May 2018 Issue

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TheCampusCurrent.com

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@Campus_Current

Special Report

Campus Life

Sports

Women say receiving

Campus joins ‘Fortnite’

Men’s and Women’s

dick pics is harassment,

craze; 1/4 of students

Lacrosse look forward to

but common

play, poll says

postseason

Page 9

Page 16

Page 19

May 2018

Harassment at Arnold low, says campus poll Roxanne Ready Editor-in-Chief Slightly more than half of AACC students say they have been sexually harassed, but fewer than 4 percent claim they have been harassed on campus, according to a Campus Current survey.

Ex-student sues AACC over race

Of the 338 students Campus Current surveyed across the Arnold campus in April, slightly more than 51 percent said they have been sexually harassed. But only 12 students said they were harassed on campus.

According to AACC’s Public Relations and Mar-

Continued on Page 3

See last month’s web headlines at TheCampusCurrent.com

Continued on Page 10

Olivia Callahan will graduate on May 24, along with about 2,000 other students.

Photo by Mary Kane

Approximately 2,006 students will graduate from AACC on May 24.

Between 500 and 600 students will participate in the commencement ceremony on the athletic practice field on the Arnold campus

2 run for office as SGA leader Ashley Sokolowski Reporter A third-year visual design student and a first-year business management student are running for Student Government Association president.

Farm animals on campus for Earth Day celebration

Campus Current surveyed 338 students across the Arnold campus in April. More than half said they have been harassed, but fewer than 4 percent said it happened on campus.

Photo by Raquel Hamner

Graduation ceremony honors new graduates Ashley Sokolowski Reporter

Roxanne Ready Editor-in-Chief A former student of AACC’s Physician Assistant Certificate program sued the college on March 3 for racial and disability discrimination.

Keshea Tyrell claims in the lawsuit that AACC professors treated her unfairly and eventually dismissed her from the program because she is black and her professors wrongly believed her to be disabled.

The lawsuit, which Tyrell filed in the U.S. District Court for Maryland, requests that the court direct AACC to reinstate Tyrell into the program, pay for her court fees and grant her “other and further relief” as “her cause may warrant.”

“All she wants is her

keting office, the college received 13 official complaints about sexual harassment between 2015 and 2018—an average of three reports per year. Most incidents were between students, although one 2017 report and another

AACC students will elect Jesseca Greene or Jacob Smith during voting from April 30 to May 4.

The SGA president represents the student body and acts as a go-between for

Continued on Page 5

Maryland Judges speak up about walkouts

under a white tent.

AACC holds a graduation ceremony only once a year, so some graduates who will participate in the ceremony received their diplomas at the end of the summer or fall semesters.

“I’m kind of nervous, because I just want to pass all my classes and stuff and get

it over with,” Olivia Callahan, a third-year graduating communications student, said. “I am excited, too.”

Students completing their final semester in May will receive their diplomas by mail around June 30. Graduates do not receive diplomas

Continued on Page 4

Third-year visual design student Jesseca Greene debates first-year business student Jacob Smith about their Student Government Association presidential platforms. Vote on The Nest April 30 to May 4.

Photo by Raquel Hamner In April, we reported that the Chick-fil-A and Subway on the Arnold campus give discounts to students with IDs. They do not.

Campus Current apologizes for the error.

2 | Campus Current | 2018 | May

Editorial

Letter from the editor

Meet the Staff

Editor-in-Chief

Roxanne Ready

Digital Editor

Daniel Salomon Graphic Designer

Mary Kane Photography Editor

Raquel Hamner Sports Editor

Vincent Moreland social media manager

Sarah Noble

Newsroom Manager

Michael Garvey Reporters

Derrick Browne Olivia Callahan Isaiah Smith Ashley Sokolowski Faculty Adviser

Sharon O’Malley

Photographers on page 1, top

Daniel Salomon Roxanne Ready Gerald M. Maravanyika

Twitter

@campus_current Facebook

Facebook.com/ CampusCurrentPaper Instagram

campuscurrentaacc

It’s hard to believe another school year has already come and gone.

As you look ahead, you may be thinking about summer break as a time to relax or work full time while you wait to restart classes in fall.

Or maybe you’re graduating, and you’re wondering about your next step, whether that is a four-year university or a job in your chosen field.

Whatever is on your mind, I want to encourage you to set new goals and keep them as a guiding light as you say goodbye to another year and look ahead to the future.

It’s natural to want a break after the stress of finals and the excitement of gradu-

ation, and I think it’s healthy to take one—but it can be alltoo easy to get stuck in that mindset long-term. Before you know it, you may find yourself adrift, unsure of your next move.

So my advice is to keep setting goals. Once you reach a goal, set another, and just keep climbing from one to the next until you’re on top of the world.

If you’re not sure what goal to set, just pick one. You might change your mind later, but at least you’ll be veering in a new direction instead of starting from a dead stop.

Sometimes we put so much pressure on ourselves to get it right the first time, we forget changing our minds isn’t the end of the world.

Take it from me: I came

grown in ways I’d never back to community coleven considered. lege after I’d gotten a Now, I’m bachelor’s degree on my way and discovered to graduate that my chosen school for a field wasn’t for new career, me, after all. with new For a while, goals ahead to I got stuck. I guide me. I’m stopped setting excited, invigogoals and tried to Bra nd on Hamilton rated and ready be content where I for new challenges. was. And I thought I had But I wouldn’t be here if I to keep doing what I’d studied for to justify all the time I’d hadn’t decided to keep trying to grow and learn and be true put into it.

But I realized I would to myself. I learned it’s the never be happy that way, so goals that keep me motivated.

So thank you, AACC, for I came to AACC to look for a being an invaluable stepping new direction.

My time at AACC has been stone for so many of us. And nothing short of life-chang- congratulations to this year’s ing. I found a community graduates who are moving and a sense of purpose right on to the next stone on their here at Campus Current. I’ve paths. y ob

Alexandra Radovic

Roxanne Ready Editor-in-Chief

t Pho

Associate Editor

Keep moving toward your goals

Don’t let harassers get away with it: Speak up Editorial Board Former AACC student Sarah Sutherland said she used to avoid groups of men as she walked into class so they wouldn’t yell unwanted comments to her.

The cat-calling was at its worst when she wore revealing clothes, which some men, Sutherland said, seemed to take as an invitation for sexual harassment.

It’s not.

“How hard is it to understand that sexual comments and actions are not wanted unless they’re asked for?

It’s that simple,” Sutherland asked.

Still, she never reported the cat-calling to campus authorities, she said. In fact, most people who experience sexual harassment tend to keep it to themselves.

You’ll read elsewhere in this month’s Campus Current that—in a 338-person survey—only 32 of the 164 students who told us they have been sexually harassed spoke up to report it.

That sends the message that roughly 80 percent of students consider sexual harassment acceptable, are afraid to report it, or think the offense isn’t a big enough deal to report, perhaps.

We want to encourage you to report it anyway.

Of the 12 students in that big campus survey who said they were sexually harassed here on campus, only three reported it.

Sexual harassment can be difficult to define, and it may not feel as serious as physical assault, but that doesn’t make it acceptable for students to stay silent.

Problems cannot be solved through silence. And students shouldn’t excuse unsolicited, unwanted sexual comments and actions that jeopardize their personal sense of security.

The teal ribbon represents sexual violence awareness. Most people do not report when they are sexually harassed.

Graphic courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

If you feel uncomfortable, don’t shy away and brush it under the rug. That will only encourage future harassment and blind offenders to the necessary consequences.

If you see something, say something. And if you feel uneasy, return the favor to the harasser.

Victims are only victims if they accept defeat.

AACC should pride itself on creating a comfortable and inviting sense of campus life that doesn’t let sexual harassment hold students back from getting a good education or participating in campus events.

As the 2018 Riverhawk grads leave the nest and fly to their four-year universities next fall, they shouldn’t go in fear. They should not accept sexual harassment there as a routine part of campus life just because they’re going to a larger school.

Instead, they should be prepared to report offenses of sexual harassment and to demand nothing less than the comfort and safety that they found at AACC as they continue their education.

On Pages 9 through 12, you’ll read a series of articles about sexual harassment, inspired by the Campus Current survey and intended to raise awareness about the issue.

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May 2018 | Campus Current | 3

News

Past AACC student files discrimination lawsuit Continued from page 1 degree,” Ashley Bosche, one of Tyrell’s lawyers, told Campus Current. “She filed this lawsuit because she felt like she was left with no other option … to pursue her dreams.”

In the lawsuit, Tyrell says she has sickle cell anemia. This disease is most commonly found in the U.S. among people of African descent or who identify themselves as black, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.

According to the lawsuit, professor Timothy Parker— the academic coordinator of the Physician Assistant Program—“prodded” Tyrell to tell him she has the disease after a lecture about the topic, and then shared that information with other faculty and staff members without her permission.

Shortly afterward, both Parker and Mary Jo Bondy, who was then the interim pro-

gram director, counseled her to consider a different career because of her disease rather than complete the program, according the lawsuit.

In April 2017, Tyrell failed a test called the Objective Structured Clinical Examination, the lawsuit says.

According to the complaint, 16 of the 62 students who took the test failed it, but all except Tyrell—the only black student in the group—either retook the test and passed or completed a one-day course so they could continue in the program.

AACC told Tyrell she must retake the entire semester because she was on academic probation, but no one had previously informed her that she was, according to the lawsuit.

The complaint also alleges that not only was her probation because of an incorrectly keyed pathopharmacology exam—professors denied her appeal

for correction of the grade, she claims—but 16 other students who were also on academic probation were allowed to proceed.

Tyrell’s lawsuit says she filed an official complaint of discrimination with Elizabeth Appel, the dean of the School of Health Sciences, in June. Appel forwarded the complaint to AACC’s compliance officer, but the document says Tyrell never heard any findings.

In July, Tyrell complained again, this time through a lawyer, and AACC’s lawyers responded with denial of the complaints and a threat to countersue, the lawsuit says.

In August, Tyrell retook and passed the OSCE, but professor Donny Ard, a lecturer in the physician assistant program, said in September that she had cheated, according to the legal document. Ard also brought up Tyrell’s previous discrimination complaint when making

Former AACC student Keshea Tyrell filed a racial and disability discrimination lawsuit against the college at Maryland’s District Court.

Photo courtesy of lvglawfirm.com the claim, the lawsuit says.

AACC’s Academic Integrity Committee, a panel of faculty and students unrelated to the Physician Assistant Certificate program, found in October Tyrell had not cheated, the document says.

“I think that’s very telling because her other complaints kind of fell on deaf ears, and that’s because she was complaining within the [physician assistant] program,” Bosche told Campus Current.

AACC sent Tyrell a letter in December saying it was dismissing her from the program, the lawsuit says. The letter said she had failed one of her courses because of an

incomplete assignment, according to the complaint.

But Tyrell said she submitted the work three hours after it was due, and a white student who also submitted her assignment after the deadline did not receive a failing grade, the lawsuit claims.

The lawsuit says Tyrell appealed her dismissal to the Committee on Progression— of which Parker is a member—but it denied her appeal.

AACC must respond to the lawsuit by May 9, according to a court order.

Parker and representatives for AACC declined to comment on the case for this article.

Coffee with the Current Free coffee and newspapers!

Meet us Monday, May 7th, on the Quad

Congratulations

Class of 2018 from

4 | Campus Current | 2018 | May

News

Mandatory orientation sessions coming in fall Alexandra Radovic Associate Editor Graduating high school students will need to attend an orientation before starting classes at AACC, beginning this May. The new orientation requirement is for students who graduate from high school in 2018 and come directly to AACC in the fall, according to Danielle Brookhart, the coordinator of new student engagement.

Students in the Early College Access Program— also known as Jump Start— who have taken classes here while in high school will not need to attend a mandatory orientation.

The requirement is de-

signed to help connect with students earlier in their enrollment processes, Brookhart said.

“We want students to see [attending] orientation as something that is as natural as taking a placement test or registering for classes,” said Brookhart. “The goal is not to put any barriers in place, but to better prepare new students for college at AACC.” Brookhart said AACC will offer five in-person orientation sessions in May and June for 2018 high school graduates and more sessions in July and August.

Although AACC still offers online orientations, Brookhart said the college is not advertising them for new students, because “we real-

ly want students to come on campus.”

If students are unable to come to campus in person, they can submit requests to Brookhart, who said she will handle them on a case-bycase basis.

Students do not need to register prior to the orientations to attend them, Brookhart said, although AACC admissions staff offer placement testing, advising and registration on Anne Arundel County high school campuses.

During the new required orientation sessions, students will meet in groups of a common “field of interest”—a new grouping of courses beginning this fall—with faculty liaisons from those fields,

according to Brookhart.

“It’s an opportunity to get our students excited about the programs they’ve chosen … and, really, to meet other students,” Brookhart said.

“Having students meet in groups will help them make friends and not be so nervous about coming here,” Michaela Randle, a second-year

event planning and catering student, said.

Kyle Martin, a second-year business administration student who attended orientation in 2016, said he doesn’t remember much of his orientation.

“This sounds like it would help students get more out of orientation,” said Martin.

start college.’ And it went pretty smooth for my first day. Surprisingly, nobody One of AACC’s young- knew my age until maybe est students—a 15-year-old week five [or] week six.”

Come fall 2018, Tortransfer studies student— will graduate with the Class rington will study aviation at Ohio State University. of 2018 on May 24.

“Piloting has always Third-year student Torbeen somerington Davis thing that Ford started “He has not has intrigued studying scilost his identity; Torence at AACC he still holds on to me,” rington said. when he was his youth.”

“I have al12 years old. ways paid “[On] my —Tarita Ford attention to first day … I wasn’t nervous but more like stuff that could fly.

“If you put three toys in excited,” Torrington recalled.

“I was like, you know, ‘I’m front of me—a G.I. Joe, a car about to start my journey, and a plane—you can scoot

those two over and give me the plane. I would play with it all day. So, piloting has always … just been a part of me.”

Torrington’s mother, Tarita Ford, is always on campus with him.

“I have enjoyed watching him blossom here on campus,” Ford explained. “But to actually watch him tackle his course work, stay on task, stay focused and at the same time [still be] a typical 13, 14, 15 year old. He has not lost his identity; he still holds on to his youth.”

Torrington will graduate from high school on May 25, the day after he graduates from AACC.

15 year old graduates, prepares for university Ashley Sokolowski Reporter

Third-year transfer studies student Torrington Davis Ford—shown here with his mother, Tarita Ford—is graduating from AACC at 15 years old, the day before he graduates from high school.

Photo by Gerald M. Maravanyika

Class of 2018 readies for May 24 graduation Continued from Page 1 during commencement.

All graduates will receive five tickets to invite friends and family to watch them walk across stage during the ceremony.

“My time here at AACC is always going to have a special place in my heart,” Johnathan O’Dea, the president of the Student Government

Association and a graduating student, said.

As in all past commencement ceremonies, graduating students will cross the stage as they hear their names, and then they will pose for photographs with AACC President Dawn Lindsay.

Students will have the opportunity to purchase their photos after graduation.

Commencement will

Students coming from high school to AACC for the first time will be required to attend orientation sessions, says Danielle Brookhart, the coordinator of new student engagement.

Photo by Mary Kane

take place rain or shine from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

After the ceremony, the college will host graduates, family and friends at a reception in the SUN Dining Hall.

AACC, like the county’s public high schools, will have the option to host future commencement ceremonies at the new Live! Casino and Hotel complex in Arundel Mills.

The campus bookstore sells caps and gowns and graduation souvenirs. Commencement will be on the Arnold practice field at 7 p.m. on May 24, rain or shine.

Photo by Mary Kane

May 2018 | Campus Current | 5

News

College, former admin settle gender lawsuit Roxanne Ready Editor-in-Chief AACC and a former administrator in April settled a lawsuit claiming the college discriminated against him because he was a man.

A U.S. District Court judge on April 11 dismissed the lawsuit because the two parties settled. The court order is final because it forbids the accuser from filing another case about the same complaint.

Starting next semester, SGA officers and senators will receive stipends for their time. Shown here are Jacob Smith (left), Johnathan O’Dea, Michael Santos and Morgan Mitchell.

Photo courtesy of George Mason

Dr. Richard Cerkovnik, a former special assistant to the vice president for learning and the former chair of the Physical Science Department, sued the college’s Board of Trustees in November 2016 for nearly $2.4 million.

He claimed in the suit that AACC passed him over for a promotion because of his gender, and then assigned him too much work.

In the lawsuit, Cerkovnik said the college’s “preference for only female leaders re-

sulted in [his] being denied promotions based solely on his gender.”

Cerkovnik also claimed in the document that “less-qualified white female candidates” were appointed to higher positions he had also applied for.

According to the complaint, AACC administrators also refused to relieve Cerkovnik of his other duties when he became leader of the National STEM Consortium, a 10-community-col-

Roxanne Ready Editor-in-Chief

AACC students already pay when registering for classes.

Of SGA’s six officers, four will receive the new $250 stipend: the executive vice president, the vice president of finance, the vice president of public relations and the vice president of non-traditional student affairs.

The other two already earn pay: the SGA president earns $9.25 an hour for up to 20 hours per week, and the CAB president earns $9.25 an hour for up to 15 hours per week. The president also receives full tuition reimbursement.

The SGA executive board,

students and the student government.

Greene is the vice president of the ESports Club and an SGA senator.

lege alliance that advocates for science, technology, engineering and math education—despite a requirement connected to a federal grant the college receives.

Cerkovnik, who is now the director of the Montgom-

ery College STEM Initiative, worked at AACC from 1989 until 2015.

AACC’s lawyers declined to comment, and neither Cerkovnik nor his lawyers returned requests for comment.

which includes all SGA senators and officers, voted for pay in March.

“All members of SGA, they do a lot of work,” said CAB President Cynthia Murphy. “The stipends are a way to … show them that we really appreciate them and all the work that they’re putting in.”

Murphy also said many students serve for only one semester, and stipends might encourage students to stay in the positions longer.

SGA President Johnathan O’Dea said he hopes the stipends will make more students want to be senators.

“I don’t think I’ve ever

seen us fill all 15 senator positions since I’ve been here,” O’Dea said. “It would be nice to have more people get involved, because they’re an important position.”

The SGA, CAB and Campus Current are the only student organizations with paid student staff members, according to Chris Storck, the director of student engagement. In addition, the student member of the college’s Board of Trustees receives half tuition reimbursement.

SGA officials will get pay in fall Student Government Association officers and senators will earn pay this fall for the first time.

The SGA president and the president of the Campus Activities Board—a student club that coordinates many on-campus activities for the SGA—already receive pay.

But this is the first time other student officials will.

Officers in the SGA will receive $250 per semester, while senators will earn $150.

The money will come from the student activity fee that

Candidates for student president run for office Continued from Page 1

A judge in April dismissed the lawsuit between AACC and a former administrator because the parties reached a settlement.

“I feel like there is this gap between SGA and the students,” Greene said. “Personally, I want to bridge that gap.”

To help close the gap between the SGA and students,

Jesseca Greene, the vice president of the ESports Club and an SGA senator, says she wants to bridge the gap between the SGA and students.

Photo by Raquel Hamner

Greene said she wants to create workshops and video tutorials to teach members of campus clubs how to better use The Nest, an online platform for club activity.

She said she also wants to make tutorials to help students learn how to propose a budget when it is time to ask the SGA for funding.

As president, Greene said she would get the word out to other clubs about the assistance the SGA can offer them.

Smith is the president of the student club AACC Adventure Society and the vice president of public relations for the SGA. He said he wants to give students the chance to respond and help make decisions by posting information about the SGA’s initiatives on its Facebook page.

Read a longer version of this article online at TheCampusCurrent.com

Jacob Smith, the president of the AACC Adventure Society and an SGA officer, says he wants to give students a voice on campus.

Photo by Raquel Hamner “I want to put the ‘community’ back in community college by bolstering alumni involvement, by helping the satellite campuses get organizations and by helping students feel as though they have a voice,” Smith said.

Additionally, Smith said he wants to invite alumni to get involved in student clubs.

Smith also suggested that the SGA could offer extra funding to clubs that

have meetings or events on the Arundel Mills and Glen Burnie campuses, to increase student engagement there.

He added that he has been working with outgoing president Johnathan O’Dea to gain added insight into the position.

View a debate between the candidates online at TheCampusCurrent.com

6 | Campus Current | 2018 | May

News

Engagement director retires after 34 years Alexandra Radovic Associate Editor AACC’s director of student engagement is retiring after 34 years in the position.

Chris Storck will retire on June 30 to “move on to the next chapter” of her life, she said.

“I’ve been here a long time,” Storck said. “I want to retire when I can enjoy it.”

Many students know Storck from her work with student clubs to coordinate activities on campus.

“She really connects to the students and takes time to get to know them,” said Cynthia Murphy, the president of the Campus Activities Board, a student club that organizes events around campus.

Storck said she has enjoyed making connections with students, and the variety that comes from working at a college.

“Every year there is a1 SU_CC_10x8-Ad042018.qxp_Layout different group of students

that create a different culture and vibe, so every year is like starting over again,” Storck explained.

“People have sometimes asked me through the years why I didn’t move up to a dean or vice president position. I never aspired to do that, because when you get up further you miss that day-to-day interaction with students.”

According to Storck, working in student engagement is about giving students an opportunity to grow, develop and engage outside of the classroom.

“When I first joined SGA as an officer, I was constantly in the Student Engagement Office asking questions,” Johnathan O’Dea, Student Government Association president, said. “[Storck] knows the lay of the land of AACC and it’s been really good to have that resource. … She is a really good friend 3/22/18 12:21 PM Page 1 as well, and not only a co-worker.”

Storck added that the skills students develop when they are involved in student organizations—such as working with a budget, working as a team, managing conflict and learning time management—are all things employers look for.

Still, working as director of student engagement at AACC has its own set of challenges, Storck noted.

“The students are so diverse that sometimes it’s hard to find out what students want,” she said. “All of our students are very busy and they have lots of commitments outside of college; sometimes it’s frustrating trying to get people to come out to events and get involved.”

Dr. Tiffany Boykin, AACC’s dean of student services, will conduct a nationwide search for the college’s new director of student engagement.

Storck said she hopes the new director isn’t afraid

Student Engagement Director Chris Storck says she plans to travel after her June 30 retirement.

Photo by Raquel Hamner to make some changes.

“I hope [the next director] is able to come in and make [the position] their own,” Storck said. “I will be just a phone call away to support them if they have questions, which I’m sure they will.”

Storck has worked as the director of student engagement for all 34 years she has been here. She also did similar work in student activities

at Villanova University for four years before joining the Riverhawk team.

“I was so excited, because I found something I was good at and really enjoyed, and I was lucky enough to make a career out of it,” Storck said.

Storck said she and her husband “want to travel” once she retires, and plan to move to Charleston, South Carolina.

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May 2018 | Campus Current | 7

Campus Life

Paper to welcome new editor Daniel Salomon Digital Editor

Education student Alexandra Radovic will be Campus Current’s new editor-in-chief next fall.

Photo by Raquel Hamner

A second-year education student will be Campus Current’s editor-in-chief next semester.

Alexandra Radovic, who is Campus Current’s associate editor this semester, said she is excited to start in the position and to get other people involved in the newspaper.

“It’s interesting that, in our newsroom, many of the people who work at Campus Current aren’t necessarily studying journalism,” Ra-

dovic said. “So I think it’s a good opportunity for anyone who’s interested in [what’s happening] on campus.”

Sharon O’Malley, Campus Current’s faculty adviser, said she met Radovic in her Fundamentals of Oral Communication class last semester.

“I knew from almost the moment I met Alexandra that she would make a good editor-in-chief,” O’Malley said.

O’Malley said she offered extra credit to students to turn the persuasive speech they gave in class into an opinion article for the newspaper, and

SGA awards celebrate excellence on campus Raquel Hamner Photography Editor

The Student Government Association hosted its annual Honors and Awards Ceremony on April 27 to recognize the achievements of students, staff and faculty over the academic year.

SGA President Johnathan O’Dea presented a newly created award to Christine Storck, who will retire June 30 as director of student engagement, for her 34 years of service to the college.

SGA accepted nominations on The Nest—the student club management website—from Feb. 12 to March 23. A committee of SGA officers reviewed the submissions and chose winners for 11 categories.

“This ceremony is one of my favorite events at AACC,” said Storck. “It is a true celebration of the people who make AACC amazing.”

Award recipients re-

Mia Rogers-Vega—a second-year cyber forensics student and one of this year’s Epsilon Chi inductees—poses with her mother, Sheila Rogers-Vega, after the ceremony.

Photo by Daniel Salomon

Radovic volunteered a piece on finding alternative pain killers to opioids.

“It was the first exposure I had to taking ideas that I had, ... turn[ing] them into something that could be read by other people on campus,” Radovic said.

Roxanne Ready, Campus Current’s 2017-18 editor-in-chief, said she’s ready to pass the torch to Radovic.

“She cranks out stories faster than just about anybody else in the newsroom,” Ready said. “She has a real gift, I think, for getting the

information we need and getting it quickly.”

Radovic’s fellow editors are also excited about her new position as editor-in-chief. “[Radovic is] dedicated, and she just works so hard,” Raquel Hamner, Campus Current’s photography editor, said. “I definitely think she’s ready for this position, and I hope that she makes the most of it while she’s here.”

“I’ve seen what she can do, [and] I think she’ll be really good for the job,” Mary Kane, Campus Current’s graphic designer, said.

Campus Current reporter wins award for coverage

ceived an invitation to the ceremony by mail, but the notice didn’t say what awards they had won.

Jump Start student Sarah Noble won one of eight Outstanding Club Member awards for her time as the social media manager of Campus Current.

“It feels great, honestly,” Noble said. “I don’t get a lot of school recognition, and winning an award is really cool. It makes me feel like all my hard work really means something.”

Seven other Outstanding Club Member awards went to students who “went the extra mile” in making their clubs more enjoyable and functional, Storck said.

Third-year visual design student and SGA Senator Jesseca Greene, who won one of 22 Leadership Excellence awards for serving as an SGA senator, said getting an award made her “feel really good.”

“I do as much as I pos-

sibly can for SGA,” Greene said. “It makes me feel like they notice me.”

Architecture professor Carol Pearce, who won the Teaching Excellence award for part-time faculty, said winning an award was “very exciting.”

“I did get a little clue from some people who mentioned they had nominated me,” Pearce said. “It feels great knowing that your students like you enough to want to nominate you for an award.”

The SGA also presented seven Distinguished Service and 22 Outstanding Achievement awards to students, faculty and staff who made “exceptional contributions” in changing the college community, said Storck.

Winners of the Student Achievement award practiced good attendance, worked hard, showed extra effort, contributed to class discussions and displayed good will and “eagerness to

create an environment for learning.”

Four other faculty received unique awards: English professor Susan Cohen received the Teaching Excellence award for full-time faculty; reading professor

Forrest Caskey received the Rookie Professor award; legal studies professor Kelly Koermer received the Online Professor award; and Sharon O’Malley, faculty adviser for Campus Current, won Adviser of the Year.

Alexandra Radovic Associate Editor

her family is proud of her.

“It’s really an achievement for me,” Cox said. “It’s been very tough, but I’ve put forth the effort in all my classes.” “[The students] have proven that [they] can achieve greatness,” said Alycia Marshall, AACC’s associate vice president of learning and academic affairs.

“Anything worth having is worth working hard [for].

I commend [them] for the steadfast determination and

perseverance that led [them] to this point.”

“We need to provide opportunities for all students to succeed, and the inductees are proof of that,” said Dean of Liberal Arts Alicia Morse.

The honor society has 170 chapters at colleges and universities in the United States. In the past nine years, AACC has inducted 469 students and 25 honorary members into its chapter, according to Morse.

“It feels great to know

that all my hard work paid off,” said Mia Rogers-Vega, a second-year cyber forensics student and one of this year’s inductees.

English professor Verna Robinson and Assistant Dean for Student Development and Student Success Janice Watley created the AACC chapter of Chi Alpha Epsilon, Epsilon Chi, in 2008.

According to Tekora Scruggs, Epsilon Chi is the only active chapter in Maryland, Washington or Virginia.

Photo by Raquel Hamner Campus Current newsroom manager Michael Garvey (center) received an award from the Student Achievement and Success Program—SASP—for his coverage of veterans’ issues on campus.

Here, he poses with Harlan Harrell (left), the military/veterans services program manager; and Kat Schorr, the military retention adviser.

Honor society celebrates 10 yrs The campus chapter of Chi Alpha Epsilon celebrated its 10th anniversary on April 23 by inducting 56 students.

That brings the number of members—who all began in developmental, noncredit classes and earned a 3.0 GPA—to 525.

Brooke Cox, a fifth-year radiology student with a learning disability, is glad she was inducted, she said, because

8 | Campus Current | 2018 | May

Campus Life

Father, son professors teach classes at AACC Isaiah Smith Reporter For history professor Frank Alduino and adjunct sociology professor Anthony Alduino, teaching at AACC runs in the family.

Frank Alduino teaches in the History, Philosophy and Political Science department, while Anthony teaches in Culture and Society. Philip Terry-Smith, who is interim chair over both departments, said the college has had two generations teaching at the same time before.

“It’s interesting having them both, but it’s not that unusual,” Terry-Smith said.

“They are both independents teaching two different subjects.”

Anthony Alduino, who has a master’s degree from the University of Nottingham, is teaching Sociology of Sports this semester. His father has taught history and political science at AACC

footsteps and teach alongside him means a lot to him.

“It’s incredible,” the elder Alduino said. “I’m remarkably proud of him. To have him come to me with questions and seeking advice is very special to me.”

Alduino said he tries to give his son good advice as he finds his footing as a teacher.

“I told him you have to do the basic things and be prepared,” Alduino said.

“Expect the unexpected.”

One of the main tips Alduino has for his son: Enjoy the experience.

“I just hope that he has a passion for this and he’s happy doing what he does,” Alduino said. “I don’t think there’s anything worse than going to a job you hate.”

Terry-Smith said he hired the younger Alduino because he fit the qualifications for the job.

“As we would with any professor, they would have to have the appropriate creden-

for 28 years and, according to his son, has been a mentor for the first-semester instructor.

“He’s been a mentor in a lot of ways,” the younger Alduino said. “From showing me how to do the attendance to giving me some teaching strategies, it’s always nice to have him there.”

But Anthony Alduino said he and his father have different styles when it comes to teaching.

“He’s a bit more conversational, and since it’s my first year here, I’m sort of going more from the book,” Alduino said of his father.

“He’s the smartest person I know, so he has a lot more wealth [of knowledge] to draw from.”

He added: “It’s been interesting. I’ve been learning just as much, if not more than [my students], so it’s been quite the experience.”

Alduino’s father said having his son follow in his

History professor Frank Alduino (left) and his son, adjunct sociology professor Anthony Alduino, both teach classes on AACC’s Arnold campus.

Photo by Mary Kane tials and be qualified to teach the particular subject matter,” Terry-Smith said.

Second-year business student and Sociology of Sports student Eric Waggoner said he likes having the younger Alduino as a teacher. “I enjoy the lectures,” he said. “They are usually pretty unique, along with the PowerPoints.”

First-year nursing student Julianna Fernandez said something similar about the more experienced Alduino.

“He made history exciting for his students,” she said. “He helped me enjoy it more and look at the world from a more curious perspective.”

The two Alduinos may have different styles of teaching, but Terry-Smith said he sees some qualities that are similar between the two men.

“They walk alike, they talk alike and they have similar personalities,” Terry-Smith said. “You can tell they are both Alduinos.”

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May 2018 | Campus Current | 9

REPORT A special Campus Current supplement on Sexual Harassment

Dick pics: common but unwanted, poll shows Sarah Noble Social Media Manager Cheyenne Jones, a theater student and frequent Tinder user, said she was texting a man she didn’t know on the dating app when he sent her a surprising image.

“He was asking what I like about theater, and as I was typing, he sent me a dick pic,” Jones said. “Then he asked, ‘What do you think?’”

At first, she said, she was confused. Jones said she thinks most people use Tinder to talk to multiple people at once, so she thought he meant to send it to another person.

Jones said that after not responding for a few minutes, he sent her more messages asking if she liked the picture.

“When I figured out he sent it to me on purpose, I was baffled,” she said. “We weren’t even talking about that; there was no indication that I wanted it.”

Receiving unsolicited pictures of male genitalia over social media, text and dating apps has become a norm for female college students. According to a Campus Current survey of 338 students, 43.2 percent of women have received an unsolicited dick pic.

Six percent of men said they have sent an unsolicited dick pic.

Eighty-seven percent of students—including 88 percent of men in the survey—said sending a dick pic without permission is sexual harassment.

“It’s uncalled for and inappropriate,” said second-year nutrition student Angel Douberly. “And, it’s not even nice to look at.”

According to Bustle, an online fashion blog, “One in two millennial women say they have received an unsolicited dick pic, and one in five men said they won’t ask for permission before sending.”

What is sexual harassment?

Daniel Salomon Digital Editor AACC defines sexual harassment as “unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature,” according to Karen Cook, dean of the School of Business and Law and AACC’s federal compliance officer.

That includes “unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal, nonverbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature,” according to the college’s sexual harassment policy.

Examples include: unwelcome physical contact, threats, unwelcome sexual jokes, and unwelcome talk about one’s gender identity, gender or orientation.

AACC’s sexual harassment rules are based on Title IX, a federal civil rights law that protects students from sex discrimination, sexual harassment and sexual assault.

View the full policy online at aacc.edu by clicking “Policies” at the bottom of the page.

But men around campus called the trend “gross.”

Bradley McCready, a second-year entrepreneurship student, said sending an unsolicited dick pic is “uncalled for … because dicks are gross to look at. I mean, a dick is a dick; it’s not special,” he said.

Some women who talked to Campus Current said sending unsolicited sexual images should not be allowed.

“You’re not allowed to display yourself like that in public, so why is it OK in a digital format?” Caitlyn Lee, a first-year transfer studies student, said.

According to Karen Cook, the dean of the School of Business and Law and AACC’s federal compliance officer, the college has never received a report involving unsolicited sexual pictures.

But she said if one were brought to her by a student, it would be investigated.

“I understand that would be very hard to police,” Cook

Holly Shontz, a first-year nursing student, imagines her reaction to receiving an unsolicited dick pic. Most students say they feel harassed by such photos.

Photo by Daniel Salomon said. “[But] it falls under the definition of sexual harassment. If someone was offended by it, they would definitely have the right to submit a complaint.”

Dr. Felicia Patterson, the vice president for learning support services, said students should be more careful when taking and sending sexual images.

“What is that going to mean for you later?” she said. “It may not have a lot of meaning now … [but] you have to be thoughtful as to what you are putting out into

the social atmosphere.”

According to Cook, professors and faculty members are “constantly reminding [students] during class not to put things on social media that could be harmful in the future.”

Since Jones received the dick pic, she has not logged on to Tinder.

To men who send unsolicited pictures, she says: “Stop. Don’t do it. Unless I ask specifically to see your dick, do not send me a picture. Your face is fine, but no to the dick.”

dents in April, 32 of the 164 who said they have been sexually harassed reported it.

And of the 12 students who said they have been harassed on campus, three reported it.

This mirrors the finding of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which reported that three out of four people who experience sexual harassment never report it to anyone.

At AACC, those who do report it are most likely to go to the police or a trusted professor, according to the Campus Current survey.

Others said they would tell friends or family.

AACC also has a Title IX officer who can take complaints.

“The important part is that they feel comfortable reporting to someone,” said Dr. Felicia Patterson, vice president for learning support services and AACC’s Title IX officer.

Erik Hunter, director of student conduct, said faculty know where to make a report on behalf of a student who tells them about sexual harassment that happens on campus.

Online forms available for reporting offenses Daniel Salomon Digital Editor Students can now report sexual harassment through a direct link on the AACC website at the bottom of the college’s home page at aacc.edu.

The new link, called “Report an Incident,” leads to another page where students can report crime, student misconduct, fraud and sexual harassment.

But it is unlikely many students will fill out the form to report sexual harassment.

According to a Campus Current survey of 338 stu-

10 | Campus Current | 2018 | May

Special Report

Nationally, most don’t report harassment Roxanne Ready Editor-in-Chief

In a 2015 nationwide survey, nearly 48 percent of students said they had been sexually harassed since entering their universities, but fewer than 8 percent said they reported the incident.

The Association of American Universities surveyed more than 150,000 students across 27 universities about their experiences with sexual harassment and assault.

Women, transgender people and those identifying as some non-traditional gender identity—listed together on the survey as transgender, genderqueer, gender non-conforming, questioning or not listed—were the most likely to say they had been harassed.

More than 75 percent of transgender and non-traditional genders and almost 62 percent of women said they had been harassed since joining their universities. But nearly 43 percent of men also said they had experienced harassment.

Just 7.7 percent of the 47.7 percent of students who said they had been harassed said they reported it.

The most common reason they chose for not reporting the incident, at 78.6 percent, was, “I did not think it was serious enough to report.”

Eleven percent said they did not report the incident to the school because it happened off campus.

Other common reasons those in the survey gave for not reporting the offenses: They did not expect results and they did not want to get the harasser in trouble. Fewer than 7 percent said they did not know “where to go or who to tell.”

Survey shows majority of students harassed Continued from Page 1

Twenty percent of students in the Campus Current earlier this year involved an survey who said they were instructor. Another 2017 sexually harassed also said complaint was between fac- they reported it. Of the 12 students who said they were ulty and staff.

“I feel safe here,” one harassed at AACC, three said anonymous female student they reported it.

That number mirrors nawrote on the survey. “[But] I’m afraid to transfer. … I’m tional statistics, which have worried about going to a revealed that 7.7 percent of larger college where I would college students who are sexual harassment live on campus.”

“We can’t ignore victims report it, according to Nearly that men get a 2015 survey 67 percent of sexually harassed, by the Associawomen and too.” tion of American exactly 25 per—Survey respondent Universities. cent of men on “My harasscampus said they have been sexually ha- er did it to seven others, but rassed at some point. Of the the others said they would 10 students who identified deny that they were harassed their gender as “other,” seven if I told,” said one woman said they have been sexually who said she had been haharassed, but not on campus. rassed off campus but did not “It happens to both gen- report it.

Slightly more than 48 ders,” another female survey respondent said. “We can’t percent of the surveyed stuignore that men get sexually dents said they do not know how to report sexual harassharassed, too.”

ment. (See related story on Page 9.)

Since the end of last year, the issue of sexual harassment has gained national attention. When dozens of women accused prominent film producer Harvey Weinstein of sexually harassing or assaulting them, women across the country started using the hashtag #MeToo to share similar experiences.

More than 90 percent of surveyed students said the national attention to the issue of sexual harassment over the past eight months has been a good thing.

“It helps victims realize they’re not alone—and that’s a big thing [because it often] doesn’t get reported,” one female respondent said.

But she added the new attention to the issue has put people under intense national scrutiny. “People can be so vile: ‘Oh, she was asking for it because of what she wore.’ ... [So] it’s good and it’s bad.”

something that you’re not really trying to do,” firstyear physics student Anthony Krieger said. “I mean it’s unfair for men, but of course women always have to be conscious of it. It is a distinct possibility for women, so it’s not always easy. It puts everyone in a tough spot.”

Anderson said men are more hesitant to compliment women because some take their comments the wrong way. They think some guys can come across as creepy, she said. She added that while it is less common among men, sexual harassment is still a problem for them, too.

Krieger said complimenting a fellow student depends on that classmate’s comfort level and the relationship the speaker has with the person.

“If I’m doing a project or something with a female classmate, I’ll try to keep it professional,” Krieger said.

“I always act like I’m working, not just trying to flirt or something.”

In a Campus Current poll of 338 students, 90 percent responded that the national

lations and marketing, said. “[Sexual harassment] kinda makes us oppressed because it’s not our fault that guys can be like that just because of a way a woman dresses or something like that,” Anderson said.

Increased attention to issue has its downside Michael Garvey Newsroom Manager The national attention to sexual harassment may have created unintended negative consequences for the working relationships between students and faculty.

Some professors said they must take extra precautions to avoid any appearance of inappropriate behavior with their students.

“You don’t want to put a student in a situation where they feel uncomfortable,” English professor Dave Meng said. “It’s for the students’ comfort that I think it’s best to have the door open.”

Karen Cook, dean of the School of Business and Law and AACC’s federal compliance officer, said campus administration encourages faculty to use their best judgment when interacting with their students one on one.

Some professors ask another faculty member to be present while they meet with students.

“It hard for faculty because they want to be open and inviting to students,

and welcoming,” Cook said.

“I think everyone uses their best judgment.”

Meng explained that professors have competing concerns when deciding whether to keep the door open while talking to a student: privacy versus comfort.

“I think it makes sense

“It’s for the students’ comfort that I think it’s best to have the door open.”

—Professor Dave Meng

[to keep the door open] because they don’t want anyone to assume or try to say that the professor did something,” second-year psychology student Melissa Anderson said. “But I think that it’s just a little crazy because they shouldn’t have to do that.”

AACC students are also changing the way they communicate with each other as attention to sexual harassment heightens.

“There is concern that you might get accused of

English professor Dave Meng says his policy is to keep his door open during student conferences.

Photo by Roxanne Ready attention to sexual harassment is a positive thing.

“I would say the unintended consequences are probably significantly smaller than the impact of raising awareness,” Dan Baum, executive director of public re-

May 2018 | Campus Current |11

Ask permission before touching, officials say Vincent Moreland Sports Editor

“If the person that you’ve been talking to expressly tells you, ‘I’m not interested’—if The best way to avoid you go beyond that point and sexually harassing some- keep pursuing that person, one is to ask for permission then that turns into sexual before touching and listen harassment,” said Kapfhamwhen someone tells you mer. “Education for every“no,” according to AACC of- body would help. … If everybody knows what it is, then ficials.

In a Campus Current people won’t do it.”

Diane Passero, an AACC survey of 338 students, more counselor, than 86 per“If you see said any time cent said they something ... someone understand what sexual saying something makes another person feel harassment is. is important.” uncomfortBut not every—Diane Passero able physicalone is so sure.

Second-year Men’s La- ly or sexually, it’s sexual hacrosse player Nicolas Renzi rassment.

“If they’re touching you said he doesn’t see a clear line between what sexual ha- when you don’t want to be rassment is and what it isn’t. touched [or] if they’re say“Some of the allegations ing things that make you feel are in the ‘money area’ of uncomfortable [it’s harassthat line,” Renzi said. “So you ment],” Passero said.

Passero suggested stuhave to read into what you dents consider how they hear.”

AACC’s Police Chief Sean would react if they saw someKapfhammer said if someone one talking to a family mem“pursues” someone else after ber or close friend the way that person has said “no,” they talk to people they are interested in. then it’s sexual harassment.

Bystander training: 4 key steps AACC offers occasional classes to teach students how to intervene when they witness sexual harassment.

The training includes a four-part approach for assisting someone: Direct: Confront the harassers. Tell the harasser to back off. Not all people feel confident enough to do this.

Distract: Step into the situation as a bystander and distract the harasser from what is happening. Go up to the conflict and say to the victim, “Hey, I have been looking all over for you,” and get the person out of the situation.

Delegate: Ask someone else to report the incident on your behalf.

Delay: Check in with the victim after the incident is over. Ask if you can do something to help the person.

Passero also said it can be helpful to victims of sexual harassment if someone witnessing it steps in.

“If you see something, instead of ignoring it, saying something is important,” Passero said. “But you’ll also want to keep safety in mind. … You don’t want to put yourself in a situation that’s going to make you unsafe.”

Passero added that a victim of sexual harassment should contact AACC police and public safety.

“Always create distance from someone that’s making you feel uncomfortable,” Passero said. “You can always get an order of protection for people who have violated your space.”

Director of Student Conduct Erik Hunter said students don’t have to report sexual harassment on campus to the police, but they may.

“What we try to do is have the person who comes forward, have them in the driver’s seat in terms of how the process plays out,” Hunter said. “There’s an administra-

Special Report

AACC counselor Diane Passero lists tips on what students should do if they’re harassed on campus.

Photo by Daniel Salomon tive process that the college can undertake, and there’s also the criminal process that the police can undertake. So we give that person the option. They can do one, both, or neither.”

Students who are dealing with sexual harassment can tell campus police, get help from a trusted professor or report the incident to the college’s Title IX officer, who handles student, faculty and staff complaints of sexual harassment and assault on campus, according to Karen Cook, the dean of the School of Business and Law and AACC’s federal compliance officer.

“If I didn’t feel safe on

campus, I would ask the police officers to escort me to my classes,” Kevin Escobar, a first-year business student, said.

“I wouldn’t pay them any mind,” Cynthia Hernandez, a first-year radiology student, said. “If you pay them mind, they’re going to keep doing it. If you ignore them, they’re going to feel stupid and they will back off.”

Students who feel unsafe on campus can request that a campus safety officer escort them to their cars or anywhere on campus by calling (410) 777-1818 or by pressing the button on any of the blue emergency poles around campus.

I am for being a lesbian.”

In the survey, 96 percent of students said they have never been sexually harassed on campus. That leaves 12 people who said they have.

The rate of people who report when they are sexually harassed is low both at AACC and nationally.

Of the 164 students in the Campus Current survey who said they had been harassed at some point in their lives, 10 percent said they reported it. A national survey came up with a similar statistic, with 7.7 percent of victims reporting their harassment.

But this woman’s sto-

ry was resolved because she spoke up. Her professor suggested she talk to campus security.

“I never saw him again after that,” she said. “I don’t know what they did, but whatever they did, it worked, because he did not find me again. He didn’t even give me his name … and he didn’t even know my name.”

The woman has some advice for her classmates: “Do not feel afraid to go to somebody and say, ‘Hey, this is going on; it needs to stop,’” she said. “Don’t hesitate to do that. … You will be believed— by someone, at least.”

Student: ‘You will be believed’ Roxanne Ready Editor-in-Chief In her first semester at AACC, one female student found herself avoiding an entire building because she feared she would be sexually harassed there.

“It starts kind of innocent and weird,” the woman, who told her story anonymously during a Campus Current sexual harassment survey of 338 AACC students, said. “Then it gets to the point where it’s like, ‘OK, this needs to stop.’”

It started in her first semester on her second day of classes, when she was working on a laptop in one of the study alcoves lining the hallways of the Careers building.

“Some guy, like, poked his head around the corner a couple times, and then finally he came over and sat down next to me and started engaging me in conversation,” she said. “It’s a little uncomfortable because I don’t know this guy, but it’s not like he’s actually crossed the line yet.”

They talked for a few minutes until she had to go to class.

A couple of days later, she was studying in a different place in the same building, and he found her again.

“And this time it’s a bit more awkward,” she said. “He was just being really creepy … doing innuendos and making sexual comments.”

At that point, she made an excuse to leave.

But a few days later, as she was walking into class— she had never told him where in the building her class was—he grabbed her hand and tried to pull her back out of the classroom.

Her professor stepped in at that point, telling the man he needed to leave.

After this, she started trying to avoid the building entirely except for walking to and from class, but he found her again.

This time he asked her for a date, and she said “no.”

“And he’s like, ‘Why not?’ and he’s complaining to me that he hasn’t had a date in a while,” the woman said.

“But I finally had enough, and I finally pulled the lesbian card. And he proceeds to humiliate me, and yell at me about how horrible a person

If someone on campus makes you feel unsafe, report it to the authorities.

Photo by Raquel Hamner

12 | Campus Current | 2018 | May

Special Report

Riverhawk athletes say no harassment at AACC Vincent Moreland Sports Editor

Whether or not athletes engage in so-called “locker room talk,” Riverhawks say they have not been sexually harassed on campus.

Photo by Raquel Hamner

AACC athletes said they have not witnessed or experienced sexual harassment on campus.

In a Campus Current survey of 338 AACC students, none of the 34 athletes who participated said they have been sexually harassed at AACC. Two female athletes and six male athletes said they have been sexually harassed off campus. Six athletes did not respond to the question.

Cailin Jones, a second-year Women’s Basketball center and dual cyber security and digital forensics student, told Campus Current she hopes she never sees sexual harassment on campus.

“Sexual harassment is a gateway for other types of

Shared experiences fill wall of #MeToo stories Sarah Noble Social Media Manager AACC hosted events, movie nights and displays across campus in April to raise awareness of the #MeToo movement.

Social activist Tarana Burke started using the phrase in 2006 on Myspace, a popular social network at the time, to create what she called a movement of “empowerment through empathy” among black women who experienced sexual assault.

Actress Alyssa Milano popularized the hashtag #MeToo on Twitter in October 2017, when she tweeted: “If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted, write ‘me too’ as a reply to this tweet,” she told her followers.

Twitter users retweeted the message 25,000 times and sent 68,000 replies.

Dr. Takamitsu Ono, an AACC sociology professor, organized the #MeToo events on campus.

Ono, who worked on the AACC “Race Card” wall displayed in the Humanities and Careers buildings during Black History Month in February, set up sexual harassment posters and notecards across campus so students could share their thoughts and experiences.

“I wanted a visually appealing way of creating a conversation on campus,” Ono said. “This is not just Hollywood. It’s us.”

On the first floor of Humanities, more than a dozen cards taped to the walls re-

veal students’ thoughts about #MeToo. Some of the cards include praise for the movement, saying it is necessary for society to discuss the issue.

Others are more graphic and reveal the sensitive experiences of the students who wrote them.

In one corner of the board, six note cards lie on top of each other, describing an occasion when a student was raped by her ex-boyfriend.

“He is a sadist rapist and I am a survivor,” a middle card reveals. “2 drunk 2 talk = 2 drunk 2 f--- #MeToo” is on the bottom card.

“I think the cards are great and powerful,” Sarah Escalera, a third-year transfer studies student, said. “A lot of

sexual harassment anywhere on the AACC Arnold campus.

“I have anxiety anyway, so I’m on edge around everyone … but I’m good here; I feel safe,” Chelsea Cote, a third-year criminal justice student, said.

AACC receives approximately three reports of sexu-

al harassment a year, according to the Public Relations and Marketing office.

Noah Grover, a second-year transfer studies student, said although he does not feel vulnerable to sexual harassment as a man, he thinks about how to avoid sexually harassing others.

abuse, and those people who brush or laugh it off or sweep it under the rug do more damage,” Jones said.

She added: “We need to do away [with] the common misconception that only women can be victims of sexual harassment. Men can be targets as well.”

Still, some athletes who spoke to Campus Current said things are different at universities.

“It’s definitely an issue,” second-year Men’s Lacrosse defender Justin Walsh said.

Daja Burnett, a first-year Women’s Basketball guard/ forward and music business student, agreed.

She said female athletes “feel belittled and thrown to the side so that teams and colleges can look successful,” and that can lead to unfair treatment when they com-

plain about sexual harassment and assault.

“It’s upsetting,” she said.

Second-year lacrosse captain Dylan Morton said female athletes are not at risk and male athletes are not guilty of sexual harassment at universities.

“I can see why some might think they are at risk, since athletes are popular at college campuses and get a lot of publicity,” Morton said.

An AACC athlete who requested to remain anonymous said: “I mean it happens. You just don’t hear about it. But it definitely happens. Athlete women versus a regular female college student? Who do you think [administration] will care about more, as crazy as it sounds? Administration looks out for athletes more.”

A wall in the Humanities building shows students’ responses to the #MeToo movement, a national conversation about sexual harassment.

Photo by Daniel Salomon people say, ‘Oh that can’t be happening to her,’ but it is.”

Escalera said it was “great” a male professor organized the events.

“Men are [being] supportive of #MeToo, but I think the majority aren’t, which isn’t right,” she said.

“This is an ongoing issue, but I think we as a so-

ciety can make changes so that these issues become less serious and pervasive,” Ono said.

“If we look back to the past where no women of any races or economic status even had the right to vote … for example, we as a society has changed. The current society can change, too.”

“It’s on my mind to make sure that I’m not making any other person—it doesn’t matter if they are female—uncomfortable,” Grover said.

But some students said while they haven’t experienced sexual harassment on campus, they still feel vulnerable.

Ashley Sokolowski, a second-year transfer studies student, said she feels vulnerable in parking lots.

“It always goes through my mind that at some point if there is someone out behind my car … they could try to hurt me,” Sokolowski said.

Students feel safe but remain cautious Daniel Salomon Digital Editor

AACC students said they don’t worry that they will be sexually harassed on campus.

In an informal poll of 20 students, 12 said they do not feel vulnerable to

May 2018 | Campus Current |13

Campus Life

All are welcome to attend our meetings held every Tuesday from 12:30-1:30 p.m. in HUM 015.

Can’t make a meeting? That’s Ok! You can still attend events!

Check out our upcoming events on the nest at nest.aacc.edu

14 | Campus Current | 2018 | May

Campus Life

Annual journal for arts displays college talent Ashley Sokolowski Reporter The 43rd edition of AACC’s student-run literary journal came out on April 25.

Amaranth features poetry, songs, short stories and artwork from students and alumni.

“From the point of view of academics, it is great to be able to show students how

skills that they learn in creative writing are applicable to producing something in the real world so they get a little bit of the business side of [it],” Dr. Garrett Brown, Amaranth faculty adviser, said.

Amaranth gets its funding from student fees.

“On a more personal note, it is really nice to have that experience of work-

Students reuse prom dresses Sarah Noble Social Media Manager AACC students can donate their used prom dresses to Anne Arundel County high school students who can’t afford to buy dresses of their own.

Throughout May, members of AACC’s Student Ambassador Program are collecting used prom dresses and money for tuxedo rentals.

Student ambassador Sarah Wesdyk, a senior at Broadneck High School and a Jump Start student at AACC, said she helped set up the event.

“It’s going to be hosted through AACC but will im-

pact so many people in the communities around the school,” said Wesdyk.

Wesdyk said the ambassadors originally planned to have a formal end-of-semester event as a way to make second use of their prom dresses.

But the Jump Start students among them “knew girls who couldn’t even go to prom because they didn’t have enough money,” Wesdyk said.

According to Wesdyk, once the ambassadors begin collecting the dresses, high schoolers who need them can email their requests to Heather McFarland, the faculty adviser for the ambas-

ing with a group of students that are really just in love with creating something and being there to kind of help walk them through the process and make their vision of something … become reality,” Brown said. “It is just really rewarding.”

The journal’s staff hosted a release party for Amaranth 43 on April 25, featuring readings and performances

AACC will offer a new noncredit course this May for students interested in becoming certified drone pilots.

The new course, FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Exam Preparation, is one of 13 noncredit courses at AACC related to using drones in various commercial and emergency responder jobs. For example, students can also take Introduction to Unmanned Aerial Systems, UAS Precision Agriculture and UAS First Responder Leadership.

The new course is a three-day class that teaches students how to operate

drones safely in commercial environments, how to maintain them and how to comply with regulations.

The course will also prepare students to earn a small drone piloting license from the Federal Aviation Administration.

“This is the beginning of the program, and we hope to build it further,” said Judith Wilson, the program developer for cyber and technology training. “Right now I think you’d see more interest from the hobbyists, and not necessarily people who are seeking it for use in a business. [Professionals are] the group we are trying to get ahold of.”

AACC partnered with

by 11 of the published artists.

One of the presenters was second-year transfer studies student Poet Beasley, who designed the cover art for Amaranth.

“This is very much a product of the school,” Beasley said.

Ren Bishop, Amaranth’s editor-in-chief, said this issue feels personal.

Amaranth is available to students and faculty in Dr. Garrett Brown’s office, HUM 113F, and will be on campus newsstands in the next few weeks.

Second-year secondary English education student Lakeesha Kenney, like other AACC students, is eligible to donate her used prom dress to a high schooler.

Photo by Raquel Hamner sador program, at hmmcfarland@aacc.edu, to specify what size and color they want and receive photos of available dresses.

“We’re hoping to get a lot of dresses,” Wesdyk said.

“We want to help as many people as we can.”

Donated dresses will be cleaned if needed, but am-

AACC offers noncredit classes about drones Michael Garvey Newsroom Manager

Ren Bishop, Amaranth’s editor-in-chief, speaks at the magazine’s release party on April 25.

Photo by Roxanne Ready

Sinclair Community College in Ohio and Consortiq, a drone consulting company, to get the program started.

“It sounds very interesting,” Helena Bryant-Holland, a third-year human services student, said. “I think it’s important to be able to take a test … so they can have the tools and experience beforehand.”

The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International estimated unmanned aircraft would create more than 100,000 new jobs by 2025.

“I’ve heard about the cool things you could do with [drones],” Adam Mason, a third-year liberal arts student, said. “I think that the

bassadors request that people donate them already clean and in good condition.

“I wear my dress maybe once a year, but all of my friends complain how there’s no use for their dresses,” Kimberly Mae, a first-year history student, said. “I think this donation drive is a great idea.”

Wesdyk said they will also be holding the prom donation drive next year, and that she hopes the ambassadors can “branch out” to other counties and high schools.

“A lot of people are looking forward to [prom], and I would hate for the reason for someone to not go is by not affording it,” Wesdyk said.

This May, AACC will offer a noncredit drone course for students who want to be certified to pilot them.

Photo courtesy of Paul Harland-White [jobs] will be paid very highly.”

Photographers, filmmakers, law enforcement and various other industries already use drones.

First responders are using drones during active shooter and search-and-rescue operations, Wilson explained.

Paul Harland-White, a

program assistant for cyber and technology training and a transfer studies student, said photographers can use drones to create full virtual models of houses.

Interested students can find all drone classes, including the new course—listed as CTU 349—in AACC’s spring 2018 course catalog under Unmanned Aerial Systems.

May 2018 | Campus Current |15

Campus Life

Nyia Curtis: Finding her passion in photography Sarah Noble Social Media Editor

High school was a struggle for Nyia Curtis. Even though she played basketball, she kept her head down in class.

“I didn’t see myself going to college,” she says.

In her senior year in 2009, however, Rhonda Smith, her guidance counselor at Annapolis High School, told Curtis she “was too smart not to attend college.”

Smith helped Curtis, who lives in Annapolis, apply to Towson University, Howard University and other schools.

All of the colleges Curtis applied to accepted her. But as soon as she heard from Howard, she immediately committed.

Yet after three years studying broadcast journalism there, she regretted her decision to pursue a major she wasn’t passionate about.

“My last day at Howard

was in March of 2012, [in] the middle of the spring semester,” she says.

“I felt like I was a failure,” she says. “[I felt like] I would be judged because I had wasted time and money.”

And when she walked Howard’s campus for the last time, she recalls, “I felt like, ‘Oh my God. This is really it.

I have officially dropped out of college.”

A year later, she enrolled in a noncredit photography class at AACC. Here, she says, she found her passion— and what she expects to become her career.

Curtis, a third-year entreprenuership student, combined two passions—photography and sports—and with the help of the professors she met at AACC, started a photography business.

“As a photographer, you see that parents get these photos of their athletes and every year the only thing that

changes is the child gets older,” she says. “It’s the same, posed shot with the basketball, same jersey [but] the child just gets bigger.”

Taking four classes and shooting photos made for some long days, “but for some reason I didn’t care,” she says.

“By the time I got home from my first day, I remember sharing with my mother that I might actually like going to school again,” she said. “[It] was such a surreal day for me.”

Curtis works closely with the entrepreneurship club, an organization she’s been a part of since her first semester on campus.

Professor Shad Ewart, who taught Curtis in a business management course and works with her at The Hatchery, a campus space dedicated to helping student entrepreneurs, calls her “a professional worker I can always count on.”

Student trustee Nyia Curtis will graduate this month but will stay at AACC to work at the information desk.

Photo by Raquel Hamner Walking around campus, Curtis looks more like a mayor than a community college student who is preparing for her May graduation.

People smile and wave to her, and she stops to say “Hi” to everyone, even if she’s busy with a day that she has meticulously planned, hour by hour.

On a normal day, Curtis can be found in Student Services.

At the information desk, where Curtis will work next year, she answers dozens of students’ questions every

day and she gives tours of campus.

Outside of the classroom, she’s involved in campus clubs, activities and projects, and she serves as the student member of the Board of Trustees.

Chris Storck, director of the Office of Student Engagement, calls Curtis “a shining light in my life.”

“In my 34 years [at AACC], I’ve had so many students come and go, but she stands out,” Storck says.

“She’s special. She’s going to go so far in life.”

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16 | Campus Current | 2018 | May

Campus Life

‘Fortnite’ shooter game trends on, off campus Vincent Moreland Sports Editor

Fun and Games

A video game called “Fortnite” is trending among AACC students this semester.

In “Fortnite Battle Royale”—a free version of Epic Games’ cooperative sandbox shooter—up to 100 players compete on teams to be the last standing in an all-out shooting battle in arenas they have partially built. The game is available for Playstation 4, Windows, Mac, Xbox One and iOS. In an informal survey of 50 male and 50 female students, more than a quarter said they play. Twenty-two male and six female students said they have played.

“It’s a fun game to play and work together with the bros,” Kevin Escobar, a firstyear computer science student, said.

“It can bring people together—or tear friendships apart, if dudes are trash,”

Brandon Brashears, a firstyear transfer studies student, added.

Despite being free to play, “Fortnite Battle Royale” earned its publisher more than $1 million in the first three days after its September 2017 release through ingame transactions, according to Sensor Tower, a mobile app analysis firm.

The video game streaming website Twitch lists “Fortnite”—not distinguishing between the free-to-play and full versions—as both the most-watched and fastest-growing game, with an average of about 164,000 viewers. The next-most-popular game is “League of Legends,” which averages about 97,000 viewers.

In fact, the game is so popular the publisher recently added an in-game loading-screen message discouraging students from playing during class.

“It’s like ‘Minecraft’ and

‘The Hunger Games’ all in one,” Nyla Duca, a first-year business administration student, said. “At first when you’re not really that good, the game sucks your time into it because you just want to win. After you finally get that first win, you’re just going to want to get more.”

Dr. Matthew Patton, a psychology professor at AACC, said video games can be addicting.

Patton said games give players “little rewards within the game like extra points [or] a new ability” that release dopamine, a chemical that helps control the brain’s pleasure center.

“Psychologists call these ‘reinforcers,’” Patton said.

“Modern video games have become so engrossing that some players’ brains actually look a lot like the brains of people addicted to drugs.”

Dallas Coleman, the president of the ESports Club at AACC, said he’s played

Gerald M. Maravanyika, a first-year engineering student, and Roxanne Ready, Campus Current’s editor-in-chief, play “Fortnite Battle Royale” in the Humanities building after class.

Photo by Raquel Hamner “Fortnite” but isn’t a fan because he doesn’t enjoy building things in the game.

“I can see the appeal in it, but I don’t really like it,” Coleman said. “But I can see why people like it. … I think it will be popular for another two years, but I can’t see it lasting too much longer.”

Coleman said he would like to see an esports “Fortnite” team play at a high level.

There is as-yet no centralized national or international esports organization in place for “Fortnite,” as there are for “Starcraft” and “League of Legends.”

But Ashland University in Ohio recently became the first U.S. university to offer a talent scholarship to prospective college-level “Fortnite” players: $4,000 to those who qualify by their play.

Did you know?

Students can park in faculty lots after 7 p.m.

After 7 p.m. and anytime on weekends, students can park in faculty parking lots, according to Public Safety.

?

Looking for answers?

Check TheCampusCurrent.com on Friday, May 4.

?

Reporting by Sarah Noble Photo by Raquel Hamner

May 2018 | Campus Current |17

Campus Life

Campus hosts events for immigration month Roxanne Ready Editor-in-Chief AACC students and Anne Arundel County community members attended lectures and a movie on campus throughout April and received free legal advice about immigration in the U.S. “We just want to put a human face on some of these immigration stories,” said Adil Qaiyumi, a homeland security professor and one of the organizers of the Immigration Awareness Month events on campus. “Especially the last few years with all the rhetoric surrounding immigration … [these events are] just kind of highlighting the fact that this country is founded on immigration.”

“To a certain degree, immigration and immigrants are not just a facet of our country’s history—I think they are our country’s history,” Ryan Miller, a history student, said. “Immigration is

a source of vitality and vigor for our country, so I think it’s important that we’re made aware of that fact every year.”

Qaiyumi and professor Anika Ingram, both practicing immigration attorneys, began Immigration Awareness Month at AACC four years ago, Qaiyumi said.

Ingram said the events are important because they help to “open up a dialogue” about immigration “no matter what your feelings” are about the issue.

“And also just getting information, actual information and not just hearsay and so-forth,” Ingram added.

Qaiyumi said out of all the events, he was most excited about “Ask an Immigration Attorney Night” on April 11, when multilingual speakers offered free, 20-minute legal consultations to students and community members with questions related to immigration.

“Normally [these consul-

tations] are kind of expensive,” Qaiyumi said, adding it’s rare for immigration attorneys to offer free consultations.

No one came to the event in person, but Qaiyumi and Ingram conducted two phone consultations during the evening. Previous years drew crowds ranging from four last year to about 12 the first year, according to Qaiyumi.

Qaiyumi said in an email the low turnout this year might have been in part because of “a chilling effect from the rhetoric being used by this administration when it comes to immigration” as well as because the department did not advertise early enough.

“Our fliers also indicate the program is offered by the Homeland Security and Criminal Justice Institute, and I hope the name doesn’t scare away prospective consults,” Qaiyumi added in the email.

On April 17, the Interna-

Maheem Taqui (left) and Nimra Kham give a lecture in CALT 100 at an immigration information session.

Photo by Gerald M. Maravanyika tional Rescue Committee—a humanitarian organization that offers both emergency and long-term aid to refugees—spoke to students and organizations about how to sponsor refugees locally. “[Refugees] are given a few months of housing assistance and a stipend,” although many immigrants do not speak English, he said.

Then, they are “left to fend for themselves” by the government.

“I was really happy to find out how to contribute [to] the program,” said Ina Coulivany, a second-year homeland security student

who attended the event. “I, myself, was an immigrant. …

So I’m really interest[ed] as a mother how I can help other people when they come here, because it’s not easy.”

Also last month, AACC hosted a screening of and discussion about “Forbidden: Undocumented and Queer in Rural America,” a documentary about a gay man who grew up in North Carolina without legal immigration status.

And finally, on April 26, AACC’s Criminal Justice Association hosted an international lunch, storytelling and information session.

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18 | Campus Current | 2018 | May

Campus Life

King memorial will get redesign over summer Alexandra Radovic Associate Editor The West Campus memorial where Maryland’s only statue of Martin Luther King Jr. stands will get a redesign over the summer.

AACC has chosen a design by first-year landscape architecture student Kathryn Ellerbrock that features native plants and blue rocks beneath benches to mimic the reflecting pool on the National Mall, where King led the famous March on Washington in 1963 to protest racial discrimination.

“My aim was to create a space that drew people in, while offering a peaceful and lively sanctuary,” Ellerbrock said.

The statue will remain unchanged.

“Right now it’s designed to walk up and read some plaques, but there is nothing really that would make people sit and contemplate or use it

for any other space,” Robert field trips and kids and peoLowe, an architecture and ple from all over the county and the state to come see this landscape professor, said.

Members of the Mar- history,” Ashworth added. tin Luther King Breakfast “That has not happened.”

Ten students and Dinner entered the comcommittees petition, and worked with AACC’s chief Lowe to hold diversity officer a design conDr. Deidra Dentest among nie approved the AACC landfinal design. scape archiEllerbrock tecture stuwill receive a dents. $1,000 scholarS h a w n The area around ship for creating A s h w o r t h , AACC’s Martin Luther the winning dewho works King Jr. memorial will sign. with the receive a redesign this “I was feelMartin Lu- summer. ther King Photo by Roxanne Ready ing pretty overwhelmed by all Breakfast Committee, attended one of the work other students were Lowe’s classes last fall to dis- doing,” she said. “Finding out cuss potential design plans that my first major design was going to be installed was inwith students.

“When [the statue] credibly encouraging.”

Ashworth said she hopes first came to the college in organizations 2006, it was supposed to be community a connection with the pub- will donate to the project by lic school system, including buying naming rights to the

County residents say ‘yes’ to metal detectors in schools Roxanne Ready Editor-in-Chief The majority of Anne Arundel County residents think metal detectors in schools are a good idea, according to a March survey by AACC. In a Center for the Study of Local Issues survey of 663 county residents, 69 percent said metal detectors should be installed at all Maryland public schools.

The results agree with an informal Campus Current poll of 20 AACC students, which found 14—or 70 percent—favor metal detectors in schools.

But CSLI Director Dan Nataf said students and parents may feel differently about metal detectors.

Nataf’s survey included some students, but Campus Current’s informal poll was of students only.

“From parents’ or maybe other adults’ point of view, they’re just worried about having their kids come home,” Nataf said.

“So there’s very little that they’re not willing to do if they think it increases the chances of preventing some kind of mass killing.”

The students he talked to, on the other hand, seemed more hesitant to “militarize” their schools, he said.

Some said metal detectors might make the school appear or feel less safe, while others said a truly determined armed killer would simply wait outside the school for students.

CSLI has conducted semi-annual surveys of the county since 1995.

AACC students intern and volunteer at the center to learn about conducting research and analyzing the data collected in surveys.

First-year landscape architecture student Kathryn Ellerbrock, pictured here in a park off campus, won a contest to redesign AACC’s Martin Luther King Jr. memorial.

Photo courtesy of Kathryn Ellerbrock benches or donating to install bushes.

“Basically the community is going to have to raise the money first, [and] then give the money to the college to do what needs to get done,” Ashworth said.

Lowe said he expects the college will unveil the finished project by the start of

the fall 2018 semester.

“It’s pretty cool that a student design won,” said first-year biology student Anna Schollenberger. “It shows what students can do. ... It reminds me of the Vietnam [Veterans] Memorial in [Washington] D.C., which was designed by an architecture student.”

AACC students call for more campus security Olivia Callahan Reporter

the weapons,” she said.

But seven students in the survey said they would oppose metal detectors on AACC students said in AACC campuses.

April the college should in“You don’t hear about stall metal detectors on camthe students who cause havpus. oc because we don’t have a In an informal poll of 20 problem here,” said firststudents, 14 said they would year biochemistry student support metal detectors even Aretta Goodwin, who said though the campus has little she would oppose the instalcrime. lation of metal detectors on In fact, all 20 students in campus. the poll said they feel safe on Physics student Patrick the Arnold campus.

Ryan agreed. “I feel 100 perYet the college would cent unthreatened at benefit from metal deschool,” he said. tectors “to prevent anyOne student questhing from happening tioned how AACC would instead of waiting for monitor metal detectors something to happen,” if they were in every Ty Wallace, a first-year building. “There are so transfer studies stumany different builddent, said. ings,” said Paige DeSimBetween January one, a first-year psycholand March, eight school ogy student. “Who would shootings in the U.S. monitor them all?” resulted in injuries or First-year nursing deaths, according to the student Katelyn Birnonprofit organization mingham agreed. She Everytown for Gun Safesaid that even with metty. One of those was at Great Mills High School Most students say metal detectors al detectors, “if someone wants to smuggle in St. Mary’s County. at building entrances on campus in something onto camThat shooting was would make AACC safer. pus, they can.” the 20th incident in- Photo courtesy of ABC News 4 volving a gun at a U.S. school this year.

Approximately 10 percent of public schools in the U.S. have metal detectors, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

“Better safe than sorry,” third-year early education student Hannah Lunsford told Campus Current.

Nicole Carstens, a firstyear criminal justice student, agreed. “AACC should have metal detectors … to catch people who are bringing in

May 2018 | Campus Current |19

Sports

Men’s Lacrosse heads into postseason at 8-3 Derrick Browne Reporter AACC Men’s Lacrosse is looking forward to making a run in the postseason this year.

The team finished the regular season April 13 on a three-game winning streak and with an 8-3 record overall. The Riverhawks will begin national tournament play on May 5. They are ranked No. 5 in the nation.

“I think we’ve done really well this year,” second-year

defender Justin Walsh said.

“We’ve played at a higher level this year compared to last year, and we got more quality wins against some of the better teams in the country.”

“So far, so good,” head coach Joe Stanilaus said.

“We just need to continue to come together as a group, and I think going through the tough games early helped us with that.”

Stanilaus said the team is “peaking at the right time.”

“I talk to the players all

the time about playing for May,” Stanilaus added. “The national championship is May 13, and we anticipate playing in it.”

Second-year midfielder Nicolas Renzi said the team needs to “clean up the little things,” but they’ll do “really well” when the postseason begins.

“We haven’t put a full 60 minutes of good play together yet,” Renzi said before their last two games. “But, we’re 6-3 so I can’t really complain about that.”

Women’s Lax ranks 2nd among NJCAA colleges Vincent Moreland Sports Editor

Defender Kara Steir (left), attack Caitlyn Shriver and goalie Deanna Valerien (right) prevent a Monroe player from scoring.

Photo by Gerald M. Maravanyika

AACC defender Justin Walsh defends against a Harford Community College player.

Photo by Raquel Hamner

AACC Women’s Lacrosse will enter the playoffs as the No. 2 ranked team in the nation.

Women’s Lacrosse finished the season with an 11-3 record overall. The Riverhawks will play in the Region 20 tournament, which is beginning on Monday, April 30.

Last year, the Riverhawks lost in the National Championship semi-finals 19-11 to Monroe Community College.

Assistant coach Renee Ruppert said she feels “pretty good” about how the team will perform this year.

“I think we have a very good chance to be successful if we all come together and give 110 percent,” Ruppert said. “I think we will make it far in the playoffs.”

Midfielder Madeline Szanyi said she thinks her team can make it to the Final Four again this year.

“In the last three weeks, we’ve really picked it up,” Szanyi said. “We need to put

helmet and gloves, and then I was cleared to participate at 100 percent.”

First-year engineering student Gerald M. Maravanyika said he suffered a concussion in high school in December 2016.

“I was playing around with a friend and we were tossing the lacrosse ball around, and I was trying to catch the ball with one hand and impress some people,” said Maravanyika. “I ended up getting hit in the eye.”

Maravanyika said he had trouble moving his body after his injury.

“It was almost like you put a filter on a camera,” Maravanyika said. “It was kind of in-and-out … nothing looked the same.”

Kelso said head injuries that happen during games are dealt with immediately on the playing field to assess

the neck and spine of the player and ensure that it is safe for them to move.

According to Kelso, trainers diagnose concussions by giving injured players lists of words and numbers to recite to test their memory.

Athletics Director Duane Herr said after a concussion, “the brain needs to be relaxed.”

Herr said the Athletics Department communicates with faculty about student absences due to concussions.

Women’s Lacrosse midfielder Madeline Szanyi said she suffered a concussion in fall 2016.

“I got hit in the ear, so the ringing in my ear didn’t go away,” Szanyi said. “I couldn’t focus on class. My head always hurt. I sat out [of games and practice] for a month and a half. I didn’t go to class for two days.

Concussions total 19 in ’16-’18 Vincent Moreland Sports Editor Student athletes who get concussions must sit out of games and avoid critical thinking until they recover.

According to athletic trainer Amber Kelso, eight AACC student athletes reported concussions in the 2016-2017 school year and 11 reported concussions in the

In our April issue, we reported that AACC lowered the GPA required of student athletes from 2.0 to 1.75. That is incorrect.

Campus Current apologizes for the error.

See the full correction at TheCampusCurrent.com

2017-2018 school year.

Men’s Lacrosse captain Dylan Morton, who said he got a concussion during a game last season against Onondaga Community College, reported feeling “lightheaded” afterward.

“When I received that concussion, I was hit helmet-to-helmet by the other player when scooping a ground ball, which was illegal by the other player,” Morton said. “I didn’t really know what was happening. I saw glimpses and blurs.”

Morton said he wasn’t cleared to play until two weeks after his concussion and missed two games and one week of school.

“I stayed in bed for a while with no bright lights around me,” Morton said. “Finally, when light didn’t hurt anymore, I made my way back to practice, then just wore a

two and two together.

“If we can work together as a team and get the ball down the field with no drops, it would be great. We just need to play a whole game.

I think we’re ready for the playoffs.”

Defender Payton Baronella-O’Toole, who plays along with her sister Alyssa, said her team is ready for the playoffs.

“We have to work on our defense and all of the basics before the playoffs,” Baronella-O’Toole said.

Concussions mean down time for student athletes.

Photo by Raquel Hamner And then I had to do a lot of low-cardio exercises.”

Men’s Lacrosse midfielder Charles Ellis reported multiple concussions from different sports.

“I’ve had three or four concussions,” Ellis said.

“There’s a whole bunch of sensitivity to lights. Major migraines. … I was out for three weeks. … I couldn’t watch TV or read books, because it put too much in [my] mind.”

20 | Campus Current | 2018 | May

Five chairs. Five stories.

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This production is presented as a part of the 2018 Capital Fringe Festival, a program of the Washington, D.C., nonprofit Capital Fringe.

Prior to the opening of the festival, tickets can be purchased online via capitalfringe.org or through the Box Office phone number, 866-811-4111.

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