February 2018 Issue

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Campus Life

Campus Life

Sports

AACC celebrates Black

Officials approve new

Lacrosse, Baseball look

History Month with

course with profanity in

ahead to new season’s

exhibits, speeches

name

challenges

Page 8

Page 12

Page 14

February 2018

New podcast to cover life, events on campus Sarah Noble Social Media Manager Campus Current will air its first podcast, the “Riverhawk Report,” on Feb. 8.

Daniel Salomon, a firstyear transfer studies student and host of the new

Snowfall cancels classes

“Riverhawk Report,” said the monthly podcast will feature student newsmakers and campus news. His first podcast guest will be student trustee Nyia Curtis.

Salomon said he is most excited about “giving [students] a voice.”

Continued on page 4

Continued on page 4

The government shutdown has little effect on AACC students.

Photo by Roxanne Ready

At midnight on Jan. 20, the U.S. government shut down when lawmakers couldn’t reach an agreement to fund it. Two days later, on Jan. 22, the Senate passed a temporary spending bill that reopened the government until Feb. 8.

Student tuition item in budget Roxanne Ready Editor-in-Chief The college’s budget for the 2019 fiscal year may include a tuition increase.

The operating budget— which includes funding plans unrelated to buildings and facilities—will go before the Board of Trustees on Feb. 27 for approval.

Tuition has increased by

Campus Current digital editor Daniel Salomon interviews student trustee Nyia Curtis for the new podcast, “Riverhawk Report.”

Photo by Sarah Noble

Shutdown: scant effect Raquel Hamner Photography Editor

Alexandra Radovic Associate Editor AACC opened late on the first day of the spring semester because of snow.

Vice President of Learning Resources Management Melissa Beardmore decided to close the college until 1 p.m. on Jan. 17 because of snowfall the night before.

“Every faculty member I spoke with was praying that the college would open on time,” Ken Jarvis, The Faculty Organization chair, said.

“We teach a program with a lot of labs, and if we miss a lab it changes the whole semester. We get a day off, and snow days are great, but this is our job and snow days affect our ability to cover all of the content.”

Jarvis said the administration makes the decision

“I really want them to be able to speak their minds,” Salomon said.

Salomon is an avid podcast fan, he said. For years he’s listened to podcasts like “Harmontown,” a general

$3 per credit hour every fiscal year since 2014.

Vice President of Learning Resourses Management Melissa Beardmore said multiple small increases over the years helps to avoid less frequent, larger increases, which she said are harder on students.

“We’re constantly looking at where we can save money,” Beardmore added. “[The

Still, the threat of another shutdown remains until congressional Republicans and Democrats can resolve their differences about immigration and the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA. So what would another federal shutdown mean for faculty and students?

Does a shutdown af-

fect financial aid, work/ study and Pell Grants?

According to AACC’s financial aid office, a shortterm shutdown will not affect any financial aid.

Because the federal government has already distributed aid and Pell Grants to students for this semester,

Continued on page 4

Communications student Veronica Somers pays her tuition. AACC’s Board of Trustees will consider next year’s budget, including tuition, on Feb. 27.

Photo by Raquel Hamner board] takes affordability [for the students] very seriously.”

According to Beardmore, about one-third of the college’s funding is supposed to come from the state, with

the other two-thirds coming from the county and from student tuition and fees.

But, she said, she can-

Continued on page 4

2 | Campus Current | 2018 | February

Editorial

Letter from the editor Meet the Staff Editor-in-Chief

Roxanne Ready Associate Editor

Alexandra Radovic

Graphic Designer

Mary Kane Photography Editor

Raquel Hamner Sports Editor

Vincent Moreland social media manager

Sarah Noble

Newsroom Manager

Michael Garvey Reporters

Gina Bell Seamus McCarthy Dustin Meyers Ashley Sokolowski Ryan Sullivan Sarah Sutherland Shelby Vetter Faculty Adviser

Sharon O’Malley

Photographers on page 1, top

From left to right Roxanne Ready

Courtesy of RicHard-59 on Wikimedia Commons Raquel Hamner Twitter

@campus_current Facebook

Facebook.com/ CampusCurrentPaper Instagram

campuscurrentaacc

From the balcony where I sat, an impressive dome above me, I could look down to the Senate floor. Lawmakers referenced notes, talking quietly with their staffs and readying themselves to speak. The air hummed with anticipation.

Earlier that day, I had taken a break from my internship at the Maryland General Assembly to wander the streets of Annapolis, which was once our nation’s capital. Cherry trees bloomed outside, setting off the beauty of the city’s many historic buildings.

Inside, I stood next to a life-sized statue of George Washington in the room

where, more than 200 years ago, he resigned as commander of the Continental Army.

I could have watched a livestream of the events taking place in the Senate that day. But it would have had none of the flavor, none of the immediacy of standing— if you’ll pardon the reference—“in the room where it happens.”

Thanks to the internet, we can watch nearly any event, from political proceedings to music performances, without leaving home. It’s a wonderful resource that allows us to sit on the couch in pajamas and see and hear things from across the world itself.

But there is truly no substitute for experiencing something in person.

One of the biggest ad- being made, surrounded by vantages of going to AACC the weight of history. Not is the wealth of experiences just watching, in fact, but offered here. Every depart- being a part of it, if only in a small way. ment offers opportuniThat experience, ties such as internthough small, will ships, field trips, be with me for the student clubs or rest of my life. study abroad So get out programs. there and make Professors memories. Talk go out of their Br to your professors way to draw stuan don n o t l H i a m about the opportunidents into engaging ties in their departments, experiences. For each unapproachable professor at or check The Nest—AACC’s AACC, five others are eager website for student organito share their expertise, their zations—for interesting student clubs. connections and their time.

By next year, you won’t Watching government proceedings by video is remember an hour in front about as exciting as watch- of your laptop. But you’ll ing grass grow. But when never forget standing next I was actually there, I was to George Washington—or at caught up in watching laws least his statue. by

Daniel Salomon

Roxanne Ready Editor-in-Chief

to Pho

Digital Editor

AACC has great opportunities

‘Fields of interest’ will salvage more credits Editorial Board

AACC will introduce a new program called “fields of interest” in the fall, and we like the idea.

Here’s what it means: When you first came to AACC, odds are you didn’t bring a road map. Maybe you had an idea of where you were headed, but you couldn’t pinpoint a major.

After checking out the college website, browsing the course catalogue and meeting with an adviser, you probably ended up in a program called “transfer studies.”

Transfer studies students at AACC can take general education classes before settling on a major. The only problem is, once you choose a major, some of the credits you took early on might not count toward your associate degree.

The new fields of interest program will make undecided students’ time here better spent. You can take first-year courses in a field of interest—a group of related subjects—and later apply all of those credits to whichever major you choose within that field of interest.

You can choose to take courses in one of the following fields of interest: architecture and interior design; business; engineering and math; health and human

services; hospitality management and culinary arts; humanities and social science; law and criminal justice; science; teacher education; technology; or visual arts.

From there, you can choose a specific major within your field, and up to 15 of the credits you completed in your field will transfer, regardless

First-year transfer studies student Rooz Inanloo reads in the library.

Photo by Daniel Salomon of which major you choose.

This gives you a great opportunity to test out different classes without fear of wasting time or money on courses that won’t count toward your major.

Some students change their majors multiple times before settling on something specific—and they wind up taking a bunch of classes that don’t apply toward a major or

certificate. One student, for example, may love children, but isn’t sure what to major in. The student starts off with a major in transfer studies, taking classes like anthropology, sociology and photography just to get some credits.

After taking 15 credits, the student switches from transfer studies to early childhood education, until finally settling on elementary education. And many of the classes the student took since the first day of school may not count toward a degree in elementary education. The only way to save credits is to petition the college to allow you to substitute your completed credits for the newly required ones.

But this petition process is not easy, and requires a letter of reasoning, a signature from an adviser, approval from the Committee on Academic Standards and a waiting period of up to a month.

AACC is a stepping stone to a four-year university or a professional certificate. Why not take classes that you not only need for your associate degree or certificate, but that you can use toward your four-year major as well?

Talk to an adviser about fields of interest, and you’ll soon be able to fly the Riverhawk nest and achieve your academic goals.

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February| 2018 | Campus Current | 3

Opinion

AACC students get organized Jonas PallaroSonneborne Guest Columnist

Third-year creative writing student Jonas Pallaro-Sonneborn offers time managment tips.

Photo by Brandon Hamilton

As a new semester starts, you’ll find that how you use your time is more important than how much time you use.

There just aren’t enough hours in the day. We, as students, need to manage our time efficiently—more for

our own mental health than anything else.

If you’re struggling to stay afloat, there are a few simple things you can do to start swimming.

First, keep a journal or a planner. Write down every class, obligation and due date you have as soon as you know about it, and check it every morning. The simple act of repeating the information can

solidify it in your memory.

Second, get things done ahead of time. I know how tempting it is to procrastinate, but it’s only going to take more time in the end.

Tackle the big things first and the small things last. If you’re dreading doing something that can be done in less than five minutes, do it right now.

Third, schedule time to relax. Take a 10-minute break

for every hour you work. Get a quick drink, or some fresh air, or stretch your legs. After school, see a movie with your friends, or go to a party, or make hot chocolate and read a book. Do your work, but play a little, too.

The truth is, you can do it. Just take a moment to breathe. Take a day off if you have to.

I believe in you.

less strict than it had been before.

But Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has reversed that revision, saying the Obama-directed standard was too lenient and could lead to false convictions.

With DeVos’ revision, colleges can again choose how strict to be about the evidence. Some may choose to require that evidence to be compelling “beyond a reasonable doubt,” the highest standard used in criminal cases.

Members of Families Advocating for Campus Equality, a group of families of male students who were falsely accused of sexual assault, support DeVos’ repeal. They say young men need to be protected from being punished for crimes they didn’t commit, and I agree.

But I don’t agree with the DeVos policy. It leaves room for cases to be swept under the rug by colleges, some of which have a vested interest in suppressing cases of sexual assault to avoid criticism.

Repealing the Obama revision is negligent, leaving students to only hope that colleges and universities have enough integrity to keep assailants accountable and the victim’s emotional stability a priority.

Removing the standard altogether seems like a stab at Obama’s legacy rather than a thought-through policy decision, and to change students’ rights so recklessly is an insult to the humanity of victims and activists alike.

Second-year graphic design student Raquel Hamner said she disagrees with new sexual assault policy changes.

Photo by Daniel Salomon

Title IX revision causes issues Raquel Hamner Photo Editor Last fall, the U.S. Secretary of Education undid eight years of progress in an unjustifiable Title IX revision involving sexual assault cases on college campuses.

Under the Obama administration, sexual assault victims could report alleged crimes to their colleges rather than to the police, which some said would alleviate stress. The evidence needed to convict an offender was

4 | Campus Current | 2018 | February

News

College opens late on 1st day Continued from page 1 to cancel or delay school to ensure the safety of students, staff and faculty.

“It was an extra day off, but now we have to cram two days of work into one class,” said Brandon Brashears, a first-year transfer studies student.

Beardmore makes the final call about delays, cancellations and early releases based on the weather forecast, the current weather and the condition of the campus.

“Predicting the weather is not exact science,” Beardmore said. “If we decide to

delay or close early, the inclement weather is either actively happening or [is predicted to happen with] a high level of certainty.”

AACC has a monthly subscription to an AccuWeather radar that gives predictions specifically for Arnold.

Under Maryland law, all colleges must meet a quota of “instructional minutes,” regardless of unexpected closures.

In the past, AACC extended the spring semester on the fly to make up for snow closures.

But that can be difficult for students and faculty who

AACC’s Arnold campus opened late on the first day of classes due to snow.

Photo by Raquel Hamner make plans expecting their classes to be finished by a certain date.

A couple of years ago, the snow was so frequent the college added a week to the end of the semester, Associate Vice President for Learning Alycia Marshall said.

Student reporter starts campus news podcast Continued from page 1

topics comedy podcast; “The Dollop,” a historical comedy podcast; and “The Daily,” a news podcast by The New York Times.

Sharon O’Malley, a journalism professor and Campus Current faculty adviser, will advise the podcast staff. “[Salomon] is the perfect person to host,” O’Malley said. “He has a background in audio work and video production, so I really think there’s no better person to do it.”

Campus Current publishes monthly print issues

and daily digital stories, but according to O’Malley, the student news organization “has never been involved in multimedia.”

Roxanne Ready, editor-in-chief of Campus Current, said she is excited about the podcast.

“The goal of Campus Current is really to build a sense of community at Anne Arundel,” Ready said. “The more ways we can reach out and try to engage the students, the better.”

Public Relations and Marketing Executive Director Dan Baum said he listens

to podcasts “all the time.”

“I love podcasts, [and I] love the name [‘Riverhawk Report’],” he said. “I’ll be sure to listen.”

Johnathan O’Dea, president of the Student Government Association, called the podcast a “great idea,” and added he would like it to feature advertisements for upcoming events and club news.

“The podcast is going to be talking about some of the same stuff we’re writing about in the paper,” Ready said. “So people can listen to the podcast, and if they want more information they can

How are students who are veterans or active-duty affected?

Last fall, 215 active-duty military students and more than 1,800 veterans, military spouses and their depen-

dents enrolled at AACC. All members of the active-duty military who lose wages during a shutdown will receive back pay. The twoday shutdown did not affect their pay. Military members

“I had colleagues that had scheduled trips and students with work obligations, who weren’t expecting to have an extra week of classes,” Marshall said.

This year, AACC officials added two make-up instructional days to the spring se-

Students can get their news in audio form starting Feb. 8 at TheCampusCurrent.com.

Graphic by Mary Kane read the paper later and vice versa.”

Salomon agreed, noting that students who read the newspaper “want a newspaper, not a podcast,” he said.

As a first-time podcast host, Salomon said, “I just hope people like me. I’m horrified people are going to think I suck.”

Gov. shutdown has little effect Continued from page 1

the college does not have to collect it from the government during any shutdown.

The recent two-day shutdown “didn’t last long enough to affect financial aid,” said Pat Shoemaker, who has worked in the Financial Aid Office for 19 years.

Will the shutdown affect AACC faculty and staff?

Because AACC is funded by the state, Anne Arundel County and student tuition, federal government shutdowns do not affect its operation directly. Faculty and staff report to work the same as they always do, with no interruption to their paychecks.

A federal shutdown will not affect student aid at AACC. Photo by Roxanne Ready

using the G.I. Bill will receive their benefits as usual.

Does the shutdown affect DACA students?

One of the issues that created the shutdown is the partisan debate among lawmakers on the status of DACA, which allows undocumented immigrants who entered the U.S. as children to remain in the country.

But the shutdown itself does not directly affect them. “[DACA students should] stay positive and keep working on their academics,” Richard Heath, retired director of financial aid, said.

“Quitting is not the answer. .… It’s only in their best advantage to finish, get their grades … and move on.”

mester calendar: May 7 and 8. If they aren’t needed, they will be study days in preparation for finals.

Instructors will have the option to choose whether to use the make-up days or add additional assignments to make up for lost time.

Admin to consider ’19 budget Continued from page 1

actually meeting that goal.

“The intention [of] the state funding community colleges is [to] keep tuition affordable,” Beardmore said.

“Unless something changes at the state level, we will have to look to our county … and to tuition and fees to make sure that we can continue to offer our students the services that they need.”

“As long as the books don’t go up,” said second-semester nursing student Kenneth Cresswell. “[Or if tuition went up] a couple hundred dollars per class—then we’d have problems.”

The goals of the new budget will be much the same as last year’s, according to Beardmore. The 2018 fiscal year Annual Budget Report, released in October 2017, emphasized student services, such as counselors, professors and tutors.

Once the Board of Trustees approves the proposal, the county executive must act on it by May 1. Then it moves to the Anne Arundel County Council, which has until June 16 to approve or reject the budget.

“As somebody who has to pay for classes, [tuition increases are] annoying,” firstyear childhood education major Amanda Murphy said.

“But I also know things aren’t always free. The money’s got to come from somewhere.”

February| 2018 | Campus Current | 5

Donations flood AACC; food pantry overflows Mary Kane Graphic Designer Thanks to an abundance of donations over the holidays, AACC’s food pantry is overflowing.

The donors responsible for the success of the food pantry include participants in last year’s Turkey Trot, Martin Luther King Jr. breakfast and nursing convention.

“The college community donated items to the student food pantry at the fall Convocation in August. That brought us a lot of food, and set us up well for the fall semester,” Christine Storck, director of student engagement, said.

For spring, Storck added: “We are very fortunate at this time to have a sufficient amount of food to start [the semester] off. This year was the first time faculty and staff had been specifically asked to bring food items to the convocation.”

The food pantry for students is located in the Student Engagement Office in the SUN Building, Room 205. The pantry is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Each semester, six or seven students visit the food pantry each day to pick up non-perishable foods like peanut butter, canned goods and dried cereal, as well as

“I did not think a community college could get so many donations for food.”

—Student Meg Thomas

toiletries. To use the pantry, students must present their AACC ID cards.

“I have never needed the food pantry,” Brandon Carnie, a second-year transfer studies student, said. “I actually just found out we had one last year from my friend who has gone a couple times.”

“I did not think a com-

munity college could get so many donations for food,” third-year student Meg Thomas said.

“I would have thought we had a good amount but not over-flowing to the point of having it be an issue or a possible issue.”

Michelle Williams, a third-year computer science major, said she used the food pantry a few weeks ago. “[Students] don’t use it much because they seem to be embarrassed,” she said.

“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, though; if you need help, you need help.

The school offers it. Don’t be afraid to take it.”

The veterans’ pantry, located in the Military and Veteran Resource Center in Room 123 of the library, received some of the overflow donations from the main food pantry.

The veterans’ food pantry is not overflowing but has just enough food, according

Campus Life

AACC’s student food pantry is overflowing, thanks to campus donations.

Photo by Raquel Hamner to Harlan Harrell, military/ veterans student success and retention adviser.

This is not the first time the student food pantry has

been overflowing with donations. “There have been some other times after large food drives when we have been full,” Storck said.

6 | Campus Current | 2018 | February

Campus Life

Student trustee votes on new school policies Alexandra Radovic Associate Editor AACC is one of three community colleges in Maryland to allow a student representative to vote on budget plans, new protocols and policy changes.

Nyia Curtis, a third-year entrepreneurship student, is the only student member on the college’s Board of Trustees.

“AACC changed my life, and I want to give back,” Curtis said. “I want to bridge the gap between students and faculty and help students understand what the community offers.”

“It is great that Nyia allows student voices to be heard,” said second-year education student Joseph Gibson.

Curtis said one of the most important decisions she voted on this year was the adoption of AACC’s first applied bachelor’s degree.

Curtis attended Howard University to study broadcast journalism before coming to AACC. She said she was introverted and too intimidated to get involved in extracurricular activities. After realizing she wasn’t passionate about her studies, she dropped out of Howard and began taking non-credit photography classes at AACC.

“Stay involved, stay interested, stay curious and just give it your all.”

—Student trustee Nyia Curtis

Curtis said she wanted to get more involved on campus after she started taking credit classes. She joined as many clubs as possible, including the Students Out to Destroy Assumptions club, the Phi Theta Kappa honors society, the Student Government Association, the Entrepreneurs Club and Campus Current.

“People on campus know me as the girl who says yes to everything,” Curtis said.

This semester, she is on the Board of Trustees Development Committee, the AACC Foundation Board and the Campaign Steering Committee.

“Nyia is the student voice,” Director of Student Engagement Chris Storck said. “When the board is discussing topics, they may not have first-hand knowledge on how it affects students; she can speak for students based on her experience.”

“Sometimes we get a little too pragmatic as a board and look at things too cut and dry,” agreed Lawrence Ulvila, chairman of the Board of Trustees. “She helps us pump the breaks on certain issues, to make sure we don’t lose sight of the students.”

Likewise, Johnathan O’Dea, Student Government Association president, said,

Nyia Curtis, a third-year enterpreneurship student, votes on policies as the student member on AACC’s Board Of Trustees.

Photo by Sarah Noble “I highly value the opinion of students, and it’s a huge strength to have someone to bounce ideas off of.

“Nyia and I pick each other’s brains about what is [happening] on campus,” O’Dea said.

Another student member will replace Curtis on the board this June when her one-year term expires. “[A trustee] must be mature, have good com-

munication skills and not be afraid to talk to people,” Storck said.

Montgomery College and Prince George’s Community College each has a voting student member on their Boards of Trustees.

“Embrace your experience [at AACC] and make it your own,” Curtis said. “Stay involved, stay interested, stay curious and just give it your all.”

February| 2018 | Campus Current | 7

Campus Life

All generations join in classes Ryan Sullivan Reporter

an additional stressor.

At AACC, 44.1 percent of students enrolled during Janice Oakley, 37, recalls the fall 2017 semester were the day she rolled out of bed outside of the traditional age three years ago to get ready range. Among them, 8.7 perto step into a college class- cent were younger than 18 room for the first time in 17 and, like Oakley, 35.4 peryears. She says she was ner- cent were older than 25.

More and more non-travous and lacked confidence, and that feeling clung to her ditional students are attending college each year, accordall day.

To top it off, she forgot to ing to the National Center for bring a pen to class. As she Education Statistics.

In addition to an influx of fumbled through her purse, she thought, “What the hell older college students, NCES studies show am I doing here” an increase with all of these 19-year-olds?

“The only person who in students Then one of had an issue with my younger than 18. In 1993, age was myself.” them offered her 1.6 percent of a pen.

—Janice Oakley, 37 all commuAnd as class nity college started, Oakley’s massive wall of worry came students were younger than 18. By 2009, that number tumbling down.

The first day of school rose to 7 percent.

Some AACC faculty can be intimidating. But for students outside of the tra- members say having multiple ditional 18- to 24-year-old generations in the classroom range, age can sometimes be is a positive for students.

Satellite locations offer AAs

Students Art Smookler, Katie Chapman and Alicia Beznoska represent the variety of generations that come together to continue their education at AACC. Photo by Roxanne Ready “First of all, it more accurately reflects the realities of the workplace,” says Dr. Terry Portis, a psychology professor.

“Secondly, there is value in perspectives one can learn from those who are younger than you are and those who are older.”

First-year history student Thomas Gomez, 21, agreed.

“They definitely have dif-

Roxanne Ready Editor-in-Chief Students can earn an associate degree in six majors without ever setting foot on the Arnold campus, and AACC administrators hope to grow that number.

Although AACC has two satellite campuses and four smaller, off-site locations, the majority of degrees require students to attend at least some classes at the main Arnold campus.

But AACC President Dawn Lindsay said she wants to “make sure … that opportunities are in place” for everyone to work toward their degrees from the Glen Burnie Town Center and Arundel Mills campuses as well.

“I’d much rather go to Glen Burnie,” second-semester nursing student Tristan Weiman said. “[My commute] is a pain in the a--.”

In fall 2017, AACC began offering associate degrees at Glen Burnie in computer information systems, supply chain management and business management, as well as

AACC will offer associate degrees at its Arundel Mills campus in the future.

Photo by Roxanne Ready three transfer studies areas of concentration degrees: psychology, communications and sociology.

Dr. Mike Gavin, the vice president of learning, said the administration is looking at enrollment data to decide which other degrees to offer at the satellite campuses.

Each campus will have its own “identity,” offering different programs according to student interest, he said.

While no associate degrees are available in full at Arundel Mills, AACC’s Regional Higher Education Center, located there, partners with some four-year colleges to help students

complete bachelor’s degrees without leaving the county.

In those programs, students take two years’ worth of general education classes from AACC without earning an associate degree.

Gavin said he expects some of the two-year programs within that partnership to result in an associate transfer degree at that campus.

“I live literally five minutes from Arundel Mills, and it takes me at least 40 to 45 minutes to get [to Arnold],” first-year nursing student Sara Smith said. “[But] all of our nursing is all here.”

ferent perspectives on things, which is cool to hear because they have been through so many different life experiences. I’d say it helps for sure.”

He said he became friends with a 32-year-old classmate. “He is on a different wavelength than I am, but we share a lot of things in common,” Gomez says.

Still, some students and

professors say connecting generations in classrooms and on campus can be difficult.

But Oakley disagrees.

“I’m just glad that young woman saw me freaking out and had an extra pen,” Oakley says. “I thought my age would be a problem, but it turns out the only person who had an issue with my age was myself.”

Roxanne Ready Editor-in-Chief

nority and low-income students.

Amanda Murphy, a firstyear childhood education major, said the college deserves the award.

“There’s a lot of good programs [at AACC],” she said.

AACC President Dawn Lindsay said in November the college was “honored” by the invitation, and Gavin called the award “the biggest honor you can receive as a community college.”

If selected, the college will use the prize money for student scholarships, Gavin said.

“I think giving it to the students is the way to go,” said Sara Smith, a first-year nursing student.

Sophomore Caroline Miller, who is studying radiology, said she would like to hear the administration’s thoughts on using the money for campus equipment or facilities upgrades instead.

“It would be interesting to see the [Board of Trustees’] thoughts on other things besides just scholarships,” she said.

College moves closer to prize AACC is still in the running alongside 45 other community colleges for a $1 million excellence award.

In November, the Aspen Institute—an international, nonprofit education and policy studies think tank—invited 150 colleges from across the country to apply for the annual Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence.

According to the institute’s website, the next step in the process after the invitation is a second round of judging, in which Aspen officials choose 10 finalists. But Dr. Mike Gavin, AACC’s vice president for learning, said only 45 schools remain in the running.

Gavin said the next step is for AACC administrators to meet with Aspen officials for interviews.

The award measures student success in four areas: learning, certificate and degree completion, employment and earnings outcomes for graduates, and high levels of access and success for mi-

8 | Campus Current | 2018 | February

Campus Life

Lectures to honor MLK will begin in February Raquel Hamner Photo Editor

Art professor Chris Mona is the lead organizer for the Social Justice and Citizenship lectures.

Photo by Raquel Hamner

A screen-printing professor and AACC’s new chief diversity officer will offer a series of occasional lectures to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy, starting in February.

“This past year there has been a lot of talk about monuments, and we are lucky … to have one [on campus] of Martin Luther King,” art professor Chris Mona said.

“Basically, I want to have something ongoing to honor Dr. King’s legacy.”

Mona and Chief Diversity Officer Deidra Dennie said they designed the Social Justice and Citizenship

Winter weather keeps spring enrollment low Roxanne Ready Editor-in-Chief Students enrolled in spring classes especially late this spring due, in part, to the cold weather.

AACC’s Vice President for Learning Mike Gavin said he is “convinced” the January cold snap caused students to enroll later than usual.

Administrators usually

lectures to bring the campus and surrounding community together to start a positive conversation. Dr. Darrius Hills, a philosophy and religion professor from Morgan State University, will give the first lecture.

Scout Bender, a second-year graphic design major, said he’s excited about the lectures and said a “conversation is the best place to start.”

The lectures will touch on King’s “dream, about his legacy, about his vision,” according to Mona, who said they will serve as a promotion of the potential the country has to achieve King’s vision for America, and to learn from history.

cancel low-enrollment classes the Tuesday before the start of the semester, but they decided to delay cancellations for two extra days, waiting until that Thursday.

“The courses we allowed to run … all did go up [in numbers of students enrolled],” Gavin said. “It was the right decision. … It allowed us to cancel less classes.”

Immediately before the

registration deadline, enrollment was down by 4 percent from last year, which was 7 percent below the goal administrators set.

On Jan. 19, the college was at 91 percent of its spring enrollment goal—which includes enrollment for 13- and eight-week classes as well as traditional 16-week classes.

According to Gavin, other colleges in the area reported

Students register for classes later than usual.

Photo by Mary Kane

trade and the Jim Crow laws.

AACC is not the first college to present this. The exhibit travels to institutions in different states. It will be on campus on Feb. 12 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the SUN Dining Hall.

“It is cool to have events like this and it is good to advertise ourselves as a college of diversity,” said second-year transfer studies major Raphael Corletta.

From 11 a.m. to 11:50 a.m., Khalid el-Hakim, museum founder and one of Black Enterprise’s Top 100 Men of Distinction, will give a speech.

Rafael Garcia-Mendez, a second-year media pro-

ductions major, said the Black History Month events “sound interesting. I would go see some of them.”

A microaggressions webinar will focus on common microaggressions—subtle or unintentional discriminations—that black men face in community colleges, and will take place on Feb. 14 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Room 101 of the Florestano Building.

The Black Male Initiative will hold its seventh annual Black Male Summit, where faculty, staff, students and community members will promote minority male success and learn about the AACC support services that help black male students

overcome challenges. The Summit, which has a record of 115 attendees, will meet in CALT 100 on Feb. 28 from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.

“TRYBE-ALL”—a collection of artworks by performer, poet, composer, artist and founder of Enrapture Records Tony Spencer—will be in the Pascal Art Gallery from Feb. 1 to Feb. 28.

Students, staff and faculty can share their observations and experiences about race on the AACC “Race Card” wall. The wall reflects the “Race Card” project founded

by Michelle Norris, a journalist for National Public Radio.

The wall will be on the first floor of the Careers Building,

low enrollment around the same time.

Overall enrollment has been declining since 2012.

Gavin said the decline is due to more than simply the cold weather. When unemployment is low, college enrollments typically decline, Gavin said, but the weather did play

AACC plans exhibits, speeches; celebrates Black Hist. Month Alexandra Radovic Associate Editor

In celebration of Black History Month in February, AACC will host art exhibits, speeches and an interactive notecard display.

The Black History 101 mobile museum exhibit, “[’68],” will feature more than 150 original artifacts that focus on the major events from 1968, the year of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination.

Visitors can view a document signed by King as well as memorabilia involving the 1968 Olympics, famous African-American figures in history, the trans-Atlantic slave

“Part of the college’s mission is to develop all of us as good citizens,” Mona said.

“And so, the idea of the lecture series is to focus on citizenship, because that’s what Dr. King is all about.”

“Our goal is to bring a positive message and help people find a way to support the positive news and social interactions in our community,” Dennie said.

Hills “will be … perfect to launch this,” Mona said.

“We need [these kinds of lectures],” said Johna Anderson, a first-year pre-physical therapy student, of the lecture series.

“Especially on a college campus, we need a safe space for students.”

a part this semester.

Kat Purkey, an environmental science major who enrolled about a week before classes started, said her friends told her the wrong enrollment cut-off date. That and her work schedule had more effect on when she enrolled than the cold weather.

AACC has the only statue of Martin Luther King in Maryland. A mobile exhibit featuring artifacts from the year of his death will visit the college in February.

Photo by Brandon Hamilton the CALT Building and the Humanities Building from Feb. 12-23.

Finally, on Feb. 22 at 11 a.m., the Kan Kouran African Dance Company, from Washington, D.C., will perform West African-style dance in the SUN Dining Hall.

February| 2018 | Campus Current | 9

College offers course to teach rape defense Michael Garvey Newsroom Manager AACC canceled a spring women’s self-defense class because of low enrollment, even after the college lowered the price from more than $60 to $10.

The campus Department of Public Safety and Police trained three officers to instruct women in self-defense using the R.A.D.—Rape Aggression Defense—System. “[The course] hasn’t been picked up very well in the recent years,” said officer Janene Kerpelman, senior R.A.D instructor. “Now that I’ve taken over the program, I’m trying to figure out what’s going to work best for students’ schedules.”

Before this year, AACC charged about $60 for the credit class. Campus Police Chief Sean Kapfhammer proposed that the class be free because of low enrollment, but AACC administrators de-

cided to reduce the registration fee to $10 to cover costs, and to make it a non-credit class.

The class, taught over a four-day, 12-hour span, teaches people escape tactics and techniques to draw attention to themselves when in danger.

“Now that I’ve taken over the program, I’m trying to figure out what’s going to work best for students’ schedules.”

—Officer Janene Kerpelman

“[After taking the class], if something does happen where [students] have to physically get out of a predicament, [they] can think back on it and be like, ‘Wait I know I can do this,’” biology professor Jessamy Rango, a twotime R.A.D. student said. “[The class is] a matter of empowering somebody to have that self-defense,”

said R.A.D. instructor Ashton Thomas, who also is an AACC public safety officer.

Instructors teach the R.A.D. curriculum at more than 400 colleges and police departments across the United States and Canada.

After graduating from the class, students can retake it for free.

Although the class was officially canceled, Kerpelman said she would be willing to teach the class on a customized schedule for people who want to learn.

“To know that they can … defend themselves if need be if faced with an attack. … It’s a good feeling to know that I’ve transferred that empowerment to ... another female,” Kerpelman said.

Women interested in the class can contact Kerpelman at the Department of Public Safety and Police or look at AACC’s noncredit course schedule under “personal enrichment: self-defense.”

Campus Life

Rape Aggression Defense instructor Officer Duane Gottschalk poses with Melissa Beardmore, AACC’s vice president of learning resources management.

Photo courtesy of Officer Kerpelman

10 | Campus Current | 2018 | February

Campus Life

College smokers turn to vaping after quitting Sarah Noble Social Media Manager Liza Michelle Bedlin, a third-year transfer studies student, said she always enjoyed the occasional cigarette at a party, but never intended to make smoking a daily habit.

It was only when she was waiting in line at a Sunoco Mini Mart, ready to buy a carton of Marlboro Golds for the very first time, that she decided to end her bad habit.

Instead of purchasing the cigarettes, she bought a vape pen.

“I went home and used it all afternoon,” Bedlin said.

Jump Start student Shawn Pollard said he loves getting college credits while finishing up his senior year in high school.

Photo by Sarah Noble

“At first it was a little hard to get into, but I quit smoking cigarettes that day.”

Bedlin is just one of the 9 million college-aged students who vape—or use e-cigarettes—according to a 2016 survey by the Centers for Disease Control.

Vaping is the use of a handheld electronic cigarette.

It works by heating a liquid—also known as “vape juice”—to create a vapor for the user to inhale, according to Loretta Lawson-Munsey, the substance abuse education supervisor at AACC. Vape pens are about the same size as regular ink pens

and have a plastic shell, a tank that holds vape juice, a button for the user to hold down while inhaling vapor and a USB charging port.

Users determine if they want their vape juice to contain nicotine or not, but if the juice does not contain nicotine, it is not addictive.

Vaping can reduce stress and is a “good way to quit smoking cigarettes,” said Lawson-Munsey.

Because it is against campus policy to smoke anything—a vape pen or a cigarette—Bedlin does not smoke on campus.

Students found smoking or vaping on campus are giv-

en a verbal warning. Then, they pay a fine.

However, students can smoke, without penalties, in their cars with the windows rolled up or down, according to Police Chief Sean Kapfhammer.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, one in 10 Americans vapes and 80 percent started vaping to quit

smoking cigarettes.

Research on the second-hand effects of vaping has been minimal, according to Lawson-Munsey.

No matter how the research on the effects of vaping long-term turns out, Bedlin doesn’t plan on stopping her daily practice.

“It’s just too enjoyable to quit,” Bedlin said.

Sarah Noble Social Media Manager Although all 12 community colleges in Maryland offer 16- and 17-year-olds the chance to take college classes while they’re still in high school, AACC is the only one to offer discounted tuition.

After passing the Accuplacer test, a placement exam similar to the SAT, a student must have a guidance counselor sign an early access form. Then, the student can enroll at AACC for

half-price tuition.

If students have already taken the SAT and scored a 500 on math and English or the ACT and scored a 21 on math and 18 on English, they don’t have to take the Accuplacer.

Jump Start student Ruth Stimely said she “wanted to take classes at AACC to get a taste of what college would be like.”

This year’s enrollment for Jump Start students is at a record high, with 1,042 students.

That’s slightly more than in 2016, when 1,006 high school students attended AACC classes. In 2014, 859 enrolled, according to Dan Baum, AACC’s public relations and marketing director.

“We want everyone to know that we cater to the community,” Baum said.

“This includes high school students.”

“Jump Start students bring excitement to the classroom,” English professor Mark Harris said.

But Jump Start student

Danielle Pendergast said while she feels included in her class, she doesn’t “feel like I’m included in the student body as a whole.”

AACC’s Chief Diversity Officer Dr. Deidra Dennie said Jump Start students “are just as important at AACC as any other student.”

Harris said high schoolers who are considering taking classes next semester should “just do it.”

“It may seem like a lot of stress and trouble, but it’s worth it,” Harris said.

“Honestly, at first I thought the trend was pretty stupid,” said Jump Start student Danielle Pendergast, wearing Millennial Pink colored Nikes as she studied in the library. “But I’ve seen it all over my Instagram feed the past year.”

For first-year student Kelly Savage, Millennial Pink is an essential part of her wardrobe.

Savage said the first Millennial Pink item she bought was the iPhone 6s.

“My sister and I waited in line for four hours to get the phone and I don’t plan on

replacing it anytime soon,” Savage said.

In October 2017, the online magazine Bustle published an article with the headline, “Why Are We So Obsessed With Millennial Pink?”

“I grew up with the color pink, like most girls,” Savage said. “But I still think that pink shouldn’t just be for girls. I think the reason I love it so much is because it’s an androgynous color.”

Rapper Drake was one of the first male celebrities to wear the color.

In an Instagram post in

Jump Start students qualify for half-price discount on tuition

Gen Y chooses pink as favorite fashion color Sarah Noble Social Media Manager “Millennial Pink,” otherwise known as blush pink or rose quartz, is the 2017 trend that won’t go away.

It’s everywhere from your pamplemousse La Croix can to Wes Anderson movies to your Nikes.

In 2016, Pantone announced rose quartz as the color of the year. This started the obsession with the pink hue across the internet, social media and fashion.

In 2015, Apple released the rose gold colored iPhone.

According to a 2016 survey by the Centers for Disease Control, 9 million college-aged students use e-cigarettes.

Photo by Brandon Hamilton

Kelly Savage, a first-year education student, says Millennial Pink is her favorite trend.

Photo by Sarah Noble 2016, Drake posed wearing a Millennial Pink soccer jersey, a glass of rosé in hand and a pair of pink sunglasses.

“Pink could easily be a guy’s color,” said second-year film student Sanyee Barjogar. “People only see pink as OK to wear for the month of October for Breast Cancer Awareness [Month], but other than that, why does pink have to be feminine?”

The color has an androgynous aspect, according to Barjogar.

“This could be because of the metallic tint,” he said.

Third-year student Victoria Doda says she dyed her hair a “light pink because it’s my favorite color.”

Even if the trend dies this year, Savage said she still plans to continue wearing Millennial Pink.

February| 2018 | Campus Current | 11

Campus Life

Math, science critical to success of theater Roxanne Ready Editor-in-Chief The stage is mostly dark, but a light follows someone running from her pursuers, panicked. An eerie haze billows across the stage, while screens in the background show bits of a cityscape.

Scripted sounds echo around the hall, drawing the audience into the play.

As the pursuers close in, lights pulse and the music rises, bringing audience members to the edge of their seats.

At the last moment, the woman escapes through a magic portal, represented by lights, sound and projected imagery.

All these effects were part of AACC’s recent production of the play “Neverwhere” and represent STEM—science, technology, engineering and math—in theater. “[STEM is] kind of built into all the different areas of theatrical production,” theater program coordinator Sean Urbantke said. “Those are tools to get us to the artistic side of things.”

Second-year theater student and props designer for “Neverwhere” Victoria Scherini said she used geometry and algebra when designing the items, especially for the metal puppets.

“My biggest struggle was

with the math-y parts,” Scherini said.

“I’m making a 3-D object [but] I’m not used to thinking like that,” she said. “[You have to] be quick on your feet to be able to make a change,” said thirdyear transfer studies student Nathaniel Johnson, who designed and recorded all the sounds for “Neverwhere.”

Robotics is another common STEM element to theater production, appearing in the form of hydraulics and pneumatics.

The Theatre at AACC used all of these elements in last year’s spring production of “The Addam’s Family.”

Each production also uses photometrics—the science of lighting intensity and angles—to set the scene for each production. Many plays also use chemistry to literally create the atmosphere on stage using atmospheric haze or adding pyrotechnic effects.

“What’s great about theater is that … there are so many opportunities for so many different skill sets and … backgrounds,” Scherini said. “Theater is great because

there’s room for everyone.”

All of these elements have an underlying theme of hypothesis and revision.

“As an actor or as a director [you] form your hypothesis about how you think [a scene] could work, then you get everybody together in the room … and you see if the experiment [works],” Urbantke said.

“It’s that process for every moment in the play,” he said.

AACC students said their favorite place to study on campus is the Andrew G. Truxal Library.

In an informal poll of 21 students in the SUN Building, 10 said their favorite place to study on campus is in the library because of its quiet and comfortable setting, while others said they prefer studying in the Dining Hall, outside and other spots around campus. “[I like] the library be-

cause I have access to the computers, printers, whatever I need,” first-year journalism student Angelina Horan said. “It’s quiet and a good place to meet with classmates and friends for study sessions.”

The group study rooms come equipped with a computer, oversized monitor and dry erase board. “[I love] the library because it’s got all of those nooks and crannies you can hide in,” second-year EMT student Rae Supko said. “It’s a lot more comfortable.”

First-year computer science student Sam Taylor said he prefers studying in the library because “it’s indoors [and] has good internet access. ... It’s generally quiet so I can stay focused.”

Other students said they prefer more non-traditional places to study.

“I like to go to the [Kauffman Theater],” second-year chemistry student Wayde Presley said.

The library is located on the Quad and open seven days a week throughout each semester.

For Jump Start student Sarah Noble, taking enough time to figure out what she wants in college helped her find Manhattanville College in New York.

Noble has a simple outline of what she wants for college: out of state, small class sizes, a diverse student body and accommodations for dyscalculia.

“It’s easier to focus in a smaller school, and I [don’t] want to be concerned with ... the politics of a big school,” she says.

Still, not everyone finds a fit on the first try.

Skylar Bingaman spent three semesters at AACC before transferring to Towson University, and then AACC,

and then to the University of Maryland.

“The three things I looked for were that the school had a good program for my major, good parking and large class sizes because that’s how I learn best,” Bingaman says.

AACC adviser Elizabeth LaFortune encourages students looking into four-year universities to do plenty of research before applying.

“Make sure wherever you plan to transfer has a program that matches your interests,” she says.

The decisions students make when applying to colleges, LaFortune says, could affect them for the rest of their careers.

AACC offers advising and special programs for students hoping to transfer to a four-year school like the University of Maryland.

Photo by Sarah Sutherland

Library favorite place to study, students say Sarah Sutherland Reporter

AACC’s Truxal Library offers students access to more than 150,000 books and 60 online databases.

Photo by Sarah Sutherland

Theater professor Sean Urbantke shows off some of the electronics he uses in the production of shows.

Photo by Brandon Hamilton

How to find best 4-year school Seamus McCarthy Reporter As Colleen Duvall, a second-year transfer studies student, accepted her high school diploma from Rockbridge Academy in May 2015, she knew she was one of only a few who had not decided where to go to college.

Her dream had been to attend the University of Maryland, but Duvall applied late to the one school she was sure to get into: Towson University.

Duvall hadn’t researched Towson’s programs, majors, class sizes or extra-curricular activities before applying days before the deadline.

“I thought I would be considered a failed high school student if four-year wasn’t in my immediate future,” she says.

Duvall’s friends and family encouraged her to decline Towson, enroll in AACC, and then apply to her dream school.

As she heads into her final semester at AACC, she is waiting to hear from the University of Maryland, where she hopes to enroll next fall.

Choosing a school in a hurry is the wrong way to begin a four-year college career, students and counselors say.

In fact, they say, finding a college that fits is key to a successful academic future.

12 | Campus Current | 2018 | February

Campus Life

Bulls*** comes to AACC in new 8-week course Roxanne Ready Editor-in-Chief

Fun and Games

AACC administrators have approved a critical thinking and media literacy course with the word “bullshit” in the name.

“Calling Out Bullshit— The Art of Deceptive Misrepresentation” is the name of the one-credit, eight-week course.

The course name raised objections from some administrators during the approval process, but ultimately they approved the class on a trial basis.

“The term raises some eyebrows,” said Dr. David Tengwall, the history professor who proposed and will teach the class. “[But] we’re adults here. … [And] this isn’t going to be a ‘funny funny’ class every time just because ‘Calling Out Bullshit’ is the title. I want you to think.”

During the approval process, Tengwall was adamant that the course name retain the profanity. He said the term has no exact synonym and would be more interesting to students than possible substitutes.

Gloria David, a freshman elementary education major, said the name makes the class sound interesting.

“I’m like, ‘OK let me see what that’s about,’ because that’s a pretty bold name to have,” David said.

Christian Bravo, a registered nursing and horticulture major, disagreed.

“I don’t know if it’ll be taken seriously among [college students],” Bravo said.

“Something a little more professional might be a little more suitable for a class.”

The course will cover how to spot falsehoods and misrepresentation in advertising, medicine, politics and news.

Tengwall said the class differs from other critical analysis classes because instead of analyzing literature or speeches, it will cover things that affect people every day.

“Technology has advanced to such a degree that we’re just inundated with [BS],” Tengwall said. “I think we all [as educators] have a duty … to initiate something like this [class].”

Two University of Washington professors first created the course and taught it in spring 2017 as “Calling Bullshit: Data Reasoning in a Digital World.”

They posted their syllabus online, along with related readings and videos, and gave permission there for other professors to teach the class.

Tengwall said his class will not focus as heavily on academic papers and analysis of large data sets as the original.

AACC approves a new critical thinking class with the word “bulls---” in the title. Luke Vogel, a first-year military history major, poses.

Photo by Sarah Noble “I’m going to try to completely alter how you perceive everything in the world hereafter,” Tengwall said. “I believe this will be the most important class that any student will ever take in their academic career.”

Members of AACC’s Committee on Education Policies and Curriculum approved the class by a vote

of 11-2 on Nov. 1. Members of the Academic Forum approved the class by 23-13 on Dec. 7.

The class, Philosophy 295, will run at 2 p.m. on Mondays during the second half of the spring semester, starting on March 19. Registration for the class is open until March 18 or until the class fills.

Did you know?

AACC students and professors can get free Microsoft products.

With a college email address, students and professors can sign up at Microsoft.com to receive Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, OneNote and Microsoft Team, and unlimited storage on OneDrive.

?

Looking for answers?

Check TheCampusCurrent.com on Feb. 19.

?

Edgar Salomon, a second-year visual arts student, uses Microsoft Word to work on an essay.

Reporting and photo by Sarah Noble

February| 2018 | Campus Current | 13

Music dept. heading to Spain for concert tour Daniel Salomon Digital Editor AACC’s music department will tour Spain this spring break.

The weeklong tour, which students are paying for themselves, begins on March 9.

“I’m excited to get out of the country for the first time [and] to see all the cool churches and old buildings they have there,” Will Kuethe, a third-year music major, said. “[I also heard] they have a lot of flowers decorating the city and it’s just a beautiful place.”

The orchestra and choir will perform at the Church of Our Lady of Mercy in Madrid, the Antonio Machado Cultural Center and Theater

Performing Arts Chair Doug Byerly and the choir rehearse for a concert tour of Spain.

Photo by Daniel Salomon in Madrid, and The Basilica in El Escorial.

“It’s always really exciting to take students who have never traveled outside

of the United States to a foreign location to experience the culture,” Music and Performing Arts Chair Doug Byerly said.

Byerly will attend the trip to conduct the choir.

The orchestra and choir will perform “Concerto for Cello” by Victor Herbert, “Ave Maria” by Franz Schubert, “Ain’-A That Good News” by William Dawson and excerpts from “Carmen”

by Georges Bizet.

“It’s fun to prepare for important events and to just rehearse, practice and then try to nail it and when you do nail it and it sounds good and balanced in a nice hall, it’s just a really nice feeling,” Richard Turek, an eighthyear continuing education student, said.

Club News

How to start a club Daniel Salomon Digital Editor

Adjunct professor Richard Hardesty hosts the first History Club meeting of semester. It is one of 104 clubs on campus.

Photo by Daniel Salomon For students to organize a new club they must have 10 members, a president, a faculty or staff adviser, and a written constitution.

The club must send to the Office of Student Engagement a form from The Nest, AACC’s website for student clubs, at nest.aacc.edu.

The club must submit its constitution to the Student Government Association and to the Advisory Council, a group of representatives from each student club that meets regularly.

“We always encourage students to look on The Nest to find organizations they might be interested in, and if not, to start one [of] their own,” SGA President Johnathan O’Dea said.

14 | Campus Current | 2018 | February

Sports

Men’s Lacrosse ready for brand new season Seamus McCarthy Reporter Riding into his second season as the Riverhawks Men’s Lacrosse coach, Joe Stanilaus said he is looking to improve on the team’s ranking—fifth in the country in 2017.

The Riverhawks will start their regular season on Feb. 21 against the most dominant team in the region from the past few years, Onondaga Community College.

“We want the hardest schedule in the country, so we want to start out playing the hardest teams off the bat so we can really pick up speed going into the national tournament, and this time win,” Stanilaus said.

The Riverhawks lost two All-Americans this season: attackman Dylan Mansur

and midfielder Justin Messersmith.

“You don’t replace them; you find points and goals through other people,” Stanilaus said.

Second-year player Charlie Ellis also said he has high hopes for the upcoming season.

“I feel like we are going to do very well,” Ellis said.

“We have a lot of new recruits coming in this season that we hadn’t seen in the fall, and a lot of kids that we don’t even know about yet.”

When Ellis spoke with Campus Current in the fall, he said team chemistry would be key to success in the upcoming season. Now, he said, he sees this becoming a reality.

“Our team chemistry has gone up a lot during our time spent together in the fall

with the people that we had come out, and it’s all looking good,” Ellis said.

Team captain Dylan Morton lined up several keys for the Riverhawks’ success this season.

“Team chemistry. We have the players, we have the depth to win a championship, but we have to be able to play as a team,” Morton said.

Morton also said he hopes for an undefeated season and a national championship.

“The biggest thing as a team is being consistent and acceptable both on and off the field, and if we can do that we will be where we want to be at the end of the season,” Stanilaus said.

The Riverhawks will kick off their season with tryouts from Jan. 16 through Jan. 20.

Baseball to begin year with 2 games at home Vincent Moreland Sports Editor

First-year student athlete Noah Ratsy swings during practice.

Photo by Raquel Hamner

Lacrosse player Noah Reem shoots during practice.

Photo by Raquel Hamner

Last season, AACC Men’s Baseball played with an even record of 23-23, but this year’s players said they can do better.

First-year student and South River High School graduate Leonard Lehner is a primary first baseman and said he is ready for the challenges that await.

"I think we have to work on team chemistry," Lehner said.

"We need to work on

team bonding and playing more as a team. I think in the fall we played more as individuals because we're trying to earn our spots.”

Men’s Baseball has another new face with first-year student Chris Clyde, a pitcher who attended Oakland Mills High School in Howard County.

"We do need to play as a team," Clyde said. "I think it will help in the spring when we spend more time together because we were only together three or four days a week in the fall. Spending more

time together will help. “ Assistant coach Larry Hull said the team is lifting weights.

"The pitchers are currently working with our throwing program, and position players are doing speed and agility drills, and they all lift weights together," Hull said.

Men’s Baseball’s first doubleheader is at home against Lackawanna College on Friday, Feb. 23, at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. AACC was eliminated last season in the NJCAA DII Region 20 tournament.

familiar with each other.” “[The players] have been working really hard and doing a really good job in workouts,” said Griffiths.

His only concern about the upcoming season is the cold weather. “[Practicing indoors] is kind of tight because basketball season is still going on,” said Griffiths.

If the weather continues, Grffiths said, his team might have to compete with Men's Lacrosse and Men’s Baseball for practice space in the gym.

“We try and go indoors as little as possible,” said Griffiths.

This season the team will compete in 28 games, including nine home games.

The first home game is against Potomac State College of West Virginia University on March 4.

Griffiths said he doesn’t plan to do anything differently this season and said he is confident he’ll have a “successful season.” Last season, the women made it to the national championship but lost.

Lacrosse player Heather Verdin says she is excited to play this year.

Photo by Vincent Moreland

Women’s Lax starts this month Sarah Noble Social Media Manager Women’s Lacrosse will start scrimmaging in February with a team mostly made up of returning players, according to head coach Jim Griffiths.

“We have a good group returning and some good newcomers coming in,” said Griffiths. “But we usually pick up a few as the season begins.”

Before the beginning of the season, the players spend

time working out and practicing to get a head start on the season.

Griffiths said all players

“We have a good group returning and some good newcomers coming in.” ­— Jim Griffiths

participate in workouts, even newcomers, so by the time the season starts “everyone is

February| 2018 | Campus Current | 15

Sports

Athletes advance to next level Vincent Moreland Sports Editor

Men’s Soccer players huddle before a game.

Photo by Sarah Alonso

AACC athletes who once played for their high schools said the competition in college is a lot more serious and the games are faster paced.

“It's definitely more competitive in college," right wing soccer player Isaiah Goodman said. "You got to take it more serious. You got to really be on your stuff be-

cause there is a lot of people competing.”

Goodman said he works out at the gym every day, plays for a club team and gets extra training from a personal trainer.

Soccer player Keityn Pruett said he trains a lot more for college soccer than he did in high school.

“The training hours are a lot different," said Pruett. “The main difference

Hession oversees inventory and handles purchasing for the 10 sports teams at AACC. She also helps design the teams’ uniforms and assists with website sales.

According to Hession, AACC is the only college in its athletic region that washes the practice uniforms for its sports teams while in season.

Mary Moore of the Health, Fitness and Exercise Studies program has spent 13 years working in the Cage.

“Any equipment that [Health, Fitness and Exercise

Studies courses] use for classes, from videos to yoga mats,” comes from the Cage, according to Moore.

“The athletes that I work with ... are doing what they are supposed to do,” Hession said. “We want them going to class, putting in the study time, and ultimately moving forward in their education.”

Alesha Moses, a second-year business marketing major, has been doing work study in the Cage for a year under Moore, mopping floors and moving equip-

Gymnasium has ‘Cage’ for sports equipment Seamus McCarthy Reporter

Equipment Services— housed in a room known to many as “the Cage”—is the unseen backbone of the Athletics Department, according to those who work there.

Equipment Services employees and volunteers are responsible for making sure the students have an environment to help them succeed.

Athletics assistant Betty Hession has been working in the gym at AACC for 32 years.

between high school soccer and college soccer is speed of play and physicality.”

Women’s Basketball guard/forward Autumn Foster-Fields said the biggest differences between high school and college are the competition and the athleticism.

“I am realizing that playing for college is a lot more hard work [than high school]. I know it won’t get

easier but I know it will be worth it,” Foster-Fields, a forward, said.

“Athletes who participate in college sports may go through a huge transition if they participated in the same sport in high school,” said Lionel Makell, Women’s Basketball head coach.

Makell said athletes usually train harder during the off season because the competition is more intense.

The equipment check-out room, also known as “the Cage,” is in the gymnasium building at AACC. Photo by Cameron Terrelonge ment alongside her. Moses said she has become accustomed to the humbling experience of manual labor. “[We] are a team and a family,” Moses said.

Ray Mawanda, a sec-

ond-year radiology technologist major who works in the Cage, said she enjoys helping other students be successful.

“Working in the Cage to me means family,” Mawanda said.

February Schedule Men’s Basketball

Women’s Basketball

Balitmore City Community College

5:00 p.m.

1:00 p.m.

5:00 p.m.

1:00 p.m.

Thur. 15

at Host Prince George’s Community College MD JUCO Tournament 2/15-2/18

T.B.A.

Fri. 23

at Host - Westmoreland County Community College Region 20 Tournament 2/23-2/25

T.B.A.

Balitmore City Community College

7:00 p.m.

3:00 p.m.

7:00 p.m.

3:00 p.m.

Thur. 1 Sat. 3 Wed. 7 Sat. 10

Thur. 15

at Host Prince George’s Community College MD JUCO Tournament 2/15-2/18

T.B.A.

Fri. 23

at Host - Westmoreland County Community College Region 20 Tournament 2/23-2/25

Thur. 1 Sat. 3 Wed. 7 Sat. 10

Northern Virgina Community College Montgomery College (MD) at Cecil College

T.B.A.

Men’s Lacrosse Wed. 21 Sun. 25

at Onondaga Community College Nassau Community College

4:00 p.m.

12:00 p.m. Sat. 10

Baseball Fri. 23 Sat. 24 Tues. 27 Wed. 28

Lackawanna College

at Valley Forge Military College vs. University of South Carolina Sumter @ Myrtle Beach, South Carolina vs. Brunswick Community College @ Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Northern Virgina Community College Montgomery College (MD) at Cecil College

Women’s Lacrosse ALL SCRIMMAGE GAMES vs. Bridgewater College @ Goucher College vs. Lynchburg College @ Goucher College

2:00 p.m.

5:00 p.m. Sat. 17 12:00 p.m. Sat. 24 3:00 p.m.

1:00 p.m.

3:30 p.m.

2:30 p.m.

5:00 p.m.

at Goucher College at Ohio Northern College Lycoming College # @ Bloomsburg University at Bloomsburg University

2:00 p.m.

3:00 p.m.

4:00 p.m.

T.B.A. 11:00 a.m.

12:00 p.m.

For scores and more information go to aaccathletics.com

16 | Campus Current | 2018 | February