Press Release- BCC STUDENT STRIKE

October 30, 2009

On Wednesday November 4, 2009, there will be a Student Strike held in the Student Center Quad at Broome Community College at 11 AM.

The reasoning behind the strike is to inform the BCC Board of Trustees that the students are standing with the Faculty and the Broome County Legislature: we do not approve of the BOT’s performance.

Students are concerned about the effect of their faculty working without a contract. We are also concerned that the campus is without a permanent president. Both of these situations have been going on for nearly two years: for some of us, that’s our whole education here.

This strike was organized by BCC students for BCC students. We are often accused of not being as engaged in our campus as other students. This is our chance to get involved and express our concerns to the Board of Trustees and the public. We are exercising our First Amendment rights to make it clear that we are aware of the issues facing our college and understand how they affect us.

We are hoping for a sizable turnout for this event, and hope you will find it worth covering.

Thank You,

Ashley B. Vincent

BCC Student

Tyrone L. Heppard

BCC Student

The Kids Are Out, Before Halloween is Even Here

October 30, 2009

They littered the sidewalks today. Little people- the ones not enough for first grade, and yet they were here on BCC campus. They weren’t here just for the heck of it- they were looking for something. CANDY! They had their pumpkin buckets and their costumes of fairies, insects and other things. I must admit, they were cuter than anything I have seen on this campus before.

They were practicing for tomorrow. Ahhh yes, tomorrow. October 31, 2009: the day of all Hallows Eve. The night that many suggest was created by the candy companies. The night of witches and ghosts, candy collecting and spooky doorsteps, scare you out-of-you-seat movies and bubbly pots and creaky doors music.

On one hand, it is the night that parents with young ones have to spend an hour dressing up their kids and painting their faces. Arranging a time to take them here, there and everywhere to show off their costumes and then up and down the streets of the local neighborhood… early so that when you get home when them, it is still light enough outside so that they can rummage through their new treasure before bed time.

One the other hand, it is a night where teens go on the attack because they are too old to trick-or-treat and too young for the cool Halloween parties. So they buy things like eggs, toilet paper and whip cream to decorate places that could land them with a ticket or with new bracelets and a vacation in jail.

Then there are those parties I mentioned. The parties where all the “older kids” dress up and dance to music all night long, then fall asleep because they just can handle being up that late, or because all the alcohol they consumed is suddenly taking them to a comatose state.

Anyway you shake it; Halloween can be a fun time- whether or not it is just a candy company conspiracy date.

Creatures and Costumes of All Kinds Take over BCC

October 29, 2009

Any other day, having the Broome Community College cafeteria packed just means that there are lots of hungry kids on campus. However, this is a different story.

I walked into the cafeteria- a place a rarely have time to visit and never really need to anyway. But I was on a mission this day. October 29, 2009. I have spent most of October planning my 3-year-old daughters Halloween costume, I never got to plan one for me. That’s okay though, I did however buy a very nice and festive Halloween shirt just a couple weeks ago.

Since I have been going to BCC for awhile, I know that when October rolls in, the plans are being finalized for the BCC Halloween Costume Contest held in the cafeteria, and this is exactly what drew me in today. Nothing was ordinary about the cafeteria today. There were spider webs hanging around, people with lots of makeup and dressed in things I am sure are not their everyday attire.

Through the bubbling pots and howling music, I could hear people whispering. “Did you see the Joker?” “Who is going to win?” The contest hadn’t begun yet and I too was already anxious to see what was in store. I had a laundry list of ideas that I thought would be present in costume form. Things like witches, goblins and ghosts with perhaps the occasional Freddie Kruger thrown in to the mix.

It was announced that there were eleven participants and that they would be judged by six people from the Student Assembly. As each contestant was called, the costume kept getting more and more interesting. To my surprise, there were no witches, no goblins and no Freddie Kruger. There was however, 1) The Joker- John 2) Gaara Naruto- Sam 3) Logan Wolverine- Jordan 4) Union Soldier and Southern Belle- Carter and Andrea 5) River Otter- Michael 6) Wolf- Katelin 7) Ghost- Daniel 8) Cat- Ryan 9) Scarecrow- Amy 10) Designated Drinker- Patricia 11) Dark Wizard- Patrick.

Some of the costumes were downright hilarious; some scared the bejesus out of me, and some were really well thought out. In the end though, there would only be one grand prize winner, a second and a third runner up, with cash prizes ranging from $50-$100. One by one, the winners were called. In third place: #4, in second place: #5 and the $100 grand prize went to #6: Katelin Wilson the Wolf.

“I heard she made the whole outfit herself. That is pretty impressive. I could have told you she would win,” said a BCC student who didn’t want to be identified.

Game 2 and it is Tied

October 29, 2009

In the back of my mind I am yelling, “Let’s go Red Sox!” only because anyone that is playing the Yankees and can essentially beat them, is a plus for Boston. So there I was, wearing my Boston hat, watching the 2009 World Series: Game 2, and with an awful turn of events, the Yankees end up winning 3-1 over the Phillies. Lesson learned: Don’t watch the game and perhaps the Yanks will lose.

There it was. The end of the 7th and the Yanks had two men on and one out. I thought for sure the Phillies were giving up and letting the Yankees take it. But when ex-Red Sox player Johnny Damon lined into a double play, Posada was not a happy camper on second.

Poor, poor Posada— thinking he was safe there on base, and he wasn’t. Man oh man did he throw a fit. Maybe this is where the line, “Why don’t you hike up your big girl panties…” comes into play.

Imagine me though- I was in all my glory when they thought that they had it clinched in that inning, so much so, that the Yankees manager, Joe Girardi stormed the field ready for a fight with the ref.

Then came the top of the eighth inning where Chase Utley grounded into double play and Shane Victorino out at second… the exact same play that just happened with Yanks in the inning before. How disappointing!

I kept yelling at the TV, “COME ON PHILLIES TAKE THEM OUT!” But they never did. The Yanks won. And now they are tied one game to one. The question still hangs in limbo: who will take it all? Ask me, and I will always say the Phillies- and not because I am their biggest fan- only because I don’t want the Yanks to win anything at all. Go Red Sox!

Butt In or Butt Out: Looking for a Solution

October 27, 2009

Citations: this seemed to be the main focus of the Butt In or Butt Out discussion held on October 27, 2009 at 11-1 pm in the Decker 201 lecture hall. (If you missed this lecture, there is another one being held 3:00 – 5:00 pm on the same date.) The discussion centered around the problem of smoking on campus. 11 people gathered to shed some of their ideas and opinions in the matter, including two Health Department Officials, Director of Campus Safety, Joseph O’Connor, and a mother of a Broome Community College student.

Four different “potential” recommendations were printed out and discussed about the smoking policy on BCC campus.

1) Change nothing about the current smoking policy- the current smoking policy entails that there are signs on every building saying that the smokers are prohibited within 25 feet of the building entrance while smoking. There is no indication of where this 25 feet mark is and no enforcement of the rule itself. Between the opinions of those in attendance to the lecture, the majority said that this option was irrelevant to the smokers because no one obeys the signs with no enforcement.

2) Demarcate and enforce the 25-foot no-smoking zones- this proposes that lines be painted on the sidewalks to indicated the 25-foot whereabouts and that when not standing behind those lines, citations can be given out by Campus Security. The majority thought this may help for a short while, but there are those who do not want to obey such rules. “The average students here at BCC are 17-20 years old. They are in the prime years to be rebels and probably will eventually not pay any attention to simple line just drawn on the sidewalk,” Said one BCC student and smoker.

3) Limit smoking to designated areas- This idea suggests that there be marked areas around campus that are just for smokers. While the handout suggested the parking lot as one place, people also named places like the gazebo, the back entrance of Titchener, the big grassy area in front of the Student Center and the area between the Business and Mechanical Buildings. “This is not going to stop people from smoking where they want to,” Said the mother of a BCC student whose daughter has a lung problem where only 40% of her lungs are workable. “No matter where these designated areas are located, there are cannot filter away the smoke. People still have to walk by the smokers and inhale. Options 1, 2, and 3 are not acceptable!”

4) Create a smoke-free (or tobacco-free) campus- This option suggests that the campus not allow any smoking on BCC property at all. “This would mean that, me as a smoker and all the other smokers who are on campus for long periods of time would have to walk to Starbucks, Regal Parking lot or Valero to have a cigarette,” said Tyrone Heppard, a BCC student and smoker. “That is just a little ridiculous I think.” However, the other place allowed would be the sidewalk right on front street which is considered public property. “That is still too far from any buildings that I have class in. That would only be accessible and reasonable for people taking classes in the Front Street building,” Heppard added.

The only options that offer citation usage are numbers 2 and 3, however most of the people present at the discussion seemed to think that citations would a good way to keep the boundaries set and enforced.

When Beliefs are Thrown Out the Window: And I End Up With a New Life to Deal With

October 16, 2009

For as long as I can remember, Christianity has been pounded in my head (although not in a bad way), just in a “we love you and this is our faith, this is how we will raise you” kind of way, and up until I became a teenager, that was fine. Then those years hit where I rebelled against someone offering me a hug. Rebel I did, and when I was 18 years old, that rebellion took on a new meaning. My grandmother, whom my mom and I were living with to take care of, died tragically while I was in my junior year in high school. Over the past couple years of living with her, we grew closer and closer than we already were.

I was in a new relationship with a boy my mom was not particularly fond of and I rebelled to the fullest by playing songs like “She’s In Love with the Boy” by Trisha Yearwood. I decided that I knew what I was going to with my life and that was- run it my way. And “run it” I did… pretty much into the ground. I stopped going to church, moved in with him, made things look worse with my mom than they really were, and barely made it through the tail end of my junior year. And within a six month period after disowning my religion for a rebellious life, I was beaten by my boyfriend, and almost committed suicide, all because I thought I was right. What I didn’t know was that my relationship with Jesus Christ is one thing I do value most.

When I was 19 years old, I found out I was three months pregnant with my first child. I was still in high school and just recently moved back in with my mom. I had been living with my boyfriend and his parents for almost six months when I decided I couldn’t take it anymore. It was an abusive relationship that I think I would have died in if I didn’t get out. When I got back home to my mom, it was Thanksgiving. When I found out in early December of 2003 that I was pregnant, I immediately called my ex-boyfriend and told him. His exact words were, “Good thing you still don’t live here with me, because I would have thrown you down the stairs to make sure you didn’t have that baby.” He continually asked me to have an abortion, but I never wanted that. I didn’t believe in it and definitely didn’t think it was right for me. I was scared like anyone else who is young and unwed and now unexpectedly pregnant. I had really only one choice to make, and whatever that decision would be- it would impact the life my unborn child forever.

By the time I showed up at the Life Choices Center, I had already decided on adoption and found a couple ready and eager to become the adoptive parents of my child. A lot of things were testing me when I was pregnant. I had Satan telling me to have an abortion and God telling me that giving this child life was the best gift I could give him or her. I had classes every week with Della. At the time, the Life Choices Center wasn’t too familiar with dealing with a young woman that was giving her child up for adoption. There were no classes for it, no videos to watch, nothing that would really help me after the fact of the adoption. But Della really filled in the blanks. She made me comfortable with the fact that I was making the right choice and that this may not be an easy road, but it was a better alternative than abortion. For the first time, I was able to know what was happening inside of me. I was able to know that she was there when I needed to talk and she understood without being judgmental.

I was an emotional mess. I was scared to go to school with a growing belly, knowing that I would be graduating with the concern that I could go into labor that same day. It was hard walking the halls of my school that senior year, my belly surpassing my feet, and me being the only one with a backpack with wheels, because I couldn’t lift too much. But somehow- the same school that I feared being rejected and I had been before I was pregnant now accepted me with open arms. I don’t think it is because they thought it was cool for me to be pregnant, but they knew my situation, knew I was scared and that I must be on the brink of going crazy with all the decision I had to make, and they were sincere in helping me. I had friends and they wanted to know all about the pregnancy. They helped me with my books and walked me to my car, and I felt accepted more than I felt like I was an outsider. They didn’t make me feel like I did something wrong and that would haunt me for the rest of my life. But I think that the reason I felt that was because it started at the Life Choices Center. Before I was accepted elsewhere, I was accepted there by Della and all her coworkers.

I was getting points for doing different things that I already did in my everyday life, like” Get good grades, go to work, go to church… etc. I was able to use those points to get things I needed for me and the baby. It was great to be able to check in with her and let her know the details of how the adoption was going and deciding things for when the day came. Della really helped me know that my walk with the Lord would help me the most. And to this day she is right.

The Life Choices Center changed the way I felt about this pregnancy. In the beginning I just wanted it to be over. I wanted the nine months to go so fast that I couldn’t remember it. But with help from Della, I was able to cherish the fact that I did something great by not only giving my biological son Ethan life, but I gave a couple something they tried so long to have. And thanks to the center, I can now explain in a good way, why I did what I did when Ethan’s questions arise.

God helped me through this hard task and just this year I was faced with another. My mom always tells me to pray for everything, and Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Of course, I always feel like something’s are too small to bring to him. My mom on the other hand finds nothing too small of a deal to take to God. Every time I tell her that I have lost something, whether it is a pen, the remote…ANYTHING… she tells me automatically to pray for it. One time, I forgot where I hid my daughter’s bag of crayons in the house after I took them from her for a punishment. With my mom on the phone, she tried to help me think of all the places they could be. In a short silence I heard her whisper and mumble something, when suddenly I found them in the one place I never thought I even put them… her closet. When I told my mom I found them she said, I just prayed God would show you where they were!

In April of 2008, I was diagnosed with the human papillomavirus, widely known by its initials, HPV. I am sure we have all heard the well-known commercial for GARDASIL. “GARDASIL is the only cervical cancer vaccine that helps protect against 4 types of human papillomavirus (HPV): 2 types that cause 70% of cervical cancer cases, and 2 more types that cause 90% of genital warts cases. GARDASIL is for girls and young women ages 9 to 26.” A Pap test is used to detect abnormal cells which may develop into cancer.

I was not happy. I was scared that mine would turn into cancer. I always have the worst of luck. My doctor told me that he would do another pap in three months to see if they were still there. In August of 2008, I had my repeat pap and the cells were still abnormal. So he said we would wait one more time until February and then if they were still there, we would do something about it.

I was confused as to why we were doing all the waiting, but after awhile it slipped my mind that I even had it. I was feeling fine and going about my normal routine every day. For weeks on end I was having someone at my church pray for me for a something else I had going on in my life at the time, and I was so caught up in praying for that, that in almost a year, I never once thought of having them pray for my HPV to go away.

The week I had my pap I remembered I sat in the waiting room thinking I didn’t really want to know the results when they would come in. However, I knew that I would have to find them out. Soon I heard, “Ashley?” I knew it was time to get this over with. I was told I would have the results that next Tuesday so as I was getting ready to find out the results, I went up that Sunday and had my HPV prayed for. I prayed that it was gone and if it weren’t that it wasn’t turning into cancer.

Finally, Tuesday came. I was getting more scared now with what my outcome would be. That fateful call came on time, and the words were so unbelievable, “Ashley, you are fine. You’re abnormal cells are gone.” I wanted to call everyone and tell them the good news. I was relieved.

Although, it wasn’t until the following Sunday when I realized what had happened. I went almost a year without bring this HPV problem to God. I brought all my other troubles and burdens to Him, except this. But the week I brought it to Him, I was freed of those cells. This was the biggest miracle that I had experienced and realized right away that the prayer had worked.

Pastor Brandon Samuel once said, “People tend to think that God is no longer in the miracle business, like He made the world and then went on vacation. He hasn’t. There is no vacation or sleep for God. He is still doing miracles every day.”

Well, if I hadn’t experienced a miracle and realized it, I don’t think I would have believed it. He IS still in the miracle business.

At this point, I am not sure where I would be without Him. In 2003, I would have been dead. Luckily I am not. I think He is the greatest value in my life and then everything I believe and value next falls in line after him.

***I took a quiz on Facebook and it told me that this was the Bible verse that describes my life: I Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”***

Crosswalks Are Your Friend- Maybe…

October 15, 2009

Are you parking across from BCC in the Regal Cinema’s lot? Are you using the crosswalks to cross the street? The answers are perhaps and probably not. Most of the students who park over there decide to jaywalk across Front Street. However, I suppose it would be more classified as playing a game of chicken with the cars. With Front Street being as busy as it is, there is no logical thinking to running across the four lanes.

“They want to get killed. The students literally want to die before they graduate. If they didn’t want to die, they wouldn’t do such a thing,” says frequent Front Street driver, Louis Goldman. “I drive through here every morning, and I could have killed half the campus with my car by now. Luckily, I am a cautious driver. I once saw one of the kids drop their books in the street running across. They stopped to pick them up with no regard that the traffic could potentially end their life.”

“It’s just so much easier to find a space over at Regal or Starbuck’s. I hate looking for a space on campus,” says a Broome Community College student who always parks at Regal. “As for running across the road, I guess there really isn’t a reason for it. Maybe it’s just the adrenaline rush.”

The main question here is why would the students find the better option to dart across the street in front of the paths of cars when there are crosswalks at both sides of the campus- only a few feet from where they are doing this? Maybe it is because of the fact that they hate waiting on the crosswalk signal to light up and that the people driving are practically running pedestrians over in the crosswalk anyway, so they see no point in crossing in the designated areas.

In Boston, Massachusetts all traffic signals turn red when the crosswalk signal is lit. We may not be a big enough or busy enough city to do such a thing, but in high-traffic areas and especially in front of a busy commuting college, that should be law. Even when the sign does say that you are allowed to cross the street, the cars that are also allowed to go at the same time get very annoyed if you are doing anything less than running.

Joke Writer and BCC Alumni Gives Presentation to BCC Students

October 1, 2009

Two time graduate of Broome Community College and currently a free lance writer, Bill Lake gave a presentation for BCC’s common hour on October 1, 2009 titled “Behind the Punch lines” giving attending students an insight on the process of creating a joke that would be nationally recognized and remembered.

Lake, who is in his fifth year writing jokes for the David Letterman Show and second season writing for Saturday Night Live, began his career 10 years ago writing radio sketches. He spent two years writing jokes for radio shows in Africa and the UK, along with a customer being from Turkey. Lake says, “I would listen to the show and since my jokes were being translated, I would hear ‘blah blah blah Madonna’ and know that was my joke.”

One joke he wrote and showed was played recently on David Letterman when President Barak Obama was the guest. The joke said, “Security here is tighter than Joan Rivers face.” Which got an uproar of laughter from the Letterman audience as well as the common hour audience.

Lake also showed how to create that perfect funny joke, stating there are two main points. 1. Joke Profile- find a subject matter in the news that is a common take that everyone can relate to or has heard about. 2. Manipulation of Information- turning a tragic story or boring story into something funny by finding key words to use.

The main point stressed by Lake was the fact that free lance writing jokes was not a full time job that he could have. Being paid on $75-$100 per joke used on TV, he said that this was not a job for money; it is a job for recognition since 99% of the jokes written will never see the light of day.