Minimum class size grows from 12 to 15
Jose Gonzalez Editor-in-Chief
Starting in the fall, classes with fewer than 15 students could be canceled before the semester begins.
This comes a year and a half after college administrators increased the minimum
class size from 10 students to 12, according to Vice President for Learning Tanya Millner, who explained that the suggestion came from consulting firm rpk GROUP, which the school hired to assess how efficiently it uses its resources.
“This came after a full
academic year of data analysis and discussions that involved faculty and staff,” Millner said. “The target number has increased gradually and intentionally over time to better align with the enrollment trends and some
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Two students move from Idaho to play lacrosse.
will cancel most classes that have fewer than 15 students in the future.
communications professor Zoë
African student club
wins excellence prize
Lily Peaper Associate Editor
The African Student Association won the award for Outstanding Student Club at the 2025 Impact and Excellence Awards ceremony on April 24.
Club President Rabiyatou Bah, a third-year environmental science student, accepted the award during
2 candidates run for SGA president office
Jose Gonzalez Editor-in-Chief
Two first-year students are running for Student Government Association president for the next school year.
The candidates are Chris Chambers, an engineering student, and Dammy Oyewumi, a nursing student. The winner of the election will replace second-year kinesiology student Meredith Dales,
who will graduate in May.
Students may vote for president on The Nest between April 28 and May 4.
Chambers said he is running for president to bring the college community closer.
“I know that when it comes to community colleges and commuter colleges, the school spirit and the feeling of that regular college experience is lacking,” Chambers, who serves as vice president
of campus activities for the SGA this semester, said. “I want to work hard to at least bring some of that to the community college.”
Oyewumi, who spent a large portion of her life in Nigeria, agreed, adding she wants to “be a voice, just to represent the students and, like, improve the campus life and just be an advocate.”
Continued on Page 3
the ceremony at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in downtown Annapolis.
“It feels exciting and a great honor to receive this award,” Bah said. “The club means a lot to me. I’ve put in a lot of effort and long hours to make it something that can be fun and educational to everyone.”
Bah founded the African Student Association in 2023
with another student. She said her main goal was to give the club "a solid foundation for the coming years.”
The Impact and Excellence Awards are organized by the Student Government Association and the Office of Student Engagement. Students and faculty submitted nominations for the
Continued on Page 3
The African Student Association wins Outstanding Student Club at the Impact and Excellence awards. Shown, club President Rabiyatou Bah.
Photo by Lily Peaper
AACC
Shown,
Farquhar.
Photo by Jose Gonzalez
First-year students Chris Chambers, left, and Dammy Oyewumi are running for Student Government Association president.
Photo by Jose Gonzalez
Student arts journal to unveil 50th edition
Hudson Toth Reporter
The 50th edition of AACC’s student journal for the arts, Amaranth, will come out on May 6.
Amaranth staff will host a release party—including an open mic event—in Humanities 112 that day to celebrate the milestone.
“Any student, alumni or community member may attend,” Editor-in-Chief Zoë Sharp said. “It’s so that way, we can give people copies of the journal. It’s kind of a day to, like, celebrate the release of the journal itself. … We’ve got, like, a little reception that goes on. People get their
copies of [the] journal, they look through it, and then we kind of pivot, and we have time for people to share their work that’s made it into the journal.”
Amaranth, which usually publishes once a year, is celebrating its 41st anniversary.
During the journal’s tenure, staff has occasionally published more frequently.
Included in the 50th issue will be an editor’s note dedicating the journal to the first editor-in-chief of Amaranth, Margo Thiele, who died in 2020.
Amaranth’s first issue in 1984 featured a dedication to AACC’s former coordinator of student activities, Diane
Phelps, who died in 1980, and was a mentor to Thiele.
“The very first edition of Amaranth was dedicated to a [mentor] who had passed away,” Sharp, a thirdyear psychology and creative writing student, said. “I thought it would be a really beautiful callback to dedicate this edition to … Margo.”
Amaranth has earned numerous awards over the years from the College Media Association, the Associated Collegiate Press, The Columbia Scholastic Press Association and others.
Simon Ward, Amaranth’s faculty adviser, said the 2024 edition did especially well, “which is pretty awesome.”
staff and faculty advisers for
student journal for the arts, pose with the magazine’s 1984 edition.
Photo by Nathan Warner
Readers will see up to 61 poems, illustrations and short stories. Amaranth staff members and faculty adviser considered more than 150 pieces submitted to Amaranth for this issue.
“We only accept student, alumni and prospective students’ submissions,” Tomi Brunton, Amaranth’s associate editor and a dual-enrollment student, said. Brunton called the quantity of submissions “pretty big.”
Students can submit their work—up to five visual artworks, five poems and three short stories—to Amaranth during the spring and fall semesters through a website. The staff, throughout the school year, votes on which pieces to accept for publication.
“I think getting the chance to see your work in print is exciting for a lot of students,” Garrett Brown, coordinator of creative writing, said.
College releases 4th research publication
Julissa Mendoza Robles Reporter
The fourth edition of The Journal of Emerging Scholarship, featuring 12 papers written by more than 20 students, released on April 25 as a part of AACC’s Research Day.
According to STEM coordinator Matt Bem, who is on the journal’s editorial board, college administrators were inspired by other local community colleges to create a space for students to show-
AACC changes system to track staff time off
Lily Peaper Associate Editor
The college will introduce a new system on July 1 to help employees keep track of their annual leave because the existing arrangement has created confusion among staff members, according to AACC’s executive director of human resources.
While employees have always accrued leave time incrementally—7.33 hours for each pay period— the self-service portal on MyAACC has displayed the total number of hours they
would earn for the whole year, starting on July 1 with each new fiscal year. Some staff members have interpreted that to mean their year’s worth of leave was available to them on July 1, when, in fact, only the amount they accrued since July 1 was available for use,
Suzanne Boyer explained.
“There’s a lot of confusion regarding actual leave balances,” Boyer said.
“So when people look and they see their leave … what you actually see is a big, front-loaded [number]. But you don’t actually accrue it
until you work throughout the entire fiscal year.”
The new system will display only the hours that the employee has already accrued rather than the full year’s benefit.
Boyer explained that in some instances, staff members took leave that they had not yet accrued and had to pay it back if they resigned from their jobs before actually earning those hours.
“People didn’t anticipate having to pay that leave back,” Boyer said.
Boyer said the new tracking system will eliminate the
case their research.
He said the journal has become more interdisciplinary since the inaugural edition that came out in 2022.
“We have robotics, we have catfishing, which is interesting. We have orchid cultivation, we have invasive species removal and we have public health,” Bem said.
The journal is a collection of undergraduate research by AACC students from disciplines across the college, including biology, environmental science, media, economics
and sociology, according to the AACC website.
Among the papers in this year’s publication is one about a research project on affordable housing in Anne Arundel County. Professor Rob Lowe’s architechture students collaborated with those in an entrepreneur class on the work last semester.
The Journal of Emerging Scholarship is available at the library and in the science, technology and engineering main office.
The college will switch to a new system for tracking staff leave on July 1. Adobe Stock photo
confusion about how much time off staff members have earned.
“I think that’s a good thing,” Cameron Caswell, a full-time reference librarian, said about the change. It “seems more fair, more correct, than what it was before … to eliminate that [confusion].”
“I was under the impression that we got all of our leave on July 1,” Ed Hall, an academic adviser at the college for more than 20 years, said. “Thank goodness I haven’t gone anywhere.”
Staff members still earn the same amount of annual and sick leave over the fiscal year, Boyer said.
The
Amaranth, AACC’s
The journal consists of undergraduate research by AACC students across the college.
Photo courtesy of Matt Bem
Graduation date set for 2025 ceremonies
Lily Peaper Associate Editor
Approximately 1,690 students will graduate from AACC in May.
The college is expecting approximately 650 AACC graduates to walk across the stage and pick up their diplomas at The Hall at Live! Casino and Hotel at Arundel Mills at two ceremonies on May 22.
As in prior years, the college will hold two graduation ceremonies that day because the venue, located in
The Hall at Live! Casino and Hotel complex, is too small to accommodate all of the graduates and guests.
“I’m really excited to graduate and move onto the next step,” Ayla Cole, a second-year criminal justice student, said. “Though this college was amazing, I’m ready to move forward.”
Cole, graduating with an associate degree, plans to attend the first ceremony that day.
The schools of Business and Law, Liberal Arts, and Continuing Education and
graduates say money is the
News you can use
gift
receive
Workforce Development will hold an 11 a.m. ceremony, while students from the schools of Health Sciences and Science, Technology and Education will graduate at 4 p.m.
Graduates may attend either ceremony, regardless of their major.
All graduates will receive five tickets for friends and family to cheer them on as they walk across the stage during the ceremony. Guests of all ages are welcome to The Hall at Live! but only those older than 21 may enter the casino.
After the ceremony, graduates are welcome to take pictures with friends, family and meet AACC’s mascot, Swoop.
Biology professor Kelly Livernoche and academic literacies professor Antione Tomlin will speak at the ceremonies.
This year, The Hall atLive! Casino and Hotel is offering discounted hotel rooms for commencement attendees.
Money top choice for graduates this spring
The best gift you can give your favorite graduate this spring is money.
Former AACC students who live on campus at the University of Maryland, College Park this year told Campus Current that gas, parking, textbooks and dorm room necessities aren’t cheap and that a gift of money can go a long way toward paying for it all.
“A lot of people just send money, which, honestly, I think is probably the best gift that you could give a college student,” Zack Buster,
Keep up with friends, profs after moving on
Campus Current Staff
For some, graduation can be bittersweet.
It’s exciting to prepare for your next adventure as a university student or perhaps as a shiny, new member of the workforce. But even an occasion as happy as graduation can be tinged with a bit of sadness as you realize you’ll be leaving some of your best friends behind.
As part of your graduation plan, how about creating a strategy for staying
connected with your AACC friends, whether they’re staying here for another semester or going away to a college far from the one you chose?
1. With the help of each friend, set up a regular check-in routine. It doesn’t have to be elaborate—just a quick text or DM every few weeks can keep the connection alive. Set reminders in your phone to alert you when it’s time to send a text or make a date for lunch.
2. Embrace even small moments. Every contact
doesn’t have to be an hourlong conversation, although it’s a good idea to schedule those occasionally. Even something as simple as asking how someone’s job search or college application process is going can be a meaningful exchange.
3. Make plans for in-person meet-ups. Don’t wait for a special occasion. Plan to meet for coffee, the movies, or maybe even a play or open mic night back on campus. If you have a large friend group, consider planning an annual reunion.
who graduated from AACC last year, said. “Part of college is, you know, kind of exploring and being an adult, right? And you need money to do that.”
Zoe Brunton, a former AACC dual-enrollment student who graduated from high school in 2023, said the money she received for graduation gave her the flexibility to buy things she didn’t know she needed.
“You don’t realize how much you need to buy until you leave home,” Brunton said. “I actually have to own a pot. … I will benefit from having a water kettle. I need to have sheets for my bed.”
Brunton shared she was glad she brought a water filter.
“A Brita filter is like, so clutch, because … there’s never easy ways to get, like, filtered water,” Brunton said, adding, “Bring a sandwich container, bring granola bars and water.”
Brunton said she also brought decorations to make her dorm room feel more like home.
“I love having my house plants,” she said. “I love having books that I can read, decorations, pictures with friends. Making a place your own is such an important thing.”
This routine can last far after everyone has graduated and scattered across the country.
4. Keep up with social media. College can make you crazy busy, but updating socials every day or so will help your far-away
friends feel like they know what’s going on with you. In return, check the socials of your friends frequently.
5. Create a group chat with each friend group. That takes very little effort, and you can post only when it’s convenient for you.
Julissa Mendoza Robles Reporter
Students should keep in touch with friends and staff after graduation. Shown, friends in a journalism class celebrate a birthday with a group hug. Campus Current archive
AACC
best
to
for graduation. Shown, former dual-enrollment student Zoe Brunton in her dorm room at the University of Maryland.
Photo by Sam Gauntt
Graduating transfer studies student Izzy Martin is one of 1,690 students who will graduate this spring. Graduation is on May 22.
Photo by Jose Gonzalez
60% in campus poll like anime programs
said. “And, of course, it’s a different culture. Different stories get told.”
words costume and play, is a form of dressing up to depict specific characters.
AACC students said in March they enjoy watching anime because it offers a perspective different from most American cartoons.
In an informal Campus Current poll on campus, 30 out of 50 students said they watch anime—Japanese cartoons—for entertainment.
“I would say that a lot of the Japanese cartoons are probably better quality on average than, or maybe a different quality than a lot of the American things,” Madeleine Woolley, a second-year computer science student,
Concert ticket prices will not stop students
Lily Peaper Associate Editor stop in Washington on July 4 is selling for $206, according to Vivid Seats.
AACC students said in April an outrageous price tag won’t stop them from seeing their favorite artists in concert.
Live concerts are in high demand, and the current ticket pricing proves it. Pop singer Sabrina Carpenter goes viral every week after clips of her concerts surface online. The average cost of a ticket for her “Short n’ Sweet” tour is $300.
“I actually got a ticket to [Beyonce’s] “Cowboy Carter” [tour] for $350,” Nathan Warner, a first-year communications student, said. “I bought it for myself on Valentine’s Day.”
The cheapest ticket for the “Cowboy Carter” tour
“It depends on what I’m seeing and how good the artist is,” Dylan Shriner, a firstyear psychology student, said. “As well as how far away it is, because that all [determines] how much money I’d be willing to spend.”
Shriner said the most he would spend is around $150 or $175 “if Gwen Stefani still tours. Or Alanis Morrisette.”
In the last few years the cost of concert tickets has skyrocketed. As of January the cost of an average concert ticket is $135.92, according to Statista. This is a substantial increase from 2015, when the average price was $78.
“I’ve seen a lot of bands,” Jason Kalshoven, a third-year
film student, said. “I seem to stick around the, like, $30 to $50 range, sometimes as low as $20. I went to see Escape From The Zoo. That was a $20-at-the door concert.”
Kalshoven said he gets away with the low prices because he listens to smaller artists who have fewer followers than superstars like Taylor Swift.
“It’s a better vibe to go see someone that is, like, not well known and not that big,” Kalshoven said. “You get cheaper tickets. It’s how much a concert should cost, and it’s still a great show. The best show I’ve ever seen was Animal Collective, and those concert tickets were 30 bucks each.”
According to USA Today, the most expensive ticket for Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” at
These foreign shows have grown in popularity with college students. In a national poll of 4,000 Americans by Polygon, 42% of Gen Z participants said they watch anime weekly.
“I watch anime because I’m really into, like, gaming, nerdy-ish subcultures,” Liz Fall, a second-year theater student, said. “I’m also [a] really big cosplayer, so you can’t really cosplay unless you have source material [and] a lot of the source material comes from anime.”
Cosplay, a mixture of the
“I just think it’s fun,” Essie Murphy, a first-year transfer studies student, said. “I like watching it. I think it's just entertaining."
Common favorite anime to watch among students include “One Piece,” “Sword Art Online,” “Demon Slayer” and “Bleach.”
However, not all students in the poll said they watch anime.
“I just don’t have a lot of time to watch any shows in general,” Archer Floyd, a first-year psychology student, said.
Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis went for $3,701.
“I know someone who spent $800 just on nosebleeds,” Rachel Boord, a
fourth-year hospitality student, said. “And I get it. Who knows what I’ll do if Ariana [Grande] goes on tour again.”
College sends email warning of phishing
Campus Current Staff
Students and faculty using college email addresses are experiencing an increase in phishing, scam and spam, the vice president for information and instructional technology said in March.
Richard Kralevich sent a college-wide email to re-
mind the campus community to delete suspicious messages and report them to the help desk.
“Unfortunately, these types of attacks are becoming more common,” Kralevich wrote.
Phishing describes emails that appear to be from reputable organizations but are
designed to get users to reveal passwords and credit card numbers.
Kralevich said the emails are getting more sophisticated as scammers become adept at using artificial intelligence to create them.
“Trust your instincts,” Kralevich said. “If something feels off, it probably is.”
Students say they will spend hundreds of dollars to see their favorite artists in concert. Shown, Thee Sacred Souls performing in Silver Spring.
Photo by Lily Peaper
An informal poll on campus reveals 60% of students enjoy watching anime, like “One Piece.”
Photo by Jose Gonzalez
Hudson Toth Reporter
Stock photo
Students set AI boundaries
Jose Gonzalez Editor-in-Chief
AACC students who admitted in a survey that they use artificial intelligence apps to help them with their schoolwork said they are “very confident” they are not violating the college’s academic integrity policies.
In a March survey of more than 300 students by AACC’s Center for the Study of Local Issues, students said their most frequent use of AI is to brainstorm ideas and to check their grammar and spelling. But 13% admitted they use the tool to "do most of the work."
Still, 74% said they believe they are not violating AACC’s academic integrity policies.
Political science professor Dan Nataf, the center’s director, said a surprising finding of the survey is that 33% of the students said they have never used AI
tools, like ChatGPT, to help them with homework.
More than 50% said they find AI helpful with schoolwork and 12% said it is not useful.
“My take is that we’re still in an early spot in students’ appreciation for what AI can and can’t do or shouldn’t do,” Nataf said. “They’re kind of groping, trying to figure out how much they should use it without either, on the one hand, violating policies about academic integrity, especially plagiarism, but on the other hand, using it … so that they can bounce ideas off of it.”
Still, in an optional comments section, some students said using the tool could cheat them out of their education.
“I believe that the whole point of higher education places such as AACC are there to help an individual to learn how to think on their own as well as teaching them
Students who use artificial intelligence for schoolwork say they do so with academic integrity. Shown, political science professor Dan Nataf, who conducted a survey that asked about AI use. Campus Current archive
the tools to document those thoughts,” one student wrote in the segment for anonymous notes. “By introducing AI into assignments for higher education institutions, I believe that is defeating their purpose.”
Another student agreed, noting, “At this level of edu-
cation, AI seems to undermine the intellectual and creative process.”
Still, some in the poll said they ask AI for help understanding concepts and textbook readings and to check their work or create outlines for essays and presentations.
Residents’ top worry: economy
Jose Gonzalez Editor-in-Chief
Anne Arundel County residents said in March that the loss of jobs and income by federal employees because of President Donald Trump’s effort to downsize the government is among their top worries, but many acknowledged that a reduction in force is necessary.
In an AACC survey of 2,213 county residents, 45% said the effort to reduce the size of government was necessary, while 43% called it “mostly unnecessary.” Some participants on both sides added comments saying the firings are “destructive” or “chaotic.”
In the survey, 25% named the economy as their greatest concern, followed by 24% who pointed to taxes and 23% who said they’re worried about the loss of a job or income by federal employees.
Anne Arundel County residents said in March that the loss of jobs and income by federal employees because of President Donald Trump’s effort to downsize the government is among their top worries, but many acknowledged that a reduction in force is necessary.
<DISCORD
In an AACC survey of 2,213 county residents, 45% said the effort to reduce the size of government was necessary, while 43% called it “mostly unnecessary.” Some participants on both sides added comments saying the firings are “destructive” or “chaotic.”
GAMEDEV CLUB AACC’S
In the survey, 25% named the economy as their greatest concern, followed by 24% who pointed to taxes and 23% who said they’re worried about the loss of a job or income by federal employ
Graduation
Congratulations to the Class of 2025!