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@Campus_Current November 2023

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Demand for groceries at the college’s food pantry increases.

Some math professors say they want to change buildings.

AACC Athletic Director Duane Herr wins an NJCAA award.

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Rise Up coffee kiosk opens on W. Campus Tomi Brunton Editor-in-Chief

Rise Up Coffee Roasters will open a kiosk on the Arnold campus in November.

The kiosk, in the CALT atrium on West Campus, will sell coffee, smoothies, pastries and breakfast sandwiches.

“We haven’t ever had a real coffee shop on campus,” Peter Kaiser, AACC’s events and food services manager, said. “I think [this is] good for the students. And it gives them one more option.”

The coffee shop will join three other food service locations on campus: Subway in the Careers Center, Chick-

fil-A in the Health and Life Sciences Building and the Hawk’s Nest in the Student Union.

Kaiser said the college decided to put Rise Up in CALT because of the lack of food service on West Campus.

Continued on Page 3

Florestano unveils its remodeled top floor Tomi Brunton Editor-in-Chief Brooke Butler Reporter

The fourth floor of the Florestano Building, which contains multimedia studios and computer labs, reopened in October.

Photo by Divine Mesumbe

The fourth floor of the Florestano Building reopened in October after more than two years of renovations.

Increased fees won’t change club budgets Tomi Brunton Editor-in-Chief

The student activity fee increase of $1 per credit hour, which the Board of Trustees approved in February, will not affect student club budgets this year, according to the Office of Student Engagement.

Lea Brisbane, the Student Government Association’s staff adviser, said the officers of student organzations can request up to

$3,000, the same as last year.

If a club runs out of money before the end of the school year, its officers can request more, Brisbane said.

“There is a bigger pool of money, but the way [club budgets] are functioning is the same,” Brisbane, a leadership and involvement specialist for the Office of Student Engagement, said. “We encourage all the clubs that they apply for the same … $3,000 cap, because based on the past trends, that’s

Rise Up Coffee Roasters will serve coffee and breakfast snacks on the first floor of CALT. The kiosk will become the fourth fresh-food shop on campus, joining the Hawk’s Nest, Subway and Chick-fil-A. Shown, the Rise Up store in Arnold.

Photo by Divine Mesumbe

how much clubs tend to use.”

All clubs registered with the Office of Student Engagement can request funding to host events, trips and more at the start of every school year.

According to Vice President for Learning Resources Management Melissa Beardmore, the increased fees generated approximately $179,000 for the Office of Student Engagement.

Zack Buster, the SGA

The floor contains multimedia studios for students to record video and audio, as well as a computer lab for online classes. The lower three floors will remain closed for renovations until 2026.

The newly renovated fourth floor is a “funky, fun, colorful, engaging space,”

Melissa Beardmore, the vice president for learning resources management, said.

Florestano closed for construction in summer 2021. The building formerly contained health sciences classrooms, which are now

Continued on Page 3

The Overcast Troupers improv club is one of several student organizations on campus that get their funding from activity fees.

Photo by Mason Hood president, said the $3,000 cap would remain because the SGA wants to be “fiscally responsible.”

“The reason why that $3,000 … soft cap was in

place for most clubs is because there was a lot of folks that were requesting, you know, $5,000 and were Continued on Page 3

2 | Campus Current | 2023 | November

Opinion

Meet the Staff Editor-in-Chief Tomi Brunton Associate Editor Izzy Chase Daily Editor Connor Graham Multimedia Editor Mason Hood Graphic Designer Jennifer Chisari Reporters Zack Buckingham Brooke Butler Simone Francis Cass Hay Jason Kalshoven Rebecca Merkel Divine Mesumbe Dulcie Metro Bobby Piepmeier Photographers Tope Ayokunle Everett Luoma Divine Mesumbe Social Media Olivia Kelley Faith McKisson Hailey Pogue Web Master Kaylah Rashid Faculty Adviser Sharon O'Malley

Photographers on Page 1, top Divine Mesumbe Izzy Chase Mason Hood

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Civility is an important skill Editorial Board

Civility in its simplest definition is “formal politeness.” What exactly does this mean, though? It seems like such a broad concept.

It’s much more than being polite to others.

Civility and even politeness requires patience and dignity in relation to how you interact with other people. It means taking the time to think about potential consequences and how your actions will affect others.

Civility is a skill that can be acquired, similar to manners. But like manners, its importance can go unnoticed, which can lead to problems.

The ability to stay calm and still be kind to those who disagree with you seems to be lost on many people. Whether they don’t think about it or they simply underestimate its importance, it still holds a lot of value in everyday conversations with people, especially in the workplace.

Practicing civility demonstrates emotional intelligence and shows that you’re

taking the time to not just express your emotions, but to consider not putting yourself first all the time. Practicing civility means thinking about others around you.

This is incredibly important when it comes to being in a professional or semi-professional environment like a classroom or a clubhouse.

Conflicts and differing opinions are bound to arise.

It’s how you handle these conflicts and differences that either escalate or de-escalate situations, whether they’re complicated or not.

Civility in the workplace and at school means you’re willing to collaborate and cooperate while working toward a common goal, and to pause to handle any conflicts, no matter how big or small.

Two people disagreeing doesn’t mean either one is bad or good. But it’s how you react to disagreements that can be the make or break.

Campus Current has resolved to make sure we’re following our own advice.

We want to make sure that going forward, we’re be-

Letter from a leader

Civility is a skill that can be acquired—and it’s important to cultivate it. Shown, a Civility Matters event, hosted by the communications faculty, on the Quad.

Campus Current archive ing respectful and civil in our own newsroom and with the people we meet on campus.

Sometimes, unfortunately, this isn’t automatic for everyone. Sometimes we have to stop and consciously address our own behavior.

That’s why the editors of Campus Current decided to close our newsroom for four days last month. We wanted to stop for a minute, take a break and put our heads together to figure out how we can do better.

Civility, after all, starts at home.

Once we reopened the newsroom, we had a renewed sense of our obligation to the campus and to each other. We feel more engaged with our work and with our peers.

We feel that this kind of refresher could be good for every organization, possibly on a regular basis.

We emerged more polite, more patient and with more dignity in the way we interact with others.

We really thought about it and talked about it. That’s what worked for us.

It could work for you.

Trying something new is hard Tomi Brunton Editor-in-Chief

When I started as editor-in-chief this semester, I had little idea of what I was supposed to do.

I was a 16-year-old with no management experience, leading a team of two dozen-plus college-age volunteers.

I was overwhelmed and uncertain. I second-guessed my decision to put myself in a position to try something so far out of my comfort zone.

As my first month wore on and we started getting behind on the work of putting out digital and print editions of the student newspaper, I was sure I would go down in our archives as the first editor ever who couldn’t get the newspaper out on time.

But then a funny thing happened. The newspaper came out on time. And I got used to my new job.

The work that had seemed stressful and scary became manageable, and I got to focus on the tasks that I really love: writing stories and mentoring new reporters.

With my first paper as

editor-in-chief sitting comfortably on the newsracks, I realized that by some miracle, I wasn’t new at this anymore. I knew what I was doing now, sort of.

After all this, my dad pointed out something that really made me think. The exact same thing, he reminded me, had happened the last time I started a new job.

I worked as a fitness instructor at the YMCA last school year. When I started that, I struggled in the exact same way.

I had never worked a job before on a set schedule. I didn’t fully understand the expectations, and I accidentally ended up teaching a rock climbing class with no idea what I was supposed to be doing.

But again, after a month or two of the insidious thought that I should never have even tried to get a job, I got used to it.

All of sudden, my job became a fun and fulfilling way to teach kids.

This same pattern has repeated countless times.

When I started rock climbing, I was terrified to take my feet off the ground. Now

Falling can be scary, but sometimes you have to try something new to climb higher. Shown, Editor-inChief Tomi Brunton rock climbs at a gym.

Photo courtesy of David Brunton I take 15-foot falls without blinking an eye.

Starting new things is really hard. But it’s also how I’ve had some of the most fulfilling experiences of my life.

So don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. And if learning something new seems insurmountable, don’t give up on yourself.

You might just figure it out.

Campus Current | 2023 | November | 3

News

Rise Up Coffee opens on CALT ground floor Continued from Page 1

“Now that students are coming back to campus, and there are more students on the west side of campus … we started to pursue putting something over there,” Kaiser said.

Rise Up will move into the space left by Chick-fil-A after it moved into the Health and Life Sciences Building in 2021.

Kaiser said because all the infrastructure was already in CALT from when Chick-fil-A was there, the college only had to paint the space and replace the count-

ers before Rise Up could move in.

“The power is already there,” Kaiser said. “There’s no special ventilation that [needed] to be done for what they have. … We don’t have a whole lot of stuff to do to make it fit.”

Isabelle Murray, a second-year creative writing student, said the coffee shop will be worth the trek to West Campus from her classes on East Campus.

“It’s not a big deal for me to do that walk,” Murray said.

“It will be … a reason for me to stick around campus longer.”

The coffee shop is the last of the food options planned for the Arnold campus, according to Kaiser.

“We’ve got a good variety,” Kaiser said. “I don’t know that the college could really, you know, support another one.”

Mischa Green, a firstyear film studies student, said she likes having a coffee shop on campus but it isn’t worth the hike to West Campus.

Rise Up Coffee, a Maryland-based chain, has 11 other locations around the state, including in Arnold, Annapolis and Edgewater.

Renovations finish on Florestano’s top level

Continued from Page 1

The college has completed renovations on the fourth floor of the Florestano building, which has been under construction for two years.

Photo by Divine Mesumbe

located in the Health and Life Sciences Building.

The lower three floors will be a “one-stop shop” for student services when they open in 2026, according to Beardmore.

“Records, registration, advising, financial aid, the

Most student clubs get $3,000 budgets Continued from Page 1

using $1,000 of it,” Buster, a third-year communications student, said. “The whole point of that cap is to really make sure we’re not devoting [too much SGA funding] to one club who doesn’t use it.”

Budget season officially ended in October, but budget applications are still open to any clubs that missed the window.

Super Science Club President Bryant Pepe said the application for club budgets was streamlined this year, but still had some flaws.

“They’re very quick in the process and very clear about the process this year by comparison to last year,” Pepe, a fourth-year physics and earth sciences student, said.

However, Pepe said the science club was “still seeing slow response time” on the allotments for individual events.

Clubs are required to request a draw-down of their budget allocation for each event 30 days before the activity is scheduled.

Pepe said the long lead time will make hosting time-sensitive events more difficult, as the science club didn’t get its funding until early October.

“We have to work fast if we’re going to have any events that require funding between now and December,” Pepe said. “So it’s a very short window of time to work with to host these quality events that I know we’re capable of.”

Christopher Robinson, the president of the Entre-

The new Rise Up Coffee Roasters kiosk will sell organic coffee, smoothies and breakfast sandwiches.

Photo by Divine Mesumbe

preneurs Club, said he is happy with how budget season went.

“We got the full amount we wanted,” Robinson, a business student, said. Next budget season, Robinson said, club officers hope “to get some more conferences in there, and do more, bigger trips.”

Kojo Thompson, SGA’s vice president of finance, encouraged club officers to ask for more money if they run out.

“If you use all your funds, let’s say for example, in the fall semester, and spring semester comes around and you need more allocation money, we will gladly give you more money for events and clubs that need it,” Thompson said. “So please, come one, come all.

We got your back.”

cashier’s office—they’re going to move to the first through third floors of the Florestano Building,” Beardmore said.

Beardmore added, “We’re in the design process right now for floors one through three.”

The building’s opening was delayed from September

to October, as supply chain issues “delayed hardware for doors, door locks, furniture, etc.,” according to Beardmore.

Christopher Robinson, a first-year business student, said he likes the renovated fourth floor.

“It looks like [a] Silicon Valley main office suite,” Robinson said. “Very high-end.”

Student organizations like the Super Science Club, which hosts events using AACC’s telescopes, are funded by student activity fees, which increased by $1 per credit hour this year. Budget season for clubs ended in October.

Campus Current archive

4 | Campus Current | 2023 | November

News

Adjunct prof runs for seat on school board Tomi Brunton Editor-in-Chief

LaToya Nkongolo, an AACC adjunct professor, is running for a spot on the Anne Arundel County Board of Education.

Photo courtesy of LaToya Nkongolo

An AACC adjunct professor is campaigning for a seat on the Anne Arundel County Board of Education.

LaToya Nkongolo, who has taught human services at AACC for about a decade, will run for the District 5 seat on the Board of Education, which includes Arnold, Severna Park, Millersville and Gambrills.

“I launched the campaign for a couple of reasons,” Nkongolo said. “For one, I am a mom and I have a son who’s in middle school, and also as a mental health therapist, I work with a lot

Payments for student loans have resumed Izzy Chase Associate Editor

AACC students who have college loans resumed making payments starting Oct. 1 after the end of a three-anda-half-year pause.

The U.S. Department of Education started the student loan forbearance program in March 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic to give borrowers a break from making payments.

During the three-year break, student loans did not accrue interest.

Now that the program ended, borrowers have to start making monthly payments again.

Aza Bowman, the assis-

tant director of AACC’s Financial Aid Office, said the policy only applies to students who are not enrolled in at least six college credits.

“Students who are here now that are at least half time, they’re not going to be required to make payments on their federal student loans while they’re in school,” Bowman said.

Still, payments for former students with federal loans have resumed.

“For individuals who, you know, are either alumni of AACC or left AACC who did have student loans, getting another bill on your plate is never a fun experience.”

Bowman said. “Especially because of inflation and ev-

erything else going on, there could be some individuals who could be stressing to have those payments … start back up and they may not be in a place to be ready yet to do that … but the Department [of Education] is trying to make the resources available to borrowers more well known.”

These resources include the Fresh Start Initiative, a one-time program from the Department of Education that lets borrowers who defaulted on their loans get back financial aid benefits and extends the long-term repayment plan.

Jude Schueckler, a second-year transfer studies student, said the restart of

“The students that I’ve taught over the years, most of them come from the public school system,” Nkongolo said. “I see where there are some struggles with … the basics, that I feel like if they’re prepared in high school or in the public school system, that they would probably not struggle as much at the college level.”

In addition, Nkongolo said, “It … became clear to me that there was a lot of learning loss post-COVID. A lot of kids are still having a difficult time catching up academically and I feel like we need to pour resources into making sure that kids have all the tools and resources to thrive.”

Since Oct. 1, students are making payments on their college loans after a three-plus-year pause.

Adobe Stock image payments has had a negative effect.

“Now I have to worry about more, like, interest accruing on my account,” Schueckler said. “Which has impacted me in that I need to ramp up my student debt repayments in order to, like,

not let it get out of control.”

Borrower Chante Parker, a second-year biology student, said so far the repayments have no personal effect.

Still, Parker added, “I could definitely see it being an issue.”

need for student influencers,” Allison Baumbusch, the creative director for Strategic Communications, said.

“We needed to have a pool … of people that we could pull from … who would be willing to be on camera, talk about their experiences, give authentic advice.”

Similar programs inspired the Squad, according to Public Relations Manager

Alicia Renehan, like Community College of Baltimore County’s “Fresh Faces.”

Zoё Sharp, a member of the Squad, said all kinds of students should apply to join it.

“The goal is to try to represent as many different types of people on campus,” Sharp, a second-year psychology and creative writing student, said.

‘Swoop Squad’ reps campus in video, ads Jason Kalshoven Reporter

Students on the new Swoop Squad are making videos and appearing in college marketing materials.

Shown, Swoop Squad member Zoë Sharp speaking at an Amaranth coffeehouse event.

Photo by Everett Luoma

of kids and families across Anne Arundel County.”

Nkongolo, who lives in Severna Park, lost her campaign for a seat in the Maryland House of Delegates last year, her first foray into politics.

Nkongolo said the experience campaigning last year helped prepare her to run for the Board of Education.

“I didn’t win the seat, but I definitely won in a lot of different ways,” Nkongolo said. “I have a strong team now based on the relationships I built during the last campaign.”

Nkongolo said working at AACC “influenced my decision to run.”

A group of students on campus, called the Swoop Squad, model for AACC’s social media and marketing content in photos and videos.

The group of seven students, run by the Strategic Communications Department, started this semester.

“We were realizing a

Campus Current | 2023 | November | 5

News

AACC honors LGBTQ students with events Cass Hay Rebecca Merkel Reporters

The college held three events last month during its annual Coming Out Week in observance of National Coming Out Day on Oct. 11.

The events, on Oct. 10 and 11, were designed to raise awareness about the school’s LGBTQ community.

“Coming out is a process,” communications professor Zoe Farquhar, the faculty adviser for the student Genders and Sexualities Alliance, said. “I think when people attend [these events], they can really understand that it’s a lifelong process.”

Organizations like Trans Maryland, Coalition for LGBTQ+ Students and One Pasadena gathered in the dining hall for the Queer Community Wellness and Resource Advocacy Fair on Oct. 10. The events showed students the resources that are available on campus.

“The goals for the event were to show students that there is a giant network of community members, a giant network of people to [support] advocacy and wellness for LGBT people,” Forrest Caskey, an LGBTQ studies professor who organized the event, said. “Oftentimes, especially when you’re young, [you] sometimes feel kind of

alone, and there might be a lot of negativity about who you are in the world. But there’s a ton of groups who are here to support you.”

At the second event, on Oct. 10, faculty and staff discussed LGBTQ identity and its relation to religious faith over Zoom.

“Most people don’t learn about LGBT contributions or identities or culture or celebratory moments or history in school, so the only way to learn is just by continuing to talk about it,” Caskey said.

For the third event, on Oct. 11, student members of the Genders and Sexualities Alliance shared their coming out stories on a Zoom panel.

Demand for free groceries from AACC’s food pantry has increased 30% this semester compared with this time last year.

The pantry, located in Room 219 of the Student Union, offers free food and personal care items to students, faculty and staff.

Director Caitlyn Silver-Negrón has put out a call for campus groups to donate.

“It’s a trend that’s happening everywhere,” Silver-Negrón, the college’s

Career director says: Network on LinkedIn Simone Francis Reporter

The director of career and civic engagement said LinkedIn is one of the most important professional tools a student can have in 2023.

LinkedIn is a platform for professional networking, according to Director Cathleen Doyle.

“I think you just need to have a mindset that it’s for professional purposes,” Doyle said. “A lot of it’s branding from a professional

perspective. So you’re looking at your schooling, your work experience if you have any, your skill set and volunteer work.”

Zack Buster, a third-year communications student who has more than 1,000 LinkedIn connections, said it’s helpful for networking.

“LinkedIn is my way to update my professional network on what I’m doing … but it’s also a way for me to showcase all the best aspects of me,” Buster said. “If I ever wanted to get another job …

“If someone you love comes out to you, they’re not a different person,” Levi Walsh, a member of the pan-

el, said during the event.

“They’re the same person, but you’re understanding them more.”

basic needs coordinator, said. “Groceries are costing a lot more than they previously were. ... We’re also seeing those ongoing impacts where folks who fell behind or who suffered during the pandemic didn’t magically catch up, even if they’re back at work now. … We’re seeing that the impacts are really still rippling out.”

The food pantry isn’t the only on-campus support service with increased demand.

According to Silver-Negrón, demand for HelpLink, which offers emergency shortterm financial support to

students, has increased by about 440% this semester compared with the average.

Food insecurity is hard to measure, Silver-Negrón added, so the food pantry doesn’t require proof of need from the students, faculty and staff using it.

“A lot of times we think of food insecurity as … black and white,” Silver-Negrón said. “It’s either you’re hungry or you’re not hungry. But that’s just not the reality.”

Silver-Negrón added: “We encourage it the most for those that really need it, but we are open to all.”

Demand increases at college’s food pantry Tomi Brunton Editor-in-Chief

High food prices and a post-pandemic economic slump are among the pressures that are sending more students and staff to the campus food pantry for groceries.

Photo by Divine Mesumbe

AACC held its annual Coming Out Week celebration from Oct. 9-13. The college hosted several events, such as a panel featuring students who shared their coming out stories.

Image courtesy of AACC Strategic Communications

I would send them my LinkedIn profile.”

Rebecca Merkel, a second-year psychology student, said LinkedIn is helpful because “a lot of companies look at LinkedIn to get a lot of their employees.”

Merkel said schools should teach students about LinkedIn. “I think that LinkedIn is a great resource and that all of us should get taught about it at least, like, at one point in life or in our college career,” Merkel said.

LinkedIn is a valuable tool for students looking to network, says AACC’s director of career and civic engagement.

Adobe Stock image Digital footprint is important, especially when entering the professional world, Doyle said.

Doyle said companies will look at a job candidate’s social media history to see

whom they are thinking about hiring.

Jayden Plater, a second-year business student, said it is important for students to keep in mind what they post on social media.

6 | Campus Current | 2023 | November

Campus Life

Ancient Rome interests men Zack Buckingham Reporter

Male students on AACC’s Arnold campus said they think about the Roman Empire often.

In an informal Campus Current poll of 50 students, 29 said they spend time thinking about the former world power. Nine of them said they ponder it daily.

“It’s just kind of cool.

I mean [the] Colosseum is cool,” Erik Binnix, a thirdyear engineering student, said. “The whole history of just, like, fighting, you know, it’s cool stuff. It’s fun to think about.”

A Sweden-based Roman gladiator reenactor encouraged women on Instagram in August to ask their male partners how often they think about the Roman Empire.

The post went viral and hopped over to TikTok, and women continue to pose the question.

“Men think a lot about the Roman Empire because there’s a lot of power struggles that are involved and, you know, men often think about power and how to keep it,” history professor Richard Hardesty said.

Rome is widely believed to have become an empire in 27 BC and fallen in 476 AD. Some of the men in the poll said they think about the empire because of the contributions it made to today’s world.

“I think that we benefit daily from the advances that they made in engineering,” Jason Whitfill, a second-year physics student, said.

Others said they are reminded of the Roman Empire often when they play video games.

“I play a lot of video games and it just so happens I circle back to Rome a lot of times when I’m playing,” Lucas Flores, a second-year transfer studies student, said.

In a Campus Current poll of 50 students, 58% of men on AACC’s campus say they think about the Roman Empire often.

Adobe Stock image “Every time I think of Rome, I think of the Roman Empire.”

Some students said the Roman Empire is a cool and fun period to think about.

Fun and Games

Did you know?

Just in time for Thanksgiving, wild turkeys have been spotted on the Arnold campus.

Adobe Stock photo

Not all male students think about the Roman Empire as often.

“I’m in a bunch of history classes and I’m a history

buff,” Kolton Tracey, a firstyear education student, said.

“I know it’s not a lot, but [there’s] a lot of history to go through.”

Campus Current | 2023 | November | 7

Campus Life

AACC staffer is equestrian Cass Hay Reporter

AACC testing coordinator Kelly Fay schedules exam times for students during the week. But on weekends, she rides her 20-year-old thoroughbred, named “Enough Testing,” in shows.

Fay, who has worked at AACC since 2017, started riding horses when she was 2 years old and started competing when she was 13.

“It’s something my family always did together,” said Fay, who added her parents were involved in equestrian sports.

Fay competes in three events. The first is dressage, an exhibition that shows the horse’s beauty and rider’s skill. The second event is cross-country riding, which involves jumping and endurance. Finally, in stadium jumping, the horse and rider avoid obstacles in a closed arena.

“I like to compare it to a

triathlon,” Fay said of the trio of events.

Her favorite, Fay said, is cross-country. “It’s fast, it’s high adrenaline, it’s the most exciting,” she said.

Fay said horse riding sports require her to take care of herself and her horse.

“I really like the connection you have with the animal,” Fay said. “You have to have a partner.”

In fact, Fay has owned Enough Testing since the horse was born.

But Fay and her horse have performed in their last three-part event, as Enough Testing injured her knee during a recent show. They still participate in dressage, however.

“The partnership with the horse is the most important, and my horse is not able to continue to jump,” Fay said. “So we’re not going to jump until she retires and I get another horse.”

She added, “This is not

AACC testing coordinator Kelly Fay works full time at the college during the week and lives a second life as an equestrian on the weekend.

Photo courtesy of Kelly Fay something I can walk away from.”

Caring for Enough Testing, Fay said, is both the best and hardest part of her hobby.

“There’s a joke in veter-

inary medicine about horses,” Fay said. “Evolutionarily, they should not be alive because there’s a lot that can go wrong in a horse’s biological makeup.”

She makes a comparison

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Fun and Games

Looking for answers?

between horses and dogs.

“You always have to remember that they’re doing it as something out of loyalty to you,” Fay said. “They’re kind of like big dogs. They want to make you happy.”

8 | Campus Current | 2023 | November

Campus Life

Many AACC students don’t ride shuttle bus Izzy Chase Associate Editor AACC officials have decided to cut the number of charter buses that take students between the east and west sides of campus from two to one.

The single bus will continue to run from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday but will stop at 4 p.m. instead of 11 p.m. on Saturday.

In an informal Campus

Current poll of 50 students, 38 said they have not used the charter buses to get from the east to west sides of campus since the footbridge closed this summer.

Some students said they do not use the bus because they don’t have classes on West Campus. Others said they prefer to walk.

Griffin Hoskin, a thirdyear psychology student, said he uses the charter buses because they’re “con-

venient,” but suggested that adding more buses would be “more helpful.”

Ayod Shuford, a media production student, added that “their rotation time is a little off because when we leave out of, like, class and stuff, they’ll never be there. … [It’s] pretty inconsistent.”

Grant Rainey, a firstyear psychology and music student, said a “visual, like, representation of when the times are that they’ll be at

AACC’s campus is a habitat for thousands of bluetailed lizards known as fivelined skinks, according to a biology professor.

Professor Benjamin Weibell said the Arnold campus’s proximity to a forest and two streams makes it a comfortable environment for the lizards, which can be found on both the east and west sides of campus, including in grassy areas, close to the water and near the greenhouse behind the Health and Life Sciences Building.

“There is an amazing amount of wildlife on this

‘X’ social media loses popularity with users Dulcie Metro Reporter

Students said last month they don’t use the social media platform X, which used to be called Twitter.

In an informal poll of 50 students on the Arnold campus, 31 said they do not use X, while 19 said they are regular users but they have had problems with the platform or with the changes Elon Musk has made to it.

“I see people leaving all the time because of the changes that are being made,” Jocelyn Helwig, a first-year astronomy student, said.

Musk bought Twitter for

$44 billion in October 2022 and changed the name from “Twitter” to “X” in July. In the past year, 60% of Americans who are frequently on the platform have taken a break from using the app, according to Pew Research Center.

Some users called the new X “toxic.”

“The people are pretty toxic on there … and the control,” Brooklyn Page, a firstyear art history student, said. “I don’t really like what Elon Musk is doing on there. … He’s not really thinking about the people. I think he just likes having control. …

He is dragging people away from the app.”

the specific spots” could help improve the charter buses.

Deneen Dangerfield, the dean of student development, said the buses were contracted on a month-to-

month basis depending on feedback from students.

Dangerfield said the college previously changed the placement of where the bus stops are in response to student feedback.

campus,” Weibell said.

Five-lined skinks are the most common type of lizards in Maryland, Weibell said.

He called the skinks “harmless,” noting that students are more likely to injure the lizards than the other way around.

The skinks prefer to eat live prey, like insects, said Weibell, who noted the lizards can grow as long as five to nine inches.

Weibell said the campus is also home to snakes, birds and all kinds of insects.

“We would like to create a species list for this campus,” Weibell said.

Students said they see the striped lizards crawling

on the ground from time to time and find them interesting.

“They’re interesting to look at,” Jessica Steward, a physical therapy student, said. “People should take a moment to love and observe them.”

First-year biology student Salali Walden said students should leave the lizards alone.

“Proper handling is necessary,” Walden said.

Emily Notaro, a zoology student, said she loves the lizards and would be sad if they left the campus. “They give me encouragement to study my major,” Notaro said.

Arnold campus home to blue-tailed skinks Divine Mesumbe Reporter

Blue-tailed skinks are slithering around all over the Arnold campus.

Adobe Stock photo

Students tell Campus Current they did not ride the two charter buses between east and west campus.

The college has decided to cancel one of the buses.

Photo by Izzy Chase

Others said they’re finding more and more errors since Musk took over.

“They have a bunch of errors, like not being able to see quoted tweets,” Joan Kim, a second-year undecided student, said. “It’s pretty uncomfortable to use.”

Others said they don’t like Musk personally, so they don’t use his platform.

“I do not like Twitter [X] and I do not like Elon Musk,” Paige Corbe, a first-year transfer studies student, said. “You can’t be for the people and be a billionaire. … [He] alienated it for the average user.”

Some students said they

In a poll of 50 students on campus, 31 say they do not use the new “X” platform.

Adobe Stock image still enjoy using X. “I like Twitter [X] because you know, people share their opinions,” Yasmine Riley, a first-year general studies student, said.

A handful of students said they hadn’t realized that

Musk made changes to the social media platform since he changed the name to “X.” “It’s kind of the same layout,” Javon Ellison, a firstyear cybersecurity student, said. “I haven’t noticed a difference.”

Campus Current | 2023 | November | 9

Campus Life

AACC classes do dissection Faith McKisson Reporter

By the end of the semester, students taking Biology 105 will have dissected a clam, a blue crab, a crayfish, a lamprey, a shark, a perch, a frog, and either a lab rat or a pig.

Students enrolled in the college’s only zoology class said they like dissecting animals to learn the inner workings of animals’ bodies.

“I think it’s interesting to see how other animals are like me, like, the insides of them and stuff because they’re also different from, you know, humans, and I just don’t know that much about all these different animals,” Madison Lucente, a first-year undecided student, said.

The course, which is not a requirement for any major, counts as a general education science credit.

Professor Paul Bushmann said students in the

class learn about animal behavior, not just animal anatomy.

Bushmann said science professors have “worked hard” to dispel the myth that a zoology class is only about dissection.

“Back in the day, zoology … was all anatomy,” Bushmann said. “So we do a lot of things with animals besides just dissecting dead ones. So I think we’ve really improved the course over the years.”

Students dissect animals because, Bushmann said, “the best way to do that is to really look at the anatomy and you can do it in pictures, but it doesn’t look the same.”

Still, Lucente said some of her classmates get “grossed out” when they cut animals open.

“I feel like I’m more confident than most people,” Lucente said. “[Some] people want to step back and they kind of get grossed out.

I like to be the person that,

Students like Sophia Spiegel, left, and Samantha Wasley in Biology 105, AACC’s only zoology class, will perform multiple dissections by the end of the semester.

Photo by Mason Hood like, steps up and it doesn’t gross me out. I don’t know why.”

Legal studies student Miya Walker said she is one of the more “squeamish” stu-

dents in her class.

“This pushes myself, like, with that limit that I’ve set for myself,” Walker said. “I had anatomy in high school, too. And I never

participated in dissections.

I had my friend do it. So I think that this is a good opportunity to, like, get out of my comfort zone and learn more.”

TUESDAY, NOV. 7 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

SUN Hawk’s Nest Room 101 and Careers Center vending area

SHOP LOCAL. SHOP ONLINE.

A STUDENT BUSINESS TRADE SHOW Support AACC student entrepreneurs by shopping and learning more about their businesses. Provide important feedback to students who are concept testing to start their businesses.

Scan the QR code to register your business!

ARTISTS | BAKERY AND CATERING | BEAUTY HEALTH AND WELLNESS | TECHNOLOGY CLOTHING | AND MORE!

Visit aacc.edu/esi to learn more. @AACCESI

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10 | Campus Current | 2023 | November

Campus Life

Math professors go without renovations Izzy Chase Associate Editor

Multiple AACC math professors have expressed “disappointment” that plans to make room for math faculty and their classes in the soon-to-be-renovated Dragun Building fell through.

The college approved a plan to build an addition to Dragun and move some of the math classes to the addon. Because of rising construction costs, work on Dragun will continue without the addition, forcing math to stay where it is.

Art Cimiluca, the assistant dean of the Math Department, compared the Math Building with the Health and Life Sciences Building: “It’s like a night-and-day difference,” Cimiluca said.

He added that many professors choose to hold office hours at home virtually because of the noise and lack of privacy in the Math Building.

Jim Taylor, the executive director of administrative services, said the math professors are “probably frustrated because they knew they worked with [the Facilities Department] on the program to relocate them over to the [Dragun] Building.”

Taylor noted that the Facilities Department is collaborating with the Math Department on solutions.

Abigail Brackins, a math professor, elaborated on possible accommodations, such as “offices that are large enough for the entire Math Department to collaborate together [and] classrooms that are up to date, that are designed with math in mind.”

Brackins said the condition of the Math Building not only affects faculty, but also the students who are “complaining” about the Math Building.

Mary Kassebaum, who chairs the Math Department,

said the size of the offices limits the way professors can work with their students.

“If I say I want to meet with my students in my office, there’s room for about six students to wait for me out the front,” Kassebuam said. “But then there’s only room for me to work in my office with one or two, maybe three if my officemate is not there, and so I have to hold my office hours and my homework session somewhere else if I want to work with more than a few students at a time.”

Kassebaum holds her office hours in the Humanities Building because of the size of her office.

Kassebaum said she is “very happy for all of the professors who have wonderful office spaces and who are getting new spaces to work with their students.

But we do think that it’s time for math to be the priority next. We have seen a lot of

Math professors say they are “disappointed” the renovations that would have let them move to the Dragun building fell through.

Photo by Izzy Chase new renovations and buildings, and we recognize that there is not money all the time for everything. But we would point out that every student who gets a degree at AACC takes a math class.”

Zoë Sharp, a second-year psychology and creative writing student, said “going into the Math Building re-

minds me of attending public schools that were falling apart and clearly were not receiving the funding that they deserved.”

Michael Daily, a second-year transfer studies student, said the Math Building “could use some sprucing up. … You can tell that it is old.”

Big Idea Competition Viewing Party and Awards Ceremony Thursday, Nov. 16

LEARN MORE:

5:30 – 7 p.m.

HLSB 100

Entrepreneurial Studies Institute

Campus Current | 2023 | November | 11

Ex-Broadway dancer is COM student now Rebecca Merkel Reporter

A first-year communications student is also a threetime Broadway dancer and the winner of a Food Network cooking show.

Steve Konopelski, 46, danced in the Broadway productions of “Hot Feet” in 2006, “Beauty and the Beast” in 2007 and “Gypsy,” which closed in 2009.

“I just really enjoyed my performing life,” said Konopelski, who went on to appear in a handful of TV shows and movies.

Konopelski closed his stage career after “Gypsy,” saying, “I got tired of not really being able to have a life.”

Konopelski said actors are always waiting to see what their next show is, so job security is hard to find.

“It’s always this sort of like a limbo kind of situa-

tion,” Konopelski said.

Konopelski, who teaches non-credit cooking classes at AACC, went on to study at the French Culinary Institute, where he graduated in 2012. Later, he appeared as a contestant in three Food Network cooking shows.

He won “Haunted Gingerbread Showdown” in 2018 and was the runner up for “Holiday Baking Championship” in 2015. He went back to compete in “Holiday Baking Championship: Runners Up Redemption” in 2017.

Konopelski had watch parties for the 2015 episodes at a pub in Denton, Md., which drew a standing room-only audience.

“It was so wonderful to be adopted by this community that, like, welcomed us with open arms,” said Konopelski, who had opened a bed and breakfast in Denton before the season aired.

Still, Konopelski said his proudest accomplishment was opening his own bakery in Easton in 2020.

“I think having my own business was probably one of the real big highlights of my professional career all across the board,” Konopelski said.

“And that was so fulfilling to me as a business owner, as a chef, as a human being that I could appreciate my hard work and how it was impacting somebody else’s life in the moment in the experience.”

Konopelski is one semester away from getting his associate degree. He decided to combine his love of food with his desire to become a food writer and major in communications.

“I think coming to school later in life is one of the best decisions that I’ve ever made,” Konopelski said.

His professor, Jessica Mattingly, agreed.

112 at a Theatre AACC event.

Goldstein, who works in Los Angeles, will be projected on a large screen in the theater.

“I want to make sure that [students] understand as much as I can share with them about what it’s like to start out in the professional world of theater, film, television and commercials,” Goldstein said. “I want to know what they need to know to

make them feel confident for when they graduate or decide to leave school and go into the professional arena.”

Goldstein has coached actors and business executives and has cast hundreds of television shows, films, commercials and plays.

In an interview with Campus Current, Goldstein said the most successful actors do their own thing, not conform to what people want.

Pro casting director coaches for theater Tomi Brunton Editor-in-Chief

A professional casting director will coach students about “all the s--t that no one will ever tell you about the industry” in an event on Nov. 7.

Brette Goldstein, who has worked as a casting director for almost 25 years, will virtually coach 10 theater students for a live audience at 7 p.m. in Humanities

Steve Konopelski, a first-year communications student, performs in a regional production of “Guys and Dolls,” one of multiple shows he has appeared in.

Photo courtesy of Steve Konopelski “He’s a great student,” Mattingly, academic chair for communications, said. “He has great life experience that showcases that he’s successful and driven and I think he

kind of ups the responses of the other students.”

Konopelski offered some advice for his younger classmates: “Be honest and true to who you are right now.”

Casting director Brette Goldstein will coach AACC theater students during a live event on Nov. 7.

Photo courtesy of Brette Goldstein “The people that really make it far in this business these days [are] the ones who are a little bit like, ‘F--k you, I’m going to do me’ and as long as you have the talent to back that up, then you’re

going to go everywhere,” Goldstein said.

She added: Theatre AACC hosted an event on Oct. 12 where Goldstein spoke to students about how to succeed as an actor and as a person.

Company’s fall performance on Dec. 1 and 2 in the Kauffman Theater at 7:30 p.m.

“It’s exciting to be back,” Fitzgerald said. “It’s just terrific. You know, the focus is on the dance and on getting everybody together and just having a good time and no stress.”

Fitzgerald returned to the college last fall to direct a similar performance as part of the Dance Company’s show.

The performance last fall went “really well,” Fitzgerald added.

“To be able to come back and work together and have a concert piece was just great,” Fitzgerald said. Fitzgerald said the “strong alumni component” reflects well on “the school and the program.”

Fitzgerald added, “These alums are amazing and the fact that they want to come back speaks highly of ... the program.”

Dance Co. founder to return for alum show Tomi Brunton Editor-in-Chief

Dance company founder Lynda Fitzgerald (front) will return this fall to direct an alumni dance performance.

Photo by Tomi Brunton

Entertainment

The founder of the AACC Dance Company will return to direct an alumni dance performance this fall.

Lynda Fitzgerald, who founded the Dance Company in 1989 and led it for more than 30 years, will direct approximately 20 alumni in her original modern dance piece, “Perspectives.” The piece will be a part of the Dance

12 | Campus Current | 2023 | November

Sports

Athletic director wins regional A.D. of Year Zack Buckingham Reporter

AACC’s athletic director won the Athletic Director of the Year award for Region 20 in September.

Athletic directors from the 24 colleges in the region recognized Duane Herr for the award. This was the first time he has received the nomination since becoming athletic director almost 10 years ago.

“It’s a tremendous feeling, obviously,” Herr said. “To be recognized by my peers as an A.D. of the Year, it’s a great feeling and very humbling. [I’m] very proud to receive the honor.”

This is the first year the annual Carol Eustis Award is

a regional honor as opposed to a statewide award.

The National Junior College Athletic Association award recognizes “professional and program excellence in academics, sportsmanship and athletics, as well as contributions to Region 20 and professional development,” according to the NJCAA. “I always prided ourselves on the sportsmanship aspect, professionalism, really trying to promote that to our student athletes,” Herr said. He added he is heavily involved with Region 20 as the men’s assistant director and as a member of the NJCAA’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

Herr played baseball at

AACC and Towson University. He started his career at AACC as an athletic assistant 13 years ago.

Men’s lacrosse head coach Jeremy Ross said Herr deserves the award.

“I think it’s super, super well-deserved,” Ross said.

“He’s not only a great A.D., but he’s just a really good person overall. … I think it’s something that he could win every year.”

AACC student athletes agreed.

“I think he deserves the award,” soccer player Garrett Collett, a first-year education student who plays defense, said. “He has done a lot for our team. We’ve been through some tough times already this season and he’s

Sports fans at AACC are betting on games, but advised their peers to beware of overspending or becoming addicted to gambling.

Some students said betting on games lets them win some money and feel like they are a part of the game.

“It makes watching the game more enjoyable,” Ronald Turner, a first-year business student, said. “It feels

Esports team adds 2 games in new season Bobby Piepmeier Reporter

AACC’s esports team added two new games this semester, and plans to begin streaming its competitions live.

The team added popular esports games Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Valorant this semester.

“We’ve already evolved the program, in a sense, because we brought on two more games,” esports coach Conway Johnson said. “This is the first time we brought

on additional titles, which has been a process of figuring out what’s in demand, and then figuring out how ... we get all the machines [and put in] the paperwork.”

The esports team already competes in League of Legends, Overwatch and Rocket League. The League of Legends team had one win and six losses last year; the Rocket League team competed intramurally; and the Overwatch team did not compete.

Conway plans “to get the games broadcasted this se-

stuck his neck out for us time and time again.”

Baseball pitcher Zach Ford said Herr’s dedication goes beyond the playing field.

“He’s in study hall with us every day and I can definitely tell that he’s involved and he’s doing good at his job,” Ford, a second-year business student, said.

like I can put myself in the sport almost more than just watching it.”

Maryland voters approved sports betting in November 2020, and online sports gambling became available a year later.

Gamblers cannot bet on community college games, but they can place wagers for contests in the major leagues and Division I fouryear colleges.

Student gamblers cautioned others to be careful

with their betting habits.

“It can be an addiction.

You shouldn’t do it,” Edgar Garcia, a third-year transfer studies student, said.

AACC Athletic Director Duane Herr added, “I’ve seen people be successful at it and certainly supplement their income. And then I think you certainly have to be cautious and know when to kind of ease off of it.”

Read the full story at www.TheCampusCurrent. com.

Sports gamblers say bets can be addictive Zack Buckingham Reporter

Some students are gambling on sports games, but warn their peers that it can result in addiction or overspending.

Adobe Stock image

Duane Herr, AACC’s athletic director, won A.D. of the Year for Region 20 from the National Junior College Athletic Association.

Photo by Mason Hood

mester as well” because it allows people to watch, but “that means that I’m having to, like, kind of coach the match that’s happening while I’m also trying to run the broadcast equipment.”

Zac Pinales, a digital media production student who plays for the League of Legends team, said the squad has “grown a lot” since the team became part of AACC Athletics in 2021.

Pinales encouraged potential players to reach out because “even though it is competitive, we are still

AACC’s esports team adds Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Valorant as games starting this semester.

Photo by Tope Ayokunle playing a game, so it’s supposed to be fun and the only thing we do is just get better as we’re playing.”

Evan Karcher, a transfer studies student who plays on the Smash Bros. team,

said Johnson “reviews” players and highlights aspects of their gameplay to improve.

“Our coach will ... give me advice on things that I need to improve on,” Karcher said.