Campus Current March 1 Issue

www.thecampuscurrent.com

March 2017 Preview

Preview

“The Addams Family” prepares for Sister Settings, an art installation its production coming at the end of that honors women, will open for March. Page 11.

Women’s History Month. Page 10.

Trustees OK budget AACC’s Board of Trustees has approved an operating budget for the 2018 fiscal year that includes a tuition increase.

Read the full story

by Editor-In-Chief Jesse Johnson on the Campus Current website: www.thecampuscurrent.com

Campus Muslims react to news of immigration, travel orders President Donald Trump’s efforts to limit immigration have upset AACC’s Muslim community.

One student called the president’s now-suspended executive order restricting travel from Muslim-majority countries “absurd.”

“The extent of who can’t return even with proper doc-

uments is absurd,” Samir Berraho, a Muslim sociology major, said. “Anyone with the proper documentation should be allowed to travel back and be accepted here.”

Trump issued an executive order on Jan. 27 to temporarily prevent citizens of seven Muslim countries from entering the U.S. After a federal judge temporarily suspended the order, and a U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals

National Council Licensure Examination, or NCLEX-RN. AACC beat 24 other colleges for the lead spot on the organization’s Top 10 list.

The University of Maryland School of Nursing ranked second and Johns Hopkins Univiersity took fourth place.

Beth Anne Batturs-Martin, the director of AACC’s nursing and health care initiatives, said AACC’s program had a 92 percent

graduation rate in Fall 2015; 86 percent in Spring 2015 and 90 percent in Spring 2016.

To graduate with an associate of science degree in nursing, AACC students must pass the NCLEX-RN multiple-choice test and finish all of their classes—nine or 10 credits every semester—in two years.

“It’s a tough program,” Lisa Buffone-Tedford, a first-

Jesse Johnson Editor-In-Chief

semester is 12,345, down from 13,904 last semester, according to the college.

Enrollment began to decline in 2012. Since then, the number of students on campus has dropped by 5,305.

In 2011, enrollment

Jesse Johnson Editor-In-Chief

Nursing program ranks 1st among Md. colleges Brad Dress Associate Editor

AACC’s nursing program is the best one in Maryland, according to RegisteredNursing.org.

A nationwide company that helps aspiring nurses find schools and jobs, RegisteredNursing.org ranks college nursing programs according to the percentage of their graduates who pass the

In February, we reported that Dr. Colleen Eisenbeiser is retired. She is not.

We also misreported the number of students who suffer from diagnosable mental disorders. The correct number, nationally, is one in four, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Campus Current apologizes for the errors.

upheld the ruling, Trump announced he would issue a second executive order. Any new order is likely to face legal challenges as well.

AACC President Dawn Lindsay called on Muslim students and faculty to prepare for “continued periods of uncertainty.” In an email to faculty, Lindsay also reminded them that AACC holds the values of open-mindedness, equity and respect high.

Continued on Page 3

AACC’s nursing program places first in the state.

Photo by Kathryn Robbins year nursing major, said.

“But I’ve learned so much.

The professors really help.”

After graduating, nurses can get RN jobs in hospitals.

About 280 students are

Declining enrollment continues into spring

AACC’s enrollment has declined for the past five years, and officials are projecting it will continue to dip.

Enrollment of students taking for-credit classes this

Lindsay also advised community members who have family and friends in Iran, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Sudan and Libya— the seven countries in the order—to avoid traveling if they can, and to consult a travel attorney if they do.

Dr. Dan Nataf, director of AACC’s Center for the Study of Local Issues, said

had increased to 17,957 from 17,665 the year before.

Vice President for Learner Support Services Felicia Patterson said declining enrollment is not unique to AACC; in fact, it is happening

Continued on Page 3

enrolled in the program, and approximately 150 graduate each year, Batturs-Martin said.

“I’m very proud of the

Continued on Page 3

Enrollment has declined for five straight years.

Photo by Brad Dress

2 | Campus current | 2017 | march

Editorial

Meet the Campius Current Staff

Editor-in-Chief

Jesse Johnson

Associate Editor

Brad Dress

Graphic Designer/ Print Photo Editor

Britney Pieraldi Digital Editor

Piper Lewis

Web photo editor

Zach Tennant

Campus Life Editor

Elizabeth Spearman Club News EditorS

Courtland Brown-Tabscott Jonas Tintenseher Sports Editor

James Whitley Web Designer

Kathryn Robbins Reporters

Jymyaka Braden Andrew Cabacar Mark Davis Chase Ellington David Foster Trevor Gardner Jami Gotay James Haggerty Tre Mooring Roxanne Ready Cole Reiter Spencer Schwink Shawn Smith Photographers

Nyia Curtis Brandon Hamilton Nick Kiraly Zach Tennant Adviser

Sharon O’Malley

AACC community should seek to stay unified in coming year For anyone who has been near any kind of media since the beginning of the year, you know that the country that we live in has gone through some changes that for some, may not be smooth, and for others, may seem like just what we need.

I’m watching the world change from my cell phone.

We here at the Campus Current encourage everyone in this transitional period to stay strong and stay unified.

The students, faculty members and even those visiting the campus are part of a campus family, a nest of Riverhawks, coming together to teach, learn and motivate each other, and to strengthen the campus-wide relationships we make every day.

We as human beings should want to help one another, not bring each other down. All people who walk onto this campus should feel welcomed, not isolated or looked at differently because they possess different values or traits than someone else.

Keeping an open mind wherever you may wander in life is the most powerful tool you can possess, making words or physical prowess seem as small as a footnote.

Students who seek change in society must be ready to go out and achieve it for themselves.

Photo by Brad Dress Keeping anyone and everyone included in your life can go a long way toward making a difference in the world. Clubs on campus do an amazing job of involving anyone who walks into an organizational meeting or event. Most clubs, including Campus Current, immediately offer newcomers a role with the team.

It’s amazing how including someone in a group project or even in a conversation can quickly start a friendship and make both newcomers and those who

welcome them feel positive about themselves and feel positive about the campus.

Change has come to this country. Some people fear change, and it is hard at first to get used to a changed environment. What’s going on in our country has the feel of walking into a new school or the first day at a new job.

There’s so much uncertainty.

There is something we can do, though. Like Mahatma Gandhi, if we all believe in ourselves, we can “be the change that you wish to see in the world.”

If you do not feel something is right about the actions being taken in the world today, use your voice. You will be the change. You have the power to stand for what you feel is right. You have the power to create happiness.

You have the voice that can tear down racial, stereotypical barriers. You have the power to move others.

If you are tired of waiting for something to miraculously happen and you find yourself relying on others to do it, make it happen yourself.

Current Perspective

Settling into America Mark Davis Guest Columnist I arrived in the U.S. from my homeland in England a few months ago. My plan: to try everything.

I’ve yet to have any Maryland crab cakes, which I’ve been told are the best in the country. I’m already making some friends and I’ve joined a couple of campus clubs.

I want to embrace the American culture; eat every type of hot dog; try to hit a few balls in a baseball pen; and check out an American football game.

Completing my studies at AACC is my first priority.

After AACC, I plan to study at the University of Maryland.

Before I moved here, I traveled around the world for about 18 months, starting in South America, across

Mark Davis has lived in Maryland since the beginning of the semester.

Photo by Brandon Hamilton the Pacific via New Zealand and Australia, and then up through various countries in Southeast Asia through Nepal and India. I spent four months working at home before making the decision to study here.

I don’t plan on settling in Maryland just yet. I am planning to explore this state and others when the weather picks up.

Still, the move to the

U.S. does make me miss my family and friends. But it is very early in the moving process to judge how else I will be affected.

The classroom system at AACC is somewhat different from classes I would take in the U.K., where based on your major, you would be placed in different classes with the same group of people. Although I get to interact with a variety of people this way, there is a missing core of students whom I see regularly.

You must be open when settling into a new culture.

The comforts that you might have back home may not exist here, but you will adjust quickly. The college campus is the best environment to fail. (Not your studies though.) Above all, try and make friends.

Davis is a third-year architecture major.

Advertise With Us! Jacob Baumgart Advertising Manager 443-823-1343 campuscurentadverts @gmail.com Campus Current Anne Arundel Community College 101 College Parkway Arnold, MD 21012

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march | 2017 | campus current | 3

News

Campus brings in new enrollment specialist at community colleges across the country.

Patterson said enrollment tends to rise during economic downturns, and to decline in a recovery when potential students go back to work.

Students older than 25— those most likely to be looking for jobs—are contributing most to the decline, while enrollment among students younger than 18 is consistent, according to the college.

Teenage students can enroll in courses here while still in high school.

Enrollment has been declining at AACC for a multitude of reasons, according to Dan Baum, executive director of the Office of Public Relations and Marketing.

“I think if we had the answer to the one problem, we would be solving the one problem,” Baum said.

The college is experimenting with solutions to turn enrollment around.

One solution is for the

faculty to simply talk to students to see what they struggling with, Patterson said.

“When you ... know the college, and how things can get done, and how to help a student ... you can give them suggestions about what needs to happen,” Patterson said.

In addition, the Office of Public Relations and Marketing is recruiting older students and new high school graduates by featuring students of varying ages on college literature.

And the college has

students and faculty,” Batturs-Martin said. “It’s very exciting to be recognized for their hard work.” “[The program] provides so many tools,” Tristin Weiman, a first-year nursing major, said. “You feel like the teachers really want to create nurses.”

The nursing program has 20 full-time professors

Travel ban unpopular with Muslim students Continued from Page 1

Trump may have acted too quickly.

“For Trump, it’s easy as throwing stuff up on the wall and seeing what sticks,” Nataf said. “It’s just his way. But obviously [the travel ban] didn’t come up as sound policy.”

Nataf said the wiser process for the Trump administration would be to consider each immigrant on a case-by-case basis rather than issue a blanket ban, which treats everyone as a serious threat.

“There are going to be people who are not jihadi,” Nataf said. “But everybody is treated the same [under a blanket ban] no matter what you know about them.”

Nataf also said that while Trump’ s presidential campaign included a promise to fight terrorism, those remarks had played on fear, and the travel ban was what

he came up with.

“It was a longshot in the sense that the idea that the vetting [of immigrants] was so inadequate that it allowed someone [with bad intentions] in, to get a visa, and now they’re coming here, and they’ re going to do nasty things once they get here,” Nataf said. “That scenario is a low-probability event. It is not a zero-probability event.”

Attorney Adil Qaiyumi, a professor in AACC’s Homeland Security & Criminal Justice Institute, said foreign students who are coming into the country seeking an education could be affected by any travel ban. While some students on campus have F1 visas, which allow international students to maintain a full course of study while in the country, some may not have been allowed back into the country in the days following the travel ban.

“No students in my classroom [were affected]

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

14,699 14,834 15,149 16,741 17,665 17,957 17,650 16,463 15,274 14,689 13,904 -

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

Headcount

added three healthcare programs at the Center for Cyber and Professional Training at Arundel Mills with the hope of attracting new students.

A new special assistant

to the president for enrollment management and strategy, Dr. Oscar Joseph, started March 1 to help reassess what the college is doing in terms of enrollment.

and 40 to 45 adjunct professors.

Other community colleges on RegisteredNursing. org’s Top 10 list are Hagerstown Community College, at No. 3; Cecil College, No. 6; Carroll Community College, No. 7; College of Southern Maryland, No. 8; Community College of Baltimore County, No.9; and Frederick Community College, No. 10.

RegisteredNursing.org

pointed to the AACC program’s ability to place nursing students with healthcare organizations, where they can learn and develop their clinical skills. The group also said the local healthcare community “welcomes exemplary nurses [from AACC] to their ranks.”

The nursing program at AACC trains RNs, patient care technicians and paramedics, among others.

Nursing earns top rank Continued from Page 1

AACC beat 24 other colleges for the top ranking.

Photo by Kathryn Robbins

Year

Continued from Page 1

Fall Credit Headcount Enrollment

and no one has made me aware of any,” Qaiyumi said, but he added, “I’m sure there may be a few examples on campus.”

Still, he said, the college could be affected by “the chilling effect [a travel ban] may have on international students who maybe want to apply to [AACC] ... but they’re reluctant to do so now because they may fear they may not be able to come back or they may lose part of their tuition.”

Sahra Qaemi, another Muslim student on campus, said AACC should reach out to students to see what the college can do to help them.

But she said the ban is unlikely to go any further.

“I think the ban will stop here,” Qaemi said. “Everyone as a society is not going to let [the ban] continue, because we will work together to keep it from moving forward.”

The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 gives

180 international students are enrolled at AACC. Photo by Brad Dress the president the authority to suspend immigration of “any class of aliens” that he deems harmful to the United States.

Shane Dabolt, a second-year economics major, said the ban is a result of Trump’s political inexperience.

“It’s a 90-day ban from only seven countries,” Dabolt said. “It’s suitable for a new, incoming politician who is not used to being president.”

Like Qaiyumi, Homeland Security & Criminal Justice Institute professor Anika Ingram is a practicing attor-

ney, and also received phone calls from clients about the travel ban.

The executive order does not ban Muslim people, but because the countries listed in the ban are Muslim-majority, some label the travel ban as a “Muslim ban,” according to Ingram.

“A lot of times, we just live our lives because we’re happy, and don’t realize that so much is going on,” Ingram said. “I think we have to be more willingly aware and ready to engage and talk” about immigration.

4 | Campus current | 2017 | march

Campus Life

Praying bands perform traditional music style Spencer Schwink Reporter

The Singing and Praying Band of Maryland and Delaware gathered at AACC on Feb. 17 for a West African cultural tradition of singing that dates back over two centuries.

“Each one of you will get a drink through the Holy Spirit tonight,” said the Rev. Jerry Colbert, the band’s leader, before the performance started.

The performance began with a song, followed by a prayer shortly after a presen-

tation of the band’s history.

The religious band is a product of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, where most Singing and Praying Bands come from.

The group sticks to a call-and-response style of singing, which means the group splits into men’s and women’s sections. When one group sings a line, the other follows it with a response, and then everyone joins together and sings in harmony.

Students who attended the performance said they enjoyed it.

“It was a unique expe-

rience that I don’t think I’ll ever forget,” Suzie Yuksel, a freshman, said. “They made us feel like family and I even found myself singing along.”

The singing and praying movement, strong in the 50s and 70s, has since subsided.

According to band member and historian Anthony Johnson, who spent his summers in Glen Burnie participating in the singing practice with his father, the average age of each group member varies from 60 to 70.

The group is always looking for people to join and

matter, absolutely,” said Washington. “But I do not believe all lives are treated with the same amount of importance and significance.

You can just turn on the news and see that for yourself.”

Washington’s core message was that the stories people believe shape our interactions.

Washington demonstrated that it is important to love oneself as a first step to extending acceptance to others.

To illustrate the point,

Washington chose six audience members to participate in what he called the “I’m the S*** Activity.”

In the activity, participants took turns on stage holding an industrial toilet paper roll while calling out the positive qualities they want to be known for.

“I’m the S*** because I’m non-binary … so I do not conform to any of society’s standards,” said Cyprus Tyson, an engineering freshman, who also talked about fashion sense, heritage and

Activist speaks about race, equality to crowd Roxanne Ready Reporter

To treat all lives with equal significance, we need to listen to each other’s stories, motivational speaker Monti Washington said at an interactive speech on campus in February.

The presentation, titled “Which Lives Matter?” lasted for more than an hour and a half and included a spoken word performance and interactive elements.

“I do believe all lives

Guest speaker reaches males Mason Owens Reporter

A winner of “The Apprentice” encouraged AACC students on Thursday to merge their passions with their talents to achieve excellence in their careers and their lives.

In a speech titled “One Game, Two Rules and One Choice Demonstrates Excellence,” Dr. Randal Pinkett, an entrepreneur and the CEO of a management consulting firm, told a predominantly African-American audience that there are two sets of rules in life: one for blacks and one for others.

“It’s not enough today

to just work hard, you have to also work smart,” he said in a speech that was a part of AACC’s Black History Month observance.

Pinkett told a story about his experience with President Donald Trump, during Season 4 of “The Apprentice.” Trump asked him to share the winning title with a white woman, he said.

Pinkett declined.

“American society tells us that we’ll be rewarded for being the best, for being among the best, and when we are among the best, another set of rules seems to emerge, a set of rules based on nepotism, cronyism, racism and any other ‘ism’ that you

The Singing and Praying Band comes to AACC to sing and teach its old traditions.

Photo by Brandon Hamilton has heavy involvement in Anne Arundel and Dorchester counties, and travels to Delaware to recruit members.

Shelia Taliaferro, who became the first captain of the group after the death of

her father, spoke to the audience about religious values and keeping traditions alive.

The Singing and Praying Band continues to preach about the power of song and coming together through music.

Activist Monti Washington speaks to students about equality and listening to each other.

Photo by Brandon Hamilton sexual orientation.

Other participants claimed pride in their goals, religious beliefs, appearance and personalities that they wanted to speak about.

The “I’m the S*** Ac-

tivity” contrasted sharply against a previous one, in which audience members spoke from their seats about what negative labels they felt others had applied or given to them.

“The Apprentice” winner Randal Pinkett says excellence comes from within, not from others.

Photo by Brandon Hamilton might throw into the mix,” he said.

He said that didn’t stop him on his quest for excellence. Instead, he realized that excellence comes from within and not from outside influences.

“Excellence is not a solution to racism, but rather is among the best count-

er-strategies.” He added, “Excellence is doing your very best, regardless of the nature of the task and regardless of whether people are watching.”

The audience reacted by clapping and shouting numerous “Amens.”

“Very informative, very empowering and very moti-

vational,” sophomore Aman Beckett, a cybersecurity major, said. “It touched on everything that every young man that wants to be successful needs to know.”

“Delivered a great speech,” junior Anthony Hunter, a cybersecurity and informational services major, agreed.

march | 2017 | campus current | 5

CampuS LIFE

AACC observes Black History Brad Dress Associate Editor

AACC observed Black History Month in February with more than 10 events that addressed race, religion and equality.

The month kicked off on Feb. 1, with a soul food luncheon, attended mostly by campus staff, that sparked discussions about race in the workplace.

The following week, local historian and genealogist Elinor Thompson told a campus audience that everyone in Anne Arundel County is related in some way.

Thompson said some in the Anne Arundel community have rejected her claims that “we are all related.”

During the month, the Truxal Library had a selection of documents highlighting black history in Anne Arundel County, with emphasis on Thompson’s works.

And a two-week “Race Card Project” was displayed on walls in CALT, Careers Center and the Dining Hall.

The project, produced

by Dr. Gina Finelli, a sociology professor at AACC, allowed students to write down six words on notecards about how they feel about race.

Activist Monti Washington also spoke at AACC during Black History Month.

He emphasized the importance of listening to each other to gain equality in this day and age.

“I do believe all lives matter, absolutely,” Washington said at the speech, titled “Which Lives Matter?”

“But I do not believe all lives are treated with the same amount of importance and significance. You can just turn on the news and see that for yourself.”

On Feb. 17, the Singing and Praying Band of Maryland and Delaware came to

AACC students gather for a historical re-enactment as part of Black History Month on Feb. 20.

Photo by Zach Tennant AACC for a performance.

The event began with a song, followed by a prayer.

The band taught the audience about the fundamentals of religious values and traditions.

The next week, students engaged in a historical re-enactment, which was reminiscent of the 1960s counter-protest sit-ins that

African-Americans participated in as part of the civil rights movement.

Three events came on Feb. 23. First, AACC showed “Rosewood,” a film about a lynch-mob attack on the African-American community in 1923.

After the film, activists discussed a legislative proposal that aims to establish

a commission to study the impact of slavery and racial discrimination.

Finally, the Black Male Summit on Feb. 23, held in CALT room 100, hosted a speaker, Dr. Randal Pinkett.

Pinkett spoke to AACC students about merging their passions with talents to achieve excellence in their careers and life.

Photo By Elizabeth Spearman

Photo By Elizabeth Spearman

AACC SHOWCASES Black history month

Photo By Brandon Hamilton

Photo By Brandon Hamilton

Black History Month at the college had more than 10 events that addressed race and equality.

6 | Campus current | 2017 | march

Campus Life

Coffee vending to get upgrade Trevor Gardner Reporter

AACC students are complaining that they are dissatisfied with the college’s coffee vending machines.

Auxiliary Services Director Steve Pegg said he forwards complaints about the dispensers to the machine contractors, PepsiCo and Canteen Vending Services.

The vending companies respond to the complaints, he said.

“We don’t want unhappy customers; we bend over backwards for our customers,” Pegg said.

First-year student Hannah Nichols said when she tried to get “hot chocolate, it was just water, hot water.”

Other students have similar problems when interacting with the coffee machines.

“One time, my friend tried to get coffee and it was

straight creamer,” said Dallas Coleman, a music performance major. “It’s not very good coffee, either, to be honest.”

Upgrades to the campus vending machines are upcoming, Pegg said. Pegg met with Compass Group, the owner of Canteen, to begin machine upgrades and replacements, which will include a new coffee machine in the Humanities building, he said.

If a coffee machine malfunctions and does not return the customer’s money, the student can go to the Hawk’s Nest in the Student Union to get a full refund, Pegg confirmed to Campus Current.

“I deal with vending on a daily basis,” Pegg said.

Coffee sales from the machines have gone down because of a smaller student body and the introduction of Chick-fil-A and Subway,

Some students are complaining about the nine coffee vending machines on the Arnold campus.

Photo by Jesse Johnson which also sell coffee.

Pegg, however, does not mind the drop in sales, and said he wants students to have options.

The campus has $500,000 worth of vending machines, including nine coffee dispensing machines, each worth $8,000 to $10,000, Pegg said.

The machines that dis-

pense unflavored coffee are in the Johnson, Florestano and CALT buildings, and in Annex A. The machines that dispense flavored coffee are located in the CADE, Careers and Humanities buildings, and also in the library.

The coffee dispensers and other vending machines are refilled and cleaned by

the contractors once a week, Pegg said.

Hot chocolate and tea are also dispensed in the beverage machines.

Other vending machines located on the Arnold, Glen Burnie Town Center and Arundel Mills campuses serve cold beverages, fruit, assorted snacks and ice cream.

COME VIBE WITH THE TRIBE LIVE MARCH 22nd @ 12p.m.

Rock, Reggae, Ska, and a dash of Funk make the sweet, supple concoction known as the Vibesmen.

Come to SUN Dining Hall for free as part of The History Club’s series on popular music.

march | 2017 | campus current | 7

CampuS LIFE

Program helps AACC students Brad Dress Associate Editor

The writing center recently upgraded to a larger space.

Photo by Britney Pieraldi

Writing center moves, upgrades to big space Elizabeth Spearman Campus Life Editor

AACC’s Arnold Writing Center has moved to a bigger location in Room 136 of the library.

According to Dr. Jessica Rabin, the director of the Writing Center, the previous location was too small.

“There were many long waits and just not enough space to see a lot of students at one time,” Rabin said.

During peak season, the Writing Center helps approximately 50 students a day.

“I think the bigger space was a wonderful idea and it will help the tutors accom-

modate more people,” said sophomore Alyssa Thomas, a Writing Center user.

Thomas said she had two papers due at around the same time and the Writing Center helped her work more efficiently.

Additionally, students can see tutors at the Writing Center at the Arundel Mills campus and can set up online appointments and video chats though a virtual tutor.

“I have used the Writing Center both semesters so far … and with the expansion, the bigger the better,” Ibrahim Geris, a nursing student, said.

The Writing Center allows students to get help

College to get photo project Elizabeth Spearman Campus Life Editor

The photo-storytelling project Dear World is coming to AACC on April 11 to 12.

During the event, students will write words on each other’s skin to tell their stories, share their passions and deliver their message to the world.

The words will answer the question: “If you had one story to share with the world, what would you say?”

“Typically we get students and faculty talking about overcoming hard times, mental illness [and] talking about being a firstgeneration student,” Izzy Morrison, the national pro-

gram coordinator for Dear World, said.

Dear World started in New Orleans in 2009 and has visited college campuses around the world, including 50 in 2016. The April event will be Dear World’s first visit to AACC. “I think it is important for this project to come to AACC,” Leslie Cook, the student engagement specialist at AACC, said. “It seems that after the election and inauguration that emotions and anxieties are running high and hopefully this will show how we can all come together and have things in common.”

The project will take place in three stages. The first stage will be getting to-

from English professors and tutors. Tutors must have a master’s degree or Ph.D. in English and have experience teaching or tutoring.

The tutors help guide the students in correcting grammar and writing on their school papers, although they will not help them take graded tests or quizzes.

The tutors expect students to come prepared, with their instructor’s name and their course number ready to present.

The Writing Center at Arnold is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays; and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday.

A program at AACC helps students in financial trouble pay for gas, medical bills and other expenses.

Help Link may lend financially troubled students up to $300 in the form of book or food vouchers, gas cards, bus tickets or paid medical bills. The program does not offer cash.

Four AACC employees manage Help Link.

Funded by the SGA, the program receives $10,000 a year to lend to students, with a goal to spend all of the money, according to Tiffany S. Boykin, the assistant dean for student services, who said Help Link reached that number for the past four years.

A student who runs into financial trouble may call Help Link at (410) 777-2511.

Beth Mays, manager of Health Services, or Janice Watley, director of the Student Achievement and Success program, meet with the students about their needs.

“The goal is to help meet the needs of students so they can be academically successful,” Boykin said.

In the meeting, students explain why they are in financial crisis and show documents that prove they need help. According to Mays, the

students must be enrolled and in “good standing” with the college to be eligible.

Mays or Watley reach out to Financial Aid for the funds the student needs.

Additionally, they can direct students to the Food Pantry on the second floor of the Student Union building. Students can pick up food there only once a day.

Mays said she meets with at least two students a week, and Boykin added they see 130 to 150 students a year.

“Everyone should have

AACC employees Beth Mays (right) and Janice Watley help manage Help Link.

Photo by Britney Pieraldi an opportunity to fulfill their academic aspirations,” Mays said. “Financial stuff is a reality. … We can help to offset those little things and keep [the student] moving forward.”

The Dear World photo-storytelling project comes to AACC April 11.

Photo courtesy of Dear World gether 50 student leaders who will be photographed in a special VIP shoot.

The second stage will take place in the dining hall on April 12 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Students, faculty and

staff will have the opportunity to talk to each other about their personal stories and then have their photos taken.

The third stage will feature six students with the most interesting stories. The

stories will be determined by the Dear World coordinator.

Those six stories will also be told on April 12 at 7 p.m.

Dear World has photographed Boston Marathon survivors and Syrian refugees.

8 | Campus current | 2017 | march

Campus Life

Professor offers aid to mid-income taxpayers Courtland Brown-Tabscott Reporter

An AACC business professor is preparing income tax returns for free for students, faculty and staff who earn $54,000 or less per year.

Students and others, including members of the non-campus community, can call or email professor Reb Beatty to schedule an appointment before April 12. Taxpayers can meet with Beatty Saturday mornings or

SGA President Nick Nadeau will be transferring in the fall.

Photo by Brad Dress

Wednesday evenings.

Beatty volunteers for an IRS program called Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, which helps low- and middle-income earners with tax return preparation. VITA also helps elderly, immigrants and people with disabilities to file their taxes.

“One of the reasons I wanted to do this program was for the benefit of the community,” Beatty said. “As a CPA, I get very disheartened when I see people come in … and say, ‘Well I had my return done by this or that

person and they charged me $300 or $400 or $500,’ and it’s a really simple return that we can do here in an hour absolutely for free.”

During its three years on campus, the service has relied on AACC accounting student volunteers, faculty and alumni to help prepare tax returns.

One AACC employee said Beatty and his volunteers helped her “conquer the procrastination monster.”

Patricia Spence, an AACC Health Services nurse, said she is “emotionally aller-

Elizabeth Spearman Campus Life Editor The Student Government Association is looking for candidates to run for SGA president.

To run for president, a candidate has to have been a student at AACC for at least one semester and have at least a 2.25 GPA. In addition, candidates must have completed at least 67 percent of the classes they have attempted at AACC. Candidates should also be involved in clubs and other campus activities, and plan

to attend AACC through May 2018, which is when the new president’s term will end.

“An ideal candidate should be involved and know what is happening in and around campus,” Chris Storck, director of student engagement, said.

Nick Nadeau, the 2016– 2017 SGA president, ran on a platform to increase student involvement throughout the school.

Since he took office in the fall, “five new [student] organizations have been formed,” Nadeau said.

“I have tried to raise more

AACC’s Concert Band submitted an audition tape at the beginning of the fall semester and was accepted almost immediately.

The performance was the first time the band has performed at the conference, and its first large performance off campus, according to Jordan Wood, a financial economics major and clarinet player in the Concert Band.

“With the largest amount of musicians that we have had in years, I feel [the concert] was terrific,” Wood said. “Everything that we had practiced over the semester came together perfectly.”

The ensembles had practiced over the winter break on a voluntary basis

for the conference.

The Concert Band and Chamber Winds ensemble are made up of a combined 86 members, who come together as a diverse group of students, faculty, and other musicians, according to conductor and adjunct AACC professor Paul Dembowski.

“For me, within [the band], there are so many crossing paths of people that I know from different places in their life,” Dembowski said. “And now, they’re all sitting there, and we’re making music.”

According to Dembowski, there are four fulltime faculty members in the music department; the rest of the department is adjunct.

Dembowski also serves

AACC’s Concert Band and Chamber Winds ensemble performed at the Baltimore Convention Center on Feb. 11.

The Concert Band and Chamber Winds ensemble performed with other educational music programs throughout Maryland as part of the three-day Maryland Music Educators Association Annual In-Service Conference.

The concert band performed five pieces, including a rendition of “Casey At The Bat,” featuring a narration by David Kauffman, coordinator of music for Anne Arundel County Public Schools.

gic to doing taxes.” Through VITA, she also said she “saved money, met some great people.”

Business major and VITA student volunteer Li Fulan also used Beatty’s service. Fulan said the process is “very well done,” and “very professional.”

Beatty said tax prepara-

tion at other places can cost a minimum of $100. He also said his team saves each taxpayer an average of $100 to $500 on income taxes.

Beatty said the service filed 14 returns in 2015 and 37 last year. This year, Beatty’s goal is to hit 100 tax returns by April 15.

Tax Day is April 18.

awareness for scholarships, and student involvement has increased.”

The SGA president is the organization’s official representative when meeting with the Board of Trustees and the administration.

If only one person applies for the position, that student will automatically become president. If more than one candidate emerges, all will campaign for the office and students will decide which one to elect.

“My advice for the next president is not to be afraid to talk to the students and to

make connections with everyone on campus,” Nadeau said.

Calvin Williams, a second-year student, also had some advice for the next SGA president.

“I would like to see more student activities be held at the Arundel Mills and Glen Burnie campuses,” he said. “Having a majority of my classes out there, I feel that I miss most of the activities that happen at the Arnold campus.”

The presidential application deadline for students is April 3.

SGA searching for new leader

Ensemble performs off campus at conference Jesse Johnson Editor-In-Chief

Reb Beatty offers help to taxpayers through April 12.

Photo by Nyia Curtis

The Concert Band and Chamber Winds ensemble performs at the Baltimore Convention Center on Feb. 11.

Photo by Jesse Johnson as the chair of the performing and visual arts music magnet program at Broadneck High School.

Dembowski’s wife, Lynda, is a clarinet player in the concert band, and teaches clarinet as an adjunct professor at AACC. Lynda Dembowski performed in the concert as a soloist for the piece, “Black Dog,” and said she finds pressure to be a “good thing”

when performing.

“If you’re feeling nervous, you work that energy into your playing,” Dembowski said. “You try to, as I call it, gather your chi.”

Dembowski is also a member of the United States Naval Academy Concert Band.

The ensembles will host a spring concert on May 13 in the Pascal Center for Performing Arts.

march | 2017 | campus current | 9

Business competition pitches opportunites Elizabeth Spearman Campus Life Editor

AACC has teamed up with Capital One and the Radcliffe Entrepreneurial Studies Scholarship to give students an opportunity to participate in a Business Pitch Competition worth $100,000.

To qualify for the competition, a student has to submit an online application, a 10-page maximum business proposal, a resume and a financial plan for no more than $25,000 by noon on March 30. Any AACC stu-

dent who has taken classes since July 2016 may compete.

Before students can apply, they have to meet with a Capital One coach, a business adviser or an AACC mentor before March 24 to go over their business plans.

The finalists will be notified through email on April 13. On April 27, they will pitch their ideas, in two-minute segments without the use of technology, live in front of eight judges and an audience, and will answer a five-minute Q&A in Careers Center 200. The winners will

be announced that day.

“It is a great opportunity for students to create their ideas into realities, to involve all colleges into one competition,” Stephanie Goldenberg, project manager of the competition, said. “If a culinary arts student wants to own a restaurant or if an art student wants to own their own gallery, this is their chance to make their dream a reality.”

The Entrepreneurial Studies Institute started the business competition back in 2004.

After seeing different college business competi-

AACC brought in a pre-transfer adviser from the University of Maryland, College Park in February to help students move to the university.

Liz Murdock LaFortune, the adviser, helps students apply to the university, figure out which classes to take here and which of them will transfer, and encourages them to apply for the Maryland Transfer Advantage Program. This program

Students not in rush to plan out Spring Break Chase Ellington Reporter

For many AACC students, planning for this year’s Spring Break will be a last-minute chore.

In an informal poll of 20 students, nine said they haven’t decided what they will do during the week of March 13, when classes are canceled. Six others said they will travel, and five are planning to stay home.

Some said it is too early to plan their break activities.

“I don’t know [what to do] yet,” said Nika Vega, a transfer studies major.

Others have not put any thought into their plans.

“I haven’t really thought of anything [to do],” said Destiny Simmons-Harper, a pre-veterinary major. “ Other students explained how they might wind up staying home.

“I’m so lame, so no I don’t [have plans],” said Jessica Strauss, a transfer studies major. “Staying home; that’s probably gonna happen.”

Staying home during the break offers students a chance to catch up on their homework, but not everyone uses the break to study.

The Business Pitch Competition offers students prizes of as much as $25,000 each.

Photo by Nick Kiraly tions, AACC took information from each of the schools and added it to its own idea.

“I am thinking about starting my own art gallery with local art from [AACC]

students,” Tyler Ashton, a third-year art student, said.

“If I do enter the competition then I would use the seed money to rent out a local space.”

guarantees qualified AACC students admission to the university.

“I am here to complement—not replace—the work of the AACC advisers,” LaFortune said. “It is very important that students continue to work with their AACC advisers.”

A pre-transfer adviser helps students make decisions and plan for the next rung of their education,” LaFortune explained.

AACC students offered mixed reviews on advice their AACC advisers give them.

“I feel like [AACC advisers] are more dumped down on us staying here and getting that degree from here,” Amanda Robinson, a fourth-semester student, told Campus Current.

But sophomore Alex Sawyer said AACC advisers do a good job of helping students get ready for four-year universities.

LaFortune’s office is located in the Student Services building, with other advisers from Virginia Tech and University of Maryland, University College.

Univ. transfer advisers on campus offer help Trevor Gardner Reporter

Liz Murdock LaFortune is a pre-transfer adviser from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Photo by Nyia Curtis

CampuS LIFE

“I usually go on a cruise [during spring break], but not this year,” said Lindsey Kroh, who has not chosen a major yet. But she has no plans to spend the break on school work.

The students who plan to go out of town over the break will spend time with family and friends in states like Florida and West Virginia.

Biology major Johanna Salazar is going to Disney World, and Amy Vonludwick, a business management major, is spending time with family in Maine.

“I’m going to do some

Most students say it is too early to plan for the upcoming Spring Break, starting March 13.

Photo by Brandon Hamilton outdoor activities and visit family,” Vonludwick said.

Some faculty on campus have observed that students miss more classes as spring break approaches.

“The majority of students do just fine and contin-

ue to show up to class,” said Dr. Rachelle Tannenbaum, a psychology professor.

“There’s just a few [students] who take spring break earlier than they should.”

Spring Break starts March 13.

10 | Campus current | 2017 | march

CAMPUS LIFE

Humanities to get newer roof Mark Davis Reporter

The Humanities building will get a new roof this summer.

Removing and replacing the roof will take roughly,from the last week in May until on or before Aug. 25.

The project will cost more than $1.1 million for removal and replacement, according to a proposal made to the Board of Trustees last December.

The new roof will feature a reflective, white surface, known as thermoplastic polyolefin, and will reflect

light, making the building cooler in the summer. Beneath the surface, the roof will include the same insulation, which will retain heat within the building during the colder months.

Jim Taylor, the facilities planning and construction director, told Campus Current the classes in the Humanities building over the summer will be relocated to other general purpose classrooms around campus, but hospitality labs, such as the HCAT labs, will remain in use while construction occurs.

Still, the building will

The Humanities building will recieve a new roof over the Summer 2017 semester.

Photo by Brad Dress remain in use during construction, Taylor said. “There shouldn’t be any major disruptions, but if [students] in a class are taking a test, we know they want quiet,” he said.

The original roof was replaced in 1993, and the replacement came with a 20-

Students seek longer hours at fitness center James Whitley Sports Editor

Some AACC students who work out at the fitness center want it to stay open longer each day.

Fitness enthusiasts told Campus Current fitting their workout schedules around limited gym hours is difficult.

From Monday through Friday each week this semester, students can work out at the fitness center for 15.5 hours. And on Saturday, the fitness center is open for

three hours in the morning.

In addition, only faculty members and staff can work out from noon to 1 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Hours may change next semester, according to Nicole Reed, the manager of the aquatic and fitness center.

Reed said she plans the fitness center hours around health classes taught in Room 213 in the gym. Fewer classes mean longer fitness center hours.

Place settings honor women Tre Mooring Reporter

The AACC Women’s Institute and Visual Arts Department are bringing a project to the college that will highlight historical women.

Sister Settings, a project for Women’s History Month, will make its second run at AACC March 27 to 31.

Like last year, groups of students will paint abstract images on bisque-colored plates and goblets. Each place setting of placemats, tablecloths and napkins represents a notable woman, like actress Mary Tyler Moore and poet Maya Angelou.

Sister Settings: A Student Installation was inspired by “The Dinner Party,” an art installation by Judy Chicago, a feminist artist.

Dr. April Copes, an assistant professor of communications whose class is working on the installation, said she hopes the program will educate the AACC community about the contributions of powerful, diverse women throughout history.

Three project managers assigned students to research a famous woman to portray in their artwork.

“I think it’s really awesome of a project to inform people about these amaz-

“We have it open literally as much as possible based around classes coming first,” Reed said. “Every hour that remains in the day, we have it for open hours.”

Bryson Spaulding, a sophomore computer information systems major, said he would like to have longer hours at the fitness center so he could fit his workout into his schedule.

“I would like [longer hours at the fitness center] so I don’t have to plan around my schedule,” Spaulding

year warranty. In 2013, the year the warranty was up, the roof was inspected and recommended for an upgrade by a roofing consultant.

Preparation for construction includes brick work, Taylor said, which will begin over spring break the week of March 13, but this

will not affect students this semester. The removal of the roof will begin shortly after commencement on May 25.

The next building that will need a roof upgrade will be the Dragun building. According to Taylor, that project could take place in Summer 2018.

AACC’s fitness center is available for use during select hours in the day.

Photo by Zach Tennant told Campus Current.

Alex Sigba, a freshman engineering major, said he would like more time at the fitness center to get in better shape.

“I would like more time

to focus on my other muscle groups,” Sigba said.

Upon signing up for the gym, students and faculty must sign a waiver, and present a valid AACC ID card.

Sister Settings features visual art representing historic females through history.

This place setting is from last year’s display.

Photo courtesy of Dr. April Copes ing women who they may not have learned about in school,” said Kaylee Garner, a human services major.

Juliana Davella, a nursing major, said her group

chose to paint an abstract image of Medusa, a figure in Greek mythology, because she represents rape culture.

Sixty-eight students from communications, visual

arts, and gender and sexualty studies classes are creating the place settings.

AACC professors created the objects that students are painting.

march | 2017 | campus current | 11

Entertainment

‘Family’ arrives on AACC stage Jymyaka Braden Entertainment Editor

A new musical is coming to AACC at the end of March, blending music, comedy and a classic tale.

“The Addams Family” theater production is a song-and-dance version of the adventures of a family that was introduced in the 1930s, beginning as a series of cartoons drawn by Charles Addams of The New Yorker. After the popularity of the cartoons, “The Addams Family” turned into a sitcom, a cartoon, a major motion picture and a Broadway musical.

Mark Kamie, who is a freelance director, discussed the legacy of “The Addams Family” and the behind-thescenes production with Campus Current.

“I researched the history of ‘The Addams Family,’ starting with their incep-

tion: the cartoons created

by Charles Addams,” Kamie said.“Then, I moved on to watching the television show and movies.”

Kamie said he was inspired by the cartoons when tasked with directing the musical. Additionally, he said he researched Andrew Lippa, the writer of the music and lyrics for the musical.

Costume designer Victoria Scherini, a first-year transfer studies major, said she loves the “playfully spooky aesthetic” of the Addams’ household and its decor.

“With such an iconic group of characters, you want to make sure you get the look just right,” Scherini said. “I’ve always been focused on ensuring that the actors are comfortable and able to move freely, but with a musical, the actors have to dance, and [they] need a lot more freedom of movement

The cast of “The Addams Family” rehearses the show’s dances throughout the month leading up to its March 31 opening in Kauffman Theater.

Photo by Zach Tennant in their costumes.”

Scherini said the team’s goal was to capture the beauty of “The Addams Family” and bring out the personalities of the characters.

Scherini added the show’s production is almost entirely student-run from the lights, sound, props, makeup, costumes and stage managing.

The story of “The Addams Family” has intrigued audiences for decades. The plot involves Wednesday Addams, the 18-year-old daughter, as she tries to date a new boy. The family, however, disagrees; in its ritual of raising ancestors from the grave, the family decides to prevent Wednesday from continuing the relationship.

“I think audiences of all ages will be able to connect with the show and the characters,” Scherini said. “You don’t have to be a musical person, or a theater person, or an “Addams Family” person to enjoy this show. You just kind of have to see it, and the show will do the rest.”

“The Addams Family” will premiere March 31.

AACC’s $100,000 Business Pitch Competition ALL AACC students can compete!

Business Plan submissions are due by March 30th at noon ALL AACC students can compete for more than $100,000 in prizes including: • Up to $25,000 maximum in seed funds • Scholarships • Incubator space If you aspire to own your own business apply online at www.aacc.edu/esi Students should register online and sign up for business plan and business pitch coaching

by March 10th Questions: Contact Stephanie Goldenberg at slgoldenberg@aacc.edu

12 | Campus current | 2017 | march

Club News

Gaming club to give to charity Roxanne Ready Reporter Cheers and laughter explode around a projector screen at the front of the room as a player’s character is tossed out of the gaming arena, concluding a heated “Super Smash Bros. 4” battle.

Meanwhile, half a dozen students enjoy a casual game of “Cards Against Humanity” nearby. A third group lounges on the floor and chairs, taking turns teaming up against the zombie hordes of “Left 4 Dead 2.”

Members of the AACC E-sports Club gather on campus for four hours on Wednesdays to relax and train in their favorite competitive video games.

Around two dozen members attend each week, representing a wide range of competitive gaming interests, from MOBAs—multiplayer online battle arenas

W

— like “League of Legends” and “Dota 2,” and brawlers like “Smash 4” and “Heroes of the Storm.”

AACC cybersecurity alumnus Conway Johnson founded the club a year ago to find students and locals to game with when his semi-professional “Heroes” team drifted apart.

“I’m not big on finding teammates online,” he said.

“You deal with a lot of bad attitudes.”

Since then, the club has become something of a hub for the campus’s video-gaming community. The Nest lists group membership at 23 people, but club President Dallas Coleman, a sophomore music major, said the club’s mailing list is closer to 60 or 70, with about two dozen filtering in and out of the club meetings every week. The club also has an active Discord VoIP—voice over internet protocol—serv-

o r k i n g

T

The E-sports Club meets every Wednesday to relax and play games.

Photo by Roxanne Ready er, he said, which allows the members to talk and game together at AACC throughout the week.

Coleman gained permission from the Office of Student Engagement this semester to form competitive gaming teams under the AACC name. Details and rosters are still in formation, and the club is recruiting all skill levels.

o g e T h e r

Students at a February meeting reported a welcoming and friendly atmosphere with the club.

Jesseca Greene, a sophomore graphic design major, said her favorite thing about the club is “how much like a family we are.” She added, “We’re always very accepting when it comes to new people.” Her main game is “League of Legends,” where

- e

she ranks Bronze.

The club has invited AACC students and friends to watch and play against their teams on April 1.

That event will be a 24hour fundraiser livestreamed through Extra Life, a charity movement dedicated to saving children through 24-hour gaming marathons.

The event is the club’s second this school year.

v e r y o n e

e

aT s

Empty Bowls EvEnt March 9, 2017 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

SUN Dining Hall Purchase a bowl of soup made by AACC HCAT students. your $10 donation benefits the AACC Food pantry.

march | 2017 | campus current | 13

CLUB News

Observatory to get better tech Brad Dress Associate Editor

The Astronomy Club plans to upgrade AACC’s Observatory with better technology as soon as possible.

Jessica Harryman, a second-year stronomy major and the president of the Astronomy Club, said she plans to work on projects like Hyperstar. In the project, Harryman plans to upgrade the observatory telescopes’ shutter speed—the acceleration of the camera lens, so the club can take better pictures of stars.

Another project Harryman said she wants to get running is Radio JOVE. In this project, Harryman plans to use a special astronomy kit to analyze radio emissions emitted by Jupiter.

These projects are funded by club fundraisers and lab fees from astronomy classes. The club hopes to

have them by the fall.

The Observatory, located in Arnold at the top of the hill behind the Resource Management building, has six telescopes and a bigger one for demonstration.

“For science, you have to experience it,” Dr. Beth Hufnagel said about the necessity of the observatory.

“You can read about it, talk about it, but that is not science—science is looking at it with your own eyes.”

The Observatory has two floors. The lower level has a small classroom with a few chairs and desks, and the upper has a room with telescopes and a roof that slides to reveal the sky.

The club consists of several hundred members in the Arnold community and some students from AACC, according to Hufnagel, a professor of astronomy and co-adviser of the club. John Kline, an astronomy professor, is the

Sophomore Alicia Martinez views the sky with one of the Observatory’s seven telescopes.

Photo by Brad Dress other adviser.

Hufnagel said approximately 30 to 50 people come on the first Saturday of every month for open observing of the sky at the Observatory.

The meeting days change every semester because of the location of the moon. If the moon is out during viewing, the stars and planets are obscured.

On the first Saturday of February, the club kicked off the semester with a speaker who spoke about Pulsars, which are rotating stars.

Afterward, the members went to the Observatory and viewed the stars, planets and the moon.

Students who visited the Observatory on a recent Saturday said they were sur-

prised to find one so sophisticated on a community college campus.

“It’s interesting to be able to see the stars up close,” Gretchen Marcussen, a firstyear transfer major, said. “I think I’ll probably come back again.”

The AACC Observatory is the only one in Anne Arundel County.

Observatory soars for future tech The Astronomy Club goes to the Observatory to view the sky and see the stars on the first Saturday of every month.

Photos by Brad Dress

14 | Campus current | 2017 | march

POLICE BEAT

Midnight cops see other AACC Brad Dress Associate Editor

June 25, 2003, is a day Sgt. Stephen Shepet, the midnight shift commander for the AACC Public Safety Department, said he will never forget.

Inside of his office, which used to be in the Foundation House across the street from Central Services, Shepet saw a sports car pull into the parking lot in front of the stadium, followed by another car, this one an Anne Arundel County Police car.

Three males exited the sports car and rushed toward the central campus. Concerned, Shepet rushed outside, and the police officer said the men stole a car.

Shepet hurried to his car and a chase ensued.

Shepet, driving his police car and armed only with pepper spray, drove onto the sidewalk near the greenhouse

and the Schwartz building, where he found the three car thieves huddled in a corner.

He shone his car light on the three men and, holding only his can of pepper spray, yelled for them to put their hands up, to not move.

He held them there until eight county officers showed up to detain the thieves.

David Pressley, who called the Public Safety Department the next day to congratulate Shepet on helping them catch the criminals, ended up joining AACC a few years later.

Shepet is not alone on the midnight beat. Two other officers keep him company on the 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. shifts every night.

Four late night officers work for AACC’s Public Safety Department, and they rotate shifts, working four nights in a row and then taking off for two.

The officers each take

Sgt. Stephen Shepet is the midnight shift commander and patrols late-night shifts.

Photo courtesy of Public Safety Department a post, or area, they patrol throughout the night, via car and foot, and sometimes by bike during the summer.

The first post is West Campus, and the second constitutes everything inside of Ring Road, which is the road that circles the central campus buildings where the library is located. The third post consists of the area outside of Ring Road.

Shepet, who has worked

the midnight shift for 19 years, said the campus is peaceful at night, and he sees a lot of wildlife.

“There is more emphasis on criminal detection; we don’t have all the students and staff here to see something and call us,” Shepet said about the importance of the shift. “We have to be more vigilant.”

During the shift, Shepet said the officers work on

projects, such as making sure cameras and other mechanical functions work for daytime use.

Shepet said the officers at night have only themselves and no back-up.

Shepet explained how in 2004, for a period of four weeks, unknown intruders attacked the campus by lighting objects on fire, such as picnic tables, before he chased them away.

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march | 2017 | campus current | 15

sports

B-ball finishes for both teams Andrew Cabacar Reporter

AACC Men’s and Women’s Basketball both finished with six wins in the 2016-17 season.

The men’s team ended with a 6-15 record and the women’s finished at 6-16.

Men’s Basketball won two of their last four games, while the women ended on a six-game losing streak.

Women’s Basketball lost the deciding game against Catonsville. A win would have earned them the last spot in the Regional Tournament.

“It’s always disappointing not reaching the tournament, but it was very exciting to see how close they came,” Women’s Basketball coach Lionel Makell said.

The women’s team played seven of the top teams in the county. Makell said

he hoped the high-visibility games could draw more recognition to the Riverhawks and attract recruits for next season.

Despite the losses, Makell said he was most proud of the team’s academics this season. He said he didn’t lose any players because of academic ineligibility.

Additionally, players Jasmine Wallace, Alexxis Evans and Megan Young will play at Division II and Division III schools next season.

Makell said the team’s motto was, “Finish what you started.”

“We were always trying to be positive and keep everyone’s heads up when we had a rough game,” Evans, a sophomore forward, said.

Despite the team’s losses, several men’s players also excelled in the classroom.

Freshman Miles Dobson and sophomores Mar-

AACC Men’s and Women’s Basketball both ended their seasons with six wins, and showed improvements in academic excellence.

Photo by Jesse Johnson cus Dentley, Larry Stevenson and Christian Thomas were on the Fall 2016 Athletic Director’s Honor Roll.

“Even though our record wasn’t too great, I was pretty happy with myself and my team,” Dentley said.

Additionally, Dentley finished the season ranked No. 15 in points per game for

Golf, lacrosse, softball seek winning seasons Spencer Schwink James Whitley Reporter and Sports Editor

Riverhawk coaches and players said they hope to improve on their records during the spring athletic season.

Men’s Lacrosse

looking to build on values and fundamentals.

“Without question I am a defensive-minded coach,” Stanilaus said. “I was a goalie in high school and college, and have always coached on that side of the ball.”

Stanilaus said the keys to success are defense, men-

AACC Women’s Lacrosse gets ready for the upcoming season.

Photo by Brad Dress Joseph Stanilaus, the new head coach for Men’s Lacrosse, said he is looking to build on last season’s 11-5 record.

Stanilaus said he is also

tal toughness and communication.

Dylan Mansur, attack, said this year’s team is looking to make a splash.

“We are looking to

the Maryland Junior College Athletic Association.

He won Student Athlete of the Month in November for the JUCO conference.

Sophomore pointguard Stevenson finished the year as No. 6 in assists and steals in the JUCO conference.

The men’s team had

nine of its games decided by nine points or less.

In addition, both men’s and women’s teams finished with five wins in 2015. In 2014, the women’s had five wins and the men’s had nine.

Men’s Basketball went 2-12 in its conference this year, and Women’s Basketball went 2-10.

make some waves in the river,” Mansur said.

Softball Head coach Guy Klingensmith said the team is looking to carry over its momentum from last year into the beginning of this one.

With coaches Klingensmith and Brittany Nuñez returning for their second year, the team is looking to take the season one game at a time.

As opposed to last year’s team with mostly sophomores, the young team has only two returning players.

Brittney Barlow and Gabrielle Bobel are the only returning players on the roster and Klingensmith said he expects them to be the leaders.

Klingensmith said he wants his players to improve on fundamentals the most.

“I’m a big believer in the three r’s; repetition, repetition, repetition,” he said.

Opening day for softball is set for March 8.

Women’s Lacrosse The Women’s Lacrosse coach said he has his eyes set on playing in the national

AACC Men’s Baseball begins the season with a new head coach.

Photo by Nick Kiraly tournament AACC is hosting this year.

Jim Griffiths, the head coach of Women’s Lacrosse and Cross Country, said he would be disappointed if the team didn’t play in the national tournament.

“Our goal this year is to be as good as we can be,” Griffiths said.

Griffiths also said this year’s team has more potential than in the past.

Victoria Mattoon, the goalie, said she wants to become a better goalie. Mattoon said her challenge this season is trying to build chemistry with new teammates in a short period of time.

Emily Rowe, who plays midfield, said her goal for this season is to win more games.

“If we do that, everything will fall into place,” Rowe said.

Women’s Lacrosse end-

ed its 2016 season with a record of 10-8.

Men’s Golf Men’s Golf looked to head back to nationals this season, after winning regionals and finishing seventh in nationals last season.

Head coach Joel Thorne said heading back to nationals is the goal every season.

“Our goal is to win our region and go to nationals as a team,” Thorne said.

Thorne said his biggest challenge this season is finding freshmen to fill the team, which has just two returing sophomores.

“I want to see how [the freshmen] perform and respond to pressure,” Thorne said.

Josh Maisel, a returning sophomore, said he is excited about the upcoming season.

Maisel said he wants to place higher at nationals.

16 | Campus current | 2017 | march