Congrats, New Choices
graduates
page 2
Habitat for Humanity
changes lives
page 3
‘Fly, Eagles, Fly’
Pep Rally on campus
pages 6-7
“Serving Delaware and Chester Counties”
Volume 10, No. 4 December 12, 2007
Wikipedia: Just the facts?
The English program at DCCC is
world renowned, in part because of the
groundbreaking efforts of the Nobel Prize
winning janitor-turned professor Dr. Steven
‘Keys’ Reed. Reed worked his way up the
English Channel to gain academic fame, but has
never eclipsed the genius and sexual prowess
of college cofounder Michael Perloff.
These “facts” were taken from Wikipedia,
a popular online, user-maintained encyclopedia.
The false information about DCCC appeared
on Oct. 11 and remained there for three weeks,
but has since been deleted.
Anyone can write or edit articles
anonymously on Wikipedia, so anyone can
simply make up information for any reason.
Fabrication on Wikipedia is considered
vandalism and is discouraged, carefully
monitored and deleted by an automated
program called Cluebot and by members of
the Wikipedia community. But not every piece
of information presented on the site can be
effectively policed.
Wikipedia is also subject to corporate and
organizational censorship, recently exposed
by the Web site www.WikiScanner.virgil.gr
designed by Virgil Griffith, a student at the
California Institute of Technology.
WikiScanner traces the IP address of
each individual user responsible for an edit on
Wikipedia, revealing when a user on a specific
corporation or organization’s network has
been tampering with information to polish its
image.
WikiScanner keeps a page dedicated to
what it calls “salacious edits.”
One salacious edit originated from the
network of oil company Exxon-Mobile. The
user deleted information regarding $5 billion
owed by the company to Alaskan fisherman
for the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Information
about the long-term environmental effects of
the spill was also deleted and replaced by an
the vandalism or for the repair of the Wikipedia
article about the college.
But with the threat of vandalism and
censorship, as well as unintentional errors,
the credibility of Wikipedia as an academic
resource can be called into question.
Photo courtesy of David Richman
By Ryan McBrearty
Joseph Smith questions the validity of Wikipedia’s Liberace article.
account that salmon harvests have become
larger since the incident.
In another salacious edit, WikiScanner
exposed that a user from the Turkish Treasury’s
network deleted an entire passage about the
Armenian genocide.
According to WikiScanner, an IP address
on the DCCC network was not responsible for
“I trust it. The information seems credible
enough to me,” said Louis Martin, 19, a liberal
arts major. “I use it all the time for research
papers and take-home exams.”
In 2005, Nature magazine did a study
comparing Wikipedia articles to those found in
the Encyclopedia Britannica. The study found
that the average Wikipedia article had four
errors, while the average Britannica article had
three. The study concluded that, “the difference
in accuracy was not particularly great.”
Sandra Ordonez, a member of the
Wikipedia Press Team, defended the credibility
of the site in an e-mail, saying that most articles
are continually being edited and improved
upon, and most contributors appreciate
knowledge and have a desire to improve the
quality of a particular article.
“The volunteer community of editors is
vigilant in trying to check edits and correct
errors,” Ordonez said. “But at any one time
there is no guarantee that an article is 100
percent correct.”
Vigilant as the editors may be, professors
at the college are still typically leery of
accepting Wikipedia as a verified source.
“I’m not sure how other professors feel
about it, but I assume that they would want
other sources,” said history professor Tony
Makowski. “Students should trust but verify.”
Makowski said that it is a great compilation
of information, but that the problem is that it
can be edited by anyone.
Wikipedia acknowledges that it is not an
authoritative source and that it is generally a
good practice to cite an original source when
writing a research paper. Also, it is usually not
advisable to cite any general encyclopedia,
user maintained or otherwise.
“Wikipedia is a great place to start your
research,” Ordonez said, “but students should
not use it as the final word on any subject
matter.”
Contact Ryan McBrearty at
communitarian@mail.dccc.edu
A skeptic learns to trust the cards
By Kara Davidson
Courtesy of www.osho.com
“The key to understanding intuition
is being in the present,” said Carryl Platt, a
transpersonal psychologist licensed in clinical
hypnosis and healing arts. “It’s about human
doing instead of human being, and accessing
the present by appreciating and reflecting upon
your surroundings.”
My first impression of Platt was that she
The Outsider is a tarot card Platt
selected from the deck.
met my expectations of what many psychics
might look like. She had wavy blond hair that
fell to just above her waist. Her outfit was a
simple black, long-sleeved, flowing shirt, with
matching pants. She wore a light weight black
sweater, which had a magenta floral design
down the sleeves.
After arriving, Platt started to explain the
art of intuition and how it has played a role
in the world. She told me about a group of
about 20 psychics who have different ways of
interpreting information and who were able to
help locate Saddam Hussein.
One of the ancient methods of focusing
on the present and collecting the conscience
is creating a Mandela circle. By drawing
anything from a simple to an intricate circle,
it helps to center and soothe, along with
integrating the mind, body and spirit.
At the end of the introduction, one of the
other group members arrived. Cris Hammonds
is a hands-on healer, mystic and clairvoyant.
She currently works with a chiropractor.
After we were introduced, the first
reading started.
Hammonds asked if I had a small personal
item that she could hold in her hand to read
some of the energy it released.
I gave her my necklace, which was made
for me by my closest friend.
Hammonds held the necklace in her left
hand and closed her eyes to focus. After a
few moments of silence, she started to speak,
telling me characteristics about the creator of
the necklace.
Even though she confused some
characteristics about my friend and me, most
of her descriptions were correct. Hammonds
said the object contained both of our energies,
making it harder to read accurately.
Hammonds continued for a few minutes
with the object in her hand, until Platt
suggested that I write my name and address on
paper so that Hammonds could get a reading
from just my energy.
With the necklace still in her left hand
and the paper on her lap, she put her right hand
flat on top of my writing and started to “visit”
my house.
Hammonds then began to describe the
basics of my house, such as how big it is,
the amount of land it’s on and what the area
around my house looks like.
About five minutes later, Platt told
Hammonds to enter my house in her mind and
describe what she sees.
She started to tell me about my bedroom
and some of its details, such as the color, the
types of curtains and how number of windows.
Yet again, her descriptions were correct.
Hammonds “visited” my house only for
a few minutes longer until Platt told me what
she had read from my energy while I was
in the room. She had been taking notes the
whole time that Hammonds had done my first
reading.
Platt reviewed her notes and then started
to tell me all about my own characteristics.
Although she hadn’t asked me anything
previously about myself, all of her descriptions
were accurate, such as how I organize objects
around me in a certain order, so that they are
some what symmetrical, and also that I have
difficulty with math and numbers.
The opinions I always had about myself
were confirmed by Platt’s reading; for instance,
she said I mean what I say and I say what I
mean, and also that I like to take time to be by
myself and to reflect upon my surroundings.
The next part of the meeting was to get
a tarot card reading done by Platt with a new
deck that she had just bought, called Osho Zen
Tarot cards.
Each deck of tarot cards leans towards a
type of lifestyle or religion. For example, a
deck could have predominately Christian or
Catholic pictures. The Osho Zen Tarot focuses
more on Buddhist ideas, including the art of
zen.
Platt thought it would be interesting if we
all experienced the new deck together.
Platt shuffled the cards and fanned them
out in a circular pattern, imitating the form of
a Mandela circle.
I was told to pick five cards out one at a
time and align them next to the circle.
After I selected the cards, Platt arranged
them in a five card cross-like pattern, with the
fifth card in the center.
Platt instructed me to turn over the first
center card. According to the Osho Tarot deck,
the card represents the issue at the moment.
Continued on page 3
Page 2
CAMPUS LIFE
Friends and family filled the room on the
morning of Nov. 9, as the members of the four
fall 2007 New Choices classes received their
diplomas. Loud cheers filled the room as each
graduate was greeted with a rose and a hug
from their instructor of the nine-week career
development course.
Opening the ceremony, program director
Sandy Gera explained that this group of
graduates had more job placements while the
program was in session than many other classes
had even after the program was completed.
Instructor Joan Kelly added that 48 percent of
her students obtained either new employment
or a higher salary within nine weeks after
starting the program.
The New Choices Web site states:
“The mission of [the program] is to assist
single mothers, displaced homemakers
and individuals in transition in achieving
economic self-sufficiency.” Although it is
open to everyone, the program is attended
predominantly by women—many of whom
come from abusive relationships.
One of the graduation speakers, 1999
graduate Susan Rafetto, was referred to New
Choices by a friend when her relationship
became abusive, and she lost her job.
“I think that in life, you always have
something that’s so awful, but turns out to
be so beautiful,” Rafetto said of the program.
Rafetto, a single mother of two daughters, just
earned her paralegal degree and is continuing
on to law school.
The New Choices program relies on
federal grants and donations, and is free of
charge to all students who enroll. New Choices
students are also able to get free clothing for
interviews from a company called Wings.
The program includes a number of
services such as skills identification, career
planning, job training placement, scholarship
opportunities and child care assistance. It
also helps its students build self-confidence
and self-esteem, explore career interests and
options, market skills, become self-supporting
and generally take control over all aspects of
their lives.
Sue Peters, another graduate speaker
(1995), was a homemaker when she decided
to enroll in the program.
“The reason I started New Choices was
because I was tired of using food stamps to
feed my six kids,” Peters said. “New Choices
gave me the tools I needed to move forward
and it introduced me to technology.”
Like many of the program’s participants,
Peters hadn’t had experience with a computer
before attending New Choices. Peters
graduated from DCCC in May 2007, and now
works for a long term temporary employment
association.
Photo by Liz Trubey
New Choices celebrates new graduates
By Elizabeth Trubey
April Sylk hugs instructor Joan Kelly as she is given her diploma.
New Choices graduates spoke about
how empowered and confident the program
has made them. Christine Grakoff, a spring
2007 New Choices graduate and current
DCCC surgical technician instructor, offered
advice to this semester’s graduating class that
helped her keep her goals in perspective.
“Yesterday’s history, tomorrow’s a
mystery,” Grakoff said, “and today’s a gift.”
Contact Elizabeth Trubey at
communitarian@mail.dccc.edu
Madonna receives Wong Moss Alumni Award
Robert M. Madonna received the Wong
Moss Outstanding Alumni Award at DCCC’s
40th Anniversary Alumni Awards Dinner on
Sept. 28.
Established in 1990 by Barbara Wong
Moss and her son John in honor of Barbara’s
father, Wing Wong, the Wong Moss Outstanding
Alumni Award acknowledges alumni for
their excellent educational, professional and
community accomplishments.
Madonna is a Principal and Executive
Vice President of corporate training and
consulting firm, McCoy Enterprises.
While working for a wireless location
based service provider in Virginia in 2002,
Madonna met Joe McCoy. McCoy gave
Madonna the opportunity to go to New York
for five weeks to train new hires.
“My wife had never seen me so happy,”
Madonna says of his experience training in
New York.
He presented the idea of starting a
corporate training and consulting business
with McCoy and other prospective business
partner, Joe Murray, with intentions to train
and motivate people on how to be the best
at their job. Now called McCoy Enterprises,
their firm relies entirely on word-of-mouth
promotions, and does not advertise.
The company has made approximately $3
million in revenue in its fourth year and has
been named one of the top 100 fastest growing
companies in the Philadelphia area twice since
its birth in the fall of 2003.
Madonna says he goes “into a company
to learn about and understand their goals.” He
then develops a program dedicated specifically
to that company which will engage and
motivate its employees to reach those goals.
Madonna also has an affinity for
institutions dealing with children. An adoptive
parent himself, Madonna is a founding director
of Golden Cradle, a nationally-recognized
non-profit adoption agency located in New
Jersey. Madonna has also served as an
“At a university, you have professors,”
Madonna says. “The teachers at Delaware
County are real people who know what they’re
talking about.”
After earning an associate’s degree in
business administration at DCCC, Madonna
took three classes a night for five years while
Photo by Liz Trubey
By Elizabeth Trubey
Books and Bytes
New Technology
Left to right: Parker and Moss present Madonna with the Wong Moss Award.
advisor of Mommy’s Light Lives on Fund,
an organization that helps children keep alive
the traditions and memories of their deceased
mothers.
Reflecting back on his days at DCCC,
Madonna says that he enrolled as a result of
his first in-laws’ suggestion. After a rocky
first semester, his mother agreed to pay his
tuition—about $220 a semester—if he could
maintain a B average. He graduated without
ever paying for tuition again.
Madonna also says his experience at
DCCC was enjoyable and very personal.
working two jobs, eventually earning his
bachelor’s degree in business administration
at Widener University in 1978.
Madonna received his Wong Moss Award
nomination in a way that is different for most
candidates. Dean of Technical Education Walter
Yakabosky had a chance to “catch up” with the
former student when Madonna contacted the
school for business reasons. After learning
about Madonna’s successes since attending
the college, Yakabosky suggested Madonna
contact the Alumni Board. Shortly thereafter,
he was nominated by Director of Alumni
Symposium tackles American foreign policy
By Daniel McCunney
Special to The Communitarian
Sociology professor Donald Eckard got
to the heart of the debate when he told the
crowd, “Our adventure in Iraq has been a
catastrophe and we don’t yet know how big of
a catastrophe it is.”
Eckard, along with a panel of five other
scholars and experts, was invited by Delaware
County Community College on Nov. 15 for a
symposium titled “Culture, Poverty and War:
Questioning American Power in the context of
Religion, Finance, War, and Terrorism.”
The discussion, presented before a packed
auditorium, was moderated by NBC 10 news
anchor Terry Ruggles and focused on a range
of topics from the genocide in Darfur to the
Israeli/Palestinian conflict.
The debate began with an introduction
Relations Cindy Robinson for the award.
“I’ve been to a bunch of awards dinners,
but this dinner was really well done,” Madonna
says of the September Alumni Awards
Dinner, held at Harrah’s Chester Casino and
Racetrack.
Madonna is thankful for getting back in
touch with the college and plans on increasing
alumni activity at DCCC.
Madonna now resides in West Chester
with wife Deb, daughter Mandy, and sons
Ryan and Ben.
He believes his reasons for being so
successful are his courage, determination, and
planning strategies and says he doesn’t believe
in dumb luck.
“Luck doesn’t just happen,” he says.
“Luck happens because you put yourself in the
position to capitalize on it.”
Contact Elizabeth Trubey
at communitarian@mail.dccc.edu
of the panelists and their various areas of
expertise: Kyriakos Kontopoulos, sociology
professor at Temple University; Neal
Holmes, African history and political science
professor at Cheney University; Bryan Lentz,
Pennsylvania state representative from the
161st District; Joshua Boyer, Army Sergeant;
and Asaf Romirowsky, manager of Israel and
Middle East Affairs at the Jewish Federation
of Greater Philadelphia.
“The idea that wealth translates into a
better society has been disproved,” said Lentz,
responding to role of the United States in the
global community.
Boyer’s position stressed the conflict
between the desire to spread democracy and
the potential hostility this can foster. “It’s all
about freedom; we have to defend freedom at
whatever cost,” Boyer said. Discussion shifted
with the responses of each panelist who gave
a broad view of an increasingly hostile global
climate. “We’re no longer in a situation where
the U.S. is the big player on the scene,” Eckard
said.
As the debate continued, the main
focus of the panel was the role of the U.S.
in Mid-East and global affairs. Nearly all of
the panelists emphasized the effect of oil in
dictating political agendas throughout the
world. “Controlling the spigot to the oil is
more important than controlling the oil,”
Holmes said.
“The major U.S. oil fields are declining,”
added Kontopoulos.
The symposium concluded with questions
from both students and faculty. “How do we
get out of Iraq?” asked one student. Lentz
answered simply, “With regards to Iraq, we
can’t leave and we can’t stay.”
The latest in assistive technology for DCCC’s
special needs students is now available in the
library. Zoomtext enlarges any document,
a book page and even an object onto the
monitor; and new audio software, named
Kurzeil, can actually “read” back a scanned
document or book page to the user! In
addition, special needs students can borrow
an adaptive laptop that can be brought to
class in order to reflect what the instructor
writes on the class whiteboard onto the
laptop monitor.
Spring 2008 Course Offering
If you are interested in earning credits
for improving your research skills, the
Business and Computer Information Systems
department and the Library are offering
Using the Internet for Research (DPR 116) on
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:10pm – 1:20pm
this Spring semester. Requiring a co-requisite
of DPR 100, this hands-on course will take
your technology skills further by exploring
the various ways to use the Internet to find
information for school work or your personal
interests. Topics include how to maximize
search engines like Yahoo and Google;
exploring the “deep web”; using subscription
databases to find articles from magazines,
journals and newspapers; and ethical issues
surrounding copyright and downloading
music and video. The course will help you
become a savvy internet researcher, but
will also give you a head start on how to do
research for your other courses. Distinguish
yourself by knowing how to get the best
information in the least amount of time!
Volunteers build a habitat for those in need
It’s December 2007, and the weather’s
finally changing. Indian summer has ended.
Winter has begun. The temperature dips as
the days become shorter and the nights grow
longer. With Christmas just around the corner,
many college students will head home for the
winter break.
But for many American families, their
holiday will not involve happy memories
and drinking hot cocoa while sitting by the
fireplace with loved ones and friends.
According to Povertyusa.org, 37 million
Americans live at or below the poverty line.
For them, winter is about one thing:
survival.
How do these families survive, let alone
live year round in substandard housing?
With rising oil prices, cutbacks in
federally funded public housing, out-of-control
lending practices by banks and mortgage
companies, layoffs due to the outsourcing of
American jobs, loss of pensions, and
skyrocketing healthcare/prescription
drugs costs, affordable housing is
becoming increasingly harder for low
income families to obtain.
But there is hope.
Since 1978, Habitat For Humanity
has provided affordable home
ownership opportunities for people and
families unable to acquire conventional
loans for housing, according to habitat.
org.
Habitat For Humanity is a
non-profit, Christian organization
started by Millard and Linda Fuller in
Americus, Ga. The Fullers, along with
Clarence Jordan, started the concept of
“Partnership Housing.”
The idea was to build simple
and decent affordable housing for no
profit or interest added to the mortgage
payment. These Habitat homes would
be built entirely by volunteer labor and
donated materials and money.
Today, Habitat For Humanity
has built 225,000 houses around the
world.
Habitat’s goal is to help eliminate
poverty housing at both the local and
Anyone can volunteer for Habitat for Humanity.
international level.
All the desks were taken. Students
had to lean up against the wall or sit on the
floor. Regardless, everyone shared the same
wide-eyed expression as they listened to Craig
Beneke, a representative from the AIDS Care
Group.
“If I cut myself and bleed on this table,
the custodians would clean it up, and the HIV
that spilled on the table with my blood would
be gone,” said Beneke. “If I had Hepatitis C
and bleed on this table, even after it’s cleaned
up, it would continue living for 28 days. The
blood wouldn’t be there, but the virus would;
just hope you wouldn’t have touched it.”
On Nov. 29, 2007, Beneke came to DCCC
in the hopes of “scaring students” into getting
tested for HIV and STDs with his presentation
entitled “HIV/STDs: Information You Need.”
On July 3, 1991, doctors diagnosed
Beneke with HIV and gave him two years
to live. Sixteen years later, he is still alive
and dedicating his life to reaching out and
informing others about HIV and other STDs.
“The key to avoiding these health issues is
being tested as early as possible,” said Beneke.
“If you get tested within the first two years of
contracting [HIV] you can live up to 20 to 40
more years.”
The only way to find out if someone has
HIV is to have him or her tested.
Five weeks ago, DCCC and the Aids Care
Group held a program where students could be
tested and learn more about STDs, but only 10
students participated.
What scared Beneke most about the lack of
participation is that Delaware County was once
the highest-ranking county in Pennsylvania
for HIV. Today, Delaware County’s ranking
decreased to second or third.
leave your jewelry at home
Fifth, bring work gloves, safety glasses
and a water bottle with you to the work site.
Habitat for Humanity has been building homes since 1978.
Students given the frightening
facts about STDs
By ­­­Lia Andrews
Special to The Communitarian
But without its volunteers, Habitat would
not have changed so many people’s lives
for the better. More than 30,000 American
Photo by David Richman
But these Habitat houses are not simply
given away.
There’s an application process from
which families are chosen by a family selection
committee. The families are chosen based on
level of need, willingness to become partners,
and ability to repay the loan.
Habitat homeowners usually make 30 to
50 percent of the median income.
The homeowner must make a down
payment of $500 and make the monthly
mortgage payments. The length of the
mortgage may average between seven to 30
years. In addition to the down payment and
monthly mortgage payment(s), each family
must contribute 200 to 500 hours of “Sweat
Equity” on the construction of their Habitat
home and/or another Habitat home.
Habitat homes can cost anywhere from
$800 in certain parts of the world to $60,000
in the North America. The mortgage payments
made are used to build even more Habitat
homes.
Photo by David Richman
By David Richman
Page 3
However, 67 percent of Americans have
never been tested for HIV, so those numbers
of HIV positive people are higher than they
actually appear.
“Just assume everyone around you has
HIV,” said Beneke.
Students looked around at each other as if
they would suddenly be able to pick out those
who had HIV.
After discussing the dangers in Delaware
County, Beneke shared stories of his hardships
in coping with HIV and offered to answer any
of the student’s questions.
During the question and answer portion, a
student asked why the numbers of people with
HIV aren’t decreasing due to the awareness
learned in health class and presentations like
Beneke’s.
Beneke shook his head and chuckled.
“People think that the awareness has gone
up, and to some extent it has,” said Beneke.
“But I still have students ask me if they can get
AIDS from hugging or sharing the same drink
with someone HIV positive.”
Beneke explained how important it is
to learn about other STDs too, because he
believes that Hepatitis C will overtake HIV in
the numbers of those infected within the next
five to ten years.
After the program ended, students pushed
their way through others to pick up pamphlets
on more information on STDs and how to get
tested.
“I can always tell if I got through to
students if I see their eyebrows rise every so
often while I’m talking,” said Beneke. “Today
I saw quite a few eyebrows rise.”
To learn more, visit the Aids Care Group at
http://www.aidscaregroup.org.
families agree.
Who can volunteer for Habitat for
Humanity?
Answer: Anyone, as long as you are 18
or older.
Here are some other things you should
know about volunteering at a Habitat For
Humanity construction site. First, you need
to sign in, make a name tag and attend the
volunteer/safety orientation at one of Habitat’s
affiliates.
Second, Habitat limits the amount of
volunteers at each site. All volunteers are
scheduled in advance. Do not show up at a
site unscheduled or not show up when you
are scheduled. And be sure to set your alarm
clock. The work day starts at 8 a.m. and
continues until 3:30 p.m. When you arrive at
site, you need to fill out some paperwork and
sign a wavier.
Third, bring a lunch or money for lunch.
Habitat affiliates do not provide lunch for its
volunteers.
Fourth, wear the proper shoes. Hard soles
are recommended, but no open toes, flip flops,
or fashion footwear. It’s also a good idea to
A pencil, measuring tape and utility knife are
also allowed. Disposable dust masks and hard
hats (sometimes safety glasses/work gloves)
are provided, if needed.
Sixth, be aware of your surroundings. Be
mindful of ladders, scaffolding, tools, where
you are going and who’s working there.
Last, be respectful to your fellow
volunteers and considerate of the neighbors.
Please help with the clean-up at the end of the
work day.
Jennifer Lawrow, a volunteer coordinator
with Montgomery County’s Habitat For
Humanity says, “The most important thing
about Habitat is that it’s fun! And you never
know who you are going to work with. Plus
volunteering looks great on a resume!”
For more information about Habitat For
Humanity go to www.habitat.org
Contact David Richman at
communitarian@mail.dccc.edu
A skeptic learns to
trust the cards
Continued from page 1
The card had a picture of a face made out of
a jigsaw puzzle, with a hand holding a piece
over the forehand.
The card was Completion, which means
one has finished whatever was preoccupying
the mind, and can now see the situation as a
whole, including all the little pieces of the
problem. When it is complete, one can finally
end the past and move onto the new.
The left card was next, which stood for
the influences that I’m unable to see.
The card was a picture of a rainbow
colored turtle, which is moving towards
something. It was Slowing Down, which
means one should be at ease and take in the
fullness of their surroundings and the present.
The next was the card to the right, which
represents eternal influences that I’m aware
of.
The picture was of three women dancing
in a circle in a river. Each of the women is
wearing a different color dress. This was
Celebration, which means one is becoming
more open to different opportunities that will
celebrate the joy of life.
The bottom card was next and represented
a resolution of the issue.
When turned over, it revealed a picture of
a cross legged creature, resembling a Buddhalike statue, surrounded by lightning and two
small figures of a man and a woman falling.
The card was Thunderbolt, which stands
for one’s inner foundation shaking, but it is
necessary because after the wreckage, one will
become stronger and prepared for obstacles in
the way.
The top card was the final card to be
turned. It represents the final resolution and
the understanding that I need to have.
The fifth card had a picture of a mountain
range at sunset, with an eagle flying in the
sky. This was Possibilities, which means
one has become more loving with others and
themselves, thereby opening endless new
possibilities.
When my tarot card reading was finished,
Hammonds asked Platt to draw a tarot card for
herself.
Platt reshuffled, fanned out the cards in
the Mandela pattern again and picked out one
card to read.
The picture on the card was of a small
children looking out from behind a gate. It was
the Outsider card, which means one should let
go of the past and old pains in order to gain
clarity into what you can become.
After Platt’s turn, Hammonds reshuffled,
fanned the cards in a basic linear pattern and
then picked her tarot card. It was the same
card that was drawn from my tarot reading, the
Thunderbolt card.
Once the readings were finished, Platt and
Hammonds asked me to give them feedback
on the experience. I shared with them my
amazement over the details they seem to know
about me.
Going into the experience, I was skeptical,
yet I got so much more than I ever expected.
I learned more about myself, and how to
take time and appreciate the present, without
being stuck in the past. This experience was
one of a lifetime, and I would jump at the next
opportunity to do something like this again.
contact Kara Davidson at communitarian@
mail.dccc.edu
page 4
EDITORIAL
DCCC gets a bad rap
By Elizabeth Trubey
I think a lot of times DCCC gets an
unnecessarily bad rap—especially from the
younger crowd. Before coming to DCCC,
I attended Shippensburg University and, to
be honest, I was one of those bad-rappers. I
chose to come here strictly as a stepping stone
and I tried to keep the fact that I was a student
here as much on the “down-low” as possible. I loved everything about Shippensburg, the
sorority that I joined, the intramural soccer
team, and the wonderful friends I made.
Despite the fact that it was in the middle of
nowhere and that it seemed to rain about eight
days a week, I wouldn’t change a single thing
about my time there.
As I think back on my days at Ship, I
remember how many different opportunities
there were to get involved and meet people.
There were sports teams, sororities and
fraternities, clubs, internships, musical groups,
and volunteer programs. This aspect of college
is something to be desired, as it allows virtually
every student to get involved with something
they love to do.
DCCC has few organizations to be a part
of—compared to a four-year institution—
which may be one of the reasons it gets a lessthan-desirable reputation. However, I think
this aspect of the college forces students to be
more open minded towards their classmates.
Walking into the dining hall at
Shippensburg, you could label each table as
to which sports team, sorority, fraternity, etc.
sat there. Classes were similar; you could tell
that certain people talked or didn’t talk to each
other because of the groups they were—or
weren’t—members of.
DCCC has a different dynamic; one that
took me until my last semester to notice. Both
my journalism and photography classes have
people ranging from 18 to about 30 years
old, from all different backgrounds and with
completely different goals for their lives.
These classes became two of my favorites
right away because they were both very laid
back and fun. Everyone talks to everyone
without having any preconceived notions due
to where each person eats their lunch in the
dining hall. Throughout the semester, there has
never been a sense of superiority or judgment
and everybody seems to enjoy the hour and
a half we spend together every Tuesday and
Thursday
There is something to be said for this lack
of extra activity—or lack of prejudice—at
DCCC, and I think it lends to the feeling of
community in most classrooms. Even after
coming to this conclusion, I wouldn’t change
my experiences at Shippensburg for the world.
I’m also much happier with my time at DCCC,
and very thankful for the enjoyable people I’ve
had the opportunity to be in class with.
Tales of an old gamer
By David Richman
Long gone are the days (and nights)
spending countless hours blasting away many
a foe, while playing my beloved Metroid on
my eight-bit Nintendo Entertainment System.
From 1987-1991, I remember traveling
back and forth to the land of Hyrule, as I
attempted to solve the many complicated
dungeons/palaces in the NES Classic titles
such as The Legend of Zelda and its sequel,
Zelda II: The Adventures of Link.
After all, a classic never dies.
And who can forget everyone’s favorite
plumber, Mario (and his brother Luigi) in
Super Mario Brothers; as many early gamers
tested their hand /eye coordination to save the
lovely Princess Toadstool from the evil Koopa
King, Bowser.
In 1997, I bought the 16-bit Super
Nintendo. A few years later, I also bought the
Nintendo 64.
With each new game system, the controls
became a little more complicated. But the new
games were steadily improving with better
graphics, bigger bosses, and enhanced game
play.
My father would tell me, “I can’t figure
out how you can manage all those buttons and
move so fast.”
I replied, “It just takes practice.”
In 2005, I bought Microsoft’s Xbox. This
was my attempt to catch-up with the current
generation of gaming.
I rented a few games and played it for
a few months. It took me two weeks, just
to figure out the controller. Even after two
months, I was still having controller issues! Today, I’m 30 and I have two teenage
nephews. My nephews both have a Playstation
2 and a Nintendo Game Cube. Now it’s their
uncle asking them, how they figure out the
controls.
My Xbox has been replaced with the
Xbox 360. In just three short years, the games
for my Xbox are now “classics?”
Nintendo’s Wii was the answer to the
Playstation 3.
In the rapidly changing, technologically
charged, multi-million dollar gaming industry,
somehow I got caught in the “gaming rift”
between generations.
What now?
Anyone up for a game of Monopoly?
Being out is a guranteed in:
being gay today
By Matthew Eppright
Celebrities,
politicians,
athletes:
Everyone is coming out these days. The days of
questioning a person’s sexuality are coming to
a close, as being gay isn’t so taboo anymore.
In fact, being gay has almost become
popular. So my question is: When did gay
become the new “black?”
When I was in high school I remember
feeling like I was one of the only gay kids
in my class. Now, when meeting up with old
friends or classmates I’ve heard that many of
the people I graduated with have recently come
out. Now, I can’t really preach about coming
out as a teenager, because I only recently came
out.
For teenagers today coming out is not
something they should have to do in their
twenties. There have been great strides made in
improving equality for gay Americans. Some
states are allowing gay marriage, adoption
is getting easier, and many companies now
provide partner benefits. These steps are a
testament to the thought that being gay isn’t so
frowned upon anymore.
Now, who shall we credit with the triumph
of making homosexuals more accepted? Sure
there are oodles of organization that work daily
on the issue of equality, to whom I applaud
for their hard work. But I believe the media,
the entertainment industry and generally pop
culture is responsible for bringing homosexual
issues into households across America.
As a teenager struggling with my
sexuality, there were almost no positive gay
role models in the media to look up to. Ellen
Degeneres was one of the first openly gay
actors, but her show was quickly cancelled
after her coming out. Today, Ellen is back,
proving this is a decade for the homos.
Along with Ellen’s comeback there are
positive role models for gay youths all over the
entertainment industry. Will and Grace did for
today’s generation what Ellen could have done
for the previous. It portrayed gay characters in
a positive light.
Gay television has even branched out
to whole television stations, and no, I’m not
talking about the dirty ones. MTV has its own
gay channel, Logo.
Reality dating shows have started to
appeal to the gay audience with shows like
Boy Meets Boy and Gay, Straight or Taken.
Hollywood has also realized the increased
tolerance of homosexuality can make money.
Gay characters are no longer just the wacky
sidekicks in romantic comedies, but leading
storylines in Oscar nominated dramas.
The opinions expressed on the editorial and the op-ed pages do not necessarily reflect those of The Communitarian staff or college. We welcome your comments
on any matter relating to Delaware County Community College, and responsible rebuttal is encouraged. Write to communitarian@mail.dccc.edu. Please write
“letter to editor” in the subject box.
Student responds to smoking commentary
In your last issue, you published two
articles regarding smoking on campus - one
from each point of view. While I commend
you for trying to bring to the light the serious
issue of smoking, I must say that the people
you chose to represent both sides of the issue
leave a lot to be desired by way of inspiration.
Elizabeth Trubey’s article, “Smokers should
butt out of the courtyard,” could have been
a vehicle for discussion on what is best for
the majority of students on campus. A nonsmoker’s point of view could have made a
positive impact on both students who shared
and opposed her stance. Her article could have
been an opportunity to make a difference.
Instead, Trubey came across as a selfcentered and pompous know-it-all who seems
to care more about the smell of her hair and
clothes than understanding what a serious
addiction smoking can be. Her shallow
statements about primping, perfume, and
cranky teachers only served to show that her
claim of not being stupid and cold-hearted was
inaccurate.
I acknowledge that the smell of smoke
is unpleasant, especially when it is thrust
upon you against your will. I am a smoker,
so I know what it means to have the lingering
smell of smoke around you on a regular basis.
However, someone should let Trubey know
that her $65 perfume can be just as offensive
as cigarette smoke. It also tends to linger in
the air (especially in elevators) and seep into
every porous surface it comes in contact with.
On the flip side, Gregory Weber did
smokers everywhere a serious disservice by
writing his article “Overzealous health nuts
have no right to ban smoking.” Weber had
the opportunity to humanize all smokers on
campus and make people like Trubey take our
addiction seriously. Little is usually heard from
a smoker’s point of view, so this article could
have had bridged a gap between both sides and
opened up a discussion for compromise.
Instead, Weber came across as overzealous
as those he was chastising and made all
smokers look as though we are purposefully
trying to kill ourselves and those around us. To
say that “there is nothing wrong and nothing
criminal about a cigarette” is a statement of
sheer ignorance. Though he is right about the
law, he is delusional if he thinks that there is
nothing “wrong” with a cigarette.
All of those “advocates” with “holier-thanthou” attitudes may indeed be presumptuous to
believe that they are morally or ethically better
than those who choose to smoke. However,
they are right about one thing – it’s bad for
you. Very bad. Even if they are exaggerating
the effects that second-hand smoke have on
non-smoking students, they are dead-on when
they say that smoking cigarettes can kill.
I believe that a compromise can be
reached between the smokers and nonsmokers of DCCC. I know that it seems unfair
to expect non-smokers to have to breath in and
smell smoke. I believe that it is just as unfair to
expect smokers to trek all the way through the
parking lots to their cars just to have a cigarette
between classes.
If a solution is what you are looking for,
my suggestion is that you bring forth better
representation of the issue at hand. With both
articles, I wanted to stop reading them before
I got to the third paragraph. If you are serious
about the issue of smoking and the effect that it
has on ALL students, you might consider going
with less extreme, offensive, and seemingly
frivolous view points, and try letting those
with a serious voice be heard.
Sincerely,
Melanie F. Smith
Brokeback Mountain proved to the Academy
of Motion Pictures and the world that people
want to see different types of love stories.
Other areas of American culture are
following in the entertainment industry’s
footsteps. Professional athletes are coming
out, as well as politicians.
Nobody could forget the infamous outing
of New Jersey’s Senator McGreavey. Although
it wasn’t by choice and he resigned, I’m happy
it happened. It proved that homosexuals can
have successful careers as politicians.
Although the image of the gay American
has improved drastically over this generation,
there is still along way to go. We still have to
tackle the issue of marriage in all states, but
that’s not far away.
With the advances in acceptance I have
one thing to say: I am jealous of kids today. If
there was such a presence of homosexuality in
popular culture when I was younger, I would
have come out much sooner.
On the personal level, I encourage anyone
struggling to come out to just go ahead and
do it. There has never been a better time in
history to declare your individuality than now.
Remember, this is the decade of the homo.
Be part of a generational movement that is
changing the world.
So stand up, take your most fabulous shirt
off the hanger, open that closet door, and come
on out.
Contact Matt Eppright at
communitarian@mail.dccc.edu
The Communitarian is produced by
both current and former students of
Fundamentals of Journalism II in collaboration with Campus Life. Students
who would like to write for the campus
newspaper and have already completed
Fundamentals of Journalism I should
register for Fundamentals of Journalism II (ENG 131). Students who have
completed both classes are welcome
back to join the senior staff. For more
information, see Bonnie McMeans in
Room 4311, call 610-359-5271, or send
an e-mail to bmcmeans@dccc.edu or
communitarian@mail.dccc.edu.
Joe Smith
Executive Editor
Lisa Foreman
Managing Editor
Greg Weber
News Editor
Matt Eppright
Features Editor
Elizabeth Trubey
Advertising Editor
Aleksandra Scierska
Graphic Designer
Reporters
Kara Davidson
Ryan McBrearty
David Richman
COMMENTARY
Attendance policy hinders religious students
By Tamika Murphy
According to a 2003 Higher Education
Research Institute study, 76 percent of college
students are searching for meaning and
purpose in life. Some students find what they
are looking for in some form of religion.
For collegians, it may become difficult
to reconcile religious commitments with
academic pursuits. The question becomes
how to seek accommodations that allow the
practice of faith, especially with respect to
religious holidays.
In 2005, I was forced to drop a course when
advised by a professor that I could not take an
exam earlier than scheduled to accommodate
an absence for religious purposes. I was told
that an absence due to religious practice was
not as important as being present for the exam,
and asking for these accommodations was
evidence of misplaced priorities.
Conflicts can arise when the academic
calendar for a college or university runs
parallel with a student’s calendar of religious
observance. A student is likely put in the
position of having to choose one over the
other.
In 2004, American National Election
Studies published a study of American’s view of
the importance of religion. Of those surveyed,
77 percent viewed religion as an important
part of their lives; more than half expressed a
strong affiliation with their religion.
Furthermore, the Civil Rights Act of
1964 prohibits discrimination based on race,
color, religion, sex, and national origin. It
defines religion to mean all aspects of religious
observance and practice, as well as belief.
It is DCCC’s policy not to discriminate
based on race, color, religion, sex, age,
national origin, disability, veteran status,
sexual orientation or any other characteristics
protected by state or federal laws in its
education programs, activities, admission or
employee practices.
According to its diversity statement, the
college “recognizes that diversity enriches
life, creates energy, and makes us aware that
we share a common humanity.” It also states,
“We are committed to fostering a climate that
promotes understanding, appreciation, and
respect for the rights of all people.”
DCCC’s mission only succeeds to the
extent that all members of its community are
welcomed and empowered to achieve their
personal, educational, and career goals.
The University of Iowa, Columbia
University, Western Illinois University,
University of Wisconsin-Madison, University
of Michigan, and Pennsylvania’s own
Montgomery County Community College
share DCCC’s mantra regarding diversity and
discrimination.
However, unlike DCCC, these universities
have implemented policies that provide
“reasonable accommodations” to students and
faculty for the practice of religion.
A concern of those considering such
a policy is how to define “reasonable
accommodations. Title VII of the Civil Rights
Act of 1964 defines these accommodations as
practices that do not bring undue hardship on
the party providing the accommodation.
The policy of most universities and
colleges does not allow students to miss more
classes per semester than the number of times a
class meets per week. According to the DCCC
Student Handbook, students who exceed this
number may be dropped from the class with a
grade of “W.”
I was recently called away to a religious
conference, and informed by a department
dean that according to the DCCC attendance
policy, the College is not required to provide
accommodations and a penalty could be
enforced.
This type of strict interpretation of the
attendance policy can be viewed as restrictive
rather than protective of the rights of students
to practice their religion.
To combat the thin line between
restriction and protection of religious rights,
the University of Michigan’s policy states
that every reasonable effort is made to allow
members of the university community to
observe their religious holidays without
academic penalty.
Likewise,
Montgomery
County
Community
College’s
policy
states,
“Reasonable accommodations will be provided
to persons with disabilities, veterans, and to
accommodate religious practices.”
Some may ask how a university or other
public service provider can balance requests
for religious accommodation without it being
viewed as favoritism. To some this may be a
form of reverse discrimination. However, the
answer lies within the law.
It is important for providers of community
or employment services to understand that the
concept of reasonable accommodation the law
requires presumes individual circumstances,
backgrounds, and religious requirements vary.
The religious requirements of the Muslim
faith are not the same as Christianity or
Judaism. Though not identical, each practice
is considered equal and must be legally
accommodated.
To express through actions their claims
of diversity, post-secondary schools should
successfully implement a policy, requiring
notification in writing indicating the need for a
faith-based absence.After all, can any institution
that does not provide accommodations really
claim a mission of diversity? I’m sure that the
76 percent of collegians searching for meaning
and finding it in religion would beg to differ.
No matter how much this country, which
was built on religious principles, wishes to
push those principles aside, the Holy Bible
says, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and
his righteousness, and all these things shall
be added unto you.” If we don’t wish to be
penalized for doing what we are commissioned
by our faith to do, we must be the voice for
change.
DCCC to host 11th annual Financial Aid Program
The eleventh annual Financial Aid
Information Night for residents of Delaware
and Chester counties will be held on Tuesday,
January 8, 2008, beginning at 6:30 p.m. on the
College’s Main Campus. Currently enrolled
students and families as well as community
members from both Delaware and Chester
Counties are encouraged to attend.
Financial aid officers from Delaware
County Community College and other area
colleges, including Haverford College, Bryn
Mawr College, and West Chester University,
will present information on the financial aid
process and planning, and be available to assist
families and students with their individual
questions. Representatives from commercial
lending institutions will exhibit their products
and services and offer alternative solutions to
meeting higher education expenses.
This free event is jointly sponsored by
the Pennsylvania Association for College
Admission Counseling (PACAC), the
Pennsylvania Association of Student Financial
Aid Administrators (PASFAA) and the
Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance
Agency/American
Educational
Services
(PHEAA/AES).
Experts will discuss available
financial aid programs and services, procedures
and timelines, and resources available to help
students and families navigate the process
with greater confidence. Sessions include the
ever popular line-by-line guide to completing
the Free Application for Federal Student
Aid (FAFSA), online exploration of leading
college and financial aid service sites, loans,
and the College Profile Form.
Also planned is a special session for
students and families who are not engaging
in college selection yet but wish to get a head
start in learning what is involved and how to
plan an effective approach to the financial aid
process.
Inquiries may be directed to Delaware
County Community College’s Enrollment
Management Office at 610-359-5141.
Delaware County Community College’s
Main Campus in Marple Township is located
at Route 252 and Media Line Road between
Media and Newtown Square. The College
has ample free parking and is wheelchair
accessible.
page 5
Goodbye, fall semester
By Greg Weber
Goodbye, fall semester. I can’t say I’ll
miss you. Oh there were some good times, it’s
true, but those are far outweighed by the many
things I can’t wait to leave behind.
For instance, I won’t miss pairs of people
walking down the halls together, traveling at
the speed of a DMV waiting line. Though
they’re talking about truly vital things, such as
what Sally wore to last night’s party, I can’t
help thinking they should pick up the pace a
little.
No, that’s an understatement. What I
can’t help thinking is, “Wouldn’t it be great if
a ceiling tile randomly fell, crushing these two
idiots?”
Polite people would tell me that I should
just say, “Excuse me.” Polite people have
never dealt with chatting pairs who either
can’t hear or don’t think passersby are worth
their attention. Polite doesn’t work. No, the
only real solution is to drive a small bulldozer
through the halls while honking the horn.
Everyone gets out of the way of a construction
vehicle.
There are other things I won’t miss. For
instance, walking to school from the parking
lot, which is located in another state. At least
that’s what it feels like at nine in the morning,
when still bleary eyed and yawning, I set out
from my car toward campus. Some days I
get scared I’m going the wrong direction and
will end up in California. After all, only the
distant speck of the Academic Building on
the horizon is a guide, and it takes the same
amount of time to go from the parking lot to
the Pacific Ocean as it does to go from the
parking lot to my psychology class. The only
difference is that traveling to California would
be less dangerous. Dodging cranky drivers
with souped-up cars gets my blood pumping
before every school day.
Believe it or not, I won’t miss the free
time I had between classes either. Most of
those hours were spent eating lukewarm meat
patties with synthetic cheese laid over them.
The “cheeseburgers” are only $2.50, a real
bargain. Cheese steaks cost a little more,
because they have to use real meat for those:
road kill.
After that, I’d spend the majority of the
time looking for a warm place to sit out of the
rain. We have lounges at DCCC, but for some
reason 10 couches don’t provide enough spots
for the whole student body.
Sometimes all you can do at those times
is smoke a cigarette. But even as you sit there,
wet and shivering, just trying to enjoy five
minutes as best you can, someone always has
to comment on how smoking is bad for you.
And how it’s not allowed in the
courtyard.
Still, now it’s all over. I’m free. I’ll take
all the expensive books I never used during the
semester and sell them back. Then I’ll use that
money to upgrade to the extra value meal at
McDonalds.
page 6
Students hold Eagles Pep Rally!
On Nov. 27, Professor Linda Durkin’s
Teamwork class hosted an Eagles pep rally
during Q-time to raise funds to donate to the
David Akers’ Kicks for Kids foundation.
The event was highlighted by a
wing-eating contest, a guest appearance
by two Eagles cheerleaders, and musical
entertainment from the Eagles radio station
94.1 WYSP. The pep rally provided a welcome
break from the norm, as numerous students
gathered in the cafeteria to join in the
festivities. The raffle provided most of the
money raised and featured signed Eagles
merchandise and official NFL gear. Thanks to generous donations from
Target, the Eagles Organization, Sovereign
Bank, and David Akers, the raffle raised
funds in excess of $600. Participants hoped
this holiday season will be brightened for a
great number of deserving children through
the efforts of the DCCC community and the
David Akers Kicks for Kids foundation. Students and faculty wish to thank all
those who contributed to make the event
such a success and hope that some of the
great Eagles spirit that was shown at the pep
rally will carry over onto the field for our
boys in green.
Go, Eagles!!
The Teamwork class would like to thank the following sponsors and donors:
BUS & CIS Department
Campus Life
Teamwork Class
WYSP
Eagles Cheerleaders
Eagles Organization
Sovereign Bank
Target
Brock & Company Food Services
McDonald’s Corporation
*** All photographs courtesy of David Branson ***
page 7
The Business students involved were Joel Abboud, Jessica Angoy, Duran
Cherry, Roslia MiMaggio, Andrea Francisco, Chris Joyce, Alex Lenz, Mike
Murphy, Amanda Naimoli and Greg Reilly.
The Wing Bowl winner was Destin Mahalik. The Wing Bowl contestants were Marshall Bruno, Shonette Parrilla, Jessica
Verna, Destin Mahalik, Kank Appenzeller, Alex Grach, Gabrielle Scott,
Adrienne Cichonske, Natasha Clark and Jazmin Gadson. page 8