UP[[!$ .$PNNVOJUZ$PMMFHF.BHB[JOFORTHAMPTON ^daVT]TaPcX^]Xb]ÃcPQ^dcbTgSadVbP]S eX^[T]RT8cÃbPQ^dccTRW]^[^VhSXbR^eTahP]SÀ R^\X]Vc^VTcWTaPbP]PcX^]Á <8;;4==80;B2><4C>20<?DB 5a^<cWTT3Xc>Ab AT THE START OF THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR, THE STAFF AND FACULTY AT THE 438C>AB College were treated to a presentation by author and studier of generational trends William james l. JOHNSON Strauss. He was invited “to tell us perennials how to grow our millennials,” quipped NCC Vice paul JOLY President for Academic Affairs Dr. Michael McGovern in his introduction to the speaker. “The baby boomers, like some of us, appear to be ageless,” McGovern dryly noted. “After all, we 2>=CA81DC8=6 know Mick Jagger is still on tour somewhere in the galaxy. But our students continue to get FA8C4AB younger and younger, and to me, just a little more curious and a little bit more unknowable.” heidi BUTLER emily EIDER Strauss and co-author Neil Howe take on some strongly held false assumptions about rebecca HESS today’s teens in their books, “Millennials Rising” and “Millennials Go to College.” Strauss michael e. NAGEL drew on research from these books in his presentation at Northampton, and he convincingly beth w. ORENSTEIN shot down some “known facts.” sandy STAHL “It is handy for people from cultural wars on the right to describe this generation as being 2;0BB=>C4B2>>A38=0C>A disappointing, lacking in sufficient morals and so on, because it promotes their agenda,” he said. nancy HUTT “It is also useful for cultural warriors on the left to do that … . We have a number of people who have curricula or have institutes or grants or the like that are based upon the notions that young ?A>>5A4034A people are not doing well, whether it’s a racial group or a gender or some other subcategory.” kate SCHAFFNER A few examples of assumptions that Strauss refuted with research information: ■ Myth – High school and college students are having more sex at younger ages. 0AC38A42C>A Fact – Since a peak in sexual activity among teens in the mid-’90s, there has traci ANFUSO-YOUNG been a steady decline. ■ Myth – Teen suicide is at epidemic proportions. ?A>3D2C8>=2>>A38=0C>A 2^=CT]cb Fact – Suicides peaked in the early ’90s, but have declined sharply marianne ATHERTON through the last 15 years. X=c7TS0H 2>=CA81DC8=6?7>C>6A0?74AB ■ Myth – Violence and bullying in and out of school are at historic high levels. !ņņKids Today How the millennials are making randy MONCEAUX Fact – Teens today are significantly safer both in and out of school than they a name for themselves in the world. Recognize the image above? Careful, you might be philip STEIN were in the late ’80s and early ’90s. dating yourself. Relics like card catalogs are largely luis VAZQUEZ Strauss contrasts today’s “Millennial Generation” with the baby boomer generation of their gone, making way for electronic systems to search 2>=CA81DC8=68;;DBCA0C>A parents, and with “Gen X” and “Gen Y” that preceded them in high school and college, and his ' Helicopter Parents Their presence is felt and store information. joe LACEY findings are encouraging. In 1983, when asked whether they had at least occasionally attended a on campus as parents become increasingly involved church service or drank beer in the past year, about an equal number of Gen Xers (72 – 75 percent) in their children’s lives. BY Sandy Stahl responded “Yes” to both activities. By 2001, the millennial generation’s responses to that question ?A4B834=C were very different. Those who said they had attended a church service had risen to 83 percent, DR. arthur SCOTT while the number who said they had drank beer had fallen to 47 percent. (And no, you cynical baby ! Wired To Learn MP3 player? Check. TV? E824?A4B834=C boomers, millennials didn’t just switch from beer to wine or some other substance abuse.) Check. Instant messaging? Check. A new study ! PULSE: Campus News and Scuttlebutt 8=BC8CDC8>=0; In this issue, Northampton Magazine takes a look at this Millennial Generation that makes time ritual. BY Beth W. Orenstein 03E0=24<4=C up most of our student population. You can find more on William Strauss’ interesting research, !% ALUMNI NOTES AND DONOR PROFILES susan k. KUBIK and we look at the phenomenon of how baby boomer and Gen. X parents are much less Jennifer MacGregor =>AC70<?C>=2><<D=8CH willing to step back and give their college-age “children” the same independence the parents !" deCode Women on a Mission: AFRICA 2>;;4645>D=30C8>= themselves had when they were in their late teens and early 20s. As one of those baby boomer What do all those letters mean? Your guide to Media Hounds 1>0A32708A<0= parents, with children both in college and high school, I’m finding this all quite interesting. instant messaging. Engineering Excellence john EUREYECKO I hope you do, too. u ?D1;8B74A northampton !# Cool Quotient Language continually community college evolves, and each generation adds a few words foundation to our dictionaries. Millennials are no different. 2>AA42C8>=)In the summer edition of the magazine we incorrectly listed the years the first dental hygiene 3835 green pond road BY Jim Johnson and Sandy Stahl class graduated (1971), and the first nursing class bethlehem, pa 18020 graduated (1970). COVERS © VEER/PHOTO BY PHILIP STEIN-LOCATION MARY MEUSER MEMORIAL LIBRARY =22ņ●ņ50;;!$ 50;;!$ņ● =22ņ ?d;BT Campus NEWS and Scuttlebutt A COLLEGE ON THE MOVE 4G_P=SX=6P22TBB can you hear the CHEER? ONE CELEBRATION softball team in the country. recreational space for local deck. As soon as the new gym simply wasn’t enough. And After classes began, the youth teams, and a dream- was ready for occupancy, so there were two to herald students made the building come-true for students who construction workers began the addition of a student their own with a full-day want to work out before or transforming the old gym activity center to NCC’s “Spartanfest” featuring after class to stay fit. into 11 new classrooms to Main Campus. games, food, music, fun and Three cheers for accommodate the growing The triple gymnasium an NCC victory over Bucks architect Silvia Hoffman of number of students joining that can seat 2,000 people County Community College MKSD Architects, project the lineup at NCC. The had already hosted in the first intercollegiate manager Arif Fazil of classrooms will be ready commencement in the spring. volleyball match held in the D’Huy Engineering, general by spring. And the spacious student new venue. contractor Mark Rizzetto of What a game plan! u lounge had served as the hub Now the Spartan Center Rizzetto Construction, and for new student orientation is busy from morning to NCC’s own physical plant ▲ over the summer. But at the night. It is hard to imagine staff for bringing the building President Dr. Arthur Scott start of the fall semester, the campus without it. in on time and under budget (inset) cutting the net at the Not only does it serve as a and to all the contributors who Spartan Center dedication. the Spartan Center opened ▲ for everyday use amidst handsome “home base” for helped to make it possible. Students picnic on the considerable fanfare. NCC’s athletic teams, it also And talk about a double lawn outside the Spartan Before classes began, provides the setting for a header: More room for Center during Spartanfest. alumni and the public robust intramural program, teaching and learning is on were invited to try out the 42,750-square-foot facility during an action-packed The Spartan Center is busy from morning dedication ceremony filled with contests, sports fl icks, to night. It is hard to imagine the campus exercise demos and a chance without it. to meet the Lady Spartans — the winningest college ! =22ņ●ņ50;;!$ PHOTO BY LUIS VAZQUEZ/INSET PHOTO BY RANDY MONCEAUX 50;;!$ņ● =22ņ" fiNAnce/fuND rAisiNG On The Campaign Trail ▲ HAPPY NEWS: Cam- a college that has “come so paign Co-Chair Paul Mack far” and done so much for so talks with a TV reporter about many people. the success of the campaign. ▲ SPEAKING FROM THE ▲ MOM FOWLER: Intro- HEART: On behalf of their duced as a leader who “has fellow students, Clarissa Shet- fueled much positive change” ler and Luis Santiago describe in the community, Marlene the unique paths that led them “Linny” Fowler reflects on to NCC, expressing gratitude her involvement with NCC that the generosity of donors that began almost 30 years is “making it possible for PROMISES KEPT ago, exclaiming that she feels them to achieve goals they a night to remember like a parent in her pride for feared might be out of reach.” ▲ JOB WELL DONE! Members of the campaign leadership group gather for a photo after working shoulder to shoulder to reach the goal. “I am proud of how the leadership hung in there,” says Campaign Co-Chair David Shaffer ’77. “As time passes, volunteer commitment sometimes wavers, but that was not the case with this group.” Shown here (l-r) Tom Tenges, Michael Nagel, Chuck Peischl, Chuck Hannig, Susan Kubik, Co-Chair Paul Mack, President Arthur Scott, Scott Fainor, David Shaffer, Bob Rupel. Not pictured: John ▲ Eureyecko, Mike Krupa, Bruce Palmer, Donna Taggart ’73, Dr. Robert Kopecek, and Honorary Co-Chairs Marcia and Hap Wagner. CULINARY and hotel and Nazareth Bank & Trust, restaurant management stu- proclaimed, “I’ve been as- dents say thanks in the way sociated with the College for A SUDDEN – BUT BRIEF most ambitious fund-raising could raise $8 million,” Paul a new strategic plan, that a ▲ THANKING DONORS for enabling NCC to keep its promises they know best, with a feast many years, and I can hon- — downpour couldn’t campaigns ever attempted by Mack recalled.