MAY 2010 THE PENNON IS ONLINE AT:
northshore.edu/pennon
Kupenda for the Children
Newest Program in Environmental Studies
• A MONTHLY PUBLICATION FOR THE STUDENTS OF NORTH SHORE COMMUNITY COLLEGE - DANVERS, LYNN & BEVERLY, MASSACHUSETTS •
BY: AMANDA FROST
Cynthia Bauer, an adjunct biology teacher at NSCC, founded Kupenda, a taxexempt Christian-based organization that exists to meet the needs of children with disabilities. The goal is for the children in the organization to feel that they are loved and accepted. Kupenda b e g a n because Cynthia was introduced to children who could not pay the fees to stay at the Kenya government- established Gede special needs boarding facility. Professor Bauer worked as a wildlife biologist and got her master’s degree in Applied Ecology, she then worked on the coast of Kenya where she saw people begging on the streets with the same disability as her own. She wasn't always able to talk about her own disability openly. She never really considered that being born without her left arm was a disability, but just something that made her “different.” Her love for African wildlife drew her to Kenya, and eventually to the children. Like she has said repeatedly, this charity was brought to her...there's no other way to explain it. When walking through Nairobi, Kenya Cynthia met a man begging on the streets of Nairobi with the same handicap as herself. It made her think about what opportunities she would have if she had not been brought up in a family and a culture that allowed her to be
INSIDE:
anything she wanted to be. This motivated her to make a difference in the lives of the children of Kenya. In most African countries, disabled people are still considered to be “cursed” by G o d . Because of this percept i o n , s o m e parents may keep their children hidd e n , abandon t h e m , divorce because t h e y believe their spouse caused the disability, or even kill the child at birth. They do not see that their child can be anything else but a beggar. Therefore, in Kenya, only 10% of those with disabilities actually attend school. Kupenda meets its mission through a one-on-one sponsorship for payment of school fees and the formation of child-sponsor relationships, the construction of special needs facilities, funding medical intervention, the provision of school supplies and medical equipment, creating awareness in the community, strengthening of local churches to better assist special needs children, and staffing qualified help for children in need. Kupenda is run by US Board of Directors, Volunteers in the US, Kenya Committee and Kenya Staff. The staffing of qualified people to do the work on the ground in Kenya is essential to the organization’s ability to adequately assist children with disabilities in the Continued on Page 2
Health & Science Medical Mystery p5
BY: GREG REPPUCCI & NELSON BAKER
Shore North Community College is proud and excited to announce a brand new field of study for students interested in an industry that is building more momentum with passing year. every Environmental Studies, as an option of Liberal Arts, is the newest Associate’s Degree program to be offered. In the works since 2006, this program has successfully made its way through the NSCC Currilculum Committee by a dedicated team of faculty including Deans
Maureen O’Neill and Nancy Alberto. With their combined effort, the doors have finally been opened. The program will have
two tracts. The first is an environmental awareness Liberal Arts tract, which will prepare students for transfer into envi-
Maya left Nigeria right after high school and enrolled in a nursing school in England, Great Britain, she was able to write English extremely well, but was unable to speak it fluently. As a result, she struggled with conversational English during her nursing school experience and her travels throughout Europe. Today, as a successful educator, Dr. Maya sees herself as a role model and inspiration to the developmental and foreign students in her classroom. Some of these students come to col-
lege totally unprepared for college level courses. They question their ability to succeed. To give them hope and build their self-esteem and self-confidence, Dr. Maya starts her classes in the beginning of the semester by telling them about her frightful experience in Europe because of her minimal conversational skills in English, and the consequences. She would then emphasize the importance of practicing a new language frequently, with genuine interest, motivation, and hard work in order to be proficient; and that that attitude enabled her to become successful in all of the programs, schools, colleges, and universities she attended. Dr. Maya states that she usually ends her personal story by stressing to the students that they are also capable of the same success if they are serious and apply the same principles. Dr. Maya was asked what Continued on Page 19
Profile of a Model Professor
BY: DR. LOVE P. MAYA & CHRIS RICCI
Here at North shore Community College, particularly on the Lynn campus, as students mill the halls and inside every classroom, one can observe students from all over the world. The foreign students at North Shore represent approximately seventy countries. Also, just as obvious are the faculty and staff who represent some of these countries. One such faculty member is Dr. Love P. Maya. Dr. Maya was born and raised in Nigeria, West Africa, when Nigeria was a British colony. School subjects in public schools and colleges were taught in English, which was and still is the official language. Nevertheless, Nigerians tended to speak their indigenous languages on a regular basis when away from academic and business settings. So when Dr.
Graduates Names p7&8
Arts & Entertainment Extended Edition pg p 12-14
CONTINUED ON PAGE 10
Coqui Slice of Culture p 15