®jje Crier« Thursday, November 8,2007 Issue 10 Fall 2007 1 1957-2007 Your Representation is Constant at CCC By Anthony Popkin The first break has passed and the second half of the semester is well on its way. Even though school may have taken a break, the Student Government is still devising plans to help resolve various student issues. Most recently, The Student Association Executive Board met with CCC s Senior Staff to discuss issues of great concern with students. Below are the members that represented both sides: Student Association Executive Board Anthony Kowtun - Student Association President Dottie Stapleton — Student Association Vice President Dustin Lanterman - CCC Student Trustee Mindy Cassidy - Executive Board Auditing Treasurer Carla Kowtun - Executive Board Secretary Anthony Popkin - Speaker of the Senate Vincent Manwaring - Speaker of the House of Representatives Woody Knowles - Student Association Advisor Senior Staff Dr. Bud Amann - President of CCC Andrea Rubin - Vice President & Dean of Academic Affairs Dr. H. Richard Dozier - Vice President & Dean of Student Development Tom Carr - Vice President of Administrative Services Deb Stayer-Kelly - Executive Assistant to the President of CCC Joan Ballinger - Executive Director of Workforce Development & Community Education Barry Garrison — Executive Director of Information Systems These discussions are important in dialogue between students and senior administration. Below are the issues that were discussed and some of the ideas and solutions that have come between the two groups. Computer Labs in the Commons Currently the Student Association is attempting to have a computer lab located in the Commons Building that would be accessible to the growing number of students that are using the Commons throughout the school week. Some ideas brought to the table included possibly having a computer lab put in the Kelly Lounge (Cyber Lounge), which is also on the five-year master plan. The assessment testing room could also be utilized for this. There will be more to come on this as it is a work in progress, but keep your eyes and ears open, and if you have any ideas, please feel free to let them be known. Story continues on page 3... This issue does notfeature the weekly column Safety Synopsis due to the busy schedules of the __________Public Safety Department. Be on the lookout for its return next week!_ Inside: Human Services Holiday Spirit Get a head start on Christmas spirit with the Human Service Society’s toy drive Page 2 MRSA Mia! Cases of staph infection have plagued the surrounding area. What exactly is MRSA and how can you avoid it? Page 2 Flashback Take a trip down memory lane with a reprint from a past issue of The Crier! Page 5 Column runs weekly Snow Day Procedures Colder weather is here, and soon snow will be falling - find out what to do in the event of a snow day Page 6 Page 2 Thursday, November 8,2007 Are Local MRSA Outbreaks Cause for Concern? By Lindsay Woodruff National attention is being called to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, otherwise known as MRSA, a potentially fatal bacterial skin infection that no longer responds to penicillin-based antibiotics. Due to the possible severity of the disease and its resistance to most treatment, MRSA is often referred to as a “superbug.” Local outbreaks have been diagnosed in students from the surrounding area at Calvin U. Smith Elementary School in the Corning-Painted Post School District, Waverly Senior High School in the Waverly School District, and Southside High School and Parley Coburn Elementary School in the Elmira City School District. A staff member at Horseheads Intermediate School has also been diagnosed with staph infection. Symptoms of this infection include cellulitis, boils, sties, and a skin infection known as impetigo. In addition to skin abnormalities, symptoms such as fever, chills, headaches, and low blood pressure can also be associated with staph infection. Story continues on page 4... Get an Early Start on Christmas Giving By Heather Saxton With the Christmas season quickly approaching, the members of the Human Services Society are asking for your help this year. Corning Community Colleges Human Services Society is sponsoring a toy drive this year to benefit Head Start Agencies in Steuben, Chemung, Schuyler, and Yates Counties as well as CCC Daycare. They are asking that you come to the “Caring Holiday Table” beginning November 1 through November 30. Representatives will be at the table from 9:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday in the Lobby of the Commons or between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Elmira Campus and grab a tag from the tree. After grabbing your tag from safe age-appropriate toy for a child between the ages of 3 and 5 and return the tag and the toy to either the Spencer Hill campus or Elmira campus no later than December 3. They need your help to provide toys to approximately 800 children this year. Why not take a tag and help a child of the local Head Start or the CCC Daycare this year and make their holiday season a little brighter? The organizers would also appreciate help from local businesses and the local community, so tell your friends and relatives and put a smile on a child’s face this holiday season. If you have any further questions please feel free to stop at the table or call Sylvia Sheats at (607)968-0121 or Joyce Simons at (607) 328- Thursday, November 8,2007 Your Representation is Constant at CCC Continued.from page 1... Computer Purchases from the Bookstore There has been quite a surge in purchases of laptop and desktop computers from the bookstore by students. Some students purchasers have wondered if they are able to receive help desk support from the college or the company they purchased the computers from. The Student Association is researching ideas that will allow a more expanded help desk feature, such as student to student work. The resources to do this are not available at this time, but it will continue to be an issue of importance. Identification Cards With a growing concern of safety on school campuses across the nation, some students have grown concerned on whether or not people that should not be on campus are coming to campus and how we can identify them. Though a student ID is required on campus rules regarding it have not generally been enforced. The idea of ensuring various service to require IDs before providing services is currently being looked at (i.e., presenting a student ID to get help from Student Administrative Services). Bus Scheduling Company (First Transit) and CCC and issues of buses showing up late. Discussed at the meeting was sending a representative of CCC to the Bus Commission to ensure that effective communications can be made between First Transit and CCC. Class Cancellations on the Website There has been a growing concern of informing students of class cancellations, whether from inclement weather or anything else that may prevent a teacher from holding a class. Currently most students must rely on coming to campus and finding out for themselves if their teacher has not otherwise contacted them. Possible resolutions that were looked at included having a system on MyCCC where teachers may post class cancellations and students can view them in real time. Feel free to bring any ideas or suggestions for this issue to the Student Association. Copier Issue There are currently two copiers in the library and one copier in the second floor of the Nursing Building that are accessible for student use. With worries about a user friendly location for students, it was recommended to bring a copier back to the Commons in a more centrally located place. This is still a work in progress, but will be worked on until a solution is found. Page 3 R219 in the Learning Center, which is used by American Sign Language classes, should be switched with the office utilized by Phi Theta Kappa in the lower level of the Library. ASL students have stood on a unified front against this move as the room they are in now is pertinent to their learning specifications. Both sides have opened a friendly discussion and this issue is ongoing. New developments of this issue will be brought to your attention as they occur. Smoke-Free Campus Probably one of the biggest issues that concern the majority of the CCC community is the campus going smoke-free in August of 2008. One issue stressed was that a lot of students don’t know that the campus is going smoke-free. The Student Association Executive Board voted unanimously for going smoke-free and a straw poll taken by SAGA resulted in a 22-2 vote for the initiative. One thing stressed is that students will be the driving force in making this campus smoke-free and that it may take a couple of years to pan out properly. At the half way point, your SAGA has quite the workload and has no plans of stopping, so bring your issues, concerns, or comments to us so that we can represent you in helping you and future students get the most out of your education at Corning Community College, After all, “Students are the focus of all we do." Recently there has been an issue of ASL Classroom Change students missing the bus due to poor communication between the Bus 'Ihere has been discussion that room -Correction - In the November 1 article “Nothing’s Going to Change My World", the review of the movie Across the Universe, it is stated that the popular song “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” is not in thefilm. This is incorrect - the song plays during the closing credits and is sung by Bono ofU2. Thursday, November 8,2007______ What’s All the Buzz About? By Elise Eberhardt This weekend my three young cousins, ages 4, 9, and 11, and I went to the movie theater to see Bee Movie, staring Jerry Seinfeld and Renee Zellweger. The advertisements looked great and I was expecting another Shrek-type animation that would entertain all age groups through masked adult humor. Needless to say, I was disappointed. Here’s the synopsis of the film: Bee Movie is a comedy that will change everything you think you know about bees. Having just graduated from college, a bee by the name of Barry B. Benson (Jerry Seinfeld) finds himself disillusioned with the prospect of having only one career choice - honey. As he ventures outside of the hive for the first time, he breaks one of the cardinal rules of the bee world and talks to a human, a New York City florist named Vanessa (Renee Zellweger). He is shocked to discover that the humans have been stealing and eating the bees’ honey for centuries, and ultimately realizes that his true calling in life is to set the world right by suing the human race for stealing their precious honey. At most, the film was cute and the children did seem to enjoy it, but to say that this film is the best animation this year is ridiculous! Of all of the web- sites I searched, reviews were skewed. According to mov-iefone.com, the average critic rating was 59/100. Entertainment Weekly gave the best score of 91 with the comment that the movie was agreeably skewed fun, while USA Today gave the worst score of 38 stating that “it’s so unfunny it almost stings.” The most frequent rating of the critic reviews was 50/100. I agree with the ratings for this film simply because it lacked to entertain. The amount of time that passed between each comedic statement and action was so drawn out that it couldn’t keep two of my cousins from falling asleep. I still hold that the film was cute because of quick little facts about bees and their lives. The one thing I agree with totally is the question that arises during the court proceedings: What brilliant mind decided to put honey in a container shaped as a bear? Everybody knows that bears knock down hives to access honey, so why would you represent honey with a bear? Hello! They totally conflict each other! I would only recommend this film if you have patience, and if you take children with you, be prepared to answer questions. The film fails to explain to children important aspects of the film such as decisions and their consequences. Are Local MRSA Outbreaks Cause for Concern? Continued from page 2... MRSA can be contracted by physical contact with either an infectious person or a carrier who has the bacteria either on their skin or in their nose. The bacteria can also survive on surfaces such as door handles, sinks, and counters. Healthy skin tissue will not allow for the development of MRSA, yet if the skin has any flaws, such as cuts or abrasions, then infestation by the bacteria is likely. The disease has been given plenty of local attention recently since it has been found in schools, whereas previously MRSA was typical in hospitals or nursing homes. Fortunately, staph infection can be avoided by maintaining hygienic practices, such as frequent hand washing and by treating Page 4 and covering any open wounds. MRSA can also be cured — however, only certain antibiotics, such as Vancocin and Zyvox, have been proven effective against it. Despite these local outbreaks, MRSA is not considered particularly contagious. According to a recent article in The Corning Leader, New York Senator Charles Schumer is working on legislation that will increase research on new treatments for “superbug” infections and increase reporting of such diseases. The Senate passed an appropriation bill that plans to dedicate $5 million on such research. However, Senator Schumer says a bill like this will increase spending by about $10 million; thus President George W. Bush is likely to veto this appropriation bill. Ways to Avoid MRSA ♦ Wash hands frequently ♦ Treat and cover any open wounds with an antiseptic cream and bandage ♦ Do not share razors, towels, athletic equipment, or other personal items with someone who may be infected ♦ Invest in some antiseptic wipes for hands and surfaces Thursday, November 8,2007 Page 5 Flashback In honor of Corning Community Colleges 50th Anniversary, we will befeaturing one or more reprints each week from past issues of The Crier. This can be a photograph, article, letter, advertisement, factoid - anything that we can dig up in the archives! Articles are chosen each week with the assistance of Cindy Maier in the Library. These materials have not been altered from their original form. Uncle Sam By John Massey April 12, 1971 1971 You will notice several changes in the appearance of our Uncle Sam. These have all been done with the sincere intention of bringing his image up to date with the American ideals and policies both at home and abroad. For your convenience, they are listed below: (1) You will probably notice ole Uncle Sam has shaved his beard and taken to a Madison Ave. hair style. This has been so that he will not be mistaken for one of those communist, radical, nazi, insane, degernerate hippies that have infiltrated our glorious nation declaring that they have some sort of rights and that our national policy should be changed. (2) You will also notice a sharp decrease in his cranial space. It was felt that this previously unused space could be used in a much more practical place. In result, the cranial area and its contents were donated to science to help in the research of psychopaths. (3) The old boy has also had a minor change in his ear structure. You will notice that the ear has been replaced by a solid plastic plate. This was done at Uncle Sam’s request so that he would not be distracted from his more important business by the screams of his nephews dying in Viet Nam and his nephews and nieces being beaten, robbed, and molested in the streets of his cities. (4) His eyeballs have also been redesigned. Seeing that the one thing that seems to occupy his meager mind more than anything else is money which he so willingly takes from his family, it was believed that it was in the dollar signs. This also allows him to act blindly toward the wishes and views of the people. (Note his approval of the change by his beaming smile.) (5) The last modification was the tiny change in his tongues shape and length. In the tradition of our American predecessors, the Indians, it has been forked and lengthened to give him more self confidence when making promises and proposals to his nieces and nephews and when making agreements and treaties with foreign governments. Well, now you have seen the changes in Uncle Sam and we hope you’re not satisfied at all. If that's the case, see what you can do to bring back the old Uncle Sam. Let’s get our heads together and do something about it. Thursday, November 8,2007 _______________________________________________________________Page 6 Look-Ahead to this Winter’s S now D ay Procedures By Barry Garrison J CIO and Executive Director of Information Systems The Colleges Snow Day policy has been instituted because we care about the safety of our students and staff. We realize that many of our students have not had much experience driving on snowy or icy roads and we want to minimize dangerous driving situations. Predicting road conditions over our three-county region, unfortunately, leaves a large margin of error. We hope, however, that your Corning Community College experience, which prepares you intellectually for life’s realities, includes the readiness to be responsible for your own safety. In case of inclement weather deemed sufficiently dangerous to interrupt College operations, radio and television announcers will be asked to make one of the following announcements: 1. “The College is closed When this statement is made, the entire institution is closed, and no one, except snow removal crews, is expected to travel to the campus. Time cards and attendance reports are to show this as a “snow day” in the proper column, and the time should be added to the time worked. 2. Depending on circumstances, there may be other messages such as: “All 8:00 and 9:00 Classes are canceled. Classes will begin at 10:00.” Similar messages will be called in regarding Saturday and evening class cancellations. Any day or evening class scheduled in a public school building will be canceled if that school district closes its schools. 3. College cancellations will be posted on the College web page and MyCCC. Procedures to evacuate campus if inclement weather occurs during the day will be initiated as follows: Directions to leave campus will come via e-mail from the administrator in charge who will state at what time classes will be cancelled. Students and staff are cautioned to remain on campus until they are notified that Spencer Hill is safe for travel. Notification will be given to division secretaries who will post signs on all building doors. The College FM radio station, WCEB (91.9 on FM dial), will be notified of current Spencer Hill Road conditions and campus evacuation decisions to facilitate a safe exit from Spencer Hill. It is recommended that the main Spencer Hill route be used to exit the campus. That route gets plowing and sanding priority from campus and county crews. Powderhouse and Bailey Creek Roads are generally in poor condition during snow evacuation. In the event that the College must close in the middle of the day, students with disabilities who are dependent upon public transportation and are unable to get home should go to the Public Safety Office or contact that office for assistance. The Campus Public Safety Department, when weather conditions dictate, will work with the New York State Police and the Corning City Police Department controlling access to Spencer Hill. The College Business Development Center classes will not be held on days that the College is closed because of snow or ice. However, Suzanne Vary will contact any group that has a contract with the Business Development Center to make appropriate arrangements on those days that the College is closed for weather conditions. In all instances, it is important to note that the College makes its decisions on the basis of general road conditions, with special emphasis on the Spencer Hill Road. Each traveler has to take the responsibility for his or her decisions regarding driving safety. Thursday, November 8,2007 Page 7 The Evolution of Thanksgiving By Heather Saxton With Thanksgiving coming up in a few weeks, I thought it would be nice to remember what Thanksgiving truly means. Thanksgiving started in 1621 when the Pilgrims and Indians had their first meal to celebrate a grand harvest after a rough beginning of the English settlement. The first feast consisted of 46 of the original 102 pilgrims and 91 Indians. The remaining 56 pilgrims had died during the harsh first year. The first Thanksgiving lasted three days. Today our feast normally consists of turkey, pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and cranberry sauce. However, in the early days of the first Thanksgiving the menu varied - in the 1600 s it commonly contained fish, berries, watercress, lobster, dried fruit, clams, venison, and plums. There was no bread or pastries of any kind, since the flour stocks were meager. There was no cattle for dairy products so there was no milk or butter. The Thanksgiving feast was not repeated until 1623 after a drought and prayer for rain. When the rain returned the settlers again wanted to give thanks for the rain and had another Thanksgiving feast to celebrate and invited their Indian friends. In 1777 all thirteen colonies gathered to feast for the first time and in 1779 George Washington proclaimed a holiday, yet at this time many people were opposed to it. It wasn’t until Sarah Josepha Hale, a magazine editor, made a big stink about the situation and continued to write to governors and Presidents that the celebration became nationwide. In 1863,40 years after Hale began to obsess about this subject, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed that the last Thursday in November be a national day of Thanksgiving. Today Thanksgiving carries a different meaning to everyone. To some it may mean the start of the Christmas shopping, and to others it may mean facing the crowded highways to travel to friends’ and relatives’ houses to spend the holiday with them. It is a day to give thanks, to spend time with family and friends, and to have that big dinner. It is also a time when many parents see a great deal of paper crafts come home, like paper turkeys and pilgrim hats. And let's not forget about the biggest shopping day of the year, Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, when department stores slash prices dramatically on merchandise. Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for all that we have been given throughout the year. I try to teach my kids what they have to be grateful for, such as the roof over their head, the food in their bellies, and their health. Of course we make turkeys and fun crafts too, but I always try to get them to realize the true meaning of Thanksgiving. Upcoming Events Thursday, November 8 - How Art Inspires 12:45 p.m., Triangle Lounge - Intramurals & Recreation 12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m., Gymnasium - Midday Concert 1:00 p.m., R004 Saturday, November 10 - CCC Night at the Elmira Jackals 7:35 p.m., First Arena Sunday, November 11 - Intramurals & Recreation Open Badminton 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Open Volleyball 4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Indoor Soccer 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Tuesday, November 13 -Accounting Society Pizza Sale 11:00 a.m. -1:00 p.m., Science Building -Phi Theta Kappa Satellite Seminar American Theocracy: Politics, Radical Religion, Oils, Borrowed Money in the 21st Century 7:30 p.m., Triangle Lounge Wednesday, November 14 - Accounting Society Bake Sale 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m., Administration Building -Activities Programming Committee Presents: Matt Lewis Performance Chalk Artist, Humorist, and Speaker 12:00 p.m., Triangle Lounge______ Thursday, November 8,2007 Page 8 MID-DAY MEDITATION.' listening- in silence WEDNESDAYS 12:15 - 12:45pm ROOM: R 213 BEGINS OCTOBER 17, 2007 CONTINUES THROUGH DECEMBER 12th ALL CCC STUDENTS, FACULTY, STAFF WELCOME Keptesh (