FEATURES STUDENT LIFE STUDENT LIFE ENTERTAINMENT No reason to be bored Bucks improves its The lounge for our war When a Broadway star this late semester handicap accessibility veterans came to Bucks Bucks County has plenty of things New efforts are in place to make The Stars and Stripes provides a John Smitherman gave a perform- to offer, ensuring you have a great campus equally accessible to all, quiet area for students who are ance on campus. Christmas. ▷4 but is it enough? ▷5 veterans. ▷5 ▷8 Bucks County Community College The week of December 8, 2009 Volume: 45 Issue: 9 TOP STORY FEATURES 30 years of Bucks geese problem solved woodworking BY JOSHUA ROSENAU News Editor The fine woodworking pro- gram celebrated its 30th anniversary this year. As part of the celebration Hicks Art Gallery is now showing notable pieces from three decades of Bucks woodworking alumni in the exhibit, "FW@XXX". The program is not the only thing being celebrated. For 29 of 30 years, Professor Mark Sfirri has taught stu- dents about the craft and design of woodwork. Now as ▷ Continued on page 4 SPORTS Bumpy start for basketball BY LIAM MCKENNA Op/Ed Editor The men’s basketball team lost 82-62 to the toughest team on their schedule, A Bucks student and Gerty Photo by Annmarie Ely Ocean County, last Thursday. The team has started the sea- son winless, but the outlook BY ANNMARIE ELY also kind of works for the col- and very well behaved dog, runs us so that worked out,” said Mark is far more positive for the Features Editor lege. Before I started bringing her freely, while Della her younger Moore, who has worked for remainder of the season. we had a big problem with geese, brown and white companion Bucks security for six years. After starting off the sea- Bucks groundskeeping staff and that’s why we got her, to help stays leashed to the golf cart. “Bucks is kind of Gerty’s home son with losses to St. Joe’s solved a Canadian geese problem chase the geese away,” said Staff members at Bucks have away from home,” said Snyder. JV, Stevens, Reading, Central by getting a campus dog. Director of Buildings and noticed a significant improve- “One of the reason’s I got Della Penn, Montgomery, and Her name is Gerty, and the 3- Grounds Services Martin Snyder. ment since Snyder started bring- is so that Gerty would have some Lehigh Card, Harrisburg, and year-old dog helps keep campus Snyder has worked for Bucks ing Gerty along. company,” said Snyder. now Ocean County, the team walkways clear of goose poop by for 13 years and brings two dogs, “He’s had Gerty for probably Della, the 4-month-old puppy, has found themselves in a chasing the geese away. Gerty and Della, along when he the last three years. The dog has “Gerty comes everyday. She works. Gerty, a black and white eliminated the goose problem for ▷ Continued on page 2 ▷ Continued on back page ALSO INSIDE NEWS ENTERTAINMENT OP/ED Leaving a Simply inspirational Have a romantic legacy Christmas A Bucks club visits a Sandra Bullock stars Christmas isn’t construction project in a new movie that just great for fami- hoping to leave has Jesse Trout giv- lies, it can also be their mark. ing out big points. very romantic for you and your loved one. PAGE 2 PAGE 9 PAGE 11 bucks-news.com [email protected] | Our pictures: flickr.com/buckscenturion Weather on back page 2 NEWS The week of December 8, 2009 Bucks club leaves mark on new campus construction The Upper Bucks campus expansion project got a visit from the Habitat for Humanity club BY ADAM STAPENELL ward to and fundraise for. Every- Centurion Staff one is excited, especially the four [members] who have never expe- The members of the Habitat for rienced it before.” Humanity club were recently al- The expansion of the campus lowed to sign into this new building was neces- their names to sary as Rodney Altamose, execu- the new build- tive director of the Upper Bucks ing being con- campus described, “The [Upper structed as an “The Bucks campus] grew so quickly expansion to hope and ran out of room to offer the Upper “ classes. The new building (phase Bucks cam- would be two) offers a great deal of new pus. space for additional opportunities Club Presi- that the for faculty, staff and student… the dent Janine clubs community as well!” Jasinski led According to the Upper Bucks the members would website, Phase two will be “cut- through the continue ting-edge” and “green” (environ- construction mentally friendly, not the color). site, so that the to thrive” Phase two will be completed in nine members January 2010. could all leave their legacy on the Upper Bucks campus. Jasinksi said, “The hope would be that the INFORMATION clubs would continue to thrive at the campus for years to come and Anyone interested in the Habitat take advantage of the new space for Humanity club at the Upper available to them.” Bucks campus can contact: The area of construction signed Club President Janine Jasinksi by the students was the second [email protected] floor of the administrative suite. The Habitat for Humanity club Faculty Advisor Rodney Alta- mose helps to raise awareness of the in- The Habitat for Humanity club Photo by Adam Stapenell [email protected] ternational organization's mission, raises money for their local affili- Faculty Advisor Sandra ate, and helps with local builds breaks to an Alternative Spring state for a week in order to help travel to Lexington, Va. for their McLaughlin [email protected] conducted by the charity. Break Challenge. This program with a Habitat for Humanity spring break holiday. Jasinksi They also donate their spring sends the club members to another build. This year the club will said, “We have this to look for- New campus dogs help chase geese away CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 good idea. I wouldn’t want to distract them “It’s a good thing because it will since they’re here to do a job,” is still being trained. help monitor the geese filth,” said said 20-year-old Tori Frey, a Gerty and Della may very well 18-year-old nursing student Kelly graphic design major from Upper become unofficial mascots around Kitel. Black Eddy. campus. The dogs are very “I’ve seen at least one dog on Even students who are a little friendly and approachable. campus, and I think it belongs to apprehensive when it comes to “I remember these two,” said a the groundskeeper. I think it is a dogs are fond of Gerty and Della. student who passed by. “They’re good idea to have them to keep “I don’t know, some dogs, like adorable,” said another who the geese away,” said Katie Den- big dogs, are kind of scary, you stopped to pet them. ton, 22, a liberal arts major from don’t know if they’ll attack you. Some students were surprised to Doylestown. “The kind of dogs we have on learn that we have dogs on cam- “Gerty and Della are fun to have campus aren’t scary though, pus. with me at work and it’s probably they’re alright,” said Joe “I’ve never seen the dogs,” said better than having them caged Burghardt, 20, a graphic design 21-year-old Erich Kaiser, a liberal up,” said Snyder. major from Levittown. arts major from Levittown. Look for Snyder and his dogs Students who knew about the out and about at Bucks. Gerty and Della Photo by Annmarie Ely dogs seemed to think they were a “I would stop and pet them, but Editor-in-Chief Eric Nocito Additional Staff Letter Policy Managing Editor Ian McLean Hope Kumor Letters should be limited to 300 words. They will be edited for Advising Tony Rogers Andrew Laufer spelling and malicious or libelous statements, and may be edited for space. Letters must be the original work of the writer and must Jennifer Bell be signed. For identification purposes, letters must include the Adam Stapenell writer’s full name, address, and telephone number, although the Senior Staff Sarah Battista address and telephone numbers will not be published. News Joshua Rosenau Kyle Reaves Entertainment Matthew Flowers Carl Waxmonsky Send letters to: Features Annmarie Ely Shiju Jacob The Centurion PDF VERSION Student Life Amanda Smiley Matthew Stumacher 275 Swamp Rd Sports Check your Bucks email for a Jesse Trout Josh Roseboro Newtown, PA 18940 Arts Amylynn Bellingrath Stephen Carroll [email protected] digital version of the paper! Op/Ed Liam McKenna Rick Mauro 215.968.8379 The week of December 8, 2009 3 TURN QUALIFYING CREDITS into a career Transfer qualifying credits from your community college to earn a bachelor’s degree from DeVry University. With a bachelor’s degree in a growing career field like Business Management, Information Systems or Healthcare Technology you can be one step closer to your dream career. 3 Philadelphia Area Locations Ft. Washington | King of Prussia | Center City DeVryPhiladelphia.com | 215.591.5715 4 FEATURES The week of December 8, 2009 Art show displays 30 years of woodwork by Bucks alumni The show at Hicks Art Gallery puts together pieces from former students from the program CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 look like two hands coming to- a young, motivated student was gether in a yoga pose," Sfirri said. that he couldn't raise the bar high the program's director, Sfirri is "Phyllis" also functions as a fu- enough.