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Index
Campus News......................................3-6
Collegewide............................................7
Science and technology...........................8
Entertainment...................................10-11
Features.................................................14
Sports.......................................... ....16-17
Opinion................................................ 19
Directories...................................... 20-23
Volume 22, Number 1
Feature
Zo does it
again
Page 14
Center spread
Directories
Got Myspace?
Check it out
Pages 12-13
Find your way around
campus
Pages 20-23
Latos
headed
for
MLB
BCC pitcher was
the 11th round
pick in the 2006
First-Year player
draft.
By Martin Bater
and Omar Torrijos
Staff Writers
History has been made this
year. Matt Latos, a 6’ 6’’, 216pound freshman pitcher from
Margate, Florida, became the
highest drafted baseball player
the Seahawks have ever had.
AUGUST 13, 2007
Www.broward.edu/observer
Get the new 20072008 handbook
at Student Life
D’oh!
They are
taking
over
By Heather
dulman
editor-in-chief
Matt Latos has been drafted by the San Diego Padres.
Latos was the San Diego
Padres 11th round pick in the 2006
First-Year player draft.
Latos ended the season posting
20 consecutive scoreless innings
and led the Seahawks in three statistics: strikeouts, innings pitched
and earned run average.
“The signing of Matt Latos is
a tremendous start to the 2007
Draft,” said Padres vice president
of scouting and player development Grady Fuson to Scout.com.
Fuson added that “[Padres
scout Joe Bochy] did a great job
identifying and evaluating the
progress of Mathew as the year
has gone on and now we’ve added a premier talent to the organization.”
file photo
Premier talent. That’s how
strong BCC’s athletic program is getting. This school is
▪ Drafted
continued on page 16
Ay caramba! One
of the most well-known
families on television, The
Simpsons, is now on the big
screen. It is the longest running
animated satirical sitcom that has
been on family television since
1987. The cartoon originated on
The Tracey Ullman show. In 1989
they got their own sitcom.
It took about 18 years for The
Simpsons to be at movie-goers’
local movie theaters. Now the
wait is no longer.
Check out page 10 for a more
in-depth movie review by Sports
Editor, Martin Bater.
If you go, remember find a seat
and keep your spot neat.
▪
The Simpsons Movie
continued on page 10
Budget cuts slam BCC’s pocketbook
By Buzz Lamb
Staff Writer
At the end of May, Gov.
Charlie Crist signed a $71.5 billion 2007-08 state budget, which
provided record high funding for
community colleges, an increase
of $70.4 million.
In mid-July Gov. Crist put the
squeeze on the budgets of the
state’s 28 community colleges (as
well as all state agencies) telling
them they had to trim four percent
from their spending plans.
The cuts, which could ramp
up to as high as 10 percent, came
after the
Governor had already pulled
the rug out from under the colleges’ financial officers by vetoing a five percent tuition increase.
“This presents a difficult situation
for all of us,” said Bill Pennell,
BCC’s Chief Financial Officer.
Pennell said the veto of the
tuition increase coupled with the
increase of fixed costs makes the
situation worse. “It’s like we are
getting less money, net, net,” he
said.
Pennell said BCC President
David Armstrong gave his office
very clear directions on the mandate and the state sent an e-mail
saying that the payments to our
college will be reduced by one
percent each quarter. “We got our
first check and they weren’t kidding,” he said.
Pennell said the President’s
Cabinet has put together plans to
meet the four percent cut-backs.
“We are now in the process of
identifying areas for the other six
percent if needed,” he said.
According to Pennell, currently none of the spending areas
selected will affect the student or
the faculty directly. “If we have
to go to the extra six percent or if
it lasts more than a year it could
become painful,” he said.
Pennell said other community
colleges in the state are already
in a lay-off mode or are having to
make other deeper personnel-type
reductions. “We are fortunate in
that Dr. Holcombe knew about
this and, to his credit, the way he
has managed the college in the
past…always conservative from
a budget standpoint, has helped
us tremendously,” he said.
Armstrong said in his first
week on the job he had to call together his cabinet to look at what
they could do to meet the mandatory reductions. “Four percent
means a $3 million reduction for
us. We have some fixed costs that
eat into more than the amount
that we end up receiving from the
state after the cuts,” he said.
Armstrong also stated that
the four percent cuts will not affect the students or the faculty
directly. “Operationally we want
to fill the positions, make sure we
have the entire
faculty, advisers and staffs to make sure all of
the classes are available so that
students can enroll in the classes
they need to take,” he said.
Armstrong said he has seen
in the past that some colleges put
a freeze on hiring and then there
were not enough classes for the
students. “Students are our first
priority,” he said.
Armstrong said they are trying to do things that will not hurt
the college personnel financially.
“In the area of health care costs
we are looking at ways to ‘tweak’
the system in the areas of co-payments rather than raising the cost
of employee contributions,” he
said.
Armstrong said there will be
cases where cost savings will
come from cutbacks in travel,
delaying implementation of some
purchases such as computer and
printers and delaying some contracts with consultants. “Building
projects will not be affected because that money comes out of
a different pot,” he said. “Those
projects are funded by the Gross
Receipts Tax which is levied on
utility bills.”
Gov. Charlie Crist
photo courtesy
of floridasac.org
According to Armstrong, security is another area where there
will be no cuts. “The programs
and upgrades identified during
▪
Budget
continued on page 7
The Observer
August 13, 2007
Central
august 13, 2007
The Observer
O.V.A.L. gives gift of sight Calendar of Events
By Daniella Dorcelus
Central Bureau Chief
A young child struggles to do
well in school because she can’t
read the board; a grandmother
who’s passionate about reading is
hindered by her poor vision from
doing so during her leisure time.
These scenarios are a daily conflict for many Americans and others worldwide. Fortunately, there
are people out there who care and
are working to ameliorate the
lives of those who suffer from
less than perfect vision.
The Office of Volunteering and
Leadership (O.V.A.L.) is embarking on another mission to assist
members of the community. They
will be collaborating with “Give
the Gift of Sight,” an organization that helps provide free eyewear and vision care to the lees
fortunate, on a drive to collect eye
glasses. It will begin on Aug. 20
and continue through Sept. 28.
They are encouraging all students, staff and faculty to bring
at least one pair of glasses to
Student Life, located in Room
106, Building 19. Although it is
the first time that O.V.A.L. has
partnered with “Give the Gift of
August 2007:
Welcome Week Aug. 20-24
September 2007:
Campus Safety Month
Gift Of Sight Month
Park Cleanup Sept. 20
Gift of Sight Collection Drop-off eyewear in Student Life
Sight,” it is not the first time that
they have collected items to provide for those in need.
In the past, O.V.A.L. has
worked with Women in Distress
to collect cell phones for women
suffering from domestic violence
so that they will be able to call
911 in an emergency situation.
Last December the group teamed
up with the Salvation Amy of
Broward County to collect toys
for unfortunate children during
the holiday season. They received
over 200 toys from numerous individuals.
The O.V.A.L. staff, which
includes Shaneka Willingham,
Selena Scott and Izu Nnakenyi, is
pleased to be a part of an initiative
that will have such a beneficial
impact on a number of people.
Willingham, a sophomore who
is majoring in elementary education at BCC Central Campus said
that the group is anticipating on
collecting approximately 100
pair of glasses. Willingham said
that she feels good to be part of a
project that will have a significant
influence on the lives of others.
Willingham can identify (from
first-hand experience) with those
who need glasses but do not have
the means to obtain them.
Nnakenyi began working with
O.V.A.L. in May, and since then
has participated in many cleanup projects such as the ones held
at C.B. Smith Park and John U.
Lloyd State Park. She also helped
beautify the campus during “Earth
Day” by picking up and discarding trash around campus.
“Give the Gift of Sight” was
founded in 1988 and provides people in North America and many
third world countries the chance
for better living. According to
www.givethegiftofsight.org, the
organization has sponsored more
than 100 optical missions to 27
developing countries providing
the gift of sight to more than two
million recipients. The organization endeavors to aid seven million people by 2008.
October 2007:
Women in Distress Month
Cell Phone Collection Month
Women in Distress Walk Oct. 6
Beach Cleanup Oct. 27
November2007:
Donation Month
Canned Food Drive
Toys 4 Tots November thru December
CONTACTS
Selena Scott , OVAL Office Staff
954-201-6237
Izu Nnakenyi, OVAL Office Staff
954-201-6753
[email protected]
The Observer Needs You!
If you like to write, take
photos, or do computer
layout and design, you can
be a part of the student
newspaper. Prior experience not necessary. Scholarships may be available.
E-mail us at [email protected].
The Observer
South
august 13, 2007
South welcomes Lake renovations approach
completion
Stubbs
Photo by Heather Dulman
Janice Stubbs takes over as Dean on South Campus.
By Heather Dulman
Editor-in-Chief
The search is over; Janice
Stubbs is the new Dean of
Student Affairs on South
Campus. Stubbs took office as
of July 1, 2007.
“As I got more involved I
wanted to have this position, I
can truly help students and have
an impact on their lives. I want
to work with them and minimize
their challenges so they can succeed here at BCC,” said Stubbs.
For about two years at South,
Stubbs was Title V Solo Grant
Director, which is a five-year
grant that the college receives.
The object of the grant is to improve student persistence rate
in college Prep and English
as a Second Language (ESL.)
Stubbs attended Miami-Dade
Community College (MDCC);
she received an Associate’s degree in Journalism and Public
Relations. She got her bachelor’s in Public Management and
Public Administration at FIU.
Then she decided to study
more on policies and procedures
in taking on a master’s degree
in Higher Education at Barry
University.
She started out working at
MDCC as a supervisor of admissions and registration. In
1991 Stubbs arrived at BCC as
Coordinator of Admissions and
Registration at South Campus.
“I learned a lot and I have a
lot of respect for MDCC but my
loyalty is with BCC,” she said.
Her goals are to have a commuter campus; talk to students to
know of there wants and needs,
to get students more involved,
evaluate all processes such as
students succeeding (i.e. enrollment), to promote workshops
and collaborating with faculty.
She understands that it is not
easy to get students involved
but she wants to find ways to
succeed in her goals.
Aug. 27 will be Welcome
Week, which makes the new
students feel welcomed and
clubs and organizations are
showcased.
Students can contact her at
(954)201-8903 or stop by her
office located in Building 68
Room 206 in the Student Affairs
office.
“I have an open door, the
door is always open, and students can come by whenever
they want. If I’m not here they
can certainly make an appointment,” she stated.
Photo by Kevin Rosenberg
Phase one is almost done and Phase two should be completed by October.
By Jasmine Grant
Staff Writer
Has anyone been wondering exactly why there is a fence
around the lake? On June 25 just
like any other ordinary Monday, a
new project was started with the
intention of renovating the area
that surrounds the South Campus
lake. That day TMG Construction
got started on the project.
This project has been split into
two phases and according to Sean
Devaney, director of BCC south
campus facilities “it is only going to take five weeks to complete
from start date just for the first
phase.”
Phase one of the project will
consist of the replacement of all
benches due to the deteriorating
state of the old ones, and only
the north end will be open to the
public. The new benches will be
made from recycled plastic.Phase
one was completed Aug. 1.
With the start of phase two
there is going to be more time
needed for completion and more
muscle considering there will be
CCI construction replacing pole
lights. The construction takes
place from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30
p.m.
One of the main concerns
Devaney had was safety,“Well
my main thing was safety because
there are areas were roots were
pushing up the pavement. There
were some trees down from hurricane Wilma,” said, Devaney.
Devaney has been pushing this
for years and summer of 2007 he
hit the lottery making this project
the top priority. The project re-
ceived a budget of $120,000 provided by BCC Central Campus
facilities. The funds oversee
all of BCC’s new construction,
renovation and remodeling. This
project does not mark the end of
change for the lake with plans in
the works of replacing the exercise stations which are American
Disabled Association(ADA) approved.
“We are also looking at adding
aquatic plants and making it more
natural. There are plenty of species of turtles, fish, birds, iguanas and ducks. It’s a very healthy
lake,” said, Devaney.
With the implication of this
project not only will local community benefit but the campus community as well. Although there is
not an exact date for completion it
should be over by October.
North
august 13, 2007
The Observer
Business professionals find their niche at North
By Anthony Perrucci
North Bureau Chief
Business Professionals of
America, a national organization of 55,000 members, is
now present on BCC’s North
Campus. The organization,
founded more than four decades ago to promote business
education, was brought to BCC
in 2006 thanks to the efforts of
students.
In the year since, the
group has grown by leaps and
bounds, becoming a chapter in
the National Technical Honor
Society, winning a Community
Partners award from Student
Life in recognition of their
community service, and sent
members to a national BPA conference in New York City.
“It was really exciting [to
go to the conference] because
it was just our first year,” said
More Info
Office: 46/139 in Student Life
E-Mail: [email protected]
Club meetings are held biweekly on campus.
club president Paola Mariselli.
Mariselli, a sophomore, was
driven to spearhead efforts to
bring BPA to the campus after
finding that the group did not
have any presence at BCC.
“You learn so much [about
the business world],” claimed
Mariselli, listing the benefits
the group offers to interested
students.
Jeffrey Nasse, an English
professor on North Campus,
agreed to serve as adviser.
Nasse, who teaches a technical
business writing class, said that
the main focus of the group is to
“[give] people with like-minded
goals” a chance to meet.
“Students in the group are
afforded the opportunity to
hone their skills, meet professionals in the business world,
and network with one another,
establishing professional contacts for their futures,” Nasse
added.
In addition to helping the
members of the group, the club
has also established itself in the
community. BPA has participated in food drives, toy drives,
and has been present at many
student life events on-campus
in the past year.
Photo by Johnny Louis/JLNPhotography.com
(Left to right) Rajiv Dixon, Shawna Wecht, and North’s BPA president Paola Mariselli meet to discuss club matters.
The success of the group
in its first year has spurred
Mariselli to continue to push
the organization forward in the
future.
“You are your own enterprise,” she said, adding that the
group is open to all students of
any major.
Learning how to market oneself in the business world could
yield an advantage in a nonbusiness atmosphere.
To that end, Mariselli mentioned plans to hold resume
workshops and teach interview-
ing skills to assist students with
landing a job.
As the group heads into
its second year, its president
stressed the need for new members to join its ranks.
“I hope [the club] continues,” said Mariselli.
Jordan prepares
Coffee House to receive a
for American Idol grand re-opening
By Archie Asar
Contributing Writer
It was not so long ago North
Campus student Johanna Jordan
was competing for the Seahawk
Idol singing contest. Now she is
getting ready for the real thing.
Jordan, who is in her sophomore year at BCC, was the winner of the Seahawk Idol at North
Campus. The contest took place
from January to April and was
a great success. It brought out
many other students to showcase
their talents.
Jordan was the favorite to win
from day one, and after achieving
her goal she began to set greater
challenges for herself. That greater challenge is to be ready and
take her talents to American Idol.
She has traveled to Atlanta
to seek help from a professional
singer named Yewande Austin,
who has performed at North
Campus for the past several
years and she volunteered to help
Jordan.
Jordan began singing when
she was five years old. One of her
greatest influences has been her
father, who is a musician. At age
15 she started taking voice lessons and has been fully involved
in her singing ever since.
After coincidently finding a
flyer around campus about the
contest, she worked up the courage with the help of her boyfriend
to audition. She considered herself to be shy but the contest made
her come out of her “shell.”
Jordan looks up to artists such
By Archie Asar
Contributing Writer
Photo by Archie Asar
Johanna Jordan, who was part
of North Campus’ Seahawk Idol
contest, is now practicing for Fox’s
American Idol.
as Whitney Houston, Mariah
Carey, Selena and Christina
Aguilera. “All of these artists
have influenced me one way or
the other,” she said.
Jordan’s first audition with the
judges from American Idol will be
Aug. 6 in Dallas, Texas. If things
happen to go wrong in Dallas, the
second choice is Miami. That audition would take place Aug. 22,
when American Idol comes to
South Florida for the first time.
Jordan will be performing live
on Aug. 28, during the re-opening of the Coffee House at North
Campus. Live concerts are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. and are
expected to last until 2 p.m.
Since 2004 North Campus’s
Coffee House has been a great
kept secret. More than 30 different musical acts have graced
this small intimate room for the
past three years.
Unfortunately, it never received a formal introduction to
all of BCC students. The Coffee
House has gone through some
changes during the summer and
it will be graced with a grand
re-opening on Aug. 28.
The Coffee House sits between the cafeteria and the
bookstore in Building 46,
Room 126 at North Campus.
Events such as: Monday Night
Football, Seahawk Idol, and
Ladies Night have been held at
this location.
The re-opening is scheduled
to fall during the Welcome Week
and will include a three hour
concert, free coffee and other
giveaways. Matt Humphreys
from Canada, Rebecca Loebe
from Atlanta and the Seahawk
Idol winner, Johanna Jordan,
will be performing.
The Coffee House which
was created by the Student
Life Department has been commended by many artists who
have performed there as being
one of the best venues in the
college business.
Scott Celani, who has been
performing at the Coffee House
for the past couple of years said,
“The Coffee House at BCC’s
Coconut Creek campus is very
classy. It’s decorated really
well and the acoustics are great. I’ve performed at over 75 col-
leges across the country and I
can honestly say that this is one
of the best on-campus rooms
I’ve ever played in.”
“It provides a very warm and
welcoming environment for the
students. I can’t wait to come
back in the fall,” he added.
There are several events
scheduled such as the Seahawk
Idol, Last Band Standing, and
Happy Hour. Also there will be
eight concerts which would be
held at least once a month.
Students can call Student
Life and find out about each
event. Dates and times are already available. For more information call Student Life at
954-201-2325.
All Students, faculty and
staff are invited to attend this
grand re-opening. Doors will
open at 10 a.m.
Photo by Archie Asar
Students at BCC’s North Campus look forward to a re-opening of their favorite Coffee House.
The Observer
JUNE 11, 2007
Collegewide
august 13, 2007
The Observer
Budget
Did your family go to college?
hit hard
▪ Continued from page 1
the crisis last May on all campuses remain a priority as well,”
he said.
According to Armstrong, every degree they can raise the temperature in offices and classrooms
translates to approximately $25
thousand annually. “Every little
thing adds up, we are looking at
everything in those areas,” he
said. “Hopefully students won’t
be able to tell the difference if it
only lasts a year.”
Armstrong said the veto of the
tuition hike might turn out to be a
positive move.
“The tuition not going up
might help a student who is right
on the edge financially to enroll
in that extra class he or she might
need,” he said. “It probably won’t
make enough of a difference as to
whether a student comes to BCC
or not but somebody might be
able to take four classes instead
of three.”
Another positive issue occurring at BCC is the increase of the
hourly pay for work-study students. Jillian Printz in the public
relations office at BCC said the
wage has increased to $9.00 per
hour. “We found that the students
just couldn’t survive on minimum
wage,” she said. According to
Armstrong, the work-study program is federally funded and is
not affected by the budget cuts.
“We really need more students to
sign up for this program…there
is plenty of money available for
those who can display a need,” he
said.
Dr. Edna Chun, Human
Resources Director for BCC, the
chief negotiator for the college
dealing with the BCC/UFF for the
2007-08 contract, said they are
still in negotiations. “I think both
negotiating teams have worked
very hard. Despite the fact that
we are in a very bad budget year
the (college) president wants to
insure that we continue to fully
fund the benefit package now offered,” she said. Chun said it is
very significant for the college to
remain competitive in the benefit
plan.
Chun said a hiring freeze or
layoffs are currently not being
considered. “We are proceeding and we will be meeting with
the union again at the end of
August,” she said. Chun said the
faculty union is seeking a raise in
salaries, but Dan Rieger, chief negotiator for the faculty union, is
sensitive to the situation with the
budget cuts.
Chun said it may take more
than one more meeting to finalize
the contract but she emphasized
that both sides are very aware of
the problems caused by the belt
tightening. “We all hope this
will eventually be resolved by the
governor’s office and things will
get back to normal,” she said.
By Travis Donald
Whc Bureau chief
With tuition rates on the rise
and a tank of gas costing more
than a Metro-PCS bill, students
– especially those who are attempting to achieve more than
their folks -- need every dollar
they can get. Financial Aid can be
a student’s life-line. For full-time
students work might not fit into
their schedules and for others the
minimum wage isn’t enough.
Some can always get help
from their parents to lend a few
extra bucks when times get
tough. But if your parents didn’t
finish their degree and are struggling just like you, there is still
hope. With the First Generation
Scholarship (FGSS) students can
get the help they need.
Sharlene
Funchess,
Coordinator of Scholarships at
BCC, says the scholarship is available for specific
and
general
majors.
The
qualifications
are easy: the
student must
be a Florida
resident whose
parents
(or
parent if you
reside
with
only one) have
not
acquired
a four-year degree; the student
must be seeking a degree, maintain a 2.0 GPA or better, and fill
out the FAFSA (Free Application
for Federal Student Aid).
The Scholarship is available
for both part-time and full-time
students. The best part is that it is
a scholarship, not a loan, which
means that there are no worries
about having to pay it back.
They allot a specified amount
depending on a student’s qualifications. In the 2006 – 07 school
year, the amounts typically ranged
from $700 to $1,000, which is
about enough to pay for a fulltime semester.
Does it sound too good to be
true?
Perhaps. But as it was reported on May 11, 2007, on the SunSentinel, the state Legislature
didn’t set aside more money for
the new budget, so universities
will get the same budget as last
year and new students might be
left out.
That’s not to say the money
isn’t there. It’s like most things
in life: first come, first serve. So
don’t procrastinate and get out
there today and get the money
the state is giving away. It’s an
incredible opportunity for those
who really need the extra help
to get through college. For more
information contact the BCC
Financial Aid Department.
The Observer
Science and Technology
august 13, 2007
TO
W
HO
Be a successf ul Sci ence Major
At Broward Community College
1
REGISTRATION & TESTING
If you haven’t registered, hurry! You might still
have a chance. This can be done at any campus
or online. Make sure to do the CPT test which
will evaluate which classes best fit you.
1
a
2
3
CORE COURSES
Make sure you are on track on your
core courses. Many of them are pre-requesites for other courses, you do well
on these you will be more likely to finish
your degree on time.
REMEDIAL COURSES
BCC has these specifically to help you.
Excel at them to have a solid foundation
on which to build your college carreer.
4
ELECTIVE COURSES
You will have a certain degree of freedom to explore elective courses that
are not directly related to your major.
Take this opportunity to explore and to
find out what area of science your best
suited for.
!
GET YOUR MATH
STRAIGHT
As a science major it is specially
important that you are sucessful on
your math courses because they
build and expand on one another.
Below is how they they progress.
College Algebra (MAC 1105)
GO BEYOND
BCC offers a wide array of classes. Check with your transfer college
which classes will be part of your Bachelor’s program and you may be
able to take some of those classes at BCC even though they’re not part
of your A.A.
Trigonometry (MAC 1114)
Pre-Calculus (MAC 1140)
Calculus I (MAC 2311)
GRADUATION
AND TRANSFER
(Congratulations!)
Calculus II (MAC 2312)
Student groups and Clubs
Joining student clubs at BCC is very important. Getting involved in student life looks great on your transcript and will help develop social and leadership skills
that you can use at your next college. Here are just some of the great clubs you might be interested in.
Name
Engineering Association
Computer Club
IEEE
Science Club
CFI @ BCC
Contact
Rolando Branley
Donat Forrest
Mohammad Dabbas
Dr. Jeanette Madea
Robert Fusco
Phone
(954) 201-6676
(954) 201-2235
(954) 201-2429
(954) 201-2236
(954) 201-4915
Life after BCC
PICK YOUR UNIVERSITY
Since 1971, the Florida Statewide Articulation Agreement was approved by the Florida Board of Education. That says
a student who receives the Associate in Arts (A.A) Degree from a Florida public community college is guaranteed
admission to upper division status, with the exception of limited access programs.
KEEP ON GOING
Your Bachelors doesn’t have to be the end of your academic career. The options just expanded even more: Now you
can progress to a Master’s degree and a Doctorate.
E-Mail
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
!
Calculus III (MAC 2313)
Diff. Equations (MAP 2302)
As you can see, it is your math
classes that can span at least five
terms and classes like College
Algebra are pre-reqs for Chemistry
courses and Calculus II is a co-req
for Physics courses. If you fall behind or believe you know the material CLEP tests are available up
to Calculus I so you can move on
faster.
THINGS YOU WISH YOU KNEW
- Blue Cards: This is not a substitute for being responsable and registering
on time, but if it is absolutely crucial, you may ask the professor for this
card so you can register for a class that is already full.
- It’s possible to audit a lecture class and still obtain a grade in the lab.
- College is not high school. Keep on top of the drop and withdraw dates
and find a professor that suits you.
- Don’t waste the summer. It is a great time for getting any pre-requisites
or electives out of the way, so use the time wisely.
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT ON THE ISSUES: SCIENCE AND MORALS
BY LANCE BUSH
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Is religion necessary for morality? No. The persistence of
the myth that without religion,
one is incapable of being moral,
is perhaps one of the most pervasive and unflattering assessments of the human condition.
Those who take up this position
often insist that without the divine guidance of holy scriptures or the everlasting eavesdropping of an invisible being
monitoring our behavior, that
we cannot be trusted to avoid
the temptation of lying, stealing, raping, and pillaging to our
heart’s content. Yet, when we
observe the behavior of those
members of our society who are
without religion, we do not see
that this is the case. This myth
is long past due for having the
stilts it stands on cut out from
under it.
Some argue that the law of
God is written on our hearts.
That each and every one of us
has an innate knowledge of
what God wants us to do and not
to do. While this is a rather dubious claim, perhaps there is some
truth to it, in a way. Perhaps we
do indeed have an innate morality center rooted somewhere
not in the heart, but in the brain.
Perhaps the ability to cooperate,
treat others fairly, and the whole
gamut of positive feelings and
emotions that give rise to our
moral codes has its basis in our
evolutionary past, when our ancestors benefited most not from
ruthlessly competing with one
another, but from cooperating.
The notion of the “selfish
gene” has undercut the issue
of morality seeming to cast a
shadow on evolutionary theory.
Classical Darwinian Theory focused on organisms as the units
of selection, and it is through
parent-to-offspring
transmission of adaptations that evolution takes place. However, what
William Hamilton, a British
biologist, recognized and published in groundbreaking work
on in the 1960s is that not only
do our offspring share our DNA,
but our close kin—brothers, sisters, cousins, etc.—also share
our DNA, and that while natural
selection selects for behaviors
that aid in the survival of our
direct offspring, it also ought to
select for aiding in the survival
of our other relatives, since they
too share a slice of our DNA and
indirectly aid in passing on our
genes themselves. Further, our
tendency to aid our kin ought to
be a function of their genetic relatedness to us—we will aid our
brothers and sisters before our
more distant cousins.
This made sense in early
hunter-gatherer societies, where
nearly everyone living with you
could be reasonably expected to
be somewhat related to you and
therefore share at least some of
your DNA, and thus cooperative
behavior likely evolved not out of
our recognition of the benefits of
unselfish behavior, but paradoxically through our gene’s selfish
“desire” to propagate. Altruistic
behavior is even observed in animals. Some birds and mammals,
for instance, will give warning
calls that put them at risk, but
provide an opportunity for others of their kind to find cover.
Interestingly, studies show that
this behavior is more frequent in
the presence of close kin.
Inclusive fitness is just one
approach to seeking a naturalistic
understanding of moral behavior.
There are quite a few other explanations biologists have put forth,
such as reciprocal altruism—the
idea that we benefit from aiding
others when we can reasonably
expect them to reciprocate in the
future. But all of these explanations may not even be necessary.
Why must we prove that morality doesn’t come from some divine source, when it has never
been proven that it does? Society
has taken religion’s monopoly on
morality for granted for too long.
It is time to challenge this presumption.
Long before monotheistic religions like Islam and Christianity
held dominion of the world, even
before civilization, our ancestors
survived tooth and claw, day to
day, struggling for survival in a
world of danger and mystery,
where death lurked around every corner and strange phenomenon challenged the imagination of the burgeoning minds of
men. With little knowledge of
the world around us, the crash of
thunder and the rumble of earthquakes must have seemed the
ominous tidings of a wrathful
god. But we know better now.
These phenomena have natural
explanations that can readily be
accounted for by modern science. There is no reason at all,
beyond arrogance and lack of
imagination, to put ourselves on
a pedestal above nature and pretend our own species is beyond
natural explanation.
Further Reading:
Dawkins, Richard (1989).
The Selfish Gene (new edition).
Wright, Robert (1995). The
Moral Animal: Why we are, the
Way We Are: The New Science
Of Evolutionary Psychology
Get your response published! To
find out how, see page 19.
JUNE 11, 2007
The Observer
10
The Observer
Entertainment
august 13, 2007
Potter’s Back
his battle with Voldemort and the
Ministry as well as becoming a
leader to his fellow students.
In his return to the role of
Once again the school bells Harry Potter, Daniel Radcliffe
are ringing at Hogwarts School turns in his most nuanced perforof Witchcraft and Wizardry this mance to date. Harry Potter and
summer. Harry Potter and com- the Order of the Phoenix is as
pany join forces on their fifth much a coming of age story as it
venture onto the big screen. is an adventure tale, and Radcliffe
shows us exactly how difficult
the usual trials
of puberty can
be compounded
when you’re an
orphaned mage
with a destiny to
fulfill.
While I
would
have
liked some of
the
supporting characters
like Hermione
Granger (played
by
Emma
Watson,) or Ron
Weasley (Rupert
Grint) to be given more screen
time, newcomer
Imelda Staunton
shines in the
role of Dolores
Umbridge.
As an adversary to Harry,
Photo Courtesy of Warner Brothers Studio.
Umbridge is a
Previous films of the series have harsh authoritarian underneath
set the bar high when it comes to with a saccharine sweet facade on
quality performances, “magical” the outside; Staunton balances the
computer generated effects and a layered character very well.
menagerie of mystical creatures;
At the risk of sounding tragiHarry Potter and the Order of the cally un-cool, I have to make a
Phoenix does not disappoint.
small confession; I have never
In addition to these hallmarks, read any of J.K. Rowling’s bestHarry Potter and the Order of the selling Harry Potter novels. While
Phoenix has steeped in a much I can almost count in one hand
more gritty and moody esthetic, the number of people my age who
pitting Harry against not only the have not cracked open any of the
machinations of Voldemort but books in this series, I get the feelalso alienation in the face of a ing that is more of a help than a
mistrustful world.
hindrance when it comes to this
Apparently Harry just film adaptation.
can’t catch a break. The young
The novel clocks in at 870
hero begins his latest adventure pages and there is no possible way
facing not only a pack of wraith- to fit the entire story into a fealike Dementors but also the threat ture length motion picture. While
of expulsion from Hogwart’s for there is undoubtedly a good deal
an unauthorized use of underage of details lost, the best quality of
magic. When the often abused Harry Potter and the Order of the
warlock finally does report for Phoenix is that this sequel offers
his latest term he must face the us a glimpse at the politics and
sneers of his fellow students as institutions of the magical world
well as the authoritarian power that Rowling has created.
of the Ministry of Magic appointed inquisitor, Dolores
Umbridge.
While struggling to
overcome the Ministry’s
attempts to discredit him,
enduring the tortures of a
new administrator and battling the psychic influence
of You-Know-Who, Harry
must also come to the realization that he is not alone
in this conflict.
A major part of the
narrative is dedicated to
Harry’s difficulties in allowing his friends to help
him shoulder the burden of
Photo Courtesy of Warner Brothers Studio.
by michael kryszak
contributing writer
By Martin Bater
sports editor
In pop culture, there are
events that redefine or put into
perspective what the most significant icons in music, TV and art
have done through the years. The
Beatles had “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely
Hearts Club Band”, everything
they stood for and meant to the
world musically was plastered in
that record, and “M.A.S.H” had
its final episode. Now, a family
that has lived in America’s living
room for almost 20 years gets its
fat yellow bottom off the couch
and onto the movie screen to cement it’s legacy in The Simpsons
Movie.
The series has been a fixture on
FOX for 18 years, beloved by two
generations. The big question that
hung over the movie was how it
could possibly live up to the hype
and satisfy its fans. Let’s face it,
Homer and his family have been
through every possible adventure
two or three times already and
even I, a diehard Simpsons fan,
had my doubts about whether
Spider Pig could meet the high
standards set by the television
show. To my surprise, the movie
not only met my expectations, it
Photo Courtesy of 20th Century Fox.
exceeded them.
The movie begins and the
theater, at full capacity, laughs
uncontrollably as we see The
Simpsons watching the “Itchy
and Scratchy” movie and Homer
standing up in disgust while
yelling “Why are we paying for
something we get on TV for free?
Anyone who is watching this is
an idiot.”
The basic premise after
that in tales the audience
fallowing Homer as he
tries to save Springfield
from himself after poisoning the lake by dumping a SILO full of his pig’s
(also known as “Spider Pig” and
“Harry Plopper”) remainings.
This act of pollution causes the
town to be deemed environmentally hazardous and is to be isolated from the rest of the world in
a giant glass dome.
Those first five minutes of the
movie remind everyone why the
series was such a cultural icon
and why Homer is one of the 10
most beloved characters in the
history of television.
If you really want to know
why this movie means so much,
just look at some of the words the
show and film has introduced into
American culture: “meh” (as in
“I don’t care”), “craptacular” (as
in “this gift grandma gave me is
craptacular”), “learning juice”
(beer) and most importantly
“MMMM….DONUTS.”
As you can see, The Simpsons
are a staple of American culture,
and there fore deserved to be
showcased on the big screen.
Blast from the past
BY Heather Cooper
Layout editor
In the midst of the summer
blockbuster season, movie-goers are still left with the same
tripe devoid of any originality. It
seems screen writers, producers,
and directors alike are opting for
remakes instead of new ideas.
Since the releases of TMNT
and Transformers, Hollywood
has fallen into the fad of bringing
back the 1980s. Movie connoisseurs can look forward to plenty
of old ‘80s television cartoons being revived in live action or computer-generated imagery films in
the near future.
While the box office hit
Transformers had a solid start,
the streak is sure not to last with
the approaching Dec. 14th release of Alvin and
the Chipmunks.
The film is
about
a
Photo Courtesy of 20th Century Fox.
man named Dave (played by
Jason Lee of My Name Is Earl)
and the problems he encounters
while raising three mischievous
and musically talented chipmunks.
20th Century Fox hired Dave
Hill, former director of Garfield
2, to direct the film. Many expect
the movie to bomb, especially
BCC sophomore Lenia Osorio,
who says, “The film is going to
be a big flop. It might be harsh,
but today’s modern children want
to see fighting turtles, not singing
rodents.”
Fox along with Transformers’
producer Lorenzo Di Bonaventura,
are also working on a script for a
film about the beloved action figure G.I. Joe. “Those ‘80s properties have really large audiences,
and Joe is a giant to an ‘80s audience.” said Di Bonaventura
in Entertainment Weekly
Magazine.
Following in 20th
Century Fox’s lead,
Warner Brothers Studio
has announced they
will also be remaking
two popular cartoons,
Thundercats and HeMan and the Masters of
the Universe.
Thundercats will be a
computer-generated imagery film following the
events which took place in the
very first television episode. It
will be about a group of humanoid
cats, led by Lion-O, who come to
earth after their planet’s destruction, bringing with them their
battle against the evil MummRa. With a script written by Paul
Sopocy and Paula Weinstien
(Blood Diamond) as producer,
perhaps the film will see some of
the success of TMNT.
The live-action film He-man
and the Masters of the Universe
will fallow He-man, the alter ego
of Prince Adam, as he saves his
world from the sadistic hands
of Skelator. The movie still is in
pre-production, so it is undecided
who will be directing and starring
in the film.
Cinema fans are all hoping
that between these new films
there will be at least one success,
although the hope of a box office
hit like Transformers is not expected. Student Anthony Sedley
quibbled, “I really hope one of the
studios can pull off a good ‘80s
remake, instead of ruining the
cartoons we loved as children.”
However it is a well known
fact that as long as the money
keeps rolling in, Hollywood does
not care what happens to the integrity of an old cartoon and even
less about what decade it aired
in.
Entertainment
August 13, 2007
The Observer
Transformers: More than meets the eye
By Kevin Rosenberg
South Bureau chief
I never liked Transformers as a
kid, but now after seeing the movie, I am a huge fan. Before this
flick, the director Michael Bay
didn’t have a good track record
with his past films (Pearl Harbor,
Armageddon, and Bad Boys II),
so I was surprised at how this
movie revealed to be so good.
The film is based on a group of
robots from another planet called
Cybertron. Before their planet’s
destruction, it was split into two
groups: the good Autobots, led
by Optimus Prime, and the evil
Decepticons, ruled by Megatron.
Both groups are brought to earth
to find a mysterious cube called
the “allspark” which brings life to
any machine or electrical device.
The Autobots are on earth to find
the cube and protect the humans
from falling into the hands of the
Decepticons. Megatron and his
army are on earth to retrieve the
cube and create an army that can
capture earth in order to make it
their new planet.
Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBoeuf
of Even Stevens) is the main
character. Sam’s great grandfather found the cube a long time
Photo Courtesy of Dreamworks.
ago, and hid clues on how to find
its location among his personal
belongings. Sam was never perceptive enough to know all of
this, until he buys a yellow ca-
maro, which actually happens to
be an Autobot named Bumblebee.
Bumblebee’s main objective is
to keep Sam safe. When he first
buys Bumblebee, the robot is a
70s model camaro, but after being insulted on its ugly paint job,
it transforms into the beautiful
new 2008 camaro concept car.
Megan
Fox,
(Sydney
11
Shanowski of Hope & Faith)
plays Sam’s love interest, Mikaela
Banes. In the movie she is a beautiful women and convicted felon.
Her co-stars, Josh Duhamel and
Tyrese Gibson, also gave great
performances in their roles as
U.S. Army soldiers.
Transformers has an enthralling plot, but the story is a little far
fetched. You have to keep in mind
that this is a movie based on a science fiction cartoon that aired in
the 80s. It’s a great movie to see
for entertainment purposes but
don’t expect much else. However,
Transformers kept me entertained the whole time. I loved
the characters, and especially the
Transformers themselves. Most
of all, I really enjoyed getting an
in-depth look at the new 2008 camaro.
The acting was great, the
Transformers are awesome, and
it had an attention-grabbing plot.
There is only one negative part
of the film. When the Autobots
battle the Decepticons, there are
too many special effects going on
at once; it is like a visual sensory
overload. I recommend sitting a
few rows back than normally, so
one can get the full effect.
Comments
Computer Dude writes:
Welcome
Students
Hi my name is
Broward Community
College
Don’t forget to check your BCC email often for updates
from your teachers
My Friends
Sammy the
Seahawk
President
Armstrong
South Campus
Central Campus
North Campus
Tigertail Lake
Center
CellStudent1101 writes:
Remember to turn off your cell phone before class
Professor Y Says:
Try to get your books before the lines get too long
About Me:
My Blog
I have eight campuses
Tuition:
In state - $69.80 per credit
Out of State - $242.05
Stuff for fun:
> The game room on
campus is open to all
students with a student ID
card
> Join a club on your
campus like Student
Government Association,
Phi Theta Kappa, or the
Observer Newspaper
> For the Athlete in you
cheer on BCC’s six athletic
teams
August 20, 2007
> The first day of classes has finally arrived. I just
love the excitement of the first day back
August 13, 2007
> I’m so busy today! So many students are stopping
by to register adn tour my campuses. I’m looking forward to a great semester
August 8, 2007
> All the grades are in. It looks like all of my students
hard work and studying paid off
August 6, 2007
> Today I was very sad because all of my wonderful
students left me for their summer break. But I guess
I shouldn’t be too sad because they will be returning
on August 20.
Surfer4Life writes:
Check out Tigertail Lake Center for windsurfing, sailing,
and other outdoor events
Buff Guy writes:
Don’t forget to visit the gym on all the BCC campuses to
get a good work out between classes. Check Student Life
on your campus for times
Professor X writes:
Don’t forget to show up or YOU WILL FAIL!!!
14
The Observer
Features
Professor Spotlight: Sobchak
designs historical landmark
By Jasmine Grant
Staff Writer
For all of those who have an
interest in history, one of our
own has been involved in the
Cultural Heritage Landmark
installations, counting down
Broward County’s 100 anniversary in 2015.
Downtown campus graphic
design teacher, Alicia Bellini
Sobchak, was given the responsibility earlier this year to design
four historical landmarks to be
displayed in different locations
around the county.
Sobchak has been able to
reach out beyond the boundaries
of her classroom and become a
contributor to Broward County’s
history.
With her own graphic design
company, Alicia Bellini Designs,
Sobchak has been able to display
all of her skills and the creativity
that makes her unique.
Working with Broward
County Historical Commission
under their Cultural Heritage
Landmark program, Sobchak
has immortalized some of her
designs.
The main agenda of the project was to create landmarks that
would honor the cultural his-
tory of Broward County.
Sobchak’s signature marker
was “The New River,” which
is a symbol that connects the
past, present and future.
All four markers stand six
feet tall and are made from
ceramic. The markers can
be found at Wray Botanical
Collection-Flamingo
Gardens; Pine Island RidgeTree Tops Park; Tequesta
Indian Village-Peace Mound
Park and Ely Educational
Museum-Blanche
and
Joseph Ely House. All markers are open to the public.
Her company’s concentration is environmental
graphic design. She received
her two degrees in graphic
design from the University
of Florida as well as Florida
Atlantic University.
Sobchak has always been passionate about her art and looked
forward to make a living from
it. “Doing graphic design was
a great way to combine art and
business,” she said.
Throughout her career she
drew inspiration from nationally acclaimed artists such as architect Miya Lin, who designed
the Vietnam War Memorial in
Washington, D.C. and Barbara
august 13, 2007
The road to Zo’s Ville
Photo by JOhnny Louis/JLNPhotography.com
Comedian Katt Williams entertains children at the Overtown Youth Center.
By Johnny Louis
Photo Editor
Photo Courtesy of www.co.broward.fl.us
Kruger, a visual artist.
Not only does she draw inspiration from others, but she is
a source for inspiration as well.
“She is a fabulous instructor and
just recently she won an award
for teacher of the year for 2006.
She is a very gifted artist and
designer and a great addition to
BCC,” said Rick McCawley.
The fact that Sobchak has
been able to make her art a success proves that with hard work
and dedication dreams are not
impossible to achieve.
Eleven years ago, Miami
Heat center Alonzo Mourning
started an organization called
Alonzo Mourning Charities,
with the purpose of “Providing
support and services to enhance
the lives of youth of promise,”
as their motto states.
Alonzo Mourning Charities
is a not-for-profit organization
and has raised over $6 million
to help South Florida’s youth.
This past July, “Zo’s Summer
Groove,” which is a five day
event and fundraising, brought
a smile to the faces of South
Florida’s youth.
The fundraising event consisted of youth basketball clinics, a golf tournament, comedy
show/concert, youth summit,
benefit dinner, block party and
AD: FIU Pines
an all-star basketball game at
the American Airline Arena in
Miami.
This year’s event was sponsored by Miccosukee Resort and
Gaming, Nike, City Furniture,
and Heineken. “Zo’s Summer
Groove” began with youth basketball clinic at the newly built
Miramar Youth Enrichment
Center located at Miramar
Parkway S.W. 68th Avenue and
the Overtown Youth Center,
where all the kids that participated at the youth basketball
clinic received free Nike tennis
shoes.
During the press conference
at the Overtown Youth Center,
Mourning and other celebrities such as: comedian Katt
Williams and Benji Brown,
▪
Zo’s Ville
Continued on page 16
JUNE 11, 2007
OPINION
The Observer
15
16
The Observer
Sports
august 13, 2007
Bonds chases Aaron for home-run record
By Omar Torrijos
Staff Writer
Outfielder Barry Bonds spoke
briefly with reporters and said he
didn’t want to talk about himself
or the home-run record he’s chasing. The following interview was
given to ESPN by Bonds on April
24, 2007.
“Let’s talk about how our team
is doing,” said Bonds. Bonds
praised first-year Giants manager
Bruce Bochy, saying, “you can’t
say enough about how well he’s
handled the situation, how well
he’s handled us.”
And the San Francisco slugger
also said he was enjoying Alex
Rodriguez’s hot streak. “A-Rod,
I’m so happy for him–it’s great,
it’s phenomenal. I hope he hits a
hundred (homers), I really do,”
Bonds added.
By the time this article was
written, Bonds had hit 754 homers, locating him only one away
from breaking Hank Aaron’s all-
time record. Steve Phillips, baseball analyst for ESPN and former
GM, brought a fair point to the
table.
At this pace, Bonds would
have broken the record around
the beginning of August, when
the San Francisco Giants would
be on a six game road trip, three
against the Los Angeles Dodgers
and three against the San Diego
Padres. When Aaron broke Babe
Ruth’s record he did it on the road,
it actually happened in Atlanta,
where he had played before.
The problem with Bonds is
that he’s not a beloved player
among fans and players. For this
matter, Major League Baseball
would rather not see Bonds break
the record on the road and have
him booed and the fans throwing
stuff on the field for around 20
minutes while everything is being shown live.
What’s going to happen in
a year, five, or maybe ten when
the Commissioner wants to com-
memorate the breaking of one of
the most sacred records in baseball? It would be a very damaging
moment for the sport.
Dodgers’ catcher Russell
Martin said, “I’m sure the fans
will be pretty happy when we get
him out. And be pretty mad if he
gets a home run, it’s going to add
a little intensity to the series, for
sure.”
Also, it’s fair to say that even
though there is plenty of controversy about Bonds’ steroid consumption and plenty of proof
against him (as shown in the
book “Game of Shadows”), 754+
home runs in a player’s career is
an amazing accomplishment that
it’s supposed to be seen once every generation.
However, Alex Rodriguez,
who turned pro at the age of 19
and is now 32, has hit 500+ homers so far. During his 12 years as
a pro (not including this season)
he had hit 464 homers, which is
an average of 38.66 HRs per sea-
GIVE US BCC Soccer!
By Alberto K. Sanchez
copy editor
With all the hype that soccer is currently enjoying with
the arrival of David Beckham
in Major League Soccer (MLS),
wouldn’t it be a good idea to
think about the possibilities of
bringing the sport most played
around the world to BCC?
I believe it is. BCC has a very
competitive athletic program
and each year more athletes arrive on campus with the hopes
of having outstanding accomplishments as they prepare to
move to four-year universities.
Being involved in soccer
during and after high school,
I know first hand that many
Broward County athletes that
don’t get the chance to go straight
to four-year universities arrive at
BCC, distancing themselves from
the sport as it is not offered here.
It is certainly not easy to start
a new sports program, as many
administrative actions would
need to be taken. Most importantly, being in compliance with
the Title IX legislation that was
passed in 1972, which bans sex
discrimination whether it be in
academics or athletics.
The legislation basically states
that if a sport is offered it needs
to be available for both male and
female athletes unless there is not
enough interest among the students to participate.
This means both sexes need to
have the same opportunities in
regards to money given to the
program, facilities, recruitment,
medical facilities, equipment,
and practice time among others.
So, although it would not be
an easy process to start, with
and Athletic Department that
has been doing a great job with
every sport that is currently offered at BCC, why not trust
them with the responsibility of
bringing soccer to BCC.
As a soccer fan, I believe it
would be a great opportunity
for the college, and if properly
advertised among the student
body it wouldn’t surprise me if
it becomes, with time, the most
popular sport at BCC.
Grooving with the youth at Zo’s Ville
Photo by Johnny Louis/JLNPhotography.com
Comedian Benji Brown stands with Miami Heat players Alonzo Mourning, Dorell Wright, anb Udonis Haslem.
▪ Continued from page 14
Miami Heat forward Udonis
Haslem and Dorell Wright and
Denver Nuggets forward Kenyon
Martin, shared with the kids a
little of their life and the need for
good health and fitness.
“Zo’s
Summer
Groove”
Comedy show/concert took place
this year at the Seminole Hard
Rock Hotel and Casino, and featured comedian Katt Williams,
Mike Epps, Marvin Dixion, Benji
Brown and Gary Owen.
The event continued with a
youth summit at the Parrot Jungle
Island, a benefit dinner and a
free block party. To close out the
event, “Zo’s Summer Groove,”
held their signature all-star basketball game at the American
Airlines Arena.
During the press conference
Mourning said that he is looking
to expand the organization state
wide little by little.
For more info, visit <www.
amcharities.org>
Photo by AP/Jeff Chiu
San Francisco Giants Barry Bonds hits his 756th career home run in the
fifth inning of their baseball game against the Washington Nationals in
San Francisco, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2007.
son.
If Bonds,43, finished his career with 754 home-runs, A-Rod
would take seven more seasons to
hit 757 out of the park.
Will he be the next one to
break the sacred record? I believe
he is.
Drafted BCC players on
their way to major leagues
▪ continued from page 1
producing talent and getting players that bigger schools like FIU
or FAU struggle to get, and that
is largely the responsibility of
Athletic Director John Giordano.
Six former BCC players will
be part of MLB teams for the up
coming season. Luis Pardo was
picked by the Houston Astros in
the ninth round as the 291st selection overall.
Nolan Mulligan was picked
by the Philadelphia Phillies in the
26th Round and the Baltimore
Orioles picked Brandon Cooney
in the 30th round.
Dylan Gonzalez went to the
St. Louis Cardinals as a 31st
round pick as well as Gabriel
Casanova who was picked in the
37th round by the Los Angeles
Dodgers. The Pittsburg Pirates
picked Daniel Bomback in the
42nd round.
“This is great for the program.
We want our players to succeed
both athletically and academically. We have had a lot of players
drafted in the last couple of years
and that speaks well about what
we are doing,” said Giordano.
Giordano thinks that Latos
helps a lot when it comes to recruiting, because players want to
play for a quality program.
It doesn’t matter if Latos ends
up being a superstar or a bust;
his signing sends the message to
South Florida high school players that they don’t need to go to
a big time school to make it big.
They can stay close to home and
attend a much more affordable
college without losing any of the
big time scouts.
Sports
august 13, 2007
The Observer
is beckham the
MLS Savior?
By Martin Bater
Sports Editor
No. Beckham is not the MLS’ (Major League Soccer) savior.
He is just the first step in the right direction for a league that is
finally starting to find the way to make soccer relevant in this
country.
The main reason fans get excited by a sport and start following it is because there is a product in place that is so good there
is no reason to ignore it. The NBA had the Celtics-Lakers rivalry
in the 80s and the Bulls’ dynasty in the 90s. Baseball has the
Yankees.
Anyone older than 16 in South Florida probably remembers
how hockey did matter when the Panthers made it to the Stanley
Cup Finals while the fans went giddy with the plastic rats, and
how the Marlins hooked everyone in 1997 and 2003 by putting
more than 60,000 people in the stands.
Soccer has that kind of power, but Beckham isn’t quite enough
to make a substantial difference. With the Bulls dynasty and the
Celtics-Lakers rivalry, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Michael
Jordan gave their hometown fans something to root for and the
rest of the country something and someone to root against.
Beckham isn’t going to make the L.A. Galaxy a dynasty, he
can execute free kicks and make excellent passes, but he doesn’t
make his teammates better. He is certainly not someone anyone
would root against, at least not now, he is too nice.
Beckham leads by example, and that is great, I wish every
sport would have more athletes like that. Just don’t expect him
to open his mouth and say something controversial. He is very
similar to Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez in that aspect,
he will measure every single word he says in front of a camera.
That’s why the MLS needs to step out of the stone age of borderline amateurism and start taking itself seriously. It can start
doing that by bringing in another star player that is the complete
opposite of Beckham. Bring in loudmouths like Manchester
United’s Cristiano Ronaldo or Wayne Rooney, great players with
an attitude that will light a fire under every team in the league.
While Manchester United is about to pay around a $60 million fee for Carlos Tevez, one of the best forwards in the world
today, every MLS team has a salary cap of only $400,000 per
player.
While every other team in the world buys and sells its own
players, the MLS acts like a parent that doesn’t trust his children
with money, only allowing two designated players per team to
earn more than the salary cap, and takes part in deciding which
team can get which player.
The best South American players don’t leave their country
because the level of soccer is inferior to Europe’s, it isn’t, they
leave because European clubs from Russia to Spain will ensure
their family’s financial future for generations to
come.
Why else would a player that
doesn’t know how to even say hello in Russian go to play for the
Spartak in Moscow?
It’s time for the MLS to wake
up. Beckham was just the first
building block in what is supposed to make America think in
terms of the “Big Five” sports, not
just four. That time is now.
Yes.
No.
By Alberto K. Sanchez
copy editor
Yes. Beckham brought more attention to Major
League Soccer (MLS) in a month than what the league
has received in their almost 11 years of existence. It
has already been reported on the New York Red Bulls
website that for the Aug. 18 game at Giants stadium
against the L.A. Galaxy more than 40,000 tickets have
already been sold, when the average attendance is only
around 10,000 people.
It is clear that Beckham is no Ronaldihno or Messi,
players who can change the course of a game at any
moment, so don’t expect the L.A. Galaxy to suddenly
be a championship team. But he will certainly lift a
team and a league that was simply stuck.
After the announcement of Beckham’s signing
with MLS earlier this year, many international players
turned to MLS in search of their new home. Players
like Mexican star Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Colombian
Juan Pablo Ángel also arrived in the U.S. this season.
MLS is taking the right steps into getting soccer at
the level it deserves to be in this country. Many things
that have slowed the development of the league are
now changing.
The league’s salary cap is a major handicap, but the
arrival of Beckham pushed the league to change some
of its rules and allow for two designated players per
team to earn more than the $400,000 cap.
So if by savior we mean rescuer, Beckham is surely
it. The reason MLS manages the teams and takes decisions about what players to place on which teams is
because if those teams would take on the burden of
having to pay for every player, the teams would basically go bankrupt.
Every team needs the MLS’s help to carry out their
daily business and be able to produce enough money
to keep things running smoothly. But that, in time,
could also change, as the L.A. Galaxy expects to earn
$1 billion in the five years Beckham is set to stay in
Tinseltown.
Things are starting to look up and Beckham is surely
to blame for the turn around that the MLS is currently
going through. So yes, keep bringing pretty faces if
that is what’s going to attract people to a soccer stadium, the passion for the sport will come in time.
17
18
The Observer
OPINION
August 13, 2007
OPINION
august 13, 2007
The Observer
Guess What?
You
Got
Mail
So Go Check It!
By Angela Osborne
Opinion Editor
How many times a day do
you check you’re MySpace, Facebook, Hotmail, Gmail, AOL, or
Yahoo accounts? A few times a
day, right? Then why is it so hard
for students to check their BCC
email accounts?
On the first day of class the
professors talk about the email
policy. Professors will only read
and send emails to and from broward.edu email addresses. That
would make using our BCC email
accounts important, right?
Email is the easiest way to
communicate these days with
anyone, and students, professors
and college officials are no exception. Professors send emails to
their classes to let them know if
class is cancelled or changes that
occur in assignments or exams.
Students email professors
their homework or to ask questions. And college officials email
students to notify them of when
grades are posting, hours of the
library, or even closing of the college.
Just last spring, students should
have realized the importance of
school emails. The officials at
Virginia Tech emailed the student
body of the university to let them
know of the dangers that were on
the campus that day.
Also, when BCC had a scare
of its own just days later, an
evacuation of all campuses was
ordered and emails were sent to
all students to tell them not to
Earn up to $5000
or more while
helping infertile
couples start a
family. Healthy
nonsmoking
females 21-32
(egg donors)
and 21-42
(surrogates).
Call Sara 954
987-5802.
bother with coming to classes that
day because the campuses were
closed.
So why do students not check
their email? A common complaint
is that students do not know what
their usernames and passwords
are. The easy solution for that is
for students to locate their BCC
email username and password
logging onto MyBCC, and look-
Classifieds
Editorial Staff
Editor-in-Chief
Heather Dulman
Managing Editor
Nathan Phelps
CYNDI THE
TUTOR
“Where students
learn, improve, and
achieve”
K-6 tutoring,
Call 6 am to 10 pm.
(954) 274-9214
Sports Editor
Martin Bater
Entertainment Editor
Andres Lopez
Opinion Editor
Angela Osborne
Layout Editor
Grant Abraham
Layout Editor
Heather Cooper
CopyEditor
Alberto Sanchez
Photo Editor
Johnny Louis
Central Chief
Daniella Dorcelus
Broward
Community College
2006 FCCPA General
Excellence Award
South Chief
Kevin Rosenberg
North Chief
Anthony Perrucci
WHC Chief
Travis Donald
Sci-Tech Editor
William Breim
STAFF WRITERS
Omar Torrijos
Buzz Lamb
Jasmine Grant
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
ILLUSTRATION
Eleazar Soriano
AdvisEr
Jennifer Shapiro
Web Designer
Chris Cutro
ing under the student email/account info section and students
can get both their username and
password.
Another issue students have
with BCC email is; why should
they have to check yet another account?
This is college and some professionalism is expected. BCC does
not want to send emails to “hotmama87” or “bigpimpin1182”
or anything along those lines, so
they furnish an email account to
us, and it might be some jumbled
form of initials but it is better than
“urlilshorty.”
If only there was a way to forward emails that are sent to your
BCC account to your normal everyday email account, then that
would cut down on half of the
problem right? Oh wait, there is!
In your inbox, under the options
tab, in mailbox management, you
can have mail forwarded to any
email address you want, isn’t
that great? So you only have to
go to your email account to send
emails.
No more excuses. Check your
email.
Who doesn’t
need a computer? Hello students
and faculty.
RE System
Computers offers
anything related
to PCs and
Laptops. Certified
Technician. Call
Pete 954-8296930.
19
Life:
What It
Means
By Michael Paredes
Contributing Writer
What is the meaning to life?
This question has baffled the
human mind since the dawn of
man, and still no answer has been
found. No definition can be given
when the subjectivity of the response is so large.
The meaning of why we are
here is different to everyone.
Perhaps it is to serve others, to
worship God, or maybe even just
be content, to do the best possible.
Human kind also seems to want
to over complicate the answers.
They try to elaborate so much
and build so many intricacies,
when one simple idea sums it all
up so well: the point in everyone’s life, whether it be to love,
to hate, to create, or to destroy:
we all simply live. That is the one
thing that all life has in common.
No matter how it is played out, it
comes and it goes.
How we choose to live it out is
another factor all together. Some
would say we choose our destination, and how we get there. Others
would argue that everything is
predestined, and we have one set
path, one fate we cannot escape.
Perhaps it is a mixture of both.
Perhaps we have our own destinies, yet we have some choice in
where they take us and with what
forces we choose to use and carry
with us.
In the end, our lives just exist. We are here, we live and we
die. We wonder and we hope. We
smile and cry soon after. We hide
from the world and we embrace.
We do so much in the fraction of
time that we can exist, but after
all is said and done; all we have
really done is existed.
We may not have changed the
world, but we dwelled on it, and
we all connected with each other
in someway. All our spirits are interwoven; all of our souls flourish
and live out their time together.
Instead of asking why so much,
we should just enjoy this festival
of life, never regret what we do
with it, and just hope for the best
and see what happens along the
way.
The Observer is a bi-weekly consolidated newspaper produced by students of Broward Community College. The editorial office is located at South Campus, Bldg.
68-268, 7200 Pines Blvd., Pembroke Pines, FL 33024. Bureau Offices are located
at North Campus, 1000 Coconut Creek Blvd., Coconut Creek, FL, 33066, and Central Campus, 3501 SW Davie Rd, Davie, FL. The Observer can also be reached by
phone at 954-201-8877 or e-mail at [email protected].
Letters to the editor are encouraged. The writer’s name and phone number must be
included and the letter signed. Unsigned letters will not be accepted, but requests
for anonymity may be honored at the editor’s discretion. Letters must be typed and
not exceed 300 words. The Observer upholds the right to edit for style or length or
to reject publications of letters deemed inappropriate.
Michael Kryszak
Michael Paredes
Archie Asar
For information concerning editorial policy or advertising rates, call 954-2018035.
Bruno Niccoli
Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect those of BCC students, staff, faculty and administration.
20
The Observer
august 13, 2007
Central Campus
3501 Davie Road
Davie, FL 33314
Central Campus Directory
Map Legend
1
2,5,7 3 4 6 8 9 10 11 12 13 14-15 16 17 18 19 20&23
24-25 21. 22. 27. 28. 39-42
43-48
49 38,52,100
Behavioral Sciences/Dean of Academic Affairs/
Dean of Business Affairs/Provost/Social Sciences
Classrooms
Visual Arts
Bailey Concert Hall/Theatre/Music
Math/English /Fine Arts/Theatre
Health Sciences
Business Administration/ Communications/MFL/Reading/ ESL
Gym
Wellness
FAU Liberal Arts
Computer Science/Engineering
Natural Sciences
Buehler Planetarium
University/College Library/Learning Resources
Buehler Observatory
Admissions/Bookstore/Cafeteria/Campus Safety/
Cashier, Counseling & Advisement/ Dean of Student Affairs/ Registration/Student Life/Testing
Facilities Management
Bldg. Maintenance
Landscaping/Horticulture
Institute of Public Safety
Child Care
Aquatic Complex
BCC Classroom Modulars
IPS Classroom Modulars
Driving Simulator
FAU Facilities
Career Center
201-6612
Institute of Public Safety
201-6791
Provost
Cashiers Office
201-6545
Intramural Sports
201-6328
Dr. Lois Bolton Communication Dept.
201-6558
Learning Resources
201-6660
201-6510 Bldg. 1-157
Deans
Computer Science & Engineering Open Lab
Academic Affairs Dr. Dianne Ruggiero
201-6513 Bldg. 1-165
Business Affairs
John Stancil
201-6624 Bldg. 1-159
Health Sciences
Dr. Debbie Papa
201-6767 Bldg. 8-136
Institute of Public Safety Mandt
Edward
201-6789 Bldg. 22-131
Student Affairs
201-6101
Computer Science & Engineering Dept.
201-6723
Continuing Education (main #)
201-7800
Continuing Education (Language)
Library
201-6648
LRC Tutoring
201-6663
Mathematics Dept.
201-6692
Math Lab
201-6645
Medical Assisting
201-6906
MFL Lab
201-6687
Nursing
201-6851
Performing Arts Dept. (Music & Theatre)
201-6960
Continuing Education for Health Sciences 201-6768
201-6843
Physical Sciences Dept. 201-6677
Counseling
201-6528
Planetarium
201-6681
Assoc. Dean of Student Affairs Criminal Justice
201-6791
Radiography
201-2352
Kaye Francis
Dental
201-6448
Reading Lab
201-6424
201-6527
Registration
201-6865
ROTC
201-6791
Security
201-6626
David Asencio
201-6522 Bldg. 19-130
201-6874
Bldg. 19-116
University/College Library, LRC & Technology
Disability Services
Support Distance Learning Testing Center
Miguel Menendez
201-6480
Bldg. 17-317
Student Affairs
201-6450
Emergency Medical Services
201-6920
Social Sciences Dept.
201-6630
English Dept.
201-6637
Student Affairs
201-6522
201-4901
Advisement/Counseling
201-6528
ESL Lab
Student Financial Services
201-6573
Admissions
201-6800
ESL/Reading/SLS Dept.
201-6427
Student Government
201-6846
Architecture & Design Dept.
201-7396
Evening Administrator
201-6359
Student Life
201-6756
Bailey Hall
201-6880
Financial Services
201-6573
Student Success
201-6528
BCC Emergency Hotline
201-4900
Fire Science
201-6982
201-6587
Flexible Learning
Biological Sciences Dept.
Bookstore
Behavioral Sciences Dept.
201-6791
Testing Center
201-6567
Veterans Affairs
201-7621
201-6557
Health Sciences Dept.
201-6767
Visual Arts
201-6517
201-6830
Health Science Scholarships
201-6899
Wellness Dept.
201-6855
201-6948
201-6596
Business Administration Dept.
201-6710
Health Services Management
201-6904
Wellness Center
Campus Safety
201-6626
Honors Institute
201-7645
Writing Lab
august 13, 2007
The Observer
South Campus
7200 Pines Blvd.
Pembroke Pines, Fl 33024
South Campus Directory
Map Legend
71 - 2nd floor Admin/Provost
Provost
201-8077
Math Lab
BCC Emergency Hotline
201-4900
Mentor Program
201-8994
208A
Bookstore
201-8805
Nursing
201-8850
Deans
Business Administration
201-8933
The Observer
201-8877
Academic Affairs Cashiers Office
201-8830
Office Systems & Tech 201-8841
Dr. Hank Martel
Aviation Institute
Dr. Shouan Pan
201-8800
Bldg. 71-
201-8909
Career Center
201-8865
P’an Ku
201-8044
Business Affairs
Climbing Wall
201-8238
Reading Lab
201-8909
Albert Smith
201-8888
Bldg.71-210A
Communications
201-8986
Registration
Student Affairs
Continuing Education
201-8815
Science/Wellness Dept.
201-8965
Janice Stubbs
201-8001
Bldg. 71-202
201-8835
Counseling
201-8876
Safety
201-8970
Associate Dean of Student Affairs
Disability Services
201-8913
Safety Emergency Line
893-5700
Anthony Cruz
English Dept.
201-8904
Soc./Behavioral Sciences
201-8810
Academic Resources and Instructional
Financial Services
201-8846
Student Affairs
201-8903
Technology Flexible Learning
201-6564
Student Government
201-8941
Terri Justice
Foreign Language Lab
201-8909
Student Life
201-8973
Aviation and Automotive Technology Honors Institute
201-8873
Student Success
201-8994
Jorge Guerra
International Students
201-8991
Veterans Affairs
201-8868
201-8903
201-8875
201-8067
201-8077
Bldg. 68-207
Bldg. 69-210
Bldg. 72-136B
Bldg. 99-118
Student Affairs
Intramurals/Student Activities
201-8911
Job Service
201-8866
Academic Advisement
201-8875
Learning Resources
201-8909
Admissions
201-8835
Library
201-8825
Automotive Technology
201-8103
Mathematics Dept.
201-8920
99
Aviation
67
Bookstore
73
Child Development Center
69 & 71
Classroom Bldg.
90-98
Classroom Modulars
403-412
Classroom Trailers
72
Learning Resources
70
Science/Computer Labs
68
Student Services/Student
Life/Cafeteria
65
Wellness Center/GYM
81
Library
21
22
The Observer
august 13, 2007
North Campus
1000 Coconut Creek Blvd.
Coconut Creek, Fl 33066
Map Legend
41 Health Science
42 Physical Plant
46 Student Services
47 English/Communication/Reading/
ESL
48 Engineering Technology/Computer Science
North Campus Directory
Provost
Dr. Barbara J. Bryan
Bldg. 49-200
201-2202
Deans
49 Administration/Classrooms
50 Visual and Performing Arts
51 Business Administration
52 Classrooms/Math Lab
56 Social/Behavioral Science
Academic Affairs
Dr. Monica Ramirez
201-2389
Bldg. 49-200
Business Affairs
Dr. George Stalliard
201-2403
Bldg. 49-200
Health Sciences
Gregory Ferenchak
201-2060
Bldg. 41-230
Student Affairs
Peter Barbatis
201-2300
Bldg. 46-222
Assoc. Dean of Student Affairs Vacant
201-2312
Bldg. 46-218
57 Mathematics/Science
Student Affairs
60 Omni Auditorium/Wellness
62 BCC/North Regional Library/LRC
63 Little Learners College
Advisement/Counseling
Admissions
201-2305
201-2240
BCC Emergency Hotline 201-4900
Bookstore
201-2225
Business Administration 201-2360
Cashiers Office
201-2210
Campus Safety
201-2229
Career Center
201-2272
Communication/Fine Arts 201-2370
Computer Lab
201-2255
Continuing Education
201-2204
Disability Services
201-2313
English 201-2385
Engineer Tech/Computer Science
201-2324
Financial Services
201-2330
Honors Institute
201-2236
Institute of Public Safety 201-6931
International Education
201-7706
Intramural Sports
201-2437
Job Placement
201-2282
Language Lab
201-2262
Learning Resources
201-2260
Library
201-2600
Mathematics 201-2283
Math Lab
201-2391
Mentor Program
2367
Omni Auditorium
2233
Open College
6564
Reading/ESL/SLS
Reading Lab
Registration
Science
Soc./Behavioral Sciences
201-2263
Student Affairs
Student Government
Student Life Student Success
Veterans Affairs
Weekend College
Wellness Educ./Athletics
Word Processing Lab
Writing Lab
201201201201-2321
201-2392
201-2245
201-2284
201-2300
201-2461
201-2325
201-2310
201-2330
201-6564
201-2314
201-2439
201-2279
Directory
august 13, 2007
The Observer
23
Weston Center
Pines Center
4205 Bonaventure Blvd., Suite 2
Weston, Fl 33332
16957 Sheridan Street
Pembroke Pines, Fl 33331
Weston Center Directory
Director Dr. Silvia P. Rios-Husain
201-3612 Bldg. 100-126
Interim Asst. Director
Myrna Bomser
201-3610
Bldg. 100-124
Student Life Coordinator
Rosa Fuste
201-3630
Bldg. 100-119
Pines Center Directory
Faculty Advisor 201-3655
Cashier 201-3607
Financial Aid
201-3621
Veteran’s Affairs 201-3621
Bookstore (Pines) 201-3604
Bookstore (Weston) 201-8529
Cont. Education 201-3609
Student Affairs
201-3603
Counseling 201-3602
Enrollment Services 201-3605 Reception Desk 201-3601
Admissions/Registration
201-3631 Testing Center
201-3606
Willis Holcombe Center
111 East Las Olas Blvd.
Ft. Lauderdale, Fl 33301
Willis Holcombe Directory
Provost
Student Affairs
Dr. Lois Bolton David Asencio 201-6522 Bldg. 19-130
Computer Lab
201-7595
Deans
University/College Library, LRC & Technology
Disability Services
201-7517
Academic Affairs Support Evening Administrator 201-7420
201-6510 Bldg. 1-157
Cashiers Office
201-7418
Dr. Dianne Ruggiero 201-6513 Bldg. 1-165
Miguel Menendez 201-6480 Bldg. 17-317
Financial Services
201-7580
Business Affairs
Architecture/Design Learning Resources
201-7595
K
e
John Stancil 201-6624 Bldg. 1-159
Williams 201-7318 Bldg. 33-111
Health Sciences
n
Registration 201-7378
Academic Advisement 201-7491
Security
Dr. Debbie Papa 201-6767 Bldg. 8-136
Admissions 201-7378
Security 201-7419
Institute of Public Safety BCC Emergency Hotline 201-4900
Student Affairs
Bookstore 762-5204
Student Life 201-7377
Edward Mandt 201-6789 Bldg. 22-131
201-7636
201-7491
Administrative Coordinator Janice D’Andrea 201-8501
Bldg. 100-204
Disability Services
Larry Melody
201-8913
Bldg. 68-227
Learning Resources
Terri Justice
201-8909
Bldg. 72
24
The Observer
Feature
august 13, 2007
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week
S u m m e r
In Miami
S w i m
Design and photos by Johnny Louis/JLNPhotography.com
Jessica Simpson
True Religion
Jessica Simpson
Badgley Mischka
True Religion
ANK
Parke & Ronen
ANK
Mirla Sabino
Red Carter
Jessica Simpson
Red Carter
True Religion
By Johnny Louis
Photo Editor
T
DE & DR
Red Carter
his summer’s Mercedes-Benz fashion week was just effusive for
Miami’s heat. The color was vibrant and loud; The cut was exotically trim
in all the right places and to add combustion to an already stream of beautiful models was the star studded attendance. This year’s event included
the Beach Boys featuring John Stamos; Denise Rodman, Tyson Beckford
and actress/singer turned designer Jessica Simpson. A long list of designers
were at hand to showcase their latest line of hot swimsuit designs. Among
them were Zimmermann, Red Carter, Ank by Mirla Sabino, Don Eduardo et
Donna Rosalia,Shay Tod and Parke & Ronen.