May 2017 Issue

12

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The Independent Student Newspaper of Anne Arundel Community College

www.thecampuscurrent.com

may 2017

Preview

Preview

A new student member will join AACC’s Board of Trustees, Page 5.

An outside food company is taking over The Hawk’s Nest Grill & Deli, Page 17.

Survey finds majority of students don’t cheat Brad Dress Elizabeth Spearman Associate Editor Campus Life Editor

More than half of AACC students have never cheated academically, according to a survey by Campus Current.

And more than half of those in the survey said they do not believe they could get away with cheating here.

In a poll of 428 AACC students in March and April, 44.4 percent admitted they cheated in school, while 55.6 percent said they have not.

Graduation set for end of May Courtland Brown-Tabscott Club News Editor

Nearly 5,000 graduates, friends, family, staff, faculty and local officials will attend AACC’s 55th graduation ceremony on May 25.

The 7 p.m. ceremony will take place inside of tents on the athletic practice field

on the main Arnold campus.

Each graduate will get five tickets to distribute to those they wish to invite.

AACC will announce this year’s valedictorian—the AACC student with the highest GPA—on May 8, after potential candidates with the eligible GPA go through interviews.

The Board of Trustees

Additionally, 54.7 percent of males in the survey said they have cheated on a school assignment at some point, compared with 45.3 percent of women who admitted they have. Sophomores who took the survey were more likely to admit to

AACC has a new Student Government Association president for 2017-18; his platform is: “No voice goes unheard.”

Third-year forensic science major Johnathan O’Dea will accept the position once the SGA Advisory Council confirms his selection on May 1.

O’Dea, the SGA’s non-traditional student li-

aison and president of the campus Gay-Straight Alliance, was one of two candidates for the position. His opponent, Emily Dreszer, dropped out of the race on April 18, securing O’Dea the top spot.

Dreszer, this year’s SGA secretary, told Campus Current she dropped out of the race because she made a deal with O’Dea’s campaign manager, Austin Gannon, who agreed he would not oppose her for another position as

Yes 44%

No 56% Women 46%

Men 54%

56 percent of students say they have never cheated.

Chart by Britney Pieraldi cheating than freshmen.

Although 55.8 percent of the students said it’s not easy to get away with cheat-

ing at AACC, more than half of those who admitted they

Continued on page 9

AACC’s 55th graduation ceremony will host 5,000 student graduates, friends, family, faculty and staff at the college.

Photo by Gianella Quintana estimated the price for ceremony equipment could be as high as $140,147. Students will not have to pay a grad-

SGA has new pres. after other runner drops out Elizabeth Spearman Campus Life Editor

Have you ever cheated?

student representative to the Maryland’s Higher Education Commission.

Dreszer served as executive vice chair of the MHEC Student Advisory Council this school year and has applied to retain her seat.

“We had a conversation [and] he [Gannon] offered to drop out of it if I offered to drop out of being SGA president,” Dreszer explained. “It was the three of us [Dreszer, Gannon and O’Dea] in the room after everyone else left,

uation fee this year, according to Melissa A. Beardmore, AACC’s vice president for learning resources manage-

ment. The fee was waived to save students some money.

Continued on page 3

New SGA President Johnathan O’Dea vows to redefine what the SGA does for the students.

Photo by Brandon Hamilton after the SGA meeting.”

Gannon did not respond to Campus Current’s request for a comment. O’Dea said he is “unaware” of any deal.

In an earlier interview, O’Dea told Campus Current he wants to “really redefine

Continued on page 3

2 | Campus current | 2017 | MAY

Editorial

Meet the Campus Current Staff

Editor-in-Chief

Jesse Johnson

Associate Editor

Brad Dress

Graphic Designer/ Photo Editor

Britney Pieraldi

Digital Editor

Piper Lewis

Campus Life Editors

Elizabeth Spearman Tre Mooring

Club News Editor

Courtland Brown-Tabscott

Sports Editor

James Whitley

Web Designer

Kathryn Robbins

Reporters

Jymyaka Braden Andrew Cabacar Jake DellaNoce Trevor Gardner Darell Lamberth Khalid Merene Tre Puccinelli Roxanne Ready

Photographers

Nyia Curtis Brandon Hamilton

Adviser

Sharon O’Malley

Life after commencement will have risks; do not be hesitant You’re walking up the aisle to take your seat with many others around you.

You hear your family from a distance cheering for you as if you have just won a marathon. You stand and walk across the stage.

Just like that, you have graduated from community college.

Commencement is right around the corner, and the summer break is right behind it. Anticipation is high among graduates, who will don their Riverhawk-blue gowns and accept their diplomas in front of hundreds of people. Finally, our hard work will be rewarded. Mortarboards will fly. Tears will flow. Cue the celebration of all celebrations.

Some of us will move on to bigger and better things: a four-year university, a fulltime job, a trip abroad.

But for others, the future is a complete unknown.

Embrace it.

Risk is defined as a situation that involves exposure to danger. With any exposure to danger, of course, come consequences. But those consequences should not put a fork in the road of your life or deter you from your goals.

Instead, those consequences should drive you.

They should make you work harder. They should make you even prouder to say that you’ve accomplished more than you even knew you craved.

At Campus Current, we understand what being in the hot seat means. We understand that some people will disagree with your work. We know conflict and competition are inevitable. And sadly, we understand that everyone will face failure—big or small—at some point. We are all imperfect human beings, after all.

When the weight on your shoulders starts to bring you down, will you stand up straight and let it go? Or will you let it sink down into you and knock you to the floor?

Our advice: Don’t be afraid to fail. Don’t hesitate to make your next move. Step into the world as if you’re dipping your toe into a pool, testing the water before you jump all the way in.

If the water is too cold, jump in anyway. Others will follow. Others will jump in with you.

You can change the world with the tiniest of con-

Current Perspective

tributions. Some of those contributions will come easily; others will force you to struggle.

Eventually, happiness

With commencement coming up, students should not be afraid of the life they will live after college.

Photo by Britney Pieraldi

Education is not a race David Kirchner Guest Columnist I am going to graduate this month—after attending AACC for four years.

I’ve been here so long because I believe it’s important to take your time with college and figure out what you want to do and accomplish in life.

When I got out of high school, I knew I wanted to have a career that involved creating something, sharing it with the world and inspiring others.

I started here as a film major, but I decided it wasn’t for me.

During my third year, I decided to change my major again, this time to music. However, when I started taking the classes, I decided music wasn’t for me. I’m not the biggest fan of music theory or learning other people’s songs.

After music, I made the switch to transfer studies when I was told that I could graduate faster.

I plan to switch once again to a communications

David Kirchner will graduate after four years.

Photo by Kim Oxford major after I graduate.

When it comes to education, AACC has had an impact on my study habits; how I take in information; how I work with others; and how to

will occur in some way.

And with that, you will have taken the first step into your life after graduation and into the world around you.

be on top of my deadlines.

Graduating from college feels the same as when I got my high school diploma. It’s just a piece of paper, but that single piece of paper gives me the feeling of excitement for the uncertainty of what comes next—what comes after that piece of paper.

The best advice I can give this new generation of students: When it comes to your education, take your time. College is not a race, and no one is going to shame you for not finishing up college in four years.

When it comes to picking a career, find something you love and figure out a way to make it your life’s work. If your career is something you love, you never have to work a day in your life.

Kirchner is a fourthyear transfer studies major.

He plans to transfer to Towson University in Fall 2017.

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MAY | 2017 | campus current | 3

News

Ceremony will send off grads Continued from Page 1

Christine Storck, the director of student engagement, said the bulk of the graduation ceremony involves AACC President Dr. Dawn Lindsay’s calling students’ names and having them pose for pictures with her.

“It is always a bit bittersweet,” Storck said. “I will miss some of the students I have gotten to know, but I am also so proud of them for what they have accomplished.”

One student Storck said she is proud to see graduate is Human Services major Nefateya Butcher. Butcher

participated in the Student Government Association and the Campus Activities Board, and will be the first person in her family to graduate from college.

Each graduate will wear a cap and gown, which are still available for $49.99 from the campus bookstore. Students needing financial assistance may file a Regalia Scholarship Application to get help with gown, cap and tassel expenses.

AACC officials will award honors, such as cum laude, magna cum laude and summa cum laude to students with eligible GPAs. Students in AACC’s honor

Web feedback mostly positive Darell Lamberth Reporter

AACC’s newly designed website looks modern, but some information is harder to find, students said in April.

In an informal poll of 10 students on campus, seven of them said they are pleased with the website’s new design.

“It looks cleaner, more organized,” Ayse Prior, a fourth-year student, said.” It looks like they are trying [to] help people more.”

AACC unveiled its newly designed website on April 3. Public Relations and Marketing Executive Director

Dan Baum said his department, which oversees the site, wanted to remove clutter and make it easier for students to navigate.

Katie Kursch, a second-year student, said the new website is “very social media savvy” and “very pleasing to look at.”

But some students, like second-year student Emmanuel Kumah, said they had no idea the college had a new website: “We have a new website?” he asked.

A couple of students said they do not like the website, however.

Ashleigh Castille, a first-year student, called the

At the commencement ceremony, AACC officials will award different honors to students who have shown academic excellence.

Photo by Gianella Quintana societies will graduate with special tassles.

“I am very emotional about leaving AACC,” said Adam Hertz, a second-year Phi Theta Kappa member and the outgoing student

the roles of [SGA] senators and redefine the role of SGA, bringing it more forward to our students. They know we have it [but] they don’t know what SGA does.”

The new president said he is “an advocate for change” and plans to change “some things that need to be changed, that weren’t being looked at.”

For example, he said, he would like SGA members to

communicate and be more involved with the student body.

As president, O’Dea, said, he can move forward with those changes.

He said he plans to have open discussions with students to learn their concerns about the campus.

For example, some students are concerned that satellite campuses have few student activities. He plans to find out if students are able to hold events at AACC’s Arundel Mills campus.

as long as they have the required credits. However, the commencement ceremony is only held once a year at the end of the spring semester.

Last year, more than 2,000 students graduated.

The newly designed AACC website receives mixed reviews from students in regard to design and information availability.

Screenshot by Jesse Johnson redesigned site “kind of distracting [and] there’s too much going on here.”

And Amanda Kissinger, a first-year student, explained that “things are

New president aims to become more involved Continued from Page 1

member of AACC’s Board of Trustees. “It has been my home for several years and I find it difficult to be going anywhere other than here.”

Students may graduate at the end of any semester

“At the beginning of every year SGA does what is called stop-and-go events,” he said. “We set up a table; we bring little snacks” to the Arundel Mills and Glen Burnie campuses. “The students there stop, grab the food and we hold short conversations with the students.

I am hoping to … do more of those events.”

O’Dea is president of AACC’s Gay-Straight Alliance; a member of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society;

harder to find” on the site.

Baum said he appreciates feedback from students.

“This was for the students, so feedback … is critical,” Baum said.

The next step, he said, is to enhance the site with more video, photos and additional information that students have said they want.

Emily Dreszer, once a candidate for SGA president, says she made a deal with opponent Johnathan O’Dea and his campaign manager that involved her withdrawing from the race.

Photo by Brandon Hamilton a part of the campus ambassador team; and a member of the Campus Activities Board.

“I want students to know that at any point of

time, I am a very approachable person,” O’Dea said. “If there is anything I can do for our student body, even our faculty ... I am here.”

4 | Campus current | 2017 | MAY

NEWS

Students note more pullovers Brad Dress Associate Editor

Some AACC students have reported an increased amount of pullovers in the Spring 2017 semester.

Rachel Corn, a second-year transfer student, said she has seen police pull over vehicles almost every day. She added that she “did not notice much” of police pulling people over last semester.

Charles Owens, a second-year computer science major, corroborated Corn’s observation. “[I] hardly [saw] them at all last semester,” Owens said. “[But I have] seen them all the time [this semester].”

But police officer Donald Medtart said the pullovers are nothing new.

Medtart said since the Department of Public Safety & Police hired him on Dec. 1, 2015, he “saw a need for traf-

fic enforcement” and wanted to step it up on campus.

Medtart said his law enforcement background prior to working at AACC revolved heavily around traffic enforcement, so he brought his expertise to the campus to make it safer.

Medtart said he believes that proactive traffic enforcement on campus will decrease the number of accidents.

In 2015, there were 15 Automated Crash Reporting System reports, which are logged when a severe accident has occurred. In 2016, there were 13 serious accidents on campus, and as of April, there have been three accident reports this year.

“Accidents are down,” Medtart said. “[We] let people know we are out here and being diligent … [and] get people to really think. The last thing we want is for people to come here and have

Some students report an increased amount of pullovers this semester.

Photo by Campus Current Staff their car damaged.”

And most of the campus residents are unaware of the rules, he added. Most accidents occur in the parking lot because students think they can speed there, and they also don’t correctly halt at stop signs, he said, adding that it can cause accidents.

The speed limit on 99 percent of the campus is 15 mph, according to Medtart.

He added that most students don’t know that, so pulling them over and warning them will increase awareness. “[We are] not here to slam people,” Medtart said. “[The police] don’t get any money [for citations]. … [It’s]

YOU WILL L

more of an education and to teach people.”

Terrell Johnson, a first-year English major, explained that when police pulled him over in late December for speeding, it was “completely unnecessary” and the cop didn’t even know how fast he had been going.

He described it as a “weird” experience, and said the cop didn’t clock his speed. He also got off with only a warning.

Johnson said he likes the police, but sometimes they “mess with people just to mess with people.”

But other students explained it makes sense what

the police are trying to accomplish.

“I understand what they are trying to do; as long as they are not putting anything on record for something as small as not stopping for three seconds,” Jacob Baumgart, a JumpStart student, said.

Campus police can either give a student a state citation or a college one.

The state citations cost more money and stay on record for three years.

A college violation, however, must be paid at the cashier’s office within 30 days, or the student may not be able to enroll in the future.

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MAY | 2017 | campus current | 5

NEWS

Bill preventing guns on campus fails in Senate Brad Dress Associate Editor

The Maryland Legislature failed to pass a bill in April that would have prevented students, faculty and visitors from bringing guns to campus, even if they have permits.

The state Senate and House of Delegates could not agree on a Senate amendment to the bill before the 2017 legislative session ended on April 10. After a session closes, unpassed bills die without reaching the gov-

ernor’s desk for a signature.

If the bill had become law, it would have applied to all college campuses in Maryland. Under current law, each school’s officials may decide whether to restrict weapons on campus.

AACC’s policy already prohibits guns, knives and other weapons on any of its campuses or off-campus property, except for use by police.

In fact, all Maryland colleges forbid guns on campus already, so the bill would have simply made the prac-

tice official, according to the bill’s sponsor, Delegate Ben Barnes, a Democrat who represents Anne Arundel and Prince George’s counties.

AACC’s Police Chief Sean Kapfhammer said the proposed law would not have affected campus police.

If the law had passed, violating it would have been a criminal offense punishable by a $1,000 fine and up to three years in prison.

Barnes said he wanted to pass the bill because guns on campus can lead to student suicides.

Sophomore Nyia Curtis will be the new student member to serve on the Board of Trustees, pending approval from Gov. Larry Hogan.

Photo by Britney Pieraldi

AACC President Dr. Dawn Lindsay has recommended a sophomore entrepreneurship major as the next student member of the college’s Board of Trustees.

Nyia Curtis was one of two students who applied for the position. According to Christine Storck, director of student engagement, two to six students apply for the position each year.

Curtis said she was “absolutely stunned” when she heard she had been selected.

She added that she accepted the position with her grandmother in mind.

“Even though she’s an

tionally, faculty holds those hours in on-campus offices.

Members of The Faculty Organization have called for more study into whether online or face-to-face office hours are better for students, according to TFO President Michelle Robertson.

“It isn’t considered a definitive stance from TFO; it’s more of like a, ‘Here’s what we’re thinking,’” Robertson said. “We definitely want the administration to know this is what we’re thinking so that they can take it into account.”

Richard Hardesty, an American studies professor, teaches classes both online and on-campus. He said flexibility is important for a student who needs to contact the professor but might not be able to get to campus.

Hardesty is an adjunct professor, who is not required to hold office hours.

Some students said they like the physical interaction of a face-to-face meeting better than the more impersonal online meetings. “[Online office hours]

Online office hours get thumbs-up from profs Three-quarters of AACC faculty in a recent survey said online office hours would benefit students.

Almost half of the 166 faculty members who responded to the survey by the Online Policies and Practices Committee said they already conduct some office hours online.

Full-time faculty members are required to hold six office hours per week. Tradi-

“We know that 18- to 24-year-olds have a nine times greater chance of … committing suicide,” he said.

“We know that suicides with guns have an 85 percent mortality rate, as opposed to … 15 percent without a gun.”

Barnes introduced the bill last year, but it failed to

pass through the Senate.

Doug Burnett, the outreach and public relations director for the campus club Young Americans for Liberty, said any effort promoting gun control is flawed.

“You have a right to self-defense. ... It is in the Constitution,” Burnett said.

89-year-old woman with dementia, just to see how her face lights up and how proud of me she is, it makes me feel good to know that I’m not only doing it for myself, but also for her,” Curtis said.

A student board member attends board meetings every month. The student member is granted access to meetings that are open to the public and to those that are not, and also has a vote when the board requires one on a proposal.

The outgoing student board member, Adam Hertz, said the student trustee brings a perspective to the board that reflects the student body’s needs.

“Be diligent and en-

gaged,” he advised the new trustee. “[The student member] can learn from the experience [of being on the board] because they will be working with the older, more experienced board members.”

Lindsay said the student trustee is “instrumental to the college.”

“The board appreciates the feedback [from the student member],” Lindsay said.

Lindsay’s recommendation goes to Gov. Larry Hogan, who is expected to swear Curtis into the position.

Hertz will serve on the Board of Trustees until July 1, when Curtis will begin her term.

Board of Trustees gets new member on July 1 Jesse Johnson Editor-in-Chief

Jesse Johnson Editor-in-Chief

Young Americans for Liberty member Doug Burnett says gun control efforts are flawed.

Photo by Jesse Johnson

TFO President Michelle Robertson says offering faculty office hours online is worth considering.

Photo by Jesse Johnson sound interesting,” business major Austin Houtz said. “I do think there’s something about talking with them faceto-face, though.”

Biology major Courtney Bonnet said she took online classes to fit her schedule, but none of her professors

held online office hours.

“I wasn’t able to see my professors for office hours because they had set times that didn’t fit in with my schedule,” Bonnet said. “If they had [more] office hours online, I would’ve absolutely taken advantage of that.”

6 | Campus current | 2017 | MAY

news

Faculty uneasy with recording Roxanne Ready Reporter

AACC has clarified a long-standing policy that prohibits students from making audio or video recordings of their classes.

The Academic Forum, which oversees the college’s academic programs, convened a special committee in February to reconsider the issue of recording in class.

The committee found that professors support the no-recording policy because they are concerned about protecting student privacy.

A committee document clarified students must receive written permission from their instructors and tell the class when they are recording.

Some professors are uncomfortable with students recording controversial political discussions in their class, history professor Dr.

David Tengwall said.

“A number of faculty members have raised the concern about students audiotaping their classes,” Tengwall said.

Tengwall suggested their worries are for both themselves and their students and are related to the “contentious” politics of the 2016 presidential election.

In an interview with Campus Current, Tengwall said some faculty are concerned their teaching contracts may not be renewed if their views are seen as too controversial, so they do not want their students recording what they say in class.

Political science professor Dr. Dan Nataf said it is “hypothetically possible” political opinions could affect re-hire decisions “subconsciously,” but called it “a leap.”

“Nobody I know has ever felt specifically threat-

Professors are uneasy with students recording lectures that involve politically fueled discussions.

Photo by Brad Dress ened for their views,” Nataf said. “Faculty and students should have a sense of complete freedom to say whatever they are thinking.”

Tengwall noted that critical thinking is one of the “core” objectives of all AACC courses.

Arjun Cheema, a business major, said it didn’t bother him when his classmate recorded a math class he attended.

“[If] we got, like, really heated about … [something] political then yeah, I guess it would bother me a little if somebody brought it out of context,” Cheema said.

“I wouldn’t be bothered,” said pre-med student Nick Stroup. “It’s my opinion; I’m entitled to it.”

Students with disabilities who want to record their lectures have different rules under AACC’s Disability

Support Services.

According to the AACC Student Code of Conduct, students are not allowed to make “unauthorized” recordings in the classroom or to post them online. Plus, the Student Rights and Responsibilities Policy says student personal information, including political beliefs, is considered confidential, so anyone making a recording should stop on request.

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MAY | 2017 | campus current | 7

Club NEWS

Debate argues pros and cons Trevor Gardner Reporter

AACC students who watched a campus debate in April over the economic pros and cons of a wall between the U.S. and Mexico sided with the debaters who opposed it.

Sixty percent of audience members said they agreed with a student team that argued immigrants are good for the U.S. economy — so a wall would be bad for it.

The AACC Economics Club hosted the debate.

The anti-wall team explained that most immigrants come into the country legally with visas, but for many, their visas expire while they are here, so it is illegal for them to stay in the country.

The debaters said illegal immigrants pay “about $12 billion a year in taxes.”

And 52 percent of the

agricultural work force includes illegal immigrants, the team said, so President Donald Trump’s plan to deport illegal immigrants could create a large deficit in agricultural labor.

But the pro-wall team outlined three reasons why the U.S. should build a barrier between the two countries as Trump has proposed.

The labor-market impact deals with how a ban on Mexican immigrants will ensure that citizens will fill American jobs and that wages will remain competitive, the team argued.

The fiscal impact argument says the wall will keep immigrants who do not pay taxes out of the U.S. and stop them from receiving government benefits.

The consumption and gross domestic product impact theory says the wall will increase government spending and create new jobs, thus

AACC’s Economics Club hosts a debate on the pros and cons of a wall between the U.S and Mexico.

Photo by Brad Dress raising GDP. Economics professor Uzma Qureshi focused the debate on the nations’s economy.

“I can’t say ... Team A won or Team B won because that’s not the point of it,” Qureshi said. Qureshi appreciated the learning value of the debate over a winning-losing team scenario.

One audience member, however, said the debaters

on both sides “got off topic from the economic point.”

Sophomore government and politics major Riley Williams, a member of the “no” team, agreed, saying the debate went well, but it was hard to keep on topic.

“Both sides presented some solid, good arguments,” Williams said of the debate in HUM 112. “There’s a lot of parameters to this debate, it’s not just a single

black and white [issue].”

A point Williams wishes he could have made in the debate deals with the environmental effect from the wall, he said.

Clifton Rife, a fourthyear dual major in business administration and computer programming, said, “A lot of what they are bringing up spirals down into feelings, criminal backgrounds and political amenities.”

8 | Campus current | 2017 | MAY

Club news

Foreign students meet through college club Courtland Brown-Tabscott Club News Editor

Members of AACC’s International Student Association club have said it can be hard to transition into the American educational system from a foreign school.

Members of the club come from countries like Ecuador, El Salvador, China, Korea, Chile, Spain and many others to live in Maryland and attend AACC. ISA Vice President and former school teacher Fulan Li said schools are different in America. For example, the math taught to college students in America is similar to what she learned in middle school in her home country of China.

Second-year student Valentina Ojeda said it was hard for her to adapt at first to classes in America. In her home country of Ecuador,

teachers would move from class to class. In America, she observed, students move to each class.

Ojeda said being an immigrant can be an advantage, largely because of her ability to speak two languages.

“I don’t like that [classes are] not in my first language, so everything is real[ly] hard, but now … I’m used to it,” Ojeda said. “I like it because I’m … getting good at my second language. At least I hope I’m getting good.”

Ojeda added she is more likely to make friends with other Latinos than with American students because it is easier for her to identify and make friends with people of her own race.

ISA President Yaru Ji said it is hard for international students to make friends because of language barriers and cultural differences.

Ji said she has always been interested in differ-

ent places and cultures, so she and her parents decided America was the place where she should study.

Since Ji joined ISA, she has learned to communicate with different kinds of students, she said, and she has learned the habits, greetings and social dynamics of many different cultures.

Sophomore Adilila Diaz came to the U.S. to live with her mother because of poverty and violence in her country, El Salvador.

“I wasn’t really planning on coming here” Diaz said, “but after the time has passed, I got to like this country. I feel like there’s a lot of opportunities for people and it’s like a privilege for me to be here now.”

The tuition for immigrant students to attend AACC is $364 per credithour, according to AACC’s Public Relations and Marketing department.

International Student Association VP Fulan Li (left) and President Yaru Ji say schooling in America is different from their home countries.

Photo by Courtland Brown-Tabscott As of February 2017, 180 international students were enrolled in classes at AACC, according to Laurie Farrell,

assistant director of PR. The club is open for students of all nationalities to join.

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REPORT A special Campus Current supplement on academic integrity

Not studying leads to academic dishonesty James Whitley Sports Editor

Nearly all AACC students who admitted in a Campus Current survey that they have cheated on a school assignment said they did it because they couldn’t remember the answer to a question.

In the survey of 428 students in March and April, 98 percent gave that reason.

In addition, students said they have cheated because they didn’t study—96 percent; they didn’t like the assignment, 94.4 percent; they didn’t have time to do the assignment, 93.2 percent; they

were nervous, 92.8 percent; or they knew they could get away with it, 92.5 percent.

One 20-year old transfer studies major admitted he cheated because he was “lazy.”

A male transfer studies major who took the survey said he cheated because he “needed to pass the class’s final.”

Also, it is possible that students who admitted to cheating, don’t know what cheating is.

Of the students in the survey who admitted to cheating, 60.9 percent said fabrication isn’t cheating.

More than half of the stu-

dents said they don’t count handing in someone else’s work, secretly looking up answers on a closed-book test, plagiarizing or copying off of others as cheating.

AACC psychology professor Dr. Rachelle Tannenbaum said not knowing how to define cheating—particularly plagiarism—is just one of the reasons students cheat.

But some students use, “I don’t know what cheating is” as an excuse to get away with it, she said.

“I had a student who went to the testing center,” Tannenbaum said. “The testing center caught her cheating. She had opened her book

later in their career.

“If you have the balls to cheat on your test, you will cheat in life,” a 28-year-old female kinesiology major said.

The main reason students said they cheated: They couldn’t remember an answer. More than 90 percent also said they cheated because they didn’t study or have time to do the assignment.

Men were more likely than women to advocate strict punishments for cheating. Male students were 15.2 percent more likely to favor suspension or expulsion than women, for example, and 12.5 percent more likely

to endorse an F in the class.

But students who confessed that they have cheated said lighter punishments are more appropriate. For example, the admitted cheaters said an official warning or an explanation from the professor would be punishment enough. Among those who did not cheat, on the other hand, 70.1 percent said the cheater should fail the course, compared with 29.9 percent who cheated.

“Intensive punishments should be used only for repeat offenders,” one student offered. Another said if it happens more than three times,

Survey results reveal 44% of students cheat Continued from Page 1

have cheated on school work said they think they could get away with it here.

Some students said it is easy to get away with cheating at AACC because the professors aren’t on top of it.

“There are ways people can get around it,” a 21-yearold male transfer student who took the survey said.

“Teachers aren’t very observant. People are crafty.”

In fact, 38.8 percent of students said they would cheat if they thought they could get away with it; 60 percent said they would not.

One 18-year-old male graphic design major said he cheated because he knew he could get away with it; his professor was on the phone.

“I wanted to prove a point to the professor,” the student said.

Some students said they think cheating is morally wrong and could affect them

Reasons Why People Cheat 98%

96% 92.8%

93.2%

94.4%

Didn’t Study Nervous Can’t Remember No Time Didn’t Like Assigment

The most popular reason students say they cheat is they couldn’t remember the answer. under her desk and she was like, ‘How was I supposed to know that was cheating?’ and I’m like, ‘Because [the testing center] told you, you can’t use your book.’”

Tannenbaum said another reason students cheat is because they don’t care about the class they’re taking.

Some students “look at any given course as just another hurdle to overcome,”

Tannenbaum said. “As long as I get a C or higher in the course, the ends justified the means.”

Dr. Matthew Yeazel, an associate professor of psychology, said it depends on the teacher whether a student cheats.

“If the teacher is not warm or friendly [students] can find reasons to cheat

Continued on Page 11

In a 428-student poll, more than half of students say they have not cheated before.

Photo by Brad Dress “you should be suspended.”

Finally, cheaters and non-cheaters did not agree on what cheating is.

Of those who said they cheated, 51.2 percent said plagiarism is not cheating, while 56.4 percent of those

who did not cheat said it is.

Fabrication, or making up information, is cheating, according to 60.9 percent of students who said they did not cheat. But just 39.1 percent of cheaters said they consider it cheating.

National surveys find students are cheating AACC students appear to be more honest than those at other colleges and high schools who participated in their own schools’ surveys.

In a 12-year survey of more than 88,000 college students by retired Rutgers professor Dr. Donald McCabe, 68 percent of undergraduates admitted to cheating on a test

or written assignment. The survey results also revealed that 58 percent of students admitted to plagiarism.

In a 2012 survey of 23,000 high school students

across the United States, 51 percent admitted to cheating at least once, while 49 percent said they have never cheated, according to the Josephson Institute of Ethics.

10 | Campus current | 2017 | MAY

Special report

Faculty reports students have potential to cheat and get away Jesse Johnson Editor-in-Chief

A greater percentage of faculty members than students said it is easy to get away with cheating at AACC. In a Campus Current survey of 428 students and 38 faculty members in March and April, 81.6 percent of faculty and 43.9 percent of students said students can cheat without consequences.

“I think the internet makes it so easy to copy and paste that the temptation is enormous,” said Dr. Suzanne Spoor, a professor in the English department. “I think what would help would be from really early on, when they’re starting to write papers, that it is emphasized that they have to cite their sources so they understand from the beginning.”

According to the faculty survey, 71.1 percent of pro-

fessors meet with students personally as a part of their process for dealing with academic dishonesty.

“In my years, I have come to find out some students don’t know that simply taking a sentence here or there and not citing it is considered cheating,” said Daryl Gonder, an art professor.

Along with the personal meeting, some faculty members turn the incident into “a teachable moment” and sometimes even empathize with the cheater.

“I realize that students are students,” communications professor Haley Draper-Bowers said. “There is no telling what is going on [in their lives]. They have families, jobs, outside things going on, outside pressures. I want to try and give them tools where that doesn’t have to be the case.”

More than 55 percent of

Current Perspective

faculty members follow the academic policy of filing official paperwork, accusing the student of academic dishonesty. But according to some faculty, that is a long, difficult process.

“I emphasize [to students] at the beginning of the semester that I do not want to go through this process,” Dr. April Copes said. “It’s painful for me to see [the students] not get the grades they want on assignments.”

Copes also said she spends time talking to her classes about the ethics of cheating in the beginning of the semester when going through the course syllabus.

Still, according to the survey, female faculty members are twice as likely as male professors to give cheaters a failing grade in a course.

And faculty members older than 50 follow the aca-

demic integrity process more so than younger professors, the survey revealed. In addition, some faculty members who have filed the official paperwork said they believe the students did not realize the consequences until after they had been caught and written up for academic dishonesty.

“In theory, you have to go in front of the [Academic Integrity Review Committee] and defend yourself,” said Mark Farinha, a biology professor. “You could get tossed out [of school] for cheating.”

Students also might not realize how obvious their cheating is to their professors, according to some faculty members.

“If you’re stupid enough to cheat, you usually cheat stupidly,” said Business Administration professor Reb Beatty.

Some faculty members

English professor Dr. Suzanne Spoor says a good way for people to resist the temptation to cheat is to learn it is wrong early in their lives.

Photo by Britney Pieraldi also said the act of cheating goes against the reason that students are taking college courses.

“The idea in college is that students learn by doing their own work,” said Dr. Steve Canaday, chair of the English department. “But anytime a student is trying to take a ‘shortcut’ that involves getting a grade where the student is avoiding learning, that goes against the principles behind higher education.”

‘I’ve heard it all before’ Timothy May Guest Columnist In my five years as a professor at AACC, I’ve heard lots of excuses for plagiarism.

Here are some of them, along with my reactions.

I waited too long to start the essay. (Agreed!)

I didn’t have time. (You did, but…)

No one told me not to.

(First, yes I did. Second, why would this be OK?) They said it better than

I ever could. (At 19, you’re making that call?)

I’m insulted you looked for plagiarism in my paper.

(You didn’t even change the font!)

Why does this keep happening to me? (Um…) How many things can you really say about “Hamlet?” (A lot, actually.)

Stephen Greenblatt must have plagiarized me.

(In 1980? You weren’t alive.)

Everyone else does it.

(No, they don’t.)

Current Perspective

Well, the guy in the front row does it. (Thanks for the heads up!)

I didn’t want to read the book. (I don’t care.)

My (enter choice of parent/sibling/girl/boyfriend/ cat) wrote it and she/he/it must have done it. (OK, now we’ve got two problems.)

Someone stole my computer and put plagiarism in the paper. Can you believe that? (No, I really can’t.)

These excuses work about as well as the plagia-

English Professor Tim May says there is no excuse for cheating.

Photo by Britney Pieraldi rism originally did, which is to say, not terribly well.

The issue isn’t plagiarism; it’s integrity. Don’t take what’s not yours. If you do, at

Consequence follows actions Kevin Pollock Guest Columnist The story of when I cheated involves a rather unfair experience for me, because the consequences far outweighed the actions.

At a university in Maine, some classmates and I were assigned to do a group project. We split up the paper into sections, one for each member. I trusted the people I was working with, so I didn’t feel the need to look over their work.

Without my knowledge, one of the members plagiarized his entire section of the paper. So the teacher called us into his office and told us that we would all get a zero on the project. Then, he said he was going to inform the vice president that we cheated.

The professor caught the plagiarized section because it was easily recognizable as not our work. As a result, I was suspended for a year from that university— and the offense will stay on my record for five years.

I did not personally cheat, but I do take responsibility because my name was

Kevin Pollock recieved a one-year suspension from college for cheating.

Photo by Britney Pieraldi

least be honest about what is not yours.

Professor Tim May is an English professor at AACC. This special supplement was produced by students in COM 202 (Newswriting 2):

Brad Dress

on the paper. The member of Jesse Johnson my group who cheated said Tre Mooring he did it because he didn’t want to do the work assigned Elizabeth Spearman to him.

I feel my suspension is a James Whitley little unfair, but I understand and I should have been more Special thanks to aware about what every group member was turning in.

Dr. Dan Nataf I will never be involved professor Tim May in any kind of cheating again because it’s more trouble Campus Current Faculty Adviser Sharon O’Malley than it’s worth.

Kevin Pollock is a secand the students in ond-year environmental sci- COM102 (Newswriting 1) ence major.

MAY | 2017 | campus current | 11

Stress to pass classes causes some to cheat Continued from Page 9

because they don’t appreciate the fact that the [teacher is] difficult to them,” Yeazel said.

Yeazel said pressure can be another reason why students—especially athletes— might cheat.

“Say you’re on a sports team and you’ve got to stay eligible,” Yeazel said. “For a student who is spending all of their time because of their commitment to the sport,

they may feel, ‘Oh geez, I got to do something to keep myself there.’”

Patrice Lyons, a transfer coordinator, said she thinks students cheat because they don’t give themselves enough time to study.

“If you’re dealing with a test or something, they’re underprepared, so [the students] glance at somebody they think knows more and take the answer from that person,” Lyons said. “It’s just being poor at time man-

agement ... they haven’t left themselves enough time to ... write a good essay.”

Lyons said she understands that students have other commitments as well.

“Our students, I think, probably have a more difficult time because they have other jobs and they tend to overextend themselves,” Lyons said.

Lyons said the stress of trying to live the four-year school experience at community college is also a factor

pery slope,” Tannenbaum said. “So, you cheat once on a small thing and you get away with it, and you think, ‘Oh OK; that wasn’t so bad.’

And the next time around, it’s easier to justify because you already demonstrated to yourself you can do it and not feel guilty about it.”

Additionally, she said for some, the habit of cheating can carry over to the student’s professional life later.

Tannenbaum also said getting caught cheating could be “one more thing to change the odds” in favor of anxiety or depression. The stress of getting caught and the repercussions of it can be impactful, she said.

Social relationships are also at risk, Tannenbaum explained. Parents could lose trust in their college-aged children, especially if they are paying their child’s tui-

tion through college.

Peers, she said, can also lose trust, depending on the relationship, because “you are generally showing you are not a trustworthy person.”

But loss of trust can also become an issue for someone with cheating friends or classmates.

Kevin Pollock, a firstyear AACC student, was kicked out of the University of Maine because he was in a group with a member who cheated. Now, he says, he trusts people less, and “second guesses” what everyone does, especially in school.

Officials of Middle Earth, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping children and adolescents become leaders and healthy-minded individuals in the community, wrote in an article about academic in-

Dishonesty at college can cause loss of trust Brad Dress Associate Editor

Students who cheat on school assignments can suffer from long-term consequences down the road, such as loss of trust, anxiety or an urge to continue the behavior, according to an AACC psychology professor.

Dr. Rachelle Tannenbaum said some students feel guilt, and others do not. The guilt associated with cheating on homework, tests and papers can lead to stress and anxiety, especially if they had problems before, she said.

“It could be the straw that broke the camel’s back,” Tannenbaum said.

But for those who don’t feel guilty about cheating, it becomes “easier and easier” to justify doing it again, Tannenbaum added.

“It can become a slip-

Pressure to perform well on a test or assignment can also cause students to cheat, an AACC psychologist says.

Photo by Brad Dress that leads students to cheat.

“Our students want to be on the same timeline as students at the four-year schools that are taking 15

or 16 credits,” Lyons said.

“You’re supposed to be moving along at a pace to succeed and sometimes slower is better,” she explained.

Students can suffer long-term effects after cheating on an assignment, such as anxiety or losing trust.

Photo by Brad Dress tegrity that cheating “lowers your self-respect and confidence,” and that “students who repeatedly plagiarize internet content lose the ability to think critically.”

They also found that cheating wastes time in school, because learning builds on itself.

Tannenbaum pointed to similar consequences for

cheaters in college.

“It’s [going to] mess them up in later classes,” Tannenbaum said. “Let’s say someone is taking one course, and they cheat, so they pass. But now they take the second course, and the instructor assumes they actually learned everything. …

The farther they go, the harder it is to catch up.”

writing and consistent.”

The committee oversees cases in which students dispute whether they have cheated.

Standard procedure dictates that a professor who accuses a student of cheating must submit an incident report and notify the student.

Those reports land on the desk of Associate Vice President for Learning Dr. Alycia Marshall.

The student can either admit to cheating or not, and can accept or reject whatever sanction the professor has recommended.

If the student denies both, he or she must meet in front of the committee.

Sanctions for cheating can range from a failing grade on the assignment to a failing grade or grade reduction in the course to a replacement assignment.

Academic procedures help teacher decisions Tre Mooring Campus Life Editor

AACC’s codes and procedures allow more leeway for professors to handle cases of academic dishonesty.

Photo by Britney Pieraldi

Special Report

AACC professors have leeway on how to handle cases of academic dishonesty at the college.

Dr. Brian Riley, the cochair of the college’s Academic Integrity Review Committee, explained faculty members “are free to determine their own consequence … as long as it’s upfront, in

12 | Campus current | 2017 | MAY

Special Report

Want to get away with cheating? Here’s how Elizabeth Spearman Campus Life Editor

From scribbling test answers on a water bottle label to buying term papers online, AACC students said they have plenty of ways to get away with cheating.

Jake Edwards, a second-year transfer student, wrote English definitions on the inside of a label on a water bottle and carried the drink, undetected, into a test.

“I only did it once, but I’m pretty sure that I could get away with it again,” Edwards said.

One third-year graphic

design student said she paid a website called College-Paper.org to write a history paper for her with one week’s notice.

“I knew I would not have time to do the paper between work and doing an even bigger project,” she said. “So I heard about the website from a friend and decided to use it. I got the paper back on time and got a B.” For the right amount of money, a number of websites offer students easy access to academic papers written just for them.

According to The Atlantic magazine, those services

10 tips to avoid copying work Campus Current Staff

If you give yourself plenty of time to write a paper, you’re less likely to cheat on it. If you understand the instructions and follow them to the letter, you’re less likely to cheat. If you take care to cite every source; you’re less likely to cheat—even when you don’t mean to.

That’s the advice of Dr. Brian Riley, an AACC English professor and the co-chair of the Academic Review Committee on campus.

You know the [class] with the five-page paper due three weeks before the end of the term?” Riley said. ”Yeah, start it early. By doing so you can alleviate the stress and panic of doing it the night before.”

And you can lessen your temptation to cheat on the assignment.

In a Campus Current survey of 428 students, 93.2 percent of those who admitted to cheating said they did it because they wouldn’t have time to finish the assignment if they didn’t.

Riley said deadline pressure is the undoing of many students who otherwise might never consider cheating.

Here are 10 ways to prevent yourself from cheating in school: 1. Study. The more prepared you are for a quiz, test or paper, the less you’ll need to find answers from anywhere except your own memory.

2. Not good at studying? Ask your friends or parents to help you. Make notes or flashcards that another classmate can use to quiz you.

3. Tell the people close to you about the assignment you’re working on and the tests you’re expecting to take in class. The more people know about your work, the more they will ask you about it. They’ll want to know how you did. Do you really want to have to lie to them to cover up your cheating? Let the people around you help keep you honest.

4. Make the upcoming assignment the center of

have claimed 70 percent of students have used writing services at least once.

A few students said some professors do not care if students cheat. Some said professors “basically give out answers to students.”

“I once had a teacher who would give review packets and the tests would be the same as the review packets,” first-year student Hannah Nicholas said. “Even though it is not technically cheating, I still thought it was [cheating] just a little.”

Another student said his professor was oblivious to when students would cheat

Students use various ways to cheat, such as writing on skin, copying tests and storing answers on Apple watches.

Photo by Brandon Hamilton off each other during exams.

According to the Campus Current survey of 428 students, 43 percent said they think they can get away with cheating at AACC.

Turnitin is a website that allows students and professors to turn in a paper to see if it is plagiarized.

Photo by Brad Dress your world. Record yourself reading your own notes, and play the audio back to yourself while you’re driving to school or running errands.

Surround yourself with the material you need to learn, and before long, you’ll know it well enough to ace your assignment without resorting to dishonesty.

5. Know the rules. Some students say they don’t really know what cheating is. You should familiarize yourself with the class syllabus—which is sure to outline

exactly what your professor considers cheating—and what the consequences are for students who fabricate, plagiarize or copy answers from other classmates or look up information on a closed-book test.

6. Get clear. If you still don’t understand what constitutes cheating, ask your professor. There’s probably not a teacher on campus who wouldn’t be delighted to have a conversation about academic dishonesty with an interested student.

Few AACC cheaters suffer consequences The most frequent penalties for students whose professors formally charged them with academic dishonesty last school year were an F on the assignment or in the class.

AACC imposed 45 sanctions on students in the Fall 2016 semester, and 20 so far this spring, according to AACC’s Public Relations & Marketing Department.

Last semester, 33 stu-

Some other ways students said they can get away with it is: writing answers on their skin, putting answers in calculators and storing information in Apple watches.

dents were sanctioned for plagiarism, according to the college. Others suffered punishments ranging from an F in the course or on the assignment to a grade deduction on the assignment.

The numbers do not include all cases, however, because some professors choose to punish cheating students without reporting them to the college or school officials.

7. Learn what you need to cite in a research paper and what you don’t. Google it. Ask your professor. When in doubt, attribute. Too many citations are better than too few.

8. In a bind? Ask for an extension. It’s worth a shot.

And it’s better than hoping you won’t get caught looking up answers on your cellphone during an exam.

9. Ask the librarian or a Writing Center tutor for help if you’re afraid you’re doing something wrong on a paper.

Those experts know exactly how to advise you to get the right information.

10. Get caught. If you do happen to get caught, it might teach you not to do it again. Even if you don’t get caught, it’s a pretty good bet that you will feel horrible about it. Stop yourself from cheating, and your guilt, fear and shame will stop, too.

MAY | 2017 | campus current | 13

CAMPUS LIFE

Dear World illustrates stories through photos Elizabeth Spearman Campus Life Editor

AACC hosted photo-storytelling project Dear World on April 10 and 11.

Students, faculty and staff had a chance to answer the one question Dear World asks, “If you had one story to share with the world, what would you say?”

Participants wrote the answers to those questions on each other’s bare skin, and then posed for pictures.

Dear World played out in three parts throughout the two days. The first part took place on April 10, when 31 volunteers participated in a VIP shoot.

“My message was ‘39th,’” said second-year student Martine Parode. “I placed 39th in an Irish dance competition back in July. It just felt really good to place that high, even though I did not qualify for the world championship.”

The second part of the project was on April 11. Students, faculty and staff had the chance to share their personal stories with their peers.

Stories ranged from tales of fighting depression to overcoming abuse and breaking down many different stereotypes.

“My message was, ‘Muslim does not equal terrorism,’” Madison King, a

third-year student said. “I am half Middle Eastern, half Iranian. Almost all of my family is Muslim. I always get questioned [about] if they are terrorists or not, and I just get crazy questions, and I want it to stop. Not every Muslim is a terrorist,” King explained.

King said she enjoyed the Dear World experience and is “glad that I have my message out there.”

Heather Harrington, an office manager for the School of Business and Law, explained that having to put her message out there was “very hard.”

Her message was, “Love shouldn’t hurt.” She explained that she had to learn

there are still songs that people have yet to hear,” said Dr. Alycia Marshall, AACC’s associate vice president of learning and academic affairs.

Marshall said her son had released his mixtapes on the streaming website Spinrilla under the pseudonym “AG.” Proceeds from the concert will fund the AACC Aaron Gene Marshall (AG) scholarship, Marshall said.

The scholarship awards tuition money to students pursuing careers in the performing arts field because Aaron Marshall was a performing artist.

“He had so many tal-

ents,” his mother said. “Prior to [being a rapper] he was a dancer and an actor. I think all of those things actually prepared him to be a well-rounded performer.”

Dr. Lori Perez, chair of AACC’s psychology department, taught the younger Marshall and said music, not academics, was his priority.

“I see those students [in the classroom] who are not sure why they are here,” Perez said. “I really think why he continued to push himself and strive was out of respect for his mom.”

Aman Beckett, a student Aaron Marshall mentored in the Summer Bridge program at AACC, called

ago, 82 new members joined the honor society.

Dr. Verna Robinson, an English professor and an Epsilon Chi adviser, said despite lower enrollment, the chapter is still growing and achieving its goals.

“I was both excited and honored to be part of the process of bringing [Epsilon Chi] here at AACC,” she said.

Epsilon Chi is an academic honor society for stu-

dents who started at AACC with developmental challenges in English and math, but have achieved a 3.0 GPA in general education courses for two consecutive semesters.

The last requirement is for students to have 12 credits.

The main purpose of Epsilon Chi is to promote academic success—especially among students in developmental programs—as well

Students from AACC participate in the Dear World photo shoot in April.

Photo by Nyia Curtis what love really was after being in an abusive marriage.

“It was very hard because most people don’t know that I was abused; I don’t make it a habit of telling people I was abused,” Harrington explained. “So it was very difficult but I feel it was necessary.”

The third and final part of Dear World was a storytelling event that took place on that same evening.

Fresh Johnson, Dear

May concert to raise money in memory of late AACC student Jesse Johnson Editor-in-Chief

The day after Aaron “AG” Marshall’s AACC classmates graduate on May 25, some of them will join their former classmate’s family and friends at a concert featuring a sampling of the 500 songs he wrote.

The concert will take place on what would have been Marshall’s 21st birthday, a little more than a year after the former student died in a car accident on his way to school.

Marshall’s mother said the May 26 birthday concert will celebrate his music. “He was always in the studio, so

Epsilon Chi enrollment drops since April 2016 Elizabeth Spearman Campus Life Editor

Fewer AACC students became members of the campus chapter of Chi Epsilon National Honor Society this year than last.

The campus chapter, called Epsilon Chi, has been at the college since 2009.

Sixty-two students and three faculty members were inducted on April 24. A year

him “a blessing in disguise,” adding that Marshall stayed connected with him after the program was over. The program helps incoming high school students prepare for the college experience.

“If he was here today, I would honestly just thank him for being himself and giving me a better perspective on how working hard for what you want can make you a better person,” Beckett said.

Cedric Young, a high school friend and member of Marshall’s music group, Starlife, said the young songwriter lives on through his music, with his mixtapes garnering more than 100,000 combined hits on Spinrilla.

World’s photographer, led the event. Throughout the night, she shared some of her favorite projects she has worked on with Dear World.

“My favorite part of my job is hearing people’s stories,” Johnson said. “No matter how young or old they are, everyone has something to say and it is all unique.”

The evening also gave five students the opportunity to share their full stories with an audience.

Aaron Marshall wrote more than 500 songs.

Photo courtesy of Starlife301 “His situation really impacted the whole [area],” Young said. “When he died, we had a candlelight vigil, and a lot of people came out for that, and showed support through Facebook and Twitter.”

For tickets, contact Young at 301-520-8548.

Epsilon Chi inducts 62 new students and three new faculty members into the campus honor society.

Photo by Elizabeth Spearman as leadership, service and diversity of learning styles, according to Robinson.

“It is more than just a bunch of smart people in a typical honor society,” Al-

yssa Thomas, a second-year transfer student and new member of the chapter, said.

“It is filled with students who had to start from the bottom and make their way up.”

14 | Campus current | 2017 | MAY

CAMPUS LIFE

Students split on textbooks

Marquis Tumpkin, a first-year nursing student, also said she prefers the conAACC students said venience of digital books. “I they like the convenience of wish all my books were on e-textbooks, but many still my phone,” she said. prefer paper to screens.

Other students who In an informal poll of 20 prefer e-books said they students on campus in April, are easier to search, usually 10 said they prefer textbooks cheaper and sometimes have in digital format, while the interesting interactive eleother half said e-books are ments. And they cited weight harder to learn from. and environmental impact E-books— as downsides to short for “elec- “I just learn better physical books. tronic books”— with the textbook On the are digital books other hand, in my hand” most often read - Jayden Johnson many students on a computsaid they learn er screen or with an e-book more from physical textreader app on a phone or books. tablet.

Dr. Donald Orso, a psy“I’m 100 percent on chology professor, said stuboard for e-textbooks,” said dents benefit from e-books.

Antonio Vega, a second-year “For the students, [a transfer studies student. benefit is] they don’t have to “They’re the exact same thing lug around a textbook,” he as regular textbooks, but I said.

In a nationwide survey can access it from anywhere, so it’s really convenient.” of 1,200 undergraduates by

Roxanne Ready Reporter

Websites such as Openstax.org offer students free e-books in a variety of academic subjects.

Screenshot by Jesse Johnson Student Monitor in spring 2017, 47 percent of students said they “prefer the feel of paper and seeing physical progress through the material.” Twenty-three percent said they prefer to study with an e-textbook.

“I find the computer is very distracting and I tend to, like, not get school done if I’m working on my computer,” said Will Deibert, a first-year AACC engineering transfer major. “I’d much

rather spend the extra money and get a hard copy than go digital.”

Some students said they like marking up or using sticky notes in their physical books. Others complained e-books are harder to flip through quickly, or that reading for long periods on a screen hurts their eyes. But others were less specific.

“I just learn better with the textbook in my hand,” said Jayden Johnson, a first-

year early childhood education major.

“I like to be able to, like, hold it in my hands,” agreed Kristin Zevely, an elementary education sophomore.

Most students agreed e-textbooks are easier on the wallet, but Juan Cesar, an electrical engineering sophomore, had a different take: “If the book is expensive, I will get [a hard copy].” The reason, he said, is e-books are non-refundable.

MAY | 2017 | campus current | 15

Local nutritionist gives tips for eating healthy Tre Puccinelli Reporter

Even busy community college students who grab food on the go most of the time can still eat healthy.

Chef Virginia Olson, of AACC’s Hotel, Culinary Arts and Tourism Institute, told Campus Current that preparing meals at home and bringing them to school tends to be healthier than buying lunch at a fast food restaurant on campus. But she acknowledged that students are busy.

“Nutrition will take time out of your schedule but it is the best investment you can make,” Olson said.

A Giant Food nutritionist, Emily Craft, in March suggested that AACC students should plan their

lunches ahead of time, and pack them the night before.

For those who can’t find the time, she said they should eat fruits, vegetables and granola bars.

AACC student and personal fitness trainer Kelly Burchette said students don’t care about nutrition as much as they should. “It’s challenging to find a balance between school work and time studying, exercising and eating well, while maintain[ing] good grades,” Burchette said.

AACC nurse Patricia Spence said most people of all ages do not eat healthy enough, especially college students. “If you’re on the run and eat fast food, eat the salads or fruit,” Spence said.

AACC cafeteria cashier Karen Levin said one in five

students chooses healthy lunches when eating at The Hawk’s Nest Grill & Deli.

“Healthy options students can eat are salads, yogurt and deli sandwiches,” Levin said.

Chick-fil-A manager Rebekah Busker said an average of seven in 10 students will make a healthy decision when ordering from the fastfood location in the CALT building.

“This semester we have sold more salads than ever,” Busker said. “The best items to eat on the run would be the wraps or fruit cups because they are healthy choices and you do not need utensils.”

Campus Subway employee Ryan Kierstead said roughly two in 10 students take a look at the calorie list

explore the campus to find their classrooms.

Additionally, Stamper advised AACC students to attend orientation at their new colleges and to meet with an adviser to learn which credits will transfer and which classes they will have to repeat.

Khadean Coombs, who transferred to Towson University in Spring 2017, said students should research everything about the school to prepare.

“Expect a little bit more work; apply yourself a lit-

tle bit more,” Stamper said.

“More is expected of you.

And … learn how to take care of yourself without any secondary help [from parents].”

Coombs advised her classmates to “put yourself out there and try it” when transitioning into life at a new college. She explained the transfer students should try new things and join clubs, noting that larger colleges offer “a lot” more activities and events than a community college.

Cedric Wardell, who

Transfer students offer advice to ‘17 graduates Brad Dress Associate Editor

Former AACC students who transferred to four-year universities over the past year have some advice for this May’s graduates: Learn everything about your new school long before any of your classes begin.

Brian Stamper, who transferred from AACC to the University of Maryland College Park last spring, said incoming transfer students should look into housing and

College-goers happy at AACC Khalid Merene Reporter

AACC students in April said they are happier since starting school here.

In an informal poll of 20 students on campus, all of them said they have become happier because of the resources AACC offers and the teachers who go above and beyond.

“I have felt happier being here,” said freshman history major Francis Proctor.

He said going to community college gives him a sense of accomplishment.

According to the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley, emotions play a crucial role in a student’s ability to learn. A student experiencing depression will notice a decline in problem-solving skills. However, students who are happy feel a sense of purpose that allows them to push themselves further in school.

“Just getting back en-

CAMPUS LIFE

To eat healthier, students should prepare meals at home the night before, a Giant Food nutritionist says.

Photo by Brad Dress when ordering. The most popular sub with students is the steak and cheese on Italian herbs-and-cheese bread.

“Students would make a healthier decision by ordering the veggie on Italian bread,” Kierstead said.

AACC third-year-student Dillan Gresham said college students should eat more nutrient-dense foods such as fruits or vegetables.

“Reading food labels is vital,” he said. “It helps you keep track of the pros and cons that we consume. Students are so stressed out or busy that they don’t have the time to plan a healthy meal.”

Second-year-student and baseball player Mike Green said it’s hard to be healthy on campus when the vending machines are filled with junk food.

Former AACC student Khadean Coombs says students should try to join campus clubs when they transfer.

Photo by Jesse Johnson transferred to College Park last August, agreed that engaging in campus activities helped him meet people, and helped him get involved.

“You have to try to throw yourself at the expe-

rience,” Wardell said. “It’s kind of like playing a game of catch up. … Most [non-transfers] start as freshmen; they live on campus; and they meet people before they even start.”

In a Campus Current informal poll, all 20 students say they are happier at AACC since beginning their educational journey.

Photo by Brad Dress gaged with learning has really kind of sparked a little extra happiness,” said sophomore business administration major Melissa Donaldson. “I served in the military for six years so this is my first

education since high school.”

“I just like the diversity,” said sophomore transfer studies student Monica Wiles.

“All of my professors are awesome and I got a 4.0 last semester,” agreed soph-

omore transfer studies student Liam Sheehy. “I’m doing a lot better here.”

Sophomore Patrick Ryan said he’s happy tuition is lower at AACC than at a four-year school.

16 | Campus current | 2017 | MAY

CAMPUS LIFE

AACC supports green college Piper Lewis Digital Editor

AACC’S Arnold campus is home to dozens of environmentally friendly features.

Joyce Dawson, assistant director of facilities planning and construction, said the college has programs to reduce water pollution, conserve energy and recycle.

The cultivation of rain gardens around major storm drains on campus reduces water pollution, Dawson said. The rain gardens are strategically placed to collect water from heavy rains before chemicals and dirt wash into drains, she said.

Dr. Jessamy Rango, an AACC biology and environmental science professor, said the rain gardens “are one of the coolest things about our campus.”

“They are awesome,” Rango said. “[They’re} a

great opportunity for students to participate in the green efforts.”

AACC students, under the supervision of Dr. Susan Lamont, maintain the rain gardens around campus.

In addition, AACC reduced its water user by 42 percent in the library by installing low-flushing toilets, motion-activated sinks and a rooftop rain garden.

The roof-top garden, he said, uses rain water and condensation from the building’s HVAC unit to sustain plants called sedums, which help control water runoff.

Dawson said the 75,000-square-foot Andrew G. Truxal Library has reduced its energy use by 50 percent since AACC remodeled it according to LEED standards. The campus won a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certificate in 2015 for the remod-

Political science major Piper Lewis helps to maintain one of the many rain gardens around campus.

Photo by Courtland Brown-Tabscott eled and expanded library.

The renovated library reduced its energy use with technology that automatically keeps the indoor temperature at 70 degrees, and by automatically adjusting light levels to compensate for the level of natural light, Dawson said.

Devin Valcich, an environmental science major, said the library is “cool … because of all the efforts we are taking to make it green. The

school I transferred from didn’t have that, so I appreciate it.”

Outdoors, solar panels cover Parking Lot B as part of Project Sunburst. The project has saved AACC more than $50,000 since the installation in 2011. The solar arrays generate 5 percent of the energy the campus needs.

AACC encourages students and staff to be mindful of the impact each person can have on the environment.

Campus bus stops encourage students to take advantage of public transportation. Additionally, the campus features multiple bike racks; charging stations for electric cars; and recycling bins around campus.

“I was here five years ago,” Adam Schoen, who is taking an environmental class, said. “Just in that time, I notice[d] a lot more plant life and efforts toward being environmentally friendly.”

Photo By Gianella Quintana

A green campus AACC has various environmentally friendly campus amenities: from rain gardens to recycling bins to alternative fuels.

Photos By Courtland Brown-Tabscott

MAY | 2017 | campus current | 17

Campus Life

New company to replace Deli Brad Dress Associate Editor

A new, outside food-catering company will replace The Hawk’s Nest Grill & Deli

by June 30.

AACC’s Executive Director of Finance Andrew Little said he is overseeing the process of hiring an outside company to take over The Hawk’s Nest on the ground floor of the Student Union Building.

CDL Inc., which runs a food venue at the College of Southern Maryland, is the finalist, Little said, but the college is still negotiating the arrangement.

Little said the two managers of The Hawk’s Nest— Wanda Grace and Dan Gechter–are retiring on June 30.

Grace said AACC officials told her they want to hire another company because The Hawk’s Nest won’t be the same without the pair.

Grace said she opened the college-owned Hawk’s Nest in 2000 as Union Deli.

A year later, Gechter came on as assistant manager.

“Dan and I have run the business from the get-go,” Grace said, “and the fact that [we are] hands- on managers … we handled all the paperwork, we handled all the ordering, the production, the catering.”

CDL will be on campus on May 4 for a food tasting from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in SUN 102.

Students, faculty and staff will participate on six, 25-member focus groups that will spend 30 minutes tasting and evaluating the company’s food based on portion size, presentation, price and quality, according to Steve Pegg, the director of auxiliary services.

Pegg, Little, Grace and Christine Storck, the director of student engagement, will

AACC will replace the Hawk’s Nest Grill & Deli by June 30 with a new company outside of the college.

Photo by Britney Pieraldi review the tasters’ feedback.

Pegg said CDL has proposed serving buffet-style, and will sell by weight, which can help students control how much they spend.

“It will definitely be a different variety,” Little said about what CDL would bring to dining services. “They’re very interested in a hot bar area. … I think it’s just something different.”

Some students, howev-

er, disagree with replacing The Hawk’s Nest.

Guillermo Roldan, a first-year transfer major, said The Hawk’s Nest has a “wide selection of food” and he “doesn’t think there is anything to change.”

“I really like The Hawk’s Nest because it has some really good food for a community college,” Dallas Coleman, a second-year music major, said. “I’m uncertain

[about the replacement] because I don’t know who it is or if they will keep things the same. … I’d rather it stay the same.”

To participate in the food tasting on May 4, email Pegg at smpegg@aacc.edu.

Pegg will accept the first 150 evaluators who email him, so anyone attempting to sign up too late will not be able to grab a spot on the day of the food tasting,

The Independent Student Newspaper of Anne Arundel Community College

Campus Current

Congratulates Class of 2017!

18 | Campus current | 2017 | MAY

SPORTS

Women’s team set for playoffs James Whitley Sports Editor

AACC Women’s Lacrosse is heading to the playoffs.

The regional playoffs start on May 2 at Hartford Community College. If the Riverhawks win there, the team will play at home in the National Junior College Athletic Association Women’s Lacrosse national tournament.

AACC is hosting that tournament on May 13.

Jim Griffiths, Women’s Lacrosse head coach, said he

feels good about the team’s chances to make it to the national tournament, which would require it to win all three of its matches in the regional playoffs.

But he said the players have a few areas to improve on as they head into the playoffs.

“We have to play better defense as a team,” Griffiths said. “We have to cut down on turnovers. This is the time of the year where defense and taking care of the possession of the ball is extremely important.”

Sports events draw few fans Jake DellaNoce Reporter

AACC students said in April the reason they don’t attend sporting events here is because they don’t live on campus.

In an informal poll of 20 students on campus, 12 said they don’t come back for evening games after they have already gone home; if AACC had dorms, they said, they might stick around for them.

In addition, five students either said they don’t go to games because the sports teams don’t interact with the student body or because AACC isn’t a Division 1 school. Three said they skip

Tips for faculty Head Athletic Trainer Amber Kelso advises professors with student athletes who have concussions to: •Allow extra time to complete assignments and tests.

•Limit the amount of homework.

•Don’t assign tests.

•Give the class notes to the athlete.

•Check for return of symptoms during activities that require a lot of concentration.

•Allow the student athlete to take breaks.

the games because the teams aren’t successful.

“It’s a community college,” Douglas Hatch, a firstyear biology major, said.

“People drive back and forth.

I have to drive 30 minutes back and forth and [it] isn’t worth coming back for.”

AACC has 11 sports teams, including Men’s and Women’s Basketball, Lacrosse and Soccer; Baseball and Softball; Women’s Volleyball and Cross Country; and Men’s Golf.

The average attendance at outside events ranges from 35 to 100 people, while indoor events such as the basketball games bring in 75 to 100 people, according to Zach Malone, sports infor-

AACC Women’s Lacrosse heads into the playoffs with hopes of making it to the national tournament that the college is hosting.

Photo by Britney Pieraldi Freshman Kara Steir, who plays defense, said the chances of making it to the national tournament are pretty high “just based on how we played [this season] and how we played the upper-level teams.”

AACC’s new head athletic trainer is a concussion specialist.

Amber Kelso, who started in August, said she intends to become more involved with professors and coaches when a student athlete gets a concussion, which is a traumatic brain injury.

“I want to better educate [the professors] on what they can expect” when they see a student athlete with

what’s at stake.

“I think they understand how important it would be to make it when we’re hosting,” Herr said.

“They’re a really good team offensively. They can really put up some goals.”

A majority of students say they do not attend the sports games because they don’t live on campus.

Photo by Britney Pieraldi mation specialist at AACC. “People just come here to get work done” and leave after their classes are over, first-year information systems major Shelby Waltman said.

But others said attendance is so low is because the

Trainer raises injury concern James Whitley Sports Editor

Athletic Director Duane Herr said the team has some momentum heading into the playoffs. “They’re starting to work together as a team,” Herr said.

Herr said the team has a good understanding of

concussion-like symptoms, Kelso said.

In addition to dealing with symptoms, Kelso also said she wants to work with coaches and athletes on preventing concussions.

“We like to do the best to educate athletes and coaches to do their part to learn the most proper techniques of doing the sports-specific activities, having the best proper protective equipment, the best playing surfaces, trying to eliminate as much risk from sports as possible,”

teams don’t promote their events, so a lot of students don’t know when the games are. Plus, some students said they don’t like going to games when the teams are not winning.

“Community college sports aren’t advertised like

Division 1 sports are,” Neeko Vanzant, a third-year psychology major, said. “There’s no school spirit here.”

The result, Shaquille Worrell, a second-year mass communications major, said, is that “students don’t care.”

Trainer Amber Kelso aims to educate faculty on concussion symptoms so they can notice them in students.

Kelso said. “But as everyone knows, you cannot eliminate risk from sports completely.”

Kelso said no two concussions are the same.

“They’re like snowflakes,” she said.

The treatment will vary based on severity and the symptoms.

Kelso said she sends emails to professors who have student athletes in class, inviting them to contact her in case they notice anything out of the ordinary.

She encourages classmates and friends to confront the athlete if they notice any symptoms of a concussion.

MAY | 2017 | campus current | 19

SPORTS

Recruits begin to sign letters James Whitley Sports Editor

A dozen high school athletes have committed to sign letters of intent to play sports at AACC in the fall.

Athletic Director Duane Herr said this year’s recruiting class is larger than usual.

And the high school students are more into the experience of signing the letters than past recruits, Herr said. “Players are asking, ‘Can we do the setup,’” Herr said. “[They want] the backdrop and the media and the posting to social media.”

National Junior College Athletic Association rules for letters have changed, Herr said. “Now the letter of intent locks a player in.”

An NJCAA letter of intent commits an incoming athlete to a community college for one academic year.

Signing with AACC also means the student may not sign with any other community college.

Karin Victorio, the head coach of Women’s Soccer, said this year’s abundant recruiting class can make an immediate impact.

“We have a returning keeper but we have a girl coming in who is a backup keeper,” Victorio said. “We haven’t really had two designated keepers before, so whenever you have that competition at practice …. they’re going to make each other better.”

Victorio, who began coaching at AACC at the end of last spring’s soccer season, said she spent more time recruiting this year.

“Last year, I had to grab whatever athlete was willing to come play for us,” she said.

But more of next fall’s players will be “soccer-specific recruits.”

Alana Marshall, a committed Women’s Soccer recruit, said attending AACC will give her time to figure out her future.

“I picked AACC to get

AACC Women’s Soccer recruit Brianna McGowan from Florida will join the team for the 2017 season.

Photo courtesy of AACC Athletics Department my general requirements out of the way while I figured out the path I wanted to take,” the Chesapeake High School senior said.

Marshall said she had offers from schools but AACC “is close to home and has many good resources I can use to help me in my studies.”

AACC hosts truck pull contest in parking lot Andrew Cabacar Reporter

AACC hosted its sixth annual truck pull in the parking lot behind the Careers Building on April 20.

The AACC Transportation, Logistics and Cargo Security program had 10 teams.

Each five-member team strapped on ropes, which were attached to an empty FedEx truck on the other end.

One team at a time pulled the truck for 90 feet.

“It was hard at first but

once you get it going it’s a little bit easier,” said Shawn Hardesty, a sophomore business major and team member.

The first team to compete, “The Crew,” pulled the 28-foot truck through the course in 19.59 seconds and finished with the fastest time of the day.

“I went for extra credit in my Principles of Business Management class, but I think the whole business department took their classes to it,” said Cam Grant, a third-year psychology major.

AACC’s Truck Pull event gives students the chance to speak to transport logistics specialists about a career.

Photos by Courtland Brown-Tabscott

“If it wasn’t so hot it would’ve been a better time, but I learned that teamwork is a major key.”

Businesses set up tables at the event and set up activities on the side to teach students about the jobs, careers and terminologies of the transportation industry.

Students played a passport game to learn about the academic and career pathways in the transportation and logistics fields; competed in a load-the-truck race using the same barcoding technology as UPS and FedEx; and ran a supply-chain relay to learn about efficiencies in delivering products.

The event included a “backwards bicycle” that some students tried riding.

“I looked at that bike and I knew I couldn’t ride it,” Grant said.

The bicycle can be found inside the Andrew G. Truxal library.

Kipp Snow, a transportation, logistics and supply chain instructor who was in charge of the event, posted Facebook live coverage.

Taylor James, a committed softball recruit, said she wants to attend college close to home.

“I want my family to be able to experience it with me,” said James, a Glen Burnie High School student.

“I just didn’t feel as if I was ready to go anywhere big yet.

I also am getting to play with girls I already know.”

James, who plans to major in nursing, said she believes she can help the team, but she can’t do it alone.

“It’s also a team effort,” James said. “I just want to see the team and be the best we can be.”