Page 1 February/March 2016

Volume XLIX Issue 5 The Student Newspaper of Passaic County Community College, Paterson, NJ February/March 2016VISIONS

P C C C ’ s

While Learner and Loewe’s classic character, Professor Higgins, originally posed the question, the question may be better posed to us here in the United States. So, why can’t Americans learn to speak? An article by Higher ED, a website that deals in American educational standards, recently found that in an international study involving 23 different English speaking countries, the US ranked 16th in basic English literacy and comprehension. This means adults in our country are less proficient in our main language than most other countries that use it as well. The Survey of Adult Skills by the Organization for Eco-nomic Cooperation and Development shows that despite having higher than average levels of educational attainment, adults in the United States have below-average basic literacy and numeracy skills. Why is that? As students, we are required several English courses as prerequisites, and of course, are all required to take a CWE before graduation. For the most part, schools do not offer a large amount of curriculum for people who do not know English, except for ESL curriculums, geared towards eventual English pro-ficiency. If our system promotes the English language so much- why are we so low on scales of proficiency? Few speak English the way we were originally taught. Most times, we adopt phras-es and slang terms that fill our speaking patterns more so than proper English terms. Many older genera-tions have claimed slang is ruining the

“Why Can’t the English Learn to Speak?”

Growing up in Dark-ar, Senegal, artist Ibou Ndoye learned his artistic talent at home. His mother, a dressmak-er guided his vision of color with expert training. She asked young Ibou to fetch her a red fabric from the market. It had to be just the right hue, which was difficult in a sea of red cloth. The test worked out in his benefit, as glancing over Ibou’s work, the first thing that jumps out at you is color. Color behind glass. Ibou’s glass painting is more than a Senegalese tradition. His culture views glass, or windows, as the most important reflection of society. First of all, it’s transpar-ent, so everything is visible behind it. Also, glass is fragile, which shows the delicate nature of even something we use for protection, as a teller sits behind a window or a windshield protects our bodies from outward harm. People can interact with glass in different ways. Ibou presented an example of hiding from a debt collector, and how one would glance out the window in a different manner than if they were expecting a guest. For all these reasons, Ibou uses glass and he calls it “the medium that doesn’t lie.” Another way of looking at is, Ibou said, is the “broken glass culture” where we live. However, “a room without a window is a prison.” Ibou works on more than glass. He is constantly experimenting with a style he describes as a fusion between modernism and tradi-tionalism and a mixture of various cultures. Some of his

A Face Behind the Glass WindowBy Thomas Feliciano

“Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society” Reaching Out to StudentsBy Darian Dominguez

It is now Spring semester at PCCC and every student has registered for their Spring schedule. Some students are on the brink of graduation for their re-spective major. However, there is a looming dark cloud around many students’ future beyond Paterson campus. Their means of financial help and college acceptance is still uncertain. Yet the “Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society” is fixing students fears this semester as they are broadening their members and publicizing their program around Paterson campus. During “Club Fair” Miguel De Jesus, 40, President of “Phi Theta Kappa Honor society,” described this program.

“We were chartered at PCCC in 1982. An international Honor society for two year schools and any school that has an associate’s degree,” De Jesus said.De Jesus mentions one of the benefits of this Honor Society is the plentiful amount of opportunities for members to get scholarships. “There are $90 million dollars for Phi Theta Kappa scholarships,” De Jesus said. The Honor Society scholarships also include grants from a variety col-leges across the US nation. “We have over 700 partnerships with major colleges. For instance, Fair-leigh Dickinson offers $16,000 off of their tuition for Phi Theta Kappa mem-bers,” De Jesus said. The Honor Society also provides community service for your local com-munity like public schools and other public day cares. “We are big in community services such as we just helped build a play-ground for school 25 on September 12th, volunteer for food pantry, and read to children in the morning at day

By Kevin Leiva

By Kevin Leiva

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News............................Pages 1-3Features.......................Pages 3-6Campus Life................Pages 7-9Arts and Culture.........Page 9-11Opinion.....................Pages 11-12

In this issue

Students have been there. Teachers have sus-pected it. We all know it happens, but enjoy pretending that it doesn’t. Time and time again, students ask other students to write an assignment for them. Some of these cases involve different schools. Others are classmates, doing each other “A favor.” Re-gardless, it’s a behavior that is mutually destructive- and both parties should learn not to allow it to happen any longer. Firstly: according to an anonymous student ex-perienced in this issue, it starts off small. The kind friend contributes posts and updates here and there, helping out with an online class and its rigorous updates and mandatory comments. Little by little, they are expected to do more and more. Soon the friend grows dependent on the daily assistance. Their work ethic becomes worse and worse. So it happens: the student who felt compelled to help his friend is now taking the entire online class on his shoul-ders. This entire headache for credits that will never go to his transcript, for work he will never be credited for. This is a problem. For starters, students who pass these courses online due to friendly contributions from a knowledgeable friend are not being instructed. In future courses, they will be expected to retain information they never even learned! Secondly, students who do the extra work aren’t benefiting. They will have to

Write Your Own!

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Page 2 February/March 2016News

No matter your religious affilia-tion, the American tradition goes that Christmas is a festive time of giving. During the holiday season, many chil-dren eagerly await the day they’ll un-wrap the gifts they marked on their list. But for other children, Christmas is a time of sadness. Not because they dislike the holiday itself. Instead, these children are morose because they are without a tradition-al family setup or come from a family in dire straits. For families under the poverty line, St. Nicholas, Chris Crin-gle, and Santa Claus are not a reality. That is why PCCC has instilled in their professors the tradition of giv-ing. At their holiday party on Thurs-day, December 10, 2015, the air in the mood was relaxed. The Visions staff attended the event with their faculty adviser Dr. Waldeyer. At the door, each member was greet-ed with a smile. Inside the party, there was food, entertainment, and good company. Even Santa himself showed up with gifts for those in attendance, flanked by two elves. Of course, PCCC professors took these roles themselves. Chair of the Humanities Department, Ed Mosley fulfilled the role of St. Nick. But pro-

fessors who attended the event had another reason to enjoy their annual holiday party. Away from the classroom and in each other’s company, the profes-

sors found themselves taking advantage of the more laid-back atmosphere and taking a full step into the holiday season with the right direction. Still, there was one obligation upon their shoulders. Each professor and PCCC faculty member had to provide a gift that would be distributed to a child in need. That is beyond the gift of education they provide their students in the classroom. The President of Passaic County Community College, Dr. Steve Rose, initiated this policy. He asks that his professors embody the holiday spirit. Although Dr. Rose embraces this tradition of gift giving, he relies on the Student Government Association to collect the actual gifts. At the door this year stood SGA Vice President Ramona Padilla among other members of the SGA and OSA. They greeted each professor with a smile and encouragement for delivering their gift. Padilla was excited by the turnout of gifts for this holiday party. Their next step was to donate the presents to Eva’s Village for the ultimate distribution. The SGA enjoys their ability to participate in this wonderful PCCC tradition. The students of PCCC should also realize they are on the receiving end of a gift. As seen at this year’s holiday party, the faculty of the main campus in Paterson are one big family. When seen together, having fun and smiling, it’s easy to forget how hard the professors work. Like any-body else, they need a break and time to relax. The students should under-stand the ultimate gift they receive is more valuable than the gifts donated for the toy drive. The gift of an education is invaluable. And beyond this, PCCC is a family who strives to help each member grow into the sharpest version of themselves. The fall semester comes to a head with the holiday season. No better way to welcome in this time than beginning at the workplace. This year, the professors let their hair down and opened the doors wide for the New Year. Their final stop before the end of the semester was a toy drive that bears their love whilst remaining under the flag of anonymity.

SGA and Dr. Rose Urge Professors to Give BackBy Thomas Feliciano

Editor-in-ChiefKevin A. Leiva

Managing EditorThomas Feliciano

Faculty AdvisorDr. Christine Redman-Waldeyer

LayoutAlbert Bustos

Layout CoordinatorThomas Feliciano

Staff ReporterSteven Chalas

Contributing WritersNoah ChamberlainJordan ChaseRoyce De LeonDarian DominguezDarwin EspinalDevin FrascheSixto GasparHampton HumberJorge LeonLismery LunaBrielle OrtizGemima Pierre-Louis

Contact us at:news@pccc.edu

Building Resumes, Building Careers

Professor Caffie Rish-er spoke at The Blue Christmas Worship Service at Princeton Seminary in December. Prof. Risher shared a message of Hope and Healing during this season, which is difficult for so many dealing with hurt, loss, pain, trau-ma, etc. Her message was encour-aging and Princeton Seminary was blessed for the reminder to turn to the Psalms as we cry out to God from our various places of pain and look forward in great anticipation to the joy that is sure to come in time.

Professor Risher Shares Message of Hope

By Thomas Feliciano

On Thursday, February 4, the Business Club met in A210 as prepara-tion for their upcoming Resume Writing Workshop. A total of around 20 stu-dents and faculty gathered in the room for snacks and expert guidance. Tom Moore of Passaic County Community College’s Career Services Department spoke to the students and gave tips and advice for landing top-tier jobs after they complete their studies, or as they move on to their next school. Also in attendance was the Chair of the Business Department Tom Cox, Assistant Dean Peter Hynes, Liz Harrison of the Center for Student Success, and Doreen Piece, the Coordinator of Learning Support at the Gateway Center. Professor Khloud Kourani, the advisor for the Business Club, and its President, Helwa Abuars, were also in attendance. Aside from resume building advice, Moore also informed students about professionalism with regards to their on-line presence, such as a proper business E-mail address and LinkedIn page. This event was all part of the Business Club’s mission at preparing PCCC students for success after college.

Professor Kelly Bender, English Dpt., Professor Edward Mosley, Chair of the Human-ities Dpt., and Professor Nancy Silvestro, ELS Dpt.

Page 3 February/March 2016

other work appears on surface metal or canvas. Most convey the simple message of masks. That human beings wear a different mask for each occasion: whether it be at school, work, with family, or with friends. This is perhaps best seen in his massive painting on paper titled, “A Face is a Face.” Also on display are some of Ibou’s other glass paintings, including two self-portraits, a painting of two children playing outside, and other works describing the importance of sunrise and sunset. Ibou explained that Senegalese people see the sunrise as a time when evil spirits join the world, and they leave this plane at sunset. As such, people go to work with the sun and come home when it sets to stay occupied during this time. In Ibou’s fishermen community back in Senegal, the men who leave for work each morning paint a message on their boat. These are something positive, that can act as inspiration to the long day of work ahead. The artist explained that the men in his village, singing and danc-ing as they left in the morning were in the same good humor at the day’s end, even if they didn’t catch any fish. Ibou sees the messages as a type of art, one that helps these fish-ermen focus on their task. He said, “Art is knowledge, and if you think knowledge is expensive, then try ignorance.” He also sees art as a way of teaching and bridging the gaps between various cultures. Beyond his own art work, Ibou spends time volunteering with children, elderly, and individuals with special needs. He appreciates the opportunity to help those in various stations in life achieve some type of artistic expression. Ibou said that all people are broken in some way. Using art for the greater good, the painter hopes to heal some of those wounds. In celebration of Black History Month, the Passaic County Cultur-al & Heritage Council at Passaic County Community College presented A FACE IS A FACE, an exhibition by the Senegalese artist. On February 4th, from 4-7 p.m. students and staff of the PCCC community had the opportunity to meet the artist in person at a reception in the Broadway Gallery.

News/Features

Face Behind the Glass Window

Public speaking can either be a college students’ favorite or worst class ever. Whether it’s a simple group presentation on a silly topic in 5th grade or a serious solo speech being the center of attention in a class of 20 or more other students, there are those who are very confident and can present with no problem at all and there are those who sweat from the beginning to the end and stutter the entire way through. I interviewed students who have taken the Pub-lic Speaking class at Passaic County Community College and tapped into their experi-ences. Santiago Restrepo, 20, Criminal Justice major took public speaking spring semes-ter of 2015. When asked how was his overall ex-perience, he said “Overall? It was eye opening. I always was really confident and been great at bullshitting my presentations in high school. However, in this class I came to find out how bad I was at speaking at a crowd who made me the center of attention. I learned a lot through the class though.” Restrepo shared how he received an overall B in the class and described the class as “a breeze, once you get the hang of it and do your work on time.” When asked if there is any advice Re-strepo would have for future students who have yet to take the class, he said, “Take it! It’s not the hardest class. I recommend for anyone who wants to overcome their fear and as well become better at speeches. You grow as a person.”

Nayley Moran, 20, Communication ma-jor, took public speaking over the summer, on-line. Moran’s overall experience was “Great! At least for me. Because it wasn’t in a class and just three people.” When asked how was she compared to her first and last speech, Moran said, “On my

first speech, I was extremely nervous. However, the fear decreased throughout each time.” Moran received an A- as an overall grade from the class. Moran also shared advice for any-one who has yet to take the class, “to probably let my other classmates see so I can get advice and comments from them.” Samantha Hernandez, 19, Humanities major, took public speaking Fall of 2015. Her-nandez described her overall experience as “Good! I always got good feedback from the class.” She then was asked how she compared to her first and last speech; she said, “My first speech was very amateur as opposed to my last speech which I felt was a lot more professional and put together.” She received an A+ at the end of the semester with Professor Risher. Hernandez left advice for anyone who

has yet to take the class; “Don’t be afraid! Ev-eryone there isn’t there to judge you, more to hear what you have to say because they all feel the same way. Also, take Professor Risher, great professor with good teaching skills.” Hernandez was also asked if she could change anything about the class, what would

it be? She said, “The only thing I would change would proba-bly be to be given more time to create speech-es because short notice can mess you up and make you nervous.” She also ended the interview by saying. “Its definitely a nec-essary class for every-

one, no matter what the major might be or if it’s a requirement or not. It’s a useful and helpful class that will prepare you long term as an adult.” Ingrid Pinada, 22, Communications ma-jor took public speaking Fall of 2014. Her over-all experience was described as “It was alright. I thought it was a pretty good class overall. It seems intimidating but it requires practice, just zoom through it and get your credits.” Pinada was asked how she was compared to her first and last speech and she said “Not re-ally much of a difference. Maybe just acquired a little more skills to speak in public and not get nervous. But I did well in the class.” As she did, she shared how she received an A. Pinada’s ad-vice for anyone who has yet to take the class is “To stay cool and be you. It’ll fly by.” Christina Sanchez,

The Public Speaking PhobiaBy Brielle Ortiz

“Its definitely a necessary class for everyone, no matter what the major might be or if it’s a requirement or not. It’s a useful and helpful class that will prepare you long term as an

adult.” – Samantha Hernandez

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Page 4 February/March 2016Features

Smoking cigarettes is a thing of the past. Cigarettes alone kill about 400,000 people per year according to the National Review, and electronic cigarettes are an affordable and less hazardous alternative – and Big Tobacco wants them banned. According to the Center for Disease Con-trol, 55.4% of people that quit smoking in the last two years quit using electronic cigarettes. Not only do the products help people quit, but a recent study published by Public Health England claims that smoking electronic cigarettes, or “va-ping,” is 95% healthier than smoking cigarettes. The liquid used in vapor products, re-ferred to as e-liquid or e-juice, is made of com-monly used ingredients that are safe to ingest. E-liquid is made of vegetable glycerin, propyl-ene glycol, and candy flavoring. Various quan-tities of nicotine can be added for those in differ-ent stages of the process of quitting smoking. Darren Bartoli, 43, Owner of Str8Vapor in West Milford, enlightened me on why he chose to start vaping and decided to open a shop of his own. “Vaping helped me quit smoking, so I wanted to help others do the same.” said the now 5-year shop owner. Bartoli was a three pack a day smoker before he made the switch, and his blood pressure is now down 20 points because of his transition. “It really works,” Bartoli ex-claimed. Bartoli has set the standard when it comes to providing a safe and convenient way to enjoy the benefits of vaping. He owns the first vape shop in New Jersey to have an on-site clean room in which his house blend e-liquids are made. He is

also an involved member of many organizations in the industry, like NJVRC, CASAA, SFATA, AVA, NVA, Not Blowing Smoke, and the Spon-sor a Smoker Program. You can visit Str8Vapor any day of the week from noon to nine p.m., at 1616H Union Valley Road in West Milford. The shop owners are not the only peo-ple to thank when it comes to offering this effec-tive healthy alternative to cigarettes. There are hundreds of companies that supply shops with their own lines of e-liquids that are made in a large scale laboratory or clean warehouse, one of which is The Secret Handshake.

William Kennedy, 23, Owner of The Secret Handshake, saw an opportunity with the booming new industry and took action. It all started when a co-worker introduced him to va-ping, which put his pack a day smoking habit to a complete halt. “I started to feel better and stopped coughing up wads of mucus like I used to, and started saving a lot of money,” Kennedy explained. After he started vaping, Kennedy was saving $300 monthly. Kennedy enjoyed designing new flavors that he enjoyed and eventually started his own company. This young entrepreneur spoke to knowledgeable people in the industry in order to ensure an impeccable and safe product. When asked about what a novice should do to gain information on the subject, Kennedy implored,

“Don’t use the internet, go to a brick and mortar with a knowledgeable staff and don’t be afraid to ask questions.” Retailers are not the only people that are reaping the benefits of having a readily available and safer alternative to smoking. Consumers of these products had nothing but positive and en-couraging things to say to vaping skeptics. “Start simple, don’t go crazy right away,” is the advice from two-year vaper, Doug Dykenga, 22, Cinematography major. Dykenga was smoking a pack and a half per day before a friend introduced him to vaping by means of an inexpensive starter kit, which is abundantly available at Str8Vapor. “My body just feels bet-ter. My lungs feel larger and I experience less shortness of breath” claims Dykenga. “And I went from spending $10 a day to around $20

per week,“ excitedly admitted Dykenga. “90% of the struggle of switching to va-ping is mental,” explained George Burgher, 30, construction worker, “If you don’t want to quit it’s not going to work.” Burgher’s cousin bought him a starter kit from Str8Vapor and was able to completely stop smoking cigarettes in two days. Burgher was up to three packs a day be-fore the switch and was spending upwards of $700 dollars a month on cigarettes. He now buys e-liquid once a week and saves hundreds of dol-lars and feels much better. Burgher finds humor in how ridiculous his old habit was and happily admits, “I definitely look at a set of stairs differ-ently.”

Big Tobacco’s Worst NightmareBy Devin Frasche

“I definitely look at a set of stairs differently”

By Jordan ChaseChristina Sanchez: Full-Time Powerhouse Being a full-time student is difficult. Be-ing a full-time worker is difficult. Being a full-time parent is difficult. It’s hard to imagine any-one who is all three, but Christina Sanchez, 28, has been doing it for nearly two years now. Sanchez was born and raised in Paterson. After graduating high school she wasn’t sure if college was right for her so she began to work. Over time she got married to her high school sweet heart, had 2 children – Alia (2) and Anthony (8) – and dabbled in all kinds of work before settling down at a blood bank, uptown in Montvale. Returning to school wasn’t something Sanchez had ever imagined herself doing. “I just followed the road everyone else was tak-ing,” said Sanchez. How-ever, over time she realized that road was not for her. Sanchez began a love affair with reading and writing that made her realize that accounting wasn’t for her. Writing was. “I just became obsessed with reading,” said Sanchez. “But eventually you run out of good books and I just thought to myself, ‘I could write better,’ so that’s what I set out to do.” Specifically writing fiction. Before re-turning to school Sanchez attempted to write her own work and pursue editing jobs in her chosen field but found it extremely challenging without

any prior experience or a degree. Rather than be discouraged she buckled down and enrolled in Passaic County Community College in the En-glish program. Sanchez is currently taking 18 credits and

has just enrolled in a 12 week course. “My goal is to just get my degree,” stated Sanchez. While occasionally annoyed with the tedious general – education requirements, Sanchez has noticed a marked difference in her writing since attending school. “I’ve read my old stuff and I can tell you it was crap.” However, being a student doesn’t mean Sanchez can just put her life on pause and focus solely on her studies. She’s a parent too and be-

lieves that family is not only important but nec-essary. “It isn’t easy finding time to juggle per-sonal and student life,” admitted Sanchez. “But my family is really supportive. They don’t

always understand how much work I have to do, but they’re always there for me.” Sanchez stated that she makes time every Sun-day just for family by enjoy-ing a nice brunch with her husband and children. Attending school can be a financial strain but Sanchez is getting financial aid and is a member of the college’s XAE Chi Alpha Epsilon. However, money isn’t what motivates Sanchez. “Re-alistically I know I won’t make more than $60,000 a year,” says Sanchez. “But I’d rather make $60,000 do-ing something I like than a $100,000 doing something I don’t like.” One thing’s for sure. If

Sanchez doesn’t like the world of writing she can always open up her own time management firm instead. She’s proven that with hard work and a determination to succeed, that anyone can return to school.

Page 5 February/March 2016Features

By Gemima Pierre-Louis

Governor Christie requested the following amounts in damages per county:

- Atlantic County: $2,294,483

- Bergen County: $7,456,765

- Burlington County: $4,745,251

- Camden County: $2,971,946

- Cape May County: $4,207,200

- Cumberland County: $913,00

- Essex County: $7,975,382

- Hudson County: $10,886,929

- Hunterdon County: $2,736,849

As a state certified Emergency Medical Technician, I am required to keep up with facts concerning States if Emergency. I was on duty, and responding during the last New Jersey state of emergency. From January 23-24, New Jersey got a massive amount of snow. Over twenty six inches depending on where. Deaths occurred throughout the state, as well as damages to property. The damages flooded entire coun-ties, fell trees and power lines, contributed to car accidents- and deaths.

There were over 14 deaths reported throughout the east coast directly caused by the storm, but that figure did not include people who died in accidents, or froze due to being stranded or being out of power. One woman even died outside of a Burger King, across the street from an Ambulance company in Hackensack. This storm should be used as a learning tool for us- during a State of Emergency there are a few things one should keep in mind:

• Do not rush to collect Gasoline. Half a tank is plenty, and during the storm no one should be going anywhere anyway.• Do not leave your home during the snowfall. • There is no reason to panic and go to supermarkets, stocking up on perishables. This only causes traffic and chaos-coupled with anxiety, and human error, this behavior is unnecessarily risky.• If your power is out, stay indoors. Rooms with lower ceilings will stay warmer. Wear layers, and cover up.• Stay warm! • Do not consume alcohol during freezing storm weather- it allows errors in judgment and can increase the risk of hypothermia.• If you become stranded or stuck in a vehicle during the storm, call 9-1-1, and look around- if there is a public area with heat and shelter, head there. If not, use your own car’s heating until Emergency Services can pick you up.• IMPORTANT: Once you are home. Stay there. Only Emergency personnel and plows should be out during a storm.• MOST IMPORTANT: One bad decision does not usually get you injured or killed- a series of bad decisions does. During a state of emergency such as the one we experienced, use common sense, and avoid poor choices.

Late January Storm: After AssessmentBy Kevin A. Leiva, EMT

Students are attracted to community col-lege for many perks --one of them being their location; the second is the easiness of getting fi-nancial aid or affordable tuition, the third being the flexibility and an array of associate degrees. Community colleges are pathways to great careers. Following is a sampling of community college students from Passaic community col-lege. Royce Deleon 20, a graphic design major at Passaic county college chose that major be-cause it is in high demand. The degrees offered there facilitate job placement. He chose the com-munity college mainly because of its location; he lives nearby and gets to go home between class-es to eat or sometimes eats at Blimpies across the street. As a computer geek he finds computer design very fascinating, more like a hobby. Deleon is a full-time student at the col-lege and also works full-time. He gets caught up between work and school and does not have time to participate in any of the school events. Muhammed Izeiroski, 21, a computer as-sistant at the school library was attracted by the ease of financial aid. He eats at Subway usually. He attends the poetry club, although too private to share his work but would like to see more peo-ple at the poetry club meeting. Myriam Estrada, 22, mother of two boys, is taking three classes this semester and plans to obtain a degree in economics. She takes early classes then goes to work. She works in a nation-al local branch. Unfortunately, Estrada stated, she does not stay in the school long enough to eat on campus or in the vicinity. Helwa Aburas, is the president of the Business Club. Aburas is majoring in business administration, is a full-time student and works

part-time. Aburas takes classes two full days a week. Between classes she tries to catch up on things and does homework. And is trying to be good at time management. She eats at Wendy’s or snacks from home or at any local store. PCCC is closer to home, convenient and cheaper than a four year institution. Aburas sees herself as a business person-ality and eventually managing her own compa-ny. That is her long term goal. She is a few steps on the ladder. She is reaching one bar at a time. As the president of the business club, she spends a great deal of time resourcing for the clubs and mentioned that she would like to attend many campus activities but cannot spare the time. She added that she is, taking advantage of the degree offered at the community college to build on toward her more advanced classes at a four-year institution. Victoria Macucci, 20, of Clifton whose par-ents are from Dominican Republic is an English ma-jor at PCCC with plans to graduate and transfer to a four-year institution to be an English teacher. She stated that it is a great be-ginning to start at PCCC. She is currently working towards her substitute teaching certificate for a job that lines up better with her ultimate goal. Macucci works full-time and takes as many classes as she can bearing in mind that she must main-tain a good grade point av-

erage to attain her goal. Suzette Brashaw in her twenties, a native of Jamaica, is a full-time mother, wife and em-ployee. She works the night shift and comes to school from work to pursue her nursing degree. The load of classes that she carries varies per semester. Bradshaw is taking one class this semester as she prepares to take the testing re-quired for this program. She said that her husband is very sup-portive of her schooling. She takes care of her kids between class-es. Someone needs to make the proper sacrifices to get to their ultimate goal. One day or class at a time. PCCC has great a foundation of tomorrow. PCCC has a great foundation for tomorrow. It has a good nursing program, said Bradshaw, who also plans to transfer after obtaining her degree and wishes to finish up school while the kids are young.

Perks of Community College Attract Students

- Mercer County: $4,732,611

- Middlesex County: $7,293,870

- Monmouth County: $9,271,521

- Morris County: $4,281,244

- Ocean County: $6,419,301

- Somerset County: $1,435,551

- Union County: $4,621,985

- Warren County: $419,709

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Features

28, English major took the class 2015 of spring semester. She described her overall experience as “Good.” When asked how was she compared to her first and last speech; she said, “Well…I al-ready took the class. I already knew the structure. Speaking in MLA format basically, it was easy.” Sanchez received an A in the class with Professor Chan. Sanchez’ advice for anyone is “Fake it till you make it. We had a speech on selling a prod-uct, and I really bought a stroller. Pretended it was mine, sold it. And after announced how I have to go return this stroller back to the store. Overall don’t be shy, you’ll never see those people again, just pretend you’re by your-self.” Sanchez said, “I wouldn’t change anything about the class, the structure was fine.” And she described the class, as “Fun, but you have to make it fun.” Vanessa Gonzalez, 22, Criminal Justice

major, took public speaking Fall 2014. She de-scribed herself during her overall experience as “very shy, which made the class very hard for me. But if I applied myself more, I know I would’ve passed.” She shared how she passed the class bare-ly with a C+. Gonzalez shared that “Everyone is taking the class for a reason. Just pretend it’s just you and the professor having a casual conversation and ignore everyone else because that’ll only cause you to become tense and nervous during presenta-tions.” One thing Gonzalez would’ve changed about the class was “I wish we could have more assignments that can truly break the wall or ice for students who have real difficulty and anxiety speaking amongst peers. The topics were awful and boring and made you afraid you’re boring ev-eryone to death.”

Public speaking phobia(Continued from page 3)

Federal authorities are accusing Devry University of lying to students. The federal trade commission is suing the college because they were promoting false information to the public. Devry University stated to the public that 90% of students that graduate find jobs in their fields. According to goodcall.com, the false ad-vertisements made by the college discusses that graduates were working in their fields when they were not. Since the US department of education

found out what Devry was doing with the false advertising they told the college to stop advertis-ing student’s employment outcomes. As colleges like Devry create deceptive practices, the government is taking actions on putting an end to these negative acts. Also, online sources state that the enroll-ment at Devry will decrease due to the fact that the college does not stick to their word about jobs and income rates according to CNN. Stu-dents at Devry owe massive amounts of money

in loans. According to huffingtonpost.com, Devry College is not the only college going through this but it does bring the school’s rating down. Santa Ana, a college in California, is un-der the scope and is facing bankruptcy, falsifying job placements, altering grades and attendance. Corinthian Colleges, a network with 13 colleges, closed its doors because they faced a lawsuit with Consumer Financial Protection Bu-reau and several state attorneys. Not only they

were shut down completely but were also fined $30 million by the department of ed-ucation for displaying false job rates. With all this going on it shows that col-leges are making money while hurting student’s pockets. Students took out thou-sands of dollars in loans to then be intro-duced to false advertisements in which those negative practices would hurt the college enrollment.

By Steven Chalas

False Advertising: Institutes of Higher Education

Page 7 February/March 2016Campus Life

Prospective students, who consider Pas-saic County Community College as an option for their education, may change their mind once they find out the school does not offer many ath-letic options. Currently, the Panthers represent the school in 4 sports categories: Men’s Soccer, Women’s Volleyball, Men’s and Women’s Bas-ketball. Many Passaic County resi-dents attend other community col-leges because they offer more ath-letic options and have the required facilities for athletes to perform dif-ferent sports. Playing sports at the college level is important to any student that has been practicing sports since childhood, and continued to play in High School before making a deci-sion about college. “If I had my own transportation to go to another college such as Bergen County Com-munity College, I would have done it because I wanted to keep playing baseball. It is a sport I have been playing my whole life and who knows where it could take me,” Mario Terrero, 20, Ra-diology student says. Terrero wants to transfer to a 4-year uni-versity and definitely plans to join the baseball team. “Playing baseball in a Division I school is not that far from the major leagues. Not only that, you can also earn scholarships.” Playing a sport in college is a huge de-cision for students. College athletes need strong time-management skills to keep up with school, practices and games. In addition, some athletes also have at least a part-time job. Adrian Arias, 17, Computer Science ma-

jor at PCCC understands the school does not offer many options because it doesn’t have the required facilities for other sports. “On top of that, some students are not really interested in sports because they also work, and it is really hard to balance time between school and sports. I’ve been through that.”

Arias was part of the soccer team last sea-son. “I decided to join the soccer team because I am an active person and since baseball is not offered at PCCC, I didn’t have any other option. My family is from the Dominican Republic, so you know baseball runs through my veins.” Throughout the years, students have tried to add a sport of their preference to the school but in order to do this, they need a certain amount of interested people and this has hardly happened. “I am sure there is a lot of good players that aren’t able to show their skills because the school doesn’t offer the sport they practice,” Kleber Macias, 19, Electrical Engineering Tech-nology Major at PCCC stated. Macias was also part of the soccer team in 2015. “I am glad the school has a soccer program, so I can keep play-ing the sport I love.” Daniel Gutierrez, who coached the

PCCC soccer team a few years ago says that the school is eligible to add any other sport but it is a long process. “We have tried to add more ath-letic options in the past, but in order to do that we need to recruit a certain amount of people depending on the sport of their interest and then create a club so we can submit the request to the

school and wait for their approval.” He mentions the school tried to add sports such as: lacrosse, baseball, cross country, women’s soccer, etc. Gutierrez, who is the current Fitness Instructor at the school re-members many years ago a group of around 20 players would get to-gether in the gym and started kick-ing a ball around, and that is how the soccer program was launched. He also states that it would make

no difference to add new sports if the school does not have the required facilities for players to practice and play home games. Jeffrey Barrenechea, 24, Assistant Men’s soccer coach thinks the school would find a way to add more sports and acquire the needed facil-ities if students showed interest and wanted to play competitively. According to Barrenechea, sports are not easy to handle in terms of rules. “A school might not be obligated to have sports, but once they do they must follow Title IX. This is a law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex.” Barrenechea is glad the college athletes can stay in shape for the upcoming season by practicing their favorite sport in the school’s gymnasium and train in the fitness center.

Athletic Options Limited at PCCCBy Jorge Leon

…we need to recruit a certain amount of people depending on the sport of their interest and then create a club so we can submit the request to the school and wait for their approval.”

A lot of students are working part-time jobs to be able to pay for bills or for food. There are a lot of things that college students need a weekly income for. Some students are doing it because they have to do it and not because they want to do. Working part-time as a student can mess up your schedule, and can make it harder to make time for studying and homework. It also makes it harder to meet deadlines at times when you have to be at work instead of where you need to be. And that is somewhere finishing up your work for school. Anthony Abreu, age 21 attend-ing Lincoln Tech, said that his work schedule makes it really hard for him to focus on studying and that's not good because it just means that he's not going to get any closer to graduating if he fails any of his classes due to work. Although some students seem to suffer from the work and school schedule, there are some out there that are really trying to make it work. Alexis Ascanoa, age 19, attending Essex County College tries to take time off work to make more time for school. More people said that trying to make more time for school than work is better than vice versa. Gregory Abreu, a former PCCC student, stated that trying to focus on a minimum wage job rather than college school work does not make any sense to him. A minimum wage job can easily be replaced if you get fired because you call out to study some more.

Hendry Blanco, BCCC full-time student just started attending col-lege. He stated that being a full-time student is very beneficial when you’re trying to finish school fast without any distractions. It also means that you have all the time you need to finish the work the teachers give you and you then have no excuse to not finish it. Being a full-time student has its benefits but when it comes to it

a lot of students attending community college cannot afford to not have a job. Students need to commute to school every day so that means that they will have pay for transit. Even though gas is cheap here in New Jersey, it's not

free so the students need to make money in order to pay for it. Some students are even working full-time and only going to school part time in order to pay for their school tuitions. Daniel Blanco, attending ECC stated that he is not eligible for financial aid which leaves him no option but to pay out of pocket. Carlos Jimenez, former BCCC student, stated that going to college is not an easy task and working part time while going to school just makes it harder. In fact it was too hard to work and go to school at the same time so he decided to drop and join the Navy. Once he gets back from the Navy he says that he will attend college since the Navy is going to pay for his college education. It was too much for him to pay by himself so he did the next best thing to have some help when one does not qualify for financial aid.

Students Working Part-Time Minimum Wage JobsBy Darwin Espinal

… it was too hard to work and go to school at the same time so he

decided to drop and join the Navy.

retake the course themselves if they want the credits, and if they retained the information; it’ll be frustrating and tedious to them. Finally, the biggest issue is that it is all technically a form of pla-giarism. For both parties involved, they risk a professor noticing a differ-ence in tone, or a difference in writing style that can rapidly give away what is actually happening.

The fact is: this is cheating. Both students risk disciplinary reprimand, and that is not worth it. Friends do not let friends take such a great risk at their own expense. For more information on plagiarism, and its potential conse-quences, consult the PCCC Student handbook, found online at PCCC.edu, or at the library, and above all else, remember to write your own!

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Page 8 February/March 2016Campus Life

During the spring semester, it’s difficult to find a time to relax and recharge completely. Students feel that by March, most of their moti-vation for school is missing. This is where Spring Break comes in. It is a time for many students at Passaic County Community College to relax and renew, to get excited for what’s ahead. Caroline Salazar, 25 yrs old, Exercise Science Major will “take advantage to refresh and recharge from stress and school,” she said. Instead of going away now, Salazar will go on a personal trip at the end of June. “I will be going to the Virgin Islands, Saint Thomas actual-ly for six days,” she stated. The Virgin Islands are important to Sala-zar because “It is the island I want to get married in. I’ve been planning this trip for years and it’s been something I wanted to do for a long time. And it’s special since I’m going with my girl-friend as well,” she said. For her, it is also a chance to see the sights - “I also saw pictures on a website and the water looks amazing! It’s so blue and clear, un-like the water here,” she said. Salazar planned her trip carefully “I used workingadvantage.com and cheaptickets.com, I have used them before for my trip to Miami and they’re great,” she said. “I look for the best deal, economically; I also look at days and times to compare prices and flight days” Salazar planned her trip carefully - “I used workingadvantage.com and cheaptickets.com; I have used them before for my trip to Mi-ami and they’re great,” she said. “I look for the best deal, economically; I also look at days and times to compare prices and flight days.” Salazar defines a successful spring break as “ a time for getting motivated for summer, a time to relax, a time to get wild and crazy for a bit, but use the time to focus-reward yourself for hard work,” she said. Donald Delaon, 29 years old, Sociology major plans after his final semester “transferring in the fall time-hopefully,” he said.

Delaon plans to do “cooking, doing yard work, four wheeling, and Bonfiring in Upstate New York,” he stated. For his trip to Long Beach “Bonfiring; game nights, go to bars, cooking, and hot tubing. Actually there’s hot tub at both places, so that will be nice,” he stated. Delaon is going away because he misses a lot of the things he used to do - “I work and go to school; I want to relax and decompress. Being outside is a nice form of exercise, like walking and yard work so I get that in as well,” he said. Delaon has been planning his trip to Long Beach since “Thanksgiving,” while the one to Upstate New York is more of “spontaneous, if they’re free, and I’m free, I go,” he said. In order to have a successful spring break Delaon stated that he would “Get in some read-ing, see friends, no itinerary planned out, no over planning. De-stress and relax, you come back more stress-fail.” Unlike Salazar Delaon has used travel sites like Airbnb, Kayak, and Expedia-“they’re good we used [them] before,” he said. According to digitaltrends.com, the best travel sites for finding a way to get there are: Kayak, Skyscanner, and Expedia, Orbitz, Air-farewatchdog, and Momondo. Although, the best sites to find a place to stay are Oyster AirBnb, Hotels.com, Tripadvi-sor, and Priceline Finally, the best travel websites for find-ing fun activities during your trip, according to digitaltrends.com are Eater, In Your Pocket, Gogobot, Triptit and Yelp. Neha Darji, 20 years old, Nursing major has exciting plans for spring break. “I’m planning or trying to go to Puerto Rico with my best friend,” she said. Darji has been “looking for deals but there aren’t enough and I’ve been saving up since October,” she stat-ed. Darji plans to “relax, go sightseeing, and tan by the pool, but mostly relaxing” during the break. However Darji has been “trying to get

discounts but I have a couple of connections, easier to get a hotel and stuff. But I’m also trying to get a group of 6 or 7 people to go as well,” she added. Planning for a trip can be time consum-ing. “We’ve been planning for this trip for a while,” Darji stated. Darji plans to stay for a week. “I plan to get there by plane, but I haven’t picked an airline yet, I’m looking though.” In regards to using travel websites - “I’ve checked Expedia but none, really,” she said. While some plan to go away for spring break, others plan to stay near home and visit family. Lakai Thompson, 18 years old, Music Education Major plans to “visit family in At-lanta, Georgia.” Thompson did not plan this trip because “it’s a tradition,” she said. Thompson plans to stay for a week. “I’m planning on swimming, partying, and spend lots of time with cousins,”she said. Thompson wants to “be more adventurous is one of my big plans this Spring Break.” Visiting family is not her entire plan - “shopping at Lennox Mall will be something I want to do. I love Lennox Mall. There’s always celebrities and there and great discounts,” she said. While most plan to relax, some will con-tinue to work. Ramona Padilla, 23 years old, Hu-man Services Major, SGA Vice President will be “working and studying” during spring break. Padilla has “no plans to travel anywhere” during the break and “I have not traveled during spring break before,” she said “Because during spring break students go away, the SGA does not have any specific plans.” However, The SGA is a great way to get involved during the school year. Their offices are located at Founders Hall- E-102B in the Pater-son Campus. You can also email them at sga@pccc.edu if you want to contact them as well.

Spring Break: A Time Off for Weary StudentsBy Lismery Luna

(Continued from page 1)

care centers,” said De Jesus. On February 11th, there was a meeting that took place in the Pater-son Room, located in Paterson campus lunchroom, at 10 AM and 5 PM. During the meeting President De Jesus addressed the goals, moti-vation, and policies of this Honor Society. “Recognize and encourage academic achievement of two-year col-lege students,” said De Jesus. This mantra is reflected throughout the Honor Society’s presentation about its policies. De Jesus mentions there are certain requirements to meet to be a member of this Honor Society. The requirements include a minimum of 12 college level credits, maintaining a minimum of 3.5 Grade Point Average, enroll in a degree- seeking program at PCCC, and adhere to the Honor Society’s moral standard. Finally, every student must pay a $60 one-time fee to be an official member of the Honor Society. Then a new Phi Theta Kappa member can receive a membership certificate and ID card. In the meeting De Jesus talked about how the Honor Society offers many perks besides scholarships. The perks include Golden Key member-ship pin, 8 percent off of “GEICO” car insurance, and free enrollment in “collegefish.org,” a website that helps students search for scholarships. Being a member will also help you gain recognition in an induction ceremony and provide opportunities to research and servant leadership skills by participating in local charter activities. De Jesus touched on jobs students could potentially obtain through this membership. This program gives Phi Theta Kappa members the op-

portunity to become part of a network of nearly 3 million fellow scholars and servant leaders which essentially opens doors for any Phi Theta Kappa member to have a chance for a job. Phi Theta Kappa members can participate in programs like “Hon-ors in Action” to learn and practice problem solving skills, “Leadership Development Studies” to understand leadership profiles, film studies and

experiential exercises, “Pearson Student Advisory Board” to work with Pearson executives and prod-uct development teams to give feedback and make changes to their products and services, and

“Community College Completion Corps” to encourage students to com-plete their community college majors. If anyone would be interested in the “Phi Theta Kappa Honor So-ciety” any student can ask questions about Phi Theta Kappa membership in the student activities office. Anybody can also visit their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube page. For more information and registration go to “www.ptk.org.” It also includes information about events taking place for Phi Theta Kappa, scholarships, and contact in via of their email and phone number. On the website anybody can visit the Phi Theta Kappa official online store to buy apparel and jewelry. Although some items are sold exclusively for mem-bers of the Honors Society. For information on Chapter meetings for Phi Theta Kappa, go to http://www.pccc.edu/prospective/academics/honors-at-pccc/phi-the-ta-kappa.

PTK reaching out to students

“An international Honor Society for two year schools and any school that has an

associate’s degree,” De Jesus said.

Page 9 February/March 2016Campus Life/Arts & Culture

Photojournalism is a particular form of journalism involving photography and journal-ism. The later, Journalism, is something that with the proper education and guidance anyone can accomplish. Photography on the other hand requires having an eye for it, a passion.Kate Morales of Paterson, NJ. has that eye. At the age of 14 with a cellphone Mo-rales recalls discovering the eye she had for pho-tography. Although a journalism major, Morales wishes to take her eye for photography and trav-el the world practicing Photojournalism and she is already on track to do so. Last year Morales obtained a job at the World Trade Center as a photographer. It doesn’t pay much but the experience she has gained is invaluable. “Hundreds of people from all over the world come to see it everyday, and I’ve had to learn how to say do you want a photo in so many different languages,” she said. Hundreds of people pass in front of her camera, hundreds of models. Models that Mo-rales can do what she loves with, capture the emotions they experience. Portrait photography

is what Morales wants to focus on. “…unlike Landscape, I don’t have to wait around for the right moment; I can tell the model to do exactly what I want and I can ensure that I capture the moment and be in full control of it.” Photography seems to come naturally to Morales, but that’s only half of the Photojour-nalism formula. Being a journalist and writing articles is the other half. “At first I was a psy-chology major -- don’t ask why, then changed to graphic design and finally Journalism when I remembered that...I suck at writing,” Morales says as we sit in an English class. One of many writing intensive courses, she hopes to master writing as much as she has photography. Not being an expert writer is only one the obstacles Morales has faced on her journey to success. Money is the other. Photography can be expensive, with cameras and gear costing any-where from five hundred to one thousand dollars just on the basics. That doesn’t even put into ac-count paying for models, clothing, make up, and the software necessary to give the photos a little boost, although Morales states that she does not

edit any of her photos simply because “I don’t know how to edit.” Her job at the World Trade Center does help ease the cost but the two hour commute she makes to and from work four times a week isn’t something she enjoys. Sadly, it is one of her only options. “It’s very difficult to find work; I’m too skinny for real manual jobs that would pay more,” she said. Morales is 19, of Puerto Rican and White parents, with shoulder length dreadlocks that are a mix of blonde and dark brown. “Majority of other college girls usually get babysitting jobs but when parents look at me they don’t want me taking care of their kids.” She is fine with that and is not going to change who she is for some-one else’s sake.

An Eye for the LensBy Royce De Leon

History of Black Panthers

The Black Panthers were just like the Ku Klux Klan. The Black Panther Party was just a violent communist group that the government had to shut down. The Black Panthers were a bunch of anti-police thugs. A terrorist group. All of these statements have two things in common. They have been in circulation in the media these past few weeks and are undeniably false. Who are the Black Panthers then? According to Panther: The Black Rebel-lion by Panther Members, The Black Panther Party for Self Defense was the “largest black revolutionary organization that ever existed.” The Black Panther Party was formed in 1966 by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale in Oakland, California. The Panthers formation was an effect of the civil rights movement which had began more than a decade before. Despite multiple Civil Rights Acts such as the Acts of 1964 and the Voting Rights act of 1965 having been passed, African Americans continued to suffer economic and social inequal-ity. These conditions lead to urban uprisings which were met with an increase in use of police violence. The Civil rights movement led by Dr. Martin Luther King, practiced civil disobedi-ence and passive resistance. Malcom X, wanted a more coherent strategy than any black leader and wanted social and economic change by any means, even violence if necessary. It was under this philosophy that the Panthers emerged. The Black Panthers were the first group who made the battle about more than deseg-regation but about the fundamental economic problems people faced everyday. The Panthers decided to take up their right to bear arms and to carry out the philosophy of self defense, by pa-trolling police. The Panthers were educated and exercised every right and law they could, on one occasion even stating the distance they could stand to see a police officer carry out their duty. The Panthers knew that community pro-grams were of key importance. The first being a Free Breakfast for children program that was

eventually adopted by the United States gov-ernment. Other programs involved clothing and food handouts and medical care. The success of the group combined with their political views and activities brought them under first from the American government. The FBI unleashed their full force upon the group by using COINTELPRO (Counter Intelligence Pro-gram) against them. By 1969, 25 Panther mem-bers had been killed, leading to the eventual de-mise of the Black Panther party in the mid 70s. The FBI eventually apologized for “wrongful uses of power.”

Beyoncé and the controversy

The Black Panther Party still exists in history, as a revolutionary political party for the civil rights and empowerment of African Americans. Beyoncé Knowles wanted to show that same message in her music and she chose the Superbowl Halftime Show as her platform. Beyoncé did so in a timely matter by releasing a new single, “Formation” accompanied with a video, hours before her performance. The vid-eo paying homage to the “Black Lives Matter” movement. Beyoncé and her 20 back up dancers per-formed wearing distinct black leather and chain outfit and a black beret, similar to the uniforms worn by the Black Panthers. The dance incorpo-rated them forming into an X on the stage. Ac-companied by them raising their right hands in a clenched fist, a symbol connected with Black Power. In the back a few members held a sign up that read, Justice for Mario Woods, man who was killed by police in San Francisco. Fox News conducted an interview with Mayor Rudy Giuliani the following morning. When asked about his views on the performance he stated, “I think it was outrageous; she used it as a platform to attack police officers.” His words resonated through the media outlets many having similar opinions and others being in sup-port of Beyoncé. Police officers, public officials and ce-

lebrities also voiced their opinions on the per-formance. The National Sheriffs Association Executive Director Jonathan Thompson said in a statement about the performance that “It’s incit-ing bad behavior.” TV host Andy Cohen praised Beyoncé on twitter while others criticized.

Reaction of the PCCC Community

The community at PCCC seems to also be split on whether to support or oppose the po-litical message Beyoncé issued. Some complete-ly oppose what she did. Mellanice McFarlane, a 23-year-old English major, saw the performance afterwards online and thought it was horrible. “I’m not a fan of Beyoncé and I don’t think she should be doing her whole becoming ghetto thing,” she said. McFarlane finds Beyoncé dead wrong for choosing that platform. “Her people tend to jump on an issue or name sometimes without knowing all the facts behind it.” For others the message was amazing. Kate Morales, a 19-year-old Journalism major, admits she loves Beyoncé and watched the video for the song seconds after its release and watched the performance live. When asked what message she interpreted, “Dude - its stop shooting us, stop all the police brutality,” she bluntly stated. Darwin Cruz, 21 and a graphic design major, caught some of the performance live and agrees with Morales. Cruz knew a bit about the Black Panthers and approved of Beyoncé for taking a stand and using their image. “She’s put-ting it out there, the violence and police killings of unarmed black people, the police shouldn’t be killing anyone,” he said. The image of the Black Panthers didn’t resonate with Ortiz as it did with others. Some did not understand any of it until later after all the controversy. Brielle Ortiz, a 19-year-old Communications major, saw the show but didn’t think much of it. “It was all over the place and I just didn’t like it, and I’m not a big fan of history so I didn’t really know who the Black Panthers were,” she said.

History at the Superbowl Halftime ShowBeyoncé used her performance at the Superbowl Halftime show as a platform to send a message against police brutality.By Royce De Leon

Image from: www.bellevueathletics.org

Page 10 February/March 2016Arts & Culture

By Noah Chamberlain

Skateboarding Creates Positivity in Paterson When I first started going to school in Pa-terson, I was both nervous and excited. I didn’t know anybody and drove an hour away from my hometown of West Milford. I never had any reason to come down to Paterson but now my friends and I do. As any skateboarder thinks, I was excit-ed to go to a new area because of the possibility of new skate spots. West Milford is a fairly rural area compared to most of North Jersey. At first I was petrified at all the bums and loudmouths that I wasn’t accustomed to in West Mil-ford. In one of my classes in my first semester at PCCC I noticed there was a student that rode his skateboard to school. Skateboarding creates an unspoken language like no other activity and we quickly became friends. Darius Sample, 21, majors in physical science at PCCC. He lives in Paterson and has his whole life. Sam-ple brought me skating and I was quickly a part of a crew of around 20 skaters. At first I was intimidated because I was the only white one, but most of them were more excited to meet me than I would have ever expected. “Skateboarding has impacted my life by teach-ing me life lessons like pa-tience, knowing your limits and breaking those limits – which result in the best feeling imaginable. Primarily, skateboarding has impacted my life by meeting new people I would never have gotten to know otherwise because of skateboarding,” Sample said. “Skateboarding also grants me relief from any stress I have in my life. Whenever I’m on my board nothing else matters.” Sample also said skateboarding has created opportuni-ties within Paterson. Sample is now a sponsored skateboarder by Underground Skate shop. “It’s the best feeling having people have your back when you’re doing your thing and having fun,” Sample said. Marques Johnson, 19, majors in liberal arts at PCCC, is a friend I met through Sample. “Skateboarding has taken me away from all the

negative influences I’m surrounded by growing up in Paterson,” Johnson said. So far every skateboarder I’ve met in Pa-terson are more hyped on skateboarding then the people I usually skate with. These skaters skate every day, even with these brutal windy winter days. I’m also surprised how when we arrive to a skate spot everyone skates it. There’s certain days where I wouldn’t want to try to jump a set of stairs and I’ll be the only one sitting down

watching 20 kids slamming and getting right back up. The urban landscape of downtown Pater-son has a collection of different skate spots which makes me excited to come to school because I can link up with my new friends and skate after class. Paterson has also given me exposure to an inner city environment. Paterson surely has given me perspective to see the struggles of growing up in a low income area and has made me much more grateful having the lifestyle I have. Kohl Donnelly, 20, is a student a William Paterson University majoring in graphic design. Donnelly is from West Milford and was nervous

to skate in Paterson at first. “I didn’t know what to expect because all I’ve heard about Paterson has been negative,” Donnelly said. “Skating in Paterson is great because you’re surrounded by so many kids skating and it seems like that’s all they want to do in a place where they could be doing much worse things,” Donnelly said. “Skateboarding has made me more tough and independent and I see that in all of these kids,” Donnelly added.

Brian Woodard, 19, is an environmental science major at Ramapo College. Woodard’s parents are from Midland Park which is a few towns over and it took some convincing for them to allow their son to go skate in Pater-son. “There isn’t much posi-tivity surrounding the town. I give the skateboarders from there a lot of credit because they are so infatuated with skateboarding that they don’t want to bother with any ille-gal business,” Woodard said. Darwin Espinal, 21, is a graphic design major at PCCC from Paterson. “Skate-boarding has greatly impacted my life by making me more active and enabling me to make the best out of the area I live in,” Espinal said. “Skate-boarders can be great role

models and steer kids away from getting involved with the wrong crowds.” Kevin Barthold, 20, is a student at William Pa-

terson from West Milford majoring in graphic design. “Skateboarding opens up your perspec-tive to seeing things in a different way. A simple ledge can entertain you for hours where other-wise would just be a place for someone to sit,” Barthold said. “As far as skateboarding in Paterson goes it can get a little sketchy sometimes but there’s always a crowd of skaters at the spot. Downtown is great because all the skate spots are condensed within a few blocks. I wouldn’t have any other reason to be in Paterson other than to go skate,” Barthold said.

“Skateboarding is the perfect distraction from all of Paterson’s negative distractions.”

Page 11 February/March 2016Arts & Culture/Opinion

By Hampton Humber

Boy do we love sports. It is so beloved that here in the US we have entirely different channels dedicated to them, like ESPN, NBA TV, NFL Network, and so on. According to a sample poll of nineteen students asking what their fa-vorite sport is- six chose basketball, four picked soccer, baseball and football tied at three, while two do not watch sports, and one picked fencing. The real question isn’t what someone’s favor-ite sport is but why we choose to play it, what makes us watch, and why sports are so important to our society? According to TrueSport, studies have shown that we start playing sports as kids because it is fun. To continue more recent studies show that sports are played to improve skills and to have positive interactions with peers. Sports are also played for child devel-opment. Sports can help young children when it comes to developing motor skills, teamwork, discipline, and sportsmanship. According to TrueSport, “Sports can be a critical aspect of childhood development if taught, organized, managed, and led in a manner consistent with sound developmental principles.” Sports included with childhood develop-ment and plain fun is a good motivator. When athletes play on teams for one common goal of winning a game or sometimes a championship it pushes them to play harder. But sports aren’t always played in order to enjoy it. Sometimes people like to relax for a couple hours to watch a game of football or bas-ketball. According to Sports.Mic the reason we watch sports are for three specific reasons- we feel dominate, we feel pleasure, and it feels like we are playing. According to ASAPScience, "After watching your team win, levels of testosterone skyrocket, especially compared to experiencing

a loss." To those who follow teams that win often it is common to feel like a winner yourself when a team you love wins all the time. Sometimes people need that feeling in their lives especially when other moments in their lives aren’t poten-tially great.

When our team wins a wave of dopamine gives us overwhelming pleasure that can make people feel good for a whole day, to weeks, to months. The pleasure we experience when we watch our favorite team or athlete is a feeling that most will never forget and it affects us daily. According to ASAPScience, “We're looking to recreate the physiological excitement [we] can't seem to forget" from big team wins.” Do you notice that at any time when we watch sports it sometimes feel like where right there on the field with the players while in ac-tuality we just sitting down watching a screen? According to Sports.Mic, “Cells in the brain called mirror neurons activate when sports fans watch games. Mirror neurons help people under-stand the actions of others and allow people to put themselves "into another's shoes" — in other words, to feel empathy.” That is why when you might talk to a sports fan when referring to their favorite team they might say “we won.” Sports allows us to be part of a bigger community even if you’re not physically playing on the team. The fact that anyone can be welcomed to join no matter the team or sport is the nature of sports itself. We now know why people play sports and why people love to watch sports but what is it about sports that makes it so popular not just in the U.S. but around the world? Why are sports

and the athletes who play in them professionally so beloved? The answer-because it is fun. Mellanice McFarlane, 24, English ma-jor said, “My favorite sport is football- I love to watch it I love it play it is just so much fun.” Anthony Sanchez, 26, Graphic Design

major said, “My favorite sport is baseball. I played it when I was little and it was pretty fun.” Darian Dominguez, 20, Graphic Design major said,

“I like soccer. My family grew up watching soc-cer and I played it a little when I was a kid. It was fun.” Jenn Fico, 21, English major said, “I love basketball. Playing it is fun and great and I love to watch it anytime I get the chance.” David Lamarr, 20, undecided said, “I re-ally enjoy playing soccer. It is a good fun work-out and a good way to learn teamwork and trust.” Trey Barns, 20, undecided said, “Bas-ketball, I grew up in a sports family and what I loved to do was shoot baskets and dribble the ball. From the beginning of touching a ball I be-came more fond of it by the second.” The key word to sports and just about each person said was “fun.” Sports are fun that is why people want to play and that why people watch. It’s the reason why sports is just an im-portant part of our society. Sports bring people together from all cor-ners of the world. It is the reason why we have so many channels dedicated to them and the reason so many people watch and play it. Sports allows us to find ourselves no matter if we’re playing or watching. It like what Vince Lombardi said, “It’s not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get up.”

Sports: More than Just a Game

“From the beginning of touching a ball I became more fond of it by the second.”

– Trey Barnes

Throughout the school se-mester, students come and go from class to class - later asking them-selves, what happened. They failed a class for being too distracted and blame the professors. The real reason to why stu-dents at the end of every semester fail is because students are usual-ly on their phone and not paying attention. Many students at Pas-saic County Community College (PCCC) see that multitasking and learning as a challenge. “When I’m in class, I do see many of my classmates go on their phones and scroll through their own social media,” said Ortiz. Sandra Ortiz, a 20-year-old, Psychology major at PCCC, sees

a downside on multitasking and learning. While you are on any so-cial media, not only can it be a dis-traction, it can make you lose time that you can use to do important school work and learn. “My study habits depend on how much free time I have avail-able,” she said. “I try to study or do my work in between classes, before heading to my job, and leaving my job.” Ortiz said, social media, or any other form of digital activity, effects others in classrooms in ways that they won’t pay attention in class or to the professor. Any kind of notification or vibration from their phone can cause anyone to lose focus.

Ortiz also said, any digital activities or social media is a dis-traction because cer-tain people rather go through their phones instead of taking an hour or so to get ed-ucated and it can be a problem. Another Passaic

County Community College stu-dent, Kalvin Hernandez, a 20-year-old, major in Teacher Education stated, “there is no distraction be-cause if there was, I wouldn’t join a group.” He sees it all the time and can’t truly say there is a downside or upside to it. Hernandez said, there are al-ways advantages and disadvantages in trying to multitask and learn. “I think multitasking hap-pens every day, not just at a certain time,” said De La Cruz. Erika De La Cruz, a 22-year-old, Business major at Westchester Community College, and a Certi-fied Nail Technician believes in the fact that it does indeed affect others. Digital media is nothing else but trash, she said. De La Cruz said, the last time I was in school, I had a good study habits and when I had time to myself, I did school work even during work or at home. De La Cruz believes it is a downside because it distracts you from your own homework and or studies. Students really wouldn’t know what they are learning. Me-

dia is just garbage when it comes to learning, she said. Shayla Reyes, an 18-year-old, Accounting major at Mont-clair State University stated, I see a downside to this because although college students may not realize it, social media is very distracting while trying to complete school work or trying to pay attention in class. Reyes also said, as well as not concentrating on my task, if I have my phone on and “multitask” I take longer to do my main task. “I personally turn my phone off while I’m studying because if I have my phone on and close to me, I’ll feel the need to pick it up and just scroll through Facebook,” said Reyes. Reyes, although, believes that everyone is different when it comes to multitasking and learn-ing. Therefore, there are some peo-ple who can do school work and be on social media while others don’t have that ability.

Is Multitasking and Learning a Distraction to Students?By Sixto Gaspar

Image from: www.creativitypost.com

Page 12 February/March 2016Opinion

General Neutral Bathrooms: Worth It? Going to the bathroom: everyone does it, but no one thinks about it. However there is a demographic that struggles with using pub-lic restrooms every day. Transgender and gen-der non-conforming people often must choose between using a bathroom that does not match their gender identity or risk being assaulted or harassed in the bathroom that does match their identity. To be transgender means to go beyond the gender one was assigned at birth. Most don’t know that there is a word for people who are not transgen-der. To be cisgender is defined as ac-cepting and identifying with the gender one was assigned at birth. However some individuals find that their identity does not match with the one given to them at birth which opens up a Pandora’s box of struggles such as deciding which bathroom to use. For some transgender people having to choose between the men’s and women’s room is a lose-lose sce-nario because they do not identify as either a man or a woman. Silas Julian, a 20 year old design major, identifies as agender. “…gender isn’t innate or required,” Ju-lian says, “it can be a choice and it’s a choice I have decided to not make at all.” However while Julian is more comfortable with their identity it does leave them with the issue of which bath-room to use in public. “I always try to find a family restroom because I get stared at no matter which bathroom I use.” Julian went on to state that they would prefer gender neutral bathrooms because not only would they make going to the bathroom in public accessible to people like them, but that it would create more bathrooms for everyone to use regardless of how they identify. Another agender student, who wished to remain anonymous, is a 23 year old communica-

tions major. They too dislike having to choose between the men’s and women’s restrooms. “I’ve gotten yelled at in both and men act threat-ening in men’s bathrooms,” says the student. “I’d rather risk a bladder infection.” They are for gender neutral bathrooms and believes they’d be a safe place for transgen-der and gender non-conforming students. When

asked about whether or not gender neutral bath-rooms would be safe for everyone they stated, “It depends. I think no public space is 100% safe. And that women – especially trans women – are at risk for violence when it comes to restrooms.” The student went on to say, “But gender neutral bathrooms are not the issue. The problem is rape culture and cissexism.” Another student, Kira Abrams, also believed that gender neutral bathrooms wouldn’t be anymore dangerous than anywhere else. “That could literally apply to any place where two people could be alone,” said Abrams, a 20 year old psychology major. Abrams also believes that gender neutral bathrooms need to be executed properly. “I like my privacy. Sometimes I try to go to the bathroom if I’m about to cry and

I end up going to my advisor’s office instead,” said Abrams jokingly. “I identify as cis but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a need for gender neu-tral bathrooms.” Abrams feels safe using the women’s room but has many transgender friends who sim-ply wait until they are at home to relieve them-selves.

Nick Hawrylko, a 20 year old part-time student, agrees that gender neutral bathrooms would be ideal. He identifies as a gender non-con-forming boy. When asked to elabo-rate on his identity he stated: “I was assigned female at birth but even-tually came to the conclusion that I don’t feel like a girl. I now identify and present as a boy, but I also don’t let that word define me.” He prefers using gender neutral bathrooms in public but will settle for the men’s room. However he states that he still struggles with how other’s perceive him because of the restroom he chooses to use. “I have

to choose whether people will view me as a girl or a boy when I feel that

is no one else’s business.” When asked about how to find gender neutral bathrooms, Hawrylko said that asking other transgender people is the easiest way to find restrooms. However if one isn’t comfort-able or doesn’t know anyone else that is trans-gender then asking about a family bathroom is the next best thing. Although, much to Hawry-lko’s chagrin, these bathrooms can be gendered as well. While there are some concerns it is clear that students aren’t opposed to gender neutral bathrooms. In fact the majority were for them and everyone agreed – transgender or not – that they were a necessity to ensure the welfare of transgender students.

English language. Professor John Agleo, of the University of Georgia studied the evolu-tion of American English versus British English, and found that in many ways, American English is more conservative- that is closer to the original English- than British English. This is due to the kinds of people who originally immi-grated- very conservative pilgrims. Yet the way our English differs from British English is the slang. We freely create verbs, and add endings to pre-existing words liberally. In reality- there is nothing wrong with this, English was meant to be spoken this way. It was a very creative, expressive language, structured to evolve with the patterns of daily speech within the culture. Nei-ther the American nor the British way is right or wrong. So the question stands. Where does our English competence become problematic? Is it the way we teach it? Is it not emphasized enough? Feel free to chime in with your thoughts at news@pccc.edu.

Why Can't the English Learn to Speak?(Continued from page 1)

“I’d rather risk a bladder infection.”

By Jordan Chase

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