Monthly Archives: February 2012

CCP Colonials Beat Johnson College: Look Ready to Make a Run

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The Colonials after a successful game against Johnson College – Photo by Paul Eberle

By Paul Eberle
Editor-in-Chief

Attending class made me a late arrival for the Saturday, February 11, game featuring our Community College of Philadelphia Colonials against the Johnson Community College (Jaguars) of Scranton PA.

It was a close game with a few minutes left in the half, and Johnson took a one point lead after a pair of three-point plays and a nice block off a Colonial fast break.

Guard Rafeeq Bush then checked into the game and quickly hit a three-pointer. Two good defensive possessions led to a shot clock violation and a travelling call. Those plays were sandwiched around an offensive rebound and strong putback by Marcus Johnson.

After a steal and jumpshot at the foul line by Bush, the Colonials had a five point lead at half, and it seemed like it would be a close game. For the first five minutes of the half it was, as the score showed 51-46 with 15 minutes remaining.

Then the Colonials full-court press started creating problems for the Jaguars. The press forced turnover after turnover, and the lead racked up. The Jaguars thwarted a number of fast break layups, but the persistence of the Colonials led to countless offensive rebounds and followup layups, or foul shots.

Johnson only had six players on the bench, and when one of their better players fouled out with over ten minutes in the game, you could see them tire. Between the lack of players, and the Colonials strategy to pressure and take advantage of their speed and depth you could see the tide turn.

In a flash, after back-to-back three-pointers by Marcus Johnson, it was 80-56 and the Jaguars were limping around the court. Final score, 95-61.

A few notes: Marcus Johnson played outstanding. He had 32 points and showed the ability to finish at the rim, a smooth jumper, and even a had few crowd-pleasing dunks. But numerous players contributed to the win.

Center Phillip Pringle not only did the things a center should, like block shots, rebound and play solid defense, he showed he can score too. He scored 19 points not just in the paint, but with his outside shot and free throws.

Rafeeq Bush led the great guard play that forced so many second-half turnovers. He had 15 points, ran the offense well, and didn’t force any bad shots. He played well in all aspects of the game. Despite the inferior opponent, the Colonials have a great record and look poised to make a great run in the upcoming EPCC tournament.

New CCP Club “Green Cycle Alliance” Formed by Environmental Minds

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By Justin Clarke
Managing Editor

The Green Cycle Alliance met for the first time this semester on February 2, in the West Building Learning Lab, W3-26. As it stated in the email that went out to all the students roughly a week before the first meeting, “Most of the club members and all the officers from previous semesters have moved on, so new officers, leaders and active members are needed.” This need was precisely what was addressed at the first meeting of the Green Cycle Alliance after a brief history of the club.

While no treasurer was selected, Liberal Arts major, Jeff Copeland, was the first to establish a title within the club as their new secretary. Business Administration major, Amyro Thi, and Science major, Carl Baxter will be sharing Co-President roles for the club while Victoria Mohan, a Liberal Arts major who plans to later transfer to a four-year institute to pursue a degree in Psychology, took the Vice President chair. As in previous semesters, professors Miles Grosbard and Margaret Stevens are the faculty advisors overseeing and guiding the young club.

Originally, the group was called the “Earth Watch Alliance” until a few students and Professor Grosbard decided they wanted to start a bicycling club a couple of years back.

As many involved in clubs around campus know, there are many bureaucracies to deal with in order to become and stay a formal and organized club on campus. In an attempt to avoid such bureaucracies, the smaller group of the then bicycling club and Professor Grosbard merged with Professor Steven’s Earth Watch Alliance to form the club now known as the Green Cycle Alliance. Because many of the original Earth Watch Alliance members were already concerned with reducing their carbon footprints, the merger with the bicycling members seemed to immediately mesh well.

Since the two groups have combined, the Green Cycle Alliance has participated in Ride Philly, a bicycling event usually held the first Sunday after Labor Day, as monitors and marshalls equipped with special vests and phones. From the Strawberry Mansion Bridge, the then Green Cycle Alliance members aided in guiding traffic and keeping everyone as safe as possible.

The group has many differnt activities; they occasionally host film festivals showing environmentally friendly films, multiple Earth Day and Earth Week activities, trips, fundraisers, and of course, short bike rides to places like Water Works at the foot of the Art Museum.

Because this was the group’s first meeting, few activities were discussed as far as what they are planning for this semester, though they have many ideas they’d like to start putting into action in the near future.

To become a formal member students only need their J#, some enthusiasm for helping the environment and/or bicycling, and also a minimum 2.0 GPA or better. Although the room for the next meeting has not been established yet, it is believed at this time that the group will most likely meet in the learning lab of the West building, room W3-26.

To learn more about the Green Cycle Alliance, students are urged to attend either or both of the club’s upcoming bi-weekly meetings, which will be held Thursday, March 1, from 2pm-3:30pm and then Wednesday, March 15, from 1:30pm-3pm, or you can contact faculty advisors Professors Grosbard or Stevens for more information.

Academic Advising

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Community College of Philadelphia
1700 Spring Garden Street, Room W1-1J
Philadelphia, PA 19130
Hours of Operations:
Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Wednesday 12 p.m.-7p.m.
Friday 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m.
Telephone Number(215) 751-8788

Advisor: Ms. Eleanor Cunningham is available during her advising hours.    

Email: ecunningham@ccp.edu

Healthy vs. Non Healthy Relationships

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By Helen Massele
Managing Editor

When an individual thinks of the month of February a myriad of images flow, such as black history month, that it’s the shortest month in the calender, or Valentine’s day. Valentine’s day is a great occasion with a lot of love in the air towards family, friends, or your special someone, but what about the rising issue of healthy vs. non healthy relationships?

A healthy relationship is one that ensures the well being of the other individual involved as well as supports them emotionally. An unhealthy relationship consists of an individual being a abusive in a series of ways. Some of the signs are emotional, verbal, or physical abuse.

Emotional Abuse can be in the form of ignoring what you say, playing mind games to make one think they are crazy, or embarrassing their partner in public.

Verbal Abuse entails put downs, name calling, and criticism.

Physical Abuse can be visible such as a bruise, even isolation in which they take their partner away from their family and friends.

According to the Women’s Center at CCP there is a dater’s bill of rights which states, “ I have the right to refuse a date without feeling guilty, I do not have to act macho, I may choose not to act seductively, and I have the right to not be physically, emotionally, or sexually abused.” These rules apply to both males and females, everyone has a right to be treated with respect.

In all the festivities that Valentine’s Day brings forth, one must be safe in their relationship. Every relationship has its rough patches, but you must know the warning signs of an unhealthy one. Everyone has the right to a happy loving relationship. If you ever need any assistance or advice the Women’s Center at CCP always has their doors open. You may contact them at their email
http://www.ccp.edu/site/current/support-services/womens-center.php
 or telephone number at (215) 751-8808.

Philadelphia’s Independent Hip-Hop: Jedi Mind Tricks

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By John Jones
Contributor

On February 4th, fans of Hip Hop were treated to the homecoming show of Philadelphia’s own, Jedi Mind Tricks, at Union Transfer (located on 1024 Spring Garden Street). Jedi Mind Tricks is an independent Hip Hop group composed of emcees Vinnie Paz and Jus Allah, as well as DJ Kwestion and producer Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind. Founded in the early 1990’s, Jedi Mind Tricks has managed to reach the forefront of the underground Hip Hop scene by means of numerous well-received albums, world-wide tours, and a loyal fan base.

“If you’re into burning incense, eating granola bars, and listening to Erykah Badu, you’re in the wrong show,” front man Vinnie Paz boldly declared Saturday night at the Union Transfer show. The statement serves as a prime example to how Jedi Mind Tricks fits into the spectrum of Hip Hop music, where mainstream rap is more radio-friendly and pop oriented.

The group has been known for their uncompromising, aggressive lyrics which have covered a variety of topics from politics, religion, metaphysics, and inner struggle. These lyrics were delivered over the backdrop of beats by Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind. Stoupe’s beats are renowned for their ominous and complex sounds crafted by a wide array of samples. Despite rejecting offers of major label record deals, the group has managed to sell over 450,000 albums worldwide. Jedi Mind Tricks had recently released their seventh album, Violence Begets Violence, October 25, 2011 on Vinnie Paz’s own label Enemy Soil. Despite the absence of beat-craftsman Stoupe, the album was still welcomed by fans, earning a spot at #92 on the Billboard 200, their best selling album to date. Like previous albums, Violence Begets Violence combined hardcore lyrics with dark melodies creating a unique Hip Hop sound that has captured the fans’ attention since Jedi Mind’s first EP debuted in 1996.

Philadelphia was not the first stop on their Violence Begets Violence tour. Prior to the Union Transfer show, Jedi Mind Tricks toured various cities throughout the U.S. and even more recently, Australia. The show included opening performances by B. Lynch and rapper Diabolic, who brought out acclaimed New York emcee Immortal Technique for a special performance.

Jedi Mind Tricks performed songs off their new album as well as classic songs from a large discography containing not only Jedi Mind records, but songs from their super group Army of the Pharaohs and Vinnie Paz’s solo album. One particular highlight of the show was the group’s use of turntables DJ Kwestion, whose razor-sharp cuts and scratches show that the group continues to remain true to the classic elements of Hip Hop to the fullest extent. With each song being performed with such intensity and skill, it was clear to see why Jedi Mind Tricks continues to capture the support of fans world-wide. February 10th, Philadelphia’s hometown heroes continue their tour over in Europe beginning with Amsterdam.

Visit Youtube.com to learn more about Jedi Mind Tricks with videos like this one:

Clybourne Park At the Arden Theatre

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L-R: Julia Gibson as Bev, Erika Rose as Francine, Josh Tower as Albert, Maggie Lakis as Betsy, David Ingram as Russ, and Steve Pacek as Jim in Arden Theatre Company’s production of Clybourne Park – Photo by Mark Garvin

By Paul Eberle
Editor-in-Chief

The play Clybourne Park, which is currently running at the Arcadia Stage of the Arden Theatre, is a unique play about social and cultural issues both in the past and present. The 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Drama was awarded to writer Bruce Norris for the play, which premiered in 2010. Clybourne Park has brought such success and notoriety it has already found a home on Broadway, scheduled to premier on April 19.

The show is set at a location while new to the stage, has been mentioned in a previous play. The house where the action takes place was the house the Younger family moved to in the 1959, Lorraine Hansberry historic play, A Raisin in the Sun. That groundbreaking show featured issues surrounding a black family who decide to move into a white neighborhood, that neighborhood was Clybourne Park.

As Russ (David Ingram) sat on stage eating ice cream at the start the show, and the old timey radio played an old-timey jingle; and as the bright floral dress of Bev (Julia Gibson) and her perky Leave it to Beaver cheeriness was shown, the feel of the mid-20th century was immediately brought forth.

As Francine, (Ericka Rose) the maid of the house, nervously assisted with the packing, slick banter and witty writing kept the audience smiling.

Soon enough Jim (Steve Pacek), Albert (Josh Tower), Karl (Ian Merrill Peakes), and Betsy (Maggie Lakis) were all onstage comically tackling a sensitive subject.

As previously mentioned, Clybourne Park was a unique play.Part of that was its relation to A Raisin in the Sun, and part of it was the transition into act two.

The second act took place in the home 50 years later, with every actor taking on a new role. The biggest transformation being Erika Rose, who in the first act went from a timid housekeeper, to act two where she was a proud homeowner unafraid to say her piece.

The role she played was the grandaughter of a Younger family member that moved into the house, to make the play come full circle with A Raisin in the Sun.

The play also comes full circle within itself in the final scene, Cleverly relating the drama in act one to the final tranquil moment.

The Arden offers student rush tickets for $5 cash at the door five minutes before the curtain opens. This is a great and cheap way for college students to see quality regional theatre. The theatre is located at 40 N. 2nd Street in Old City, Philadelphia and is accessible from public transit with a subway stop one block away. Students should bring their college ID’s to the box office in order to receive their tickets.

For more information regarding the Arden Theatre visit their homepage:
http://www.ardentheatre.org/

CCP Talent Show

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Singer, Sunshine, performing for the crowd – Photo by Justin Clarke

By Justin Clarke
Managing Editor

On Friday, February 10, the Center for Male Engagement held its first ever Self-Expression Talent Show in the coffee house of the Winnet Building. It was organized by Jack Drummond of the Center for Male Engagement and hosted by student, Anthony Davilla, who was very funny.

The talent show was great fun with a large turnout and very enthusiastic audience. The talent showcase included everything from rappers to singers to poets and CCP’s own local celebrity, Sunshine, who played the guitar and sang for the large crowd. One student named Lee delivered a very powerful poem that brought most of the crowd out of their seats at the end, titled “Walk in my Shoes” where he first asked the audience to close their eyes, “and imagine walking in his moccasins.” The show lasted for about an hour and went off without a single problem.

One performer commented on the show as a whole stating, “My name’s Chris Russell I was performing today with a group of friends, we were singing a five part harmony. I really enjoyed all of the acts, everyone had talent. I think that with my group we could’ve rehearsed a little bit better, but as a overall whole I feel that we definitely showed out and it was a good turnout of people, based on all different types of talent, age groups, and backgrounds. This is what Community College is about or should be about. Keyword “community” and not just community as in the neighborhood but the community as in the people we are amongst every day, so I think this was very productive and this is something that should definitely take place every semester.”

It’s something that shouldn’t be very hard to accomplish considering that the next Self-Expression Talent Show is already scheduled for sometime in March. Mr. Drummond was happy with the result of the show saying, “I’m definitely pleased with the turnout. I believe self-expression is necessary to continue a people. I think it’s vital that we have a show that exemplified self-expression, and it’s not the last.”

R&B group performs original song – Photo by Justin Clarke

Vincent van Gogh “Up Close” at the Philadelphia Museum of Art

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By Paul Eberle
Editor-in-Chief

The Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Van Gogh Up Close exhibit featured roughly 40 works of art from galleries and collections across the globe. The purpose of the paintings was to help shed light on the drastic change in Vincent van Gogh’s artistic style and techniques and to offer some ideas on why the change occurred. The unique exhibit will only be on display at the Philadelphia Museum of Art until May 6, before it moves to the National Gallery of Canada from May 25-September 3, 2012.

Most of the paintings were created during van Gogh’s later years, from 1886-1890. Many were of the lovely and gloomy views from in and around the hospitals and asylums where he resided. Included is a painting of the view from the room where the masterful artist and disturbed mind spent his time staring out the barred window.

The reason the exhibit was entitled Van Gogh Up Close was to highlight van Gogh’s increasing interest in painting the fine details and his use of new techniques he learned from other artists of the time. Some paintings were of just a small section of grass, the highlights of wheat in a field, others of the minute details of a sunflower seen up close. The paintings that featured larger landscapes still often focused the subject matter on things in the foreground, rather than the vast background.

It was said that at this point van Gogh was inspired by the paintings of Japanese artists, some of which were on display and were just as captivating as van Gogh’s own work. The one corner of the gallery displayed almost a dozen woodblock paintings of perfection. The intricate designs from the mid 1800’s were created by Ando Hiroshige and seemed tiny in stature compared to van Gogh’s work, but they had a cleaner, more organized feel to them.

While the paintings of Hiroshige and the other Japanese artists seemed refined and flawlessly smooth, van Gogh’s had the feel of being perfect imperfections. Van Gogh often used the texture of his paint to highlight certain aspects, whereas the Japanese works were flat and level. Despite the obvious differences you could see the similarities between the artists of different generations, lifestyles, and countries. It was not hard to see how Van Gogh was inspired by those paintings.

Just as van Gogh was inspired by the work that was done before, and during his time, he continues to inspire with his work now. The simplicity combined with the intricacy of his paintings on display showed as much about van Gogh’s state of mind as his talents. Sunflowers in a vase is almost as simple of a painting subject as can be. Detailing every leaf, dead or alive, every stem, flaccid or upright, and every touch of light and darkness, is more difficult than one can imagine.

Some may ask, “how can someone crazy enough to cut off his own ear be an inspiration?” My only response, look at his art.

After 14 Months of Negotiation No One Wants a Strike

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By Don Stewart – Business Manager

If you haven’t heard by now CCP may be going on strike. The Student Vanguard has interviewed Federation union leaders and heard their side of the story. We also wanted a response from the administration. Linda Wallace is the school’s Director of Communications; she was able to answer some questions for us.

We asked Wallace how close is the union and administration on reaching an agreement and apparently the two parties have been in talks for quite some time. She said (via an email), “We’ve been negotiating with the Federation for nearly 14 months and we remain hopeful of reaching a fair and affordable agreement that values the hard work of our union colleagues. We want to add we are helpless about calling a strike and our package on the table is good and our benefits are great.”

According to Federation representatives if a strike were to occur it would most likely happen after spring break. This puts the college in a bind because a potential strike could impact the summer sessions which generate tons of income for the school. Wallace had this to say about how the strike could impact the summer session as well as any possible graduating students. “We don’t want a strike any more than our students do. Unfortunately, we are powerless to control the union’s decisions in this regard. At this point, we remain hopeful of reaching an agreement that preserves both the Spring and Summer sessions as currently scheduled. We remain committed to keeping students on track to a successful completion of their career and educational programs at the College.”

After our interview with Federation leaders what is clear is their demands. Union copresident John Braxton contends that over a year ago the administration offered “a little less than 1.5% per year” increase in annual wages. However the Federation is looking for increases that match the inflation rate of 3%. As far as medical benefits Braxton says that the school wants to impose $500 (for individuals) and $1500 (for families) medical deductibles.

We asked Ms. Wallace if the administration believes the requests as far as salary and benefits are reasonable and she replied (via e-mail), “We have submitted formal wage and benefit proposals to the union – proposals that are consistent with those offered by other public employers in the region during these difficult economic times.” Although specifics of the possible medical coverage are not available the medical deductible is similar to what the School District Of Philadelphia offers their employees through Personal Choice.

According to their website, with the School District medical insurance, out-of-pocket cost is higher when using an out-of-network provider and the deductible for an individual is $500 and $1000 for families; when not in the network there is no deductible while in the network of doctors. It should also be noted that entry level salaries for teachers with Master’s Degrees is $42,321.

When asked are administrators giving up anything such as raises Wallace responded, “Administrators did not receive salary increases this year. Normally administrators get the same increases as FT (full-time) faculty. There have been years that top administrative salaries were frozen due to economic circumstances.” We also wanted to know are benefits the same for all parties. Wallace said, “Administrator’s healthcare benefits are the same as FT faculty, including any contributions to payment.”

In the President’s open forum Dr. Curtis said the main sources of the school’s budget comes from three sources: state, city and federal government and student tuition and fees. He also mentioned that enrollment has decreased which impacts the amount of funding the school receives in aid. According to Wallace, “For the current year, FTEs (Full Time Enrollment’s) are projected to be down by approximately 175 FTEs which equates to about $743,000 in lower student tuition and fees. Fall FTEs were down .6% and Spring FTEs are projected to be down 2%. FTEs for next year are projected to be about 385 FTEs lower than current year actual FTEs which equates to approximately another $1,635,000 in lost student tuition and fees.”

When asked how much the school has lost in government funding Wallace replied, “The decrease in state, city and federal funding means our students are paying a greater share of the costs than ever before – roughly 57.5% of the College’s budget. We face another year of decreased funding for our students and our college, with no prospect of change in the immediate future. City funding has decreased more than $1 million – from $26,467,924 in FY 09-10 to $25,409,207 for the current year. State funding has decreased from more than $3 million – from $31,152,104 in FY 10-11 to $28,036,906 for the current year.

After this interview one thing is clear: no one is interested in a strike. We asked what can be done by the college community we were told, “Recognize that an agreement must serve the College’s core mission of providing access to opportunity and high quality education at an affordable price. The College will continue to negotiate to that end, and we urge our union colleagues to do the same. And students can do their part by urging both sides to continue talking.”