October 2022 Issue

Dawn Lindsay marks 10-year anniversary Dan Elson Sports Editor

AACC President Dawn Lindsay marked her 10th anniversary at the college in August.

The second woman to serve as AACC’s president, Lindsay said her favorite moments have been at each year’s graduation ceremony.

“I have the unique op portunity when we’re not in COVID-19 mode to actually be with our students, shak ing hands and giving them their diplomas, and the joy

in their eyes, the tears, the smiles,” Lindsay said. “It just really touches my heart. And I enjoy this work because I know what we’re doing is empowering people to move forward.”

In fact, Lindsay, the col lege’s sixth president, said one of the challenges she overcame was leading the college through COVID-19.

“It changed the whole world as far as community colleges in two and a half years,” Lindsay said. “I’ll nev er forget March 13, 2020. We went on spring break. I did a

video saying, ‘OK, see every body back on April 6. We’re going to be gone for about two weeks.’”

The college was all but closed for three semesters after that.

In her first 10 years, Lindsay noted she is proud of the school’s “national reputa tion,” as ranking organization Academic Influence named AACC the top community col lege in the country in 2021.

Lindsay said she applied to become president in 2012 because “it was a winner of a college and I knew the repu

Photo by Frank Fitzgeralde Libom

tation of Anne Arundel and I really wanted to be part of a winning team. And so there was nothing broken about

this college when I arrived.”

She counts the hiring of

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AACC hosts Heritage Month

Ellianna Shields Reporter

For the first time in three years, AACC’s Hispanic Her itage Month celebration in cludes in-person events.

ture a poetry slam for the first time. A poetry slam is an open mic event for students and others who would like to read poetry to an audience.

Photo by Graig Bracey

Student success and retention adviser Samuel Cordero-Puchales said this year’s celebration will fea

“Everybody not relying on technologies [and] being just face to face is a different perspective,” Cordero-Pu chales, who advises the Lat inx Club, said. “You know,

Newest students say college is welcoming

Cole Popov Reporter

AACC students who came to campus for the first time this semester said they are finding their classmates and professors friendly.

First-year environmen tal science student Tyler Saveleski said it’s easy to start a conversation with

other students on campus.

“You can start a con versation with anyone and they’ll keep it back and they won’t be mad at you or dis respectful,” Saveleski said. “Everyone’s nice around here.”

First-year transfer stud ies student Rose Riley called people on campus “nice.”

“I’ve made a bunch of

new friends and it’s like a bunch of different people,” Riley said.

First-year transfer stud ies student Bailey Healy agreed.

“I think the teachers are way nicer than high school teachers were,” Healy said.

“All the teachers seem like

you get to see people share expressions. … Our conver sation here has a sense of feeling of, you know, we’re together here to share a sim ilar experience.”

The college celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.

we share things in com mon,” Cordero-Puchales said, “but this is the foundation of our nation. The freedom of speech, the freedom that you can be with somebody even though having different points of view, you know, we come together. We all cele-

“We’re looking at the perspective of our nation; Continued on page 3

Club adviser Samuel Cordero-Puchales runs the Hispanic Heritage kickoff.

Dawn Lindsay marked 10 years as the president of AACC in August.

First-year students say they like the campus and the people at AACC. Shown, left to right, first-year stu dents Kaylee Glass, Cristian De Los Santos and Leah Stalker.

Photo by Dan Elson

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AACC's athletic director played baseball here.

An adjunct professor is running for a seat in the General Assembly.

News Campus Life Sports Students plant a butterfly garden on the Arnold campus.

Diversity isn’t just for faculty

The student journalists at Campus Current applaud our college’s administration for making diversity a priori ty on campus and for offering training in diversity, equity, inclusion and anti-racism to faculty and staff.

But why is there no train ing for students? We need it, too.

In fact, we believe the col lege should introduce man datory diversity and sensitiv ity training for students.

The college needs to train both students and fac ulty because this would arm all of us with the knowledge we need to help everyone feel more comfortable us ing their voices. It also could build trust in our leaders and college community.

Training helps us un derstand how biases work. When we understand that, we can minimize their in

fluence and impact on stu dents’ lives. In order to make sustainable systemic prog ress in reframing the way we view prejudice, training needs to become a practice.

So making students watch a single video on in clusivity isn’t enough. We need training as an essential ongoing process. The per fect diversity and inclusion training would open up the conversation and get peo ple to admit to themselves that they hold these biases and they don’t need to be ashamed—but they do need to put in some extra effort to fight against them. That can’t happen in one meeting. It will take some time.

Diversity and inclusion training for students would be one huge step toward making AACC a more empow ering place for its students and faculty, encouraging stu dents to use their voices and ensuring the safety of all.

Dress your best, be your best

Zack Buster Editor-in-Chief

The clothes you wear say a lot about you, so why not say something good?

Looking put together can help send the message that you take your college career seriously, and it can even make you feel more confi dent in yourself.

That’s part of the reason why I choose to dress up a little when I come to school and work. It makes me feel ready to take on the day.

Imagine you have a big presentation due in your class today. While you may be nervous about public speaking, looking your best can help you be your best.

That said, dressing your best doesn’t have to break the bank. Almost every one of the outfits I wear on a dai ly basis has cost me less than $50.

From smart thrifting to strategic online shopping, there are many ways to find affordable clothes that look great if you are willing to search a little.

Try to always be on the lookout for good deals and make sure to check your lo cal thrift and consignment shops for affordable fits.

While you search through those value stores, make an effort to see each individual article of clothing as part of an outfit.

That gray blazer isn’t just a jacket; it’s the outer layer of a business casual outfit. Those used canvas high tops could be just the thing to complete that grunge flannel look you’ve been thinking about.

Also, when picking those individual pieces, try to get things that can create multi ple sets. Good matching can turn three shirts, three pairs of pants and three pairs of shoes into an endless series of outfits because each one of those shirts goes with each one of those pairs of pants and shoes.

You don’t always need to have the newest, most trendy looks or brands to be fashionable. It’s all in how you pair it and wear it.

Sometimes nothing beats that old, reliable pair of pants you always wear that match es your aesthetic.

That being said, having a simple, practical wardrobe doesn't have to be boring.

This is another area where those daring pairing skills can come in handy.

Try shaking things up a little with some braver pair ings.

Be bold but be you.

In the end, whether you are into preppy attire, al ternative fashion or athlet ic threads, keep your look uniquely yours. After all, why wouldn’t you want to look like you?

Diversity training shouldn’t just be for faculty. Stu dents should get training as well. Photo by Dan Elson

With a little effort, anyone can craft a fashionable style that’s uniquely theirs. Shown, Campus Current

Editor-in-Chief Zack Buster styling on the Quad.

Photo by Sam Gauntt

Pres. talks of past 10 years

Continued from page 1

James Felton III in 2015 as the first chief diversity of ficer at any Maryland com munity college among her accomplishments.

“I’m very proud of the work that we’re doing to help minority students and student veterans … to make sure that we’re meeting their needs and helping them suc cessfully attain their goals,” Lindsay said.

In the past year, the college added the 175,000-square-foot Health and Life Sciences building and the Clauson Center for In novation and Skilled Trades.

Before her time at AACC, Lindsay was the president of Glendale Community College in California for five years. She also was a dean at Riv erside Community College in California.

Lindsay attended Pep perdine University in Califor nia, where she received her doctorate in organizational leadership. She earned her master’s degree in educa tional counseling and bach elor’s degrees in psychology and social work from West ern Maryland College, now McDaniel College.

Conor Curran, the stu dent member on AACC's Board of Trustees, said Lind say has brought “bold lead ership.”

“Dr. Lindsay’s leader ship has been instrumental [in] leading this community college to be in such a great place,” Curran, a second-year secondary Spanish student, said.

Vice President for Learn ing Resources Management Melissa Beardmore agreed.

“She really cares about people and their success and

the success of our employees and the value of the college to the community,” Beard more said.

Lindsay added that her favorite day of the school year is the first day back to class.

Lindsay said new stu dents “are kind of excited and very nervous at the same time and not necessarily knowing where the buildings [are] or what they’re re

College plans events for Hispanic Heritage

Continued from page 1

brate an event, we celebrate something that has an im pact ... going back again to how we are as Americans.”

The festivities include four in-person events on the Arnold and Glen Burnie campuses and three virtual activities.

The Latinx Club hosted an in-person kickoff and a pi nata workshop in September and will host a fiesta to end the celebration.

Online, Cordero-Puchales hosted a “Let’s Talk” event,

which gave the community the opportunity to ask ques tions. The assistant director of Princeton University's Office of Diversity and Inclu sion also will speak on Zoom about “Deconstructing Ma chismo for Gender Inclusiv ity in Latinx Spaces.”

“There’s a lot of things that you can still learn more about,” Cordero-Puchales said. “The cuisines that we learn, but also aspects of po etry, history, things we have contributed [to] in areas of education. We’re going to have an art exposition. ... You

Cordero-Puchales ad vised students of all cultures to “expose yourself to learn about a culture. … Inclusivity for a stronger nation, that’s how you make it right be cause we are stronger ... in a very diverse environment.”

Students said celebrat ing diversity is important to the AACC community.

“It’s good because it’s representing different cul tures that people might not know about,” first-year

quired to do—that nervous but excited time that stu dents have when they come on our campus at the begin ning of the semester.”

Lindsay also noted it was a “fantastic” feeling to be the president on the 60-year an niversary of the college last year.

“I have the best job in the world probably because I never have the same day two

days in a row,” Lindsay said. “I believe in our students [and] I believe that we have the ability to really help peo ple get where they want to go, and being a part of some body’s journey to helping them obtain whatever goal it is that they have.”

Lindsay said she plans to be the president of AACC until she retires—before her 20th anniversary.

undecided student Travis Peach said.

Second-year student Ju lie Lemus agreed. “I think it’s beneficial just because it helps increase the diversity,” Lemus said.

Ashley Flores-Gonzalez, who is the first member of

her family to attend college, said the month’s activities will help her non-Hispanic classmates learn more about her culture.

“It is also good for us as Hispanic kids [to] show oth er people what our culture is about,” Flores-Gonzalez said.

New students praise campus on 1st week

Continued from page 1

they want you to succeed. … They’re not, like, trying to trap you with assignments.”

First-year pre-med stu dent Mia Kopenhaver said it’s easy to get to know peo ple.

“I think it’s a lot easier to, like, get to know peo ple better, just smaller than

most universities.” Kopen haver said.

Enrollment at AACC for first-year students in creased by approximately 4.1% from this time last year, with more registering for in-person classes.

“There’s people from all backgrounds and all ages here,” first-year anthropolo gy student Kaitlyn D’Souza

said. “And that took me very much by surprise.”

Riley said the atmo sphere of the school is di verse and open.

“The atmosphere is, like, really friendly. I’m loving it, honestly, already,” Riley said.

Leah Stalker, a first-year economics student, said everyone she has met “has been really sweet.”

President Dawn Lindsay (right) says graduation is one of her favorite days. Shown, a “carmencement” ceremony when the college was closed for the pandemic. Photo courtesy of Layla Thompson-Koch

Hispanic Heritage Month began on Sept. 15 and will go until Oct. 15. Shown, left to right, Ashley Flores-Gon zalez, Samuel Cordero-Puchales and Victor Solis. Photo by Graig Bracey

can learn and see these oth er areas from the Latinx cul ture.”

First-year students say AACC is friendly. Shown, firstyear computer science student Frank Mkouontchou.

Photo by Dan Elson

Adjunct runs for seat in General Assembly

Zack Buster Editor-in-Chief

An adjunct professor won the Democratic primary for the District 30B seat in the Maryland House of Del egates on July 19, while an other AACC faculty member lost her primary bid in Dis trict 31B.

Democratic nominee Courtney Buiniskis, a 2008 AACC graduate, said she is the first black candidate to run for the seat and the first woman candidate in her dis

Students split about whether they will vote

Sam Gauntt Associate Editor

More than half of the students in a Campus Cur rent poll in September said they do not intend to vote in the midterm elections in No vember.

In the informal poll of 25 students on the Arnold cam pus, 52% said they are un certain or not going to vote in the midterms, and 48% said they plan to vote.

“I ain’t even going to cap to you; probably not,” Scooby Stroam, a first-year film stu

dent, said. However, he said he will vote during the next presidential election.

Midterms are the elec tions two years into each presidential term when vot ers choose members of Con gress, senators, the gover nor, and other state and local positions.

Some students said they were unaware of midterm elections.

“I didn’t even know you could vote,” Devon Crosby, a fourth-year radiology stu dent, said.

First-year transfer stud

ies student Olivia Jones said she will not vote because many candidates do not de liver on their promises.

Jazzmine Locher, a firstyear music therapy student, said it is a good thing voting is optional.

“I think that it shouldn’t be, like, forced upon people,” Locher said. “And I think that it’s very cool that we live in a country where we get to make that decision.”

Nearly half of the stu dents in the informal poll said they will vote in November.

Nkechi Leyne, a first-

trict in 30 years.

Human services adjunct professor LaToya Nkongo lo, who lost the District 31B Republican primary, said her first time campaigning didn’t turn out how she hoped, but it gave her “an opportuni ty to be a voice for mental health and addiction ... and now help our elected offi cials and politicians … sup port the community in ad dressing those disorders.”

Buiniskis, who had nev er run for office before, will face Republican incumbent

Seth Howard in the general election on Nov. 8. Both ran unopposed in the primaries.

“I woke up my Democrat ic base,” Buiniskis, who teach es communications, said.

If she wins the seat, Bu iniskis said, she will focus on issues like preserving the Chesapeake Bay and improv ing public transportation in underserved communities.

Buiniskis, the adjunct representative on AACC’s The Faculty Organization, said she supports unionization of the college’s adjunct faculty.

year pre-med transfer stud ies student, said voting is good for representation.

“Sometimes you’re not going to get the change you want if you just sit there and be like, ‘Oh, this per

son should have done that,’” Leyne said. “This way, you have a voice.”

First-year communica tions student Aalia Syeda agreed it is important for students to vote.

Political science prof runs Md. internships

Tomi Brunton Reporter

AACC students can sign up for paid internships working with state delegates and senators.

The internships start in January when the Maryland General Assembly begins its next session.

Students interested in the internship, which entails sending emails, taking notes, researching legislative in formation and attending committee hearings, should contact political science pro fessor Dan Nataf by Oct. 31.

“It’s a great supplement to in-class learning,” Nataf said. “It’s experiential learn ing. It’s … applied learning,

and all these things make it stick much better than just sitting in a class and learning about state and local govern ment.”

The internship was es tablished in 1979 to help students all over Maryland get engaged in local politics.

Usually between five and 15 AACC students apply every year. Across the state, approximately 150 students from multiple colleges and universities participate.

Carolyn Pelli, a student programs assistant for the Maryland General Assem bly, said the program has remained strong since 1980, even continuing in a virtual format during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I think that the program is … a prestigious opportuni ty for students to transition, you know, from the class room to the career environ ment and it allows them to grow their responsibilities and skill set, as well as their references and their net working,” Pelli said.

AACC students can get college credit for the intern ship if they enroll in Nataf’s Political Science 276 course. The class will teach them how to apply for the intern ship and prepare for their in terviews with the delegates and senators. The intern ship runs from the second Wednesday of January to the beginning of April of each year.

Courtney Buiniskis, an adjunct communications professor, is running for state delegate for Maryland District 30B in the general election on Nov. 8. Photo by Zack Buster

In an informal Campus Current poll, many students expressed hesitancy over voting this November. Adobe stock photo

Students accepted for the Maryland General Assem bly internship work directly with state delegates and senators. Shown, the state Capitol.

Photo by Dan Elson

Adjunct faculty gets right to create union

Sam Gauntt Associate Editor

Some AACC adjunct fac ulty members are collecting signatures in an effort to form a union.

A vote in the Maryland Legislature in 2021 allowed community college faculty and staff to unionize after Sept. 1.

“This fight has been go ing on for years,” Courtney Buiniskis, an adjunct pro fessor who represents ad junct faculty on The Faculty Organization, said. “I want

adjuncts to be, you know, included in more things. Looked at as equals.”

Adjuncts are part-time faculty. Forming a union would allow them to negoti ate a contract for pay, benefits and workplace conditions.

“What we’re looking for is kind of an equality,” José Gonzalez, an adjunct tech nology professor, said. “Let’s be partners in this.”

Unionizing efforts for adjunct faculty began more than 10 years ago, with many adjuncts advocating for bet ter pay, said Buiniskis, who

teaches communications.

Adjunct health professor Susan Noble said she is not looking to join a union.

“I’ve honestly not paid attention to it,” Noble, head coach for women’s cross-country, said. “I’m pretty choosy about who’s going to get my attention, and right now my students and my athletes need it. And I’m not looking. I take my contract on a semester-by-se mester basis.”

About 67% of AACC fac ulty are adjunct, according to College Factual.

“We will vote on whether we want to form a union or not, [but] that has not hap pened yet,” Gonzalez said. At least 30% of adjuncts must sign a petition to trigger a vote.

Linda Neuman, an ad junct professor of English

Language Learning, said it is possible to form a union even without holding a vote if 50% of adjuncts sign up.

Linda Páez, an adjunct Spanish professor, said oth er community colleges have formed unions without an impact on tuition.

AACC officials report no monkeypox cases

Holden Smith Reporter

College officials have re ceived no reports of monkey pox from students, faculty or staff, they said in September.

Those who suffer from monkeypox symptoms, in cluding fever, chills, body aches, headaches, or sores or rashes, should seek medical testing and treatment, ac cording to Dean of Student Development Deneen Dan gerfield. Those with a mon keypox diagnosis should fill out the same reporting form they would use if they tested positive for COVID-19.

The college asks those

Students sign up for on-campus positions

Zack Buster Editor-in-Chief

Forty AACC students have part-time jobs on cam pus this semester that the federal government pays for.

Across campus, depart ments have advertised more than 80 jobs through the federal work-study program. Some positions are for office workers, library assistants, technology specialists, pho tographers, ad sales, cashiers and even a scoreboard opera tor for sports games.

“This is really high-quali ty job experience that they’re

able to gain to add to [a] re sume,” federal work-study co ordinator Lacey Lopez said. “If they work in a certain de partment of their program, it gives them more experience into the field that ultimately they want to go into.”

Still, department manag ers have said they are having a hard time filling positions.

Support coordinator for English, academic literacies and communications Kristi Tuccillo said it took several months to find a work-study student.

Lopez said this could be because students are “get

ting back into the rhythm of being back on campus.”

Students who fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid—FAFSA—could qualify for work-study if they are taking at least six credits and are in good aca demic standing.

Students can learn about work-study positions on line at the College Central Network. Then they apply for work-study through the Office of Financial Aid. Each candidate then applies di rectly to the department of fering the job.

Lopez said learning and

who test positive for mon keypox to stay away from campus until their doctors clear them to return.

“Once they are clear to return, they are to provide medical documentation from that provider,” Dangerfield said. “That gives them per mission to return to on-cam pus activities.”

Students may be able to take their classes virtually if they cannot come to campus, according to the AACC web site. Likewise, faculty and staff who test positive may be able to telework, the web site explained.

Some students said the college should be doing

more to warn them of the risks of the virus, which has stricken nearly 25,000 peo ple nationwide, more than 600 in Maryland and ap proximately 15 to 20 in Anne Arundel County, according to the Centers for Disease Con trol and Prevention.

Second-year nursing student Susmita Regmi said AACC should spread aware ness about the virus so stu dents don’t ignore it.

“It definitely needs more spotlight shining to it … be cause I don’t think people know enough about mon keypox yet,” Regmi said.

“Send a brochure or something,” Regmi added.

working at the same loca tion is convenient for stu dents because it cuts down on travel time and scheduling conflicts and allows workers to “gain professional experi ence” without getting “over

whelmed” by a busy schedule.

First-year creative writ ing student Robert Rogers, who has a work-study posi tion in the library, said the en vironment and everyone in it are “nice” and “chill.”

Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman speaks at an event celebrating the first day adjunct faculty had the right to unionize on Sept. 1. Photo courtesy of Rachel Mann

Students who qualify for the federal work-study pro gram can get part-time jobs at places like the student services information desk on campus.

Photo by Zack Buster

Campus administrators say students and faculty who test positive for monkeypox need to report their results to the college and stay off campus. Shown, medical students put on protective gear during class.

Photo by Dan Elson

Longest AACC worker retires

Ava Herring Diversity Editor

The employee who has worked the longest at AACC retired on Oct. 1 after 52 years in the mailroom.

Alford Shinaberry, who will turn 70 in November, started working in the cam pus mailroom in September 1970 when he was 17 years old.

“I thought I’d probably get a job cutting the grass,” Shinaberry said, chuckling, “but it turned out that the guy that previously worked in the mailroom gave his two weeks, so they asked me if I’d be interested in doing that and I was like, ‘I’ll do any thing. I’m here to get a job.’”

Shinaberry, who worked his way up to mailroom su pervisor, said he stayed in the mailroom because he enjoyed it.

“I get to go out and make deliveries and I get a whole bunch of smiles everywhere

I go,” Shinaberry said. “That’s the main reason. Also, I got to be good at it.”

Shinaberry is known off campus for his motorcycle riding, backflipping off of rope swings at Beaver Dam Swim Club and skydiving 2,590 times.

“I’m quite the adren aline junkie,” Shinaberry, who is about to become a great-grandfather, said. “It’s probably amazing that I’m still alive and walking.”

He recalled one of his many jumps: “I jumped out of a plane and landed where we were having a big picnic party for all the AACC em ployees, and I landed in the middle of it.”

Some of his favorite memories are about his ex periences at AACC.

Shinaberry said people at the college treated him like he was family.

“I got to be friends with a lot of people,” Shinaberry said. “I’m going to miss it.”

Shinaberry said he is retiring now because, “Oh, I think it’s time. … I have loved this experience. I re ally have enjoyed it and I wouldn’t change anything. I think the biggest thing, the most powerful thing for me, is that I have an abundance, a wealth of smiles. I’m going to miss seeing people and

seeing the students.”

Shinaberry’s post-re tirement plans include vis iting his retired skydiving friends in Florida.

He said he also plans to spend more time with his family.

“I have two daughters,” Shinaberry said. “They’re grown up now, but when

they were little, I taught them to swim in the indoor swimming pool [on campus] and they had diving boards they could go off of. We’d go swimming, and then we’d go sled riding down the hills here. I would take them with me on my [mail] routes sometimes, and everyone loved to see them.”

Fun and Games

AACC mailroom supervisor Alford Shinaberry retired on Oct. 1 after 52 years. Photo courtesy of Alford Shinaberry

High school students take bilingual course

Sam Gauntt Associate Editor

Bilingual high school stu dents who are trying to im prove their English language skills took for-credit writing and grammar classes at AACC over their summer break.

The 15 students, from Annapolis High School, were part of a pilot program that AACC plans to expand to oth er high schools next summer.

“We had great support from the foundation and ad missions and financial aid and liberal arts,” Dana Mar ron, director of English lan guage learning and adult ed ucation, said. “Our hope was to really make sure the stu dents had a full experience of what college life could look like for them, and a valuable opportunity to earn their first college credit while also im proving their English skills.”

Students are allowed to enroll at AACC while they are still in high school, but their

classes are not usually taught in both English and Spanish as the summer classes were.

“What was especially unique for this group is the class was taught bilingual,” Marron said, “which is some thing we’ve not done before in our [dual-enrollment] program, but really serves students well because they could use their native lan guage to bolster … their En glish skills.”

Students who took the classes this summer praised the educators who taught them and the experience the program provided.

“It was wonderful,” Da nia Caniles, a 17-year-old student from Annapolis High School, said. “The teachers helped me a lot with my grammar. I learned a lot.”

Liz Fuentes, a 17-yearold student from Annapolis High School, said the classes were “the best experience in my life. … If they gave me the opportunity to take it again, I

would take it again.”

The partnership be tween AACC and Anne Arun del County Public Schools paves the way for non-native English speakers to enroll in the college’s dual-enroll ment program.

“We saw that students who were designated by their high schools as ESOL [English for speakers of oth er languages] students, or English learner students, were really being systemat ically left out of these early college access programs, not just in Anne Arundel County, but across this state,” Owen S. Andrews, an instructional specialist at AACC, said.

During the 2017-2018 school year, English lan guage learners represented 6.6% of high schoolers but only 0.3% of students in col lege dual-enrollment pro grams, according to the Civil Rights Data Collection.

Tema Encarnacion, a teacher at Annapolis High

School, said the program is a “huge step in the right direc tion.”

“We were able to sort of break down some of those barriers a little bit,” Encar nacion said. “It was more accessible for students to en roll. And then they went as a cohort to the program. … They were able to, you know, be with other people they knew. They were more com fortable.”

Andrews said the pro gram was part of an effort by the college to be accessible to students who speak mul

tiple languages.

“Sometimes it’s … hard to get big institutions to col laborate, especially during a pandemic,” Andrews said. “And so because folks are so willing and eager to collabo rate and to partner, that re ally created opportunity … and enhanced equity for a group of students that tradi tionally wasn’t accessing this program.”

Andrews said he hopes to get the same students who took classes this summer back on campus to enroll for the spring semester.

Fun and Games

Looking for answers?

Students in the English Learners in College program give a presentation about the benefits of bilingual dual-enrollment courses. Photo courtesy of Dana Marron

AACC students make new butterfly garden

Jenna Lagoey Senior Reporter

Students from multiple clubs and the Biology De partment planted a garden on campus last spring de signed to attract Monarch butterflies.

The garden, outside the Health and Life Sciences building, is filled with milk weeds, goldenrods, corn flowers, zinnias and many other plants that appeal

oration among the Biology Department, Super Science Club, Student Ambassa dors, Sculpture Club, ser vice-learning students and volunteers.

“The beautiful thing about the project, not only does the college now have an outdoor sculpture installed, but also that there was an experience where students were learning by doing and also ... were collaborating from different disciplines,”

volunteers planted hun dreds of milkweeds near the Health and Life Sciences building.

“The important thing about the milkweed … is that it is the only plant that the Monarch butterfly is able to complete its life cycle [on] by laying its egg on that plant,” Norman said.

Milkweed is also the only food source for Monarch cat erpillars.

Sergio Alvarez, a retired

THE ENTREPRENEURS

by the Phili p E. and Carole R. Ratcl iffe Foundation

Entrepreneurs

AACC entrepreneurs receive scholarships

Zack Buster Editor-in-Chief

Student entrepreneurs could win $12,000 scholar ships this year as part of a $300,000 donation from the Philip E. and Carole R. Rat cliffe Foundation.

Stephanie Goldenberg, the Entrepreneurial Studies

Institute’s academic chair, said the scholarship lets stu dents focus on building their businesses without having to work another job for tui tion money.

“Students often say that having that is a relief to them,” Goldenberg said, “so that they don’t have to think about [paying] for school …

while they’re trying to start their business.”

The Ratcliffe Foundation has given AACC millions of dollars since 2003 to pro mote local small business es and help start more. The foundation has made a com mitment of $900,000 to the college over the next three years.

Mentors give career advice this semester

Zack Buster Editor-in-Chief

Students will have the chance to work with career advisers in their fields this fall.

AACC’s Sarbanes Center for Career and Civic Engage ment launched a program to connect students with facul

ty mentors who have experi ence in their future profes sions.

Internships program coordinator Gwen Johnson, who helped start the Career Mentoring Network, said its mission is to guide students through college into their professional life.

“The mission of the Ca

reer Mentoring Network is to connect our students with the very best, the most ca pable, the most resourceful professionals in their field so that they can feel support ed while they are navigating through their academic jour ney … then ultimately, their professional journey,” John son said.

Internships program coordinator Gwen Johnson says the Career Mentoring Network will help students get career advice and coaching from faculty mentors in their field.

Photo by Zack Buster

Stephanie Goldenberg, academic chair of the Entre preneurial Studies Institute (right), and instructional specialist Stephen Berry oversee the Ratcliffe Entre preneurship Scholarship.

Photo courtesy of Stephanie Goldenberg

’Hawks esports kicks off fall tournaments

Dan Elson Sports Editor Holden Smith Reporter

Three Riverhawks es ports teams—squads that play video games in match es against other colleges— will start their season in October.

The Rocket League team will compete in the National Junior College Athletic As sociation Esports League, while the Overwatch team

will play recreational match es. A third team, League of Legends, may also partic ipate in the recreational league.

“I’m just trying to get people together and get the ball rolling,” head esports coach Conway Johnson said. “Our Rocket League team last semester was up against a lot of tough teams, but they really were improv ing through the season and we’re looking pretty strong.”

Last season the River

hawks played their first-ever esports season as an athletic squad.

Johnson said the expec tation this season is to con tinue to grow the program.

Johnson predicted a suc cesful autumn season.

“We’ve definitely had more coming in recruitment this season,” Johnson noted. “And we’ve had a [spring] season now to kind of get our bearings [and] get a feel for things.”

Second-year undecided

student Tyler Graves, who will compete on the Rock et League team, noted the team’s strength is communi cation.

“Our communication was pretty good last year [and] we’re just going to keep improving,” Graves said.

College athletes talk off-season workouts

Dan Elson Sports Editor

Riverhawks athletes said they have been eating healthy and working out in the off season to prepare for the upcoming year.

Women’s cross-country runner Noelle Somers runs three to five miles, five to six days a week. She trains at her gym three days a week to target core, biceps and legs.

Somers, a first-year transfer studies student, said she feels good after running.

“It’s amazing after you do a long run and you feel so

Former AACC players start coaching teams

Dan Elson Sports Editor

Four athletes who once played for the Riverhawks are assistant coaches for AACC teams this fall.

Three of them played for AACC teams last year.

Volleyball assistant coach Joselin Bautista, an outside hitter who graduated in May, played 36 matches for the Riverhawks in the 20192021 seasons.

“I was excited just be cause I knew I couldn’t play anymore,” Bautista, a former health and exercise science student, said. “And I never re ally stopped being connected to volleyball. So when [head]

coach [Tanecha Rice] reached out to me, I was pretty excit ed. If I can’t play, then I will definitely be happy to assist.”

The other three play ers-turned-assistant coach es are soccer assistants Morgan Argubright, who transferred to Towson, and Elizabeth Dandy, who played and graduated here in 2005; and cross-country assistant Madison Palmer who gradu ated in May.

Argubright said she was “shocked” when women’s soccer coach Jim Griffiths brought her on.

“It was a great opportu nity,” Argubright, a former outside midfielder and de fender, said. “It means a lot

to be back on the field work ing with the girls on the pro gram that I also played with. It’s amazing.”

Argubright, a former transfer studies student, scored seven goals and six assists in 18 career games from 2019-2021.

Dandy, who graduated from Towson in 2007, man aged with Griffiths from 2009-2016. This is Dandy’s first season back as an assis tant.

Dandy, a director of oper ations for a non-profit foun dation, said she loved playing at the college.

“I love what I got out of the program,” the former so ciology student said. “I want

proud of yourself,” Somers noted. “But also [running is] not only conditioning you to run, it’s also maintaining a healthier part because you’re not just sitting at home; you’re getting out there.”

Women’s cross-country had its first meet on Sept. 1.

First-year transfer stud ies student Bailey Healy, who runs cross-country, trains four days a week. On Mondays and Tuesdays, she works chest and triceps. On Thursdays and Fridays, Healy trains legs and shoul ders, and she runs through out the week.

After training in the off

season, Healy said she saw results.

“I was still able to come back and be able to run four miles with ease just because of all that training that I had done constantly for the past four years,” Healy said. “So definitely staying with it helps a ton.”

Healy said a diet of pro tein, fruits, vegetables and carbohydrates keeps her healthy.

“I’ve seen a couple of kids who eat a pack of chips before going on a run and M&Ms,” Healy said. “That’s just not going to help you. It’s not go ing to put fuel into your body.”

ed to get back into it … as a coach to bring back to the girls that are playing now to help them be successful in their futures.”

Griffiths said Argubright and Dandy are “reinforce ments” to the soccer squad.

“They were all good play ers here,” Griffiths, who is also the head women’s lacrosse coach, said. “They were all very successful individually.”

To read the full story, vis it

First-year transfer studies student Noelle Somers says she runs three to five miles, five to six days a week for cross-country.

Photo by Dan Elson

Former outside midfielder Morgan Argubright joins the Riverhawks women’s soccer coaching staff this fall.

Photo by Dan Elson

League of Legends esports player Jeremy Chen practices for the upcoming tournament season.

Photo by Dan Elson

Sports director looks back on playing days

Dan Elson Sports Editor

Second-year transfer studies student Duane Herr slid safely into home plate and scored the go-ahead run late in the playoffs against West Virginia University Potomac State College in May 2007, even though the AACC Pio neers would go on to lose 7-6.

“We all kind of cheered at home plate after scoring that run,” Herr, a former AACC outfielder and pitcher who is the college's athletic director, said. “We ended up losing that game in the late innings, but I had a picture of that. I just kind of look back at that picture, and you can feel the feelings again.

... What a fun time it was [to have the] opportunity to play [and] compete at that level.”

AACC changed its sport name from the Pioneers to the Riverhawks in 2015. In 2006, head baseball coach Mark Palmerino Jr., who recruited Herr from Glen Burnie High School, led the Pioneers to a 25-20 record.

The next season, the team began with head coach Lance Mauck before switching to Gary Gubbings. The 2007 team finished 26-19.

Herr, a left-handed bat ter, finished his two-year

community college career in 2007 with a .352 batting average, 68 hits, one home run and 41 runs-batted-in in 73 games. He also stole 20 bases in 27 attempts. Herr, also a right-handed pitch er, won six of his nine deci sions, finishing with a 3.22 earned-run-average and 74 strikeouts. And he hit two ca reer postseason home runs.

Three years later, Herr, who played two more years of college ball at Towson Uni versity and held an intern ship with AACC Athletics, became an assistant baseball coach for the Pioneers.

Herr said one of his favorite mo ments in his first year as a Pioneer was playing with “a lot of really tal ented players.

We had … an all-star team [in] the county.

still a really great group.”

Herr, who is from Glen Burnie, said his second year with the team was a “leader ship opportunity.”

“I felt like I took a lead ership role,” Herr said. “With that [2007 spring] team, we actually performed better. [We went] a little bit further in the playoffs. Unfortunate ly, we still came up a little bit short, but [we] won a couple of games in the playoffs and made some noise. I really learned a lot … during that year.”

One of Herr’s Pioneers teammates, former relief and closing pitcher Freddie Peters, said Herr was “al ways hard working.”

—Duane Herr

… One [player] in particular got drafted in the MLB draft and played Division I. [Be fore that, we had] a couple of guys who could have played Division I. It was just a real ly great learning experience for me to play with some guys who were that talented. We got knocked out of the playoffs pretty early. So that was unfortunate, but it was

’Hawks team starts season

Dan Elson Sports Editor Holden Smith Reporter

The Riverhawks fall baseball team kicked off its 17-game exhibition sea son on Sept. 3 with a dou ble-header win against Ches apeake College.

Head baseball coach Nick Hoffner said one of the squad’s strengths is its re turning pitchers.

“Pitching is extremely important in the game of baseball,” Hoffner said. “We have a lot of guys that are re turning, that gained a lot of valuable experience last year as freshmen so we’re looking for those guys to take that experience and build on it.”

In the fall, the Riverhawks

play preseason games— known as “fall ball”—to pre pare for the upcoming spring season.

This past spring season the Riverhawks won 10 of 48 games. Infielder and pitch er Andrew Leginze led the team with a .299 batting av erage and 43 hits in the 2022 spring campaign. Outfielder Nicholas Toskov led the team with 22 stolen bases and a .447 on-base percentage.

Hoffner said his goal for the fall season is to improve and stay healthy for spring ball.

“Our goal is just get guys better, get guys stronger, keep guys healthy,” Hoffner said. “We want to improve. … We want to be better [by] working toward just getting better every day.”

“His heart was always in the games,” Peters, a for mer business student, said. “He was absolutely a positive asset to the team and was consistent. He was definitely a power player.”

Peters pitched 32.1 ca reer innings and finished with a 4-0 record, a 3.08 ERA, 24 strikeouts and six saves.

Peters said he remem bers Herr’s “great arm.”

He added, “I [always] looked forward to him throw

ing the ball as hard as he could because he really could throw hard.”

Peters noted playing with Herr was an honor and “some of the best times of my life.”

Out of the two positions he played—outfield and pitcher—Herr said he pre ferred outfield.

“I like playing every day,” Herr, who majored in sports management at Tow son, said.

Herr started playing baseball at 4 years old.

“My dad was really big

into baseball,” Herr said. “I just remember getting out of school. He would have the gloves, and we’d go play catch in the front yard. He was my coach all through Little League. It’s just what we enjoyed doing together.”

Herr, who has served as athletic director since 2014, said the relationships in the Athletic Department and with student athletes are what keep him coming back to the job.

To read the full story, vis it www.TheCampusCurrent. com.

Athletic Director Duane Herr played at AACC from 2005 to 2007 as a pitcher and outfielder. Photo courtesy of Duane Herr

The Riverhawks baseball team kicked off its season on Sept. 3 with a dou ble-header victory. The team will play 17 games this fall.

Photo by Dan Elson

“It was just a really great learning experience for me to play with some guys who were that talented.”

By Sophocles