by John E. Koegel
Nov 19 marked the official opening of the Career & Applied Learning Center (CAL) in which the office extended an open invitation to the campus community to meet staff members, ask questions and enjoy some light refreshments.
The CAL, located in Mawhinney, coordinates student with volunteer and service learning experiences, as well as shadowing and internship programs. They also offer employment services including online job postings, resume and cover letter writing and critiquing, job searching, interview techniques, job fairs anon campus recruitment, and a variety of workshops.
The CAL is headed up by Director of Academic Initiatives Dianne Fancher.
“Most students will come in to see what the CAL has to offer," stated Technical Specialist Janis Quirk. She greets visitors and presents them with a flyer to describe what the office has to offer. “If they need to write a resume they may need to make an appointment with Employment Services Coordinator Mike Ramos, or Resource Coordinator Michele Cary," she explained.
Quirk continued, "students are interested in internships who are then referred to Internship Coordinator Rosemarie Martens, if they are interested in service learning or volunteering then they would speak to Service Learning/Volunteer Coordinator Maria Malagisi.”
She also noted that appointments are suggested, which she will arrange, but walk-ins are always welcome. She said she is more than willing to direct visitors in the right direction. If the coordinator they seek is unavailable, then an appointment will be made.
Internship Coordinator Rosemarie Martens, who prefers to be called “,”helps place students in internship and coop positions for the various programs offered at OCC. She coordinates with human services, mechanical and electrical tech and many other departments.
“A student will come in and they are asked to write a resume first," she explained. She then begins to locate an internship that best fits the students so that they receive the best possible experience. She also works with OCC faculty and local businesses to secure more internship opportunities for students.
Students can receive academic credit for an internship if the program that they are majoring in offers one.
Martens noted, "Departments on campus do not have internships for credit, though students are still encouraged to visit the CAL for an internship that fits their needs." Martens explained, "every department has a credit course on the books. The engineering department, for example, does not have an internship credit program, but that does not mean that they cannot still look for an internship through the CAL. The requirements for a non-credit internships varies in that it does not require 24 credit hours, though a minimum 2.5 GPA is desired. Typically a student should be matriculated for an internship to receive credit.”
Martens is currently working with 30 different companies in the local area. She does receive some inquiries from outside the Syracuse area. She explained, "do get advertisements for national internships, but I have not placed anyone yet. Some are environmental where you could work for the government in a conservation internship.” There are stipulations though. She continued, “of these positions are not within the local area and would require moving for the length of the internship. You would have to relocate where some of them provide housing or possibly a small living stipend during the internship.”
The CAL is striving to get the word out to students about the opportunities that exist. They will utilize the all-student e-mail system, place posters and flyers and use the campus monitors to announce workshops and programs. “are trying to advertise that since most students do not know about it. We have current job postings and also have a section for internships on the OCC website," Martens explained. Current listings can be found on the OCC website at http://students.sunyocc.edu/ and click on Employment Services.
Martens recommends visiting another internship resource at www.project-ion.com. Students can work with them directly or work through the CAL. Martens stated, "CAL can assist students with their resume before they apply for those internships.”
If you do not see an internship field listed on the web site that interests you, then make an appointment with Martens, will work to you in finding an internship.
Resource Coordinator Michele Carey is responsible for all resources that CAL provides, such as online resources and paper resources that how to write a resume booklets. She oversees campus recruiting, job postings and college career fairs.
When will the next job fair be? Carey stated, "until the spring. We do not have an exact date yet, but it will probably be sometime in April. A lot of the companies who are currently posting jobs with us will be invited. “Want to come to campus to meet students face to face." Companies are currently invited to set up a table in the lobby of Mawhinney. “May also look into having these recruiters do interviews in the CAL (office) itself," she noted.
Students are encouraged to attend the various workshops that the CAL has to offer. It is suggested to make an appointment due to space limits, but walk-ins are welcome though seating may be limited. If the workshops offered in December become popular, then sign up sheets will be utilized during the spring. Due to an expected demand, there is the possibility of increasing the frequency of workshops to two to three each week. These sessions will cover several topics through out the week in an effort to accommodate student schedules.
What is covered during the resume writing workshops? Carey provided an overview: "to write a resume from start to finish, what to include and what not to include, the do's and don'ts, and the most important things about writing them." After you have participated in a workshop you have the opportunity to return to the CAL for continued assistance.
Carey explained, "Workshop is kind of a one shot deal to get the basic information in that one session but myself and Mike Ramos are here for walk-ins.” She commented that they were there each day on an appointment basis to review résumés, cover letters and cover all of the information that was provided in the workshops. ”
What happens during the Interviewing Techniques workshop? Carey said, “will give you some questions typically asked in an interview, and how to respond to those questions in the best possible way. There will be some role-. For example, I am the interviewer and you the interviewee. We can go through some scenarios to make students comfortable with the interview process because it can be very intimidating” She laughed, "will not interrogate you! “Would go through a typical interview with expected and unexpected questions to see how you would react to those things. In traditional mock interviews they are video taped so you could actually watch it afterwards.”
The CAL does not currently own a video recorder, but is looking into acquiring one. For the time being, they employ the use of a voice recorder during the mock interview.
What about the Job Search workshop? “will talk about the different resources that are available,”Carey stated. “are an enormous amount of online resources available, every thing from Monster.com to Careerbuilder.com to specific professional organizations for different fields. Where to look for things, how to look for things, where to use your time the best.”
Carey admitted,“do not know all the answers, but I can help find the answers.”
Employment Services Coordinator Mike Ramos has been busy meeting with people who are interested in securing employment relative to their fields of study. He is currently working with them to prepare resumes, cover letters and hone their interviewing techniques.
He is in the planning stages for employer job fairs. Ramos is working to create mini-fairs that are both curriculum specific and broader fairs that would cover a multitude of curriculums. The premise of the job fair is to connect people with employers with a focus on full time employment.
Ramos assists people in locating employment in this area, but also can search in other areas as well as possible national employment opportunities that may exist. He explained, "cannot place you in a job but I can help you to prepare and get ready for a job.” Part of the preparation for a job is the interviewing process, noting, “interviews add value.”
He described the CAL over as, “this is a place where people go to gain experience in volunteerism, part, jobs to internships and how to search for full-employment, full-job listings.
“I think it is kind of planting the seed with people. You got to have that experience going out into the job market. And the best thing that will happen is that you find some thing that you like and you have a contact with an employer that you like and you end up getting a full time job through them. That is an ideal thing here. ”
Ramos explains “can do some shadowing. We will try to work with an employer that someone is interested in to see if there is a time that person can go to x-site to shadow an employee around to see what the work environment is like.” He continued “is good to get that experience, for example, 'Do I like this environment?'” A basic thought might be is 'Do I want to sit at a desk or be outside?'” “If you do not get that experience you don't know if you actually will like it," he finished.
Ramos had some tips to share. “'t be the person who waits to graduate before coming in (to CAL). You do not want to be that graduating senior struggling to get a job. I do not know how to stress that enough.”
Ramos is also working with EOP and C-Step students for job readiness skills.
The CAL is a place for people to explore, experience and succeed. Visit them Mon-Fri, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. in M-145.
Career & Applied Learning Center Group
Dianne Fancher, Director Academic Initiatives 498 2490 fancherd@sunyocc.edu
Mike Ramos, Employment Services Coordinator – 498 2118 ramosm@sunyocc.edu
Maria Malagisi, Service Learning/Volunteer Coordinator – 498 7207 malagism@sunyocc.edu
Michele Corey, Resource Coordinator – 498 2109 careym@sunyocc.edu
Rosemarie Martens, Internship Coordinator – 498 2494 martensr@sunyocc.edu
Janis Quirk, Secretary – 498 4585
Office fax 315 498-2459
Office e-mail calcenter@sunyocc.edu
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
SuperMix Serves the Campus 24/7
By Kelly Insel
Broadcasting from the corner of the Whitney Building in the Electronic Media Communications department, Onondaga Community College’s radio station, SuperMix, streams across the globe via its Web site, http://supermix.us. This is a great accomplishment for the staff of about 27 students because year ago, the SuperMix was born after the old radio station of the 1980’s (which kept a relatively stable musical format since the 1960’s) was done away with. Decades ago, OCC’s radio station was operating in downtown Syracuse.
“We’re the pioneers,” said Operations Manager Quindell “Q” Williams. Lead by several students, including Williams, Programming Director Stephen “Bondo” Bond and Music Director Kevin “Kaos” Kloss, the radio station was revived along with the guidance of faculty members Mark “Magic” Mangicaro and Vince Spadafora. Williams says he feels as though reviving the radio station “is something you can tell your grandkids” about.
As a 24 hour, seven-day-a-week, student-run radio station, SuperMix runs its primary format consisting of alternative rock from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Until about 10 p.m., specialty shows that the students run consist of a diverse range of musical tastes, including hip hop, classic rock, jazz, punk rock, heavy rock, and “very” alternative rock.
“It’s a good range for anybody and everybody who wants to listen to pretty much anything,” said Bond. They also announce home men’s and women’s basketball and men’s lacrosse games, as well as East Syracuse-Minoa football games.
As main director, Williams has the job of overseeing the students on the radio staff. “I connect the outside to the inside,” said Williams, which requires him to inform and involve students and faculty alike on new ideas or events relating to the station. Williams also runs the meetings on Mondays to keep everyone on the same page.
Bond, who is the former sports director, now ensures that the radio’s sounds remains relatively constant. He also decides who will be on air and at what time; including making sure someone is covering the home games on campus. Regarding the planning that goes into the home games, Bond said, “It’s a big production, without a doubt.”
As the music director, Kloss makes the decisions of what music is played when and how often in the 10-hour rotations. He also decides if new music will be played or tossed. Though, for the specialty shows, students in the EMC class get to generally pick their own songs.
There are also several other directors on the SuperMix staff. Promotions Director Brandon Caswell is the “image” of the station and Alli Beard, who is the productions director, “takes care of everything outside of the music,” according to Williams. The PSA Director, Matt Moran, focuses on creating bonds with academic and other department programs on campus. Also, Brandon Sullivan is the new sports director and Jacob Schaap is the secretary of the staff.
When asked about problems that have occurred in the process of the new semester, Williams, Bond and Kloss laugh knowingly. Last year, the computers would fail sometimes and some students would forget some of the technicalities of operating the board, which resulted in some audible mistakes.
Bond said, “There have been a lot of problems here. We are a student-run station, so you learn as you go. The way I like to refer to it as baptism under fire.” Bond continues, saying that this method of instruction has been “the best policy.” Williams added that there have also been some problems getting their logo, Web site and slogans approved by the college. “We’re on the right track now,” said Williams.
Williams believes the radio station has been “very successful.” He continued, “One listener is good enough for me, but one listener translates to two, four... We have a dedicated staff – that’s success in itself – people that are willing to work to make it successful. We have people who actually listen, people who give input. We’re in the dorms. If somebody’s listening, that’s success.”
Bond agreed with Williams and said, “I would say we’re a great success because this is only a two-year school. You constantly have people coming in and out and it’s hard to maintain anything. That’s a success on its own – that we can keep so many dedicated people here that want to come back and see the station do well. I think we’re on the right track and the sky’s the limit for the station right now.”
Kloss added by saying that they have made great strides from having very few listeners to being able to broadcast at ESM games. “I’ve gone from my first shift where all I did was hit the space bar to programming and building music logs and doing scheduling. It’s a lot of fun,” said Kloss.
Each of the three directors plan to be listening to SuperMix in the future – even when they are no longer doing the broadcasting themselves. On the matter, Bond said, “In 10, 15 years, we can flick on http://supermix.us.and hear somebody from OCC and see the new and innovative things that maybe we didn’t think of.” After graduation, the three of them would like to still be involved with the radio station. Bond explained, “When you dedicate as much time as the three of us have and other people have to the station, you begin to love it so much that if something does go wrong, you want to just fix it right away.”
For the future of the radio station, Williams said, “We definitely have a few tricks up our sleeves.” Overall, the students want more listeners, to retain their consistency, to get the community involved with the station and to be as innovative as possible.
Williams, Bond and Kloss are all EMC majors. Kloss career plans include going into radio. He said, “I can’t imagine having another career.” Williams and Bond, on the other hand, plan to go be involved in television in the future. Williams said, “I joke and say I want to be the male equivalent of Oprah Winfrey.” Bond says that he would like to have a job like broadcaster Mike Tirico. However, they both agree that will probably want something to do with radio in the future as well.
Williams and Bond see their involvement with radio as accidental. Bond elaborated, “You develop a small passion for radio. It’s more fun than it is work and I see video now as more work than fun sometimes, unfortunately.”
All three of them have spent about two years with the station and they each plan to graduate in the spring. Kloss said, “By the time I leave here – which may be next semester – hopefully then I will have helped people and taught people enough that when I’m not here that they’re able to go through and do those things on their own.”
SuperMix streams live on their Web site at http://supermix.us and they are also available in the residence halls on television on channel 15. For questions and feedback, you can e-mail them at supermix@sunyocc.edu or call them at 498-2212.
Broadcasting from the corner of the Whitney Building in the Electronic Media Communications department, Onondaga Community College’s radio station, SuperMix, streams across the globe via its Web site, http://supermix.us. This is a great accomplishment for the staff of about 27 students because year ago, the SuperMix was born after the old radio station of the 1980’s (which kept a relatively stable musical format since the 1960’s) was done away with. Decades ago, OCC’s radio station was operating in downtown Syracuse.
“We’re the pioneers,” said Operations Manager Quindell “Q” Williams. Lead by several students, including Williams, Programming Director Stephen “Bondo” Bond and Music Director Kevin “Kaos” Kloss, the radio station was revived along with the guidance of faculty members Mark “Magic” Mangicaro and Vince Spadafora. Williams says he feels as though reviving the radio station “is something you can tell your grandkids” about.
As a 24 hour, seven-day-a-week, student-run radio station, SuperMix runs its primary format consisting of alternative rock from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Until about 10 p.m., specialty shows that the students run consist of a diverse range of musical tastes, including hip hop, classic rock, jazz, punk rock, heavy rock, and “very” alternative rock.
“It’s a good range for anybody and everybody who wants to listen to pretty much anything,” said Bond. They also announce home men’s and women’s basketball and men’s lacrosse games, as well as East Syracuse-Minoa football games.
As main director, Williams has the job of overseeing the students on the radio staff. “I connect the outside to the inside,” said Williams, which requires him to inform and involve students and faculty alike on new ideas or events relating to the station. Williams also runs the meetings on Mondays to keep everyone on the same page.
Bond, who is the former sports director, now ensures that the radio’s sounds remains relatively constant. He also decides who will be on air and at what time; including making sure someone is covering the home games on campus. Regarding the planning that goes into the home games, Bond said, “It’s a big production, without a doubt.”
As the music director, Kloss makes the decisions of what music is played when and how often in the 10-hour rotations. He also decides if new music will be played or tossed. Though, for the specialty shows, students in the EMC class get to generally pick their own songs.
There are also several other directors on the SuperMix staff. Promotions Director Brandon Caswell is the “image” of the station and Alli Beard, who is the productions director, “takes care of everything outside of the music,” according to Williams. The PSA Director, Matt Moran, focuses on creating bonds with academic and other department programs on campus. Also, Brandon Sullivan is the new sports director and Jacob Schaap is the secretary of the staff.
When asked about problems that have occurred in the process of the new semester, Williams, Bond and Kloss laugh knowingly. Last year, the computers would fail sometimes and some students would forget some of the technicalities of operating the board, which resulted in some audible mistakes.
Bond said, “There have been a lot of problems here. We are a student-run station, so you learn as you go. The way I like to refer to it as baptism under fire.” Bond continues, saying that this method of instruction has been “the best policy.” Williams added that there have also been some problems getting their logo, Web site and slogans approved by the college. “We’re on the right track now,” said Williams.
Williams believes the radio station has been “very successful.” He continued, “One listener is good enough for me, but one listener translates to two, four... We have a dedicated staff – that’s success in itself – people that are willing to work to make it successful. We have people who actually listen, people who give input. We’re in the dorms. If somebody’s listening, that’s success.”
Bond agreed with Williams and said, “I would say we’re a great success because this is only a two-year school. You constantly have people coming in and out and it’s hard to maintain anything. That’s a success on its own – that we can keep so many dedicated people here that want to come back and see the station do well. I think we’re on the right track and the sky’s the limit for the station right now.”
Kloss added by saying that they have made great strides from having very few listeners to being able to broadcast at ESM games. “I’ve gone from my first shift where all I did was hit the space bar to programming and building music logs and doing scheduling. It’s a lot of fun,” said Kloss.
Each of the three directors plan to be listening to SuperMix in the future – even when they are no longer doing the broadcasting themselves. On the matter, Bond said, “In 10, 15 years, we can flick on http://supermix.us.and hear somebody from OCC and see the new and innovative things that maybe we didn’t think of.” After graduation, the three of them would like to still be involved with the radio station. Bond explained, “When you dedicate as much time as the three of us have and other people have to the station, you begin to love it so much that if something does go wrong, you want to just fix it right away.”
For the future of the radio station, Williams said, “We definitely have a few tricks up our sleeves.” Overall, the students want more listeners, to retain their consistency, to get the community involved with the station and to be as innovative as possible.
Williams, Bond and Kloss are all EMC majors. Kloss career plans include going into radio. He said, “I can’t imagine having another career.” Williams and Bond, on the other hand, plan to go be involved in television in the future. Williams said, “I joke and say I want to be the male equivalent of Oprah Winfrey.” Bond says that he would like to have a job like broadcaster Mike Tirico. However, they both agree that will probably want something to do with radio in the future as well.
Williams and Bond see their involvement with radio as accidental. Bond elaborated, “You develop a small passion for radio. It’s more fun than it is work and I see video now as more work than fun sometimes, unfortunately.”
All three of them have spent about two years with the station and they each plan to graduate in the spring. Kloss said, “By the time I leave here – which may be next semester – hopefully then I will have helped people and taught people enough that when I’m not here that they’re able to go through and do those things on their own.”
SuperMix streams live on their Web site at http://supermix.us and they are also available in the residence halls on television on channel 15. For questions and feedback, you can e-mail them at supermix@sunyocc.edu or call them at 498-2212.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Sports Profiles
Stephanie Riker
By: Randy T. Riess
Interviewed by: Marc Groth
It takes team work to expose the opponent’s weakness to gain victory. This is the approach that the Onondaga Community College Women’s Basketball team was able to do last season to be crowned Mid-State Athletic Conference champions. Sophomore guard Stephanie Riker, an alum from Dryden High School, played the play maker role last season averaging 6.1 rebounds per game and 3.8 points per game. Her clutch performance at the free throw line (76.9 percent) was big during the 27-5 season a year ago.
It takes passion to endure such a strenuous season, and with the family that the Lady Lazers have come to develop Stephanie finds passion in the locker room and on the court.
"It means everything to me. I get to play with my best friends who have become my family,” Stephanie stated. “It also is all about character and discipline on and off the court.”
After winning the Mid-State Athletic Conference last season, many of the players have found motivation. But for some, motivation without rituals is meaningless.
“I have to listen to Eminem and 50 Cent on my iPod and I eat a sub from Wegmans.”
With academic finals on the horizon, it’s tough to stay focused during the tough practices. In Stephanie’s case, however, slacking is not an option with aspirations of perfection.
“”I like the fast paced and intense structure of the game. I am also very competitive, so I like to just play,” Stephanie stressed. “Our goals this year is be National Champions, I think we can achieve that.”
To catch up on the women’s basketball season, visit the Onondaga Community College Athletics website for further information, http://www.sunyocc.edu/athletics.aspx.
Shane Williams
By: Randy T. Riess
Interviewed by: Marc Groth
Sophomore Captain Shane Williams, a West Genesee alum, has been an intricate part of the Onondaga Community College basketball team for the past two seasons. Last year, Williams, a forward on the team, posted 9.8 points per game and led the team with 9.7 rebounds per game en route to a Mid-State Athletic Conference championship.
This season, Williams will lead the Lazers through a challenging schedule with a fairly young squad, but experience doesn’t seem to be an issue. “I think we’ll finish with a conference and regional championship,” he said.
It is no cakewalk playing through a 26-game schedule during a stressful academic semester, but there are certain things players like Williams do before each and every game. “I eat a grilled-cheese sandwich. Then I stretch, it’s my personal ritual,” he said.
There’s always a sense of security on the court when you have achieved an individual or team goal. For Williams, it was last season against Broome Community College on January 27, 2007. As the game seemingly began to slip away from the Lazers, Williams took matters into his own hands and hit the game winner, getting the 114-117 victory. This moment was big for not only Williams, but for the entire Lazer team.
“It was the most memorable moment of my basketball career,” Williams explained. “I hit the game winning shot go into first place. It was special.”
Williams and the Lazers men’s basketball team will prepare for the second half of the campaign in hopes to capture a second straight title.
To catch all the action involving Shane and the Lazers men’s basketball team, visit the Onondaga Community College Athletics page, http://www.sunyocc.edu/athletics.aspx.
By: Randy T. Riess
Interviewed by: Marc Groth
It takes team work to expose the opponent’s weakness to gain victory. This is the approach that the Onondaga Community College Women’s Basketball team was able to do last season to be crowned Mid-State Athletic Conference champions. Sophomore guard Stephanie Riker, an alum from Dryden High School, played the play maker role last season averaging 6.1 rebounds per game and 3.8 points per game. Her clutch performance at the free throw line (76.9 percent) was big during the 27-5 season a year ago.
It takes passion to endure such a strenuous season, and with the family that the Lady Lazers have come to develop Stephanie finds passion in the locker room and on the court.
"It means everything to me. I get to play with my best friends who have become my family,” Stephanie stated. “It also is all about character and discipline on and off the court.”
After winning the Mid-State Athletic Conference last season, many of the players have found motivation. But for some, motivation without rituals is meaningless.
“I have to listen to Eminem and 50 Cent on my iPod and I eat a sub from Wegmans.”
With academic finals on the horizon, it’s tough to stay focused during the tough practices. In Stephanie’s case, however, slacking is not an option with aspirations of perfection.
“”I like the fast paced and intense structure of the game. I am also very competitive, so I like to just play,” Stephanie stressed. “Our goals this year is be National Champions, I think we can achieve that.”
To catch up on the women’s basketball season, visit the Onondaga Community College Athletics website for further information, http://www.sunyocc.edu/athletics.aspx.
Shane Williams
By: Randy T. Riess
Interviewed by: Marc Groth
Sophomore Captain Shane Williams, a West Genesee alum, has been an intricate part of the Onondaga Community College basketball team for the past two seasons. Last year, Williams, a forward on the team, posted 9.8 points per game and led the team with 9.7 rebounds per game en route to a Mid-State Athletic Conference championship.
This season, Williams will lead the Lazers through a challenging schedule with a fairly young squad, but experience doesn’t seem to be an issue. “I think we’ll finish with a conference and regional championship,” he said.
It is no cakewalk playing through a 26-game schedule during a stressful academic semester, but there are certain things players like Williams do before each and every game. “I eat a grilled-cheese sandwich. Then I stretch, it’s my personal ritual,” he said.
There’s always a sense of security on the court when you have achieved an individual or team goal. For Williams, it was last season against Broome Community College on January 27, 2007. As the game seemingly began to slip away from the Lazers, Williams took matters into his own hands and hit the game winner, getting the 114-117 victory. This moment was big for not only Williams, but for the entire Lazer team.
“It was the most memorable moment of my basketball career,” Williams explained. “I hit the game winning shot go into first place. It was special.”
Williams and the Lazers men’s basketball team will prepare for the second half of the campaign in hopes to capture a second straight title.
To catch all the action involving Shane and the Lazers men’s basketball team, visit the Onondaga Community College Athletics page, http://www.sunyocc.edu/athletics.aspx.
Phi Theta Kappa induction
Alpha Sigma Zeta, OCC’s local chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, inducted 85 new members on Oct 23, 2007. In a candlelight ceremony, members were honored for their academic achievements and service to their campus and community.
Kelly Insel, chapter secretary, had the honor of presenting checks to Elmwood Elementary School and Seymour Elementary School to purchase needed books and supplies.
This money was earned through the Better World Books program in which members collected textbooks that were sent to Africa. For each book accepted into the program, the chapter was reimbursed money to be used in the local community.
Dr. William Cross was the guest speaker at the induction where he spoke on the International Honors Study Topic: “Gold, Gods and Glory”.
A reception for members and families was held immediately after the ceremony. Congratulations to the incoming members:
Debra Baehr
Elizabeth Bailey
Elaine Baker
Michael Balintfy
Andrew Borchik
Helene Brophy
Latoya Brown
Brittany Caprilozzi
Sarah Carlson
Karen Carnessali
Christa Carsten
Christina Catalfano
Melissa Ceresko
Jonah Cohen
Mert Coskan
Sean Cummings
David Currier
Amy Dederich
Caleb Defrees
Paul Dooley
Alexander Douglas
Emily Dwyer
Franciscalenae Egbuna
Christopher Ezomo
Justin Fabiny
Christine Finnemore
Megan Forman
Kimberly Germinio
Jacqueline Goletsas
Kevar Griffin
Shelby Hall-Lorenz
Peter Hawley
Machia Haynes
William Heuschneider
Lauren Jemola
Susan Johnson
Swaroop Joseph Varghese
Terea Killings
Jessica Kline
Melissa Krausnick
Craig Laduke
Katie Larock
Crystal Lauzau
Ashley LeClair
Debra Ledford-Prahl
Martha Lortie
Kimberly Lowe
Allison Masella
James McCampbell
Sarah McMichael
Jessica Milton
William Mitrus
Jason Myers
Timothy Olson
Kevin O'Toole
In Gi Park
Peter Paynter
Edward Perry
Nicholas Pikarsky
Kimmy Radell
Alison Randolph
Mike Robbins
Robert Rudeau
Dipendra Sah
Jacqueline Samora
Cadelyn Schmid
Alice Shaw
Denise Shuart
Josh Siddall
Deborah Silver
Thomas Sleeth
Staci Smith
Jill Stellmack
Sutida Sukkrasae
Andrew Swan
Margaret Swift
Timothy Szarek
Alexis Truskalo
Heather VanAlstine
Marina Vasquez
Lan Vo
Katharina Wesel
Janet Witter
David Youngentob
Jaime Zolfaghari
Kelly Insel, chapter secretary, had the honor of presenting checks to Elmwood Elementary School and Seymour Elementary School to purchase needed books and supplies.
This money was earned through the Better World Books program in which members collected textbooks that were sent to Africa. For each book accepted into the program, the chapter was reimbursed money to be used in the local community.
Dr. William Cross was the guest speaker at the induction where he spoke on the International Honors Study Topic: “Gold, Gods and Glory”.
A reception for members and families was held immediately after the ceremony. Congratulations to the incoming members:
Debra Baehr
Elizabeth Bailey
Elaine Baker
Michael Balintfy
Andrew Borchik
Helene Brophy
Latoya Brown
Brittany Caprilozzi
Sarah Carlson
Karen Carnessali
Christa Carsten
Christina Catalfano
Melissa Ceresko
Jonah Cohen
Mert Coskan
Sean Cummings
David Currier
Amy Dederich
Caleb Defrees
Paul Dooley
Alexander Douglas
Emily Dwyer
Franciscalenae Egbuna
Christopher Ezomo
Justin Fabiny
Christine Finnemore
Megan Forman
Kimberly Germinio
Jacqueline Goletsas
Kevar Griffin
Shelby Hall-Lorenz
Peter Hawley
Machia Haynes
William Heuschneider
Lauren Jemola
Susan Johnson
Swaroop Joseph Varghese
Terea Killings
Jessica Kline
Melissa Krausnick
Craig Laduke
Katie Larock
Crystal Lauzau
Ashley LeClair
Debra Ledford-Prahl
Martha Lortie
Kimberly Lowe
Allison Masella
James McCampbell
Sarah McMichael
Jessica Milton
William Mitrus
Jason Myers
Timothy Olson
Kevin O'Toole
In Gi Park
Peter Paynter
Edward Perry
Nicholas Pikarsky
Kimmy Radell
Alison Randolph
Mike Robbins
Robert Rudeau
Dipendra Sah
Jacqueline Samora
Cadelyn Schmid
Alice Shaw
Denise Shuart
Josh Siddall
Deborah Silver
Thomas Sleeth
Staci Smith
Jill Stellmack
Sutida Sukkrasae
Andrew Swan
Margaret Swift
Timothy Szarek
Alexis Truskalo
Heather VanAlstine
Marina Vasquez
Lan Vo
Katharina Wesel
Janet Witter
David Youngentob
Jaime Zolfaghari
SA president resigns from office
By Galen Velonis
On Nov. 19, Jason Montague, the president of the Student Association, resigned from his position and all other positions relating to the presidency.
This announcement was made by Monty Flynn, director of student activities, at the Student Association meeting the same day. Flynn said, “We have a different announcement to make that affects you all. This morning we received an e-mail from Jason that he is resigning from his position as president and all related positions that the president has.”
Flynn said that Montague’s resignation was largely due to an inability to focus on his academic success with all the duties of the president. He said Montague had an issue with employment and transportation to and from campus. “He was faced with this decision in the summer,” said Flynn, who went on to say, “He just thought he could work it out. Time is crunching in – just as I’m sure it is with you with academics – and he set academics as his first priority.”
Montague’s resignation happened two weeks after Entertainment and Programming Coordinator Matthew Ramish resigned, which was announced at the Nov. 5 meeting. Administrators at the SA plan to go back to the bylaws, which govern the SA process. Flynn and Lisa Evaneski, the student leadership coordinator, plan to hold elections by paper ballot over a period of two days in the SA office of G-104 the week of Dec. 11. Nominations will be declared by the completion if a nomination packet, which has a tentative due date. The SA positions that need to be filled are president, entertainment and programming coordinator, and possibly the OCCA representative, according to Evaneski.
Many members of the SA community have had a variety of reactions. Both Flynn and Evaneski declined to comment after the meeting, saying they wanted first to talk to Montague.
Clubs and Organizations Coordinator Yogesh Patel, who has filled in for Montague ever since the resignation, expressed some regret for Montague’s leaving. “He was always there for you,” Patel said, remarking how much of a help Montague had been for the other SA officers.
A student volunteer for the SA, Alexander Feuerstein, offered his opinion on the matter of resignation: “It’s hard for them to be in a position where their school work is not overbearing.” He continued, “It would be nice if somebody viable would go into the position and would stay there. It’s been a little uneasy lately.” Feuerstein claimed that one of the resigned officers had not been fulfilling the standards of his position and the other had not had any time to fulfill his work.
Ryan Wood, the Future Educators representative, had a similar view of Montague’s resignation. “If he thought he wasn’t doing a good job, then it was the right thing for him to step down and let someone else take over,” he said.
Other members of the student populace were less worried about the situation itself. “I was a little surprised by it myself,” said Alex Perez, the International Club representative. He also added, “I think it should be easy to work though. I don’t think it’ll impact the way things are run too much.”
On Nov. 19, Jason Montague, the president of the Student Association, resigned from his position and all other positions relating to the presidency.
This announcement was made by Monty Flynn, director of student activities, at the Student Association meeting the same day. Flynn said, “We have a different announcement to make that affects you all. This morning we received an e-mail from Jason that he is resigning from his position as president and all related positions that the president has.”
Flynn said that Montague’s resignation was largely due to an inability to focus on his academic success with all the duties of the president. He said Montague had an issue with employment and transportation to and from campus. “He was faced with this decision in the summer,” said Flynn, who went on to say, “He just thought he could work it out. Time is crunching in – just as I’m sure it is with you with academics – and he set academics as his first priority.”
Montague’s resignation happened two weeks after Entertainment and Programming Coordinator Matthew Ramish resigned, which was announced at the Nov. 5 meeting. Administrators at the SA plan to go back to the bylaws, which govern the SA process. Flynn and Lisa Evaneski, the student leadership coordinator, plan to hold elections by paper ballot over a period of two days in the SA office of G-104 the week of Dec. 11. Nominations will be declared by the completion if a nomination packet, which has a tentative due date. The SA positions that need to be filled are president, entertainment and programming coordinator, and possibly the OCCA representative, according to Evaneski.
Many members of the SA community have had a variety of reactions. Both Flynn and Evaneski declined to comment after the meeting, saying they wanted first to talk to Montague.
Clubs and Organizations Coordinator Yogesh Patel, who has filled in for Montague ever since the resignation, expressed some regret for Montague’s leaving. “He was always there for you,” Patel said, remarking how much of a help Montague had been for the other SA officers.
A student volunteer for the SA, Alexander Feuerstein, offered his opinion on the matter of resignation: “It’s hard for them to be in a position where their school work is not overbearing.” He continued, “It would be nice if somebody viable would go into the position and would stay there. It’s been a little uneasy lately.” Feuerstein claimed that one of the resigned officers had not been fulfilling the standards of his position and the other had not had any time to fulfill his work.
Ryan Wood, the Future Educators representative, had a similar view of Montague’s resignation. “If he thought he wasn’t doing a good job, then it was the right thing for him to step down and let someone else take over,” he said.
Other members of the student populace were less worried about the situation itself. “I was a little surprised by it myself,” said Alex Perez, the International Club representative. He also added, “I think it should be easy to work though. I don’t think it’ll impact the way things are run too much.”
Student Clubs and Organizations
Future Educators Club
This semester members created a basket of school supplies that was donated to the Kids In Dire Straits committee for their annual Murder Mystery Dinner Theater event. Currently, the club has worked on assembling “cookies in a jar” to be sold at the craft fair held in the Gordon Student Center this past November. Another upcoming project for the club will be volunteering to gift wrap at the campus bookstore. The club’s goal this year is to send up to 10 students to the New York State Association for the Education of Young Children conference in May.
Hospitality and Culinary Arts Club
On Friday, Dec. 7 the Hospitality and Culinary Club will be sponsoring the Second Annual Onondaga Community College Chili Cook-off. Judging for the chili cook off will take place in The Gordon Great Silent Non-Students Room from noon to 1 p.m. Anyone who pays the $2 charge to taste all the chilies can be the judge and choose their favorite! The winner of this event will have his or her recipe entered in the annual Syracuse Winter Fest Chili Cook-off held in February.
OCC Literary Society
The Onondaga Community College Literary Society will hold the last meeting for the semester on Tuesday, Dec. 11 at 3:30 p.m. in room M-310. Please contact society adviser Yvonne Fish-Kalland at fishkayv@sunyocc.edu for more information. All students and faculty are encouraged to attend.
GeoClub
The GeoClub is one of the oldest clubs on campus and was founded more than 15 years ago by students and faculty interested in geology. The club’s general mission is to provide interested students with an opportunity to study and observe rocks, minerals and other natural geologic phenomena in a relaxed outdoor setting. The club is student run and has evolved into a group of students who are involved in a wide range of activities.
Some of the activities that the club has done include organizing a career day luncheon, which occurs at least once a semester to allow local scientists, educators and business people who have a background in the Earth sciences to speak to students on campus about careers in geology and related fields. Club members have also attended local and statewide geologic meetings. Meetings and organizations include the Central New York Association of Professional Geologists and the Northeast Geologic Society of America.
GeoClub also organizes trips that take members out of the region. The club has done mineral and fossil collecting trips to sites in Central New York, the Adirondack Mountains, Vermont, New Hampshire, and New Jersey. The club organizes field trips to local and distant museums. These have included the Museum of the Earth in Ithaca, the Museum of Natural History in New York City and the Dinosaur State Park in Connecticut. They also take camping field trips when the weather permits to places such as the Tug Hill Plateau, Vermont, Rhode Island and the North Carolinian Outer Banks and the New Jersey shore.
The club also does whale watch and ocean fishing trips as part of larger excursions. Adviser Brian McAninch believes the GeoClub is a fun and well organized club. It is open to anyone who has an interest in geology, oceanography or the environment. Please contact professor McAninch at mcanincb@sunyocc.edu.
This semester members created a basket of school supplies that was donated to the Kids In Dire Straits committee for their annual Murder Mystery Dinner Theater event. Currently, the club has worked on assembling “cookies in a jar” to be sold at the craft fair held in the Gordon Student Center this past November. Another upcoming project for the club will be volunteering to gift wrap at the campus bookstore. The club’s goal this year is to send up to 10 students to the New York State Association for the Education of Young Children conference in May.
Hospitality and Culinary Arts Club
On Friday, Dec. 7 the Hospitality and Culinary Club will be sponsoring the Second Annual Onondaga Community College Chili Cook-off. Judging for the chili cook off will take place in The Gordon Great Silent Non-Students Room from noon to 1 p.m. Anyone who pays the $2 charge to taste all the chilies can be the judge and choose their favorite! The winner of this event will have his or her recipe entered in the annual Syracuse Winter Fest Chili Cook-off held in February.
OCC Literary Society
The Onondaga Community College Literary Society will hold the last meeting for the semester on Tuesday, Dec. 11 at 3:30 p.m. in room M-310. Please contact society adviser Yvonne Fish-Kalland at fishkayv@sunyocc.edu for more information. All students and faculty are encouraged to attend.
GeoClub
The GeoClub is one of the oldest clubs on campus and was founded more than 15 years ago by students and faculty interested in geology. The club’s general mission is to provide interested students with an opportunity to study and observe rocks, minerals and other natural geologic phenomena in a relaxed outdoor setting. The club is student run and has evolved into a group of students who are involved in a wide range of activities.
Some of the activities that the club has done include organizing a career day luncheon, which occurs at least once a semester to allow local scientists, educators and business people who have a background in the Earth sciences to speak to students on campus about careers in geology and related fields. Club members have also attended local and statewide geologic meetings. Meetings and organizations include the Central New York Association of Professional Geologists and the Northeast Geologic Society of America.
GeoClub also organizes trips that take members out of the region. The club has done mineral and fossil collecting trips to sites in Central New York, the Adirondack Mountains, Vermont, New Hampshire, and New Jersey. The club organizes field trips to local and distant museums. These have included the Museum of the Earth in Ithaca, the Museum of Natural History in New York City and the Dinosaur State Park in Connecticut. They also take camping field trips when the weather permits to places such as the Tug Hill Plateau, Vermont, Rhode Island and the North Carolinian Outer Banks and the New Jersey shore.
The club also does whale watch and ocean fishing trips as part of larger excursions. Adviser Brian McAninch believes the GeoClub is a fun and well organized club. It is open to anyone who has an interest in geology, oceanography or the environment. Please contact professor McAninch at mcanincb@sunyocc.edu.
Calculus, exciting? “But it can be!”
Math professor Candice Dance reflected on a past conversation with a student, “I had a student once who went to Florida and said, ‘I was looking at all the destruction from the hurricanes and I was thinking if those buildings were built with golden ratio they would've been sturdier,’ and I was thinking, ‘Yes! She's looking at it from a mathematical point of view!” exclaimed Dance.
Dance, who began working at OCC as an adjunct for 17 years and was hired full-time around seven years ago, was inspired to become a math teacher by a former teacher of her own. “She taught us for no credit, last period of the day. She was interested enough to stay and teach it so it was just a wonderful experience. She made a difference in my life and she made me excited about learning, above and beyond what was in the regular class room. So I was kind of inspired by her,” Dance explained.
She stated that math was not particularly her favorite class, “(It) was a subject I thought I was best at. I had a lot of favorite things that I wasn't particularly good at a lot of my favorite things. So you become really good at the thing that you're really good at and it becomes your favorite,” said Dance. Describing her least favorite subject, she said, “My worst subject by the time I went to college where the subjects I had to write long papers for because writing papers is not my strength. It gives me the creeps even now!”
According to nytimes.com, math scores for New York have risen to 72.7 percent in 2007, up from 65.1 percent in 2006, but math still gives chills among most students. Dance further explained, “I think in our society it is okay to be bad at math. You can say, ‘I’m bad at math,’ and no one looks down at you for that. Whereas you say, ‘I can't read,’ someone says, ‘Oh, let me help you!’ You say I can't do math, they'll say, ‘Oh, okay that's fine, I can't do it either!’ So I think we enable our society to be bad at math. We allow it to be okay. I think society accepts being poor at math as being okay and it really shouldn't be okay.”
When it comes to people who believe boys are better than girls when it comes to math, Dance noted, “It's completely false, I think girls are. In my liberal arts classes the ratio is 50/50 but I have to tell you in my calculus classes I have more men and I can’t tell you why that is.” She further went on to state, “I think women are just as talented as men in all sorts of different academics. Some of the best students I ever taught have been women,” Dance remarked, “But I think typically some math seems to be tailored for the male population. I think that’s a societal issue rather then an intellectual issue. Women are able to fill any field at all these days. I see more of them entering fields that they didn’t use to take at all, but I think they are still shying away from the engineering, computer science fields though I wish they weren’t!” She finished her thought saying, “I see no difference academically between the work that’s turned in by the women or the men.”
Professor Dance believes that someone who is passionate for their subject makes a greater impact on the student. She explained, “I want to make it that way, to make it exciting for them and to make it fresh for them! I know people will say, ‘Calculus, exciting?’, but it can be!” She also said, “It can be exciting when you have those ‘a-ha’ moments where they (the students) will say, ‘Oh my Gosh, I actually understand this – it’s kind of scaring me!’”
Need more help getting through those math classes? Onondaga Community College can provide the extra assistance you need through the math lab and math diagnostic lab.
Visit the Math Lab Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. and Friday at 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or stop by the Math Diagnostic Center Monday through Friday from 8:30a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Dance, who began working at OCC as an adjunct for 17 years and was hired full-time around seven years ago, was inspired to become a math teacher by a former teacher of her own. “She taught us for no credit, last period of the day. She was interested enough to stay and teach it so it was just a wonderful experience. She made a difference in my life and she made me excited about learning, above and beyond what was in the regular class room. So I was kind of inspired by her,” Dance explained.
She stated that math was not particularly her favorite class, “(It) was a subject I thought I was best at. I had a lot of favorite things that I wasn't particularly good at a lot of my favorite things. So you become really good at the thing that you're really good at and it becomes your favorite,” said Dance. Describing her least favorite subject, she said, “My worst subject by the time I went to college where the subjects I had to write long papers for because writing papers is not my strength. It gives me the creeps even now!”
According to nytimes.com, math scores for New York have risen to 72.7 percent in 2007, up from 65.1 percent in 2006, but math still gives chills among most students. Dance further explained, “I think in our society it is okay to be bad at math. You can say, ‘I’m bad at math,’ and no one looks down at you for that. Whereas you say, ‘I can't read,’ someone says, ‘Oh, let me help you!’ You say I can't do math, they'll say, ‘Oh, okay that's fine, I can't do it either!’ So I think we enable our society to be bad at math. We allow it to be okay. I think society accepts being poor at math as being okay and it really shouldn't be okay.”
When it comes to people who believe boys are better than girls when it comes to math, Dance noted, “It's completely false, I think girls are. In my liberal arts classes the ratio is 50/50 but I have to tell you in my calculus classes I have more men and I can’t tell you why that is.” She further went on to state, “I think women are just as talented as men in all sorts of different academics. Some of the best students I ever taught have been women,” Dance remarked, “But I think typically some math seems to be tailored for the male population. I think that’s a societal issue rather then an intellectual issue. Women are able to fill any field at all these days. I see more of them entering fields that they didn’t use to take at all, but I think they are still shying away from the engineering, computer science fields though I wish they weren’t!” She finished her thought saying, “I see no difference academically between the work that’s turned in by the women or the men.”
Professor Dance believes that someone who is passionate for their subject makes a greater impact on the student. She explained, “I want to make it that way, to make it exciting for them and to make it fresh for them! I know people will say, ‘Calculus, exciting?’, but it can be!” She also said, “It can be exciting when you have those ‘a-ha’ moments where they (the students) will say, ‘Oh my Gosh, I actually understand this – it’s kind of scaring me!’”
Need more help getting through those math classes? Onondaga Community College can provide the extra assistance you need through the math lab and math diagnostic lab.
Visit the Math Lab Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. and Friday at 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or stop by the Math Diagnostic Center Monday through Friday from 8:30a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
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