The Crier Thursday, September 11,2008 Issue 3 Fall 2008 What’s happening in Student Government? By Anthony Popkin Each week your Student Association Government Assembly (SAGA) meets to discuss issues and concerns that affect students college wide. You may be asking what is SAGA. As any other governing body, it is comprised of several different levels of government in order to keep a form of checks and balances. It consists of the Executive Board, the Student Senate, and the House of Representatives, in which each plays a significant role in allowing communication between students, staff, faculty, and administration. Each week I will be writing a column that allows you the students know the issues that are being discussed on campus. This past week was a starting point for SAGA as we conducted our first meeting. Below are some of the topics highlighted and discussed. Reflection on the previous semester This past spring semester was filled with great ideas in which some are still in progress while others are either completed or near completion. ♦ There are plans to expand the Airport Corporate Park facility. The plans are to add one more hanger to train employees of Sikorsky and to add aeronautical engineering classes. ♦ SAGA passed two resolutions, 1-08 Computer Learning Center, and 2-08 Housing. These resolutions were passed and show that SAGA supports having a Computer Learning Center and Housing available to students. ♦ During the summer, wireless internet access points were installed at off campus facilities including the Business Development Center, Airport Corporate Park, and Goff Road. ♦ SAGA has worked diligently for the past two semesters to put a copier in the commons building. Currently the install date of the copier is to be September 11. It will be located at the bottom of the Commons stairs closest to the Spencer Pub. ♦ Two handicapped parking spots were added to the student parking area in between parking lots C 8C D. Bike Access at CCC SAGA has discussed the idea of adding bike racks to the main CCC campus to give bike riders a place to store their bikes during classes. Upon discussion, SAGA unanimously voted to send the issue to Joint Council. Updates on this issue will be printed in later issues. Committees As a means of communication between students, staff faculty, and administration, students serve on committees that meet and discuss college issues. There are a plethora of committees available for students to serve on and you do not have to be a member of SAGA to serve on a committee. The only requirements of committee meetings are that you attend each meeting and give a report to SAGA the Thursday following the meeting. If you are interested in serving on a committee see Ken Austin, SA Vice President, in the Executive Board office located in the lower level of the Commons. Rock the Vote As most of you know, this year is an election year and SAGA feels that its important that each student have the chance to register to vote. Starting on September 18th, a Rock the Vote link will be provided on the Welcome Page of myccc. You can register individually or attend one of SAGA's voter registration drives. These drives will occur on September 18th and October 1st from 9-3pm in the Main Dining Room of the Commons Building. There will be a total of 250 rock the vote pins given out to students that register during a drive or provide proof that they are registered voters. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns please stop by the Executive Board or Student Senate offices located in the lower level of the Commons Building. As our motto goes, "Students are the focus of all we do." Left: Nancy Agan, Loretta Larson, and Woody Knowles dish out free breakfast on Thursday, September 4th in the Main Dining Room for CORNfest. Right: Children gather around to view a handmade comet at Kids’ Night Out at the Planetarium and Observatory (read article on page 3) Hie Crier Staff Editor-in-Chief Lindsay Woodruff Assistant Editor Jacquelyn Goebel Secretary Caitlin Woodruff Treasurer Michael Coates Student Association Representative Sasha Wilkins Advisor Paul McNaney Reporters Michael Coates Anthony Popkin Connor Sullivan Photographers Hope Bailey Alexander Coates Anthony Popkin Article or photograph submissions can be sent to criernewspaper@yahoo.com We pay $10 per published article and $5 per published photograph Thursday, September 11,2008 Page 2 Classified ads can be sent to criernewspaper@yahoo.com Cost is SI to place an ad Ride wanted! Will share gas expenses from Watkins Glen to CCC. Must be in class by 7:50 a.m. Please call Clay Reese at (607) 349-8838 (cell) or (607) 210-4081 (home) or email dadirt39@aol.com; subject - Ride September 18th & October 1st Main bining Room 9am - 3pm Jgt 200 students to register online vide proof of registration online) Will receive a FREE Rock the Vote button. Hypocrisy, Sarcasm, By Michael Coates In recent months, Senator John McCain has made an entire presidential campaign around his opponents inexperience and lack of substance.’ The Sen. has spent that time fixating on his long experience as a public servant and the narrative of his personal tragedy as a prisoner of war in Vietnam ad nauseum, all the while belittling the democratic platform as nothing more than "pretty words.” In the wake of the Republican National Committee and Sen. McCain's introduction of his running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, one might ask what, exactly, the GOP is offering us except for a long train of ugly and abusive words. The GOP has decided, once again, to run a campaign based more on personality than substance, all the while accusing the Democratic party of doing the same, despite the fact that Sen. Obama has posted his positions on just about every significant issue on the internet, while Sen. McCain has not. During the recent Republican National Convention, the GOP revealed Sen. McCains running mate to the nation- and at first, it seemed that the republicans might actually have a new strategy in mind. That was evidently not the case, however, as we all learned when Gov. Palin gave her acceptance speech (a day before she was offered the Vice Presidency) last Thursday. Yes, Gov. Palin is a woman, and that's new- but neither her politics nor her tactics and Pobtics are. Her acceptance speech was an hour long mixture of irrelevant personal anecdotes and condescending, belligerent attacks against the character of Sen. Obama and his running mate, Sen. Biden. After sitting through the speech, one couldn't help but wonder how, exactly, being the mother of a child with downs syndrome and an unwed pregnant teenager qualifies one for the vice presidency. One must further wonder how much regard the GOP has for America’s increasingly impoverished working class after seeing their vice presidential candidate belittle the notion of community organizing. Of course, the worst was yet to come. Very little cursory research reveals that almost every claim made about as Usual Gov. Palin’s record as a‘reformer’ is at best a recent development, and at worst a pack of outright lies. In the week since the Alaska governor’s acceptance speech, the associated press has run stories countermanding almost every claim that has been made about the woman’s past. The general tenor of the campaign has changed, and things are only likely to get uglier as November approaches, especially with the increasingly historic nature of this year’s elections. As the time ticks by, however, one can't help but wonder how much blatant disrespect the American people are prepared to tolerate from any candidate; one has to wonder if we really are as gullible as the GOP seems to think. Thursday, September 11,2008 Page 3 Carnatic Music of South India at Soul Full Cup By Connor Sullivan Peaceful Gatherings is a coalition of individuals in the Steuben area who plan functions that facilitate collaboration towards the betterment of mankind. One of their benchmark events is the biweekly coffeehouse open mic night at Soul Full cup in Downtown Corning. This past week the cafe featured the Carnatic Music of South India performed by N. Shashidhar and Shastry Bhagavatula. The two artists presented a set on the violin and mridangam (an ancient percussion instrument with heads on both ends, tuned to the accompanying instrument and vocalists voice). The musicians sat cross-legged in traditional Indian dress and took breaks in between songs to explain the structure behind their discipline. The violin is played according to the carnatic method of raga, which specifies the type of notes that are played and with what intensity. The raga models the notes into quick bending tones corresponding to the way in which it would be sang. This style establishes a melodic weeping mood in the room. The mridangam followed a similar model known as the tala, which marries intricate fast paced beats into the gende wail of the violin. Although the carnatic method establishes a rigid structure that takes years to master, it also incorporates improvisation as a fundamental component of every song. The parts of southern India that embrace Carnatic music regard it as music of the divine. The reverence represented in the music is made evident and contagious. The room was filled with awe as they played, perhaps derived from the appreciation of such an ancient art still presiding and flourishing. Peaceful Gatherings will be having another coffee house music night at Soul Full Cup on September 19th at 7:30 p.m. The headliner will be Meadow and consist of electric acoustic improvisations including a variety of instruments. Questions regarding Peaceful Gatherings programs (including peace demonstrations, pre-recruitment education, and scholarships) should be directed on campus to . Rick Biesanz or to their website peacefidgatherings.com. Kids’ Night Out is an Astronomical Hit By: Anthony Popkin This past Friday was Kids' Night at the Planetarium and Observatory. This is an annual event aimed at presenting children and their families with information about the planets, stars, galaxies and much more. After getting out of work at 7:00 p.m., I took my girlfriend and her two ten-year-old brothers to the event looking forward the night’s activities. Upon entering the Observatory, we were able to look at the 20” telescope (which is a one-tenth scale model of the Hale Telescope at Mount Palomar in California). The children in attendance seemed absorbed by the sheer mechanics of the telescope. As we made our way toward the activities there were tables strewn across a room with various stations the children could partake in. Some of the activities available included hands on construction of items such as a sun dial watch, a star finder, and a constellation maker. The activities kept the attention of the one hundred plus children and their families in attendance. The next stop was at a comet exhibit which was educational and captivating. Jerry, a member of the Elmira Corning Astronomical Society took watchers on a trip through space explaining how comets were made and how they move through space. He even made a miniature comet in front of mystified eyes by mixing salt, dirt, crushed dry ice, and water. Upon the completion of the comet, it was given the name Autumn-Jeremiah after the first two children to see this newly formed object. Before going outside, a computer was setup where attendees could look at the various pictures of objects in outer space taken from the 20” telescope. The show has pictures and information regarding each picture which was constructed by former student Colleen Gilroy. Thinking that things couldn't get any better, we headed outside where there was telescopes setup up for people to view. Deborah Dann, Associate Professor of Astronomy and Geology and a member of the Elmira-Corning Astronomical Society, was helping onlookers see various sites through the telescopes which included Jupiter and its four moons and the moon itself. “We have 12” 14", and 16” telescopes out here one is Marv Bunch’s while the others were actually built by students. The final part of the night took place in the planetarium and was a forty minute show called " fhe Cowboy Astronomer. Tire show takes place in a globe and as it starts it as if you are consumed by darkness then suddenly stars fill the room. The show went through stories on how different cultures of people viewed space and some short stories were included about how figures come from the star such as the warrior Orion. The three-hour event was time well spent as it was fun and educational. Though this particular event only occurs once a year, it will return next September and is free. If you can’t wait that long, every first and third Friday of each month the planetarium is open to the public for a show which changes each month. N. Shashidhar and Shastry Bhagavatula play at Soul Full Cup on Market Street in Corning on Friday, September 5th as part of the Peaceful Gatherings series. The next performance in the series will feature Meadow on Septmember 19th. Thursday, September 11,2008 Page 4 Men’s Soccer vs. Erie Community College Mens Soccer Update: 1-1 Tie against Clinton CC Sunday, 08/31 0-6 Loss against Broome Community College Saturday, 09/06 Coming’s Mason Otter (11) and Erie’s Josh Bak-Sklener (5) fight for the ball during Saturday’s game. Right: Blaze Peterson (10) and Brian Durfee (8) of Erie Community College slip on the wet grass during Saturday’s game. The home game resulted in a 4-5 loss for the Red Barons. ■ %>' .'4 ' Upcoming Events Wednesday, September 10th Friday, September 12th - Blood Drive - International Chocolate Day 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Starting at 8:00 a.m., stop in Student Life for free chocolate Triangle Lounge, Commons Tuesday, September 16th - Intramurals & Recreation Thursday, September 11th 12:30 - 2:00 p.m. - Intramurals & Recreation 12:30 - 2:00 p.m., Gym - Film & Food Festival “Into Ue Wild” - Volleyball 6:00 p.m., Palace Theatre 6:00 p.m., Gym $10 per ticket 25 free tickets in Student Life, first come, first served