Are Plastic Straws Really the Problem?
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“Truth, No Matter The Cost” VOL. 27... NO. 4 TORCHBCC.COM DECEMBER 2018 NJ Legislation Cuts Bergen’s Degree Featured Requirements to 60 Credits Per Degree Articles: Free Tuition OWEN MCCLOSKEY have until the end of the year.” EDITOR-IN-CHIEF However, Bergen’s faculty Initiative & is up to the difficult task, CHRISTOPHER GAGLIARDI STAFF WRITER despite some skepticism. Dean of Humanities Adam Goodell said that it’s a little too early to NJ Senate Bill No. 1265 tell whether or not the 60-credit was introduced on January baccalaureate programs will be 21st, 2018. The bill, passed fruitful or simply ineffective. by NJ legislators, will require “The thinking is naturally all NJ four-year schools to out of interest for the students only require 120 credits for financially,” Goodell said. a bachelor’s degree, and 60 “Students won’t have to spend Page 2 credits at all community financial aid dollars on extra colleges for baccalaureate credits, they want to keep it degrees. nice and neat with 60 credits.” Now, this may not seem Goodell understands the like a huge subtraction from intentions of NJ S1265, but he EEG Study the 64 to 66 credit associate thinks that the implementation degree programs that Bergen will require some elective previously offered, but this will courses to be cut from the have enormous ramifications curriculum. – however, not all of these “The more we cut away changes will be negative. to get things to 60, the harder President Michael it is for students to carry over Redmond stated in an things they may have taken // flickr.com interview earlier last month, early on out of exploration or with the four-year universities,” 120-credit degree programs “Our degrees here are 64 to interest.” he said. that four-year schools offer. 66 credits, and that’s sort of a Goodell also fears that President Redmond said After asking Ricatto historical legacy. We are now it will make it harder for that the school has to reduce if he thinks that the BCC working with our faculty to students to make mistakes, Bergen’s nearly 146 programs curriculum will offer less reduce our degree programs for example, taking a class by at least four to six credits, elective courses and leeway in down to 60 credits. And it’s that a student didn’t know effectively cutting some classes a student’s education, he stated Page 6 not that we’ll reduce those four wasn’t a part of their major. In from the Bergen curriculum. that he doesn’t agree with that to six credits, it’s just that our addition, Goodell said that the However, although some sentiment. students will take those four curriculum will be finalized in faculty are skeptical, the “The president went out Farewell to Lew to six credits not here, but at a April of 2019. majority seem to think that this of his way to require that four-year school.” Professor Michael is a good thing. all programs have six free Wheaton “Usually, a four-year Martinez, a faculty member at Dr. P.J. Ricatto, Dean of electives. [Currently], they have school will only take your Bergen, is concerned that the Math, Science, and Technology three or less,” Ricatto said. best 60 credits, so you’re new, streamlined system will is one of those people, saying, It is unclear whether or not usually losing that four to six,” catch the ire of teachers who “I think it’s a good thing for the this new bill will help students Redmond continued. “This has want a wider variety of options students.” financially as intended, or been sort of a tough thing for for students. Ricatto agrees with instead make it harder for us to come to grips with… but “We have to redesign the Redmond’s opinion that BCC Bergen students to figure out we have major initiatives in curriculum to each degree to should offer degree programs what the right major is for doing that right now, and we make sure that they comply that are proportionate with the them. Are Plastic Straws Really the Problem? Page 7 JENNIFER PARK times have you been told to CONTRIBUTING WRITIER reduce your personal carbon The plastic straw ban, footprint while most of the which has now been passed in world’s carbon emissions come multiple coastal cities, is being from 90 companies? Academic considered by other cities, The plastic straw ban states, and even nations. The is just another result of this Schedule: ban seems noncontroversial ineffective way of thinking. In and necessary at first glance. an effort to reduce plastic waste, Winter Plastic waste is a massive and governments are spending time 12-25 pressing issue, and eliminating criminalizing a small behavior College Closed plastic straws seems like a that disproportionately impacts ~1-1 natural and effective choice disabled people. to make. However, the plastic Climate change and Winter Term Begins straw ban is neither. environmental degradation 1-02 //publicdomainpictures.net Plastic straws are are real and pressing problems everywhere. We use 500 this specific waste so much? A of plastic waste on marine that cannot be solved by even million plastic straws per good portion of the plastic in life regularly goes viral. One the most moral and stringent Bulldog Welcome day and approximately 8.3 the ocean is poorly handled specific video of some good personal choices. The time 1-10 Day billion straws are littered consumer waste. However, Samaritans removing a plastic scale of these problems is across global coastlines. These even more of it is irresponsibly straw from a sea turtle’s nose simply not long enough. Real numbers sound bad, but in the dumped corporate byproducts. has been viewed over 33 impactful activism is rarely larger problem of plastic waste, One visual analysis of million times. It’s much easier trendy and rarely simple. Winter Term Ends the impact of plastic straws is the trash vortex, colloquially to galvanize the public by using Look outside of yourself as 1-12 Spring Term Begins miniscule. Plastic straws only known as the Great Pacific emotional images of an animal to who you can impact. You and comprise 0.03 percent of the 8 Garbage Patch, estimates in pain than by impressing your friends are not the only million metric tons of plastics that 47 percent of the waste the looming deadline of ones who need to be held to a College Closed estimated to enter oceans this in the patch is comprised of irreversible environmental standard. Individual consumer 1-17 year. abandoned commercial fishing degradation. choices ultimately impact the Martin Luther King Then if all the plastic straws equipment. We act as if the solution for behavior of large corporations, Day of the world amount to so little. As for why we care about this large systemic issue lies in but direct campaigns are far Where is all this waste coming plastic straws, images and individual consumer choice. more likely to affect change from and why do we care about videos of the direct impact Frankly, it doesn’t. how many quickly. 2 NEWS THE TORCH VOLUME 27 ISSUE 4 DECEMBER 2018 NEWS The 5th Ally Coalition Talent Show ASHLEY SMITH This year’s show was shorter but ONLINE EDITOR the talent show treated the audience with four new songs from Lana Del On Dec. 5 at Town Hall New York, Rey, great performances from Regina NY the Ally Coalition had their 5th Spektor and Mitski along with Rostam annual talent show. The Ally Coalition and Fun’s Andrew Dost, and, oh, and a is an organization that takes action surprise appearance from Taylor Swift for LGBTQ equality. Through tours, at the end of Hayley Kiyoko’s set. special events, and online campaigns, Spektor was up next, leading with they highlight systematic inequality, “Ballad of a Politician,” which she organizations supporting LGTBQ introduced with a series of sarcastic youth, and opportunities for fans to cracks about the benevolence of today’s engage. government leaders. The Ally Coalition, was found by Next up was Mitski, demure in a the Bleachers frontman/producer-to- white shirt, black skirt and heels, who the-stars Jack Antonoff and his sister played a song from her latest album Rachel, is a not-for-profit organization. “Be the Cowboy” which fans found her The annual benefit concert, held at wailing into the microphone playing New York’s historic Town Hall, artists her detuned acoustic guitar. use the show as an opportunity to After Kiyoko and Swift, Antonoff premiere new material, play covers and took the stage saying, “I’d like to collaborate. Throughout the evening, thank Taylor for opening for us then Antonoff acts as host, performer proceeded to introduce Lana Del Rey, and occasionally as accompanist, who came onstage wearing high black repeatedly thanking the crowd for boots tucked into jeans and a black their support this year’s event raised sweater. She said “Me and Jack are $200,000, and making sure they get almost done with my new album,” their money’s worth in the form of which he is co-producing and she has said will be called “Norman F—ing IYVVRS`U]LNHUJVT unique performances. be stupid for feeling so happy” which The evening began with a song Rockwell.” for fun, so we thought we’d play them. He accompanied her on piano for had more of a strong hook. and some chatter from Antonoff, who Del Rey’s sweet lyrics and breathy Antonoff then finished off the then ceded the stage to Dost. He was slightly uncertain renditions of the two melodies suit the traditional country songs from the album to be released so night with the Bleachers hit “I Wanna followed by Rostam, who opened with format well: The first song, possibly Get Better,” thanking the crowd and a song from Van Morrison’s classic far, “How to Disappear” and “Venice called “Making Me Blue,” features a B**ch.” Antonoff then picked up an all of the performers profusely as the “Astral Weeks” before breaking into soaring chorus that leads Del Rey to crowd shouted along.