Soccer team reaches national tournament
Jose Gonzalez Editor-in-Chief
AACC’s women’s soccer team made it to the NJCAA Division II Women’s Soccer Championship in November but lost the second game.
The team won the NJCAA Division II Region 20 and East District championships to qualify for the national tournament.
“We played really, really well,” women’s head soccer
coach Jim Griffiths said. “So I’m really happy with their performance and how they represent the college.”
The 11th-seed Riverhawks won the first game of nationals against Rock Valley College from Rockford, Illinois, 4-3. In the second round, AACC lost against second-seed Johnson County Community College from Overland Park, Kansas. Johnson County scored two goals in the 40th and
and
52nd minutes to beat the Riverhawks, knocking AACC out of the tournament.
“We beat the No. 7 seed, and we played the No. 2 seed and lost 2-0,” Griffiths, who has coached the women’s team for 18 seasons, said. Johnson County was “very good. … That’s why they’re the No. 2 seed. They were just a really strong team, they had a lot more depth
Continued on Page 3
AACC’s women’s soccer team reaches the NJCAA Division II Women’s Soccer Championship. Photo courtesy of AACC Athletics
Waleska Cruz Features Editor Lily Peaper Daily Editor
Two television legends told AACC students in November they should contemplate their personal reasons for wanting to write or act, and then stay true to those goals as they pursue
Rise Up Coffee kiosk remains unoccupied
Jose Gonzalez Editor-in-Chief
A year after Rise Up Coffee Roasters postponed the opening of a kiosk in the CALT atrium, the college is looking for a different vendor to take its place.
Peter Kaiser, AACC’s
events and food services manager, said the Anne Arundel County Health Department would require any space the coffee-and-sandwich restaurant would occupy to have a grease trap, which the kiosk does not have.
The space also is not
vented, so no cooking can take place there, Kaiser said. Kaiser said it is unlikely any coffee vendor could take over the space because the use of ingredients like cream, milk and coffee beans would require the grease trap.
Continued on Page 3
their careers as entertainers. Kevin Chamberlain, most famous for his role as the beloved butler Bertram on the Disney Channel kids’ sitcom “Jessie,” and Michael Gans, who produced shows like “Scream: The TV Series,” “Siren” and “Make It or Break It,” shared their experiences and advice about writing screenplays and auditioning,
in back-to-back presentations on campus.
Gans, who is married to Chamberlain, opened his workshop by encouraging the audience to find the truth in their stories, or, as he put it, “finding the kernel,” suggesting that this should be the driving factor
Continued on Page 3
Disney star Kevin Chamberlain (right)
television producer Michael Gans visit AACC.
Photo by Lily Peaper
AACC is looking for a vendor to fill the empty kiosk in the CALT atrium, where Rise Up Coffee Roasters had been scheduled to open in November 2023.
Photo by Olivia Sage Howard
Meet the Staff
Editor-in-Chief
Jose Gonzalez
Associate Editor Divine Mesumbe
Daily
Features Editor
Waleska Cruz
Reporters
Morgan Brown
Regan Leonard
Photographers
Olivia Sage Howard
Graphic Designers
Kevin Remson
Melissa Shuford
Faculty Adviser
Sharon O'Malley
Photographers
Adobe
Olivia
Feel proud of your progress
Editorial Board
The semester is almost history. What a relief.
Yet so many students around campus seem more stressed out and anxious than ever, as if the hard part is still to come.
Really, it’s not. Sure, we’ve got finals. But we’ve been preparing for them all semester by going to class, listening to lectures, doing homework and making presentations.
Congratulations. The hard part is over.
Here are a few ways to look at the end of the semester that don’t involve outright dread.
For example: gratitude. Be thankful for what you have learned so far this semester, for those who taught you, for the classmates you’ve become friends with and that it’s almost over.
Or pride. How proud are you of what you have accomplished this semester: good grades—or at least passing grades? Your leadership role with a campus club? An es-
Letter from a leader
pecially meaningful paper or presentation that you aced because you were so into the topic?
How about knowledge? What do you know now that you didn’t know on the first day of school in August? How to calculate the circumference of a circle? To expertly populate an Excel file? Everything and anything that you learned in statistics?
Optimism. What’s next for you? And how has what you’ve learned and done this semester helped you get there? Are you ready to transfer to a four-year or to get a job? Are you excited about that?
Accomplishment. If you set out to finish a certain number of courses, or ace one of them, or gather enough credits to graduate early—did you? Way to go.
Community. New friends who propped you up; parents who listened to you whine about all the hard work college requires; teachers who you know will give you a good recommendation when you need one; counselors who
helped you keep—or get— your head on straight when it wasn’t: You wouldn’t have had the experiences with them that you will always remember if it hadn’t been for this awesome semester.
A fresh start. The end of the year means the beginning of another one is right around the corner. The new year is always an opportunity to make changes and improvements; to leave the
past behind if you want to; and to try new things. You can even make yourself over into a new you if you want to. Add your own. What else will you remember fondly about this semester once it’s over?
Then, look ahead. The break is a time to relax, spend time with friends, reconnect with the family. You don’t always have enough time when you have homework to do.
Embracing my unique name
Waleska Cruz Features Editor
I’ve never really liked my name, Waleska.
I’ve experienced bullying because of it, especially in elementary and middle school. I felt anxiety on the first days of school every year, especially when teachers would call my name during roll call.
“Walaska?” “Waleskie?”
It was always some sort of guessing game, and it left me burying my head under my hands with embarrassment. It’s really not that hard to pronounce: Wa-les-ka.
My mom had originally wanted to name me Daniela, a tribute to my great-great grandfather, Daniel. But everything changed when my pregnant mom visited a cell phone store and met a female worker named Waleska. Something about the name captivated her, and just like that, it became my first name.
Because I didn’t like my name, I went by Walle—pronounced like Wally—in elementary and middle school. It was a cute nickname, inspired by the lovable robot from one of my favorite Disney movies. Plus, it was sim-
pler than Waleska. My family still calls me that as a nickname.
But when I entered high school, Walle felt too childish. I wanted a more mature name, so at the time I went by my middle name, Daniela. Then I started at AACC, and I became tired of telling teachers and students who saw “Waleska” on their class lists to call me Daniela. So I decided to correct teachers on how to pronounce Waleska, and slowly, I started to embrace it.
The turning point came when I discovered a music artist named Laufey, who also faced bullying for her name and had to correct people on how to pronouce it. Her story resonated with me. I related to her song, “Letter to My 13-Year-Old Self,” especially the line, “Try to say your foreign name and laugh.”
It was a reminder that I wasn’t alone.
I dug deeper into the origin of my name, which means “ruler of the people” and is a name of Polish and Puerto Rican descent. Suddenly, I saw it in a new light. As the features editor of Campus Current, it made me want to be a good role model for
the reporters and showcase good leadership. It felt empowering to know that my name carried significance. There is also a cool city in Georgia called Waleska. Now, I appreciate Waleska for what it is, a unique name that tells a story. It’s a reminder of my roots, my mom’s decision and the journey I’ve taken to accept it as part of my identity, and I wouldn’t change it for anything.
So, to everyone who hates their name, I get it. Especially when others say it wrong or you get bullied for it. Just remember, your name is a part of your story and identity. Embrace it, even if it takes time. It can hold special meaning or connect you to your roots, or even inspire you.
Your name is unique to you, and that’s something to be proud of.
Second-year transfer studies student Waleska Cruz, Campus Current’s features editor, started accepting her name after listening to the artist Laufey.
Photo by Finch Cobb
As the semester comes to a close, students should feel a sense of accomplishment. Shown, second-year biology student Gabe Aquino.
Photo by Jose Gonzalez
College soccer team makes it to nationals
Continued from Page 1
than we did, and they were just very talented.”
The tournament was held in Huntsville, Alabama.
The Riverhawks won the regional championship, which AACC hosted, against College of Southern Maryland on Nov. 2 to qualify for the district match. In the district match on Nov. 8, AACC beat Mercer Community Col-
lege to reach nationals.
The Riverhawks have made it to nationals twice in three years. The team also played in the national tournament in 2022.
Griffiths said this year’s season was “phenomenal” for the women’s team.
“I can’t say enough about their work ethic, their attention to detail, doing all the little things correctly,” Griffiths said. “It’s been really good.”
Makenzie Boyd, a returning midfielder, agreed.
“We all played our hardest,” Boyd, a second-year nursing student, said. “[We] proved why we were there, and we grew closer as a team, and I feel like we just all left it on the field, so I’m proud of each and every one of us.”
Boyd added: “I think it was just … hard competition. I think we all tried as hard as we could. We just didn’t get
Athletics
the outcome that we wanted, but we all did our best, so I think it was a win.”
Jaylin Sheffield, a returning forward, said the team reached its goals this season by winning the district and reaching nationals.
Athletic Director Duane Herr said the team fought hard.
“They played a really strong tournament,” Herr said. “So I think it was definitely positive. Great experience. Proud of them, incredibly.”
Disney star, TV writer discuss their careers
Continued from Page 1
behind each story.
During his presentation later in the evening, Chamberlain agreed, defining acting as the late actor and acting teacher Stanford Meisner did, as “being truthful under imaginary circumstances.”
“You can apply that to any role you play, as the minute you step into an audition, the minute you step on stage, you’re looking for the truth in the character, and you have to use your imagination,” Chamberlain said. “If you go to your
AACC seeking vendor for food kiosk in CALT
Continued from Page 1
“It’s certainly not going to be someplace that does specialty coffees and things like that, and it’s not going to be a place that’s going to cook food, so I don’t know what we’re going to end up doing,” Kaiser said.
Kaiser said the cost of adding a grease trap to the CALT space would be “prohibitively expensive.”
Kaiser said the Health Department has to approve every food service that opens on campus.
When Chick-fil-A occupied the kiosk before it moved to the Health and Life Sciences Building in 2021, the fast food restaurant brought in already-cooked menu items from the loca-
tion in Severna Park.
Beforehand, the space was called The Sunday Cafe, which served pre-made sandwiches and soup catered by the Hawk’s Nest Grill & Deli.
Still, Kaiser said he would like some sort of food vendor to occupy the kiosk.
“We’re looking at how we can get something over on West Campus to service people over on that side of campus,” Kaiser said. “And so we’re looking at a couple of different options and seeing what’s a possibility.”
Rise Up was set to open in November 2023, joining three other campus food vendors: Subway in Careers, Chick-fil-A in HLSB and the Hawk’s Nest in the Student Union.
According to Kaiser, the
college chose Rise Up because the coffee shop has a “big name” with locals.
“When I say locally … you go all the way over the Eastern Shore,” Kaiser said. “Around here, people know Rise Up.”
Gabe Aquino, a second-year biology student, said he wonders why the kiosk is taking so long.
“It’s not a big deal, but I guess if people are waiting for it, at a certain point, what’s taking so long?” Aquino said. “That’s just what I’m wondering.”
Still, Aquino added: “Whatever they put there, I feel like it’ll just be like a nice bonus either way.”
Ellie Jasen, a sixth-year mechatronics student, said it’s disappointing the kiosk
own experiences [instead of your imagination], you can’t do that eight times a week.”
Gans turned his speech into a workshop after urging the would-be writers in attendance to find confidence in their decisions when writing.
“I worked for 20 years writing at the highest level in television,” Gans said. “And in rooms like this … I want you guys to take part. And what I think we’ll have at the end of this is a story.”
Second-year transfer studies student Olivia Comeau offered up an original idea she said she has been
toying with. The premise is that three siblings are sent on a treasure hunt after the death of their father.
“It was really helpful just hearing everybody’s ideas,” Comeau said after the audience suggested that the siblings could be the adult children of two mothers.
“I never thought of that,” Comeau said. “I loved the way people built on [my] characters.”
During the second presentation, Chamberlain, who had three Tony Award nominations, conducted mock musical theater auditions.
Rise Up Coffee Roasters did not open on West Campus because of costly county health department requirements.
Photo by Finch Cobb
hasn’t opened yet. “As a mechatronics student, most of my classes are on the third floor of CALT and I’m not a morning person,” Jasen said. “So having that
opportunity to grab a hit of caffeine from a coffee shop … in the CALT building would be immensely beneficial to my ability to pay attention during classes.”
Disney star Kevin Chamberlain and a TV producer spoke to students about acting and producing.
Photo courtesy of Kevin Chamberlain
AACC’s women’s soccer team lost the second game of nationals after winning their first.
Photo courtesy of AACC
Student wins $2,500 for big business idea
Lily Peaper Daily Editor
A business management student won $2,500 at an awards ceremony for entrepreneurs on Wednesday for creating a device to collect energy from ocean waves.
Nicholas Shrout took first place in AACC’s Big Idea Competition after submitting a video pitch about the original idea to a “Shark Tank”-style panel of judges. Students
competed for the top prize.
Shrout said the Wave Rider resulted from research that focused on alternative ways to generate renewable energy.
Every semester, AACC’s Entrepreneurial Studies Institute hosts the Big Idea Competition to reward students for ideas that solve a problem or create a convenience, Stephanie Goldenberg, the academic chair of entrepreneurial studies, said.
Police Chief Sean Kapfhammer says students should lock their cars and watch their laptops, even though campus crime is low.
The second-place winner, entrepreneurial student Katherine Michelle Paunlagui, took home $1,000 for Techies for the Oldies, a service to help seniors solve technical problems with their computers and iPhones.
The Entrepreneurial Studies Institute awards more than $5,000 to students for their business ideas.
Two $500 winners were students April Mills, who won $500 for Finding Silence, which offers outdoor yoga and gardening classes for senior citizens and children, and Gavin Kesselring, whose startup Peake Technology Labs offers affordable rentals of high-quality equipment like computers and cameras.
One contestant called the process of creating a business plan and pitching ideas to the judges “a fantastic experience.”
“I would recommend that anyone just try it and go for it,” Mandee Tejada, a second-year massage therapist student, said.
Crime rates stay low, annual report shows
Divine Mesumbe Associate Editor
Crime decreased from 31 incidents on the Arnold campus in 2022 to 29 in 2023, according to the AACC Department of Public Safety and Police’s annual report.
Stalking incidents decreased from eight to three on the Arnold campus over the year. Larceny was the most prevalent crime in 2023, with eight incidents.
“A lot of these [larceny incidents] are crimes of opportunity,” campus Police Chief Sean Kapfhammer said. “People leave a cell phone or some iPods or something like that laying
County survey reveals economy as top issue
Divine Mesumbe Associate Editor
Anne Arundel County residents said the economy is their top concern, according to a survey by AACC’s Center for the Study of Local Issues.
The semi-annual survey, which drew 873 responses, showed 30% of county residents said the economy is the top concern, compared with 25% who said housing costs are a problem, 20% who chose crime, and 18% who pointed to population growth and unplanned development.
In addition, the October
survey included a section for AACC students.
In that part of the survey, 37.4% of students said too many obligations outside of education, such as work or family, is the No. 1 reason they haven’t been successful in school. Mental health is the second-most cited reason, with 25.7% of students saying that has prevented them from succeeding.
The results of the countywide poll did not surprise political science professor Dan Nataf, the CSLI director.
“The economy [is] a central issue and it [is] cross-cutting,” Nataf said. "It wasn’t polarized like the
threats to democracy on Jan. 6; Democrats care about that [and] Republicans don’t. But inflation? Cross cut. Everybody cares about [it].”
Each survey repeats some questions from the prior one to gauge changes in opinion every semester. Last semester, 26% of county residents said the economy was the top concern, compared with 30% now. Crime topped the list in fall 2023.
The survey also revealed that the top concern of Democrats who responded to the poll is housing costs, at 28%, while the big issue for
[around and] they leave it behind and it makes them, you know, an easy victim for a thief.”
Kapfhammer added: “I don’t really think [eight is] a very high number but of course I always like to see zero. … We always strive to lower those numbers as best we can but you’re not going to be able to stop every crime.”
According to Kapfhammer, his department publishes a security report every year because the Clery Act, a federal statute signed into law in 1990, requires it.
“This is a safe campus and I would never hesitate to recommend somebody coming here,” Kapfhammer
said. “I [would] feel fine sending my own children here.”
Kapfhammer said crime rates “generally remain consistent year to year.”
For example, police responded to six calls for disorderly conduct, the second most-common crime on the Arnold campus in 2023, the same number as the prior year.
“I would like to think it has something to do with [us] putting the right people at the right place [and] at the right times to deter crime,” Kapfhammer said. “We have such a heavy police force enforcement here [with] high visibility.”
Republicans and the unaffiliated is the economy, at 43% and 42%, respectively.
Samantha Reed, a firstyear biology student, said she understands why Anne Arundel County residents are concerned about the economy and housing prices,
but her top concern is taxes. “There are people that are struggling on the street that can’t even, like, afford to buy groceries, and Trump is giving tax breaks to people who are, like, way wealthier.” Reed said. “I think that’s kind of idiotic.”
Political science professor Dan Nataf says the economy is the top issue in Anne Arundel County.
Photo by Divine Mesumbe
Photo by Finch Cobb
Photo by Lily Peaper
Many AACC students struggle to get sleep
Waleska Cruz Features Editor
If you struggle to stay awake during the day, the cause is pretty clear: You’re not sleeping enough at night.
Ninety percent of Gen Zers say daytime sleepiness affects their everyday lives, according to a survey by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Likewise, 87% of Millennials and 68% of Gen Xers say they struggle during the day, the survey revealed.
AACC students told Campus Current they can relate.
“[Being tired] does make it sometimes really hard for me to focus [in class] or sometimes I’ll honestly just skip a class because I don’t want to come in the morning because I’m so tired, so that does definitely affect it,” second-year transfer studies student Ali Hassan said.
Psychology professor Rachelle Tannenbaum said the recommended amount of sleep for students ages 17 to 19 is eight or nine hours a
night, while those older need less—seven or eight hours.
“There’s a lot of individual variation in how much sleep people need,” Tannenbaum said. “So the main thing is, if you’re trying to judge your own sleep, it shouldn’t be just about, ‘When did I get in bed and when did I wake up?’ But, ‘How am I feeling during the day?’ You know, ‘Can I maintain my energy levels without the use of caffeine?’”
But some students said they have to stay up late.
Third-year data science transfer studies student Ev Dahl tends to go to bed “between, like, midnight and two in the morning.”
“I’ve got really bad insomnia, so it just takes me a really long time to fall asleep,” Dahl said. “[Also] sometimes I’m on my phone and a lot of times I finish my homework at, like, midnight, and then it takes me a long time to, like, be less stressed out from, I don’t know, just being alive.”
Some students choose
to be night owls.
First-year transfer studies student Alena Engel said she goes to bed at 4 a.m.
“I’m typically either working on homework late, scrolling on my phone, reading or playing video games,” Engel said.
Tannenbaum suggested that students avoid using electronic devices before bed to get better sleep.
She offered some “concrete steps” students can take to reduce late-night scrolling.
First, she said, phones are equipped with wellness settings that a user can pro-
Some students said they have tried those suggestions without success.
“Everyone always told me if I stopped going on my phone at night, then I wouldn’t stay up late,” Dahl said. “But it turns out that feine the day after a poor night’s sleep doesn’t always help, Tannenbaum said.
“There’s a lot of individual variation in how much sleep people need.” Psychology professor Rachelle Tannenbaum
gram to automatically shut the device down after a certain amount of time. Second, the student can move the phone out of the bedroom so it’s more difficult to check in the middle of the night.
“That’s just going to interrupt your sleep, right there,” Tannenbaum said.
Informal poll reveals dismay for Trump win
Divine Mesumbe Associate Editor
Some AACC students said in November they are disappointed with former President Donald Trump’s victory.
In an informal Campus Current poll, more than 70% of students said they are not happy that Trump, a Republican, won the Nov. 5 election for president, beating Vice President Kamala Harris, a Democrat, for the office.
Adebola Afariogun, a second-year computer science student, said he is disappointed with the 2024 election results because Harris is “100% a better candidate.”
“She’s not the one with 34 active felony charges or sexual assault cases,” Afariogun said. “She’s clean and she’s a good person.”
Maria Bell, a first-year computer science student, agreed, saying, “Trump’s an idiot.”
“It’s probably going to
get a lot scarier for marginalized people,” Bell said.
Tabitha Broomfield, a third-year game art and design student, disagreed.
“I genuinely think that President Trump will be
“Harris was trying to say, ‘Let’s not go back, let’s look forward,’ but people didn’t buy it.”
Political science professor Dan Nataf
good for this country,” Broomfield, a Trump voter, said. “Even though a lot of Americans hate him, he genuinely wants what’s best for the American people.”
Sophia Trammell, a dual-enrolled student who said she voted for Trump, said she expected Harris to do a lot better.
“I was not expecting it to be as sweeping of a victory
as it was,” Trammell said. “I will say I do feel kind of bad for Kamala Harris [because] she only really had, like, two to three months to campaign. And I think that was a serious strategic error on the part of the Democratic party.”
Political science professor Dan Nataf said Harris lost the election because of “a generalized feeling that the Biden administration had not acted in a decisive and clear-minded way on the inflation front. That’s what I think lost the election [for Harris].”
Nataf said because voters preferred the economy during Trump’s presidency compared with the Biden and Harris administration, “that was enough” to shift the election in Trump’s favor.
“Harris was trying to say, ‘Let’s not go back, let’s look forward,’ but people didn’t buy it,” Nataf said. “They wanted to look back into the Biden years and compare it to the Trump years, and
didn’t work very well.”
“I’ll [also] try and put my phone away, or, like, put stuff away for, like, 30 minutes before I go to sleep … because it’s not good for you,” Engel said. “I’d say I do have strategies that I try to do, but they [are not] effective.”
Even overloading on caf-
“It feels like you’re doing just fine,” she said. “You just have your coffee, and life is good, but in the meantime, what it’s doing is diminishing your immune system’s ability to function. So it’s all fine, right up until the moment it hits you, and now you’re more likely to get sick and it’s going to be worse.”
Dahl agreed.
“I’m always really tired, but I don’t fall asleep in class,” Dahl said. “I just drink a lot of coffee … but even if I slept, like, 20 hours, I’ve got a brain problem where I sleep wrong.”
on
The inflation during the
Some AACC students say they have trouble sleeping at night and staying awake during the day. Adobe Stock photo
In an informal Campus Current poll, more than 70% of students say they preferred Harris over Trump in the 2024 general presidential election. Library of Congress photo
inflation, which was the critical factor for Trump, the [cumulative] inflation preCOVID was 7% for Trump.
Biden years is 20% cumulative … so people say, ‘I don’t know whether his policies were any good, but I know I like the outcome.’”
Hello Kitty products trending on campus
brand and makes the merchandise.
From planners to backpacks to blankets to jewelry, Hello Kitty merch is all over campus.
The little 50-year-old icon has become popular— again—with college students.
“I think it was, like, embedded in me,” dual enrollment student Olivia Howard said. “Like, I’ve always liked Hello Kitty because of my mom, and just like, growing up with it, it’s always been a thing.”
Hello Kitty debuted on a coin pouch designed by Yuko Shimizu in 1975, with her signature red bow and overalls. The character quickly gained popularity in Japan before worldwide audiences embraced the brand, according to Jill Cook, one of the executives at Sanrio, the Japanese entertainment company that invented the Hello Kitty
Fun and Games
AACC students are buying, wearing, carrying and displaying the merchandise, even though the brand’s target audience is children.
Business professor Stephanie Goldenberg said the reason Hello Kitty’s popularity is ongoing is because it makes people feel nostalgic.
“It’s just one of those icons that brings back memories,” Goldenberg said. “So you have that good memory to be tied onto. On my desk right now, I’ve got Mickey and Minnie Mouse hands, like, Disney has that thing for me. So Hello Kitty is going to have that same draw, but in a different way.”
That’s the case for second-year communications student Skyler Wood, who said she grew up with Hello Kitty.
“I think for me personally, it started in my child-
hood. My parents were always buying me Hello Kitty clothes and Hello Kitty toys,” Wood said. “My dad is part Japanese, so my Asian relatives would always send me Hello Kitty merch as a kid. And I think it just stuck with me as I grew up, like I just kept being interested in it.”
First-year psychology student Fatuuma Shareef said she got back into Hello Kitty because a co-worker “was really into Hello Kitty, so she kind of got me into [it].”
Shareef said buying Hello Kitty merch is like “healing” her inner child.
“I had, like, a bunch of stuffed animals as a kid, and then, like, my dad threw them away when we moved,” Shareef said.
Second-year psychology student Narayana Rheiner said he likes Hello Kitty because of the marketing.
“I like their advertising, so I’ve always been, you
Design by Melissa Shuford
know, into [popular] companies. … So [Sanrio is a] very popular company … you know, ... [and] Hello Kitty’s probably like No. 2 when it comes to, you know, notori-
ety in the world, especially in places like Japan and stuff like that.”
Rheiner said his wife is the one who got him into Hello Kitty 10 years ago.
Waleska Cruz Features Editor
First-year psychology student Fatuuma Shareef, like a growing number of college students, collects items featuring Hello Kitty. Photo by Waleska Cruz
Some games never get old
Lily Peaper Daily Editor
Once considered an app for kids, the online gaming platform Roblox has surged in popularity among college students.
Roblox, created in 2006 by David Baszucki and Erik Cassel, allows users to build their own games and share them with others.
“I play it once every few days,” Milo Starling, a fourthyear theater student, said. “I love that there’s a variety of games. For all ages, too.”
It’s popular among kids because the controls are easy to use and there are endless possibilities, according to players.
It’s popular among college students because they can play different styles of games all on one platform.
More than 79.5 million people access Roblox each day, according to the company. The fastest–growing
group of users is those ages 17 to 24, who make up 23% of players. Another 42% are younger than 13.
The platform’s popularity shot up among college students last summer, when the game “Dress to Impress” hit the platform, according to fan Ayla Cole, a second-year criminal justice student.
Cole noted her strategy to end up in the Top 5 on the game: Gather friends on the same server, and then vote your friends five stars and everyone else one star.
“I love to play ‘Dress To Impress,’” Starling added. “I like fashion and everything, so it’s a little more fun for me. It can get a little toxic depending on the people, though. There’s always going to be competitive people.”
Some college students said they have been playing games through Roblox since they were in elementary
school, and they just haven’t outgrown it.
Other students, however, said they play it just because it is fun.
“The little characters are silly ... and I can customize it,” Aiden Marion, a second-year teacher education student and player on the college Esports team, said. “One time I was playing with my sister and she showed me this silly game she saw on YouTube. … This had to be months ago, but we still laugh about it.”
The top game on Roblox so far this year is the role-playing game Brookhaven RP, according to Statista. com.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Roblox introduced private virtual spaces for users to hold social gatherings. This allowed kids and teens to spend time with their friends during lockdown.
But playing too many video games, on Roblox or otherwise, might not be
healthy for students.
“A person playing hours upon hours is not healthy,” Gena Harmon, a licensed clinical professional counselor in Anne Arundel County, said. “Entertaining games are fine, but some of these games are out of control. Some are inappropriate and put people down. Some lead to violence. And don’t forget students get addicted to these games. Students aren’t above having addiction issues.”
Fun and Games
Online gaming platform Roblox, a global hit with children, continues to be popular with players into their college years.
Photo courtesy of Roblox
AACC contains many hidden study spaces
Divine Mesumbe Associate Editor
A handful of little-known study spots around campus could be the best places to do homework.
For example, third-year business administration student MacKenzie Williams said, the best hidden study spots students may not know about are empty classrooms.
“I love classrooms,” Williams said. “I will die on that hill.”
“My first semester, I would basically stay in [empty] classrooms,” Williams said. “It’s quiet [and] you’re alone. The only thing you have to worry about are the motion sensor lights. That’s it. That’s literally it.”
Second-year computer science and engineering student Tamyra Hill said the library is the “most populated” study location on campus.
“Holy crap. … It’s kind of like ‘The Hunger Games,’” Hill said. “The second you step out of [a study] room ... we’re packing our stuff too, to get into the [study room] the second you step out.”
The fourth floor of Florestano is just the opposite, Hill said.
Because the first three floors of the building are under construction, “the people assume it’s closed, but the fourth floor is actually open,” Hill said.
“It is so freaking pretty,” Hill said. “It has, like, an office-style computer center
with cubicles and whatnot, but nobody’s ever in them, so trust [that] you’d be alone. … It’s a nice, quiet place.”
Tynesha Allen, a second-year nursing student, said Rooms 310 and 312 in the Health and Life Sciences Building are “secluded” and “spacious.”
Allen added, “They get [more] sunlight compared to other rooms.”
Elizabeth Appel, the dean of the School of Life Sciences, said she looked at the study rooms in the library when designing the spaces on HLSB’s third floor.
“Those are nice; they’re just highly used,” Appel said. “So we knew we had to have places for students to go and study [in HLSB].”
Dean Lance Bowen of the School of Science, Technology and Education pointed to a couple of “pretty fun” and “private” spaces in the CALT building. For example, the building is home to two second-floor lounges: CALT 214 and 238.
“There is [also] an outdoor second-floor roof garden where you can go and hang out at the picnic table,” Bowen said.
’90s fashion returns to community college
Morgan Brown Reporter
Students are walking around campus wearing platform shoes, checkered flannel and cargo pants, keeping up with a national fashion trend that harkens back to the 1990s.
When the weather was warmer, women students wore throwbacks like slip dresses, tennis skirts and crop tops to class. Now that the weather is cooler, maxi skirts, Doc Martens and cardigans are back in style.
Some students wear ’90s
Students enjoy their childhood activities
media rather than interacting with typical pre-teen activities.
Some AACC students are embracing their inner child by spending time with old toys, visiting playgrounds and playing the video games they liked when they were younger.
Students told Campus Current they feel they lost part of their childhoods to COVID-19 because they spent so much time on social
Now those young adults are making up for what they missed.
“COVID and the current negative circumstances in the world kind of made people realize that life isn’t that long, and acting like kids isn’t something only kids should be allowed to do,” second-year education student Ellery Martin said.
“I think a lot of young adults are taking back their childhood,” second-year theater student Olivia Comeau said. “A lot of us had to grow up really fast.”
First-year film student Logan Symmes said some games like Legos are designed for all ages.
“That’s something you never really age out of,” Symmes said.
Legos are so popular with teens and young adults
fashion to express themselves.
“I definitely think the ’90s is really cool,” Kendal Waters, a second-year business student, said.
“I think everyone expressed themselves through their outfits that they wore every day. … Everyone wore something unique. It wasn’t like now. Everyone’s wearing black leggings or, you know, a sweatshirt and T-shirt and stuff like that.”
Baggy clothes, like wideleg jeans, leather jackets and oversized sweatshirts, were also popular in the 1990s.
Second-year visual arts student Tamaya White said the baggy aesthetic is useful for layering and keeping warm for the winter months.
Still, some buy and wear pieces from the period passively.
First-year nursing student Carly Tryon said she didn’t realize the high-waisted mom jeans and crop top she wore on campus recently were ’90s throwbacks.
“It’s not like shown as like, this was popular in the ’90s,” Tryon said. “Like, I just saw it at a store, and I liked it, so I bought it.”
toys,
that the company in 2020 designed a set specifically for fans ages 18 and older.
Approximately 15% of Lego sets are made for adults, the company said. Likewise, Build-A-Bear
Workshop introduced an adults-only collection of stuffed animals based on movie characters in 2019.
“I make a Build-A-Bear every semester,” Comeau said.
Some students are wearing ’90s-style clothes, like cargo pants, around campus.
Photo by Finch Cobb
Students play with
like Legos, visit playgrounds and play video games to embrace their inner child.
Photo by Waleska Cruz
Ayla Cole Reporter
Second-year communications student Darian Moya Perez says she enjoys studying in a nook in CALT 238.
Photo by Finch Cobb
Most students prefer money for Christmas
Lily Peaper Daily Editor
All AACC students want for the holidays this year is money.
In second place, students told Campus Current in November, are gift cards.
“People always give me junk,” Ian Maller, a first-year transfer studies student, said. “It’s like, why can’t they just give me money instead?”
Students are asking for everything from money for tuition to getting their pianos tuned—and not necessarily for traditional gifts like sweaters, boots and makeup.
“Probably to get my pi-
ano tuned,” Tabitha Broomfield, a second-year game design student, said. “It’s very out of tune right now and I play a lot.”
“[I’m asking for] money,” Paola Kaiser, a first-year environmental science student, said.
Some students also said they will give money to others instead of buying them gifts this year.
“I might get my little sister … money,” Gisselle Jolalpa, a second-year nursing student, said. “And my brother, money. [And] my mom, money.”
Second-year computer science student Lily Davis agreed that cash is a better
gift than a wrapped one.
“I’m going to get my sister a bunch of gift cards,” Davis said. “She really likes money.”
And she might give her mother some vintage coins. “She really likes them,” Davis said.
Davis isn’t planning to unwrap any presents this season, either.
“I’m just asking for someone to take care of me when I’m older and no one likes me anymore,” Davis said.
Davis, like a few other students, said she enjoys giving rather than getting gifts.
Sayje Lactaoen, a 2024 AACC graduate, went into detail about how she loves
Some students say they would prefer to receive money as a gift for Christmas this year.
Adobe Stock photo
making extravagant leis for her family. Originally from Hawaii, Lactaoen finds the process grounding and very fulfilling.
Still, some students, like first-year nursing student
Mark Fulla, aren’t holding back when it comes to asking for gifts this year.
“[I’m asking] for a car,” Fulla said. “A Toyota. Preferably blue. For transportation to school.”
Kinesiology prof says to enjoy holiday food
Ayla Cole Reporter
If you’re already guilttripping over how many holiday goodies you will inevitably sample over the holidays, how about giving yourself permission to overindulge a bit?
The holidays come only once a year, so perhaps enjoying a couple of big meals and your favorite cookies is OK, kinesiology professor Cory Doubek said.
“It’s OK to say, ‘I’m going to indulge in this dessert that I love,’” Doubek, academic chair of health, fitness and exercise studies, said.
Instead of beating yourself up over a few excessive calories’ worth of mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie, ramping up your exercise
could offset potential weight gain, Doubek said.
That could be a hard goal to attain, she admitted.
“We tend to plan events with our loved ones that revolve around eating,” Doubek said. “Staying active becomes a challenge.”
Her suggestion: “Walking is probably one of the best [exercises],” Doubek said. “It’s a great thing to do with your family and friends.
… Walking after … dinner instead of just watching TV and talking can be a good approach.”
Dual enrollment student Jen Lloyd said that works for her.
“I plan on staying active during the holidays by taking time to do activities like walking or running,” Lloyd said.
Esports coach Conway
Johnson said staying active doesn’t have to mean traditional exercise.
“People forget that prepping food and cleaning the house is a way to stay active,” Johnson said. “Make a schedule. Don’t let yourself sit on the couch watching TV all day.”
Others suggested eating anything you want over the holidays—but in limited quantities.
“By eating a sufficient amount of food that won’t be too little or too much,” Lloyd said, “you won’t feel as full and gross.”
Second-year legal studies student Jackson Darrow offered another way to avoid bloating: “If you eat slower, your stomach can process being full when you first get full,” Darrow said.
During the holidays, you should give yourself permission to overeat a bit.
Adobe Stock photo
by Olivia Sage Howard
Movie sequels inspire improv performances
Jose Gonzalez Editor-in-Chief
The AACC improv club will host its first shows of the school year on Dec. 6 and 7. Overcast Improv will host two shows based on the theme of movie sequels, according to co-captains Jason Kalshoven and Éva Parry.
The shows are titled, “Improvinator 2: Judgment Day,” and “Overcast, Overcast.”
“Our premise for the names of the shows is ... movie sequels, because it’s our second show,” second-year
Student association focuses on inclusion
Regan Leonard Reporter
Another student club that shut down during the pandemic has returned to campus.
The goal of the International Student Assocation, which was inactive between 2020 and 2023, is to foster inclusion and cross-cultural exposure through campus events, Emma Thompson, the club’s adviser, said.
“We struggled a little bit in the beginning,” Thompson, who works as an international student adviser at the college, said, adding the club aims to help international students find community on campus.
“We are doing this for our students, for the community to acknowledge and to see that the international students are on campus, and just to also help them acclimate,” Thompson said.
ISA’s new members and officers are planning campus events for international and non-international students, Divya Alamanda, a second-year business student and the club’s president, said.
“This club is not just for international students,” Alamanda said. “It’s basically for anyone who wants to learn and be part of different cultures. Everyone is welcome to join.”
Club officers held an
film student Kalshoven said, adding, “We have a lot of games that are built around movies, you know what I mean, and so we’re putting all of those in the show.”
Overcast Improv, which started last fall, hosted two one-hour shows with the names “Creedence Comedy Revival” and “They Might be Improv” in May.
“We’re going to try doing at least one [show] a semester,” Parry, a second-year history student, said. “So we have about two shows after this for next semester.”
Kalshoven said the inspiration for the theme was “our own guttural creativity” and “putting on shows.”
Kalshoven said he’s “very excited” for the shows.
“It’s going to be a lot of fun,” Kalshoven said. “Last semester went way better than we expected. Had a good turnout and had a good show.”
Parry agreed, adding, “I think what I’m most excited about is just kind of being like, ‘You know, I did that,’ and also just seeing everyone improve.”
event for International Education Week in November, with tables represented by students from various
countries, who served food samples. The two-day event featured games and international music.
Game club develops ‘Flappy Bird’ copycat
Divine Mesumbe Associate Editor
The AACC Game Development Club created a sidescroller game based on the popular mobile game “Flappy Bird.”
The club developed the game “Fleepy Sheep” as a starter project to help teach new members about game development and to “build a foundation” for future projects, according to Mattie Peri, the club president.
“We’re actually, you know, excited … because ‘Oh my God, we just made a game,’” Peri, a second-year web design student, said.
Just like “Flappy Bird,” “Fleepy Sheep” works as a one-click side-scroller game where you tap the screen to
avoid obstacles for as long as possible.
The club started developing the game on Sept. 17, using Aseprite, the Unity game engine, the C# coding language and GitHub to build it.
Peri said she intended the project to be simple.
“It needs to be, you know, difficult enough that we’re actually putting in, you know, work and learning the skills we need to [learn] without, you know, [it] being painful,” Peri said.
Rob Samson, the lead programmer, said it was difficult to control the scope of the project but it was overall fun to work on.
“[There] is a concept known as ‘scope creep,’ where there’s always opti-
mizations that can be made [and] there’s always content you can add,” Samson, an engineering alumnus, said. “That’s the nature of games.”
Alex Meek, a second-year history student who contributed voice lines for the game, said it was a “real easy way” to “get the team rolling.”
“It was never supposed to be something that was a super ambitious piece,” Meek said. “It was just something that would be an easy notch on our belt[s] as a victory, just to prove to [ourselves] that we could all make a game.”
Meek said it was “a lot of fun” to work on the game and he is really proud of the team, but he is also looking forward to the next club projects.
AACC Game Development Club President Mattie Peri draws “Fleepy Sheep,” the main character of a new indie video game.
Photo by Divine Mesumbe
Student club Overcast Improv will host shows on Dec. 6 and 7. Each show is based on movie sequels.
Photo
The International Student Association returns this semester after being inactive for three years.
Photo courtesy of Divya Alamanda
Esports team needs to find more players
Divine Mesumbe Associate Editor Waleska Cruz Features Editor
The Riverhawks Esports team is recruiting students to compete on teams that play Overwatch 2 and League of Legends in tournaments.
The team has too few Overwatch 2 players and is looking to recruit more players, according to head coach Conway Johnson.
Johnson reported having trouble finding new players because students don’t know about Esports.
The college made Esports part of AACC Athletics in February 2022. The roster consists of nine players. The League of Legends team has enough players, but because only four members are on the Overwatch 2 team—and five are required—both teams have to play non-varsity, according to Johnson.
“NJCAA rules allow faculty and staff members to fill spots on teams for non varsity,” Johnson said. “So for the Overwatch team, I’m filling, like, a fifth slot until we can find a 10th player that fills
out that last Overwatch role.”
Johnson is looking for members who will “put the time and effort into improving.”
“We’re not nearly as concerned about what level of skill people come in at,” Johnson said. “We’ve had people come in fairly new to games, and over the course of a semester, have them playing, you know, at a competitive level.”
Johnson added, “The big thing is just attitude.”
Players can go to CALT Room 215 to practice their gameplay with Esports players in an open lab.
Johnson said the main purpose of open labs is to promote Esports.
“We have seen an increase in recruitment for teams because people come in, they play, they get comfortable, are like, ‘I want to do this,’” Johnson said.
Neel Howard, an Overwatch 2 player, said it “really sucks” to not have enough members.
Media student runs streaming platform
Divine Mesumbe Associate Editor
A player on the Riverhawks Esports team runs a service that streams esports events like tournaments on YouTube and Twitch.
Second-year media production student Kyle Lynch created KMLTournaments while he was a 15-year-old student at Southern High School in 2020.
“My main inspiration was to entertain,” Lynch said. “I feel like through this streaming company, I’ve been able to do as such.”
One of the main challenges he faced was getting his foot in the door of the game broadcasting industry while
Twins play as guards for men’s basketball
Jose Gonzalez Editor-in-Chief
Identical twin brothers—both guards—are playing for the Riverhawks men’s basketball team this season.
Avery Evans, a second-year business administration student, and Miles Evans, a second-year philosophy student, are the team captains. Second-year transfer studies student Angelo Harris is also a captain for this semester.
Men’s basketball head coach Joe Snowden said he “expects growth” from the twins.
“They’re good kids; they’ll move on to the [fouryear college] level, I believe,” Snowden said. “But at this point right now, I want them to graduate.”
Avery said he and his brother have been playing basketball since they were little.
Miles added, “Our parents put us on every sport,
so we kind of just found basketball as, like, our favorite.”
Both athletes played 25 games during the 20232024 season. Avery averaged 2.2 points per match, while his brother averaged three points per game.
The brothers played basketball at South River High School.
Avery said “it’s fun” playing with his brother.
“We’ve always been playing together,” Avery said. “We just have that added chemis-
he was so young, Lynch, who plays Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for the Esports team, said.
“It [was] sort of hard to sort of find my place in the community and in the industry,” Lynch said. “[It’s] been dominated by those well over a decade older than me for such a long time.”
Lynch said watching Smash Bros. tournaments on the streaming platform VGBootCamp inspired him to create his own service.
“That’s probably one of my favorite games … because it’s such a diverse game. There’s over 90 characters you can play,” Lynch said.
In addition to stream-
ing tournaments, Lynch hosts his own. He organizes self-funded fighting game events, which primarily focus on Smash Bros., and he has branched out to cover the Rivals of Aether II and Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero.
Lynch’s streaming service makes money from ads on YouTube and Twitch, and from gigs with companies like VGBootCamp.
Conway Johnson, head coach of the AACC team, said Lynch is a “really cool guy” who has a positive impact on the Esports team.
“It’s great to have someone around who is also, like, esports savvy,” Johnson said. “It’s just been great … having him on board.”
try. So, it’s definitely … easier to transition [in-game].”
Miles added, “Playing with new teammates, you have to get adjusted. But we have played all our lives, so
it’s a little easier.” Snowden said he is “pleased coaching these two. No stress at all. They’re twins. They know each other inside and out.”
Conway Johnson, the Esports head coach, says students aren’t aware the team exists.
Photo by Divine Mesumbe
Kyle Lynch, a second-year media production student, runs KMLTournaments, a video game streaming service.
Photo by Divine Mesumbe
Twins Miles (right) and Avery Evans are team captains for the Riverhawks men’s basketball team.
Photo by Jose Gonzalez
Gym update includes 600-seat bleachers
Jose Gonzalez Editor-in-Chief
AACC’s Facilities Department closed the basketball court in Jenkins Gymnasium for renovations on Nov. 4.
The gym’s floors will be sanded down, new lines on the court will be painted with the Riverhawks logo, and the bleachers will be replaced, according to Athletic Director Duane Herr.
“The bleachers … have been in there for probably 20 years or more,” Herr said. “They’re just older. They don’t function the best that they possibly could. So the newer bleachers will function properly.”
Herr estimated the court will reopen by the start of the spring semester. In the meantime, the women’s and men’s basketball teams are practicing at
Severn School’s basketball court and are playing games on their opponents’ courts.
The pull-out bleachers needed replacing, in part, because their wheels would get jammed with the handles, and bolts would get loose. It was “time for an upgrade,” Herr said.
The new bleachers will hold more than 600 people, according to Herr.
The cost to replace the bleachers will be around $100,000, according to Herr.
The new lines and sanded-down floors, which were warped from water damage from a leak, will cost $24,682.
“The floor obviously takes out some of the areas that were of concern previously,” Herr said. “So we’ll have a fresh new floor that’s properly seal coated, so you’ll get the traction that … you’d expect from a gym
floor, no sliding around or anything like that.”
The gym also will get a new, first-floor weight room as part of the renovation.
Herr said the renovations “absolutely” affect sports practices, games and classes.
“That’s the downside,” Herr said.
Women’s basketball head coach Lionel Makell said practicing at the high school hasn’t been an issue.
“Some things are out of your control,” Makell said. “We just deal with it.”
Makell, who played basketball at AACC in the 1980s, said the renovations are a positive thing.
“I haven’t seen them yet to be excited, but, I mean, I saw the designs, and any changes that are positive, you know, you get excited,” Makell said.
Ayannah Gorham, a sec-
ond-year undecided student and guard on the women’s basketball team, agreed.
“I mean, there are gyms all around the county,” Gor-
ham, a returning athlete, said. “You know, different schools we can play at and we … still [have] the same amount of gym time.”
The college is replacing the bleachers on the basketball court at Jenkins Gymnasium.
Photo by Olivia Sage Howard