Mercer Mourns Perished Students
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the college VIKINGS HEAD TO TEXAS After winning Region xIx title, tennis champs head south! page 9 estAbLIshed 1969 A student press serving Mercer county community college And its neighboring AreAs VMay 12th, 2008o ICe Volume 39, Issue 5 Mercer mourns perished students, MAking sense school community tries to make sense of the loss of student heALth: the crossroads by Chris Villano violence of education and and Victoria pace UCLA professor Doug- health care Reporters las Kellner, in his latest book Guys and In a single tragic week Guns Amok: Domestic CAMPUS page 2 on himself. Both were tak- Terrorism and School Mercer lost two of it’s own national school Associated in separate stabbing inci- en to the surgical trauma Shootings from the swIRL Fest: Violent death summary* dents. unit at Capital Health Sys- Oklahoma City Bomb- public speaking ing to the Virginia On April 19th, tem’s Helene Fuld campus Violent with gusts and in Trenton, but Kinney did school Year Tech Massacre (Paradigm, 2008), concludes that cal James Kerney Campus gusto deaths student Carla Diaz was not survive. Markel was re- there are three central sources that work togeth- 2007-2008 er to promote the possibility of school shoot- Lo leased in satisfactory con- page 3 found in a pool of blood 16 beside her SUV on Cuyler dition three days later. (8/07-now) ings and youth violence in general. The sources Avenue in Trenton. Ac- Said Mercer Presi- include: AUTISM - cording to Assistant Pros- dent, Dr. Patricia Donohue, 2006-2007 32 A look ecutor James Scott, she “At Mercer we are a family. 1. an out-of-control gun culture CUS InSIde The had been stabbed more This was particularly tragic 2005-2006 27 2. male rage heightened by a o beautifUl than 40 times. The father and it saddened all of us.” glorification of hypermasculinity In addition to feel- MInd of her son, Donte Cofield, 2004-2005 39 3. violence in the media Page 5 23, has been charged with ing sorrow, many Mercer IN F her murder. students, faculty and staff 2003-2004 49 Many leading sociologists and psychologists Five days af- members are wondering point to one or more of these sources as the why this happened and N ter Diaz’s death, tragedy 2002-2003 16 root of the violence epidemic schools have been struck again. Two Mercer what can be done to pre- dealing with in recent years, though Kellner’s o Academic fashions I nursing students, Heather vent similar tragedy from 2001-2002 17 specific combination is new. t Markel and Shane Kin- ever touching the life of ney, who had broken off another community mem- 2000-2001 31 ua a dating relationship, but ber. How to address the crisis? Kellner provides d remained friends, were Following the sec- 1999-2000 33 evidence that suggests the following five core making a routine carpool- ond attack, Mercer used ideas may be the best hope of reducing youth Ra it’s new student e-mail and pages 6 ing stop at the Market- TOTAL 260 violence. He says we need: G Fair mall when Kinney M-Alert system to contact Method Total inexplicably pulled out a students to let them know • stricter gun control laws what had occurred and Shooting 115 t butterfly knife and began • improved campus and workplace security that school counselors Suicide 45 N slashing at Markel’s head, • better guidance and mental health care on Murder-Suicide 34 e arms and chest. were available for them to campuses and in communities Fighting 15 Markel managed talk to. • additions of education programs advocating Stabbing 36 to escape into the busy M-Alert and the peace and social justice Other 15 Barnes & Nobel book new student e-mail ac- • and projecting new and more constructive student ainm store to get help, but Kin- counts are two safety *Source: National School images of masculinity. pRoduCtIon ney then turned the knife Safety and Security Services oF MACbeth See MouRnInG page 7 ert is a sinister t success! N New law will ease transfer between two and four year colleges in NJ e page 4 by susana sanchez associate’s degree will rep- Lampitt Bill’s goals to the College Voice resent two full years of col- work, the vice presidents baseball team t S lege credit. They will enter of the public four-year prepares to loose Transfer from community the four-year school as a schools have mandated N starters page 9 colleges to four-year pub- junior and not have to do that the 19 New Jersey ort lic institutions in New Jer- the kind of elaborate guess community college’s sey might soon become work about what cours- General Education life sp easier and more afford- es will transfer that has courses become uniform. able. plagued Mercer students That way they know a stude S A new law known for decades. student from Mercer has t as the Lampitt Bill was When told about the same Gen Ed skills as for most schools, includ- Although under the law in signed by Gov. Corzine the new law, Mercer stu- a student from Ocean or ing Mercer. all credits should transfer, o last September. The bill dents’ responses vary. Brookdale or any other Nevertheless Mer- Laurene Jones, the Direc- P states that starting in fall Dave Hoyt, a Liberal Arts county college. To make cer’s two representatives tor of Transfer and Career 2008, an A.A. or A.S. de- major, says, “It seems a this happen, a com- to this committee, History Services, encourages stu- grees earned at any of good idea if you are going mittee with members ew I Professor Linda Scherr dents to continue to “Use Jason stives New Jersey’s community to a public college, but it from all of New Jersey’s V and Dean McCormick, the NJ transfer web site to on voices page 12 colleges will fully transfer doesn’t really help you if 19 community colleges are enthusiastic about this closely match their class- and be treated as the first you’re going to a private was appointed to decide law. Prof. Scherr says, “I’m es at Mercer with those two years of a B.A. or B.S. school.” In contrast, Pame- what courses should and very excited. This is a great at the college they plan program at all New Jersey la Brzezynski, Chemistry shouldn’t count as Gen un opportunity for our stu- to attend, learning how public four-year institu- major and planning to at- Ed. Every community dents.” Dean McCormick their credits will transfer.” tions. Students will still tend Rutgers, says, “I think college is revising its Gen added, “This law is good, She also advises students have to be accepted to the law is good because Ed course list. To become t 4 F it gives credibility to com- to consult with a transfer those institutions, but as colleges will have to take Gen Ed compliant, mi- munity colleges courses counselor while attend- Graduation word search long as they are accepted all your credits.” nor course requirement us + horoscope and our students.” ing Mercer. J page 12 they can be sure that their In order for the changes are necessary MCCCVoICe.oRG: CoMInG FALL 2008! web exCLusIVes, photo ALbuMs, bReAkInG news! the college 2 VoICe 5 - 12 - 2008 Nowhere to go for CAMPUSBaNdages, aspiriN, flu shots... A look at the costs and benefits of providing health care at two-year colleges by Alexandra hough vide a nurse or health cen- and susana sanchez ter on campus. But calls to the College Voice those schools show they too Katie Forlano fell, badly in- are making tough choices juring her right knee while to keep their programs run- participating in the Spring ning. According to Lori Day festivities on campus on Wilkin an administrator at May 1st. With nowhere to take Middlesex County College, her for care on campus her “because of costs and other friend, Zachary Zeichner, cre- considerations, the opera- ated a makeshift ice pack us- tion of our health and safety ing his chef’s apron to secure center has been limited. We it around her knee. Zeichner have reduced hours and lim- was perplexed by the situa- ited services are provided.” tion saying, “The first thing I Schools such as Atlantic did was run and get a security Cape, Morris, Bergen, Glouc- guard. They came right away, ester, Ocean and Brookdale but they said there’s nothing county colleges do manage they can do. They told me they to provide students with couldn’t even call an ambu- basic prescriptions, athlet- lance because she’s under 18. In the end I called ic physicals, vaccinations and first aid among the ambulance myself.” The ambulance took other services. In some cases the schools charge Forlano to the hospital where her knee was X- and added health services fee on top of student rayed, diagnosed as a severe sprain and placed tuition in order to finance the costs. in a brace that she will wear for several weeks. President Donohue notes that “The col- Forlano’s case is not that unusual. Mer- lege is cutting positions because the school’s cer does not have a nurse’s office or health cen- budget allocation from the State of New Jersey ter on campus. The price of health care is sky- has been significantly cut.” She goes on to note rocketing and education funds are being cut that, “To have a nurse on campus is expensive but the need for health care among students is and requires a full-time salary and benefits.