The Bergen Community College Newsletter 2015, 2016 & 2017 NCMPR Medallion Winner
Fall 2017 • Volume 5, Issue 1
A STEM Summer Science doesn’t stop over the summer.
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n August, a team of two dozen STEM students, faculty and staff launched a highaltitude balloon to capture images of the solar eclipse from Jefferson City, Missouri — a spot located in the so-called “path of totality” — as a follow-up to last summer’s launch that delivered images of the Earth at 96,000 feet. During the eclipse, the team attached a homemade payload box with a microprocessor, GPS equipment and six cameras to a 3,000-gram balloon to record the event and conduct experiments. “For those two and a half minutes, as our balloon was up in the air and we were staring at the solar eclipse, we were just quiet, observing such a natural event,” student project leader Grecia Manrique said. “Everyone forgot about all of their problems. For
one moment, everyone just watched this beautiful event.” Also in STEM news this summer: • As the eclipse dazzled the skies, activity underground made waves for students. A seismometer constructed by graduates Karina Palaric and Tamar Tokman continued to record earthquakes that rocked areas as distant as Mexico. • Student Jonny Lazarte won first prize in the “Master the Mainframe Hackathon” at the August SHARE conference in Providence, Rhode Island. • Student Sadik Erisen and alumni Ross Kernez and Tamar Tokman (her second major accomplishment of the summer!) presented their work on developing a proprietary search engine at the Enterprise Computing Community Conference at Marist College. n
AGolden Opportunity to Celebrate Make another Bergen memory. Leave a legacy that will last a lifetime. Donate online at tinyurl.com/bergen50
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ommemorating the 1967 hiring of the institution’s first president, Sidney Silverman, Ph.D., and the approval of the master plan that developed the College’s main campus at 400 Paramus Road, Bergen’s 50th year has begun. “During this anniversary, we will look first to our past in order to celebrate our place
Take a stroll down memory lane with a retro photo from the last 50 years every Friday! facebook.com/bergencommunitycollege
and influence in the lives of our students, but we will also look to the future,” President Michael D. Redmond, Ph.D., said. “This celebration of our tradition of excellence encourages us to imagine what we can still become.” A committee led by honorary co-chairs Bergen County Executive James Tedesco III, Bergen County Freeholder Chair Tracy Silna Zur and Professor Emeritus Virginia Laughlin will direct the institution’s efforts related to celebrating the anniversary. Share your memories of the last 50 years at 50.bergen.edu. n
Campus Calendar “Identity Document” Art Exhibition November 7 – December 13 Gallery Bergen West Hall, Main Campus Fall Open House Thursday, November 2, 5 p.m. Student Center Main Campus The Tragedy of Hamlet November 2, 3 and 4 Ender Hall Lab Theatre Main Campus Tickets.bergen.edu A Flea in Her Ear December 1, 2, 7, 8 and 9 Anna Maria Ciccone Theatre Main Campus Tickets.bergen.edu Bergen Sinfonia Orchestra Saturday, December 16, 7:30 p.m. Anna Maria Ciccone Theatre Main Campus Tickets.bergen.edu Annual Alumni Recognition Dinner Thursday, January 11, 6 p.m. The Terrace at Biagio’s Email bmclaughlin@begen.edu The Chairs February 23, 24, March 1, 2 and 3 Ender Hall Lab Theatre Main Campus Tickets.bergen.edu
A Schedule for All Seasons Winter: Dec. 27 – Jan. 12 Spring 1: Jan. 16 – May 8 Flex 1: Jan. 16 – Mar. 8 Spring 2: Feb. 6 – May 8 Spring 3: Mar. 9 – May 8 Register at bergen.edu
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Greetings from the President
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n its own, time represents an accounting function for the passage of intervals. Yet, and no matter how much time passes, it says nothing of effect. Time does not recognize the lives touched, nor the moments shared. It’s a quantitative measure that can only narrowly define our lives. During the last 50 years, Bergen students, faculty, staff and community members have built a legacy — a tradition of excellence — measured not just by years, but by impact. Together, we have crafted a story with countless individual chapters, developing an anthology of successes, memories and milestones we share under the banner of Bergen Community College. Of course, time can also serve as an indicator of when to take action. For Bergen, the time to celebrate is here. As part of this celebration, I hope you will consider leaving a lasting legacy at our institution as part of the $50 for 50 campaign; your name will appear on a donor wall at the main campus for future generations of students, faculty, staff, family and friends to remember your generosity and support of our institution. Visit tinyurl.com/bergen50 to contribute. Also, don’t forget to share your favorite Bergen memory with us at 50.bergen.edu. I think you’ll enjoy reading the many stories from our history. I know it has brought back many fond memories for me. Sincerely,
Dr. Michael D. Redmond
Sports Stars A
thletes, past and present, have added two significant honors to the institutional trophy case. Wrestling coach Ed Kochakji received the Lifetime Service to Wrestling award from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, while pole vaulter Camille Calupad has earned the NJCAA Region XIX John Stauff Female Scholar Athlete of the Year award. Kochakji received the award for his commitment to the sport — a lifelong passion. The owner of three Bergen County and state championships while attending Bergenfield High School, as Bergen’s coach, Kochakji has guided four student-athletes to all-America honors. Among many distinctions, Kochakji earned induction into the NJCAA Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2012. Calupad won the Stauff award on the strength of her performance in the classroom — a 3.7 GPA — and as a first team all-America pole vaulter. Her leap of 2.81 meters not only secured her gold medal finish, but her place in Bergen history — she represents the only national champion pole vaulter in the College’s 50 years. A Bergen student has now won the Stauff award for two consecutive years; volleyball player Nadia Vaso earned the honor in 2016 — the first in Bergen’s history. n
Inside Bergen • The Bergen Community College Newsletter |
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1. “Kids and Teens” summer program students Mira Fish and Sophia Lukac placed first in the “HACKed” culinary competition judged by faculty members Chris Nicolelis, Tomer Zilkha and Ronda Drakeford. 2. Award-winning artists Curtis Lundy, Bobby Watson and Sherry Winston headlined “An Autumn Afternoon of Jazz” in the Anna Maria Ciccone Theatre. 3. Rep. Josh Gottheimer and Interim President Michael D. Redmond, Ph.D., lit candles as part of the College’s Sept. 11 remembrance program.
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4. The third class of paramedic science program graduates gathered for a ceremony at Bergen Community College at the Meadowlands.
8. The second annual “Hero 5K Run” encouraged participants to dress as their favorite superhero to raise funds for the College’s heroes — its student military veterans.
5. The fall semester began Sept. 1 at the main campus. Flex start schedules started Sept. 22 and Oct. 26.
9. “Salted!” the first in a series of programs examining the area’s food diversity, took place at the Ciarco Learning Center in Hackensack.
6. Faculty and staff celebrated the beginning of the academic year at the “Fall Kick-off,” an evening tradition. 7. Volunteers from Greyhound Friends of New Jersey brought their four-legged friends to the main campus for the annual adoption day event.
10. Participants, including Freeholder Germaine Ortiz, proudly waved the many colors of Latino heritage during a kickoff celebration of the recognition month.
Inside Bergen • The Bergen Community College Newsletter |
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Finding a Home at Bergen S English professor Leigh Jonaitis, Ph.D., provided vocals on two tracks for the recently released “Living Tribute” by the Larry Newcomb Quartet with Bucky Pizzarelli. … Class of 2016 graduate and current Columbia University student Peter Zalokostas began his term as alumni representative on the board of trustees this summer. … Students Charlie Leppert, Rafiullah Naveed, Elaine So Jung Park placed in the annual Peace Scholarship Challenge sponsored by the Center for Peace, Justice and Reconciliation. … A forensics lab opened in September to provide students with the practical application of crime scene technology to the theories learned in criminal justice courses. … The Prakhin International Literary Foundation awarded students Colin Armstrong, Michele McMillan and Juliana Oleksy for their work as part of an essay contest on peace. … Faculty members Joanne Diamantidis, Bina Dugan and Ilan Ehrlich, Ph.D., received the College’s second annual Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Fellowship. … Student Amanda Karpinski, the international president of Phi Theta Kappa, the honor society of two-year colleges, earned a seat on the organization’s board of directors, making her the first to do so in Bergen’s history.
PR Pros! The College, and its Office of Public Relations, has secured
tudent Orlando Fonte received a U.S. Department of State Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to study abroad in Seville, Spain this semester. But his departure may represent the easiest part of his journey. As recently as this spring, Fonte was one of the 14 percent of U.S. community college students who identify as homeless, according to a recent study published by researchers at the University of Wisconsin. Despite facing the daily decision to either purchase food or shelter, Fonte continued to take classes at the College, work and volunteer at a local nonprofit, helping victims of sexual abuse. Through the establishment of a GoFundMe page and with the help of Bergen professor Shari Franschman, faculty and staff, Fonte raised enough money to move into an apartment this summer. Fonte now represents one of approximately 1,000 undergraduate students from 386 colleges and universities across the U.S. selected to receive the award, according to the U.S. Department of State. He is the 12th Bergen student to receive the award since 2011. Seeking a greater understanding of his own Hispanic roots, Fonte, a social work major, hopes to expand his knowledge. “I’ve lived in the U.S. my whole life,” he said. “Studying abroad in Spain gives me the opportunity to experience the culture, according to their customs, which will allow me to further explore myself.” Gilman scholars receive up to $5,000 to apply toward their study abroad or internship program costs. The program, administered by the Institute of International Education, aims to diversify students who study and intern abroad as well as the countries and regions they visit. n
Move for Success T
hanks to a new career closet at the main campus, “dress for the job you want” may move from fiction to reality for Bergen students. Created with Ridgewood Moving Services President CEO Cynthia A. Myer, the resource provides students with free professional and formal attire donated by area residents to remove barriers and help students launch their professional careers, regardless of financial circumstances. n
two National Council on Marketing and Public Relations District 1 Medallion awards for excellence in the field — the fourth and fifth awards earned in the last three years. Organizers named this publication and Studio Bergen, the College’s official news magazine program, among the best entries covering more than 650 institutions. InsideBergen is a publication of the Office of Public Relations. Send feedback to lhlavenka@bergen.edu.