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.
OCTOBER 21, 2015
NEWS
THE YOUNGTOWN EDITION PAGE 2
Film Club welcomes Healthy eating at Cohen Café new members BY KRISTEN URBAN Food Editor
BY LAURA CALDERON Staff Writer
Operating as the eyes and ears on the County College of Morris campus, the Film Club works diligently behind the camera to highlight all that the school has to offer. Working countless hours alongside several groups on campus, the club films all events that take place at CCM, and have most recently begun working with the music department to film a variety of talented musicians. With several new projects approaching, the club is constantly improving and artistically growing. “It’s a place where people can go to not only learn how to film, write, edit, and produce, but it’s also where they can expand their skills and meet people who want to do the same thing,” said Matthew McCloskey, co-president of the Film Club. With Halloween coming up, vice-president Lauren Digney, purposed the idea of a horror film, one
McCloskey described as a Halloween murder mystery party with a comedic aspect. Being the first movie for McCloskey and co-president, Luis Heineman, the film is being put together as a group production, everyone’s input is considered, and no one is ever wrong. “Gathering everything is always the biggest challenge – actors, props, and wardrobe is largely based on donations,” McCloskey said.“We’re broke college students. Whatever donations we receive truly help us out.” The club is in high demand for costumes and ask whomever wishes to donate to put them in plastic bags with their names and contact information. If you wish to appear in the film as an extra enjoying the spirit of Halloween, please reach out to the film club. The club can be reached at ccmstudentfilmassociation@gmail. com.
It’s 12:45 p.m. and students are hungrily looking for something to satisfy their appetite in fifteen minutes. A students can come into the Cohen Hall café and get some chicken fingers and fries or go to a vending machine and decide if he or she wants a bag of chips or candy. At the County College of Morris, students have difficulty maintaining a healthy lifestyle with these options. “I’m totally wary about what I eat and it’s definitely a challenge,” said Brian Pereyra, a communication major. “The healthier items that the café has to offer are more expensive. A cup of pretzels and hummus are more expensive than a plate of fries.” Pereya said the food offered at the café is fast and cheap, but it’s not the healthy choice for students. He proposed that bringing food from home would be a better choice because a student would be able to plan to bring healthier items with them knowing what the café has to offer. “The food provided is very sub-par and I think the staff even knows that,” said Deric Volta, a chemistry major. “The little healthy options are too expensive. If I’m in a rush, I’ll usually fill up on black coffee and some kind of carb, like a bagel, to fill me up fast and keep me full.” Volta said in order to to save money, he would also recommend bringing in food from
home. “A big basic is to get enough water,” said Michael Paul, an exercise science major. “The water refillers around campus are a big benefit for a student to stay hydrated all day. It’s always better to brown bag it, bring anything from home. If you get at least five fruits and vegetables a day that would be the best benefit to eating healthier.” Paul explained that eating in moderation will help college students stay healthier. “If you’re going to eat a doughnut and you’re still hungry, have a whole wheat bagel. Don’t eat another doughnut.” Kelly Miniter, assistant professor in exercise science, said students should look locally around the campus for healthier options, avoiding the school cafe. “I know A&P has a fresh salad bar and also prepared sandwiches that are reasonably priced,” said Miniter. “Little snacks like trail mix to bring around with you would be good, it keeps you full and also energized throughout the day.” Miniter said that the vending machine in the Health and Physical Education building has better choices than the rest of the vending machines on campus. A healthy lunch for every day would be a soup and salad if the campus has that to offer.
Longo Planetarium shows ‘out of this’ world BY BIANCA IUSO Contributor
When children are asked what they want to be when they grow up, most say doctor, professional athlete or even astronaut. People dream of suiting up, blasting off, and visiting outer space to see the Earth from a new perspective and stars in a new light. County College of Morris’ Longo Planetarium invites students and spectators to view the sky through an astronaut’s eyes. The planetarium is holding three different shows a month for the duration of the spring semester. Chris Fenwick, the CCM astronomer, runs the show with his student aide, Ernie Phillips. “Every show is different, dynamic and dramatic.” Fenwick said. “Every show will immerse you in the expanse of space as we look at a huge variety of things. It could be myths and legends about the sky, possibly traversing from planet to planet, maybe skirting dangerously close to the surface of a star, or you might end up flying through a black hole.” The three presentations being shown in the planetarium are “Shapes in the Sky,” “Tour of the Planets” and “Space Extreme.” A new addition to the roster is “Astronomagic for Muggles,” a Harry Potter themed show. Each show will have a different focus and caters to different age groups, making them appropriate for any child. “Space Extreme” takes the audience to the unknown in the universe. In this presentation, spectators go into black holes and experience what happens when debris and space objects are sucked up into them. The show also visits supernovae and views galaxies colliding. “Shapes in the Sky” has storytelling with myths, legends and tales about the sky and star patterns. The last show, “Tour of the Planets,” has the audience experience and view our own solar system in an up-close and personal way. “Sometimes we will visit all the planets; other times we may concentrate on moons, asteroids, comets, or even the sun,” Fenwick said. Each show is presented three times a month with dates in October, February, March, April and May. General admission is $10. “Shapes in the Sky,” where different star patterns are explored, is recommended for ages 4 and up. Fenwick said the “Shapes in the Sky” presentation is the most interactive. “There are lots of opportunities for kids to respond to what is going on, and participate in the stories,” Fenwick explained. “Tour of the Planets” is recommended for ages 6 and up. “My favorite show that we do is a public show called
PHOTO BY BRETT FRIEDENSOHN
‘Space Extreme,’” Phillips said. “Though I have done it several times, the learning material still captivates me. Plus, we demonstrate what it would be like going through a black hole during the show. It’s awesome.” This show is recommended for ages 8 and up, but regardless, everyone is welcome at every show no matter what age. Each show begins with a live simulation of the night sky. The shows are followed by Fenwick’s presentation of the sky. “Since the program is done live, I even change it up on the fly, during the show, as the interest of the audience may demand,” Fenwick said. Spectators can go to the same show once a month and see different presentations each time. As a student aide and computer science major at CCM, Phillips helps throughout the show. “During the show I operate the computer that displays the cool effects that you would see when coming to the planetarium.” Phillips said. He enjoys this job and describes it as a dream job that he will miss when graduating in May. The digital planetarium is run on the Digistar 4 system by Evans and Sutherland. This system is a multi-functioning, high-tech system that allows Fenwick and Phillips to operate the planetarium with ease. The last system was used by CCM since 1972 and was an optical and mechani-
cal projector. “This system is a full-dome digital system, using three dimensional rendering of known space projected on the dome using a pair of digital projectors,” Fenwick said. Phillips aides Fenwick during the show. “I help write some of the computer code, assure that the computer is running correctly, and seat the children,” Phillips said. The system allows Fenwick to land on planets in the Milky Way and see them as they are viewed in outer space. The system also features a draw-in system where the operator can draw a star in three-dimensional views while helping the audience understand something and see a clearer path. The shows are expected to sell out quickly. The Longo Planetarium strongly advises anyone who wants to see the shows to call the reservation desk and reserve a spot. “I hope to see some more students during these public shows,” Phillips said. For the full planetarium schedule, visit ccm.edu/planetarium. EDITOR’S NOTE: Oops! Our last issue had an error in this article: the price for a ticket is $10, there is no longer a discount for students/faculty/seniors. Sorry for the inconvenience!
OCTOBER 21, 2015
OPINION
THE YOUNGTOWN EDITION PAGE 3
Cultures are not costumes: the real Halloween horror SANDRA RIANO Opinion Editor
If your Halloween costume is based off of an ethnicity or culture then you may be perpetuating negative stigmas and ideals through a seemingly fun Halloween costume without even realizing it. Cultures often appropriated for Halloween are the Native American cultures, Mexican cultures and many of the different Asian cultures. It’s not necessarily the individual’s fault that costume producers create generic and insensitive costumes like Spirit Halloween’s “Pocahottie” and “Reservation Royalty” women’s costumes based off Native American culture. A community that has had to deal with sexual violence throughout their history should not be depicted through racist and oversexualized costumes. We as a society have to reject these cheap and offensive costumes and recognize the damage they do to many minority groups. A quick internet search for “Racist Halloween Costumes” will bring up some very offensive attempts at humor. One example would be a group of girls in brownface, wearing ponchos, moustaches, sombreros and signs that say “green card?”. This attempt to depict Mexicans not only strengthens the racist title of “illegal” that many Americans apply to Mexicans but desensitizes people to this type of hate speech. The holiday of “Dia de Los Muertos” [Day of the Dead] in Mexico is meant to honor deceased relatives, has no relation to the
Halloween that is celebrated now and contrary to popular belief is not “Mexican Halloween.” The traditional “Sugar Skulls” associated with Day of the Dead should not be used as a face painting idea because it’s not meant to be used in that context and mocks an important spiritual holiday. So where is the line between appropriation and appreciation? Cultural appropriation is when people outside of a culture feel privileged to take parts of another culture and misrepresent the original meaning behind the clothing or custom. Another form of appropriation is only focusing on the “fun” and “trendy” aspects of a culture while deliberately ignoring the hardships and traumas that the community may endure. Cultural appreciation must include thorough knowledge of the culture and could include wearing traditional clothing, but should not only be practiced on Halloween. Cultural appropriation can extend to other marginalized groups like the transgender community. A popular costume this year is forecasted to be a Caitlyn Jenner outfit for men. The transgender community is already misunderstood, so this costume would reinforce the stereotype that transgender just means cross dressing. Aside from appropriation there are costumes that are just plain racist. The practice of using paint to portray African Americans, or blackface, in costumes relates back to the 19th Century. The popular 2014 Halloween costume “Ray and Janay Rice” which often was a white
male in blackface, a Baltimore Raven’s football jersey and dragging a doll or accompanied by a woman in blackface and fake bruises. This costume depicts domestic violence and also contributes to the harmful stereotype of African American men abusing women. As racist and disrespectful as this costume was, there are other examples that are just as ignorant. People use other cultures for Halloween and only have to be in that persona for one day while members of the community have to live their lives in the stereotypes that the costume reinforces. The “We’re a Culture, not a Costume” campaign slogan is “You wear the costume for one night, we wear the stigma for life.” If the name of the costume in the store uses the words “tribal”, “ethnic” “exotic” or “urban” it’s probably culturally insensitive. Culture based costumes and generic clothing reduce important aspects of cultures to fashion statements. “Tribal” print clothing, Native American headdresses and the improper use of the bindi are examples of misused cultural symbols that the fashion industry benefits from because they are considered “trendy”. America has a history of systematically oppressing and marginalizing minority groups and must realize the implications that seemingly innocent costumes have upon those communities. Think twice about what problematic message your costume might exude and who that may affect this Halloween.
PHOTO CREDIT: PARTY CITY
Beware: the blooming ‘Bernie’ bandwagon BY EMILY BETZ Staff Writer
Bernie Sanders, the newest social media sensation, has become a favorite among the younger voting generation. According to the New York Post, Bernie Sanders is the third most talked about candidate on social media, after Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. But what is it about Bernie Sanders that has the 18-24 year old age group so actively retweeting, sharing and tagging him? He knows how to get a crowd going. He knows how to go out on stage and make a lot of big promises that get people excited and hopeful for a better tomorrow. But how much of what he is promising America is actually feasible and realistic? And based on his past track record, how much of it can
we actually trust? One of his bigger issues that he has been pushing is an increase in the federal minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $15 an hour. Now for those who aren’t math majors, that’s around a 93.5 percent increase. Some cities have already taken this increased minimum wage into effect with some disastrous consequences. Seattle, as of April 2015, started phasing in an increase to $15 an hour. They have seen a rise in small business and restaurant closures, according to Forbes Magazine. Restaurants in particular are struggling. They operate under much smaller profit margins, only around 4 percent. These increases in pay come directly out of those profit margins. Another major issue with the “Sanders
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 Features Editor.................................................... Samuel Guglielmo Entertainment Editor........................................... Victoria Pignatelli Sports Editor....................................................... Brett Friedensohn Opinion Editor............................................................ Sandra Riano Acting Food Editor....................................................Kristen Urban Copy Editor................................................................ Marisa Goglia Senior Layout Editor............................................ Drew Notarnicola Paginator........................................................................ Frank Eaton Technical Adviser......................................................Wilma Martin Faculty Adviser........................................ Professor Russ Crespolini Circulation...............................Preeti Manekporia, Nick Bougades, Justin Bencivengo Staff: Nicole Verduin, Laura Calderon, Emily Betz 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. Writers must include a telephone number where they can be reached. The deadline for submission is the Wednesday prior to the date of publication.
Revolution” as some are calling it, is his inability for bipartisanship. In his career, only 9 percent of his proposed bills had both Republican and Democrat cosigners. In the same aspect, he is one of the senators with the fewest co-sponsored bills. An ability and willingness to “cross the aisle”, work with others, compromise and bring parties together is essential in a president. A president that won’t compromise will never actually achieve anything in his time in office. Up until a few months ago, no one had any idea who Bernie Sanders was. That says a lot about his leadership skills. People love an underdog, and trailing 16 points behind Hillary Clinton, that’s what Bernie Sanders is. His chances for actually getting the Democratic nomination are slim. Most of his voters are com-
ing from the younger 18-34 age range, and Bernie is just the latest trend on twitter. He is a passing fad getting social media riled up with his far left socialist propaganda and unachievable promises. He is like that kid from sixth grade running for class president, promising to get the student body summer all year round. According to a U.S. Census poll done in 2012, only 21 percent of eligible voters from the age of 18 to 24 actually made it to the polls. However, a poll from the Pew Research Center showed a staggering 72 percent of that same age range, 18 to 24, were politically active on social media. Statistics look good for the likes on Bernie Sander’s last Facebook post, but maybe not for getting his target voters to the polls.
OCTOBER 21, 2015
ENTERTAINMENT
THE YOUNGTOWN EDITION PAGE 4
Gat Out of Hell: Saints Row Showdown PHOTO CREDIT: FACEBOOK
Game developer Volition released Saint’s Row: Gat Out of Hell on January 20, 2015. The standalone DLC for the fourth installment of the popular Saint’s Row series, the game follows Johnny Gat as he goes to Hell on a mission to shoot the Devil in the face. An actionpacked third person shooter, Gat Out of Hell received a 3.5/5 on Metacritic and is commended for its open-world environment as well as its classic Saint’s Row humor. Features Editor Samuel Guglielmo and Managing Editor Beth Peter had a few disagreements about the playability of the game. BY BETH PETER Managing Editor
Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell is a highly overrated game. While the humor and gameplay are consistent with the Saints Row canon, to enjoy the game it would require the player to like the franchise to begin with. Johnny Gat and Kinzie Kensington tear through Hell making allies with the various historical figures sentenced there on a mission to get the Boss back from the Devil. The Devil is planning to marry his daughter, Jezebel, to the leader of the Saints. After the events of the game, he declares Johnny worthy of marrying her despite the girl’s protests to her father’s actions. Jezebel’s complete distaste for Satan’s choices, along with his decision to ignore her and assert his ownership of her made the game difficult to play through from the beginning. Include Johnny’s constant hypermasculinity, and Gat Out of Hell is another game designed to stroke
men’s egos and emphasize the absurdity of girls in the gaming audience. We get it - you’re not confident in your masculinity and are threatened by girls who possess skills typically deemed as “masculine.” Great. Leave my video games out of it. Once we work our way past the sexism present in the game, the plot hinges on the wordplay of the Seven Deadly Sins and the number of historical figures who plausibly could’ve gone to Hell. The first time I use a weapon based on a Sin, it’s clever. By the seventh, I was bored of shooting cakes at people with my Gluttony Gun. Gat Out of Hell may appeal to diehard Saints Row fans, but the overall experience was unimpressive and draining. After forty minutes of gameplay, I was done. Unfortunately, the main story alone was another three hours and twenty minutes. If you must play it, rent it. If you mustn’t play it, don’t.
BY SAMUEL GUGLIELMO Features Editor
The big element that has always appealed to me in the Saints Row games has been their humor, and Gat Out of Hell has this in spades. After Satan decides to kidnap the President of the United States to marry his daughter Jezebel, his two best friends jump in after him. It’s an already absurd plot, but in typical Saints Row fashion the whole game gets even more ridiculous. At one point the characters break into a Disney style song, with otherwise serious characters singing their hearts out. As usual, the characters are aware of the silliness and a later attempt to break out into song is met with “Hush, we’re not doing that again.” The Saints team up with dead historical figures like Blackbeard and Shakespeare, all of whom have their own problems and entertaining quirks. Gameplay wise, Gat Out of Hell plays similar to Saints Row IV, which is not bad considering how much fun that game was. It does enough to put its own spin on the
formula in three ways I really liked. First was the flight mechanic, something that worked really well and made me hope future games would adopt it. It’s smooth and made getting around the city of New Hades really fun. Second was the Seven Deadly Weapons, which are seven weapons based on the Seven Deadly Sins. Each one is unique and hilarious. Sloth gets a recliner with built in machine guns, for example. It’s as amazing as it sounds. Finally there were new enemy types that littered the game. Instead of fighting the same tired old gang members like past Saints Row games, various demons with special abilities blocked the path. While the game wasn’t overly difficult, it did change how I approached combat more than past Saints Row games did. At a launch price of $20 (or $50 bundled with Saints Row IV) I found Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell to be worth the time for both fans and newcomers to the series.