Q U E E N S B O R O U G H COMMUNIQUECOMMUNIQUE Volume XV, No. 4 October 2000 PRODUCED BY AND FOR THE STUDENTS OF QUEENSBOROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGE Construction at QCC to Last 15 to 18 Months BY DINA NIBAR AND ANA CARRILLO Those who are annoyed by the noise better be done because the brickwork that was done years prepared because the construction is not going to ago is starting to come down, “nice and easy,” as be finished by the end of the semester. “It is Mr. Fox said. The fact that the building has no going to take an estimated 15 to 18 months,” as wall ties (the bricks are not tied to the building the chief officer of planning on campus, James structure), means that if the bricks had fallen Fox, said. down, they could have killed someone. “The noise is going to affect the students to a According to Mr. Fox, “This whole thing certain extent, but the major demolition will be started in the mid 1990s due to a construction sur- completed within the next two weeks and the vey required by the state legislature. Outside con- noise will not be as severe for the remainder of the sultants were hired to find out what needed to be work,” said Mr. Fox. But the work needs to be done on campus. A memorandum was sent out on August 10, 2000, to all members of the college community to inform them of this construction project. The construction is being done by NYTech Corp., and was started on August 21, 2000. It will last until February 2002.” The strumming noise is not the only factor that is affecting people in the building. The coun- selor for Tech Prep students, Mary Anne Meyer, had a much more serious problem. Her office ceiling was leaking through the light bulbs, and as Materials slide from roof to ground. she said to Mr. Fox, “water and electricity don’t Humanities Building had to move the location of mix.” their classes so their students could actually listen Some students found the noise of the con- to them without any distraction from the noise. struction disturbing and annoying. One student “It makes it difficult to speak and hear the named Jay said, “I really don’t care, because I’m a students,” said one business professor who plumber, and I’m used to the noise. But the noise declined to give his name. Construction on roof of Humanities could really affect me, especially if I am taking “Why hadn’t this work started in the summer, Building tests.” when there was a smaller contingent of students?” photo by Dina Nibar Professors who have classes in the Continued on p. 4 New QCC President Marti Projects Progress BY PATRICIA RAMIREZ As of March 27, 1999, Dr. Eduardo J. Marti mayor’s office. Dr. Marti is trying to come up became the new president of Queensborough with a committee to gather three to four million Community College. dollars in endowment. This, he hopes, will help to “My attraction to Queensborough complete the work that is necessary for QCC. Community College comes from the diverse, and Dr. Marti will bring positive change to QCC. ethnic alumni,” said Dr. Marti. Corning His background has prepared him for the needs of Community College has half of Queensborough’s this campus. population with 234 acres compared with the 34 As a native of Cuba who came to the United acres at Queensborough. “At Corning I was the states in 1960, he was educated and taught in the only Hispanic administrator and only two percent CUNY system earning his bachelor’s, master’s of the alumni was ethnic.” The vast change from and Ph.D degrees from New York University. His Corning to Queensborough Community College career began as a science teacher in the CUNY has emerged feelings of delight in Dr. Marti who system branching to his administrative career at is hopeful to give minority and ethic students a CUNY as Associate Dean of Faculty for General chance for themselves to become president of Studies at Borough of Manhattan Community Queensborough Community College one day. President Eduardo J. Marti College (BMCC) in 1975. He has served as Dr. Marti emphasized the cleanliness of the designed strategic plan for our institution.” He President of Tomkins Cortland Community campus by removal of gum off the floor, more mentions creating unified labs where a Math stu- College of the State University of New York in ashtrays and more garbage pails. Renovation is dent can go to an English computer lab and finish Dryden, NY; Executive Dean of Tunxis taking place on campus, which would extend to a his Math assignment. Up to this day Community College in Farmington, CT; Acting state-of-the-art, museum quality Oakland gallery, Queensborough hasn’t had the opportunity to plan President of Middlesex Community College, and a seven-floor technology building. To put the together for such a unified atmosphere. The where he was Dean of Faculty for four years; and ideas into action he will meet with the Vice President is aware that during the next few years President of Corning Community College of the Chancellor on October 13 for the master planning. there will be a lot of construction which may State University of New York in Corning, NY His second goal is to strengthen the faculty. interfere with classes, but it is all for the benefit of since 1994. Dr. Marti commented, “I know how huge teaching the school. Dr. Marti’s final plan is to have a bud- New changes will benefit students as well as loads prevent faculty to advance their own knowl- geting plan for the school that would be able to the faculty and staff of Queensborough edge.” Dean Diane Call has developed Faculty provide money for all these improvements. In Community College. Overall, Dr. Marti is a per- Development Programs with workshops set up so order to continue with these projects, Dr. Marti son that anyone can easily relate to. His purpose faculty can better serve students. For his third plan needs additional funding. The funding can vary as the president is to bring out the best for our Dr. Marti says, “I want to create a really well with who is in power on the CUNY Board and the school as well as for the students. 2 Queensborough Communiqué, October 2000 QUEENSBOROUGH EDITORIALS COMMUNIQUÉ Student Government Building These editorials represent the opinion of the Editorial Board of Communiqué, which is solely responsible 56th Ave. and Springfield Blvd. for its contents. These are not necessarily the views of the Queensborough Community College administration and staff. Communiqué welcomes any letters or editorials for the population of QCC. Bayside, N.Y. 11364 Submit work to Communique, H-428. The Editorial Board reserves the right to edit letters for spatial (718) 631-6233 needs and grammatical accuracy. STAFF FIRST PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE Agatino Accardi One down, two more to go. Al Gore and from his tax cut, while Bush was attacking Gore’s Governor Bush had a steamy debate, on issues fuzzy math numbers. There were times they both Nicole Azo that will either make or break this nation. agreed on issues regarding foreign and domestic Tequa Banks Some of the issues that all Americans are policies. mainly concerned about are the issues of What about this abortion issue? Gore is pro- Ana Carrillo Medicare, the deficit, education, abortion, foreign choice with a great response to the RU-486 abor- Eugene Chun and domestic policy and immigration. The candi- tion pill. He thinks that women should be able to dates for president did not touch on the issue of make the choice of keeping the pregnancy or to Crystal Cruz immigration. abort it. The question is “Will you overturn the Daniel Cuevas Our country’s population is made up of for- FDA’s ruling on making this pill available to the eigners. Many illegal immigrants are working, American women?” Bush’s response was some- Adam M. Delvalle not paying taxes, because they do not have a thing along the lines of, “I do not think it is in the Juliann Diaz social security number. Why can’t we make them power of the president to do that.” legal, so they also can pay taxes? Are Gore and With two more debates to go. All Americans Timothy Graham Bush going to address this issue? will be able to make a decision on who our future Karina Holmfred Gore was very busy attacking Bush about the president is going to be. Who will you vote for, one percent rich in our nation that will benefit Bush or Gore? Eric G. Jenkins Thomas Leto Human Life Weighs Heavily in Debate Dina R. Nibar What qualities do you look for when choos- make an abortion even easier for a woman to Joseph Pennacchia ing the next president to represent our country? have. Our republican candidate George Bush is With the new election approaching rapidly, it very much against it. When you weight the Patricia Ramirez makes you wonder. The value of human life is an options, choosing a new president should be more Devon N. Roberts important issue being brought up in this election. about choosing someone who values human life Pro-abortion or anti abortion, that is the question. more than any other issue. Without values, Vito Salamone Our democratic candidate Al Gore is all for abor- morals, respect, dignity, and faith, what kind of Tara Whiston tion. He believes in the woman’s right to choose.