DECEMBER 2010 WWW.TORCHBCC.COM VOLUME - 18 ISSUE - 4 New Save on A look at gadgets Christmas Harry Potter pg 14 shopping Top games 2010 pg 12 pg 14 pg 10 Celebrating Asian culture BCC in pg 6 THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF BERGEN COMMUNITY COLLEGE igniting students to make a difference Drag! pg 2 2 ½ Weeks = $24 million P HOTOS BY S ETH L ITROFF The award-winning Grant Team undertaking of this shared grant. reality-based training program. Keisha Branch BCC was named the lead institution for such grant. This program will give students a career track through Contributing Writer The alliance is officially recognized as the Northern nationally accredited certificates. These certificates will New Jersey Health Professions Pathways Consortium. qualify as college credit-bearing credentials that can be On Wednesday, November 17th, 2010 its kickoff accumulated toward the achievement of an associate If you had just two and a half weeks to enter a business conference was held. This event brought together degree. Through this program, jobs are guaranteed for plan competition to win a grand prize totaling $24 administrators and executives from ten New Jersey successful graduates because of the partnerships with million, could you do it? Well, the Bergen Community community colleges, several local businesses, state and businesses such as Bayada Nurses, Meridian Health and College Office of Grants Administration has done just local agencies. President of the college, Dr. G. Jeremiah CVS Pharmacies, just to name a few. that. Ryan, delivered the opening remarks at the conference It is projected that 90 new employers will be added Under the direction of Dr. William Yakowicz, a and headed the presidential panel. to the partnership over the next five years, which is the team of BCC faculty members wrote an award-winning This gathering marked the beginning of “a life- lifespan of the grant. The projection is that the program grant proposal to the tune of $24 million. They made the changing program for low-income individuals,” will be self-sustaining, thereafter. It will serve as a idea of serving 5,000 low-income New Jersey residents according to Dr. Yakowicz. The program aims to be a model program to be imitated throughout the country through an educational program into a reality. solution for low-income individuals who are seeking for its promotion of “value added as opposed to co- The team effort set a precedent by creating an alliance job-security, upward-mobility and self-sufficiency. dependency,” as stated by Natalie Provenzale of the consisting of 10 northern New Jersey community colleges, Training is free to those who qualify. Job placement is Passaic County Workforce Investment Board. 10 workforce investment boards and several employers guaranteed upon successful completion of the required According to Terry Cisero of Bayada Nurses, “The in a record 2 ½ weeks. The purpose of this meeting was course of study, paid internships and on-the-job training home care rate has grown by 44 percent and 100,000 to begin to move forward with the transformative provided by employers, who serve as advisors to this homes in the state of New Jersey need caregivers.” College Council Searches for New Leadership government will bring and says he will be “meeting with should be purely non-profit volunteers. Councilman Bill Steven Caselli the Transition Team of the County Executive.” Perhaps Madden countered by stating, “It seems reasonable to ask Staff Writer sensing the concerns of many in the room, he went on to for some kind of compensation.” Those in attendance explain that “there will be a moderate budget increase agreed that the issue needed further consideration and from the county and no increase from the State.” tabled the proposal for further debate. During the last College Council meeting on November Following the president’s departure, William Before concluding the meeting, interim Chairwoman, 30th, President of Bergen Community College, Dr. Huisking, Chairman of the Planning Budget and Marilyn MacDonall had some sobering news. She informed G. Jeremiah Ryan, made an appearance. He came to assessment subcommittee, proposed a compensation plan the Council, “I am unable to do this particular job,” and a “reassure” staff and students that although there is a for those officers of the Council who devote their free motion to elect a new councilperson followed. new Republican County Executive and a Republican time to serving on the Council, as well as their day jobs as Several individuals were nominated for the position majority in the County Freeholders, the hysteria about professors, administrators and even students. This proposal including Darleen McGrath, Susan Klarreich, Joan huge budget cuts and downsizing of staff is simply “not prompted hot debate. Tscherne and William Huisking. All declined to run. true.” Some members, including Huisking, believe that The lack of a permanent Chairperson will be To prove this, President Ryan submitted a copy of officers should be compensated using the formula for time paramount on the Council’s agenda when they meet the new budget to be reviewed by the Council. Ryan release. The idea of an hourly paycheck was considered again in December. concedes that he is not sure exactly what the change in but rejected, and others feel that the Council Officers Winner for Layout & Design, Editorial Cartoon/Artistic Story Illustration, Enterprise/Investigative Reporting 2009-2010 Winner for News & Arts and Entertainment Writing Award and Layout & Design 2008-2009 New Jersey Press Foundation Better College Newspaper Contest Page 2 BCC News DECEMBER 2010 Striving to Reach Receptivity Hannah McVeigh After hearing his response, some duty to be empathetic toward others? toward the right road. To be able to Contributing Writer strongly disapproved of the notion Empathy, a word used to describe feel what someone else may be going that feelings should play a role in the ability for one to feel for another’s through, in turn, an make you more deciding law, but instead we must use suffering or happiness has become open to the world. When our life is moving forward in rationale; be blind to one’s situation, more provocative in the 20th century. People exhibit autonomy in daily a favorable direction, why must we rather than allowing events in one’s Dr. Michael Slote said that being situations by thinking and living stop and think about the fortunate life play a role in the future. Yet, as receptive instead of being rational— independently. However, we also circumstances? Why must there some think we have a duty to use which depletes the human aspect— use autonomy to feel empathetic. always be a reason? Dr. Michael Slote, reason in the world, do we not have a lets us use empathy to help guide us Autonomy and Receptivity must professor of ethics at Miami University, co-exist in order to flourish, as states that we should not always have well as within receptivity to encompass to analyze why good things are sincerity and empathy. Dr. Slote says happening but instead accept them as that we are all born receptive, and they come. Although, that is not to say through experiences our sensitivity that we should not question life when to receptiveness can be heightened. hardships appear—we should. It would He also believes that we are wired be rather hard not to in order to move to be receptive to those around us, forward, but rationalizing everything is Illustration by Brendon Miel Illustration by Brendon and in order for us to grow, it must unnecessary. continuously be taught to us. According to Dr. Slote, “Receptivity However, within receptivity, it is a matter of accepting ordinary life is not only to be tolerant of another and things in one’s life rather than person’s outlook but also to learn of insisting in having rational control over their perspective in order to respect things.” He also said that life should their opinions. Dr. Slote states our be more about the emotional state of environments can also perpetuate being than the rational state. Rather this way of thinking positively or than constantly trying to quantify why negatively as to whether we will be our lives have reached this point, he receptive. Although our environmental argues that it would be better to accept surroundings and influences can play the good times as good times. a role, we ultimately are autonomous. During the presidential campaign We tend to gravitate toward others in 2008, Barack Obama was asked being socially inclined to co-exist. a question about the qualities a Thus, receptivity is pushing to find good Supreme Court Justice would commonalities and about striving to encompass if he was to nominate one. understand those around us, which He answered, “We need someone should be positively received, according who’s got the heart, the empathy, to to Dr. Slote. understand what it’s like to be a young teenage mom, to be poor…” “Accept them as they come.” “Life Can Be a Drag!” neon orange attire and her dance moves pearls. She later changed into a tight Not noticing an hour had already Mariedel Hernandez to “Baila” by Jennifer Lopez, “It’s My black and white dress to perform gone by, Angel did a compilation, Contributing Writer Party” by Thalía and “Infatuation” by Christina Milian’s “Dip It Low.” which included “I Wanna Dance with Christina Aguilera. Another performer, from the Somebody” and “Greatest Love of All” “Poker Face,” “Single Ladies” and After finishing her number, Angel Philippines, Ashley, wore a dazzling, by Whitney Houston. “Animal” were just a few of the songs broke the ice with some jokes and rather revealing blue dress to No longer a virgin to drag shows, playing in the background as I patiently poked fun of the audience.