LiveWire 68 - LaGuardia Community College - CUNY

LAGUARDIA
WIRE
#68 May 2008
LaGuardia’s ePortfolio Conference Attracts
Over 500 Educators
Professor Kathleen Blake Yancey from Florida
State University gave the keynote address.
By Craig Kasprzak, Program Associate, Center for Teaching and Learning
If somehow you missed the Center for
Teaching and Learning’s steady advertising
campaign over the past several
months, both in print and on the Web;
remained sequestered from colleagues
in virtually every department who contributed
to the massive planning effort
and prepared presentations; and failed
to notice the over 500 educators from
around the country (and beyond)
buzzing in the halls on April 10-12,
then you might not realize that a conference
took place at LaGuardia, and a
memorable one at that.
An impressive feat of logistics and
genuine team effort, the Making
Connections Conference on ePortfolio,
Integrative Learning & Assessment
welcomed educators from 30 states and
five countries that turned our campus into
a nexus of discussion and collaboration
on the subjects of innovative pedagogies
and technology. Presentation topics
ranged from technical explorations of
ePortfolio platforms and demonstrations
of ePortfolio’s role in programmatic and
institutional assessment, to groundbreaking
applications in cultivating social
change and in branching out across a
statewide high school curriculum. The
roster of presenters included many of the
heaviest hitters in the ePortfolio field from
around the country (and even the UK), a
virtual who’s-who of over a hundred
scholars and researchers that included
keynote speaker Kathleen Blake Yancey
from Florida State University, Helen
Barrett of electronicportfolios.org and
Trent Batson from MIT. LaGuardia’s
contributions to the national discussion
were showcased in presentations by
over 40 LaGuardia faculty and staff
representing eight different departments.
For the complete list of presenters, visit
www.eportfolio.lagcc.cuny.edu/
conference to view the full conference
program.
But the Making Connections Conference
didn’t just look good on paper; it
was, by virtually every anecdotal
account, a remarkable success that
offered rich and diverse learning
opportunities for participants and laid
the groundwork for continued growth
both here and elsewhere.
Continued on page 12
Four Students Receive Prestigious Kaplan
Educational Foundation Scholarships
By Staff
LaGuardia Community College students
won four of 10 available scholarships
from the Kaplan Educational Foundation
in a competition that drew over 100
applicants from various New York City
community colleges. Luis Feliz,
Anastasia Morton, Don Patterson, and
Cristina Rodriguez were selected as
Kaplan Educational Foundation Scholars
based on excellence in their academic
pursuits and their exemplary leadership
skills.
Established three years ago, the
program focuses on students who are
enrolled in associate degree programs
and have high academic and leadership
potential, but may not realize it due to
Continued on page 2

Kaplan scholars Luis Feliz, Anastasia Morton & son Brendon, Don Patterson and Cristina Rodriguez
Kaplan Scholars...
Continued from page one
limited resources, support and guidance. To
ensure the students’ academic success, the
scholarship will not only provide them with
financial support throughout their college
experience, but also with academic assistance
in the form of individual and group
tutoring through the completion of their
bachelor’s degrees, leadership development
training and cultural enrichment.
S T U D E N T P R O F I L E S
Luis Feliz
A native of the Dominican Republic, Luis
immigrated to the United States with his
mother and sister when he was seven
years-old. His mother was looking for
steady employment and a better life for her
children, but life proved to be difficult.
Although she was working two jobs, his
mother could not adequately care for Luis;
she sent him to live with his grandmother in
the Dominican Republic. Luis’s education
was sorely affected as a result of the constant
moves. “The comings and goings held
me back academically,” he says.
He returned to the United States in 2000,
but his schooling was still off track. Through
eighth grade, he worked forty hours a week
at a bakery and in the tenth grade he was
working in an airport in lieu of attending
classes. At the age of 20 he was still in
high school when a guidance counselor
suggested he drop out and enroll in a GED
program. Her suggestion motivated him to
reverse his academic fate, and by the end
of his senior year he was taking honors
classes.
His goal was now to attend college, but
his improved grades were not high enough
for him to gain acceptance to a four-year
college so he decided to enroll at
LaGuardia. “I was shooting for a four-year
school,” he says, “but I realized that the
only chance for a better life was to begin
my college experience at a community
college.”
The 22 year-old enrolled in the spring of
2007 as a liberal arts major and says he
soon realized he made the right college
choice. “What I discovered is that community
colleges are truly communities. Here at
LaGuardia I met faculty who motivated me
and students who reached out to me. Without
the professors and friends who believed
in me and encouraged me, the Kaplan
scholarship would not have been possible.”
In this community, Luis is an honor student
who has been maintaining a 3.77 G.P.A.
Luis also established himself as a student
leader. He joined the Phi Theta Kappa
Honor Society where he serves as publications
officer. His love for literature prompted
him to found the Renaissance Reading
Circle where he and other students meet
once a week to discuss such works as Franz
Kafka’s Metamorphosis and Jose Saramago’s
Blindness.
Off campus he volunteers his services at
the New Immigrant Community Empowerment
organization where he teaches ESL
classes to working class immigrants.
With Kaplan’s academic and financial
support, Luis hopes that he will be better
prepared to succeed at a senior college. “I
am excited about the scholarship and I
know I will have to work harder than I have
ever worked before. I’m looking forward to
the tutoring and other assistance the
program provides,” he says. “I want to work
with them to become a better student.”
With the help of the Kaplan scholarship,
Luis envisions pursuing a baccalaureate in
the classics at Cornell, Swarthmore or the
University of Pennsylvania. “My dream is to
go to an Ivy League school,” he says. “I
hope the Kaplan Leadership Program will
help put that within my grasp.”
Ultimately, he would like to obtain a Ph.D.
in English and teach at the college level.
“I would like to bring the enriching experience
I have found in books to community
college students,” he explains.
Continued on next page
I S P R O D U C E D B Y T H E D E PA R T M E N T
O F MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS.
QUESTIONS MAY BE DIRECTED TO RANDY
FADER-SMITH AT x5985; EMAIL ARTICLES:
RANDYFS@LAGCC.CUNY.EDU
Our next issue will be in June 2008.
The deadline for submissions is May 15.
2 www.laguardia.edu

Kaplan Scholars...
Continued from previous page
Anastasia Morton
To say that Anastasia has a busy schedule
would be an understatement. She is a single
mother, a full-time student in
LaGuardia’s tuition-free Accelerated Study
in Associate Program (ASAP) and a full-time
school aide at a middle school in Harlem.
“On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I drop off my
son at day care, go to work, pick him up
in the evening, then drop him off at
LaGuardia’s child care center, and attend
class,” says Anastasia. “On Saturdays, I
attend class all day while Brendon is at the
child care center.”
Although she will continue her tiring
routine, she is confident she will be able to
obtain her bachelor’s degree with the help
of the Kaplan scholarship. “Without barriers
I will be able to focus on school, and work
on completing my degree sooner,” she
explains. “I am eager to begin the program
that will give me time for learning.”
The 27 year-old, who lives with her son in
the Queensbridge housing project, says the
reason she decided to go back to school
after a 10 year hiatus was her four year-old
son, Brendon. “I want to be able to establish
a stable home environment for him,”
says Anastasia. “I want a better paying job
and more time to devote to him.”
Despite these challenges, the liberal arts
major maintains a 3.79 G.P.A., and ASAP
eases the financial burdens tied to a college
education by paying for tuition and books
and providing a Metrocard. Its flexible structure
also allows her to take evening classes
so that she can work during the day.
At her day job as a teacher’s school aide
at the Wadleigh Secondary School in
Harlem, Anastasia helps out in the classroom
and the school office. Additionally she
has developed a number of leadership
workshops designed to help the black male
students. “Many of these kids have leadership
qualities, but they do not see it in themselves,”
she says.
Her work with these students has helped
define her academic and career goals:
pursue a bachelor’s degree in political
science or urban studies and continue
serving that specific population.
“Now with the Kaplan scholarship, I will
be able to get a bachelor’s degree,” she
says.
Don Patterson
At the end of eighth grade Don felt that
school had nothing to offer him so he
dropped out and spent the next six years
gaining what he described as “life experiences”
on the streets of Bedford-Stuyvesant
in Brooklyn. “I was a hooligan,” he says,
admitting that his role models were neighborhood
thugs, drug dealers and ex-convicts.
“I had developed a distorted sense of
ethics, morality and logic throughout my
childhood and adolescence.”
But when he saw many of his role models
and family members end up in jail and
observed his neighborhood going through
gentrification, he realized that he, too, had
to change. So at the age of 19, he enrolled
in a GED program where he went on to
receive his high school equivalency
diploma, and one year later, in the fall of
2006, he enrolled in LaGuardia.
Leaving his past behind, Don began his
career at LaGuardia and immediately distinguished
himself as an outstanding scholar
and consummate student leader. The liberal
arts, math and science major maintains a
3.5 G.P.A. and is active in many student
organizations. He serves as the Phi Theta
By Staff
The Phi Theta Kappa International Honor
Society selected LaGuardia student Maria
Rexhammer as a member of the prestigious
2008 All-New York Academic team for her
outstanding scholarship, leadership, and
service to the college. Maria joined the
20-person second team, made up of the
best and brightest community college
students in the state. The highly competitive
statewide academic contest, which is sponsored
by the New York Community College
Trustees, The Association of Presidents of
Public Community Colleges, the Faculty
Council of Community College, and the Phi
Theta Kappa International Society, attracted
over 1,400 students from New York State
community colleges.
Kappa Honor Society’s liaison to the
Student Advisory Council, an executive
student senator and a student governor of
public relations. In the community, he is a
volunteer for the Black Male Empowerment
Cooperative where he works with black
youth. “My background has allowed me to
help others like me,” he explains.
The Kaplan scholarship will help Don
reach his academic goal of majoring in
economics. “Seeing professionals of different
ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds
buying and renting random properties in the
area helped me decide to study economics,”
he explains. “And the scholarship can help
make it happen. I am no longer limited to
city or state universities. I have the ability to
attend universities such as The London
School of Economics, NYU’s Stern School of
Business, Morehouse College or Clark
Atlanta University where I can get a chance
to show just how diligent I am.”
Cristina Rodriguez:
After graduating from high school in 2004,
Cristina said she did not have the financial
means to enroll in college. “I could not
afford tuition on my own,” she said, “and
Continued on page 4
LaGuardia Student Awarded by Phi Theta
Kappa International Honor Society
“Maria is an outstanding student scholar
and a community leader who selflessly
served the college,” said President Gail O.
Mellow. “Her achievement is a testament to
the college’s nurturing environment and the
faculty and staff’s strong commitment to help
students develop the knowledge and skills
they need to succeed in life.”
As an international student who emmigrated
from Sweden in 2006, the 29 year-old
scholar said she decided to enroll at
LaGuardia that spring because of its
academic reputation and its diversity. “As
an international student, I wanted to be
surrounded by students who share the same
experiences,” she explains.
Continued on page 4
3

Kaplan Scholars...
Continued from page 3
my parents would not support me
because they thought I would fail.”
For the next three years, Cristina
worked at various odd jobs until she
saved enough money to secure a loan,
and in the spring of 2007 enrolled in
LaGuardia’s business administration
program. After she completed the spring
semester, she learned about the college’s
tuition-free Accelerated Study in Associate
Program, (ASAP); she applied and
was accepted.
Cristina excelled in her classes, maintaining
a 3.4 G.P.A., but when troubles
at home affected her grades, she began
to doubt whether she should continue
her studies. “But with the support of
ASAP faculty I decided to push on,” she
says.
She is now back on track, taking
honors courses and striving to get her
G.P.A. up to a 3.5 so that she can join
the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. She
is also a student technology mentor who
helps students with computer programs.
“I really like working with students,” she
says. “Helping them pushes me to keep
on going.”
For the student scholar, the benefits of
the Kaplan program are significant. “The
Kaplan Scholarship is not only important
because it will pay for school and
books, but the staff actually dedicates
their time and effort,” she said. “It is
almost like ASAP but now it is for a four
year college. It is like family. They care
about you and are interested in the
things you are doing in school and in
your life.”
Before receiving the scholarship,
Cristina had planned on applying to
Baruch, Columbia or NYU, but she says
Kaplan has encouraged her to keep her
options open. Wherever she ends up
she plans on majoring in business
administration, but she has a long list of
possible career options.
“I would like to get a Ph.D. in business
and teach,” she said, “but I also would
like to start a nonprofit organization that
helps kids prepare for the outside
world.” ◗
Team Winner...
Continued from page 3
LaGuardia student Maria Rexhammar was
selected as a member of the 2008 All-New
York Academic Team.
The liberal arts major immediately distinguished
herself as an outstanding student;
she graduated last December with a near
perfect 3.96 G.P.A.
Maria also played an active leadership
role on campus. She served as treasurer of
Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. During her
stint as financial officer, the chapter was
granted the largest allocation in its history,
partly due to the solid budget she developed
and her success in lobbying for chapter
funding.
Her concern for environmental issues
prompted her to volunteer her services to the
Save the Earth film and discussion series.
She also became involved in “Operation
Green”—a PTK green project—where she
participated in presentations on sustainable,
environmentally-friendly solutions to daily
energy use.
She also took part in a successful collegewide
book drive, which collected over
1,600 books that were distributed to
schools in West Africa.
Although all her extracurricular activities
tested her academic and leadership skills,
she says the one that stands out is her
internship at the Office of the Public
Advocate Betsy Gotbaum, which is offered
through the City of University of New York
Women’s Public Leadership Program. Maria
was one of 17 CUNY students selected to
participate in the highly competitive program.
As a member of the Ombudsman Services,
Maria was part of a team that helped people
get assistance dealing with problems with city
services.
“My goal is to use my education to benefit
society,” said Maria. “The internship program
allowed me to work with people and help
them solve their problems. Not only have I
been able to fulfill one of my goals as a result
of my education, but I have also gained valuable
knowledge from my internship that I will
be able to use in my future career.”
Currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in
political science at Hunter College, Maria is
one step closer to that future career: law. ◗
LaGuardia’s Full
Professor Salaries
Are Among Highest
in Nation
By Staff
LaGuardia is the fourth highest payer of
salaries for full professors among the
nation’s community colleges, according to
a report by the American Association of
University Professors (AAUP). The report
indicated LaGuardia’s average salary for
full professors is $94,800.
Among the other CUNY colleges,
Queensborough Community College
ranked second with an average salary of
$98,300; Hostos Community College
was third with an average salary of
$97,900; Borough of Manhattan Community
College was seventh with an average
salary of $92,900; and Bronx Community
College and Kingsborough Community
College tied for eighth place with an average
salary of $92,000. Topping the list
was Westchester Community College with
$108,300.
The AAUP survey only looked at full
professor salaries.
4 www.laguardia.edu

LaGuardia’s Founding President,
Joseph Shenker, to be Honored
at Fundraiser
Measuring Affective
Skill Development in
Experiential Education
By Francine White, Chairperson,
Cooperative Education
By Staff
The LaGuardia Community College
Foundation will honor Dr. Joseph Shenker,
the founding President of LaGuardia, at its
2008 Innovative Leadership Award
Reception on June 11.
Dr. Shenker, who over his 18 yearlong
tenure led the youngest CUNY community
college to national prominence for its innovative
teaching approaches and cooperative
education program, will receive the
2008 Innovative Leadership Award. He will
be the first recipient of the award, which
recognizes a leader or an advocate who
has made significant contributions to
education. The award will be presented
each year at the fundraising event.
In accepting the honor, Dr. Shenker
requested that the event be used as an
opportunity to raise funds for student scholarships.
Heeding the request, the Foundation
kicked off its fund-raising efforts in
March by reaching out to Foundation board
members, faculty and staff, alumni and local
businesses. As a result of its campaign, the
fund-raising reception has already raised
over $100,000, three times the contributions
from past years’ events.
The Foundation expects to have 200
people attending the reception, which will
be held at the law offices of Ropes & Gray,
where foundation trustee Robert C. Morgan
is a partner. Among the invited guests are
LaGuardia faculty and staff who were at the
college when Dr. Shenker was President, as
well as CUNY staff members who worked
with him. Also attending will be studentscholarship
recipients. “We wanted to have
the donors meet the students so they can
understand how much the support they provide
impacts students’ lives,” said Angela
Wambugu Cobb, Director of Development.
Dr. Joseph Shenker, LaGuardia’s
founding president
Dr. Shenker was 30-years old when he
was appointed President of Community
College IX, which was renamed LaGuardia
Community College, in 1970. For the next
18 years, he led the college’s evolution into
a respected and innovative community
college. He also founded Middle College
High School, the first public high school for
at-risk youth, and its sister school, International
High School.
Believing that community colleges should
play an important role in continuing education,
he established the college’s Division for
Adult and Continuing Education. Among the
continuing education programs established
during his tenure was one of the nation’s first
college-level programs for deaf adults.
Dr. Shenker left LaGuardia in 1988 to
serve as President of Bank Street College of
Education. After leading the highly
respected teachers college for seven years,
he accepted the position of Provost of C.W.
Post College. He will be retiring this
summer.
This fall I presented a research idea at The
World Association of Cooperative
Education. The idea is to use our traditional
employer evaluation form to design a pre
and post internship evaluation form to
gauge both student and employer perceptions
of affective skill preparedness, performance
and growth during the internship
experience.
The purpose of the project is to begin
addressing research deficiencies in the area
of affective skill development and experiential
learning. While we know that internships
help students to develop both
cognitive and affective skills, we are not
very good at measuring the affective skill
development. Current literature confirms that
these are needed skills to make students
workplace ready because employers say
so. The affective skills that employers are
looking for include: communication listening,
oral, written and interpersonal; selfmanagement
and self-motivation; cultural
sensitivity; planning and organizing; problem-solving
and reasoning; and life-long
learning and teamwork skills.
Traditionally, cooperative education used
an employer evaluation to determine the
level of skill building on internships as determined
only by the employer. The modified
evaluation process will collect pre and post
evaluations from both students and employers.
Results will then be compared to determine
if a correlation exists between what
employers think of student affective skill
preparation, performance and growth and
what students think of their own affective
skill preparation, performance and growth.
The next step will be to help students identify
affective skill development in their learning
objectives and to test to see if those
objectives have been met and how.
5

All Stories Do Not Get Told: Earl Caldwell at
LaGuardia
only could they not force me before a grand
jury investigating my sources, but that I
By Victor Rosa, Lecturer, English
Department
At the English Department’s Black Literature
Committee meeting on April 17, legendary
journalist, Earl Caldwell, the only reporter
present at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis
on the day Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was
assassinated, explained to a captivated
audience of LaGuardia students and faculty
how he reported on this devastating
moment in history.
“In the ‘60s, when I covered the riots, I
used to meet people who said, ‘you should
have been here last night and seen what
happened,’” he said to an overflowing
crowd. “’You should have been here this
afternoon. You’re always coming after whatever
it is has happened, so you don’t
know.’” He went on to say, “It happened for
me on the first week of April 1968, twilight
over the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, and I
got as close to being there as a reporter
ever does, at the assassination of Martin
Luther King, Jr.”
Looking back on the day of the assassination,
Mr. Caldwell, who was then a reporter
for The New York Times, said that when he
heard the fatal shot, he was in his room just
below the balcony where Dr. King was
killed. As he stood in the doorway of his
room, “I see this figure directly across from
me. This guy doing something…” a man in
overalls, crouching in the thicket. The person
he saw left right after the assassination.
Neither the police, nor the FBI, ever asked
him what he saw or ever conducted a doorto-door
investigation at the motel, which is
standard operating procedure in a case like
this. He said that shortly after the assassination
the thicket was “cut to the ground,” and
when I told them what I saw in this thicket,
they said, “What thicket are you talking
about?”
Mr. Caldwell believes that James Earl Ray,
who pleaded guilty right after the shooting
but later recanted, did not shoot Martin
Luther King. Ray, sentenced to 99 years,
died in prison and the case was never
reopened.
6 www.laguardia.edu
Legendary journalist Earl Caldwell was the
guest lecturer for the English Department’s
Black Literature Committee meeting.
He said he quit “the best job in journalism
he ever had to tell this story of what
happened to me.” He added: “We are in a
period of time when people are saying:
’Let’s be at peace with the official story.‘ But
that is not easy to do.” He was there, Mr.
Caldwell reminded the rapt audience, and
“you cannot argue that I didn’t see what I
saw.”
Another story that must be told, Mr. Caldwell
said, was about “one of the most
important cases involving reporters’ rights to
go to the Supreme Court, United States vs.
Caldwell. The case involved the national
police, the FBI, saying to me as a reporter
assigned to cover the Black Panthers that
you will be an undercover spy for us.”
How am I going to be a reporter and a
spy? Mr. Caldwell asked himself.
He refused, was subpoenaed by a grand
jury and asked to turn over his notes and
tapes of interviews with the Panthers. He still
would not budge and eventually it led to a
landmark First Amendment case studied in
journalism schools across the country.
An untold part of the story, he said, is that
it is not The New York Times that paid the
court cost, as many believe, but rather the
NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
“We made this case and won it,” Mr.
Caldwell said. “The United States Court of
Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that not
didn’t have to answer the subpoena.”
Although the case lost when it was
appealed to the Supreme Court, it inspired
the passage of state shield laws that offer
varying protection from forced disclosure of
a reporter’s sources.
Mr. Caldwell started his career in 1959
writing for the Clearfield Progress, his hometown
paper in Clearfield, Pennsylvania.
Later he joined the staff of the Democrat and
Chronicle in Rochester, N.Y. In 1966, he
went on to The New York Herald Tribune,
and briefly The New York Post, before
reporting for The New York Times.
After his tenure at The New York Times,
Mr. Caldwell wrote a column three times a
week for the New York Daily News from
1979 to 1994. He was the first black
columnist for a major daily newspaper. Mr.
Caldwell’s columns have been collected in
Black American Witness: Reports from the
Front (Lion House Publishing, 1995), and
they “illuminate events in the lives of people
both ordinary and famous. They constitute
the most comprehensive record available of
how American cities, children, unions,
health care, police and race relations got to
where they got today.”
A recipient of the National Association of
Black Journalists President’s Award, Mr.
Caldwell is a founder of the Reporters
Committee for Freedom of the Press.
Currently, he is the writer-in-residence at the
Scripps Howard School of Journalism and
Communication at Hampton University. Mr.
Caldwell is the host and producer of The
Caldwell Chronicles, a radio program on
WBAI-FM 99.5, which airs on Fridays from
3-5 p.m.
Jamie Davis, editor of LaGuardia’s student
newspaper The Bridge, found Mr. Caldwell
“charismatic and engaging” and said his
talk featured topics “relevant to both faculty
and students.” For Raquel Ramirez, president
of the Web Radio Club, “it was very
informative listening to someone who lived
in that era talk about it, instead of reading
about it. It gives it more feeling.”
The program was also sponsored by The
Bridge and the Web Radio Club.

Breaking Barriers for Women – Dr. M. Joycelyn
Elders Speaks at LaGuardia Women’s Conference
Dr. Joycelyn Elders
By Vanessa M. Bing, Faculty Mentor,
Student Center for Women
The Student Center for Women and the
Office of Student Life and Recreation, in
conjunction with the Office of the President
and the CUNY Women’s Leadership
Initiative, hosted a day long conference to
encourage the development of leadership
skills in women. Healthy World, Healthy
Communities, Healthy You was the theme
of this follow-up training event held at
LaGuardia on April 18 featuring former
U.S. Surgeon General Dr. M. Joycelyn
Elders, who gave a spirited and engaging
keynote presentation: Breaking Barriers &
Glass Ceilings: Women Leading for
Change. This presentation set the tone for
an event that featured prominent women
leaders whose expertise in the area of
health, education and business provided
LaGuardia and other CUNY undergraduates
an opportunity to learn from the best.
Dr. Elders was an ideal speaker to lead
the event, because she is a woman who has
broken many barriers and whose life work
has focused on bringing change and lifting
communities. Dr. Elders became the
fifteenth Surgeon General of the Public
Health Service in 1993, appointed by President
Clinton, and was the first African
American woman to serve in this position.
As Surgeon General, Dr. Elders was a
leading spokesperson in the health care
reform effort, attempting to lead the charge
for universal health care coverage. Dr.
Elders was a strong advocate for comprehensive
health education, encouraging sex
education in the schools for grades K-12. It
was her outspoken views and controversial
remarks about sex education that forced her
resignation after only 15 months in office.
Dr. Elders reminded students that just as she
was challenged while holding the position
of Surgeon General, so too will they be
challenged in life.
The conference format was designed to
inspire women to challenge themselves to
consider how they can make a difference –
in their personal lives, in their communities
and in the world. Dr. Elders’ address
provided the right mix of humor, thoughtfulness,
and insight designed to encourage
our students to make a difference. Dr. Elders
spoke of the need to continue to advocate
and fight for universal health care coverage
to keep all our citizens healthy, noting how
poor women and children are largely
affected by the lack of such coverage. In
addressing ways
women can take up this
fight and lead for
change, Dr. Elders
discussed the various
educational and access
strategies needed to
mobilize our communities.
She highlighted
several points, including
the need to create financial
access – making
health care available to all; the need to
create cultural access – being aware of
different cultures and languages; the importance
of providing intervention strategies –
clear tools and methods to manage and
control health problems; and the need to
employ media and political strategies – the
means of getting the message out and keeping
the issue of health care on everyone’s
agenda.
Dr. Elders concluded by identifying some
of the key leadership strategies that women
need to assume in order to make a difference.
To be a leader, she said, women need
Former U.S. Surgeon General
Dr. Jocelyn Elders encouraged
the development of leadership
skills in women in her keynote
address. “The key is
for women to not simply
try to lead, but to become
transformational leaders.”
to be aware of the five C’s: clarity of vision,
competence, consistency, commitment and
the ability to exercise control. The key,
according to Dr. Elders, is for women to not
simply try to lead, but to become transformational
leaders. In this, women were
encouraged to learn, listen, and actively
seek out mentors; to be aware and to show
determination. “When dancing with a bear,
you can’t get tired and sit down,” she said.
The goal is to keep dancing so that the bear
does not sit on you and crush you. Such
metaphors were used to remind our students
of the magnitude and weight of the many
issues confronting women, while reminding
them that they have the ability to finesse a
situation to make substantive changes.
Following Dr. Elders’ keynote presentation,
students attended workshops facilitated
by Dr. Ann Webster of the Benson Henry
Institute for Mind-Body Medicine at Massachusetts
General Hospital; Dr. Jean Lau
Chin, author of Women & Leadership:
Transforming Visions and Diverse Voices
(Wiley-Blackwell,
2007); Trisha Scudder
and Herma Schmitz of
the Executive Coaching
Group; Dr. Julieta
Macias, founder and
CEO of Macias Consulting,
a human relations
and executive life coaching
firm in Rockville,
MD.; and Marie-Lucie
Brutus, MPH, of the
Sophie Davis School of Biomedical
Sciences at CCNY.
As students went through the day in workshops
and skill building sessions that
focused on change and empowerment, they
were encouraged to reflect on their own
roles and level of activism. Through Dr.
Elders’ words, students were able to envision
how every little change they make can
indeed make a difference, and have real
impact on their individual lives as well as
the world we live in; how little steps that we
take today can lead to greater steps and
transformations tomorrow.
7

“CABARET” COMES TO LAGUARDIA
By Staff
The LiveWire sat down with some of the
cast members of “Cabaret,” to discuss the
play and their experiences. They were
Veronica Palazzolo, who plays Sally
Bowles; Darryl Sorrentino, who plays
Clifford Bradshaw; Rashidah Fowler, who
plays the MC; and Matthew Trzpis, who
plays Ernst Ludwig. Professor Davis Henry
Davis, who is directing the play, also sat in
on the conversation.
PROFESSOR DAVIS:
These actors have worked a long time in
the theater department, performed in many
shows, so this is a culmination of their work
here. We have been rehearsing “Cabaret”
since September; they have had the opportunity
to work intensely on the acting,
singing and dancing as well as delve
deeply into their characters.
How did you prepare for the part?
VERONICA:
I read The Berlin Stories by Christopher
Isherwood, researched online and watched
interviews of people who portrayed Sally
on Broadway. I also read the script several
times: the first as a story to see how she
interacts with other people; second, as
Veronica to see how I would react to these
situations; and then as Sally Bowles. From
there I tried to find a midpoint between
Veronica and Sally.
DARRYL:
I also read The Berlin Stories and did a lot
of research on Christopher Isherwood, an
English novelist who wrote about his travels
to Germany. Because I believe the character
of Cliff is Christopher, I wanted to learn
as much as I could about the author. I also
read the play and figured out how he
would make those choices. I think I am
going to get him.
RASHIDAH:
My experience has been different from
Veronica’s and Darryl’s because when the
8 www.laguardia.edu
play was first rehearsed I was cast as a Kit
Kat girl so all the research I had done was
about cabarets in Berlin. A few months
later when I got the role of the MC, I hadn’t
read The Berlin Stories, and I hadn’t seen
any other productions of “Cabaret”
because I didn’t want to hinder how I
would portray the character.
Do you find it difficult playing a
part that was written for a man?
RASHIDAH:
No. I have played male characters before
in other productions. It wasn’t a big stretch.
Are you able to relate to your
character?
VERONICA:
She has a dream, a passion. She is very
ambitious and driven. She wants to be star,
an actress, and so do I. So I can relate to
that. And she is very vulnerable. She did
not know or care about politics in Berlin,
which led to her damnation. I am vulnerable,
too, because all I know is about acting.
The question of Cliff’s sexuality
comes up.
PROFESSOR DAVIS:
Cliff Bradshaw’s sexuality is an interesting
point because as they worked on the musical
the nature of his sexuality evolved. In
1966, when they premiered the show on
Broadway, he was a heterosexual character.
Then in the revival in 1984, he
became a homosexual character.
DARRYL:
I look at him as a homosexual because I
based my character on Christopher
Isherwood who was a homosexual.
PROFESSOR DAVIS:
Other characters try to define his sexuality
for him. He clearly has had some homosexual
encounters but there is no sense that he
feels comfortable being a homosexual or
that he is committed to being a homosexual.
The play touches upon some very
sensitive subjects: Nazism, homosexuality.
How was it viewed when
it came out?
PROFESSOR DAVIS:
It was considered very bold and it was one
of the first concept musicals, meaning a
musical with a central idea or theme which
is reinforced through direction, the designs,
and the music and dialogue, all combining
to create a powerful effect on the audience.
For example, there is a special relationship
between the numbers in “Cabaret” and the
scenes. The numbers seem to comment on
the scenes and the scenes seem to comment
on the numbers.
What is the purpose of the cabaret
in 1930s Berlin?
VERONICA:
The Kit Kat Klub is entertainment but also
propaganda. It is telling people, ‘don’t
look over there, look over here.’ It is blinding
them with what the club wants them to
see, which are girls dancing around, hiding
the truth from people.
PROFESSOR DAVIS:
One can argue that today’s media outlets,
like the cabarets, are distracting us. We
think the media is informing us, but it is
also diverting us from looking at something
closely. And that is really the core of the
play. The play asks the question, “If something
horrible is happening around you,
what are you going to do about it? Are
you going to just continue with your life as
before or will you actually react and take a
stand?”
Do the characters take a stand?
RASHIDAH:
Cliff takes a stand. Sally takes a stand.
VERONICA:
I do. I decide to stay and die for what I
believe in.
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Cabaret...
Continued from previous page
DARRYL:
That is not a stand. It is a fall.
VERONICA:
No it is a stand. She is not going to go to
Cliff’s world, to America. She doesn’t
believe in that. She went to Berlin to follow
her dreams and no matter what the cost
she is going to stay there.
So what happened to Sally?
PROFESSOR DAVIS:
We don’t know, although there is a clue in
the song “Cabaret,” which is one of the
most famous theater songs ever written. In
the song, Sally sings about her friend, Elsie.
DARRYL
VERONICA:
Elsie was a former Kit Kat girl who went to
Berlin with her and died of a drug overdose.
Sally sings that she looked so peaceful in
her coffin that she is going to go like her.
PROFESSOR DAVIS:
I think Christopher Isherwood never knew
what happened to the real Sally Bowles.
This character just disappeared from history.
Matthew Trzpis, who plays the shadowy
character of Ernst Ludwig, joins the
conversation.
What happened to your character?
VERONICA
MATT:
With Ernst, it’s just the opposite! My character
succeeds in the end because he gets
what he wants, which are the Nazis coming
to power.
RASHIDAH:
Ultimately, Ernst is the only one who gets
what he wants. Sally decides to stay, but
with everything she knows falling apart in
Germany, she will never be that big star.
Cliff wants Sally to go back to America
with him and he does not get what he
wants. And the MC just wants to sleep
around and perform and he does not get
what he wants.
PROFESSOR DAVIS:
When Hitler came to power three years
later in 1933 the cabarets were all closed
down. No one could do satire. No one
could make fun of the government. So…
RASHIDAH:
The MC ends up where everyone else ends
up. It is very odd to do this part because it
is usually played by Caucasian men and I
am a black woman. In 1930s Berlin I am
sure I would be shipped away somewhere
or imprisoned like many people. By the
end of the play, the MC’s spirit is gone.
How would you sum it all up?
VERONICA:
Doing this play was a dream come true.
PROFESSOR DAVIS:
And I have to live with it.
Laughter ◗
RASHIDAH
MATT
9

Students’ Essays Recognized
Two students from the Adult Learning
Center had their essays chosen to be
published, from hundreds of submissions,
in the journal, Literacy Review. The journal
is a Gallatin Writing Program
Publication of New York University.
Lalawatie Dupa, in “Struggling with Our
Lives to Make Ends Meet,” wrote about
her difficulties growing up in Guyana,
remembering poverty, hunger and humiliation,
hard childhood work on a farm,
feeling numb from carrying heavy loads,
and her hopes for a better life in
America. Nohel Marte, in “This Crazy
World,” looked at the shattered dreams
in his East New York neighborhood in
Brooklyn, seeing the failed lives that glorify
violence, greed, guns and drugs, his
personal struggle to break out, and his
vow to make better choices for a better
future. Both student authors will be honored
at a celebration in May at NYU,
along with their instructor, Miriam Fisher.
Lalawatie Dupa
Struggling with Our Lives to
Make Ends Meet
By Lalawatie Dupa
These are some memories of growing up in
Guyana.
Once me and my sister ran away from our
mother because we used to work so hard,
and we were just children. When we
planted crops we had to carry the load to
the road to sell it with my two younger
brothers. A man used to buy our load,
vegetables and greens. The man had a
truck. He passed at 8 o’clock in the morning
two times a week. We had to wake up
at 2 o’clock in the morning and carry the
load to the road by 8 o’clock. We carried it
on our heads, eight or 10 bags. They were
very big bags. We had to walk about three
miles to the road. We had to go back and
forth until we finished the load. When we
finished we didn’t feel our heads. They
were so numb.
At times when everybody was sleeping in
the night we had to work. Other times we
started to pick the vegetables and greens in
the afternoon before the sun went down,
then we had to start to fetch the load in the
night. Often we finished about 12 o’clock
or 1 o’clock in the night. Sometimes we
might leave home at 4 o’clock or 5 o’clock
in the morning to work in our farming land.
We left home before daybreak, my mother,
me, and my two younger brothers. Some
days we did not see daybreak at home for
one or two months. We left early in the
morning when it was still dark and came
back very late in the night. Why did we
leave so early? It was because the sun got
hot and we did a lot of work in the morning
early.
There were days my mother left my older
sister home to cook food for all of us.
My two younger brothers had to walk
back home to get the food. On their way
coming back to the farm with the food some
cowboys stopped my two brothers and ate
our food. My brothers came back to the
farm crying and told my mom what
happened to them. So the next day they
went back home to get the food. Then me
and my mother went and hid in the bushes
where the cowboys were waiting for my
two brothers to beat them up and take
away the food. They said “Ha, ha, you two
little boys. Hope you got good food today
to eat or we will beat you two up very bad!
OK!” Then me and my mother came out
from the bush. When they saw us they got a
shock! Then they got angry. My mother said
to them, “Yes, good food, you all come and
have it!” They ran away and never took the
food again.
But from that day when we planted crops
we never reaped a good crop. We always
planted the best crops. People were jealous
of us because we had the best crops. We
were victimized by some cowboys for many
years. They never let us reap our crops
again. They started to graze down our
crops. Some days the cowboys broke the
fences and chased their cows and horses
into our farm. Their animals would eat up
everything that we worked so hard for so
many months.
But after that we planted crops again and
planted a lot of rice, too. Everybody
finished cutting their rice with combine
machines, but we had to cut our rice by
hand with a grass knife. We were the last
ones left in the field cutting our rice. I
remember one year when our rice crop was
the best of all the years. When we finished
cutting our rice we carried all the rice and
put it all in one place. My mother hired a
tractor to mash the rice. The day before the
tractor was to mash the rice, we left the field
very late that night. We thought our rice
crop was safe but it was not. The next day
when we went back we only saw black and
white ashes in the field. Someone had set a
fire during the night. When we saw that we
felt like dying. We started to hug each other
and started to cry and cry. We lost the
promise my mom made to us. She had told
us that we had a good rice crop that year
and that we would build a house to live in
and then people would respect us again,
that they would treat us like humans again.
We were so happy when my mom told us
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10 www.laguardia.edu

Student Essays...
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that, but everything turned out to be a worse
nightmare.
By the kind of hard work we did we
should have been very rich by then, but we
got hurt by some people. But there were
other people, such as some neighbors, who
were very nice to us.
Some days my mother would tell us that
we had to stay home for a few hours.
Maybe she needed to buy medicine to
spray to prevent bugs from destroying our
farm. Our neighbors used to call us to give
us food when our mom left us to go somewhere.
We used to look to see which neighbor
would call us. We had to hurry up
before our mom came back, as we couldn’t
let her know we were taking food from
anyone. She was so poor but very proud
and powerful. She was a hero to us. She
wanted us to be independent.
Here I am now in America. I know God is
watching my life. Thank God for my three
sons. They are living in America with me. I
hope one day I will be able to get my
G.E.D. and to get a better job. I am hoping
for a bright future.
This Crazy World
By Nohel Marte
I’m just a young man in this crazy world.
My name is Nohel F. Marte. I am 21 years
old and was born and raised in East New
York, Brooklyn. My neighborhood people
say it’s tough but all I see is the struggle to
survive. When you look up, you see no
stars in the sky in Brooklyn because the
stars are the shattered dreams of the people
walking the streets. It’s hard growing up
in the world and bad enough in Brooklyn.
The world is full of things that we all
glorify, like sex, money, drugs, cars, your
image, guns, violence, greed, power, fame
and much more. That’s the new version of
the American Dream. It’s sad but that’s what
the world wants.
Movies and TV shows are entertaining but
they are also brainwashing us, the viewer,
on how we think and behave. For example,
in the movie, “Scarface,” Tony Montana
came to the U.S. as an immigrant. He gets
a normal job but the money wasn’t good
enough. That is when he decides that selling
drugs is better than a 9-to-5. This is a
good movie but it sends the wrong
message. It changes the way people think.
The movie glorifies drug dealing and makes
people with weak minds think that this is the
way to go. People look at the character
Tony Montana and think to themselves,
“that’s what I want— money, power,
respect. They believe that’s the key to life.
Money, power and respect are what they
seeking on the streets of Brooklyn.”
There’s a junkie on the corner. If you look
at him you would think he had no dreams.
When he was younger he had dreams of
being a boxer. I remember when I was
younger, I would watch him in the parking
lot, showing off his skills. The man had
talent! He even knew the heavyweight
champion of the world at that time. Trainers
wanted him to fight pro.
Unfortunately, he took the wrong path. He
wanted it now and fast. So he started
dealing.
This is one of the many stories that show
how people are influenced by the wrong
things they see. This is what I see, when I’m
walking home, all the stories of missed
opportunities.
I almost became a product of this environment.
I saw an opportunity to do the right
thing and I didn’t miss it. This world isn’t
that crazy if you don’t follow the crazy
guidelines. I realized that going to school,
getting an education, learning a trade, are
slow but worth it. I’m going for my dreams.
Nohel Marte
Phi Theta Kappa
Convention:
Imagine a World
By Edgar Romero, student, PTK member
Ten PTK members of LaGuardia attended
the honor society’s 90th International
Convention in Philadelphia. The convention
slogan was, “Imagine a World.” Here is a
diary of my three-day visit to this
memorable event.
Day 1. We arrived in the “City of
Brotherly Love,” and taxied to the Marriott
Hotel in downtown Philadelphia where the
conference was being attended by nearly
4,000 PTK members, advisors and staff.
After quickly settling in, the group went to
the convention hall for the first general
session. I felt as if I was at a major political
convention or rock concert, with huge
screens, loud music and a boisterous countdown
to the start of the session. The huge
hall was definitely full of fun and energy.
Day 2. The first Cuban-American
Congresswoman, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, was
the first speaker. An advocate for strict
environmental protection laws, she said she
recently voted for the Water Resources
Development Act, a bill that will provide for
extensive environmental development and
restoration projects.
We then headed to different educational
forums. I assisted in a presentation introducing
the honors study topic, “The Paradox of
Affluence: Choices, Challenges and Consequences.”
The audience participated via a
Q&A format, which gave me the chance to
meet people from other chapters and talk to
them about things they have done on their
campuses. I proudly reported about our
campus having many “green ideas” and
programs that encourage students to make
the campus more environmentally friendly.
At noon we decided to go on a culinary
quest to sample the best cheesesteaks in
town. We ended up at Pat’s, one of the two
legendary cheesesteak restaurants. After I
finished my sandwich I went to the second
Continued on page 12
11

ePortfolio Conference...
Continued from page one
both here and elsewhere.
While some attendees came to
LaGuardia hoping to get up to speed on
the newest developments in the field, others
immersed themselves in new and sometimes
challenging content. Harriet Shenkman,
Director of Bronx Community College/
CUNY’s Center for Teaching Excellence,
praised the conference as “comprehensive
and extremely informative, if not dauntingly
so,” and Clarence Chan, of LaGuardia’s
own Natural and Applied Sciences Department,
agreed, calling it “inspirational and
exhausting, but well worth it.” This same
range of content compelled another visitor,
Michael Coventry, from the Communication,
Culture & Technology Program at Georgetown
University, to laud a conference
program that enabled “total newbies [to the
field of ePortfolio] to connect, while still
providing practical content for folks who
are more familiar with the issues to avidly
take notes.”
Regardless of their individual levels of
expertise, conference attendees from as far
away as Hawaii and Australia remarked
admiringly upon the shared energy and
commitment to learning that was palpable
throughout the weekend. Julie Hughes, a
Principal Lecturer in Innovations in Learning
and Teaching who traveled to Queens all
the way from the University of Wolverton in
the U.K., called her presentation team’s
experience “truly inspirational” and looked
forward to “returning home full of exciting
new ideas and renewed passion.” Echoing
that sentiment from a more local perspective,
Jean Darcy, Associate Professor of English at
Queensborough Community College, left the
conference moved by “the positive spirit that
infused all the exchanges,” adding, “It was
good to be there.”
Another consensus opinion that emerged
from the weekend highlighted the peerless
hospitality of the LaGuardia community. The
conference organizers made the strategic
decision early on to hold the event on
campus, instead of in a hotel or conference
center, in order to show off where we do
our work on a day-to-day basis, as well as
the great LaGuardia community. Visiting
from the English Department at Virginia
Tech, Nancy Metz praised the “welcoming
and hospitable” LaGuardia community and
12 www.laguardia.edu
LaGuardia President Gail O. Mellow
speaking at the ePortfolio conference
added that “the experience of being in the
school itself was quite inspiring.”
The true stars of this effort were the CTL’s
staff of white conference t-shirt-clad student
technology mentors, who were consistently
heralded for their friendly smiles, enthusiastic
direction, and spot-on troubleshooting.
Their outstanding work reflected a top-tobottom
commitment throughout the entire
institution that another guest, William Tally,
from the Center for Children and Technology
at NY’s Education Development Center,
recognized when he applauded “the entire
LaGuardia community—faculty, administrators
and student tutors, all passionate about
learning and making a difference for
LaGuardia’s students. And now spreading
outward.” Hannalyn Wilkens, Chair of
LaGuardia’s Communication Skills Department,
described the feel of the event
perhaps most succinctly when she called it
“a marvelous success” that made her “proud
to be a LaGuardian.”
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PTK Conference...
Continued from page 11
restaurant, Gino’s, for the sake of comparison.
When I stood in front of the cashier I
saw a sign saying, “Buy Our ‘Speak English
T-Shirt,’” and another one with an eagle
and the American flag, declaring: “This is
America, when ordering please speak
English.” I thought, “Should I polish my
accent before ordering?” I decided to eat
my second cheese steak at Pat’s where my
English/Spanish accent was welcomed,
and where non-English speakers were not
considered persona non-grata. The bad
moment faded when we took a taxi back to
the conference. The Nigerian driver was
playing music from his homeland and
singing so happily that I quickly forgot what
had happened.
The afternoon session featured Christiane
Amanpour, the French-Iranian, New Yorkbased
chief international correspondent for
CNN, who has reported on crises in Iraq,
Afghanistan, Iran, Israel, Pakistan, Somalia,
Rwanda and the Balkans. I had been
anxiously awaiting this event. Ms. Amanpour’s
talk was definitely transformative. She spoke
about current politics and stated that America
is perceived very poorly around the
world. “People have lost their admiration for
America,” she said.
During the panel discussion, she was
asked what things make her lose sleep.
“There is too much education for some
people, but too little understanding,” she
replied. She gave the example of kids who
possess so much technology, yet are not
being taught how to properly manage these
devices so they are not controlled by them.
She concluded that “The key to survival is
good education,” and noted that this country’s
foreign policy would have been far
more effective if it invested in the education
systems in such countries as Pakistan, rather
than providing these nations with funds for
their military.
After a successful day, the team went to
the Old City Cultural District, famously
known for its nightlife. We danced salsa at
the Cuba Libre club. The group, whose
members come from Peru, Colombia, Puerto
Rico, Dominican Republic, Jamaica,
Hungary and Venezuela were united by
music, laughter and dance.
Day 3. It felt like a sack of bricks hit my
face when the alarm woke me up to go to
the fourth general session. The political
columnist George Will was the day’s
keynote speaker. After that, we had some
free time so we took the subway and rode
to the Community College of Philadelphia.
From there we walked to Logan Square
where you can see the Free Library of
Philadelphia, the Franklin Institute Science
Museum and the Cathedral of Saint Peter
and Paul. We headed to the Philadelphia
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PTK Conference...
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Art Museum; there we stopped at The
Thinker, the famous sculpture by the French
artist Auguste Rodin, and saw the work of
the famous Mexican artist, Frida Kahlo.
Rocky is known to have run across the
whole city. After that weekend, I felt almost
like him, standing there at the top of the
famous flight of stairs outside the museum.
We went back to the hotel to get ready
for the Gala awards in the fifth general
assembly, which was incredibly long and
louder than ever before. Our chapter was
very proud when two LaGuardians received
Hallmark awards: Andrea Torres was
named a Distinguished Chapter Member,
and Dr. Karlyn Koh won a Paragon Award
for New Advisors.
The conference was an experience worth
living for. Being part of Phi Theta Kappa
means being a step closer to your dreams.
“Imagine a World,” where you could make
possible all the things you desire, where you
could extend your hand and feed a hungry
person, where your dreams and imagination
are just the first step towards succeeding
in your every task. “Imagine a World”
where you can strengthen yourself while
learning and helping. This was the experience
I lived at the 90th International
Convention of PTK. ◗
Pedro Peralta served as
a Student Technology
Mentor.
Co-op Spotlight
Pedro Peralta
By Paula Zimmerman, Program Assistant,
Cooperative Education
Before Pedro Peralta, ‘07, began his
internship as a Student Technology Mentor
(STM) at LaGuardia he didn’t know what to
expect. As a computer technology major,
he not only wanted to obtain more skills
and gain more experience with computers,
he wanted to become more proficient in
graphic design.
As an STM, Pedro assisted faculty in
designing, creating and maintaining technology-enhanced
tools and resources for the
classrooms. He assisted with PowerPoint
presentations, created webpages, managed
courses in Blackboard and assisted in the
development of ePortfolios.
As a result, Pedro gained the computer
experience he was seeking. He was able to
develop skills in Microsoft Office, Blackboard,
web design, Fireworks and
Dreamweaver. He increased his ability to
create ePortfolios, and learned how to
create interactive academic websites.
But the internship also brought out the
teacher in him as he helped faculty, staff
and students with the technology. It opened
his eyes to different careers in media design
and has helped him discover that he would
like to pursue a career that combines
education and technology.
“My internship taught me a lot and I
believe I changed as a person,” he says.
“I am now considering becoming a college
professor in the future.”
Pedro is working toward that goal. He
graduated from LaGuardia in 2007 and is
currently attending the New York City
College of Technology as a computer
systems technology major, while working as
an ePortfolio consultant with the Center of
Teaching and Learning here at LaGuardia.
He is also exploring graduate programs in
information security and business.
The Basics of
Melanoma
By, Amy Ma, FNP-BC, Health Service
Everyone is ready to go out and enjoy the
sun as summer approaches. You need to
protect your skin while having fun in the
sun because skin cancer is the most common
type of cancer in the United States.
Melanoma is a less common type of skin
cancer, but it is more dangerous. Sun exposure
is the most preventable risk factor for
all skin cancers, including melanoma.
Anyone can get skin cancer, but it is more
common in people who:
• Spend a lot of time in the sun or have
been sunburned
• Have light-colored skin, hair and eyes
• Have a family member with skin cancer
• Are over age 50
You can decrease your risk of skin cancer
by being sun smart: apply a water-resistant
sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF)
of at least 15; wear protective clothing;
seek shade; use extra caution near water,
snow and sand as they reflect the damaging
rays of the sun; and avoid tanning
beds.
Early detection and removal offer the best
chance for a cure. Periodic self-examinations
aid in recognition of any new or developing
lesion. Get familiar with your skin
and your own pattern of moles, freckles,
and “beauty marks.” Make sure to look at
your entire body in a mirror every month or
two. Watch for the ABCD of melanoma:
• Asymmetry – One half does not match the
other half in size, shape, color, or thickness.
• Border irregularity – The edges are ragged,
scalloped, or poorly defined.
• Color – The pigmentation is not uniform.
Shades of tan, brown, and black are
present. Dashes of red, white, and blue
add to the mottled appearance.
• Diameter – Melanomas are usually greater
than 6mm in diameter, the size of a pencil
eraser.
Consult a dermatologist promptly if you
detect any of the above changes. For more
information about skin cancer, stop by
Health Services or call ext. 5280 for more
information.
13

BOOK BY:
JOE MASTEROFF
MUSIC BY:
JOHN KANDER
LYRICS BY:
FRED EBB
DIRECTED BY:
JOHN HENRY DAVIS
CHOREOGRAPHED BY:
STEVEN HITT
MUSIC DIRECTION BY:
LISA HOGAN
TICKETS: $6 GENERAL ADMISSION $3 STUDENTS
FOR INFORMATION AND TICKETS CALL: 718-482-5151
25 26 27 28 29 30 31
MAY 2008
CALENDAR
S M T W T F S
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
OF EVENTS
Tuesday, May 13
Brown Bag Discussion—
“Smart Grammar
Teaching”
TIME: 2:15 p.m.– 3:15 p.m.,
PLACE: E-255
FREE
CONTACT: Judit Torok x5499
Explore firsthand how principles
of X-Word Grammar have been
used in basic writing courses
with deaf students who learn
language primarily through
their eyes alone. Presenter: Sue
Livingston, Program for Deaf
Adults/Communication Skills.
Faculty Research
Colloquium
TIME: 3:30 p.m. – 5 p.m.
PLACE: E-501
FREE
CONTACT: Gordon Tapper
x5669
Provides faculty with the opportunity
to share their works in
progress and to receive feedback
from their colleagues on
their research.
THE HUMANITIES DEPARTMENT &
LAGUARDIA PERFORMING ARTS
CENTER PRESENT:
CABARET
LAGUARDIA IS
MAY 8 – 10
&MAY16
AT 7:30 P.M.
SPECIAL
MATINEE
PERFORMANCES:
MAY 13 & 14
AT 2:30 P.M.
IN THE
LITTLE THEATER
Performance of
“Cabaret”
TIME: 7:30 p.m – 10:30 p.m.
PLACE: Little Theatre
TICKETS: $6 general admission
$3 students.
CONTACT: box office x5151
LaGuardia staff and students
are staging the production of
“Cabaret,” the award-winning
Broadway musical about the
rise of the Nazis in Berlin as
viewed through the lens of a
German cabaret.
Wednesday, May 14
Week To Honor Veterans
– Digital Stories
TIME: 12 noon – 2 p.m.
PLACE: E-242
FREE
CONTACT: Juan Gonzalez
x5992
Students, student-veterans and
veterans from the community
will be viewing films that tell
the story of those who served.
Asian Heritage Day
Celebration
TIME: 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
PLACE: Cobblestone Courtyard.
Rain locations: Poolside Café
and E-Atrium
FREE
CONTACT: Lilik Gondopriano
x5132
Annual celebration in honor of
the contributions and achievements
of Asian Americans.
Week To Honor Veterans
– Military/Veterans Club
TIME: 2:15 p.m. – 4 p.m.
PLACE: E-222
FREE
CONTACT Juan Gonzalez
x5992
Come and say hello to our student-veterans,
share some stories
and show support to our
newest veterans.
14 www.laguardia.edu

Thursday, May 15
Public Health And The
Environment
TIME: 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
PLACE: Mainstage Theatre
FREE
CONTACT: Leslie Aarons x6027
Explore toxic chemicals and
your health. The Environmental
Working Group Inc. presents a
thought-provoking and entertaining
look at how chemicals
affect our health. Q & A session,
and viewing of a neverbefore-seen
movie trailer of
"Toxic Clouds of 9/11."
Thursday, May 15, cont.
Wednesday, May 21
Faculty Reception
TIME: 4 p.m. – 6 p.m.
PLACE: Cobblestone Courtyard.
Rain Location: Poolside Café
FREE / CONTACT:
Eneida Rivas x5058 or
Karen McKeon x5053
Reception in honor of faculty &
staff who have published within
the last year; and induction ceremony
of faculty achieving
Professor Emeriti status.
Friday, May 30
Music Festival
TIME: 7:30 p.m.
PLACE: Little Theatre
TICKETS: $10 general
admission
CONTACT: Steven Hitt x5154
The spotlight is on LaGuardia’s
finest young musicians.
Blood Drive/New York
Blood Center
TIME: 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.
PLACE: E-242
FREE
CONTACT: Julian Kalinisan
x5280
Make a contribution to the
city’s blood bank.
Veterans Resource Day
TIME: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
PLACE: E-Atrium
FREE
CONTACT: Juan Gonzalez
x5992
Representatives from the VA,
NYS DVA, SBA and the
Department of Labor will help
veterans who are looking for
services or information.
Friday, May 16
Salute To Veterans
TIME: 6:30 p.m.– 9:30 p.m.
PLACE: Mainstage Theatre
FREE
CONTACT: Elizabeth Allen
x5231
Join us as we honor veterans with
an evening of camaraderie, discussion
and entertainment.
Performance of “Cabaret”
TIME: 7:30 p.m – 10:30 p.m.
PLACE: Little Theatre
TICKETS: $6 general admission
$3 students.
CONTACT: box office x5151
See Description Thursday,
May 8
Saturday, May 17
Performance of “Cabaret”
TIME: 7:30 p.m – 10:30 p.m.
PLACE: Little Theatre
TICKETS: $6 general admission
$3 students.
CONTACT: box office x5151
See Description Thursday,
May 8
Tuesday, May 20
Brown Bag Discussion—
“Integrating The Concept
of Public Opinion in the
Classroom”
TIME: 2:15 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.
PLACE: E-255
FREE
CONTACT: Judit Torok x5499
Lean how to use primary documents
and sources on the Internet
to teach critical thinking, writing,
reading and information literacy
skills in American History.
Presenter: Timothy Coogan,
Social Science Dept.
Our Stories Of Aging: A
New Paradigm For The
21st Century
TIME: 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
PLACE: Little Theatre
FREE
CONTACT: Paula Nesoff
x5488.
Learn about recent research on
aging that has resulted in the
development of different perspectives
on aging, as well as
new policy initiatives in providing
services to older adults.
Tuesday, May 27
Brown Bag Discussion:
“African American Male
Students’ Success
TIME: 1 p.m. – 2 p.m.
PLACE: E-255
FREE
CONTACT: Judit Torok x5499
Based on the findings of a site
case study of African American
male students at LaGuardia, the
discussion will focus on factors
that male students in the study
perceive as facilitators and/or
barriers to their success.
Presenter: Peter Jordan, VP,
Enrollment Management and
Student Development.
Now through May 30
LaGuardia Faculty
Art Exhibit
TIME: 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.
PLACE: E-Atrium
CONTACT: Bruce Brooks x5696
Saturday, May 31
LPAC: Latif Bolat
TIME: 8 p.m.
PLACE: Little Theatre
FREE
CONTACT: box office x5151
Revered musician and cultural
philosopher, Latif Bolat, is sharing
Sufism with the world.
Featuring Turkish folkloric instruments
within a “storytelling
atmosphere,” the Latif Bolat
Ensemble explains 13th century
mysticism and the exquisite
beauty of Turkey.
15

ePortfolio Conference...
Continued from page 12
Both because of what it accomplished
and how, the Making Connections Conference
on ePortfolio, Integrative Learning &
Assessment was an enormous success, a
landmark event, and another opportunity for
LaGuardia to galvanize its national reputation
for leadership in ongoing conversations
about teaching, learning, and technology. It
will also seed the emergence of the
college’s newest venture, the National
Resource Center on Inquiry, Reflection and
Integrative Education, which aims to
continue “making connections” with educators
and institutions across the country long
into the future. For more information, visit:
www.laguardia.edu/connections. ◗
Images from the ePortfolio
Conference:
top: Bret Eynon, Assistant Dean
of Academic Affairs and
Director of the Center for
Teaching and Learning; middle:
conference registration desk in
the E-building lobby; bottom left:
Trent Batson from MIT; bottom
right: Iona Thomas-Connor,
Assistant Professor of Natural
and Applied Sciences