James rrero Chanita onllumni on Hop Anna Ramos on IvallaSato Overcoming on conlemporan wilh an aWl '11111 Se IlarsblD llSlln s FEATURES James Marrero reports on a couple ofl..aGuardiu' finest alumni facing the world and leading us (0 new heigh . David Brown overcomes obstacles and blazes trail '. Soon 5 he will be joining our finest alumni- story by Anna Ramos Rudy Burgos had a brainstorm:"Putting tbe C mmunity b back in Community College." President Bowen expands on our mantra and comments. 8 Editor's Note 10 Janina Perez breaks it down, the history of OpeD Admissions and a tough question. There are Myths and there are Facts, once tho. e are cleared 11 up we can progress to some concrete propo aJ . la­ Guardia's English Professor Lenore 8eaky and the CUNY Community College Conference explain. How many healthplans cost $20 per year? Would y u like 14 one? Got your attention? Associate Health Director Vincent Banrey has worked hard to get a referendum 00 the ballot, now it's up to you! 11 Scholarship Listings 1q Word Craft Forming Committee OrigIDai Members 21 LGCC Sports Carolina oria Patricia Toche LaGuardia Students bring college to 6 gmders, you can too. Rudy Burgos 22 Shawn Torres The History and harmony of Martial Arts by Seop Song. 2~ Chanita Williams analyzes the impact of HipHop culture from its beginnings in dreams to its absorbtion into the 24 mainstream. 21 Rocky Road 28 Clubbing DIs,............ .. Meet our Students .. ~O By the way, around the way there happen to be eveml ~2 wonderful art spaces Ayako Sato reports on P.S. I. Winner of December's "Bridge" Logo contel ( and very ~~ honorable mentions More contemporary art at Long Island City Phun ~4 Phactory. Patterns like Pollack and Picas . Figure thal echo Lichtenstein and De kooning on a Modrianic background.(Those art classes come in bandy! Thanks Prof. Chris) The Bridge is the official student newspaper of LaGuardia Community CoIl• . /I is .......1Il published by an independent staff and financed by student activity funds. OpInlcHls expressed in this paper are not necessarily those of the College, administration, faculty. or ...... student body The Bridge is not responsible for unsolicited materlsJand al/ mBterislls 6UbjtIct -­ to editing. Copyright by The Bridge is located in M117E at LaGuardia Community CoII6ge, 31·10 Thomson Ave .. LlC, N. Y 11101, (718) 482·5189. .. Bronx~ It's not Park ..lven~ but r have hopes and an Amer. an dream. w(teeler Ave.• is cold and . _ q\ (]loT. I have to go to the store. Iny j ~ as a video tap.,.ndor does not give me much time fOl' shopping. A' r approach myeront • doo., a car comes stealtl'lily dOWIl the block. The car store behind me e and four men get out, someone yells out aut4itoritatit ely "Stop, p~ lice !4» I tur ~round with my keys s. l in hand. I see a gun p oW1ted at me . • Holding that gun is a screaming • white male 4IP casual clothing. I see a flash. The pain be. ns as 19 b 1fllets pier ~ ~y body, pinning me to the door. The pain continues • as I fall and realize that the red sJiuff is my • bl ood.... • LaGuardia's Alumni: COmDlunity Leaders by jaDles Marrero The pain of this poor, unfortunate office because he recruited an outstand­ has a 100% rating by the New York Civil man stopped when his life ended at the ing staff and constructed great cam­ Liberties Union on the issues of C ivil hands ofthe police. Imagine being in this paigns. As Michael Jordan says, "lfyou Ri ghts. Some of the issues he votes on situation. If we do not contribute to law, put in the work, results will come." concelll hospital di scrimination and mul­ health, and education it creates problems. Ruben Diaz Jr. works with hi s tilingual tax forms. He also helps people Fortunately there are those who do con­ staff to improve education, economic de­ find housing and protects people with tribute. These individuals fight everyday velopment, civil rights, housing, and th e evictions by finding allorneys for them. in their own ways to prevent these types envirorunent. He says, "My statf and 1 He protects t:-1I11ilie s who make less than of situations. These people understand work with the YMCA, the Police Depart­ $20,000 annually who need an apartment. what it is like to come from humble be­ ment and many other organizations to He also makes sure that apartments arc gmnmgs. weed out correctl y made to tit the Today we are revering the La­ needs of the elderly and Guardia Community College the disabled. Alumni. These alumni repre­ When asked sent the community values of about his feelings on our LaGuardia Community Col­ college, Ruhen lege. We begin with the success res ponded," La(; ua I'd ia story of Ruben Diaz Jr. He is the COllllllunity College is im­ youngest Democratic Assembly­ portant to me because I can man of the Bronx, now serving educate mysel f about dif­ his second term. He represents ferent cultures by meeting the 75th Assembly District in the students who ha ve many South Bronx. He is also a mem­ different cultural back­ ber of the Assembly standing grounds. It is also afto rd­ Committee on Aging, Children and ahle. For a family man like Families, Cities, Corrections, Edu­ myself, thi s is certainly a cation and Government operations, benefit. We can al so learn as well as a member of the Assem­ not to pass judgement on bl y/ Senate Puerto Rican and llispan- cultures that we arc not ic Task Force. He is presently a part of the bad seeds of the city and help ri si ng knowlegable of. However, the college's LaGuardia Community College's Class flowers succeed." Assemblyman Di az weakness is the lack of communication of I ':)97 Liberal Arts Alumni. has recently gone on a media campaign that students have with the administra­ He started his career as a communi­ against police brutality. In the wake of tion." ty service activist, striving to enhance the the Abmner Louima attack and the Another successful alulllnus of La­ Bronx community. At age 15, Ruben Amadou Diallo shooting, Ruben Diaz Guardia COllllllunity College is Andrew helped senior citizens by bringing food has risen as one of the leading voices J. Saluga. lie is an Education graduate to the Senior Centers. Tn later years he against police brutality. "We also pro­ of I 97fl. He started hi s career as an ac­ joined the Christian Community in Ac­ vide a safe haven for youths to stay out ti vist and a sheet metal constructor for tion, whcre he made sure special sen'ic­ of trouble. We give state funding to th e number of years. Then a co-worker said es were gi ven to the disabled and elder­ schools for computers, after-schllol pro­ to him, " Do you really want to he like ly. ),.,'Tams, mentorship, recreation activities, me?" from that moment, he decided to In 1992, Ruben Diaz Jr. became a trips, and theater presentations lor the change hi s life. He enrolls in LaGuardia messenger and a central staff supervisor young people." Community College and now makes a for the New York City Council, where Assemhlyman Diaz has helped pass diffe rence. He says, "Thi s school helped he k amed the dynamics of politics by a bill that will eliminate taxes on college me estahlish that I have a brain and I alll joining the meetings among the politi­ texthooks, has dehated against a TAP and still using it 10 thi s day! We are a nuts cians. In 1 99fl, Ruben decided to run for PELL decrease, and has advocated for and bolts integrity workin g class insti­ State Assemblyman because his father state grants in order to increase funding tuti on. We provide for Illany people a sec­ Inst his bid for New York State Senator. for a variety of education prgrams like ond chancc." II i" father influenced him to become a College Discovery. He is now ihe Recr..:at ion and Fit­ politician. Ruben Diaz Jr. improves the econu­ ness Coordinator at LaGuardia hecau~e Ruben lost hi s first clectiml after re­ my conducting a Strategic Training Alli­ he lo ves spurts and wants to teach ahout cei ving 23 % of the votes. Despite the ance Program which prepares employees them. lie work s with hi s col k agucs tll ohstacles, Ruhen Wlln two more tenns in for the johs of thc next millennium. He operate gyms, the pools, and the teams. 4 He proclaims, "The philosophy of the de­ partment is to develop our students' life skills. Everyone in the world is involved ICC in head sports, head games and the phys- ical part is neglected." Sartre would have agreed. LaGuardia Community College has a involved. Become a leader and be a role diversity of activities and most benefi­ model." He believes in opening the doors cial programs the college offered to their to these students to give them an oppor­ attending students. One of the most re­ tunity to be in charge and show them that spected programs the college offers is it is possible to overcome their obstacles. the Office for Students with Disabilities. He stated, " always believe in yourself." Here you can find successful and coura­ I had the opportunity to also interview geous students who with their obstacles a former student in the office of disabili­ have proven to be great conquerors as ties at LaGuardia Community College.