Volume XV, No. 46
October 2007
P RO D U C E D B Y A N D F O R T H E S T U D E N T S O F QU E E N S B O RO U G H C O M M U N I T Y C O L L E G E
The Cancellation of Courses at Queensborough
Community College
BY PHOEBUS WIDJAJA
At the beginning of every semester at
Queensborough Community College there are
usually several courses in each academic department that are cancelled shortly before the first day
of classes. These courses are almost always cancelled due to low enrollment numbers. In most
cases, a course will be cancelled if it ends up with
less than 15 students enrolled. The college
administration attempts to keep all courses open
for as long as they can, because there is usually a
large number of students who will register in the
final week before classes begin – and it is never
clear whether or not a course with low enrollment
numbers will fill up during that time.
Due to the fact that these courses are cancelled so late, there is not enough time to contact
the students who were enrolled in the cancelled
courses. Usually, students find out by showing up
to the course and finding a cancellation notice on
the door of the classroom. By this time, the
semester has already begun and most other courses are closed. This is rather unfair and likely very
frustrating to students who may have responsibly
registered for the cancelled course months ago. It
is difficult for these students to find another class
to meet their curricular and scheduling needs that
late in the registration period, especially if they,
like many of Queensborough’s students – have
jobs, children or other responsibilities that limit
when they can take classes. This is even more
inconvenient and stressful if the student is dependent on their college full-time status for sufficient
financial aid or health insurance benefits.
At the September 11th, 2007 session of the
QCC Academic Senate meeting, a motion was
INSIDE COMMUNIQUÉ
Editorials
A Troubled Administration . . . . . . . . . . p.2
International News & Politics
Who Stands Behind Suicide Bombers . . p.3
Health
You Booze, You Lose . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.4
Someone is Contemplating Suicide . . . . p.4
Yoga and Meditation . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.5
Queensborough News
I Want to be HEARD! . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.5
Art Reviews
The Woman behind 2 Rock Legends . . . p.6
Gossip Girl. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.6
Music Addiction: Redzone. . . . . . . . . . p.6
Restaurant Review . . . . . . . . . . . p.7
Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pgs.8-9
Movie Reviews. . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.10
OP-ED: Young Men or Little Boys . . . p.11
Americans Crave Resolution . . . . . . . . p.11
Sports Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.12
passed to make into official college policy something which the academic departments claim they
already do. In cases where students are in their
final semester at Queensborough, and a course in
which they are enrolled is cancelled, those students are now guaranteed by the academic departments enrollment in an equivalent course or an
independent study project that will fulfill their
graduation requirements. Note that this guarantee
only applies to those students who are in their
final semester of study at Queensborough, and not
everyone.
At the Student Leadership Weekend on
September 29th, Student Government brought up
these concerns with Dr. Dan King, Vice President
of Academic Affairs. Dr. King was very responsive, and stated that there were steps that could be
taken soon to accommodate students on this issue.
The current cancellation notices provide no
additional information to students regarding
where to seek help in finding another course.
Students who are not familiar with the various
departments at Queensborough may see it as a
dead end. One suggestion was for classroom cancellation notices to direct the students to where
they can receive help, whether it would be the
academic department or somewhere else on campus designated for this purpose. Academic
Advisement is located at the Student Union for
open advisement and registration in the two weeks
before the start of every semester, but there is no
good reason why students who have had their
course cancelled on them should have to wait on
the long lines there. They should be given priority enrollment in the courses they need.
Another suggestion that was made was for the
Registrar to send warning notices to students up to
a month before classes begin, if a course that they
are enrolled in is in danger of being cancelled.
This would give students a window of time to
seek out and register in additional alternate courses, since it is much easier to drop an extra course
at the beginning of a semester than to find one.
There have also been cases where students
have been charged late registration fees for
enrolling in a course late in order to replace one
that was cancelled. In these cases, it is important
that students make sure to tell the Registrar the
reason that they registered late so that they can
have the fee waived.
If you or a student you know has any concerns, comments or suggestions on this issue or
any other – please let your Student Government
representatives know. Their offices are located on
the lower level of the Student Union building.
The author would like to thank Karen Steele,
Dean of Academic Affairs for providing information to Student Government on this issue.
Beckham: Notoriety or Investment
BY CÉZANNE WILSON
In an unprecedented attempt to legitimize
American Major League Soccer (MLS), the Los
Angeles Galaxy in January 2007 took on the
responsibility of employing one of the world’s
most famous football superstar’s, David Robert
Joseph Beckham. A whooping contract of $250
million over the next five years was
Beckham’s estimated value for playing football, or soccer, as it is more
commonly known in the U.S. David
Beckham, or Beck’s as he is fondly
called on the world’s stage, was born
in London, England and is one of
football’s most famous free kickers.
He was the chosen runner-up for the
FIFA World Player of the Year Award
twice, he played a role in the past
three World Cups for his national
team England, and he was the highest
paid soccer superstar in the year 2004. His high
profile record coupled with his marriage to
Victoria Beckham, a former member of the
famous pop girl group of the nineties, the Spice
Girls, has made Beckham an international household name, as well as an alluring and profitable
media property.
Born on May 2, 1975, this 6ft, 165lb Taurus
is much more than an admirable soccer player; he
is also an uncommonly good-looking elite walking advertisement brand and a world-class fashion
icon. Proof of Beck’s power would come from
the one million Real Madrid shirts
that were sold within the first six
months of his arrival to his former
Spanish club according to
Forbes.com. Furthermore, before
Beckham even set foot on the field
for the LA Galaxy, the club’s jersey
sales had already reached a record
figure of over 300,000. Selling at
$79.99 per unit, those introductory
sales totaled approximately $24
million. In addition, eight of the
eleven Galaxy road games were
sold out as of August 1st, 2007. On August 15th,
Beckham was named the Galaxy’s team captain
and on August 18th, 66,237 spectators flooded
the Giants Stadium in New York to see a match—
the stadium’s highest attendance ever for a regu(continued on page 9)
Queensborough Communiqué, October 2007
2
EDITORIALS
These editorials represent the opinion of the Editorial Board of Communiqué, which is solely responsible for its contents. These are not necessarily the views
of the Queensborough Community College administration and staff. Communiqué welcomes any letters or editorials for the population of QCC. Submit work
to Communiqué, H-428. The Editorial Board reserves the right to edit letters for spatial needs and grammatical accuracy.
A Troubled Administration
BY YADER MONTENEGRO
“They misunderestimated me.”
— George W. Bush, Bentonville, Arkansas, 11-6-2000
We haven’t underestimated President Bush in
any way, and many Americans feel his Presidency
has been an embarrassment. And with the 08’
elections just around the corner, our nation’s citizens have a lot to ponder. Our self-titled “war president” is hardly a leader. Dealing with a failed war
policy, numerous political scandals, resigning officials, and ridiculous statements made to the media,
Bush’s Presidency is ready for departure.
The highly controversial 2000 elections resulted in George W. Bush’s victory to become the 43rd
President of the United States, along with real boss
Dick Cheney as his vice-presidential c andidate, at
the time still Chief Executive of Halliburton. Bush
defeated Al Gore in the electoral vote with 271
over 266 votes. However, Al Gore had won the
popular vote by more than a half million votes.
Unfortunately for Gore, America is more a republic
than it is a true democracy.
President Bush’s inauguration was greeted
with eggs aimed at his limo, and 10,000 protesters.
Not since the Nixon Presidency had there been
such a public outcry of disappointment and disgust
with the American political system. It was only his
first day in office and the President was already
running into trouble.
Bush’s first year didn’t produce much more
than a wave of conservative policies but toward the
end of the year 9-11 happened. We all know how
much that day changed everything and suddenly
Bush was the Man! America felt the need to
avenge the destruction of World Trade Center towers and terrible loss of life. We looked to
Afghanistan, a nation that the Bush administration
declared was harboring terrorist Osama Bin Laden;
a former C.I.A. operative who had received
QUEENSBOROUGH
CHumanities
OMMBuilding,
UNIRoom
QU428É
56th Ave. and Springfield Blvd.
Bayside, N.Y. 11364
(718) 631-6302
Communiqué Staff
Mario Arrendell
Grazia Averaimo
Michael Charles
Jonathan Davis
Tanya Dobric
Christina M. Hale
Breanne Hanson
Rocio Hernandez
Ajah Johnson
Young Mi Kwon
Kimberly Ladubec
Yader Montenegro
Jackeline Passos
Georgina Pierre- Louis
Angela Protofanousis
Nicole Rallis
Christina Rodriguez
Christopher Skeete
Phoebus Widjaja
John Wight
Cézanne Wilson
Noman Yusuf
Faculty Adviser
Andrew Levy
American funding to fight the Soviets in the
1980’s.
The month following 9-11, Bush invaded
Afghanistan, marking the first wave of military
action in a campaign for the newly declared “War
on Terror.” America successfully defeated the
Taliban and began the process of establishing yet
another puppet government while a fleeing Bin
Laden was never captured and is presently still at
large.
At his 2002 state of the union address,
President Bush announced his intention of preemptive measures against Iraq, and possibly Iran and
North Korea; he referred to these three nations as
forming an axis of evil. Almost immediately, Bush
began lobbying for action against Iraq while developing a multi-national coalition on the grounds that
Saddam Hussein had nuclear ambitions and ties to
Al Qaeda. These claims were presented to the U.N.
General Assembly by then Secretary of State,
Colin Powell. Powell alleged that the U.S. had
solid evidence Iraq was in the process of purchasing enriched uranium from Niger and posed a
grave threat, a claim that would soon afterwards be
investigated by former U.S. ambassador Joseph
Wilson, as assigned by the C.I.A.
Despite the fact that Iraq cooperated with
international demands and allowed U.N. inspectors
to investigate their various military installations
and premises, President Bush launched “Operation
Iraqi Freedom” one month after Secretary Powell
had presented the U.S. case to the U.N. By May,
2003, Bush had announced major combat operations in Iraq. This was followed by a rise in violence and an Iraqi insurgency that was determined
to drive out the occupation; the war had really just
begun.
“Our enemies are innovative and resourceful,
and so are we. They never stop thinking about new
ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.” --President George W. Bush, at a
White House press conference on August 5, 2004.
I guess harming the Iraqi people (and
American!) wasn’t a concern for Bush, and the current civil-war in Iraq is the result. Perhaps there
was a justification for war: the imperialist targeting
of a foreign nation’s oil industry. And perhaps not
coincidentally, following the invasion of Iraq,
Cheney-affiliated Halliburton was awarded major
contracts in both Iraq and Afghanistan for military
and energy purposes. Today, four years into an
extremely unpopular war, President Bush has
failed to convince a majority of Americans that the
war is worth it. The war has already claimed the
lives of 3,794 American troops as well as hundreds
of thousands of Iraqis, a number most likely
dwarfed by the real number as numerous civilian
deaths go unaccounted for.
On July 6, 2003, U.S. ambassador Joseph
Wilson published an editorial in the New York
Times titled “What I didn’t find in Africa,” discrediting the Bush administration’s justification for
war in Iraq. This was based on his findings that
Iraq’s attempt to illegally purchase weapons grade
uranium was unfounded, and worse the story may
have been a manufactured piece of intelligence.
Eight days later, columnist Robert Novak publishes
his “Mission to Niger” in which he discusses the
identity of classified C.I.A. agent Valerie Plame,
who is none other than ambassador Wilson’s wife,
thus revealing her identity to the American public,
as provided to him by two Bush administration
officials whom Novak would not reveal.
The Plamegate scandal had taken form, with
Bush publicly demanding to know who was
responsible for the leak, and that serious consequences would follow if it was discovered that a
member in his own administration was the source.
Today we all know who these sources were, Karl
Rove and Richard Armitage. Interestingly, the only
one convicted in the investigation by a U.S. Grand
Jury was Scooter Libby, not for directly being the
source of Novak’s column but for not cooperating
with the investigation and obstructing justice. Bush
commuted Libby’s sentence earlier this year.
After another controversial and very close
election, Bush was re- elected to a second term
without half the country behind him. Bush’s 2nd
term has provided a seemingly never-ending continuation of scandals and resigning administration
officers.
“Brownie, you’re doing a heck of a job.” -President Bush, to FEMA director Michael Brown,
while touring hurricane-ravaged Mississippi,
September 2, 2005.
In September, 2005, Michael D. Brown, head
of FEMA, resigned in the aftermath of Hurricane
Katrina. As we all know it, the federal governments response to Katrina was a total disaster.
Perhaps if Bush had taken the initiative to appoint
qualified candidates to specific posts, then a disaster such as Katrina might have been handled with
the required and adequate response.
Meanwhile, at the Justice Department,
Attorney General John Ashcroft resigned in
November 9, 2004. Bush then appointed Alberto
Gonzalez, the first Hispanic to the post. Gonzales
recently resigned over criticism of his handling of
the firing of eight U.S. attorneys in December,
2006, who critics allege were dismissed for political reasons. Top members of Congress from both
sides of the isle had called for his resignation.
“I’m honored to be here with the eternal general of the United States, mi amigo Alberto
Gonzales.” --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C.,
May 4, 2007.
Gonzales had earlier been under fire for the
NSA’s eavesdropping program which allowed law
enforcement to wiretap suspected terrorists with no
court warrant. Authorized by the controversial
Patriot Act, the program was not only aimed at suspected terrorists but possibly ordinary Americans
who are supposed to be protected from such
actions by the American constitution.
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld also
resigned after the 2006 elections. His resignation
had been called for by top Generals of the U.S.
Military, who criticized his mishandling of the war.
As long as President Bush is still in power, or
his party for that matter, we will continue to witness corruption, lies, and incompetence. An old
saying suggests that we must pick the lesser of two
evils. In 2008 let’s make the right choice and hope
for a repeat of the 06’ elections. Hopefully, we’ll
elect officials that will lead America in the right
direction.
“There’s an old saying in Tennessee — I know
it’s in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says,
fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me
— you can’t get fooled again.” --President Bush in
Nashville, Tennessee, Sept. 17, 2002.
Queensborough Communiqué, October 2007
3
INTERNATIONAL NEWS & POLITICS
What and Who stands Behind Suicide Bombers?
Part One of a Two-Part Investigation
BY YOUNG MI KWON
“The final meal before the mission was rice
with red beans, a grilled bream, and sake. Then,
back to the barracks, each of us was given a little
box for our things. We trimmed our nails and put
the trimmings in a little envelope. A lock of hair,
too. Then we wrote letters home.
(The next morning on the tarmac) A table was
set up there, with cups of sake lined up. Time for
our three toasts. The first toast was to the
Emperor’s shrine. The second toast was to the
Emperor himself. And the last toast toward our
hometown… We circled the base once and waggled our wings. The whole base was saluting us.”
Linda Su Park, When My Name Was Keoko
“I had to undergo a program to discipline the
mind and cleanse the soul. I read about the history
of jihad and listened to taped speeches that
addressed subjects like the rewards that were
awaiting warriors in heaven (Islam believes that
“72 black-eyed virgins” are supposed to await the
martyrs in paradise). We might use our waiting
time to take care of our business. Some destroyed
any photographs of themselves or compiled a list
of the 70 people Islamic tradition says a “martyr”
can guarantee a place in paradise. Some grieved
for themselves and left instructions, generally for
simple headstones. Then we had to spend our last
days in near seclusion. A mere few minutes before
departing we were told about the details of a mission.”
Bobby Ghosh, “Inside the Mind of an Iraqi
Suicide Bomber,” TIME
1. Tragedies being repeated
One day two youngsters decided to volunteer
for missions to blow themselves up. They were
trained for months. After their preparations they
spent the last few days with mixed feelings—joyful, proud, empty, relieved but sad—and then they
were ordered to climb into a plane in which there
was not enough fuel to come back to the base, or
into a bomb-laden vehicle, or to strap on an explosives-filled vest. A few minutes later they blew
themselves to eternity with shouts of “Long live
his Majesty!” or “Inshallah!” (If Allah wills it!).
What propelled kamikaze pilots during World
War II and today’s Arabic suicide bombers to
their deaths? What did they die for? Was it noble
martyrdom or patriotism? Or both? Are their
actions derived from madness, religious fervor, or
militarism?
Sixty-two years ago the world was frightened
and horrified by a nation, Japan, which used its
soldiers’ suicides as a military tactic. Many young
men volunteered for such missions, there was a
zero percent possibility of survival, and all the
people of Japan admired their pilots. Now the
Western world is once again frightened and aghast
because Arabic young men are killing not only
themselves but also other innocent civilians with
the backing of their people.
Experts of the West are trying to find out
answers for why the suicide attackers are not
afraid of their own deaths, and why some groups
or nations resort to suicide attacks. The most probable and influential answer has been that fanatic,
insane youngsters brainwashed by religion or their
nation have committed the suicide attacks.
However, this explanation is not satisfactory.
Although it may appear that there are cultures that
resort to suicide attacks more easily than other
cultures, no matter what religion(s) or political
systems they have, suicide attacks have complex
causes deep-rooted in a nation’s cultures. The
society which chooses the suicide attack as a legit-
wiki/Image: USS_Bunker_Hill_hit_by_two_Kamikazes
imate method of warfare is likely to value honor
and brotherhood, idealize the death of heroes, and
be xenophobic. Such cultural values are characteristic of male-centered societies.
In this article, I am going to examine closely
different viewpoints and explanations about the
motives of suicide bombers presented by experts
until now. And then, I will show why the motives
should be considered from a cultural and sociological viewpoint.
2. Explanations on the Inside
1) Are suicide bombers crazy?
“Crazy! Oh my god!” Labeling bombers
“crazy” has been the default reaction of
Americans who have watched broadcast videotapes in which there was a scene of a suicide
bombing; a young suicide bomber smiles to the
camera and jumps into a vehicle, and chaos follows —explosion, fire, smoke, screams, blood,
and the deafening sound of ambulance sirens.
Common people and some terrorism experts have
assumed that suicide bombers might have personality disorders and/or weak personalities that
could be easily manipulated by others. However,
investigative profiles of suicide bombers have
shown that they do not show signs of psychopathology, but on the contrary, most were
pious and had strong minds. Indeed, “leaders of
the groups who perpetrate these attacks search for
individuals who can be trusted to carry out the
mission; those with mental illnesses are not ideal
candidates” (wikipedia.com, “suicide attacks”).
Hence, the viewpoint that suicide bombers are
crazy is false and should be discarded.
2) Can life in a war torn Islamic nation cause
anyone to become a suicide bomber?
Some experts insist that suicide bombers have
normal psychological profiles. They say anybody
could become a suicide bomber living in desperate
situations in which his or her family and friends
are being killed by foreign soldiers every day.
Supporters of this opinion criticize President
Bush’s policies and feel sympathy for Islamic
countries. They say the extreme nature of suicide
bombing shows the deep despair of people in
Islamic countries. They think that if Islamic young
people had other ways to resist they wouldn’t voluntarily suicide themselves.
Suicide used as an expression of personal
despair must be distinguished from suicide used as
a military tactic adopted by a group. One should
consider whether the suicide represents a period
mark or the opening of another door to a better
life. If a society believes in a posthumous world, a
member of the society is likely to commit suicide
more easily than a member who though living
under the same conditions doesn’t believe in an
afterlife. It is also important to keep in mind that
suicide attacks have been carried out as a military
tactic not as a personal protest. The groups who
adopted the tactic have encouraged and glorified
suicide bombing, and in some cases promised and
provided secular rewards to the bomber’s remaining family. For these reasons, it cannot be said
that such suicides are undeniable evidence of a
merely personal despair.
In addition, haven’t there been equally and
possibly harsher and tougher situations in world
history than the one Islam is facing now? For
example, in Asian and African colonies under the
control of powerful European countries in the 19th
and 20th centuries, Paris under siege by Prussia,
European countries in the storm of the first and
Second World War, and Vietnam in the Vietnam
War—the people in each nation faced innumerable catastrophes. But these countries and their
people fought against their enemies with different
political and military tactics, including resistance
activities, guerrilla tactics and even nonviolent
resistance, but not suicide attacks.
3) Religious fanaticism and nationalism are the
motive powers behind suicide bombers? Could
be…but…
This explanation sounds plausible only in that
Islamic societies are most often theocratic. Japan,
for example, used to be a militant society practically ruled by shoguns and their warriors—samurais. As with other theocracies, the Islamic God
and his teachers have absolute power over their
believers. Especially Islamic fundamentalism,
which advocates “literalistic interpretations of the
texts of Islam and Sharia law,” and “is passionate
in (its) opposition to the ‘corrupting influence of
Western culture’” (wikipedia.com, “Islamic fundamentalism”), acts as an ideological base for suicide bombers. While some scholars and teachers
of Islam are insisting the Qu’ran prohibits suicides, others are supporting suicide attacks and the
war against the U.S. by citing verse from the
Qu’ran; “And fight in the way of God, those who
fight against you, limits. Truly God has no love
for the transgressors (Al Baqarah 2:190).”
Supporters of suicide bombing say according to
the Qu’ran a martyr does not die. Therefore, even
if someone dies by a suicide bombing, because he
is a martyr he didn’t die (a martyr does not die).
Thus, it is not a suicide.
In fact, many Arabic militant groups interpret
the Qu’ran in such a fashion, using that interpretation to manipulate their members. The influence
of the Qu’ran is so powerful that few have questioned its authority, even when interpretations
have seemed purposely manipulated. It has been
asserted that in Japan at the time of World War II,
“the Japanese public was brainwashed for years
by its fanatic militarist leaders to believe that a
defeat, the first ever in Japan’s long history of isolation, would result in the extinction of the
Japanese people”(2worldwar2.com, “Kamikaze
Pilots”).
Although it is true that people have been
manipulated by religious and political ideologies,
such an explanation is not the most decisive rationale for suicide bombings. Religions have been
chosen by people in history in correspondence to
the needs of people. For example, India is the
birthplace of both Buddhism and Hinduism, but
(continued on page 4)
4
Queensborough Communiqué, October 2007
HEALTH
You Booze, You Lose
BY TANYA DOBRIC & ANGELA PROTOFANOUSIS
Academic Problems:
Health Problems:
Unsafe Sex:
Death:
The Facts: According to the
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse
and Alcoholism (NIAAA), more
than one million students suffer academic consequences from alcoholism such as, missing classes,
poor exam grades, and most of all
falling behind in studies.
Behind The Facts: At one point
or another most students tend to
become stressed out or overwhelmed with school work. One of
the temporary “fixes” of the problem
may be the use of alcohol or other
illegal substances such as drugs,
pills and more. This starts to cause
difficulty with thinking, reading,
verbal and cognitive skills. Failure
of future academic careers may
occur, and it can also damage
accomplishments that most students
already achieved. Alcohol use prior
to age 21 may impair youthful brain
development. Some students feel
more comfortable in social situations under the use of alcohol. They
feel more accepted by their peers
because of a low self-esteem, or to
overcome shyness.
The Facts: According to the
National Institutes of Health (NIH),
more than 150,000 students develop
an alcohol health related problem.
Behind The Facts: Instead of
laughing at your friend hugging the
toilet bowl, try to be concerned and
keep a look out for what is really
going on with their bodies. Their
breathing may become very slow,
irregular or eventually stop. Their
faces may become pale or turn blue
which is a sign of Alcohol
Poisoning. Seizures and hypothermia, two effects of alcohol poisoning, can lead to being hospitalized
which is not a comedy after all,
especially seeing your friend in a
coma. Alcohol is one of the leading
causes of breast cancer in women
and testicular cancer in men. To our
knowledge, coffee and cold showers
will not help you sober up.
Medication will most likely make
you sicker, and it take almost 2
hours for every ounce of alcohol to
work its way out of your system.
Overall drinking may lead to hangovers the next morning which most
of us know is not satisfying.
The Facts: According to the
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse
and Alcoholism (NIAAA), it is
known that 400,000 students ages
18-24 have unprotected sex and
more than 100,000 having been too
intoxicated to know if they even had
sex.
Behind The Facts: Many individuals do not realize the consequences that they are facing while
under the influence of alcohol.
Without condom use sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV,
Chlamydia, Aids, may be transmitted. There is a higher risk of pregnancies when alcohol is involved
due to the fact that most of the time
the person is oblivious to what is
happening. Most individuals while
intoxicated do not use condoms, or
sleep with multiple partners which
can lead to STD’S (sexually transmitted diseases). Drinking while
pregnant can lead to many syndromes for the fetus such as, mental
retardation, abnormal features on the
face, poor coordination, and smaller
brains/heads.
The Facts: According to the
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse
and Alcoholism (NIAAA), over
1,400 students’ ages 18-24 die from
alcohol related unintentional
injuries. It is known that car crashes
are on the top ten leading causes of
death.
Behind The Facts: Next time
you allow your friend to drink while
driving, think about yourself and the
lives you are jeopardizing in this situation. Students or people in general
always feel confident enough to get
behind the wheel feeling highly
superior that they are able to drive
while intoxicated. What should also
come to mind is being pulled over
for DWI (driving while intoxicated).
There are certain consequences
depending on which state the person
lives in, for example; a suspended
license, jail overnight which leads to
a judge, and many more. Another
situation could be at a random party
with a bunch of your friends, and all
of a sudden a fight breaks out.
Someone could randomly pull out a
gun, knife, or any other weapon that
can hurt or kill someone.
Suicide Bombers
(continued from page 3)
the Indians chose Hinduism rather than Buddhism as the majority religion
according to their needs and circumstances. Ideologies are made up and chosen
by people, therefore, the most important things are not ideologies themselves
but the people and their cultures in which the ideologies were born.
It has been said that religious fanaticism and extreme patriotism are the
motive powers behind suicide attacks, but that explanation seems inadequate.
What characteristics of the people who make up the societies that have produced and harbored suicide bombers have nurtured religious fanaticism and
patriotism? This question remains and awaits answers.
4) Suicide bombers should be
examined in the context of
their culture?
Religious and ideological
fervor alone cannot be the motive
for suicide bombers. Religions,
political ideas, and current cultural and economic realities are the
result of people’s collective life
(in other words, history) which
has lasted for thousands of years.
lankalibrary.com/images/neelan4.jpg If we look into societies culturally and historically and compare
them with each other, we may discover unexpected congruities which may help
us to understand the phenomenon under examination.
In part two of this report, I will look into and compare Japanese culture
with Islamic culture from a cultural and sociological perspective. I will look into
the Japanese cultures worship of the sword, suicide by disembowelment, women’s low social status, and kamikaze units; the crescent shaped sword of Islamic
culture, the abuse of women, and suicide bombers. By comparing these two cultures, I will attempt to show that Japan and Islamic countries have much in common, and I will propose ways to stop the tragedy of suicide bombings.
Someone is Contemplating
Suicide Right Now
BY JACKELINE PASSOS
Have you ever given suicide any thought? According to WHO (World
Health Organization), one person every forty seconds commits suicide, making a total of one million suicides every year. Most of these deaths are of
young adults between the ages of 15 and 24. Suicides in young adults most
often stem from mental health problems, such as depression. Alcohol and
substance abuse, problems with school, family expectations, and pressure at
work, among other issues, can also lead to attempts of suicide. In addition,
the number of suicide attempts is high among the gay and lesbian community
as a direct result of social discrimination.
According to SAVE (Suicide Awareness Voices of Education), a person
who attempts suicide is not in reality wanting to die, but wants to end the pain
that’s causing the depression. This person wants to be seen, to be understood
and to be heard. Studies show that many people would not have attempted or
committed suicide if they had someone to talk to. Why is it that they don’t
look for someone to talk to? They think the person listening to them is going
to think they are stupid for thinking that way.
Suicide is now the third leading cause of death in the world. IASP (The
International Association for Suicide Prevention) is trying to make the voices of
those who are in search for help heard. IASP holds an annual event for suicide
prevention, the most recent of which was held on Monday, Sept. 10th, 2007.
People who are thinking of committing suicide do show signs. People
should pay attention to the following:
• Verbal signs such as: “I can’t go on” or “I can’t do this anymore”
• Depression
• Behaving recklessly
• Giving away valued possessions
• Abusing drugs or alcohol
• Suffering a major loss or life change
• Feeling rejected
Becoming a member of one of the following organizations might help
save a life. To learn more about what you can do, please contact:
WHO – www.who.int
IASP – www.iasp.info
Befrienders – www.befrienders.org
Queensborough Communiqué, October 2007
5
HEALTH
Yoga and Meditation
BY CHRISTINA M. HALE
Research shows that Yoga is especially good
for college students who have extra stress. It
improves your overall health and your focus
which are essential in college. Yoga is the union
of the mind, body, and spirit. It’s about focusing
on you! Yoga works from the inside out; meaning
you have to be in touch with yourself as a whole.
Meditation which is a crucial part in yoga stills the
mind and induces both physical and emotional
relaxation. In doing so it reduces blood pressure,
chronic pain, and anxiety and also cholesterol levels. During the meditation portion of yoga you sit
in your “Yoga Space”, and become aware of your
consciousness in order to figure out what’s bothering you in your life so you can fix your problems.
You close your eyes and “Check in with Yourself”
as they say in Yoga and whenever you feel
stressed out you take slow deep breaths’ and push
the negative energy out of your body. If done correctly you will eventually feel your body ridding
itself of the toxins that are produced from negative
events and hardships in your life. Yoga goes back
at least 5,000 years and started in India.
Some other benefits of Yoga are:
improvement of strength, balance flexibility, endurance and focus.
The term in Yoga for breathing is
“Pranayama”. Breathing is very important in yoga because you must breathe
correctly in order for the muscles and
brain to work together as they are supposed to. Yoga teaches you to be still
and peaceful. Yoga Postures are called
“Asanas” they provide a gentle to
intense workout that enhances strength, flexibility
and balance. For the physical body it tones the
muscles, the mental - it makes you more disciplined and focused, and for the spiritual aspect it
keeps you in check with yourself.
Pranayama increases blood circulation and
reduces oxygen consumption, which brings more
oxygen to the brain and improves the efficiency of
oxygen use in the body. It also increases lung
capacity. Getting ample air into our lungs helps us
feel alert and focused. As college students sometimes we are so busy that we can’t think clearly,
we become overwhelmed with balancing work,
school, homework and personal life. Yoga teaches
you how to breathe right and this improves mental
clarity and focus. Have you ever noticed when
you’re really stressed out or going through a terrible life experience you feel as though you can’t
breathe? Well yoga teaches you how to be in control
of
your
body.
According
to
www.Yogalamazoo.com, “It’s good for college
students especially because of the stress such students have”.
According to www.verexfit.com and “The
Journal of Perceptual and Motor Skills,” a study
of 87 college student participants of Yoga reported greater decreases in scores on anger,
confusion, tension, depression and sections of mood inventories than did control students. My own personal experience- I was a full time student last
semester and worked full time thanks
to yoga I noticed I could handle all the
daily tasks of my life much better. I
didn’t feel overwhelmed like I had
when I first started college. I had taken
yoga when I was younger however; I
realized when I took a class here last
semester with Professor McGuire that I was never
really focusing on myself. Professor McGuire was
a phenomenal yoga professor. She helped me to
get to know myself better, as far as dealing with
and taking control of my emotional being and taking charge of the problems in my life. It makes
you much more aware of everything in your life.
You’ll want to keep improving yourself. You gain
incredible levels of self confidence and this makes
you feel like you can accomplish anything.
According to (www.dailyillini.com.) college students’ benefit more from the emotional and mental aspects of Yoga. It teaches you how to be positive especially in difficult times. College students
need a physical release and Yoga gives that to
them.
There are many different types of Yoga such
as VINYASA: which means breath- synchronized
movement Vinyasa tends to be a more vigorous
style based on the performance of a series of poses
called Sun Salutations, which are a series of 12
postures performed in a single, graceful flow.
Ashtanga, which means "eight limbs" in Sanskrit,
is a fast-paced, intense style of yoga. A set series
of poses is performed, always in the same order.
Ashtanga practice is a very physically demanding
because of the constant movement from one pose
to the next. Ashtanga is also the inspiration for
what is often called Power Yoga. If a class is
described as Power Yoga, it will be based on the
flowing style of Ashtanga, but not necessarily
keep strictly to the set Ashtanga series of poses.
For students interested in taking Yoga I
would suggest you take Professor McGuire’s
classes here at QCC. There is also a Yoga studio
in Astoria that I go to that’s great too! It’s called
“The Yoga Room,” located at 32-32 Steinway
Street on the 2nd floor; Tel. (718) 274-0255. Good
websites for information about Yoga include:
www.yogabasics.com and www.yoga.com.
QUEENSBOROUGH NEWS
I Want to be HEARD!
The Intercollegiate Poetry Slam at the Bowery Poetry Club
BY CHRISTINA RODRIGUEZ
There are some poets that have been writing
since they were in middle school or high school.
They have notebooks filled with tons of poetry,
most of which has never been seen or heard. And
there are poets who started writing in college having taken a course in poetry or creative writing.
They fell in love with poetry and releasing their
souls on paper. Then there are those who have
always loved poetry but don’t write it. They love
to read it or hear it performed. Where can all these
people come together to enjoy their passion? At a
poetry slam! Where can Queensborough
Community College poets and lovers of poetry
come and enjoy a poetry slam? At the
Intercollegiate Poetry Slam at the Bowery Poetry
Club in New York City’s lower east side.
A poetry slam is a competition where poetry
is performed. At the Intercollegiate Poetry Slam at
the BPC there are no props, costumes or music
used in a poet’s performance. A poet is judged by
their poetry and/or performance. Judges are
selected from the audience and asked to give each
poet a score ranging from 0, being the lowest, to
10, being the highest. There are a set number of
rounds depending on the size of the competition.
Whoever receives the highest score at the end of
the slam is the winner. And, before or after a
slam, there is an open mic session for anyone who
doesn’t want to compete but would like to share
their poetry.
College students from all around New York
City come and compete in the slam. The slam is
usually on the second Saturday of every month
during the school semester. It starts at 6:00 p.m.
and ends at 7:30 p.m. There is an admission fee of
$5.00. Anyone who is interested in reading should
come at 5:30 p.m. to sign up. Poets should come
prepared with at least three poems to perform.
There is usually a time limit of three minutes for
each performance. There are usually three rounds
and then a final round with the top three or four
poets competing for the top prize, which is usually
$100.00. The Bowery Poetry Club is located at
308 Bowery between Houston Street and Bleeker
Street in the city. You can take the F train to
Second Avenue or the 6 train to Bleeker Street.
For more info and directions, you can go on the
club website, www.bowerypoetry.com.
Professor Joan Dupre of the English department is the faculty advisor of the QCC Poetry
Slam team. For the past two years, starting in
2005, she has occasionally hosted the slam and is
usually the tabulator of the scores. Happily, there
have been quite a few people from our QCC family that have taken home the monthly prize. In a
recent email interview, Professor Dupre had this
to say about the atmosphere of the slams: “Spoken
Word can be raw expression or finely tuned poetic
lines, but at its best is filled with the energy and
passion of its young practitioners. The scene at the
club can be electric and the power in the room so
inspiring that amid the hoots and hollers poets
have been found penning lines as they wait their
turns on the red leather bar stools. When we
begin, the velvet curtains cordon off the event and
the stage is lit. The audience is attentive as talented poets share their verses. We hear about broken
hearts and homes, the joy of love and the blood of
the city streets. Poets transform their personal pain
and political passion into lines that reach beyond
the usual boundaries of color, gender, and ethnicity to move the audience to applause and nods of
recognition. These poets get their thrills from
words and we are entertained and stirred by their
efforts.” Professor Dupre is also forming a Poets
& Writers club this semester where there will be
slams and readings of poetry and fiction on campus. Anyone interested in the club or going to the
Intercollegiate Poetry Slam at the Bowery Poetry
Club and joining the QCC Poetry Slam team
should contact Professor Dupre at
jdupre@qcc.cuny.edu.
Recently, I got to be a judge at the competition. I heard fantastic poetry from gifted students
and I know that I have found a place where I can
be at home with poetry. There were times when I
felt deeply moved. There were also moments
when I found myself laughing and thoroughly
entertained. Most of all, the poets made me think.
You can’t help but think, whether it’s positive or
negative, about the poetry you hear at this slam.
Plus you get to meet your peers, from different
parts and schools of New York, who you already
have something in common with: a passion for
poetry.
6
Queensborough Communiqué, October 2007
ART REVIEWS
The Woman Behind Two Rock
Legends
BY NICOLE RALLIS
Do you want to read about
the woman who influenced
some of the most famous songs
in rock n’ roll history? Here’s
you’re chance because for the
first time ever, Pattie Boyd, the
Pattie and George ex-wife of rock legends George
on their wedding
Harrison of The Beatles and
day (1966). CreditJohn Drysdale Eric Clapton, is breaking her
silence and telling her side of
the story in her new book Wonderful Tonight,
published by Harmony Books. Although she has
declined many offers to write a book about her
extraordinary life in the past, this time she accepted and the wait was well worth it. In the book,
titled after ex-husband Eric Clapton’s famous
song, which was inspired by her getting ready for
a party, Boyd takes us through the years from the
birth of her grandmother up to the present day.
The year was 1961 when a seventeen year old
Pattie who was living in England and working at
Elizabeth Arden as a beautician, was discovered
by a client and signed on to model. It was this
decision that made her fashion designer Ossie
Clark’s muse, allowed her to grace the pages of
magazines and newspapers in England, and led
her to a job as a school girl in The Beatles’ 1964
film, A Hard Day’s Night. It was on that movie
set that she met George Harrison and entered a
new life of being in the public eye.
After two years of dating, they married and
Pattie writes about a loving, creative, and spiritual
relationship in which they both cared greatly
about one another. Taking her on tour, traveling
all over the world, and being a mentor to her
younger brother are just a few things George did
for Pattie during their time together. But only a
couple of years into her marriage, Pattie writes
about an overly spiritual, detached, and controlling George. It was also during this time that she
noticed George’s friend and fellow musician Eric
Clapton had a crush on her. Writing her passionate letters, the famous song “Layla,” and even
telling George about his love for Pattie, Eric was
committed to winning her over. Pattie had
declined his overtures and stayed with her husband, but three years later in 1974, Eric reappeared and she accepted. She writes about how
leaving George was one of the hardest things she
ever did and the guilt she still feels about it today.
While Pattie thought she was leaving her
marriage with George for a better relationship, she
was very wrong. Pattie makes this clear by writing “Eight days later I met him [Clapton] in
Boston…by the end of the week I was writing, ‘At
last I can feel the lost woman in me.’ If only that
could have remained true” (Boyd 184). After he
obtained her love, Eric became a nightmare.
Banning Pattie from going on tour with him and
cheating on her with multiple women were two of
the “less hurtful” things that he did during their
marriage. On her forty-third birthday, Pattie
writes, “He burst into my bedroom at six o’clock
in the morning in a drunken rage and told me to
get out. He was screaming and shouting obscenities at me…then hurled my things out of the window, still yelling at me” (Boyd 250). Pattie realized she had to leave him and after almost ten
years of abuse, betrayal, and pain, the marriage
ended.
In Wonderful Tonight, Boyd gives her readers an inside view to a life few have, but many
dream of. Writing about her turbulent childhood,
modeling days, marriages to Harrison and
Clapton, and finding her true self after divorce,
Pattie opens our eyes to the
life she has kept quiet about
for so long. Taking the
reader on a journey from the
1940’s to the present day,
she paints a crystal clear picture of both joyous and
lousy times. She pours her
heart into her book, and it
quickly grabs onto you and
doesn’t let go until you’ve
read every last word.
MUSIC ADDICTION
Rocking at Redzone
BY CELIA HICKEY
Everyone has a thing that drives them. I have music. All kids need a place to grow up. My place was
Redzone, a very local and popular hot spot for high school bands to try and make a name for themselves.
I spent many an afternoon there and it always seemed the same. The smell of the club was always of cigarettes, sweat and aggression. I was always looking around to see if I could find my friends but it's hard to
find people when everyone is basically dressed the same. It was a mess of a scene with thousands of kids
in black band shirts, skinny jeans, and hair to the right or left of their face covering one eye. A dysfunctional and perfect cookie cutter image of what was cool. That, ladies and gentleman was the Redzone
scene.
Once I found my friends all we talked about was how crazy Redzone was, how hundreds of shows
later we always came back for more. Oh, and how cold it was. In an instant, we were inside, staring at the
overweight, obnoxious door man with sweat stains on his shirt and waiting to pay our ten dollars to enjoy
a night. I walked through and everything was as it should be – the same as always tacky red decor, the
bartender who looked younger than the customers and the local band setting up. I remember staring
around at the cracked mirrors and broken couches and wondered what drove us there. Maybe it was the
fact that we belonged, no matter how many conflicts erupted between patrons. I loved sitting around listening to friends play and even occasionally going on stage to join them. It was usually a good time,
regardless of the kids who made things chaotic. Music is such a good outlet and always makes things
seem a lot simpler. Even when that isn’t the case.
ART REVIEWS
Gossip Girl: Is this
new show a “Hit”
or a “Miss”?
BY GEORGINA PIERRE-LOUIS
Nicole Fisecella and Nan Zhang,
actresses on “Gossip Girl”
Over the past several years, network executives have pummeled television programming
with teen drama series. These programs suck the
viewer into an alternate universe of unrealistic
points of view on adolescent and teen lifestyles.
The latest installment of this craze, “Gossip
Girl,” is based on the New York Times best selling book by author Cecily Von Ziegesar. The
show is based on the exploits qua gossip of a
teenaged girl named Serena Vander Woodsen,
played by Blake Lively. The premise of the show
is that Serena, having left home to attend boarding school for a year, returns to New York City
to discover that her posh lifestyle remains intact
but her former friends and friendships are gone
forever.
The WPIX CW network provided a chance
for reporters to ask questions about “Gossip
Girl” of the author and executive creator Cecily
Von Ziegesar, Josh Schwartz, who is executive
producer, and two actresses from the show,
Nicole Fisecella who plays Isabel and Nan Zhang
who plays Katy. During the press conference I
was lucky to have a chance to interview both
Mrs. Von Ziegesar and Mr. Schwartz about the
new show.
GP: How did the idea of Gossip Girl come
about; were there any personal experiences that
inspired you for these series of novels?
CVZ: Well, the idea of the book came to me
very simply; I began writing about little things
that happened to me in my high school. Names
were changed but some things were similar, like
in the beginning of the story line Serena becomes
a nobody after leaving her school. That actually
happened to me when I had left to attend a boarding school for a year and when I returned my
friends thought it would be cool to “shun” me
from the clique (the room burst into laughter).
The story line just came to me. So I brought it to
a publisher and they liked it.
Having the well respected producer Josh
Schwartz, who was the creator of the now canceled “ O.C.” on board, this show should be a
sure fire hit right? Josh Schwartz guarantees that
the show is going to be worth watching, “The
story line is amazing and the music of the show
lures you into watching it.”
The show seems good. I was able to see the
pilot, and from what I saw it was a typical teen
drama. It had a similar plot line to the failed
show the “O.C.” which I did find intriguing; but I
did lose my concentration on the story line due to
the music in the background. Josh Schwartz was
very right about how the music catches your
1
attention. Over all, I’ll give “Gossip Girl” a 2 /2
star rating out of 5. It will be the viewers, however, who will determine if this show is a success
or just another O.C. on the Upper East Side.
“Gossip Girl” airs on Wednesday nights at 9:00
pm on CW11.
Queensborough Communiqué, October 2007
7
RESTAURANT
REVIEW
The Devil Took the Flavor
BY GRAZIA AVERAIMO
:RQGHULQJKRZ
WR FRQWLQXH \RXU
HGXFDWLRQ"
(PSLUH 6WDWH &ROOHJH
ZLOO VKRZ \RX KRZ
´ , XVHG WR WKLQN , FRXOGQ·W
FRQWLQXH P\ HGXFDWLRQ
, GRQ·W WKLQN WKDW DQ\PRUHµ
9œÕ V>˜ i>À˜ > -1 9 L>V…iœÀ¿Ã
`i}Àii >˜` …>Ûi > ˆvi ܈̅ “«ˆÀi
-Ì>Ìi œi}i° …œœÃi vÀœ“ >
܈`i À>˜}i œv yi݈Li i`ÕV>̈œ˜
œ«Ìˆœ˜Ã\ œ˜i‡Ìœ‡œ˜i “i˜ÌœÀˆ˜}
q œ˜ˆ˜i] ˆ˜ «iÀܘ œÀ LœÌ… q
ˆ˜`ˆÛˆ`Õ>ˆâi` `i}Àii «Àœ}À>“Ã
>˜` ̅i œ««œÀÌ՘ˆÌÞ Ìœ i>À˜ VÀi`ˆÌ
vœÀ Vœi}i‡iÛi i>À˜ˆ˜} }>ˆ˜i`
vÀœ“ ܜÀŽ >˜` ˆvi°
(PSLUH6WDWH&ROOHJH
œÜÊޜÕÊV>˜°
1˜`iÀ}À>`Õ>ÌiʘvœÀ“>̈œ˜Ê-iÃȜ˜Ã
>˜Õ>ÀÞÊ>˜`Ê>ÀV…Ê/iÀ“Ã
0RQ 2FW SP
)UL 2FW DP
0RQ 1RY SP
)UL 1RY DP
)LIWK )ORRU
+XGVRQ 6WUHHW
FRUQHU RI 9DQGDP
1HZ <RUN &LW\
6DW2FWDP
0RQ1RYSP
6DW1RYDP
7UDLQRU+RXVH
6WRUH+LOO5RDG
2OG:HVWEXU\
7XHV 2FW SP
)UL 1RY DP
7KLUG )ORRU
1HZ <RUN $YHQXH
%URRNO\Q
œÀÊvÕÀ̅iÀʈ˜vœÀ“>̈œ˜]ÊV>ÊnÈÈÊÎÇӇΣ™Ç
6ˆÃˆÌÊÕÃÊ>ÌÊÜÜÜ°iÃV°i`Õ
It was a Friday, September 21, 2007 and it was getting late. Where
could I go to get something for dinner? I knew that I didn’t want to cook!
So, I figured that Bell Boulevard would be the perfect place to find something new and unique. As I was driving along the boulevard, I noticed a
bunch of people standing outside of a place called Margarita’s Southwestern
BBQ grill and bar. I had never been there before; the place was packed, so I
decided to check it out!
As I approached the doorway, I noticed that the walls are painted a
burnt red color. And the tables are adorned with red and white checkered
table cloths. All of the tables were already set with utensils and cloth napkins. “Dinner or bar” the hostess asked. “Dinner,” I replied. I noticed that
the bar was jam-packed with people and a baseball game was playing on the
TV at the bar. The hostess escorted me up the stairs. Once at the top, I
notice that the walls were completely crammed with photographs, old movie
and advertisement posters, and little ornaments in between. I was seated at a
corner table next to a window. Two menus were placed on the table. One
menu was for the food, the other for the drinks. All I remember thinking
was, “a whole menu for drinks?” Among many other types of alcoholic beverages on this menu, there were approximately 20 types of tequila. Are there
really that many types of tequila? Well, the waitress returned with tortilla
chips and salsa and to take my order. I ordered an entrée named “The Devil
Went Down to Georgia.” Consisting of grilled chicken and shrimp over
Spanish rice with sautéed peppers and onions, and seasoned with red devil
hot sauce, this entrée sounded so yummy. I also had to try some of the
tequila. So I did, in the form of a margarita. I guess you must have seen that
one coming!
My entrée, with a $15.00 price tag, tasted as though the devil ran away
with the flavor! Not only was the flavor severely lacking, the chicken and
shrimp were rubbery, and the rice was overcooked and swollen to three
times its size. Although the Margarita was pleasantly flavored with a great
blend of tequila, citrus and salt, it was expensive at $9.00.
While I do not recommend the food, I do recommend that you visit the
bar. If you are 21 years or older, go there with a few friends, sit at the bar
and sip an ice cold drink of your choice at Margarita’s Southwestern BBQ
grill and bar, it is located at 40-09 Bell Blvd. Bayside, NY.
I have learned something this week. When you see a packed restaurant,
something must be good! That something, in this case, was not the food! If I
do return, it will be for the tequila because as far as I am concerned, the
devil can take my entrée, but I will fight for my margarita!
8
Queensborough Communiqué, October 2007
SPORTS
Lady Tigers On Top Of the Hill
BY ROCIO HERNANDEZ
Welcome to the column where you get to meet some of the outstanding female athletes at QCC. (Photos by Rocio Hernandez and Jackeline Passos)
Name: Sabrinna Moore
Age: 21
Major: New Media Technology
Semesters at QCC: 5
Favorite Sport: Basketball
Member of QCC sport teams: Basketball
(point guard) and softball (catcher).
Expected to graduate: June 2008
Future Plans: “Graduate from QCC and play for whoever gives me a scholarship. I would like to play ball professionally.”
QCC Awards: 2005-’06 Outstanding Female Athlete, ’05-’06 Women’s
Basketball Most Valuable Player (MVP), 2006-’07 RFK Award, ’06-’07
Women’s Basketball MVP, ’06-’07 Women’s Softball MVP, and ’06-’07
Outstanding Female Athlete.
CUNY Awards: 2005-’06 CUNY All Star Player, 2006-’07 CUNY All Star
Player and 2nd Team, all Region, Region XV (Basketball), ’06-’07 1st Team,
Region XV Award (Softball).
Sabrinna Moore was born in Brooklyn and raised in Queens. She played basketball and soccer while attending Jamaica High School, where she became
one of the best players of the region in both sports. At the age of nineteen, she
immediately enrolled at Queensborough Community College (fall ’05) and
started playing for the Women’s Basketball Team as a point guard, though
she also had the skill to play any other position. In spring 2006, she became
part of the Women’s Softball Team, playing as a catcher, 3rd base and outfielder. Ms. Moore has become an invaluable athlete for both teams; thanks to
her skills, discipline, effort and commitment. We hope to see her become a
professional basketball player one day.
Name: Rachel Babooram
Age: 20
Major: Massage Therapy
Semesters at QCC: 3
Member of QCC sport teams: Volleyball
and Softball
Expected to graduate: 2009
Future Plans: “I’m planning to get a
scholarship for volleyball and softball if I can and to attend Queens College
and Long Island University.”
Career goals: “To become a massage therapist, nutritionist, personal trainer
in general and an athletic trainer.”
QCC Awards: 2006-’07 Women’s Volleyball MVP Award.
CUNY Awards: 2007 Honorable Mention and All Tournament Team,
Region XV (Women’s softball in 1st Place).
Who is your role model? “My role model is Angelina Jolie.” Why? “She
contributes a lot to society and to people less fortunate.”
Rachel Babooram came to the United States from Trinidad and Tobago
when she was 13 years old. She enrolled at Richmond Hill High School,
where she played softball, basketball and volleyball. During her high school
years she won PSAL awards for softball, including the 2004 More Strikeouts
in the City and in 2004 Most Wins in the City. After graduating from High
School, she enrolled at Queensborough Community College where she
became part of the Women’s Volleyball Team playing as a setter, and the
Women’s Softball Team playing as a pitcher and infielder. Since then she has
become one of the most invaluable players at QCC for both volleyball and
softball teams.
We expect a great performance from her this season.
Name: Amy Ayala
Age: 19
Major: Liberal Arts
Semesters at QCC: 2
Favorite Sport: Any sport except soccer
Member of QCC sport teams: Softball
and Volleyball
Expected to graduate: June 2008
Future Plans: “I’m planning to transfer to Queens College and play volleyball and softball.”
Career Goals: “To become a physical education teacher and a softball
coach.”
QCC Awards: 2006-’07 Most Improved Female player in Volleyball.
CUNY Awards: 2006-‘07 Women’s Volleyball Academic All Region XV
and CUNY ’06-’07 Honorable Mention Women’s Softball, Region XV.
Who is your role model? “I don’t have a role model, but I want to be a role
model for my niece and nephew because they look up to me. I’m the only
daughter of my father that graduated, and I want to become someone in the
future. My basketball coach in High School was the one who encouraged me
to go for physical education.”
Amy Ayala was born in Brooklyn and raised in Queens. She attended
Richmond Hill High School, where she played volleyball, softball and basketball for 4 years. Her high school sports experience helped her to become a
committed and disciplined player. During her high school years she was recognized as the 2005 Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the softball team by
Snapple. After she graduated from high school, she decided to attend
Queensborough Community College. She immediately became a member of
the Women’s Softball Team playing infield and outfield positions, and in the
Volleyball Team playing center position and also as a blocker. We hope Amy
continues playing for the volleyball and softball team.
A-Rod for MVP
BY MARIO ARRENDELL
.314 Avg. 52 HR 143 RBI — The numbers speak
for themselves. The New York Yankees third baseman,
Alex Rodriguez, better known as A-Rod, is having a
phenomenal season. He is putting up great offensive
numbers. He is currently leading the Major Leagues in
homers, runs batted in and runs scored. It seems as
though he is on his way to winning his fourth Most
Valuable Player Award. This is an award that is given
at the end of the Major League season to the player
who has been the best player and most valuable to their
team throughout the whole season. This would be ARod’s second MVP while being with the Yankees. He
won his first MVP with the Yankees in 2005 after having joined the team for the 2004 season. He had won
most valuable players before in 2002 with the Texas
Rangers and in 2000 with the Seattle Mariners.
Alex Rodriguez, with the Yankees since 2004, has been heavily criticized by the media despite his good numbers. The criticism has addressed his
poor performance in the playoffs as well as his inability to get the big hits in
important situations. Some argue that because he is the highest paid player in
the Major Leagues and plays for the biggest franchise in sports, the Yankees,
the spotlight is always on him and as a result a lot of pressure is placed on
him from fans and the media.
In less than two weeks
this season will is come to an end, and Alex Rodriguez has
stolen the spotlight in New York as the Yankees continue
to fight for a playoff spot. A-Rod has been the Yankees
best player and hitter the whole season and has made phenomenal hits to help them win. He has been carrying the
Yankees since April at the start of the season due to the
team’s lack of hitting and poor pitching. The poor pitching
had put the Yankees in a hole that they had to climb out
of, and it’s worth acknowledging that the team survived
most of the season with A-Rod’s big hits and great plays.
It is anyone’s guess where the Yankees would be right
now if it wasn’t for the great year that Alex Rodriguez has
had. With little baseball left to play, the Yankees are looking forward to making the postseason. At this point, it
looks like the Yankees will make the playoffs. Whether the Yankees are successful or not in the playoff is anyone’s guess. It is also unclear if A-Rod will
carry his magnificent performance into the postseason. However, there is one
uncontestable fact. Alex Rodriguez has put up the best numbers in the Major
Leagues this season and therefore should win his fourth Most Valuable
Player of his career.
Queensborough Communiqué, October 2007
9
SPORTS
The Amazing Mets
The slumping Mets failed to outlast the resurgent Philadelphia Phillies over the last 17 games
of the 2007 Major League baseball season and
thus failed to win the National League East championship. After losing 12 of their last 17 games
the Mets are the only Major league baseball team
ever to lose a 7 game division lead with 17 to play
and are left out of the postseason.
This late season slump sharply contrasts with
the outstanding play exhibited throughout the first
145 games in which the Mets had held a stronghold on top of the NL East. After the first 145
games the Mets were 21 games over a .500 win
percentage and clearly looked upon as favorites to
repeat as NL East Champions. All facets of the
game were playing strong, starting pitching put
quality starts together taking pressure off the
bullpen and the Mets’ bats remained hot.
However, the appeal of relaxing into the playoffs
hit especially hard with the Mets.
As of September 12th the Mets held a 7 game
lead over the Phillies, but gave up 5 games after
getting swept courtesy of the Phillies and after
losing 2 of 3 at Washington. These losses were
followed by getting swept in a 3 game series when
the Nationals visited Shea during a time when the
BY JOHN WIGHT
Mets knew every win would bring them closer to
clinching a playoff berth.
With only 4 games to go in the regular season
and severely needing a win the Mets chalked up
another loss to the St Louis Cardinals. A key loss
combined with a Philadelphia Phillies win placed
the two teams in a tie for the top spot at 87-72 in
the National league East playoff race and a guar-
anteed spot in the 2007 postseason. The following day proved that losing the NL East lead was
not the wake up call the Mets needed when they
continued their losing ways with the Florida
The Yankees and Red Sox Rivalry
BY NOMAN YUSUF
could have achieved similar successes had they
The game of baseball has a long history of
not traded him.
rivalries between several teams. The most imporBabe Ruth, as it is well know today, went on
tant and longstanding rivalry is that of the New
to become one of the best players in Yankee histoYork Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. Some
ry. The Red Sox, on the other hand, won a chamthink that their rivalry is one of the major reasons
pionship in 1918 and didn't win again until 2004.
why baseball is a famous sport in the United
For 86 years the Red Sox were thought to be
States. For many baseball fans, the most anticipatcursed because they couldn't win a championship.
ed game occurs when these two teams meet,
In fact, it is said that Babe Ruth had made a prediwhether in season or post season play. The rivalry
cation that the Red Sox were cursed and would
between the two teams has, in addition, led to
never win a championship.
many instances of violence between fans, between
This rivalry has had a great impact on baseplayers, and sometimes between fans and players.
ball, not only from a fan's point of view but the
There appears to be genuine dislike if not hatred
player's as well. If you are a fan of one team then
and bitterness felt on both sides.
fans of the other team despise and hate you, and
The rivalry started when Babe Ruth, who was
vice versa. From a player’s perspective, every
a famous player for the Boston Red Sox, was tradplayer on each team may not completely have bad
ed to the Yankees. He was known for his home
feelings about the others, but there has always
run record and was considered to be one of the
been some sort of anger between the players. One
finest players in the 1920s and 1930s. When he
thing is for certain, however. The rivalry between
was traded, the Yankees became a better team
the Yankees and the Red Sox has riveted the baseunder his presence. Whenever a good player is
ball audience’s attention for decades. And that
traded to one team from another, there is always a
can’t be bad for baseball.
feeling of uneasiness between the two particular
teams. This is what happened following Babe
Ruth’s move to the Yankees who, with Babe’s
homerun hitting prowess, went on to win several
World Series games. The Red Sox felt that they
The Communiqu é
Staff
wish you a
Happy
Halloween
Marlins. This would force the Mets to win their
final two games of the regular season for a playoff
play-in game against Philadelphia. After a
shootout performance by Mets starting pitcher
John Maine, the Mets were down to the final
game of the season and sending their 300 career
game winning ace Tom Glavine in a must win
regular season finale. Glavine’s performance epitomized the late season slide, he was rocked in the
first inning giving up 7 runs virtually giving his
team no chance to win, and essentially leaving the
Mets high and dry for the a playoff spot.
A great deal of the late season slide can be
attributed to the lack of quality pitching beginning
with starters and finishing with the dismal
bullpen. Over the last 17 games Mets pitching has
been giving up on average 7.1 per game, while the
offensive has remained consistently strong putting
up a 5.96 runs per game. An offensive stat that
would normally net a few victories when combined with quality pitching, that’s all it would
have taken to score a few more victories. Sadly,
that didn’t happen. The Mets are now branded as
the only team in MLB history to lose a 7 game
lead with 17 to go in the season.
Beckham
(continued from page 1)
lar season MLS game.
Number 23, David Beckham’s fame has catapulted the LA Galaxy into the international football spotlight. So much so, that in his début match
with the Galaxy on July 21st, ESPN used an
unprecedented 19 cameras to cover the game,
including one focused solely on Beckham who
only spent a little over 15 minutes on the field. He
promoted his new team further by appearing on
the cover of the July 16th edition of Sports
Illustrated wearing his new Galaxy uniform. In
addition, Beckham was given his own TV series,
“David Beckham’s Soccer USA” on the Fox
Soccer Channel, which highlighted his performance with the Los Angeles Galaxy. The LA
Galaxy, in January, announced that they had
signed the 32-year-old midfielder to a five-year
contract in hopes of furthering their marketing
based upon his international appeal. As a result of
the sold out stadiums and boosted Jersey sales, it
appears that the Galaxy management is quickly
cashing in on its very expensive investment.
In an ironic twist, the 250 million dollar
employee seriously injured his right knee on
August 29th and would therefore be out for six
weeks and as a result, could miss the remainder of
the 2007 MLS season. Whether or not David
Beckham was bought or brought to the MLS for
fame or investment, none can dispute his contributions to both. He will earn $32.5 million over
the next 5 years, coupled with approximately
$200 million in endorsement merchandise and
marketing fees. This former Manchester United
midfielder will join other A-list celebrities as the
most sought after and broadcast entertainment
mogul in the U.S. One thing is for sure, if
Beckham disappoints his fans on the field, he will
always be eye candy off the field.
Queensborough Communiqué, October 2007
10
MOVIE REVIEWS
Kooky, Nonstop Action
BY BRAD COLOMBI
Shoot ‘Em Up. Starring: Clive Owen, Paul Giamatti and Monica Bellucci.
Directed by Michael Davis. Rated R. New Line Cinema.
Shoot ‘Em Up is the kind of Hollywood
movie that gives Hollywood movies such a bad
name these days. It is lewd, loud, void of character
development and has a title that pretty much
screams simplicity. Short attention-spans are more
than welcome, they are almost required.
Clive Owen stars as Mr. Smith, who is not
identified by any kind of employment, age or a
first name. He’s just got a gun and there’s an army
of bad guys who are in the way, so
why not shoot them all? Sounds
like a simple solution. Smith also
has to protect a newborn baby from
said baddies or else something bad
will happen to the new bundle of
joy. An explanation of the bad
thing is attempted but it’s nearly
incomprehensible as the script is
marred with the usual action movie
head-scratching logic. But you’re
not going to see this movie for its
award-winning script, you’re here
for violence.
Shoot ‘Em Up delivers the violence and keeps delivering it for
nearly its entire hour and 20-minute
running time. It’s all presented in
very well choreographed scenes
with top-notch stunt-work. Here is where any
originality in the film resides, and if one enjoys
neatly choreographed violence boredom will not
be an issue.
However, despite some strong points, Shoot
‘Em Up stumbles in its combat boots more than a
bit, mainly due to its failed attempts at humor and
lack of variety.
Shoot ‘Em Up is billed as an action/comedy,
but its strategy of ringing laughs out of violence
soon turns sour; viewers in the theatre where I
watched the movie were dead silent during many
of the obvious big laugh moments. Sometimes
gruesome violence isn’t all that funny, and I was
provided some degree of relief in noting that other
people don’t find excessive gore
hilarious either. Some humanity
in an age of inhumanity; outstanding!
But don’t get me wrong. At
certain moments the gruesome
violence in the film is fun, and
its presentation is finely tuned
and exciting to watch, but the
constant reliance on gunfire
makes one wish for more; something different. There are a variety of scenarios in which Smith
pulls the trigger on his firearm,
but each one shares the same
idea. Although this film has
original elements, how to shoot
someone has been done to death.
There have been better movies
with good action that have other things to offer.
Shoot ‘Em Up never pauses once to try to
make you appreciate Smith and learn a little about
his renegade attitude. Instead of taking a moment
to stop and sniff the flowers, Shoot ‘Em Up pauses from its dizzying onslaught of action for a
raunchy sex scene before guzzling a gallon of
espresso and exploding into the next part of the
battle. There’s your variety!
Shoot ‘Em Up is fun, but when the credits roll
the viewer isn’t filled with a sense of real satisfaction, feeling they witnessed a truly engaging spectacle, instead the viewer simply shrugs his or her
shoulders, exits the theatre and probably forgets
about Shoot ‘Em Up by the next day.
Want a way to give Shoot ‘Em Up new life?
Watch it and try to count how many bullets are
fired. I bet you’ll lose count around 2, 352.
Rating: **
Rating System:
**** Makes the Grand Canyon look like a filthy restroom.
***1/2 Not quite perfect, but still excellent. It may change
your life.
*** Good Stuff. People who watch these movies are most
likely to live prosperous lives.
**1/2 Out of the ordinary, but it’s not good. You may think it’s
good, but I don’t.
** Average. There are better things out there, like any
movie that gets more stars.
*1/2 Bad. There may be something here that kept it from getting lower, but at this point do you really care?
*
Horrid. Health problems may occur upon viewing this
film.
1/2* One step away from pure dread.
0 stars. Anyone who worked on this film deserves a life
sentence.
Not just the “Female Punisher”:
The Brave One
BY JONATHAN DAVIS
We all have fear. Anyone who tells you that
they are not afraid is lying to you; things happen,
things that you don’t want to happen, and fear
grabs you, and you’re a slave to it and you can’t
help but watch as fear takes away everything you
ever cherished and held dear. But what if for a
moment you stopped being afraid… stopped living in fear; what if you took matters into your own
hands?
That’s what The Brave One asks the audience, and for some people it is a question that has
already been asked before. But in the times we
live in now, a time when war seems to be a perpetual enterprise of foreign policy, it is important to
ask that question again. And sometimes it’s good
to ask where the line between justice and vigilantism is drawn. Erica Bain (Jodie Foster) seems to
have it all; a job she loves, a guy she’s ready to
marry, and a dog—because in movies you need a
dog to fill out the outlines of a perfect life.
In a blink of an eye, everything changes. Bain
is left battered and beaten while her fiancée has
been murdered by some thugs. The police tell her
that they will find those responsible for her
fiancée’s death, but for Erica, it seems that there is
no progress; no movement at all. She’s afraid to
leave her own home; afraid of the person standing
next to her. It gets to the point where she buys a
gun to protect herself. The second she uses that
gun, everything changes.
This is a very different kind of
vigilante/revenge movie. It has all of the right elements of the genre, but there is a melancholy
sense about it that one usually does not encounter.
The plot may feel familiar, but you’ve probably
never experienced a movie like this one, it leaves
a gaping hole inside of you. Most movies in this
genre seem to unashamedly exploit the violence,
turning it into an entertainment of some sort. And
while this movie is considered an action thriller,
the action in it is much more visceral and psychological; it is more about the effect of violence
upon Erica Bain when she commits acts of violence.
We journey with Bain’s anger and confusion
and rage, thanks to a great performance by Jodie
Foster. She brings the tragedy of Erica’s life to
fruition. She’s not Superwoman; she has no military training of any sort; she’s just your average,
every-day Joe (or Jane) who had something tragic
happen to her, decides to buy a gun, and how her
world flips on its head after her first act of using
her weapon. Foster plays it as disturbed and mortified as a person can be who finds herself killing
people in the name of justice. But she also plays it
as someone who has found her strength again, but
at what cost?
Another great performance in this movie is
given by Terrence Howard (of Crash, Hustle and
Flow, and the upcoming Iron Man) who plays
Detective Mercer, a cop who befriends Erica and
takes up the investigation of the vigilante acts
which Erica has committed. He portrays a very
conflicted person who does the right thing, but has
a deep down feeling that by doing the right thing
the bad guys he puts away still manage to win.
Some movies of this kind come across
preachy, elbowing you in the gut just to get you to
lift your head and stare at the message written in
neon lights. The Brave One doesn’t work that
way; you’re left to judge for yourself, ask your
own questions. If there’s anything wrong with the
movie, for some people, it might be the ending.
Some might like it; some might think there could
have been more to it. But
it works…because there
really are no answers to
the questions this film
raises. And that’s the
point. Anyone expecting a
typical action movie might
be somewhat disappointed; others looking for a little weight in their action
films can do no wrong in
seeing The Brave One.
Queensborough Communiqué, October 2007
11
THE COMMUNIQUÉ OP-ED OCTOBER 2007
Young Men or Little Boys
BY MICHAEL CHARLES
Attention QCC men ages 18-25, it’s time we
shaped up. I’ve noticed around campus that there
are a lot of young men who continue to portray
themselves as young hip hop gangsters, or future
rock stars. Come on guys, in the eyes of the entertainment world this might be cool, but we don’t
live in the entertainment world – we live in the
real world. I understand that people dress the way
it makes them feel comfortable, but doesn’t it have
an effect on the way a person outside of campus
sees us? The answer is yes! When it comes to hip
hop, we see artists such as 50 cent and Lil’ Wayne
with the excessive tattoos, saggy jeans and flamboyant jewelry. In rock, we see artists such as
Tommy Lee and Kid Rock. They both have facial
piercings and a reputation for drug use. Needless
to say, these people have already established their
financial futures. I am pretty sure that is what we
all want to do, but how can we do that when in
“the real world” executives at most companies are
making snap judgments on who we are based on
our appearance, without getting to know who we
are on the inside. It’s what we all say – “I am
keeping it real,” but as the comedian Dave
Chappelle has said, “…what happens when keeping it real goes wrong?”
The answer is everything. When it comes to
the young men of urban culture, there seems to be
a lot of mishaps with the police. As a young
teenager, I had a lot of choice words for officers of
the law. I always used to ask myself, why am I
being targeted? I go to school, I try to stay out of
trouble, but somehow they keep stopping me and
asking for identification – but I did not realize that
the way I was presenting myself was really the
issue. Wearing bandannas that are usually sported
by gang members automatically makes these officers assume you’re part of a group that does
unlawful things. When they see jeans that barely
fit, half hanging off our backsides, gold teeth and
3 or more chains hanging around our necks, they
assume they know what we’re like and who we are
based only on the hip-hop artists they see on television who claim they are gangsters and killers.
At the same time, in “White America,” the
rocker type usually seems to be the outcast or
rebel, and is heavily involved with illegal drugs or
non-prescribed medications. One of the things
that opened my eyes and inspired me to write this
editorial is a book that I read called The Envy of
the World, by Ellis Cose. He mainly speaks on
how black men live by these stereotypes, but it’s
not just limited to black men. As men of the
future we need to get our acts together and have
some dignity in the way that we present ourselves.
Yes, wear what you want to wear, but have some
class when you do so – because in the larger world
people notice the way you present yourself, and
that effects the way they perceive you, treat you,
and the opportunities that they are willing to share.
It’s time for a change and hopefully after reading
this Op-Ed the time is now!
Americans Crave Resolution – Will the Bush Administration
Give an Honest Answer?
BY BREANNE HANSON
Americans, as a whole, have one common
question for the Bush Administration, when will
American troops begin returning home? This is
an imperative question that has been neglected for
far too long by government officials. Somewhere
during the past four years the United States vision
of helping others has become tainted. American
military families and civilians both question the
purpose of the excessive amount of troops serving
overseas. Is the military focus on reconstructing
Iraq’s government and infrastructure, or is the
U.S. objective more concerned with remaining
economically superior to other parts of the world?
After interviewing John Wight, former Petty
Officer of the U.S. Navy and current QCC student, I have developed a new perspective on the
war in Iraq. Mr. Wight was deployed to the
Persian Gulf in early summer 2006 to support
operation “Enduring Freedom.” Although he was
not working on the ground, he stated that his ships
primary mission was, “To protect forces already
in place.” Mr. Wight believes that the escalation
of the war in Iraq could be partially due to the
level of protection provided to the forces already
in place. In other words, the purpose of his work
aboard the ship was to support aircraft that were
constantly trying to detect IEDs (Improvised
Explosive Devices), which remain a huge threat to
the ground soldiers in Iraq. This scenario could
possibly explain the high number of Troops currently deployed.
In early September Officials reported there
were 172,000 U.S. troops serving in the Middle
East. This is the highest number of deployed
troops since the start of the Iraq War, and can be
credited to the recent surge issued by President
Bush. A majority of the troops deployed in Iraq
are currently serving their second, third, or even
fourth tour of combat, and those who recently
arrived have a long haul until they will see an end
to their work overseas. Bush has argued that
improvements are being made, although it has
been a slow progress. Eventually, the argument
goes, with enough time the Iraqi government will
be up to the standards issued by the American
government. Many argue that there has already
been too much time given to bettering life in Iraqi
and the focus needs to shift to the lives of our
troops.
According to an article on Military
Times.com posted on September 10, 2007,
General Petraenus, in a 2 page letter addressed to
the troops September 7, 2007 stated, “It has not
worked out as we had hoped.” If progress is not
steady and things are not changing following such
heavy investments of both human and financial
resources, how is it that officials can argue that
continued time, energy, and the loss of lives will
make a significant impact on rebuilding and uniting Iraq as a whole? The Government
Accountability Office reiterated Petraenus’ statement on September 4, 2007 by stating that Iraq
had failed to meet 11 of its 18 political and security goals due to corruption throughout the Iraqi
police, military, and political leadership.
Following the presentation delivered by
General Petraeus, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan
Crocker was quick to agree with Petraeus stating,
“A secure, stable, democratic Iraq, at peace with
its neighbors is, in my view, attainable.”
However, he was not as confident when he interjected the negative effects of this goal. He later
stated, “This process will not be quick. It will be
uneven and punctuated by setbacks, as well as
achievements, and it will require substantial U.S.
resolve and commitment” (Military Times.com).
There is a slim chance that Iraq will eventually
become the democratic society that the U.S. is
pushing for; however, with success there will be
severe sacrifices. At this time, the Bush administration needs to decide if the gains are worth the
excessive amount of financial hardship and emotional devastation that has been experienced by
the families of U.S. troops.
As stated in a CNN news brief September 16,
2007, in mid-September President Bush proposed
the idea of withdrawing 5,700 U.S. troops by the
holiday season, without replacements. This is a
nice gesture by the U.S. president; however, many
have viewed it as a mockery because 5,700 troops
is a mere 3.3% of the men and women who will
remain fighting for their country overseas.
Although the devastation occurring in Iraq is
constantly in the media, only those who have personally defended the United States can taste,
smell, and breathe the destructive repercussions of
the war. For the soldiers there is one obvious (and
official) goal, the rebuilding of Iraq. However,
with the continuing loss of life, materials and
money, improvements are not steady or sustainable and the U.S. is not reaping significant benefits. As Americans it is time to proclaim one common goal: thank the troops for their selfless acts,
and support the withdrawal of U.S. soldiers from
the war in Iraq.
PFC Michael James Hanson, U.S. ARMY, with
his wife Michael Lynn and 11 month daughter
Natalie, spend their last few hours together
before his deployment to Kuwait for 3 weeks
followed by a 15 month tour in Iraq.
12
Queensborough Communiqué, October 2007
SPORTS SCHEDULE
MEN’S & WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
Revised 9/12/07
Day
Date
Meet
Sunday
Saturday
Sunday
Saturday
Saturday
10/14
10/20
10/28
11/3
11/10
NYC Tech. Invitation Van Cortlandt Park
10:00 am
Region XV Championships @ Sunken Meadow Pk. 10:00 am
CUNY Championships @ Van Cortlandt Park 9:00 am
N.E. District Championships @ Holyoke CC 10:00 am
NJCAA Championships @ Sunken Meadow Pk. 10:00 am
Head Coach:
Assistant Coach:
Department Chairperson:
Athletic Director:
Website:
Department Phone Number:
Department Fax Number:
Place
Time
Chris Omeltchenko
James Waite
Dr. Aaron Krac
Pete Marchitello
www.qcc.cuny.edu/HealthPhysEdDance/athletics.htm
718- 631-6322
718- 631-6333
Revised 7/9/07
Day
Date
Team
Place
Time
Thursday
Saturday
10/11
10/13
Suffolk Grant CC
Nassau CC
Tuesday
Saturday
10/16
10/20
Saturday
10/27
Suffolk Grant CC
Bronx CC
Monroe College
Nassau CC
Orange CC
Ulster CC
Westchester CC
Dutchess CC
6:00 pm
12:00 pm * H
1:15 pm * H
7:00 pm
12:00 pm
1:15 pm
12:00 pm
1:15 pm
Monday
Tues. or Wed.
Saturday
Fri. & Sat.
10/29
10/30 or 10/31
11/3
11/16 & 11/17
Nassau CC
Ulster CC
Dutchess CC
CUNY Championships @ Kingsborough CC
Region XV Playoffs@ Higher Seed
Region XV Championships @ Nassau CC
NJCAA Championships @ Rochester, MN.
5:00 pm
TBA
1:00 pm
TBA
* H - indicates that QCC is the Home College @ away site. The Home College must provide 1 scorer for all matches.
MEN’S SOCCER
Revised 9/12/07
Day
Date
Team
Place
Time
Thursday
Saturday
Monday
Thursday
10/11
10/13
10/15
10/18
Kingsborough CC
Rockland CC
Orange CC
Monroe College
Kingsborough CC
QCC
QCC
City Park (New Rochelle)
4:00 pm
1:00 pm
4:00 pm
4:00 pm
Monday
Sat. & Wed.
Saturday
Tuesday
Thurs. & Fri.
10/22
10/27 & 10/31
11/3
11/6
11/8 & 11/9
CUNY Championships @ Metropolitan Oval
Region XV Tournament @ Higher Seed
Region XV Championships @ Higher Seed
District Championships @ Region XV
NJCAA Championships @ Herkimer CC
Head Coach:
Assistant Coach:
Department Chairperson:
Athletic Director:
Website:
Department Phone Number:
Department Fax Number:
7:00 pm
TBA
1:00 pm
TBA
TBA
Calvin Salmon
Gaetano Depasquali
Dr. Aaron Krac
Pete Marchitello
www.qcc.cuny.edu/HealthPhysEdDance/athletics.htm
718- 631-6322
718- 631-6333
Head Coach:
Assistant Coach:
Department Chairperson:
Athletic Director:
Website:
Department Phone Number:
Department Fax Number:
Janine Fulcher
Matt Candela
Dr. Aaron Krac
Pete Marchitello
www.qcc.cuny.edu/HealthPhysEdDance/athletics.htm
718- 631-6322
718- 631-6333
Go
Tigers!
.BLFZPVSNPWF
5SBOTGFSUP1BDF
0VSPVUTUBOEJOHDPPQFSBUJWFFEVDBUJPO
JOUFSOTIJQQSPHSBNIFMQTBEWBODFZPVS
DBSFFSTLJMMT8FPGGFSNPSFUIBOEJ
WFSTFQSPHSBNTPOPVS8FTUDIFTUFSBOE
/FX:PSL$JUZDBNQVTFT8FNBLFZPVS
NPWFFBTZXJUI¿FYJCMFUSBOTGFSDSFEJUT
BOEVQUPQFSZFBSJOTDIPMBS
TIJQT "EEJUJPOBM BXBSET BSF BWBJMBCMF
GPS NFNCFST PG 1IJ 5IFUB ,BQQB BOE
"MQIB#FUB(BNNB
$BMM UPEBZ GPS ZPVS POFPOPOF
BQQPJOUNFOU
JO /FX :PSL $JUZ
JO 8FTUDIFTUFS
XXXQBDFFEVUSBOTGFS
4QSJOH TFNFTUFS CFHJOT +BOVBSZ DOV-SARA
MAGIT ’07
Fulbright Award Winner
8PSL UPXBSE HSFBUOFTT
%ZTPO $PMMFHF PG "SUT BOE 4DJFODFT ] -JFOIBSE 4DIPPM PG /VSTJOH
-VCJO 4DIPPM PG #VTJOFTT ] 4DIPPM PG &EVDBUJPO ] 4DIPPM PG -BX
4FJEFOCFSH 4DIPPM PG $PNQVUFS 4DJFODF BOE *OGPSNBUJPO 4ZTUFNT