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Camden County Cultural and Heritage Commission at CCC hosts Grant Award Breakfast

More than 20 cultural and arts organizations across Camden County received their grants during the inaugural Camden County Cultural and Heritage Commission Award Breakfast at Camden County College’s William G. Rohrer Center on March 8. This event served as a formal acknowledgement of the funding that local organizations receive from the Camden County Cultural and Heritage Commission through the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and the County History Partnership Program through the New Jersey Historical Commission.

“This was a morning of acknowledgment, networking and inspiration as we paid tribute to the outstanding efforts of the arts, history and educational organizations that have shaped the cultural landscape of Camden County” said Commissioner Melinda Kane, liaison to the Camden County Cultural and Heritage Commission. “The Cultural and Arts organizations in Camden County have an invaluable impact on our area and we are proud to continue to support their efforts.”

The Camden County Cultural and Heritage Commission at Camden County College supports the local arts and history that make our communities dynamic places to live and work. The commission was established by the Camden County Board of Commissioners to act as the designated agency in Camden County to receive and administer the New Jersey State Council on the Arts Local Arts Program and the New Jersey Historical Commission County History Partnership Program.

Breaking Barriers in the Negro Leagues and Beyond: A discussion on the legacy of the Philadelphia and South Jersey Negro Leagues

In collaboration with “A League Apart,” an exhibit showcasing the importance of breaking barriers through the stories of the Philadelphia and South Jersey Negro Leagues, Camden County College hosted a panel discussion on the legacy of the Negro Leagues on Wednesday, February 28 at Camden County College’s William G. Rohrer Center in Cherry Hill Township.

Former Philadelphia Phillies player and coach, Milt Thompson offered his perspective on the Negro Leagues and how they helped shape his career. Baseball researcher and founder of Baseball-Reference.com, Sean Forman, along with several area historians and authors discussed the advancement of Negro League statistics, and the legacy of the Negro Leagues. Guests also had the opportunity to view exclusive Negro League memorabilia donated by Camden County College professor Dr. Kelly Jackson, authenticated baseball cards, and a display of books by local authors.

Using memorabilia, photos, and stories from the past, “A League Apart” focuses on the players who stepped up to the plate to change the biases and traditions of baseball. The exhibit is produced by Carolyn Quick (University of the Arts alumna) and Brian Michael (owner of Shibe Vintage Sports). “A League Apart” is now open at the William G. Rohrer Center, is free to the public and open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. through May 20, 2024.

“I can’t think of a better way to honor and celebrate Black History Month than with an exhibition highlighting contributions and accomplishments made by Black Americans in our region,” Camden County Commissioner Jonathan Young said. “I encourage everyone to visit the exhibition while it is at Camden County College, as it is a wonderful opportunity to learn about the history of the Negro Baseball Leagues here in the Philadelphia and South Jersey area.”

More information is available at www.ALeagueApart.org where you will also find an online giftshop featuring merchandise including a Hilldale Daisies t-shirt and Philadelphia Stars shirts and hats.

Camden County College Men’s and Women’s Basketball are Playoff Bound

On February 21, NJCAA Region 19 announced their D3 playoff brackets, and both Camden County College Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams made the Playoffs this year.

The Women’s team, coached by Chip Reitano is seeded 3rd in the NJCAA Region 19 tournament bracket after they finished the regular season with a 14-7 overall record. The Women’s team is led by 1st Team All-Region guard, Chole Cargo. Chole, a freshman, leads the team in points at 21.5 PPG, and is the 3rd highest scorer in the Country. Chole is also ranked 5th in the Country in steals. Also leading the way for the Cougars is sophomore, Kayla Franklin. Kayla was named 2nd Team All-Region, and is the team’s second leading scorer, and leads the Country in blocks. The Lady Cougars will take on Lehigh Carbon Community College at home on Tuesday February 27 at 5:30 p.m.

The Men’s Basketball team, coached by Lou Abbattista was seeded 4th in the NJCAA Region 19 tournament. The Cougars finished 18-10 overall in the regular season. The Cougars are led by 3rd Team All-Region recipient, Demere Hollingsworth. The freshman from Delaware leads the team in scoring, steals, and assists. The Cougars will face Community College of Philadelphia at home on Tuesday, February 27 at 7:30 p.m., immediately after the Women’s playoff game.

Good luck, Cougars!

Camden County College hosts Garden State Esports Collegiate Circuit

On February 20, 2024, Camden County College hosted round one of the Garden State Esports Collegiate Circuit (GSECC), New Jersey’s 1st in-person Intercollegiate Esports League, at the William G. Rohrer Center in Cherry Hill.

GSECC is an in-person competitive esports league for New Jersey colleges, with a goal of creating a seamless high school-to-college-to-career pathway that will keep New Jersey’s talent within the State’s educational and professional spheres. Garden State Esports, the largest high school esports league in New Jersey, serves as the league operator. Horizon AVL Esports Integration serves as the production/broadcast team.

Two area high schools (West Deptford High School and Woodbury High School), two Community Colleges (Camden County College and Brookdale Community College), two 4-year institutions (Stockton University and Rutgers University-Camden), and two industry leaders (Garden State Esports and Horizon AVL Esports Integration) were in attendance. Industry leaders were able to teach, engage and support high school and college students through an engaging experiential learning opportunity that was focused on producing a livestreamed Esports League event.

The remaining in-person competitions will take place on March 19 at Stockton University and April 16 in Brookdale Community College and will allow for local high schools to play their regular season matches before the events begin. Students then remain as spectators and shadow the collegiate teams as they compete and produce the event. At the end of the regular season, the top teams will compete live, in-person, at the Garden State Esports Spring Finals in front of 1200+ fans and local and state press.

This event was funded in part by the NJ Pathways Project for “Esports Production and Content Creation” through the New Jersey Council of Community Colleges as a way to introduce and intersect esports production-related workforce opportunities.

Camden County College dedicates third POW/MIA Chair

Camden County College was proud to host the installation and dedication ceremony of a POW/MIA chair at the William G. Rohrer Center in Cherry Hill, NJ on Friday, February 16. The POW/MIA chair is left intentionally empty to serve as a reminder of the service members who are unable to be with us.

Assemblyman William F. Moen Jr. (District 5), Camden County Commissioner and Gold-Star Mother Melinda Kane, Camden County College Executive Vice President Dr. David Edwards, as well as members of our local Veteran community were in attendance. Camden County College is dedicated to the remembrance of service members, and this chair serves as a reminder that there is always a place for them at Camden County College.

Camden County College’s first POW/MIA chair was installed at our Blackwood Campus on September 15, and a second POW/MIA chair was installed at our Camden City Campus on December 18.

Negro League Baseball exhibit at Camden County College

“A League Apart,” an exhibit showcasing the importance of breaking barriers through the stories of the Philadelphia and South Jersey Negro Leagues and their ongoing legacy, is now open at Camden County College’s William G. Rohrer Center, located at 1889 Rt. 70 East in Cherry Hill Township. The self-guided exhibit is free and is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. through May 20, 2024.

Using memorabilia, photos and stories from the past, “A League Apart” focuses on the players who stepped up to the plate to change the biases and traditions of baseball. This is the exhibit’s second installation in the Philadelphia region and it now features a new chapter on Negro League baseball in South Jersey, unique autographed memorabilia donated by Camden County College professor Dr. Kelly Jackson and expanded programming.

“I can’t think of a better way to honor and celebrate Black History Month than with an exhibition highlighting contributions and accomplishments made by Black Americans in our region,” Camden County Commissioner Jonathan Young said. “I encourage everyone to visit the exhibition while it is at Camden County College, as it is a wonderful opportunity to learn about the history of the Negro Baseball Leagues here in the Philadelphia and South Jersey area.”

Throughout the exhibit, visitors are encouraged to interact and discover the barrier breakers throughout pivotal moments in baseball’s history. The Barrier Breakers include: Octavius Catto, Henry “Pop” Lloyd, Ed Bolden, Richard “Dick” Allen, and Mo’ne Davis. Each is presented with compelling storytelling, historical context and QR codes to access videos.

The exhibit is produced by Carolyn Quick (University of the Arts alumna) and Brian Michael (owner of Shibe Vintage Sports).

“A League Apart highlights a commonly untold story of baseball. You hear the names Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb but what about the stories of Philadelphia Stars’ Mahlon Duckett and ‘Slim’ Jones?” Quick said. “In this exhibit, we highlight why the Negro Leagues are important, their formation, and their ongoing legacy so that people today can have a complete history of America’s pastime.”

To further celebrate Black History Month, on February 28 a talk by Baseball Reference founder, Sean Forman will be held discussing the advancement of Negro League statistics. Additional events will include an MLB The Show video game tournament, a Civil War-era baseball lecture and an Opening Day party in April.

Visitors can pick up a free set of baseball cards depicting each of the Barrier Breakers. Guided tours are available for groups of 12 or more. The Rohrer Center is also home to the recently opened South Jersey Baseball Hall of Fame museum exhibit.

More information is available at www.ALeagueApart.org.

Meet CCC Athlete Chloe Crago

When Chloe Crago was deciding where she was going to go to college, she knew that she wanted to pursue her education while playing the sport she loved, basketball. Hailing from Belle Fourche, South Dakota, Chloe had numerous options and offers, many of which would’ve allowed her to stay closer to home.

However, when Chloe visited Camden County College in Spring 2023, she knew where she would be attending- even if it meant being a 27-hour drive from home. Once she stepped onto campus, Chloe said it was an easy decision. The atmosphere, friendly students and staff, and the sense of community helped her decide that CCC would be where she continued her academic and athletic career.

Chloe was recently named GSAC DIII Women’s Basketball Player of the Week- the first to receive the honor in 2024. Chloe was noted for her stellar record, as she is currently the second leading scorer in the NJCAA. Chloe is not remiss on the fact that her choice to come to CCC has allowed her more opportunities to play as a first-year student compared to her friends from home who went on to four-year schools.

“I knew coming to CCC and leaving home was no small thing to do, but this helped solidify that made the right choice in coming here,” Chloe said of the recognition. “The support of my coaches, my teammates, the administrators and the College as a whole has given me a community here. It’s been really great.”

Coach Chip Reitano, is proud to have Chloe on the team.

“I wish I had 10 more players like her, she makes my job easy,” Reitano said.

Coach Chip is in his 10th season as the Women’s Head Basketball Coach at CCC, and he believes that the program’s success comes from “the way we do things.” Coach Chip and his staff prioritize improving their players confidence, trust, and building and maintaining strong relationships. The Lady Cougars are currently 10-4, and have already clinched their spot in the playoffs.

Women’s Basketball players from CCC have gone on to continue their collegiate athletic careers at a number of four-year Colleges and Universities, including Rutgers- Camden, Rutgers- New Brunswick, Rowan University, Stockton University, Holy Family University, and Gregorian Court University.

However, Chip said that it isn’t uncommon for his players to end their athletic careers as a Cougar.

“They don’t feel like they can get a better experience. It’s the perfect way to end their athletic career,” said Reitano.

For Chloe, she’s not yet sure where her athletic or academic journey after CCC will take her, but what she does know, is that she is happy with her college choice.

“I would make the decision to come to CCC every time,” remarked Chloe.

Teaching Administrator and Alumnus receive Grammy Nomination

For the second year in a row, Camden County College Teaching Administrator, David Downham, alongside his colleague, CCC Alumnus Matthew Weber ’08, has contributed to a Grammy Nominated album. David and Matthew both received engineering nominations on the following releases: Best Traditional R&B Performance: Adam Blackstone, featuring Jazmine Sullivan ‘Round Midnight’ (2022) and Best Instrumental Jazz Album: Adam Blackstone Legacy: The Instrumental Jawn (2023). While they lost the Grammy to Beyonce in 2022, ‘Round Midnight’ was listed on President Barack Obama’s Favorite Music of 2022 list.

David is a South Jersey native, and attended high school in Haddon Township. He then went on to attend college at University of the Arts in Philadelphia and graduated with a degree in Music Composition and a minor in Jazz Guitar. David has co-owned Gradwell House Recording in Haddon Heights, NJ for nearly 20 years, and his “day-job” is as the Studio Manager, Recording and Mastering Engineer. He is also a musician and producer. Matthew serves as the Chief Recording Engineer at Gradwell House Recording.

David began teaching as an adjunct faculty member in the Music Recording program at CCC nearly 16 years ago after he was contacted by Dr. Michael Billingsley- his former classmate at University of the Arts- who had heard of David’s studio through CCC students. David has been a full-time Teaching Administrator for the Audio Production program since 2019.

For David, teaching is about sharing his passion for the music industry with students.

“I love being able to introduce students to the world of audio and music and to make them aware of a new possible lifestyle/career that they had never considered. Many of my peers in the industry are wonderful, passionate people who love what they do,” David said. “I want to inspire the next generation of those individuals.”

David and Matthew’s success is proof that there are exciting opportunities available for students interested in the music industry.

“The pandemic heavily impacted our industry, especially the live sound world, which has seen a high rate of attrition,” explained David. “There are opportunities in that world to become a live sound technician (Front of House and Monitors) as well as a member of the crew, a stage manager or even a tour manager. In the studio world there are opportunities to become a recording, mixing or mastering engineer as well as a producer or beatmaker.”

Good luck to David, Matthew, and the rest of the talented individuals who worked on Legacy: The Instrumental Jawn. The 2024 Grammys will air live on Sunday, Feb. 4, on CBS and Paramount+.

Camden County College dedicates second POW/MIA Chair

Camden County College was proud to host the installation and dedication ceremony of a POW/MIA chair at our Camden City Campus on Monday, December 17. The POW/MIA chair is left intentionally empty to serve as a reminder of the service members who are unable to be with us.

Camden County Commissioner and Gold-Star Mother Melinda Kane, Camden County College President Dr. Lovell Pugh-Bassett, as well as members of our local Veteran community were in attendance. Camden County College is dedicated to the remembrance of service members, and this chair serves as a reminder that there is always a place for them at Camden County College.

The first POW/MIA chair was installed at our Blackwood Campus on September 15 in honor of National POW/MIA Day. An additional chair will be installed at the William G. Rohrer Center in Cherry Hill in the near future.”

Careers in HVAC

Nine students from all different walks of life gather each week in Professor Paul Leonardi’s Monday night HVAC Apprentice 3 class, eager to learn about the HVAC profession, and begin their new (or second) careers. The four-year program at Camden County College has 156 classroom hours scheduled per year, as well as a required apprenticeship.

“As a retired Fire Captain from the City of Camden, I was able to complete my [first] career after 25 years of service. Camden County College is now preparing me for my second career. The training is excellent, and there are many job placement opportunities” said Miguel Ramos, a third year HVAC student who is now embarking on his second career as an HVAC Technician.

Topics covered during classroom instruction in the HVAC program include: fundamentals, safety, trade math, blueprint reading, trouble shooting, repairs, and much more. All registered apprentices who successfully complete the on-the-job and related training requirements are eligible to receive Certificates of Completion from both the U.S. Department of Labor and the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

Mason, also in his third year, acknowledges that that the HVAC program at Camden County College can “change lives by helping people to obtain their HVAC Certification and License, and provide for their family”.

Professor Leonardi’s students agreed that he’s a great teacher who encourages his students to bounce ideas off of him, and refuses to let his students fail. Professor Leonardi has been an Adjunct Professor at Camden County College for 30 years, and worked in the HVAC field for over 40 years before retiring this past Spring.

When asked what advice he would give to anyone seeking a career in HVAC, or returning to school after a break, Miguel said “you’re never too young to learn!”

Learn more about the HVAC Program at Camden County College at www.camdencc.edu/program/heating-ventilation-air-conditioning/