Attica Inmates Take GCC Courses Attica Inmates Are Once Again Able to Receive a College Writing at the Prison for Many Years
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volume 13, issue 2 • March 23, 2011 the Inside the NEW Courier higher education behind bars - education not {NEW Courier incarceration Attica inmates take GCC courses Attica inmates are once again able to receive a college writing at the prison for many years. “It costs 35 to 50 thousand and using common assignments,” By Carrie Dylag education from Genesee Community College, although this dollars per year to keep an inmate in the NY State prison system. said Maxfield. { Staff Writer} time it’s through a privately funded grant. Education has been shown to be the surest way to reduce The students themselves are also different than most History and English classes are being taught to Attica recidivism.” Larson found the money to support the program. students at Genesee Community College. “They know where Correctional Facility inmates who are scheduled to be released Maxfield said, “I am told by folks at the prison that they are and try their best to get out,” said Gosselin. in the near future. Instructor of English Michael Gosselin, who it is already beginning to change prison culture a bit - for Many people worry about the safety of instructors in teaches composition there, said that the inmates had to apply. the better.” prison. For Gosselin safety is not a concern while he is in the “Whatever they do, it is like applying for Yale. It’s the best of Larson also said that this program might ideally help classroom. “I feel safer in the classroom than anywhere else in the best,” he said. reduce tuition at SUNY schools. “If the savings that are achieved the jail,” he said. Derek Maxfield, instructor of History at GCC, also by reducing the prison population was invested back into SUNY, Maxfield said he feels safe as well and wouldn’t continue agreed the process was tough. “They must of course be SUNY tuition could be drastically reduced,” said Larson. teaching if he didn’t. He did however say, “The atmosphere college ready. They must also have a clean behavior record at Teaching at Attica has its differences. “I have limitations deep inside the prison does affect me a bit. As time has passed, the prison,” he said. “They pay for all of their supplies too.” on the kind of assignments I can use,” Maxfield said. I have felt more comfortable, but the surroundings do leave me This isn’t the first time inmates have had the opportunity “Inmates have no computer access, and their library is small.” a little on edge.” to learn while serving time in prison. The program, championed Gosselin agreed, saying that he has been asked by Gosselin and Maxfield have described their experiences by GCC President Dr. Stuart Steiner, had been previously inmates to research certain topics for them since research tools at Attica to be very beneficial to them. “It’s an incredible federally funded, but funding for the program was cut with are limited. challenge but very rewarding,” said Gosselin. the budget. Maxfield is happy he has a great colleague to face “I feel most fortunate to have been asked to teach at The program could save tax payers a huge amount of these challenges with. “Professor Gosselin has made up for Attica,” Maxfield said. “It is turning into the kind of experience money,” said Professor Doran Larson, who has taught creative challenges by creating a learning community, linking the courses no money can buy.” It’s time for Kidder to fly! By Dylan DeSmit After fifteen years of service at { Staff Writer} Genesee Community College, Allen Kidder, associate dean of GCC’s Albion Campus Center, has decided to retire. Kidder’s last day as dean was Friday, February 4, 2010. This ended a long career full of accomplishments. Kidder began his fifteen year career at GCC when he was hired as the head of grant services at the Batavia campus in 1996. In 2000, he also became the acting dean of the Warsaw campus, a position in which he served for a total of three months over two separate occasions. Also in 2000, he began his tenure as associate dean of the Albion campus. During his time as dean, enrollment at the Albion campus increased by a total of 47%. Kidder also helped to form a partnership with Albion High School’s ACE program to Allen Kidder establish the College Today program. This is Kidder may be retired but that a program in which high school seniors can doesn’t mean he won’t be busy. Plans for his Pictured are Dr. Stuart Steiner (left) and Terry Anderson (right). take three credits of college classes at the retirement include spending time with his (Photo by Kris Dassinger) Albion Campus. six grandchildren, traveling, and spending “The students get a real college time at his cottage at Keuka Lake with his experience,” Kidder said. “They are not on wife. He also has many hobbies, including American hero Terry their own turf and don’t know their instructor, aerial photography and flying. He sold his which makes it different from attending a high 1941 Aeronca Chief in April and now rents school class.” a 1946 Aeronca Champ, a Cessna 152, and a Anderson visits Genesee Kidder, along with Jim Simon, the Cessna 172 Skyhawk. Kidder learned to fly in associate dean of the Medina GCC campus, 1964 with his dad as instructor, and he has his Community College also helped to establish a marketing plan commercial, instrument, instructor, and multi- for the Promise Plus program, which allows engine ratings. Perhaps many would shy away By Farah St. Cloud and Caleb Nicodemus newly graduated high school students to take He will certainly be missed at the from speaking about the worst times in{ Staff Writers} up to two free courses at either the Albion or Albion campus. Students and staff know him their lives. Perhaps most would choose Medina campuses during the summer after for his kindness and for his leadership abilities. to forget the memories of friends being interrogated and beaten to the point of death. And it is they graduate. GCC student Kristine MacDonald said, “He safe to say most would burn with vengeful passion for the retribution of the criminals who made Kidder’s focus at GCC has been always made me feel welcome and always their lives a burden for over six years. But there is at least one who would state confidently to a customer service. He often tells his new made me feel I was important.” group of eager listeners at GCC. “I choose not to hate them- I’m an incurable optimist,” he said. staff members, “If we take good care of the Kidder will miss his job. “It has been This man is Terry Anderson. Born in Ohio and raised in Batavia, NY, he joined the students, faculty, and staff, the rest will take the most satisfying job I’ve had in my forty-five Marines and served in the Vietnam War. Being a war correspondent, reporting on violence, death, care of itself.” year career,” he said. and bloodshed was his business. When offered an opportunity to use his journalistic abilities in Lebanon, Anderson grabbed it. The most trying times of his life started in March, 1985, when Anderson said, “I got too confident” and was kidnapped and held in Lebanon for almost Scan the QR Code with the camera on your mobile device to seven years. connect with all of GCC’s social media accounts. To download This story has been told countless times, from the many years spent over there, friends a code reader, open your mobile browser and visit scan.mobi. continued on page 8. news 3-4 people 5-8 courier focus 6-7 entertainment 9 announcements 9 sports 11-12 the {NEWthe Courier 2 } {NEW Courier Letter from the Editor This month’s guest writer is Instructor of English R. Michael Gosselin, who has been teaching composition to inmates in the Attica Correctional Facility this semester. The New Courier Staff So,So, Genesee Community College Student Newspaper Since 1966 Genesee Community College One College Rd. What’sWhat’s ItIt Batavia, NY 14020 Dr. Stuart Steiner, president Editor-in-Chief LikeLike toto Kristine R. Dassinger Assistant Proofreaders Tracy Ford TeachTeach inin Design Jasmine L. Huether Writers Aaron Apholz Attica?Attica? Luis Fernando Chacon Triana {By R. Michael Gosselin} Dylan DeSmit The first thing you notice is the Carrie Dylag heat. And the humidity. The air smells dusty. On the way to the school building, the hallways are tiled, low- of Stephen Crane’s story, “The Open Boat,” says, “An overturned Tia Kennedy ceilinged, and long, like an old hospital with no rooms in it. You boat in the surf is not a plaything to a swimming man.” Christine Lauricella often have to stand and wait for a gate to open, and then there’s a Then I get to leave the place, to just walk out (flashing my sustained, buzzing hum, followed by the muffled clang of a locking Tim Mieney ID card, of course), and re-enter the world as a free man. That’s mechanism. Apart from that, and the sound of the officers going the most unsettling part of the whole night for me, as I sit in the Caleb Nicodemus about their business, there is no noise. cold, dark car for a while, trying to get my bearings. I also think The classroom itself feels like it belongs in a 1950s Katarina Schmieder about some tough questions, like the one GCC and journalism elementary school, with a low chalkboard, some scattered desks, student Carrie Dylag asked me during our recent interview: “How Dalton Schultz and a few of those lame motivational posters that nobody reads.