VOL. 95, NO. 5
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2015
RANDOLPH, N.J.
The Youngtown Edition COUNTY COLLEGE OF MORRIS AWARD-WINNING STUDENT NEWSPAPER
Nine new full-time hires join CCM faculty BY DEREK ALLEN Editor-in-Chief
Nine new full-time faculty members have been hired at the County College of Morris to fill open positions, despite last year’s reductions in force. The new hires will be filling positions in the Business, Mathematics, Engineering, Health and Natural Sciences and Liberal Arts divisions. “The people we hired have outstanding credentials, we’re very excited to have them join us,” said Edward Yaw, CCM president. “We’re very happy with the quality we’re able to attract this year.” Eight of the nine new hires either hold a doctorate degree or are in the process of obtaining one. “I’m thrilled to be a part of CCM,” said Anthony Valentino, assistant professor in English and one of the new hires to CCM faculty. “I’ve been amazed at the positive bond that exists between the faculty members in my department, and I think that really enhances what we are able to offer to our students.” Dorothy Artale, an assistant professor in Biology,
IN THIS ISSUE
said she was honored to become a member of the CCM community. “On a daily basis I interact with dedicated educators, professional staff, and driven students. I am excited for a very bright future here at CCM.” Some may be critical of hiring new staff after last year’s budget cuts, but the new staff was needed to fill open positions. “We hired nine new faculty members but we also didn’t fill two positions based on retirements,” Yaw said. “We actually eliminated two positions from the budget, so we will not be hiring for those positions in the near future. The positions we filled were all vacant positions from people that retired or left the college for other reasons. In most cases, they were replaced at salaries that were significantly lower than the people who left those positions.” At the time of the interview, 8,086 students were currently registered in all sessions running compared to last year’s 8,096 students. That’s less than a 1 percent loss, which is better than the 2 percent projected loss. However, last year’s enrollment saw a ten percent decline, a steep drop with steep costs.
The CCM Board of Trustees faced a $1.9 million budget shortfall due to low enrollment, and chose to eliminate more than 15 positions as well as disbanding CCM’s ice hockey team last year. With enrollment still slightly declining, many are fearful for the future of the college.
PHOTO BY DEREK ALLEN
Healthy Eating at Cohen Café
Cultures are not costumes
Saint’s Row
Features, page 2
Opinions, page 3
Entertainment, page 4
PHOTOS BY BRETT FRIEDENSOHN
These metal scupltures, which can be found near the Learning Resource Center, were built in 1981 by artist Tal Streeter.
Spooky Space Spirits’ Spare Spears Spotted BY BRETT FRIEDENSOHN Sports Editor
During college, many students try to better understand themselves by taking classes that interest them and joining student organizations. County College of Morris students who consider themselves mystical beings, may have been adopted from an alien family, or want to relax with friends by trying some witchcraft might want to report to the pole formations near and in the woods next to the Learning Resource Center. Outside of the woods next to the building, stands a metal pole 60 feet tall. In the woods stand two parallel vertical metal poles about 20 feet tall; on them rests a horizontal metal pole, approximate-
ly the same size. When students learn about these practically useless formations, they often get confused and curious. “There is a lot of weird stuff out there. We live in New Jersey,” said a student who preferred to only give his first name, Grant. He noticed that the shadow from the vertical pole would, at some point during the day, cast a shadow over the sculpture in the woods, similar to an ancient sundial. “I guarantee you, dude, it’s some kind of alignment thing.” “What I like about it is we display art in public places,” said Dr. Edward J. Yaw, president of CCM. “Our faculty has displayed their art, particularly in DeMare Hall.”
According to a press release from May 11, 1981, the idea for these sculptures came from CCM’s Cultural Affairs Committee. Students, faculty, and staff on the committee claimed the campus lacked outdoor sculptures. It used concerts to help pay the college’s $7,500 portion of the joint purchase by CCM and the artist. Artist Tal Streeter sculpted these poles which the press release describes as “man-made compliments to nature” at the State University of New York, where he served as head of the Sculpting Department at the time. “I didn’t know what that was,” said Israel Torrefranca, a nursing major. “It’s kind of ironic. You have a piece of metal among trees, so it’s more like a human, I guess,
symbolizing progress. I guess it could be good or bad depending on how you interpret progress.” What now puzzles passersby once generated great attention, praise, and harsh condemnation. “The fact that it is creating a little controversy is perfectly normal and understandable,” said Tony Lordi, assistant professor of art. “In fact, it is essential to the essence of art. When people come to us and ask for an explanation, we on the art faculty team tell them that it is a symbol of life and death, plus and minus, of positive and negative.” Faculty and student art is publically displayed in DeMare and Cohen Hall, as well as in the library.