Johnstown, NY 12095 The student newspaper of Fulton-Montgomery Community College February 13, 2009 Gamers’ club wants to update its College Union room, SGA puts project on hold By Kelly Geraghty The SGA Senate met on Members from the organi- laneous chairs and other furni- organization’s members. Many February’s agenda included Tuesday at the Student Union zation spent several semesters ture found around campus. All other questions concerned the several topics of discussion, in- to discuss many topics, but the creating a proposal that item- of the gaming equipment had area in which the Gamers meet: cluding: transportation, budget real debate took place over a ized most major costs for re- been brought in by the students Who can use the facility once reviews, student insurance and proposal put forth by the Gam- furbishing and included a blue- themselves. it’s fi nished? Is there a regula- news from the Constitutional ing Club. print for maximized seating. While presenting their pro- tion system for the games being Committee. According to Gaming Club They worked closely with Joel posal, the members were met played? Are there behavioral Due to the time spent dis- representatives, their room is Chapin, advisor, to make sure with a barrage of questions rules established to protect the cussing the Gaming Club’s in dire need of refurbishing. the club thoroughly reviewed and concerns from the SGA area from further spills once it proposal, the meeting was Apparently, the carpet is rank all costs and searched for the Senate. has been refurbished? adjorned until Tuesday, Feb. with excessive food and drink most economically conscious Several senators questioned Approved was the full 24 to deal with the balance of spills, plus the seating and choice. the allocation of $1,500 towards $1,500, contingent upon the the agenda. other furnishings are in major Up to this point, the room the refurbishing, due to a lack club raising 20 percent or $300 disrepair. had been sprinkled with miscel- of fundraising efforts by the themselves. Black History Month event slated by SAB by Christopher Samuel In 1915, Black History SAB ran this same contest Month was introduced by the several years ago. Association for the Study of The contest will go three Negro Life and History. rounds with a fi nal round for Carter G. Woodson be- all the winners. lieved that publishing scientifi c The Evans Library’s fi rst history about the black race display of the semester cel- would produce facts that would ebrates Black History Month. prove to the world that Africa Some of the relevant titles and its people had played a on display include: Slavery crucial role in the development and the Making of America, of civilization, according to the Thirteen Ways of Looking at Association. a Black Man, To the Moun- FMCC will have a Black taintop: Martin Luther King History Month trivia contest Jr’s Sacred Mission to Save Wednesday, Feb. 25, hosted by America. the Student Activities Board. A Country of Strangers: The contest will be at noon in Blacks and Whites in America, the cafeteria. African-American Desk Ref- “Music, civil rights, and erence, Toni Morrison’s Be- black women will be among loved, Cornel West: A Critical questions asked in the contest,” Reader. according to Shirl Doherty W.E.B. DuBois: Black SAB coordinator. Radical Democrat, Classic Doherty said the contest Fiction of the Harlem Renais- will start at noon, sharp. sance, My Soul’s High Song: Other SAB members Collected Writings of Countee added that this contest was a Cullenand. good way to raise black his- Color, Sex, and Poetry: tory awareness and also that Three Women Writers of the Altamont Trees by Bill Delanney is part of the ‘Uncommon Beauty in the Commonplace” photo ex- the contest will be fun and Harlem Renaissance hibit in the Perrella Gallery, located in the Communication and Visual Arts Building. Delanney uses informative. an early technique called pinpoint photography. More information the exhibit is on Page 3. FM considers changes to school calendar, student opinions sought through web survey By Geoff Shipley FM students are being The survey will be offered students before proceeding to sible changes must take into All FM students are invited asked to answer an online to students online through a additional questions and are account a variety of scheduling to participate in the survey and survey about the college’s aca- link on the FMCC website asked to answer accordingly to obstacles such as New York convey their preferences and demic calendar. homepage. their preference and opinions state and federal regulations opinions of various aspects of Dr Varghese Pynadath, The survey is anonymous on the calendar. for credit courses, holidays, and the calendar. calendar committee chair, said and consists of 13 questions Dr. Pynadath said, “An spring break. Upon the survey’s comple- changes in the calendar are for students. academic calendar looks rather Dr. Pynadath went on to tion the Committee will review being considered in response The questions primarily simple and straight forward, state that “the academic cal- the responses from students, to concerns and suggestions deal with Fall semester start but the process of developing endar could be compared to a faculty, and staff and use them raised by the campus com- and end dates, Spring semester one with minimum confl icts is jigsaw puzzle. All the different to prepare a report that will be munity. start and end dates, study days a challenging task.” pieces have to fi t smoothly.” submitted to the Provost and A short questionnaire has prior to final exams, Spring When considering changes The committee hopes to Vice President for academic been created based on these break, and commencement. in the college calendar there have the calendar survey posted affairs. concerns in which students will Students will be asked if are numerous elements that in the upcoming week and it have an opportunity express they are part-time or full time must be considered. Any pos- will close two weeks from it’s their opinions. opening date. NEWS FMCC Gateway February 13, 2009 Page 2 College looks to add Gov. Patterson discussed budget more student apartments woes, heard public feedback By Stephanie Jones By Sandy Shatley Governor David Patterson visited More than a year ago FM entered Assuming some will want to stay FM recently to meet with the public and into a management relationship with there next year, Dr. Swanger expressed to answer questions about the budget Campus View Apartments whereby concern about having enough room for that has been drafted for New York State the apartments are operated by the col- the incoming 2009 fall class. for the 2009 fi scal year. lege. “We are looking into expansion op- He also was looking for opinion “There are always challenges and portunities, allowing us to be ready for and direction from the people who were growing pains,” said FM President fall,” Swanger said. there. Dustin Swanger. “I think that has One option is an Amsterdam loca- Patterson gave a quick introduction worked out well, and we’ve established tion which Swanger described as a turn- explaining why he was present and what a safe culture in which students can live key operation that will give students a he wanted to achieve from this meeting. and learn.” different environment living right in He is actually the only New York State The 2008 fall semester saw 150 stu- town. governor that has traveled to upstate dents living at the apartments, and this While some universities require New York since Nelson Rockefeller did spring there are 146 students. Nearly all students coming into an area for college many years earlier. New York Governor David Patterson of the students are freshmen. to live on campus, FM does not. When people were signing in they were asked to write a question on the One man was concerned that the back of a card. Then twenty of those Star program would lose funding. SOS! questions were picked, and most of them However, Patterson does not approve answered. of the star program. He said, “I don’t Somebody please help There were many people who particularly like the Star program...it is went into long and painful personal ten years old and it is obsolete.” By Kylen Clark struggles before actually asking their Patterson announced that the state SOS! Help has been available for Transfer advisor Mark Montgomery question. Some of these explanations has a budget defi cit of approximately students seeking skills for academic will speak on classes students should and concerns took over fi ve minutes to 15.1 billion dollars. That’s the highest success. take that are transferrable. He will conclude, some took ten. it’s been in many years. There was talk The SOS Study Skills Workshops answer questions about the transfer The governor did answer all the of the need to make cuts on education. have offered interactive presentations process, leaving students fully aware of questions. To that Patterson said the SUNY system with solutions to the common problems the requirements. One of the concerns that was brought needs more funding, not less. most college students face. Students are encouraged to take up relates to the Star program. The Star No FM student was able to ask a Shirl Doherty, students activities advantage of the workshops that have program was passed about ten years ago. question or voice his or her opinion. coordinator, called the workshops “a already been completed and to attend It gives homeowners a slight break on Patterson picked a student’s question to chance for students to learn study skills the upcoming presentations.