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CCC Offers Free Shuttle Service Between Blackwood and Camden

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ — Students at Camden County College will soon be able to take advantage of a free shuttle service that will operate between the Gloucester Township and Camden campuses, county officials announced on Monday.

The service was the brainchild of student Hecmarie Berrios, a Camden resident who found it challenging to reach the Gloucester Township campus. Most of the nursing student’s classes are in Camden City, but she also needs access to the Blackwood campus. So she started a petition. After gathering 300 signatures, she presented her petition to the college, and her idea became a reality.

“Part of our mission at Camden County College is to be responsive to the needs of the community. We continuously enhance our programs and services to meet these needs,” Camden County College President Don Borden said. “It is our job to provide opportunities and reduce barriers for students. But when we can show students that their actions and hard work can make an impact, that is when we are truly doing our job as an institution.”

The shuttle comes courtesy a partnership between the college, the county and the South Jersey Transportation Authority. It will run Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., beginning Jan. 17.

Camden County College is one of the largest community colleges in New Jersey and ranks among the top 100 nationwide in terms of associate degree graduates. It is recognized nationally as a leader in technology programs such as video game design/development and photonics. It has also been acknowledged for maintaining one of the lowest tuition rates of any college or university in the state or region.

Camden County College is known for responding to the changing needs of the communities and students it serves by continuously updating its programs and services to support the area’s economic development and residents’ professional and personal development. 

Article Source: patch.com

Students share winter holiday traditions

BLACKWOOD – Camden County College students are preparing to celebrate the winter holidays.

Graydon Huss, 21, celebrates both Hanukkah and Christmas during the winter at his home. Although he never had a bar mitzvah, Huss said he’s “Jewish, mainly.” As to why he said that, Huss responded, “My whole family is Jewish and I was raised around them, more so than my dad’s side (who are) Catholic.”

His mom, he said, is Jewish and his dad is Catholic. He used to spend time at his grandmother’s house during Hanukkah, where he would light the menorah and spin dreidels with his family, and would celebrate Christmas at his house.

Huss said while he used to get presents every night of Hanukkah, he now gets them only on one night of the holiday. As to what night of Hanukkah he normally gets his presents, Huss stated, “It kind of just depends on how we feel.” Although he now celebrates Hanukkah at home every year, he still makes sure to light the menorah all eight nights of Hanukkah.

Tomika Odrick, 22, celebrates Christmas at her house with her immediate family. She said her immediate family has four people and her sister is away at college but “will be coming back for Christmas.”

She said her mom makes a big deal out of Christmas. Her family makes sure to hang up all the holiday cards they receive but they make sure all of them are signed.

Her family will wait until 10 a.m., when her mom usually gets home from work on Christmas Day, to open up her gifts. Odrick said they play music when they open up their gifts. Her family also has an order in which her family is allowed to open gifts. “We start from the youngest child to my dad,” said Odrick. After her family is done unwrapping gifts, they put them back under the tree so her aunt can see them when she comes over for Christmas. She said her family always has Pirouline cookies on Christmas.

Manu S., 25, celebrates Christmas with his friends in the United States and has since he has lived here. He still even gets invited over by his ex-girlfriend’s mom’s, which he said is “awkward.”

Before he moved to the U.S., he said he celebrated Diwali, the festival of lights that normally takes place in November, in India. He said Diwali is considered the new year in India and fireworks are a big part of the holidays in that country. Fireworks cause “so much pollution that people cannot have clean air the next day,” he stated.

He said during the holidays he gets and receives lots of sweets. He did go to an Indian function in New Jersey where people wore traditional Indian dresses and prayed. “Not many fireworks, actually,” he said about the function in New Jersey, though.

 

Rebecca Green
CCC Journalism Program
ccctimes.net

 

CCC opens production of “The Stinky Cheese Man”

BLACKWOOD – Silly stories, fairy tale characters and funny jokes were what you could have seen on Friday in the Dennis Flyer Theater at Camden County College at the opening of The Stinky Cheese Man.

The play, based on the children’s book by Jon Sciesza and Lane Smith, was adapted by John Glore and is about a narrator trying to put on a show about twisted fairy tales. He keeps getting interrupted by the characters in the show and is unable to have it go smoothly. The characters want to make sure they get to tell their story and not have the narrator mess it up.

Will Abbott, a CCC student who attended the play on Friday night, said, “I enjoyed the show greatly. It was well thought out and very cohesive.” He said his favorite part was the twisted tale of the frog and the princess. He added he would recommend the show to both children and adults because it was so relatable.

The cast and crew of The Stinky Cheese Man rehearsed for only one month before putting on the show. Not only did they have to learn lines and put together the show in one month, but they also had to build the set and make costumes and props. That included a set of giant’s legs and arms that played a big role in the show.

Jordan Chester, the stage manager for the production, said about having only one month to put everything together, “It’s a good thing that (it) is less than an hour long. There isn’t so much to rehearse,” although cast and crew members spent many hours preparing the play.

Throughout the show, the story of angry characters and a disappointed narrator continues to be told. More craziness ensues when they wake up the giant, which leads to the narrator facing even more problems. The story comes to an end when each character finally gets to tell their story.

The character The Stinky Cheese Man is a twist on the gingerbread man. He runs around the show stinking up the place because he is made out of moldy cheese.

The Stinky Cheese Man will play in the Dennis Flyer Theater next weekend as well. You can see the show at 7 p.m. Dec. 7, 8 and 9 and at 2 p.m. Dec. 9. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for children age 12 and younger, senior citizens and CCC students with valid ID. Payment must be by cash or check. Cards will not be accepted.

Brittany Russo
CCC Journalism Program

Full story at ccctimes.net

Doctor, attendees consider: Which Brain Do You Want?

BLACKWOOD – A Virginia-based psychiatrist presented Which Brain Do You Want?, a program about brain health, to an audience in Civic Hall at Camden County College on Dec. 1.

Jorandby, who is certified in addiction medicine and general psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and works at Amen Clinics-Washington, D.C. in Reston, Va., said the purpose of the program was “to generate interest in the brain and brain health.”

Jorandby began the program by giving out basic facts about the human brain: For example, your brain controls everything you do from working in school to building relationships with people. Your brain has 100 billion cells or neurons and is made up of 60 percent fat. Your brain does not stop growing until age 25 to 27 for men and age 21 to 24 for women. And the brain weighs as much as a miniature or teacup chihuahua.

Jorandby then discussed the functions of the different parts of the brain: For example, the temporal lobe helps with memory and language, keeps you calm and prevents you from being grumpy or cranky. The prefrontal cortex makes up your personality, helps you focus in school and is considered the brake of your brain. In other words, the prefrontal cortex prevents you from making poor choices such as saying something illogical.

She said a healthy brain is smooth, rounded, symmetric and has no holes, dents or gaps, while an unhealthy brain is bumpy with holes or dents on it. She said these holes are areas in the brain where blood circulation is extremely low.

Jorandby said six different types of addiction-prone brain patterns can occur in addicts:

  • Compulsive addicts are always worried, over-focused and have trouble letting go.
  • Impulsive addicts are constantly bored, easily distracted, impulsive and inattentive.
  • Impulsive-compulsive addicts have a mixture of compulsive and impulsive traits. This pattern is usually found in children of alcoholics.
  • Sad or emotional addicts are depressed, often crave sugar, have low energy and use food, alcohol or painkillers to overcome loneliness and boredom.
  • Anxious addicts predict the worst outcomes and have feelings of nervousness, tension, fear or anxiety.
  • Temporal lobe addicts have problems dealing with their temper or anger, go through mood swings and have learning disabilities.

Toward the end of the program, Jorandby gave the audience information about keeping your brain healthy: For example, you should aim for 7.5 hours of sleep each night in a cool dark room with electronics turned off. You should eat well by consuming healthy fats such as organic poultry, seeds, grass-fed beef and lamb and cutting out sugar, alcohol and genetically modified or processed foods because they slow your brain.

Daquan Witcher
CCC Journalism Program
CCCTimes

 

David Edwards begins work as vice president of academic affairs

Dr. David Edwards was appointed vice president of academic affairs by the Camden County College Board of Trustees on Oct. 3. He began his tenure at Camden County College on Nov. 1.

Edwards came from Mercer County College, where he served in the same position for approximately two years. Edwards also worked as dean of arts and sciences at Middlesex County College and as dean of instruction at Hudson Community College. He said his passion for hard work and student success are helpful qualities for a collegiate vice president.

Edwards received his bachelor’s degree in English from Louisiana State University in 1977. “It’s a very valuable degree to have,” said Edwards.

He received his master’s degree in education from The University of Texas and in 2015 he obtained his doctoral degree in educational leadership from Rowan University.

Edwards has worked in higher education for 25 years. He has taught English composition, communications and thesis writing for students trying to obtain a master’s degree.

Edwards said his first impressions of Camden County College are very positive. He said the college is very organized institutionally and administratively.

“Resources for the faculty and staff are more than adequate,” said Edwards. He described the college as a “healthy institution.”

Tatyana Davis
CCC Journalism Program

Read more about David Edwards at ccctimes.net

International students gather for Thanksgiving lunch

BLACKWOOD – Camden County College hosted a Thanksgiving lunch for international students on Nov. 21. The lunch took place from noon to 2 p.m. in Roosevelt Hall on the Blackwood campus.

About 200 international students attended the event out of the 300 international students who attend the college, said international student adviser Lani Nguyen.

“It’s much more than a meal. It’s about showing the international students how much we appreciate them,” said Nguyen about why she helped start the Thanksgiving lunch for the international students.

Students were served turkey, Caesar salad, house salad, mashed potatoes, corn, cranberry sauce, bread, rolls and sweet potato pie, which was made by the cafeteria staff at the college.

Students from Brazil, Ireland, India, Nigeria, Austria and other countries went table to table meeting people and interacting with classmates and friends.

“Lani invited me and I felt that it was nice because I could see everyone and get together. It’s nice to meet more friends and to see who else is a part of international students,” said international English student Franciely Lippert about why she came to the lunch. “I like the idea a lot. It seems like the college made us welcome.”

Among the international students who attended the lunch were students majoring in nursing, business, English, communications and other fields.

“It’s free food, so yeah that’s why I came … because I know everyone else since I’m a part of a soccer team,” said international student James Garrard. “I enjoyed it. The food wasn’t that good but good atmosphere.”

Nguyen said making the event happen was a team effort. “The dean and assistant dean got the food. I talked to the students and made them feel welcome,” she said.

Nguyen, food service workers and faculty members welcomed students to the lunch. Around the tables, students talked about the classes they were taking, the experiences they have had being in a new country, how they got to the college, why they came to the college and other topics. The students spoke in English and their native languages.

Christian A. Browne
CCC Journalism Program

To read full article visit ccctimes.net

 

Camden County College Raises $10K On Giving Tuesday

Giving Tuesday is an effort to encourage people to give to their favorite charities during the holiday season.

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ — Employees and friends of Camden County College raised over $10,000 for student scholarships on Giving Tuesday, Nov. 28, college officials announced. They raised the money by creating a network of Facebook fundraisers to raise money matched by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Giving Tuesday is an effort to encourage people to give to their favorite charities during the holiday season, and takes place the Tuesday after Thanksgiving.

“When we found out the Gates Foundation would match funds up to $1,000 per Facebook fundraiser, we reached out to our staff to see if anyone would be interested in creating their own fundraiser, with all donations going to the Foundation as a way of stacking the matched donations,” Camden County College Foundation Development Associate Melissa Daly said. “We created a video showing how to create a Facebook fundraiser, and a social media plan to generate excitement.”

At least 13 people immediately created fundraisers on Facebook to benefit the Camden County College Foundation, according to the college. Foundation funds benefit students directly either via the general fund for tuition scholarships and other academic supports such as book scholarships, or via specific scholarships in memory of individuals.

For example, Camden County College math professor Dr. Kelly Jackson raised a total of $2,400 for her two memorial scholarships funds. One is the Lamar Ortiz Memorial Scholarship Endowment, awarded annually to a Hispanic male with an excellent academic record. The other is the new Nancy Jackson Memorial Scholarship for the top Camden County College female scholar athlete. Jackson’s friends and family collectively raised $6,000 through five individual Facebook fundraisers.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation pledge was fulfilled by the early morning, but Facebook waived all donation fees so the donations continued to come in throughout the day and evening. Camden County College raised $10,000 before the match. Exact matched funds are pending.

Read full article at patch.com

NJ Secretary of Higher Education Honors Newark City of Learning Collaborative with “Equity Trailblazer Award”

Stakeholders from around the state joined the New Jersey Secretary of Higher Education, Rochelle Hendricks, on Monday, November 20, 2017 in Princeton for “65 by 25: Many Paths, One Future – The Equity Imperative,” during which the Newark City of Learning Collaborative (NCLC) received one of four Equity Trailblazer Awards. Presented “in recognition of innovative, exemplary efforts toward achieving New Jersey’s attainment goal,” awards were also presented to the Garden State LSAMP (Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation) housed at Rutgers University-Newark, Gateway to College at Camden County College, and the Rowan College at Gloucester County Work and Learn Consortium.

The Equity Imperative event was hosted by the Secretary of Higher Education in partnership with Aaron R. Fichtner, Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, and New Jersey Department of Education Commissioner Kimberley Harrington, as a part of the state’s 65 by 25 campaign which officially launched in September 2017. With a goal of raising the percentage of New Jersey residents that have a post-secondary credential from the current 50 percent to 65 percent by 2025, the initiative is “helping to ensure an innovative, competitive, inclusive and prosperous future” for New Jersey and promoting collaboration between colleges and universities, businesses, and government officials.

In line with the mission and goals of the state, NCLC, which is housed on the Rutgers University-Newark campus, was launched in 2015 to help Newark become a more economically vibrant city by increasing the number of residents that have education or training beyond high school to 25 percent by 2025. Also like the state-wide initiative, NCLC works with a cross-section of stakeholders from higher education, K-12 schools, corporations, city government, foundations, and non-profit organizations to expand Newark’s college-going culture and develop clear pathways for residents to earn degrees or other credentials.

In attendance to accept the Equity Trailblazer Award on behalf of NCLC was Executive Director Reginald Lewis, who said during his remarks, “In just a few short years, we’ve managed to mobilize an entire city to begin to change a mindset in earnest about what’s possible: that many more residents can aspire to attain college and other post-secondary credentials…which gives us hope that 25 by 2025 remains in reach.”

Acknowledging the many partnerships that make the work of NCLC possible, Mr. Lewis highlighted the main take away for the event: collaboration is key to help make New Jersey a stronger and more equitable state.

Read full article at rutgers.edu

 

Lady Cougars keep dominating with win over RCGC

BLACKWOOD – The Camden County College women’s basketball team improved its record to 8-2 by beating rival Rowan College at Gloucester County 61-57 on Nov. 21.

The game was packed to the doors with Cougar and Road Runner fans and the gym was electric when the tip off took place.

An impact player for the Cougars, Olivia Pierman, has shown great strength and leadership on the court as a freshman. About Camden County’s success so far this season and how it will affect the team’s success moving forward, Pierman said, “It is always awesome having a great start. It gives us momentum for the rest of the season that hopefully leads us into playoffs.”

The scoring and momentum of the game was back and forth all 40 minutes. At halftime the Cougars trailed RCGC by five points but that did not stop the Cougars from playing their game.

The tide of the game swung in the direction of the Cougars toward the final stretch as they took the lead with 2:10 left in the game. The Road Runners could not regain the lead as the Cougars played inspired defense at the end of the game. John Merkh, the clock operator at home games, said, “It is always fun to watch these girls play. They play together and that’s why they come out on top more times than not.”

Pierman said beating their rivals was important to the Cougars. “It feels amazing. It is always a good feeling when you beat your rivals. We knew it was going to be a hard game and we were able to come out with the win.”

She noted playing well together matters to the team. “Chemistry has been a big part and knowing what we have to do every game. We do not take any game for granted.”

The Cougars finished the day as the number one team in the conference and a top five team in the region.

To read full article visit ccctimes.net

Bobby Girgenti
CCC Journalism Program

Free training plus a promise of jobs for some Camden students

When she graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in Camden last year, Rosemary Irizarry’s future was uncertain. The tech-savvy teen, often an honor-roll student, couldn’t afford her dream school — Stockton University.

“I put money into my savings, then decided to take a break for a semester and find out what I wanted to do, because I felt pressure,” said Irizarry, 19, of East Camden.

But a year later, she has a promise of employment as a medical coder, thanks to a jobs program involving Camden County College, local nonprofits such as Hopeworks, and the county’s largest employer, Cooper University Health Care.

Launched in September with 13 students, the initiative allows high school graduates and GED-holders — some loaded with other jobs and coursework — to earn a 39-credit medical-coding certificate at their own pace. For most, the program will take 15 to 18 months to complete and include a mix of in-person and online courses.

Afterward, students are guaranteed a full-time medical-coding job with Cooper University Health Care starting at $13.64 an hour. Full benefits are offered 90 days into employment.

“The more they explained the program to me, the more I enjoyed it,” said Irizarry, a Camden County College student and chemistry and medical-coding double major. A month into the program, she said, she’s starting to make flashcards to help her memorize complicated medical terminology and their corresponding codes.

County and state officials, along with top hospital and college administrators, gathered in a 10th-floor Cooper University Hospital boardroom overlooking downtown Camden to praise what the program means for youths in a city with nearly 20 percent unemployment and a median household income of just $25,000.

The certificate costs $12,000 per participant, but that cost is covered by public and private funding and the program is free to students, who must be Camden residents.

To read full article visit philly.com