Furthering STEM on LI

By Rob Rodriguez

The Urban League of Long Island presented an informational presentation about the importance of the development of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math) on Long Island, at the Grant campus on Nov. 11, 2011.

The presentation had two parts to it; one being the pre-screening of the CNN special Black in America 4 and the other being a sit down and talking with some men involved with technology and have made an impact through the STEM field.

The CNN special featured eight different African American entrepreneurs and budding website builders that relocated to Silicon Valley, which is the capital for technology companies to start at, to join this program called NewMe Accelerator to help build their websites.

Throughout the program, they are living together and attempt to help each other, while working on different projects and also get advice from others that have been successful in this field.

Theresa E. Sanders, the CEO and President of the Urban League of Long Island, was excited about the possibility of bringing a similar program and furthering STEM on Long Island.

“We are going to show you a model that works and attempt to bring it to Long Island,” Sanders said. “The goal is to get you excited on the possibilities.”

The Board Chairman Urban League of Long Island, William Rolack, explained why it was important to further the education level of STEM and bringing in new possibilities.

“Many of the outsiders believe we all live next to Diddy (Sean Combs) or Russell Simmons,” Rolack said. “That perception often gets us overlooked for certain opportunities.

Sanders furthered Rolack’s point on the importance of giving that opportunity to youngsters on Long Island.

“There are many kids who do not have a chance,” Sanders said. “They do not have the proper teaching or instruction to improve in the STEM fields and do not have the basic skills to get jobs. We are able to give them that opportunity.”

One of the guest speakers that they invited to come and speak was Dr. Chad Womack, the founder and President of TBED21 (Technology Based Economic Development for the 21st Century). He explained what is needed for anyone interested in a STEM career to be able to have a real impact.

“The three core pillars to help build a foundation are capital, access to technology and investment,” Womack said. “This is missing in many communities and if they did, there could be an opportunity for high growth.”

Womack also explained that there are not many in entrepreneurs building sites like Facebook, Amazon or any other popular website that have made a lot of money. “We need more starters that are willing to take risk to help build an environment for it,” Womack said.

Dr. David Ferguson, chair of the Department of Technology and Society in Stony Brook University, explained why education is important to make it in this field.

“The only way to survive is through innovation,” Ferguson said. “And survival depends on education. Without education, we will be toast. Those who do not have education will not be employed.”

Ferguson also explained the importance of determination and excellence in not just STEM fields, but in every aspect of life.

“It is not easy to make, but people should try as much as they can to not lose focus,” Ferguson said. “Excellence takes a lot of time in many different areas. It is a long shot in any field and requires a lot of work.”

For more information on the Urban League of Long Island, their website is urbanleaguelongisland.org.

“Spring Awakening” Hitting Shea Theater

By Rob Rodriguez

An adaptation of the Tony Award winning musical “Spring Awakening,” will be performed at the Shea Theater on the Ammerman Campus on November 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27 and December 2, 3 and 4.

According to the college website, this musical “celebrates the unforgettable journey from youth to adulthood with a power, poignancy, and passion that you will never forget.” This play is adapted from Frank Wedekind’s 1891 “Spring Awakening” which was an “expressionist play about the trials, tears, and exhilaration of the teen years.”

The play will be on different times on depending on which day it is. On November 18, 19, 25, 26 and December 2 and 3 the play will be on at 8:00 p.m and on November 20 and 27 and December 4 the play will be on at 2:00 p.m.

The ticket prices vary depending on the person; for students of the college with an i.d. it is free, for faculty and staff, senior citizens, which are people over the age of 62, and students not from Suffolk with a valid i.d. it is $11, and general admission is $12. Due to the language and the themes of the musical, the college advises parental guidance.

For more information of the musical, the contact number of the box office is 631-451-4163.

Michael Cooper’s Masked Marvels & Wondertales

By Rob Rodriguez

Michael Cooper will be performing his Masked Marvels and Wondertales play at the Grant Campus in the Van Nostrand Theatre on Sat., Nov. 5 at 11 a.m.

According to themaskedmarvel.com, Cooper is a “poet of the stage–an eye-popping visual artist and a virtuoso mime whose exquisite performances of humor and poignancy, nimble speech and eloquent gesture have dazzled audiences of all ages for almost thirty years.”

The college’s website describes the show by explaining that this is a show that is able to make people imagine “a world where dogs wear hats, wild stallions are tamed, giant noses sneeze and fish use candy to bait children in a pond. Cooper spins tales and weaves stories using an unusual cast of characters, captivating his audience with tales of thrilling adventure, silly antics and outlandish possibilities. A show for all ages, it is sure to capture the heart and stimulate the imagination.”

The admission for the show varies depending on whether the person is a student. The general admission fee is $6.00, but is free for a student of the college so long as the student has his or her current i.d. with him or her. Parking for this event is also free.

For more information on Cooper, his website is http://www.themaskedmarvel.com. For more information on the event, the contact number for the Box Office is 631-851-6589.

Electronics Disrupting the Classroom

By Rob Rodriguez

The Ipods, Ipads, Iphones, and other electronics have become a part of most everyday life and it has come to schools affecting students and leaving professor irate or at least irritated.

Electronics are not just used outside on the campus, it is easy to look around in the classroom and see students using their phones, MP3 players and other gadgets at inappropriate times. The classroom no longer is getting the full attention of teachers because of these devices that give students the opportunity to talk to their friends or whatever purpose they feel like is “necessary” to use at the moment.

“The purpose of class is to learn and you cannot learn with it on,” said Lars Hedstrom, Professor of Television, Radio and Film on the Ammerman campus. “The mission of the student is to learn, if anything gets in the way that takes away from them being a student, then they are insulting everyone.”

Hedstrom understands that technology has become a part of the fabric of today’s society and that there is no way to possibly force the students to throw away all of their electronics at the door.

“It has become a part of our ecology and it is impossible to tell a student to come into the classroom and put all of their electronics at the door,” Hedstrom said. “You could tell them to give the technology up or do whatever you want, but you cannot block it.

Hedstorm also explained how much of a distraction it is and how he hopes students who are using technology in class for inappropriate reason leave.

“The use of electronics is gray; it is not white or black, it is gray. It is a distraction like sleeping, that does not affect anyone else, but that person,” Hedstrom said. “They are grown ups, some of them have important situations, do it in a way the does not create a scene. Leave gracefully.”

Dr. William Burns, Associate Professor of English on the Ammerman campus, expressed his discontent with the use of electronics in the classroom today.

“The way that technology is being used today is a distraction,” Burns said. “Students are having a hard enough time concentrating on the work; they do not need anything else to take away from it.”

Burns also believes that there is a way possible for students to work with professors when they actually need to use their phone or whatever it maybe for an emergency.

“There is a level of respect given when a student tells you beforehand that there might be an issue,” Burns said.

Burns believes that there could be a way to incorporate technology in the classroom and that there are electronics that can help a student, but he is unsure of it.

“If there is a creative way to do it, then it is fine; however, right now it is just more of a novelty to use,” Burns said. “There are nooks, e-readers, kindles and others that are easier for students to have all of their textbooks which are a positive, but how can a student annotate? How can a student write?”

Burns, who happens to teach in a regular classroom with just desk and a room with computers, is more worried with students in the computer room than a student who brings a laptop to class.

“There is more of a temptation to surf the web or get distracted,” Burns said. “If someone brings a laptop to class, they are bringing it to help himself or herself write better notes.”

Students also admit to use of electronics in the classroom and how often they might use it. Ammerman student, Matt Campbell explained his use of technology and what it does to him.

“I use electronics whenever the professor is not looking,” Campbell said. “Sometimes I cannot really focus and it can distract me from note taking.”

While Campbell believes that it does distract him and that he would be a better off without it, he also believes that it does not really affect his grades.

“I would probably be a better student if I did not have my phone out the whole time,” Campbell said. “It does not really affect my grades because I tend to do more work home than I do in the class room because of it.”

Another student, Anthony Lucero, explained how often he uses electronics and how often he is around it.

“When I am not paying attention, I might be on my cell phone,” Lucero said. “Most of my classes have computers in the class room, so my classes are on electronics a good amount of time.”

Lucero also explained that while it is a distraction, there are many other things that can distract a student and whether it can affect his ability to work.

“It could be said about anything, anyone could be distracted by anything,” Lucero said. “It does help out at times, but it can also not. Sometimes you use electronics to help you in your studies, but other times it can distract you.”

Lucero also felt that if a student is seriously distracted to the point that the student cannot be productive, it is not the computer or school’s fault.

“At the end of the day, if you are being distracted by your computers you are not in school for the right reasons,” Lucero said. “You have to get your priorities; it isn’t the school’s fault if you are not paying attention. They are giving you the tools and stuff for your benefit, but you are abusing that.”

According to the Student Code of Conduct of the school, the use of electronics “other devices to make an audio, video or photographic record of any person or thing while in the classroom without the prior permission of the instructor and/or the use, in any locker room, changing room or restroom, of electronic or other devices, such as cameras or camera phones, to make a video or photographic record.” This means that a student is not allowed to record or tape something without permission and it is punishable by the school, but if a student is using it for something unrelated to the class it is not punishable by the school, just by the professor.

The issue of electronics in the classroom will only continue because of the constant developments that are going on with electronics and that these electronics are hard to put down, since they have many interesting features.

Students Lack Motivation

By Rob Rodriguez

Students playing around instead of working.

According to Campusdiscovery.com, there are nearly 5,900 freshmen that come to Suffolk Community College to further their education every year. There are also a total of 22,742 students in this 2 year institution, which does not add up. If every student were to graduate on time, there should only be about 12,000 students, this means that nearly 10,000 students in Suffolk are not graduating on time.

It is understandable that some students do not graduate on time, many colleges face this as well, but for a 2 year college to be so grossly over there is an issue. There are many students there that have been at the school for many years and seem to be going nowhere. Perhaps the issue is student’s lack of motivation for actually being in school.

Of the 22,742 total students that are in the Suffolk Campuses, 13,518 of them are full-time students and the remaining 9,224 are part-time. Perhaps being a part time student is not as easy as students think; which is why there are so many students in Suffolk. Some students just take one class and at a time, until they have enough money to go full-time, but then there is never going to be enough time. They cannot ever seem to find enough money or time to go to school permanently because of their job, their children or some other “crisis”. These part-time students are generally not motivated to go because of these factors.

Another factor has to be the “quality of work” that these students are putting in. Before any class, walk through the hallways until there is a big group of students talking about school and how it is. It is inevitable for one student to say “I am so lucky I barley passed that class” or “I am glad I got a ‘C’,” this is what students thrive to get. Mediocrity is what students want to get, they just want to pass the class, it does not matter what grade that they end up getting. Have the bar so low leads to students failing classes because all they are doing is average work, which can lead to failure and keeping students there for a longer period of time than expected.

Many of these students in school also complain about not having enough time for whatever reason. These students are always too “busy” to do the work or had to sleep. Yet, during common hour or during their break between classes they are not actually doing any work. Students are going to the cafeteria and getting some food, going to the library to go on Facebook and not actually work or outside tossing a football or a Frisbee. That time can be spent reading a book, writing a paper or doing some form of research, instead this time is being wasted. It is not like these students have short breaks either because they are there doing these things for hours and it seems like there are just more students joining them doing nothing productive.

Whatever is the cause of this lack of motivation for students, it must change. It is not even just with students that do not finish school or have low grade point averages (GPA), it is with those who have do well in school or actually graduated. Many of these students believe that they are too smart to push forth or believe that once they have a ‘B+’ or higher, there is no reason to continue on working. It goes back to the problem with students who have lower GPA’s have, expect that they believe once they hit their magic number, a ‘B+’ or a 90, then there is no need to keep on working because everything else is just a waste of time.

This is mentality of not being driven to work hard needs to be gone from all students because it is not a given to have a job straight out of college. It is very difficult to get a job with a Bachelor’s Degree, let alone an Associates Degree. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as recently as of September 2011, 4.2 percent of college graduates with a Bachelor’s are unemployed and 8.4 percent of people with an Associates Degree or some form of college education are unemployed. This is not the time to be slacking off and time to get back to working hard.

Robbie Printz Bringing Laughs to Babylon Student Center

By Rob Rodriguez

Comedian Robbie Printz will be bringing the laughs with him when he performs at the Ammerman Campus on Oct. 12.

The event will be held in Cafeteria Alcove at the Babylon Student Center.

Robbie Printz

Printz who has great credentials, was named by the Improper Bostonian as Boston’s best Comedy Act in 2003, and he won the Boston Comedy Festival in 2002, according to his linkedin account. He has also performed on a number of major networks, such as NBC, MTV and Comedy Central.

As his biography on JoeyEdmonds.com says, “Robbie has performed at the best comedy clubs across the nation, as well as numerous colleges and corporate events. His performance is a reminder of childhood wonders and adulthood absurdities; delivered with high energy and a fast pace that keeps audiences laughing from start to finish.”

The admission for this event is free, and so is parking. This event will be beginning at 11 a.m. and end at 12:30 p.m.

For more information on Printz, you may visit his website at http://www.robbieprintz.com. For more information on the event, you may contact the Office of Campus Activities at 631-451-4376.

Long Island Fall Home Show at Suffolk Grant

By Rob Rodriguez

The annual Long Island Fall Home Show returns to help homeowners “in all stages of remodeling, landscaping and decorating their homes” and exhibitors showing their product, from September 23- 25 at the Grant Campus Health, Sports and Education Center (HSEC) Fieldhouse.

This event is being put on by the American Consumer Shows (ACS), which happen to be the “largest producers of Home Shows in the United States.”

According to the American Consumer Shows website, it includes many exhibits showing many new products to help out with improving the home. There are also many demonstrations of various numbers of sample interior and exterior vignettes; as well as, landscaping exhibits. There are also professional home designers at the show to help the homeowners out and give them advice on redesigning their home and what looks good to do.

There are many reasons to go to the home show, according to their website. One of which is the ability to shop, compare and save because there will be many products out there and the fact that there are home improvement professionals there to advise them on what are great products for their price and which are the most effective products to use. It also helps the homeowners be able to “discover new and interesting products and services for your home,” showing the latest in home improvement tools.

The site also says that the homeowners should be prepared to be “wowed by the possibilities” because of the many companies and products that will be at this event.

The ACS says that these shows also help exhibitors to “showcase their products and services, and meet face to face with qualified homeowners, reaching those eager to learn and ready to buy.

Admission is free for this event, tickets will not be sold and so is parking. The time schedule for each day goes the following: Friday, September 23, 4 p.m.-10 p.m., Saturday, September 24, 10 am-10 pm and Sunday, September 25, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

For more information regarding the American Consumer Shows, you may visit their website at http://www.acshomeshow.com.

Lady Sharks Survive Hurricane Irene

By Rob Rodriguez

After and before Hurricane Irene had hit on Aug. 28, it had a slight effect on the College women’s sports teams.

The only women’s sports teams actively preparing for their up-and-coming season were the women’s soccer, tennis and volleyball teams.

An attempt was made to contact the women’s tennis coach, Chris Cosenza; however, there was no response. Their season had not gotten underway, but tryouts were a little over a week after the hurricane hit.

Women’s Soccer Coach Christina McMahon explained how Hurricane Irene affected her team and how they got over it rather quickly.

“The Hurricane did not really infringe on the Women’s Soccer team,” McMahon said. “We had one game cancelled. Besides that, all of our other activities remained normal and as scheduled.”

The Lady Sharks soccer team lost their first scrimmage of the season against Middlesex CC on Aug. 26, 4-1. McMahon said she feels like the hurricane was not a factor on her team’s play.

“We did play a scrimmage before the hurricane and lost. I do not think any of them were impacted by the coming hurricane,” McMahon said. “Our minds were focused on the game and it was almost two full days before the hurricane was to come.”

McMahon said she had she told the players before Hurricane Irene to inform her of anything that happened. “I asked them to be safe and to keep me updated on anything that was going on with them and their families,” McMahon said.

After Hurricane Irene, all was well for the team. “We didn’t have a scheduled practice until Tuesday so by then they were all back to their usual routines,” McMahon said. “Everyone and their families were okay and safe.”

Their playing field was intact after the Hurricane and they were ready to get back out there. “The playing field was not altered in any way; both our game field and practice field remained in great condition,” McMahon said. “We have a fantastic athletic department to insure that the fields are always in the best condition.”

Women’s Volleyball Coach Kim Simpson said she felt as though there was a bit of an effect on her team.

“The practices right before our first scrimmage were cancelled,” Simpson said. “Even though all the girls did well, it definitely had an effect on their performances.”

The volleyball team played on Aug. 30, two days after Hurricane Irene, and won their scrimmage against Farmingdale 3-1.

An attempt was also made to contact Sam Braunstein, College Director of Athletics who oversees all of the Sharks teams, regarding any decisions he and the athletic department may have made regarding the women’s sports teams, but he would not comment on the matter.

All is well for all the women’s sports teams. The Lady Sharks soccer team will officially open their season at Monroe College, Sept. 13 at 6:30 p.m. The volleyball team will open up their season on the road against Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC), Sept. 17 at 12 p.m. The women’s tennis team will also begin their season Sept. 17, but it will be a home game against the Fashion Institute of Technology at 1 p.m.

For more information on all of the teams, please visit their website, http://www.sunysuffolkathletics.com.