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Student Voices The College of Westchester
A Publication of the Student Government Association
Clemson & i3 Student Achievements Read about their experience on Pages 10 & 12
CONTENTS 05.
Annual Students vs. Staff Softball Game
06.
Inspirational Graduation Quotes
09.
Social Media Calendar
10.
Our Clemson Experience
12.
The i3 Experience
18.
Favorite App
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APPLy for your bachelor's degree @ ®
SCHOOL OF BUSINESS BBA, Business Administration BBA, Business Administration - Concentration in Digital Marketing & Design
SCHOOL OF ACCOUNTING BBA, Accounting
SCHOOL OF ALLIED HEALTH BBA, Healthcare Services Administration
SCHOOL OF DIGITAL MEDIA BS, Interactive Digital Media and Marketing
SCHOOL OF ONLINE BBA, Business Administration-Management BBA, Health Services Administration
contact la-keisha smith in the office of bachelor studies at 914.831.0352
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ANNUAL STUDENTS VS. STAFF SOFTBALl GAME students win 16:9! photo CREDIT: Daniel's point of view danieL mokayi, dIGITAL MEDIA STUDENT
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inspirational
graduation quotes
STUDENT SPEAKER
Alejandra Rojas, AAS DEGREE GRADUATE
“Today is a day to celebrate your story; everyone has a story about how we got through this. You made goals, and look at you, you accomplished them, and so did I. What we see today is that we are going to have proof in our hands that we finished what we started, and let me tell you that this is just one more step, because life is full of goals to pursue. I believe in the importance of being well-educated, not just holding a degree, but developing values and skills, opening one’s mind, gathering new perspectives on things, and embracing the excitement of knowledge.”
"We are all here because we persevered, we fought the STUDENT SPEAKER christina ramirez, bba DEGREE GRADUATE fight and we did not quit. We are stronger, wiser, and
better than we were when we entered CW...As I look out amongst the graduates I do not see college graduates, I see warriors. “No man left behind” is a terminology used for war heroes fighting against all odds. We might not physically be at war for our country, but none the less we are fighters. We fought against odds, we fought against fear, and the desire to quit. We are soldiers and we have conquered a series of obstacles, the obstacles themselves varying in difficulty. We learned how to be team players how to lean on each other and when necessary help carry one another to the finish line."
CW Spirit award recipient
tommy barnes, bba DEGREE GRADUATE
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“Today we celebrate our graduation day, such a monumental snapshot of greatness that will be sketched in our memories museum for the rest our lives, such an epic mile stone with so many stories intertwined to be told on just how this chapter of our lives unfolded... Life will be full of twists and turns, up and downs, trials and tribulations, but I’m here to declare that you are strong enough to prevail, you are worthy enough to overcome, and you are blessed enough to succeed...Look at us, we weren’t scared, we tried, and we succeeded.”
Join! STUDENT GOVERNMENt aSSOCIATION
All colleges and universities have Student Government Associations. CW’s Student Government Association supports the academic, social, and physical welfare of all students at the College. The SGA is a great place to make a difference, develop your leadership and organizational skills, and be a real contribution to the CW community.
Being an SGA member always looks good on a résumé and when you graduate it’s great to know you made a difference here for a lot of people. We hold SGA meetings once a month in Room 405 at 3pm, and new members are always welcome. Join us!!!
Wednesday, September 27th Wednesday, October 4th Wednesday, November 1st Wednesday, December 16th
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Social Media Calendar NATIONAL TRENDING TOPICS
AUGUST 8th - Cat Day 9th - Book Lovers Day 11th – Sons and Daughters Day 12th – Youth Day 13th – Left Handers Day 17th – Thrift Shop Day 18th – Fajita Day 20th – Bacon Lovers Day 21st – Cupcake Day 23rd – Hug Your Sweetheart day 26th – Dog Day 29th – Michael Jackson Birthday 30th – Beach Day 31st – Eat Outside Day
september 3rd – Beard Day 4th – Labor Day 10th – National Grandparents Day 11th – Patriot Day 21st – International Day of Peace 22nd – Autumn Begins 30th – International Podcast Day
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OUR CLEMSON EXPERIENCE JENNIFER MITCHELL
BBA, Business Administration
O
ver the Memorial Day weekend, I was given the privilege to attend a seminar on the moral foundations of capitalism hosted by FEE Seminars in Clemson, South Carolina. This four-day conference provided insight as to what capitalism stands for and the rights we are entitled to as human beings. Adam Massoff, Professor of Law at Antonin Scalia Law School introduced the idea that as citizens of the United States we are given natural born rights. We are entitled to these rights and the government is in place to protect these rights. However, he explained the contradiction of having the right to a right by stating the government regulates our rights rather than protecting them. For instance, we all possess the right to purchase a firearm; however, there are rules, regulations, tests that citizens must take in order to “qualify” to own one. Ultimately, his argument concluded that freedom is never free. ►
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Additional insights from Brad Thompson, Professor of political science at Clemson University, concluded that the word selfish is misconstrued. When it comes to the views of capitalism being selfish means to act in one’s self interest. An example would be eating a salad. Eating a salad is selfish because it is in your best self-interest to be healthy. Taking both of these topics into consideration, I was able to understand that most companies are selfish in a good way. They believe in survival of the fittest which means to be the best and their company should not suffer due to another company’s failure. It was also understood that the rights companies are given are limited. The government regulates the right to become a monopoly, which is why Staples and OfficeMax could not merge but Staples is still allowed to be the leading company in office supplies while the other companies may have to file for bankruptcy. Overall, going to this conference was one of the best experiences of my life. Understanding the true meaning of capitalism and how it is vital in economic growth has opened my mind to new possibilities. I look forward to seeing these students in the future and encourage everyone to attend these free seminars to broaden their horizons and consider views from different perspectives.”
MALCOLM BENNETT
BBA, Business Administration
“I had a wonderful time at Clemson for the FEE Seminar, expanding my knowledge on Capitalism; a subject matter I couldn’t see myself caring about a decade ago. That is a testament to all of the guest speakers there, as they were more than knowledgeable of Capitalism. They were also great people overall, taking their time to speak with us during lunch, dinner and at the local tavern. Speaking of great people, the students that were part of the Seminar were sociable and intelligent; we learned from each other in many different ways. I find it amazing how a group of people from all over the world can come together and within 4 days can get attached like that. I don’t know if it comes from the feeling of “we might not ever meet again”, but it was cool. I can tell from the tight parting hugs that the feeling wasn’t phony. Thank you everyone from the Seminar and thank you to The College of Westchester for giving me the chance to experience all of this!”
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THE i3 EXPERIENCE
CW Students Courtney Cochancela, Kelly Gomez, Kadeem Pitkin, and Tommy Tolentino, participated in the i3 Scholar Undergraduate Research Program at the University of Pittsburgh, School of Information Sciences. The undergraduate program, supported in in part by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, focuses on research and leadership development for the underrepresented populations across the country to lead to graduate studies and careers in the information sciences. Only 25 students from across the country are selected each year!
Q&A with Tommy Tolentino; 2017 BBA, Accounting graduate. For students who don’t know about i3 Scholars, what can you tell us about this program? i3 is a student immersion program. You don’t need to be proficient in the informational sciences, mainly because as soon as you get there you find out that you are part of the information sciences no matter your major. Once you join the 12
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program you get the opportunity to meet with 24 other college students from around the country that are in pursuit of the same or similar ventures that you’re working towards. Not only do you get to meet people from all over the United States, but you also get to meet CEOs of companies, heads of corporations and many different professionals that are at the peak of their careers; these individuals will not only share what they know with you but also point you towards the right opportunities for you.
In the course of one month, you will learn how to code, do research, make connections, build a perfect resume, cover letter, and many other accomplishments. How did you get into the program? I got in the program applying and following basic preliminary steps like writing a few essays and getting recommendation letters from my professors. I also took a few extra steps like contacting the coordinator of the program, letting him know that I applied, thanking him for the opportunity and letting him know what I can offer to the program. What are the takeaways from this program? My main takeaway is building relationships and maintaining them; being with 24 strangers taught me how to network with people. The program had a tough schedule and that showed me that scheduling and breaking work into pieces is vital. What did you like the most about the i3 experience? What I liked the most about the program was the workshops. Meeting professionals from all ethnicities and backgrounds showed me that it’s possible to achieve whatever it is you want. It taught me that you can’t put a ceiling on your success, you have to keep pushing yourself to achieve bigger and better goals.
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tudents participating at the i3 program, undertake a yearlong experience that includes two summer institutes and a research project spanning the year. David Guerrero (middle in above photo) participated in 2017 and he returned this year to share his work, experiences, and anecdotes.
This is David's experience one year later... In his own words. The i3 program was an incredible experience working with a remote research team studying the sharing economy and the Uber ridedispatching platform. After a year of Skype calls, long nights reading research papers, transcribing audio interviews, exchanging messages, and adding hundreds of files on Basecamp, we were able to synthesize a preliminary research paper and poster. The greatest experience of all was getting to meet my teammates as well as other fellow cohort members from both my 2016 year, and the new 2017 cohort, in person back at the concluding institute, which felt like a family reunion. Working early in the mornings into the night for two weeks, our team â–ş SUMMER 2017
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analyzed eighteen Uber driver interviews. Using both qualitative and quantitative approaches, we were able to gather insights into their behavior as well as various feelings toward algorithmic management in the form of surge pricing, the ratings system, and incentives offered by Uber to control their independently contracted Uber drivers. Despite this short time schedule we still squeezed in time for events with everyone such as group dinners, movie nights, and a 4th of July fireworks show. Time seemed to slip between our fingers and before we knew it, it was July 5th, the dreaded presentation day. One whole year of work was compressed into an hour-long presentation which my team chose to participate first in order to both set the bar high and reduce nervousness from anticipation. We described our research methodologies to both cohorts, several iSchool faculty members, and Mike and Kayla, the directors of the i3 program. Knowing our audience comprised of some of the 2017 cohort, we decided to add a section into the presentation describing the pitfalls and challenges faced throughout the year such as being banned on Reddit/Uber Drivers for 14
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trying to ask for interviewees and constantly reevaluating our research topic. Despite these setbacks and several others, we succeeded in concluding the institute program.
But wait there's more. We are still working diligently to create a research poster and paper to submit to the iConference 2018 in Sheffield UK. Applications are due mid-September, but with my amazing team and our drafts from the concluding institute, we’ll have no problem. Hopefully by March you’ll see my team and I living it up in the UK amongst Ph.D. students showing off exactly what undergraduates are capable of, especially one from The College of Westchester‌ me.
Did you know we are on Snapchat and have our very
cwstudentlife
We change it every month, so please add us and let us know what theme you want to see next! SPRING 2017
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MEET THE Artist: MICHAEL PERRONE
When and how did you first become interested in art? I became interested in art when I had a class in 9th grade, but it wasn’t until somewhere around my sophomore year that I picked up drawing again; that’s when it stuck. Where do you think your creativity comes from? Definitely influences from videogames and cartoons. The inner machinations of my mind are an enigma. What artist would you say influences your work the most? I’d say the inspiration I had in terms of art style was the cartoonist Gennedy Tartakovsky. His work from Samurai Jack and Sym-bionic Titan influenced my early style until I eventually developed my own. No regrets. How has CW contributed towards your artistic talent? CW definitely gave me a better outlook on my talent. It has improved greatly. I went from drawing characters that already existed, to actually making a pose and drawing the character with it while occasionally using a pose that exists but making it the character I’m drawing. Where does an artist hangout? By a computer with a sketchbook, music, utensils, and an idea. Which Digital Media professor has influenced your art the most? Mr. Ryan has definitely taught me a lot within the field. In one semester alone, I had a lot of one on ones with him during office hours that really shaped my drawing skills to show great results. I am still currently improving. Mr. Lines has also been a very big help as well. I learned some tips in various Adobe software from both of them. How do you see yourself in the future? As a successful artist/designer who never gives up on his dreams. I hope to find my career and achieve my goals to the best of my abilities. I live by an oath. Never give up, no matter how hard or hopeless the issue may perceive to be. 16
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favorite app ®
College students can’ live without mobile gadgets and various apps today. CW students are not the exception. Excluding social media, these are their must-have apps.
LETGO “It’s a perfect app to sell anything you don’t have use for. It’s also a great way to shop because they have tons of good deals.” - Isaac
ifunny
“I like it because the memes are very funny.” - David
sprinkle jesus
“I like it because it sends out encouraging quotes that keeps me going.” - Christie
“I like it because it’s a place where you could blog without even trying. You can have threads and keep the conversation going with different people around the world.” - Jhon
If you have any favorite apps you would like to share, please contact Roman Sierra at RSierra@cw.edu. 18
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capturing cw student life WALKER PHILIP, ANDREW MOLINA, DENNIS DIAZ, AND TAMMY CHEON CAPTURED SOME STUDENT LIFE MOMENTS THROUGHOUT THE SEMESTER AS PART OF THEIR GROUP PROJECT IN PROFESSOR CANCRO’S PROJECT MANAGEMENT CLASS.
“Tour Around The World” Fashion Show by Caribbean Student Association
Student Center Vibes
Day College Ice Cream Social
Luau Event by Sisters United
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MEET THE Artist: KEVIN RUBBALOS
When and how did you first become interested in art? When I was little I would draw with crayons on the wall, and when I was in Middle school I had studio art and was taught different styles. What are you working on currently that excites you? I’m making custom shoes that I’m selling. What artist would you say influences your work the most? Leonardo da Vinci because of how realistic and detailed he painted. Which Digital Media professor has influenced your art the most? Professor Ryan. He has inproved me in perspective. Where does an artist hangout? In their studio. What type of art are you attracted to? Everything! How do you see yourself in the future? My own custom clothing design.
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STUDENT VOICES
S P E C I A L
T H A N K S
T O
STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION Co-Moderator ROMAN SIERRA Co-Moderator DR. JUDITH LILLESTON Club Members DYLAN BROWN, JHON CARMONA, ERICA JOYCE, JENNIFER MITCHELL, WALKER PHILIP, NAIKA SAINT PREUX CONTRIBUTERS JENNIFER MITCHELL, MALCOLM BENNETT, TOMMY TOLENTINO, DAVID GUERRERA, DANIEL MOKAYI, MICHAEL PERRONE, KEVIN RUBALLOS, WALKER PHILIP, ANDREW MOLINA, DENNIS DIAZ, TAMMY CHEON, JHON CARMONA, ISAAC, DAVID, CHRISTIE PUBLISHING Photography & Magazine Layout DAWN OLIVIER Graphic Design KEVIN ZUNIGA
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