VISIONSVolume XLVI

October 2015

October 2015

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The Student Newspaper of Passaic County Community College, Paterson, NJ

Domestic violence is no longer an issue that is just talked about in hush whispers behind closed doors. This issue is making its way into the spotlight both literally and metaphorically. On Thursday, Sept. 24, notable figures from the community gathered in the Passaic County Community College Theater for a presentation called “What Happens After She Leaves?” in which a panel of people affected by or involved with the dealings of domestic violence gathered to talk about the consequences that such an act have on women and children today. Domestic violence is penetrating mainstream media’s limelight. Several years ago, Rihanna’s battered features were stamped across all mediums of the press after being assaulted by her then boyfriend, Chris Brown. This is an example of domestic violence in which has seen the light of day, unlike

many cases where the situation is often never addressed. One of the presenters in attendance at the event was Carol Maraj,

founder of the Carol Maraj Foundation, domestic violence survivor, and mother to hip hop artist Nicki Minaj. Maraj stated in her opening remarks that the fear of starting over is what often prevented her from leaving her batter. “Nicki would always wonder if she would come home and find her mother dead … [but] those days are long gone for me,” stated Maraj’s. With the Carol Maraj Foundation, she hopes that “young men and women may change their generation in their daily lives by demonstrating the true value of human life.” Following Maraj’s opening remarks was the panel of advocates for putting a stop to domestic violence. Moderating the panel was

WCBS News Anchor, Levon Putney. Putney asked the panelist a variety of questions ranging from the root of domestic violence to the validity of

Domesticity No Longer DocileBy: Naftaly Hiraldo

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On Saturday, September 12, Phi Theta Kappa sponsored a Day of Service at Paterson Public School #25 located at 287 Trenton Ave. Many clubs, organizations, and some public figures participated to help build a new playground at the school. At 8 a.m., everyone arrived to see nothing more than playground equipment scattered across the field. Everyone was assigned a different task depending on what sticker they had on their nametag. Each group helped build the playground with already available tools and machinery for a total of 6 hours. Some of the clubs and organizations that volunteered that day were PCCC’s Human Services Club, Student Government Association, AESNJ, PTK, and Visions Newspaper staff. Some public figures included City Councilman Andre Sayegh and Congressman Bill Pascrell. There were over 200 hundred passionate volunteers. Most involv-

ing Chirag Patel, CEO of Amneal Pharmaceutical – which is a multi-national company whose headquarters is located in Bridgewater New Jersey, brought along 110 volunteers. All who volunteered were given a shirt from Kaboom! who host-ed this event. Kaboom! is a nationwide, non-profit organization that is dedicated in helping communities build playgrounds for children. Ka-boom! was founded in 1996. They served more than 7.4 million children and helped build, open, and improve 16,300 playgrounds. For nearly six years, Public School #25 did not have a playground for their children. With the help of the community and PCCC students, they can now enjoy one for years to come.

Phi Theta Kappa Sponsors Playground Building ProjectBy: Brian Gomez

P C C C ’ s

News

FeaturesGame of Life Flier

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In this Issue...................................

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Sudoku Puzzle

Relaxion Techiques

Page 2 News

Editor-in-ChiefNaftaly Hiraldo

Managing Editor Jenice Brown

Production EditorTanisha McKinnon

Faculty AdvisorChristine Redman-Waldeyer

Layout Editing ManagerBrian Gomez

Layout AssissantJanCarlos GutierrezNaftaly Hiraldo

ReportersNaftaly HiraldoBrian GomezJanCarlos GutierrezFaison PetersThomas FelicianoJenice Brown

Contributing WritersMohammad HoqueJosias I. FraserAlysarah Adorno DeJesus

Contact us at:news@pccc.edu

Awareness of Latino Heritage Month This fall, PCCC held their annual Latino Heritage Month in the Paterson Room on Sept. 16, 2015. This event was meant to honor and celebrate Latin American heritage as well as Latin American students at PCCC. Many different types of Latin dishes were served, giving students at PCCC a taste of Latin culture. Such foods included white rice with black beans, baked chicken, and empanadas with cheese, chicken, and beef in-side. There were also drinks like Jarritos, Country Club, Inca Kola, and Coco Rico. A few PCCC students read some poetry written by famous Latin American peo-ple, such as Pablo Naruda, Sandra Cisneros, and Julia Al-varez. Rebecca Hefelfinger, president of the Real Artistic Writers Club, read 5 differ-ent poems from Pablo Naru-da. These poems spoke about Pablo’s culture from Chile. “I find his poems very elo-quent and very well written,” Hefelfinger said. Some of PCCC’s very own Latin American students like Helelfinger and Miguel De Jesus, the president of Phi Theta Kappa, read some of their own original poetry. De Jesus wrote poems about equality and the great Latino figures that came from Paterson. “I just wanted to show that Paterson is a great melting pot; many races and cultures [that] live here should all be celebrat-ed,” De Jesus expressed. “I chose to be a part of Latino Heritage Month because I am of

Latino decent, half Puerto Rican, and I just feel like our voices need to be heard more,” De Jesus said. “I know that the majority of the students at PCCC are Latino, and we only have this one-month to celebrate our heri-tage. Most countries have their Independence Day on different times over the summer; this is really the only month we have to celebrate our heritage and our different cultures in the Latino community.” Hefelfinger wrote a poem about a bright time in her young life. In the poem her mother becomes ill, causing the narrator’s life to become darker than it once was. “I think this event is very important because there are many His-panic students at our school; so it’s important to have an awareness of this heritage at our school,” Hefelfinger said. The students had very positive reactions about this event. “I would attend this event again because they celebrated the accomplishments that my Latino community has achieved,” Chema Jassaw said. “The part that stood out the most was the delicious food.”

By: JanCarlos Gutierrez

Miguel De Jesus, PTK President

Constitution Day or rather Citizenship Day is held on Sept. 17th every year. It is an American federal observance that recognizes the adop-tion of the United States Constitution and those who have become U.S. citizens. The Paterson room of our campus was decorated for the occasion and even had a lunch spread set up. Unfortunately, the turnout was not as expected. “I don’t get it, we have these events and no one shows up,” said Director of Student Activities, Maria Marte. “It’s not like students don’t know about it. We sent out emails to all students; we have flyers posted all over campus we had people passing out flyers this morning. “It shouldn’t be this empty.” Unbeknownst to the Director Marte, due to a flyer misprint, most didn’t know when the event would take place. “I did not know something was going on today.” Shadaisa McGriff, a sophomore at PCCC stated. Like most of her surroundings at school, McGriff ignored the posters advertising the event. Mcgriff noted that typically her main focus would be to go to class, do what she had to do, then go home. “I’m usually just focused on my next move … not trying to hang around like everyone else.” Although the attendance didn’t meet high expectations, Dr. Mar-tha Brozyna, a history instructor at PCCC and the speaker of the event, explained with great enthusiasm the Tug-of-War between Federal and State Lawmakers. She informed the audience the importance of voting, tuning into the world around us, and to not just turn a blind eye but get involved. When the event was over, students’ Limya Salman and her son Hanny Salman approached Dr. Brozyna. They wanted her information be-cause they deeply enjoyed the event and everything she had to say.

Salman only heard about the event right before it started, but was glad she showed up because she learned about a lot of stuff that she had not known before. Although there was little in attendance, the event was not a bust; the few who were there did take away something from the event and learned a lot while having a little fun.

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Club Fair at PCCC On Sept. 10, Passaic County Community College had their annual Club Fair, which took place in the Paterson Room. This event gives a chance for students to get involved in campus life and encourage them to be part of the community. With a variety of different clubs to choose from, students will find it rather easy to find a club that best suits them.

By: JanCarlos Gutierrez

Constitution Day is RelevantPCCC Student Body Should Be More InterestedBy: Jenice Brown

American Sign Language Club

Nursing Student Organization

For more information about each club and organization at PCCC, please visit: http://pccc.edu/student-activities

Page 4 News

Domestic Violence the system that deals with the families after the victim leaves the batter. Among the panelists was Richard Pompelio, Esq., a crime victim lawyer and founder of the New Jersey Crime Victims’ Law Center, which does pro-bono representation of victims in the criminal justice system. Having often dealt with victims of domestic violence, Pompelio had much to say about the legal system and those who oversee and/or are a part of the judicial proceedings for domestic violence cases.

“Unless you have a pro-bono system in place you’re going to find that too many people who need lawyers can’t afford them.” He goes on to describe how these cases are usually taken to family court where they are dragged out. When asked whether if it was the legal system or the people using the system that are messed up, Pompelio replied by quoting President Ronald Reagan, “Somewhere along the way the system began to serve the lawyers and judges and defendants; treating the victims with institutionalized disinterest.” Lundy Bancroft, internationally recognized domestic violence expert and author to the best-selling book Why He Does That? and prizewinner The Batterer as Parent, shares Pompelio’s views on the legal system but also finds that individuals are taking advantage of the system. In criminal court, the defendant and the plaintiff have lawyers to

fight their case, whereas in family court, there are no lawyers to present your case for you. Both parties are responsible for presenting their own evidence to the judge who makes the final decision without the use of a jury. Typically this decision is centered on trying to maintain the unification of the family, despite the consequences this could have on not only the victim, but also the children involved as well. Patrice Lenowitz, a domestic violence survivor – as both a child and an adult – and founder of the Nurtured Parent support group which co-sponsored the presentation commented that “to keep a family together you’re causing the child to get sick ... you’re causing them long-term health care problems for the rest of their lives.” “That’s what happens after she leaves. She goes to family court and she’s bankrupted, [she] cannot protect her children, [she] cannot provide, she cannot function, because the system is forcing this unit to stay together,” said Lenowitz. As the presentation unfolded, several thought provoking questions arose: one of which being “What’s at the root of Domestic Violence?” Barry Goldstein, domestic violence speaker, author and Director of Research for the Stop Abuse Campaign, said that “domestic violence is pattern of coercive and controlling tactics, which mostly men use, to maintain power and control over their partners … what’s needed for abusers is accountability.” Goldstein’s response elicited discussion on the differences between assault charges for partners and assault charges for strangers. It was mentioned that despite both cases being assault, only one of the cases would go to criminal court, that being the case with the stranger. “Why do we lose our rights if it was a boyfriend, husband, or constituent,” said Lenowitz. In an effort, to combat such a thing, Passaic County Community College has received a grant of $299,644 to be split over 3 years for a program that will work towards ending partner violence in colleges. The grant would allow the school to hire 3 project coordinators to assist with the program at each PCCC campus. The program would train in awareness and prevention of domestic violence, and is set to begin October 1st, just in time for Domestic Violence Awareness month.

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By: Naftaly Hiraldo

In honor of Latin American Heritage Month, the Lions Club host-ed Taste of Latin America at the Passaic Academic Center. The event fea-tured signature dishes and beverages from various parts of Latin Amer-ica, a presentation on the Lions Club, and a reading of the Proclamation of Hispanic Heritage Month by the Vice President of PAC, Josephine Hernandez. When asked about the significance of the event, Patricia Me-deiros, Coordinator of Enrollment Services at PAC, said that “it brings people from all over together ... we want them to see our heritage, our food, and our culture.”

Aside from the great food served throughout the event, students were told about the importance of being Latino. Lizbeth Marinez, Lions Club President, commented, “In [the United States] there’s so many [Latinos], and we have to unite with one another in order to have that voice in our country.” “The universal language with every country is food ...What better way to get [a] perspective on someone else’s culture, then through food,” says Marinez.

Cuisine Culture

Panelists:(from left to right) Levon Putney, Patrice Lenowitz, Richard Pompelio, Esq, Barry Goldstein, Lundy Bancroft

Page 5 News

On Jan. 24, PCCC held its first annual Wellness Kickoff. The event, which was geared towards helping students reduce stress caused by daily responsibilities, featured questions that a panel of four had to answer among several students. The panel, which consisted of stu-dents involved in different clubs within PCCC, gave advice on an array of questions, including tips on how to balance their involvement with school and heavy course loads. “I’ve learned to say no to attend some events because school is my top priority,” said Michelle Hernandez. Hernandez, who is the President of the Human Services Club, says she has a planner that she lives by which keeps her up to date on upcoming events at PCCC. “I look online to see what events are being offered around the campus, that way I can schedule my classes around them. Afterwards, I list every-thing in my planner,” Hernandez added. Students Kenya Torres, Secretary of the RAW Club, and Sahony Caba, President of the Student Programming Committee, gave their input on the question as well. “I base everything around my school schedule, that way I don’t overwhelm myself by trying to do too much,” said Caba. “I keep a calendar handy and when I don’t have it, I uti-lize my iPhone where I write everything down. All students should take advantage of technolo-gy,” Caba disclosed. In agreeance with both Caba and Her-

nandez’s tactics, Torres expressed her thoughts on how to maintain balance. “For me, I quickly realized that I had to look at things in terms of order of importance. Hands down that order is class, work, and then activities. Students should also set goals for themselves and be aware of their timing,” said Torres. Responsibilities outside of the class-room force students to study at different time-frames. Hernandez says she knows all about this since her days are usually jammed with fulfilling duties. “Sometimes it is really difficult for me. I am a mother, I work full-time, and I am a full-time student. I study a lot at work and don’t re-ally get that much time to study at home unless it is at night. I also study in the library, prefer-ably for four hours. I know they say it’s not a good thing to study for so long but that method works best for me personally,” said Hernandez jokingly. In regards to dealing with difficult class-es due to subject matter or a professor’s teach-ing style, the panel had much to say, including Miguel De Jesus who is the president of Phi Theta Kappa. “I live by the syllabus,” said De Je-sus. “I staple mine to my notebook that way if something is not easy to grasp, I just refer back to it. I read the chapters and highlight the most important things. For me, I have no

problem teaching myself coursework that I do not understand, but if I find it difficult to fol-low an instructor’s teaching style, I speak to that instructor directly as well. Who knows, me talking to he/she may help another student who is having the same struggle.” Utilizing one of the school’s biggest resources – the tutoring lab – is key to Torres whenever she struggles with coursework. “I spend an extensive amount of time in the tutoring lab. I used to think people would laugh at me if I went but ever since I entered college, I recognized its importance,” said Tor-res. The event closed with a final question regarding tips on how to avoid procrastination, in which collectively, all four members of the panel pleaded students should prevent doing. “It is going to be your worst enemy and will not get you far. If you can get out of the habit now, then you will be set for university life,” said Hernandez. Following the Wellness Kickoff event was a seminar in which Professor D’Arcangelo offered students some relaxation techniques. Due to the success of the Wellness Kickoff, the Human Services department plans on arranging one for next year as well.

Reducing Stress: 2015 Wellness Kickoff By: Faison Peters

Human Services Club

Professor Michael D’Arcangelo and Jimena Nunez

Page 6 News

Many students are unaware of the Hamilton Club and what purpose it serves Passaic County Community College. Among other things, the historic building is home to PCCC’s Poetry Center, run by the esteemed Dr. Maria Mazziotti Gillan. The Poetry Center gives poets a chance to learn their craft in the presence of successful writers via work-shops and readings. One such reading took place on Saturday, Oct. 3 at 1 p.m. This reading, the first of the season, featured such honored poets as Dr. Edward Hirsch and Gerald Stern. In the midst of a supposed hurricane, the Saturday afternoon in Paterson was chilly and gray. This did not deter the turnout, however, as there were several dozen guests in attendance to share in the love of poetry. Before the event began, there was a brief introduction to Dr. Gillan done by the audio/visual coordinator. He spoke about his 30 year involvement with the Center and how he’d seen faces age and ripen with the seasons. Next, Dr. Gillan hit the podium to give the attendees a brief rundown of the day’s schedule. Dr. Gillan introduced herself as the head of the Poetry Center. She broke the silence with jokes about her inability to read the notes she’d written. She then introduced Dr. Hirsch, who replaced her at the podium for the start of his reading. She informed the audience of his acclaim and recognition, including the Pablo Naruda Award for poets. Dr. Hirsch began with a joke about how difficult it would be for him to follow such a powerful introduction. He asked the audience not to be disappointed if he doesn’t live up to the list of awards read off by Dr. Gillan. He then spoke about his relationship with Stern. Stern was one of his early mentors who not only taught him about the art of poetry, but also education and how to get the most from his students. Reading for about 30 minutes, the poems of Dr. Hirsch ran the gamut from hu-mor-filled remembrances to teary-eyed soliloquies, ending with poems about his own relationship with God. The majority of his reading came from his 2014 book titled “Gabriel: A Poem.” This poem in book form is an elegy to Dr. Hirsch’s dead son. Going through various selections, he gave the audience insight into his son’s life and also how the author dealt with the loss. The New York Times called the book “a masterpiece of sorrow.” That is not to say humor is lost on the work. Several of the selections were vibrant and humorous introspections into real situations and interactions.The last few poems spoke to the poet’s despair and quest to find his Mak-er. A topic not uncommon in times of severe trauma. After a sounding applause, Dr. Gillan once again rose to the podi-um to introduce the next reader. Stern was once the Poet Laurette of New Jersey, so it stands to reason that his career was closely watched by the poets of the Greater New York Area. Stern’s approach on stage was slow and calculated. Now in his 90th year, the great poet can no longer move freely on his own accord. As

he fumbled through his shoulder bag to produce the books from which he’d read, Stern informed the audience that his readings would come from his last three books, two published and one recently submitted to his editor. The seasoned poet filled the air with his nostalgia and good hu-mor. He took the crowd to Chicago, Iowa, Paris, Pennsylvania, and back home to New Jersey. The most memorable piece told the story of an older time when the signs above a store read such ignorance as: “No Dogs or Jews Allowed.” He joked, “I could understand the second part, but who dislikes dogs?” The poem ridiculed those who disfavor dogs, claiming they lack compassion. Another powerful poem recalled a relationship with his former colleague and close friend, America’s leading Russian translator. The audience also sat with Stern on the bench of his local Methodist church in search for inspiration in the beauty of nature. Stern’s reading lasted about 40 minutes. After which, the audience dis-persed for snacks and to take part in a book signing with the two poets. An open reading for all concluded the evening. If one claims poetry is a lost art, it is sure they have not entered the Hamilton Building at PCCC. Dr. Gillan is dedicated to keeping the love of poetry alive in Paterson.

Stay tuned for upcoming events at the Poetry Center, open to all PCCC students.

Poets Hirsch and Stern at PCCCBy: Thomas Feliciano

Dr. Maria Mazziotti Gillan, Director of the Poetry Center

Page 7 Game of Life Flier

Page 8 Features

By: Josias I. Fraser

(Continue Reading on Page 9)

Time to answer a wide-known issue: boring lectures! College stu-dents all over can’t stand them! Five minutes in, and they’re already on their phones dying to leave. So, as a school committed to student success, how do we address this problem? The most popular type of class many college students tend to take is a lecture class. In those classes, students take a more passive role by sitting and listening to the professor as he or she puts information they deem relevant to the student’s learning up on the board, or speaks it to the class for them to write down. How interesting is that? “It happens almost every day. When I walk in, the teacher starts talking, and I instantly start getting bored,” says Miguelangel Rosa, graphic arts major. He and others like him across the college find themselves fighting back snores and yawns, regardless of personal sleeping habits, due to the sheer boredom flowing out of the lecture. Why would he get bored in class, you may ask? Is it monotony? “If there’s no student interaction and the professor is just standing there talking, I instantly stop paying attention,” Rosa says. The same thing car-ries over in his personal life, saying that “interactions with people with no emotion bores me to death.” So, how does he stay focused? How can he glean information from such tediousness? “I try to find areas in the subject matter that catch

my attention and jot that down. Also, I look for areas that I actually get involved in. It also helps that the teacher talks with us and not at us.” From this, we can make the judgment that lec-ture delivery can contribute to reducing boredom. Teachers can be guilty of such monotony in their delivery. “Sometimes I notice that the teacher looks bored, which tunes me out of what they’re saying. No

emotion, no benefit for me,” Rosa notes. This is a common trait among a lot of students; we not being engaged leads to boredom and lack of enthusiasm. “I get bored more when the class lacks hands-on learning,” says Jordyn Davey, physics major. “If the professor is just standing in one place talking, I zone out.” This plays into the monotony that Rosa brought up earlier. “I like to actively be engaged in class, doing things to get me involved in what’s being taught.” For some students, the issue could be internal rather than external. Davey explains this from her perspective, saying “my lack of attention

in class actually comes mostly from chronic anxiety, depression, and ADHD. It’s just hard for me to sit and focus on one thing without want-ing to tune out.” How does someone with a disability combat the inevitable urge to zone out? Perhaps a seating change, like Davey suggests. “I change my seat in classes where I know I’m going to get bored—it opens up an opportunity to be more active, as professors’ call on the people who look alive.” Davey also agrees with Rosa’s earlier statement, where “opportu-nities for hands-on learning make for more interesting classes.” At times, the lectures could grow stale entirely based upon the materials used. Pahola Cordero-Sime, music technology major, explains this saying that she “gets very bored when the professor just talks right out of the textbook. It’s so hard to focus because it even sounds boring!” Oftentimes lectures follow that pattern, but it can contribute to boredom.Talking out of the textbook again ties back into lack of emotion and en-gagement in students. Cordero-Sime agrees, voicing her discontent with that class dynamic. “Sometimes you can just hear the boredom in their voices. If you’re bored, why should I listen?” Even some teachers notice the lectures getting stale at times. Professor James Wallace, an instructor at Passaic County Community College’s CIS 101 course, says “When I taught face to face, I did notice the blank stares and the sideway glances at the clock, doing anything to

College 101: Staying Sharp in Stale leCtureS

“It happens almost every day. When I walk in, the teacher starts talking, and I instantly start

getting bored”

image from:http://www.misslanna.com/2015/05/16/boredom-inspiration/

Page 9 Features(Continued From Page 8) get out of the class quicker.” Professor Wallace understands where the students are coming from, noticing that “A good deal of lectures that I saw over the years were of just professors standing and talking at their students and over half looked like they were asleep already.” He claims it could have been the times the classes were held, but actually it more points to the lec-ture material. Interestingly, Wallace polled his students on how they wanted to be lectured; they chose the standard “I talk, you listen” dynamic in favor of more hands-on learning or more interactive lessons. “It’s the strang-est thing,” Wallace notes, “that students claim to be bored in a standard lecture, yet when they’re offered more hands-on ap-proaches, they turn them down.” Well, if this is the case, how do you win? How do teach-ers make lectures more interesting? Professor of Sociology and Academic Coordinator of the Gateway Center of Aca-demic Achievement Doreen Pierce suggests chewing minty gum or something fresh, or

even doodling helps stay focused. “I’ve observed that giving the mind a break or two during lectures actually helps improve concentration, even if it looks like the students aren’t paying attention,” Pierce said. As long as it’s not constant, and incredi-bly distracting, like a cell phone. So students, what have we learned? Boredom strikes us all! It’s a commonplace thing, but that’s not to say it doesn’t have its ways to overcome. Some people have disabil-ities to contribute to zoning out, some can’t stand monotony, and some just die when the teachers talk out of the book. What do you do? Follow the advisements of the stu-dents interviewed—find an area of the sub-ject matter that appeals to you. If you can’t, actively engage in the professor’s teaching, move yourself, do something to keep your energy up. If you must, distract yourself, but only for a little while. Boredom hits us all, but it’s not im-possible! “Stay Sharp, and no falling asleep in class!”

Hoffmann’s HospitalityBy: Naftaly Hiraldo

Although we are well into the school year, there are several students who are still con-tent from their summer break. Among the aforementioned story tellers is Burcu Hoffmann, Business Administration major – Hospitality Management option, at Pas-saic County Community College. Following her school-issued summer internship, Hoffmann was able to attain a full time position at the Hil-ton Hotel in Hasbrouck Heights. When asked about how she initially got involved with the internship, Hoffmann said that she heard about it in her Sanitation and Safety class with Professor James Alan, who is also the coordinator of the internship program. Unlike some of the other internships offered at PCCC, which require letters of rec-ommendation, credit requirements, and other academic requirements, the hospitality manage-ment internship requirements are not as exten-sive. All that is needed is the completion of two hospitality courses and one management course. When Hoffmann first arrived at the Hil-ton earlier this summer, she, like most on their first day of work, asked herself “‘how am I going to fit in?’ I kept wondering ‘How are they going to treat me? Would I be able to do this sort of

job?’” However her first day jitters eventually melted away as she grew used to her position. When asked about what she would change about her time spent at the Hilton, Hoffmann responded, “[to] make it longer. One more week would [be great].” The hospitality management internship is a total of 135 hours, approximately 6 weeks. Every week, Hoffmann would work with a different department within the Hilton Hotel to

get a feel of the different aspects that goes into managing a hotel. Hoffmann also said that she would “ab-solutely” recommend the internship to her fel-low PCCC students. “Give it a shot. It gets your foot through the door,” which proved true for

Hoffmann, who was offered a full time position with the hotel. For students interested in participating a hospitality management internship, the business department exclusively operates with Hilton in Hasbrouck Heights as well as the Marriott in Newark. “Internships today are valuable. They are essential today and we are the only ones working with [these hotels],” mentioned chair of the business department, Professor Thomas Cox.

During closeout session at the end of Hoffmann’s time at the Hilton, Professor Cox noticed several things about the relationship between Hoffmann and management at the ho-tel. “They loved her. I distinctly remember one of the managers saying that ‘she was a breath of

fresh air.”’ Professor Cox also mentioned that in order to attain a position where you intern, like Hoffmann did, “you have to prove that you’re invaluable.” When asked about the difference be-tween students with associate degrees in hos-pitality as opposed to students with bachelor degrees in the program, Professor Cox said that “the General Manager at the Hilton was actu-ally more interested in hiring associate degree students rather than baccalaureate, because

Professor Cox also mentioned that in order to attain a position where you intern, like Hoffmann did, “you

have to prove that you’re invaluable”

Burcu Hoffmann, Business Administration Hospitality Option

Page 10 Features

It is common knowledge that one of the most talked about topics when beginning college is the highly notorious freshman 15 – that pesky 15 extra pounds that many students seem to gain due to lack of physical activity and dramatic changes in one’s eating and sleeping habits. According to researchers Heidi J. Wengreen and Cara Moncur, from the department of nutrition and food sciences at Utah State Univer-sity, one out of four college freshmen gain at least 5 percent of their body weight which is an average of 10 pounds during their first semester.But is the crazy talk of the freshmen 15 subconsciously steering students into developing eating disorders? If so, does that apply to the life of

commuter students or just the lives of students residing on a university campus? After much research, there is a common factor among the count-less articles stating that college students in fact are one of the most vul-nerable groups of people to develop eating disorders – overeating and/or under-eating – and body image problems. According to the Nation Institute of Mental Health, 25 percent of all college students struggle from an eating disorder; a 2013 study by the National Eating Disorders Association shows eating disorders have in-creased on college campuses. Leah Cordova, 21, human services major at Kean University believes that “eating disorders are becoming so common because they’re being normalized; allowing for students to become desensitized. I know so many students that are doing things such as binge drinking, binge eat-ing, skipping meals, and/or sleeping off their hunger.” “These kids are doing that all so that they can live the movie screen life of a college student while trying to avoid the notorious fresh-man 15,” said Cordova. The normalization of these non-mainstream eating disorders is the factor that many believe is blindsiding students into a downward spiral. According to National Institute of Mental Health, a large scale survey concluded that male body image concerns have dramatically increased over the past three decades from 15 percent to 43 percent of college men being dissatisfied with their bodies; rates that are comparable to those found in women. Kevin Stevens, 21, athletic training at Kean University feels that “eating disorders go unnoticed in men because people generally look for the symptoms in women instead. Being a guy who’s constantly in the gym and constantly around other guys, you can definitely tell when someone is struggling, but I never thought of calling it out as an eating disorder. Especially because guys hardly talk about losing weight the way girls do.” Stevens also stated that many young men in college are obsessively concerned with gaining weight, causing them to abuse supple-ments and overuse protein mixes. Both Cordova and Stevens had similar views on eating disorders on college campuses, however students at PCCC notably felt otherwise.“Commuter students and resident students are polar opposites. They live in two different worlds and they experience very different things,” said Norma Martinez, 21, early childhood education major. Martinez said that students at PCCC are not really concerned with steering away from the freshmen 15. She believes that students here are more concerned with their commute time between work and school while avoiding traffic and looking for a parking spot while maintaining their personal life outside of school. Martinez goes on to explain how students at commuter schools like PCCC don’t have food plans with unlimited eating the way many

university resident students do. So commuter students aren’t overeating simply because it is too expensive. “I don’t think that colleges like ours deal with too many eating disorders the way universities might. Quite frankly I think that us stu-dents here at PCCC being commuters have too many other things on our plate to be concerned with rather than thinking about our caloric intake or ‘skipping out on meals to go out drinking every night at the local frat houses’,” said Richard Colon, 19, criminal justice major.

For more information on eating disorders effecting colleges visit:

http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/CollegiateSurveyProject

“...college students in fact are one of the most vulnerable groups of people to develop eating disorders –overeating

and/or under-eating – and body image problems...”

A Breeding Ground for Eating DisordersCollege Campuses

By: Alysarah Adorno DeJesus

bachelor students don’t want to get dirty.” “They come in and they expect a corner office, they aren’t neces-sarily willing to do the legwork. We tell our students don’t expect a corner

office. Associate students do the legwork and get their hands dirty. They take the time to work with all there is to offer,” Professor Cox said.

image: https://northwesterndining.wordpress.com/tag/eat-healthy/

(Continued From Page 9)

Page 11 Features

By: Mohammad Hoque

PCCC EOF Program Helps Freshmen’s Get Ahead As a member, I know that EOF starts freshmen students off with a mandatory six week summer program. During this program, students get a head start on two general college course classes – English and math. EOF also provide workshops and informational sessions to help students learn about college obstacles. EOF is a state funded program that pro-vides financial assistance and support services like tutoring and counseling. Most colleges in New Jersey have this program and the students do take advantage of the services they offer. How does this program transition students into college? I asked the students at PCCC to see how this program helps them through their transition in college. “EOF has helped me get a head start in college in the summer, compared to regular stu-dents, which made me advance to composition two in my first semester. Now I can be ahead and graduate on time,” said Evalisse Carrero, 18-year-old freshman. EOF offers support services that are available to students who struggle academically. They offer services like counseling, mentoring, and an EOF lab that gives tutoring in math,

science, English, and more. “The EOF support services do a really good job at what they do. They have helped me learn a lot during the summer program and they are very helpful and available when I need them. They give me that extra motivation,” said Christian Zavaleta, 19-year-old freshman and engineering major. Zavaleta is so good in math that he became a math tutor for the EOF lab as a freshmen. One thing I think all college students go through is paying tuition. “The EOF program is designed for students with low income which means that students receive extra grants from EOF to help pay for school, books, supplies, transportation, and much more,” according to

the NJ Secretary of Higher Education. “This program helps students from educationally and economically disadvantaged backgrounds in New Jersey. It helps me main-tain my 4.0 GPA that I earned over the summer; the extra EOF grants helped me pay for my books,” said Kimberly Ramirez, 17-year-old freshman. Now, the EOF program is not only for freshmen students, it also offers services for

continuing students. “EOF has been my support in college. When I entered college, my math and English skills were poor but with the help of EOF, I have overcome that and now I tutor other students in math,” said Brandon Veal, 22-year-old junior and engineering major. When asked about recommending EOF to anyone who is starting off college, Ramirez stated, “I would recommend the EOF program to anyone who is eligible! It’s such a great op-portunity; students who are eligible should take full advantage of this program. For sure they’ll give you all the support you need through your transition in college.” All these students said they will continue being an EOF student when they transfer to a

four year university so they can continue getting the support they need in college. In conclusion, the EOF program is doing a good job helping college students succeed by offering support services, financial help, and so much more. This program is a great opportunity to get a head start in college.

“The EOF support services do a really good job at what they do. They have helped me learn a lot during the summer program and they are very helpful and available when I need them. They

give me that extra motivation”

Page 12 Editoral

THANK YOU, TRUMPBy:Thomas Feliciano Imagine a world where the President of the United States stands at the podium for his inaugural State of the Union Address. He begins: “My fellow Americans, I’ll make this short and to the point. Immigration, you’re fired. Muslims, you’re fired. Foreign Policy? FIRED!” The above is an example of a hyperbole, sure. Exagger-ation or not, these statements reflect some of Donald Trump’s positions in the current bid for Presidential nomination. The only thing missing are the comments on President Barack Obama’s religion and country of origin. To this day, Trump simply refuses to accept that President Obama is a Christian American. But that’s beside the point. In Trump’s world, he’s speaking the truth. That’s one reason he deserves to be thanked. What Trump has done these past few months is expose the framework of the current American political system; one that relies more on celebrity than on precedent, on perspective more than fact. In a world where $5 billion speaks louder than even the sharpest political diatribe and the number of followers on Twitter is reflective of your worth to society, Trump is the perfect candidate. Who cares if what he says is true? It doesn’t need to be. The goal isn’t to prove to the American populous that he’s the image of Plato’s “Philos-opher King.” The goal is to get people speak-ing. To him, about him, positive, negative; it’s all relative. What matters is that Trump is on the tongue, on the screen, and on the page. He’s not speaking to source-checking, self-sufficient American scholars. He’s preaching to the choir of his niche, a fringe on the outskirts of Amer-ican thought. If the opposition finds him crazy, good. That means they’ll mention his name more than the other candidates. Who else is run-ning, anyway? The GOP is not short of candidates for the Republican nomination in the 2016 Pres-

idential election. Among potentials who’ve entered the race are: Jeb Bush, Dr. Ben Carson, Governor Chris Christie, Senator Ted Cruz, Carly Fiorina, Senator Lindsey Graham, Mike Huckabee, Governor Bobby Jindal, Governor John Kasich, Senator Rand Paul, Senator Marco

Rubio, Rick Santorum, and the aforementioned Donald Trump. Is it a mere happenstance of alphabetical order that Trump is lucky number 13? The most current polls show Trump continues to lead in New Hampshire. Fiorina is closing in at second with Rubio on her heels. The rest of the pack is an open race. Carson, Bush, and Kasich are all making their stand somewhere in the distance. The other candi-dates are mentioned briefly, if it all, and seen even less. Gov. Christie of New Jersey echoed his dissatisfaction on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. On the program, Gov. Christie told the host he wanted to flail his arms in the air to draw attention to himself during a recent debate. Such late night television talk shows have proven important campaigning tools. The serious contenders make the rounds, and Trump is an instant ratings booster for any program. His celebrity status, his pattern for making

ridiculous off-the-cuff remarks, and the overall controversy that surrounds him all guarantee viewers. Stephen Colbert, the former host of the Colbert Report and current host of the Late Show on CBS, poked fun at Trump on quite a few occasions since the debut of his new show.

Trump thought it was appropri-ate to appear on the program and speak for himself. Colbert began the inter-view by thanking Trump for running for President saying, “I’m not going to say this stuff writes itself, but…” To which Trump only chuckled. As their conversation progressed, Col-bert told Trump that he was not surprised by his lead because, “…the Republican Party’s been a big pusher of the idea that money is speech. And you’re a ten billion dollar mouth!” Therein lies the problem: Trump’s money gives him a freedom not afforded to other politicians. Instead of going through lobbyists and getting

the Party’s approval, Trump is financing his en-tire campaign out of pocket. In the scenario that Trump is not successful in his quest for nomina-tion on the Republican ticket, he has the money to run as an independent and split the voter’s opinion, allowing the Democratic nominee an easy victory. At this stage, the Democrats have only two candidates on the ticket, Hilary Clinton and Senator Bernie Sanders. Vice President Joe Biden has time to announce his candidacy, as expected. Imagine again, a world where Donald Trump is the President of the United States. A man quoted as saying, “Sadly, the overwhelming amount of violent crime in our major cities is committed by Blacks and Hispanics - a tough subject - must be discussed.” American political system: YOU’RE FIRED!