Spring 201 6, Issue #5 The Crier Is Sponsored, in Part, by the Corning Community College Student Association May 1st, 2016 The Swing of the States: The New York Primary By: Will Tomlinson Pivotal to both parties, the primaries in New York have carved the shape of the race for the remainder of the cycle for all involved. Donald Trump was given momentum again after suffering a string of losses to rival Ted Cruz, who did not garner any delegates in the Empire State. John Kasich was the only Republican contender to take delegates away from Trump in the real estate mogul’s home state. Hillary Clinton widened her lead with a double-digit win in New York, despite losing the vast majority of the state’s counties, including the vast majori-of upstate. The real question is how will this shape the rest of the primary season on both sides? ty Hillary Clinton won 58.0% of the vote to Bernie Sanders 42.0%. This margin of victory was made possible by winning only 13 of the 62 counties in the state. The vast majority of those counties are in New York City and the surrounding affluent areas. She also won Monroe, Erie, and Onondaga counties, showing she has the strongest support in urban areas. Sanders won Steuben County 57.9% to 42.1%, and Chemung County 50.4% to 49.6% and swept every county in the 23rd Congressional District. However, John Plumb, Democratic challenger to Tom Reed, still insists on his endorsement of Hillary Clinton. The Sanders campaign, after losing the delegate race in New York 177 to 108, still insists on fighting all the way to the convention in Philadelphia on the basis that the Superdelegates should be considering the general election and put forward the candidate with the strongest chances of winning. Sanders consistently scores better in head-to-head matchups against all Republicans, winning them all. Hillary Clinton’s lead over Donald Trump has recently shrunk to just 3% amid one of the lowest approval ratings of a front-runner in history. On the Republican side, Donald Trump swept his home state; taking 89 delegates to John Kasich’s 4, and Ted Cruz received a resounding 0. Cruz’ showing in New PAGE 2 THE CRIER SPRING 2016, ISSUE #5 The Swing of the States: The New York Primary cont. By: Will Tomlinson York can likely be traced to his comments on “New York values” while Trump’s resounding victory can be attributed to being back in his home state. Kasich and Cruz still insist they are in the race to win despite Kasich’s path being mathematically impossible. Cruz’ path to the nomination is nearly as impossible, and both campaigns are relying on getting passed the first ballot at the convention in Cleveland. Questions on whether or not it would be wise to hand the nomination to someone so far behind in both delegates in popular vote have been raised. The Republican Party is worried about nominating Donald Trump as well as subverting the will of their own voters. Hillary Clinton’s delegate lead is now 275 delegates. She has 1,428 delegates to Sanders’ 1,153, not including Superdelegates. There are still 1,627 delegates still available. Trump’s lead is much more substantial as he has accumulated a lead of 286 over Ted Cruz. Trump has 845 to Cruz’ 559 and Kasich’s 148. There are 733 still available. Appropriated Press: Scandal Hits CCC By: The History Club The Appropriated Press is a fictitious news outlet at Corning Community College. AH sources are fabricated with the intention of inspiring collegiate minds. The Panama Papers released this week revealed that the Corning Community College History Club has been involved in a moneylaundering scheme out of Houghton Library Archival Room. The Panama Papers were obtained from Mossack Fonseca law firm in Panama. It is alleged that C3Hc is involved in producing counterfeit “Baron bonds,” and subsequently laundering that money through an offshore operation on Cast Away Island, a notorious brothel of financial improprieties. It is alleged that the funds traveling through Cast Away Island were funneled through Isla de Muerta and were eventually hidden on Gilligan’s Island by Goofy, Sparrow, and Howell law firm. C3HC’s lawyer, Jennifer O’Hara declined to comment when contacted by the Appropriated Press. When asked for comment, club advisor Sky Moss hopped on his hover board and rode down Spencer Hill. Suspicions arose when various members of the history club were spotted getting into various vehicles including, but not limited to, one Tesla Model S, one Rolls Royce Phantom II, two Maybach 62s, and one Morgan Roadster. Each vehicle was adorned with a license plate with some variation of the C3Hc moniker. The only evidence was a leaked memo under the letterhead Cruz Cruzes, run by Texas Senator Ted Cruz. The club has refused comment and may have their future funds frozen. SPRING 2016, ISSUE #5 THE CRIER PAGE 3 CAMPUS MINISTRY AND OFFICE OF THE CHAPLAIN Chaplain Cynthia Hale, MDiv. Office hours: Mondays and Thursdays 12:00-3:00 PM. (Other hours by appointment). Location: The Commons, Lower Level Room 135 (turn right at the game room) Call or text: (607) 962-9413 Email: chale3@coming-cc.edu * YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE "RELIGIOUS” TO TALK WITH THE CHAPLAIN * Chaplain Hale is here to offer the whole community of CCC, general support, confidential conversation and referral sources to meet your needs. **Religious and or spiritual direction and prayer will be offered at your request** Feel free to stop in for an informal chat for any reason! Interfaith Campus Ministry is funded by the area council of faith communities, local congregations, and religious communities and through denominational and foundational grants, community organizations, and individual donations. The chaplain is guided by a Campus Ministry Advisory Board, of CCC professors, clergy, and lay individuals. AA AA AA AAA AA AAA AA AA Meet the chaplain... Chaplain Hale is well rounded academically and professionally and is proud to be a graduate of Corning Community College. In addition to other degrees and studies, Chaplain Hale completed an academically rigorous ninety-five credit hour Master of Divinity from the world acclaimed Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School in Rochester, N.Y. (Martin Luther King’s Alma Mater). As a graduate of CRCDS, Chaplain Hale, was “...prepared to be a leader in theological education and social transformation in a diverse ecumenical environment... that reflects the diversity of the world”. CRCDS is a school that has its roots from 1817, and has always been on the cutting edge of progressive theological reflection and has been a courageous and outspoken public witness on behalf of the poor, the marginalized and the long forgotten persons of our society. Chaplain Hale has taken coursework with the Chaplains from the University Of Rochester, Strong Memorial Hospital where she learned to give “spiritual care, consultation, and education.with compassion and respect for many paths of healing, faith, and growth”, including personal growth. She also completed post graduate Clinical Pastoral Education coursework including congregational pastoral leadership and spiritual care from a “Family Systems Theory” perspective. PAGE 4 THE CRIER SPRING 2016, ISSUE #5 PerspecTV By: Christian Lopez and Joseph Davis Infamous pop artist Andy Warhol once said, “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for fifteen minutes.” Not only are we, the great people at PerspecTV, making Warhol’s statement come true, but we are also making it last all while becoming locally famous. We at PerspecTV are making your point of view come to life on the small screen. You may also be able to get some college credit for putting hours into this show. Since starting in February, more people have come and more ideas given. Our main purpose is to make a television show with great intentions in the Twin Tiers region that anybody can watch and be involved. We want to hear what you have to say about the world we live in today. Let our show be a microphone to your unique voice. Our show will be comprised of student made segments which include discussion, satire, documentary, music, and stories about the creative and talented individuals in the 607. If you would like to join us, come to our meetings every Tuesday at 3:30 in the CCC Television Studio located in the hallway connecting the Library and the Learning Resources Building. We are involved all year round, including the summer season, so the more people involved, the better our show will become. Let the individuals of the Twin Tiers know who you are and what you are made of! Let them know that you are somebody! Just contact one of us and we will be in touch. For updates, like our page at Facebook.com/PerspecTV and you are free to join the Facebook group “CCC’S PerspecTV Team” if you want to achieve your dreams. Come to our meeting and you will learn some more! Tuesday, May 3rd at 2pm : Join your fellow students in front of the Commons at the Main Campus to be in a human Peace sign for the first episode of “PerspecTV” Peace out. SPRING 2016, ISSUE #5 THE CRIER PAGE 5 Congressman Tom Reed Visits CCC By: Tim LeRoyer On April 25th, Congressman Tom Reed met with students at Corning Community College to discuss the financial issues many of us face in order to attend college. In attendance were about 10 students, as well as Dr. Katherine Douglas and our local news networks. During our informal discussion, many students shared similar stories of wishing to attend a community college in order to save money, but all reported that they wished they had a better understanding of how financial aid works before entering college. It would appear that it is quite uncommon for incoming freshman to have a solid grasp on how financial aid works, and how they will be able to pay their college loans back after graduation, and whether the degree they are working towards will provide them with a job that will pay off their incurred debts responsibly. It was actually mentioned that a main concern for students is that they will have to put off starting a family, getting a home, and even settling down due simply to the debt collected by going to college. The end goal of the conversation was to spitball ideas to find out how to reduce costs for college, to keep those costs down, and make a college degree truly beneficial for the average American, rather than crippling them with debt for 1020 years. “There is no silver bullet for controlling college costs, but by working together and bringing sunshine to this issue, we can make sure students and their families are being treated fairly in the long run. It’s just the right thing to do,” Reed stated in conclusion. Whether his proposed legislation to reduce college costs will be successful is unknown. It is very much appreciated that someone in Congress is willing to work towards making college affordable and truly worthwhile. PAGE 6 THE CRIER SPRING 2016, ISSUE #5 The Family Sculpture and It’s Impact on CCC A Description of the Sculpture by it’s Artist To define a piece of sculpture in words is, by its nature, limiting. Ultimately, the structure will obviously have different meanings to people based on their own perceptions. The root idea for the work is one of the family as a fluctuating, ever-changing, rather than static unit. While the form of the sculpture is contemporary, the concept is meant to be timeless: a statement of past, present and future, having no beginning or end as such, but rather a part of a larger continuum. The three main vertical columns represent the family. The two lower columns the male-female father-mother tandem. The third column is the fruit of that union, the child, rising out of that structure toward the future. The boxlike forms represent the home, the base of the family unit. The wings on the sides suggest forward movement and the change that the meaning of family is and has been going through. The wings also represent peace (symbolized by the dove). Beyond this definition, the total form is meant to suggest movement to the new and unknown, reaching out of the earth toward the horizons of space, always moving forward. Are the Terms “College” and “Business” Synonymous? By Anonymous On Monday, April 18th, it was reported on the Corning Community College website that the unique sculpture called “The Family” is being taken down due to damages that are beyond repair. It has been admired (and perhaps questioned for its strange design) by students, faculty, and staff for decades. To an ordinary mind, this may not seem like a huge deal. As CCC has been under construction and received updates over the past couple of years, I've watched the traditions, the signature elements of the school, and the “Student Main Street” ideas of the past disintegrate. Modernization for the sake of competition is im- SPRING 2016, ISSUE #5 THE CRIER PAGE 7 The Family Sculpture and It’s Impact on CCC cont. portant in order to allow a successful business to thrive. As these updates have occurred to better the College, ease of access and technology as a whole has increased. We now have endless opportunities to grow. Corning's ability to break into the 21st century (at last) has received much praise, but at what cost? It's vital to think about what we've left behind as we've progressed. As CCC becomes more advanced, the symbolic elements that made it unique have slowly disappeared. Rather than retaining the uniqueness that Corning was known for, it has become more streamlined and resembles a business more than it does a student focused center. Revitalization and revision also brings about a dismantling of the original focus of this campus: the individuals, the family, and the community, rather than the capital gains. We can only hope that one day the focus of those in leadership roles will be as they once were. When students become dollar signs and streamlining overtakes the areas where they once had the power to impact their peers, it's not just the structures, an atrium, student support centers, hallways or lands that are eradicated. The changes that we see and will continue to see over the next few years are revolutionary. It's just important to remember that the definition of college shouldn't be revitalized until it's synonymous with the definition of business. The Family Sculpture's Meaning to CCC By Tim LeRoyer The Family Sculpture is an iconic symbol of Corning Community College; in fact, it dates back almost to the college’s founding. Located at CCC Spencer Crest’s Main Campus, it was created by Dale Drulis in 1971. It was dedicated on September 9th, the following year. It has a robust history with all of us here at the college. Many students know it for its rusting sides, and that one unique sticker placed near the top by some adventurous freeclimbers some years back, and that oddly placed construction cone. What most don’t know was that the sculpture is considered a hazard. In fact, when the metal beast was inspected for integrity, it was deemed extremely hazardous, and that it should be taken down immediately as it poses a threat to the safety of pedestrians. The college administration has seemed to take this warning seriously, as they soon thereafter made the announcement it will be taken down and erected a protective fence around it. Whether that fence would protect anyone if the sculpture actually fell over is another matter entirely. Regardless, the college will be minus one of its most iconic parts in just a matter of weeks. We most certainly hope, and eagerly await, the new piece of art that our students and faculty will help to create in an attempt to replace our wonderfully modern, oddly shaped gray tower. Many now, as well as when it was first erected, view it as ugly, or as they put it in 1971 a “metallic monster.” However, I’d like to feel it has become our metallic monster. We will miss it, the birds that nest within it, and our desires for a tetanus shot as we walk past. PAGE 8 THE CRIER SPRING 2016, ISSUE #5 My Dear Sons Submitted by Cynthia Hale, Chaplain at CCC, with permission from the author The other night, you both asked me something that I did not know how to answer. “Where are we going to go if Trump wins and he kicks us out of our home?” The truth is that I never could imagine that this question would be asked of me in my country, in my lifetime, by my children. The United States of America is the only country we have ever known. It is our home. It is where you and I were born. It is the country your grandfather loved so much that he was proud to pay taxes because he couldn’t fight for this country on account of the tears of his kids. It is the country whose love and kindness was reminded to me every year when Grandma Braekkel sent me a birthday card and a 10 dollar bill till she died 3 years ago. It is where we grew up loving all things Baltimore, especially the Terps, Orioles, and Ravens. It is where I met your Mom and eventually proposed to her on Penn’s Landing, even though we already had our baat pakki (engagement) because I knew as an American, she deserved to experience being proposed to on one knee. It is the country whose national anthem, we salute and take our hats off to at O’s games while screaming “Oh” at that one Baltimore moment that the rest of the country can’t seem to understand. It is the country that gave me the chance to dream of being a philosopher, while studying to be a doctor. It is the medical school, whose Jesuit teachers taught the value of integrating faith into the practice of medicine in order to serve one’s fellow human being. It is the country that allowed a clueless person like your dad to build a small business through hard work, determination and the generous help of an old Jewish doctor. It is the country whose police officer came to our house in the middle of the night when our house was robbed and gave you the security to go back to sleep knowing that nothing bad could happen now because she was downstairs to protect us. It is the country whose teachers sparked the same love of learning in you that was ignited in me 30 years earlier. It is the country that taught both of us that when you shake another person’s hand, you do so with a firm grip and a sincere smile. It is the country that gave your Gee (grandmother) who did not know a word of English when she came here, the chance to own land so that she could give her children a better life, and it was this chance that made her proudly wave the American flag every 4th of July. It is now the same country that sends nurses to our home several times a week, teaching us how to care for her as she slowly slips away. It is the country whose leaders wanted to make sure that you had every opportunity to learn and practice your faith, so they closed school on Eid. It is the country whose citizens are so considerate that they don’t want to eat or drink anything in front of us when we are fasting out of fear that it might offend. It is the country whose SPRING 2016, ISSUE #5 THE CRIER PAGE 9 My Dear Sons Cont. Submitted by Cynthia Hale, Chaplain at CCC, with permission from the author leaders inspired the world by creating the Peace Corps to help improve the lives of others less fortunate, by building bridges of understanding and friendship. It is the country whose experiment with freedom and adherence to the most noble of ideals was embodied in a statue of a roman god dess welcoming immigrants from all over the world. It is the country that taught the rest of the world the meaning of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness and reminded everyone that being American is an honor and a privilege that needs to be defended from both foreign and internal threats. Today, there are those who would say that there is no room for Muslims ir America. They would say the faith that has defined you, your family, and friends is not compatible with being American. They would say the religion that inspires you to fast for a month in order to know the plight of those who have no food is somehow not compassionate. They would say that your reading the Quran that begins each chapter with praise of God as being Most Gracious and Most Merciful, somehow makes all of us most selfish and most cruel. They would say that the prayers that we make to God with humility each day are false and misdirected and should cause alarm for real Americans. When people say these ignorant comments laced with racism and misguided fear in order to get a few political points, remember, they don’t know you, they don’t know Islam, and most of all, they don’t know America. The America they think they are preserving is not the America of our founding fathers and not the America that inspires the world. The loudest voices rarely ever speak the truth. In a country that was founded on religious and personal freedom, your struggle to be Muslim makes you more American than those who would have you leave. They poison the country they claim to defend. By being true to your faith, we make America stronger. This is our home, our faith and our country. We aren’t leaving. This will be our struggle and our challenge. Don’t give up. The Soul of Our America is worth fighting for. Love, Your Proud American-Muslim Dad page 10 THE CRIER SPRING 2016, ISSUE #5 Senior Staff Open Forum By: Felicia LaLomia Student turnout was low at the Senior Staff Open Forum, which took place in the Hanley Room in the Library. Many of those students in attendance were part of Student Association. However, there was no lack of questions directed at the table. Seated up front was Dr. Kate Douglas (President), Dr. Marian Eberly (VP & Dean of Academic Affairs), Dr. Joe Lee (VP & Dean of Student Development and Enrollment Management), and Thomas Carr (VP of Administrative Services). Storm Stanton, who ran the meeting, got right to the topics at hand, as there was a full agenda. First up: restructuring of staff. Dr. Douglas spoke for this one, touching on both the layoffs and the reorganization. As many of you are already aware, enrollment rates have been declining in the past five years. After many different attempts at increasing the numbers, something more drastic had to be done. The college was cutting into reserves from 2008 and 2009 that were quickly diminishing. They had to maintain a 15% reserve of the budget in case of emergency, and letting go of some staff members midway through the year meant only having to pay half of their salary, said Douglas. When asked about the timing of the layoffs in March, she explained that she did not want to give the notice over the holidays while many spend time with their families. Some students expressed concern over the potential loss of counseling services. Dr. Douglas responded saying that students’ #1 request is ease in registering and that her goal was to provide “seamless service to students.” However, with that said, counseling would not be eliminated. Her original plan was to have 4 Educational Planners whose focus was on registration and scheduling while the remaining 2 advisors who were credentialed to counsel in New York State would take on counseling. However, while looking into the details of this plan, it was found that none of the six remain advisors are credentialed to do so, said Douglas. Now, she is waiting for one of the advisors/counselors to step up and get credentialed in counseling for New York State as to not lose the service so many faculty, staff, and students are demanding. What was not clarified during the forum was how counseling has been taking place for so long if none of the advisors are creden- tialed. The next topic at hand was Campus Safety. Dr. Lee mentioned the possibility of the blue light system, emergency response drill, and available rooms for students/faculty in inclement weather, stating “more to come.” Thomas Carr then went on to talk about the snow removal process, noting that snow removal cannot be guaranteed because weather cannot be guaranteed. He also mentioned the possibility of expanding hours of the campus because we are a residential campus now. A hot ticket item on the agenda was arming of public safety officers. Many students PAGE 11 THE CRIER SPRING 2016, ISSUE #5 Senior Staff Open Forum cont. By: Felicia LaLomia wanted to see public safety officers with a weapon for the protection of others on campus. Dr. Lee stated that the Board of Trustees was seriously discussing it as well as procedures for an active shooter on campus. Next was Dr. Eberly, who answered questions on the Tutoring Center and services available. When asked about the lack of accessibility of tutors at peak times, Dr. Eberly encouraged students to let the Tutoring Center know when they feel there should be more tutors available and what types of tutors are needed. She also mentioned the possibility of online tutoring in partnership with other NY colleges, which would expand hours and availability of tutors. With the opening of the Spencer Crest Nature Center coming up, Dr. Eberly talked about how CCC is using the facility through classes, club activities, projects, internship courses, as well education students bringing local children to the center. The final topic of the forum was about what should change around campus due to the fact that CCC is residential now. Many students have concerns about the quality of the wifi in Perry Hall, to which Dr. Lee replied to let Ryan Ritter and Ryan Steinberg know when it is down, as well as file complaints at the IT Help Desk. Dr. Lee also talked about the potential of extending the hours of the Commons and looking into more than just Starbucks as a meal choice on the weekends. The last thing that was mentioned was the upcoming discussion of visitor privileges on campus, i.e. guest meal swipes. The Open Forum proved to be a very informative on the state of our campus and how it is changing. If you have an opinion on the Senior Staff Open Forum or on any of the topics discussed, email CCCcrier@gmail.com <( )><( )><]( )> AyA AyA AyA PAGE 12 THE CRIER SPRING 2016, ISSUE #5 Student Government Elections By: Tim LeRoyer This year’s Student Government Elections are now over. Those officials elected are Rhett Seeley as President, Raymond Kuenzli as Vice President, Austin LaFever as Auditing Treasurer, Stephen Buchholz as Treasurer (our only returning executive board member -all others are new to government), Anita Slater as Public Relations Officer, and Crystal Rav-enell as Secretary. Unfortunately, this is where most of the good news stops. As of yet, no one has taken the Trustee, Speaker of the House or Senate positions, maybe only one Senator for next year. Also, until now, our readers were probably unaware that elections even happened, who was running, or what they stood for. That is a tragic trend that many within our school seem to have experienced over the years. In fact, it has been reported all the way back in the early 1970s by this newspaper the low number of students who are either involved, effectively engaged, or fully participative within our extra educational opportunities available on campus. Being primarily a commuter college does contribute to this, but such a historic struggle to engage students effectively is troubling. We often get low numbers of people participating in elections, but this year was particularly bad. While no solid numbers are known of how many students voted, there are rumors that some positions got less than 20 votes, and none got over 100. Now while this is quite disheartening, it should be noted that no campaigning by the current government was done (in their defense, no positions were contested, but still...). From reports, no engagement from staff or faculty to encourage students towards this goal was made either. There are several within our current government who directly credit a professor’s encouragement towards their consideration of serving their college community and believing in themselves as leaders. According to reports, the faculty were encouraged to approach any, and all students they believed were of such caliber to serve our community. Unfortunately, no report of such activity is known. Why this did not occur, or occur SPRING 2016, ISSUE #5 THE CRIER PAGE 13 Student Government Elections By: Tim LeRoyer effectively is also unknown. Our school is filled with outstanding faculty and staff, so this news is reported with a heavy heart. What is the most flabbergasting of all, however, is not the general disinterest in the process, but the complete lack of communication to the students of who was running and what they stand for. Not one person of our newly elected government approached the Crier or WCEB for interviews or bios, or even produced their own flyers/literature from student funded campaign monies to advertise themselves to the student populace, before or even after, they were elected. As the year is ending, it is now highly unlikely that anyone who will be attending in the Fall will have any clue as to who their governmental leaders are, other than their generic names. They won’t know what their goals are, or how they are even good people. This truly is a shame as I personally know the individuals as being good people, and I think would perform their jobs well. It is disappointing, however, that their relationship with their constituents has begun on such a disinterested, negative note. Hopefully this does not remain the case, and an engaged, communicative relationship is created between the students at large and those who represent our future interests to the administration, staff, and faculty of this college. With any luck, future elections will be full of debate, campaigning, and student involvement, and engagement. Sadly, history doesn’t give us much confidence in this future, but it’s important to dream. Writing this article has been a difficult one for me. It is, really, just a bunch of bad, negative news, and portrays good people in a negative light. Our newly elected governmental leaders are not lazy, nor disinterested, as I can attest. However, they have acted in a way which is not very leader-like, and have not given anything good for this reporter to write about. I really do hope that in the next academic year they use the tools available to them to let us know the truly high quality of their character, and to enter into a healthy, relationship based dialogue with us as they represent our interests. And maybe next year, we will have an election season that get us talking, make us excited, and keep us interested in college for more than just what homework assignment is due next. PAGE 14 THE CRIER SPRING 2016, ISSUE #5 CCC Events: May May 1st: 12 pm: Home softball game—Turf Field May 2nd: 12:30 pm: BIOL 1020 Lab Prac. review—L0I0 May 3rd: 12:30 pm: BIOLI020 Lab Prac. review—L0I0 12:30pm: Ultimate Frisbee—Turf Field 5pm: I&R Open Gym— Gym May 4th: 8:30 am: Small Business Development Center Workshop—U30I (Elmira) 10 am: BIOLI020 Lab Prac. review—L0I0 I0:45 am: Structure of Math Projects on display—LI02 I0:45 am: Bingo in the Commons! 3:30 pm: Inspired at CCC-Student Sustainability Showcase—Hanley Room-Library 7 pm: I&R Open Gym—Gym May 5th: I2:30 pm: Mid-day con-cert—R004 Ipm: Baseball home game—Turf Field 6 pm: John Poplo 5k Run/Walk— Gym May 6th: 8 am: Friday Forum— Hanley Room-Library May 12th: 7 pm: Nurse pin-ning—Gym May 13th: 3 pm: Commencement rehearsal - in front of library May 14th: I0 am: Commencement ceremony—graduates line up in Science or classroom building, Ceremony in front of library PAGE I5 THE CRIER SPRING 20I6, ISSUE #5 * SPRINGFEST! & Mon. May 2nd - Wed. May 4th Get your FREE SPRINGfest t-shirt @ 8am First come, first serve 1 shirt per CCC student w/ ID card at Student Life office ACTIVITIES! Monday: . 11am—3pm in Kelly Lounge: Free massages and Therapy Dogs! . 2-7pm Block Party: Student/Staff Kickball, Music by CCC Students, Create an art mural, Hiking @ Spencer Crest, Free ice cream & more! Tuesday: . 11:30—2:30pm in Kelly Lounge: Throwback Time Machine (plus free ice cream floats!) Wednesday: . 10:45am in Kelly lounge: Bingo! . 11:50 am in Kelly lounge: Comedian Sydney Adeniyi . And free nacho w/ cheese and salsa! PAGE I6 THE CRIER SPRING 20I6, ISSUE #5 “The Fandom Den”: Fanboys Cafe By: Zach Swasta What are you a fan of? Star Wars? Star Trek? Dr. Who? Marvel? DC? The Walking Dead? Anime? Harry Potter? Disney? Supernatural? Godzilla? Or just movies in general? In recent years, it seems that the nerd culture of the Twin Tiers has begun to grow more and more, and no example is more evident than the newest business edition to the Elmira-Horseheads area: Fanboys Cafe. If you identify as a nerd, geek, or just a plain ol’ lover of fandoms, this place is your new hangout. To get the idea, think of it as a sports bar, but instead of a place to grab a drink and watch the Packer’s game, think of it as a place to grab a hot dog and watch the season finale of The Flash. It’s no Buffalo Wild Wings or Applebee's. It serves simple things, like pizza, hot dogs, popcorn, coffee, soda, and others, including the specialty Steak Salad that I am told “once you try it, it will be on your family meal plan forever.” The cafe, owned by Dave Hogan, opened on April 22nd, but I was able to tour the building and speak with Dave about it and it’s conception. A former employee of the Salvation Army, Dave decided to coach himself on how to make a living and set it towards doing the things he loves: watching movies and TV shows and collecting comic books and movie memorabilia. After two years of planning and conception, he was finally able to make his dream come to life. This cafe in general is a concept that many nerds (such as myself) have dreamed of and others have even have thought of doing, but now his dream is a reality and has the gained attention of nerd/fandom communities that span across the country. As I walked into the (at the time) unopened cafe, what did I see but several collectibles in the window, movie posters lining the wall, board games with licensed characters, a book rack with several comic books, and a sign on the bathroom that specifically banned all alien lifeforms. What grabbed my attention almost immediately was the giant screen, which on certain event nights will premiere several TV shows such as Arrow, and The Walking Dead, among others. As I’ve said before, it’s like a sports bar for nerds. But the cafe isn’t just a place to eat and watch Daredevil and play DC Checkers. Twenty years of working with radio has given Dave the experience to set up a podcast system in the cafe itself. Yes, you read that correctly. Live podcasts will be broadcasted on blogtalkra-dio.com live, and anyone of interest can join in, whether you are a patron, or a call in from PAGE I7 THE CRIER SPRING 20I6, ISSUE #5 “The Fandom Den”: Fanboys Cafe cont. By: Zach Swasta Sacramento. These podcasts will be of a variety, including one Dave had brought up frequently in our conversation: “MonsterGeeks,” which utilizes the appearance of experts on creatures such as Bigfoot. The idea of the podcasts came about when Dave attended the panels at a science fiction convention in Binghamton. “I loved the idea of people who are experts of certain movies and TV shows up on the stage and people asking questions and discussing,” he told me, “ so I wanted to bring the feel of those panels that they get at conventions live here.” Another purpose that they serve is to bring the community together, not just the Marvel community, not just the Trekkie community, or any of the other fandom communities, but the local community as well. Doing this isn’t just achieved with the podcasts either. The cafe is host to several clubs such as a Lego club, a writers club, an anime club, and even an audio drama club. The cafe, of course, holds several events such as Cosplay night, TV night, trivia night, and even fanboy/girl speed dating, but people wanting to dig deep and connect with themselves and each other might find interest in these clubs. It is encouraged heavily by Dave that people come in, connect with other fanboys/fangirls, and create their own books, movies, and dramas. He is very supportive of independent filmmakers and especially of people who make fan films. “You make a movie. We’ll sell it on our table. We’ll premiere it on that big screen,” Dave says. From the clubs, to the podcasts, from the events to just the main theme of the place, Fanboys cafe serves the purpose of bringing people who love science fiction and other great stories/movies/TV shows (anything with fandom, really) together where they can express their love for what they love and feel like they are at home with family. That’s what the cafe symbolizes. You love something; you can love it here ten fold. If you’re an aspiring artist/ writer/musician/filmmaker, you will love it even more. Being in the headquarters for people who love the same media you do will only innovate and inspire you to do what you love doing. Dave said it best, “If I had a mission statement, it would be to inspire fanboys and fangirls to be what you were created to do.” Fanboys Cafe is located at 3I62 Lake Road, in Horseheads. Hours are Monday through Friday from I I AM to I0 PM and Sunday from I PM to I0 PM. These times are subject to change by situation of event (such as a Walking Dead after-party for example). Podcasts run Monday and Wednesday to Friday. PAGE I8 THE CRIER SPRING 20I6, ISSUE #5 Running for Your Own By: Felicia LaLomia When first talking to Conrad Taylor, a Binghamton City councilman for the Fourth City District, no one would have any idea of the other aspects of his life. He is mature, eloquent, genuine, and may I say, even charming, everything a true public servant should be. And his passion for politics and “leaving a footprint” on Binghamton somehow find a way to leak into every topic of conversation. It is clear that Councilman Taylor has the city in his heart and plans on being of part of its growth to greatness, which is why it's so surprising that Conrad Taylor is 19 years old. No, that’s not a typo. He is really 19, barely old enough to vote himself. A sophomore at Binghamton University studying political science, Taylor somehow finds the time to balance the supposedly part-time job of being a councilman and a college student. But he wouldn't have it any other way. He calls his life “unorthodox” compared to that of other college students as he can’t do the typical social activities so many of them participate in. “I definitely have to stay mature at more times than other college students but I make sure I am immature a lot of the time too,” says Taylor. “The world would be so much less interesting if we were all not immature sometimes.” So how exactly did a I8 year old go from being a college student to a councilman at I9? Well, it started about 8 years ago, during the campaign of Barrack Obama. His father took him on a trip from Manhattan, where he is from, to rural PA to canvas for the then Senator. “Seeing my dad give passionate pleas about Obama and then me trying to do the same was really fun. I looked up to him and the political process even more.Rural Pennsylvania was an experience all in itself.” He says his parents, especially his father, a teacher, are the reason he became such an in- PAGE I9 THE CRIER SPRING 20I6, ISSUE #5 Running for Your Own cont. By: Felicia LaLomia volved active citizen, making him intrigued about the world. Fast-forward to 2014; Taylor entered Binghamton University as a freshman. He quickly became involved in various activities including working on a few local campaigns. Canvassing door to door for different candidates, he seemed to get a number of responses from citizens that varied from “Your local city councilman doesn’t care about you,” to “They won’t listen to what you have to say.” Taylor says this got him thinking; he truly believed he could do better because actually wanted to be a public servant and make a difference. While trying to get college students to register to vote, he also noticed something else. They didn’t care about local politics let alone state or federal politics. So once again, Taylor and his friends that were helping with the 2014 campaigns thought, “What better way to get young people to care about local government than having one of their own run for office?” And so a dream-turned-goal was born. Conrad Taylor built his campaign around the students, for the students, and by the students. Yep, his entire campaign was student-run. He not only wanted to bring a new voice to the community for them but also for all of the residents he represents. His main platform in campaigning and current goal is student involvement in Binghamton. When Taylor first came to the city, he fell in love. It’s the perfect size, a city atmosphere with the possibility of walking to a park in two minutes. “Binghamton has the potential to be a cultural hotspot. There is something alluring about that. I want to be a part of making it great. That’s something you can’t find everywhere, but, that, Binghamton really has. This is the time to become one with the community because we are changing in a progressive way. This is the turning point.” Taylor says there is something missing though. There is no connection between students after graduation and the community. They don’t feel like they are a part of it and therefore don’t want to stay there. Local government needs to do better job at integrating students because then they will want to open a business or get a job in Binghamton and may feel more inclined to spend their money locally during the four years they do spend there, says Taylor. Now, Councilman Taylor is working with the Student Center for Civic Engagement to get PAGE 20 THE CRIER SPRING 20I6, ISSUE #5 Running for Your Own cont. By: Felicia LaLomia students involved in local volunteer activities. the area where students live in Binghamton. This will show revitalization and in turn will show students that this is a place where they will want to stay and help revitalize. But all this passion doesn't change the fact that he is still I9 years old. What did he say when he was questioned about his age or the fact that he has only lived in the city for a short time? “I think that my age is a hindrance just as much as an asset,” says Taylor. Now, he just accepts it as an obstacle he must overcome. However, because of that, he works much harder, feeling like he has something to prove for young people and that he can’t disappoint. As for the short amount of time he has spent living in Binghamton, he says that also pushes him even more. “.It is so much more important for me to knock on doors and find out the issues.I knocked on every single door in my district at least twice, thousands and thousands of doors total. The fact that I had so much more to learn motivated me even more to do that.” Overall, the experience has been a long and incredible learning process, says Taylor, noting that politics comes down to two things. The first, always go with your gut. And the second, always go with your district. You have to compromise the two and find the middle ground to be a successful politician. I’m sure it is much easier said than done. One thing is for sure, however. Councilman Conrad Taylor has got some big plans for Binghamton, and this won’t be the last time he will be leaving his footprint somewhere. He hopes to continue to develop and unify PAGE 2I THE CRIER SPRING 20I6, ISSUE #5 Word Search By: Crier Staff d p V w 1 z t q n g f e w e c 0 z f 0 V X z h c y i e d w k q V j V c X g s w k s m d u V p i f 1 i a f 0 1 q g g d V i t u a g c d h h w z u V p s d d P y f y a z 0 5 J n d z t c X h P k q t t k q n e h a t X u n 0 a m u j k X b f z P m r 1 i r 0 d u r V f j b t s 6 t X d d y r e X 0 q Z 5 u s z a b i m b P X c X e u i n P f m e h X e k e d n k e t f 0 q f 1 z g o b q a m y e g s g P o w d j g d V n k a g z m a c f t s g 0 1 z q i q c 0 b c n e j m a h d i j k g k u g m m z m e h z s f f j s p r e m m a r c t j V 1 c c f 1 c r r w t f i f g g d b j e t a q h g V X s f e q g b r f b s b w V 1 X e e n z k 1 e q c t w 1 a t w w w i q d e n e a r V h k e n 0 d f u 1 f V d b g g h q 0 X V i b k z q k e i b h m k s m t j k 0 k b u n j f y n s h X i e h u a 1 1 c a d c b n 1 t k 0 g 1 e m b w u k a z s b a t d m f w q u g s i u o d m a 0 1 1 a s P X m y f k 1 0 p e r z g e g d q V c n k g y g r n n u u h d j z m a X e g w j b t y q V u f t X p z k 1 j w u Crammed • Caffeine • Test • Graduate Study • Difficult • Done • Smile Stressed • Final • Fail All nighter • Exam • Pass PAGE 22 THE CRIER SPRING 20I6, ISSUE #5 Tips for Graduating Federal Student Loan Borrowers Complete Exit Counseling Exit counseling is completed online at www.studentloans.gov and is required for all students who have received a federal student loan. The CCC Financial Aid Office will send information to you regarding the exit counseling and how to complete it. Please make sure your address is updated in our system. Know Your Loans Visit www.nslds.ed.gov to see your federal student loan borrowing history. On this site you will be able to see all federal loans that you borrowed, the amount of each loan and the interest rate for that loan, the type of loan, who your loan servicer is and the repayment status for each federal loan. Know Your Loan Servicer Your loan servicer is who you will be making your loan payments to. They are who you will contact if you are having trouble making payments or if you have any questions regarding your loans. Whenever you have a change of name, address, phone number or email address you should contact your loan servicer to provide them with the updated information. Your loan servicer will need this updated information to get important information to you regarding your loans. Repaying Your Loan After you graduate, you will have a six month grace period before you have to start repaying your loans providing you have not used any of your grace period yet. Choose a repayment plan that works for you. There are several repayment plans that are designed to meet your needs. Make all monthly loan payments. Contact your loan servicer if you are having trouble making your loan payments (see next tip). Prepay your loan if you can. There is no penalty for prepaying your student loan. If you can afford to pay more than your required monthly payment it can lower the amount of interest that you pay over the life of the loan. If you are going to do this, be sure to submit a written request to your servicer specifying that the extra amount be applied to your loan balance and not credited to a future payment. If you are considering paying off one or more of your loans early, start with the one that has the highest interest rate. If you are considering consolidating your federal student loans into one single monthly payment with one servicer and one fixed interest rate, learn about the advantages and possible disadvantages of consolidation before you decide to consolidate. Stay Out of Default Don’t ignore your student loans. If you cannot afford or are having trouble making your monthly payments, contact your loan servicer immediately. Your loan servicer is there to help you and will work with you as they have options for borrowers who are having trouble making their payments. Not paying your loans can lead to delinquency and even worse, default, which has serious consequences. After nine months of non-payment a loan will go into default which means your total loan amount becomes due, a negative impact is made on your credit report and credit score and the federal government can garnish your wages and take any tax refunds that you are set to receive. PAGE 23 THE CRIER SPRING 20I6, ISSUE #5 Corning Proudly Feel the Bern By: Will Tomlinson On Saturday, April I6th, a group of Bernie Sanders supporters gathered on Market Street in Corning to display their support for the candidate. In total, more than I00 supporters showed up to march over the four-hour event with as many as 70 supporters marching at one time. The march was organized by the local Bernie Sanders volunteer group, which can be found via their Facebook page Elmira Corning NY for Bernie Sanders 20I6. With Sanders taking Steuben County by a margin of I5.8 percentage points, and skimming by in Chemung county by 0.8 percentage points, the advocacy of lead the April 16th march for Bernie. Photo credit: Jim the group in both Corning and Elmira certainly Hayes helped Sanders in the New York primary. The overwhelming outpouring of support in the local area surprised many of the volunteers, as well as the creativity and energy of participants. One participant, Jessica Larrison, was especially creative with a homemade sign showing Bernie Sanders as the wise Star Wars character Yoda. Several others showed support with their own homemade signs, often including the popular “Birdie Sanders” meme. The crowd marched Denison Parkway and Market Street while chanting several pro-Bernie monikers as well as passing out materials to enthused onlookers. One of the organizers, Will Tomlinson, led the chants from the front with a megaphone adorned with Bernie Sanders for President stickers. Despite the overwhelming support, one Ted Cruz supporter could not allow himself to give up an opportunity to troll, and followed the group sporting a “TrusTed” rally sign. He was met with more pro-Bernie chants and a warm handshake from another organizer, Tim Hayden. Despite the disparity in political viewpoint, the group made it clear that they support anyone who exercises their right to vote. The event went off without a hitch and the results in Steuben and Chemung counties speak for themselves. One of the organizers, Tim Hayden, shaking hands with jubilant Ted Cruz supporter as he proudly displays his dissent. Photo credit: Lee Speary Two of the organizers Will Tomlinson and Tim Hayden PAGE 24 THE CRIER SPRING 20I6, ISSUE #5 Have an Opinion? Get it out and get paid! - $I0 per published article - $5 per published photo E-mail articles and photos to CCCcrier@gmail.com Staff Felicia LaLomia Editor-in-Chief Devin Bailey: Assistant Editor Keri Disidoro Secretary Tim LeRoyer: SAGA Representative and Treasurer Advisors Erin Wilburn Maarit Clay If you wish to receive reimbursement for your published contributions to the paper, please include your CID number with your submissions. Christine Atkins The views presented to you by The Crier do not reflect the views of Student Life or Corning Community College.