Show Your Love for Mother Earth

By Tia L.S. Holmes

You don’t have to wait for Thursday, April 22, to celebrate Earth Day. There are changes you can implement right now to make every day an Earth Day.

Even, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley is a documented supporter of environmentalism. He declared Maryland an official Earth Hour state and turned off the lights in his own home in support of the worldwide event.

During Earth Hour, states, countries, celebrities, and citizens join forces to turn out nonessential lighting and electricity. Scheduled for the final Saturday of each March, this year’s third annual Earth Hour event fell on March 27 at 8:30 p.m.

With respect to the governor, yourself, and the environment, here are the “Rs” that the EPA and other environmental organizations suggest will help defeat climate change and its harsh effects.

Reduce. Lessen the amount of items or resources you consume by using only the amounts you need and by looking for alternatives that will reduce use.
* Buy permanent items instead of disposables.
* Buy and use only what you need.
* Buy products with less packaging.
* Buy products that use less toxic chemicals.

Reuse. Extend the life or re-purpose an item rather than throwing it away.
* Repair items as much as possible.
* Use durable coffee mugs.
* Use cloth napkins or towels.
* Clean out juice bottles and use them for water.
* Use empty jars to hold leftover food.
* Reuse boxes.
* Purchase refillable pens and pencils.
* Participate in a paint collection and reuse program.
* Donate extras to people you know or to charity instead of throwing them away.
* Reuse grocery bags as trash bags.

Recycle. Recycling is processing old used items in order that the material can be used to make new products. Recycle paper (printer paper, newspaper, mail, etc.), plastic, glass bottles, cardboard, and aluminum cans. If your community doesn’t collect at the curb, take them to a collection center.

Respond. Implement these changes in your life to be more environmentally conscious and become helpful in spreading awareness.

*Purchase some cool post-consumer products at
www.uncommongoods.com.

More information is available on these sites:
www.42explore.com/recycle.htm; www.epa.gov/epahome/home.htm#recycle; www.cheasepeakebay.net/atschool.aspx?menuitem=16885

How Much Is Too Much?

Students, administrators frown on excessive displays of affection

By Willie Fenner and Peter Jackson

It’s a well-known fact that sex sells, but students here on the campus of Prince George’s Community College seem to sometimes get a complimentary peepshow from some of their peers to go along with their education.

To some PGCC students, it can be quite disturbing to witness public displays of affection (PDA). What’s even more disconcerting is trying to get around the public make-out sessions in the already crowded hallways.

According to an informal survey conducted on behalf of The Owl newspaper, PGCC students are not partial in their disdain for PDA, regardless of whether it is heterosexual or homosexual. Mentioning PDA inspired the same reaction from most students—a roll of the eyes in disgust.

Most people were not happy about witnessing so much PDA on campus. Many students had the same reaction: jolly faces quickly became distressed. “I don’t care for it whether it’s homosexual or heterosexual. Holding hands is okay, but kissing and groping is too much for both,” said Michelle Whitehead, a 25-year-old accounting major.

Another level of judgment was expressed when students were questioned about homosexual PDA. Males that took the survey didn’t mind seeing two females displaying affection. However, they showed anger when asked about two men.

Brandon Moore, a 21-year-old music major, shared his opinion on the matter saying, “I feel it’s like a religion at the end of day. You can do what you feel, just don’t involve me.” But Avery Sturdivant, a 19-year-old student, said: “There’s nothing wrong with holding hands or a small kiss before a couple departs from each other.”

Over-the-top PDA also is prohibited by the PGCC official standards of student conduct. According to the “2009-2010 PGCC Student Handbook,” lewd, indecent, and obscene conduct on college property are listed as types of misconduct for which students are subject to disciplinary action.

“It is not appropriate behavior to be displayed in an educational environment such as Prince George’s Community College,” said Dr. Tyjuan Lee, Vice President of Student Services. College officials have nine options for disciplinary action ranging from warnings and probation to dismissal or expulsion of students, according to the handbook.

PGCC President Dukes Speaks Out on Student Issues

For nearly two years, Dr. Charlene Dukes has served as the first female president of Prince George’s Community College. During her busy tenure, Dr. Dukes has overseen a 20-percent expansion in student enrollment, a rehabilitation of the campus library in Accokeek Hall and the construction of a new Center for Advanced Technology building. Currently, she is managing the construction of a new $40 million Center for Health Services building, which will break ground this spring.

As PGCC’s eighth president, Dr. Dukes brings a wide range of experiences to her position. In addition to serving as the college’s vice president for student services for 12 years, Dr. Dukes has also worked as a member of the Prince George’s County Public Schools Board of Education and dean of students at the Community College of Allegheny County in Pittsburg. She was appointed by Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley to serve on the Maryland Board of Education.

In a wide-ranging interview with editors of The Owl newspaper last month, Dr. Dukes gave insightful answers to questions involving campus enrollment, developmental courses, campus crime, civility, public displays of affection, and the college’s reputation in the community.

Q. College enrollment is up more than 20 percent in the last two semesters. How is the college handling the stresses that come with that?

A. We believe the economy plays some role in that, but we also believe it is the message that’s out in the community relative to the quality of education and the opportunities that exists for students.

In the fall we were 13 percent up in enrollment, and this spring were about 19 percent up in enrollment. That means we have maybe somewhere around 1,000 more students on campus over the course of this entire year than we had a year ago.

We’ve hired more faculty on an adjunct basis. We have more part-time faculty working here in order to ensure that we can provide the classes that students are looking for. We also have classes spread more throughout the day.

Q. Last semester, the school began a civility program asking students to police themselves and take responsibility. Is the program working?

A. We understand that we are a college where people are coming at a point where they are transitioning into adulthood, or they are already adults. The civility campaign is not there to force or to mandate. It is really to ask people to look at themselves and understand where they are currently in the world and where they are headed and that civility plays a big part in that.

We didn’t’ expect things to change overnight. We understand that college is not all work, and I would say, no social engagement. But how do you balance both of those and how do you do it in ways that respect the environment that you’re in?

Some of the profanity that may occur is very commonplace today, on radio, on television. What we’re suggesting is even in this environment, a collegiate environment — where we want to respect academic freedom, freedom of speech, how we interact with one another — you are also preparing yourself for the world.

Q. One of the things that we hear among students sometimes and among the community is that this is 13th grade. How are you changing that perception?

A. Well I would suggest to you that there are probably a wide variety of perceptions in the community. I’ve worked at the Community College of Allegany in Pittsburg. We had the same issues where people don’t view you as a real institution. Well, one of the ways that I think that we can combat that is to look at how we market the institution. I think that we’ve done a great job with that with our logo and our branding.

I do believe that people think that there is a difference between what they see here and what they might see at a four-year institution. But I also know that students realize the quality of the education they’ve received when they transfer and they are able to compete one on one with students who are native to that four-year institutions. And I think we have to keep pushing, both internally and externally, the message of high quality, high standards, and high reputation.

Q. How well has the Prince George’s County School system prepared its graduates for education here? I’ve noticed there are a lot of developmental classes. Or are they more geared to people who’ve been in the workforce?

A. It’s a combination. I will tell you that the one developmental class that most people take when they’re coming in as incoming freshman is math. And there’s a reason for that. The placement test is geared toward Algebra. Most of us, even if we had Algebra in high school, have been away from it some time. I don’t know about you, but I don’t sit around doing algebraic equations, that’s not what turns me on.

If you look at the fact that our median age here is 29, we’re getting a lot of first-semester students who are not 18 or 19, just getting out of high school. So they’ve got to come back and do some refresher in math. Simultaneously, if you took algebra 1 in the ninth or 10th grade, and you’ve been away from it for two years, it is likely that you might need some refresher work. Everyone’s not starting at the lowest level of mathematics.

The percent of students needing developmental course work has decreased over the past three years. At one point we were hovering around 67 or 70 percent. This past fall it was 54 percent, so clearly there are some great things happening in our public schools.

Q. One thing that’s of major concern is public displays of affection. How is the school trying to make it known that this is what you can do and this is what you can’t do?

A. We certainly talk about that in every fall and spring at new student orientation. It is in the code of conduct that people cannot engage in behaviors that are inappropriate to being in a collegiate environment. And quite frankly, we have to not only police others we have to police ourselves.

Are there inappropriate behaviors here? Yes, and we’re tackling those each and every day. We do use the code of conduct. We will either give students a warning or censure, they are suspended. And in some cases, we’ve had the unfortunate opportunity, if we can call it an opportunity, to expel students , which means that they can no longer come back to the institution.

Q. But, where do we draw the line? Some people kiss and some people go that extra mile?

A. I would suggest that that’s a discussion that we need to have. I know that in many instances that people when they leave each other will peck or kiss. We do that in public. I think that as a community, we should engage in a dialogue, and it should include students. Where do student believe that the line should be drawn and how do students help us to draw that line.

Md. Governor Visits PGCC to Launch Work Force Initiative

By Adelaja Obajimi

Maryland Govenor Martin O’Malley visited the Center for Advanced Technology on March 2 to launch Skills2Compete Maryland, a statewide program to boost college success and strengthen Maryland’s long-term work force. O’Malley talked about how the program will enhance the lives of current students, who will be able to earn a better living for themselves and their families.

“In this economy, we must do everything we can to build the middle-skill and high-skill work force that is so critical to economic recovery and long-term economic success,” he said. “Economic recovery takes more than just attracting business and creating jobs, it also means equipping those businesses and filling those jobs with a world-class Maryland work force.”

At a packed press conference, O’Malley tapped Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown to lead the new work force initiative. Brown said Skills2Compete is “part of our overall effort to create jobs, protect jobs and to assist Marylanders.” Brown is a former member of the PGCC Board of Directors. The briefing was also attended by presidents of other local community colleges. PGCC President Dr. Charlene Dukes introduced her fellow presidents and referred to them as her colleagues.

The goal of the Skills2Compete Maryland program is to increase the skills of Maryland’s work force by 20 percent by the year 2012. According to the Maryland Association of Community Colleges, jobs suited for holders of associate's degrees make up half of the state’s labor market. The program will focus state agencies, community colleges, local Workforce Investment Boards, apprenticeship programs and other stakeholders on preparing more Marylanders for middle-skill jobs.

Students Cry Foul Over Lack of Gym Access

By Arthur Duckett, Jr.

There has always been a comparison between the various experiences, opportunities and amenities received in community colleges versus traditional universities, especially how similar they are in terms of quality. Unfortunately, the basketball court is one basic amenity that students of Prince George’s Community College can’t boast about. Although there is a basketball court in the Novak Field House, PGCC students can’t use it for recreation since the rims are almost always cranked upward to disallow use.

When asked why this policy was set in place, Eva E. Toler, PGCC’s Chair of Health and Human Performance, had this to say: “I’ve been at the college for 20 years and there’s been a standing policy that the gym has not been open for students just to walk in (due to) liability issues.” Students are only allowed to play basketball in the gymnasium during specified times set by the school’s intramural activities schedule, said Toler.

The allowed times provided, however, are few and far between. According to the schedule of events published in the February issue of The Owl newspaper, open gym access for basketball games is only scheduled for three hours between February 5th and April 14th.

Other local schools do not have such a restrictive policy. For example, the University of Maryland and the University of North Carolina were faced with the same “liability issues” and solved the problem by placing a disclaimer on their school's website. Both schools have set in place regular hours of operation for their basketball gyms in addition to their school’s intramural activity schedule.
Isai Hamid, a first-year forensic science major said, “I understand why the gym isn’t just open for students to use. The Novak building has classrooms where instructions are taking place.” She said that “if the gym were open, the noise from students playing basketball would disrupt students in their classes.” William Fitzgerald, a first-year computer graphics major said, “It isn’t fair that we aren’t allowed to use the Novak basketball court, especially since we the students pay for the facility.” Funding for the basketball gym comes from instructional and activity fees that are included in a student’s tuition.

When asked her opinion on this subject, Toler said, “We do the best we can to meet student needs with what we are given. Liability-wise, I am in no way in support of letting the rims down and letting students in, because we are seeing an increase in unacceptable behavior in this building.”

This Juke Joint Was Jumpin’!

Even a Juke Joint Saturday Night party must come to an end sooner or later.

By Adelaja Obajimi

After a spectacular 14-year run, Prince George's Community College’s celebrated its final Jook Joint fundraiser on a snowy night in mid-February. This year’s event combined New Orleans-style food and fantastic 1920s dress as hundreds of party-goers filled the night with joy and dancing to the music and performances of the Jewels, Hardway Connection, Memphis Gold and PGCC’s own Dynasty Dance Crew.

Since 1996, PGCC has hosted the yearly event to raise funds for the college and celebrate music like it was done back in the 1920s, said Dr. Yvette Galloway, Dean of College Life Services. Galloway cited a lack of funding as one of the reasons why the event would not return next year. Although it seemed a little sad to know that this would be the last Juke Joint ever, the evening still sparkled with style and excitement.

To brighten up the already lovely mood of music and dance, the Jewels, a three-woman singing group, got the crowd on their feet dancing. Their voices were amazing. The Jewels claimed to have worked with the legendary James Brown and one of them even paid tribute to the Godfather of Soul by entertaining the audience with her rendition of his famous dance moves.

Also on hand to treat the guests to a wonderful night was PGCC’s own Dynasty Dance Crew, a new student choreography group led by Habeeba Serry. These girls looked dazzling in their flapper costumes and the guys looked just as good in their Fedoras and suspenders. Even better than the costumes was the performance they presented. For a just moment, time was suspended and the audience was transported back in the 1920s.

The highlight of the evening had to be the couple of party-goers who seemed to have a choreographed routine for every single song played. Thanks to them, there was not a single dull moment throughout the night. The party went on and everybody made the most of it - as if to say they were going to enjoy every last minute since this was the final Juke Joint.

Don’t Get on My List

By Stephen K. Cooper, Associate Editor

I normally don’t keep track of the people and things that bother me, but the editor-in-chief is fond of making daily announcements about the things that are really starting to piss him off. So, why can’t I? Usually, I’m a happy go lucky sort of guy, but today I’m picking up bad habits from the company I keep. In a perfect world, I would really rather let all my troubles roll off my back, but sometimes you just have to get a few things off your chest.

Number five on my list of irritants: The busted up Prince George’s Community College canopy that is barely attached to the Largo Student Center. Some people say impatience is the hallmark of the young, but I think a month after the snow storms are over is enough time to get a ladder and remove the debris from the campus.
Number four on my list of least favorite things: Is it too much to ask for a parking space somewhere in the same zip code as my classes in Marlboro Hall? Sure the campus has seen a jump in enrollment this year and last, but does everyone have to beat me to all the good spaces all the time?

Number three on my list of tantrums: Once the library closes up, there is no quiet place to study on campus. All the empty classrooms are usually locked up tight as a drum (especially on weekends) and the Largo Student Center is not really the right atmosphere for studying.

Number two on my list of ailments: Random people clogging the hallways doing random things. I stepped over the girl sleeping under her coat on the floor of Largo Student Center, dodged past the couple engaged in a lap dance, and then slid past the string of obscenities from the thug-wannabes on the stairway. What else would I pass on my way to the overcrowded parking lot?

Number one on my list of things I hate most of all: Missing all the things that colleges have to offer to make students excited about their school. I never see anyone wearing PGCC T-shirts or sweatshirts. The school mascot might be a pigeon for all I know — at least that’s the big bird statue in the main courtyard. Just once I’d like to see some students excited about being here and not simply trying to get grades and get out.