E-Newsletter
Volume 6, No. 1 |
January 2008 |
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 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. |
Spring Registration
In-person advisement and registration for the Spring 2008 Semester is from January 2-4, from 9:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. at both the main and West Essex campuses. Late registration and add/drop are on January 7-11 from 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Web registration for the semester will be on-going through January 11. Returning students may want to register on-line in order to avoid standing in line.
The first day of Spring 2008 classes is January 7. The first day of Weekend College classes is January 11. To access information on the tuition payment schedule and payment methods, click here.
For further information on course registration, click here.
Architecture Studio Upgraded
The college has upgraded one of the Architecture studios at the Center for Technology through funding from the Carl D. Perkins Grant. The studio is now equipped with twenty-three new computers and a printer and plotter. The computers have been equipped with architecture software including AutoCAD, Architectural Desktop, Inventor, Revit Building, Quark Express, and Adobe Photoshop. In addition to programmatic uses, Architecture majors are able to prepare electronic portfolios with these new resources.
Students Exhibit Architecture Projects
Students in the Architectural Design I course recently completed a drafting and model building project. The drafting exercise explored concepts of plan, elevation, and axonometric views. Students used their models to develop a design concept. The final design was an expression of their sensory experience architecturally. Students received praise from their peers, faculty, and the general public for their finished projects which were displayed at the ECC Gallery.
Conference on Closing the Achievement Gap
New Jersey Secretary of State Nina Mitchell Wells, the NJ Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Commission, the New Jersey Amistad Commission, the New Jersey Black Issues Convention, and ECC’s Africana Institute brought together a distinguished panel last month to address “the achievement gap” facing underrepresented minorities in K-12 education.
Panelists included Ms. Dana Egrecky, VP for Workforce Development at the New Jersey
Chamber of Commerce; Jerome C. Harris, Jr., president of the Harris Organization; Felix A. Rouse, CEO for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Newark;
Vincent L. Stallings, principal of the Sojourner Truth Middle School in East Orange; Shavar effries, an attorney who represented the University of Michigan in its affirmative action lawsuit before the U.S. Supreme Court; and Rhena Jasey, a third grade teacher in Maplewood.
An underlying theme of the conference was that standards and outcomes equivalent to those of top performing districts must be established in order to erase the achievement gap. Also, teachers should be hired for their subject area expertise, and chairpersons and principals, as front-line supervisors, must ensure that instruction is “at grade level.” In the early grades, compassion is the key to acculturating students to the school environment. In the middle and high school grades, a transition should be made to high standards and expectations of students, panelists noted. It is important, panelists added, to give educational accomplishments the kind of high acclaim that athletics has always received.
About 200 persons attended the discussion and showed great support for the panelists’ various
positions.
Career Fair
The College is holding a Career Fair on Wednesday, January 23 in the Physical Education Building, main Campus, from 12 noon to 3:00 p.m. The program, funded by a Carl D. Perkins Grant, is
jointly organized by ECC’s Career Resource Center, Corporate and Business Training, WISE Women’s Center, One-Stop Career Center, and the NJ Department of Labor. ECC students, alumni, and clients
from the community are invited to register and attend. More than 50 firms from the New York/
New Jersey metropolitan area are expected to attend.
A Résumé Clinic has been scheduled for Tuesday, January 15, from 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. to help students prepare good resumes to present to employers at the fair. An Employer Panel has also been scheduled for Thursday, January 17 in Training, Inc., Room TI-20 from 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. The panel will feature prominent employers from the area who will discuss workplace readiness and answer questions.
Students interested in attending these sessions must register for them in advance at the Career Resource Center. For further information or to register, call the Center at (973) 877-3350 or Training, Inc. at (973) 877-3467.
Pan-African Language Symposium
ECC’s Africana Institute is hosting the Pan African Kemet Kash Mdw Ntchr symposium on January 25 and 26 at the Smith Lecture Hall, Newark campus. The event is designed to promote and educate people about Mdw Netcher, the classical language of the African people worldwide. The Pan Afrakan Mdw Ntchr Outreach Society is co-sponsoring the event. Admission is free for students. For the general public, admission is $35 on Friday, $60 on Sunday, and $75 for both Friday and Saturday. For more information, call (866) 227-3170 or contact via e-mail: MdwNtchr@BlackGoldSacredLiving.com
Toys for the Holidays
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From left, Club member Darlene Seidenzahl, Prof. Said, club VP Krystle Allen, club President Sonja Alves, and Diane Young, director of the New Community Harmony House. Behind is club member Daniel Castillo |
The holidays were brighter this season for many pre-schoolers, thanks to the good will and generosity of ECC’s Social Work Students Club. The members collected and distributed toys, books, and stuffed animals for the children of Newark’s Community Harmony House, Isaiah House, and the YM & YWCA. The club members are students of Social Science Professor Arzelia Said.
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ECC Choir at the Tree Lighting Ceremony |
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Dr. Akil Khalfani at the Kwanzaa Celebration |
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Dance Performance at the Kwanzaa Celebration |
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Dr. Marc Lamont’s Presentation at the: Race Still Matters Conference |
Soccer Standout Earns National Honor
Sophomore Darnelle Blackman, a defensive stalwart in soccer, has been named a first team All-American by the National Junior College Athletic Association.
Blackman was an honorable mention selection last year by the NJCAA. He came to Essex from
Trinidad & Tobago after learning about the school from his sister Jeanine, a former star on ECC’s nationally recognized track team.
Blackman’s defensive skills helped the Wolverines post a 9-7-1 record and advance into the Region 19 playoffs. Essex also placed four more players on the All Region 19 team. The other honorees are defensive back sophomore Wayne Reid and freshman midfielders Reginald Charles and Jean Jude Maceus. The team is led by veteran coach Alphonse Prophete.
Basketball Early Season
The Lady Wolverines basketball team is off to a good start, posting a 5-2 record after one just one month. Steven Mitchell’s squad most recently defeated Middlesex by a 75-39 score.
Sophomore Elizer Iceson is the team’s leading scorer, putting up nearly 16 points a game. The other leading scorers include transfer Margot Tracy with 13.4 points a game and Shellone Scantlebury, who averages 12 points per contest. Tracy and Scantlebury also lead the team in rebounding.
On the men’s side, the Wolverines have a 2-6 record early on. Tarik Brown’s team has wins over Salem and Suffolk County (NY) College.
The first three games of 2008 will be home games: On January 5, Harcum College visits with the women playing at 1 and the men at 3 p.m. January 8 sees Lackawanna visiting with the women’s tip off at 5 and the men at 7 p.m. Then on January 12, the women play Burlington at 12 noon followed by the men’s game at 2 p.m.
Alumni Update
Bosede Olaogun, Class of 2002, is an IT Specialist for the Social Security Administration in Maryland. She works in the Accounting and Payment branch for retirees and survivors. Her job entails working with federal agencies such as the Federal Reserve and Treasury to ensure that payments are timely and accurate. She also volunteers as a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc, Maryland Business Roundtable, and Delta Sigma Pi. As she put it, “I feel blessed just being able to give back to better the community.”
After graduating from ECC, Olaogun went on to complete her baccalaureate degree and then her
master’s in Information Systems and Telecommunications from Johns Hopkins (GPA of 3.86) in May
2007. This past July, she graduated with an MBA from the New York Institute of Technology (GPA of 3.84). Olaogun credits ECC for her achievements. In a letter to Dr. Yamba, she states: “I will always
be grateful for opportunities bestowed upon me while I attended ECC. Being the recipient of the Open Door and Dingler Scholarships allowed me to broaden my future and excel to be the very best. I am deeply appreciative.” To access her complete letter, click here.
Calvin P. Osei, Class of 1998, is a registered pharmacist in New Jersey and is self-employed at Campus Pharmacy, located in Newark. In his letter to the college, he notes, “I have been practicing pharmacy for the past five years and love what I do.” To access his complete letter, click here.
Construction Projects Update
Health Science Center, Newark Campus
Construction of the new Health Science Center is progressing close to schedule. All three floors of the building have been erected with underground utility lines, fire proofing, and
roofing. Most of the concrete work has been completed. The project is scheduled for completion in August 2008.
New Parking Deck, Newark Campus
The project is progressing close to schedule. Installation of footing and foundations has been completed. Underground electrical conduits, storm drains, and plumbing roughing have been completed. The project is scheduled for completion in Setptember 2008.
The President’s Report 2005 & 2006
The President’s Report 2005 & 2006 was published in Fall 2007. To access the report, click here. The 2007 report will be published in Spring 2008.
Upcoming ECC Events
Name |
Date and Time |
Location |
In-person Advisement & Registration |
January 2-4 |
Main & West Essex Campus |
Adult Learning Center Testing/Orientation |
January 3 |
Room N103 |
Nursing - New Student Orientation |
January 3 |
Siegler 2132 |
Adult Learning Center Registration |
January 5 |
Room N103 |
Three Kings Celebration |
January 5 |
Physical Education Building |
ECC vs. Lackawanna College |
January 8 |
Physical Education Building |
ECC vs. Lackawanna College |
January 8 |
Physical Education Building |
LPN Orientation |
January 10 |
Smith 2131 |
ECC vs. Burlington County College |
January 12 |
Physical Education Building |
ECC vs. Burlington County College |
January 12 |
Physical Education Building |
African Consciousness Movie Matinee, Negroes with Guns |
January 14 |
Africana Institute |
Welcome Back Party – Sponsored by Student Life & Activities |
January 17 |
Student Lounge |
Martin Luther King Day Luncheon |
January 17 |
4th Level Multipurpose Room |
ECC vs. Globe Institute of Technology, Men’s Basketball |
January 17 |
Physical Education Building |
School Funding Conference |
January 19 |
Smith 2131 |
ECC vs. Salem County College |
January 19 |
Physical Education Building |
ECC vs. Salem County College |
January 19 |
Physical Education Building |
ECC vs. County College of Morris |
January 22 |
Physical Education Building |
ECC vs. County College of Morris |
January 22 |
Physical Education Building |
ECC Board of Trustees Meeting |
January 23 |
Dasher Student Center |
Career Fair |
January 23 |
Physical Education Building |
Welcome Back Students Party |
January 23 |
Main Dining Hall |
ECC vs. Union County College |
January 24 |
Physical Education Building |
Pan-African Mdw Ntchr Symposium, sponsored by Africana Institute |
January 25 @ 12:00 noon |
Smith 2131 |
Gospel Showcase |
January 25 |
Mary Burch Theater |
ECC vs. Delaware Tech Community College, Women’s Basketball |
January 26 |
Physical Education Building |
Preventing and Combating Identity Theft Workshop – Sponsored by Student Life & Activities |
January 29 |
Student Lounge |
ECC vs. Notre Dame |
January 29 |
Physical Education Building |
Ready for College Grant – Press Conference, sponsored by Academic Affairs/Educational Services |
January 31 |
Smith 2132 & Gallery |
For more information, call (973) 877-3208 or (973) 877-6637 for main campus events and (973) 877-1903 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.
