campus news usa · 2017. 9. 15. · mike pede, financial aid director at mohawk valley community...

Campus News has partneredwith college-student-led TankMedia Network to bring you, dearreader, a series of vignettes aptlytitled “Campus News” this comingsemester.As of press time, we have up-

loaded at least four short videos onour site via the linkwww.cccn.us/tv.“Campus News,” the TV show,

finds the troupe humorously play-ing various editorial roles at this

student paper. Tank Media Network is an in-

ternet entertainment enterprisecreated by South Carolina natives

Only about one third of the75,000 applicants for theSUNY/CUNY “free tuition” Ex-celsior Scholarship actually gotthe money to start this academicyear, but the news isn’t as bad asit sounds. While many community college

students learned that they wereineligible over the summer be-cause they didn’t average 30 cred-its in previous years (how couldthey have known this would endup being an issue?), others gotbetter news – they didn’t qualifyfor the Excelsior Scholarship be-cause it’s a “last in” program; thescholarship only activates if thestudent doesn’t get 100 percent oftheir tuition covered by other aid.“Many of our students are eli-

gible to receive full TAP and Pellso they would not be eligible forthe Excelsior Scholarship,” saidMike Pede, Financial Aid director

at Mohawk Valley CommunityCollege in Utica, NY, “but theystill can have their tuition andfees paid for through the PellGrant and TAP Award Pro-grams.”

Campus News called adminis-trators at SUNY and CUNY com-munity colleges and learned thatthey were cautiously optimisticabout the new deal, and feel ithas great potential. At the veryleast, administrators felt that Ex-celsior created a “buzz” that en-couraged students who had been

procrastinating to try collegeagain. “The Excelsior Scholarship is

still a work-in-progress from thestate’s perspective,” said newSUNY Sullivan president JayQuaintance during an interviewmid-summer. “But we had gottenmore applications in the firstweek by a lot compared to thesame time period last year, in-cluding 30 applications in thefirst two days of open enrollment.… All of our numbers are up – ap-plications, acceptances and regis-trations.”But other community colleges

are unsure if Excelsior actuallyboosted their enrollments. Mostexpect to analyze the numbersthis month. Enrollments seem tobe up, but the past couple of yearssaw massive dips in new enroll-

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WRESTLING 27

IT’S NEW TO YOU! 22

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ON TEACHING 5

SEAGULLS 29

50,000 studentsdon’t qualify forCuomo plan, butmost still enroll.

Campus News | September 2017 |

‘Restorative Nature’ exhibitRestorative Nature is an ex-

hibit of paintings and sculptureby Gina Gilmour ranging fromsmall ceramic sculptures topaintings up to six feet high.Gilmour depicts transforma-

tions using the rhythms and im-ages of nature and personalhistory. Some works are of plushjungle foliage unfurling anawakening figure, while othersshow a tiny swimmer enjoyingher humble place in a vast rip-pling sea. Still others use a lay-ering of images: animals, people,and places in patterned memorycompositions. “I paint experi-ences that I am workingthrough, and it often leads me toongoing painting cycles and tosome resolve or restorativeplace,” Gilmour said.Gilmour is the recipient of a

number of artists’ fellowshipsthat have taken her around theworld, including the AmericanField Service Program inOkayama, Japan; The MacDow-ell Colony in New Hampshire;The Karolyi Foundation Fellow-ship in France; The Julia andDavid White Artists’ Colony Fel-lowship in Costa Rica; and TheWilliam Steeple Davis Founda-tion Residency in Orient, NY.Gilmour has exhibited her workin various museums and gal-leries including the NationalMuseum of Women in the Arts(Washington, DC); The Alterna-tive Museum (New York, NY);and the Ron Feldman Gallery(New York, NY). Her work is innumerous public collections in-cluding The Newark Museum(Newark, NJ); The North Car-olina Museum of Art (Raleigh,

NC); and the Bechtler Mu-seum of Contemporary Art(Charlotte, NC). Gilmourreceived a B.A. from SarahLawrence College,Bronxville, NY.Restorative Nature will

run from Sept. 5 throughOct. 24, 2017 at TheLyceum Gallery, in theMontaukett Learning Re-source Center on the East-ern Campus of SuffolkCounty Community Col-lege, Riverhead. A publicreception will be held onWednesday, Sept.13 from 4 to 6p.m. Refreshments will beserved. Gallery hours: Monday -

Thursday, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m., Fri-day, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Saturday,11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

The gallery is closed on Sun-days and holidays (exceptions:gallery closes at 5:30 on Wed.,9/20 and 3:30 on Tues., 10/10;gallery closed on Thurs, 9/21and Sat., 9/30).Call (631) 548-2536 for more

information.


ments, so enrollments were ex-pected to be up this year regard-less at many institutions;though Quaintance said thatSUNY Sullivan actually pro-jected the fall would see de-clines, unless they changed theirmarketing, which they did. “While social media is nice,

it’s not a recruitment savior; weneeded more face-to-face re-cruitment, such as our atten-dance at college fairs, and ourenrollment is now up both in-county and from the City.”The president believes that

community college downwardprojections were one of the im-petuses for the legislature to ap-prove Gov. Andrew Cuomo’sbold tuition plan – the moneywas there in the budget, becausefewer community college stu-dents would need to be fundedthe old-fashioned way. “After the semester starts, we

will poll students who got thescholarship and ask if it was adeciding factor in their cominghere,” Quaintance added. “Butperhaps the reason the state ap-proved the Excelsior Scholar-

ship was because their projec-tions with anticipated lowercommunity college enrollmentsmeant the state would pay lessin other aid and could better af-ford this.”However, many students

were disappointed that they didnot qualify for the scholarshipbecause the previous year theyhad failed to take 30 credits.Cynthia Rivera met the incomerequirements – a familyincome of less than$100,000 a year (risingto $125,000 in twoyears) – and applied forthe scholarship on dayone, but was crushedwhen she received wordshe was denied.“They’re advertisingthis scholarship assomething that can help every-one, and yet they’re imposingterms on your past, before theExcelsior scholarship existed,”she said on the Campus Newsweb site. “So, the only peoplewho are truly eligible are peoplewho have never been to school,or who are currently in schooland happened to take 30 credits

every year. If you don’t fall intothose two categories, you’rescrewed. What about people whocan only go to school part timebecause they have to work?What about the people who hadto drop out of school? Whatabout the people who were tak-ing 12 credits a year (still fulltime) but didn’t realize theywould be screwed over retroac-tively because they didn’t hap-

pen to take 30 credits a year? Idon’t know why I had highhopes for something comingfrom the government. I shouldhave known better.”Though, for some students,

not qualifying for the scholar-ship may be a blessing in dis-guise. For students who don’t

pass 30 credits a yearfrom here on, or whodon’t graduate, or wholeave the state upongraduation, the scholar-ship turns into a gar-den-variety student loanthat must be repaid.Considering the highdropout and low gradua-tion rates at typicalcommunity colleges, theExcelsior Scholarshipmight end up becominga burden for those stu-dents who can’t stay ontrack. However, thescholarship can also beviewed as a carrot on astick, with the ultimatepromise of increasingon-time graduationrates.

“People who hadn’t thoughtabout college previously are nowthinking about it, and that’s agood thing,” added Dr. NireataSeals, Interim Vice President forStudent Affairs and EnrollmentManagement at LaGuardiaCommunity College in Long Is-land City, Queens. She said thatLaGuardia did see a surge in ap-plications because of Excelsiorand that the college has a planin place to monitor its success,and to counsel students who endup not qualifying. Most studentsat the two-year college get aidand/or scholarships anyway, shesaid, and do not need to take outloans. “This will benefit four-year colleges more, especiallythose with a residential compo-nent.”“We have not seen an in-

crease in applications,” saidDonna Rae Sutherland, aspokesperson for Genessee Com-munity College in Batavia, NY.“The availability of the Excelsiorapplication and the overall an-nouncement came a little late inour usual enrollment cycle forthis fall. Since community col-leges are generally among themost affordable options inhigher education, we believe theimpact of Excelsior may be mostnoticeable at the four-year col-lege level.”“The Excelsior Scholarship

did come late, but it created apositive buzz about the collegeand drove some students whohad not thought about college toapply,” Quaintance said. “Mostwould have gotten pretty closeto full aid anyway as far as tu-ition goes, and we [at SUNYSullivan] will help studentsbridge the gap for books, roomand board through our Founda-tion grants. … Hopefully, thescholarship and our Foundationcan help take away the pressurefor students to take out loans.”

–Darren Johnson

Free college ... for some (cont.)

Gov. Andrew Cuomo with Bernie Sandersat LaGuardia CC earlier this year.

‘People who hadn’tthought about collegepreviously are nowthinking about it, andthat’s a good thing.’


The summer has come to anend and the new school year isupon us. What I want to do withthis column is focus on some ofthe actions a student can take tomake this a successful year. Weall face a busy schedule withschool, work and other activitiesthat draw us in different direc-tions and make demands on ourtime. Let’s stay focused and seeif you can incorporate some ofthese actions into your success-ful school year.One of the most common chal-

lenges students face is regardingtime management. While advis-ing students, I inquire as to howmany hours per week they willbe working and how many cred-its they want to take. If you aretaking 15 credits and working40-plus hours a week, it usuallydoes not work. Try to make yourwork schedule more reasonable,and maybe you will have to cutback on the number of creditsyou register for.Another aspect of developing

time management skills is tocome to class. Being in classhelps you learn the material andprepare you for the exams.Many professors have an atten-dance policy to enhance the im-portance of coming to class. Getto class a few minutes early,look over the notes from theprior class and complete thehomework assignments on time.Some of us face a challenge

when it comes to certaincourses. An example of this maybe with math. Many schoolshave a math-learning center.Take advantage of this resource.The learning centers are thereto help you with tutors, re-fresher classes and to answeryour questions. Some collegesalso offer learning centers inwriting, accounting and manyother content areas.Professors also hold office

hours for our students. We arehere to help you with your stud-ies, advisement for selecting acourse and to help you withschool. Go and talk to your pro-fessors. Professors are success-ful practitioners in their field

and they can also help you withcareer advice.Being able to set aside time to

study is important. Instead oftrying to do your work in a sin-gle long block of time, breakthings up. I have come to realizethat taking a break is impor-tant. Try studying in 45-minuteblocks of time and then take abreak. Walk around, get somefresh air, have a snack and thenwhen you return to studying,you should feel refreshed. Stud-ies have also shown that listen-ing to quiet music in thebackground can also help.As you think about your suc-

cessful future, you should alsoimagine what area you want topursue a career in. I wouldstrongly recommend that youtry to take an internship in afield that you are considering.You will obtain real-world prac-tical experience that can onlyhelp you. Speak to your intern-ship coordinator and see if youcan find something that willwork for you here.

You should also try to get in-volved in your school. Join ateam or a club to gain some ex-perience in a field that is of in-terest to you. Think of thingsthat you like to do and find theclub on campus that correlatesto that interest.You have to realize that with

a college education, you are in-vesting in yourself; and I canthink of no better investmentyou can make. The people whoare most successful in life un-derstand this and are self-moti-vated with a passion to maketheir lives better. So let’s stay fo-cused and incorporate some ofthe above-mentioned steps intoyour successful school year. Youcan do this and be successful!

JohnDeSpagna isChair of theAccountingand BusinessAdministra-tion Depart-ment atNassau Com-munity College in GardenCity, New York.

Let’s have a great semester!Prof. John DeSpagnaCampus News

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you drive by a billboard at 70 MPH. What did it say?

Ads are everywhere, but do they actually work? Print adswork because they have no time limit. Take a second tolook at this ad. Take 10 minutes. You’re not annoyed at

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Becoming a professor was awish list item versus a bucketlist item. I see bucket list moreas things you’ll eventually at-tempt, if not complete. Whereaswish list are just that — wishesbecause they aren’t realistic. Serving as an adjunct profes-

sor almost didn’t happen twice.I was offered a spot without anapplication or interview. I know,that is rare. I was driving homeone night after an MA class dur-ing my last semester beforegraduation and an old profes-sor/mentor called me. She men-tioned a slot was open and shewas in real need to fill asap. Shethought of me because of myprior affiliation with the schoolas well as resume. Ijust kept saying,“Yes! Yes! Yes!” I wasstunned and inartic-ulate, not a greatlook for an aspiringprofessor. She chuck-led though and men-tioned her detailsabout the class andhiring paperwork. I told her Iwas 6 weeks away from gradu-ating with my MA and actuallydidn’t finish yet. She then statedI would be ineligible, but shewould keep me in considerationfor the following academic year.I continued driving home re-flecting on what should’ve been

a typical day, yet I was inchesfrom the proverbial brass ring. Fast forward 6 months and

she invited me as well as othersto an adjunct open house for in-terested candidates. There wasno need, but I brought in my re-sume, references and wore aJustin Timberlake like inspiredsuit and tie. I wanted this andwas willing to make whateverimpression necessary. She andtwo of her colleagues presentedfor 70 minutes on the class, de-tailed the application and inter-view process as well as whichsections were even open to beginwith. I listened, took notes,asked a few questions and ap-plied that day. I had an inter-view, which wasn’t guaranteed,two weeks later. I poured my

heart outwhen answer-ing certainq u e s t i o n ssince I wasn’tthe traditionalcandidate. Ihad no directteaching expe-rience andknew the in-

terviewer. She informally of-fered me a position before thecall ended and even mentionedsomething along the lines of, “Ialready had made my mind upabout hiring you and wanted todo this to see if you’d prove meright.” The official offer wasgiven via email two weeks later.

Technically, when an adjunctprofessor hired, it only sticks ifthe class section fills up with acertain number of students.Otherwise, it isn’t cost effectivefor the school to run the course.A few classes were in danger ofbeing cut due to poor enroll-ment. Mine was specifically onthe line because itwas a Thursday 7a.m. class. One weekbefore the deadline,after months of worryand many texts andemails to supervisorson my potential fate, my classwas confirmed.Teaching at a school I once at-

tended is surreal. It is the trulyclichéd experience of coming fullcircle. As someone with a never-ending baby face, most think Ishould be sitting next to them asopposed to standing in front fa-cilitating discussions. Qualityeducators of all levels, K-12 andcollege, make it look easy andthis possibly causes a disservice.“Oh, it doesn’t look hard. I coulddo that.” People say versions ofthat statement a lot. Most peo-ple can’t public speak. Try doingit for 90 minutes on a topic youare knowledgeable and confi-dent in while using variousmediums to engage others. It istricky. I am still learning.Whether it is case studies,videos, textbooks, or even the

seating arrangements, manyfactors are in play for a success-ful weekly class. By the way, wehave homework too. I am grad-ing yours and trying to prepareto make sure the next classdoesn’t suck. Yeah, I said it.This is my first attempt at

teaching and there will be grow-ing pains. I enjoy the process.Students hold so much poten-tial, yet many are either lazyand/or simply unaware of how tobecome polished.

JonathanLopes is afirst-genera-tion US citizenand collegegraduate withAA, BA, andMA degrees.He has workedat RaritanValley Com-munity College and Lafayette Col-lege, where he is now an adjunctinstructor. Do you have a questionfor our adjunct-in-residence?Write [email protected].


Write stories.Get published.Reach people.

7Contact [email protected] with your story!

On becoming an adjunct instructor...

‘This was on my wishlist. I applied and

poured my heart out.’

Jonathan LopesCampus News


Classes have begun, and thatmeans the onset of anotherNJCAA Region XV athletic sea-son is upon us. Student-athletesexcelling in soccer, football,cross country and volleyball willall vie for national recognitionthis fall, and many of the Re-gion’s top teams appear poisedto repeat as champions in 2017. This year, the Region wel-

comes new student-athletes asMonroe College’s Bronx campuswill be fielding a stand-alone Di-vision III athletic program forthe first time. The new team willbe called the Monroe Expressand will compete in women’svolleyball, men’s and women’ssoccer, men’s and women’s bas-ketball, and baseball.Looking back, in Division III

Men’s Soccer last year, Nassauand Suffolk represented Region15 in the Championship. TheLions repeated with a 2-1 vic-tory over Suffolk, propellingthem to Nationals where theywere defeated in the quarterfi-

nals. It was a similar result on the

women’s side, with Nassaueclipsing Suffolk after a score-less tie during regulation. Nas-sau won the Region on penaltykicks and then knocked offHolyoke in the District finals ina double-overtime thriller toreach the NJCAA tournamentyet again. The Lion women alsosaw their season end in the na-tional quarterfinals at the handsof Montgomery.

As these two schools have metin the Region XV finals for threestraight years on the women’sside and four straight on themen’s side, one would have toassume they’ll be the teams tobeat once again in 2017. Nassauand Suffolk rank fifth and sev-enth, respectively, in the DIIImen’s preseason rankings whilethe Nassau women just crackedthe top 10 in ninth place.In Division I action, Monroe

made a run through the Regionand District Tournaments lastyear, earning the #2 seed at the2016 NJCAA Tournament.Their magical run saw themlead Pool C and advance all theway to the title game againstTyler. The Championship sawtwo undefeated teams play atightly contested game, but ulti-mately Monroe came up justshy. With two consecutive Na-tional appearances, the Mus-tangs are again poised to be theclass of Region XV Soccer thisseason as they ranked #2 in thesport’s preseason ranking.The Monroe women are

ranked #8 in the nation’s pre-season poll following a seasonthat ended without an NJCAAappearance, while the ASAAvengers checked in at #15.Women’s volleyball is the only

fall Region sport where schoolscompete in all three divisions. InDivision I last year, Monroemade a nationals appearancebut bowed out of the tourna-ment early. They enter as the fa-vorites in 2017 following atop-25 preseason nod. Ulster, the Region’s only Divi-

sion II competitor, will look forimprovement following a 12-9record a season ago.Division III had the most suc-

cess in 2016 with Queensbor-ough qualifying for their firstnational tournament ever. De-spite a 7th place finish, headcoach Jason Demas’ teams have

improved every season since histakeover, and the Lady Tigersare no doubt the favorites head-ing into 2017. Usual Region XVpower FIT has hired new coachDeborah Hong, who hopes tooverthrow Queensborough fromtheir one-year reign, while lastyear’s runner up Suffolk hasvengeance on their mind thisseason.It was a down year for Region

XV Cross Country and Football.In both men’s and women’s crosscountry, perennial favoritesQueensborough, Suffolk, and

Monroe are looking to restoretheir programs toward nationalcontention. No Region XV foot-ball program reached a bowlgame last year, and heading into2017 the field is wide open asNassau, ASA, and Monroe donot appear on the preseasonrankings.The regular season action has

already begun, and games willcontinue through Septemberwith Region XV tournamentskicking off in mid-to-late Octo-ber.

Regional NJCAA sports roundup

Nassau andSuffolk restorerivalries; Monroe

prospers

Westchester Community College has announced the return ofits men’s and women’s basketball teams with the new seasonsbeginning later this year.New coaches have been hired and were introduced at a press

conference on July 26 on the college’s Valhalla campus. A na-tional search attracted more than two hundred highly qualifiedapplicants including former professional basketball players andhighly touted coaches from a variety of competitive levels. SeanKelly has been named the men’s coach and Nesta Felix has beentabbed as the women’s coach.“This promises to be an enriching experience for many of our

students, not only those who will field the teams,” says Dr. Be-linda S. Miles, President, Westchester Community College. “Thestudent athletes will have an opportunity to showcase their skillson the court, whiletheir fellow studentswill be able to showtheir enthusiasm andexhibit school spiritduring the upcomingseason. This will trulyenhance the overallcollege experience forall.” “I am pleased to be

able to announce thatbasketball is return-ing to WestchesterCommunity College,”says the college’s Athletic Director Mike Belfiore. “We have begunto recruit players for both teams and look forward to the fall whenour student-athletes will again be able to compete against otherinstitutions in the region.”

WCC hoops to return

Peter BriguglioCampus News


From transfer to graduation, Adelphi makes it easy as 1, 2...done.We make transferring quick and simple, without losing the credits you’ve earned. With more than 50 majors, you’ll discover the exceptional return on investment an Adelphi degree o�ers.Come to one of our Transfer Events or schedule a visit to meet one-on-one with a Transfer Admissions Counselor. On your visit, you can:

• Learn about the transfer process and how your credits will transfer.

• Speak with representatives about scholarships, financial aid and the a�ordability of an Adelphi education.

• Take a guided walking tour of our campus and state-of-the-art facilities.

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RSVP at Adelphi.edu/Transfer123

College troupe mocks Campus News(and we’re okay with it) (cont.)

Brandon Lorick and KeithMillender, of CharlestonSouthern University inSouth Carolina. The play-ers are students andalumni and also includeJordan Rudd, Ariel Ruffand Josh Kerr. The troupe hopes to

perform some TMZ-stylevignettes this semester

based on Campus Newsstudent paper. “We’re taking journal-

ism education to a hilari-ous new level,” CampusNews publisher DarrenJohnson said. “Thistroupe has a lot of talent,and we look forward toworking with them thisyear.”

In storiesposted thus far,“Questions WithCindy” mimics anewspaper ad-vice column. Areader writes in,wondering howshe can deter-mine if her

boyfriend is a serial killer. “Chief editor” Tom

Levine – like CampusNews, the newspaper –tries to dispense “useful”advice for students. Forexample, straight-faced,he advises students to “goto class” and “do assign-ments” to achieve success. (Yes, we admit that oc-

casionally our advice is,“Duh!” to some.)In any case, Campus

News is happy to pursuethis partnership. Moreentertainment to come,after a word from oursponsors...

Visit www.cccn.us/tv tosee these short videos!Ariel Ruff

Keith Millender

With a large transfer popula-tion, St. Joseph’s College wel-comes students coming fromother colleges with open arms.SJC is a transfer-friendly insti-tution with about half of newstudents enrolling from othercolleges. With two campuses, lo-cated on Long Island and inBrooklyn, students can choose tocommute or dorm. Dorming isavailable at the Brooklyn cam-pus. With classes having ratiosof 15:1 and the wide range of un-dergraduate majors and minors,master’s degrees and certificateprograms, St. Joseph’s is a greatplace to find a major that suitsany student. There are onlinecourses, dual degree programsand study-abroad opportunities.Transfers are attracted to

SJC’s flexible credit policies, af-fordable tuition, and strong aca-demics. Vice President forEnrollment Management GigiLamens acknowledges that thecampus “recognizes that trans-fer students bring valuablelearning experiences with themto our campus community andthey enrich our student body.”Lamens explains that SJC

strives to “keep the transferprocess as seamless as possible.”For example, students mayapply online and use our onlinetransfer credit system to reviewhow their credits will transfer toSJC. Therefore, students have aleg up on knowing which classesare accepted and which they willhave to enroll in. Furthermore,staff are always around to helpwith any issues that arisethroughout the admissions andfinancial aid processes. Lamensalso encourages students to visitthe campus and meet one on onewith counselors “to plan the

pathway to their degree.”A plethora of informa-

tion about the process isavailable on their web-site. For example, SJCBrooklyn will accept up to64 credits from a region-ally accredited two-yearschool, and up to 90 cred-its from a regionally ac-credited four-year school.They will also accept com-parable courses in whicha grade of C- or higherwas earned but somecourses require a highergrade point and studentsshould inquire furtherabout specific subjects.There are also quite a few

special programs for transferstudents. All new transfer stu-dents take a one semester classcalled SJC 200 which is de-signed to facilitate a smoothtransition. This course intro-duces students “to the missionand goals of St. Joseph’s Col-lege,” Lamens continues. “Addi-

tionally students explorelearning and research skills, op-portunities for campus and com-munity involvement, and thenature of the liberal arts as en-visioned by SJC.”Transfer students are also of-

fered the opportunity to enroll indual BS/MS, BA/MA and othercombined programs.They also have a special hon-

ors program in place — “in fact,former Congressman Tim Bish-ops teaches one of the honors

courses,” Lamens proudlyshares. As per their website, se-lected students will take courseswith dynamic faculty, and havethe opportunity to travel bothabroad and in the United States.They will develop skills to helpthem excel in graduate schooland their future careers.Lamens wants prospectivestudents to know thatthere are a multitude ofreasons to consider SJC.“SJC has the highest grad-uation rate of any collegeon Long Island — public orprivate.” Contributing tothis could be the smallclass sizes and the mentor-

ing relationships that exist be-tween professors and students.All classes are taught by profes-sors, “never a graduate or teach-ing assistant,” she emphasizes.SJC strives to offer a full collegeexperience both in and out of theclassroom from student activi-ties, to community service op-portunities to athletics — eveninternships.“Our focus is, and always has

been, on student success andachievement, which is why our

graduation rate is so high andwhy our graduates are success-ful in gaining employment andobtaining entry into graduateand professional schools.”The campus has also won

many awards. In addition tobeing ranked by U.S. News &World Report and Forbes as oneof the nation’s best colleges tooffer affordable tuition, expertfaculty, programs and smallclasses, the WashingtonMonthly ranked SJC in the top10 of their “Best Bang for theBuck” colleges in the Northeast.Military Times and GI JobsMagazine recently listed the col-lege as a Best for Vets and USNews rated their online pro-grams among the best for 2017.Changes to the campus are on

the horizon with residence hallsplanned for Fall 2018 as well asnew nursing labs opening in thefFall of 2017. A new student cen-ter was just completed.For more information, check

out St. Joseph’s websitewww.sjcny.edu or connect withthem on Facebook, Twitter orYouTube.

St. Joseph’s offers two locations;aims to make transfer ‘seamless’

Laura LaVaccaCampus News


‘SJC has thehighest graduationrate on Long Island.’

When I told a lady in line forthe bus at Disney World that Iwas planning on going to Sea-World, her jaw dropped and shebegan to list all of the reasons Ishould not support such a terri-ble corporation. This was not thefirst time I was attacked whiletalking about going to Sea-World, so eventually I stopped. Iwill admit that I am a hypocrite.A few years ago I posted anti-SeaWorld material on my socialmedia accounts and signed peti-tions to improve the conditionsof the aquarium. I still considermyself an avid animal activist,and that is why it confused peo-ple that someone like me wouldever give SeaWorld the time ofday. I wanted to write a review of

SeaWorld Orlando, I thoughtthat the “improvements” to thewhale enclosures would be moreextreme and it was my way ofjustifying something I knew waswrong. My first complaint aboutSeaWorld is their prices; it isoutrageous that they are charg-ing one hundred dollars per per-son to look at tamed sea-life. Forthe two miserable hours that Iwalked around SeaWorld notonce did I feel good about beingin a place that continually en-dangers and mistreats wild ani-mals. I received two presspasses, therefore we only had topay for one person in our party.I was shocked by the lack of at-tractions in SeaWorld. I supposeI have been spoiled with theBronx Zoo and The New YorkAquarium, both of which arevery humane to their animals.I had a lot of emotions being

in a place that I so passionatelydisowned. Those emotionsmainly consisted of immense

guilt. I was holding backtears as I watched thewhales fly out of a compactpool and act like circus dogsfor food. I felt a humiliatedfor the whales and myself.There was a moment whereI sat on the bleachers inShamu Stadium and ques-tioned why I was there. I re-gret going for a couplereasons, number one beingthat I supported animalabuse by giving the Sea-World Corporation my time,number two being the aquar-ium was mediocre, The NewYork Aquarium provides amuch more enriching experi-ence, and for a portion of theprice. Before the orca show called

“One Ocean” videos appearedover the pool that kept empha-

sizing that the show was madeto be more natural than priororca performances. There isnothing natural about orcasrolling over for food. I had spenta few days in Disney World be-fore visiting SeaWorld, so I no-ticed the drastic differencesbetween Disney’s cast membersand SeaWorld’s miserable work-ers. I don’t expect middle agedpeople standing in Florida’ssweltering heart, all while earn-ing minimum wage, to be overlycharismatic, but I was snappedat a couple of times, and in

twenty visits to Disney Parks Inever had a bad experience witha cast member. I suppose the whole point of

this article is to warn readersabout SeaWorld by letting themknow about my negative experi-ence. I may be a millennial hip-ster, but I believe it is unethicalto attend such a dishonorableestablishment. Sea-World may believethey are invincible,but once all of theirwhales pass awaythey will either goout of business orlower their prices.My heart hurts forthe whales with the collapseddorsal fins and the dolphins thatwere promised a release datethat never came. I consider my-self lucky that I live in theNortheast, where I live nearwonderful zoos and aquariums,which make it their first priorityto treat their animals with theupmost dignity and humanity. So, I’m a hypocrite, but if I

learned anything from my awful

experience at SeaWorld Orlandoit’s to follow your gut, if it does-n’t feel right then don’t do it. It’shard to pinpoint the exact feel-ings that fell from my stormcloud that day and drenched mein shame, if there is one thing Iknow for sure it’s that I knowI’m never going back. When Ilooked into the animals eyes at

SeaWorld Isaw mydog, wholies at myfeet atnight andwags hertail when Ia r r i v ehome. My

dog is also a free spirit, she en-joys rolling in the dirt on naturewalks and wading in the Hud-son River. These animals have apool instead of the fathomlessocean, and they will never beable to wander the sea like mydog and I wander the forest. Mysuggestion is to continue to ad-vocate and be outspoken, that’sthe only way to encourage posi-tive changes.

Kaylee JohnsonCampus News


‘There is nothingnatural aboutorcas rolling over

for food.’

I felt a bit guilty after requesting presspasses to visit SeaWorld


Millions of Americans areusing home DNA testing kits todiscover their ancestry or un-cover their risk of developing cer-tain diseases. Unbeknownst tothem, testing companies are sell-ing or giving away the personalgenetic information gleaned fromthese kits.This information, though the-

oretically anonymous, can easilybe traced back to specific individ-uals. In the wrong hands, it couldbe used to discriminate againstor even persecute law-abidingcitizens. Patients deservestronger protections to preventsuch abuse.Genetic testing companies

bury disclosures about data shar-ing in their user agreementforms.Invitae is a particularly egre-

gious offender. The firm’s con-sent form promises patients thattheir sensitive genetic informa-tion “will NOT be used in FORPROFIT research.” But the formconveniently fails to mention

that Invitae donates the data tothe ClinVar public database —where it and other companiescan use the information to profit.Companies say they strip ge-

netic test results of personallyidentifiable information beforethey share it. Indeed, they’re re-quired to do so by the 1996Health Insurance Portability andAccountability Act. People’snames, addresses, and otheridentifying details cannot be in-cluded in the shared files.Sounds good, but it doesn’t worklike that.The scrubbed files still aren’t

anonymous — not by a long shot.With today’s technology, tracinga genetic sample back to a spe-cific patient takes little morethan some Google searching. Ascientist at MIT recently tookfive randomly selected geneticsamples and identified thedonors in just a few hours. Heeven identified nearly 50 of theirfamily members.Employers and insurance

companies could use this powerfor nefarious purposes. If an em-ployer knew a job applicant had

a health condition that wouldmake him likely to miss work,would the firm extend an offer?In a post-Affordable Care Actworld, would insurance compa-nies sell a policy to someone athigh risk of cancer?Federal laws have attempted

— and failed — to address suchhidden corporate discrimination.Under the Genetic InformationNondiscrimination Act of 2009,employers and health insuranceproviders are not allowed to dis-criminate against people basedon their genetic information un-less it happens to already be partof their electronic medicalrecords.GINA is riddled with loop-

holes. It doesn’t cover disabilityor life insurance, or protect peo-ple serving in the military. It alsodoesn’t apply to small busi-nesses.Even these feeble protections

are under assault. The Preserv-ing Employee Wellness Pro-grams Act, a proposed bill underconsideration in Congress, wouldallow employers to penalizeworkers and their families who

don’t submit to genetic tests.For a solution, policy makers

could look to Europe. The EU’snew General Data ProjectionRegulation ensures individualshave the right to control personalinformation and imposes severepenalties on corporations that vi-olate patients’ privacy.Our genetic code is a treasure

trove of identifiable personal in-formation. When testing compa-nies make it readily available tooutsiders without patients’knowledge or meaningful in-formed consent, they exposethem to a host of threats. To pre-vent rampant discrimination pa-tients need far strongerprotections for their genetic in-formation.

Deborah C.Peel, MD, isfounder andpresident ofPatient Pri-vacy Rights, an o n - p r o f i thuman andcivil rights organization.

Beware ancestry DNA companiesDr. Deborah C. PeelSpecial to Campus News

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When I was a freshman inhigh school I went to a Big TimeRush concert at a local theater. Idecorated a tank top the nightbefore with neon paints andburned my hair with mystraightener. What I really re-membered from that concert wasthe opening act, a young group ofboys named One Direction thatswept me off my feet. After thatnight I bought their albums, at-tended their concerts, hung theirposters on my walls, and tweetedthem how much I loved them. Iam nineteen now and to be hon-est I created a new Twitter ac-count because I was soembarrassed about my border-line obsessive tweets about 1D.Today I watched “Dunkirk,”

as a 1D Harry Styles fan. I stillenjoy listening to his music andwatching him in interviews, butI am not the same crazed superfan I was half a decade ago.“Dunkirk” does not have a clearplot, but it definitely told a storythat many may not have knownabout before entering the movietheater. There was no wasted di-alogue throughout the movie;words weren’t needed in manyscenes because viewers could see

the color leaving the soldiers’faces when they heard bombs ex-plode and the look of dread asmany drowned or nearlydrowned to death. The moviewas incredibly moving and wellmade. I did not recognize any ofthe actors, except Styles, ofcourse, but I found them to begifted in a way I had not seen ina while. They simply workedwell together; they expressedemotion that appeared so au-thentic that I often found myselfflooded with fear, despair, andanxiety during the movie.Styles’ character in “Dunkirk”

is extremely bold and heroic. Hedid a wonderful job portraying acharacter who was so differentthan the boy who sung “LittleThings” and “Best Song Ever.”He may never act again, but Ithink he should because he evi-dently has the looks and the tal-ent to make it as a famous actor.I believe he took this role tobreak out of that boy band type-cast and show the world that heis not seventeen anymore. Hemade an appearance on “iCarly”many years ago, but I cannot re-call seeing him acting since then,except in an “SNL” skit where heplayed Mick Jagger. When 1Dbroke up, my heart took a beat-ing. Styles became a large suc-

cess, and NiallHoran is surelyworking his wayup the ladder,but the rest ofthe guys arestuck under theradar. LouisTomlinson andLiam Payne arefathers andZayn Malik isdating GigiHadid. “Dunkirk” was like acoming of age celebration forStyles.In this era it is hard to find

good, authentic action in warmovies. Everything in “Dunkirk”was true to its time — a retellingof the British evacuation ofFrance early in WWII. Withoutthis evacuation of over 300,000men, Britain would have hadtrouble regrouping and eventu-ally helping defeat Germanywith the Allies. Also interestingis how private British yachts-men and fishermen also crossedthe Channel to help with theevacuation. This is an importantsubplot of the film.The wardrobe, weapons, and

Spitfire planes acted as a timemachine; these elements con-tributed to the beautifully

poignant recreation that was“Dunkirk.” I would recommenddoing a little bit of research onthe Battle of Dunkirk before youbuy your movie tickets. I hope tosee some of these actors in up-coming major motion pictures.Sometimes I leave the movie

theater wondering why I paidten dollars for a ticket and an ad-ditional ten dollars for popcornand water. Today I did not feelthat way; instead I felt as if I leftthe movie with new knowledgeand a heavy heart. It is seldomthat a movie moves me as muchas Dunkirk did. It takes good,quality acting, experienced di-rectors, and authenticity to cre-ate such a memorable movie. Ihave a feeling this movie will beadored by people of all ages fordecades.

‘Dunkirk’ from a Directioner’s POVKaylee JohnsonCampus News

Herkimer College appointedGrace V. Ashline of New YorkMills, NY, to the position of in-structor of human services. Ash-line will teach human servicescourses on-campus and online. Ashline was an adjunct in-

structor at Mohawk Valley Com-munity College. She also servedas an MCP (mentoring childrenof prisoners) Coordinator andSupport Counselor for BigBrothers Big Sisters of the Cap-ital Region; Masters of Social

Work intern at Ellis’ Commu-nity Day Treatment Program,Schenectady, NY; prevention su-pervisor at Community Mater-nity Services, Albany, NY; anddirector at The Youth AdvocateProgram, Albany & SchenectadyCounty, NY. She is founder of youth sup-

port groups at YAP, Inc., chair-person for the Single Point ofACCESS Committee, andfounder of the Resurrected To-gether initiative to honor

women and mothers through ad-versity. Ashline holds a Bache-lor of Arts degree insociology/criminal justice fromSUNY Albany and a Master ofSocial Work, clinical concentra-tion, magna cum laude, fromSUNY Albany. She is a memberof the National Association ofSocial Workers. Herkimer College’s Human

Services curriculum is designedto prepare students for a careersas case managers, social work

assistants, family advocates,and residential counselors.Transfer opportunities areavailable with several four-yearinstitutions.

Human services instructor

Harry Styles, left

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Suffolk County CommunityCollege students and facultyhave condemned a speech deliv-ered on campus by PresidentDonald Trump that demonizedimmigrants and traduced thevalues of a school dedicated tohelping a diverse student bodytransform their lives. At a community protest out-

side the speech venue on July28, attended by hundreds of stu-dents and faculty, participantshighlighted the contradiction be-tween the values of a schoolrooted in unity and opportunityfor all, and Trump’s message ofdivision and distrust.The Faculty Association of

Suffolk Community Collegejoined the Long Island Progres-sive Coalition, the Long IslandFederation of Labor, New YorkState United Teachers, United

University Professions, the Pro-fessional Staff Congress and thecommunity, to stand united insolidarity against Trump.FASCC President Kevin Pe-

terman said: “This speech is aslap in the face to our diversestudent body, who come to Suf-folk to transform their lives.Rather than speaking for theworking people he pretends torepresent, President Trump in-stead decided to further an of-fensive and divisive politicalagenda. The students at Suffolk,many who work two part-timejobs and have a full load ofclasses, and the professors whoteach them, are raising theirvoices to say that DonaldTrump’s hateful rhetoric has noplace on campus.”AFT President Randi Wein-

garten said: “I was privileged to

be honored by Suffolk Com-munity College this year,and I know firsthand thatthe president’s noxiousspeech stands in direct con-tradiction to the values thatSuffolk Community Collegestudents and faculty holddear—that no matter whoyou are, no matter whereyou come from, you deservethe opportunity to learn andsucceed. And when our studentssucceed, America succeeds.“Rather than standing up for

working people, Donald Trumpused a college campus today topeddle the worse kind of divisivedog-whistle politics to further di-vide an already divided nation.Long before Trump becamepresident, many of us worked onsuccessfully attacking gang vio-lence—and it doesn’t take a wall

and it doesn’t take defaming im-migrants. And rather than in-vesting in our students’ future,the Trump administration hasslashed education funding to thebone. The AFT stands unitedwith the Suffolk students andgreater community to fight forour values of justice and oppor-tunity, to fight for our students’safety and well-being, and toconfront the hateful rhetoric weheard today.”

SCCC faculty protest Trump visit

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Princesses and wenches.Knights and knaves. Damselsand jesters. It’s the time of theyear they all descend uponTuxedo Park in New York. It’sthe Renaissance Faire.While it may not be as nerdy

as Comic-Con or a Star Trekconvention, the RenaissanceFaire attracts its own categoryof geeks, some of whom are full-time college students.One such student is 26 year-

old Caroline Lenz, an art historymajor at Borough of ManhattanCommunity College. Caroline isone of the hundreds of actorsemployed at the Faire each sea-son, who perform in costumeand take on personas.Caroline plays Viscountess

Lætitia Hereford, in service toHer Majesty The Queen. She’salso The Queen’s cousin andLady of the Privy chamber.This is Caroline’s third sum-

mer working the Faire, and shehas no reservations acceptingboth its and her own nerdiness.“My parents were scientists,

so I have always had a streak ofnerd within me,” she said. “I

grew up watching ‘Star Wars’and ‘Star Trek’ and when I wasa teenager my father introducedme to ‘Doctor Who.’ And I’ve al-ways loved history, so this wasa clear beacon of light for me. Isuppose nerdiness has alwaysbeen in my blood. I nevershunned it.”In addition to the Faire, Car-

oline has gone to Comic-Conevery year for the past fiveyears, with her two regular cos-tumes being Black Canary anda “Star Trek” science officer’stunic.Now here’s the shocker: Caro-

line was a cheerleader in highschool.Yes, this Renaissance Faire-

working, Comic-Con-cosplayingnerd was at the top of the socialpyramid in high school.However, she maintains she

wasn’t as cool as one mightthink. “I was never what youwould call popular,” she said,and participated in cheer“mostly for the athleticism.”For her, the Renaissance

Faire is where she belongs.“In describing the cama-

raderie to my stepmother myfirst year, she said, ‘Oh, youfound your tribe!’ and I realized,

yes, that is exactlywhat I have done... Ihave found a family.” Let’s call it a

blended family.Caroline met the

fellow cast memberwho would soon be-come her fiancé atthe first rehearsal onthe first day of workthree years ago. “Wefell in love veryshortly afterwards,”she said.Joe Di Donato has

a similar story. Joe isa sophomore atRamapo College inNew Jersey and isworking his secondyear at the Faire inthe hospitality depart-ment. He wears apeasant costume butalso carries a walkie-talkie.Joe cosplays at con-

ventions throughoutthe year, with theNew York Comic-Conas his favorite. Hefoam-fabricates hisown superhero cos-tumes, including Bat-man and Ironman.Another shocker:

Joe played football inhigh school. Andtrack. Another Renais-

sance Faire-working,Comic-Con-cosplayingnerd was a wide re-ceiver and a defensive corner-back as well as a varsity relayanchor.That means Joe ran with two

crowds in high school: the popu-lar jocks and the unpopularnerds. “I don’t look at it as one’s on

top of the other; I just look at ifas they’re two different kinds ofpeople. They’re both equal butI’m definitely a mix,” said Joe.Even the general public is en-

couraged to attend in costume.(Not that nerds need an incen-tive to cosplay.) If you just don’thave the time to design and tai-lor your own Renaissance cos-tume, the Faire has some youcan rent for the day.At age 17, Brooke Simone

was dragged to her first Renais-sance Faire. She went with herboyfriend, 17 year-old Sam

Copeland, along with his par-ents and two older sisters.Sam’s parents had run the

Kansas City Renaissance Fairefor many years and Sam and hissisters had been attending themall their lives. His parentsforced Brooke into attending infull costume or they weren’tgoing to take her. She wentkicking and screaming.“I felt really ridiculous,” she

said, “but 10 minutes afterbeing here I was having the besttime of my life.” A year later shewas getting paid to be at theFaire in costume and hasworked each season since.Brooke, a 21 year-old student

at Suffolk County CommunityCollege, plays Rosemary Thyme,the Shire Herbalist and Sam, a22 year-old student at NassauCommunity College, plays Auric

Maidens and Squires Make for aNerd-Fest at the Renaissance Faire

continued on next page

It’s the third year working the Fairefor 18 year-old maiden Annie Voss, afreshman at Rockland CommunityCollege. Photos by Dave Paone.

Dave PaoneCampus News

While you can’t get any mutton, youcan get a sausage on a stick.


sfc.edu/success

®BROOKLYN HEIGHTS, NEW YORK

ALUMNI NETWORKS LEAD TO AMAZING INTERNSHIPS AND JOBS

Read about Phoebe and Bono at

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Deslagge, the Alchemist. Both reside on Long Island so

the Orange County fairgroundsare a long way off. They spendFriday and Saturday nights in on-sight tents, camping with the restof the cast who don’t live locally.The couple’s association with

Renaissance Faires won’t end ina few years, as it will for others.They’re considering making thenational Renaissance Faire cir-cuit their full-time professions.The New York Faire is cele-

brating its 40th season thisyear, so one might argue that

the Renaissance Faire is theoriginal home for cosplay. “It’s definitely dressing up and

it’s definitely pretending to besomeone you’re not, someonefrom a different time,” saidJospeph, but he maintains it’sdifferent from cosplay, which hasto do more with characters frommovies, comics and TV shows. Skyler Wulfson, a sophomore

at the University of Hartford,found a way to parlay his timeat the Faire to his academic andfinancial advantage. Skyler interned with Deborah

Grosmark, the Faire’s staff pho-tographer, for his junior andsenior years in high school.

During thattime he built aportfolio of photo-graphs, most ofwhich were shotat the Faire,which enabledhim to pursue

photography as hismajor in college. Ad-ditionally, he receivedan $84,000 merit-based scholarship be-cause of that portfolio.The common thread

that runs through thetapestry of Renais-sance Faire lovers isthat at some pointthey’ve all embracedtheir nerdiness andhave found the Fairethe perfect venue inwhich to revel in thatnerdiness.“This is my core

group of friends,” saidCaroline. “One of mydearest friends in theworld actually is TheQueen, and I stay intouch with her all year.” “This is probably the least

judgmental place in the world,”said Joe. “It’s my favorite placeto be. It’s just a fantastic place

to escape and to get away.”“I make no secret of who I

am,” said Caroline. It’s no secret. She’s a nerd.

If you go...If you’d like to get your geek on, the

Renaissance Faire runs weekendsthrough October 1. Visitwww.renfair.com/ny/ for tickets.

(cont.)

Brooke Simone of SCCC and SamCopeland of NCC consider makingRenaissance Faires a full-time career.

In the last article, I discussedsome of the key attributes thatdefine the Entrepreneur. Afterreading the last article, you per-haps began to realize that youactually have what it takes.That idea that you had aboutthat earth-shattering new prod-uct concept, could actually hap-pen. But how?You have heard about the

business model, watched “SharkTank,” and read about the busi-ness plan, but are they all prettymuch based on the same idea?The answer is “NO.” Here is thedifference: The business modelcan be defined very simply ashow the business is actuallygoing to make a profit. As an ex-ample, suppose you came upwith an idea for a new app foryour phone. You discussed theapp with your friends, and theywere very excited about it, butthe real question is: how are yougoing to make any money? Hav-ing contacts, networking, andgetting people to actually wantthis app, is wonderful, but if youcan’t make any money, yourbusiness will die very quickly. Avery real ex-ample of thiswas Facebook.When Face-book wentpublic a fewyears ago,e v e r y b o d ywanted to buy shares in thecompany. In response, the stocksurged in value when it was in-troduced. Then investors startedto ask that basic question: Howare you going to make money?The share price dropped untilFacebook solved that issue.Now, we come to the business

plan. Not only is this the docu-

ment that you create, to see ifyour business is viable, but ifcreated properly, this will serveas your blueprint that will helpmake your business sustainable.The business plan is a livingdocument. It is not somethingthat you spent time on, and nowthat your business is up andrunning, you put in your deskdrawer; rather it will be revisedto reflect the dynamic environ-ment that your business oper-ates in. There are many sourcesthat will help you create a busi-ness plan. There are templatesthat you can use, and articlesthat you can download, as wellas usually constituting a majorpiece in a Marketing, or Intro-duction to Business course. Let’sstart to speak about some of thebasic building blocks for thisplan. The first piece that we should

tackle is the Mission Statement.This is the glue, the unifyingforce that keeps the other itemsworking in harmony with eachother. The mission statement isa declaration of the reason thatthe business exists. What is its’purpose? It should be specificenough to communicate this to

the investors and the customers,but general enough, so that ifthe business decided to embarkin a new direction, it would stillbe true to its mission statementAs an illustration of this, if youwere to research McDonald’smission statement, you wouldsee that it says nothing aboutburgers. Why? Because if theydecided to sell salads, vegan

fare, or anything that might at-tract customers , they would stillbe true to their mission state-ment.You have spent many hours

trying to come up with the mis-sion statement that satisfies thepurpose of your business, butnow you have other issues todeal with. Even if your idea istruly earth-shattering, you haveto investigate your competitivelandscape. Are there businessesor products that are similar toyours? If so why would a cus-tomer purchase yours? Youmust start to think about thething that differentiates yourproduct or business from yourcompetitors’. Price is not theway to do it, since you must al-ways realize that if you start totake business from a competitor,one of the first strategies theywill use is to drop their price. Asa new business, trying to estab-lish a foothold, and become prof-itable, you never engage in aprice war.

Now comes questions: Whoare your customers? How willyou define them? Where willyour product be sold? Usuallythe standard response to this is,“I will sell to everybody.” Ifeverybody is your focus, you willsell to nobody, since customershave defining characteristics,and it is up to you to be very spe-cific and focused in order to dis-cover these. More about this inthe next issue.

Steven Levine teaches Ac-counting and Business at Nas-sau Community College. He hasan MBA from Baruch and hasowned hisown busi-ness andworked forC h a r l e sPfizer andMobil Oil, aswell as verylarge electri-cal distribu-tion firms.


‘You must think about thething that differentiatesyour product or business.’

Entrepreneurship 101:Knowing your business plans and model

Prof. Steven LevineCampus News


Being an older community college student

Community colleges are ahaven for many older students,with flexible schedules and awide spread of academic offer-ings. According to the article“Adult Friendly Degree Pro-grams” on the Community Col-lege Review website(www.communitycollegere-view.com) the job market ap-pears to be evolving at arapid-fire pace in recent years,as the Great Recession hascaused a shift and even nearly acomplete disappearance of manyindustries. This evo-lution then causedmany adult workersto go back to schooland find a new ca-reer, which is morestable for them. Individuals are

able to expand ontheir skills at a later stage inlife, or pursue new interests thatmay vault them into a career ora job. Accounting, computer sci-ence, pharmacy technician, andbusiness administration are thefields in which older studentscould find jobs easily. There aremany hospitals, grocery stores,and drug stores that requirePharmacy Technicians and thisinvolves giving service to pa-tients and dispensing medica-tion. When older students earnan associate’s degree in Ac-counting, they could become anaccounting clerk or a bookkeep-ing clerk. Computer Science ortechnology is another option for

older students because they willbe able to know about the everevolving technology field andfind out about different careeroptions. Business Administra-tion reinforces older students’work skills and then helps themmove up to a managing positionin human resources, accounting,and international business. Based on an older student’s

responsibility with their family,such as supporting or caring andworking full-time, older stu-dents are capable of doing onlineprograms. Online programs in-clude business, dental studies,

criminal justice,computer infor-mation technology, public ad-ministration, and teachingassistant.The career-oriented aspect of

these institutions is the big sell-ing point: There may also beworkforce training involved inthe programs, with avenues forolder students to volunteer incommunity or social services.But the jump back into educa-tion can be jarring as well.When some older students comeback to study at community col-leges, they could face seriousbarriers such as lack of com-puter skills, trouble recoveringtranscripts for admission needs,

placement exams, and applica-tions for financial aid. Commu-nity colleges do providecomputer training in cases, butoverall, the experience can bedaunting.Before an older student en-

rolls in a community college,they should find out whichschool will cater best to theirneeds, educationally, vocation-ally, and lifestyle-wise. To do so,they should figure what theywant to study and how manyhours of classes they can andneed to take to qualify for thejob or career they want. Next,they should put in time re-searching college websites tolearn what courses are offered,the admission requirements,and various semester schedules.Finally, if the choice seems goodso far, students should visit thecampus and then talk to advi-sors, counselors, and current en-rollees who are familiar with thecampus. Also, they shouldcrunch the numbers and com-pare the total semester cost (tu-ition, fees, supplies) with theirpersonal budget. If that numberexceeds what they can pay, theyshould apply for financial aid orscholarships right away. Various types of scholarships

are offered for international,older students at communitycolleges. On February 2017,there was an Asian scholarshipoffered for students at BergenCommunity College, which wassponsored by the Asian HeritageCommittee. The main purpose ofthe Asian scholarship was to in-spire creation through ethnicityand culture. There were no tal-ents required for this scholar-ship because it was an artcontest in which students pre-sented a creative and artistic ex-pression. There were threeseparate levels of recognition ofthis scholarship. The first-placewinner was awarded $300, sec-

ond place received $200, andthird place earned $100. Older,international students at BCCwere also capable of applying forscholarship on the Bergen Com-munity College Foundation web-site. When applying forscholarship, the student had tofill out a general applicationwith necessary skills and apti-tudes. Beyond all these logistics,

there’s the matter of relocating.Out of Bergen’s populace, manyof the older ranks earn theirBachelor’s or Master’s degreesinternationally, and then cometo the United States to continuetheir studies at a communitycollege. Parveen Sultana is oneof those far-traveling students;she earned her B.S. in Informa-tion Technology and Engineer-ing from Bangladesh. “I want toearn an Associate’s degree inMath from Bergen CommunityCollege because it will help mycareer and to refresh my knowl-edge,” Sultana says. Outside ofher coursework, she teacheshigh school students math atHuntington Learning Centerpart-time. Sultana doesn’t thinkshe will continue on completingher Associate’s degree becauseshe enjoys her work with Hunt-ington, and wants to dedicateherself to being a one-on-onetutor. The courses that she’staking at Bergen can be chal-lenging, she says, but what’seven more tricky for her is jug-gling the time and responsibili-ties of studying, working, andtending to family. Still, Sultanasays she’d recommend the expe-rience to others. After workingin a computer-related job for 10years in Bangladesh, commu-nity college opened up new op-portunities after she moved tothe United States with her hus-band and two children.

Purnasree SahaCampus News

‘They are able to expandon their skills at a laterstage in life or pursuenew interests.’

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Westchester Community Col-lege’s Cambridge SummerStudy Abroad Program, an edu-cational opportunity for Honorsstudents is now in its 15th year.170 students have been selectedsince 2003 to study for twoweeks in July at the prestigiousCambridge University in Eng-land. This year’s group of 13 stu-dents includes those studyingLiberal Arts, Business, andNursing.Meeting with the faculty

member teaching either Cam-bridge Studies in History (Hon-ors), Cambridge Studies inLiterature (Honors) or Cam-bridge Studies in Science in Jan-uary, the students develop anindividual learning plan of ac-tivities before, during, and afterCambridge.

During the spring semester,the students also participate inseminars to orient them to livingand studying at Cambridge Uni-versity. Competitive scholar-ships to help defray the cost ofthe program are provided by theWestchester Community Col-lege Foundation.After flying from JFK airport

in New York to Heathrow Air-port in London, the students livein single rooms in one of the Col-leges at Cambridge, taking theirbreakfast and dinner each dayin the College Hall. In the livingand dining facilities, as well asin their classes, the studentswill meet other students from allover the world who have come tostudy at Cambridge. The distin-guished faculty for these coursesand plenary lectures are from

C am b r i d g eUn i v e r s i t y ,from otherUniversities inBritain, theC o m m o n -wealth, andthe Europeancontinent.During the

two-week program, the studentswill learn about the customs,currency and culture of this for-eign country.

Also, WCC Gets FundsThe Westchester Community

College Foundation has receiveda $100,000 grant from theWestchester Community Foun-dation to establish the James R.Johnston Scholarship Fund. The

donor, the late James R. John-ston, wished to ensure thatyouth had no barriers to gradu-ating from a community college.Significant scholarships will beoffered to financially needy full-time students at WestchesterCommunity College. Theseawards will provide one-half thecost of tuition and an additionalstipend to cover half the cost oftextbooks.


Mohawk Valley Commu-nity College Men’s golferDante Migliore was namedthe 2017 NJCAA Region IIIMale Athlete of the Year.Migliore, a graduate of

Frankfort High School, is atwo-time NJCAA NationalGolf Tournament medalistand is only the second playerin the history of the champi-onships to accomplish such afeat. His four-day total thisyear was 282, 6 under par,only one shot off the all-timetournament record.Migliore also is a two-time

Region III medalist. He wasthe medalist in eight of nineregular season events. Thisyear’s scoring average of 69.66is believed to be the lowest inRegion III history, and his 65at the Jamestown Invitationalis believed to be the lowestround in Region III history.He has been the MVP for

Men’s Golf for past two sea-sons at MVCC. Migliore alsobroke his last year’s scoringaverage and college record of73.22, with a new MVCCschool record of 70.2.“These achievements are

attributed to Dante’s dedica-tion to strong practice andwork ethic,” said MVCC HeadGolf Coach Ruth Weydig.

Top NJCAA golfer

Study-abroad program heads to England

9 to 5 by Harley Schwadron


It took “Last Chance U,” theNetflix docuseries embedded inone of the country’s top juniorcollege football programs, onlytwo seasons to do what it tookother boss-driven dramas like“Dance Moms,” “Breaking Bad”and “The Sopranos” at least fiveseasons to do — give us a like-able tough person who trans-forms into a bullying anti-hero.Amazing work by directors GregWhiteley and Adam Ridley!“Last Chance U” takes us to

backwater Scooba, Mississippi,and East Mississippi Commu-nity College (EMCC) where en-terprising football coach BuddyStephens has taken advantageof a loophole in NCAA rules — ifa player leaves one NCAA col-lege, for whatever reason, theycannot play for another NCAAcollege for at least one full year.The rule is in place so that play-ers don’t go from team to team,but some players are let go forcriminal or other behavioral is-sues, or bad grades.

So the best chance a bannedNCAA player has to get back tothe big time — and a shot at thepros — is to take that year andplay at a decent community col-lege, do well — both athleticallyand academically — and thenhopefully be recruited by a newDivision I NCAA college. Otherplayers don’t have the minimumSAT scores to get into DI schoolsto begin with. They can go to acommunity college as freshmento bypass the SAT requirement.Stephens knows this despera-

tion — of mostly poor blackyouth — and uses that to fill hisroster with some of the most tal-ented castaways in the country.He constantly reminds them ofthe opportunity he is providingthem.Unlike HBO’s “Hard Knocks,”

which is based on the NFL buthas a similar theme, “LastChance U” isn’t near-real-time.Season 1 was filmed in 2015 andreleased last year and Season 2was filmed last year and wasjust uploaded this July. Eachepisode ends with a game, andit’s hard not to Google the out-comes beforehand. There will bea Season 3, but consideringwhat transpired in Season 2,Whiteley and Ridley will moveon to another junior college.In Season 1, we find a rela-

tively relatable Stephens, com-ing off of yet another nationalchampionship season, and wemeet several likeable players,assistant coaches and an aca-demic success advisor, BrittanyWagner, who is charged to makesure the players go to class and

do their assign-ments — a her-culean task,considering howmuch these stu-dents rebelagainst academ-ics, as easy asthe classes seem

to be at EMCC. She has to coun-sel these students on the basicsmany elementary school kidshave already mastered and bro-ker deals with their browbeatenprofessors.Wagner becomes a breakout

star in this series, and, by Sea-son 2, she’s understandably dis-illusioned and burned out. As forStephens, we realize — likeAbby Lee Miller, Walter Whiteand Tony Soprano — we’re notrooting for a hero but an anti-hero. A person who becomes abully, using people for his own

gain. Miller, for example, re-cently was interviewed on tele-vision before her jail sentencefor bankruptcy fraud, and re-vealed that she doesn’t keep incontact with any of her formerstudents. Her “tough love” reallyhad no love in it. It was just pos-turing and manipulation. Thesame went for Walter Whitewhen we find him turning onMike and then Jesse. And in thefinal season of “The Sopranos,”we find Tony’s psychiatrist can-ning him when she finally real-izes his going to her office wasjust narcissistic validation forhis sociopathic behavior.Hence, we find out that

Stephens is much like theseother TV anti-heroes. Formerand current players are inter-viewed in Season 2 with no kindwords to say. He doesn’t keep intouch with them. He forces outhis defensive coach as well ashis wonderful offensive coordi-nator, Marcus Wood, the coachwho seemed to really relate tothe players on a personal level,including bringing them to hishouse for bible study.Season 1 ends with the coach

losing control of his emotionsand team, turning on them andcalling them “thugs,” and theteam having to forfeit their lastgame after a brawl whenStephens decided to call a timeout so that he could further runup the score on a hapless team.

This brawl bleeds into Season 2,because EMCC is forced to playtheir first game with only 30players, several of them out ofposition, due to the one-gamedisqualifications from the previ-ous season. They lose that firstgame, and by the end of Season2, the loss keeps them frombeing allowed to compete in thenational championship game.Season 2, during President

Trump’s election year, also ex-plores the white-black relation-ship between the town and theplayers (Stephens’ second-sea-son team is virtually all black,compared to more of a mix in thefirst season; and he adds onsome players with legal, disci-plinary and behavioral issues).Particularly poignant is whenthe directors visit winless Coa-homa Community College and acomparison can be drawn be-tween a team with very limitedresources and the football-proudEMCC, which pretty much runslike an NCAA DI program, withextensive game films, a sta-dium, band, cheerleaders,branded uniforms and buses, ar-tificial turf and Ms. Wagner —and why do only football playersget such an academic liaison —don’t non-athlete communitycollege students need such aca-demic coaching, too?

‘Last Chance U’ and the anti-heroDarren JohnsonCampus News

I have appointed myself witha very prestigious title, DisneyParks Expert. I am also knownas a “Disney drill sergeant,” butbecause of that perseverance Ihave never planned an un-mag-ical vacation. In August I at-tended Mickey’s Not So ScaryHalloween Party for the firsttime. Normally the HalloweenParty’s days collide with my ac-ademic calendar, or I have an-other trip booked. This yearDisney added a couple of Augustdates to the Halloween Partyschedule, and by chance it wasthe same week we had bookedour vacation.After finding out I will be at-

tending Mickey’s Not So ScaryHalloween Party, the first thingI did was endlessly browse Pin-trest in search for the most ob-scure and elaborate costume. Allof these costumes had the sameissues. If they were not over-priced, they only carried smallsizes. Of course there were theones that required hours ofheavy duty DIY work. I havetried to DIY many things before,and I end up spending moremoney at the craft store to makea mediocre version of what I ac-tually wanted than I would haveif I ordered it online.Somewhere along the line I

came across a wonderful Etsyshop called KawaiianPizzaAp-

parel. I was in love with theirlightweight and beautiful cos-tumes. They were kind enoughto send me a Belle costume tosample, and I was very pleasedwith the results. Throughout thewhole process of picking a dressand shipping it, the shop owner,Alec Dale, was friendly and ac-commodating. The costume wasbetter than anything I could findin retail stores, and it’s not overthe top. I did not want a ballgown for the Halloween Party; itwas going to be late August inOrlando, therefore I would besweaty within ten minutes afterleaving my air conditioned re-sort. The costume is lightweight,and the material it is made outof seems like a thicker version ofthe shirts that runners wear toabsorb sweat. The dress I re-ceived costs about $50, which isvery affordable compared tosome of the other costumes Iwas looking at online, and alsoconsidering how much workgoes into making each dress orshirt.It was very difficult for me to

decide which costume I likedbest. Any of them would surelyturn heads at Mickey’s Not SoScary Halloween Party, but Iwanted a costume that repre-sented my personality. I choseBelle, because, like her, I am areader, introvert, and, most ofall, a dreamer. I did not wantthe typical Ariel costume thatevery twenty-something buys

from grungy stores like HotTopic or Spencer’s. Kawaiian-PizzaApparel is also a wonderfulshop to buy family costumesfrom. They have obscure cos-tume shirts like Cogsworth,Lefou, and Lumiere.Now, I’ve looked at pictures of

brave hearted men and womenwho wore heavy costumes toMickey’s Not So Scary Hal-loween Party, and wonder howthey survived all night. I wantedto be able to move freely andride on Splash Mountain with-out worrying if my hoop skirt isgoing to pop up just as we arefalling down the mountain, al-though that would make a veryinteresting ride photo. Since Iwas going to stay up until mid-night partying with my favoritemouse, I knew I needed some-thing comfortable, yet festive. Iwas always the girl with awardrobe full of Christmassweaters, Halloween leggingsand sparkly shamrock shirts.KawaiianPizzaApparel is

hardly a newbie; they are clos-ing in on 5000 sales, which is ex-tremely successful for an Etsyshop. They have also earnedfive-star reviews from their cus-tomers, who rave about thequality of the products. The shopis family run from Eureka, Calif.Their apparel can work as cos-tumes, or Disney-bounding out-fits. Every Disney lover hasattempted to throw together anoutfit that kind of resembled the

dress their favorite Disney char-acter wore. The issue is that theoutfits are usually unrealisticfor a day in the unforgiving sun.Sure, they look good in photos,but they are not comfortable. It’sso much easier to have a dressthat is comfortable, lightweight,and photogenic. I couldn’t waitto show off my charming Belledress at Mickey’s Not So ScaryHalloween Party.I hope you have as much fun as

I did browsing for the perfect Hal-loween costume from Kawaiin-PizzaApparel. Just don’t show upto the Halloween party wearingthe same costume as me. Thatwould be a catastrophe. Here’s alink to KawaiinPizzaApparel:www.etsy.com/shop/KawaiianPiz-zaApparel.


Lightweight Disney-inspired costumesKaylee JohnsonCampus News

On Tuesday, September 19,Dr. Stephen Schecter, Professorof Political Science and Directorof the Council for CitizenshipEducation at Russell Sage Col-lege will deliver the Fall Katt In-stitute Lecture at SUNY Ulster.The title of his lecture will be“American Federalism Today:Constitutional Principle or Po-

litical Pawn?” Schecter’s willspeak at 7 p.m. in the CollegeLounge, 203 Vanderlyn Hall,Stone Ridge Campus.The textbook definition of fed-

eralism is a system that dividesand shares powers between fed-eral and state governments. Butfederalism is more than that. Itis a philosophy not just of gov-ernments but of relationshipsand organizations. The Framers

of the Constitution understoodthis philosophy. They designedthe Constitution around it. Howdo we understand federalismtoday? Schechter has been at Sage

since 1978 with a leave of ab-sence from 1986 to 1990 to serveas Executive Director of theNew York State Commission onthe Bicentennial of the U.S.Constitution.

Federalism talk


Mention of DonaldTrump and his presidencyno doubt evoke strong emo-tions in many, whether foror against his policies.While some have chosen torefrain from any discus-sions that may result inconflict due to the currentpolitical climate, othershave chosen to embrace itfor their own opportunity.One of them is Casey Ellis,adjunct professor atWestchester CommunityCollege.After a previous profes-

sor’s departure, Ellis wasasked to teach ENG 200 – Amer-ican Literature to 1865. Whilethe course had been laid out, heknew he needed to find an inter-esting way to get students tosign up for the fall semester.“Because I’m an adjunct and be-cause electives don’t fill up, Ineeded to do a lot of advertisingfor the class to make sure itruns,” he says.It was then that he came up

with the perfect slogan for hisclass flyer: “Make American LitGreat Again.”“Donald’s slogan was defi-

nitely contemporary and eye-catching, so it seemed like itmight be guaranteed to catch theattention of anyone who mightactually look at flyers,” he ex-plains.As expected, the flyer worked

and students began taking inter-est in the class. No need toworry, however, as DonaldTrump and modern day politicswon’t be a focus point for thecourse. “While contemporary pol-itics and such may come up indiscussion, it’s not totally struc-tured around that. Basically,

what it tries to look at is … howdoes the literary history of the18th and 19th centuries continueto inform the present moment forhow we imagine the Americanliterary task? We’re trying tolook at how various strands andmotifs have existed in the UnitedStates and how they continuethrough today.”Still though, American litera-

ture? Many students might findthe class to be more boring thanfun, especially as it is an electiveand not a required course. Ellisassures, however, that the classwill be just as intriguing as theposter. “What I would say tothem is that there is so muchmore to it, like any literary pe-riod,” he says. “It’s so muchricher than causal perception,and that’s why Poe is on theposter. It’s interesting that stu-dents don’t perceive him as alarge part of American literaturewhen he was very much part ofthe literary scene. There’s a lotmore to it that is more relevantand interesting to students thanthey would imagine from theirperfectly understandable aware-ness of it.”

Prof helps makelit ‘great again’

Gianluca RussoCampus News

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The Nassau Community Col-lege athletic department has in-serted themselves at theforefront of women’s equality insports once again as the schoolhas officially introducedwomen’s wrestling as a varsitysport. Nassau’s Men’s wrestling

team has earned national recog-nition over the last 30 yearsunder head coach and NationalWrestling hall-of-famer PaulSchmidt, who was instrumentalin bringing the women’s pro-gram to the school. His men’steams have yielded nationalchampions, All-Americans andeven professional fighters, andnow former assistant coach andNCC alum Sam Thomas willlook to have similar results asthe new women’s head coach.

“I am very excited about in-corporating the women’s pro-gram into the NassauCommunity College wrestlingfamily,” said Schmidt. “We arelooking for great things downthe road and I know it’s notgoing to happen overnight, butwe expect to have a women’sprogram up and running andcompeting at a national levelwithin a few years.”“What makes me really ex-

cited about running the women’sprogram is we will be startingour own history,” said Thomas.“We are looking to create ourown history, and when I am outrecruiting, each member I add isgoing to be part of history, notjust for our team or for NCC butthis is a new step for the coun-try.”Thomas has tapped long-time

men’s assistant coach VougarOrounjov as his new associate

head coach. As an athlete,Vougar has earned Olympicmedals, European Champi-onships and World Champi-onships, and will now share hisexpertise with the young womenwho will finally get the opportu-nity to hit the mat as NassauLions.“We don’t have women’s

wrestling on Long Island; wehave the athletes, but not a pro-gram for them,” said Orounjov.“I am very excited that we now

will have a place for them tocompete and I’m eager to startthe new program.” With women’s wrestling gain-

ing participation nationally andsupport growing for it to obtainvarsity status in the NCAAranks, Nassau’s move is trulyground-breaking and puts themin the forefront of a sport that isjust starting out in the juniorcollege ranks.The team has not released

any scheduling information yet.

NCC adds women’s wrestling

When Joel Fatato and JimLaGatta were students atHudson Valley CommunityCollege, the average cost of ahouse in America was under$17,000, and fans of the Beat-les were still hoping the bandwould get back together. Now,both Fatato and LaGatta,have retired from full-timeemployment after 46 and 48years of service, respectively,and were honored by theRensselaer County Legisla-

ture on July11.Fatato, a

1971 gradu-ate, startedhis career atHudson Val-ley as a workstudy stu-dent and

went on to become an accountclerk, financial analyst, comp-troller, and chief fiscal officerat the college before being pro-moted to vice president for fi-nance in 2000. LaGatta, who graduated

with his associate degree in1967, began his Hudson Val-ley career as a chemistry in-structor two years later, andeventually rose through theacademic ranks: chairpersonfor the department of chem-istry and then dean of the col-lege’s school ofhealth sci-ences, schoolof liberal artsand sciences,and school ofbusiness.

Longest-serving

Peter BriguglioCampus News

Schmidt and Thomas


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Seagulls squawked asNorthern Essex CommunityCollege Natural Science Pro-fessor Sarah Courchesne anda half dozen of her studentschased them across Apple-dore Island in Maine as partof a seagull banding project,funded in part, by the VerizonFoundation.Over the last two summers,

about two dozen NorthernEssex students under thetutelage of Courchesne, coor-dinator of the project, havetrapped and banded GreatBlack-Backed and Herringgulls and collected blood sam-ples at the Shoals MarineLaboratory on Appledore Is-land. Each year, the VerizonFoundation has donated

$10,000 to the field scienceprogram that brings NECCstudents out of the classroomand into nature where theygather data that is thenbrought back to the classroomso biology and lab science stu-dents could perform dietanalysis and necropsies ofdead gulls.Last year the funds were

used to purchase GPS tech-nology to tag the individualsea birds to track their move-ments. This year’s grantfunds the purchase of addi-tional tags and a base stationused to monitor the individ-ual seagulls throughout theyear.“We know that allowing

students to experiment, ques-

tion, and practice sciencethemselves is the best way tostimulate and maintain theirinterest in science not only asa subject, but as a verb,” saidCourchesne, NECC naturalsciences professor who over-sees the project. “Opportuni-ties for students toparticipate in and performtheir own research are lim-ited at community col-leges…on-campus researchopportunities are slim…Byexpanding our campus out-ward to include work at theShoals Marine Laboratory webring our students into a com-munity of world class scien-tists, and by bringing thatwork back into the classroomstudents can analyze the ma-terial in our labs and we

broaden their understandingof what being a science stu-dent means.”While seven NECC stu-

dents participated in each ofthe two annual Appledoretrips, a total of 48 students inthe fall and spring semestersparticipate in the microbio-logical and DNA analysis ofthe summer samples collectedin the field.“In order to be prepared for

jobs of the future, it’s essen-tial for every student to haveaccess to experiential learn-ing, which is why the Verizon

Seagull program at NECC

The Cultural Series at MohawkValley Community College onceagain is bringing an exciting and di-verse lineup of talent to its campusesin Utica and Rome this fall. Ticketsfor all events go on sale at 10 a.m.Monday, Aug. 21, athttp://www.mvcc.edu/tickets.Headlining the series is Olympic

Gold Medalist Gabby Douglas, whowill take the stage at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4, in the RobertR. Jorgensen Athletic and Event Center Field House atMVCC’s Utica Campus. Admission is $15 general, $10 forMVCC employees, and free for MVCC students (limited sup-ply). Douglas was selected at age 16 to be a member of theU.S. Olympic Women’s Gymnastics team to compete in the2012 Summer Olympics in London, England. There she be-came the first African-American woman, as well as the firstwoman of color of any nationality, to win an Olympic Goldmedal as the All-Around Individual Champion. In addition,while winning a Team Gold medal, she became the firstAmerican gymnast to win Gold in both the All-Around indi-vidual and team competitions at the same Olympics. At the2016 Rio Olympics, Douglas won her third Olympic Goldmedal in the Team competition.

Gabby Douglas speaksStudent leaders from

the SUNY Student As-sembly marched in the48th annual New YorkCity Pride Parade. Theparade, a celebration ofthe LGBTQ+ community,kicked off at noon in Mid-town.“Showing the world

that SUNY is an openand accepting system iscritical, especially intoday’s polarized political cli-mate,” said Student AssemblyPresident and SUNY Trustee,Marc Cohen. “It’s exciting toonce again march in the paradewith more than 300 of my col-leagues from SUNY in solidar-ity with the LGBTQ+community!”The NYC Pride Parade is the

largest in the world, with tensof thousands of people expectedto march. Led by four grandmarshals, the theme of this

years parade, “We are proud,”will aim to unite those march-ing, watching, and supportingthe LGBTQ+ community.The members of the SUNY

Student Assembly marched insupport of the “We are proud”movement. As the biggestPride celebration in the world,the annual civil rights demon-stration brings together a vari-ety of activists, politicians, andcommunities to march for acommon cause.

Students show Pride

When I was in college, I had aroommate who was put on aca-demic probation mid-year afterpulling a lousy GPA. So he fig-ured he’d do himself a favor bysigning up for “fluff” courses likeBasket Weaving for the Spring,thinking he’d get great gradesand out of probation. It didn’twork — turns out, making bas-kets is kind of hard for a slacker.I never saw him again.But — and, as a

former college ad-ministrator, I don’tsay this lightly — ifyou are a collegestudent in NewYork State andyour parents aren’trich, you mightwant to fill out yourschedule to the full18 credits for theupcoming semester. Theresurely are some courses likeTennis, Zumba, Music or ArtAppreciation — even BasketWeaving — that, while not asure-thing, may be pretty hardto fail if you give your best ef-fort.Colleges in New York State

charge the same whether youtake 12 credits or 18 creditseach semester, though theremay be some added fees andbook costs for taking more cred-its. Still, the added fees andbook costs are a tiny fraction ofwhat 6 extra credits would cost

if taken separately.I’m not saying to get off your

major track by taking imperti-nent courses — I’m just suggest-ing to fill out your schedule withmore enrichment courses to en-sure your success.New York State’s new Excel-

sior Scholarship and relatedprograms insist a student aver-age 30 credits a year and make“satisfactory academicprogress,” so if you only take 12credits Fall and Spring, you willneed to take 6 during the Sum-

mer to keep yourscholarship. Andthat’s hoping youget at least a C orbetter in thosecourses — easiersaid than done, asevery studentseems to encounterthe occasional im-possible-to-please

instructor.(The Scholarship provides

free tuition to SUNY studentsand up to $6000 for many pri-vate college students whose par-ents earn less than $100,000 ayear; the income threshold willrise to $125,000 in two years, soeven if you don’t qualify now,you may in future years.)If you take 18 credits each se-

mester, you will have wiggleroom. You can drop or fail acourse and still get 15 credits —and be on pace to keep yourscholarship.Also, if you take tough in-

structors as Pass/Fail, you canbetter maintain a high GPA(check Rate My Professors as toa professor’s toughness rating —the site is sometimes right). Askyour academic advisor aboutPass/Fail grading options.

Six credits during the sum-mer will cost about $2000 at acommunity college — if you av-erage 15 credits Spring and Fall,you won’t need to spend thatmoney to keep your scholarship.So, yes, while you may have

to work less now to take maxi-mum credits, you’ll save moremoney later. While most colleges require

you take a couple of 1-creditphysical education courses overyour four years, you may takemore. Perhaps fill out yourschedule with some Weightlift-ing and Karate — and also getin better shape.If you are very strong in a

particular area — say CreativeWriting — take every littlecourse in that discipline to helpyour GPA and help you stay onpace to get 30 credits (someschools let you take the samesection of Creative Writingtwice). Likewise, if you have a

certain professor who “gets you,”maybe take some of his/hercourses as electives.Now, some students at com-

munity colleges are placed intodevelopmental English andMath courses, and while these

courses usually offerno credits, they dotake work and time.It may be hard totake 18 credits ifyou have a develop-mental course onyour schedule.Otherwise, when

you are registeringfor the next semester, you maywant to insist on taking the full18-credits. If you’ve already reg-istered, log into your studentportal and maybe add a courseor two.Don’t be like my old college

roommate and take your schedulelightly — more may be better!

And that’s the last word…for now!

Darren Johnson has an MFAin Writing and Literature fromSouthamp-ton Collegeof Long Is-land Uni-versity andcurr en t l yteaches PRc o u r s e s ,when heisn’t run-ning Campus News. Reach himat [email protected].

Take 18 credits, if you dare


Darren JohnsonCampus News

‘My college roommatethought he could get hisGPA up by taking basketweaving. It didn’t work.’

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campus news usa · 2017. 9. 15. · mike pede, financial aid director at mohawk valley community...

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