News

The Student Life Committee convened this past Monday, October 20.
A number of issues were discussed at the meeting. Three issues of interest to the Hudson Valley Community are the food pantry, academic honors and the possibility of Student Housing.

The food pantry is located upstairs in the Hudson Valley Campus Center. It is accessible per request, weekdays from 8 AM to 5 PM, by going to the Center for Counseling and Academic Transfer, on the second floor of the Campus Center. According to the committee, one of the problems facing the food pantry is that the stock of food is depleting quickly, usually within a few days.

The Criminal Investigations classes under Professor Scott Silverman gave back to the community by collecting food for the Hudson Valley Community College food pantry on Thursday, October 23, 2008.

The HVCC food pantry is located in the Center for Counseling and Transfer and is available for those students who are unable to afford groceries on their own.

John Bakerian, a freshman criminal justice major said, “It feels great to be able to do something for others.” Bakerian, along with fellow classmates Jake Koonz, Lyndsey Bessette, Eric Kennedy, Kalyn Deso and Eric McDonough, delivered food donated by the criminal justice students to the HVCC food pantry as a semester class project. Bakerian said that he hoped they would be able to do it again next semester.

The week of October 19, HVCC Psychology Professor John Ostwald will be leaving the U.S. to visit Vietnam. The trip will take two and a half weeks and will include approximately twenty other people. Those joining him will be veterans from the Vietnam War and family members.

A film crew from Los Angeles will film a documentary about the effects of the use of Agent Orange in the War. According to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Agent Orange is an herbicide that was utilized during the Vietnam war to destroy plant life used by enemies for cover. A total of twenty million gallons were used between 1962 and 1971.

While there, Ostwald and company will be observing the remaining effects in Vietnam since US troops left in March 29, 1973. According to the leader of this expedition, Dr. Ed Tick, the trip is about “healing, reconciliation, adventure, learning and spirituality.”

Rensselaer Polytechnic InstitutePI’’s new Experimental Media And & Performing Arts Center (EMPAC) building has arrived! This last weekend, “The Gala Weekend,” offered an introduction to the public on EMPAC’s program and mission with a variety of performances. The building is designed to accommodate performances and the collaboration of ideas between the arts and sciences.

“The great diversity of EMPAC’s aspiration is reflected in the events you are invited to participate in” said EMPAC director Johannes Goebel in a statement. “It [the opening weekend] is intended to pique your interest and invite you to explore the scope and potential for which EMPAC was created.”

The highlights of the EMPAC building start from its very design. The glass building looks very modern and impressive from the outside, and the inside features a 1,200 seat concert hall, a 400 seat theatre, and two studios for production and presentation.

Darfur, Sudan, located in northeastern Africa, has experienced a disruptive conflict between Arab Muslims and black Muslims due to tension caused by lack of natural resources.

Sudan gained independence in the 1950s and has been plagued with clashes between the Sudanese government and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) who are loyal to the open-minded Islamist leader named Hassan al-Turabi.

According to the Activism for Africa’s website, in the late 1980s, Turabi wanted to unite the country of Sudan with the Islamic faith. However, the present Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir overthrew Turabi and his fighters. Bashir and the SPLM/A agreed to end the civil war with a peace agreement in 2005.

As of September 4, HVCC’s Recycling Program has been expanded, adding cans and bottles to their existing list of paper, cardboard, books and packing materials. Exactly 32 indoor can and bottle recycling receptacles, 22 indoor paper recycling receptacles and 14 outdoor can and bottle recycling receptacles have been added to the preexisting 585 recycling receptacles added in 2007.

According to Clem Campana, operations assistant of HVCC’s Physical Plant, the Recycling Committee was established in 1993 as a one man operation. Campana said, “In 2007 the committee was energized with an influx of new members and that’s when we got working on expanding recycling.” In the 2007-2008, the committee has recycled 56 tons of paper from the campus. That is double the amount of the 2006-2007 year. From the time of the programs establishment, the committee has concentrated on the paper products that made up the majority of the college’s waste as there were not enough containers.

Are you a veteran? How about a new member of the Armed Forces? Or just someone who wants to learn about military life? Then the following club on campus is for you.

The Armed Forces Club is small now, but it has the potential to transform into a large camaraderie of military service members and civilians at HVCC.

According to Carrie Farley, advisor of the club, there are 600 veterans on campus in the fall, spring and summer semesters. The group’s primary goal is to be available for any veterans on campus. The club’s brochure also states that they want to “supply information and assistance that will enable veterans to get the maximum use of relevant educational, vocational and medical benefits” and “Share specific veteran experiences that will facilitate social relationships and camaraderie” as well as “Educate the public, regarding veteran issues…” and “Facilitate the participation of members in other school activities and clubs.”

On October 13, 2008 Alfredo Balarin will assume the position of Assistant Director for Student Life. “He’s got lots of ideas and he is ready to hit the ground running,” said Planning Committee member Ann Carrozza of Balarin.

After the recent resignation of Jonathan Winnicki from the position of director of student life, the Search Committee and Faculty Student Association Board of Directors (FSA) began a search to fill the position. They decided unanimously on Balarin. He is a graduate of the State University of New York at Albany with a Master of Science in Education Administration. He also has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Latin American Studies.

Our government passed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act in 1984, prohibiting the acquisition of alcohol for people under the age of 21. In all states, the act raised the age limit to purchase and possess alcohol from 18 years to 21 years of age.

Since July 2008, one hundred and thirty chancellors and presidents of institutions of higher levels of education across the U.S. have signed a public statement, known as the Amethyst Initiative, declaring that negligent and reckless drinking has continued to be an issue among our nation’s young people. The statement is a call for the government and state officials to reconsider the drinking age requirement.

With many students going on vacations and long trips over spring break next week traveling safely becomes a high priority for many people, especially as many trips this time of year tend to be over-seas and involve long flights.

With Hudson Valley students taveling during Spring Break there are a few tips the United States Transportation Security Administration (TSA), has issued regarding safety, and saving time getting through the security check points at most airports.

• • Have your Boarding pass and photo ID ready, boarding passes can be obtained at the airline's ticket counter.
• • Keep all personal electronic devices in a bag or case that can be set aside at the metal detectors.
• • Avoid wearing any clothing with metal in it, ie: jeans with rivets, jackets with zippers, and so on.
• • Pack jackets, coats and other heavy clothing in main baggage and not with carry on luggage.