22 minute read
NEWS
PBPandora’s Box Serving York College of the City University of New York and the Surrounding Jamaica, Queens Community
Spring Edition I: Monday, April 4, 2022
Advertisement
yorkpbnews.net
York College Art Gallery’s New Exhibition
José Carlos Casado’s Oil spill l & ll. Photo by Jeliza James
By Tatiana Tait
York College presented Formations 2022 Southeast Queens Biennial in our very own Fine Arts Gallery and at the historic King Manor House Museum. Formations curator, Regin Leys, features artists from across New York City. Leys is heavily involved in the Jamaica arts community and has collaborated with York college in the past Biennials. Formations is the third biennial to be hosted here at York.
Among the artists exhibited are Jose Carlos Casado, originally from Spain but residing in Harlem, Dominant Dansby from Jersey City, Jean Foos from Jackson Heights, Queens, Carl. E Hazlewood from Sunset Park, Jean Heifetsz from Brooklyn, Vandana Jain from Brooklyn and Anton Kerkula from St. Albans, Queens.
“We chose to feature abstract art this year because we find it exciting, and rarely examined in venues in our neighborhood,” said Leys.
Leys teamed up with Professor Nicholas Fraser “to give the York community the opportunity to see those artists in person.”
The idea of abstract art isn’t the por-
trayal of reality but the depiction of how shapes, colors, forms, or how gestural marks create that image/picture. Each artist leaves a novelty for their audience to solve. These artists were handpicked by Rejin Leys and were featured as a result of their reputation, showcasing their photography, sculptures and exquisite paintings in the York College Fine Arts space. “We made a list of abstract artists based in the New York area whose work is important and that we thought worked well together,” she said.
Continued on center page.
By Tonia-lee Haughton
While CUNY has lifted its mask mandate, students and faculty are still under obligation to take random Covid tests whenever they receive alerts through emails. When they receive these alerts, they must register through Cleared4. They are randomly selected using EMPLIDs through the Cleared4 database to ensure that the campus sustains a safe health environment for students and staff. This means that even though masks are no longer required, being on high alert for Covid-19 is still important. Luckily, these PCR Covid-19 tests are free to CUNY students and faculty. No appointment is needed. York College members can take these free PCR tests at the trailer near the Milton G. Bassin Performing Arts Center, located at 94-45 Guy R. Brewer Boulevard. It’s across from the main Academic Core building. The testing site is open Monday to Friday at variable times. It’s 9:00am - 12:00pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, then 2:00pm - 5:00pm on Tuesdays, and 4:00pm - 7:00pm on Fridays. The process usually takes less than five minutes, involving simple swabs of the nostrils with cotton swabs. Students usually receive positive/negative test results within 48 hours through email. Another thing to remember is that even though the mask mandate has been dropped, students and faculty must continue uploading their proofs of vaccinations and boosters to CUNYfirst to ensure that CUNY college campuses are free of Covid-19 and other variants.
Continued on Page 2
Free Tax Preparation Available at York College
By Niko Balkaran
York College is providing free tax preparation services for students, faculty and staff every Thursday until April 14. This service is made possible through an IRS-sponsored Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. The college will help in preparing several types of tax returns. These include Forms W2, 1099 MISC, 1099 R, SSA, SSI, 1099G, 1099 INT and students and scholars on F1, F2, J1, or J2 visas. Self-employed taxpayers can also get help provided they properly document all expense items. You can also get help with e-filing and direct deposit. To take advantage of the service, you should have several documents on hand. These include a government-issued photo ID, social security cards for yourself and everyone on your tax return and income statements, including W2, 1099 INT, SSI, 1099G. You will also need information for deductions or credits such as tuition statements, mortgage interest statements, student loan interest, childcare expenses, along with a copy of last year’s tax return and a voided check should you wish to receive direct deposit. The office is located in the 4G corridor on the 4th floor and is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. You do not need to schedule an appointment as they work on a first-come, first-served basis.
INDEX
NEWS................................. 1-5 A&E.................................... 6-8 OPINION ................................9 OBITUARY...........................10 SPORTS...............................11 EVENTS................................12
A&E 7 OP-ED 9 SPORTS 11
Pandora’s Box
94-20 Guy R. Brewer Blvd Jamaica, NY 11451 Room 2C13
Tel: (718) 262-2529
EDITORIAL BOARD
• Editor In Chief: Niko Balkaran niko.balkaran@yorkmail.cuny.edu
• Managing Editor: Autumn Matthews autumn.matthews@yorkmail.cuny. edu
• Online Editor: Tatiana Tait tatiana.tait@yorkmail.cuny.edu
• Arts Editor: Kezia Gustave kezia.gustave@yorkmail.cuny.edu
• Photo Editor: Jeliza James jeliza.james@yorkmail.cuny.edu
• Faculty Advisor: William Hughes whughes@york.cuny.edu
WRITERS
Tonia-lee Haughton toniahaughton@gmail.com
Guamacice Delice guamacice.delice@yorkmail.cuny. edu
Ilvea Lezama ilvea.lezama@yorkmail.cuny.edu
Briana Philemy briana.philemy@yorkmail.cuny.edu
Kiara Gonzalez
James Gallo and Wendy Hensel. Photo Credit: cuny.edu
By Niko Balkaran
The CUNY Board of Trustees approved the appointments of Wendy Hensel and James Gallo. Hensel will serve as the executive vice chancellor and university provost starting June 1. Gallo will take the role of vice chancellor for university advancement effective on April 1.
“I am proud to welcome Wendy Hensel and James Gallo to CUNY, and pleased to be able to leverage their vast experience to better our University,” said CUNY Chancellor Felix Matos Rodríguez in the announcement. “In the months and years to come, Wendy and James are going to play key roles in our efforts to propel CUNY to new heights.”
Hensel will oversee several initiatives at CUNY, including reimagining Black, Race and Ethnic Studies and its faculty and student affairs, such as promoting student mental health and wellness. Her professional academic career began at Georgia State University as an instructor. Over a decade later, Hensel became the university provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. “It is both exciting and humbling to join the nation’s leading urban public university, with its incredible trajectory of achievement and impact,” said Hensel. “I look forward to working across the campuses with faculty, staff, students and supporters to advance CUNY’s mission and strategic priorities for the benefit of all in this great city and state.” Hensel, a Harvard Law School cum laude graduate, spent years advocating for disabled people and diversity. Hensel created a Racial Equality taskforce that helped GSU win Higher Education Excellence in Diversity award from Insight into Diversity for the first time. Her work on disability law has been featured in publications such as The Oxford Handbook of U.S. Education Law.
Gallo’s responsibilities will include helping schools budget and meeting their fundraising goals. Previously, Gallo worked in various fundraising roles at UCLA, Cornell, the University of Chicago and Dartmouth College. In his time as the lead development officer for UCLA, Gallo helped the professional schools raise over $1 billion.
“I’m honored to join one of the nation’s great engines for social and economic mobility,” said Gallo. “I look forward to partnering with Chancellor Matos Rodríguez, the CUNY community and their invaluable volunteers, raising critical philanthropic resources ensuring that CUNY continues to be a beacon for all New Yorkers.”
The Dartmouth graduate’s appointment comes at a time when CUNY has been expanding its fundraising efforts.
kiara.gonzalez@yorkmail.cuny.edu CUNY Chancellor Joins Mayor Adams’ COVID Roundtable
From Cover
Faculty must be fully vaccinated and upload their proof of such between April 1 to May 27, 2022. On the other hand, students must have submitted theirs by March 1, 2022. These regulations ensure that students and faculty can safely be at school in person.
By Briana Philemy
Mayor Eric Adams has appointed CUNY Chancellor Félix V Matos Rodriguez to his newly created Covid-19 Recovery Roundtable Health and Equity Taskforce. The group is made up of 40-plus stakeholders from diverse sectors and backgrounds. "I am pleased to serve on Mayor Adam's COVID-19 Recovery Roundtable and Health Equity Task Force, representing CUNY's community of nearly 300,000 students, staff and faculty in 25 campuses and offices throughout the five boroughs and help his administration chart a prosperous and more equitable future for our beloved City," Rodriguez said in an email to The Queens Chronicle. The Chronicle article stated that the mayor and his committee's focus would be on New York's health and economic recovery. They will meet every month for the next year to develop a more robust and healthier New York City. "We cannot build a just and prosperous recovery for all New Yorkers without bringing together and listening to experts and community leaders from across the city," the mayor is quoted as saying in the Chronicle article. The members of the roundtable are from various industries. These include healthcare and community associations, religious organizations and tech and communication companies. In addition to the steady transition of a "new normal" being displayed, this initiative grants leaders the opportunity to reconsider public health infrastructures in various sectors of activities, including restoration, entertainment and tourism. It will also highlight the effects of an inequitable repartition of health resources on the low-income, vulnerable and disadvantaged- yet part of the active working population- on the growth and development of NYC. These longer-term equity goals set to be established by the task force will manage and promise to mitigate disparities in public health and services further. For the past two years, our community has sought a sense of normalcy. New Yorkers have been doing their best to retrieve whatever life there was before face masks, mass immunization and social distancing were required. Data from The New York Times shows that there has been a decrease in infection rates. But there is still a need to address lasting policies that impact New Yorkers' access to health and relief resources in general.
CUNY NEWS CUNY Appoints a New Dean for the CUNY School of Law
By Niko Balkaran
The CUNY Board of Trustees approved the appointment of Sudha Setty as the dean of the CUNY School of Law. Setty is now the first person of South Asian descent to lead a CUNY school. Her appointment will be effective June 1.
“Dean Setty brings to CUNY a demonstrated ability to combine visionary goal-setting with deft governance, and to construct, fund and sustain the programs that realize those goals,” said Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez in the announcement. “Her breadth of experience and commitment to use legal education for the advancement of social justice will build upon the Law School’s progress as the top public-interest law school in the nation.”
Setty previously was the dean of the Western New England University School of Law. She was the first woman of South Asian descent to serve as dean of an American Bar Association-accredited law school. Before becoming dean, Setty won several Professor of the Year awards.
As the dean of the Western New England University School of Law, Setty championed social justice. She spearheaded the creation of the university’s Center for Social Justice. The Center helped faculty and students to engage in issues such as racial justice, LGBTQ+ and immigrant rights.
The Columbia University School of Law graduate and Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar previously served pro bono as the defense counsel in matters challenging terrorism sentencing guidelines and upholding prisoners’ civil rights.
Setty is also a member of numerous judicial committees and boards, including Community Legal Aid.
“I am thrilled and honored to serve as the next dean of CUNY School of Law. This law school was founded with the mission of public service, social justice lawyering, inclusiveness and accessibility,” said Setty.
“In this moment, the nation and the world have recognized what CUNY has known all along: that our society needs more lawyers who are educated with these fundamental values to take on challenges of today and the future,” she continued. “I look forward to working with all the members of the CUNY community as the law school seeks to make the world a fairer, more just, and better place.”
School of Professional Studies (CUNY SPS), in response to a “growing student demand.” Moreover, it is in line with “the University’s commitment to expanded access, quality instruction, student support and external competition,” according to the release statement.
CUNY is using $8 million from federal stimulus funds for the online development program. These funds will help in improving capacity and resources and provide personnel to sustain academic content development and student support services.
CUNY Online’s initial phase is scheduled to start in Spring 2023 with a first set of “seven to 10 new online associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degree programs.” This number should grow to 20 by Fall 2023, according to CUNY’s projections. During its pandemic experience, CUNY SPS helped 3,400 faculty members transition from in-person to online teaching and learning. This CUNY award-winning agency is now systematizing its expertise. It has already had at its credit “24 degrees and numerous non-degree and grant-funded workplace learning programs,” according to CUNY officials.
“We are fortunate to be able to lean on the great expertise of CUNY SPS to lead this effort that makes a long-term commitment to the success of students who can benefit from the flexibility of online degree programs and courses,” Matho wrote in his statement.
“With CUNY Online, the University has made a forward-thinking investment in online education to ensure that all CUNY colleges may be able to offer more flexible and accessible online learning opportunities,” said CUNY SPS Interim Dean Jorge Silva-Puras.
With this new program, the CUNY system, which has roughly 260,000 undergraduate and graduate students and awards approximately 55,000 degrees per year, is now expanding access to higher education to students who cannot come to campus.
Sudha Setty, the new dean of the CUNY School of Law. Photo Credit: cuny.edu
CUNY To Start Expanding Online Instruction
By Guamacice Delice
The City University of New York is taking advantage of the momentum of remote instruction based on experience gained during the Covid19 pandemic. Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez announced on March 16 the launching of CUNY Online, a new program that aims to build “online degree capacity at CUNY,” and produce “high-quality online courses and programs that meet student needs,” according to a statement published on cuny.com.
The online program is being implemented across the 25 CUNY schools under the supervision of CUNY’s
Are you a good storyteller? Do you like writing? Are you a curious person? Then come write with us at Pandora’s Box! Contact niko.balkaran@yorkmail.cuny.edu
Masks are Now Optional for CUNY Students and Faculty
By Niko Balkaran
CUNY lifted its mask mandate on March 7. This decision followed announcements after Gov. Katy Hochul and mayor Eric Adams decided it was time to end the mask mandate in New York and revised CDC guidelines.
CUNY students, faculty and staff were required to wear masks indoors since schools reopened in August 2021.
“We’ve arrived at this point because of the effort that we all have put forth to protect one another as we looked out for ourselves and our loved ones,” Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez said in a University Update.
Despite masks no longer being required on campus, the chancellor urged those who are unvaccinated to wear a mask still. Masks will still be available for anyone who would like one on campuses.
“We are very hopeful for the coming weeks and months, but as we all know by now, the pandemic has taught us that public health conditions can change rapidly,” Rodríguez said in the same update.
The chancellor also said that this policy could be reversed if COVID rates increase.
The change in the mask mandate does not affect CUNY’s policy on the vaccine and booster shots and random testing. Those will still be in effect and follow the previously established guidelines.
York College has had a total of 128 positive cases since last August.
New York City’s Plan to Relocate People Housing in Trains and Stations Divides Subway Riders
by Guamacice Delice
New York City subway riders are divided on the success of City Hall’s plan to remove unhoused people from trains and stations. Some have praised the plan and measures that go with it, while others doubt that it will be driven to its defined purpose.
“It is a good idea to shelter those people into a safe place and take care of those with mental issues,” said Ellen, an E train rider. “But the plan should not be dropped along the way.”
During a news conference, Mayor Eric Adams outlined a plan to remove unhoused people from the subway system. He was joined by Gov. Kathy Hochul and other city officials. The plan is to deploy at least 30 teams of police officers, social workers, and clinicians within trains and stations to apply established rules and remove permanent occupants.
“The days of just doing anything in subway trains are over,” according to Adams. “It is cruel and inhumane to allow unhoused people to live on the subway, and unfair to paying passengers and transit workers who deserve a clean, orderly, and safe environment.”
“Beginner speech,” said Ellen’s husband, Fred. “I don’t believe it at all, and I have already heard about this in my life.”
“The plan includes comprehensive investments in short- and medium-term solutions, including expanded outreach teams with the NYPD officers and clinicians, additional housing and mental health resources, and outlines long-term systems improvements through changes to state and federal laws to connect more New Yorkers to the care they need,” according to a statement on the website nyc.gov.
Making New York City safer for residents, visitors and investors was one of the mayor’s campaign promises. During his presentation, he evoked complaints from passengers about their fear of using the system. 30 people were pushed onto the tracks in 2021, up from 20 in 2019 and nine in 2017, according to The New York Times citing police statistics.
“The component that is about enforcing certain subway rules, such as sleeping across multiple seats, exhibiting aggressive behavior to passengers, or creating an unsanitary environment should be a long-term work,” Xavier, a F train rider, said.
Many citywide entities are involved in implementing this plan, which is built on a recent state policy. “For too long, our mental health care system suffered from disinvestment, and the pandemic has only made things harder for New Yorkers with serious mental illness who are experiencing homelessness,” the governor said. “I am proud to stand with Mayor Adams and share our efforts to boost mental health treatment services for those who lack stable housing and bring more psychiatric beds online.”
First Deputy Mayor Lorraine Grillo explained that, “...the plan outlines several ways that we can begin to address the challenges of supporting those with mental illness and keep our city safe. Our administration looks forward to working with our state partners to provide much-needed resources for those experiencing homelessness and serious mental illness on our city’s subways.”
While more than 500 new beds in private rooms will be created as part of the plan, the estimated number of people living in trains and subway stations is between 1300 and 1700.
Xavier praised the project for relocating people and paying for their medical care instead of forcing them onto the street. “To me, the society set aside those people,” he said. “It would be justice to take care of them, take them back, reinsert them into normal life.”
York student Julius Drake agreed that the plan is beneficial for both subway riders and the homeless people it is designed to address. And while Drake said he believes that most unhoused people are harmless, he acknowledged that there should not be any person living in an unhoused condition.
Since January, the city has deployed 1,000 additional police officers throughout the subway system.
Climate Scientists Issues New Global Warming Alert
By Guamacice Delice
The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change found that the global temperature is increasing at a faster pace than previously predicted, according to a major report issued on Feb 28 by 270 scientists from 67 countries.
The experts’ report warned that global warming has risen beyond 1.5 degrees Celsius causing harmful effects to both human and natural systems. The report also stressed that the science behind climate change is a “settled matter,” and that the most effective response right now is to reduce carbon dioxide pollution.
Since 2019, numerous regions have been coping with extreme weather, including storms and floods, which led to the displacement of more than 13 million people across Asia and Africa.
The report called attention to crops and trees being killed, the risk of hunger and malnutrition, water scarcity, as well as the invasion of mosquitoes, spreading diseases over new areas.
“Climate-related risks to health, food security, water supply, human security, and economic growth are projected to increase with global warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius and increase further with 2 degrees Celsius,” warned the experts on their website.
“Beyond 1.5, we’re not going to manage on a lot of fronts,” said Maarten van Aalst, the director of Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Center and one of the report’s co-authors. “If we don’t implement changes now in terms of how we deal with physical infrastructure, but also how we organize our societies, it’s going to be bad.”
Hans-Otto Pörtner, a marine biologist in Germany involved in the report, warned in a New York Times article that it would be “certainly a very illusionary approach” to expect humanity to “adapt” to climate change which will worsen if nothing is done so far.
Available Positions
Four Tips to Help You Prepare for Midterms
York’s Study Area. Photo by Niko Balkaran
By Tonia-lee Haughton
Exams are usually the most nerve-racking parts of school for a student. Whether it’s a fear of disappointing parents in the event of failure or a drop in your GPA, these thoughts can make exam preparation overwhelming. Luckily, there are ways to ease your anxiety about test-taking. Here is how!
1) Search For Information
As soon as your professor mentions the upcoming midterm, find out what topics they plan for the exam to cover. Be sure to check study sheets or cheat sheets if your professor provides you with any. Focus on those in your studies. Also, be sure to ask about the material in class that you don’t understand because you may need to know it for the exam.
It is also important to know what kind of exam you’ll be given. These can range from multiple-choice, short answers and true/false. A certain format might be easier or more challenging for you than others, so you want to know what you’re in for so you can prepare accordingly. 2) Find Your Study Strategy
Some people like to study using index cards. These can be helpful on the go, so you don’t have to walk around with a notebook. The traditional way of studying, which is memorizing directly from the notebook, is helpful to some. But some students say just memorizing isn’t helpful. Their view is that it’s just memorizing instead of learning. Think of it as relearning something you’ve written down as if you’re reading a book to learn something from it, except it’s written by you.
Visual studying is not helpful for everyone. Some prefer audible aids, like recording their professor teaching in class or watching YouTube videos on what they’re studying for. There are many ways to help yourself learn something, but you have to find what works for you.
3) Time Management
Studying for an exam you’re planning to pass takes time and should not be done overnight. Of course, some people have accomplished passing an exam by cramming overnight. But if you’re an anxious person, it will be more beneficial to study ahead of time for at least one hour a day until the exam day. Or, you can study in short minute bursts throughout the day if your schedule is too busy to sit down for an hour studying.
Cramming the night before means staying up past bedtime trying to retain information with a sleepy brain only to go into the exam the following day with minimal hours of sleep. Lack of sleep can affect your academic performance and cause physical and mental feelings of anxiety. Staying up too late can also result in low energy, diminishing your motivation for taking the exam. Even if you’re good at working under pressure, you are still jeopardizing your health. It is better to study for a midterm in advance rather than wait until the last minute.
4) Relax the Nerves
No amount of preparation can ease your doubts and worries for an exam. You still need to know how to lessen your anxiety. Being too nervous during a test can hinder your performance. Fortunately, you can find different ways to calm yourself down.
Exercising is helpful to some who like rigorous movements. You can run, walk, play a sport or join a gym. York has a fantastic one. Then there’s yoga, which is similar to exercise but gentler and can help ease tension in your body. Meditation is another way to help you relax about an exam. You may also find unconventional forms of relaxation, such as a hobby, spending time with friends or loved ones, playing with a pet, walking in nature, or listening to music. If possible, do any of these right before an exam. Choosing not to study close to exam time is a good idea. Whatever relaxes you is helpful enough.
The bottom line to remember is exams can cause a lot of anxiety in students. But it’s a normal feeling towards something involving a lot of pressure.
You can work through that nervousness and go beyond.
Good luck in your midterms!
TM
107-05 Guy R. Brewer Blvd. Jamaica, NY 11433 718•526•2099 • Natural Juice • Smoothies • Salads • Fruit Bowls • Parfaits • Sandwich Wraps
Hours: 9:30am - 6pm M-F and 10am - 6pm Saturdays
