The Pennon - March 2014

MARCH 2014

• A MONTHLY PUBLICATION FOR THE STUDENTS OF NORTH SHORE COMMUNITY COLLEGE, DANVERS, LYNN, & BEVERLY, MASSACHUSETTS • •READ THE PENNON ONLINE AT: NORTHSHORE.EDU/PENNON•

EXERCISE YOUR MIND

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WINDOWS VS.

LINUX

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FINANCIAL AID

FOOTPRINT POWER

ADVICE

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BY JESSIE NOCELLA ENVIRONMENTAL WRITER With so many things going on in this world today it can be hard to decipher what's “right” from what is “wrong” especially when it comes to aspects of protecting our environment. This proves to be true with a local controversy about changing a 60-year-old coalburning factory to a new state of the art natural gas, fire power plant located on Salem Harbor in Salem Massachusetts.

Footprint Power, the company responsible for taking over the plant has high hopes and expectations for creating wind and solar energy and using the natural gas only when “nocarbon sources” can meet the demand. Much like anything in life, there are two opposing forces debating over this up and coming major power source. On

AIR” as well as a dread-headed drummer and a whole army of Go-Green soldiers behind him.

Naturally being my Earth loving self, I laid on my horn and waved excitedly at the passing parade, showing my support for their concern about our diminishing environment.

Later that day I found myself feeling guilty for supporting one group without knowing the intentions of the other and decided to look into Footprint Power and its future plans. I found out that Footprint Power in fact, wasn't trying to pollute Salem anymore than it already was, but to actually produce a better method for future production of energy. On the company’s website, www.footprintpower.com they clearly state their mission statement: “We are independent

doing what we can to reverse our industry's impact on the global community.”

This sounded promising as I found more information saying that natural gas puts out less carbon dioxide and pollutants like nitrogen and sulfur.

Natural Gases are known to burn cleaner than oil or coal production. The only problem is that the process of the natural gas is so dirty that it may just cancel out the positive factors it presents. Nobody seems to agree one hundred percent with natural gas resources but it happens to be a bridge of growth until all energy sources can be replaced by solar or wind production. I found myself rethinking my decision and feeling that this factory could very well be a good addition to Salem and replace an old method of production that has been adding

February 8, 2014, I found myself driving right through the tension of a small group of proFootprint advocators with their signs vs. a mile long march of environmental protesters. As I turned my car down the street the environmentalists had bright posters campaigning “CLEAN AIR” or “WE LOVE FRESH

power industry veterans, adept at evaluating complex situations, identifying opportunities and structuring solutions to address challenges. We are active listeners and straight talkers. Most of all, we are concerned citizens, deeply committed to our planet's future and to

pollutants to the environment.

Maybe in the long run we will regret natural gas because it is a non-renewable resource, but for now we can only hope that the new factory helps us go a little greener and create a more environmentally friendly form of energy production!

RED SOX

BATTERS Page 5

DYNASTY ELECTRIC

DEAN’S CORNER

BY JOHN DUFF DEAN OF ENROLLMENT SERVICES AND STUDENT RECORDS As I type this, the latest snow “event” starts outside the window. Which one is this Quintus? Rex? I’m not sure

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Between a third and a half of all NSCC students take a summer class while at North Shore Community College.

With the average time that it takes to get a degree slowly creeping up, students should take advantage of every oppor-

NORTH SHORE COMMUNITY COLLEGE’S REGISTRATION BUILDING tunity to move closer to complewhen we decided that we needtion. The question is what to ed to start naming snow storms. take?

By the time you read this perFor some students the haps we’ve moved on to snow answer is easy. Each year many storm Vulcan, Wiley or Zephyr. students find themselves 1 or 2 Fortunately, we have a cure for classes short in their final anyone who is sick of winter. semester and are able to use that For those of you who need a first Summer Session to satisfy reminder that warmer days are their final degree requirements. coming, I offer this: Summer According to NSCC’s Associate Registration. Yes, even as the Registrar, Mel Potoczak, a cousnow continues to pile up outple of hundred students find side we are already planning for they are able to finish their the warm days of summer. degree each year over the sumStudents can begin planning mer. their summer schedule on The trick, is making March 5 when the catalog goes sure that the needed courses will up for viewing on the web. be offered. If you find yourself Registration begins the followclose to getting your degree, but ing week, on March 12. Have not quite there, take a look at the you thought yet about how summer catalog and see if what you’ll spend your summer you need is going to be offered. term?

In some cases, even if the Many students use the course isn’t offered, Program summer months to complete Directors will work with one or those final credits they need to two students who are close to graduate, to re-take that class completion to arrange an indethey withdrew from, or to use pendent study or a suitable subthose 6 or 10 weeks to focus on stitute course. The key for stuone course at a time rather than dents in this situation is to work juggle the demands of multiple with their advisor or Program classes. How could you best use Director early to make arrangethe Summer Term to keep moving towards your goals?

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DEAN’S CORNER

PAGE 2 – NSCC PENNON

CONTINUED

BY JOHN DUFF DEAN OF ENROLLMENT SERVICES AND STUDENT RECORDS ments.

Other students use the summer to stay on track towards timely completion. A student pursuing a two year degree while juggling work and family commitments may find it difficult to complete the five courses required each semester in order to finish in two years. Using the summer to take one or two courses builds in a little wiggle room in case they need to retake a course or take a lighter load in the fall.

The key with any academic planning is to work with an advisor who understands your academic goals and can help you plan a sequence of coursework that helps you reach those goals. FSN 210, Brewing Science and Other Fermentations may seem like the perfect summer course, but you may need to check twice to make sure it applies to your program of study. If you need help choosing classes, check in with your academic advisor, your program director, or an academic counselor in the Student Support and Advising Center.

The summer can be a great time to focus on something fun – and for every student this may look a little different. Maybe the perfect summer course for you involves studying Marine Biology, while someone else can’t wait to immerse themselves in IDS205 Community Problems and Social Issues. The summer catalog, while leaner than the Fall and Winter/Spring terms, still has plenty to choose from including yoga classes, a class on local literary legend Nathaniel Hawthorne, or a History Study-Travel Seminar.

The latter, a first time offering, involves travel abroad to study World War I and European Culture.

Whenever you plan on graduating, and whatever your academic interests, our summer catalog should have something useful for you, particularly if you begin planning now. For more information on summer registration, summer financial aid, payment options and course offerings, consult North Shore Community College’s website at northshore.edu/summer. And get ready for tropical storm season!

BY CALVIN JAVIER GIL EDITOR IN CHIEF The operating systems Windows and Linux have, in general, a number of considerable differences, all of which are either positive or negative.

Among the more significant of these differences includes the different types of hardware these operating systems run on, the software available for each operating system, the file systems used by each operating system, and the relative security

tives, but its positives outweigh these negatives.

Linux is able to run a very wide range of hardware, including, but not limited to, desktop computers, server operating systems, computer clusters, mainframes, and embedded systems. Windows, on the other hand, runs on a much narrower limited range of hardware; it is limited to running on personal computers, mobile devices, server computers and embedded devices. This gives Linux a

Windows vs Linux Pros and Cons

of each operating system. From what I can tell, it seems as though it would be in our best interest to switch to Linux. It does have its fair share of nega-

clear advantage, as it means that Linux is a more flexible operating system that can be used on almost all of the machines we would need it for, allowing us to CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

FINANCIAL AID ADVICE Financial Aid Opportunities

By Lydia Wahl Pennon Staff Paying for college is a constant struggle. It is difficult for students to hold down a job and study full time. Student must always be on the look out for new ways to pay for college.

Getting a scholarship is one way of paying for school but according to gocollege.com “The odds can be as low as 1 in 10,000 for the most highly publicized competitions.” However, there are a few government funds that are available to anyone and a new website that makes it easier to apply for multiple scholarships.

Applying for FAFSA at the beginning of each academic year is the best way to fund your education and communicate directly with your school’s financial aid office. FAFSA is a Free Application For Federal Student Aid. It needs to be filled out at the beginning of each year and will request your tax information for the previous year. Filling it out at the beginning of the year will not only fulfill the deadline but will also make aid available for all

semesters of the academic year including the summer. This aid is also based on whether you are a full time or part time student.

There will be aid available no matter what your circumstance is and any bit can help. Even if you are not paying for your education your parents will thank you for the help. In fact, they can fill it out themselves with their tax information. At the end of the form you can request which schools you would like your aid information sent. If you are finishing at North Shore this spring and starting at Salem State in the fall the aid information will be available to both schools. FAFSA is also the website that determines loan amounts. FAFSA provides “more than $150 billion in federal grants, loans, and workstudy funds each year to more than 15 million students paying for college or career school.”

Financial aid is also based on your academic progress. Good grades can make more aid available to you. No matter what your situation is FAFSA will have something available to you.

Another way to pay for school is scholarships, although this can be a tedious path. The likelihood of winning a scholarship is slim but worth your time because of the practice it can give you. It will also help with likelihood because so many students do not want to write essays. Dosomething.org is a new scholarship website that has so far been an essay free.

Instead of writing, this website gets you aware of issues in our society. Currently you can be entered for a scholarship by creating Valentine’s Day cards for seniors. This summer there was

one for texting and driving which entailed taking a creative picture with texting thumb guards that they would send you and then posting the picture on Instagram. There are several things like this you can do to enter a scholarship on dosomething.org.

Although I am all for dosomething.org there is something you can get out of doing essays. Because they are harder to attain they can look good on your resume. The summer is a good time to do scholarship work because you will have extra time and it will keep you writing. The best website I have found for this is fastweb.com.

This website will match you up with scholarships based on your strengths and extracurricular activities. They have over three billion dollars in scholarship funds and they are backed by several credible sources.

Another way to get money for school is Massachusetts Grants. FAFSA will enter you for some grants under certain conditions, “You must be enrolled in 6-11 credits and have lived in Massachusetts for the preceding 12 months.

You may be required to submit proof of residency”. The PELL Grant is one of the grants FAFSA can find for you and is one of the only grants available for students taking less than six credits. Go to your local library to find grants to apply for.

People or groups in your area can create a grant for fields they are enthusiastic about. They are often available for people pursuing a Medical or Educational field. The North Shore Financial Aid Office has more information on this and other methods of paying for school.

What You Should Know Applying for Financial Aid

BY SUSAN SULLIVAN FINANCIAL AID ADVISOR

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is now available for students applying for financial aid for Fall 2014. The FAFSA is the first step in applying for financial aid from all sources: federal, state and institutional funds. Complete it online at www.fafsa.ed.gov.

The FAFSA provides colleges with the information they need to determine your eligibility for grants and waivers (free money), student loans (money that must be repaid) and federal work-study (money you can earn working part-time on campus).

Completing the FAFSA is free, but you will need to electronically sign the application using a federal PIN number. Apply for your PIN early at www.pin.edu.gov.

NSCC’s school code is 002173.

NSCC requires only the FAFSA. To receive the maximum aid available to you, it is important that you submit your FAFSA by May 1st.

Filing out the FAFSA has become easier: The IRS Data Retrieval Toll (DRT) allows you to pull financial information into the FAFSA directly from the Internal Revenue Service. To use this tool, you must wait two weeks after filing your federal return electronically, or six to eight weeks if you are filing by mail.

To use DRT, you must have a tax filing status of single, married filing jointly, or head of household.

Upon receiving your FAFSA, NSCC’s Student Financial Services Office will provide you with a financial aid award letter that details the types and amount aid you are eligible for. Your award may include student loans, which you are not required to accept.

Declining even a small portion of your loan offer will make a big difference in your monthly repayment upon graduation.

More information about financial aid can be found at www.northshore.edu/ financial-services/. Please contact Student Financial Services in person at both the Danvers and Lynn campuses or at sfs@northshore.edu.

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SLICE OF CULTURE

HEALTHCARE IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

BY KATHRYN BONOCORE CONTRIBUTING WRITER My interest in the healthcare system in the Dominican Republic comes from working at Collins Middle School in Salem. Many of our students and staff are from D.R. and I thought it would be interesting to do a little research into their healthcare system and learn about how our healthcare systems differ.

We all know that here in the U.S., private health insurance is mandatory for those of us who work and must be provided through our employers.

Public health insurance, for those who cannot work, is offered through our government. Both insurances offer individual plans and family plans. Most of us in the U.S. have a primary care physician who takes care of our preventative and sick care. If we need a specialist, we receive a referral.

Our insurance will cover preventative care 100%. For sick visits, we must pay a copayment and/or deductible. If we have a good insurance plan, we have coverage for dental and prescriptions. Unfortunately, if you are lower-middle class, it is very difficult to get affordable coverage. I believe that this is being addressed through the Healthcare Reform Act. I am not going to touch upon this as it is extremely complicated, and I cannot even pretend to understand it. What I do know is that the reform is trying to make insurance coverage available for everyone at an affordable cost.

BY PAMELA FERNANDEZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER

In many Hispanic and Mediterranean cultures, the belief in "Mal De Ojo" or "Evil Eye" is quite common. Mal De Ojo is a folk illness primarily affecting children and infants.

The evil eye can have many causes, but primarily is a manifestation of energy. Many cultures believe it is able to cause injury or misfortune for reasons of envy or dislike. It is believed that an admiring look or a stare can weaken the child leading to bad luck, sickness and even death. It is believed that it is caused either intentionally or unintentionally by the stare of someone who envies or admires the victim without touching him or her. The term also refers to the power attributed to certain persons of inflicting injury or bad luck by such an envious or ill-wishing look.

If you are under the

Care in the U.S. begins, hopefully, before birth and continues at regular intervals after.

Everything from immunizations, which begin before you even leave the hospital, to screenings. Nutrition and development are part of our regular care in childhood and follow us into adulthood, though the level of care and reasons for screenings change. I feel that we have a pretty good healthcare system and I hope that the changes to come will be for the better and allow all to have coverage.

Healthcare in the Dominican Republic is very different from ours. They do not have traditional health insurance like ours. Offered to their citizens are (1) government health services through Social Security payments, (2) and a plan called an Iguala, is purchased on an individual basis. Payments are made monthly to a certain clinic, which agrees to provide all the medical services that you need at no additional cost.

Problems can arise if you need any type of specialist that is not available at your particular clinic. You may need to go elsewhere and will have no coverage at other facilities. True medical insurance plans come in various types. One type will reimburse you for your expenses but you must pay your bills in cash at the time of service.

Another type of insurance resembles ours in the way that you will pay just a portion of each bill though there is a small list of doctors and clinics that accept this. And, lastly, you may choose to purchase insur-

MAL DE OJO evil eye it can result in physical and emotional symptoms. A person under the influence of evil eye start to feel nervous, scared and agitated without cause, and then will have physical symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, diarrhea, and headaches. There may also be a constant feeling of tightness in the chest, like a bad feeling. In young adults the evil eye manifests as loss of appetite, fever, insomnia, chills, and inability to concentrate. It is said that in infants and children, Mal De Ojo causes uncontrollable crying without apparent cause, diarrhea, skin rashes, and nightmare.

In my country, the Dominican Republic, our beliefs are that as soon as a child is born, we put a bracelet called "Azabache". It has a tiny black fist hanging from it. We usually put it on the child's wrist or ankle. This bracelet is supposed

ance directly from the companies at the same price offered to your employer. There is a good chance you will have to pay for a year in advance rather than benefiting from a monthly payment schedule. There are three different medical systems in this country. The first is a socialized system, mainly for the indigent and extremely poor. The theory

vide for free. Pharmacists play a huge role in medical care in the D.R. This is where a patient will get supplies and medicine needed for care that they then bring to the clinic with them. Many medications are available without prescriptions and can be purchased directly from the pharmacist. The government does sell low cost generic brand

MONROE COLLEGE STUDENTS DISTRIBUTING HEALTH CARE IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

is that the government provides free medical care to anyone who walks into the appropriate medical facilities, such as a clinic.

This system is far from adequate though it does meet some needs such as providing vaccinations and supplies for infant rehydration. There is a lack of facilities, trained personnel and medicines. Patients may be required to pay for materials and for prescriptions, which in many cases, is just unaffordable. Most medications are imported and they are much too expensive to pro-

pharmaceuticals at its Promese Boticas Populares (drugstores), but it is not unusual for them to have none in supply. The second type of system is the Social Security system for those workers who earn less than RD $4,000 per month. I could not find accurate translation for this but what I did find stated it is about $100.00 per month. This system is also far from adequate, though some clinics offer good services. Those who have alternative medical insurance can also take advantage of ben-

efits such as the provision of free milk. Social Security only provides coverage for the workers themselves and just maternity services for spouses; children are not covered. The third consists of private clinics, which are in reality, hospitals, providing The fee for service care. wealthy citizens of the D.R utilize this service. Here you will find state of the art equipment and premium services.

The insurance coverage in D.R. is kind of similar to ours, except for the fact that family coverage is not available to all. The cost can be outrageous for the citizens to get the care that is needed. For us, if a family member is sick or needs care, we take them to their physician and care begins. They receive what is needed whether it is tests such as CAT scans or MRIs to medications and specialist. This is not an option in the D.R. unless you are wealthy, and I feel that is a shame. To have a sick child and not be able to provide what is needed to help them get better is just awful. I can now understand why so many immigrate solely for the healthcare that is offered here in the United States. I have seen it with my own eyes. There have been a few children at the school I work at whose fate would have been much different if they did not get the medical care needed that they received here.

WORKS CITED: HTTP://WWW.NEWCABARETE.COM /DOMINICAN-REPUBLIC-HEALTHCARE-SYSTEM/

to push away evil and protect them from Mal De Ojo. It is said that if the black fist falls off the bracelet it means that somebody was doing Mal De Ojo on the child and it fell off to prevent the baby from having any symptoms that comes from it. A common cure is to pass a raw egg over the child's body to absorb the negative energy. Mal De Ojo is believed to be a simple superstition to a lot of people, but it has been described since the Middle Ages, and is a common belief found in Latin America and also in Muslim countries.

WORKS CITED:

HTTP://VOXXI.COM/2013/03/01/C

URANDEROS-MAL-DE-OJO/

HTTP://WWW.MEDICALSPANISH.C

OM / CULTURAL - TOPICS / MAL - DE OJO.HTML

HTTP://WWW.LUCKYMOJO.COM/E

VILEYE.HTML

AZABACHE

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BY LYDIA WAHL PENNON FACULTY American legal tender received an overhaul equipping each bill with new security features.

The website, www.newmoney.gov, where you can virtually tour the new bills, was created to inform the public of the new protective measures. There are several features that make the 100-dollar bill America’s most secure note and similar measures are used to protect every US dollar.

A blue 3D trimming and an inkwell with The Liberty Bell inside are just two of the things that keep the 100 bill safe.

Although America’s largest bill has the highest security all US currency has existing and new features to prevent replication.

NEW MONEY This ribbon has its own design of alternating pattern of “USA”s and “100”s. On the presidential side of the bill, a lower right hand 100 is printed in gold letters and will change into green when slanted, similar to the Liberty Bell. For quicker recognition of the bill a largely printed 100 is placed on the other side. There is also micro printing lining Franklin’s collar, the quill, and around the space for a lit up Benjamin Franklin. The final feature is raised with intaglio printing creating a rough feel on the Franklin’s shoulder. Raised printing has made American money traditionally distinguishable. The more interchangeable bills have also received new features.

The smaller bills have six defensive features. The five

ferent bills. The only bill that has remained unchanged is the dollar.

For a long time, many features have protected the dollars value. The Federal Reserve Bank Seal is printed with a reserve name and letter, specific to that note. There is also printed “A combination of eleven numbers and letters twice on the front of the note.” After the 1969 series, an English inscription appeared on the new U.S Treasury Seal. In tradition with other notes the dollar features raised printing creating a coarse feeling on President Washington. The bill is printed on approximately “one-fourth linen and three-fourths cotton,” and intertwined with red and blue threads.

George Washington is printed on what

FORMER 100 DOLLAR BILL

At first glance the 3D ribbon across the 100-dollar bill is decorated with several little Liberty Bells. When tilted, the bells change to multiple 100s.

The weaving of the ribbon onto the bill helps prevent the distribution of counterfeit money and ensure financial security.

Reproduction of the 100’s and bells would be challenging as they have a different pattern of reflection based on them being moved side to side or back and forth. The Liberty Bell, placed in a copper ink well provides protection with another tricky to replicate function. The Liberty Bell, when angled, will match the green US Treasury seal.

When tilted back the Liberty Bell returns to copper, creating the illusion of invisibility in the ink well. When held to the light, a second Benjamin Franklin appears right below the quill in an empty space to the right of the Treasury seal. A second, less visible ribbon will appear in ultraviolet light as a pink vertical line adjacent to the blue one.

NEWLY RELEASED 100 DOLLAR BILL is the only one without color shifting ink and the only other bill, beside the 100, with larger visual assistive print. All other bills, including the new 100 note have color shifting, that change to another color gradually or when tilted. Each of the other bills has a security thread that runs up the different sides depending on its monetary value. All American bills have small printing of their numerical value scattered on both sides.

The watermark is probably the most well known defensive feature; each bill has a smaller portrait of its featured historical figure that appears in the light on both sides. Each figure has also been adjusted to have a higher portrait with broadened shoulders and outlining lines have been removed. There are also several symbols of freedom decorating American bills depending on their denomination. The American seal, with an eagle and shield, a small torch, the US Treasury seal and occasionally stars from our countries flag all appear on dif-

is considered the front of a dollar and The United States seal on its back. With these guaranteed measures in place, the Treasury does not plan on making any changes. The Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act also prohibits redesigning the dollar. The design of the dollar has not changed since 1963. It is considered to have a low risk of counterfeit.

As credit accounts become less and less secure our cash is adapting into a financial safety net. Using cash is one way to prevent bank accounts from being hacked and maintain privacy. People can help keep US bills secure and uphold their value, “Even with the most technologically advanced security features, it is you – the educated user of U.S. currency – who continues to be the first and best line of defense against counterfeiting.” Knowing the signs of a secure note will protect people from unexpected financial losses.

ANIMAL EXPERIMENTATION AT SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY

BY KRISTINE DOLL KALIN CHAMBERLAIN CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

AND

It has recently come to the attention of the Salem State Philosophy Club that Salem State University uses animals in certain courses on campus and when these animals are no longer needed for the course, they are killed. Imagine that you attend a state university, where the cost of attendance is approximately $12,000 per academic year. After attending this school for years and paying your tuition and student fees you find out the university you are attending uses animals in behavioral experiments. This university is using your money to purchase and house about fifteen Norwegian White Rats each year, and at the end of each year every one of the rats is killed.

After much investigation from the Salem State Philosophy Club and many concerned students and faculty members all that has been discovered is that the course that uses and kills the Norwegian White Rats is an elective psychology course titled Psychology 431. This course is not required for graduation and does not even use the rats to provide new and significant scientific evidence to the scientific community. The rats are subject to behavioral experiments in which they are trained to perform or react in certain ways.

The methods in which the rats are utilized are monotonous and already well-proven. This means that the rats are simply pushed to perform in ways that the scientific community has already proven they can do, time and time again. After these rats are forced to perform in such derogatory and demeaning ways, and after the rats have formed an emotional bond with the student who is experimenting on them, they are gassed to death.

Morally how can a person let this happen or be a part of this? Innocent animals are subjected to meaningless experiments that hold little to no scientific value and are gassed to death when they are done being manipulated. Why can’t these animals simply be adopted after the experiments? Well, this question was asked and has not been answered by the department responsible for the experiments on the animals. This department claims that since the rats have been experimented on that it would be illegal to adopt them out into the public.

However throughout investigation no such law was found; in

fact we have discovered that rats are not covered under federal litigation and do not count under animal protection laws.

What gives anyone the right to deem a living and sentient being unworthy of moral and legal protection? Another question asked by the Philosophy Club, students and faculty was why can’t we use virtual programming like other schools? The department claimed that doing so would result in non-scientific results. However in reference to Barbara Stagno’s article that was supposed to be published in the Salem State Log “the drug industry has recognized the widespread failure of using animals to test the safety and efficacy of drugs for human use, noting that 95% of drugs that enter clinical trials do not make it to the market, despite the promise seen in animals during the development phase. . . In education the trend away from using animals as stand-ins for humans can be seen dramatically in medical schools, with 97% of all U.S. medical schools now utilizing alternatives to animal training programs. [Of the 159 medical schools in the U.S., all but five are using non-animal labs.] Studies show that when given the choice, students choose non-animal labs over live animal exercises. Research in this area has also shown that many students experience stress when being forced to harm live animals, which interferes with their ability to learn (Stagno)”.

So why should a student at North Shore care about the death of animals at a different university? Firstly one should identify that it is morally reprehensible to let an innocent animal die. These rats have done nothing wrong and they are highly intelligent and sentient beings who do not deserve to be treated like tools.

Secondly the use of animals, according to Stagno’s article, fails seeing as 95% of the drugs tested on them never even make it to the market. This is a waste of resources and of life, further testing should be done before these dangerous medications are ever brought near any living creature. Thirdly, Salem State is a state school which means tax payer money funds the school along with tuition and fees from students. Your tax dollars are being used to degrade living animals and kill them because they are no longer deemed useful for “science”. To protest the use of animals at Salem State University please write a letter to Salem State, tell the people you know about this horrible occurrence or even be willing to adopt an animal into your home.

THE SPORTS HAYES:

PAGE 5 – NSCC PENNON

WHO THE HECK ARE YOU? THE TOP 10 MOST OBSCURE RED SOX BATTERS OF THE 2000’S

BY KEVIN HAYES SPORTS WRITER About a year ago I wrote a column containing the Top 10 Most Obscure Red Sox Pitchers of the previous decade.

Now it is time to look at some of the batters that nobody remembers. Great offense is hard to find, for every David Ortiz there is a Julio Lugo. For every Ted Williams there’s a Darren Lewis. Not to say Julio and Darren were lousy players (Darren played great defense in the outfield), but certainly not many remember them. Well here is a list of ten batters that would make Darren and Julio seem like Ted Williams and David Ortiz. As I did with the pitchers, I do not include stars that didn't pan out or guys that had long careers despite failing in Boston. These are the guys only the smartest of fans can remember; blink and you miss them.

Number 10: Andy Sheets Nomar Garcia Parra was the man in Boston from 1996 to 2004. He was their superstar shortstop and from 9703 was one of the top players in the game. Unfortunately, he was so good the ownership wasn’t prepared for what would happen if he got hurt and in late April of 2000, he would. Even though he wouldn’t be out for too long he was still out. The Sox turned to 28-year-old utility infielder Andy Sheets. Andy didn’t have the most reliable bat but backed up Alex Rodriguez in Seattle plus future Pawtucket Red Sox manager Gary Disarcina in Anaheim. He came to Boston looking to back up Nomar but instead he became a laughing stock. He was hitless in his first 16 at bats. He did have one moment of glory, replacing the injured Garcia Parra, his first hit of the season brought in the goahead run on May 11, 2000 against the Baltimore Orioles which held up for a victory.

After that, Nomar got healthy and proceeded to hit .372 for the season; no one has come close to that in the 13 years following.

As for Sheets, he was finished in Boston but would play for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays the following two seasons before calling it quits. He may have had a lifetime batting average of .216 but he did get one moment of glory.

Number 9: Calvin Pickering What a name. The hefty Calvin had bounced around the majors and minors throughout the late 90’s but he had one run in him. The 2001 Red Sox fell apart amidst crippling injuries to Nomar Garcia Parra, Jason Varitek and Pedro Martinez. Noted pains in the butt Carl Everett and Manny Ramirez were acting up and manager Jimmy Williams got the heave-ho. Interim manager Joe Kerrigan, had the respect of no one, not even Tim Wakefield. With the season falling apart and injuries abound, the Sox played out the string following the terrorists attacks of September 11, 2001.

One fella who stood out was the 6’5 Pickering. In 17 games, Pickering batted .280 with three home runs; seven runs batted in and 14 hits. Pickering and Ramirez saved the Red Sox from going under .500, finishing 82-79. There was talk that Pickering could compete with Brian Daubach for the first basemen’s job in 2002 but a season ending injury wiped that idea out. By the time 2003 rolled around the Sox had moved on, signing Jeremy Giambi, David Ortiz and Kevin Millar. Pickering made a valiant comeback in 2004 with the Kansas City Royals, playing in 35 games and hitting seven home runs. His career ended after just seven games the following season. Still, a threeweek period where he almost carried the Red Sox offense and coming back from serious injury three years later is admirable.

Number 8: Bryant Nelson In 2002, the Red Sox were looking to regain respectability after the disaster the previous season. They played way over their heads for most of the season before crashing down to earth in September.

They still managed to win 93 games but both the New York Yankees and the Oakland A’s

won 103 games apiece. Along the way the Sox tried everything to spark their lineup from the rejuvenated Carlos Baerga to 43-year-old Rickey Henderson to Tampa Bay folk hero Benny Agbayani. At one point 28-yearold Bryant Nelson, a career minor leaguer got his shot.

Nelson wasn’t hyped up to be anything special and he didn’t play like it either. Supposedly speedster, Nelson stole only one base, walked just four times and had just nine hits in 39 at-bats.

Unlike the previous two, Nelson didn’t assist in any game winning plays and he was gone shortly after. Only the most hardcore of Red Sox fans would have known he was there and when he was gone.

Number 7: Andy Abad The term “career minor leaguer” is usually dignified for players that spend virtually their entire career in the minor leagues. They had the talent to make it to Triple but just didn’t have the talent to compete at the major league level. Anyways, Abad personified this. The 2003 Red Sox sparked a re-birth in fan interest that’s still there today, 3 World Series championships since then helps, and they had some colorful characters on the team. As it is with every team, injuries and ineffectiveness lead to replacements having to come up from the minors along the way. Abad was 31 years old by the time he got the call in 2003 and had just one, yes ONE, game of major league experience previously.

Abad played in nine games but only had two hits in 17 at bats before going back to Pawtucket.

He bounced around the minors before having a cup of coffee (term for short term appearance) with the Cincinnati Reds in 2006. Again, if you blinked, you missed him.

Number 6: Andy Dominique

The 2004 Red Sox broke an 86-year-old phony curse and won the World Series for the first time since 1918.

Along the way injuries paved the way for a few guys to make some guest appearances. One of them was 3rd string catcher Andy Dominique. With Jason Varitek and Doug Mirabelli patrolling the plate, they tried Dominique at first base. He played in seven games but had just two hits and committed an error. He was left off the postseason roster and signed with Toronto the following season.

He played in just two games and that was it in the big leagues.

When you get a shot in the big leagues and you fumble the ball, chances are you won’t get that many future chances.

Number 5: Shawn Wooten The 2005 Red Sox was the end of the “idiots” so to speak. The group of guys we fell in love with in 2003 would be dissolved by the end of the 05 season. Along the way the Red Sox had some catching woes with the decline of Doug Mirabelli. For one game, they called up Shawn Wooten.

Shawn was a backup catcher/DH/first basemen for the Anaheim Angels and Philadelphia Phillies before signing a minor league contract with the Red Sox. He got in just 1 game in 2005 and went hitless in his only at bat before getting sent back down to Triple A, never to resurface in the majors.

Once again, if you weren’t watching the game he was in, chances are you didn’t even know he was there.

Number 4: Corky Miller The 2006 Red Sox fell apart amidst injuries and an ago-

nizing five game series loss to the New York Yankees in August. As with Shawn Wooten, Corky Miller got his one game of sunshine with the Red Sox. Miller had been a serviceable backup since 2000 but went hitless in his four atbats before getting sent down to Triple A. Unlike most of the others, Miller hung around the majors for 4 more years after. In the end Miller played in 216 games in the majors but just one with the Red Sox. Another blink and you missed him.

Number 3: Joe Thurston The bronze medal goes to Joe here. He had 55 games of major league experience before hooking on with the 2008 Red Sox. He played in nine games in 2008 and went hitless, although he was hit with a pitch once.

After being sent back down to Triple A, he signed with the St. Louis Cardinals for the 2009 season. Out of nowhere he became an every day starter, playing third and second base in 124 games. He hit just .225 but going into the season he only had 64 games of major league experience and he nearly doubled it. He made one more vanity appearance for the Florida (now Miami) Marlins in 2011 but that was it. Sometimes, a few guys just need a chance to start to prove dependable. Joe just wasn’t going to get it in Boston with Mike Lowell, Kevin Youkilis and Dustin Pedroia around.

Number 2: Aaron Bates The silver medal winner is Aaron Bates. Bates was

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THE SPORTS HAYES: CONTINUED

one of the 2007 Lancaster Jethawks “Killer B’s”. There was Bates, Bubba Bell and Brad Correll. Along with Zach Daeges and Scott White, all five of them hit over 20 home runs and set offensive records for the California League. Two years later Bates got his chance for the 2009 Red Sox. Unfortunately, it was proven that Lancaster was just a hitter’s park as none of the guys that reached the majors showed any kind of power displayed in Lancaster. Bates was no exception, as he did not homer in twelve plate appearances in five games. He hasn’t appeared in the majors since although he’s still currently with the Los Angeles Dodgers minor league system.

Number 1: Niuman Romero Gold medal goes to Romero (no relation to Ed).

Unlike most of the others, Romero had a chance to be a hero for a day. He was purchased from the Cleveland Indians on May 1st and spent time with Triple A. A rash of injuries prompted the Sox to call up Romero on July 6th and he was thrust into a big situation right away. The Sox were in Tampa to play the Rays and Kevin Youkilis left with an injury, leaving Romero hitting behind David Ortiz. An Eric Patterson RBI triple brought the Sox within one run at 3-2 with two outs in the ninth. In stepped Romero who barely anyone knew he was on the roster, and now the game is in his hands.

Unfortunately he made the final out and the Sox lost. He played in one more game during the season but that was it. Like Andy Sheets, he had a chance to be a hero for a day but he failed.

Oh well, the 2010 season was doomed anyway.

Honorable mention: I reserved this spot because of all the names that qualified, there were some that caught my eye with something interesting. So in this honorable mention, it’s an honor to mention some of the accomplishments these guys had.

Earl Snyder: He played in just 1 game in 2004 (a game I attended actually) and had just 1 hit. His best accomplishment was in Pawtucket where he hit 36 home runs that year. He may not have had an impact in the big leagues but 36 home runs for a team that went 78-66 goes a long way.

Ed Sprague Jr.: Since this is just an honorable mention, I’ll forego the “no stars” rule. Sprague was the starting 3rd basemen for the 1993 World Series champion Toronto Blue Jays and had some great years for the team. By 2000, he was all washed up but that didn’t stop Red Sox general manager from sacrificing future major leaguers Dennis Tankersley and David Eckstein (2002 Anaheim Angels won the world series with him starting) to get him on June 30th. They wanted him because John Valentin blew his knee out and Wilton Veras proved ineffective. Sprague was even worse than Veras as he hit just .216 before being released in August. He did have one moment of glory. A home run in mid July caused my 50-year-old father to throw himself on the ground in mock fainting because Ed actually did something good.

Craig Grebeck: One of the biggest cases of career evaporation ever. Craig had a solid career as a backup infielder with the Chicago White Sox and Toronto Blue Jays before being signed as a backup shortstop to Nomar Garciaparra before the 2001 season. He had just come off a 2000 season where he batted .295 in 66 games. The problem was Nomar was hurt in spring training so Grebeck would be the opening day starter. He then proceeded to get just TWO hits in 41 at bats in 23 games before manager Jimmy Williams pulled the plug. The silver lining was he didn’t commit an error although his batting average stood at .049 by the end of the season. Better than Bluto Blutarsky’s 0.0 but still terrible.

You can make the case he was 36 and past his prime but to go from serviceable to completely useless at bat is astonishing.

NEW COUNSELORS AT NORTH SHORE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

The Student Support and Advising Center is pleased to announce the addition of two trained counselors to assist with crisis intervention, brief counseling, and resources for students.

On the Lynn campus, Debbie Campbell is a master’s level mental health counselor who has recently joined the NSCC family.

Debbie comes to NSCC with over 12 years of work experience within the mental health field. She is familiar with the Lynn area, and is looking forward to re-building the local community resource connections to assist students with their various needs.

On the Danvers campus, Donna Davis is a licensed mental health counselor with over 13 years of experience, most of which have been at NSCC. Her specialties are self-esteem building, anxiety, grief and loss, transitions and adjusting, and relationships and families. Referrals from faculty are welcomed. Students may stop by the Center, call, or email either counselor to discuss personal issues that may be interfering with their academics.

DEBBIE CAMPBELL AND DONNA DAVIS

CONTACT INFORMATION ON PAGE 13

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ONCE UPON A TIME IN WONDERLAND...

BY LYDIA WAHL PENNON FACULTY After several successful Once Upon A Time seasons the writers took on a new endeavor: Once Upon A Time In Wonderland. Recurring writers Edward Kitsis, Adam Horowitz, Zach Estrin, and Jane Espenson are behind the spin off of this show. Though the stories are related through magic and plots you do not need to watch both to know what is going on. While Once Upon A Time focuses more on the reunion of a family, Wonderland tells the story of several reunited loves. This show also centers more on one fairy tale, the one of Alice in Wonderland and Through The Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll. The show revolves around the main character at an older age that has fallen in love with a genie. Her separation from him is what sparks the adventure back to Wonderland from the asylum to which her father and stepmother had sent her. The Knave of Hearts and The White Rabbit help rescue her and return to Wonderland.

Alice is more formidable and mature of a character than she is known for in her tale.

Armed with determination and logic, she is also handy with a sword and knows exactly what she wants. Cyrus, who is a genie and desired by many for the wishes he can grant, is her true love. The many connections between them are what help them find each other again. But that is not the end of their journey; they must both struggle against those attaining his wishes. Alice has many wishes herself and a lack of their use is what keeps him from becoming another’s genie. Alice is very careful with her wishes knowing that using them will give up Cyrus but also that wishes come with a cost. The idea of instantly wishing to be reunited with him is explained by Alice as

that it could be very unfortunate conditions in which he would be returned. Characters must constantly tiptoe around the unpredictable consequences of magic.

This is a consistent caveat following through the two series that “magic always comes with a price.”

As with the original Once Upon a Time, the Wonderland series also falls into other story lines. The plot has aligned The Red Queen with Jafar from Arabian Nights.

So far there has been no appearance of an Aladdin character.

Jafar has an interesting story to tell twisted with The Sultan’s and The Red Queen will leave you guessing until the very end.

Her love for wealth and power and also for The Knave of Hearts gives her questionable motivations. Though the Knave of Hearts is also a questionable character he is more like a Prince of Thieves accompanying Alice through Wonderland.

There are some episodes that place him with Robin Hood and his merry men, displaying his art of thievery but also of betrayal.

He fools several characters including T h e Caterpillar, R o b i n Hood, and Jafar but only really feels guilty w h e n deceiving Alice who he owes a life debt to.

The show has just finished its first season and is still hanging on a decision for season two. According to TVLine, ABC entertainment president, Paul Lee believes that airing the show on Thursdays is something that ruined its exposure.

He believes that if it were aired in the same Sunday spot as Once Upon A Time it would have been more transferrable for the fans. You may think you know these stories but the writers skim the line between creating new scenarios and staying true to the plot of the characters for authenticity giving these stories a new perspective.

FIVE, ONE HIT WONDER’S SONGS TO BE REMEMBERED

By Tripp Carey Contributing Writer Whenever a popular song has been played countless times in our collective consciousness, we usually play the same one or two songs for any artist. Sometimes from a natural business standpoint it’s always about the number one hits or the awards from a given song. We then tend to dismiss various musicians as one hit wonders.

Sometimes justifiably like Simple Minds “Don’t You Forget About Me.” As that’s the only song that is decent of theirs and was what made them successful in the first place being used on a soundtrack to a notable John Hughes movie.

For the rest of these they deserve at least a less harsh title like at least “two hit wonders “or starters of a new sound or trend.

Kajagoogoo (aka Kaja) - Are Most well known for making the soundtrack title of the original The Neverending Story and for their single “Too Shy.” The songs that I love and feel they should be remembered for instead is actually “Turn Your Back on Me” and “Hang On Now” preferably the extended 12” cut album version. Both have music videos, but “Turn Your Back On Me” is a great example of a great 80’s music video, where all the elements lined up just right and create a beautiful juxtaposition of emotions and ideas. The latter song being a little less repetitive but having a nice dreamlike atmosphere that starts off in a cartoon, becomes live action and back to cartoon again, they employed a great drawer. Back on tour now and have made another good new songs, from their 2010 album Gone on the moon, such as “the last day” “table for one” and “smile.”

Rick Astley - Go ahead and laugh, unlike others I’m immune to the rick rolling and actually enjoy his obviously bland commercialized bubblegum pop. Songs that he should be remembered for instead are “Take Me To Your Heart,” “Giving Up On Love,” “Whenever You Need Somebody” excluding the obvious one that gave him second fame as an internet meme. Far from a great singer, at least he gave it his all, poured his heart

out into his work and is now living as a family man in the Mid West, just think of him as a red head cowboy a record company commercialized the hell out of and when things were running slow, escaped out of the fading limelight to get back to real life, an example of a guy who knew when to quit and knew what a sham the music fame was.

Maxi Priest Remembered today and in the sands of time for irresistible “Close To You.” I really always thought he was Bob Marley’s son, not to mention how much they resemble each other in singing and style, but then later realized he wasn’t. But in my imagination assume he is and makes for a funny conversation on your boat, house or at a party and people never realize they are not actually listening to Bob Marley, not that it really matters and very few people probably heard of the name so let’s just Bob Marley Jr./Bob Marley II/Still Bob Marley/ for the sake of the rest of this article and going forward. Anyways, the songs he should be known for as well is “Won’t Let It Slip Away,” “Best Of Me,” “Never Had A Love So Good.” In fact, I’m going to make myself a nice virgin pina colada and chill out the rainbow lights in my living room, slowly pass out while mentally imagining myself on a small sunny island catching sun.

Vanilla Ice - Besides resaying the obvious, the big difference between him and Eminem and why I like the former better is because he never took himself too seriously and kind of is making fun of himself at the same time. The best of his other songs are on the soundtrack and performed on the beyond space and time film, it’s just amazing Cool as Ice, which I enjoy in my spare time.

Nowadays he has taken his rise

and fall with stride, bounced back from the lowest selfdestructive period of his life and has returned as a cult comedy icon who instead of rapping, flips and buys abandoned homes, remodels them and sells then for a profit seen on his tongue in cheek hilarious reality series, the vanilla ice project, recently you can enjoy more of his priceless entertainment starring as the other lead with Andy Samberg and Adam Sandler, in the missed gem That’s My Boy.” Also if your bored, trying to kill time; check out the sound from his mind blowing album Roll Em Up on YouTube, it’s like an afroman album tribute, but before they were even around yet. I just find this guy mindlessly entertaining and whatever this guy does is just really funny. He is a great example of probably the most mismatched profession example ever, had he been a standup comedian/comedic performer instead, he would have been rich right off the bat and stayed that way. It’s his self-awareness of himself that wins my respect for him and his natural thought process when he is interviewed on talk shows how naturally funny he is, but like completely unintentionally and he is not really trying to be which is why it’s great. He is his own walking punch line, no need for writers, he writes it himself by living as himself. Being true to yourself by living as who you really are no matter the obstacles or rejection is really cool.

Marc Almond and Soft Cell - Though Marc had clearly showed himself as an enduring artist in his own right; I feel it’s important to mention the band he is most famous for.

He and David Ball met at the Polytechnic Institute in Leeds London in the late 70’s and one of the early bands who kind of set the musical groundwork for the eighties with sytho-pop music, recently my editor Calvin showed me a band that came even earlier making that music called New Order. But regardless they are probably the most famous example of a modern one hit wonder “Tainted Love,” which achieved pop culture status to the point that Coneheads had it on the film’s soundtrack and was used as part of the plot device near the awesome climax of the movie.

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THE EUPHORIC SOUNDS OF DYNASTY ELECTRIC

BY ANTHONY HARRIS SENIOR ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR New York art rock/EDM duo Dynasty Electric took an unorthodox approach when recording their recent album Euphoria. The band Jenny Electrik (vocals/theremin) and Seth M i s t e r k a (gutars/saxophone/production) put early versions of the songs on social networks and asked electronic musicians across the globe to remix the tracks. The response was astounding: hundreds of submissions in a dizzying array of genres, from classical to dubstep. I talked to Misterka about the origin of the open-source as well as the band’s decade-long journey.

I’m intrigued by the opensource, crowd-funded concept behind Euphoria. How did that idea come about? Do you see increased fan involvement becoming commonplace in the music industry?

In 2012 we had a remix contest on Indaba Music for our single "Eye Wide Open." We loved hearing what different producers brought to the track and in the end we received nearly 500 remixes from around the world. Based on that experi-

ence, we thought it would be great to make an entire album in an "open source" manner, incorporating the styles and perspectives of the international community. We started a media company NewSonic (Frenchkiss Label Group), and launched a crowd-funding campaign on PledgeMusic. With both remixing and crowd funding, fan involvement is definitely becoming more commonplace in the music world

You don’t see a lot of Theremin mentions in band biographies. What attracted you to that instrument?

Before getting into dance music, I was heavily into experimental music and loved the Theremin. We wanted a space-controlled instrument for Jenny Electrik, and the Theremin was what immediately came to mind.

You’ve been making electronic dance music since 2003.

During that time, the genre has exploded in popularity.

What’s it been like seeing some of your contemporaries become household names? Do you see this as a positive development?

In New York, EDM

was very underground when we started. No one even called it EDM at the time. I think the overall rise in popularity of the music has benefited us.

Your hometown Brooklyn has given rise to some pretty acclaimed musicians. What is it about the borough that makes it a hotbed for sonic creativity?

Brooklyn, and NYC in general, is a global magnet, and what's happening is more of a global phenomenon. All these great artists from around the states and the world have descended on Brooklyn and everyone is inspiring each other.

It's pretty amazing to have been part of a major evolution in Williamsburg.

Your music has a highly infectious quality. Can you describe your approach to songwriting?

Each time we write a song, it feels like the first time.

Generally, one of us will have an idea about the music or lyrics that serves as a spark and then we keep sharing and building from there. It's a very collaborative process between the two of us.

Psychedelia and EDM seems like an unlikely combination.

What inspired you to put these two genres together?

Were any bands or artists influential in this regard?

We came from the band world so when we started off with electronic music, we wanted to keep live instruments in the mix. The idea was something like what would Hendrix or Jefferson Airplane sound like with beats?

I’m curious about the party series put on by Newsonic, your multi-media and events company. Tell us a little about these parties.

The NewSonic parties are an eclectic scene of musicians, visual artists and visionaries. They usually get pretty wild. We lived in a big loft in Williamsburg until 2011, and that's where it got started.

Sometimes the parties lasted for days, featuring everything from Latin electro, to hip-hop, experimental, indie rock, folk, metal, classical, you name it. With the wealth of talent in Brooklyn, the Newsonic loft became a hub for many great musicians and bands including Battles, Twin Shadow, Oneida, Brian Chase and also attracted a number of

visionary organizations, including Evolver, Unitribe, Green Bus Tour, and Damon Dash's DD172. We've recently moved the party to the Greenpoint Gallery.

“Floating Around The Sun” is a personal favorite. Was there a specific inspiration or story behind that track?

While working on our open source album, we received the instrumental of the track from a producer in Jamaica, TC Campbell. The idea for the chorus came to me right away, then Jenny wrote the verses and I added electric guitar parts. Then the track was mixed and mastered in London, England by Nova Glam.

What are your plans for the rest of 2014?

We are making videos for the other songs on the new album EUPHORIA. We just completed one for "Sea In Your Eyes,” next we'll be making one for "Night Light". Also, check out Supersonic. We'll be doing a bit of touring this summer, and we're also working on new music. Stay tuned! www.dynastyelectric.net

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CREATIVE

WRITING

VISTITING AMISH CEMETARY

BY ROZI THEOHARI RESIDENT AUTHOR

Plain and simple graves.

No flowers, no bushes, no trees.

So small and so tight beside each-other…

With handwritten names—carved on cold stones:

Mosses C. Kopslund Jr. Born Jul 6- 1892 Died Aug. 9- 1970 Age 78 Yrs.- 1 Mo. & 3 Dys. Rachel L. Wife of Mosses C. Kopslund Born Mar. 9 – 1896 Died Nov. 5 – 1981 Age 85 Yrs. – 7 Mos. & 27 Dys.

Oh, ye, blessed Rachel and Mosses’ ghosts O, ye, walking, laughing, singing across The sweet aroma of broad cornfields—watching granddaughters Over the windmills Cleaning, feeding and milking cows.

O, ye, grabbing a dark dress and trousers Hung out on the clothesline—drying in the air O, ye, driving the horse-drawn buggies clip-clopping everywhere.

Oh, your spirits guiding at night—telling chilling Dutch tales Following fireflies—with twinkling lights Until they get tired—lying in the grass Covered and wrapped by a white-cloud-quilt-sky White—as Rachel’s girlish tiny cap Dreaming the existing world of Amish life.

SOMETIMES THE REASON WE’RE LOOKING FOR, IS A REASON TO STAY

BY MATT LABRIE CREATIVE WRITER

Fear, confusion, remorse, apathy.

Attention seeker, medication, therapy.

The order of these steps is not always the same, but they are warning signs, of being no longer sane.

Not all of these signs are subtle or quiet, and believe me, it isn’t easy to hide it.

There aren’t always scars, cuts, or burns, behavioral changes are most common, people must learn that just because the scars are starting to heal, does not make it any less real.

“Why is that boy tucked away in the corner?”

‘Eh, he’s just kind of a loner.”

“Did you hear ____ is giving things away??”

She must be moving.” a few of them will say.

But the girl isn’t moving, the boy doesn’t want to be alone.

If you just looked a little closer, the truth is shown.

Why would she need her things if she was gone tomorrow?

It would help ease her remorse, and some of her sorrow.

And that boy in the corner needs to know, that if he wasn’t around, how on people it would show.

You see, he needs a reason, a sign he should stay, on this earth, in this life, that he shouldn’t go away.

If you see that boy or that girl, walk over to them and speak.

If no one does that, you’ll find they may not be here next week…

THE ABYSS: PART TWO (CONTINUED FROM FEBRUARY 2014 PENNON ISSUE)

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BY MICHAEL OLSON CREATIVE WRITER

There were no delusions in Walter’s mind. The only way he was getting off this train alive was by getting to the conductor’s cabin and activating the breaks; albeit the road to safety was blocked by a homicidal drug addict. It was either be stabbed or be beaten to death, or die in a train crash.

“The train will certainly crash if I don’t intervene” Walt said to himself, peeking from behind the hard plastic seating. “On the other hand his needle is broken, so I have a better chance as long as I move quietly”.

After weighing the options, he decided to just get it over with. “Quick, like a band aid” he thought to himself as he rose from behind the seats and crept forward. One foot, after the other, followed by the other, slowly making progress but quiet enough as to not draw attention. It was going smoothly. Pretty soon he was at the conductor’s cabin’s door when he heard a loud thud and some footsteps. Walter flung the door open, then slammed the door shut and locked it once he was inside. Pressed up against the door, his pulse racing, he listened for signs of movement from the other side.

The door rocked on its hinges as the crack head flung himself into the door. With his back against the aforementioned door, he scanned his surroundings. The break was in the center of the console. Acting quickly, Walter bolted to the break and pulled with all the strength he could muster. This sent the junkie flying through the door like a ragdoll.

Walt held on to the break, pressed up against the console for dear life until the train came to a complete halt.

Walt sat there disoriented for a good five minutes. He suffered a concussion from the incident. The sound of complete havoc could be heard from inside the other train cars. This droned through Walt’s scrambled brain. It was as if there was a massive riot. Left arm, over right, Walt crawled to the door whilst nursing his debilitating headache. The physical activity intensified the nausea, causing him to vomit on the cold floor. He continued, though. Left, right, and his left hand rested on the corpse of the junkie. Ninety percent of the guy’s bones were broken, including most of his spine. But Walt didn’t think about that. How could he? In moments like this all you can think of is getting some place safe. You would consider anything but rat filled train tunnels, but Walter did not have the luxury of choices. He crawled, and flopped out of the train car through the busted door, landing on the tracks. The bones in his back were on fire. With a struggle, he got to his feet and slowly shuffled down the tracks. Whatever chaos he left behind in the metal tubing of death slowly drifted away. After a certain point nothing could be seen but pitch blackness. Walt reached for his phone and activated a flashlight application releasing a narrow beam of light through the dank, dark tunnels. He stood for a moment with a pale, hopeless expression. Then puked.

Dust particles intercepted the beam of light as the flashlight illuminated the dark metro tracks. It resembled something out of a horror movie. His breath reverberated with his footsteps down the tunnels. The tube was completely deserted, as if untouched for decades. Buried and forgotten by civilization above. A few more feet down the tracks he found a door. Walter ran his hand over the doorknob. It was covered in a thick layer of dust like everything else down there. He began to slowly open the door until it began screeching loudly. He pushed it open and held it with a face one would give if they had just broke an invaluable collectable and looked over to be greeted by a bus speeding right for him.

The piercing screech tore through the cavernous pipe. Walt stood there for a minute, and then said to himself “Quick, like a Band-Aid”. He let go of the screeching door and crept into the room.

A narrow corridor led to multiple doors on both sides and one at the end which had an exit sign overhead. We staggered to the door and put his hand on the crash bar. This whole ordeal really took a toll on poor Walt. He needed a solid few minutes to relax, but he couldn’t afford to. he knew that if he went to sleep there was a chance of him slipping into a coma. No one will find him in this desolate place. Unfortunately for Walter he didn’t have a clue as to where exactly he was, or if he could even find a way out in the direction he was heading. After a fit of dry heaving, he stood there, looking at the ground. That’s when he heard the wisp of someone’s breath from one of the rooms behind him. Walt froze. It felt as if his blood pressure dropped, as he dizzily turned his head to the source of the sound. A small coughing fit erupted in a stifled manner. This person was not disturbed by his loud entrance. This lead Walter to wonder whether or not the person needed help. Or, you know, wanted to stab him to death. He pondered these questions for a few moments and decided he should check very quickly. Walter crept over to the door and hesitated. He was scared after all. Who wouldn’t be after what happened? Standing by the door he pressed his hand on the metal and said “Quick, like a-“.

Maniacal cackling erupted in the next room that sent a chill down Walt’s spine. The laughing got closer. He panicked and ran down the hallway, into the crash bars, and entered a room that was slightly less dark than the others. There was a ladder in the center which led to an opening that exposed the stars. Walter lunged toward the ladder and climbed as fast as his body would allow him. Right, left, right, left, for a good minute.

A cold chill blew through the trees. Walt never would have thought he’d be so grateful to be breathing fresh “dustless” air again. He sat there for a good twenty minutes.

Reflecting on what just happened to him. To the train conductor. Not that Walt particularly cared for the conductor. That junkie definitely got what he deserved. What happened with all those people? The screams were etched into his mind. “I have to get home” He said to himself as he rolled over in the grass and got to his knees. Walter recognized where he was. He was in Glendale Park a few blocks away from the station, and his apartment on Fernwood. He didn’t want to go to the police. He also did not want to sit in an emergency room for twelve hours. What he wanted was his chair. That was all he wanted in this world at this very moment. So he walked, one foot after the other, down the street, to his house, up the front steps, took off his shoes, and sat down, and succumbed to his concussion as dreamless sleep took over.

Dear Victoria Pasciuto, Over the years you have helped the students of North Shore with many endeavors. You have provided students with experience and opportunities that have helped launch their careers. Thank you for all the advice you have given students and the work you have done with the clubs and the Student Government Association. You have helped aspiring artists, photographers, and writers through both The Spark and The Pennon. Thank you for the care and time you have invested into this college. Good Luck! We know where ever you go you will be cherished.

Our hearts go out to you, The Students of North Shore Community College

PAGE 12 – NSCC PENNON

Important Numbers Lynn Campus: (781) 593-6722 DanversCampus: (978) 762-4000 Beverly Cummings Center (978) 236-1200

Library: Lynn: (781) 477-2133 Danvers: (978) 762-4000 x5526 Book Store: Lynn: (781) 477 2127 Danvers: (978) 762-4200 Weather Hotline: (978) 762 4200

Club Directory

A C AD E M IC C L U BS :

A V I A T I O N : JOHN KREEFT C R I M I N A L J U S T I C E : ANN KOSHIVAS F O O D S C I E N C E C U B : GREG REPPUCCI P H I T H E T A K A P P A : FRED ALTIERI P S Y C H E D F O R P S Y C H : KRISTIN ERBETTA S O T A : PATRICIA BANKS AND RUTH DELISIO D E B A T E C L U B : KARA KAUFMAN

S P E CIA L I NT E RE ST C LU BS : C H R I S T O N C A M P U S : TIM WHITMAN E N G I N E E R I N G : MARY BETH STEIGERWALD E NVI RO NME NT A L C L U B : JOSEPH MODUGNO F I L M C L U B : JOHN ZAMPARELLI M E D I A C L U B : JIM HARRINGTON M UL TI - C UL T URA L S O C IE TY : ESPY HERRERA M U S L I M A S S O C I A T I O N : YUSEF HAYES P H I L O S O P H Y C L U B : FRED ALTIERI Q UE E R S TR A I GH T A L L I A N C E : ANNE TABET S T A R S C L U B : NANCY TUFO S U R F R I D E R S C L U B : SEAN HANLON V E T E R A N S C L U B : MIKE MONAGLE Y OU T H G R O U P U N IT ED : ALEXANDER GUZMAN

JKREEFT@NORTHSHORE.EDU AKOSHIVAS@NORTHSHORE.EDU GREPPUCC@NORTHSHORE.EDU FALTIERI@NORTHSHORE.EDU KERBETTA@NORTHSHORE.EDU PBANKS@NORTHSHORE.EDU RDELISIO@NORTHSHORE.EDU KKAUFMAN@NORTHSHORE.EDU

ST. PATRICK'S DAY BAKE SALE

PAGE 13 – NSCC PENNON

Sponsored by The 2014 Nursing Club

When: March 11, 2014, 10:30AM-2:30PM Where: Berry Building Lobby

Come satisfy your sweet tooth and support future nurses!

TWHITMAN01@NORTHSHORE.EDU MSTEIGER@NORTHSHORE.EDU JMODUGNO@NORTHSHORE.EDU JZAMPARE@NORTHSHORE.EDU JHARRISO06@NORTHSHORE.EDU EHERRERA@NORTHSHORE.EDU YHAYES@NORTHSHORE.EDU FALTIERI@NORTHSHORE.EDU ATABET@NORTHSHORE.EDU NTUFO@NORTHSHORE.EDU SHANLON@NORTHSHORE.EDU MMONAGLE@NORTHSHORE.EDU

Organizations

P E N N O N : VICTORIA PASCIUTO P E R F OR M IN G A R T S C O U NC IL : MATTHEW WOODS P R O G R A M C O U N C I L : VICTORIA PASCIUTO S T U D E N T G O V E R N M E N T : VICTORIA PASCIUTO

AGUZMAN@NORTHSHORE.EDU

VPASCIUT@NORTHSHORE.EDU

MATWOODS@NORTHSHORE.EDU VPASCIUT@NORTHSHORE.EDU VPASCIUT@NORTHSHORE.EDU

Feeling overwhelmed or stressed out?

The Student Support and Advising Center (SSAC) at NSCC has trained counselors ready to help with crisis intervention, brief counseling, and resources. Stop by, call, or email to meet with us.

Blood Drive

Danvers - Donna Davis, LMHC, Room DH160 ddavis@northshore.edu or 978-7624245 Lynn - Debbie Campbell, MA, Room LW114 dcampbell@northshore.edu or 781-593-6722, ext. 6615

Nursing Club 2014 is sponsoring a blood drive with the American Red Cross. Please bring a driver's license or two other IDs. see www.redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-REDCROSS for qualifications. E-mail llatva@northshore.edu to make an appointment or sign up in the old cafeteria.

Where: Math&Sciences Room 111 (old cafeteria) When: April 7, 2014 10AM-3PM

WINDOWS VS. LINUX PROS AND CONS CONTINUED

PAGE 14 – NSCC PENNON

BY CALVIN JAVIER GIL EDITOR IN CHIEF

use one operating system for everything, which would simplify things in general.

Linux certainly has less software than Windows, particularly when it comes to proprietary software. However, with Linux, much of the software available is either free or low-cost, and it has alternatives for much of the popular proprietary software that is currently being used. This particular attribute is a trade off; Linux is cheaper, in this regard, while Windows has a larger, more fully-featured selection.

In a similar vein to its hardware support, Linux supports a wide range of file systems, such as the UNIX file system (ufs), extended file system (ext), high performance file system (HPFS), Journaled File System (JFS), among many others. Windows, on the other hand, has a much more limited selection, using only the File Allocation Table system (FAT), Extended File Allocation Table (exFAT), New Technology File System (NTFS), and Resilient File System (ReFS). This is another advantage for Linux, as it allows for a greater degree of choice and flexibility when it comes to storing and retrieval of data.

Linux is an opensource operating system, meaning that it is available free-ofcharge. Windows, on the other hand, is not available free-ofcharge anywhere. It is, in fact, fairly pricey, with Windows 8 Pro currently selling for $199.99 on the Microsoft Store.

This is another advantage to

Linux, compounding upon the abundance of free software it has.

The next difference between Windows and Linux is the relative security of each operating system. The general consensus seems to be that Linux is considerably more secure than Windows, for many different reasons. As Katherine Noyes talks about in her article for PC world, “Why Linux Is More Secure Than Windows,” the more significant reasons are the program and platform diversity of Linux, which makes it less likely viruses will be tailored to infect a particular plat-

form, Linux’s smaller audience size, which makes it a smaller target for hackers, and Linux’s open-source nature, which ensures that there are many eyes looking at the code and discovering potential exploits.

Windows’s attributes are the polar opposite of these, meaning that it is much less secure than Linux is.

Linux is open-source, and Windows is not. What this means is that users are able to open Linux up and modify it’s code at any time, while Windows does not allow this.

This definitely gives Linux a

Event

large advantage, for several reasons. The main reason is that open-source software generally makes better software; all of the users are collaborating to improve it. In addition to this, open source allows for Linux to have a very low cost and increased security, which I elaborated upon earlier. . This category is one that Windows clearly wins on; in fact, it could be said that its ease of use is one of its main draws. Windows is a operating system that is generally easy to use, a fact that is amplified by its extreme popularity. Given that it is one of the most used platforms, most people are very familiar with using, and changing over to Linux may be difficult for some. The coding portion of Linux also has a considerable learning curve, meaning that it is generally more difficult for most people to get the most out of Linux.

While Windows does have a few positives, such as it’s greater selection of software, ease of use, and greater popularity, Linux seems to have more positives. It’s hardware compatibility makes it a complete solution for the entire company, it is the more secure operating system, and it’s opensource nature reduces costs and allows for customization of it’s code. Linux is the better overall operating system, and I would recommend making the switch.

SOURCES <HTTP://WWW.TECHSUPPORTALE RT.COM. <HTTP://WWW.LINUX.COM/DIREC TORY/DISTRIBUTIONS>. <HTTP://WWW.GUARDIANDIGITAL .COM/PFILES/GUARDIANDIGITAL _LINUX_VS_WINDOWS.PDF>.

VETERAN’S CORNER:

Another American Minority

By Gabriel Nunez Contributing Writer A hidden minority exists in America today. This minority has no color or racial profile; it spans all religions, sex and ethnic groups and has been failed and mistreated throughout history much the same way other American Minorities have been. This minority is given sub par healthcare and its civilian leadership has called it a threat to national

AMERICAN AND CANADAIAN TROOPS

security and a danger to the public. Police approach with caution and often with excessive force when dealing with this minority. This minority throughout history has been considered expendable, poor, lower class, and uneducated.

This minority has been protest against because a confused public did not understand them.

They have been spit on and called baby killers. They have been forgotten in foreign lands, left behind, considered not worth the political inconvenience. This minority suffers from employer prejudice and society has a perception that they are violent and mentally disturbed at times. This minority suffers from substance abuse

March 2014 Calender

PTK Danvers Orientation Student Government Meeting White Ribbon Day PTK Lynn Orientation Deadline for Spring Graduation St. Patrick’s Day Bake Sale Program Council Meeting Spring Recess Classes Resume, Day and Evening Student Government Meeting Program Council Meeting Student Speaker Deadline Presidential Scholar Meeting

Location

Danvers Danvers North Shore Lynn North Shore Danvers - Berry Danvers North Shore North Shore Danvers Danvers Danvers Danvers

and unemployment, broken families and a high divorce rate.

It also suffers from political infighting and is not united or monolithic. And like all minorities in contemporary America, life has improved on the surface and things seem to be getting better slowly but surely. We now have underfunded programs to help this minority and people no longer spit in their face and yell profanities at them. People stop and shake

their hands and say “Thank you”. It is a step forward but this minority is still silent without a voice, this minority never had a Dr. Martin Luther King to lead them. But times are changing and a new generation of this minority is rising from the ashes of its own personal struggle.

The leaders of this new generation will lead this country one day and will never forget or forgive how history has treated the minority of Veterans. They will emerge as the most educated class of Veterans this country has ever seen and will be better prepared to lead and change their fate forever. The minority of the United States combat Veteran has not even been heard yet.

Date and Time

Mar 5, 2014, 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM Mar 5, 2014, 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM Mar 6, 2014 Mar 6, 2014, 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM Mar 7, 2014 March 11, 2014, 10:30 AM - 2:30 PM Mar 13, 2014, 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM Mar 16, 2014, to Mar 22, 2014 Mar 24, 2014 Mar 26, 2014, 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM Mar 27, 2014, 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM Mar 28, 2014 Mar 28, 2014, 2:30 PM - 4:30 PM

PAGE 15 – NSCC PENNON

PAGE 16 – NSCC PENNON

ALUMNI CORNER

CATHIE EMERSON ’11 CULINARY ARTS GRAD FINDS A SWEET CAREER

BY SANDY ROCHON ALUMNI COORDINATOR Cathie Emerson is a 2011 graduate of NSCC’s Culinary Arts program. She worked in the food services industry for several years both before and after completing her degree, gaining a broad base of experience in cooking, customer service and management.

Cathie recently shared her perspective on NSCC’s program with me, saying how much she loved the program and that she felt the professors and the instruction were fantastic and did so much to prepare her to advance her career. “I would love to share with everyone what a great experience I had at NSCC’s Culinary Arts Program. “I loved everything about it and because of what I learned while attending, exciting things are happening!”

Recently, Cathie and her husband Eric Emerson have taken over operations and ownership of Putnam Pantry, a Route 1 landmark that is part of the homestead of General Israel Putnam, one of the most popular heroes in American history.

General Putnam is best known as commander of the forces which resisted the British attack

on Bunker Hill and the direction “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes”. Putnam Pantry is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and has been known to generations of locals as the place to go in Danvers for homemade chocolate, candies and a legendary ice cream sundae buffet.

Cathie and Eric Emerson are in the process of renovating and updating the store, while still maintaining homemade candy making and operations.

Ultimately, the plan is to maintain the historical significance and the country store feel, while incorporating a more contemporary, open kitchen concept.

Customers will be able to observe the candy making process, as well as on-site homemade ice cream making operations.

Although the Valentine’s Day rush has passed, with Easter right around the corner they will be busy making traditional delights as well as their own unique specialties. Keeping up with the demand for their delicious selection of candy and ice cream is such a sweet problem to have and Cathie is up to the ttask!

By Lydia Wahl Pennnon Faculty People know plenty of ways to kill their brain cells but few know ways to encourage them. There are more ways to damage your brain than to exercise it. RealSimple magazine in their article titled “Boost Your Brainpower,” suggests using

will help your mind. It can be as simple as driving a new route home, walking a new way to class, or even eating foods that you normally would not try.

“New behaviors, new learnings, and even environmental changes or physical injuries may all stimulate the brain to create new neural pathways or reorganize existing ones, funda-

ing this but without the membership the website will still track your responses and give you three new games everyday.

This is just enough games to get your mind going for the day and can help students take in information in class and study.

Everything else will be locked including a brain test. The test is taken periodically through inter-

mentally altering how information is processed.” Your brain profile will give daily activities that practice speed, memory, attention, flexibility and problem solving. These areas compile a BPI that monitors the progression of the mind while taking on these activities.

Everyday Lumosity will give you three free tasks to participate in. If you purchase a membership you will have unlimited access to all of their games; as well as a customized training based on your strengths and weaknesses. Students will probably have a difficult time afford-

vals of training which are the daily activities. The test will give you information outside of your BPI and you will “gain access to cognitive and neuropsychological tasks based on outside research.” The website can give a very tailored experience but on a budget the daily

your nondominant hand for activities like brushing your teeth. “This challenges your brain to exercise nerve cells on the side that you don’t typically use.” Lumosity.com is a new website that will exercise your brain. A small dose of daily puzzles will help get your mind going for the day.

Lumosity focuses on the principle of neuroplasticity: promoting changes consistently for the brain. Exercise the brain by finding alternative solutions and new experiences. Creating new experiences for yourself, no matter how small it may be,

CATHIE EMERSON ’11 AND HER HUSBAND ERIC EMERSON ARE PICTURED WITH A VALENTINE’S DAY CANDY DISPLAY AT PUTNAM PANTRY. (PHOTO CREDIT KEN YUSZKUS, SALEM NEWS)

LUMOSITY: EXERCISE YOUR MIND

activities will help you get started. If you are impressed with the progress you are making then purchasing a membership may be beneficial.

If you can only afford the three exercises you will still have a good experience. Even with limited access you will be given different tasks each day.

A lot of these games will be on a timer. One will have you quickly identify cards with a vowel or an even number but will be mixed with odd numbers and consonants. Points are based on how accurately you can do this and how many cards you can go through in the allotted time. Another game has a submarine starting on the ocean floor. To bring the vessel up you must find as many endings to words as you can. It will give you three different word beginnings like -alr or -imp and you will get points based on the length and count of the letters.

Another game will give you a flash of a letter and a bird, both of which you must remember.

You must pinpoint where the bird was in an outdoor environment and the letter in the middle that will help you spell out different types of birds. You will also have opportunities to guess what bird it is. Points are based on how closely you can locate the bird, remembering the letter, and guessing the birds type.

With three games you will have finished your training for the day and the site will give you points towards your BPI. Watch your BPI’s progress with a consistent streak of training, which the website will also monitor.

Giving your mind practice will help give you clarity through the day. There are many other ways to exercise your mind. Just changing simple things in your day will help.

Change the sound of your alarm clock, explore alternatives, and keep things fresh. Recalling information will become easier and you will find yourself forgetting less. Challenging the mind will improve your memory and every day.