THE LIBI LOG
Winter 2014 If you are a LIBI graduate or a current student, I want you to know that your hard work and future planning are already signs of a successful person. An article that appeared in the December 2013 Forbes delineated 14 things that all successful people have in common: one of those things is that leaders “know that they make their own luck.” The article’s author, Dan Schawbel, who interviewed 1200 CEOs, politicians and celebrities over the last 6 years, says that “luck is derived from hard work over time and positioning yourself for success.” Success is not a random occurrence, and neither is luck. Becoming more marketable, educated, retrained and more confident will surely add to anyone’s luck and move them closer to success.
Monica W. Foote Dear LIBI Community, As spring continues to battle the winter for its rightful place in our lives, I can’t help but laugh at the thought of how many times I invoked the wisdom of the Farmers’ Almanac to help me get through the seemingly endless wet and chilly March. “In like a lion, out like a lamb” I kept reassuring myself nearly every day for 31 long days as the temperatures refused to climb past the freezing point. I am absolutely certain that my words are not lost on those of you who were shoveling your driveways and creating miniature ski mountains in competition with Sochi, which, ironically, had to manufacture snow due to the unseasonably warm temperatures. March came like a lion and it left like a lion; so much for clinging to anecdotal adages of our farming ancestors! With that said, the crocuses and daffodils are now poking shyly through the snowsaturated soil, and I am now able to chuckle in hindsight at my desperation to cling to any “authority” that gave me hope of tucking my galoshes into the deepest caverns of my closet. Now that signs of spring are all around us, I wish all of you a beautiful spring full of sunny and bright days! I must point out that our alumni, however, don’t need to rely on the spring to create bright and sunny days, as evidenced by the report released by the Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce. According to the Georgetown University team of senior economists, with backgrounds in education and labor economics, nearly 30% of Americans with associate’s degrees now make more than those with bachelor’s degrees. This same team of researchers also released another report showing that by 2020, 65 percent of all jobs in the economy will require postsecondary education and training beyond high school. More specifically, according to this group, 30 percent of those job openings will require some college or an associate’s degree, and 35 percent of the job openings will require at least a bachelor’s degree.
Speaking of luck…across the collegiate world, as the traditional academic year is about to come to a close, the world of college sports has been focused on the NCAA basketball tournament. While I always want to salute our LIBI athletes and scholars alike, at the moment, at least, I cannot report to you that we will be fielding a competitive team in the coming year, though LIBI’s aspirations are always high. This contest among 64 schools, culminating in the NCAA basketball champion, attracts a substantial amount of wagering, both on the financial and on the figurative level. Office pools and “professional” gamblers alike try to pick the winning teams. This year, to make the basketball betting even more interesting, famous value investor Warren Buffett’s company Berkshire Hathaway sold an insurance policy AGAINST someone picking all the right “brackets” of teams within the basketball tournament. By underwriting (for a fee) an insurance policy, Buffett’s company was willing to bet – a billion dollars if they were wrong – that no one would pick the right combination of 63 losing teams and the 1 winner. Buffett’s colleagues calculated the infinitesimally small probability of anyone successfully guessing the right combination of teams, priced the wager, and took it. While I am not making this point to encourage gambling, I am trying to look at the “make your own luck” argument from another perspective. When the odds are in your favor, particularly when you are personally enhancing the odds, you should be betting the equivalent of Berkshire’s billions. What do I mean? Each day of your college career, you enhance the odds of a strong future and each day, through your hard work, you are – like one of the greatest investors alive – putting your money where your mouth is. Unlike Buffett, who obviously could not determine the winners and losers of a basketball contest, every day you show up to LIBI and every hour you put in makes the probability of your success even higher. So while LIBI may never have a team in the NCAA final 64*, I envision great odds of success for our future alumni. *Please see Jodii Weiner or Anna Venturino if you wish to organize LIBI club teams in ANY sport! Until next time! Warm regards, Monica W. Foote President
www.libi.edu
LIBRARY Civil Rights: An Exhibition
This event proved to be a success thanks to everyone involved in this special celebration. Thank you to Professors Johanna Wang and Shirley Lee.
- By Adrianna Arguelles
August 28, 1963 - An estimated 250,000 people marched together from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial in allegiance to the same cause: jobs and freedom. James Farmer, Martin Luther King Jr., John Lewis, A. Philip Randolph, Roy Wilkins, and Whitney Young Jr. were the leaders who joined the march to represent the alliance among the main civil rights organizations. They sought to demand the elimination of racial segregation in public schools, meaningful civil rights legislation, a major public-works program to provide jobs, a $2-an-hour minimum wage and self-government for the District of Columbia, which had a black majority. To commemorate the efforts of the Civil Rights Movement, LIBI created an exhibition highlighting the events that made a lasting impact on our history, nationally and internationally. From speeches to photographs, these documented events show the hard work and union of individuals who wanted to make a difference and became leaders of equality.
An Ongoing Dream
- By Frank Leone A Phone for a Life
- By Adrianna Arguelles
Another year saving lives! This past winter the LIBI community donated old, unused cell phones for a great cause. To advance healthcare in under-served countries, Hope Phone recycles old phones to provide mobile healthcare for those in need. Our community made great efforts to spread the word and donate. The response was positive, and we want to keep this as an ongoing cause, so please keep bringing your old cell phones! By participating, you will not only be saving a life but you will also be saving our planet.
Lunar New Year: The Year of the Horse
- By Adrianna Arguelles
The Lunar Food Festival was a hit due to the great teamwork of the staff, students, and faculty. Everyone came together to celebrate another wonderful year and welcome the Year of the Horse. With the support of the LIBI community, a variety of dishes and desserts were enjoyed.
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Martin Luther King, Jr. “An injustice anywhere is an injustice everywhere.” On February 26th, I spoke to students about Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., whom we honored with a holiday last January 20th. Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize and recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Dr. King is most famous for a march on Washington in 1963 at which he declared “I have a dream.” These words have resonated through the years because his dream is of concern to all of us. Indeed, it should be everybody’s dream. Although it was the struggle of African-Americans to obtain their civil rights that originally motivated his activism, his dream is one of equal opportunity for all people to develop their skills and talents and follow their own dreams regardless of their racial, ethnic, or religious background. In America, you are what you do, not what you look like or what you sound like for that matter.
ESL learners may struggle at times with pronunciation of their second language, but it is important to understand that this does not reflect their intelligence or ability. My own grandfather had a very strong Italian accent, yet he read extensively and earned a very good living, buying his own home not long after his arrival from Sicily. He worked hard and saved and succeeded in many ways although not one of my friends could ever understand his English. I saw him often disrespected and misjudged. Dr. King’s message was for people like my grandfather as well. When people are respected and given the freedom to grow, they improve not only their own lives but the lives of everyone in their society. A list of the many accomplishments of African-Americans, women, and immigrants will easily remind you that all kinds of people have something to contribute by which all of us can gain. Prejudice and discrimination poison the waters all of us have to drink, and deprive us of the benefits people of all backgrounds can bring us. So let us be respectful of each other, tolerant of each other’s idiosyncrasies and limitations, and let us celebrate what each of us contributes to our beautiful multiracial, multicultural society. Then we will all be winners, not just dreamers. Remember: “An injustice anywhere is an injustice everywhere.”
A Special Week Just for Court Reporters and Captioners
- By Terry Canavan
The week of February 17-23 has been deemed National Court Reporting and Captioning Week. The awareness week pulls together a nationwide effort to highlight the contributions of stenographic court reporters and captioners to society and to showcase the career opportunities that exist in the court reporting and captioning fields. In celebration of National Court Reporting and Captioning Week, the Commack campus sponsored a technology seminar that featured the latest innovations from Stenograph and Advantage Software. Our resident CASE expert, Audrey Sumner, showed the attendees the latest updates in the Case CATalyst 15 software such as Live Suggestions, which uses advanced A.I. to suggest proper translations for untranslates and mistranslates during real time; the Backup User and Restore User feature, which helps reporters archive and retrieve their user directory of files in a one-click process; and a time management feature that enables the court reporter to note the Start Time and End Time of a job with two simple strokes.
The Conversation Club
- By Sabina Khantimirova
The Conversation Club has reopened its doors to students who want to practice English and enhance their speaking skills. The club officially started in 2012 and used to hold its meetings once a week on Friday. In order to support our English Language Learners and provide them with “in-out-of-class themes,” the Conversation Club now offers two hours of intensive English practice on day-to-day topics. Every session explores a new interesting topic that features new vocabulary, expressions, and idioms necessary for enriching and improving speaking skills. Come in and expand your vocabulary, polish your speaking skills, improve your listening skills, and boost your self-esteem! The Conversation Club and the Reading Club now meet twice a week with two convenient sessions to accommodate busy students’ schedules:
Come for any of the above sessions and receive a complimentary LIBI notebook and pen, while supplies last.
Join the LIBI
CONVERSATION CLUB EXPAND your vocabulary
POLISH your speaking skills IMPROVE
your listening skills
BOOST
your self-esteem
A representative from Advantage Software presented the new features in their court reporting software, ECLIPSE 6. Auto brief is a flexible setting that allows the court reporter to specify the types of brief suggestions they like, and those they don’t. Suggestions are color-coded to identify computer suggestions, active dictionary suggestions, and personalized suggestions. While all of that may sound foreign to the rest of us “muggles,” speed and accuracy are the key components in producing a transcript, and all of these features assist the court reporters in producing a final copy in a timely manner for the courts. The seminar was open to our current students as well as alumni of the court reporting program. The students enjoyed refreshments while reacquainting themselves with their former classmates who are now working court reporters.
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CAREER SERVICES Your Success Story
- By Jodii Weiner
How to create a belief system starts by learning from your journey. For some of you, this may be the last semester at LIBI, or you’re about to enter into your last semester, and you have been entertaining the thoughts of your “future” for some time now. Self-reflection is one of the best ways to obtain a perspective of what you have learned and how you have gotten this far. So let’s start…
Phase #4 - Determination So now we enter our action phase for success. We have grown to believe in our potential, we have created a plan of what we need to do and learn to be successful, and we have figured out the value in help and resources… so what’s next? Determination is the final phase of success. This is where our true colors shine through. Determination is the sheer will to see adversity and hardship through, to struggle and take the pain straight through until the end. It’s the long nights of cramming for exams and not being able to go out with friends because you have to write reports or term papers. It’s that internship that requires you to work for free but helps you learn a skill, and the days when it’s raining and snowing and you’re sick and you feel like you just can’t go on… it’s when you get up and pull yourself together and know that the only way to succeed is not to give up, no matter what. It’s when you didn’t do well on that math test but will try harder next time. Determination is the belief that you have the power to make your dreams come true.
How did I get to this point? – you ask yourself. You have put a lot of time and effort into your self-fulfilling journey, and you need to realize that to succeed you have to go through four phases.
Security in New York City
Phase #1: Positive Thinking Phase #2: A Plan Phase #3: Awareness and Use of Resources and Phase #4: Determination. As you reflect on your college career at LIBI, realize that each phase plays a very special and significant role in your life and your pathway to success.
March was a great and exciting month for the Homeland Security and Security Management programs. If you are a student who wants to pursue a career in the public or private sectors, you will be happy to know that we have found opportunities and activities for all of you.
Phase #1 - Positive Thinking This is where it all begins. If you have a dream, you have to look at success as a goal you can attain. Start thinking of success as a road map, a direction, fog lights in the distance, blinking arrows that show you the way. Success will become your mission instead of your obstacle, your strength instead of your fear, and your to-do list instead of “I can’t. It’s too hard”. Phase #2 - Your Plan So now that you are thinking positive and you are eager to get started on your pathway to success… you first need a plan. This phase starts with thinking about who you are and what you really want. Did you ever really take the time to evaluate what makes you happy? What traits identify your personality? Do you even know how to figure out what skills you have? Your plan starts with a list of all the skills you believe you have and all the skills you want to acquire. Only then can you move along to find out how to develop these talents. You have to ask yourself what it is you can really do and what will make you happy. Once you have these answers, you can move into phase #3, the awareness and use of your resources. Phase #3 - The Awareness and Use of Resources Did you know that there is actual value in asking for help? Did you know that you are not alone? Did you know that everyone else who started at our college had a first day when he or she entered a classroom filled with strangers and felt intimidated? The best part about LIBI is that you, as our student, have our help, no matter what. When I was in college, I never knew that someone else could actually help me figure out how to better my skills or help create a plan of action for me until I asked for it. Your resources at LIBI are limitless. As a student at LIBI, you have the help of your professors, the Student Success Center, the Career Services Office, the Academic Success Center, and all your student clubs and extracurricular activities. Resources are your golden ticket, and the best part is that now, as a student, you have them right at your fingertips. The resources are in the very place you go to every day; you just have to use them. What does the word resources really mean? It’s the lectures, the seminars, the CSUs the Professional Career Development classes, the résumé help, the grades, the mock interviews, the job fairs, the college fairs, the research you do for your classes, the homework, the questions you ask, the thoughts you think of when a new idea begins. You’ll see the resources if you pay close attention to the bulletin boards and flyers that are posted, the LIBI website, and the emails you receive to inform you of what’s going on around you. Your resource is the help you ask for.
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- By Jodii Weiner
We registered to become certified by the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) so we can develop the skills to train our students to become LIBI’s first “Cert Team” (in case of a natural disaster or other emergency). LIBI has been awarded charter membership in “Order of the Sword & Shield,” and our Homeland Security Club President, Gordon Mohammad, has become a member of the National Disaster Preparedness Training Center to enable him to better acquaint our school with the roles and skills we need to prevail in this field. We had a successful turnout for our First Homeland Security Job Fair of the year, and the biggest news is yet to come. As the Coordinator of Career Services, I have made it my personal mission to guide and develop the best in my students. This month we had the honor and pleasure of participating in the ASIS International Expo and Conference. ASIS is a global community of more than 38,000 security practitioners, each of whom has a role in the protection of assets - people, property, and/ or information. This conference was filled with information, networking possibilities, and a chance for the students at LIBI to see what it would really be like to be a part of the organizations that they dream about. The agencies there ranged from the NYPD, FBI, U.S. Security Associates, Allied Barton, G4S Securities Solutions, Spartan Securities, United States Postal Inspection, Cyber Security Intel, TSA, MTA, to the Israeli Defense League and Special Forces (WOW!!!) – to security consultants, entry-level managers, security veterans, military and cyber security personnel, and guards. There was a place for you. As our LIBI students start to demonstrate an understanding of how individual actions, achievements, and experience can impact the realization of attainment, we will continually search for and generate new sources, leads, relationships, connections, internships, and jobs. Thanks to all the students who joined this amazing event, and let’s get ready for the next one to come.
LIBI Homeland Security Job Fair
- By Gordon Mohammed,
President of the Homeland Security Club
On Wednesday, March 19th the Career Services Office and the Homeland Security/Security Management program collaborated on a job fair tailored to LIBI’s Homeland student population. The goal was to introduce the Homeland students to some of the high profile security organizations and their hiring practices. The event was highlighted with individual tables from each organization. We would like to thank the Suffolk County Police Department, NYPD, N.Y. State Police, Pennsylvania State Police, U.S. National Guard, Philadelphia Police, FDNY, United States Federal Air Marshals, Army and the Marines for contributing their time to inform the students about job opportunities. Each agency representative explained the job functions to each individual, providing important information regarding their experience and their vision of success. The feedback from the Homeland students has been tremendous. The job fair would not have been successful without the tireless work of the Career Services office. I am already looking forward to our next Homeland job fair.
A Court Reporter’s Brain
- By Kim DelleCamelie
When I first decided to pursue court reporting more than 20 years ago, it was at the recommendation of a childhood friend’s father who owns a court reporting agency. I had an unexpected change of plans regarding my education, and I was at a loss of what to do. Joe Maltzmacher, who owns J&M Reporting in Wantagh, New York, sent over a court reporting machine with a simple note: “Try court reporting. It will change your life.” That day will stay in my memory forever because it truly did change my life. There is never a day that passes that I regret choosing court reporting as a career. It has afforded me the opportunity to work in a fulfilling career while being available to my family. There has not been one missed play or class party or concert. I am and will forever be grateful to Joe for guiding me down this path. I have to be honest. When I first received that Post-It attached to that strange little machine, I had no idea what court reporting was. To this day when I mention what I do, I still get looks of confusion. “Oh, you’re a secretary.” Not quite. “You’re that woman who sits in the courtroom with that machine.” That’s not accurate, either. What we do is highly complex. It’s not a field for the timid; it’s not a field for someone who lacks dedication or fears hard work. Recently an article passed across my desk which describes exactly what a court reporter does. To read it broken down to this level is truly amazing. I hope this helps to bring a clearer understanding of exactly what a court reporter does. “A federal court reporter was taking the testimony of a neuropsychologist who was discussing the complexity of the human brain and this is what he said: Neuropsychologist: “May I give an example of this?” Counsel: “Sure.” Neuropsychologist: “Okay. If you look — and the example is this: Our brains are a miracle. Okay? They’re a miracle that needs to be protected. And if you look at the court reporter right now, as an example, okay, this is a miracle in progress happening right before your eyes. Let me just explain what she needs to do. I am speaking, so the information has to come in through her ear into her temporal lobe, and it has to go log itself into the language center. She has to be able to comprehend what I’m saying. Then it has to get re-routed to the prefrontal cortex where it has to hold — she has to be able to hold the information, because, you know, I continuously talk so she has to hold it. Right? Then she has to analyze it, integrate it and synthesize it. Then it has to go back to the cerebellum and she has to be able to execute this, and she has to be able to then convert my words into those little squiggly marks. Have you ever seen court reporters’ little squiggly language things? So she has to convert it into a different language, and the white matter tracks allow her to reroute all of this information simultaneously without effort. Okay? We take our brains for granted. She’s sitting here. I’m probably talking too fast for her, but she’s able to do this simultaneously. Seamlessly. Okay? No animal on the planet can do this. All right? That’s why I believe court reporters will never be replaced. Because no technical — no technology could replace the beauty of that brain and the miracle of that brain. And that’s why your brain should always be protected and you should take care of it. It takes a special brain to be a court reporter.”
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SAFETY CORNER
to providing the needs of students that were not doing well academically. By helping those that were most in need, she was able to provide academic and moral support that enabled students to march ahead, stay focused, and graduate.
the Long Island Business Institute
As time went on, Dean Venturino was given more responsibilities that put her in the position to help the students even more. In January 2012, she was once again promoted. As Director of Student Services and Veterans Coordinator, Dean Venturino was in charge of the academic well- being of all LIBI students on the Flushing Campus.
January was campus safety month at Brendan Keane & Terrence Buckley the Long Island Business Institute. To advise students and staff of best practices when traveling to and from school, security experts visited both campuses to give presentations on tips to improve overall safety in and out of the school.
Her passion for helping students knows no bounds. That is why, in February 2014, Dean Venturino was promoted to her current position. By accepting the position of Associate Dean of Student Services, she has taken charge of two departments – the Student Success Center and the Career Services Department.
At the Flushing campus, Detective Kevin O’Donnell and Police Officer Troy Prescod from the 109th precinct visited to advise students of safety tips when traveling within the vicinity of the school. One of the more important topics that affect our student population was reporting crimes to the police. It was revealed to the New York City Police Department that many immigrants would not contact the police out of concern it would have an effect on their immigration status. Detective O’Donnell advised the students about the New York City Mayor’s executive order number forty one. It states, “Police officers will not inquire about your immigration status when you reach out to them for assistance.” What this means is the police can’t inquire about your immigration status when they respond to your call for assistance. The mayor’s executive order prevents this from taking place.
Dean Venturino’s drive, willingness, and passion for assisting students to reach their academic goals have no equal. Her promotions and rapid rise at Long Island Business Institute speak volumes of her unwavering dedication.
-Campus By Brendan Keane Safety Month at
At the Commack campus, Police Officer Terrence Buckley from the Suffolk County Police Department advised of campus and safety tips to assist the students and staff. They included avoiding traveling alone at night. When traveling to and from school, confine walking to well-lighted, regularly traveled walks and pathways. Make every effort to avoid shortcuts, and keep away from shrubbery, bushes, alleyways, or any other areas where an assailant might be lurking. When walking to your vehicle in the parking lot or while you are out, have your keys ready in hand. Most important, remain alert of your surroundings. Most assailants look to surprise their victims, so walking with your head up, shoulders back and examining your surrounding area will deter a bad guy from approaching you. Becoming a victim of a crime is something you do not have to experience. Following some of these basic safety tips reduce the chances dramatically. Until next time, be safe.
Hail To The New Dean
- By Mark de Vera
After six years and a number of promotions, Miss Anna Venturino has become the Associate Dean of Student Services at Long Island Business Institute. Time and again, Dean Venturino has shown her dedication by helping students excel up to their maximum potential. Quick to establish rapport with students, she can immediately identify individual needs and tailor possible solutions for realistic outcomes.
The Law Comes To LIBI
- By Roxanna Trela, Court Reporting Student, Commack
Anthony A. Ciaccio, Sr. is an Associate at one of Long Island’s premier personal injury law firms, Gruenberg Kelly Della. Anthony began his legal career as an assistant district attorney for Nassau County District Attorney’s office, and then segued into defense work for a major insurance carrier which ultimately led him to the field of personal injury. With Anthony’s real world experience and vast knowledge of the inner workings of the courts, his visit to Ms. Magarelli’s Legal Procedures and Technology class was embraced by all. Anthony was able to speak to the class about the impact court reporters have on the legal field as well as their relationships with attorneys. He spoke about depositions and reiterated all the things that our teachers keep trying to instill in us. One of the most important things that he said to us, which he considered to be his best advice was to always “command the room”. In other words, we are in control and need to act in that manner while maintaining professionalism. Our goal is to be assertive and confident in the service that we are providing, so if we need to interrupt an attorney or witness, we should do so with the utmost confidence. After all, producing an accurate transcript is the end goal for all parties involved. Students asked numerous questions about topics from dress code to technology, which Anthony answered thoroughly leaving no question unanswered. He then continued on to a few important characteristics that a court reporter must possess, such as punctuality, honesty and integrity. This is the legal profession, a profession that dates back to our founding fathers, and we must protect it.
Dean Venturino started her humble career as a student advisor in 2008. From the very beginning, she has been passionate in the pursuit of helping students to further their education. Her analytical thought processes enable her to advise her students on an individual basis.
The last subject that we touched upon during Anthony’s visit was one that is important not only to LIBI’s court reporting students but court reporting students everywhere: court reporter vs. tape recorder. He once again put everyone at ease stating that, no matter what, he would choose a live person over a recorder any day. A transcript can make or break a case and attorneys need to be able to rely on an accurate record (not to mention all of the things that can go wrong with technological devices).
Not long after she had started working as an advisor, Dean Venturino was promoted to be in charge of At-Risk students. Her efforts greatly contributed
Anthony’s visit to the class was helpful and informative. He gave us invaluable information and advice.
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Thank you, Mr. Ciaccio, for sharing your thoughts and your evening with us.
STUDENT LIFE
Club Day 2014
- By Nicholas Saunders,
Student, Business Management
Another year, a new semester, and another opportunity for the students of Long Island Business Institute to promote and showcase what we are all about. With four-leaf clovers posted on the walls, green top hats floating through the halls, and an assortment of treats and green beverages to soothe our taste buds, St. Patrick’s Day set the tone for the ever-exciting LIBI Club Day 2014. With the success of the fundraisers and holiday events promoted by the various clubs, this year looks very exciting for the young and motivated new students enrolling this semester.
The MC’s next event, on February 8th, was participation in the AHA Macy’s Go Red Passport Day. This was a community service event which brought awareness of women’s heart health issues to patrons at Macy’s in Brooklyn. The MC volunteers distributed informational packets, encouraged women to get their blood pressure checked, cook and eat healthy, exercise, and even learn Hands-Only CPR. Also, as part of a family-friendly event, children of the Medical Club members were “on-stage assistants” to the educational seminars and fashion shows. They encouraged all generations to participate in healthier lifestyles. For the March 4th luncheon, LIBI students from all majors assisted the AHA in prepping the venue with healthcare literature, gifts for auction, and luncheon decoration. Several students were assigned as hospitality greeters and auction registrars. Others ushered guests to their correct seats. Some students were assistants to the vendors who were marketing their products, while a few were helping in the audio/video setup to ease communications for the various teams. It was an exciting time for all to serve an amazing cause. So much to do in such a short time.
I have been fortunate to be a part of something that will help not only me in future endeavors but also those students that want to get involved in something outside of their academic responsibilities: Marketing club for the visionaries and the artistic students; a medical club for those of us with the drive to help others in need; the Homeland Security Club for protectors, veterans, and those who aspire to have a future in law enforcement; the Multicultural Club integrating the many strains of diversity of the culture we live in. These are just a few of the many clubs run and operated by the students of LIBI continuing to grow and help us to become better and better as we find our way through the struggles of everyday life. Club Day isn’t just about what students can do for the school, but it’s mostly about what we can do for each other.
AHA Events
- By Mario Lijoso
The LIBI Medical Club (MC) rallied LIBI students to join forces with the American Heart Association (AHA) to raise awareness and funds to support education and research programs specifically targeted to address heart disease and stroke in women. The LIBI students supported the 2014 Go Red for Women luncheon to continue its tradition of excellence as the premier healthcare charity luncheon in the country. With over 1300 guests in attendance, spanning top representation from the social, medical, corporate, and pharmaceutical communities in New York City, the Go Red for Women luncheon is expected to raise over $1,400,000 in 2014 for research and education aimed at fighting heart disease and stroke in women.
The Medical Club has begun its AHA partnership to raise school awareness about heart disease. So began the LIBI Wear Red Week on February 3-7. The MC Executive Committee of Elidia Bernard, Martha Lozada, and Rosa Blanco, raised money and educated LIBI students and faculty about the crisis arising from the leading cause of death among women in the United States.
The mission of the Medical Club is to have students that are enrolled in any of the programs offered at LIBI to come together for help and support with others who share the same interests. The club offers study groups, certification prep, industry networking, rėsumė writing skills, dressing for success tips, business networking, and community service directly related to working in a variety of medical and health facilities. Please join the regular MC meetings on Wednesdays 12-1 p.m. and 5 p.m. – 6 p.m. in the Annex building, Room 109, and become a part of all the action.
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LIBI’s Stellar Stars (Shining Stars of the First Quarter of the Year)
- By Frederick Green, Flushing student
When I was first asked to write an article celebrating our student advisors here at Long Island Business Institute, I initially wanted to say no, not because I didn’t want to but because I didn’t think I could find words perfect enough to describe a group of such extraordinary people. Then I thought to just share how they made an impact in my life. Now, I’ve been to many parts of this country and the world, literally meeting thousands of people along the way. Life has taken me through so many experiences, all which I’ve learned to appreciate and grow from. But as life is happening, you realize at some point that out of all the people you come across, very few actually care about your overall well-being. I can honestly say that of all the places I have been, the student advisors’ office on the 5th floor of the main building is one of my favorite destinations. That may sound a bit crazy, but if you ever want to meet some people that genuinely care, just go see our amazing student advisors Karin, Mark, Marsha, and Sam. If you look past the green or purple slips we get handed from our professors, maybe you’ll see what I see in them. Hopefully, you’ll see more because they definitely see more in us as students and as people in general. There have been so many times when I didn’t want to finish my education here at LIBI. I wanted to just quit, and I did for a few semesters, but I’d always get a call from one of the advisors pushing me to keep going. Sometimes they’d say things I didn’t necessarily want to hear, but it would end up being exactly what I needed to hear. They got me to come back, and since then, I’ve spent plenty of time in the student advisors’ office, and I’ve seen many students go in and out of there. I sat and observed Karin help students create schedules to their liking, no matter how long it took; I watched as Mark would advise students and still make time to tutor when asked; Marsha has played an instrumental part in getting students to continue their education after LIBI; and I’ve seen the passion in Sam’s eyes as she told students how much she believes in them. We students aren’t the easiest bunch to deal with. The amount of commitment and dedication displayed by this team of individuals is immeasurable and unsurmountable. So to Karin, Mark, Marsha, and Sam, I truly hope that I speak for all LIBI students when I say that your hard work does not go unnoticed, and thank you so much for doing so much.
Editors: F. Magarelli & F. Leone / Manager: J.Aybar / Art Director: Ming Zhang
LIBI New Faces
- By Jhonatan Aybar Welcome Jonathan De Leon to our Campus Information & Visitor Services Team. We are pleased to introduce our new addition to the CIVS department, Jonathan De Leon. Jonathan joined us on March 3rd, 2014, as an administrative assistant at the front desk of the Main Building, Flushing Campus. He has an extensive background in customer service and the necessary charisma to interact effectively with customers. We are proud to say that Jonathan graduated from Long Island Business Institute with an Associate Degree in Business Management last year. He also worked as a front desk assistant under the Federal Work Study Program at LIBI while he was attending school. His approachable manner and the outstanding skills that he demonstrated as a student worker convinced us that he was a suitable candidate for the open position at the front desk. Thank you for the gracious welcome each of you extended to him. Please join us in wishing him a very thriving career at LIBI.
Open Letter to Our Readership
As an editor of our Log (and a novel you can find in our library: Nights with Tito’s Grandson) I give every article at least three readings, and amazingly an error sometimes slips by. This is a phenomenon that teachers often address when explaining to students the importance of proofreading and the need for doing so more than once. In our minds, we know and, therefore, often see what is correct although it isn’t really on the page we are proofreading. This is similar to the mental process that enables us to correct subconsciously substandard grammar and variant pronunciations we hear. This ability enhances our comprehension. This same reflex, however, can hamper our ability to spot errors. Since this paper is ours, all of ours, and even English teachers miss the mark (on the rarest occasions, of course), I thought it would be a good idea to invite the entire LIBI community to participate in the editing process. Practice your editing skills by “looking over my shoulder” so to speak. I will be pleased to hear from anyone who spots an error at libilog@libi.edu. This is regarding actual errors, not content, of course. The editor’s job is to remove obstacles to comprehension without altering the content or style of the author. It is not always such an easy job. See for yourself. Professor Frank Leone Editor