VOL. 96, NO. 5
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016
RANDOLPH, N.J.
The Youngtown Edition COUNTY COLLEGE OF MORRIS AWARD-WINNING STUDENT NEWSPAPER
Next CCM president chosen Anthony Iacono will succeed Dr. Edward Yaw Sept. 1 BY DEREK ALLEN Editor-in-Chief
While the entire country may be gearing up for its 2016 presidential choice, The County College of Morris made theirs on Wednesday, March 16 when the Board of Trustees selected Anthony J. Iacono to be the third president in CCM’s history. Iacono succeeds Dr. Edward Yaw, who has been in charge of the campus for three decades. “I am deeply honored to have been selected as the next president of County College of Morris and I greatly appreciate the confidence that the search committee and the Board of Trustees have entrusted in me,” said Iacono. “CCM is an exceptional institution that has achieved significant success since its creation in 1968. For more than 30 years, it has benefited enormously from the vision and leadership of Dr. Edward Yaw, its Board of Trustees, its administrative team, talented faculty and staff, as well as members of the community who have dedicated themselves to creating a college that has changed countless lives. As an individual who is passionate about helping people improve their future through education, strengthening communities through partnerships, economic growth and cultural enrichment, and pioneering innovative approaches to learning,
In This Issue
I look forward to leading CCM and working with a talented team of people who share that passion.” Iacono is currently the Vice President of Academic Affairs at Indian River State College in Fort Pierce, Florida, a post he has held since January 2012. He has a Ph.D. in American History, which he started his career teaching at the University of Central Florida in 1998. He was a part of helping IRSC earn recognition as one of the top ten community colleges in Florida based on student success and has served as an advisor to the U.S. Department of Education. “CCM has all the key components I want in a college,” Iacono said. “When I visited, I saw that faculty and students are really committed to pushing for that higher level of excellence.” Iacono said CCM was the only school he applied to. “I have every confidence that he will do very well,” said Yaw. “He has the appropriate academic credentials, he has the appropriate experience. I think he’ll do just fine.” Joseph Ricca, chair of the Board of Trustees, said in an email that Iacono is an accomplished administrator with more than 20 years of experience in higher education. The Board voted unanimously to select him.
Health benefits of reading // page 3
“We had a lot of very talented applicants, but ultimately his experience and the product of his work was what led us to choose him,” said Ricca. “His expertise in creating innovative approaches to teaching and learning, developing community partnerships and securing grants and other funding provides a distinct advantage as CCM seeks to build upon its record of success for offering high-quality academic programs ... to serve the community and region.” Iacono is slated to join CCM as a presidential nominee by Aug. 15. He will be officially named president on Sept. 1 pending Yaw’s retirement at the end of August. “We will have an overlap of tenures to work with each other and make the transition as smooth as possible,” Yaw said. “I can provide him with my own impressions and insights.” Iacono said he is thrilled about the overlap since it will be extremely helpful to him. “I think that transition period is very smart,” Iacono said. “For the sake of orientation and gaining familiarity of the school, it’ll be great. Some schools do not do that, but I think it’s very wise. It’ll help me continue goals that are already set in place.” Yaw said some of the challenges the college, and Iacono, may face in the future will be related to student success.
Trump vs. Cruz // page 3
PHOTO CREDIT: MITCH KLOORFAIN
Iacono’s tenure will overlap Dr. Yaw’s in order to smooth the transition.
“We will always be challenged and will continue to be challenged by enrollment, by student success in terms of graduation rates and our retention rates,” said Yaw. “Trying to encourage our students to stay here to earn an associate degree before they transfer, since most of them transfer. We think it’s important to get their associate’s before they transfer, and many do. Our numbers are improving a little bit, and I’m hoping that will continue.” Continued in ‘Iacono’ on page 2
VR by HTC, Sony // page 4
MLB Youngins // page 6
Students gain mentors, leadership skills with Educational Opportunity Fund BY BETH PETER Managing Editor
PHOTOS COURTESY OF EOF DEPARTMENT
Top: Barbara Gardner, EOF mentor, with Derek Dalonges. Bottom: Cynthia Burke-Sieber, another EOF mentor, left, with Chelsea Vasquez.
First generation college students, single parents, and financially burdened students enter the County College of Morris with lesser means which can inhibit their potential to thrive. Recognizing this, the Educational Opportunity Fund seeks to combat the disadvantages faced by these students and others to aid them in achieving the greatest college experience they can. “EOF supported me, and not just in education,” said Jane Quedding, vice president and nursing major at CCM. “It’s like a second home.” The goal of EOF is to provide a network of mentors that assist with counseling support, personal and leadership development, along with financial support through EOF grants. “The program really excels because since we provide such heavy academic support, the students end up doing really well,” said Pamela Marcenaro, director of EOF. “The retention rates of the program are very high.” In 2015, 56 percent of EOF students graduated and 86 percent made
it past their first year. These are higher than CCM’s graduation and retention rates, which are 28 percent and 72 percent, respectively. EOF began on Nov. 13, 2014 and has worked with students each semester to pair them with mentors who can provide them guidance in more spheres than just the academic environment. “For the mentors we emphasized that they’re not going to be the student’s counselors because all EOF students already have counselors,” said Edith Nelson, an EOF counselor. “They’re trying to gear them towards thinking about their career, thinking about what’s beyond CCM.” Nelson said they want to encourage students to think about what they could do to enhance their resumes before they graduate. The mentors are chosen to align with the majors students have chosen, though if a mentor is not available in a student’s particular field, they are matched by other characteristics, like personality or valuable skillsets benefitting students. Students and mentors work togeth-
er to develop leadership skills, as well as business skills such as a rehearsed “30 second resume” speech, and the proper etiquette to exchange business cards. “It takes practice to do that,” Nelson said. “But networking is how most people get jobs. It’s not from the newspaper or online, it’s who you know and making connections.” The admission requirements for EOF students restrict eligibility to those who need aid on campus the most, whether that entails financial, professional, or familial commitments that hinder a student’s collegiate drive. That is not to say, however, that EOF is a charity where students gain aid without effort on their part. “If a student does not have that drive to succeed, the program may not be a fit for them,” Marcenaro said. EOF students participate in annual events on campus, such as bake sales and college visits, to engage the larger student body, as well as eight hours of community service and four workshops each semester. Continued in ‘Fund’ on page X
NEWS
PAGE 2 THE YOUNGTOWN EDITION
Iacono
Continued from front page Iacono said as an educator, his greatest focus is student success. “I think he’s very personable,” said Ricca. “He’s responsive to what students need. He will become enmeshed in the student community. I think he’ll be a great fit.” Iacono being chosen as the next president is the culmination of a seven month long search to a successor for Yaw. A committee was appointed to aid in the search, as well as the search firm Isaacson, Miller. The committee had 11 people on it, and was comprised of five trustee members (Stanley T. Omland, Jeffrey Advokat, Joseph Ricca, Joseph Weisberg, Barbara Hadzima), three union representatives (Stephan Kaifa, Shelley Kurland, Richard Burchfield), Director of Human Resources & Labor Relations Thomas Burk, CCM Foundation Chair William McElroy and CCM student Michael Ma-
Fund Continued from front page “The hardest thing is we need more people to know about EOF, and need more supporters,” Quedding said. “We aim for awareness.” Quedding praised the program for helping students without overly pressuring them. The students set up goals for what they want to accomplish, then meet with their mentors three to five times throughout the semester to assess their progress. Students further meet with their counselors twice each month to
sino. When the search committee narrowed down the candidates to four, those four candidates met with students and faculty to discuss what they can offer to the college and get a feel for CCM. “The search committee did an outstanding job of understanding the level of leadership the college is seeking and in selecting candidates for consideration,” said Ricca. “They established high standards, asked insightful questions, and diligently reviewed and discussed the merits of the applicants to select the best candidates. My fellow trustees and I are extremely grateful for the time and dedication the committee devoted to this process and for the input of the college community.” Iacono said he does not want to begin his tenure as president by making a lot of changes. “A lot of what I’ll be doing in the beginning is just listening and getting a feel for the campus, getting to know people,” said Iacono. discuss and come up with any issues affecting their educational success. EOF hopes to aid students in the transition to the workforce or to a four-year school. “Compared to other EOF programs, most of them are peer programs,” Nelson said. “We’re different because we have professionals matched with students.” Quedding said that thanks to EOF, she’s doing better than when she first started taking classes at CCM. To find out more, EOF is located in Cohen Hall 211 and can be emailed at eof@ccm. edu.
MARCH 30, 2016
New CCM algebra professor makes his mark with struggling students BY LYNN NIXON Contributor
For many students algebra can be a painful subject, but having a patient and empathetic professor can make the difference between passing and failing. Luckily, for students at the County College of Morris, there is a new addition to CCM’s math department, Professor Evren Gulistan. While this is only his second semester teaching at CCM, Gulistan’s love of teaching coupled with his care and concern for struggling students has already had a positive impact on CCM’s algebra students. Gulistan joined CCM’s math department as an adjunct professor in the fall of 2015, teaching two intermediate algebra classes. In addition, he is a full-time high school teacher at Bergen County Technical School where he has been teaching math for the past five years, including algebra classes for students struggling with High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA) testing. While he excelled in math as a student, Gulistan didn’t know he wanted to be a teacher until his junior year of high school. “My pre-calculus honors teacher had a unique teaching style and a sense of humor which made the class fun and educational at the same time,” Gulistan said. “It was then that I had found my calling.” Since then, education has been a lifelong passion for Gulistan. “What I like most about teaching is being able to inform students of knowledge that they can use to better themselves and to further their careers,” Gulistan said. He is already known at CCM for being committed to helping students who are struggling with math. Ryan Stampfl, a CCM business student, felt his grade has improved thanks largely to Gulistan. “Professor Gulistan spent a lot of time with me and some
PHOTO BY LYNN NIXON
Professor Evren Gulistan (right) is currently teaching college algebra at CCM and full-time at Bergen County Technical School. of the other students before and after our algebra class,” Stampfl said. “He encourages you to ask questions and makes sure you understand everything before he moves on to the next problem. He definitely helped me improve my grade from a D to a B.” Gulistan said he could offer this advice: practice. “Practice makes perfect, or pretty close to it,” said Gulistan. “Consistent practice with homework problems and asking questions if you’re not sure ... but the biggest thing needed is consistency to improve your skills.” Gulistan graduated from high school in the top 10 percent of his class and was a Garden State Scholar recipient. He then went on to graduate from William Paterson University with a bachelor’s degree in math while taking part in the K-12 teacher education program. Thereafter, he obtained a master’s in math with a concentration in math education from Montclair State University. Currently, Gulistan is teaching CCM’s college algebra class on Saturday mornings.
“So far it has been very rewarding and a great experience,” Gulistan said. Gulistan said that he was always interested in teaching at the college level, so when the opportunity came to work at CCM, he jumped at the chance. “I like the fact that he has teaching experience, especially since he is teaching at CCM part time, so he is comfortable in a classroom,” said Doreen Sabella, Assistant Chair of CCM’s math department. “I am very happy with his progress and glad to hear the students like him.” Gulistan lives in New Jersey with his wife, who is also a math teacher, and their 4-year-old son who they are hoping has inherited the math gene. In his spare time, Gulistan is continuing his own education and is presently attending Montclair State University to obtain his MED in Special Education. “I noticed a lot of my colleagues have special education degrees, so I wanted to broaden my background,” said Gulistan.
Students’ reading habits deeply affected by start of new semester BY VICTORIA PIGNATELLI Entertainment Editor
PHOTO CREDIT: FACEBOOK
For many, reading is a gateway to another, less stressful, world. Balancing time to read for class and time just to read for fun is difficult for most students. “I’m a big supporter of reading, but when I’m in the full swing of a semester I just can’t focus on my own reading, “said visual arts student Emily Sullivan. Students such as Sullivan have a difficult time finding the balance between required reading and their reading for pleasure because, according to some, there is just too much required reading for classes.
“If I try leisure reading, I tend to fall asleep no matter what I start,” said Ben Foerster, a biology major at CCM. “It isn’t the content, no, but the time I have to read for fun. I feel like I’ve read less since I started school this semester, more than ever in my life.” There is a fine line of balance, and some students have fallen into habits that impact their school performance. “One semester, I got caught up in a series of books so bad that I couldn’t put them down,” said Sullivan. “I read probably more than eight books in a three week period, and my grades went down. I had exams. Huge mistake.” Reading, to some students,
is extremely important. In some cases, required readings for school can be fun; most of the time these readings are not. “Honestly, I have a hard time reading what I’m assigned,”said Kyle Ducote, a history major. “I find the class readings to be so boring, and uninspiring that I just don’t read them. I’d rather use my time better, and read other things, like novels that have meaning.” Extracurricular reading is far from a ‘bad habit’ but, during a semester, it can prove to be detrimental. “It’s my last semester here at CCM, and I can’t be bothered with my free reading,” said Kiera Simmons, English
education major at CCM. “I’ve got so much for my courses that I can’t even look at my book shelves full of unread books. I’m so stressed out and tired from my class readings that my ‘to be read’ pile has been left entirely unread since January 22.” Leisure reading during a busy semester is something that many college students just haven’t gotten the grasp of managing into their time yet. If a student likes to read, then they should do it. It is simple enough, but some either choose to ignore it while the semester is going on or they ignore their other readings, and focus only on the entertainment.
MARCH 30, 2016
OPINION
THE YOUNGTOWN EDITION PAGE 3
A novel idea: reading found to improve health BY EMILY BETZ Opinion Editor
We have always been told reading was better for us than watching television, but until recently there was no concurrent evidence to support that theory. It was just something our parents told us to get us to turn off the television and pick up a book. The unfortunate truth however is reading is declining. In a techno-centric world, less and less people are picking up books and even fewer finishing them. The Pew Research Center surveyed people over the age of 18 back in 1978, when 92 percent of the country had read at least one book in the last year. In 2014 that number had dropped to 72 percent. In contrast, Americans are spending around 7.5 hours of their days passively browsing the internet, using their smartphones, and watching television. A recent study published by Tohoku University found that there was, in fact, a negative impact of excessive and prolonged exposure to television. They monitored 276 children, from the ages 5-18 who watched between 0-4 hours of television a day. Finding that those children who watched more television had lower IQ’s, specifically in verbal intelligence. There was also a discovered correlation between those children who watched the most television, and an increase in grey matter in the frontal cortex. The University stated they would have to run a larger experiment in order to prove causation, however this information by itself is still troubling. On the opposite side, Emory University ran a study to see the impact of reading on the brain. 21 students were asked to read “Pompeii” by Robert Harris, 30 pages a night. Then in the morning they would come in for MRI’s and for 5 days after they finished reading the book. The study found a connectivity, specifically in the sensorimotor region and in the part of the brain responsible for language. But what was most shocking was the flare in the part of the brain that associates sensation in the body, called grounded cognition. In other words, reading can cause a physical sensation depending on what is happening in the book, to an extent. And these changes to the brain lasted for as long as 5 days after the novel was completed. “The fact that we are detecting them over a few days for a randomly assigned novel suggests that your favorite novels could certainly have a bigger and longer-lasting effect on the biology of your brain,” said Gregory Berns, author of the study. You could say that books are the cure, providing stimulation to the parts of the brain television desensitizes. According to the New York Times, digital format book (or e-books) will inevitably pass print books by the year 2018. So why then, when books are so easily accessible, and a person can press a button to download any piece of literature they desire, are people reading less? Whatever one’s particular preference in format is, an appreciation for literature needs to be emphasized. Books are changing with the times, as they should, having always been a reflection on the world around us. Long winding descriptions are being traded for shorter sentences, and a faster paced storyline, possibly due to our now shorter attention spans. With all of our health fads, let’s make the latest one a technology cleanse with an increase of reading in our diets. The health benefits would certainly be a lot more pleasurable than a juice cleanse, or the newest cabbage diet.
PHOTO CREDIT: FACEBOOK
Trump vs. Cruz: is there lesser of two evils? BY SANDRA RIANO Opinion Editor
With Donald Trump dominating media coverage, the extremities of the platforms of other Republican candidates are less obvious. While Trump is leading both in polls and in asinine comments, opponent Ted Cruz may actually be even more extreme in his ideologies. Rafael Edward “Ted” Cruz, junior Senator from Texas, prides himself on his evangelical views, his desire to abolish the separation of church and state and his work towards restricting abortions and closing women’s health clinics in his state. Ted Cruz also apparently doesn’t care about war crime convictions when in office because his approach to dealing with terrorism will be simply to “carpet bag” them or bomb them with no regards for civilian casualties which is considered a war crime by the terms of the Geneva Conventions. Cruz is most widely known for his 2013 filibuster against the Affordable Care Act in which he spoke for 21 hours in which he read tweets and “Green Eggs and Ham” on the floor of the U.S Senate. Now running for the office of president, Cruz still stands by his actions that led to the third longest government shutdown in history and plans to repeal Obamacare on his first day in office while providing no coverage plans to the millions who will lose their health insurance. How will President Cruz change the country for the better if he has a history of putting his beliefs before the needs of others? Cruz, a Canadian immigrant born to Cuban-American parents,
plans to deport all 12 million undocumented immigrants that currently live in the U.S. While Trump has this same idea, Cruz has revealed that he has a plan to actually do it. He will use U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement as a task force to go knocking on doors to arrest immigrants. This includes immigrants that have lived here for the majority of their lives and some who have children who may have been born here, making them legal citizens. He also wants to track immigrants, according to his website, in the same manner as “Amazon and Fedex can track packages”. After severing millions of families through deportation Ted Cruz also plans to eliminate the Internal Revenue Service and the Departments of Energy, Commerce, Housing and Urban Development, and Education and has provided no clarification for how the tasks done by those departments will get fulfilled. The Republican Party is leaving much to be desired this election cycle and with Trump so far into the race, many Republicans are jumping onto the “Never Trump” bandwagon a little late. The effort to stop Trump may
benefit Cruz but we have to ask ourselves who is really going to be the lesser of two evils in this situation: a Tea Party, radical Senator who knows how to manipulate the government or an entertainer who will say anything and appeal to anyone to get what he wants. While Trump craves attention and latches onto the week’s topic of conversation at least he sticks to his guns like when he was booed during a debate for opposing the Iraq War. Cruz on the other hand is deeply committed to his Tea Party ideology and is not well liked at all in Washington D.C. Unfortunately, moderate Republicans like John Kasich who are generally nice, sensible people are being left behind as the radical demagogues and bullies sweep up delegates across the country. What we are witnessing is a primary election that is not based on legitimate policy and experience but is based instead on fear mongering and playing to the crudest prejudices that still exist in many Americans.
PHOTO CREDIT: FACEBOOK
PAGE 4 THE YOUNGTOWN EDITION
FEATURE
MARCH 30, 2016
Virtual reality immersing some, not all SAMUEL GUGLIELMO Features Editor
One of the most important aspects of video games is immersion, feeling like you’re actually part of the experience. This can be done with good worldbuilding, graphics, or storytelling. One new method is putting you in the experience: virtual reality. Will this be a huge change to the landscape of gaming, or is this idea dead on arrival? The first sign of virtual reality came from Stanley G. Weinbaum in his 1935 science-fiction short story “Pygmalion’s Spectacles”. Despite being written in the 1930s, it would provide a surprisingly accurate insight into the future of virtual reality tech. In the 1950s Morton Heilig wrote about how he wanted to make an “experience theatre” where one could use all their senses to experience a movie. By the 1960s Heilig built five Sensoramas, which were big devices that would play a short film while someone sat with their head inside the device. It had stereo sound, stereoscopic 3D, and would expel aromas and blow air at points throughout the films. While an impressive device, Heilig was never able to get funding to build more of them. The first true VR came in 1968 with a device that was named “The Sword of Damocles” due to its rather frightening appearance. Created by scientists Ivan Sutherland and Bob Sproull, this head mounted device provided a simple wire-frame room with a cube in it for a user to explore, though it was restricted in use as the device was so heavy it had to be mounted to the ceiling. While an interesting proof of concept, it was challenging to do much with it. During the 1980s and 1990s the first video game companies started to get involved. Atari started a section of their company specifically for VR, but they had to close it down shortly after due to the North American video game crash. Both Sega and Nintendo attempted their own versions of VR. Sega’s version, called Sega VR, never left Japanese arcades. Nintendo released their Virtual Boy console, advertised as a handheld portable VR device. The Virtual Boy was Nintendo’s biggest failure, aborted due to its large clunky size, high price, lack of good games, and the fact that it could only display one color: red. Nintendo’s total failure scared people away from VR for a while, though the past few years have seen a reemergence in development. In 2010 Palmer Luckey’s company, Oculus VR, developed the first Oculus Rift, an attempt to bring back VR and make it a mainstream concept. It led to the current VR race: the aforementioned Oculus Rift, Valve and HTC’s collaborative attempt called the HTC Vive, and Sony’s PlayStation VR. Each company has their own strategies to make their project succeed and stand out from the crowd. Oculus, which ran a successful Kickstarter campaign that landed them almost $2.5 million, was acquired by Facebook in 2014. Their strategy seems to be giving financial assistance to developers in return for platform ex-
clusivity. Oculus helps fund the game, then the game only works with the Oculus Rift and only appears in their store. This is giving smaller developers the money they need to make a VR compatible game, but some people feel like this approach is going to split the userbase of VR unnecessarily. There is also some controversy about the price: after Luckey insisted that the Oculus Rift should cost between $350 and $450, a lot of people were blindsided when they announced it would actually be $599. The price is made less extreme when considering the pre-orders will come with an Xbox One Controller and two games: “Lucky’s Tale” and “EVE: Valkyrie”. With Valve and HTC’s endeavor, the HTC Vive will track someone’s movements, allowing them to walk inside of a small boxed area. This provides a new angle to VR that the other two can’t offer, and the games that work with it will likely find interesting ways to make this work. This requires users to have a much bigger area available to use than the other two and will likely limit use of this feature to enthusiasts. The HTC Vive will also cost $799, much more than the Oculus Rift, but it comes with the games “Job Simulator”, “Fantastic Contraptions” and “Tilt Brush” along with a pair of controllers to make up for that cost. Finally is Sony, who has one big advantage with the PlayStation VR. Unlike the other two it works with a PlayStation 4, which allows a more casual audience to access
VR. The worry is that PlayStation VR will not be able to achieve the levels of graphic fidelity that the other two will, as a PlayStation 4 is just simply not as powerful as a high end PC. On the other hand, Sony has many development studios that can develop games around this, and they have games like “RIGS”, “Gran Turismo Sport”, and “The Modern Zombie Taxi Co.” in the works already. PlayStation VR is also the cheapest of the three, at $399. You do also need a PlayStation Camera to use it, which runs for about $40 on Amazon, but $440 is still $160 cheaper than the next option. There’s also a version that costs $499 and comes bundled with the camera, two PlayStation Move controllers, and the game “PlayStation VR Worlds,” a collection of five smaller games. But will this be the next big sweeping change in video games? Most likely not, at least at first. While all three headsets have the potential to be big, at the current time the cost is a bit too high for a casual consumer. It’ll likely take years for the VR Headsets to drop enough in price for someone to impulse buy them, and also for the casual user’s computes to be powerful enough to use them (Oculus put out a recommended minimum build that could cost almost $1,000). Yet in a few years, as long as there are enough sales to keep them around long enough, VR should have a healthy niche group and plenty of games supporting it.
PHOTO CREDIT OCULUS FACEBOOK
PHOTO CREDIT SONY FACEBOOK
MARCH 30, 2016
PROFILE
THE YOUNGTOWN EDITION PAGE 5
CCM alumnae talk navigating careers after graduation
Michelle Wallig, CCM alumna
PHOTO CREDIT: LINKEDIN
BY LYNN NIXON Contributor
County College of Morris alumna Michelle Wallig has parlayed her associate degree into a successful tech career that began with American Express and wound its way to Microsoft and beyond. Wallig had a position on the product launch team for the Xbox 360, and her success as a Microsoft employee also landed her on the pages of Working Mother magazine. “I was featured as the Xbox Mom,” said Wallig. Some students end up working in the field of their degree, others do not. For Wallig, choosing a degree path in computer technology was a no-brainer. While she was a student at CCM, she saw the April 1984 cover of Time magazine with Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, holding a floppy disc. “I knew that was where I wanted to be,” said Wallig. “Bill Gates was my inspiration from afar.” Wallig graduated from CCM in 1986 with a degree in computer technology, and then attended Drexel Univer-
sity for computer science but never graduated. She went to work in the technology field and built a successful career with only a degree from CCM. “I got my first real job at American Express as a database analyst,” said Wallig. “Every year or so after that I moved to bigger firms.” Wallig has worked for some of the biggest names in the financial world including Bank of America, Wells Fargo and JP Morgan Chase. In 1999, an opportunity at Microsoft presented itself and she quickly got hired by the firm. “I was at Microsoft for 15 years, I went in to create a human resource system since Microsoft was getting 15,000 resumes per month,” said Wallig. “I created a database to help get the best candidates worldwide,” After that project, she landed the Xbox job. “I worked on the Xbox 360 team for four years; the creator of Xbox was my mentor,” said Wallig. “We built a huge server environment so people creating games could send them in for testing to make sure they would work on Xbox.” In May 2005, Wallig said she felt like her path had come full circle. “Twenty years after being inspired by Bill Gates on the cover of Time magazine, there he was again, on the cover of Time holding the Xbox, the console that I worked on,” Wallig said. Today, Wallig is an Executive Director for Ernst and Young where she consults with large corporations. She still attributes her CCM degree to her success. “I’m very proud of my CCM degree, it got me where I am today,” said Wallig. “If I wouldn’t have done it, I wouldn’t have worked on Xbox, I wouldn’t have had the opportunities I’ve had.” But following the same path started at CCM is not always how it turns out, as was the case for Maureen Germinder, a CCM graduate. Germinder chose to attend CCM after high school because she didn’t know what she wanted to do. “I took the chemistry class and loved it,” said Germinder. “My professor, Johannessen, was awesome, she got me excited about it.” After graduating from CCM in 1992 with a degree in chemistry and environmental science, Germinder obtained her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Caldwell University. She then started her career as a chemist at
Benjamin Moore paint company. “I was in their research and development department doing reverse engineering on competitor products, to see what they were made of,” Germinder said. Germinder PHOTO CREDIT: LINKEDIN worked at BenMaureen Germinder, CCM alumna jamin Moore for almost 20 years, moving up the ranks in product and marketing, and eventually working on the company websaite which catapulted her into the world of digital marketing. Today, Germinder works for Asurion, a mobile technology support company, as a Director of Digital Marketing, and she loves it. Even though Germinder started her path with a degree in chemistry, the skills she learned at CCM have proven invaluable in her current career as a digital marketer. “A lot of what I learned at CCM in chemistry built my foundation that I still use today— analyzing data, experimenting, and having controls,” said Germinder. “So much is exactly what I apply to processes in digital marketing to analyze data, it’s fact based.” Like Wallig, Germinder believes that her CCM degree helped her success. “Your decision today may not necessarily be the career you have in 20 years, but it could influence it,” said Germinder. “Students should make good choices now so they have that foundation for later on.” And that is exactly what Natasha Griffith, a CCM communication major, is doing. “I chose a major in communications because I love writing, Ia’m a people person and I have an imaginative mind,” said Griffith. “I have no idea what I am going to end up doing with my career, but I know being a communications major will help me interact with people and help me with my writing.”
PAGE 6 THE YOUNGTOWN EDITION
SPORTS
MARCH 30, 2016
Major League Baseball striking out with millenials BY STEVEN DAVIES Contributor
Preseason baseball is underway in the consistently warmer southern states, meaning that spring is soon approaching. However, Major League Baseball is facing a major crisis; baseball’s golden era is fading. The saying, “baseball is America’s pastime” is laughed at by most millennials. It seems that the sport of baseball is washing away from relevance. The once nationalized game is now facing a downward spiral in viewership. Criticisms for the game include: it’s too slow, there’s too many games, not enough action, too many players, and others among a long list. “It is just kind of boring to me,” said Kevin Hughes, a 20-year old without a favorite team. “I only watch the playoffs, and that is if nothing else is on.” In 2004, the MLB World Series had 25.47 million viewers, according to Statista. com, and although there was a slight increase in 2015 from 2014, it was still only 14.7 million viewers in a little over 10 years. Ideas as to why baseball is dying mount but salaries for teams appear to be unaffected. The top payroll to start the 2015 season was the Los Angeles Dodgers with a total of $272,789,040. The top payroll in 2000 belonged to the New York Yankees at just
$92,538,260, according to the MLB. This can be attributed to new television deals that pay teams an astonishing amount of money to air games. Some teams have even founded their own networks in order the hike up prices for providers such as Verizon and Time Warner. So, although viewership is down, salaries continue to climb. Many young fans seen wearing baseball hats and jerseys might have a above average knowledge of the team and sport in general, but not significant enough to prove that baseball is expanding in any way. With 162 regular season games though, it is tough to place blame on them. Still, viewership is down from years past and is showing no evidence of being revived - at least not right now. A few new rules have been added in the past off seasons in order the help speed the game along. For example, the batter can no longer step out of the batter’s box during an at-bat, unless a pitch is fouled out of play. This rule alone shaved an average of 6 minutes off games in 2015, according to CBS Sports. “My dad is a huge fan so I grew up going to games,” said Anthony Galasso, a 23year old New York Met fan. “I watch the playoffs too, especially since the Mets have been in it.” Shortening the season is out of ques-
tion. Not only would the player’s union vote against it for the fact of salary reduction, but also for the fact that the player’s statistics will decrease with it. With less games, records in every statistical category would be untouchable. For example: home runs, runs batted in, strikeouts, saves. The argument for the game not being exciting is a personal opinion. A viewer either likes baseball or doesn’t. Just like a television show you might come across while flipping through channels; baseball either catches your eye, or you pass on by. In reality, more consistent pitchers have created tougher times for batters in the past decade. There have been more no-hitters and perfect games in the last 5 years than the previous 10. There have been 31 no-hitters or perfect games since 2010. There were only 15 from 2000-2009, according to MLB.com. “I don’t even watch 20 games a year,” said Matt Schiumo, a 20-year old New York Yankee fan. “I tune in more to the playoffs though.” With 30 major league teams and a 40man roster, there are approximately 1,200 major league players, not counting call-ups and injured reserve. Even following one team takes knowledge and memory. While a football team carries 53 men on the active roster, football is more popular on television and even still, an intermediate fan would not
know all 53. “Baseball needs a record chaser,” said Galasso. “They need someone close to a important record to attract people.” Schiumo said cheaper tickets would help. To be clear, baseball is not going anywhere. It will continue to be broadcast on television, highlighted on ESPN, and reviewed on the local news. The game itself just might need a push in the right direction. Although, don’t be fooled, baseball is still desired by some younger fans. “I watch close to 100 games a year,” said Galasso. “I even go to about 20 games a year.” Baseball has its niche though. From April to October, a game can be found at nearly any time from noon to midnight. Consistent scheduling helps draw in fans on some days. But how long will they watch, and are they coming back the next day? “They have to speed it up,” said Hughes. The MLB has its work cut out for them. They need to maintain the structure of the game of baseball, yet cater to a younger, lessintrigued generation. While baseball trends downward, solutions must start to be put into action.
CCM spring sports season roundup
PHOTO CREDIT: FACEBOOK
BRETT FRIEDENSOHN Sports Editor
The 2016 seasons began for three of the four teams that represent the County College of Morris during the National Junior College Athletic Association Region XIX’s spring season. CCM’s baseball team, whose season began March 6, won its first four games before dropping to 8-6 during a series of games in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina during spring break. CCM’s lacrosse team, whose season began Feb. 28, started 1-4 while winning a game after entering the second half of it with an eight point deficit. CCM’s softball team, whose season began March 5, started 9-7 while playing a series of games in Titusville, Florida during spring break. Meanwhile, CCM’s golf team prepared for the beginning of its season. Jack Sullivan, athletic director at CCM, had positive views regarding the baseball and softball teams’ travels. “Both teams did very well,” said Sullivan. “They go down under very competitive circumstances, and this year, they are showing signs of vast improvement. Teams that, in the past, they weren’t been able to really compete on a high level with they’re competing with.” Sullivan said that unpredictable weather serves as CCM’s greatest hindrance during spring seasons. “We’re subject to – we don’t have a turf field, so – rain outs,” said Sullivan.”If we get a good stretch of weather, that’s gonna be lovely; if we get bad weather, a lot of cancellations... We’re hoping for an agreeable spring season weather-wise.” Defending NJCAA Region XIX Division II Championship runner-up and head coach of CCM’s baseball team Brian Eberly said that his team had a great chance of winning the championship this season. “First and foremost, we would like to win the regional championship,” Eberly said. “I think this year’s team is much better than last year’s team is, so how that’ll all compare to the other teams and everything we’ll have to wait and see. But I definitely feel that this is the strongest team that I’ve had here.” After his team’s opening day, during which CCM baseball won both of its games against Anne Arundel Community College, Eberly said that his team proved effective with few mistakes. “I thought we swung the bats very well, thought we ran the bases well; the pitchers did a good job,” Eberly said. “A few mistakes defensively, but all in all it was a pretty good day.”
Eberly said that to fix these mistakes, his team must practice more on the field. “We just gotta keep working,” Eberly said. “I think we have a strong defensive team. We haven’t had a chance to be outside too much yet because of the weather, so it was obviously one of our … first few days being on grass. That definitely played a part, but I would expect to be much improved going forward.” During its opening day, CCM’s softball team lost both games that it played against Rowan College at Gloucester County. “I never like to use excuses because the other team beat us and outplayed us,” said Greg Wardlow, head coach of CCM’s softball team. “First game out of the shoot, when we haven’t really been outside more than once in terms of our infield and we were able to take a few fly balls for our outfielders on the field. Most of the time, it’s been in the gym. I believe that our opponent, Gloucester, has been on the field a bunch of times.” Wardlow said in order for his team to win the championship, which CCM hosts this season, they must make improvements. “[Our team must] keep getting better day by day, correct our mistakes,” Wardlow said. “I think confidence is a big factor, because I think that we have the talent to compete at this level for sure. We have good quality pitching, which is a number one need, and beyond that if we can do a better job on our defense, reducing our errors, and hitting with confidence, and that’s the thing that I think will happen...If [the softball players] believe in themselves, that’s what’s gonna happen, so I’m very optimistic about this season.” Christen Mills, criminal justice major and outfielder for CCM’s softball team, said that her team will likely win the championship that it missed last season. “I think we have really good chances of it,” Mills said. “The way we continue to play. If we continue to play the way we do, we’ll definitely make it.” Mills praised her team for its ability to play as a unit. “Everybody hits; everybody picks each other up,” Mills said. “If somebody strikes out, everybody’s together. There’s just great talent.” On March 5, CCM’s lacrosse team entered the second half of its game against the College of Southern Maryland losing 7-1 but won the game 9-8 in double overtime. Jonathan Tamoklo, business major and lacrosse player at CCM, attributed the win to his coach’s inspiration during a pep talk at halftime.
“[Our coach] just let us know that we needed to push ourselves, and even though things were down and weren’t in our favor that we can switch that with hard work and dedication, so that put some fire under us,” Tamoklo said. “And we don’t want to lose again, which is obvious. We came back with the win, we came back strong. It was good; we’re happy with it.” Tomoklo said that he hoped for his team to win the NJCAA Region XIX Championship this season. “The region championship is always a goal at CCM,” Tomoklo said. “CCM being the Morris County college, Morris County is a very good county for lacrosse. Some of the best lacrosse players in the nation in the Division I ranks are all from Morris County or some other county, and CCM is kind of overlooked by a lot of people that come into … the junior college level of lacrosse.” Sullivan said that despite starting 1-5, CCM’s lacrosse team should improve. “There’s a lot of young, inexperienced players on this team,” Sullivan said. “The more experience they get, the more together they play, the better the chances are.” CCM’s golf team, 2015 NJCAA Region XIX champions, began practicing indoors at a range Feb. 1 and at a range weeks later to determine which five players will earn the right to golf for the team in the team’s regular rotation. “Everybody’s going to have an equal chance to play this year because I think we have maybe 8 guys that can qualify for those 5 spots that we’re looking for to declare for a team score,” said Jim Chegwidden, CCM’s head golf coach. “It’s good to have eight, nine, ten guys compete for five spots because it puts that much pressure on them to do well.” Alex Pedersen, the CCM golf team’s only returning player, said that he did not consider himself certain if his team would have as a successful season as it has had during recent seasons. “It’s hard to say right now,” Pedersen said. “We haven’t really been on the course. Most of it hasn’t been on the range type stuff. Everybody’s swing looks pretty good, I would say. There’s always room for improvement. It’s early in the season. Usually, everyone’s swings develop as the season goes on, so mid season swings are better that in the March era swings.” This season, Pedersen serves as captain of his team. “In terms of leadership, I hope I’m more of a role model in character and keeping the game honest,” Pedersen said. CCM’s golf team begins its season March 28 against Burlington Community College.
MARCH 30, 2016
NEWS
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Women’s Center provides course to ‘Empowerment!’ BY GINA N. FICO Acting News Editor
Women have benefited from the County College of Morris’ Women’s Center for over 25 years. Many women over the years gained self-esteem through counseling and courses for both their career and personal life. Empowerment! is a 12-week, selective course that teaches women to “combat internal barriers, employability skills and experimental methods.” Attendance is mandatory and homework is given to the women. “There is always something going on in a woman’s life that causes them to think, ‘What’s next?’” said Melissa Elias, Executive Director of the women’s center. Elias said the program was created to make women go forward in their lives. In one of the activities, a human figure was drawn. She explained, inside the body was what others want and outside was what the women can do for themselves. “It’s really designed to help women reflect and make the changes they want to make,” said Joanne Rohach, creator and facilitator of Empowerment. Elias and Rohach “brainstormed” the idea for the course in June of 2013. Rohach has a long history of motivating women to reach their full potential. Empowerment! ran for the first time in January of 2014. “Back in 2011, I started providing workshops at the women’s center on a pro bono basis,” said
Rohach. Elias said in combination of Rohach’s experience and peer support in the group, the program is a great resource for women. It also attracts a diverse group of women each time it ran through its dynamic program. “It’s a wonderful and beautiful thing,” said Elias. Michele Coneys, job placement counselor at the Women’s Center said she has seen a lot of positives from Empowerment! One of Coneys’ duties is to provide women with job postings. She said she finds speakers and facilitates meetings for the center. “Empowerment! Helps women find jobs, and helps them find the confidence to find jobs,” Coney said. “It helps women feel better about themselves and opens up opportunities to them.”
CCM’s Women’s Center.
PHOTO CREDIT: FACEBOOK
CCM softball team takes on national competitors BY TANNA HOLZWORTH Contributor
This March, the women’s softball team at the County College of Morris will be packing up and heading to Orlando, Fla. to compete against teams from across the country. There will be 19 players and three coaches going down in hopes of winning the weeklong doubleheader games. “We have been practicing everyday and playing a lot of games in preparation for our games in Florida,” said Nicole Iorio, a nursing major at CCM. “My mind-
set going into the games is just to make a minimal amount of errors and run as fast as I can.” The three coaches have been working very hard with the athletes, training them almost everyday. “We have been practicing a lot of infield, outfield and team drills that will come in handy on game days,” Iorio said. “I’m both nervous and excited and I know all the girls are really eager to play.” Breanna Csakvary, a power hitter, has a right arm injury from overuse but still plans to participate in the games in Florida. “Thanks to physical therapy, train-
ers and the coaches, I’m still able to go,” said Csakvary. “I’m excited to go because I think our team works well together, and it was so cool to see a group of strangers come together as a family over the course of a few seasons.” Kim Vansavage, a liberal arts major, said she is excited to go to Florida because all of the games thus far have been local, and she wants a change of scenery and weather. Vansavage, an outfielder, said that in order to make her coach, Greg Wardlow, proud, she has to run back for any ball that goes over her head to catch it.
The 2016 County College of Morris Peace Prize
Psi Beta chapter at CCM
Students may apply now for the 2016 County College of Morris Peace Prize. The recipient will receive an engraved plaque and an award of $1,000, both provided by the generosity of the County College of Morris Foundation. Established in 2001, The Peace Prize competition is intended to inspire students to use their imagination and creativity in the design and production of a work that both commemorates the events of September 11, 2001 and makes a positive statement about the importance and pursuit of world peace. The work may take any number of forms, including, but not limited to, expository or creative writing, video production, musical composition or other visual or performing art. Students who wish to participate must file an application by March 25 with Professor Peter Maguire. By April 22, all projects must be submitted to him for referral to a distinguished panel of judges. Presentation of the award will take place during Commencement on May 27. In addition, the recipient will have his/her name inscribed on the permanent Peace Prize plaque in the Student Community Center. Questions may be directed to, and applications obtained from, Professor Peter Maguire at pmaguire@ccm.edu.
We are inviting students to join our new CCM chapter of Psi Beta, the National Honor Society in Psychology for Community and Junior Colleges (www.psibeta.org). Psi Beta membership is a nationally-recognized honor, an excellent addition to any college application or job resumé, and a great way to meet peers and faculty with similar interests. Both psychology majors and non-majors with an interest in psychology may apply. Applicants are required to have an overall GPA of at least 3.25, have earned a grade of B or higher in a college psychology course, and have completed at least one introductory psychology course and 12 units of total college credit. A one-time national lifetime membership fee of $50.00 is required. Interested students should speak with Dr. Kristin Nelson in the Psychology and Education Department, DH 331, during office hours: Mon 3:30-4:30pm; Wed 12:30-1:30pm & 3:304:30pm; or call (973) 328-5631 for an alternative time.
“My coach has made me a better player, and he is really encouraging,” said Vansavage. “So I want to show him how much I have improved. I need to watch for bad hops and adjust for them to make the plays.” Vansavage said putting her teammates in the best position possible is what she is most concerned about. The team will play at the Disney Sports Center, known as the Wide World of Sports Complex. “On Wednesday we will be going to a water park, and I’m probably most excited about that,” Vansavage said.
THE YOUNGTOWN EDITION The Student Newspaper of the County College of Morris County College of Morris • Mail Station SCC 226 214 Center Grove Rd., Randolph, NJ 07869-2086 Phone #: (973) 328-5224 Fax #: (973) 361-4031 E-mail: youngtownedition@gmail.com Editor-in-Chief.............................................................. Derek Allen Managing Editor...............................................................Beth Peter News Editor................................................................ Amanda Aller Acting News Editor...................................................... Gina N. Fico Features Editor.................................................... Samuel Guglielmo Entertainment Editor........................................... Victoria Pignatelli Sports Editor....................................................... Brett Friedensohn Senior Opinion Editor................................................ Sandra Riano Opinion Editor................................................................ Emily Betz Copy Editor................................................................ Marisa Goglia Senior Layout Editor............................................ Drew Notarnicola Paginator........................................Frank Eaton, Stephanie Dechart Technical Adviser......................................................Wilma Martin Faculty Adviser........................................ Professor Russ Crespolini Circulation...........................................................Preeti Manekporia Contributors: Lynn Nixon, Maria Serghiou, Tanna Holzworth, Steven Davies All students are welcome to contribute articles to The Youngtown Edition either in person or via e-mail. However, students cannot receive a byline if they belong to the organization on which they are reporting. The deadline for articles is the Monday prior to a production.
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MARCH 30, 2016
Pizza party with the Youngtown Edition
Dine on journalism and justice March 31 County College of Morris students who love democracy, justice and pictures of Spiderman are invited to a pizza party meet and greet with the staff of the Youngtown Edition during college hour in CH263 on Thursday, March 31. The Youngtown Edition is CCM’s award-winning campus newspaper which is written, designed and produced solely by students. Many who have worked on the paper have gone on to professional writing careers in sports, entertainment, news and public relations. Even those who did not end up in professional writing careers often attribute their success to the skills they learned at the Youngtown. Planning, teamwork, creativity and execution go part and parcel with work on the Youngtown. It is also one of the most fun clubs on campus. So those who are interested in writing, taking photos, editing and the pursuit of democracy through freedom of the press should stop by and say hello. And those who are interested in sharing ideas, have questions about submitting content are encouraged to come by as well. And those who can’t make the meeting and still want to be involved can email youngtownedition@gmail. com.