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January, 201 2
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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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