MAY 2014
• A MONTHLY PUBLICATION FOR THE STUDENTS OF NORTH SHORE COMMUNITY COLLEGE, DANVERS, LYNN, & BEVERLY, MASSACHUSETTS • •READ THE PENNON ONLINE AT: NORTHSHORE.EDU/PENNON•
IPHONES TO EWASTE
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2014
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VEMMA: DON’T BELIEVE THE HYPE
BY CALVIN GIL EDITOR IN CHIEF If you are socially active within North Shore Community College, you may have heard of a Vemma, a multi-level marketing company. Vemma is starting to gain a foothold at the school, with its advocates talking about it to everybody who will listen. If you encounter one of them, they will probably tell to you about how you can join the company and “start your own business,” how easy it is to make lots of money through Vemma, and they will most likely try to get you to drink and promote Vemma’s energy drink, Verve. This kind of pitch certainly sounds very appealing, but it is not nearly as good as it sounds. With a bit of research on how Vemma, and multi-level marketing companies work in general, it is easy to see that Vemma does not live up to its hype. Like most companies of
its kind, it is little more than a glorified pyramid scheme, with an unsustainable business model that is highly unlikely to make you very much money in the long run, as statistics released by Vemma themselves show. Getting involved with the company is a bad idea, as the following sections will make abundantly clear. After hearing about Vemma from one of their associates, via a very lengthy and unconvincing sales pitch, I decided to do some research on the company, as it seemed like a very shady operation. After looking at Vemma’s company website, along with several of its affiliates, I got a better idea of what the company’s business model really was. To put it simply, you have to buy a product to join Vemma, and buy more of that product each month to remain active. The site strongly urges you to buy a Vemma affilCONTINUED ON PAGE 6
COMIC BOOK READING
BY LYDIA WAHL PENNON FACULTY Comic books come across as a hobby but they can actually be a great source of literature. It is surprising to find the amount of variety that comic book topics span. They can be a great substitute for people who do not generally like to read. With short text and excellent art, a comic issue can help people get into a story line and from there, more engaged in reading. As with books, there are comic books for all ages and genres. Comic books for children can be a great way to start them off with reading and transition to chapter books. The cost of comic books is also easy on the wallet and they are just as readily available as books. Comic books are based on many familiar characters and will also introduce several new ones. “The Walking Dead” has lately been one of the most recognizable comic book titles because of the AMC TV show. The show originates from a comic book published by Image Comics. Comic books have spoilers and elaborated or alternative plots for beloved characters. There are other shows like “Fringe” and “Once Upon a
Time” that have also published alternative story lines through comics. Authors such as Stephen King and Robert Jordan have books that have been translated into comics. Some authors have comics, such as Stephen King’s “The Dark Tower” series and Jodi Picoult’s rendition of the “Wonder Woman” story that have only been published as comic books. There are also abridged reprintings of classics like Jane Austen’s “Sense and Sensibility.” Comic books make more variety of plots available for new and old characters, retellings of classics, or an entirely new story. They can stretch or compact plots, like the late Robert Jordan’s fourteen book series “The Wheel of Time” and can provide vivid
imagery to substitute descriptive text. “The Wheel of Time” series is being published by Dynamite Entertainment and are about half way through the first book at issue thirty five. The prequel, “New Spring” was compacted into eight issues. Comics are able to capture descriptive writing through art and text and condense character dialogue and plots. Comic books have shorter text and descriptive visuals, providing most of the details written in a book. “A Connecticut public library reported tremendous positive publicity as a result of introducing comic books to the collection, stating, ‘Nothing the library had done before had so captured people’s imagination and attention,’” (Michael R. Lavin, 1998). Libraries and bookstores often carry comic books in the form of Trade PaperBacks (TPB), which are a collection of several comic issues in a bound book. Children who claim they “hate to read,” may find themselves at home in a comic store. There are several children’s characters available from the Muppets to Ben10 in comic book issues. A wide variety of
VETERAN’S CORNER: REMEMBERING COLIN, A FRIEND LOST VEMMA’S COMPANY LOGO
BY GABRIEL NUNEZ VETERAN’S CORNER The last time I saw Colin he had all of his stuff packed up in his truck and he was getting ready to head out to Michigan. I wanted to say goodbye and hear about how the company had so badly messed his paperwork up. He told me his story and I promised I would help anyway I could. I shook his hand, gave him the $60 I had in
my wallet for gas money and I said goodbye. The other day I told him he needed to quit worrying about the past, what's done was done and it was time to move on. He said "yea you’re right". He admitted that he was having a hard time and that he missed his brothers and the adrenaline rush of the military. I said "Colin all you did was complain the whole time we were in Afghanistan" he laughed. But that was his way, a comedian
through and through always looking to make other people smile and laugh. And he did just that 99% of the time. He had hilarious stories!! About late night drunken debauchery in downtown Colorado Springs showing up with black eyes and a cast to formation! I had a soft spot for Colin and all his peers for that matter. These young men I knew would leave for Fitness Training (FT) Carson boys and come back men,
altered, distorted, not the same. Colin was no exception to that, he had his troubles but he was a true friend to his battle buddies. He had no desire for office politics and ass kissing. I admired that about him. Colin was a tough man; he broke his neck in a vehicle rollover and still helped his battle buddies out of the cougar. He was selfless and would take a bullet for his peers. And I truly feel the most for his fellow soldiers that served next
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to him as battle buddies. The world is a little greyer without Colin. I love you man and I will never forgive those that did you wrong, this I swear. Most importantly I will never forget you or your memory. You will live on as a legend and your story will be told, I promise you. Gone But Not Forgotten R.I.P Colin Purple Heart, OEF 9-10