Monday December 10, 2012 [email protected]

Gateway Community College Vol. IV Issue II Winter 2012 College Set to Host Neighbors-in-Need Holiday Dinner

By Bonnie Fahy, Co-editor

At this festive event, there also will be an activ- ity room with face painting. The college will also have Santa and Mrs. Claus there to hand out toys to all the children. The kids can have their photo taken for a keepsake. Every guest will receive a winter coat and the adults will receive a bag full of personal care items Dattco Bus Company is donating the buses and the services of their drivers. The college does as much as possible to make this a joyful and cheerful experience for all, at the same time plus protecting the participants’ safety and privacy. Dr. Kendrick and those involved feel the need and de- sire to become involved with our downtown neigh- bors. We will be working with Market New Haven and the Town Green Committee to get the word out about the event to help us with coats, toys and $10 gift cards for our teen attendees. An event like this takes a massive amount of fundraising and donations; the college would like to thank Chabaso Bakery for donating rolls and Elm City Market for donating trays of Mac and Cheese. If someone would like to make a contribution, he/ Today many people through no fault of their own she can send or bring a check payable to Gateway have fallen on difficult times and have to live in tem- Foundation marked “Holiday Dinner”; 100% of the porary housing or a shelter. On Friday evening, Dec funds are used for this celebration. James Buccini 14th Gateway Community College continues a 15-year and Susan Swirsky are the co-directors and will be tradition of helping. This event is as a way to give back happy to accept donations in office Room S427. to our community. It now has now become a tradition The Neighbor in Need a Holiday Dinner is an and provides those who find themselves living in tem- event that is not only uplifting to the community, porary housing or shelters during the holiday season but brings joy and an opportunity for the staff, their an enjoyable event that brightens up their season. Dr. families and students to participate in giving. Some Dorsey Kendrick, college President has since put her of the college staff and students say they look for- full support behind this happy occasion. This year the ward to coming to this celebration all year long and college will serve about 700 people a holiday dinner. love being involved. Dr. Dorsey Kendrick

Closing Doors, Closing Minds By Anthony Mitrano Co-Editor

Strong foundations are essential in life – education being no loop- The General Assembly ignorantly decided to push SB hole. Without a solidified educational base, and basic skills, progres- 40, which was passed this summer, now known as PA 12-40. This bill sion of learning will be greatly hindered, tougher and likely to yield evokes more confusion than offering a solution. PA 12-40 was de- poor academic performance. Luckily an agglomeration of students signed as renovation of the developmental curriculum in college. It is has been able to avoid running into this problem because develop- intended to move students through pre-college courses more swiftly, mental courses enables a successful academic future. As of summer, allowing only one semester of remedial education. The bill is cutting that luck has died. The majority of students at Gateway Community funding for remedial education by about 7 million dollars, leaving only College, as well as the rest of Connecticut’s sister colleges and uni- versities, are in severe jeopardy. Continued on next page 2

COLLEGE EVENTS CALENDAR LETTERS TO THE GATEWAY The Gateway Gazette GAZETTE EDITORS December 13 - Last Day of Classes Bonnie Fahy December 14-20 - Final Exams Letters-to-the-Editor should be sent to: Anthony Mitrano Mehgan Seltzer Dec 27 - Jan 16 - Winter Intersession The Gateway Gazette, Humanities January – Graduation Department. WRITERS January 25 - Start of Spring Classes Bonnie Fahy Please sign your letter and include a Gregory Feeley phone number so we can contact you Anthony Mitrano Gateway Lions Men’s Basketball to confirm it’s really you who’s taken the Jennifer Oakley December 15 - @ Quinsigamond, 3:00pm Bob Paglia time and energy to write to us. Here’s December 19 - @ CCRI, 6:00pm Isaiah Paul to hearing from you. Tamara Vasquez

Gateway Lions Women’s Basketball ART DIRECTOR Mehgan Seltzer December 15 - @ Quinsigamond, 1:00pm PHOTOGRAPHERS Allen Gales Hate cannot drive hate out; Anthony Mitrano Mehgan Seltzer

Only love can do that. SPECIAL THANKS TO Jackie Hennessey Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. LOGO DESIGN Allen Gales

HUMANITIES DEPARTMENT Professor Chet Schnepf, Chairman

FACULTY ADVISOR Closing Doors, Closing Minds – continued Tom O’Neil ______$750,000 for every remedial student in the entire state. It also leaves COLLEGE’S EMERGENCY WEATHER the option for students to enter an “Intensive College Readiness” pro- CLOSING NUMBERS gram in hopes of accelerating students to a college level, or to take a STUDENTS: (203) 285-2049 semester of remedial courses. FACULTY: (203) 285-2222 The idea sounds revolutionary, and promising, but that is its extent into reality, it just “sounds” good. After removing the sugar-coating intentions of the bill, it is clear that it is going to encourage students way student and you’re ready to learn, so to jump straight into college ready courses without developing proper we owe it to you, the student, to help you skills to build on. The connotation of entering an “Intensive College learn” remarked Williams. Readiness” program is not only detouring to students, but it’s also Another interesting thought is still float- inadvertently an extra step. According to Institutional Research at ing in the air. This bill was almost entirely misleading complimented Gateway, over 40 percent of our students place into the lowest levels by almost no student awareness. The vast majority of students have of writing, and 89 percent of our student populous are in development not ever heard of the workings of PA 12-40, or when the bill was still math courses. Dr. Matthew Long, Director of Student Development, to be voted on in its infancy stages. The Board of Regents provided stated that, “It [PA 12-40] essentially doesn’t allow us to provide credit extremely limited information to students, essentially concealing the baring classes for the lowest level of developmental classes.” If over bill. On the other hand, Gateway’s student leaders and student lead- two fifths of our students need the lowest level of writing courses, but ers from the other 16 state schools spent countless hours fighting are only allowed one semester to catch up, then it is not a feasible against SB 40. However, the board remained apathetic to our stu- idea. In fact 21 percent of our entering students place into both the dent’s needs and concerns. Symphany Joseph, the current President lowest remedial math and English classes. A lot of necessary time is of Gateway’s Student Government Association and Student Advisory required to polish set skills; however, since these classes will no lon- Committee representative to the Board of Regents powerfully de- ger be available, students are going to be forced into situations where clared, “We drafted a letter that we tried to get out in the media and to they will not be prepared. the Board of Regents. What happened was they [Senator Beth Bye, In addition to the chaos of losing precious learning time, college who drafted the bill along with the Board of Regents] kept changing in- entry courses will also be impacted. Anne Williams, MBA, CPCU, formation, and facts about the bill, rendering us unaware, uninformed CEBS, and business professor at Gateway questioned, “If someone and ignored. We were misled on exactly when voting on the bill was. has done a remedial college course with the lowest grade possible It kept getting pushed up, with no notice. It is devastating and un- to pass, are they really college ready? [PA 12-40] will cause altering fair. It is going to hurt our students financially, and emotionally. It is entrance classes to include pre-college material with college material. going to hurt our school too by causing fewer students, and a higher This is known as embedding.” PA 12-40 has the potential to throw tuition. We were really ignored, and not taken seriously. We worked students who are not ready into college courses, while taking time really hard to have our voices heard and they weren’t. ” Kyle Rogers, away from students who do not require pre-college material. Embed- the Student Government Association’s Vice President, pointed out ding causes an entirely new and unanticipated stream of problems. the cold truth that, “Having a special school [or an “Intensive College Williams continued to illustrate that, “a large problem that embedding Readiness” program] is a deterrent for students coming directly out will not solve is the heterogeneous nature of the classroom.” How are of high school. The problem should be taken care of at a much lower teachers supposed to help students who are ready for college at the level.” higher end of the spectrum, while also attempting to transition stu- Educational standards are going to be both heightened and low- dents that were not prepared? Either way, both sides of students are ered affecting all students in an unacceptable manner. Gateway’s fac- at a significant loss rendering students at the higher end not properly ulty and staff are going to work hard to adjust the institution’s students prepared for higher levels of education, and students at the lower to drastic changes though. Dr. Long proclaims, “We hope to make as level desperately trying to catch up and ultimately undermining self- little of a negative impact as possible, though the number of students esteem and confidence in the classroom. “We owe a huge amount to this may affect is very large. The final story isn’t told yet. We have our students. You came through these doors saying you’re a Gate- some time to devise a workable plan.” 3

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SAVE 15% ON ALL WEB STORE PURCHASES use the promotional code - idiom valid through 12/24/12 Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman addressed the college’s 203-782-2280 Sages’ Club last month and took questions from the floor. Most concerns expressed by the Gateway seniors 1014 Chapel St, New Haven focused on budget cuts, both federal and state.

Beat on the Street

By Jennifer Oakley

When students were asked: “What do you like about ? What do you like to do in DT New Haven area when you are NOT at Gateway?” They responded:

“I like to go to the concerts on the green.” –John

“I like Downtown. There is a lot to do and I like the atmosphere.” –Anonymous

“I am too busy with work to hang out Downtown.” –Karen

“It’s hard to find a parking space and it’s a bit too congested.” –Anonymous

“There are lots of art galleries and the public transportation system is excellent.” –Leigh

“I like to sight-see and window shop.” –Rhohon

There is a lot of shopping. The Educated Burgher on Broadway had good food and the local night clubs such as Empire –Haley

“I just go out to eat.” –Anonymous

“I don’t like it” –David

“Window-shopping and Walking DT green area with friends.” –Michelle 4

Macy’s/Malley’s Dept. Stores Were Retail Ancestors to Gateway Location By Gregory Feeley, Adjunct Professor – Humanities

Students who enter the beautiful new Back then, department stores sold Gateway campus, occupying two large everything. I remember that Macy’s had a downtown blocks, with its striking second-, book department and a restaurant, as well as third-, and fourth-story bridge connecting them, furniture, sporting goods, clothing and most may be too busy to wonder what occupied this other consumer items. Malley’s, as I recall, space before it opened in late August. But urban seemed pretty similar. According to Wikipedia, buildings are built upon the foundations of earlier the Malley’s store boasted “branch post office structures, which sometimes leave traces behind and a fix-it shop, a gourmet shop, baker, 300- and sometimes have vanished entirely. seat restaurant, beauty salon, photographic New Haveners who are in their fifties or older will remember studio, jewelry and watch repair service, and shoe repair.” It Malley’s, the enormous department store run by the Edward must have been trying to distinguish itself from Macy’s, because Malley Col., which had operated in New Haven for more than a two large stores offering the same services could not both be in hundred years. Until 1962 it occupied the site where the Chapel service. Square Mall now stands. Alas, the effort was not successful: The store closed in 1982 The nine-story Beaux-Arts style building was demolished after having changed hands several times. It stood empty for fif- when the was built, and Malley’s originally teen years, a steadily deteriorating eyesore and symbol of New planned to occupy the building one block to the south. But Haven’s decaying downtown, before being demolished in 1997. Mayor Richard Lee had ambitious plans for downtown New Macy’s, which had been brought into New Haven at a Haven, and wanted to lure Macy’s into town. Macy’s agreed great cost to a century-old local business, closed in 1993. The to build a department store only if it got the coveted space expansion of a in the 1980s put an end to adjoining the Mall, and after much arm-twisting. Malley’s agreed New Haven’s ability to draw retail customers from surrounding to relocate one further block south, with all three structures to be towns. The Chapel Square Mall itself was closed for a time, and connected by overhead walkways. while it has been restored to a degree in recent years (with stores This was the way things stood when I came to New Haven only on the outside), it remains a shadow of what it once was. as a student in 1973. Chapel Square Mall was a bustling place, To walk from Gateway North to Gateway South, with a view full of customers, as hectic as any suburban mall is today. The of George Street traffic to either side and the Mill River to the upper level connected to Macy’s, a conventional department southeast, is an exercise in nostalgia for many professors. Are store. You could keep walking in a straight line through the any Gateway students old enough to remember crossing this store and come to a second bridge, running over George Street, walkway as a child, moving from one enormous department which connected with Malley’s. store to another, in the long-ago 1970s? 5 6

Gateway Student Deploys to Afghanistan to Keep Soldiers Safe Tamara J. Vasquez

Specialist (SPC) Rafael Sanchez is an Environmental Science major at Gateway Community College; his college career is currently on hold while he is deployed overseas with the United States Army. SPC Sanchez graduated from Wilbur Cross High School in 2008. In 2007 he joined the U.S. Army as a Preventive Medicine Specialist in the 405th Combat Support Hospital. His experiences and training in the military sparked his interest in science and the environment. After returning home SPC Sanchez plans to graduate from Gateway and further is education at Yale. As a Preventive Medicine Specialist, his job is to ensure the environment is safe, particularly the food and drinking water. He is responsible for inspections and safe sanitation for thousands of troops. His team will conduct laboratory tests, survey the environment and monitor diseases and illnesses that could affect the health of the entire military and local community.

The Gateway Gazette would like to apologize to Tamara J. Vasquez for the mix-up. This story was intended to be run in the previous issue. We are thankful for her hard work and we are pleased to be able to place it into the paper at this time. We believe veteran’s issues are critical.

Dedicated to our many veterans 7 Stars, Dinosaurs, and Spider, Oh My! By Bonnie Fahy, Co-editor

On November 18th the Science Club en- joyed a trip to the American Museum of Natural History in City. They took a comfort- able coach bus and disembarked at 10 AM just in time for the Museum to open. For only $10, a student could enjoy four fantastic exhibits and an entire museum! First up was the Planetarium and Journey to the Stars, narrated by Whoopi Goldberg. Our Journey to the Stars spans billions of years, be- ginning on Earth and extending beyond our gal- axy and into the future before returning home. More than 13 billion years ago there was only an invisible substance called dark matter, along with hydrogen and helium gas. The stars that formed quickly exploded in supernovas, blast- ing out new elements, the raw materials for building new stars and planets. Next the group ran off to see Flying Mon- bird-eating spider and the Western Black Widow, one of the few North American spiders truly sters, a National Geographic IMAX film nar- harmful to people. The exhibit also had a live demonstration and lecture which included rated by Sir David Attenborough. He told the more information than anyone ever wanted to know about spiders. story of a group of reptiles that ruled the skies about 220 million years ago. The audience The next ticket that was given to each student was Creatures of Light. This exhibit was immersed in the awe-inspiring world of explored the diversity of organisms that glow and learn how scientists study this amazing the pterosaur and experienced the enormous natural phenomenon. challenges these creatures faced to survive, let Plus there was a whole museum to explore with many exhibitions that included larger- alone flourish, in prehistoric skies. than-life models, a herd of elephants, videos, interactive exhibits and fossils. And if all of Immediately following the movie every- this wasn’t enough, there was a museum gift shop with wonderful mementos and presents to one got in line for Spiders Alive! Here visitors buy. The bus left at 3 PM, not leaving enough time to do or enjoy everything. It was a won- encountered live spiders including the Goliath derful day of fun and learning that this reporter would gladly repeat anytime.

SMITE: A New Kind of MOBA By Isaiah Paul - Gazette Correspondent

If one is familiar with games such as slow down an enemy. There is no recipe League of Legends, Heroes of Newerth, system, so anyone can freely upgrade their or the legendary Warcraft 3 mod Defense items as long as they have the gold for it. of the Ancients (or DotA), then you may For the greenhorns out there, there is an not be a stranger to SMITE. For those that automated allocation system for items and may not know, a MOBA (or Multiplayer skills, so you can enjoy your game with Online Battle Arena) is a RTS (Real Time a pre-determined build to get used to the Strategy) subgenre that combines Action game’s play-style. Of course, you can take RTS elements with RPG elements. As with off the option when you feel more comfort- you level up to buy new characters and skins. How- most MOBAs, you and four other players able making your own build. The game ever, there’s not much to do as you rise in ranks. You are against a team of 5 players in order to does have an item shop where you can just get more currency to spend. Finally, the game is destroy the other team’s minotaur. On your buy characters and costumes, but there is tournament-ready, now that players are able to set way, you will have to fight against minions, no game-breaking item there, so everyone up their own teams and fight for the trophy. However, destroy towers and phoenixes in order to will have fun without having to deal with there is no guild system implemented, and there isn’t reach to your goal. However, unlike most broken items. And finally, the area is split much that one can do after they level up. Sure, they MOBAs, the game is played in 3rd Per- up to three lanes; left, middle and right get more Favor, which is their currency used to buy son Perspective and all of your skills are lane. Depending on your character, you will characters, but nothing more than that. There is also skillshots, meaning that all of your moves have a certain strategic advantage in differ- no TV feature implemented yet, which will allow many require aim and timing. The theme of the ent lanes. people to spectate and watch the matches. There game is comprised of gods in ancient Playing the game is like playing is no other way to improve your character yet, such mythology. Gods such as Ra and Sobek of League of Legends, but almost feels like as Passive system which allows you to have differ- Egyptian lore, Bacchus and Loki of Roman every other RPG in a sense that it will feel ent skill/stat boosts according to what characters and Norse lore respectively are featured in slow at first mostly because everyone will you are going to use. Finally, you can’t get access this game. Currently, there are 26 charac- start at Level 1. Chances are, everyone is to the game without having a beta key. You can get ters released in this game. going to start off with boots to raise their one easily by paying for the premium currency to get As mentioned before, Gods from movement speed. But as you level up, you yourself started, or you can go for their current closed several folklores are featured in this game. can literally see the progression in your beta deal. Get 30 characters for $30. However, this These gods fulfill several different roles. characters. Usually, the excitement doesn’t will only last in the closed beta phase. Each god will play differently and will have start until you actually be able to get your This is a very great game with awesome poten- different priorities. For example, Ra, the ultimate move and start killing minions tial. It stands out from the other MOBAs out there and Sun God fulfills the Mage role and has in one hit. The characters are somewhat it is quite fun. Anyone looking for an experience away a balanced assortment of beam projec- balanced for the most part. However, this from LoL or HoN should look at this game. If you’re tiles and AOE (area of effect) attacks and is still closed beta, and more characters still not confident, then I encourage you to do some Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt, acts as an are yet to be released. What is also a great research. If you can, try to get a beta key from some- archer with some skills that can stun or benefit is that you can get currency when one if you don’t want to spend money (yet). 8

More of Gateway’s Second Chance Club By Bonnie Fahy, Co-editor

running. Since its inception many women have been part of the process and one woman plans to graduate this year. Still another participant plans to graduate shortly thereafter. It may take a village to raise a child but it doesn’t stop there. In order to help these ladies become successful and take control of their life again, it take many resources. Mr. James Cousins has been an outstanding support system for these women as has been Dr. James Roger, Ms. Ava Marie Trimachi, Ms. Cathy Surface, and the entire faculty who have assisted the team in the process of advisement. Members of the Humanities Advisory Council have also given freely of their time and expertise. Seminars were pro- vided by such members as Dr. John Saksa, a psychologist, Ms. Georgette Word, a counselor, Ms. Sandy Kooregian, a social worker and grant writer. However, every single per- son in this project wishes to extend a note of thanks to the Dr.Kerin Lee and Ava Marie Trimachi President of Gateway Community College. To quote Dr. Lee, “Without Dr. Kendrick’s continued support, none of this could During this holiday time we all thinking of how to spread the have happened.” Dr. Randall Horton and Dr. Vivian Shipley, joy of the season. One place Gateway Community College has been doing this is through The Fresh Start Program. It was initi- a renowned poet and Professor at SCSU, also serve as men- ated three years ago by Dr. Kerin Lee, with the purpose is to assist tors and support systems to the project. young women on parole as they pursue a certificate or degree so As this semester draws to a close, the Gateway family that they will be able to find employment. wishes to extend its best wishes to all of the women involved. The program was funded by an anonymous donor during the “Young ladies, you should be proud of yourselves. We are!” first year. Then Gateway worked in concert with New Haven’s Quote - Dr. Kerin Lee Work Force Alliance and Dean Mary Ellen Cody to keep things still

“Lincoln” By Bob Paglia, Adjunct Professor – Humanities

If someone’s physical stature is any indi- but the modesty of Daniel Day-Lewis’ height is eclipsed cation of one’s mental, ethical and spiritual by a powerful portrayal that integrates sensitivity, hu- character, then that parallel is competent- mor, philosophical reflection, frustration, anger, and ly conveyed in the new film by Steven super-human self-control. Spieldberg, “Lincoln”. The film utilizes a talking-head emphasis, Daniel Day-Lewis portrays whereby the primary “action” is expressed President Abraham Lincoln strug- through the dramatic dialogue, requiring gling to have Congress pass the viewers to focus and concentrate on the Thirteenth Amendment, freeing content and facial demeanors of the charac- the slaves, and thereby break- ters. Amid this sea of puffy, petulant faces ing the economic foundation of in Congress, Lincoln looms like a towering, the Confederacy and, hopefully, laid-back lighthouse above this Congressio- ending the Civil War and reunit- nal sea of chaos. ing the nation. The cinematography is done in “dark- Physically, Abraham Lincoln deco” style, inaugurated by earlier films such stood six feet, four inches tall, as “Bladerunner” and “Batman”. This dark, wore a size fourteen shoe with a shadowy style thus inspires the viewer to lis- high heel and with his top hat on, ten more carefully when discussion or debate towered at a near seven feet. Dan- is expressed. iel Day-Lewis, at six feet, one and Everyone turns in historically and psychologi- one half inches, is made to look taller cally believable performances. “Lincoln”, long, lanky, and by way of strategic camera angles, or just sit- learned, features the force of a folk philosopher and a towering ting and having viewers “imagine” Lincoln’s prodigious titan of human rights. height. These camera angles are not always consistent,