JUNE/JULY 2006

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Volume 4, No. 6

Happy Summer & Congratulations Class of 2006!

Welcome to our monthly E-Newsletter, an overview of news and activities at ECC. We encourage you to learn more about our College by going through the rest of our web site.

Trustee Chairman Rev. Reginald Jackson and
Dr. Yamba awarding  honorary doctorate
to Richard J. Codey

Graduation 2006 Highlights

It was a memorable day on June 4 when ECC graduated the largest class in its 38-year history -- 873 students from throughout Essex County and more than 30 countries. Two scholars - Valedictorian Jose Medina and PTK honor society president Kerry McCann – were named to the All-USA Community College Academic Team. Medina is also the first ECC student to earn the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship awarded to only 38 students nationally. This award carries up to $90,000 in scholarship money for three years of baccalaureate study.

From left, Valedictorian Jose Medina, PTK honor
society president Kerry McCann, and Salutatorian Clement Obichere


State Senate President and former Governor Richard J. Codey delivered the Commencement address. Codey, who prides himself on having been a student at ECC years ago, urged students to make full use of opportunities: “Do something that you enjoy even if it does not bring you a lot of money – be ethical, be honest, be true to your word,” he advised. Codey was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters in recognition of his exceptional career and commitment to education and public service. Also recognized were ECC’s Director of Grants and Development Irene James, who was awarded the Presidential Medallion for Exemplary Achievement and Service, and ECC English Professor Ogretta Hawkins who served as the Grand Marshall for the Class of 2006.


Memorable Quotes from the Ceremony

 “As we move forward from here, let us remember to care for others in the manner in which ECC has cared for us. Let us go to our communities, our neighborhoods, and our streets, and other places we tend to overlook and bring others into the winners’ circle. Let us follow in the footsteps of a great winner, Dr. A. Zachary Yamba, who poured his heart into this institution so that we too could savor the sweet taste of success.” – Salutatorian Clement Obichere (Obichere composed and produced the soundtrack that was used in the video documentary honoring Dr. Yamba’s 25 years of leadership. He will continue his music education on a full scholarship at New Jersey City University)

 “Get out there and give real help! Get out there and love! Get out there and testify! Get out there and create whatever you can to inspire people….” – Valedictorian Jose Medina’s charge to his fellow classmates. He also quoted his father: “Be alert, because the train of life, full of opportunities, passes only once and if you do not catch it, it will not return for you.”

For further details on Commencement, click here for the June 2006 issue of Update newsletter.

Scholarships for ECC Grads

Below is a partial listing of ECC’s 2006 graduates who received scholarships from four-year institutions to pursue their baccalaureate studies.

Student Athletes Win Full Tuition Scholarships

 Class of 2006 track athletes receiving full scholarships to attend four-year universities are Lorain McKenzie (University of Florida), Rockel Mitchel and Trish Bartholomew (University of Alabama) and Nicholas Reid (Farleigh Dickinson University).

Honors Students Receive Full Tuition Scholarships

 Ten ECC honors students who graduated this year are recipients of full tuition scholarships from four year institutions. Six of them have been accepted by the Albert Dorman Honors College of NJIT with waiver of full tuition and fees: Ahmed Agwedicham, Ouafae Alloul, Andres Ceron, Thuan Duong, Farrah LaFortune, and Jose Quepay. Other recipients include Clement Obichere (Class Salutatorian), Presidential Scholarship of full tuition and fees to attend New Jersey City University; Maryann Lubanski, Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society scholarship of full tuition; Hangyu Zhang, full tuition scholarship from Stevens Institute of Technology; and Jose Medina (class valedictorian), Jack Kent Cook scholarship of $90,000 for three years to be applied to the university of his choice.

Registration for Summer Terms and Fall 2006
Registration for the Summer II 2006 Term will be held July 5 and July 6 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at both the main Newark campus and the West Essex Campus. Late registration for Summer II will follow on July 10 and July 11 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Classes for Summer II will be from July 10- August 17.

Information on the Fall 2006 Semester, which runs from September 5 – December 18, and Weekend College will also be available at the time of summer registration. Transfer students must have received transfer credit for mathematics and English; otherwise, they must take the placement test which will be scheduled as needed.

Web registration is through July 11 for Summer II classes and to September 8 for Fall 2006 classes. For further information, call Enrollment Services Express at (973) 877-3100 for the main campus or (973) 877-4340 for West Essex. Information is also available on the college website, www.essex.edu.

ECC Alumni Making Headlines

Brent Sancho, who starred for the Wolverines soccer team in 1994 and 1995, is on the international roster in the World Cup this year playing for his home country Trinidad and Tobago. A stalwart defenseman, Sancho helped ECC advance to the Region 19 finals in both 1994 and 1995, and earned All Region honors, recalled his former soccer coach, ECC’s Alphonse Prophete. Sancho played at Saint John’s University following graduation from Essex. He currently plays for Gillingham of England when not on the field for his home country.


ECC grads Clora Williams (Class of 2005) and Jovanne Jarrett (Class of 2004) won individual national titles this year at the National College Athletic Association (NCAA) Track & Field Championships.

Williams, running for Texas A&M, is this year’s NCAA 400-meter dash champion. She also anchored the Aggies’ 1,600- meter relay team. Williams is the younger sister of Novlene Williams (Class of 2002) who won a bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Greece as a member of the Jamaican 4/400 meter relay team.

Jarrett, running for Auburn University, won the long jump and helped the University win the NCAA track and field championship. Also participating in the championships for Auburn were ECC Grads: Kerron Stewart (Class of 2005), placing second in the 100-meter dash, Tamara Thomas (Class of 2003), Michelle Vaughn (Class of 2005), and Michelle Williamson (Class of 2005).

 Other ECC grads who were named All-American for their respective universities included: Althea Chambers for Texas Tech University, Trisha Henry for Texas A&M, and Melaine Walker for University of Texas. All the track stars above were coached at ECC by Michael Smart. For further information, click here.

From left, Savage, Salgado, Cardosa,
King, Stefanelli, & Himmelstein

ECC Students Inducted into Statewide Business Honor Society

Ten ECC students were inducted into the New Jersey Collegiate Business Administration Association Honor Society at a ceremony in May at the State House in Trenton. They were Meridyth A. Bergman, Jonathan Bhulai, Carlos Cardosa, Abidemi Daniyan, Courtney Hutchins, Goongwon Kum, Yolanda Martinez, Jose Peralta, Madalena Salgado, and Catherine Stefanelli. The association is made up of deans, division chairs, program directors, and faculty from New Jersey colleges and universities. The event recognized 109 students who constitute the top 1% of students statewide in business and accounting undergraduate programs who have completed three quarters of their degree courses. Representing the College at the Ceremony were Professors Gerald Savage, Nathan Himelstein, Joseph Santora, and Michael King. Jane Oats, Executive Director of the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education, gave greetings and an inspiring message to the inductees.

Math Prize Winners

The winners of this year’s Robert A. Shloming Mathematics Prize Examination at ECC are Dunxu Hu and Hanyu Zhang, both First Place winners; Pantelis Pantelides, Second Place; Jose Quepuy, Third Place; and Joohan Lee, Fourth Place.

Hu, a native of China, is a freshman, majoring in Computer Information Systems. Zhang, also a native of China, graduated from ECC and has been accepted by Stevens Institute of Technology to work toward a bachelor’s degree in Engineering. Pantelides, a native of Greece, is a freshman majoring in Engineering. Quepuy, a native of Peru, graduated from the Engineering program this month and will be attending NJIT’s Albert Dorman Honors College to work toward a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering. All four plan to work toward graduate degrees in their respective fields.

The exam is sponsored by retired ECC Math Professor Robert Shloming in honor of his father Adolph Shloming, a linguist and mathematician. Following his father’s dedication to math, Shloming earned a Ph.D. from NYU and taught in the ECC math department for more than three decades. One of his objectives is to create a community of students who will be motivated to discuss mathematical problems and consider careers in mathematics or related fields. ECC Professor Ron Bannon has been running this competition for more than 12 years.

Accolades for Dr. Yamba

“Your leadership, vision and strength of will changed the college’s destiny,” said Rutgers President Richard L. McCormick as he presented ECC President A. Zachary Yamba an honorary Doctor of Laws degree on May 17 at Rutgers’s 240th Commencement in New Brunswick. “Your life and work have come to exemplify the positive influences, accomplishments, power, and promise of higher education,” said McCormick.

The following day, Yamba was feted at the Rutgers-Newark Commencement and was the guest of honor at a reception hosted by Provost Steven Diner. “Rutgers honors itself when it honors Dr. Yamba,” said Diner in highlighting some of the many accomplishments that have marked Yamba’s tenure. Diner also praised the ECC president for his leadership of the Council for Higher Education in Newark (CHEN) and his efforts to forge a meaningful partnership with Rutgers, NJIT and UMDNJ to enhance the quality of life in the City of Newark.

More honors were bestowed on Dr. Yamba this past spring. On April 4, he and his wife, Trish Morris Yamba, Director of the Newark Day Center, were honored at the annual State Humanitarian Awards Dinner sponsored by the National Conference for Community and Justice of New Jersey. And on June 11, Dr. Yamba served as Grand Marshal of the 2006 Portugal Day Parade. It’s been quite a memorable year for ECC’s chief executive who last year celebrated his 25th year as president and is now the longest serving college president in New Jersey.

County Aid for FY 2006-07

On May 22, the Essex County College Board of School Estimate met to set County aid to ECC for the 2006-07 fiscal year. The members of the Board were: Trustee Chairman Reverend Reginald T. Jackson; Trustee Carlos Gonzalez; Joseph DiVincenzo, Essex County Executive; and Freeholders Patricia Sebold and Carol Clark.

It was announced that $10,850,000 will be provided by the County of Essex for operating expenses and another $6,750,000 in capital outlay. The $10,850,000 in County aid for operating expenses represents level funding for the fourth straight year. County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo indicated that he would like to provide more support to the College but cannot do so, given the county’s budgetary constraints.

National Recognition for the 2006 Women’s Track team

The Lady Wolverines capped off an outstanding indoor track season with a second place finish at the National Junior College Athletic Association indoor championship at the Kansas State University campus. First place winners at the national meet were Rockel Mitchel in the long jump and 400-meter run; Loraine McKenzie in the 800 and 1000-meter runs, Bianca Strachan in the 600-meter run, and the distance medley teams of Strachan, McKenzie, Deandra Laing, and Celia Whyte.

The women’s track team completed the outdoor NJCAA national championship season in Kansas with six national champions, 13 All-Americans, and an overall fifth place finish. McKenzie defended her 800-meter title and anchored the 4x800 meter relay in stadium record time in tandem with Alfreepha Stubbs, Strachen, and Whyte. Trish Bartholomew won the 400-meter run, and the 4x400 meter relay team came in second. For more on the top performers, click here for the June 2006 issue of Update.

AIDS Walk

ECC’s Alpha Theta Theta Chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society raised $1,285 in May at the New York City AIDS Walkathon, an initiative to educate and help with AIDS awareness. Last year our PTK chapter raised $800 to help the Hyacinth AIDS Foundation here in New Jersey. This year, Hyacinth joined with the New York Walk and so did the ECC chapter. Ten of our walkers completed the 10 kilometers. In total, there were 47,000 registered walkers at the Walk who raised $6,473,108 for the cause.

Annual Fashion Show

ECC’s 24th Annual Fashion Show “Masquerade” on May 6, hosted by the Fashion Entertainment Board, featured 22 top designers from the tri-state area and Washington D.C. premiering their summer, fall, and winter collections.

The models were ECC students, as well as students from neighboring colleges and universities (Rutgers, William Paterson, Seton Hall, NJIT, Penn State, and Rowan College).

Also participating were high school students (Colombia, Arts High, Irvington, Central, East Orange Regional Campus High, and Westside). “This year’s show was bigger than prior years,” noted Gerald Holloway, producer and advisor to the Fashion Entertainment Board.

The event raised over $24,000. Most of the proceeds will go toward academic scholarships for ECC students and to charities such as the Katrina Fund, NCCJ-NJ, the Valerie Fund, The American Cancer Society, and the newly established Glenroy C. Shelton Scholarship at ECC (named after a deceased Student Life & Activities staff member) for students demonstrating “significant involvement in community service and academic notability.”

Pan-African Drumfest

Both professionals and novices from the college and the surrounding community participated in ECC’s first Pan-African Drumfest, organized by the Africana Institute. Participants included musicians of Afro-Cuban, West African, and African American cultures. Some played drums, shakerees, and maracas, while others blew flutes and whistles, or sang. It was a good time for all, and plans are already underway to expand this musical festival next year.

 

Bring Your Child To Work Day
Eighty boys and girls participated in this April 27 event at both the main and West Essex campuses, focused on the theme, “Shaping the Future.” The speakers/mentors for this year were Lynn Wilson, ECC alumna and current Biology Professor; Judy Glina, Professor of Architecture; and Dr. Akil Khalfani, Director of the Africana Institute. One of the highlights was walking the youngsters through the multiple steps of creating a successful theatrical production, including lighting and audio technology. Youngsters shadowed their parents/sponsors most of the day which ended with the distribution of certificates of participation.

Upcoming ECC Events

Name

Date and Time

Location

Senator Lipman’s Entrepreneurial
Saturday Seminar, organized by the Wise Women’s Center

 

June 17
8:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

July 15
8:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

4th Level Multipurpose Room
Main Campus

 

Primerica

June 17
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m

Physical Education Building
Main Campus

An Evening of Music & Dance – Newark School of the Arts

June 17
2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Mary Burch Theater
Main Campus

ECC Board Of Trustees Meeting

June 21
2:00 p.m.

Dasher Student Center
Main Campus

Truancy Alternative Parenting Skills, organized by the  WISE Women’s Center

June 22
5:30- 7:00 p.m.

Snack Bar, Third Level
Main Campus

Graduation for Essex County Vocational School –

June 23
5:00 p.m.

Physical Education Building
Main Campus

ECC Summer Basketball Camp Begins

July 5
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Physical Education Building

In-Person Registration

July 5
9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Multipurpose Room
West Essex Campus

Summer Program for Kids

July 5 – August 11
9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

West Essex Campus

Summer Youth Program, On Campus Continuing Education

July 10 –August 18
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Main Campus

Summer Concert - Cecil Brooks & Group

July 19
12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Courtyard near Center for Technology, Main Campus

Financing Your Education at ECC, organized by Financial Aid Office

July 20
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

J. Harry Smith Lecture Hall (Room 2131), Main Campus

Career Seminar for Newark Youth Employment Training Program

July 31
8:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

J. Harry Smith Lecture Hall (Room 2131), Main Campus

 Project GRAD Award Ceremony

July 31
4:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

J. Harry Smith Lecture Hall (Room 2131), Main Campus

For more information, call (973) 877-3208 or (973) 877-6637 for main campus events and (973) 403-2538 for West Essex Campus events.

Contact Information

This newsletter is prepared by the Office of Publications and Production in cooperation with the Office of Public Relations. Comments and suggestions are most welcome. Please address them to Dr. Lekha Keister at lkeister@essex.edu.