spring2015marchfinalonline.pdf

By Kanika Sharma

In accordance with the goals of the developmental advising model and the new Maryland law, the College and Career Readiness and College

Completion Act (CCRCCA) of 2013, Mont-gomery College has recently brought various changes into the Counseling and Advising Department. In Fall 2013, the developmental advising model was created by the Advising Steering Group (ASG) under the charge of Dr. Beverly Walker-Griffea, former Senior Vice President of Student Services at MC. According to Erica Hep-worth, Interim Department Chair, Coun-seling & Advising, TP/SS, “Montgomery College came to define ‘developmental advising’ as a collaborative process, in which ultimately students bear the responsibility for achieving their educa-tional goals and setting a course for a lifetime of learning. [Students] will be encouraged to design and adapt plans which reflect their emerging interests, knowledge and goals”. In Spring 2013, its implementation coincided with two other major events: the introduction of Starfish and the passing of the CCRCCA. The counseling department has in-troduced mandatory academic planning for all new degree-seeking students. Doing this satisfies one of the goals of the Development Advising Plan -- “to encourage development, implemen-tation, and reassessment of students’ educational plans, so they are consistent

with personal, academic, career and life goals.” It also fulfills the requirement of CCRCCA that states “all students must have a degree plan on file and public institution develop a pathway system that shows their establish graduation progress benchmarks for each academic major and for the general education program.” Now, all returning and new students discuss their plans for upcoming semesters with a counselor and create a virtual education plan that includes courses, action items, referrals, etc. that remains in their Starfish account throughout their college career. This allows students to keep track of their academic progress and goals. During Winter Break in 2014, the counseling department was moved to the second floor of the Charlene R. Nunley Student Services Center (ST). Last summer, the College redesigned the admissions procedure, beginning with the Welcome Center and ending in the Counseling Department. Each branch plays its role to help new students. The Welcome Center answers any questions prior to enrollment; The Ad-missions Office helps students in the ap-plication process; Financial Aid Advisors helps students find additional assistance in paying for college; The Assessment Center is where students are tested for class placement; and The Counseling Department is where students go for

academic, transfer and career planning. The counseling department was moved to keep the departments involved with first three steps of the admissions proce-dure in same area. Also, the Counseling Department needed a place that best supports student confidentiality. Its current location is isolated from any outside interference. Fall 2013, the counseling depart-ment introduced Starfish, an online application that is designed to schedule appointments with counselors and to minimize appointment-waiting times. Since first bringing Starfish onboard, the Counseling Department has, updated their online services. Once students click on Starfish, the MC counseling webpage opens with two options: returning student or new student. Returning students can see a counselor for their academic transfer, career and personal planning. Also, students can request an appointment with their preferred counselor. New students, on the other hand, follow the “Start Smart Steps” that enhances their understanding of college before making an appointment with the counselor. The Counseling Department offers another way to help students. If students are unable to make an appoint-ment due to their busy schedules, they can fill out a Counseling/Advising Form,

New Home Continued on page 7 Ride Along on page 6

New home, same team The newbump‘n grind

Boko Haram

A shuttle for everyone

How does free College sound?Coffee. Music. Food.

What more could you ask for?Find out what this chill spot located less then half a mile away from our campus has to offer!

Bump your way down to page 9

Alesha Butler analyses the possible effects that President Obama’s proposed plan could have on MC Students.

Free MC continued on page 4

As national attention shifts to the Middle East, Rachel Johnson draws attention to the seemingly fogotten terrorists of West Africa. They, too, seemed to have noticed their lack of attention as they have recently sought out the support of the terrorist group, ISIS.Travel towards page 10

Last year, shuttles were introduced to the Rockville and TP/SS campuses. After a very successful trial run, the shuttles are here to stay; and the route has been extended to the Germantown campus!

Another look at Marijuana

If you like our newspaper and are interested in working with us,let us know! Contact Prof. Simon via email at [email protected]

America is slowly becoming a THC -tolerant country. The Nation’s

Capitol finally caught up with the West Coast with the legalization

of recreational marijuana last month. While there are still many restrictions on use and distribution, the conversation is becoming increasingly relevant.

Take a peek , on page 8

Montgomery College - Takoma Park/Silver Spring - March 2015

EmpireMC Shuttle connectionCannabisAdvocacy Day 2015Boko Haram

The Excalibur is MontgomeryCollege Takoma Park/SilverSpringʼs student-run newspaper.All students are invited toparticipate.

The IN THIS ISSUE568910

2 March 2015

Rachelle Downs - Editor in ChiefSekratos Kahsay - Assistant EditorJessica Edwards - Public Relations ManagerJose Sorto-Guevara - Layout Coordinator / Visual Art Coordinator

Writers

Faculty Advisor

Professor Miriam Simon

The Excalibur is Montgomery College Takoma Park/Silver Spring’s stu-dent-run newspaper. All students are invited to participate. To become a member of the staff please attend meetings on Monday afternoons at 2:00 PM in ST219 in the Office of Student Life. If you would like to contribute an article, letter to the editor, photograph, illustration or news tip for next month’s issue, please send submissions or suggestions to [email protected].

Be kind, recycle this paper in any of the blue bins on campus!

EDITORIAL STAFF UPCOMING EVENTS By Jose Sorto-Guevara

MarchNISHIKI TAYUIMarch 24 - June 1 Reception: Thursday, April 2, 6:00 - 8:00 pm Multimedia works curated byLincoln MuddLocation Information:

The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Arts CenterTakoma Park/Silver Spring Campus - (240)567-5821

SLAM POET: DREW LAWMarch 25 2:40 - 4:40pm, CM 211

MONTGOMERY COUNTY’S GREENFESTMarch 2810-5pm

Location Information:Multiple locations at Takoma Park/ Silver spring campus

“Join hundreds of your neighbors and local organizations to cele-brate our amazing local environ-ment and learn about the key role YOU play in keeping it healthy.”for more information please visit:http://montgomerycountygreen-fest.org/

R&BSinger March 23Rudy Currence12:00pm, ST Atrium

KarokeMarch 3012:00pm - 2:00pmMC Munchies, ST building 2nd floor

Pop Singer/ Pianist, Matt BeilisApril 112:00pm April 2, ST Atrium

THE EXCALIBUR

Letter from the Editor

In July of 2014, oil and gas technicians riding aboard a helicopter discovered an enormous, mysterious crater in Siberia. This hole, located in the Yamal Peninsula (known as “the ends of the earth” to locals), measures almost a hundred feet in diameter and appeared to have inexplicably come into being overnight. Its cause unknown, theories ranging from fossil fuel explo-ration to a meteorite, to a stray missile were conjectured (and dismissed) by scientists in an attempt to explain the phenomenon. Scientists believed that the most logi-cal explanation for this sinkhole was the explosive release of high-pressure gases (mostly methane) caused by global warming. According to this theory, which was brought forward by geophysicist Vladimir Romanovsky, unseasonably warm temperatures thawed the perma-frost from the bottom up, creating an underground cavity. Highly pressurized gases, stored beneath the permafrost, subsequently rose closer to the earth’s surface and deformed the ground above it, creating a small hill.

When the pressure became too great, the gases exploded, forming formed the crater. Later that same month, two more craters were discovered in the region: one in the Taz district, measuring for-ty-nine feet in diameter, and another on the Taymyr Peninsula, with a diameter of thirteen feet. Residents of the nearby town of Antipiyuta reported that the sec-ond crater first appeared on September 27, 2013. Accounts of the incident vary, but many witnesses attest to seeing smoke filling the air surrounding the area, followed by a bright flash. This has caused some amount of speculation in the scientific community, as it has not been determined how the underground gases might have been ignited. According to geophysicist Vladimir Romanovksy, “probably the gas ignited…it seems like it happened during wintertime, so there should be no thunderstorms, no lightning.” In Romanovsky’s opinion, the eruption was most likely not triggered by an ignition at all; the pressure simply built until it was high enough to cause the methane to erupt.

By Collin Lenegan

Sinkholes Continued on page 11

Christopher Thomas - illustratorSelena Jackson - illustrator (Obama illustraton on cover page)Jose Sorto-Guevara - illustratorShervon Inglis - PhotographerMamadou Simpara - Photographer(Photo on the front cover anonymous submission found through tumblr.com)

Liya Asfaw - Reporter Alha Kane - Reporter Nathan Seven Scott - Reporter Abel Kebede - Reporter Alesha Butler - Reporter Mamadou Simpara - ReporterChristopher Thomas - Reporter John Hibberd - ReporterAnna Caity - Reporter Kanika Sharma - ReporterChristelle Mbah - Reporter Rachel Johnson - ReporterAlanis Lora - Reporter Collin Lenegan - ReporterJason Dalle - Reporter Shervon Inglis - Reporter

Visual Arts

New craters surface in Siberia

Welcome Back!

I would, first, like to congratulate the combination of students, faculty, and staff that contributed to the December 2014 edition. Our efforts were acknowl-edged at the Black History Month is Everyday event in Rockville, where we received the Raptor Relevant Reporting Award.

The Excalibur staff is proud to present the Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus with the first edition of the Spring 2015 semester. With the help of the EN102 Honors students, this edition highlights current events on campus, in the community, nationwide, and internationally.

Big thanks to everyone who contributed to this edi-tion – student reporters, photographers, and MC faculty & staff! A special thanks to Ellen Olmstead, English Department Chair (TP/SS), and professors of EN102, for including these articles in their curricu-lums.

Best, Rachelle Downs

Have an Upcoming Event on Campus?!

Let Us Know!

Email us at:

[email protected]

March 2015THE EXCALIBUR 3

A Short Life, one of the nominees for Best Short Film, directed by Joris Oprins. Photos are from http://wezank.com/2015-oscar-nominations/

Dr. Milton Nash, Chair of the Mathematics Department, Photo by Liya Asfaw

Oscars 2014: Animated short films Oscar season has blasted through again, leaving behind discussions about Hollywood’s relationship with society, for better or for worse. The Academy, which nominates the films and awards the Oscar, is a body of around six thousand film professionals (mostly actors). They decide the best films of the previous year based on production, artistic quality, and of course their own personal preferences. As such, an Oscar is an undeniable honor for the person or team who has received one, and yet tend to suffer from subjectivity. An Academy Award is not proof that a film is excellent, just that six thousand people, mostly actors, like it; and indeed, the Oscar tends to go to one type of film, heady dramas with powerful performances. Originality is rarely rewarded, and comedies have notoriously been neglected. The nom-inees, however, are inarguably worth watching, whether or not the winner of the category can stand the test of time. While categories such as Best Actor/Actress, Best Screenplay, and mostly Best Picture tend to demand most of the spotlight, there are gems buried in categories such as Best Cinematography, Sound Design, or Short Animated Film. This last category provides the most enigmatic, experimental and visually expressive films. Last year was no exception, and some of the films were truly innovative and well-crafted. There were five nominees, each a success in its own right. The winner was one of the shorter of the shorts, Feast. Feast was technically flawless, well-paced and entirely engaging. The protagonist, in true Disney fashion, is adorable and prone to making an audience alternatively laugh and swoon-

By Christopher Thomas

By Liya Asfaw

a small dog who loves to eat. When his owner falls for a young woman who trashes the junk food and garnishes the kibble with parsley, our protagonist falls into a depression. Ostensibly happy after the two break up, the dog winds up bringing them back together in the archetypal Disney ending. This film was the safe choice for an award. Its pro-duction is seamless and it gets it point across without stressing much, which is good, because its point boils down to making you feel good. If it’s possible to offer criticism of Feast, one would have to note that this film has given us nothing new. With that in mind, The Bigger Picture has to have been considered a close contender. Although the narrative can be disorienting in the moments during this film where one can actually grasp a narrative, this film is nothing if not innovative. Director Daisy Jacobs has morphing the concept of animation into something unique and fascinating. The Bigger Picture utilizes full-sized rooms and a combination of 3 dimensional and 2 dimensional media: a typical frame involves a painting of a character on a wall, with clay arms which protrude from the painting to manipulate objects. The plot, which takes a back seat to the fascinating and provoking visuals, meditates on the intersection of death and family by observing two brothers manage the terminal illness of their mother. This film is a victim of its own success- it’s experimentation could be off-putting to certain viewers. Me and My Moulton is a film by Nor-wegian-Canadian director Torill Kove, who has one Academy Award already on her mantelpiece, although unfortunate-ly not for this film. Me and My Moulton is splendid- it’s bright, jubilant, and captivating. The story it tells is seeming-

ly autobiographical, describing a unique childhood in an unusual family, which is not without its charms or its troubles. It unfolds like a children’s book and an introspection, but there are subtle touches which hint at its mastery, in the rendering of the trees or the snippets of dialogue which alert you to deeper underpinnings in the story. The Dam Keeper was a somewhat uncomfortable film, a parable about bullying with anthropomorphizing and fantasy elements. The animation is painterly. Movements are fluid and harmonious, colors are vibrant and saturated, and a world has been created with clear consideration. Each frame could exist by itself and be worthy of praise. Discomfort comes from its subject matter. Bullying is a difficult topic to discuss, and this film wasn’t quite convincing in any ability to bring about discussion The final nominee was A Single Life, and although there’s perhaps not enough here to recommend, it manages to balance funny and morbid for the 3 minutes that it runs. In synopsis, the film is the story of a woman and her record player which turn time back or forward, although the experience is less of a story and more of a long joke, complete with punchline. Rendered on an animation program, it can’t precisely be considered as pleas-ing to the eye, but there are enough successful visual gags to offset its unattractiveness. Feast was the easiest choice for the number one animated short film. It is free from technical flaws and utterly lovable, despite being somewhat uninspired. Crucially, it is also a film which is in no way divisive. Not only are there no outstanding faults, there is nothing here which is difficult to understand. Nothing new, but nothing distasteful.

With black history month recently ending, Dr. Milton Nash, chair of the Mathemat-ics Department at Mont-

gomery CollegeTP/SS, happens to be the Black History Maker of the month. Coming from a working class family, Dr. Nash was the first African American student to earn a graduate degree in mathematics from Princeton University. Dr. Nash was originally from Detroit, Michigan, but grew up in Birming-ham, Alabama. As a student, he was well-versed in math and math-related subjects. But considering no one in his family had attended college, as a child, he had nobody to encourage and guide him through the educational and career paths that he wanted to follow. Like many young black males in his day, he thought dropping out of school and getting a job was the only option. After dropping out in his junior year of high school, he tried out different jobs. After two years of different jobs, he decided to go back to school, he completed the GED and went to the University of Alabama in Birmingham. He double majored in math and linguistics and graduated Summa Cum Laude after his 3rd year. After getting his degree from the University of Alabama, he went on to Princeton University in pursuit of a mas-ter’s degree in mathematics. Princeton students typically come from families with wealthy backgrounds, and so it was very different from what he was used to. Coming from an uneducated working class family, he says, “It was almost like being in a different country.” It

was a very good learning environment but socially challenging too. Despite the obstacles, he was able to obtain a degree in mathematics. After earning his Masters degree from Princeton, he went on and earned his PhD at the University of Georgia. After working as an assistant professor for 4 years at the University of Louisville in Kentucky, he worked as a professor in Alabama. Family and better job opportunities led him to DC, where he began working for Montgomery College in 2011. Since then, he has been teaching calculus, multivariable calculus, linear algebra and one entry level math courses. Outside of school, he spends a lot of his time in researching about genealogy, and he is also an amateur photographer. He says his interest in photography is a late discovery in life; he started it while working in Kentucky. Despite the absence of a precedent in his family and the obstacles he faced throughout his life, he was able to overcome the challenges and succeed. He went from not considering college as an option, to graduating from one of the most prestigious colleges in the nation. According to the Institute of Education Sciences, the number of black males with a bachelor’s degree has doubled since 1975. Like Dr. Nash, many of these young men were faced with the challenge of escaping the unfavorable learning environments that they grew up in. They, too, chose the road less traveled in hopes of gaining the education necessary to make a better living for themselves.

Dr. Milton Nash, MC’s Black History Maker of the month

““

4 March 2015 THE EXCALIBUR

In 2014, the average full-time student paid $3,347 for public, in-county community college. President Obama wants to reduce this amount to $0.

On January 9, the President proposed a new plan to make community college free for everyone- with a few stipula-tions. The students would have to be on at least a half-time enrollment, main-tain a 2.5 or higher GPA, and on their way to complete their associate’s degree or transfer to a four-year college. The federal government would pro-vide three-quarters of the cost while the state would cover the rest. According to the Obama Administration, 9 million students could benefit from the plan and

could save an average of $3,800 per year. On January 8, Obama released a video message in which he stated “We also have to make sure that everybody has the opportunity to constantly train themselves for better jobs, better wages, better benefits.” A plan like President Obama’s has already been put into action in Tennessee. Gov. Bill Haslamam created the ‘Tennessee Promise’ last year, which gives Tennessee high school graduates two years of tuition-free community or technical college in the state if they enroll full time and maintain a 2.0 GPA. State funds would cover all remaining costs after grants, including Pell grants,

Free CommunityCollege for all?By Alesha Butler

are added. Since the plan has been announced, 5,700 Tennessee students have applied for the program. The White House reports that more than 5.7 million people viewed a post of the president describing the plan, showing that people are, at the very least, curious about what his plans are. However, there are people who are not as welcoming of the plan. Republican House Speaker John Boehner criticized the plan, saying it is undetailed and “more like a talking plan than a plan.” Others are questioning if it really would be helping those who need the tuition assistance. Under President Obama’s plan, students can use their Pell Grant money in addition to their tuition assistance for transportation, housing, and books. That means that taxpayers could potentially be paying for students that are more than capable of paying for themselves instead of helping students that do not have any other options.

Cathy Wilson, an MC counselor, questions that “if MC becomes a free institution, our enrollment may rise to the point that we wouldn’t be able to accommodate everyone who applies….”For the Fall 2013 semester, there were 7.4 million part-time students enrolled in community colleges nationwide. Under President Obama’s proposed plan, the number could double. Dehlia Bates, English professor, thinks this could be good for colleges. “Hopefully this government action will put pressure on community colleges and universi-ties in general to hire more full-time faculty,” she says. “Then class sizes will hopefully be reduced.” However, the plan does seem beneficial for both students and educators alike. If more students attend community college, there will be a higher demand for educators thus creating more jobs. For the 2013-2014 school year, there were 1.5 million postsecondary educators in the nation. More students pursuing two and four

year degrees could double this number as the demand for classes, especially in specialized fields, would rise. While President Obama does give the promise of more job opportunities as a positive factor for the plan, it does cause alarm for how much a college degree would be worth if more people began to get them. Decades ago, a high school diploma was considered the pinnacle of education. However, now that college is the ac-cepted norm, it is almost impossible to find a well-paying job without, at least, a bachelor’s degree. Should bachelor degrees become our new normal, higher levels of postsecondary education would become the new requirement for a decent job. Despite any concerns about the president’s proposed plan, there are supporters.. “I think Obama’s plan is a ‘game changer’ for the masses of people in this country who’d like an affordable education,” Professor Bates says. “I hope it passes.”

On Tuesday, February 24, Jennifer Clement, journalist and author, stopped by Montgomery College Takoma Park/Silver

Spring to discuss her newest novel, Prayers for the Stolen. This novel tells the story of a young girl, Ladydi, growing up in rural Mexico, where drug and sex-trafficking run rampant. In order to protect herself from Mexican

drug lords, Ladydi, like many other girls, makes herself ugly by staining her teeth and cutting her hair. Although she is able to escape the drug lords by hiding in a hole outside of her home, her friend, Paula is not. The rest of the novel follows Ladydi into her teenage years, revisiting the tragic events of her childhood periodically. As president of PEN Mexico, Jennifer Clemenet’s motivation for writing the

Jennifer Clemenet’s motivation for writing the book came from her hunger for learning about something that kept her up at nights as she lived in Mexico – sex and drug trafficking.

book came from her hunger for learning about something that kept her up at nights as she lived in Mexico – sex and drug trafficking. As Ms. Clement found through interviews with women who were involved (voluntarily or by force) in the drug trafficking culture, Ladydi and Paula’s stories are far from unique. Ms. Clement had her drawbacks before Prayers for the Stolen was

published. Despite fears that the book would not draw much attention, Prayers for the Stolen has sold copies all over the world. In an interview with MCTV, Ms. Clement explains that she “believes in the power of novels”, listing examples such as Oliver Twist (which had a major impact on changes in child labor laws). Like Oliver, Ladydi has the potential to be the fictional face of a revolution.

Jennifer Clement’s Prayers for the Stolen

Jennifer Clement speaks to students and guests at Montgomery College

By Shervon Inglis

Literary Salon


On February 10, 2015, Dr. Vincent Intondi, Professor of History at Montgomery College and Director of Research at the

American University Nuclear Studies Institute, celebrated the official launch of his book tour with a book-signing event at Montgomery College TP/SS. His book, African Americans Against the Bomb, integrates the major focus of his life work – ending racism and the threat of nuclear warfare. In his quest to answer a single question – What did African Americans think about the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki? – Dr. Intondi, as Moona Ali of IPSA explains, exposes the significance of the relationship between “civil rights and, furthermore, human rights while discussing the impact of the use of nuclear weapons on both issues”. Although Stanford University Press published the book on January 1, 2015, Dr. Intondi’s research began in 2005 with a visit to Hiroshima. He spent three years traveling between the Swarthmore College Peace Collection, the Library of Congress, and the Schomburg Center for Black Research in New York before beginning the actual writing process. Seven years, and 224 pages later, his book is available online (amazon.com, Barnes & Nobles, and Kindle) and in various local bookstores. The book signing last month was only the start to his book-related travels. He has since visited American Univer-sity, SUNY Oswego, Politics and Prose, Busboys and Poets, and appeared on local radio stations. Over spring break, he will be taking his book down south to Florida, where he taught at Seminole

State College before moving to DC, and up to MIT and Harvard, in Boston and then to Harlem, New York. Between teaching full-time and writ-ing his book (without a sabbatical), Dr. Intondi has made the choice to dedicate his life to students. Even as he writes his book, he incorporates the focus of his classes into the subject matter. As a professor of African American History and US History, he argues, “you cannot examine US History, the cold War, the history of the Peace Movement [and] nuclear studies, without including the history of African Americans.” His dedication to spreading knowl-edge about African American contri-butions to this world extends beyond the classroom, or between the pages of his book. Besides being a source of inspiration to Montgomery College TP/SS’s International Political Studies Association, Dr. Intondi is in the midst of introducing a Center for Black Studies to Montgomery College. The program is to include, among other things, a major in Black Studies, an extensive library, and office space. Although the project is in its beginning stages, Dr. Intondi is confident that with “emerging movements [and] students on our cam-pus becoming more and more socially conscious and politically engaged” the proposed center is bound to open sooner rather than later. In the meantime, Dr. Intondi encour-ages all students to join him on April 1 in Theatre 1 of the TP/SS Cultural Arts Center to hear an inspirational story of redemption from Desmond Meade, former bodyguard to famous musician Tupac Shakur.

Portion of Dr. Intondi’s African Americans against the Bomb cover. Photo from http://sup.org/

A new Empire rises

Black history and bombs

By Nathan Seven Scott

By Rachelle Downs

Empire, the breakout-hit on Fox, is a nuanced, complex show that’s equally deserving of its comparisons to Shake-speare’s King Lear as it is to those about the legendary eighties soap opera Dallas. The show expertly blends the combination of gritty emotional strife within a family facing an uncertain fu-ture and the glamorous optimism of the hip-hop industry where stars are born and disappear overnight. Traversing the dark murky waters of success in an environment like this is a challenge that requires quick thinking, ruthlessness, and knowing where loyalties lie. While some of the characters are occasionally melodramatic and a bit over-the-top, the charming backdrop of the world they inhabit sands away the edges and makes for a great viewing experience. For those who haven’t seen it yet, here’s a quick breakdown of what’s driving Empire’s record-breaking success. The show focuses on Lucious Lyon (played by Terrence Howard), a drug-dealer turned rap mogul who discovers that he is suffering from a terminal illness. In light of his condition, he turns to his three sons and explains that he will choose one of them to take over his business. This situation alone would be compelling drama as the brothers are pitted against one another, but Empire doesn’t stop there. Instead, Lucious’ ex-wife, Cookie (played by Taraji P. Henson), returns to the family after serving a long sentence in prison for dealing the drugs that Lucious used to build his business, and she tosses her hat into the ring for control of the

family business, aptly named Empire Records. Each of the three sons has a distinct personality that separates them from one another and colors their relation-ships with their father as they vie for control of their futures. Their conflicts and interactions are everything that the viewers would expect from a show about hip-hop moguls and the entertainment industry, but they all also possess the human element that makes them relatable to viewers. One of the most profound (and at the same time most controversial) relationships on the show is the one between middle Lyon son Jamal (played by Jussie Smollett) and his father. Ja-mal’s character is extremely interesting because he simultaneously represents the brightest and darkest aspects of the hip-hop industry. He is an earnest singer-songwriter who despises the corporate nature of music and has the genuine talent to be a huge star. He’s everything that the industry claims to be built upon. However, this is overshad-owed because of the fact that he is gay and faces vehement opposition bred from the homophobia of those around him, especially his father. Many of Ja-mal’s tribulations hit home for viewers with the raw, unadulterated realism that comes from being based on the life ex-periences of one of the show’s creators, Lee Daniels. One of the most shocking of these experiences is that of a young Jamal being stuffed in a trashcan by his father for wearing high heels. Empire is the newest among a growing list of other television shows in-

cluding Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder, and Being Mary Jane that puts non-white characters in the limelight and gives them a chance to experience dramatic situations that are powerful and compelling. Shows like these are a mirror of the times we live in, and like any great work of art, Empire challeng-es conventional ideas and understand-ings about family and culture by forcing us to confront society’s dark traditions and untold histories of the struggles faced by those who were deemed different by the powers that be. By portraying the reality of life for many who have previously not had a voice in mainstream media without preaching or forcing its ideology down the throat of any viewer, Empire is in a unique position to serve as the opening argument in a long-needed discussion about race and sexuality in the hip-hop industry and America in general. Each character on the show can be seen as a particular component of the discussion, with their actions and histo-ries representing different viewpoints and cultural constructions around the issues. Like a finely crafted musical masterpiece, these voices and melodies play against one another to create something that is greater than the sum of its parts. In addition to being such a critically important show, Empire is a hell of a good watch. With Fox already announc-ing that it has been renewed for a second season, there’s plenty more to come.

Twitter: @Nathan7Scott

The cast from “Empire” Left: Jussie Smollett, Serayah McNeill, Taraji P. Henson, Bryshere Gray, Grace Gealey, Terrence Howard, Trai Byers and Kaitlin Doubleday. Photo is from www.nypost.com, original photo credit belongs to Chuck Hodes/FOX


Cory Grant, one of three shuttle bus drivers. John Hibberd and VP Brad Stewart

The Counseling department has moved to the first floor of the ST building. Photo taken by IPSA

On December 14, 2014, Mont-gomery College’s International Political Science Association (IPSA) joined Al Sharpton,

the families of the unarmed victims of alleged police brutality, and activists from across the country in the Justice for All March in Washington, DC. The March was scheduled for the Sat-urday after final exams last semester. Even so, students found time during the

exam week to make signs and posters for the upcoming protest. On Saturday, more than 30 Montgomery College students joined thousands of other protestors at Freedom Plaza to begin a ‘March on Washington’ of their own. Organized by the National Action Network (NAN), the March was led by Al Sharpton, founder and president of NAN, along with the families of well-known victims of alleged police brutality

– Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Akai Gurley, and John Crawford. In the months leading to the March, IPSA hosted a couple of events in hopes of raising awareness about civil rights in America, and reactions to the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner. Although their events – Know Your Rights Seminar and “It Didn’t Start in Ferguson” event – were successful, there was a convergence of feelings that they needed to do more to take action against police brutality in America, leading to their participation in the Justice for All March. Although he was unable to attend the March, Professor Karl Smith, IPSA’s faculty advisor, commends IPSA members for their drive and reactive-ness. He says, “I’ve been club advisor for IPSA for about three or four years. The current group of students has gone far beyond what we’ve ever done.” As explained by an active member in IPSA, their main goal was to “stand in solidarity with movements that are against police brutality and the over militarization of the police.” Since the March, IPSA has continued to make strides in ending police brutal-ity and the militarization of America’s law enforcement. On Monday, February 23, 2015 they showed a screening of Fruitvale Station, a movie based on the true story of Oscar Grant. More re-cently, they celebrated the relationship between African and African American cultures through the art, poetry, and music presented at their Pan-Africa Meets Harlem Renaissance event.

You are connected By Mamadou Simpara

The Montgomery College shuttle service now connects all three campuses. When the trial first started in Fall 2014, the campus

shuttle bus was running between the Takoma Park/Silver Spring and the Rockville campus only. As the fall semester progressed, the campus shuttle bus gained popularity. According to Mark Pace, the Montgomery College Parking and Transportation Manager, the number of students who rode the campus shuttle between the TP/SS and the Rockville campuses last semester tripled in the first three weeks. People were optimistic about the extension of the campus shuttle service to the Germantown campus. The finalizing of the extension was determined by the results of the fall semester trial. The success of the fall semester trial led to the permanence of the Montgomery College shuttle service and, most recently, to the extension of the shuttle route to the Germantown campus. In an interview with Mr. Pace, he explained the process of extending the shuttle routes to the Germantown campus. They sent surveys via email to seek students’ viewpoints on the shuttle. According to Mr. Pace, the survey results were mostly positive, but there were multiple requests to extend the route to Germantown. As a result, the shuttle route was extended. The new route starts at the TP/SS campus and ends in Germantown, making a pit stop in Rockville on the way there and back. Currently, there is no shuttle bus that goes directly from the TP/SS campus to the Germantown campus. Twenty-two student riders were interviewed. Although the small sample size makes it difficult to come to any definitive conclusion, the interviews reveal that most of those who travel to the Germantown campus do so from the Rockville campus. In general, students

from the Takoma Park campus do not take the MC shuttle to travel to the Germantown campus as often as the students from Rockville. Currently, there are three different shuttle buses that are constantly traveling between the three campuses. According to Cory Grant, a member of the driving team, most students catch the shuttle during the first and last scheduled departure times (9am and 5:15pm). At these times, especially on Mondays and Wednesdays, the shuttles can get so full that some students have to stand. Fortunately, the shuttle has never been completely full, obliging students to wait for the next shuttle. The shuttles are also easily accessed by people with handicaps. Moreover, the campus shuttles are now equipped with Wi-Fi. Students can connect their electronic devices to the Internet for free, allowing them to check emails, class updates, or, for some, Facebook and Twitter. Although the shuttle has eliminated the hassle of catching public transpor-tation, there are some students who believe that the shuttle service should start earlier and end later. One student rider explained that, “… some students have their classes at eight in the morn-ing, so they need to get there early. It would be really great if they could change the starting time to 8:00am or even 7:30am”. Overall, however, the Montgomery College Shuttle has been a success. It unifies the campuses by making it easier for students and faculty from each campus to not only travel from one campus to another but also to interact with each other. Students and faculty no longer have to struggle to get to the other campuses. The addition of the Germantown campus to the shuttle route facilitates the commute.

IPSA marches on Washington

CCRCCA warrants change

By Jason Dalle

By John Hibberd

In 2013, the senate passed into law Bill 740 (SB 740) which became the College Readiness and Completion Act (CCRCCA). The purpose of the

CCRCCA is to set new standards for pre-paring high school students for college and pushing students with college cred-its but who are not currently enrolled in a Maryland institution to obtain an associate’s degree. The CCRCCA will go into effect the 2015-2016 academic year, and will remain in place until changed by congress. Senator Pinsky and Senator Madaleno write, “(A) Adults age 25 to 64 will hold at least an Associate’s Degree by the year 2025. (B) It is the goal of the state that all degree-seeking students enrolled in a public community college earn an Associate’s Degree before transferring to a public senior higher education insti-tution.” These statements demonstrate the overall scope of the CCRCCA and the goals of the senate for higher education. Dr. Brad Stewart, Vice President and Provost of Montgomery College Takoma

Park/Silver, believes that the CCRCCA has already affected students in two ways. The first way is if a student is tak-ing a developmental course, the credit course must be taken immediately after completion of that course. For example, if a student takes Math 096 and com-pletes that course first semester, his or her second semester must include Math 150 or whichever credit math course is needed for graduation. In addition, the CCRCCA is affecting students by requiring every student to have an education plan as soon as they enter college. According to Dr. Stewart, “An education plan is the course outline and guide for each major.” Dr. Stewart said, “The CCRCCA is good because it allows universities and colleges in Maryland to help students complete college and selected programs.” Another good aspect is the devel-opment of Starfish. Starfish is a very effective way to keep records of all student activity and the CCRCCA activity.

Dr. Stewart believes the negative aspect CCRCCA is that it is too directive and to prescriptive for students. Having a set outline or plan may not be the way to develop every student, for not every student learns the same way. Dr. Stewart says, “The CCRCCA is a one size fits all approach”. The process for developing students for college now starts in 9th grade. Former Governor O’Malley wrote, “By 2018, two–thirds of all jobs in Maryland will require some postsecondary educa-tion.” College education is becoming a requirement by more employers every year. The CCRCCA will help Maryland achieve a higher standard of education and fulfill the new requirements by employers.


which is available under the Starfish counseling homepage. Online Advising is for concrete questions that do not require us to access student records as they are protected by FERPA. According to the counseling department, students will be able to receive help or answers for their questions within 48 hours through their email. The Counseling Department confirmed that Starfish has dramatically reduced the waiting time for students to meet with a counselor. The department has received positive feedback from students, as they are able to reschedule an appointment conveniently and coun-selors are able to prepare for the arrival of the students in advance. The College has also introduced counseling by academic department. The Counseling Department website pro-vides a directory that has information of each department of all three campuses (academic and nonacademic). Students now can receive advising based on their major from the Faculty Advisor of that department. This resource was also

created as a result of CCRCCA. CCRCCA requires advising to take place in the academic departments or major fields of study. So, the ASG partnered with the Academic Depart-ment Advising Committee during Spring 2014, and Dr. Sanjay Rai, Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs, charged the group with creating a model for major field advising. The Academic Department Advising Committee is now working on creating advising plans to identify who will serve as faculty advisors in their departments, and how/when they will provide advising to students in their academic departments. Even though all these changes have been made to help students, some students find it challenging to follow up with all new information. Whether there are new IT (information technology) updates in Starfish or changes in the location of the Counseling Department, some students find it hard to stay up to date with new information. Nome, the student assistant at the TP/SS Counsel-ing Department, said, “even though the

The Counseling department has moved to the second floor of the ST building. Photo taken by Shervon Inglis

counseling departments have placed new flyers and new signs around the campus to inform students about the changes in the counseling department location, some students often get confused and get upset.” Mimi Peter, a student who enrolled in spring 2015, said, “I was lost when I was going through the admissions procedure (The admissions process is not a Counseling & Advising func-tion). During my IMAP (International Montgomery advising program) session, I was told if I need to see a counselor, I’d be able to receive help on the second floor. However, I also needed help with financial aid. When I asked a few people about its office location, they told me that it is on second floor, pointing toward the same location where the counseling department is located now. I was confused, and it was hard to follow the directions.” (Is this a necessary statement to include? Students were notified via email, on our website, posters around the building. This relocation was completely out of Counseling & Advising’s control.)

Bethlehem Woldelmicheal, a returning full-time student who is majoring in radiology, said, “Since Starfish was introduced, I lost the consistency of seeing my own counselor. When I want to meet a counselor for personal or academic planning, I have to wait for at least a week or so.” (I’m a bit concerned about including this statement. Starfish easily allows for students to schedule with the same counselor and with the exception of peak registration periods in Jan/Aug – students can often get an appointment within 1-2 days). The College is doing its best to keep students up-to-date with all of the chang-es (including email blasts, updated web-sites, a MyMC channel, presentations to student councils). Also, at the end of each month, ASG sends a survey to the students who have recently visited the Counseling Department. The Counseling department confirmed that they have received 92 % positive feedback and comments from the respondents. Having all new and helpful information provided by the counseling department,

New Home from page 1the main question is how well student body taking advantage of all the services? As Montgomery College is more relying on technology to introduce its each new resource, the students can be left behind based on their comput-er-using skills. While Computer-savvy students may not struggle to find new information, other students may need external help either from their friends or faculty members to cope up with these changes. Therefore, the counseling department has created a support website that has instructions and tutorial videos about any new technology updates such as Starfish. Students can also visit or call their coun-seling department to receive assistance or schedule an appointment. The College will continue to make changes as it is only in the second phase of the Developmental Advising Plan. Any additional changes in the CCRCCA may lead to any future changes in academic policy as well. These changes are helping Montgomery College stay true to its promise to create “endless possibilities” for its students.

Counseling and Adivising is moving on up


CGMBy Rachelle Downs

Yvonne Brown and Brandon Ger-ald make the perfect writer-pho-tographer duo as they team up to inspire women through the

Crying Girl Movement. The Movement is a spin-off of Ms. Brown’s book, Crying Girl (expected to be released summer 2015). Together, they are seeking to provide women with “a platform… to share their stories of triumph over situations that could have easily led to an existence of defeat.” Ms. Brown, an MC Alumni, graduated with an Associate’s Degree in General Studies in 2000. She credits much of her

success at the College to Professor Dana Baker, Rockville. Mr. Gerald is currently in his second year as a film Major at Montgomery College. After quitting his job last se-mester, he is fully dedicated to pursuing a career in film, beginning with the production of this documentary. Mr. Gerald and Ms. Brown’s working relationship began in Mr. Gerald’s 10th grade English class – Ms. Brown was his teacher. Since then, Brandon Gerald has used his mastery in photography to document the publishing process of Crying Girl. In the midst of shooting the second trailer for the book, the Crying Girl Movement was born. In just one year, the movement has featured over 100 Crying Girls and touched the lives of many more. Each

Girl is photographed twice – once, featuring their Crying Girl story; the second, tells how that story has since empowered them. The inspiration continues as Mr. Gerald begins work on a ‘Crying Girl’ documentary. As a team, they are also working on becoming a non-profit organization. Unlike any other of its kind, CGM is as-piring to be a one-stop organization that guarantees real help for a variety of women in need. As Ms. Brown explains, “[women] need real help, right now… You can’t Google ‘real help’. The Crying Girl Movement is an organization that provides women with real issues, real direction”. They are hoping to partner with various organizations to connect women with goal-specific resources. However,

they do ask for the continued support of organizations with similar causes through established partnerships and funding. They strongly encourage anyone who is interested in sharing their story as a Crying Girl to email their

submissions to Mr. Gerald at [email protected], or to visit the web-site (www.cryinggirlmovement.org).

Photo below: Brandon Gerald and Yvonne Brown.site: http://cryingirlmovement.weebly.com

By Alha Kane

Except for on federal lands, the pos-session of less than 10 grams of cannabis around Montgomery Col-lege’s neighborhood is no longer

a crime for people who are 21 or older. 2014 was a good year for marijuana consumers. Recently, new regulations on the possession of marijuana have been adopted in both the state of Maryland and the District of Columbia. On April 5, 2014, the Maryland House of Delegates voted 78-55 for the decriminalization of marijuana. Exactly, two days later, immediately after the ratification of the amendments by the Senate, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley signed Bill SB 364 thereby converting it into law. The same scenario happened in the District Columbia, where the law decriminalizing cannabis took effect on July 17, 2014. Unlike in Maryland, D.C legislators have legalized marijuana with the passing of Ballot Initiative 71. Decriminalization does not mean legalization. The possession of marijuana in the state of Maryland is still a violation. SB 364 only changed the criminal penalties for possessing less than ten grams of marijuana with civil sanctions. Before the advent of SB 364, an individual caught with less than ten grams of marijuana could be arrested and punished by a fine of up to five hundred dollars and/ or up to ninety days in jail. Since the implementation of the new law on October 1, 2014, consequences for possessing less than ten grams of marijuana have been reduced to a civil fine not to exceed a hundred dollar and no jail time for the offender. Those sanctions apply only to the first offense.

Maryland and DC loosen marijuana laws.Montgomery College does not

Starting from the second violation, the fine can be as high as five hundred dol-lars, and the violator may be required to attend a drug education program. It is also important to note that people under the age of 21 who violate SB 364 will be penalized the same as minors who consume alcohol. When it comes to the medical usage of cannabis, a bill from the House of Representative, HB 881 and one from the Senate, SB 923, passed along with SB 364. Even though there were rumors of marijuana being accessible to patients in 2013 before the passage of these twin bills, the Marijuana Policy Project organization clarifies, “Maryland is transitioning from having an unwork-able research-based program to having an effective program that will provide real access to patients.” This means that the law on medical use of Marijuana ratified in 2013 was ambiguous, so hospitals did not want to take risks providing their patients with marijuana, a drug that is still prohibited by the federal government. However, HB 881 and SB 923 give the opportunity to hospitals to safely proceed to the usage of marijuana when there is a valid request from their patients. Now physicians may prescribe cannabis for a maximum supply of 30 days. Nonetheless, there are certain procedures patients must take to obtain a medical marijuana license in the state of Maryland. A certified physician needs to write a recommendation letter to the Nathalie M. LaPrade Medical Marijuana Commission, the commission responsi-ble for regulating Maryland’s medical marijuana program, in which he or she

acknowledges “the potential benefits of the medical use of marijuana would likely outweigh the health risks for the patient.” If the commission approves the physician’s request, the patient may start using the drug. However, it is The Commission’s duty to determine the pe-riod during which the patient is allowed to consume cannabis. The main diseases that qualify the patient for safe access to marijuana are “cachexia, anorexia, or wasting syndrome; severe or chronic pain; severe nausea; seizures; severe or persistent muscle spasms.” However, there is possibility that patients suffer-ing from other diseases may qualify after a review of the recommendation letter. In Washington, D.C., February 26, 2015 has become a memorable date for marijuana advocates. The congressional review holding back the implementation of the law legalizing marijuana expired February 26. Initiative 71, which was enacted on November 4, 2014, finally became law despite the opposition of many in congress. This new law allows individuals 21 or older to possess up to two ounces of marijuana in the D.C. area and to offer up to an ounce of marijuana to another adult. Initiative 71 also permits D.C. residents to grow six cannabis plants with a maximum of three mature plants inside their homes. However, it is still illegal to sell or exchange marijuana for any goods, money, or services. Under the current law, public consumption of marijuana is also unlawful. One cannot consume marijuana in places such as bars, clubs, or even in his/her own car. The only place where individuals can

safely use marijuana is on private prop-erty. Like Maryland, juveniles caught with marijuana in D.C. will be penalized as juveniles possessing alcohol. Though marijuana is not legal in Maryland, the penalties imposed on individuals violating the regulation laws on marijuana usage are less severe in Maryland than in the District of Columbia. Actually, in D.C., a $500 fine or sixty days of jail is the sanction for individuals smoking marijuana in public places. An offender arrested for selling marijuana may be punished with up to six months of jail or a $1000 fine. Most importantly, business owners who authorize their customers to consume marijuana on their properties may have their business license seized. Even though marijuana has become legal in Washington, DC Ballot 71 does not apply to areas sanctioned as federal grounds. Places such as the National Mall and Rock Creek Park are adminis-tered by the federal government. Thus, DC laws do not apply and possessing marijuana in those areas is still illegal.Although Maryland state laws are becoming more lenient about the possession and use of marijuana, like the federal government, Montgomery College’s Safety and Security team are not. According to James Ray, the Safety and Security manager at MC TP/SS, “the student’s code of conduct has not changed, so a legalization of marijuana does not mean that students are free to use it on campus.” This means that possessing marijuana is legal until you cross the DC border; it is only decrimi-

nalized within Maryland’s state limits and is completely against the Student Code of Conduct on Montgomery College campuses. In his year and a half on campus, Mr. Ray can recall less than ten mari-juana-related incidences on campus. He believes the new laws have not had any drastic affects on the school because the number of reports did not increase recently. However, he urges MC students to keep in mind that Montgomery College’s code of conduct and policies will not change with the implementation of the new laws. TP/SS is still a tobacco and drug-free campus. It is clear that we have entered an era of marijuana-tolerance, causing many “tough-on-crimes” lawmakers, such as Governor O’Malley to change their perception of the threat of mar-ijuana. After signing SB 364, he even asserted that the new law on marijuana “might even lead to a greater focus on far more serious threats to public safety and the lives of our citizens.” Cannabis has become legal in the nation’s capital. Does it convey the slogan of freedom for everybody? Indeed, while certain legislators think of marijuana as a threat to the well being of Americans, President Barack Obama, in an interview published on January 27, 2014 with New Yorker editor David Remnick, declares “as has been well documented, I smoked pot as a kid, and I view it as a bad habit and a vice, not very different from the cigarettes that I smoked as a young person up through a big chunk of my adult life. I don’t think it is more dangerous than alcohol.”


Three years ago, David Fogel shared his concept of a coffee shop/record store with his friend and local DJ, Joe Lier. They both have found success in a number of different creative endeavors over the years, but Fogel was interested in collaborating on a space that wedded his love for community and his passion for music. Fogel and Lier partnered up, leading to Bump ‘n Grind’s grand opening on December 17, 2014. Bump ‘n Grind is a quick hop and skip down East West Highway, so close it’s visible from the Cafritz Arts Center, and they have been waiting in anticipation for any and all MC students to come and check-it out. When first stepping into Bump ‘n Grind, the beauty and craftsmanship of the décor are striking, achieving the “organic, modern aesthetic” that Fogel and Lier both desired. They felt strongly about creating an ideal space to listen to feature records and partnered with an audio engineer to be sure that everything was perfect (down to the placement of the speakers). Playing and selling vinyl, sound and acoustics are integral to the customer’s overall experience. They exist in harmony with the shop’s many functions: coffee shop, café, community meeting space. Local community and sustain-ability are key to understanding and appreciating what Bump ‘n Grind is building. All of their food and most of their beverages come from small local businesses. They worked with DC local roasters Vigilante Coffee to create a signature espresso blend only available at their shop.

For Fogel, who comes from a background in urban planning and community development (one of his majors in college), “it’s all really about the community at the end of the day, and if you are able to support small businesses, that is just going to be great for your immediate community that you are serving. It is just a win, win, win all away around. There is more care in that product, you know?” Fogel explained the collective mis-sion of Bump ‘n Grind, as looking to fill a hole, locally and particularly for the community in South Silver Spring, by existing as what he called, a third space – “Your first space is your home, your second space is typically your work, and your third space is that place in the neighborhood where you go to hang out, dream, scheme, catch up with folks, and friends and just are comfortable and relaxed and can commune.” Fogel grew up in Montgomery County, has worked in South Silver Spring con-sistently for 13 years, while living here for ten. During this time, he has worked on many community-based projects, for example he was a founding member of the cohousing community Eastern Village and started the South Silver Spring Street Festival, which is about to entering its seventh year. Of interest to MC students, it has free Wi-Fi and is a fantastic place to enjoy coffee, tea, or a fresh meal as they study. More than that, however, it’s a community resource for music, food, and atmosphere. They already have a relationship with the college because their evening

manager, Emily Wessel collaborated with Siobhan Quinn, the Director of the Cultural Arts Center, during her time as the Director of Operations at Urban Artistry, Inc., a local non-profit dance and cultural education project located in downtown Silver Spring MD. Wessel also studied psychology and music theory at MC before entering the Master’s in Social Work Program at UMBC, where she is currently taking classes. There are a few different ways that Bump ‘n Grind and its staff have started interacting with the community. They are working with local record labels that are releasing vinyl by selling their music and hosting regular radio shows with them. And right now they have two listening stations, so that people can come in and listen to and buy records. They are currently in the process of incorporating a community record library into their business. They have also started planning a mural program and are actively looking for artists who are interested in working on a piece at the shop or possibly showcasing their work. Interested in contacting Bump ‘n Grind, learning about their upcoming com-munity events, checking out their archived radio shows, or looking over their menu or vinyl they stock?

Visit their website or shoot them an email before giving them a visit in person! http://bumpngrind.co/

By Anna Caity

Bump ‘n Grind located on East West Highway. Less than half a mile away from campus. Photo taken by Shervon Inglis.

MC Students pose for a photo in Annapolis for Advocacy Day. Photo taken by MCTV

On February 11th 2015, Montgomery College students, President DeRionne P. Pollard, Vice President and Provost Dr.

Brad Stewart, and Director of Student Life, Ms. Kimberly Herrera converged at the state’s capitol for the 21st Annual Student Advocacy Day. Student Advocacy Day is a day set aside by the Maryland Association of Community Colleges (MACC) to give students the opportunity to meet with their legislators and law makers about pertinent issues regarding community colleges in the state of Maryland. The students in attendance represented all three Montgomery College campuses. They were there to tell their representa-tives why the budget for the next fiscal year should not be cut. Representatives from the other fifteen community colleges in the state showed up with the same goals. The students and other guests arrived at the Miller Senate office building in the President’s Conference Room West. Dr. Bernard Sadusky, the MACC executive director, introduced the elected officials who were present. Each year, the MACC selects a student speaker for Student Advocacy Day. This year, MC’s own Anthony Musembi, an adult student returning to the classroom after 20 years of absence from higher education, was the selected speaker. Despite his extended absence from higher education, he did not give up his lifelong dream of achieving a bachelors’ degree in Business Administration.

Among the many things that influenced Anthony, he said the people who encouraged him the most in his decision to return to college was his wife and his mother, who instilled the value of edu-cation in him. In Mr. Musembi’s words, “she encouraged us to always strive for excellence and shoot for the stars’’. Delegate Eric Luedtke, representing Montgomery County, emphasized that making our voices heard is very import-ant, not just by attending advocacy day but also through voting. The student representatives met the delegates who represent their district in their offices. Students from the TP/SS campus met with Delegate Will Smith, Delegate David Moon, Delegate Anne Kaiser, and Senator Jamie Raskin. These students talked about what community college means to them and how budget cuts would impact them and their fellow school mates. Senator Jamie Raskin informed the students of senatorial scholarships that are available for them in the district in which they live. The sen-ators and delegates promised to do their best to make sure that they prevent any budget cuts from occurring. One of the students in attendance, Lena Traore, said about the experience: “I felt like the event was solely based on students’ voices and how much we care about our education”. With confidence that the students’ efforts would help prevent budget cuts for the upcoming fiscal year, Dr. Pollard showed her appreciation with a Mexican lunch for everyone.

Back to AnnapolisSpring 2015

Bump‘n Grind: A corner where, music, community, and coffee meet

By Christelle Mbah


On January 7, 2015, the terrorist organization Boko Haram destroyed the Nigerian towns of Baga and nearby Doron Baga, killing as many as 2,000 civilians. This massacre received little to no media attention, for on the same day, Charlie Hebdo’s Paris office was attacked by extremists. Seventeen people were killed in connection to the Paris attacks. Boko Haram gained international recognition last year after the group kidnapped more than 270 Nigerian schoolgirls, sparking the social media movement, #BringBackOurGirls. Every-one from Michelle Obama to Justin Timberlake posted pictures with signs publicizing the then-popular hashtag. However, the movement lost steam as other news took its place. Ten months after the girls went missing, 219 are still missing. It has been suggested by leaders of Boko Haram that the re-maining girls have either been sold into slavery or forced into early marriages. Despite massive media coverage of other terrorist groups and attacks, such as the beheadings orchestrated by the Islamic State (ISIS), Boko Haram’s ac-tions have received little to no attention. ISIS, another terrorist organization, has certainly taken control of American news. So why not Boko Haram? Aminu

Gamawa, a human rights activist and political analyst, argues that the Nigerian government is not addressing the threat of Boko Haram, making it difficult for the media to do so- “If the government is not paying attention to it, it is hard for the media to pay attention to it.” Gamawa claims that unless there is a national movement for action against Boko Haram, nothing will be done. However, similarly to the Nigerian government, it has been difficult for Iraqi and Syrian forces to push back against

ISIS. So, why isn’t

the world paying attention to Boko Haram?

There is a controversial explanation that has gained some popularity: The developed world still views African lives as inferior. With ISIS dominating the news over new executions, many have drawn the conclusion that the Western world is indifferent to African lives. Following the Baga massacre, musician Nitin Sawhney tweeted, “Very moving watching events in Paris- wish the world media felt equally outraged by this recent news too.” But there are

key differences between Boko Haram and ISIS. Unlike Boko Haram, ISIS has beheaded American, Japanese, and English citizens, angering the countries involved. It has captured the media’s attention by killing people that are connected to those nations. By staying relatively local, Boko Haram has isolat-ed itself, and has not attacked

other countries by killing their citizens. For the most part, Boko Haram only terrorizes a small part of north eastern Nigeria. So even though both terrorist groups have similar goals, they have gone about spreading their “message” in different ways. The principle estab-lished by the world’s reaction to ISIS is that developing countries will not inter-fere with atrocities happening in other nations, but when it impacts their own citizens, the terrorism becomes an issue

2014 NJCAA Region Champions for a third time. Photo from MC Athletics Online

Raptor Sports ReportBy Abel Kebede

Last season, the women’s bas-ketball team went 15-10. They were seeded sixth going into the playoffs. They faced third seeded

Chesapeake College on Thursday Febru-ary 12th for their quarterfinals game. The game was a nail bitter, but the MC Raptors were able to come away with a win; they beat Chesapeake College 61

to 59. They went on to play Harford, who were seeded second, on Saturday February 14th in their semifinals game. Unfortunately, the Raptors lost that game 80 to 70. The Men’s Soccer team won a staggering 19 of their 23 games last season. Their largest win came against Westmoreland, in which they beat them 15-0. Their goalie had 12 clean sheets throughout the season. They won eighteen of their nineteen games by a margin of 5 goals. Their winning goal

big enough to address. Domestic policy does have some impact the world’s ability to address terrorism. Nigeria’s government has neglected to make Boko Haram an issue. Government officials have not publically spoken out against Boko Haram, and the Nigerian military is not well- equipped enough to make efforts to counter Boko Haram’s terrorism. In contrast, the French government was very open with the international community about

the Charlie Hebdo massacre. There were multiple press

conferences and, so the media had something

to cover. Journalists and reporters could

use the information provided by the government to analyze the situation. In particular, the American media used the story as a means to predict whether a similar event could happen in America. The attack in Paris was a little more realistic to many Americans, in the sense that it could the-oretically happen in the United States. Americans were attracted to the idea of relating this attack to themselves. The massacre of thousands of people would most likely not happen in the developed world, so the American media could not raise enough interest in the public. The world’s near indifference to the

acts of terrorism in Nigeria reveals how dire the situation is. Boko Haram is getting away with murder on a massive scale, and simply because developed nations are not directly suffering, they feel no responsibility to take action. This egoistic mentality will certainly not help Nigeria become a safer, more produc-tive country. The Nigerian people have persistently pushed their government to

recognize and address Boko Haram.

However, the government lacks

the proper resources and structure to combat such a severe issue and is in desperate need of international support. If the world’s greatest powers were to take Boko Haram seriously, they would eliminate a potential future threat to them and have the opportunity to help Nigeria in its economic and political development. The world has the chance to help a failing nation and its people in ways that it has previously not done. Remember the kidnapped Nigerian schoolgirls mentioned earlier in this article? Many people do not. But developed governments and the media have the chance to correct this horrible oversight, to not repeat their mistake- and it comes in the form of recogni-tion. Recognizing Boko Haram as an international issue and giving them the media coverage their actions deserve will initiate steps to weaken their power and reduce the risk of them becoming an even larger threat.

margin was 4.2 goals/game. They also won the 2014 DIII NJCAA Region XX Champions for the third straight year. The Women’s Volleyball team won 13 of their 22 games. Their worst game came when they faced Fredrick Community College, in which they lost three sets to nothing. After that loss, they only won 1 of their next 5 games before they started their 8 game win-ning streak. That streak ended when they lost to Potomac State three sets to nothing. They might have been knocked down a few times, but they kept getting up. They were the Region XX champions. The Track and Field’s team had a good season as well. Montgomery College dominated the 400 and 800 meter dash at the Goucher classic last fall. Neiman Thompson (50.92 seconds) and Saheed Oyeshile (51.06) placed first and second on the men 400 meter dash. Thomas McIntyre (2:01.83 minutes) and Charles Acevedo (2:04.06 minutes) were also placed first and second in the Men’s 800 meter run. Khelsea Hutchinson placed 7th in the preliminaries for the women’s 100 Meter Dash with 13.66 seconds. She went on to finish fifth in the finals with the time of 15.22 Seconds.

The Montgomery College Women’s softball team is hoping to open their season with a bang when they face Frederick Community College on March 11th at 3 pm. They will play 14 of their 25 games at home, and they will play the rest on the road. They are facing a difficult season, as 24 of their 25 games are doubleheaders. Their season will end on April 18th when they travel to face Anne Arundel Community College at 3 pm. The Men’s baseball team will open their season on March 7, when they travel to Catonsville to face the Car-dinals. They will play 49 games before they start their playoff games on May 7. Their Region XX tournament is from May 7 to May 10. They will also begin their District Tournament on May 15 and it will end on May 17 before they go to their DIII NJCAA World Series game on May 23. The World Series game will last six days before it ends on May 29. Be on the lookout for announce-ments about upcoming games. Sched-ules can be found on the Montgomery College Athletics Department website.

Get a full scheduale of all teams online on our home website!

Go Raptors!

STILL NO ADVICE?!

Everyone has problems,

xcalibur has soultions!

mail us your prob-lems to [email protected] or to submit anonymously, leave the description of your problem in an envelope makred “ad-vice” in our mailbox! (ST219)

#IgnoredAndForgottenBy Rachel Johnson


Spring 2015 volunteer fair In the atrium of the ST building

Students engage with American Red Cross volunteers. Photos taken by Shervon Inglis

Illustration by Christopher Thomas

By Alanis Lora

This semester started off with a bang as students and faculty returned from a long, well de-served winter break. As the school

doors opened on January 26th and the 27th, welcome tables were set up in the Student Services building. Members of the student life faculty handed out free snacks, beverages, and gave helpful tips and directions to new and returning students. On Wednesday an Airbrush Winter Hats activity was available for students who wanted to get creative while staying warm. Whether a student was a fan of Mario or FIFA, The Video Game Tournament was the place to be, it was co-sponsored by the Gamers Club. There were monitors set up for students to battle in thrilling games. “I heard some shouting coming from 2nd floor, so I went to check it out and I couldn’t help but joining in” says Julio Garcia, an MC students, as he recalls the video game tournament hosted by Stu-dent Life and the Gamer’s Club. Don’t worry, those shouts of excitement were coming from among the crowd cheering on their friends. But the fun didn’t end there. The Next Monday, February 2nd, a long line stretched near a sign that read “Letter Name Art.” The table was set up for students waiting their turn to have their names spelled in innovative

drawings. In no time, the drawings were covered in a protective case and students continued with their day. The next two days February 3rd and 4th were dedicated to the Club Fair! If students enjoyed writing they could join the newspaper team, or if students wanted to be involved in school decisions they could join the student senate. Whatever their interests, there were a variety of clubs to join. Gamers Club, F.I.T Club, Strategic Board Games Club, you name it. “I definitely have made long lasting friendships just by simply signing up and being a part of clubs.”- Angie Villegas (Student). Following the Club Fair days was the Service Learning Fair. Local charity foundations lined the atrium of the Student Services building (ST) to inform students about the available service learning opportunities. Among them, Shepherd’s Table, A Wider Circle, The Humane Society, and plenty more. “It was a fun way to connect students,” Student Life Director Kimberly Herrera said during an interview about the events. “We only received positive feedback”. More than 200 students participated in the events in the first two weeks, and there are many more opportunities to come. Check out the Student Life website for information about upcoming events.

In November 2014, a team of Russian scientists, together with a medic and a professional climber, descended into the Yamal Peninsula’s massive crater on an expedition to discover its cause. This investigation yielded some interesting information, but the cause of the craters has yet to be determined. “I don’t think there was a blast,” reported one expedition team member. “Because this would imply some high tempera-tures, and there is nothing of that sort here. There are no signs of something burnt or charred, just a mechanic splash. (Of course we can suppose some-thing fantastic like a hot meteorite fell and melted the whole thing and made it splash out. But when a meteorite falls, there are signs of char, signs of high temperature.” “I’ve never seen such craters in anywhere on Yama where I’ve been,” reported another member. “And I’ve never heard my colleagues talk

of anything similar.” What the team discovered was a high concentration of methane (up to 9.6 %) at the bottom of the crater Putting this in context, air usually contains no more than 0.000179 % methane. Needless to say, this enor-mous concentration of methane made the expedition exceedingly dangerous, especially with the unpredictable nature of the alleged eruptions. (I don’t under-stand this question. The methane is the cause of the crater) In February 2015, an additional four craters were discovered throughout Rus-sia, bringing the total number to seven. According to the Siberian Times, one of the newly discovered craters is surround-ed by at least twenty mini-craters. Siberia is known as one of the world’s coldest and least hospitable places on the planet, with temperatures often dropping well below zero degrees. But that could soon change; temperatures in

the region have warmed up significantly in recent years. In fact, the summers of 2012 and 2013 were warmer than usual in Yamal by at least five degrees Celsius. (I know we don’t, but those are the measurements that were made. I think we can give readers some credit here. The important thing to note is that there has been a dramatic change in temperature) As temperatures in the region continue to rise, researchers warn that many more craters could be created. This could have a potentially devastating effect on those who live nearby. According to Russian scientist Andrei Pekhanov, “if [a release] happens at the Bovanenkovskoye gas field that is only thirty kilometers away, it could lead to an accident, and the same if it happens in a village.” Moscow-based scientist Vasily Bogoyavlensky has called for an “urgent investigation” into the newly formed craters. “It is important not to scare people,” said Bogoyavlen-sky “but to understand that it is a very serious problem and we must research this. Carolyn Ruppel, chief of the U.S.

Geological Survey’s gas hydrate project, has proposed another explanation for the mysterious craters. She believes that the craters are “pingos”: ice plugs that form near the surface that are topped by a small hill or mound. Rising tem-peratures would have caused some of the ice to melt, making the ground col-lapse and forming the craters. However, this does not explain the multitude of ejected rocks found around the rims of the craters, which indicate an explosion. To explain this, Ruppel has suggested that the collapse of the pingos suddenly released natural gases, stored in the permafrost and highly pressurized by the weight of the pingos. Russian satel-lite data supports Ruppel’s hypothesis, showing pingos (which appear as small mounds) in the exact positions that the craters later formed. Scientists like Carolyn Ruppel and Vasily Bogoyavlensky are legitimately worried about these craters, which seem to be popping up out of nowhere. While the true cause of the craters remains something of a mystery, most scientists agree that as temperatures

continue to rise, more and more dangerous and destructive craters are likely to be found in the region. “If the warming continues, we will see more and more of this phenomenon,” said Vladimir Romanovsky. “It could happen anywhere there are enough sources of natural gas, including parts of Alaska and northwestern Canada.”

Sinkholes from page 2

Student life hits the ground running

Sinkholes in Siberia

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