President, officers of Student Gov. resign
Jose Gonzalez Co-Editor
The president of AACC’s Student Government Association, along with the organization’s executive vice president and at least one vice president, vacated their positions over the winter break.
Executive Vice President TJ Majors told Campus Cur-
rent that several officers, including President Jayeim Blake and Vice President of Public Relations Lara Jae Gomez, gave up their posts at least in part for academic reasons.
Blake did not respond to requests by Campus Current for an interview.
“My GPA last semester wasn’t really up to par
to stay on the team so they were like, ‘Hey, you need to resign,’” Majors said.
“We all had our personal stuff over the semester, but I think we did a decent job of not letting it affect us too much,” Majors said. “I wish I could have did more in the SGA, but at the same time
Continued on Page 3
Student
Half of faculty agree to join college union
Tomi Brunton Contributor
More than half of AACC’s full-time faculty committed by the end of last semester to join the Riverhawk Educators United union.
The majority consensus
Campus celebrates, plans BHM activities
Waleska Cruz Co-Editor
means the full-time professors can move on to officially certifying the union, and then begin negotiating with AACC administrators.
“Reaching majority membership is a wonderful achievement,” math professor and REU representa-
tive Abby Brackins said in an email. “We believe that a union is the best way to achieve meaningful shared governance, protect our rights as workers, and enhance the quality of educa-
Continued on Page 3
The theme for this year’s Black History Month
The campus community will celebrate Black History Month in February with a cooking demonstration, a documentary about the first Black first responders and a call to students to wear Afro-centric clothing and accessories to school.
is “Black Joy,” which includes the healing power of love and connectedness and holistic self-care, Black History Month coordinator The campus’s theme for Black History Month will be “Black Joy.”
Continued on Page 3
Adobe Stock photo
Government Association President Jayeim Blake resigns, along with several vice presidents.
Photo by Mason Hood
Half of AACC’s full-time faculty agree to join the Riverhawk Educators United union. Shown, union organizers Suzanne Spoor, left, Sophie Reverdy, middle, and Zoe Farquhar.
Photo by Jose Gonzalez
Meet the Staff
Co-Editors
Contributors
Stand up for women’s rights
Editorial Board
It feels like no matter how hard they work to prove themselves, it seems women will never be taken as seriously as men, solely because of their gender.
After President Donald Trump won the election against former Vice President Kamala Harris last fall, we felt like the U.S. was proving this theory to be true.
Despite the faults in her campaign strategy, she ran an impressive campaign on such short notice. Harris has 18 years’ worth of experience in public office in California. During her time as VP she helped pass the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to help individuals, businesses and local governments get back to normal during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, Trump spent the last four years in and out of court hearings. A jury found him guilty of 34 felonies. This makes him the first felon to take the oath and be sworn in as president of the
Letter from a leader
United States. Trump has run in the last three presidential elections—twice against women—and the only time he lost was to another man.
We can’t help but acknowledge that the American people hold the male and female figureheads to a very different set of standards. And we wish they would acknowledge why.
But in order for us to recognize this unreasonable behavior on a national scale, we first need to be able to call out this behavior in our own communities.
What’s so disappointing is that you could probably think of an instance right off the top of your head where you, a family member or one of your female friends felt completely disregarded, whether it’s academically, at a job, with a healthcare provider or even from a partner. Did anyone call out this behavior as it was happening?
It’s not always easy to identify unfair treatment and be willing to tell others that what they are saying is
like former Vice President
should be respected.
White House photo
disrespectful, especially in the moment. Studies have shown that people are less likely to share their opinions if they believe their views are different from the majority’s.
The editorial staff at Campus Current is urging you to call out the sexist behavior recognized in our society as jokes and locker-room talk if you see it or hear it. And the editors urge you to show support to the women around you. You might be afraid to come off
as too woke, but after the overturning of Roe v. Wade, we don’t think that is an insult.
Everyone on earth is here thanks to a woman. We should respect women for that.
Still, some students barely show respect for their female teachers, sometimes for the flimsiest reasons—like after receiving one bad grade.
So we’re not surprised that they wouldn’t respect a woman as president.
Adversity strengthens bonds
Ellie Jasen Contributor
When I think of the next four years, I find myself terrified. To think the United States re-elected a felon, and by proxy an administration, who hates people like me.
This new administration has promised to limit healthcare for trans people like me. It would villainize my friends and peers out of sheer, baseless hatred. To think American voters re-elected this president fills my heart with disappointment, fear and rage.
To those of you who feel the same disappointment, fear and rage as I do, know that you are not alone. As this administration aims to chip away at our rights and lives, know that you are not undefended.
If there is one thing we have that has withstood any attack, that cannot be taken away from us, it is community. Our community will endure here at AACC.
The queer community of today finds its roots in adversity. The first Pride march celebrated the first anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, where LGBTQ ac-
tivists fought bigoted policy. Our community has made so much progress since then, from federal recognition of gay marriage to more accessible trans healthcare. Now these achievements are under attack, and we run the risk of regression.
The only way to prevent this is to work together and support each other, to fight bigoted policy as a community. Our community found
its roots in adversity. We will not fall to the same adversity today.
While Donald Trump’s White House spouts nothing but hatred for queer identities, the Genders and Sexualities Alliance—a student club at AACC—will continue to support LGBTQ students. Other student clubs can offer support and community, too.
As we stare down the
barrel of four years of hate, know that you have community. Regardless of policy, we will have solidarity. As this government seeks to villainize us, we have intersectionality. Despite it all, we stand, and we stand strongest together.
Sixth-year mechatronics student Ellie Jasen is the president of the student club Genders and Sexualities Alliance.
Women,
Kamala Harris,
Sixth-year mechatronics student Ellie Jasen found community through the Genders and Sexualities Alliance student club.
Photo courtesy of Ellie Jasen
Faculty Adviser
Sharon O’Malley
SGA to hold election to replace most roles
Continued from Page 1
with everything else I was trying to commit to in that same semester, I only had so much time and energy for all these different things.”
Majors, a graphic and web design student, said he will concentrate on improving his grades this semester so he can run for SGA president in the future.
“I’ll resign, step down and so I can focus on my academics,” Majors said. “And, you know, get my spring
Educators union has 51% of faculty, staff
Continued from Page 1 we get members from every department.”
tion for AACC’s students.”
The REU union is a local chapter of the Maryland State Education Association.
According to REU committee member Suzanne Spoor, 51% of full-time faculty had joined the union as of December.
“We are waiting until we have more support, because we know we’ll be a stronger union if we have more members,” Spoor, an English and gender studies professor, said. “We’ll probably go forward with 65%. … We especially want to make sure that
Spoor said the union plans to negotiate about four main categories: job security and tenure; workload and working conditions; compensation and benefits; and equitable, fair and just practices.
“We’re not unwilling to work hard or to make sacrifices, but we just want to make sure that we’re not getting burned out,” Spoor said. “Even the people who are really happy with their job exactly as it is recognize that there are colleagues whose workload is heavier
Black History Month events
Feb. 3-27
•Art Exhibit, Pascal Gallery
•Truxal Library Exhibit
Feb. 3
•Stereo Threat Workshop, 2:30-4 p.m., Careers 129 Feb. 4
•Rooted Rotisserie Cooking Demo, 12 p.m., HUM 218 Feb. 5
•Wear African-style fashions and accessories
Feb. 11
•Lunch ’n Learn event: “Freedom House Ambulance,” 12 p.m., HLSB 145B
•Sweet Potatoes Cheesecake Beurre Sale, 12-2 p.m., HUM 207
Feb. 13
•Line Dance Demo, 12 p.m., HLSB 145 Feb. 18
•Crowning Confidence Workshop, 1-3 p.m., HUM 112 Feb. 19
•Spades Safe Space Demo, 12-1 p.m., HLSB 220 Feb. 26
•Cookout Part II Workshop, 2-2:30 p.m., HLSB 145A
•BHM Art Exhibit Reception, 2-4 p.m., Pascal Gallery
or who are being asked to do things that aren’t explicitly stated in their contract.”
The union, Spoor said, will improve the entire college, not just work conditions for full-time faculty.
“Faculty are experts on our subject matter and we’re experts on teaching,” Spoor said. “So if our voices are not heard at the appropriate level for matters of the classroom, matters of curriculum, then students are disadvantaged.”
“We want to make sure that our voices get heard,” Spoor added, “so that students can have the full ad-
semester GPA to where it needs to be, and then maybe run for SGA president.”
The SGA will hold elections from Feb. 17-23 for the student body to fill those vacancies and four other vice president positions.
Candidates must sign up on The Nest by Feb. 5. Any student with an AACC email may vote in the election, which will be held virtually on The Nest (nest.aacc.edu).
Blake, who was elected as SGA president by the student body in the spring, also
played goalie for the Riverhawks soccer team for two seasons. In addition, the kinesiology student regularly attended meetings of several student-run clubs.
“With Jayeim, we figured he was probably trying to do too much, maybe,” Majors said.
Gomez said she is changing her major from computer science to business and accounting. “I wanted to focus on my studies because I’m switching majors,” she told Campus Current.
The Riverhawk Educators United union is a local chapter of the Maryland State Education Association. Photo courtesy of Maryland State Education Association
vantage of our knowledge and experience.”
In 2021, a vote in the
Maryland Legislature allowed community college faculty and staff to unionize.
Black History events
offer demos, exhibits
Continued from Page 1
Stephanie Smith-Baker said. She added the month will focus, in part, on the extent to which Black joy and self-love are revolutionary, given the historic and contemporary trauma that have shaped many Black lives.
All of this year’s events will be in person on the Arnold campus.
“I think everyone should celebrate Black History Month because I think Black history … is part of American history, world history, because we all give to this world that we live in, you know,” Smith-Baker, a professor of
health sciences, said. “And so I think it’s really important.”
To start off, the Black History Month Committee is encouraging students to show their unique style to make a strong political or social statement by wearing African fashion and accessories on Feb. 5.
Feb. 3 is the start of a month-long exhibition showcasing the work of Black artists throughout the DMV.
Curated by communications professor April Copes, the exhibit will culminate with a reception from 2-4 p.m. on Feb. 26 in the Pascal Center for Performing Arts gallery.
“We went through so many pieces of art, and we try to have it be loosely that could express our theme, like this year’s theme 2025 is Black joy,” Smith-Baker said. “We have some really great pieces of art that we know our college community will really enjoy.”
The month’s festivities also will include cooking demonstrations, a session on steroetyping and a confidence-building workshop with a former beauty queen.
Smith-Baker said the committee members tried to focus the events on students, “but also to be inclusive of students.”
TJ Majors is one of several officers who resigned from the Student Government Association.
Photo courtesy of TJ Majors
Campus shuts down for snow
Waleska Cruz Co-Editor
The decision about whether to close the campus because of snow starts at 4 in the morning.
Vice President for Learning Resources Management
Melissa Beardmore said a group of administrators monitors weather forecasts.
“But then there’s the nowcast,” she said. “What does it look like now? What does the radar look like? What’s happening on campus? Whether we want to open or close, I’d say [relies on] our overarching guidance.”
The final decision, Beardmore said, is hers.
Still, Beardmore said, she errs on the side of “probably more conservative. God forbid, we don’t want anybody to slip and fall or have an accident here on campus.”
The campus closed for snow for three days in
January during the winter mini-semester. Students had mixed reactions.
“So I think for instance, like [in] the winter semester [meeting for class on Zoom] was beneficial, because, like, the winter semester is only two weeks long,” firstyear nursing student Adara Metz, who was enrolled in a two-week winter course, said.
First-year human services student Lilliana Canterbury said she doesn’t like it when campus closes and classes are held on Zoom.
“It can be very disruptive to my schedule and to my life when I am supposed to be focused and in an academic mindset,” said Canterbury, who noted that her home is full of activity, making it hard to participate in virtual classes.
When the snow causes the campus to close, professors may choose to cancel classes that day or hold
them on Zoom or Teams. If classes are canceled, students might have to make them up later.
Beardmore said the facilities staff clears the snow from the campus.
“It’s all hands on deck” when managing snow days, she said.
“We clear our own campus,” Beardmore said. “Our college employees do that.
The county doesn’t come in or the state doesn’t come in and do that. And in general, it takes us about six hours to clear the campus of two inches or more.”
Beardmore added: “So in the last storm when it snowed Sunday [Jan. 5] night and then all day Monday, we cleared the campus. We keep enough of the campus cleared for emergency
vehicles and if the bus is running, then we wait until it stops snowing for the most part before we start clearing. So in this last storm, we started clearing early Tuesday morning.”
The campus automatically sends alerts about snow closings to the cell phones of students, staff and faculty, and posts the information on social media.
The college uses its own employees to clear snow from roads, sidewalks and parking lots.
Photo by Lily Peaper
Students blame age for Biden’s struggles
Morgan Brown Contributor
President Joe Biden’s age affected his performance during his presidency, some AACC students from both political parties said.
Some students said they noticed flaws and lack of structure in the former president’s speech over time, especially during his debate against then-candidate Donald Trump.
“He seemed to stumble over his words a lot, get a little confused, maybe a lit-
tle tired,” Republican Lexy Schlichting, a second-year environmental science student, said. “If he would have came into the presidency a little bit younger, things would have been different.”
Shortly after the debate, Biden withdrew his candidacy for his second term and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, who went on to lose the election.
Second-year physical therapy assistant student
Timmie Wilson, who voted for Harris, said Biden is “pretty much up there in
age, but he’s … visibly there to where you can see … he’s starting to decline some so his [debate] answers were just drawn out.”
Some students said Biden’s cognitive decline seemed to increase from the time he took office until the end of his campaign.
Second-year early childhood development student Emma Dean, who voted for Harris, agreed.
“I definitely know that his age was a contributing factor to why he dropped out of his re-election campaign,” Dean said.
Second-year transfer studies student Bobby Piepmeier, who voted for Harris, noticed the decline as long ago as the 2020 presidential election.
“There’s been a pretty clear cognitive decline from him,” Piepmeier said. “You could definitely see it in that first presidential debate. You can just compare it just down from earlier.”
Male enrollment less than female at AACC
Divine Mesumbe Contributor
Among students who enrolled at AACC for the spring 2024 semester, 61.6% were women and 38.4% were men, according to AACC’s Office of Planning, Research and Institutional Assessment.
This is higher than the national average of 58% for women and 42% for men, according to the American Association of Community Colleges.
“I think male students, just in general, have different [societal] demands,” Erin Reeder, the college’s director of enrollment services integration, said. “Males in particular may feel more pressure to earn money right out
Police use radar guns to nab speeding cars
Divine Mesumbe Contributor
Campus police officers are using radar guns to warn drivers on campus to slow down and drive safely.
Officers from the Department of Public Safety and Police use speed radar guns when they notice students “driving a little too fast,” Kimberly Starr, a campus police officer, told Campus Current.
“The radar is just anoth-
er tool that we use to try and keep our campus community safe, and traffic is a big factor in keeping our campus community safe,” Starr said. “There is a big difference between getting hit by somebody driving 15 miles an hour and getting hit by somebody driving 25 [mph], whether that[’s] on foot or in a vehicle.” Starr, a fifth-year officer, said the campus police have been using radar for as long as she has been at AACC. Al-
though “a lot of times” students slow down when they see a police car, she has observed a lot of speeding drivers, Starr said.
“If I’m [stationed on] West Campus, I like to sit at the very top of … [the] E lot so I can see all the cars that are coming in and going out,” Starr said. “The majority of the campus is only 15 miles an hour and a lot of cars are going way over 15 miles an hour.”
Starr added: “Cars are
of high school … just to support their families.”
Plus, Reeder said: “I think [men] nowadays have more options available to them. There’s not the, ‘Oh gosh, if you don’t go to college, you’re not going to get a good job’ because there are certainly good jobs in the trades.”
Although the college is “not super concerned” about low male enrollment rates, it is still trying to reach out to potential students with promotional materials and student services like the Student Achievement and Success Program, Reeder said.
According to Reeder, the statistics are almost flipped for AACC’s trade school, housed in the Clauson Cen-
ter, whose enrollment is 31% women compared with 68% men.
In addition, AACC’s Student Right-to-Know Disclosure reported that 24% of degree-seeking men who enrolled in the college in 2020 graduated within three years, compared with 30% of women.
Tariq Muhammad, a second-year game design student, said the numbers make sense, saying most men “opt to do something more hands on, like blue-collar work.”
“But it’s [still] a little shocking,” Muhammad said. “I think college is something that everyone should try. … I know just from my experience that being in college has really opened up my eyes.”
going too fast for this campus right now.”
Speed gun radars help with traffic control because they give officers an accu-
rate picture of how fast students are going, Starr said. Speeding drivers are concerning, Starr said, because they create a safety issue.
Former President Joe Biden left the White House at 82 years old, with a 36% approval rating. Wikimedia Commons photo
More women than men enrolled in AACC’s 2024 spring semester. Campus Current archive
Police use radar guns when they identify areas of campus where speeding is common.
Photo by Divine Mesumbe
Users dislike Spotify stats
Waleska Cruz Co-Editor
Julissa Mendoza Robles Contributor
Some students who worked to get their favorite artist to the top of their Spotify Wrapped are satisfied with the results, while others said they suspect the stats were rigged.
A popular music streaming app among students, Spotify publishes year-end statistics on which artists and songs users listened to most that year. The list is known as Spotify Wrapped.
For first-year social work student Harry Ledford, punk rock band Green Day has been at the top of his Spotify Wrapped results “pretty much every year. They’ve been a favorite band since probably second grade, which is a long time. … You know, in a way, Green Day has been there for me.”
Ledford added: “Seeing
the top artist … kind of emphasizes how that year kind of went, in a way, and how the year sounded.”
Second-year nursing student Miso Gil also said she pushed her favorite artist, rapper NF, to the top of her stats by playing the music over and over because she can “relate to a lot of his songs.”
First-year transfer studies student Betsy Leveron admitted to doing the same thing for Alex Graham of Divide Music, who writes songs inspired by anime and superhero movies.
“It’s because my artist is not the most mainstream artist in the world,” Leveron said. “He’s got a pretty small following, so for me … it’s my little bit of helping him and supporting him in what he does.”
“I’m a little proud, like, ‘OK, I did that,’” Leveron said.
Playing favorite artists over and over just to bump
Fun and Games
them to the top of the list might not be the best way to support their music, music professor Douglas Byerly said.
“Who actually benefits from that?” Byerly said. “Spotify and the record companies … because the artists are getting such little dividends and such little proportion of the revenue.”
Instead, Byerly encourages students to “go to a concert, go hear some live music” to support their favorite musicians.
Some students said they
believe Spotify included songs and artists in their Wrapped that they barely listen to.
Second-year radiology student Dalia Jarrar, whose top band is alternative metal group Sleep Theory, said she “was a little disappointed” in this year’s Spotify Wrapped results.
“I feel like … my songs didn’t really make sense,” Jarrar said. “I know for a fact that a lot of the songs that are on [my Spotify Wrapped] are songs that aren’t even on my playlist.”
Third-year creative writing and psychology student Zoë Sharp, whose top artist is indie-rock singer Mitski, agreed Spotify Wrapped was disappointing, but not because of the results.
“This version of Spotify Wrapped really fails in comparison to previous years, especially when you think of, like, all of the fun features that have been in previous Spotify Wrapped,” Sharp said. “It’s making me reconsider if I want to use Spotify as my music platform.”
Some students say they are unimpressed with their Spotify Wrapped results this year.
Spotify photo
Kylie Kelce
What’s In?
Kylie’s new podcast, “Not Gonna Lie,” debuted on Dec. 5 and quickly topped the podcast charts. Every Thursday, she shares personal stories and discusses topics like modern parenting, social media trends and women in sports.
Pilates
The gist of pilates is doing small continuous motions that target the lesser used muscles in your body. There is no equipment needed, and you get to lay on the floor. Do we need to say more?
Doechii
What’s Out?
Travis and Jason Kelce
The Kelce brothers went viral frequently this past year with podcast clips, clothing lines and in various commercials. This year, we’re hoping they’ll take a break from the spotlight and let Kylie make the calls.
Doechii, known for her TikTok hits “Yucky Blucky Fruitcake” and “What It Is (Block Boy),” has gained a high recognition after being featured on Tyler, The Creator’s latest album. This year, she’s the most nominated female rapper at the Grammys.
Saying No
“Girls”
Written By Lena Dunham in 2012, the HBO hit television series follows four millennial women in New York City trying to navigate their professional and personal relationships.
Saying “no” is not always a bad thing. It can empower you to set boundaries and prioritize your own well-being. So this year you shouldn’t be afraid to say no in certain situations.
Personal style
Personal style allows people to express their identities and who they are. It also helps encourage people to buy clothes that they will truly love and will wear for a long period of time, which helps reduce waste.
Waleska Cruz Co-Editor Lily Peaper Co-Editor
Cardio
Let’s think about our future selves. That morning run might get rid of the brain fog but you might also be doing some long-term damage to your joints. Find more balance.
Ice Spice
Ice Spice, a Grammy-nominated Bronx rapper, gained fame with her hit single “Munch (Feelin’ U)” and collaborations with artists like Taylor Swift, PinkPantheress and Nicki Minaj. Her popularity flopped after Cleotrapa criticized her on TikTok for the way she treated her.
“MrBeast Games”
Based on of the Netflix show “Squid Games,” MrBeast’s version of the game is just as bleak. Real people are competing for real cash prizes and willing to do almost whatever it takes to win. It highlights just how far individuals are willing to go for a buck.
People pleasing
Don’t you get tired of people pushing you around? People pleasing stops you from being your authentic self.
Microtrends
Microtrends promote fast fashion, leading to a lot of waste in the environment, which is so not cute. They also make it hard for people to stick to one style, and trends change rapidly.
Fun
Some worry potential change may do harm
Lily Peaper Co-Editor
Students and faculty said in January they are expecting big changes now that President Donald Trump has returned to office.
Trump has announced numerous efforts, including tariffs—a high tax on imported goods—that he plans to put into place during his second term in office.
“As soon as tariffs go into effect, everything is going to get super expensive,” Ev Dahl, a third-year transfer
studies student, said.
Dahl objected to Trump’s promise to stop public schools and federal employers from paying for gender-affirming care for trans students and employees.
“As a non-binary person, it’s scary,” Dahl said.
Ismael Tamayo Sanchez, a first-year electrician student, is worried that Trump might shut down the U.S. Department of Education.
“My mother … works for Anne Arundel County Public Schools, so I don’t know whether her job will be cut
because she’s a janitor,” Tamayo Sanchez said.
One AACC employee said the president’s “history with women could set a bad precendent for sexual violence survivors, knowing that you can become president of the United States even if you’ve assaulted women,” Katie Keys, AACC’s project director for sexual violence prevention, said.
Others, like Adara Metz, a first-year nursing student, said they are looking forward to some of Trump’s changes.
“Funding [in-vitro fertilization] and stuff, it is a big testament in his appreciation for the family unit and [his] appreciation for women,” Metz said.
Others on campus said the president’s policies will show immediate results.
“We’re going to see an economic change,” Andrea Cruz, a first-year nursing student, said. “Hopefully … it’s going to be more affordable for everyone.”
Students offer advice to AACC newcomers
Morgan Brown Contributor
Students returning to campus this semester say they wish they had known a few things before they started their first classes at AACC.
Specifically, they said their first few weeks might have gone better if they had known how to navigate the campus, make friends and choose the right classes.
“If you want to make it on time to your class, come 10 minutes early,” Dorothea Wilson, a first-year business administration student, said.
Chess teaches useful academic, life skills
Divine Mesumbe Contributor
AACC students and faculty who play chess say the game can help with critical thinking skills and planning ahead.
Kenneth Gilliard, AACC’s student success and retention adviser, said students who play chess can learn lessons from the game that can help them navigate college.
“Chess itself teaches a lot of stuff,” Gilliard, who sometimes plays chess with students, said. “What people don’t realize is that [chess] parallels the things that
they do [in college].”
Gilliard said chess can help students improve their problem-solving skills and memories and boost their cognitive abilities.
“You have to be creative [and] you have to be focused” when playing chess, which can improve concentration, Gilliard said.
Third-year education student AJ Cosgrove agreed.
“I tutor kids, especially in math, and it’s a great game for creative problem-solving [and] strategic thinking,” Cosgrove, who learned to play as a member of the chess club in high school, said. “Math uses
some of those same” skills.
According to Gilliard, chess is a “multifaceted” game that can teach students to think “multiple steps ahead” in life.
“It teaches responsibility and consequences,” Gilliard said. “You have to think [of the] big picture.”
Jacob Waksmunski, a second-year transfer studies student who has been playing chess since elementary school, agreed.
“It makes you think much harder,” Waksmunski said. “It gets your brain working.”
Noah Tolman, a second-year kinesiology stu-
Wilson advised students to arrive even earlier to get a decent parking spot. Some students said they wished they knew how crowded the parking lots were at the beginning of the semester.
“It’s really helpful, because if you go [early] you will know … [the] campuses [and] different locations, like where the library is, for example, or where the bookstore is,” Shirly Castro, a second-year education student, said.
Castro, who admitted she skipped the college’s pre-semester orientations, recalled
getting lost often during her first two weeks on the main campus.
Some students, like third-year creative writing and psychology student Zoë Sharp, said students can make friends by joining campus clubs.
“You can just show up to any club and you don’t have to go back if it’s not the vibe that you’re looking for,” said Sharp, who is the editor of AACC’s arts journal, Amaranth.
Other students said they wished they hadn’t signed up for online classes.
dent who took up chess during the pandemic, said he started to plan ahead more after playing chess.
“It’s good for, like, strategy and thinking long-term,” Tolman said.
Tolman, who admitted he “never really studied
much” before taking up the game, said chess improved his study skills.
Benjamin Broomfield, a dual-enrolled student, agreed chess requires discipline, which can translate into improved academic performance.
Third-year student Zoë Sharp says joining a campus club can help first-year students feel at home.
Photo courtesy of Swoop Squad
Students find that chess helps them retain valuable information.
Photo by Lily Peaper
Some students say they fear the changes the president will make, while others look forward to them. Smithsonian Institution photo
Online dating: ‘It was so bad’
Lily Peaper Co-Editor
AACC students said they have trouble meeting romantic partners on dating apps.
Online dating sites like Tinder, Bumble and Hinge sit at the top of Apple’s must-have apps list. These apps allow singles to match with other individuals in their area with similar things in common.
“You got to be the best version of yourself immediately or it’s just out the window,” Izzy Martin, a second-year transfer studies student, said. “It’s like ‘does this person catch my attention immediately’ or ‘do I never [want to] talk to them?’”
Dating apps allow each user to create a profile for potential matches to come across. This usually consists of one to 10 photos and a short bio.
Users swipe right if they are interested and left if they are not to find potential matches. Singles only can match with someone who has swiped right on them.
According to a study by the Pew Research Institute, one in 10 partnered adults met their significant others on a dating app.
“I look for [good] bios,”
Marcy Cox, a second-year psychology student, said. “I will only swipe on someone if I have something in common with them that I know we can talk about.”
Cox noted she doesn’t think most people go about it that way. “That’s why they don’t really work for me,” Cox said.
Research from Business of Apps shows Bumble has around 58 million users, and 25% of those users have met up with someone they found on the platform.
Martin recalled a time
while on the way to a firstdate, the date called to cancel because of a death in the family.
“How was I to reschedule that?” Martin said. “‘Hey! Are you over your dad dying yet?’”
Christopher Robinson, a second-year transfer studies student, has had slightly more success on the apps.
“This girl was trying to [hook up] on the first date and … I was being oblivious to it,” Robinson said. “She approached me saying, ‘Want to go back to your place?’ I’m like, ‘Well my room is kind of dirty.’ She said we could go to her house, but I told her ‘I had to cook.’ … It was so bad.”
Dating apps might not
be for everyone.
“For me to get any connection with somebody it takes years of building a solid understanding of each other,” Kendra Reese, a first-year environmental studies student, said. “I generally just don’t like putting all of my romantic information out there in the first place.”
Some students say they didn’t have success while using dating apps such as Tinder.
Photo by Waleska Cruz
Students build parts for Aug. NASA rocket
Jose Gonzalez Co-Editor
Twelve students are building a robotic arm and two other experimental devices to put on a rocket that NASA will launch 100 miles into the Earth’s atmosphere in August.
NASA’s RockSat-X program invites community college and university students from around the country to submit experiments for an annual launch, according to first-year engineering student Arnia Goode.
“I believe they fly about 30 experiments [on the rock-
et],” Goode said, “and they’re kind of all stacked on top of each other, where each college or team gets a deck, which is about like a 5 footby-2 foot space to build, kind of, whatever experiment they think is relevant … or something that you’re interested in studying.”
The AACC RockSat-X team started from word of mouth after Goode and Ryan Schrenk, an engineer with more than 10 years of experience with space payload missions, got permission from AACC to start the club and advertise it to other established clubs like the Super Science
Club, according to Goode.
The group is advised by Schrenk and Lance Bowen, dean of the School of Science, Technology and Education.
The team spent the fall semester planning three experiments: a claw-like robotic arm, an accelerometer, which collects data like radiation in space and force of gravity, and three thermistors covered with different insulating materials to see which one works best.
Goode said the group should finish all experiments by May, when NASA will inspect and approve them to go on the sounding rocket.
The AACC RockSat-X team is building three components, including a claw-like robotic arm, for a NASA rocket launch in August.
Photo courtesy of Arnia Goode
A sounding rocket leaves the Earth’s atmosphere for approximately 10 minutes, Bryant Pepe, a fourth-year earth science student, said.
“It goes up at an angle, hits a high point and comes back down,” Pepe explained.
According to Goode, the team has access to a lab space on the third floor of CALT, which includes 3D printers, soldering equipment and milling machines, to work
on their experiments. The approximate cost of the experiments will be $5,000, according to Goode. The team also received $15,000 in funding by the Maryland Space Grant to cover for testing, fees to participate in the launch and travel expenses.
Still, the project is early in development and a lot is “to be determined,” according to Academic Chair for physical science Deborah Levine.
New organization for sign language starts
Divine Mesumbe Contributor
A new club gets students together to practice their American Sign Language skills outside of class.
ASL Club President Haille Treadway, a second-year ASL student, started the organization in the fall to give students a space to practice their sign language skills outside of the classroom.
“A lot of students think they can do this alone,” Treadway said. “That’s really not the case.”
Treadway started learning ASL during the COVID-19 pandemic because she “always had an interest in lan-
Esports player, coach start up defunct club
A media production student and the coach of AACC’s Esports team came together to revive the Esports Club last semester.
Club President Kyle Lynch, a second-year student, collaborated with coach Conway Johnson, who was president of the old Esports Club, which fell apart during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“COVID kind of threw a wrench in everything,” Johnson said. “The goal is to get a healthy … fully student-run Esports Club back up and running again the way it used to. … It’s going to take time.”
The Esports Club is not officially affiliated with the college’s Esports team, which is part of AACC Athletics. Still Johnson, who is the club’s staff adviser, said the two are “intertwined,”’ and noted that both organizations share the same
space in CALT Room 215.
“The Esports team focuses on [the] Athletics Department and our competitions, whereas the Esports Club focuses on our, like, in-house [activities],” Lynch said.
Before the pandemic, the Esports Club had approximately 30 to 50 regulars coming to its five-hour open labs. However, the pandemic “effectively kill[ed]” the club because none of the regulars stayed in the club
guages” and had a lot of extra time. During that time, Treadway said, she didn’t have anyone to practice with.
“ASL is not only a language, it is a community and a culture,” Treadway said. “With ASL, the deaf community … and the language itself are so heavily interconnected. You can’t really take one without understanding the other.”
Treadway said the purpose of the club is not to teach ASL, but rather give students with existing knowledge of the language a chance to practice with others.
Both hearing and deaf
students can participate in the club if they are interested in learning ASL and want to find a community to practice with or resources to learn.
“I’ve had multiple people who approached me on, like, the interest of trying to learn … ASL or get involved with the community,” Treadway said. “It’s been nice to see, just, the community growing and people having more interest in something that unfortunately goes unrecognized.”
Treadway said there are “so many amazing teachers here on campus.”
The college is offering three ASL courses this semester.
The Esports Club returned last semester for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
and no new members were joining, Johnson said. Still, every member of the Esports team is also a
member of the Esports Club, according to Lynch, even though joining is optional. Anybody can join the club.
The ASL club formed in fall for students to have a space to practice sign language.
Photo by Divine Mesumbe
Divine Mesumbe Contributor
Photo by Divine Mesumbe
2nd Black Box series puts on student plays
Tomi Brunton Ayla Cole Contributors
A group of students will direct, produce and act in four to six student-written short plays this spring for AACC’s returning Black Box Series.
The student directors, selected by AACC Theater over winter break, will hold open auditions on Jan. 31. The students, including actors, stage managers, designers and tech, will rehearse for three weeks before the show.
“It’s a community you build up really fast,” Madeline Austin, a theater professor who helps organize the shows, said. “It’s a great way to have a lot of fun.”
This is the second year in a row AACC Theater has organized the Black Box Series, and Austin said she plans for it to be an annual event.
“Last year was so successful; there was such enthusiasm for it,” Austin said.
She added the series is a good opportunity for students to try new things outside their comfort zones.
“I love it when someone comes up to me and says, ‘I’ve put a play in,’ and a friend says, ‘I’m going to direct’ or ‘I’m going to try sound, let me try sound,’”
Austin said. It’s great “to get students … the opportunity to have such a positive, creative experience that will, you know, affect them.”
Second-year theater stu-
dent Olivia Comeau, who participated in Black Box last year, said it was “awesome” for “encouraging students’ creativity.”
“We were almost sold out for both nights,” she said. “The community received it really well.”
Comeau said “every part of [the Black Box Series] was amazing,” but her favorite part was “the time frame. Theater is amazing, but fulllength plays are a huge time commitment. It was nice that it didn’t suck up all my time.”
Second-year legal studies student Jackson Darrow, who directed one of the shows last year, called the experience “interesting.”
“I had acted for six years
but never directed,” Darrow said. “It kind of helped me realize the thought process of the directors of the shows I had done.”
The series gets its name from black box theater, a type of show performed in small venues with black-painted
walls and minimal props. Between the shows, the AACC improv club, Overcast Improv, will entertain the crowd.
The show will run in Humanities 112 on Feb. 28 and March 1 at 7 p.m., and on March 2 at 2 p.m.
Performers audition for springtime shows
Lily Peaper Co-Editor
AACC’s Department of Performing Arts is gearing up for its spring performances.
AACC Theater will present “Museum,” a play by Tina Howe, while Opera AACC will take on a more expansive production with Jake Heggie and Terrence McNally’s opera, “Dead Man Walking.”
AACC’s Overcast Improv will host three shows throughout the semester.
“‘Museum’ actually came to us from one of the students we had,” Sean Urbantke, a theater professor, said. “I hadn’t thought about doing anything like it. [It follows] the last day of a modern art museum exhibit … and you witness dozens of characters come through the space, and
you just witness a little slice of their lives.”
The theater department has invited alumni as guest artists to direct the show.
Urbantke will hold auditions for “Museum” in the last week of January.
Still, Urbantke said, the opera program “are the ones doing the more musical-inspired pieces this semester.”
Opera AACC will produce “Dead Man Walking,” in March. The show is based on the real-life work of Sister Helen Prejean, an advocate for the abolition of the death penalty.
“Considering the incumbent president’s vow to reinstate the federal death penalty, I feel even more strongly that the urgent and thoughtful conversations in our families, communities
Musician drops debut album
Jose Gonzalez Co-Editor
A first-year undecided student released his first album of original alternative rock songs in November.
Bennett Terhune, who goes by dj tetrapod, said he has been into music since a very young age.
“I’ve been doing mu-
sic since, like, elementary school,” Terhune said. “I started with saxophone, and then guitar, because my dad played guitar, and then, like, you know, producing and stuff … I’ve just been doing it for a really long time.”
Terhune has played drums for two bands, an experimental hip-hop group called Mob Mental and a
hardcore punk band, Slag Dump. According to Terhune, Slag Dump has played shows at small venues in Washington and Baltimore for “anyone that will let us play.”
The name dj tetrapod is “kind of a joke,” Terhune said.
Terhune categorized his music as alternative hip-hop.
He also added he’s not an actual DJ, but uses the initials
in his stage name because he samples music.
Terhune released his album, “tpod planet,” on Nov. 9, his 20th birthday. “I knew that I needed to put it out,” Terhune said. “I was spending just so much time working on it.”
Terhune added he is making music videos for some songs on “tpod planet.”
and world needs to be given light and grace,” Douglas Byerly, a music professor and the show’s director, said in an email. “No matter what your stance on the death penalty is, we all need to work on forgiveness and healing.”
The cast consists of AACC students, alumni, professionals and adjunct faculty members. Performances will take place the third weekend of March in the Kauffman Theater.
The student club Overcast Improv will perform during AACC Theater’s Black Box Series—a program of brief one-act plays written and directed by students—in February. Club leaders Éva Parry and Jason Kalshoven said the troupe will put on two more shows.
First-year undecided student Bennett
releases his first album.
Former student Dax Goetia, left, and Overcast Improv President Éva Parry perform in last year’s Black Box presentation.
Photo by Mason Hood
Overcast Improv Vice President Jason Kalshoven, left, and student Cameron Millar perform at Overcast Improv’s December show.
Photo by Finch Cobb
Terhune
Photo courtesy of Bennett Terhune
New coaches start for for 2 women’s teams
Jose Gonzalez Co-Editor
The Riverhawks have two new coaches: one for women’s golf—a brand-new team—and one for women’s cross country, which was disbanded in December 2022 and will restart in August.
Mandy Jellerichs, an adjunct professor in health, fitness and exercise studies, will start as the women’s cross country coach in August.
“I’m extremely excited,” Jellerichs said. “I have the passion for running and to
be able to support the women to become student athletes and grow as individuals, as well as athletes.”
Jellerichs previously coached soccer at Houston Christian High School in Texas. She was also the triathlon club head coach at the University of Tennessee.
In addition to teaching at AACC, Jellerichs teaches a class at the YMCA next to the main campus called Pedals for Parkinsons for those who suffer from the disease. She has also been a guide for blind runners in the last seven New York City Marathons
through Achilles International, a charity supporting runners with disabilities.
Jellerichs said she hopes the cross country team’s first season will be successful.
“A winning record is always a goal,” Jellerichs said. “But I think staying positive and just wanting to continue to grow the team would be great.”
Mike Rice, a golf coach at Perryville High School in Cecil County, will coach the new women’s golf team this semester.
“It’s a great opportunity,” Rice, a retired Baltimore
narcotics detective who is retired from the U.S. Marine Corps, said. “I’ve been trying to promote women’s golf for the last couple years, getting, you know, younger girls into golfing. There’s so much opportunity out there for scholarships and, you know, play-
ing in leagues and so on.” Rice said he is “pumped” for the start of the Riverhawks’ women’s golf season, adding, “This is a great opportunity for women’s golf.” Athletic Director Duane Herr said he’s “really excited” for the two coaches to begin.
Soccer player makes NJCAA All-American
Jose Gonzalez Co-Editor
The National Junior College Athletic Association’s Division II All-American team lists an AACC women’s soccer player.
Tina Tinelli, a second-year defender, is the first women’s soccer player at AACC to earn an All-American spot since midfielder Ally Hall and defender Asylin Weseman in 2022. Tinelli was listed as one of four defenders on the team.
“It’s definitely a very great honor to have been selected,” Tinelli, a cybersecurity student, said. “But I
Training for baseball, softball starts in Jan.
Jose Gonzalez Co-Editor
Two spring sports— baseball and softball—began practicing this month.
Nick Hoffner will coach the baseball team for a fifth year in a row. The Riverhawks will boast a roster of 28 players, including 11 returners.
“We had a bunch of guys that had good seasons last year,” Hoffner said. “We got a bunch of guys that had some really nice years as freshmen. So looking for them to
follow it up this spring with an even better season.”
The baseball team will play 56 games not including playoffs.
Last year, the ’Hawks made it to the final four of the National Junior College Athletic Association Region 20 Division II tournament, losing 5-4 to Community College of Baltimore County Catonsville.
“That was the second year in a row we’ve made the final four,” Hoffner said. “So looking to not only get back to the final four, but, you
know, get past there.”
Griffin Klein, a second-year kinesiology student, said he hopes for the team to have good communication and for the coach to “help us improve.”
Klein, a returning catcher, added: “I want to stay healthy and just be consistent, and bring good energy to the team.”
Nicco Holland, a second-year criminal justice student, agreed, adding you “always expect to do better than you did last year.”
The baseball team's first
definitely couldn’t have done it without my teammates. Just the team this year, it was just really great … I definitely would not have been able to do it without them.”
Tinelli, the team captain, finished her season with four goals and four assists, including an assist in a 4-3 win vs. Mercer Community College in the NJCAA Division II East District championship match.
Tinelli was also part of the NJCAA Region 20 team, along with second-year midfielder Makenzie Boyd and first-year forward Emma Miga, and first-year defender and honorable mention Eden Abey.
Still, Tinelli said some of her other teammates deserve an All-American spot more than she does.
“It was definitely a great honor to have been selected,” Tinelli said. “It still kind of blows my mind that I was selected, because there were at least two or three other girls on the team that I could name that really contributed in big ways this year.”
Jim Griffiths, the women’s soccer head coach, said Tinelli was deserving of the achievement.
“As a coach, you’re always going to be happy when one of your players receives attention,” Griffiths said.
game is on Feb. 1 at Surry Community College.
The softball season will begin March 5 at Chesapeake College.
Guy Klingensmith will coach the softball team for the ninth year in a row.
According to Klingensmith, the softball team, with six players, including two returners, doesn’t have enough players yet.
Still, Klingensmith said he’s “excited to get things going.”
coach Mike Rice, left, and cross country coach Mandy Jellerichs.
Photos courtesy of AACC Athletics
Tina Tinelli, left, a second-year Riverhawks defender, is part of the National Junior College Athletic Association’s Division II All-American women’s soccer team.
Photo courtesy of AACC Athletics
AACC’s baseball and softball teams started practicing this month for their spring season. Shown, assistant softball coach Jayden Buchanan.
Photo by Finch Cobb