Vantagepoint
“Eyes on CCQ”
| The Community College of Qatar Newsletter
وجهةنظر
April 2013 | Issue number 12
CCQ prepares for 2013 Graduation! The Community College of Qatar will hold its second annual graduation in early May. Specifics are still pending, however, Student Services can confirm that over one hundred students will be crossing the stage this year. Graduates from the 2012 Fall, 2013 Spring, and upcoming 2013 Summer semesters will participate in the ceremony. Members of CCQ’s Office of Counseling and Advising, in collaboration with the Office of Admissions & Records, are tasked with reviewing each degree plan to ensure all required courses are completed with a passing grade. Summer graduate diplomas will not be officially conferred until completion of summer courses.
CONTENTS
CCQ Spotlight
2
Special Recognition
3
Construction at CCQ
4
Health Fair Begins Today April 9 Sociology Club Health Fair Pg.2
Each graduate will receive an Associate’s degree in their specific field. An Associate’s degree can be used when transferring to a university, but is also good for work advancement or initial employment. Some 2012 Fall graduates have already began their education abroad and have been accepted to universities in the United States and the United Kingdom. Others have continued their education locally. CCQ’s first commencement was a historic moment for the college with eleven graduates in total. In comparison, this summer’s much larger event is evidence of an institution that is established and growing. This exponential growth is proportional to the demands of Qatar’s growing economy, one of the highest in the world. The Community College of Qatar plans to continue providing Qatar with an alternative educational institution, and the opportunity to thrive and succeed in this constantly growing and changing job marketplace.
“The ideas must go on.” Shaikha Al-Qahtani, Business Pg. 2
Its time for Africa Victoria Pasley Presents Pg. 3
What’s new at CCQ? Construction Pg. 4
Newsletter Organization BJ Jumnadass Editor-in-Chief
BJ.Jumnadass@CCQ.Edu.Qa
Do you want to help? The 2013 Commencement Committee is currently looking for volunteers to assist with the Community College’s Second Annual Graduation Ceremony. Student volunteers are needed to oversee registration, crowd control, media access, VVIP and VIP approach. If you are interested, please contact Gregory Twidal at Gregory.Twidal@ccq.edu.qa.
Gregory Twidal Senior Staff Writer and Designer Gregory.Twidal@CCQ.Edu.Qa
If you are interested in having your work published in the newsletter, e-mail BJ Jumnadass or Gregory Twidal.
Spotlight Students, this is where your words come to life through the power of print.
Sociology Club to Host Health Fair Understanding Health and Social Relevance Sociology may hold the key to Qatar’s rising health problems. That is what some members of CCQ’s Sociology Club believe as they prepare to host an on-campus Health Fair today in response to an article recently released by the Supreme Council of Health. In the article, the SCH suggests that obesity in Qatar has reached epidemic proportions and may have surpassed the United States in the percentage of individuals diagnosed as obese. Partially in response to this announcement, CCQ’s Sociology Club will host a Health Fair today, April 9th at its CRing location and tomorrow, April 10th at its West Bay Campus. “Sociology is the study of society and behavior,” stated Dr. Linda Lebile. She is a CCQ Professor of Sociology and Sponsor for the Sociology Club. “We are here to study and understand what is happening in today’s society. As members of this particular society and in light of the 2030 vision, it is important that we properly educate and prepare students for their future roles.” Better education, healthier practices, improved meals options,
and the inclusion of more gym equipment are just a few things they would like to see. “Working to recognize and campaign on different issues, including the recognition of better health practices and education is what we’re about. We have to ask ourselves, where do our responsibilities lie? Diabetes and heart disease are common in Qatar and educating individuals beginning at an early age could be key to developing healthier lifestyle choices.” “We want students to understand that in moderation, a person can improve their health constructively,” added Sociology Club C-Ring President Alyaa Al-Maadeed. “We sent out a health survey before planning our event to better research our CCQ’s population. We will be publishing the percentages as a brochure at the Health Fair.” CCQ’s Sociology Club Health Fair will be hosted at the C-ring Auditorium Tuesday, April 9th and at West Bay’s Atrium on Wednesday, April 10th.
Pasley Presents at South Carolina Conference CCQ Faculty Member Victoria Pasley
CCQ Humanities Professor Victoria Pasley, Ph.d., recently presented at the 39th Annual African Literature Association Conference in South Carolina, USA at the College of Charleston. The conference focused on African literature, social liberation, and African law. Her passionate work focused on the experiences of migrants both inside and outside Africa struggling to find work and the representation of Africans on film, as well as the destruction environmental racism. In brief, each film looked at the effects migration and global changes have on the local African population from three different points of view.The first film, Abderrahmane Sissako’s Waiting for Happiness is considered a mournful portrait of a transit city in Mauritania where migrants come to make the dangerous crossing to Europe. "One of the dramas of Africa is that its people are rarely confronted by its own image," says Sissako in a 2002 interview with Slant Magazine. The second film, Idrissou Mora
Kpai's Arlit: Deuxième Paris, is a case study in environmental racism set in a uranium mining town in the Sahara desert of Niger. Here European corporations extract nuclear power generating uranium; profiting from the land but leaving behind disease, contamination and unemployment, while at the same time attracting labor from all over Africa. This forces the local population to either stay or wait or to emigrate to find work in Europe itself. The third, Katy Lena Ndiaye’s: En attendant les homes, focuses on women left behind while their men migrate elsewhere for work. Those interested in learning more about Africa may want to consider attending the Katara African Festival, open until April 13. The Katara African Festival will be composed of art exhibits, musical performances, and artistic workshops representing the different African countries and their cultures.
Special Recognition Students, this is where your words come to life through the power of print.
The Business Club does it again! Miraya Exhibition a HUGE success! Staff Writer: Gregory Twidal Following the inertia of last year’s success, the Miraya Shopping Exhibition returned to CCQ last week. The second annual event was hosted by C-Ring’s Business Club and supported aspiring entrepreneurs, local business women, and international venders from neighboring GCC nations. Imported items included clothing from the Bahrain, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the UAE. CCQ Acting President, Dr. Ibrahim AlNaimi, cut the official inauguration ribbon and was lead in by event coordinators to peruse the different merchandise. Perfume, jewelry, traditional and nontraditional abayas, modern adapted wear, and natural care products were among the items being sold. More than a dozen venders were present in all. Event coordinators transformed the space through use of several meter tall curtains and square framing, changing the entire look of the commons area into an exhibition hall. The
student activities area located next door was retrofitted into a beauty salon, offering hair and make-up services, and traditional Middle-Eastern food was sold outside the exhibition entrance. CCQ Senior Shaikha Al-Qahtani, President of C-Ring’s Business Club and President Elect Al-Dana Al-Meraikhi planned the event with club members in coordination with Mashael Al-Mohannadi, Student Activities Coordinator. “Last year’s Maraya event focused primarily on local projects and venders, but through social networking sites such as facebook, twitter, and social forums, we were able to contact international sellers as well. Planning began last year, but momentum didn’t build until two months ago when the spring semester began. The last three weeks, we did nothing but work. Thanks to last year’s event, we were better prepared from A to Z, and knew mostly what to expect,” said Ms. Al-Qahtani, who is stated to graduate at the end of the semester. Regarding the use of social me-
dia sites, Ms. Al-Meraikh noted “We wanted to look at new ways to promote and learn.” For clubs wishing to host their own events, Ms. Al-Qahtani had these words of advice. “We were given a budget to work with this semester and looked at different designers and coordinators. Though there was only a small group of us working on this, we worked hard to get it done. No matter how many are in your group…one…two…three… You must keep working towards your goal. The ideas must go on.” Miraya, which means “Mirror” in Arabic, not only signifies an important component to shopping, but also symbolizes the hopes, dreams, and aspirations of the women involved in this event. “We had lots of ideas and asked other students what they wanted,” stated Al-Dana. In the future, both students indicated their hope to host more events, including field trips to financial centers.
Business Club Officers: 1. Shaikha Al-Qahtani : President 2. Eiman Mohammed Hussain : Vice-President 3. Reem Ali AlMarri: Volunteering Coordinator 4. Sara Nasser AL-Qahtani :Marketing 5. Moza Sultan AL-Muraikhi :Coordinator 6. Al-Dana Seed AL-Meraikhi: Assistant The members: 1. Muna AL-Meraizeeq 2. Noor Alkaabi 3. Muna Saleh Al-Mannai 4. Amna Saleh AL-Kuwari 5. Fatima Mohammed AlGhanim 6. Amna k Al-Hetmi Decorating Design of Maraya Fair 2012 & 2013 Omsiatee Weddings
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Construction Nearly Complete at CCQ New Classrooms, Offices, and Science Labs Expected Major remodels near completion at CCQ’s C-ring and West Bay Campus as students prepare for finals. Specifically, the first and second floors of C-ring campus have been renovated to provide more work space for the increasing number of Faculty. New classrooms and offices have been built from what was the lounge areas once located in the center of each floor. Desks, tables, and office supplies are currently being moved into each space.
The new computer data analysis packages will include software and sensors for student and Science Faculty use. The walls between the Chemistry and Biology labs will be insulated and all labs are interchangeable to accommodate changes in course demands. Each lab is stated to accommodate 16-24 students in what is considered a modern scientific environment. Labs are scheduled to open for the 2013 summer session.
West Bay campus has been under construction for nearly a year as the ground floor east wing has gone under heavy renovation for the creation of a new science lab. Alfreda Haggard, CCQ Science Lab Coordinator indicated that all labs will meet occupational and safety guidelines. The newly installed vinyl floor will be resistant to chemical spill, static proof, and slip resistant.
Additionally, new cubicles have been added to both the ground level and first floor atriums of West Bay, transforming each area into needed office space. The Learning Center may be relocating to the ground floor and further changes can be expected as the enrollment is predicted to top at 1,700 students for the Fall.
Qatar TESOL and CCQ Presenters CCQ Represents at Qatar’s TESOL Conference Written by Professor Nereida Llonch
Intensive ESOL Program.
On the weekend of February 2223, 2013, Qatar’s Annual TESOL Conference took place at Qatar Foundation’s Academic Bridge Program (ABP) site located within Qatar’s Education City.
Professor Tatz presented "Tapping into Technology: Using Recordings to Promote Student Learning” and Professor Campbell, presented "Google Image: Your Way to Irregular Verb Mastery."
presented on ICT (Information and Communications technology) and ELT (English language Teaching) and Dr. Deborah Healey, repeat author and co-author of TESOL technology, presented “Gamification- A Way to Hook Digital Natives.”
Titled “21st Century EducationWhat is Changing? What is Not?” this was Qatar’s ninth international conference and more than 250 English teachers attended the opening day. The event attracted participants from all over the world including England, Canada, New Zealand, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
Both Professors Tatz and Campbell simultaneously addressed the integration of technology and Instruction as an important tool in language teaching.
Congratulations to Professor Sarah Tatz, Johanna Campbell, and a special thank you to IEP/ ESOL Department Chair, Renata Russo, whose leadership is immeasurable and remarkable.
The methodology they discussed was applicable to any linguistic domain, as well as being instructionally tailored to meet different standards. “Simply said, [Their presentations were] effective and ready for implementation. Moreover, (and not surprisingly) both keynote speakers addressed instructional technology.” Dr. Bouziane of the Casablanca Un i v e r s it y i n M or o c c o
Nereida Llonch
“This year, presentations in general were refreshing, novel, and relevant to many areas of language acquisition and teaching,” quoted Nereida Llonch, CCQ ESL instructor and attendee. Included, among the presenters were CCQ’s own Sarah Tatz and Johanna Campbell of CCQ’s