Gateway Community College Volume IV Issue 3 Spring 2013

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gwgazette@gmail.com

May 1, 2013

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January Appearance at Library Arranged by New Haven Council on Arts and Ideas Coordinated by the New Haven Foundation

Defying the Trend – Enrollment Up AgainBy Anthony Mitrano

Charlayne Hunter-Gault Dazzles Gateway Audience

As spring blossoms onwards apparently Gateway does too. This spring Gateway achieved a very special and seldom rise in enrollment. Usually in the spring semester college student either remain in a continuity or diminish; however, Gateway stopped the normality by expanded by 6.2 percent – 447 more students.

Out of the 12 sister colleges in Connecticut, Gateway and Manchester were the only schools to show any boost. Dr. Vincent Tong of Institutional Research affirmed that, “Gateway is number one out of the twelve colleges in headcount. Most schools do not grow during spring semester. Our growth rate is the highest.” Last spring the Gateway had 7,176 students, and this spring the grand total is 7623 students. The ultimate rise in

Dr. Dorsey Kendrick, College President, is shown addressing Hunter-Gault appearance. Dr. Kendrick is a member of the board of the New Haven Foundation.

population has effected program enrollment as well. According to Dr. Tong, “The two programs which received the largest increase of students are General Studies and Liberal Arts and Sciences.”

While this is impressive, it continues as six percent of the growth was from continued students. Examining the growth reveals that Gateway’s retention levels are up as well. The retention could be attributed to numerous sources, but probably the main is the attraction to the new location that President Dr. Kendrick sought. Regardless of all of the factors, Tong says “One factor is certain, we have a remarkably better caliber of students this year.”

“Django Unchained: A Spaghetti Western

Misadventure That Works” By: Matthew St.Clair

The GaTeway GazeTTe

EDITORSRobbie Caserta

Bonnie FahyAnthony MitranoAlex Squittero

WRITERSTrevor DeEllKaitlin DiTollaLuis Ferman

Anthony MitranoIsaiah Paul

Matthew St. ClairDan Zumpuano

POETRY Lelin L. DanielsBradon DiLeva

Tom O’Neil

ART DIRECTOR Mehgan Seltzer

PHOTOGRAPHERSAllen Gales

Anthony MitranoAlex Squittero

SPECIAL THANKS TOJackie Hennessey

LOGO DESIGNAllen Gales

HUMANITIES DEPARTMENTProfessor Chet Schnepf, Chairman

FACULTY ADVISORTom O’Neil

_______________________________COLLEGE’S EMERGENCY WEATHER

CLOSING NUMBERS

STUDENTS: (203) 285-2049FACULTY: (203) 285-2222

COLLeGe eVeNTS CaLeNDaRSummeR TeRm (2013)

may 23, 2013 – Commencement Ceremony, President and CEO of Yale New Haven Hospital Marna Borgstrom, 6:00 pm at Woolsey Hall

may 27, 2013 – Memorial Day Observance – (Monday) Campus Closed

may 28, 2013 – Classes Begin (Tuesday)

July 4, 2013 – Independence Day Observance – (Thursday) Campus Closed

august 1, 2013 – Summer Classes End

LeTTeRS TO The GaTeway GazeTTeLetters-to-the-Editor should be sent to: The Gateway Gazette, Humanities Department.

Please sign your letter and include a phone number so we can contact you to confirm it’s really you who’s taken the time and energy to write to us. Here’s to hearing from you.

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“Nobody goes there anymore; it’s too crowded”

Lawrence “Yogi” Berra

“Never, never, never, never give up.”

Sir Winston Churchill, circa 1941

In the past, the movie going public has seen Spaghetti West-erns, and films that deal with the topic of slavery. But director Quentin Tarantino manages to deliver a film that is a success-ful combination of the two, and that film is “Django Unchained”. “Django Unchained” is about a slave named Django, played by Jamie Foxx, who is freed by a bounty hunter named Dr. King Schultz who offers to help him rescue his wife Broomhilda and will give him his freedom if he helps Schultz find his intended targets that captured Django and Broomhilda and sold them to slavery. When they go to rescue Broomhilda, they find out she is held captive by a sadistic yet charming plantation owner named Calvin Candie, played by Leonardo DiCaprio.

As the title character, Jamie Foxx delivers a superb perfor-mance. He truly showcases the character’s thirst for vengeance, desperation, and anger. Once the audience watches his perfor-mance, they begin to root for his quest to reunite with his long-lost love. Christoph Waltz gives a scene-stealing performance as King Schultz, and he deserved the Oscar he won for this movie, which was for Best Supporting Actor. Even though Waltz plays a completely different character from his last Oscar-winning per-formance in “Inglourious Basterds”, he exudes the same amount of enthusiasm to his character in this. Leonardo DiCaprio com-pletely plays against type as Calvin Candie, and does an ex-

traordinary job at playing the character with gleeful charisma and demonic menace. Even though Kerry Washington, who portrays Django’s wife Broomhilda, has slightly minimal screen time and dialogue, she is able to convey the frightful emotions that her character is going through as she is held captive. Samuel L. Jackson also has a supporting role as Calvin Candie’s head slave, Stephen, and he adds some ornery comedic relief.

While “Django” conveys a unique blend of different genres, as it is an action-packed Spaghetti Western vengeance pic with a touch of black comedy, it is also able to establish the harsh brutalities of slavery. This film is set in a harsh time where blacks sold into slavery were treated with ridicule and malice and blacks were always referred to as the “N-Word”. While some who watch this movie may be offended by the extensive use of the “N-word”, it is only to capture the historical context and origin of racism and slavery in the U.S.

Overall, Django Unchained is a thrilling epic that deserved all the praise that it had received. It is a film that die-hard Tarantino fans, history buffs, and those that love Westerns, all can enjoy. Its 3-hour running time may be a bit extensive, but it definitely doesn’t take away from the experience of watching this wonder-ful film.

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Beat on the Street

Zakariah: Gets full too quick and its tool small. Wentthroughtheentirethingjusttofind all spots taken.

Lisa: I love it, convenient!

Marcea: I like it.

Martyna: It’sconvenient,Ialwaysfindaspace.

Alyssa: I feel that it’s a little chaotic.

Ciara: There should be a designated spot for motorcycles.

Shannon: No one follows the garage rules.

Ted: I don’t have a problem with it, but there are some people who park terribly.

Abdul: It’s too small so I don’t park though.

Kevin: I hate it, its too small. I park at temple now.

By: Kaitlin DiTolla

Parking Garage Beat:

Gateway’s Trevor DeEll Covers the Grammy’s

By: Trevor DeEll

At 3:00PM PST, the elite in the music industry hit the red carpet and all I could hear were the crowd’s cheers as the stars arrived. Two hours later, the Director came on over out walkie’s and said, “This is what we have all been working for crew, It’s showtime!” Then the crowd erupted when we went live and the host Justin Timberlake, appeared on stage and welcomed everyone to the 55th Annual Grammy Awards. With performances by Justin Tim-berlake, Rihanna, Frank Ocean and a tribute to Bob Marley with his two sons, I knew today would be incredible. As we passed the Laker’s locker room, the stunning Rihanna was walking by an I asked if she could take a picture with her, she said, “sure thing hun!” (pictured to the left.) Then she ran up the stairs and join the Marley Brothers on stage for their father’s tribute, cap-ping off an unforgettable night for all of us.

Gateway’s Early Childhood Program Preparing Top Teachers

By: Tom O’Neil

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Early childhood programs have become the hottest topics in the ever-changing field of education. In fact, dating back to the closing years of the 20th century, the early childhood field has proven to be a new frontier for the country’s educational development.

“We are truly moving out of the dark ages and into the sunlight of a genuine innovation,” say Cathy Mebane, an Early Childhood Professor at gateway. “The need for this change is more critical than ever.” Valencia Day has said. This push for the Early Childhood program’s growth is not only strongly supported by our faculty and students here at Gateway, the State Department of Education (SDE) and the National Association for the Good of Young Children (NAEYC) have granted Gateway 7 years of accreditation. Gateway is the first of all 12 of Connecticut community colleges to reach this goal, in Mebane’s words, “This means we passed with flying colors.”

These results are not coming out of the blue; Gateway’s departments are challenging students with difficult and imaginative real life classroom scenarios. This first hand experience and the veteran help for teachers who have been around for years is laying the perfect groundwork for the educators of our future. With challenges such as, “knowing and understanding the families of the children and the communities in which they live,” as stated in the rulebook, it is clear the strong initiative to continue to improve at the initiatives Gateway has set forth on.

With four classrooms dedicated to Early Childhood Education, the program has double in size since moving to the new campus. Being in the new building has been a game changer for the whole program; we cannot focus on the needs

of America’s growing diversified population, as well as improve upon special needs training. “Faculty members have formed a collaboration with the learning disabilities specialist in order to incorporate students with special needs into the program,” as stated in the handbook, available at the Early education offices on the first floor of Gateway’s South Tower.

One final program plus: Students participate in high quality field placement for observation and student teaching. This includes Gateway’s Early Learning Center, an on-site laboratory school.

Shown here are early Childhood Development Professionals from left: Cathy Mebane, Professor of Early Childhood, Carmeli-ta Valencia-Daye, Professor Early Childhood Development, and Carol Annette, Accreditation/Facilitation project.

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Twenty Small CasketsBy: Tom O’Neil

Twenty small caskets. That was it. 71 years ago, about Christmas-timeI remember a Sunday when my twoAlcoholic aunts from Brooklyn and

The rest of us were terrified because

Japanese pilots had strafed and bombedSomewhere far from Morris County in NewJersey, a place called Pearl Harbor and we Were at war with these murdering savages

A long with Nazi Germany.

But that wasn’t as bad for me asTwenty Small Caskets.

During this war of my childhood I vividlyRemember thousands of American boys

Being killed round Christmas during aEuropean battle named for the bulge in

A map somewhere.

But that wasn’t as bad for me asTwenty Small Caskets.

I remember around Thanksgiving of my Early-man years thousands more of AmericanBoys being massacred when Chinese hordes

Overran their holiday dinners in a placeCalled North Korea.

But that wasn’t as bad for me asTwenty Small Caskets.

I also remember a movie start holding newsConference in mid-November and then a week

And a day later his having half of his head clownAway in Dallas. He had that day warned me, “The World is a dangerous and untidy place.”

But that wasn’t as bad for me asTwenty Small Caskets.

And I totally remember a place called Vietnam, where

I almost had gone, sheer luck, a somewhere that destroyedAn entire generation of my countrypersons and where

More than 56,000 of us were killed, mutilated and Spindled like so many computer card.

But that wasn’t as bad for me asTwenty Small Caskets.

The shooter in Newtown had to have lowered hisFatal automatic weapon to aim at his milling and frenziedTargets. And I know the first responders there will neverBe the same. They have my undying empathy for what

They must have come upon.

Twenty Small Caskets.

Bradon DiLeva’s poetry has been recommended to the Gazette by Dr. Kerin Lee, of the Humanities Department:

Chains of OppressionBy: Bradon DiLeva

Racing thoughts soar through my headRarely finding time for loved ones these daysAching to leave this fake life that sticks to meAttempting to break free from these old chainsContemplating strategies to set a better example for myselfStruggling to find myself in a world of evilScreaming for help, but there is no response.Cold, tired, and hungry for freedom, I refuse to give upPraying daily for the disentanglement from those thick walls.Waiting for that voice to come call meWith weapons drawn, shields torn I continue to float these fears.

UntitledBy: Bradon DiLeva

Distant from the world around meIsolated from societyLeft talking to myself on a daily basesIgnored and left to wallow in this pain

Rice for SevenBy: Lelin L. Daniels

Coffee for breakfastMangoes for lunchBananas for dinnerIn our poor home.

Sell a big papayaTo buy *pavito and riceFifty cents was the Right price.

A mother, six childrenThe youngest one threeAround the tableThey talk and eat.

*Pavito: a small plastic container of oil that used to cost 10 cents.

One Student’s Odyssey

By: Luis Fermin

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There are a lot of interests to be good at or excel in. Ever since I was four, I have always had a gaming console. This being the case, the T.V. Has played a huge role in my life. Some say, “doing is easy,” but some people struggle in comparison to me when they pick up the controller or even turn on the television. Maybe they’re technologically challenged or it is just a generational problem. I adapt to the controller, then the settings, and suddenly that particular game is not fun for everyone else in the room. Understanding is the first step and comprehending is the second, knowing what each button does and seeing outcome of that button. The only reason that I do not go into gaming communities and gaming teams, is because it sounds unrealistic. It is my specialty, because at heart, I am a bit of a nerd. I am slowly but surely branching out as life picks up and goes on. A few mistakes here and there, but I can somewhat say that I have it together this semester and I am hopeful for more semesters elsewhere.

Originally starting at UNH, I got entwined with the wrong crowd and did not pay at attention to the curriculum. Two years went by in a flash, I ended up at Gateway, and looking back I had wasted my time at UNH. It took a year to find this “new beat” attitude. This opened up my head to more so I could finally start to think rationally about where my life was going. There is no real way to put it except to say that life takes it’s twist and turns, accepting this all is the only real challenge.

My real goal is to become either and F.B.I. Agent or a detective in a major city police department. It takes a lot of hard work and commitment, but think I am finally ready to flourish. There are some of my peers who do not understand the concept of, “getting that paper,” having connections, and the hard work that goes along with it. I wonder why people do not take advantage of the resources at hand, go to school and do your best. Maybe people are lazy, maybe they are not motivated enough. I seldom wonder, what if the productivity is going down as technology rises?

Remembered by his friends,

family and fellow servicemen,

Captain Andrew M Pedersen-Keel

grew up in Guilford, CT

where his parents still reside.

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An Untold Story of Muslim AmericaBy: Dan Zampuano

Imagine being a Christian American in a place like Kabul, Afghanistan in the year 2002. Imagine everyone stereotyping you for what you believe, how you look, or the way you act. Since the tragedy of September 11, 2001, there have been many racial injustices towards the Muslim community of America. Many people gravitate towards a made up believe that all Muslims are radical Islamic terrorists that are trying to control the world so that they may fulfill a prophecy of “Holy War” against other people who don’t succumb to them. This is simply not the case. America is strug-gling in foreign relations with Middle Eastern nations.

A firsthand account of cultural difference and stereotypes of Muslims in the united stated can be seen through the eyes of gateways very own student, Spenta Mehraban. Spenta came to America in 2000 with her family from Afghanistan. Seemingly out of a Hollywood script, the Mehraban’s had a treacherous journey. After being persecuted for standing up for Women’s right in Af-ghanistan, Spenta’s

Taliban forces targeted Father. Fearing the worst, he packed up the family and headed for Pakistan, “One of the scariest situa-tions I’ve been in,” said Spenta when describing the situation. “I don’t remember much of it but my mother says it was a bad situa-tion and everyone was sad. But there I was, a happy little two year old, not realizing the magnitude of the situation, just laughing.

The family lived in Pakistan with a relative for a year before moving to Russia. “We lived there for about five years as illegal immigrants, but we always had connections, and they treated us with respect there. My father ended up starting a business on the first floor of a 20 story building owned by Russian mobsters.”

Mehraban says that when the mobsters wanted to drive up her father’s price to rent it out, he marched to the head bosses office. “They had machine guns and pit bulls, real mafia stuff, but the head man in charge happened to be Muslim and gave my father a fair deal.” With good fortune, the Mehrabans lived peacefully in Russia for five years. Then in 1996 Spenta’s father was invited to the United States to talk about peace relations. Four years later, the whole family joined him and they have been here ever since. However, coming to anew country wasn’t exactly a smooth transi-tion. “At first it was hard, in 5th grade people told me to go back to my country where I belong and there were a lot of racist remarks. But, once people got to know me, I started making friends a lot easier.”

Spenta and her family moved to Clinton, Connecticut in 2000. In the wake of the 9/11 attacks, Spenta described her experience as a Muslim American. “It was scary because we knew we were going to be judged a lot more. People were going to stereotype us as terrorists, and some did. The media in Afghanistan corrupts the view of most Muslims, like how when they would show people celebrating in the streets over 9/11. That’s just the Taliban and their propaganda, not the views of the country as a whole. They have a big influence on not only our media outlets, but the outlets here in The United States.”

Spenta does not put all the blame on Americans for some of the negativity that her people receive. She said, “We as Muslims are very judgmental because we hold true to our traditions and a lot of Americans just don’t understand them. We just grow up differently.” The vastness of cultural differences in America and Afghanistan is immense. This is especially true in the way women are treated, “Women here (in America) are treated with respect and fairness. They are not judged or seen as being “under men”

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in any way. They have equal rights, and the freedom that women from Afghanistan seek.” This gives Spenta a real appreciation for being in this country. Her fellow women are discriminated against in Afghanistan and treated like a piece of property rather than a functioning member of soci-ety. But when it comes to her culture and origin, her heart never strays. “You definitely feel Americanized after being here for so long. People have definitely changed over the years. For the most part people treat me with respect, and respect my traditions, knowing that I am Muslim. To be honest, most Muslims would treat Christians in my country with respect as well. Sometimes I don’t get to do some American things a much because my culture prevents it. So I guess I can’t really be fully American, but I am defi-nitely an Afghan-American. You have to stick to your true colors.”

It certainly presents a traditional and cultural differ-ence, but progress is being made toward restoring peace between the more Christian populated United States, and the primarily Muslim populated Arab world. America strides to become friendlier with these nations, metaphori-cally building bridges with these nations, without com-promising our countries values and beliefs. Most of the bickering goes on politically. Socially however, these two sides have made great strides and look towards being one collective unit of Americans.

Spenta Mehraban

Backstage Star: Meet Gateway Gazette’sBill Dyson of New Haven

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Bill Dyson was a veteran legislator from New Haven when he organized the ‘New Haven Caucas’. He did so in a demand that the citizens here have a first rate, modern-structured community college. The $198 million facilities we enjoy every day are a direct result of Bill’s work. Bill Dyson’s bonus’; two grandaughters attend Gateway and are doing very well.

Photos courtesy of New Haven Registrer

By: Mehgan Seltzer