THE TORCH THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF BERGEN COMMUNITY COLLEGE Online at: http://www.bergen.edu/pages/880.asp September 2007MySpace URL: http://www.myspace.com/bcctorchnewspaper Vol. XII Issue 7 Bergen Bans Smoking: Campus Breathes Fresh Air for Good BY MICHELISA LANCHE by the elected officials of the stu- ered the same information,” said dent body. “And we wanted to Vice President of Student Services COPY EDITOR indicate to them that we took Raymond Smith. “That then On January 1, Bergen them seriously,” he said. prompted the Board to say that we Community College will officially At the end of the spring 2007 need to move towards a smoke-free become a smoke-free campus, semester, the SGC conducted a campus.” which means all smoking is “Smoking Survey” through email Students and faculty have shared banned from all school property asking students, faculty, and staff different views on whether this pol- both inside and outside including to choose one of the following four icy is a positive or negative change. parking lots and walkways. options: (1) Bergen should be a Jonathan, a full-time student at The policy takes effect following smoke-free campus. (2) Bergen Bergen, thinks the policy is benefi- surveys by both the Student should leave the smoking policy cial to everyone on campus. “I per- Government Council (SGC) and the same. (3) Bergen should permit sonally don’t like the constant the Board of Trustees. Currently, smoking in designated areas of the smoking in my face, not to men- smoking is permitted at a distance parking lot. (4) Bergen should tion the obvious health risks from beyond 50-feet from school build- allow smoking only in private vehi- secondhand smoking and things ings. No smoking is allowed inside cles. 1418 students and 395 facul- like that,” he said. the buildings. ty and staff responded to the email Some students who smoke, like “Two things to keep in mind: and took the survey. 53% of the David, wouldn’t be affected much This is not a popularity contest. faculty and staff and 52% of the by it because they’re “in class half the This is a health care issue,” Stephen students chose option one. time anyway, so it’s not a big deal.” J. Moses, the board’s chairman said Francisco Marin, SGC’s president On the other hand, Lisa, another for the 2006-07 school year, pre- student smoker, doesn’t agree with COURTESY OF/BCC in an interview. “There unques- sented the board with the results. It it. She believes that everyone Bergen Community College President, Dr. Jeremiah Ryan tionably is a large number of people [who disagree with the policy, but] was extremely impressed with the should have his or her own choice. whether they form a majority or a students’ effort; however, its mem- “Even when I decide to quit smok- Getting to Know minority is irrelevant. What’s rele- bers wanted to make sure these ing, I still won’t think it’s (the poli- vant is that we feel an obligation to results were accurate. They commis- cy’s) fair to the smokers,” she stated. make the campus as healthy as pos- sioned a wider survey to be done by Faculty members understand that BCC's New President, sible, to make the campus as clean the Division of Student Services. the policy addresses a huge social as possible,” “The survey [done by the issue, but Chairman Moses said Dr. Jeremiah Ryan Chairman Moses noted that this Division] was [conducted in] the was an issue brought to the board same [way], and it basically uncov- See Bergen Bans Smoking . page 3 BY AMANDA FERRANTE who require developmental pro- grams to improve their chance of EDITOR-IN-CHIEF success,” the report stated. “There Among the many new additions is significant evidence, however, Is Bergen a Cell-Out? at the college this fall, a new presi- that for many students, the institu- dent may be the most promising. tion’s current remedial math pro- Dr. Jeremiah Ryan, former gram is an obstacle, not an avenue, T-Mobile to Build Cell Tower President of Raritan Valley to academic success.” Community College, took office President Ryan said he believes on Top of Ciccone Theater this past July and gave The Torch a the faculty will be able to resolve glimpse of what to expect under his the issue. BY ROBERT TORRES presidency in the coming months. "What I would hope would hap- Dr. Ryan's tenure at the college is pen is for the math department to STAFF WRITER beginning with an obvious start— become the leaders in solution,” he Several Bergen Community getting to know the campus popu- said, noting that math comprehen- College faculty members and local lation. sion is a national issue and does area residents expressed concern at "What I want to do is meet as not only exist here at Bergen. an open forum last month to dis- many people as I can...and ask a lot “Faculty, in the end, are the ones cuss the anticipated construction of of questions and listen,” Dr. Ryan that really need to fix this." a T-Mobile cell phone tower on top said with a smile. “Bergen is an The primary issue, Dr. Ryan says, of the Ciccone Theater. excellent institution.” is who is teaching remedial math. The tower was approved in a He seems genuinely concerned “Developmental math should be meeting by the Board of Trustees with the student body and with taught by developmental math in October 2006 and by the student’s ability to succeed. More teachers. Changing that could get Borough of Paramus in August of importantly, he said he is extreme- the pass rate up.” 2007. A final open forum on the ly concerned with academic prob- In addition to his academic con- matter is scheduled for Sept. 27 at lems students may encounter. cerns, Dr. Ryan places a great deal 2 p.m. in the Ciccone Theatre. When asked what his priorities of emphasis on the importance of The August 7 open forum held by consist of, he said, "[Math] is the student activities. Dr. Ryan said he Bergen took place in the auditorium STAFF PHOTOS/LOUIS CAMPOS would like to meet with the number one academic concern I of the Ciccone Theater and includ- Cell Phone Tower to be placed above Ciccone Theatre have…Everything [else] is second Student Government Council, as ed about 100 people, including priority.” According to a recent well as with every other club on engineers who discussed the tower. by T-Mobile’s parent company Collins said the placement of the report by the Middle States campus, and to take time to answer However, there was no oncologist Omnipoint Communications. tower is safe. It will be placed on Association, the accrediting organ- any questions they might have. (medical doctor who studies cancer) Omnipoint is the company top of the Ciccone Theatre build- ization that evaluates academic Dr. Ryan's name might even present to provide specific health- responsible for building the tower. ing, and will be covered by walls, programs, BCC’s math depart- show up in the registration booklet related answers. No board members Collins said he checked to ensure which block out RF. He said the ment needs to improve. in the coming semesters as he feels were present at the forum. the level of radio frequency electro- only way to tell that there is a cell “Like all comprehensive commu- the best way to get to know stu- Among the engineers attending magnetic radiation (RF) complied tower would be from a bird's eye nity colleges, the institution serves dents is to teach a class. While was Chief Technical Officer Dan with the Federal Communications view, so it would be practically a very large portion of students Collins of the Pinnacle Telecom Commission (FCC) standards for See Dr. Jeremiah Ryan . page 2 Group, a consultation firm hired a safe environment. See Is Bergen a Cell-Out . page 2 What’s Inside: BCC News . .p. 3 This & That . .p. 4 Arts & Entertainment . .p. 9 Sports . .p. 12 “For The Record” Series Features Sen. Bob Is This Love That I’m Feeling?, Hey, September’s Music Picks, For Those Who’ve Calling It as We See It: A Guide to the 2007 Menendez, Three of BCC’s Finest Participate Teachers, Leave Those Kids Alone! Got the Blues but No Rhythm - 2008 NHL Season, Torch Sports Top 10 in Environmental Symposium at U.N. PAGE 2 THE TORCH SEPTEMBER 2007 BCC News “For The Record” Series Features Senator Bob Menendez BY JILL BARTLETT “We need to know who is here to The evening began with just over live the American dream and who is an hour of questions posed by MANAGING EDITOR here to destroy it,” Menendez stated. Doblin. Menendez spoke of the U.S. Senator Bob Menendez Secure borders, north and south, “intransigence of the President” called for a federal “earned legaliza- were also stressed by the Senator. regarding withdrawal from Iraq, tion” program for illegal aliens at He reminded us that while the and reminded the audience he was an open forum last month spon- majority of Americans are more one of the few senators to have sored by The Record and hosted by concerned with our borders to the voted against the war from the start. Bergen Community College. south, at least 60,000 people tra- In response to the children’s New Jersey’s first U.S. Senator of versed the Canadian border last health care crisis, Menendez said Hispanic ancestry said he does not year.