E-Newsletter
Volume 6, No. 4 |
April, 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. |
A Special Celebration
ECC will kick off its 40th Anniversary celebration at Commencement on June 1. Our year-long celebration will feature an array of special events in 2008 and 2009 to showcase the college and highlight its vital role as a leading educational provider for the greater Essex County community.
Planning is underway for what promises to be a memorable observance that will focus on the theme, Changing Lives … Building Futures. Upcoming Fall 2008 events include an opening Convocation program, an Alumni Homecoming, and the always popular Golf & Tennis Scholarship Tournament. Also being scheduled are Open House programs at the Newark and West Essex campuses and a special commemorative event in Spring 2009.
The 40th Anniversary Steering Committee, chaired by Professor Helen Kuruc, encourages the active support and participation of all members of the ECC community to help ensure a most rewarding year!
Municipal Government Class
Newark's Mayor Cory Booker, will deliver a lecture to the Municipal Government – POL 107 class on Wednesday, April 2, 2008. This lecture is open to the college community. The class will meet from 10:00 a.m.-11:20 a.m. in the 4th Floor Multi-purpose room. Mayor Booker will address Economic Development Policies & Urban Economic Development. The class is convened as part of a partnership between ECC's Urban Issues Institute and the New Jersey Urban Mayor's Association. For more information, call 973-877-3219.
Social Work Day
The college’s annual Social Work Day, dubbed this year “Change Your Mind and Change Your Life,” will be held April 2, 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon, in the 3rd Floor
Multi-Purpose Room. The event is co-sponsored by the college’s Human and Social Services Program and the Social Work Student Association. Representatives from
the various social service agencies where ECC students are doing their internships will make special presentations. There will also be material available on such topics as substance abuse programs, employment information, senior citizen programs,
social service organizations, children’s programs, and rental assistance.
Additional information is available from Social Science Division Professor Arzelia Said at (973) 877-3541.
Registration for Summer and Fall 2008
Web registration is on-going through May 2 for Summer I classes, through July 10 for Summer II, and through September 12 for Fall 2008. The Summer I term is from April 30 to June 18, Summer II is from July 7 through August
14, and the Fall semester commences September 8. Returning students are
urged to register online via Web Services to avoid long lines.
In-person registration for Summer I and II will be on April 28 and 29
(9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.) at both campuses, with late registration and
add/drop for Summer I the following week (April 30 – May 2, 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.). In-person registration for Summer II and Fall 2008 is from July 1-3 (9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.) at both campuses. For more registration-related information, click here to access our course registration site. You may also choose to contact Enrollment Services at (973) 877-3100 (Main Campus) or (973) 877-6590 (West Essex Campus).
Non Credit Course in the Language of Ancient Egypt
Fifteen students are currently enrolled in a 10-week (March 11 through May 13) non credit course in the language of ancient Kemet (today called Egypt), Mdw Ntchr, offered by ECC’s Africana Institute. The course is taught by international scholar Mfundishi Jhutyms Ka N Heru Salim.
Mdw Ntchr was written and spoken by African people in Northeast Africa, the Nile Valley, for over
6,000 years. It is believed to be the oldest attested language having a large body of literature.
Students are learning to read, write, and speak Mdw Ntchr and also to connect to ancient Kemet
through art, poetry, and spirituality. This course will be offered again in the Fall. For more
information, contact the Africana Institute at (973) 877-3219.
Study Trip to South Africa
ECC’s Africana Institute is organizing a study trip to South Africa from July 12-July 23 for students,
staff, and faculty members. Historical sites to be visited include:
Johannesburg, Soweto, Pretoria, Robben Island, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Cango Caves, Apartheid Museum, and more. The trip will examine the
country’s transformation as well as its struggle to redress the legacy of the apartheid system including the Bantu education system. The itinerary
includes visits to township/urban schools, universities, museums, and
meeting with the people of South Africa. For more information, including
costs and reservations, contact the Africana Institute at (973)
877-3140/3554 or vnotshulw@essex.edu
Scholar-in Residence Lecture
Dr. Kesha Moore, who has been the college’s Scholar in Residence this academic year, will lecture on the subject of her post doctoral study on Tuesday, April 8th from 1:00pm – 2:30pm in Siegler Hall 2132, Newark Campus.
The lecture, “What’s So Black About Black Gentrification?" will focus on urban renewal in Newark, New York, and Philadelphia. The Drew University professor will discuss the motivation and outcomes of middle class Black residents involved in the redevelopment of low-income urban communities.
This provocative lecture series is sponsored by the Urban Issues Institute and the Africana Institute. For more information, go to africana@essex.edu or call 973-877-3219.
Writing Contest for High School Students
High School students from Newark’s Arts, Technology, University, Barringer, and Science Park high schools are participating in ECC’s seventh annual Barbara J. Grossman Memorial Writing Contest and Conference, to be held at the college’s Newark campus on April 4. Humanities faculty member Carol Kushner is coordinating the event.
Already 110 students from the high schools have submitted their works which will be judged by the Humanities Division prior to April 4. There will be three winners per category: poetry, short stories, analytical essays, and personal essays. Students will also participate in a series of workshops conducted by the college’s faculty in such areas as poetry, creative writing, literary analysis, and music.
Book Talk with Author Ethel Miller
Ethel Lee-Miller, author of Thinking of Miller Place: A Memoir of Summer Comfort, will conduct a creative writing workshop on Thursday, April 3
from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at ECC’s West Essex campus. This is her second workshop at West Essex, based on popular demand.
Learn tips and tools for memoir writing and be entertained with excerpts from Ethel’s book. The free program is open to the college community and the public. Light refreshments will be served. For more information contact Janice Bozzay at (973) 877-1888.
Latino Community Conference
A conference on “Transforming Immigration and Ending Violence in the Latino Community” has been rescheduled for April 5. The conference was postponed from its original February 23 date due to inclement weather. The free event will be held from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. in Smith Hall on the main Newark campus.
A number of immigration and violence issues will be discussed including deportation, family and individual rights, discrimination, incarceration, racial violence/discrimination, domestic gangs, violent crimes, and drugs.
The program aims to empower families to transform their immigration nightmares and challenges into positives in a new country. ECC’s Urban Issues Institute and Latino Student Union are co-sponsors. Call (973) 877-3219 for additional information.
Career Fair Update
The Essex County College Spring Career Fair, held at the Newark Campus on March 19th, attracted 684 students, clients, and community residents. Sixty-one companies participated in the recruitment event which was sponsored by the Carl D. Perkins Grant in partnership with ECC’s Career Resource Center, Corporate Training, One Stop Career Center, Training, Inc. and the NJ Department of Labor. Several of the companies hired students at the Fair and many others will contact the students over the coming weeks.
March Events
Women’s History Month Celebration
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| From left, Janet Picket, WISE Director Luz Minerva Class, Honorable Esther Salas, and Professor Barbara Pogue |
The keynote speaker at the annual Women’s History Month Luncheon on March 26, organized by ECC’s WISE Women’s Center, was the Honorable Esther Salas, judge of the U.S. District Court of the District of New Jersey. Salas, who assumed the post in November 2006, had previously served as President of the Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey.
Judge Salas, the fifth child of a Cuban mother and a Mexican father (who was absent in their lives) credits her success and that of her siblings, all of whom earned college degrees, to the strength, bravery, and perseverance of her mother who had no more than an elementary school education. Her message of hope, dignity, and hard work was a source of inspiration to the audience.
Other honorees at the event included Janet Taylor Pickett, now retired after 30 years of teaching at ECC. Pickett, who holds a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Michigan, is an active member of the art community of Montclair. She has received many awards and has had numerous exhibitions around the state and around the world.
ECC Professor Barbara Pogue, who joined the ECC family in 1970, was also honored. She has a master’s degree in Art from Hunter College, has been a Fulbright Scholar, and also an Honors Scholar in Museum Studies with the University
of Pittsburgh and the City University of London. Her
accomplishments also include master’s degrees as a
Reading Specialist and in English as a Second Language from
New Jersey City University. At ECC, in addition to her teaching responsibilities, she has served on every major committee in the college and has been editor of the Faculty Association newsletter.
Ethics In Engineering
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| From left, ECC Professor John Gribbin, Alan Seymour, and Kimberli Craft |
ECC’s Center for Technology held a panel discussion March 27 on Ethics in Engineering. The panelists included four professional engineers: Kimberli Craft, Montclair municipal engineer; Thomas Lewis, senior vice president of the Louis Berger Group in charge of environmental engineering; John Wiggins, coordinator of NJIT’s Construction Engineering Technology programs; and Alan Seymour, who has done engineering work for the New York City Department of Environmental Protection.
Alumni News
Rekhmir B. Ford (Class of 2006) has been accepted into the Doctor of Science in Audiology program at the graduate school of Montclair State University. After graduating from Essex (Biology/Pre-Med), Ford went on to Montclair State where he completed his baccalaureate in Psychology this past year. We wish him much success in pursuing his career path.
West Essex Summer Youth Program
ECC’s West Essex Campus will hold its annual Summer Program
for Kids, ages 10-15, July 7 – August 8, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mondays through Fridays. Youngsters may be dropped off earlier
and remain later each day since child care services are available 8 to 9 a.m. and from 5 to 6 p.m.
Young people can choose from a variety of programs designed to be educational as well as recreational. Offerings include: Wall Street Wizards, Interior Design, Inventions and Business, Origami, PC Guru 101, Marshall Arts, Creative Expressions, Video Game Programming, Enhanced Video Game Programming, A Taste of the Arts, and The Artisan’s Workshop. Field trips on Fridays will include visits to museums, science fairs, and/or amusement parks.
The faculty is comprised of experienced professionals trained in working with children. The air
conditioned campus is conveniently located and provides ample parking. For detailed information,
attend the Parent Orientation Open House on one of the following dates: April 8, May 6, May 20, or
June 3 at 6:30 p.m. and/or call (973) 877-1920. The deadline for registering is June 13.
ECC Captured Two Titles at the Indoor Track Championships
Freshman Natasha Ruddock won the 60-meter hurdles in a meet record time of 8.19 seconds at the March 7-8 National Junior College Athletic Association indoor track and field championship held at Eastern Illinois University. Freshman Demetrius Pinder won the 400-meter run.
Ruddock also placed second in the 60-meter dash and Pinder’s teammate Dwight Mullings came in second in the 400-meter run. Meanwhile Pinder also placed seventh in the 200-meter dash. Overall, ECC’s Lady Wolverines finished fourth in the women’s bracket with 50 total points while the men came in fifth with 54 points. Both teams are coached my Michael Smart.
Sasha Kay Matthias was second in both the long jump and triple jump, and fifth in the 200 meters. The women’s 4x400 meter relay team of Alisa Harris, Melony McKay, Aleeesha Rice and Akeisha Dumont placed fifth. The men’s distance medley team of Kayon Smith, Kevin Bowen, Nicholas Graham, and Watson Estelan finished second. Third place finishers included Kamar Ellis in the 600 meters, Stafford McFarlane in the 800 meters, and the 4x800-meter relay team of McFarlane, Bowen, Graham and Estelan. For further details, click here.
Men’s Basketball
The Men’s Basketball Team finished the season at 16-15. The Wolverines captured both the Region 19 and District 9 titles, but lost the last two games at the National Junior College Athletic Association championships held in Illinois.
The Wolverines lost to eventual NJCAA champion Mott Community College of Michigan by a 72-52 score. The team, coached by Tarik Brown, then lost in the consolation game to South Suburban College of Illinois by a score of 78-61. The games were held on the campus of Danville Area Community College. Click here for further details.
Upcoming ECC Events
Name |
Date and Time |
Location |
College Council |
April 1 |
Smith 2131 |
Social Work Day |
April 2 |
Snack Bar 3 G/Y |
Mayor Cory Booker on Economic Development Policies & Urban Economic Development, sponsored by Urban Issues Institute |
April 2 |
4th Level Multipurpose Room. Main Campus |
ECC Choir Performance |
April 2 |
Dasher Student Center |
Stress Workshop, sponsored by Human Resources Department |
April 3 |
Essex Room |
Diversity Program – Colors of Student Leadership, sponsored by Student Life & Activities |
April 3 |
Smith 2131 |
Writing Contest for High School Students, |
April 4 |
Siegler 2132 |
NAGA Grappling Tournament |
April 5, 6 |
Physical Education Building |
How to Pass Multiple Choice Exams, Sponsored by Humanities Division and Evening & Weekend College |
April 5 |
Essex Room |
Transforming Immigration and Ending Violence in the Latino Community |
April 5 |
Smith 2131 |
Spring Festival Cookout, sponsored by Student Life & Activities |
April 8 |
Courtyard |
What’s So Black About Black Gentrification? |
April 8 |
Siegler 2132 |
Spring Up and Stress Less Massage Therapy, |
April 8 |
2nd Level Forum |
Spring Festival Cookout, sponsored by Student Life & Activities |
April 9 |
Courtyard |
Spring Up and Stress Less Yoga Session, |
April 9 |
2nd Level Forum |
Retirement Planning, |
April 10 |
Essex Room |
Voice Class Performance, |
April 10 |
2nd Level Forum |
Supporting Adults with Learning Disabilities, |
April 11 |
Multipurpose Room |
ECC Open House |
April 12 |
2nd Level Forum, Siegler 2132, and Essex Room |
Spring Up and Stress Less Test Taking & Anxiety Workshop |
April 12 |
Faculty Lounge |
Folkloric Festival, sponsored by Student Life & Activities and the Latino Student Union |
April 12 |
Smith 2131 |
African Consciousness Movie Matinee |
April 14 |
Africana Institute |
PTK Honors Program Lecture |
April 15 |
Smith 2131 |
Seminar on Retirement Options, sponsored by ECC Faculty Association |
April 15 and 21 |
4th Level Multipurpose Room, Main Campus |
Senator Lipman Saturday Seminar |
April 19 |
4th Level Multipurpose Room, Main Campus |
Fashion Show |
April 19 |
Physical Education Building, Main Campus |
Next Step Program Recognition Ceremony |
April 22 |
4th Level Multipurpose Room, Main Campus |
ECC Board of Trustees Meeting |
April 23 |
TBA |
Geographical Information Systems Information Session |
April 23 |
4th Level Multipurpose Room, Main Campus |
College-Wide Party, sponsored by the ECC Administrative Association |
April 25 |
Dasher Student Center |
St. Rose of Lima Spring Festival |
April 26 |
Physical Education Building, Main Campus |
Phi Theta Kappa Awards Banquet |
April 30 |
Essex Room |
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.
