compliance  with  the  Assessment  of  Student  Learning  (Standard  14)  and  Institutional  Assessment  (Standard  7).   In  response,  ECC  has  imple- mented  the  Student  Learning  Out- comes  Assessment  Team  (SLOAT)  that  has  been  established  to  methodically  collect,  analyze,  and  compile  what  amounts  to  reams  of  data  required  to  meet  the  requirements  of  the  commis- s i o n .The  team  is  under  the  steward- ship  of  Pro- fessor  of  M a t h -Â
[See  Page  10]
Cafeteria  Shoplifting By  Lev  Zilbermintz
E
CCO  has  learned  that  on  November  11,  20011,  sev- eral  students  were  detained  by  various  law  enforcement  agen- cies,  including  ECC  Security.  The  incident  occurred  at  approximately  5:40  p.m.,  when  an  ECCO  staffer  chanced  by  the  ECC  Cafeteria.   $W OHDVW ÂżYH SROLFH RIÂż- cers  were  seen  inside  the  cafete- ria,  questioning  four  young  stu- dents  about  the  enormous  number Â
of  bottled  drinks  in  their  book  bag.  (&&2 FRXQWHG DW OHDVW ¿IWHHQ GLIIHU- ent  bottled  drinks  on  the  orange  table  in  front  of  the  suspects,  who  appeared  to  be  in  their  late  teens  and  early  twen- ties.  Among  others,  the  drinks  includ- ed  Sprite,  lemonade,  and  Ginger  Ale.   According  to  the  Lifeline  Stu- dent  Handbook,  the  Code  of  Conduct  describes  theft  as  an  offense  which  can  result  in  a  student’s  probation,  suspen- sion,  or  expulsion  from  Essex  County  [See  Page  11]
E
ssex  County  College’s  Stu- dent  Government  Associa- tion  raised  student  aware- ness,  with  an  open  forum,  in  the  school’s  cafeteria  pit  on  October  27,  2011.  From  2:30  to  3:30,  the  SGA  encouraged  their  fellow  students  to  come  and  listen  to  what  was  going  on  within  their  own  school;Íž  take  heed  of  what  was  happening  across  the  street  from  the  school.  What  is  being  done  DERXW HYHU\RQHÂśV ÂżQDQFLDO LQFRQYH- niences?  Who  are  the  People’s  Orga- nization  for  Progress  and  why  should  you  “Honk  Your  Horns  for  Change?â€?    Three  hundred  and  eighty-Âone  days  of  protest,  Laurence  Hamm  sum- mons  his  fellow  citizens  and  the  stu- dents  to  action!  Join  the  People’s  Or- ganization  for  Progress  (POP),  he  says,  for  the  elimination  of  racism  inequal- ity,  poverty,  economic  exploitation.  Mr.  Hamm,  the  founder  and  chairman,  EULQJV WKH ÂżJKW WR (&& FDOOLQJ RQ WKH VWXGHQWV WR MRLQ LQ WKH ÂżJKW VR WKDW WKH\ will  have  a  job  when  they  graduate.    During  the  discussion,  Hamm  brought  to  the  attention  of  the  students  the  9.1%  unemployment  rate  and  the  fact  that  as  a  nation,  we  are  only  1%  away  from  being  in  a  depression.  With  16  million  people  collecting  unem- ployment  from  the  state  and  10  million  without  pay,  Hamm  calls  for  a  National  Jobs  Program.  “We  need  to  recall  our  troops,â€?  he  says, Â â€œâ€Ś4  trillion  dollars  spent  on  war,  while  our  citizens  are  be- ing  forced  out  of  homes.â€?  Hamm  de- clares  that  home  foreclosure  needs  to  be  suspended  and  a  “demand  for  im- mediate  creation  of  jobs  programs  that  will  eliminate  unemployment  and  pro- vide  jobs  at  union  ages  for  every  per- son  that  is  willing  and  able  to  work.â€?    Mike  Jones,  your  fellow  stu- dent,  adds,  “People  need  to  hear  what  this  man  has  to  say‌I  try  to  do  my  best  to  support  people,  but  no  one  is  trying  to  support  me‌I  am  trying  to  do  some- thing  constructive.â€?  Hamm  encourages  -RQHV WR ÂżJKW IRU KLV HGXFDWLRQ DQG XUJ- HV KLP WR MRLQ LQ WKH ÂżJKW EHFDXVH 323
LV ÂżJKWLQJ IRU KLP /DXUHQFH +DPP is  for  the  student  body. Â â€œâ€ŚYou  have  less  money  in  your  pocket  than  the  person  who  didn’t  go  to  college,â€?  he  says.   He  insists  for  full  funding  for  education,  affordable  college  edu- cation  and  an  end  to  college  debt.  Hamm’s  organization  is  endorsed  E\ PRUH WKDQ ÂżIW\ RUJDQL]DWLRQV so  now  he  asks  for  the  endorsement  of  the  Student  Government  Asso- ciation.  “We  NEED  students  on  the  picket  lines!â€?  There  are  over  two  hundred  days  left  for  the  entire  stu- dent  body  to  take  part.   Jason  Gleason,  President  of  the  ECC  Math  Club,  is  in  full  sup- port,  and  states,  “These  are  fantas- tic,  grand  ideas‌â€?  But  Gleason  also  questions  how  Hamm  plans  to  EULQJ DERXW WKLV FKDQJH DQG IXOÂżOO all  these  essentially  deep  seated  re- quirements.  Hamm  points  out  that  some  people  want  to  remove  Presi- dent  Obama  from  his  position  be- FDXVH WKH 3UHVLGHQW LV ÂżJKWLQJ IRU the  students  and  the  citizens.  Hamm  supports  Obama  because  Obama  in- sists  for  the  National  Jobs  Act,  the  Works  Progress  Administration  Act,  full  employment  bill,  etc.  These  bills  can’t  put  everyone  back  to  work,  but  it’s  a  start.  It  seems  that  change  be- [See  Page  11]
IN THIS
ISSUE
NEWS Occupy  Newark....p.2
OPINIONS What’s  Wrong  with  the  Cafeteria?....p.5
STUDENT LIFE “A  Trip  Through  Time�...p.6
Essex  County  College  303  University  Ave.  Newark,  NJ  07102
REVIEWS “Take  Care�  Music  Review....p.9
PAGE Â 2
NOVEMBER Â 2011
NEWS OCCUPY  NEWARK by  Tsahai  General
 You’ve  all  heard  about  the  “Occupy  Wall  Streetâ€?  protest  that  takes  place,  in  New  York,  in  order  to  express  the  citizens’  growing  feelings  of  mass  injustice.  Consequently,  the  entire  nation  is  being  affected  and  is  following  the  Wall  Street  protestors’  example.  The  social  networks,  i.e.  Facebook  and  7ZLWWHU DUH Ă€RRGLQJ ZLWK WUHQGLQJ WRSLFV VXFK DV RFFXS\SKLOO\ RFFXS\'& RFFXS\RDNODQG HWF etc.  Currently,  your  fellow  Essex  County  residents  bring  you  “Occupy  Newark.â€?   With  one  thousand  and  eighty-Âseven  followers  on  Twitter  and  one  thousand  six  hundred  and  sev- HQW\ ÂżYH LQYLWHV H[WHQGHG YLD )DFHERRN 7KH QHZ PRYHPHQW ZLOO ODXQFK LQ FRQMXQFWLRQ WR WKH HYHQW “Occupy  Newark  -  Occupy  Weekend!â€?  which  is  on  November  18th  at  4:00  p.m.  through  November  20th,  11:30  p.m.,  at  Military  Park,  Newark,  NJ.  The  faction  is  described  on  Twitter  as  a  “peaceful,  QRQYLROHQW RFFXSDWLRQ RI 1HZDUN 1HZ -HUVH\ LQ VROLGDULW\ ZLWK RFFXS\ZDOOVWUHHW ´ 3URWHVWRUÂśV KDYH been  referring  to  themselves  as  the  “99%,â€?  the  “step-Âchild  of  a  booming  economy.â€?   The  call  now  is  for  the  fellow  step-Âchildren  to  come  together  as  brothers  and  sisters  and  take  part  in  the  local  movements.  Newark,  the  largest  city  in  New  Jersey,  insists  on  taking  action,  will  you  join  the  occupy  movement?
Student  Government  Sparks  Advocacy  Movement
by  Christian  Blair
 The  Essex  County  College  Student  Government  Association  is  hosting  the   “Advocacy  Movementâ€?,  an  event  that  SGA  President  Alton  Drummond  hopes  will  inspire  students  to  engage  in  politics,  the  community,  demonstrations,  and  global  events.   Keynote  speakers  will  include  Mr.  Lawrence  Hamm,  Chairperson  of  the  People’s  Organization  for  Progress,  Mr.  1HDO *RUÂżQNOH SROLWLFDO RUJDQL]HU IRU WKH /DERU 8QLRQ 0RYHPHQW 'U $NLO .KDIDQL 1HZ -HUVH\ &KDLUSHUVRQ RI WKH :RUOG African  Diaspora  Union,  Ms.  Georgia  Daniel,  Community  Organizer  of  Obama  for  America,  Hip  Hop  Movement  activist,  Jah  Jah  Shakur,  and  Herbert  Glenn,  the  founder  of  the  Responsible  Citizenship  Crusade.  The  Advocacy  Movement  will  take  place  Wednesday,  November  30th  from  2:30pm  to  5:00pm  in  the  Cafeteria  Pit  of  the  Newark  campus  of  Essex  County  College.
Thinking about TRANSFERRING to a four-year college? Felician College will transfer up to 90 credits and we offer generous transfer scholarships! Felician College also offers accelerated undergraduate programs for working adults on campus and at area hospitals and community colleges. Tuition may be 30% less than regular tuition rate! Ć€É É É É ĹźÉ É /-#( --ĹťÉ ,#'#( &É $/-.# ĹťÉ )'*/. ,É #( ),' .#)(É -3-. '-É Ć˜ Ć™ĹťÉ / .#)(ĹťÉ É É " &." , É '#(#-., .#)(ĹťÉ (/,-#(!É ( É *,) --#)( &É -./ # Ć€É É É É É É ),É -./ (.-É 1#."É " &),É !, -
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, (- ,É -./ (.-É Ć‘É Ĺ˛Ĺ°ĹąĹşĹľĹľĹšĹşĹśĹąĹłĹąÉ ), '#--#)(-Ćž &# # (Ĺş /
/&.É !, É )'*& .#)(É Ć‘É É Ĺ˛Ĺ°ĹąĹşĹľĹľĹšĹşĹśĹ°ĹˇĹˇÉ ), /&. ( !, / . Ćž &# # (Ĺş / Or visit felician.edu
ESSEX Â COUNTY Â COLLEGE Â OBSERVER
É
NOVEMBER 2011
PAGE 3
NEWS Snowstorm Temporarily Closes West Essex Campus by Christian Blair
The powerful storm that rocked the east coast this Halloween weekend knocked out power to the West Essex campus of Essex County College. Monday classes were cancelled but power was restored and classes resumed Tuesday, November 1st. The early snow storm dropped over a foot of snow in some parts of Jersey, taking down tree limbs and power lines, affecting service to 635,000 residents. “I myself was without power for a few days, and I was unable to make it on campus on Monday,” says Dennia Rentzis, West Essex Coordinator of Admis- sions and writer of the @EssexCountyWEC Twitter feed for the campus. “There were trees all over the roads, and it still is quite messy around some streets.” A week after the storm, nearly 15,000 New Jerseyians were still without power. Con- necticut was hit the hardest with 215,000 customers waiting for power to be restored.
Trees were hit hard throughout the east coast dur- ing this rough winter storm as evidenced by the broken limb seen here on the West Essex campus.
ESSEX COUNTY COLLEGE OBSERVER
NOVEMBER Â 2011
PAGE Â 4
OPINION OBSERVER Gobble,  Gobble by  Elaina  Garrett
The  Student  Voice  of   Essex  County  College Â
 When  I  wake  up  on  November  24th,  I  will  not  eat  eggs,  I  will  not  eat  toast,  or  even  indulge  in  the  routine  cup  of  joe.  I  will  not  consume  food  of  any  kind  until  the  turkey  is  roasted  and  ready  to  cut.
Essex  County  College 303  University  Ave. Newark,  NJ  07102 eccecco@gmail.com Editor-Âin-ÂChief Christian  Blair Managing  Editor Rodrigo  Perez Layout  Design  Editor Michelle  Longmore Business  Editor Collis  Marrow Copy  Editor Yulieth  Cordero Staff  Writers Salomao  Becker Theodore  Ezike Elaina  Garret Tsahai  General Leonita  Rexha  Lev  Zilbermintz Humanities  Faculty Co-ÂAdvisors Eileen  DeFreece Jennifer  Wager
Corrections  Box An  error  in  the  October  2011  piece  titled  “Occupy  Wall  Streetâ€?  on  page  four. â€œâ€Śone  percent  of  the  wealthy  control  ninety  percent  of  the  econ- omy,â€?  should  read  “one  percent  of  the  population  controls  forty  percent  of  the  economyâ€?. Leo  was  missing  from  the  horo- scopes. The  last  page:  Advertising  box  should  have  read:  Place  an  adver- tisement  for  a  service,  product...  Â
Franklin  D.  Roosevelt  Carving  the  Thanksgiving  Turkey.  Nov.  29,  1935. Source:  Franklin  D.  Roosevelt  Library
 Thanksgiving  is  the  American  holiday  that  kick-Âstarts  the  holiday  season.  Although  its  origin  yields  to  a  bit  of  con- troversy,  it  is  commonly  understood  that  Thanksgiving  was  ¿UVW FHOHEUDWHG LQ EHWZHHQ WKH 3O\PRXWK 0DVVDFKXV- setts’  colonists  and  the  native  Wampanoag  Indians  to  celebrate  FRORQLVWVÂś ÂżUVW VXFFHVVIXO KDUYHVW WKDW KDG EHHQ WDXJKW WR WKHP by  Native  American  Indian,  Squanto. Â
 Of  course  at  the  time,  the  feast  was  not  called  Thanks- JLYLQJ 7KH HYHQW EHFDPH DQ RIÂżFLDO KROLGD\ LQ ZKHQ President  George  Washington  issued  a  Thanksgiving  Proclamation  asking  all  Americans  to  “express  their  gratitude  for  the  happy  conclusion  of  the  country’s  war  of  independence  and  the  successful  rati- ¿FDWLRQ RI WKH 86 &RQVWLWXWLRQ ´ $OWHUDWLRQV RFFXUUHG LQ ZKHQ LWV GDWH ZDV FKDQJHG WR WKH ÂżQDO 7KXUVGD\ LQ 1RYHPEHU It  remained  that  way  until  1939  when  President  Roosevelt  changed  it  to  the  third  Thursday  since  the  fourth  was  too  close  to  Christmas  for  businesses.  Finally,  this  date  switching  holiday  nestled  comfort- ably  as  the  third  Thursday  in  November  when  President  Roosevelt  signed  a  bill  declaring  this  date  in  1941.   The  traditional  “Americanâ€?  holiday  is  not  only  celebrated  by  “Americans.â€?  I  asked  a  few  of  my  peers,  who  were  born  elsewhere,  how  they  celebrated  “turkey  day.â€?    Nana  from  Ghana  said,  “This  is  the  only  day  my  mom  doesn’t  cook  cultural  food.â€?  Nana’s  family  includes  all  the  traditional  meals,  such  as  macaroni  and  cheese,  turkey,  corn,  and  other  common  Thanksgiving  dishes.  He  adds  that  they  do  in  fact  add  Jollof,  a  rice  dish  that  is  orange  in  color  and  made  with  white  rice  and  a  tomato  sauce  stew.   Emeka,  on  the  other  hand,  was  born  in  Nigeria.  Excitement  grew,  and  probably  the  anticipation  for  some  good  food  as  well,  when  he  explained  how  his  family  celebrates  Thanksgiving.    “We  cook  potatoes,  turkey,  rice,  beans,  pie.  It’s  a  traditional  Thanksgiving  dinner.  We  also  have  Garriâ€?  (a  grounded  casava  the  consistency  of  oatmeal).  As  do  most  Americans,  Emeka’s  family  waits  for  everyone  to  eat.  Everyone  joins  at  the  table  in  front  of  all  the  delicious  complimenting  dishes.  All  give  thanks,  followed  by  prayer.   As  I’ve  said  before,  Thanksgiving  is  an  American  holiday.  In  a  melting  pot  country  such  as  our  own,  there  exist  all  different  types  of  ethnic  groups.    When  asked  about  his  family’s  way  of  celebrating  the  harvest,  Shawn  replied,  “We  do  not  cel- ebrate  Thanksgiving,  whatsoever.â€?  Shockingly,  Shawn’s  family  treats  this  day  like  any  other  “normal  day.â€?  Thanksgiving  is  just  a  few  days  away  and  so  is  my  fast.  I  will  not  eat  until  the  turkey  is  done.  Whether  it  is  roasted,  baked  or  deep  fried,  as  far  as  my  family  goes,  turkey  comes  hand  in  hand  with  VWXIÂżQJ DQG FUDQEHUU\ VDXFH *UDQGPD DOZD\V VD\V Âł7KDQNVJLYLQJ LVQÂśW WKDQNVJLYLQJ ZLWKRXW VZHHW potato  pie.â€?  Give  thanks  to  the  sweet  potatoes  life  has  bestowed  and  dig  in.  Happy  Holidays!
OUR  NEW  LOOK! by  Christian  Blair
  You  may  have  noticed  some  exciting  changes  in  these  pages.  The  ECC  Observer  is  now  being  printed  on  actual  newspaper  stock  by  the  New  Jersey  Star  Ledger.  The  entire  newspaper  staff  and  faculty  advisers  wish  to  acknowledge  and  express  our  sincere  gratitude  to  the  Ledger  for  their  generosity  and  support.  We’ve  also  had  a  complete  overhaul  in  our  layout.  This  crisp  and  clean  design  is  thanks  to  accomplished  layout  designer,  Professor  Michelle  Longmore.   The  result  is  a  polished  and  professional  appearance  that  raises  the  bar  for  all  of  us—not  just  the  newspaper  staff.  We  accept  the  challenge  of  matching  style  with  substance.  We  hope  to  pay  tribute  to  and  advance  a  legacy  of  journalistic  excellence  that  began  in  1968  by  delivering  thoughtful  reporting,  entertaining  columns,  fun  features,  and  campus  news  with  you,  the  student,  in  mind.  As  “The  Student  Voice�,  the  Observer  invites  all  students  from  every  program  to  accept  the  challenge  as  well.  Submit  your  articles,  artwork,  photos,  cartoons,  and  letters  to  the  editor.  This  is  your  newspaper.  This  is  your  Essex  County  College.  Get  involved  and  be  heard.
ESSEX Â COUNTY Â COLLEGE Â OBSERVER
NOVEMBER Â 2011
PAGE Â 5
OPINION What’s  Wrong  with  the  Cafeteria? by  Leonita  Rexha
Illustration  by  Leonita  Rexha
7KH (&& FDIHWHULD LV D SODFH WR HDW DQG PHHW ZLWK FODVVPDWHV WR GLVFXVV FXUUHQW HYHQWV 0DQ\ SHRSOH ÂżQG WKH FDIHWHULD DQ HQMR\DEOH SODFH EXW \HW there  are  things  that  seem  to  irritate  many  students  and  workers.  Students  expressed  problems  with  the  cafeteria,  including  wobbly  tables  and  the  absence  of  a  microwave.  Picture  yourself  sitting  at  a  table  with  a  group  of  your  friends  and  the  table  keeps  rocking  unsteadily.  Imagine  you  have  a  beverage  on  that  unsteady  table  and  because  the  table  keeps  moving  your  beverage  spills.   Why  does  that  matter?  What  is  so  important  about  a  table  that  wobbles?  The  beverage  that  happened  to  spill  was  paid  for  and  due  to  that  spill,  the  clothes  worn  on  that  day  got  dirty.  A  female  student  explained,  “The  tables  are  annoying.  I  had  little  time  to  eat  once  be- cause  I  had  to  go  to  class  and  my  soda  spills.  I  didn’t  bother  to  get  another  one,  but  the  soda  did  get  on  my  clothes  a  bit.â€?  She  then  added,  “I  have  one  of  those  professors  that  freaks  out  when  you’re  late  and  waiting  on  line  for  another  drink  was  a  risk.  I  wasn’t  willing  to  be  late.â€?    Since  the  table  was  unsteady,  why  didn’t  the  student  simply  sit  at  another  one?  Unfortunately,  the  majority  of  the  tables  in  the  cafeteria  are  unsteady.  Thus,  students  and  employees  do  not  have  a  choice  on  where  to  sit.  However,  wobbling  tables  do  not  to  seem  to  be  the  only  issue  in  the  caf- HWHULD :LWK WKH JURZLQJ SRSXODWLRQ DW (VVH[ &RXQW\ &ROOHJH ÂżQGLQJ D WDEOH LQ WKH FDIHWHULD WR HDW FDQ EH TXLWH KDUG 6RPH VWXGHQWV HDW LQ RWKHU SODFHV around  the  school,  such  as  hallways  and  classrooms.  This  can  be  time  consuming  and  many  college  students  do  not  have  that  much  time  on  their  hands.   Another  key  issue  that  seems  to  upset  many  of  the  students  is  that  there  is  no  longer  a  microwave  available  for  use  by  student  as  there  once  was.  Students  come  to  school  with  their  own  lunches  only  to  realize  there  is  no  microwave  to  heat  up  their  food.  According  to  a  cafeteria  staff  mem- ber  the  reason  for  the  missing  microwave  was  that  it  the  old  one  broke,  and  the  college  was  unable  to  get  a  new  one.  The  cafeteria  is  a  place  where  students  and  professors  socialize,  but  due  to  the  issues  mentioned  above,  this  is  a  place  that  most  students  and  workers  do  not  completely  enjoy.  UPDATE:  As  of  November,  there  is  now  a  microwave  in  the  cafeteria.  It  was  donated  by  ECC’s  Mu  Beta  Kappa:  the  Gentleman’s  Fraternity. Â
Â
Letter  to  the  Editor I’m  writing  in  regards  to  the  “Occupy  Wall  St.â€?  article  in  the  October  issue  of  the  ECCO.  While  protesters  refer  to  themselves  as  the  99%,  Rasmussen  and  Gallup  polls  show  that  a  mere  twenty  to  thirty  percent  of  Americans  actually  support  the  protest;Íž  the  vast  majority  either  opposes  the  movement  or  does  not  understand  it  enough  to  take  a  stance.  As  it  snowballs  across  the  nation,  the  movement  lacks  one  key  element:  focus.  Whatever  message  Occupy  Wall  St.  is  WU\LQJ WR FRQYH\ KDV EHHQ ORVW LQ WKH ZKLUOZLQG RI SRW VPRNH DQG JUDIÂżWL WKDW FDPH DORQJ ZLWK LW ,WÂśV KDUG WR KLW WKH mark  when  you  don’t  know  what  you’re  aiming  at,  and  it  seems  that  many  of  the  participants  are  protesting  just  to  pro- WHVW 6RPH 2FFXSLHUV FODLP WKDW WKH EUHDGWK RI WKH SUREOHPV LQ WKH 8QLWHG 6WDWHV DFFRXQWV IRU WKH ODFN RI VSHFLÂżFLW\ in  the  protest.  If  this  is  truly  the  case,  then  it  sounds  an  awful  lot  like  the  blind  leading  the  blind,  which  we  know  gets  us  nowhere  fast.  Part  of  me  wants  to  support  this  grassroots  movement  of  makeshift  patriotism,  but  I  still  can’t  man- age  to  decipher  the  actual  objective  of  Occupy  Wall  St.  As  the  peaceful  protests  give  way  to  riots,  loyal  opposition  be- FRPHV EODWDQW GHÂżDQFH DQG LW VHHPV OHVV OLNHO\ WKDW WKLV GHPRQVWUDWLRQ ZLOO EH D UHPHG\ IRU WKH DLOPHQWV RI $PHULFD  Sincerely, Joe  LoCascio
ESSEX Â COUNTY Â COLLEGE Â OBSERVER
NOVEMBER Â 2011
PAGE Â 6
STUDENT LIFE “A  Trip  Through  Time� by  Collis  Marrow
 An  enlightening  experience  I  was  very  receptive  to  the  record  took  place  on  November  6,  2011.  of  events  and  how  a  wall  separated  Professor  Wager  and  Professor  De  East  Berlin  from  West  Berlin.  The  Freece  chaperoned  8  students  to  politics  in  Germany,  combined  with  Washington  D.C.  to  visit  the  histor- communism  and  the  persistent  cry  of  ical  Washington  Post  and  the  New- civilians  for  democracy,  forced  the  seum.  cold  war  and  tyranny  to  cease  in  the   Once  we  arrived  at  the  na- 1990’s.  tion’s  capital,  we  were  greeted  at    Another  great  news  clip  was  the  Washington  Post  by  the  ECC  the  shrine  dedicated  to  the  aftermath  graduate,  Howard  alumni  and  jour- and  residue  from  the  earthquake  in  nalist,  Jillian  Sowah.  We  looked  at  Haiti,  which  left  death  and  destruc- an  ancient  artifact,  in  front  of  the  tion  on  January  12,  2010.  The  next  :DVKLQJWRQ 3RVW LW ZDV WKH ÂżUVW memorial  that  captivated  me  was  of  printing  press  machine  design  in  the  Vietcong  in  1969,  Saigon  sought  1883  by  Ottmar  Mergenthaler.  ¿JKWLQJ LQWR WKH 8 6 (PEDVV\ )L- Then,  our  tour  guide  took  us  to  Professor  De  Freece  (top  right)  with  Communications  and  Journalism  students  at  the  nally  the  last  piece  of  epic  news  was  WKH ÂżUVW Ă€RRU WR WKH DGYHUWLVHPHQW Washington  Post  posing  with  Ottmar  Mergenthaler’s  Linotype  Model  3,  the  style  of  the  expedition  of  the  Wright  brothers  commercial  and  sports  writers  de- typesetting  machine  used  at  the  Post  from  1888  until  1980. SURSHOOLQJ WKH ÂżUVW DLUFUDIW LQWR WKH DW- partment.  There  was  a  huge  amount  mosphere  during  the  1900’s. of  cubicles,  a  sea  of  books,  and   There  were  so  many  documents,  by  two  grand  portraits  of  the  founders  of  the  Wash- mountains  of  paperwork.  It  was  obvious  that  antiques  and  memorabilia  to  store  in  my  mental  ington  Post,  Eugene  Meyer  (1875-Â1959)  and  his  son  there  was  a  constant  high  volume  of  activity  rolodex,  so  I  stored  moments  of  history  in  my  Phillip  Graham. in  this  environment.  This  scene  was  highly  in- camera.  This  expedition  was  similar  to  teleporting   We  exited  the  Washington  Post  with  a  feeling  spiring  to  a  future  editorialist.  Finally,  our  tour  on  a  time  line  throughout  American  History.  I  am  of  mental  elevation  because  this  was  an  experience  JXLGH HVFRUWHG XV WR WKH H[HFXWLYH Ă€RRU RI WKH DIÂżUPDWLYH WR D IXWXUH WULS WR :DVKLQJWRQ ' & EH- of  a  lifetime.  We  arrived  at  the  Newseum  and  all  the  Washington  Post.  Once  we  stepped  off  the  el- cause  the  experience  can  revolutionize  a  writer’s  historical  shrines  and  documents  left  me  in  a  state  HYDWRU ZH ZHUH LPPHGLDWHO\ OHIW Ă€DEEHUJDVWHG destined  journalistic  ideas  into  a  career. RI EOLVV 7KH ÂżUVW PHPRLU , VDZ ZDV WKH %HUOLQ :DOO
Taste  of  The  Caribbean by  Tsahai  General
 The  Caribbean  International  Club.  Were  you  aware  that  this  school  had  a  Caribbe- an  Club?  A  year  ago,  people  began  to  lose  faith  and  interest  in  the  club,  but  as  of  2010,  the  new  President  plans  to  restore  it  to  its  glory.   Onika  Demming,  during  9  months  of  presidency,  has  XQLÂżHG QRW RQO\ WKH PHPEHUV RI WKH &DULEEHDQ Club,  but  also  the  vast  nationalities  that  attend  Essex  County  College-Âforming  the  new  and  improved  Caribbean  International  Club.  Dem- ming  applies  the  term  “One  Love,â€?  coined  by  UHJJDH OHJHQG %RE 0DUOH\ WR WKH XQLÂżFDWLRQ RI her  fellow  students.  Demming  insists  that  she  will  “bring  the  love  of  the  Caribbeanâ€?  back  to  (&& :KHQ 'HPPLQJ VWHSSHG LQWR RIÂżFH VKH noticed  that  the  club  “needed  some  workâ€?  and  she  was  determined  to  revive  it.   In  the  past,  the  Cari  Club  was  once  the  best,  or  one  of  the  best  clubs  at  ECC.  Two  years  prior,  the  Cari  Club  meetings  would  regularly  have  50-Â100  students  trying  to  squeeze  into  a  classroom  for  one  meeting.  Amazingly,  that  number  does  not  include  all  the  members  of Â
the  club,  just  those  attending  meetings.  When  Onika  became  a  member  in  2010,  the  meetings  had  a  to- tal  of  6  people,  including  her  self.  Now  as  president,  Demming  has  been  able  to  raise  the  spirits  of  the  stu- dents;Íž  she  has  recruited  a  good  20  plus  members.   “I  changed  the  name  of  the  Caribbean  Club  to  the  Caribbean  International  Club  to  include  every- body,  to  encourage  integration.  It  cannot  be  that  ‘one  love’  among  everybody,  if  everyone  isn’t  included.â€?   Demming  not  only  insists  on  club  success,  but  also  for  a  tight  nit  relationship  within  the  club.  The  club  will  only  succeed,  she  explained,  if  there  is  a  bond  between  its  members  and  if  they  can  enjoy  working  with  one  another.  Demming  believes  that  everyone  needs  to  be  able  to  feel  the  love  of  the  Caribbean,  hence  the  name  change.   “At  the  end  of  the  day,  I’d  like  to  walk  away  IURP P\ UROH DV >&DUL &OXE@ SUHVLGHQW DQG NQRZ WKDW , KDG VRPH LQĂ€XHQFH RQ WKH PHPEHUV WR NQRZ WKDW I  left  something  to  follow  and  hope  they  would  con- tinue  down  a  great  path,  and  have  the  CIC  Trademark  on  ECC  forever.â€?  The  point  isn’t  for  the  club  to  de- tach  from  the  school  as  Caribbean  people;Íž  instead, Â
the  Cari  Club  wants  to  integrate  the  Caribbean  into  ECC.   At  every  turn,  Demming  takes  the  oppor- tunity  to  unite  everyone  and  “mingle.â€?  Even  at  the  meetings,  they  socialize  and  think  of  ways  to  in- crease  funds.  She  pointed  out,  “We  unite  the  group  as  one,  work,  but  we  still  have  fun.  When  we  so- cialize,  we  enjoy  working  together  and  that  makes  the  elections  better  because  we  know  the  people  we  vote  for.  When  you  come  to  my  meetings,  you  should  not  feel  as  though  you  are  in  school,  but  rather,  at  home.  In  the  end,  we  need  to  broaden  the  spectrum  and  make  it  better  than  what  it  was.â€?    When  asked  the  question  “what  is  it  that  CIC  is  trying  to  achieve?â€?  Demming’s  response  was  that  the  CIC  needs  to  reclaim  its  previous  name  for  being  the  best  club  and  then  become  bet- ter,  make  that  mark  on  ECC,  make  CIC  that  home  away  from  home,  and  have  fun-Âparties,  dances,  and  other  activities.  With  the  Cari-ÂInternational  Club,  Essex  County  College  gets  a  taste  of  the  Caribbean,  literally.  So  the  question  is,  why  aren’t  you  in  the  Cari-ÂInternational  Club?
West  Essex  Beat West  Essex  Clubs  are  Waiting  For  You By  Christian  Blair
 The  West  Essex  campus  has  a  thriving  network  of  student  clubs  and  organizations  that  includes  Lyrics,  Listeners,  Expres- VLRQ *DPHUV 1DWLRQ DQG WKH *D\ 6WUDLJKW $OOLDQFH  ,I \RX GRQÂśW ÂżQG D FOXE WKDW VXLWV \RXU QHHGV 0U -RVHSK Ott,  the  Program  Coordinator  of  Student  Life  and  Activities  at  West  Essex,  wants  you  to  know  it’s  easy  to  start  your  own.  “Some- times  students  get  a  little  intimated  by  the  form  or  the  process  but  we’re  always  happy  to  guide  you  through  it.â€?  For  more  information  and  a  complete  list  of  clubs  at  the  West  Essex  campus,  contact  Mr.  Ott  at  jott@essex.edu  or  drop  by  WKH 6WXGHQW /LIH DQG $FWLYLWLHV RIÂżFH ORFDWHG RQ WKH ULJKW KDQG side  of  the  cafeteria.
ESSEX Â COUNTY Â COLLEGE Â OBSERVER
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AIDS  WEEK  2011  -  SEXUAL  HEALTH  SURVEY WH    T   WILL  YOU  DO? AIDS  WEEK  2011  -  SCHEDULE Monday  11/28/11 Short  Film  Series  and  Tabling  (ECC) Tuesday  11/29/11  AIDS  Walk Short  Film  Series  and  Tabling Wednesday  11/30/11 $,'6 +,9 7HVWLQJ DP SP 'DVKHU &HQWHU (&& DQG /LWHUDU\ Event;Íž  Silent  Vigil  at  City  Hall Thursday  12/1/11 7RZQ +DOO² QG $QQXDO 5LQJ WKH $ODUP +,9 $,'6 LQ WKH *UHDWHU Newark  Metropolitan  Area;Íž  RU  Pride  Dinner,  Paul  Robeson  Campus  Center,  8pm-Â10pm;Íž  HIV  Testing,  1pm-Â7pm,  Dasher  Center  (ECC) Friday,  12/2/2011 HIV  Testing,  10am-Â2pm,  Dasher  Center
AIDS  WEEK  2011  -  PARTNERS Essex  County  College:  Urban  Issues  Institute,  Student  Life  &  Activities,  Com-Âmunications  Program,  Nursing  &  Allied  Health,  Humanities  Division,  Rutgers-ÂNewark,  RU  Pride;Íž  &  Liberation  In  Truth:  Social  Justice  Center Please  return  surveys  to: 3  ECC  locations: Ć’ 'LYLVLRQ RI 1XUVLQJ $OOLHG +HDOWK &HQWHU IRU +HDOWK 6HUYLFHV Ć’ 6WXGHQW /LIH $FWLYLWLHV &ODUD ( 'DVKHU /HDUQLQJ &HQWHU Ć’ 8UEDQ ,VVXHV ,QVWLWXWH 6XLWH WK )ORRU 2  Rutgers-ÂNewark  locations: Ć’ &RQNOLQ +DOO 5RRP RU 5RRP 1  Community  location: Ć’ /LEHUDWLRQ LQ 7UXWK 8QLW\ 6RFLDO -XVWLFH &HQWHU 1HZ 6WUHHW 1HZDUN 11.  Are  you  sexually  active?   Yes_______   No_________ 2.  If  you  answered  “Yesâ€?  to  #  1: a.  How  many  times  have  you  had  sexual  intercourse  in  the  past  two  weeks?___  (number   of  times) b.  Do  you  use  condoms?    Always_____   Sometimes_____   Never_____ 3.  If  you  answered  “Alwaysâ€?  or  “Sometimesâ€?  to  #2b: a.  What  is  your  favorite  brand  of  condoms?_____________ b.  Where  do  you  usually  get  your  condoms?  (circle  one) i.  Buy  at  store ii.  Free  from  HIV/AIDS  programs iii.  Free  from  school iv.  Other  ____________ 4.  How  many  sexual  partners  are  you  currently  active  with?  ________ 5.  How  do  you  describe  your  sexual  identity?  (circle  one) a.  A  man  who  has  sex  with  men b.  A  woman  who  has  sex  with  women c.  Bisexual d.  Heterosexual e.  Other________________ 6.  What  is  your   age?  ____________ 7.  What  is  your  current  zip  code?_________ 8.  Are  you   a  student  at:   ECC__  ?  RU-ÂN_?_   NJIT__?   Local  resident__?  9.  In  terms  of  race  or  ethnicity,  how  do  you  identify?  (circle  one): a.  Black b.  Latino c.  White d.  Asian/Asian-ÂAmerican e.  Other,  please  specify____________________ 10.  Would  you  be  interested  in  learning  skills  that  might  decrease  your  risk  for  sexually  transmitted  illness,  including  HIV,  and/or  unin- tended  pregnancy?   Yes______   No  _______ 11.  If  you  answered  “Yesâ€?  to  #10,  would  you  be  interested  in: a.  Participating  in  a  one-Âhour  prevention  workshop  that  uses  video  and  discussion?  Yes_____  No  _____ b.  The  opportunity  to  get  a  free  HIV  test  with  results  in  20  minutes  on  campus?  Yes____  No  ____ c.  A  town  hall  discussion  about  HIV/AIDS  in  the  greater  Newark  community?  Yes  _____  No  _____ 12.  Please  include  me  in  future  messages  about  this  subject: a.  Email:________________________________ b.  Phone  (text  messages):__________________  WE  WANT  YOUR  HELP!!!   Here  are  two  possible  themes  for  our  HIV/AIDS  Awareness  Week  2011  campaign.  Choose  the  theme  you  like  best  ‌.or  create  your  own! 1.  “HIV-Ânegative  by  Choice,  not  Chanceâ€? 2.  “HIV-Ânegative  is  the  New  Positiveâ€? 3.  Your  Idea:  ______________________________________________________  ESSEX  COUNTY  COLLEGE  OBSERVER
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ARTS BOOK  REVIEW Triangles  by  Michael  Araujo
 We  all  know  what  it  feels  like  to  be  a  teenager.  Most  of  us  are  still  going  through  that  DZNZDUG PRPHQW WKH PRPHQW ZKHUH ZH JHW RXU ÂżUVW NLVV RXU ÂżUVW ORYH RXU ÂżUVW GULQN RXU ÂżUVW HYHU\WKLQJ IRU WKH UHVW RI RXU OLYHV %XW ZKDW KDSSHQV ZKHQ RXU WHHQDJH \HDUV DUH RYHU ZKHQ ZH ÂżQDOO\ OHDYH RXU WHHQDJH \HDUV EHKLQG" :KDW KDSSHQV ZKHQ \RX ÂżQG \RXUVHOI D middle-Âaged  person  with  kids  and  a  cheating  spouse?  With  a  child  you  know  won’t  make  it  SDVW WKH DJH RI IRXU :LWK D VRQ ZKR LV H[SHULHQFLQJ KLV ÂżUVWV" :KDW KDSSHQV ZKHQ \RX FDQÂśW take  it  anymore?  Do  you  allow  yourself  to  collapse?  Triangles  follows  the  lives  of  three  middle-Âaged  women  as  they  go  through  their  day- to-Âday  life.  Holly  is  a  stay  at  home  mom  and  wife  who  wants  to  experience  a  new  life.  Marissa  is  a  mother  of  two  who  has  to  take  care  of  her  daughter  with  SMA,  spinal  muscular  atrophy,  and  deal  with  her  husband  being  at  work  all  day,  everyday.  Andrea  is  a  single  mother  who  ties  the  two  together  and  handles  everyone’s  problems  but  her  own.  With  the  lives  of  these  three  women,  we  get  to  experience  how  different  situations  affect  different  people  and  just  how  hard  they  take  it.  We  get  to  see  their  reactions  and  have  our  hearts  broken  at  the  same  time  as  theirs.  We  get  to  see  how  life  is  after  the  fun. 7KLV LV WKH ÂżUVW DGXOW QRYHO E\ (OOHQ +RSNLQV IDPRXV DXWKRU RI WKH &UDQN 7ULORJ\ DQG many  other  Young  Adult  novels  about  teens.  I  didn’t  quite  know  what  to  expect  from  this  to  be  honest.  I  was  a  bit  afraid  that  it  wouldn’t  match  up  to  her  other  novels  that  have  such  power  in  them  to  make  a  person  cry  with  a  single  phrase.  I  was  afraid  that  because  it  was  about  middle- aged  women,  I  wouldn’t  connect  and  that  I  would  drop  the  book  after  only  a  few  pages.  I  felt  excited  when  I  received  the  book  for  review,  but  the  fear  didn‘t  go  away.  It  lingered  on,  in  my  mind.  I  immediately  dropped  the  book  I  had  been  reading  at  the  time  just  to  read  this  and  I  am  beyond  glad  that  I  did.  Not  only  did  I  con- nect  with  the  characters,  I  loved  them.  In  this  one  book,  I  became  the  imaginary  son  of  these  three  women  and  saw  their  lives  unfold  before  my  eyes.  It  was  a  bit  uncomfortable  seeing  their  pain  as  if  I  were  seeing  my  own  mother  in  pain.  I’m  the  type  of  person  who  is  very  reserved  about  my  feelings  around  my  family.  I  tend  to  keep  them  inside  of  me  and  not  let  them  out.  Why?  I  don’t  exactly  know,  but  I  just  do.  Whether  it’s  a  death  or  sadness  or  pain,  I  don’t  show  it.  But  when  I  read  this  book,  I  showed  my  emotions  with  ease.  When  a  character  cried,  yes  I  felt  awkward  but  I  cried  along  with  them.  When  they  were  happy,  I  smiled  from  ear  to  ear.  And  by  the  end  of  the  novel,  my  eyes  were  red  and  puffy  from  all  the  tears  I  shed  and  I  had  opened  myself  up  to  these  characters.  I  became  comfortable.  You  might  think  that  it  helped  me  open  up  to  my  family  in  real  life  and  made  me  realize  that  I‘m  missing  out  on  a  big  happy  family,  but  it  didn’t.  That’s  not  the  point  of  the  book.  It  showed  me  that  what  I’ve  been  doing  is  normal  and  could  even  be  the  right  thing  for  one  to  do.  Your  family  can  be  your  best  of  friend,  but  they  can  also  be  your  worst  enemy.  But  this  isn’t  about  my  feelings;Íž  it’s  about  the  three  ladies.  I  gained  so  much  respect  for  women,  more  than  I  already  had,  now  that  I  got  to  see  their  inside  lives  and  secrets.  I  was  able  to  get  into  their  heads  and  see  how  they  connected  with  us,  their  kids,  and  how  they  actually  feel  for  us  despite  what  they  show  on  the  outside.  We  might  think  they  love  us,  but  they  do  more  than  love.  There  is  no  word  to  describe  the  higher  power.  It’s  just  there.   But  while  I  did  gain  respect  for  women,  I  lost  some  for  others.  While  women  have  the  power  to  do  more  than  love,  they  also  have  the  power  to  do  more  than  destroy.  Women  are  what  hold  everything  together.  They  are  these  powerful  people  who  can  pick  you  up  and  bring  you  GRZQ LQ WKH VQDS RI D ÂżQJHU 7ULDQJOHV VKRZHG WKDW ZRPHQ FDQ GHVWUR\ QRW RQO\ D SHUVRQ EXW DQ HQWLUH IDPLO\ ,W OHIW PH EURNHQ KHDUWHG DQG afraid  to  learn  that  one  woman  could  destroy  everything.  It  made  me  think  that  the  symbol  of  purity,  peacefulness,  gentleness,  and  everything  else  that  I  can  think  of  that  makes  them  who  they  are,  wasn’t  something  that  should  be  broken.  As  harsh  as  it  sounds,  I  was  disgusted  by  the  actions  of  one  particular  woman  in  Triangles.  But  many  might  be  wondering  how  this  novel  is  compared  to  Hopkins’  Young  Adult  novels.  The  truth  is,  it  is  the  Young  Adult  novel,  but  simply  for  adults.  I  love  them  equally  and  would  not  be  able  to  choose  between  the  two,  but  beware.  While  Triangles  is  for  adults  and  can  be  read  by  Young  Adults  who  are  over  18  or  close,  it  is  a  bit  raw  and  shouldn’t  be  read  by  those  who  can’t  take  mature  situations.  And  no,  I  don’t  mean  all  of  the  emotional  parts.  What  I  mean  is  all  of  the  sex  parts  which  are  more  like  Erotica  at  times.  I  won’t  be  a  man  about  it  and  say,  “Yeah!  Sex!â€?  But  I  will  say  that  it  makes  one  fan  themselves.
THE Â OBSERVER Â IS Â LOOKING Â FOR Â Â AN Â Â OFFICE Â & Â SOCIAL Â MEDIA Â MANAGER Â Â WRITERS, Â REPORTERS, Â EDITORS Â & Â PHOTOGRAPHERS CONTACT Â US: Â ECCECCO@GMAIL.COM
ESSEX Â COUNTY Â COLLEGE Â OBSERVER
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NOVEMBER Â 2011
ARTS MUSIC  REVIEWS Take  Care by  Robert  Colon
7DNH &DUH FRXOG WKHUH EH D PRUH ¿WWLQJ WLWOH" 'UDNH VXUH GLG WDNH FDUH RI XV KLV IDQV ZLWK WKLV one.   He  took  great  care  in  creating  superb  tracks.   Each  track  is  distinct.   The  production  quality  and  the  content  are  brilliant.   Anyone  who’s  ever  heard  Drake  is  aware  of  his  degree  of  talent.   His  singing  voice  is  exceptional;͞  his  ability  to  sing  in  different  tones,  at  different  speeds,  with  different  melodies,  sets  him  apart  from  anyone  in  the  industry  today.   His  lyrical  ability  as  a  rap  artist  is  one  of  the  best  in  music.    This  profound  talent  and  ability  is  shining  throughout  each  and  every  track  on  the  album.   I  haven’t  heard  a  single  song  I  don’t  enjoy.   Now,  you  know  I’m  a  big  fan  of  good  features  and  Drake  has  several  that  I  truly  enjoy.   He  has  features  from  The  Weeknd,  Rihanna,  Nicki  Minaj,  Rick  Ross,  Kendrick  Lamar,  Stevie  Wonder,  and  of  course,  Lil  Wayne.   The  sheer  number  of  features  is  impressive  to  me,  but  along  with  that  the  variety  and  the  quality  of  artists  featured  is  on  point.   I  mean,  how  often  do  you  see  a  rap  artist  have  Stevie  Wonder  featured  in  one  of  their  songs?   Never.    This  album  is  a  must  download.   I  guarantee  it  will  be  in  the  conversation  for  album  of  the  year.   Drake  did  not  disappoint.
Tha  Carter  IV by  Robert  Colon
 In  a  world  where  album  sales  are  decreasing  exponentially  as  a  result  of  the  easiness  of  piracy  Lil  Wayne  has  made  history  twice.   Tha  Carter  III  sold  1,005,545   records  in  its  debut  week.  His  most  recent  album  Tha  Carter  IV  sold  close  to  that  selling  964,000    units  LQ LWV ÂżUVW ZHHN QHDUO\ D PLOOLRQ XQLWV ,Q WZR ZHHNV /LO :D\QH VROG more  albums  than  some  artists  sell  in  their  entire  careers.  Why  is  this  the  case?  Is  it  just  merely  because  of  the  kind  of  character  and  gim- mick  Lil  Wayne  presents  to  his  fans?  This  may  be  a  part  of  it  but  at  the  end  of  the  day,  that  only  gets  you  so  far.  There  has  to  be  some  degree  of  quality  in  the  product  for  it  to  have  this  much  success.  To  stay  re- cent  let  us  look  at  why  and  how  Tha  Carter  IV  was  so  successful.   7KD &DUWHU ,9 /LO :D\QHÂśV PRVW UHFHQW VWXGLR DOEXP LV ÂżUVW DQG IRUHPRVW FDWFK\ DV 7KH SURGXFWLRQ TXDOLW\ ZDV LQVDQH ZLWK beats  that  had  just  the  right  balance  of  intricacy  and  simplicity.  In  ad- GLWLRQ WKH SURGXFWLRQ WHDP ZDV ÂżUVW UDWH 7KH SURGXFWLRQ ZDV GRQH by  reputable  and  successful  producers  which  make  people  more  will- ing  to  give  it  a  listen.  Moving  on  to  the  lyrics  let  me  start  by  saying,  “WOWâ€?.   Wayne  gives  us  his  usual  absurd  lyrical  mastery.   If  you  want  punch  lines,  you  got  them.  If  you  want  metaphors,  you  got  them.  If  you  want  a  story,  you  got  it.  And  if  you  want  realness,  you  know  Wayne  will  deliver.   Another  thing  I  thoroughly  enjoyed  was  the  di- YHUVLW\ RI WKH WUDFNV 'HVSLWH LW EHLQJ FODVVLÂżHG DV D KLS KRS UDS DOEXP /LO :D\QH GLG QRW UHVWULFW KLPVHOI WR MXVW RQH W\SH RI DUW Âł1LJKWPDUHV of  the  Bottomâ€?  has  a  spoken  word  kind  of  feel  to  it  while  “How  to  Loveâ€?  is  more  of  an  R&B  track  than  rap.   This  variety  in  the  tracks  was  refreshing. Â
All  in  all,  this  album  is  a  must  get.  I  guarantee  that  if  you  are  a  fan  of  quality  music,  as  I  am  you,  will  be  more  than  pleased. Â
Â
ESSEX Â COUNTY Â COLLEGE Â OBSERVER
PAGE Â 10
NOVEMBER Â 2011
ECC  Middle  States  Warning
continued  from  page  1
ematics,  Dr.  Susan  Gaulden  who  is  not  teach- ing  this  year  because  she  is  focusing  on  the  task  at  hand  as  the  Coordinator  of  Academic  Assessment.  “We  have  to  assess  what’s  going  on  in  our  courses  to  make  sure  our  courses  are  delivering  the  content  that  they  are  supposed  to  and  that  our  students  are  walking  away  af- ter  successfully  passing  our  courses  with  the  knowledge,  the  behavior,  and  the  skills  that  are  expected,â€?  says  Gaulden.  Student  Government  Association  President,  Alton  Drummond  sees  this  chal- lenge  as  a  real  eye-Âopener  for  the  college  as  a  whole.  “Sometimes  a  crisis  has  the  ability  to  unite  people  and  I  see  Essex  County  Col- lege  coming  together...to  be  able  to  resolve  WKLV VLWXDWLRQ ,ÂśP FRQÂżGHQW ZHÂśOO EH DEOH WR SXOO WKURXJK WKLV 'U $EGXOODK LV FRQÂżGHQW They’ve  established  a  very  strong  team.  A  team  of  analytical  thinkers,  a  mathematician,  great  minds...they’ve  come  together  and  they  have  an  open  door  policy.â€?  SLOAT’s  comprehensive  goals  cover  course  assessment,  overall  program  assess- ment,  and  general  education  assessment.  Dr.  Gaulden  breaks  down  what  assessment  means:  “If  I’m  teaching  a  developmental  math  class  and  I  say  I’m  going  to  teach  you  to  add,  subtract,  multiply,  divide,  and  solve  equations,  at  the  end  of  the  semester  I  need  to  have  checked  that  I  know  that  all  the  students  that  make  it  through  the  course  know  how  to  add,  subtract,  multiply,  divide,  and  solve  equations.â€?  %XW LWÂśV DOVR DERXW ÂżQGLQJ RXW ZKDW methods  of  teaching  work,  what  methods  aren’t  working,  establishing  a  level  of  com- PXQLFDWLRQ WR VKDUH WKHVH ÂżQGLQJV DQG EH- coming  nimble  enough  to  act  on  it  all  while  fully  appreciating  the  ripple  effect  that  a  change  can  have  across  classes  and  programs.  Multiply  the  data  collection  and  analysis  re- quired  to  achieve  that  level  of  understanding  by  every  course  in  the  college  and  you  can  imagine  the  scale  of  this  project.   In  a  much  less  formal  sense,  assess- ment  like  this  has  always  existed,  but  not Â
to  the  extent  currently  required  by  MSCHE,  or  in- deed,  desired  by  progressive  faculty  under  the  new  leadership  of  ECC  President  Dr.  Abdullah.  In  recent  years  MSCHE’s  accreditation  criterion  has  evolved  to  meet  an  increasing  nationwide  push  for  program  performance  and  institution  accountability,  perhaps  LQ UHDFWLRQ WR DQ LQFUHDVH RI RQOLQH DQG IRU SURÂżW schools  making  accountability  that  much  more  im- portant  to  students  who  are  becoming  recognized  as  consumers.  Where  previous  rubrics  merely  required  an  institution  to  demonstrate  plans  for  assessment  implementation,  now  the  assessment  infrastructure  must  be  present  and  functioning  -Â-  a  constant  loop  of  data  collection,  review,  discovery,  and  action  should  be  at  the  heart  of  a  culture  of  assessment.   “Assess- ment  has  to  drive  performance,â€?  says  Dr.  Gaulden,  “we’re  in  the  process  of  trying  to  learn  how  to  bet- ter  improve  our  courses,  our  programs,  our  general  education  components  so  that  overall  our  academics  will  be  stronger.  Our  new  leadership,  Dr.  Abdullah,  understands  assessment.  She  understands  that  if  you  DVVHVV VRPHWKLQJ DQG \RX ÂżQG VRPHWKLQJ RXW >WKDW QHHGV WR EH Âż[HG@ QRZ LWÂśV \RXU MRE WR Âż[ LW ´´ Rather  than  simply  meeting  expectations,  Gaulden  views  the  new  mandates  as  sparking  an  exciting  new  era  of  interdisciplinary  communication  at  the  col- OHJH VLQFH ÂżQGLQJV LQ FRUH FRXUVHV FDQ KDYH EURDG implications  and  value  to  program  courses  and  vice- versa.  In  an  effort  to  communicate  the  vital  impor- tance  and  value  of  ongoing  system-Âwide  assessment,  SLOAT  held  an  Assessment  Symposium  last  Febru- ary  attracting  close  to  one  hundred  faculty  members  including  part-Âtime  and  full-Âtime  faculty.  Professor  Sean  O’Connell,  a  member  of  SLOAT,  and  co-Âadvisor  to  Phi  Theta  Kappa  Honor  Society  teach- es  the  reading  course  at  ECC,  a  subject  area  with  a  long  interdisciplinary  reach.  “Take  for  instance  the  nursing  program  that  relies  heavily  on  strong  reading  skills,â€?  offers  O’Connell.  “What  I  learned  from  our  assessment  was  that  the  number  one  thing  students  have  trouble  with  is  vocabulary  in  different  contexts  so  we’ve  been  trying  to  incorporate  more  vocabu- lary  based  readings  in  different  contexts,  something  IURP $PHULFDQ KLVWRU\ VRPHWKLQJ IURP D VKRUW ÂżF- tion  story.â€?  In  this  way,  those  having  trouble  with  vocabulary  are  exposed  to  words  in  varying  frames Â
of  reference.  The  symposiums  will  now  become  an  an- nual  event  with  the  expressed  aim  to  communicate  to  the  faculty  what  has  been  achieved  and  uncov- ered.  It  will  keep  them  abreast  of  the  changes  in  the  courses  and  programs  while  recruiting  more  fac- ulty  into  the  SLOAT  process.  “We’re  getting  stuff  done  and  these  reports  are  getting  better  as  more  faculty  are  getting  involved.  Hopefully  they’ll  hear  what  kind  of  studies  we’re  doing  and  catch  the  fe- ver  and  start  doing  their  own  studies.  This  is  going  to  make  this  college  a  great  place,â€?  says  Gaulden.  7KH ÂżUVW WHVW FRPHV QH[W 0DUFK ZKHQ MSCHE  makes  its  check-Âup  visit  and  we  will  have  grace  periods  that  go  on  into  2015.  Dr.  Gaulden  is  upbeat,  “We’re  moving  at  warp  speed  and  people  are  doing  everything  they  possibly  can.  Everyone  around  here  wants  to  come  off  warning  in  March  of  2012.  That  would  be  the  best  case  scenario.  If  we  can  get  enough  of  the  work  done,  then  we’re  going  be  in  great  shape.  There  were  eleven  cours- es  studied  last  fall...last  semester  we  had  twenty  courses  assessed  and  now  this  semester  we’re  up  to  forty-Âsix...and  we  keep  following  up  on  courses  and  moving  forward.â€?  The  college  recently  acquired  two  Scantron  machines  to  automate  the  data  processing.  They  are  supposed  to  make  the  herculean  task,  which  was,  until  recently,  done  completely  by  hand,  more  PDQDJHDEOH :LWK KDOI RI 'U *XDOGHQÂśV RIÂżFH knee-Âhigh  in  data,  it  appears  to  be  not  a  moment  too  soon.  Unfortunately,  as  of  this  writing,  ECC  is  still  awaiting  the  software  to  run  these  machines. 7KHUH DUH FXUUHQWO\ ÂżIW\ ÂżYH IDFXOW\ PHP- bers  taking  part  in  SLOAT.  The  second  annual  SLOAT  symposium  is  tentatively  scheduled  for  February  28th,  2012.  Ask  your  professor  is  he  or  she  has  joined  the  team  or  plans  to  attend  the  sym- posium.  The  value  of  your  college  degree  is  the  bottom  line  and  as  students  we  should  be  champi- oning  every  professor  who  recognizes  the  impor- tance  of  this  challenge.  You  are  encouraged  to  fol- low  the  progress  at  sloat.mathography.org  which  is  accessible  to  everyone.
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College Papers Y w
ESSEX Â COUNTY Â COLLEGE Â OBSERVER
NOVEMBER 2011
PAGE 11
Open Forum
in the long run. Questions for our Student Government As- sociation were also posed during the discussion. Ce- leste Alfonso also asked if anything could be done about lowering the cost of books at the book store. The problem with that is that the majority of com- plaints, about book pricing, are coming from the stu- dents with book vouchers. If the rest of the student body, who pay out of pocket, would speak up, there’s a possibility that something could be done. Ikhlass Adam Barka, Vice President of the Math Club, in- quired about the issue with the school’s parking lot. She pointed out that there are 3,500 students pay- ing for parking while the school only has 800 spaces. 7KH 6*$ UHVSRQGHG WKDW WKH LVVXH LV KDUG WR ¿[ EH- cause to add additional decks, the parking lot would
continued from page 1
Jason Gleason, President ECC Math Club
gins with faith in our President. Celeste Alfonso, student, supports our President, but asks, “What can we do as a school to help our President get re-elected and achieve his goal?” Hamm responds that the students need to become more involved, listen to what the President has to say because it is not enough to just focus on your education;; you need to know what is going on in the world around you and how it will affect your education and lives
Prof. Sean O’Connell Photo credit: Tino Cook
have to be closed down. As to why 3,500 students are still being charged, there was no answer. Your fellow peers have voiced their opinions, have you? Does the school help with parking tickets? Why are the parking spaces outlining the school not for the students? The SGA and its president, Alton
Drummond, are listening, as well as sup- porting Laurence Hamm’s protest for ac- tion. The SGA’s advisor sends a message to the student body, “You cannot just concern yourself with classes;; you must know what is going on in your school as well!”
Cafeteria Shoplifting continued from page 1
College. Before such action is taken, a review of the incident by the Dean of Student Affairs or her designee is held. An ECC student, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, con- ¿UPHG WKDW DOO RI WKH GHWDLQHG ZHUH (&& students. The suspects were questioned by ECC Campus Safety. One male was OHG DZD\ E\ FDPSXV VHFXULW\ RI¿FHUV It is unknown if the suspects wanted to sell the drinks elsewhere. In the caf- eteria and vending machines, bottled drinks sell for a dollar apiece. Also, ac- cording to the Student Handbook, only the Bookstore, the Concession stand and Cafeteria have permission to sell merchandise at ECC. Potential vendors must secure permission from the Stu- GHQW /LIH DQG $FWLYLWLHV 2I¿FH LQ WKH Clara Dasher Center to sell their mer- chandise.
Essex County College Crosswords
Across 2) Assessment acronym. 4) ECC President’s last. 6) Short for Presidnet who changed Thanksgiving to the third Thursday. 7) First name of the “Potentialist”. 11) Over-priced. 14) Home team. $ VW ÀRRU KDOO 16) One of several lunch vans. 6*$ 3UHVLGHQW¶V ¿UVW
Down 1) ‘68 or ‘66, apparently. 2) A packet of this can help with a wob- bly table. 3) Student Center. 5) Formerly, Plane. 8) Linotype inventor initials or sacred syllable. 9) Initial honors. 10) A rice dish, orange in color. 12) New in lunchroom. 13) The lion missing from last month’s “Horrorscopes”
Crossword puzzle created by Christian Blair
ESSEX COUNTY COLLEGE OBSERVER
NOVEMBER 2011
PAGE 12
sports 2011-12 Men’s Basketball Schedule November 2011 1st SCRIMMAGE 5th 17th 19th 22nd
Lincoln University - PA Sullivan CC Passaic CC Salem CC CC of Morris
December 2011 1st 6th 8th 10th 13th 17th
7pm 2pm 7:30pm 2pm 7pm
Away Home Away Away Home
Globe Institute Raritan Valley CC Mercer CC Delaware Tech CC - Stanton Lackawanna College Manor College
7pm 7pm
7pm 3pm 7pm 3pm
Away Home
Away
January 2012 3rd 5th 12th 14th 17th 19th 21st 24th 26th 28th
Burlington CC Globe Institute Asa College - NY Anne Arundel Mercer CC Lackawanna college Manor College Burlington CC CC of Morris Harcum College
6pm 7pm 7pm
7pm 7pm 3pm 7pm 3pm 7pm 2pm
Away Away Away
Away Home
February 2012 2nd 4th 7th 9th
Asa College - NY Salem CC Delaware Tech CC - Stanton Raritan Valley CC
7pm 3pm 7pm
7pm
Home Home Home Home
Away Away Away
Home Home Home Home Away
2011-12 Women’s Basketball Schedule November 2011 12th/13th 17th 19th 22nd 29th
Howard CC Passaic CC Salem CC CC of Morris Union CC
TBA 5:30pm 12 Noon 5pm 5:30pm
December 2011 1st 8th 10th 13th 17th 20th
Globe Institute Mercer CC 5pm Delaware Tech CC - Stanton Lackawanna College Manor College Harcum College
5pm 1pm 5pm 1pm 5pm
Home
Away
January 2012 3rd 5th 12th 14th 17th 19th 21st 24th 26th 28th 31st
Burlington CC Globe Institute Asa College Anne Arundel Mercer CC Lackawanna College Manor College Burlington CC CC of Morris Harcum College Union CC
5pm 5pm Away 5pm Away 5pm 5pm 5pm Away 12 Noon Home
Away Home
February 2012 2nd 4th 7th
Asa college 5pm Home Salem CC 1pm Home Delaware Tech CC - Stanton 5pm Home
7pm 5pm 5pm 5pm
ESSEX COUNTY COLLEGE OBSERVER
Away Away Away Home Away
Away Away Away Home
Home Home Home Home Away