THE LIBI LOG
Monica W. Foote Dear LIBI Community, I want to wish all of you and your loved ones a happy, healthy and prosperous 2014. I am proud to say that 2013 represented another year of great achievement for the College. In July, we graduated 321 students between the two campuses and launched four new programs in the areas of hospitality, elder care and emergency care management. More new programs of study have been approved by our regulatory bodies and will be introduced throughout 2014. I am excited by the addition of these programs and know that they will serve our students well. The new year promises to be as exciting and challenging as 2013, for as I write this, I see that the Wall Street Journal is reporting further investigations by state attorneys-general into the for-profit college industry.
Fall 2013 I begin this year reminding each of us that our first and foremost mission is the education of students, maintaining our integrity and honesty in all we do—and here, at LIBI, we know that we cannot survive in the business of providing top quality education without making honesty a cornerstone of our daily routine. I paraphrase the great investor Warren Buffett, who had taken over an investment firm under investigation, when I say the following: “Lose one shred of reputation for this institution and I will be ruthless”; during that time he implored the employees of that firm to consider all decisions and actions as if those decisions and actions would be recorded on the front page of the next day’s newspaper. I am proud to say that our team has always approached our work with the LIBI student body with this in mind. I think the right way for all of us working in higher education to think about integrity is the message imparted by Mr. Buffett’s partner Charlie Munger, who said “I think track records are very important. If you start early trying to have a perfect one in some simple thing like honesty, you’re well on your way to success in this world.” This is a great message for our community and for all our students embarking on their careers. Happy 2014. Warm regards, Monica W. Foote President
“The Office of the President and the managers wish everyone who celebrates the Lunar New Year a very healthy and prosper New Year”
Bad actors in any business often enable the media, as well as regulators, legislators and other parties, to make blanket assumptions about the business as a whole, extrapolating the deeds of a few to a generalization about the many. While some have called the current administration’s emphasis on for-profit institutions a “witch hunt”, I believe the scrutiny should force us to re-emphasize what makes LIBI different. LIBI Administration Team
Happy Lunar New Year! www.libi.edu
LIBRARY Cultural Arts Committee – Theater Trip Twelve Angry Men
- By Terry Canavan
The play Twelve Angry Men is a courtroom drama, written by Reginald Rose, concerning the jury of a homicide trial. It was first made as a teleplay for the Studio One anthology television series and was aired as a CBS live production in 1954. The drama was later rewritten for the stage in 1955, and in 1957, it was made into a highly successful film starring Henry Fonda. Since then, it has been adapted, remade, and referenced as homage in other shows numerous times. The audio-book and the 1957 movie are among the highly borrowed materials from the library as it is a favorite source of practice material for our court reporting students. On October 17, 2013, on a trip sponsored by the Cultural Arts Committee, fourteen students from our Court Reporting Program had the pleasure of seeing the story brought to life on stage at the John Engeman Theater in Northport. The play concerns the deliberations of the jury of a homicide trial, twelve strangers deciding the fate of a young man accused of murdering his father. We never really learn the jurors’ identities as they are billed as Jurors 1 through 12. The jury has to decide a seemingly open-and- shut case of a young man, who also remains nameless throughout the play, accused of murdering his father in a fit of anger. The evidence couldn’t be clearer that the young man on trial committed the crime. There is a murder weapon, a motive, and eyewitness testimony all in place. The jurors have a nearly unanimous decision of guilty when they walk into the deliberation room; however, one juror protests that the defendant may not be guilty, and throughout the play sows a seed of reasonable doubt.
Each juror shows the emotions and passions a murder trial can trigger in those with the heavy responsibility of deciding another person’s fate. We, the audience, are on an emotional roller coaster as we learn Commack students and LIBI staff that attended the show about the jurors, their at the John Engeman Theater reasons for voting as they do, their vision of justice, and how they are forced to re-evaluate the evidence. The play takes place in one room, a small New York City jury room, on “the hottest day of the year,” which helps to add to the tension that builds among the jurors. The simple set consisting of little more than a table, 12 chairs, some windows and a fan allows for significant character development throughout the play. Positioning some of the actors with their backs to the audience actually draws the audience in, as if you were sitting along a wall in the jury room watching everything unfold. Most viewers of courtroom movies feel the need for a clear-cut verdict in the end. At the end of Twelve Angry Men, the viewer never finds out whether the defendant is innocent or guilty because it’s really about whether the jury has a reasonable doubt about his guilt. This principle of reasonable doubt, the belief that a defendant is innocent unless proven guilty, is one of the most enlightened elements of our Constitution. The play’s purpose is to question those passages of the Constitution that promise defendants a fair trial and the presumption of innocence. And is it better to let a guilty man go free or lock up an innocent man?
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The actors on stage at the John Engeman Theater were terrific. The actors created a tight ensemble, yet all actors were convincing in their own roles as real and believable characters. Our students had the pleasure of meeting two of the actors outside the theater. One of the actors jokingly said, “Come back again. There may be a different ending next time.” I would prefer a different ending. As much as I love this play, I always find myself questioning the motives of Juror number 8. Was he a master manipulator or did he believe there really was a reasonable doubt? There are judicial mistakes that Juror 8 makes, such as acting as a defense attorney by making the other jurors re-enact the old man’s walk to the front door or, more importantly, conducting his own investigation by purchasing a similar knife. That would have gotten him disqualified from the jury. I thought I was the only one who ever questioned Juror 8 until I read the article “Did 12 Angry Men Get It Wrong” from Mike D’Angelo. While Juror 8 takes each bit of evidence and finds reasonable doubt in each portion, in the article, D’Angelo argues the sheer improbability that ALL the evidence in the trial is erroneous. For instance, using Juror 8’s arguments concerning the murder weapon, it would be a million-to-one odds that somebody else killed the defendant’s father, for reasons completely unknown, but left behind no trace of his presence whatsoever AND the actual murderer coincidentally used the same knife that the defendant owns AND the defendant coincidentally happened to lose his knife within hours of his father being stabbed to death with an identical knife. But this is fiction that is meant to entertain, and it is art that is meant to make us think; for these reasons I find the play Twelve Angry Men guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Reading Club
- By Cristian Marcus “Teacher, how can I improve my English?” students ask me expecting some sort of wizardly solution to wisely flow from my teacherly lips. Unfortunately, I cannot meet their expectations for instant language improvement gratification. Improvement requires dedication, hard work, and exposure to the language. In other words, if you are looking to learn English overnight, you’ll be sorely disappointed. However, if you are willing to put in some effort, there is indeed a pleasant, entertaining way to elevate your skills. READ. Whether you are an ESL student or a native English speaker, reading will improve your vocabulary, grammar, and writing. Sure, it is a slow process, but if you are willing to test your patience and expose yourself to literature, you should join the LIBI Reading Club. Founded in 2013 and led by Professor Donald Jimmo, the Reading Club meets Wednesdays at 12 p.m. and Thursdays at 2 p.m. in Room M310. In the past year, club members have read classics like Robinson Crusoe, Gulliver’s Travels, and the Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Slowly, Mr. Jimmo’s students persevered and learned useful vocabulary words, “met” interesting new people, and traveled to exotic places, all while sitting at their desks. In addition, students practiced their listening, speaking, and critical thinking skills as they participated in discussions about their favorite passages, characters, or books. So, if you want to improve your English in a fun and stress-free manner, join the LIBI Reading Club by contacting our librarian, Ms. Adriana Arguelles, in Room M423.
WEEK OF WORKSHOPS—WOW! - By Heather Kite, Hospitality Management Instructor
and Jose Santana, Associate Director of Business Department
On November 5 and 6, the Business Department sponsored the first Week of Workshops (WOW), an event that allowed local businesses the opportunity to showcase their companies and talk to students about what it means to be in their fields. LIBI was grateful for the opportunity to host Dr. Berkita Bradford (Professor of Hospitality, St. John’s University), Jeannette Dye (Director of International Sales, New York Guest), Maria Garcia (Director of Human Resources, Sheraton LaGuardia), Shannon Lee (Recruiter, Talent Served), Robert Piechota (Director, Brooklyn Small Business Development Center), and Chuck Rose (Manager, Pine Restaurant), as well as some of our own students who concurrently study at LIBI and own and operate their own companies.
Robert Piechota provided a great overview for students hoping to be successful in business and introduced some of the ways working with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) can help. The SBDC is an organization with locations in communities all over the United States to help future and current business owners understand business planning, find funding, develop marketing plans, assess feasibility, and comply with licensing requirements as well as local, state, and national regulations. The Small Business Development Centers are frequently run out of college campuses and provide their services free of charge by partnering with businesses in both the public and private sectors.
Each employer presented valuable information to the students about developing their careers and/or companies. Ms. Lee recommended forming network connections via LinkedIn and introduced students to some trends in résumé writing and interviewing. Some of her recommendations were that the résumé be brief – listing no more than five duties per job in bullet form, including a short, one-line overview of each company underneath the job title and company to help the employer understand the background of the job applicant’s previous experience – saving the résumé file as the applicant’s name and in .pdf format, and following up with the employer to say thank you and express interest in the position or politely decline the opportunity, allowing the company to move forward with its search process. Dr. Bradford introduced a few points about St. John’s University and the advantage LIBI students have in the matriculation agreement with St. John’s; qualified LIBI students are eligible to transfer into St. John’s and receive St. John’s credit for almost all of their LIBI coursework, allowing them to complete their bachelor’s degree in just two years after graduating from LIBI. Dr. Bradford emphasized that the service industry is one of the few industries in the world that are growing, and while entry level positions may not require specific education or experience, a bachelor’s degree offers the best employment outlook. The other benefits of transferring into St. John’s include their extensive study-abroad program and their networking abilities; St. John’s requires an internship to graduate, which allows students to gain valuable work experience, as well as find the best possible connections for their desired position through St. John’s internship coordinator.
Last, but not least, the LIBI students presenting their businesses (Liz Zhao, Dolly Colorado, Shen Cao, Marcques McCall, and Allen Tzelun Cheng) showed their fellow classmates that with drive and determination anyone can find a way to form their own business. The students spoke of the risks and challenges they took on in order to strive to be more successful and emphasized the importance of their continuing education to further develop the depth of their skills when it comes to operating their businesses and interacting with prospective partners or customers. The Business and Hospitality Management faculty is very excited about the accomplishments and success of these students. The event presented a variety of information to students and allowed them to consider the different avenues available to them: continuing education, self-employment, or employment within another organization.
LIBI students giving presentations about their businesses to their fellow classmates, President Foote and Leon Lee.
Jeannette Dye, Maria Garcia, and Chuck Rose all talked about knowing what you are getting into when choosing the hospitality business. Ms. Dye emphasized the joy of seeing a trip or event come to fruition and how important planning is to successfully delivering a guest’s desires. Ms. Garcia made the simple but often overlooked point that the hospitality business is about helping people, and interested job applicants should make a good first impression just by smiling. Mr. Rose further emphasized that hospitality is a service-based industry, which means hospitality employees’ busy hours are when others are available to utilize those services; hospitality professionals must be prepared to spend nights, weekends, and holidays away from their families and friends in order to fulfill the duties of their positions.
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CAREER SERVICES “Believe in Me”
Directions for Success
Amidst the rubble of an antithetical environment, with the odds of statistics completely against her, she would not let anything suspend her dreams. Amanda, a current student at the Long Island Business Institute, walked the dark, perilous streets of her neighborhood, dodging fights, contraband peddlers and criminals, just to get to school.
Hello, LIBI students!! My name is Jodii Weiner. I am the new Coordinator for the Career Services Department for LIBI. I would love to take this time to introduce myself, my mission, our goals, and to tell you all about the new and exciting changes we have made to our Career Service Department.
- By Jodii Weiner
Some students worry about the weather conditions and wonder if that will have any effect on their getting to and from school with public transportation. Amanda worried about different things; she thought about staying alive and not having her books or money stolen on her walk in and out of her ‘hood. Life felt very different for Amanda. It seemed like the whole world was against her, including her family. Sometimes it felt like she had nowhere to run except back out on the streets. The streets were offering open arms, but with a price to pay. Amanda knew what that price was. The streets were offering safety and protection, but she had to “be one of them.” Deep inside, while reminiscing on all of her experiences and hardship, she found herself. She found the strength and confidence to believe in herself. She knew she was a fighter – not a fighter with fists, but a fighter with her mind. She knew getting out of her ‘hood was going to be a struggle and constant fight of self-control and self-will. Amanda is now enrolled at LIBI and is going to start studying business. Ms. Rosa knows that her support system will not let her fail. Her teachers and the staff believe in her ability and see something special inside her. We see what she saw in herself – that very same day she made the choice to leave the streets. Amanda made a well-thought out decision to change her life and have a successful future by continuing her education. She does not think it will come easily. Amanda is working very hard to avoid the backand-forth battle of the everyday trials of the ‘hood, but her dreams are only a heartbeat away. Please stay tuned for our next submission on our students success stories, here at LIBI.
College Fair at LIBI
- By Virginia Pazmino
As a student at Long Island Business Institute, I had the opportunity to attend the College Fair. The Career Services Department enables Long Island Business Institute students to identify their future career goals. The College Fair brings enthusiasm to the students because we can network with different schools. It gives us the possibility to see beyond obtaining an associate’s degree. Prior to arriving at the College Fair, students may prepare questions for the college representatives. We first need to start with a career plan – always look forward to your future.
- By Jodii Weiner
My mission as your Career Coordinator is to educate, guide, and train you, our LIBI students, for the pathway of the competitive job markets. Think of me and my department as your own personal cheerleaders. We are your biggest fans and we are here to help you shine more brightly than the rest. Our department will help you create search engines to navigate through your needs, skills, and desires. We will guide you in highlighting your very best attributes. Our career service team is dedicated to putting you on the right track for success, no matter what!! Our department will help you with your résumés, cover letters, interview preparations, and conversation techniques. We will take the nervousness away from you that prevents you from succeeding, and we will train you to be able to find the very best “you” possible. The first step to success is showing up. Come down to our office, Room M409 in the main building on the 4th floor. We are open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. We have an “unconditional open door policy”. We want you to know that we are dedicated to our students, and you may walk in at any time without an appointment, and someone will be there to help you. If our staff needs to stay later than 8:00 p.m., we are very willing and able to do that. All you need to do is ask. The second step to success is to be prepared. Our staff is here for you. We have every opportunity within our reach to help you succeed individually, but we can’t help you unless you want to help yourself. Please look for our LIBI Career Services Department calendar of CSUs. Make it a priority to attend your CSUs as soon as possible so we can start preparing you for the workforce in your field. The third step to success is to believe in yourself. We cannot help you if we do not know you need the help. Come into our office to meet with us, talk to us, and share with us who you are and how we can help you – and our promise to you is that we will not give up on you and your needs as long as you believe in yourself. Students at LIBI, enjoy the beginning of this new and improved year. Take chances! Strive high! Don’t let anything get in your way, and know that the directions to success start with your first step forward. The staff at the Career Services Department and I look forward to sharing this brand new year with you. Phone: 718-939-5100 Room: M409 Email: Jweiner@libi.edu
At the College Fair I looked into St. John’s University. I decided to research this school because I can obtain my Bachelor of Science degree in Homeland and Corporate Security there. I am striving to finish my associate’s in Homeland Security and Security Management so I can continue my studies at St. John’s. Besides St. John’s, there were other colleges, such as Berkeley, Monroe, St. Joseph’s, and Empire State. I encourage graduates and students at Long Island Business Institute to consider all their options for further study and to understand the importance of continuing education.
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LIBI Career Services staff
THE FALL 2013 JOB FAIR
What’s in It for Me?
The Long Island Business Institute Job Fair was held at our Flushing campus on November 14th, 2013. The event was organized by Mrs. Quick and the staff from the Career Services Center, and their collaborative efforts shone through from that day’s successes.
A scientific survey found that successful, effective people learned their lessons: •70% from tough jobs; •20% from people (mostly the boss and peers); and •10% from formal education.
- By San Huang, LIBI Graduate
On the day of the event, various companies were in attendance. Up to 30 companies were invited to showcase their company employment opportunities and talk with LIBI students about the various positions being offered. They also provided feedback and answers to inquisitive students looking to get into a specific field. The companies that were in attendance included the NYPD, NY Trooper, US Navy, Queens NY Management, Paramount Hotel, 363 Hotel, just to name a few.
- By Linda Zhang, LIBI student
“What’s in It for Me?” All students at LIBI should continually ask and answer this question during their education. The 70: 20: 10 learning framework indicates that learning happens only 10 percent in “formal” educational situations, such as formal course-taking and reading. So how can we expand our learning range and make better use of our time? I believe the student conferences created by the school’s Career Services Department (CSD) offer a great opportunity to achieve this goal.
The Long Island Business Institute Job Fair is held semi-annually during the spring and fall at our main campus. The student lounge in our school’s main building is transformed to accommodate our guests and our fellow students. For our students, particularly for our Business Management and Homeland Security students, the Job Fair was a day for them to better understand the fields they’re in, the opportunities offered, and to network with respective students and peers. Homeland Security students, for example, got to meet respective officers and military personnel. They got to find out the dates for entrance exams and learn about the physical and background requirements for joining the police force and the military. Business Management students, on the other hand, obtained immediate information about management positions and opportunities with major healthcare providers such as Health Plus and Fidelis, as well as insurance providers, such as Aflac and MetLife. Citibank was also there to offer job positions to students looking to get into the finance or banking business. More importantly, at this year’s Job Fair, the NYS Department of Labor came to provide students with information about career opportunities including job-search information and career development resources. Overall, the fall 2013 Job Fair was a memorable event that provided an insightful look into career options. LIBI students can look forward to future job employment opportunities in the coming school year.
District Court Visit - Commack campus
- By Kim DelleCamelie
Recently, court-reporting students from the Internship class at the Commack Campus visited the Suffolk County District Courthouse where they met with the head court reporter, Ron Gorman, who discussed with them what a typical day entailed for a working court reporter at the courthouse. Mr. Gorman has been working as a court reporter for more than 30 years and is always happy to help LIBI students. Afterwards, the class observed domestic violence arraignments and saw firsthand how our judicial system works, after which a brief tour of the courthouse concluded the trip. The students always find these trips beneficial and inspiring, knowing that, in the near future, they will be court reporters.
The CSD offers two student conferences during the course of a year — one in the spring and one in the fall — each normally with three guest speakers who share their life experiences and specific work knowledge with us. Their topics are fun, useful, inspiring, and motivational. Let me draw from this year’s conferences to inspire you to attend the conferences in 2014. Everyone knows how to dress, right? But do you know how many details you should consider when dressing for a successful interview? Well, if you had attended the spring CSD conference, you would know and have picked up some useful tips. And let me entice you a little more by briefly saying that past speakers included Ms. Joan Teitelman, an interesting and fun person who was a sales manager at CNN, the vice president of a local TV station, and now is an AFLAC manager and an independent agent. She began working in a simple job during her high school years, went back to college to further her education, and succeeded in various occupations, which did not match her formal education at all. Have you ever wondered how to make your boss “love” you and feel they cannot do a good job without you or how to handle office politics in some complicated situation? If you had attended conferences this year, you were given useful answers from her and Mr. Paul Quick through their funny stories. They described clear steps for you on how to get an ideal professional job, how to get along with colleagues and bosses, how to enjoy your work, and also have a successful career. These speakers used their personal examples to show us what soft skills are and how to use them appropriately in order to avoid mistakes. Other speakers included Mr. Fred Huang, who was a university English teacher in Beijing, and later joined China’s first direct investment firm after graduating with an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh. He has been working in the insurance and financial services industry for 12 years. He is a top Chinese market manager, who won the Long Island General Officer Gold Lever Performance and Gathering of Eagle Award in his current company, New York Life. Also present was Mr. Andre Waring, a retired detective with the New York City Police Department, who is now president and CEO of CTU Investigations Inc. They shared with us how your attitude can influence your life and career, and how you can use your EQ cleverly to defeat people with higher IQs. From these few bios, you can tell how interesting, challenging, and richly colorful their lives are and have been, and you can ask your individual questions after every speech; then you can get useful answers. Are you now excited and ready to attend the CSD conferences next year? If not, let me make a suggestion: WAKE UP! “To live is to learn; to learn is to live better.” There are so many opportunities here at LIBI to help make your future more successful.
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SAFETY CORNER
As time passed, I began to take an interest in what club members had to say and wondered how it would help me after graduation. Unlike most students here at LIBI, I have had a few years of real-world work experience so I know what to expect on the job front. The more I listened the more I began to think about how being a part of a club or organization, while attending college, could help my resume stand out to future employers. But which club or organization would be the right fit for me?
- By Brendan Keane LIBI Instructors Help Protect the New York City Marathon
Eric Vandenburg, retired detective from the
The bombings at the 2013 Boston New York City Police Department and Marathon shook Boston and the John Johrden, retired New York City Police rest of America to its core. The Department Sergeant organizers of the New York City Marathon, the Road Runners Club, took notice and asked themselves what would happen if a bomb were detonated during the upcoming marathon. They surmised they would need an emergency operations center to provide real-time information to the multiple organizations involved with managing the marathon. The Road Runners Club has been organizing the marathon for decades. They work with New York City to run one of the largest and popular marathons in, not only America, but the world. It was decided to hire specialists to develop a communications plan to address any incidents that occur along the 26.2 mile route. The Road Runners Club hired two Long Island Business Institute Homeland Security instructors as consultants to help prepare for the 2013 marathon. LIBI teacher Eric Vandenburg is a retired detective from the New York City Police Department with over twenty years of experience in all-hazards emergency response, operations and planning. John “Jack” Johrden is a retired New York City Police Department Sergeant with extensive experience in public and private crisis management and security operations. They were asked to establish and manage the creation of the 2013 Marathon Communications Center. These tasks included coordinating training, action plans and implementation of an Emergency Operations Center. This is not an easy task. I asked Eric and Jack what the most challenging aspect of such an enormous undertaking was. They agreed that coordinating all the civilians, utility companies, and governmental personnel under one tent was quite a feat. The two- month head start to the event involved long days to coordinate and train the multitudes of individuals and organizations. The results speak for themselves. The race had a record number of participants, more than 50,000. The New York City Marathon Emergency Operations Center and its Medical Team managed over 5,000 requests for assistance, 1,000 personnel resources, and interacted with local, state, federal, and private agencies, all within a 16 hour operational period over the full 26 hour mile route. Most importantly, there was no repetition of what occurred in Boston. It is comforting to me that our school has such experienced and talented instructors teaching students in the Homeland Security Management program. Great job Eric and Jack. Until next time, Be Safe!
LIBI CLUB DAY
- By Nicholas Saunders When I first decided to attend Long Island Business Institute to pursue my academic goals, I had only two things in mind – do well in class and graduate on time. I never thought about getting involved in any student or school activities. Most times I would just go to some of the student club meetings for the free food or just to kill time between classes.
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And how could I become a part of one? Shortly after, LIBI held its 1st Annual Halloween Club Day. At this event, students had the opportunity to see all the different student clubs and organizations at LIBI and learn what they were about, how they could help you, and why you should get involved. I had the opportunity to learn everything I needed to know about student activities firsthand. Club Day gave students the chance to see how you can take what you’ve learned in the classroom and create real world opportunities for yourself. I look forward to Club Day 2014 and I hope I can encourage other students to get involved and create their own paths to get ahead.
COMMUNITY SERVICE Annual Post-Thanksgiving/ Pre-Christmas Mini-Concert
- By Jesus Chan & Jasmine Downer
Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes
- By Anna Venturino
LIBI Choir at the Mini Concert 2014
The Long Island Business Institute Choir, under the baton of its director, Professor Jasmine Downer, held its 3rd Annual Post-Thanksgiving/ PreChristmas Mini-Concert on Wednesday, December 18, 2013. The hymns and carols were sung a capella. The proceeds of this year’s concert, which was $465.00, went to the Flushing Union Bible Church located on 37th Avenue. Two of the church’s pastors, the Reverends Douglas Bolan and Matthew Hsu, and one of its preachers, Mr. Mark Ma, were in attendance. As part of its community-outreach programs, the church has been assisting newly-arrived immigrants in getting settled in the area. The check was delivered to the church on Friday, December 20, 2013, by Professors Jasmine Downer and Jesus Chan. One month prior to the event, the choir welcomed its newest member, Julian Forbes, a Homeland Security student, who made an outstanding contribution to the choir’s performance. Thanks to everyone who made the concert a success!
LIBI students and the Choir joined to sing Silent Night in 4 languages: English, Chinese, Korean, and Spanish.
LIBI staff and students at the Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes fundraiser
On Saturday, September 28th, LIBI participated in the Diabetes Awareness Walk. Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes is a signature fund-raising walk of the American Diabetes Association and has been taking place for over 20 years. The walk began at Battery Park located in Downtown Manhattan and ended at the Brooklyn Bridge. LIBI was able to rally 20 participants to walk at this event and raised $1,000 for this important cause. The fight against diabetes is close to my heart because my grandmother lives with this disease on a daily basis. She was diagnosed at the age of 56 with Type I diabetes. Every year her struggle becomes worse, and I see firsthand how this disease affects her life. LIBI walked that day not only for my grandmother, but for the millions of people who suffer from diabetes. We hope that you can join us next year in the fight to stop diabetes.
Never before has man had such a great capacity to control his own environment, to end hunger, poverty and disease, to banish illiteracy and human misery. We have the power to make the best generation of mankind in the history of the world. - President John F. Kennedy
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LIBI New Faces
- By Jhonatan Aybar Many of you in the LIBI community have already met Jodii Weiner, the latest addition to our staff. Jodii joined us officially as The Coordinator of Career Services on January 2nd, but we were pleased to have her join us briefly last month. She presented an Jodii Weiner, Coordinator of Career impressive overview of her Services work with the organization of December’s New Student Orientation. She graduated from John Jay College of Criminal Justice with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Psychology and Forensic Science. Moreover, Jodii has a Master of Science degree in Physical Education from Hofstra University. She has a passion for teaching and counseling. She has served organizations that educate children and young adults with disabilities. Jodii is also experienced in mentoring and guiding youths with behavioral disorders. She is very enthusiastic and enjoys motivating students to succeed in their new endeavors. Jodii is in charge of the daily operations of the Office of Career Services and will work closely with Anna Venturino, Associate Dean of Student Services, who oversees the Student Success Center as well as the Office of Career Services. Thank you for the gracious welcome each of you extended to her then. We are pleased to have her as a permanent member of our team. Please join us in wishing her a very successful career at LIBI.
LIBI STAR
- By Stacey Johnson, Provost
Modest, reliable, dedicated, earnest, and compassionate are the words I would use to describe this quarter’s LIBI star. Adriana Arguelles consistently goes above and beyond her routine librarian responsibilities. From spearheading student cultural events and participating on multiple committees to providing excellent customer service to LIBI students and faculty, she continues to exemplify our core mission “to create a positive and empowering learning environment that supports the immediate efforts of our students and lays the foundation for life-long learning”. Adriana is a team player, an inspiration to our students, and an overall asset to the LIBI community. Congratulations and thank you. Editors: F. Magarelli & F. Leone / Manager: J.Aybar / Art Director: Ming Zhang
THE REAL HEROES
- By Nicholas Saunders
Veterans, Building Home for Heroes staff, LIBI staff, President Foote, and LIBI owner, Leon Lee.
It’s that time of year again! It’s a time for gifts, eggnog, mistletoe, and holiday bliss. The time of year when families come together to eat until they sleep, kick up their feet while their children play in the snow with their peppermint treats. The time of year that lifts everyone’s spirits, bringing us all together to appreciate the things we have while looking forward to the things we hope to receive. But most of all, ‘tis the season of giving, singing, and sharing, not just with our loved ones, but also with those less fortunate and in need of our support the most. As a veteran, I know firsthand how important it is to have that connection with our loved ones and a place to call home after returning from the stresses of war. For the past three years, Long Island Business Institute has held fundraisers to support Building Homes for Heroes in an effort to raise much needed funds for injured veterans all over the country. After attending the event for the first time this year, I was pleased to see how the efforts of the faculty and the students of LIBI translated into such a large contribution to so many injured veterans and their families in need of our support. Long Island Business Institute was able to donate $2,000 to this much needed cause. Through my own military experiences, I’ve seen how the effects of war can change you physically and mentally. With the efforts of many volunteers like Kim Vesey and Andrew McClure, Building Homes for Heroes was able to build and provide over 30 mortgage-free homes for injured veterans and their families this year. The sacrifice made by our service members may be great, but I believe that the time and effort given year round by those who support returning injured troops are the real heroes. I’ve learned that Building Homes for Heroes not only provides a place to live, but it also provides something you can’t put a price tag on. It gives the troops the best Christmas gift of all – a place to call home.