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January, 201 2 



FREE 



Celebrating Roxbury 
Community College's 
Urban Garden 



By Daniel Alfaro 

Special to The Gazette 

The Roxbury Community College 
Garden Service Learning Project cele- 
brates another successful year of grass- 
roots gardening that aims to educate the 
College community, as well the Greater 
Roxbury area, about locally produced 
fresh fruits and vegetables. Professor 
Nasreen Latif, founder of the RCC Gar- 
den, and a faculty member of the Social 
Sciences department, has encouraged all 
students to be part of this collaborate 



exchange of learning on the benefits of 
local healthy food options, using com- 
munity dialogues, community forums, 
and volunteer opportunities. 

One of Professor Latif's students, 
Share-Leigh Arneaud-Bernard, has al- 
ways had a love for planting and joined 
the RCC Garden in the Spring of 2011. 
"This project has given me so much in- 
sight and knowledge into the world of 
Gardening and Agriculture. Due to the 
project, I am now able to conserve and 
preserve seeds so that we can use them 
to plant in the spring. I learned how 



to make my own little garden at home 
which will be my own personal project 
for the spring of 2012. I also realized 
that with a little patience and time the 
rewards are endless. We can already see 
the "fruits" of our labor and I hope that 
we continue to," said Arneaud-Bernard. 
Professor Latif has made it her mis- 
sion to "teach about the importance of 
locally produced food for local con- 
sumption". This year 70% of all of the 
produce that is harvested will be given 

» continued on page 2 




Celebrating Roxbury Community College's Urban Garden 



Roxbury Community College 
Becomes a Leader College 



By Prof. Sterling Giles 

Coordinator of Achieving the Dream 

This fall RCC was granted Achiev- 
ing the Dream Leader College status, 
making us one of 52 
schools nation-wide 
which have dem- 
onstrated broad 
engagement and 
use of evidence to 
improve programs 
and services. These 
schools may or may not have the best 
student outcomes when measured by 




completion or transfer rates; those met- 
rics are static, but the leader college cri- 
teria are more dynamic. Leader colleges 
are schools that have what it takes to 
drive their own evolution - schools with 
systemic potential to improve over time, 
schools that are managing their change 
well. This is a gratifying conclusion to 
our five-years with this grant. 

Achieving the Dream (AtD) 
is a national initiative to help colleges 
support students as they aim to earn a 
certificate or degree. We are now in the 
final year of this grant. Keep reading if 
you want to know more about the types 



of things happening on campus with 
these funds. 

Mathematics is one of the 
hardest courses for many students. Due 
to a series of changes in the Math De- 
partment, the rate at which students 
moved from developmental to college- 
level math almost tripled over five years 
from 2006 to 2011. This is great news, 
but still some students are left behind, 
and we continue to work on math suc- 
cess with things like the Math Clinic and 
MyMathLab. 

» continued on page 4 



CONTENTS 


CELEBRATING ROXBURY COMMUNITY COLLEGE'S URBAN GARDEN . 

ROXBURY COMMUNITY COLLEGE BECOMES A LEADER COLLEGE 

NEW ON CAMPUS 


"SWEETIE, YOU'RE TWO MONTHS PREGNANT". 

THE 50 YARD DASH TO SUCCESS 

BLAME THE PARENTS FOR GANG VIOLENCE 

MORE ON RCC GAZETTE/ MONTHLY MBTA PASSES 


2 

2 

2 

3 


TOLD STUDENT, NEW HORIZONS 3 

COACH LESZCYZYK 3 


HISPANIC HERITAGE CELEBRATION WAS WELL RECEIVED 4 


RCC MEN'S BASKETBALL: A NEW SEASON 


WHAT IS NEW WITH THE ROXBURY COMMUNITY COLLEGE VIDEO ...4 
MOTHERHOOD MADE ME GROW UP 4 


RCC MEETS TECHNOLOGY 


RE: MBTA PASSES: LET'S GET REAL 


3 


WHAT'S NEW AT ROXBURY COMMUNITY COLLEGE? 


STUDENTTRAVEL 

THE WORLD OF FASHION 


3 

3 


THROUGH THE EYES OF A PROFESSOR: JUSTIN PETTY 4 


LIFE 0FTHE CAFE 











New on Campus 



By Tia Myers 
Gazette Staff Reporter 

There are many new exciting things 
going on around campus at Rox- 
bury Community College. Marshall 
D. Hughes is your Director of Visual, 
Performing, and Media Arts. He's been 
working at RCC for 1 years. Marshall is 
also a director of music so he says that 
he is fortunate to do what he loves to do. 

Mainstage Theater (Media Arts Build- 
ing) is hosting two plays. One is called 
To Kill a Mockingbird and the other is 
called Cabaret. To Kill a Mockingbird 
opened in October to rave reviews. 

There are two ways to find out about 
Mainstage Theater: on the web and vial 



RCC email. Students who are a part 
of a club can speak to Ms. Elizabeth 
Clark, Director of Student Life, who is 
in charge of rental space. Community 
members can also talk to Marshall to see 
if the theater is available. The charge is 
$300 dollars an hour. 

Mr. Hughes chooses plays though the 
reader's list for high school and college 
students. Last year he chose Of Mice of 
Men that was on the high school reading 
list. We also had a lot of famous people 
perform on the RCC Stage like Tuffus 
Zimbab, a famous jazz pianist for Satur- 
day Night Live and Roy Hanes, a famous 
drummer. Deval Patrick, Massachusetts 
governor, has used the venue as well. 

» continued on page 2 



RCC Men's 
Basketball: ■ 

a New Season 



By Victor Martinez 

Gazette Staff Reporter 

Another exciting season of RCC 
men's basketball is right around the 
corner, and the Roxbury community 
should begin to take notice. Last season 
the Tigers finished off with a record of 
20 wins and 6 defeats as well as a trip 
to regionals. Most would consider that 
a good season. Nevertheless, the Tigers 
feel as if last season was a learning ex- 
perience. 

When speaking with Assistant Coach 
DeMarco Lundy, who has been with the 
team for 5 years, he expressed that last 
season the coaches had an opportunity 
to "learn from the players," something 
that the team benefited from highly. 
When asked what would be different 




from last season to this one, Coach 
Lundy was quick to reply, "We've gained 
a great hunger." Coach Lundy also add- 
ed, "This should be one of the better 
teams in a while with the thanks to a 
great recruiting class, experience from 
the players coming back, and hard work 
all around from coaches to the players." 
Lundy was asked if he would like to 
say something to the RCC basketball 
fans, and he stated, "We love when you 
guys come out and support your team 
against our big rivals in the city, but this 
year we are going to play a very exciting 
style of basketball and want to see the 
Reggie Lewis Center packed for every 
home game to put the pressure on our 

» continued on page 2 



RCC meets Technology 



By Shurita Parson 

Gazette Staff Reporter 

Roxbury Community College is up- 
grading their classrooms with assistive 
technology. This system is designed to 
help people who struggle with comput- 
ing, organizing, aligning, and copying 
math problems down on paper. Kristin 
Stanberry and Marshall Raskind, PhD, 
described the program: "It's like an Ipad 
tool where they write on the pad." In 
doing that it saves their notes on this 
white pad and sends it to their school 
email. 

Even cafeterias are getting involved 
with the new era. They have been up- 
grading since the fall of last year and 
everything is starting to come into place. 

Albert Cole, a BMT student, states, "I 
have been here for two years and I was 
impressed by the new changes. These 
changes are grasping the student's atten- 
tion." Even our software programs are 
being upgraded; you can see this in the 
Writing Center, Math Lab, IT programs, 
Broadcast Media programs and many 
more. 




Going for a bite to eat on campus 
and sitting in a classroom still interact- 
ing with the outside world is the term 
of today. Kiona Lucas, a new student, 
said, "I am happy that they have these 
upgraded machines. It's more conve- 
nient for me and safe because I do not 
carry cash on me anymore." 

We have upgraded from Cafe' cash 
to Cafe ATM. RCC machines accept 
your debit/ credit cards. You can even 
purchase a 'pay as you go' pass. All you 
would do is tap, pay and grub. This is 
more like a Charlie Card lunch card. We 
can be expecting more technological up- 
grades to RCC. 



2 Roxbury Community College Gateway Gazette - January, 201 2 



What's New at Roxbury 
Community College? 



By MarQuise Brooks 

Gazette Staff Reporter 

Off to a great start! Roxbury Com- 
munity College has extended their de- 
gree program by including one of the 
state's most challenging Nursing Pro- 
grams. An Associate's Degree in the 
Veterinary Program has also been add- 
ed. Expanding has never been better. 

In addition, the exciting new fea- 
ture to this program that RCC has in- 
corporated is a "third semester" to aid 
people who cannot start in September. 
The new semester is called "Autumn 
Access." The semester provides a lim- 
ited range of classes that will help stu- 
dents on their individual degree track to 
graduating or transferring to a four year 
educational institution. Roxbury Com- 
munity College is capturing the essence 
of education and success. 

Shanice Whethers, a 19 year old 
Roxbury student, dreams of one day 
becoming a veterinarian. In addition, 
Ms. Whethers aspires to open her very 
own Veterinarian Clinic in the heart of 



the city. Financial hardships are a di- 
lemma for every student. Yet Roxbury 
Community College's improved finan- 
cial packages allow students to pursue 
their dreams. Ms. Whethers chose this 
particular educational path because of 
the new information they had for this 
degree program. "This is something I 
dream of doing." 

A dream no longer deferred. Ms. 
Whethers explains how she came to 
RCC a year ago as a Liberal Arts major. 
Because it wasn't satisfying her career 
needs, she ventured to a college more 
suitable. Now that RCC is supporting 
her needs, she re-enrolled. 

Roxbury Community College has 
revamped and reinvented its academic 
offerings to provide a more structural 
degree program for all majors. So much 
has changed; most colleges have devel- 
oped new programs for attracting young 
students. RCC has done more concrete 
improvements with funding, educa- 
tional programs, and even by adding the 
new semester. The institution has a new 
outlook. Ms. Whethers is very proud to 
be here. 



Life of the Cafe 



By Albert Coleman-Brown 

Gazette Staff Reporter 

I've been attending Roxbury 
Community College for the past year and 
half. Everyone has their own opinion 
about something on campus and what I 
want to talk about is the cafeteria. I think 
that the new cafeteria is amazing and the 
staff is very well mannered. But the cafe 
we had before was bigger and had more 
space to move around. I just wish that 
the eating lounge was a little bit bigger 
because the eating lounge we had before 
had much more seating, and the lounges 
we have now are old classrooms. 

I asked some returning RCC students 
what they thought about the old and 
new cafe and the lounges. One student 
said she thought the old cafe created a 
better social environment. She also said 
that "the menu was better because the 
food was more enticing and the prices 
were also more reasonable." 

She then stated that "the previous 
cafe had outrageous prices and that 
they [were] charging almost $3.00 for 
a slice of pizza that was sometimes 
nasty and cold." When I asked if there 



was anything she would change about 
the cafe she said, "I would want lower 
prices, have a better variety of food and 
also implement some healthy diets on 
the menu." I asked if there was anything 
she liked about the new cafe lounge. 
She said, "I like the new eating area. I 
like the the television. However, I wish 
the lounge had magazines that we could 
read while eating because not everybody 
watches television." 

While interviewing students, I came 
across another returning student and 
decided to get her input on the new 
cafe. She said, "The new cafeteria is 
advanced. It has been set to the need 
for those that carry debit cards because 
not everybody carries cash with them. . . 
the old cafe was plain. Now it's a place 
to study and eat." She also added that 
before the food they had was just pizza, 
and now the new food vendor gives a 
variety of choices. 

Overall, I like the new cafe; I just 
wish that it was where the old one was 
because it would give students a better 
chance to come together and socialize 
with one another. 



RCC Men's Basketball... 

« continued from page 1 

opponents and elevate our team's play." 
With head coach Kwami Green, as- 
sistant coaches Tyron Boswell, Quentin 
Wilson and DeMarco Lundy, this sea- 
son should be promising for RCC men's 
basketball. Saturday, November 5th be- 
gins the Roxbury Community College 
Invitational, and the Home Opener will 
be Tuesday, November 8th at 7pm. Re- 
member to come out and support the 
RCC men's basketball team all season. It 
should turn out to be a great one. 



New on Campus 



« continued from page 1 

Mr. Hughes also gives back to the 
community by letting other colleges 
or high schools use the stage for plays 
and shows. Emerson College some- 
times rents out our theater for plays 
and shows. When they do that, RCC 
students get in free with a college ID. 



Other people who don't go to the col- 
lege get to see it too, but they must pay 
only $5.00 dollars to see it. 

Marshall Hughes is going to be at 
RCC for a lot more years to come. He 
says he is not done until he retires. He 
is having fun, loves his job, and enjoys 
students and faculty. 



Celebrating Roxbury ... 

« continued from page 1 

to all of those who volunteer to main- 
tain the garden, while 30% is reserved 
for the College to sell to the community 
at affordable prices. 

The RCC Garden welcomes students 
from the college and members from the 
community to participate on the project. 
For more information about the RCC 
Garden Project, please contact Profes- 
sor Nasreen Latif at nlatif@rcc.mass. 
edu 

Daniel Alfaro is a student at RCC. This 
article was published in the Fenway News On- 
line Community Newspaper on October 24, 
2011 and was reprinted with the permission 
of the publisher. 



"Sweetie, You're Two 
Months Pregnant" 



By Cindy Janvier 

Special to The Gazette 

The smell of medicine was mak- 
ing me nauseous as I waited for Dr. 
Thompson at the Codman Square Hos- 
pital. I paced back and forth to calm my 
nerves; I was beginning to quiver from 
the coldness in the room. Gazing out 
the window, I smiled at the bitter driv- 
ers on Washington Street stuck in the 
five o'clock traffic jam. Looking up, I 
realized the television was on; I turned 
the volume up, lay down on 
the green plastic bed, took 
the white blanket and made 
myself comfortable. My 
mind drifted away and I fell 
into a light sleep. "It's sad 
cause Brenda doesn't even 
know." 



"Brenda?" I looked up 
and saw Dr. Thompson 
wearing a black outfit with a white 
jacket. "Yes," I replied, as I sat up on 
the bed. From this point forward, I 
felt like everything was happening in 
slow motion. She slowly took off her 
glasses, set them on the metal desk, let 
out a big sigh, and rubbed her forehead 
while looking at the tile floors. My heart 
was beating so fast and hard that I was 
afraid it would jump out of my chest. 
Although it was brisk in the doctor's of- 
fice, I was sweating. She looked at me 
with such sorrow in her eyes and said, 
"Brenda, you're very young, and I want 
you to know that this hospital can be a 
second home to you." She walked over, 
held my hands with a firm grip and said, 
"Sweetie, you're two months pregnant." 

Without saying a word, I got up and 
ran without a destination in mind with 
fear in my eyes and soul. The next door 
I ran into was the ladies room. Before I 
could get into a stall, I threw up every- 
thing I ate. I stumbled over to the white 
sink and threw cold water on my face. 
I looked at myself in the mirror and I 
did not recognize my own face. My skin 
became pale, my eyes had dark rings 



"It's sad cause I 

bet Brenda doesn't 

even know. Just 

cause you're in 

the ghetto doesn't 

mean you can't 

grow. But oh, that's 

a thought, my own 

revelation." 



around them and my body was already 
changing form. I questioned myself, 
"How could it be?" "What's my mom 
going to say?" Tears flowed down like a 
river as I thought of the final question, 
"How's Jeremy going to take this?" The 
only response I received was the echoes 
of my voice in the empty bathroom. At 
the moment I was going to leave the 
bathroom, Dr. Thompson entered. We 
talked about how I was going to break 
the news to Jeremy and my mother. I 
fought myself over and over again be- 
fore finally deciding that we were going 
to call them into the hospi- 
tal. 

Moments later, bursting 
through the doors with an 
astonished look upon their 
faces were with a smile Jere- 
my and my mother. I quickly 
ran into my mother's arms, 
pouring my heart onto her 
shoulders. Dr. Thompson 




decided to leave the room and let me 
break the news. Jeremy sat down on the 
metal chair and waited anxiously to hear 
what I had to say as my mother stood 
behind him. Their eyes followed me as 
I faced the white wall. "I'm pregnant" I 
said as fear filled my throat. I heard the 
chair slide across the tile floors. I quickly 
turned around and, before I could say 
anything, Jeremy was embracing me in 
his arms with the brightest look of joy 
on his face. I indulged myself in his co- 
logne, closed my eyes and wrapped my 
arms around him. The sound of my 
mother's brown heels bought her to my 
attention. Jeremy released me from his 
grip and looked over at my mother. As 
he held my hand, I could feel his pulse 
through his palm. My mother lifted her 
head up, looked at me and said with a 
smile, "Looks like I'm a grandma." 

Walking out of the hospital, seeing 
the sun shine brightly, smelling the dif- 
ferent aromas of incense from the street 
entrepreneurs, made me feel grateful. 
Grateful to be able to give life and give 
my child what my mother has given me. 
As we rode home I said to myself "just 



The Gateway Gazette is 

the official publication of the 

student body of Roxbury 

Community College. 

Submissions from the college 

community are welcome. 

All submissions are subject 

to editing. Opinions stated 

within the paper are not 

necessarily endorsed by the 

newspaper staff. 

Editor: 

Prof. Judy Kahalas 
Prof. Quentin James 

Layout and Production: 

Dr. Milton Samuels 
Phuong Tang 

Adviser: 

Prof. Sandra Storey 

Staff Reporters: 

Albert Coleman-Brown 

Dei shawn Thompson 

Hakim Cunningham 

MarQuise Brooks 

Shakenna Appleberry 

Shurita Parson 

Tashanea Whitlow 

Tia Myers 

Tony Hines 

Victor Martinez 

Wesley Jean Baptiste 




because you're in the ghetto doesn't mean you 
can't grow.' '"Huh?" said Jeremy. I smiled 
and replied "oh just a thought, my own rev- 
elation. " 

Note: Italics reflect lyrics from the song "Bren- 
da 's Got a Baby" by Tupac Shakur 
Ed. Note: Cindy Janvier is a student in Prof. 
Rhonda Gray's Comp. 1 class 
The short stories written by students in Prof. 
Gray's Composition I course attempt to mir- 
ror the writing style and content Toni Morrison 
employs in Ja%% a novel about a love triangle 
with a fatal outcome that takes place in Harlem 
in 1926 when ja^ music was the social and 
cultural pulse of the city. The novel is the key 
text for the class that explores the theme "Liv- 
ing an Urban Realtiy. " 



The 50 Yard Dash to Success 



By Hakim Cunningham 

Gazette Staff Reporter 

Tara McElroy is on the track team 
here at Roxbury Community College 
and is working towards her Associate's 
Degree. She had a great childhood and 
grew up in a stable two-parent house- 
hold with a loving mother and father. 
Sometimes she talks about being able to 
go back in time and do it all over again 
just because it brings back so many 
good feelings and memories that make 
her smile a lot. Being the only child of a 
mother and father who already had two 
children prior to this marriage made for 
an eventful upbringing. 



Tara ran track in middle school and it 
is there where she also developed a love 
for drawing which to this day she thinks 
about. Growing up in the Dorchester 
section of Boston, she plans to pursue 
her Bachelor's Degree at Northeastern 
University. As a Boston native, Tara has 
seen a lot in her few years on this planet 
with all of the violence and problems 
that plague the black community in 
Boston. 

She is very team oriented, something 
that she picked up in her early years of 
being a student athlete, and she said that 
she likes to work with others because 
she is a people person. She is a fashion- 
able and hip young lady who has her 



eyes on the prize and knows what she 
has to do to be successful. With a very 
humble and peaceful demeanor and aura 
she comes off like a young black profes- 
sional poised for success and looking to 
the future. 

Currently enrolled as a fulltime stu- 
dent, she plans on staying in school be- 
cause she feels that that is the path to a 
successful future. She does not have any 
kids but plans to have some in her fu- 
ture once she is financially stable. Tare is 
small in stature but big on presence and 
ideas, which hold power. I feel that she 
has a future carved out for her already 
in this world. 



Blame the Parents for Gang Violence 



By Chidebe Emeka 

Special to The Gazette 

There is high level of violence in 
Massachusetts. Every day the televi- 
sion carries breaking news of stabbings, 
shootings, and domestic violence. Par- 
ents obviously ask why there is such 
chaos in our community. But parents 
should ask themselves what effort they 
made to help their children grow in a 
way that is right. "Train a child the way 
he should grow and when he grows he 



will not depart from it." Many of these 
gang-stars grew up watching their so- 
called parent indulging in drugs and 
domestic violence. Consequently, they 
grew up doing exactly what their parent 
did. Most times, parents are too busy to 
look into their children's affair. Parental 
influence is the number one factor in 
gang violence in our community. 

Parents are the first line of defense in 
combating gang violence. They should 
endeavor to live a positive and exem- 
plary lifestyle for their children to emu- 



late. It is up to each parent to show their 
child that they love and care for them. It 
is not enough to simply say, "I love you." 
Your child needs parental interaction to 
show him or her that you really do love 
and care about their welfare. Parents 
shouldn't totally ignore their children in 
the name of work. They should always 
find time to check on their day to day ac- 
tivities and give them the best help and 
support they need. 



January, 201 2 - Roxbury Community College Gateway Gazette 3 



YOUR 

Opinion DQES 
Matter 



AX 



' 



More on RCC Gazette/ 
Monthly MBTA Passes 



By Ciera Benford 

Special to The Gazette 

"Students are expected to be here 
every day to engage and partake in all 
required courses. Such a high expense 
(ed. note: transportation) should be 
covered as part of their tuition that they 
receive financial aid." So states RCC 
student Charmayne Martin. 

Students who attend school full 
time should be discounted on monthly 
MBTA passes because school is a 
very important asset in everyone's life, 
especially college where we have to 
pay out of pocket, get a loan/grant, or 
receive financial aid. Either one of these 
sources of payment means you either 
have low income or you will eventually 



have to pay back a loan if one was 
obtained. If you take the money out of 
our tuition, we will not have to worry 
about buying a pass for the rest of the 
semester. 

I do not agree with student Taconya 
Hunter when she says that "students 
should not receive any assistance for 
obtaining an MBTA pass because it 
would be a program that is designed for 
low income students. Other schools do 
not offer this service, and we as students 
are not in high school anymore." Not 
everyone has a job to be able to pay for 
an MBTA pass. If our school offered 
MBTA passes, we would get more 
acknowledgments, especially in the 
publicity field, for having great student 
services. This would be a great asset. 




Re: Mbta Passes: 
Let's Get Real 



By Sarah Demers 

Special to The Gazette 

The student government at Roxbury 
Community College is debating the 
issue that would allow Financial Aid 
recipients a free MBTA pass. This idea is 
not going over well with some students. 
If you get your school paid for, then 
do you really need your transportation 



paid for, too? This does not benefit the 
hardworking students who have to pay 
for school because they are the students 
that really need it. MBTA passes should 
not be up for discussion unless all 
students receive them. If this school 
helps one student, then they need to 
help all of the students. If the cost of 
education is off your shoulders, then get 
real and pay for your own MBTA passes. 



A publication of staff and students at 

Roxbury Community College 

1234 Columbus Avenue, Roxbury Crossing, Massachusetts 02120 




Staff and students are invited to send letters to the editor, news 

tips, ideas for articles and photos and other information for 

the Gazette to writingcenter@roxbury.edu. All submissions 

are subject to editing and run on a space available basis. The 

opinions expressed in these pages do not necessarily reflect those of 

the newspaper. 

Faculty advisor: 
Judith Kahalas, Coordinator of The Writing Center 








The World 
of Fashion 



By Shakenna Appleberry 

Gazette Staff Reporter 

Style is the first thing that I see 
when I look at an individual. So when 
I see females appearing like they just 
hopped out of bed or males with their 
pants sagging, showing the world their 
underwear, who should the finger point 
at? The clothing that a person wears 
speaks loud and clear, telling a person's 
character. First impression is everything. 

It's an embarrassment to the designer 
who created the garment that they are 
wearing. 

There are unique designers from 
all over the world and all of their 
garments may be the same but with a 
little twist to their style. Kanisha Jeffes, 
31, of Roxbury, MA plans to open her 
own boutique. She has been creating 
clothing for people starting in her early 
childhood years. Kanisha says, "People 
who are in love with fashion make 
sure they stay on top." Kanisha also 
expresses that "fashion will never die, 
but people will." 

In Boston it appears that roughly 
sixty percent of people look for the 
latest trends that go with the four 
seasons. Thirty percent have their own 
creative style. Then we have the other 
ten percent who don't care how they 
look and would rather walk around with 
the same unwashed clothing for weeks. 

Fashion is everywhere, which means 
that you can do just about anything 
while being creative. A person should 
understand that it's not about matching 
the same colors. However, blending 
your colors is a must! 



Student 
Travel 



By Deishawn Thompson 

Gazette Staff Reporter 

Did you know that as a student the 
possibility of traveling abroad is at 
your fingertips? There are numerous 
organizations geared towards helping 
college students see the world. 

There is Habitat for Humanity whose 
goal is building homes for the less 
fortunate here in the United States but 
also in mostly every country you can 
think of. There is also the Peace Corp 
which was designed to have students 
live in a country with a host family to 
become totally immersed in the culture 
but to also let them into yours. Lastly, 
there is the Student Travel Agency, 
which sets up students who want to 
work abroad teaching classes such as 
English. 

The possibilities are endless for 
the student traveler with some of the 
organizations providing monetary 
assistance to get going if needed. So, 
students, pack your bags and go see the 
world! 

Here are the websites for the 
following programs: 
www.peacecorps.gov 
www.statravel.com 
www.habitat.org 



Old Student, New Horizons 



By Deishawn Thompson 

Gazette Staff Reporter 

This weeks profile is of 22 year old Silas 
Levy, athlete and student finishing his last 
semester here at Roxbury Community College. 
With so much going on in his academic and 
athletic career, he decided to fill me in on all his 
upcoming ventures and projects. 
What ate your plans for the upcoming 
spring? 

I expect to graduate from RCC, hopefully 
attend either Emerson or UMass; I also 
would like to be employed. 

What do you expect for your 
summer? 

I plan to take summer courses at a four- 
year college, and I will continue training 
in the sport of boxing. 

How has RCC shaped you as a 
student (if at all)? 

It has allowed me to see the students 
that came to this school to learn versus 
the students who take their education 
for granted. It has also given me a 
second chance at a higher education; 
plus Roxbury Community College has 
made the transition from enrollment to 
graduation an easy one. 

Do you think this college has 
prepared you for a four year 
institution? 

Yes, this college has showed me the 
seriousness of discipline and time 



management that I will take with me to 
a four-year college. 

What are some of the best/worst 
memories you have of RCC? 

Best memory: getting an A in English 
class; worst memory: failing a history 
class. 

Which professor has left the most 
indelible mark on your education? 

It would be Professor Updike, the 
Humanities professor, because he has a 
creative mind and thinks outside the box 
when it comes to teaching and life. 

What will you take with you when 
you leave Roxbury Community 
College? 

I will take with me the discipline and 
motivation to finish a two-year degree 
at RCC but also to pursue a four- 
year degree at a higher level. Roxbury 
Community College will always hold in 
my memory because it gave me back my 
education. 

What do you hope for you future? 

I hope to do what I love which is get 
paid to think creatively. I also have a 
few other plans up my sleeve, but I don't 
want to share them because they might 
get stolen! 

Any remarks, advice, words that 
you'd like to leave with the new 
students entering RCC? 

Don't get comfortable! 



Coach 
Leszcyzyk 




By Wesley Jean Baptiste 

Gazette Staff Reporter 

The Roxbury Community College woman's 
basketball team is more than a force that 
needs to be recognised. The 'Lady Tigers have 
only been balling for four years and have been 
dominating their division, finishing number two 
in the country last season. I had the opportunity 
to interview the head coach of the Lady Tigers, 
three time coach of the year recipient Mark 
Les^cysyk. 

Are there any new recruits this year? 

Yes, I am very excited about our new 
additions. We have Shannon Samuels 
and Theresa Mitchell, two explosive 
guards who form a nice 1-2 punch in the 
backcourt as well as local girl Chreese 
Hall from New Mission High who is a 
deadly shooter from the wing. We also 
added Brittany Allen, a 6-footer who 
is loaded with upside potential as well 
as two transfers in sophomore guard 
Jenicia Duggins and sophomore guard 
Khea Gibbs. We also have an incoming 
student athlete Breonna Pinckett, who 
will be enrolling at Roxbury in January. 
Breonna will not be playing this year, but 
will bring intensity and a positive attitude 
as a "red shirt" player. 

What do you look for in a player? 

I look for someone who is a competitor 
and who is willing to work to the 
maximum level of their ability in practice, 
in games, and most importantly in the 



classroom. Being a player on our team 
is demanding. My athletes dedicate at 
least four hours per day to our program 
with practice, team study halls, weight 
training etc. This does not include the 
Community service work that we do, or 
the travel and games that we play. It is 
not easy to be a college athlete! 

What is the toughest challenge about 
the upcoming season? 

I'd say meeting expectations. After 
last year's successful season (finishing 
#2 in the country), we are now an 
odds -on favorite to win a National 
Championship. I love that position and 
my players do as well. We have a target 
on our backs and it's exciting! 

Are there any out of state tournament 
coming up this year? 

Yes, we are doing quite a bit of travelling 
this year. Our team has worked hard to 
raise our own funds to play in some 
competitive events. We are very excited 
about our trip to Marianna, Florida in 
November where we will be the only 
Division III team in a field of the 
country's best Division I programs. 
That will be a challenge for sure! We 
also have tournaments in New York 
City, New Jersey, Syracuse and we will 
be spending 4 days in the Baltimore/DC 
area for a three game stretch. We have 
the most competitive schedule of any 
Junior College in New England. 

Since the Lady Tigers commenced 
four years ago, how have the Lady 
Tigers grown over the years? 

Well, there was no program when I 
started so we have grown from scratch. 
With the support of the entire Athletic 
Department as well as the Roxbury CC 
Administration, we have grown from a 
team that competed fairly well on a local 
level, to a nationally ranked power. We 
have been successful with placing our 
players at the scholarship Division I 
and II levels, and my phone never stops 
ringing from coaches at quality 4 year 
programs looking for information on 
our players. 

» continued on page 4 



4 Roxbury Community College Gateway Gazette - January, 201 2 




Hispanic Heritage Celebration was 
Well Received on Campus 



By Hirut E. Arega 

Special to The Gazette 

The Hispanic Heritage celebration 
was held on Wednesday, October 26, 
2011 at 10:30 am at the Roxbury Com- 
munity College campus. Professor Ve- 
ronica McCormack, ESOL, and Ms. 
Gloria Castro, Multicultural Institute, 
chaired the event. It was in the Media 
Arts Center Main Stage. 

The speaker was Dr. A. K. Spears, a 
linguist and anthropologist at City Uni- 



versity of New York. At the same time, 
he speaks in four languages: English, 
Spanish, Portuguese, and French. In his 
talk, he focused on what's black and Af- 
rican about Spanish and English in the 
Americas. However, he believes that 
knowing many languages is a help to 
people because many immigrants have 
lived in the America. Also, he focused 
on Haitian and other French related 
Creoles. 

Although the Dominican people and 
the Salvadorans people speak the same 



languages, they have different dialects 
and accents. Even though the Haitian 
and French Creoles are the same, they 
have different dialects and accents as 
well. 

In conclusion, the Hispanic Heritage 
Celebration was good for me because 
I learned how people speak Multilan- 
guage's and I had a good time. 

Ed. Note: Hirut is a student in the ESOL 
Level 3 class of Prof. McCormack. 



What is New with the Roxbury 
Community College Video Club? 



By Tony Hines 

Gazette Staff Reporter 

The Roxbury Community College 
video club is a nice way to meet new 
people, share ideas of the events on 
campus, and get involved in something 
more than just school. The video club 
at Roxbury Community College is the 
most active club on campus. They host 
the most events on campus: the bake 
sale, food sale, Halloween party, talent 
show, modeling show, and much more. 

The main attraction to the Roxbury 
Community College Broadcast Media 
Technology Video Club would be the 
hands on experience, the friendly at- 



mosphere, and the action taking place 
in making things happen on campus. 
Albert Brown is an active member in 
the video club on Roxbury Community 
College's campus. 

Albert Brown became a member 
through a member in the video club, 
as did that member. Albert was most 
intrigued about how the Roxbury Com- 
munity College Video Club was more 
than video technology. The atmosphere 
was inviting and full of interesting, cool 
people. Members are not necessarily 
majoring in Broadcast Media Technol- 
ogy. Anyone who is a Roxbury Com- 
munity College student can attend the 
video club meetings. Being a member 
has encouraged many to switch their 



major to Broadcast Media Technology, 
for the better of their interest in their 
college career. 

As an active member of the video 
club on the Roxbury Community Col- 
lege's Campus, Albert Brown describes 
the video club as the most "productive, 
active, and the fastest growing club on 
campus." 

The video club is always seen on 
campus conducting many activities with 
energy and enthusiasm. Stop by one 
Tuesday or Thursday when school is in 
session, between the hours of 11:30 am 
to 12:30 pm and see what the Roxbury 
Community College Broadcast Media 
Technology Video Club has to offer 
you. 



Roxbury Community... 

« continued from page 1 

English is the area with the greatest 
number of students in developmental 
education. Teachers have been involved 
in learning about Reading Apprentice- 
ship, which is a method to help students 
get more of what they need out of their 
reading. 

In the last few years we focused on 
the classroom, improving the ways that 
technology and courses can help build a 
foundation for success throughout the 
students' time here. Strengthening The 
College Experience course has been a 
big part of this. 

This year we are bringing increased 
attention to other aspects of the student 
experience, supporting staff in offices 
(registrar, admissions, financial aid, busi- 
ness, advising) so they coordinate bet- 
ter, and recognizing the educational role 
these employees play when working with 
students. In a series of focus group dis- 
cussions we asked students about their 
experiences with these offices and ser- 
vices. An independent analysis of the 
results will lead to recommendations in 
January. 

We are exploring ways to improve 
coordination of services in two other 
areas: one, among the various orienta- 
tion experiences of new students (ori- 



entation, College Experience, advising); 
two, for the academic support areas (tu- 
toring, Writing Center, etc.). In both of 
these cases there is a lot of good sup- 
port for students, but we aren't certain 
that it works together in the right ways, 
at the right times, so we are asking our- 
selves these important questions. 

We are developing a series of short 
video clips so that aspects of orienta- 
tion can be available on demand and 
accessed by admissions, in The College 
Experience course, in orientation and 
advising sessions, or independently on 
line, as often as needed. 

This Fall RCC hosted a two-part fac- 
ulty forum on The Role of Textual Evi- 
dence in Student Reading and Writing, 
which brought together teachers from 
ten local high schools and three com- 
munity colleges. They explored ways 
to help students integrate information 
from readings into their writing. In Fall 
2012 a similar event will be held to bring 
GED and community college teachers 
together, since many of our students 
come from GED programs rather than 
high schools. 

If you a have questions or comments 
about any of these things, contact Ster- 
ling Giles at sgiles@rcc.mass.edu, or 
drop into 3-20 1C. 

Sterling Giles, Ed.M., is a Professor of 
ESOL and College Success and the Coordina- 
tor of Achieving the Dream at RCC. 



Coach Leszcyzyk ... 



« continued from page 3 

What goal(s) are the Lady Tigers 
trying to accomplish year? 

Our goals are to graduate all of our 
sophomores while winning a National 
Championship. While winning the 
National Championship is obtainable 
with hard work, let's face it, injuries 
and other factors can derail you. 
However, the goal to graduate is what 
these student/ athletes are here for and 
nothing should derail them from that. If 
we don't win a National Championship, 
I can still reflect back on a great season, 
but if my players don't graduate, I have 
failed at my job. 

How do you see the Lady Tigers 
growing in the next three seasons? 

We've grown so much over the past few 
years; I'm not sure how much more we 
can grow! I'd love to see us move up a 
Division or even two and be a Division 
I program, but for now we are just going 
to keep striving to be great ambassadors 
for Roxbury Community College and 
make the community proud! 




Woman to Woma 



Motherhood made 
me Grow Up 



By Jessica Cureton 

Special to The Gateway Gazette 

Lula Hunter's editorial, "The Com- 
plexity of Motherhood," in October's 
Gateway Gazette, was an awesome read. 
As a single mother myself, I felt like this 
article was written just for me. Hunter 
describes the never-ending job of being 
a mother. Being a mom comes with so 
many duties that don't have instructions. 

Being a mother is a full time job that 
never ends. My son Amari changed my 
life for the better. However, had I known 
how hard I would struggle in raising 
him, I probably might have waited. 



Becoming a mother has certainly im- 
pacted my life in many ways. I was never 
one to go partying often, so I can't say 
it affected my social life. Motherhood 
was what I needed to grow up; know- 
ing that I was responsible for a little life 
was something I didn't take lightly. I was 
now a role model. One can never pre- 
pare for the position, but in my case I 
stepped up to the Hunter states. There 
is nothing more important than the 
well-being of my son. I plan to give my 
son everything I had growing up. This 
is my reason being for coming back to 
school now after a seven year hiatus. I 
have to lead by example. 



Through the Eyes of a 
Professor: Justin Petty 



By Tashanea Whitlow 

Gazette Staff Reporter 

Professor Justin Petty, a pioneer in 
his field, is the Department Chair & 
Faculty of Broadcast Media Technol- 
ogy at Roxbury Community College. 
His background is in Broadcast Media 
Technology, Music Production, and En- 
gineering. Professor Petty received his 
Bachelor's Degree from Berklee College 
of Music in Music Production & Engi- 
neering. He also has his Master's Degree 
from Boston University in Broadcast 
Administration & Science. 

Hired in 1994 as the Technical Direc- 
tor, he managed all the technical aspects 
for the college. Some of his many re- 
sponsibilities at the time included main- 
taining and ordering media equipment 
for the Reggie Lewis center, which at 
the time was in the process of being 
built. In September of 1995 Justin Petty 
became a Professor at Roxbury Com- 
munity College. He taught his first class 
in January of 1996. 

In the fall of 1995 Professor Petty 
noticed a void that he knew he could 
fill. He designed and developed the 
curriculum for a new Broadcast Media 
Technology Program (BMT), and the 
college loved the idea, giving way to a 
new program with a rewarding career. 

At the time, the college wasn't very 
supportive in terms of finances and 
promoting the program, leaving Pro- 
fessor Petty, like so many others of his 
colleagues, to rely on his own resourc- 
es. Professor Petty gave his program 
the momentum he knew it desperately 
needed by doing his own recruiting. He 
visited local high schools to discuss the 
advantages of the BMT Program. Pro- 
fessor Petty also did his own Marketing 
& Promotion, pulling in students on his 
own from various high schools. 

Today the Broadcast Media Technol- 
ogy Program (BMT) at RCC is one of 
the largest programs, alongside Nurs- 
ing, at the college. Developing a transfer 
program with Emerson College, one of 



the best TV production schools in the 
nation, Roxbury Community College 
allows Broadcast Media Technology 
students a chance to continue on with 
their education at a leading four-year 
institute. 

I asked Professor Petty what changes 
he has noticed at Roxbury Community 
College since he has been here, and he 
was quick to supply me with a list rang- 
ing from turnover of the Administra- 
tion and Presidents to changes for good 
infrastructure and programs. Professor 
Petty also mentioned improvement in 
the athletic program, with teams win- 
ning several championships over the 
years. 

In addressing the high turnover rate 
in the Presidential and Administrative 
levels, Professor Petty paused and calm- 
ly stated, "Running any institution can 
present challenges and obstacles that 
some handle better than others. Back 
in the day, staff, faculty, and students 
demanded a lot. They wanted the best 
for students, themselves and the college. 
Some presidents couldn't handle the 
pressure... The President is responsible 
for the direction the college takes, good 
or bad." 

Roxbury Community College has 
come a great distance since 1994 when 
Professor Petty started. There is a stig- 
ma that Roxbury Community College is 
not an institution that prepares its stu- 
dents for the real world. Professor Petty 
strongly disagrees with the stigma but 
does acknowledge it, saying "Roxbury 
Community College was plagued with 
financial issues, poor customer service, 
and to some, the location." Assuring 
that students and faculty have been do- 
ing a great job breaking the stigma by 
correcting the problems, the faculty and 
students have been supplying the people 
with the correct information that Rox- 
bury Community College is an institu- 
tion of quality learning that prepares 
students for the real world. 

Don't let the stigma of Roxbury 
Community College deter you from get- 
ting a quality education. 




Roxbury 

Community 

College 

Gateway to the Dream 




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