OCEAN VIEWS · 2019-03-05 · A NEWSLETTER FOR OCEAN COUNTY COLLEGE ALUMNI, OUR COLLEGE FAMILY, AND THE COMMUNITY Summer 2014 Vol. VIII : No. 2 OCEAN VIEWS Class of 2014 p.13 Also

A NEWSLETTER FOR OCEAN COUNTY COLLEGE ALUMNI, OUR COLLEGE FAMILY, AND THE COMMUNITYSummer 2014 Vol. VIII : No. 2

OCEAN VIEWS

Class of 2014 p.13 Also Inside This Issue:

Ocean News: New Student Center p. 15

Spotlight: Jazzing it Up p. 19

Alumni Feature: Dream Jobs in TV p. 22

OCC Foundation p. 34

Athletics p. 38

The Anniversary IssueThen, Now, and Fifty Years in Between

2 Summer 2014 | Ocean County College

Ocean County College is celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2014, and our theme for this year’s

celebration is “Excellence in Education.”

I would like to take this opportunity to express heartfelt thanks to our faculty, administration, staff, students, and alumni, as well as to the wonderful citizens and busi-nesses of Ocean County, for your generosity in supporting the endeavors of the College. Thank you for accepting my wife, Judy, and me with open arms when I first took the helm back in 2000. We are grateful for the friendships and the support we have received during the 14 years I have been President.

Since its inception in 1964, Ocean County College has become an outstanding institution, one that has continuously evolved

to meet the needs of the citizens of Ocean County.

Reflecting on the rich 50-year history of this wonderful institution, I am struck by the lengthy list of “firsts” achieved – from being the first community college in New Jersey in 1964 to being a community college pioneer in online learning. During OCC’s short 50-year lifetime, hundreds of thousands of people have passed through our doors. Every one of these students, patrons, and friends traveled a unique path that led to OCC. Each of them left with a more finely-developed sense of his or her aspirations in life and a greater confidence in the pursuit of personal accomplishments. I am very proud to have been associated with a college that has given so much opportunity to so many people.

Summer 2014 Vol. VIII : No. 2

A NEWSLETTER FOR OCC ALUMNI, OUR COLLEGE FAMILY, AND THE COMMUNITY

Dr. Jon H. Larson President, Ocean County CollegeJan Kirsten Executive Director of College Relations

EDITORIAL TEAMEditor: RoseAnn D’Urso Manager of Promotional Programming

Project Coordinator: Joanne Padrone Director of Resource Development

Layout: Scott Bruinooge Coordinator of Publications

Staff Writer: Juliet Kaszas-Hoch

www.ocean.edu

Please address comments and submissions to [email protected]

Vision StatementAlumni Affairs develops relationships and establishes lifelong connections between Ocean County College and its alumni, family, and friends, leading to increased support for the institution’s mission and goals.

The Mission of Alumni Affairs is to: connect and engage OCC alumni and future alumni to the college and to each other; increase the number of alumni, family, and friends who take an active role in the growth of OCC; support and advocate for OCC; maintain accurate and up-to-date records of all alumni; and cultivate alumni as leaders, volunteers, advocates, and donors for OCC.

© 2014 Ocean County College. OceanViews is published bi-annually by the Office of College Relations, Ocean County College, College Drive, PO Box 2001, Toms River, NJ 08754-2001.

A Letter from the President to the Friends & Family of Ocean County College:

Summer 2014 | OCEAN VIEWS 3

As OCC has grown and changed with the times, so has our institutional “vision.” In 2004, our vision of OCC’s future was anything but “typical.” Our vision was to be a trailblazer in becoming the “New Community College,” a leader among our peers. And we have. From our unique Kean-Ocean partnership, which offers Kean University upper-division degree programs on our Main Campus in Toms River, to our worldwide outreach from Egypt to China, OCC continues to blaze new paths.

OCC continues to strive for excellence in all its endeavors; we keep abreast of the times and make certain that our academic programs are fresh, relevant, viable, and of unparalleled quality. The College focuses upon the learner first and takes care that it provides opportunities geared specifically to the learning styles best suited for the personal enrichment of its students. It remains current, up-to-date in technology, and takes pains to discover what is interesting and appealing to

today’s Ocean County citizen. OCC is an institution that uses its resources carefully and prudently, yet also plans for growth and development so it is ready to meet the changing needs of our community.

Armed with our vision of the new OCC and spurred-on by our dedication to be responsive to the needs of our ever-changing community, our challenge for the future is to provide you with the best learning and enrichment opportunities, the best commu-nity service, and the best academic prepara-tion possible. I promise we will work hard to ensure that every member of the OCC family is up to that challenge.

OCC has something to offer you, whether you are a recent high school graduate, a recent retiree, or anywhere in between. From our top-notch academic programs, to our extensive array of classes for personal enrichment, to our Jump Start program for high school juniors and seniors, or to our

Academy for Lifelong Learning where our community friends over the age of 55 can continue their quest for knowledge – OCC is YOUR community college.

If you haven’t seen OCC recently, I encourage you to stop by our beautiful cam-pus in Toms River – the signs of progress are all around. We are constructing new buildings, enhancing our existing facilities, and paving the way for the thousands of new students and community members we expect to serve in the coming years. On behalf of the more than 1,000 members of the OCC faculty, administration, and staff, I thank you for your support of Ocean County College. We are all very proud to have served the citizens of Ocean County for the last 50 years. We look forward to another 50 years and beyond!

Sincerely, Jon H. Larson, Ph.D., President Ocean County College

Ocean County College Then & NowAn Historical Perspective 1964-2014By RoseAnn D’Urso, Editor

The “birth” of Ocean County College (OCC) was the culmina-tion of years of planning. Interest in establishing a facility for higher education in Ocean County dates back to 1957, when the Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders went on record favoring a study of the need for such a facility within the county.

In accordance with the provisions of the New Jersey State Law of 1962, which enabled counties to establish and operate colleges, the Board of Chosen Freeholders authorized an in-depth feasibility study. The research indicated a need for, and recommended the

establishment of, a two-year college to accommodate 900 students. A subsequent study by the State Department of Education also supported these findings. Thereafter, the State Board of Education officially approved Ocean County’s request to establish a two-year college and substantiated the ability of the county to support it financially.

The plans for a new institution of higher learning were set in motion on November 5, 1963 – Election Day – when the citizens of Ocean County approved by public referendum the establishment of a college. Just two months later, on January 15, 1964, the Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders adopted the resolution to establish in Ocean County the first county college in the State of New Jersey. From that point on, things moved very quickly.

On March 4, 1964, the original nine members of the OCC Board of Trustees were appointed. The selection of the college president, the architect, and the campus site in fall of 1964 enabled the Board of Trustees to plan for the educational programs and for the facilities


Campus Feature

Each individual in our democracy has the privilege of pursuing higher education within

the scope of his initiative and capabilities.

We Believed In 1964…& Still Do In 2014:

to accommodate 900 full-time students. Key members of the admin-istrative staff were appointed in September of 1965 to engage in the detailed planning necessary for the opening of the college for the fall semester of 1966. Finally, in September 1966, 579 full-time and 400 part-time OCC students met for their first classes* at Toms River High School (now Toms River South).

As soon as OCC opened its doors, the College gave local residents the opportunity to better their lives with quality instruction, which they could use as a stepping stone to a bright and successful future. The tradition of a first-class college education continues today, 50 years later!

Ocean County College proudly fulfills its mission as a public two-year community college, sponsored by the County of Ocean, the State of New Jersey, and the students of OCC. The College is an open admissions institution and has an impressive list of firsts: it is the first county college in New Jersey to be established, the first to build, the first to move onto a campus specifically designed for it, and, in 1969, OCC was the first to receive full accreditation from the nationally-recognized Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Higher Education.

A publicly supported, comprehensive, open admission institution, OCC is committed to providing high quality, postsecondary associate degree and certificate programs, and other learning opportunities developed primarily for the residents of Ocean County. Past, present, and future, the College continues to expend every effort to maintain the tradition of excellence, which resulted in its early accreditation.

My, How We’ve Grown!Over the past 50 years, there have been many changes at Ocean

County College. With each passing year, OCC’s campus has grown larger, its student population has increased, its program offerings have been enhanced, and its position in the community and academia has been elevated – it is now considered an institution to be admired and copied among its peers. But no matter what changes have taken place at OCC over the years, one thing has remained the same – a tradition of excellence and a commitment to provide the finest in higher education to the citizens of Ocean County.

Throughout the College’s history, student enrollment has grown dramatically, from just 979 students in the fall of 1966 to 9,477 in the fall of 2013. As of May 2014, the alumni base increased to over 37,000 * The very first class (Health/Physical Education) met at the Dover

Township Shelter Cove Recreation Area, at the end of Bay Avenue East, at 1:00 p.m. on that first day.


As a formative force in our society, education should be attuned to the needs of

the individual and the community.


continued on page 6

graduates. The fact that a high percentage of OCC graduates – many of whom complete degree programs designed for transfer to four-year institutions – eventually return to live and work in the Ocean County area is good for business, the economy, and the community.

Seventy-five percent of the students enrolled in the first graduating class selected traditional liberal arts transfer programs. Ten associate in arts (AA) and associate in applied science (AAS) degree programs were offered in 1966; the AA and AAS degrees were conferred at the College’s first Commencement Ceremony on June 17, 1968. A third degree, the associate in science (AS), was first conferred on graduates in the Class of 1971.

Always looking to the needs of students, OCC keeps a sharp eye on the current trends in education and on the up-and-coming job market, including local, national, and

international trends. Today, OCC offers a full range of programs, services, and activities designed specifically to meet the diverse needs of its students.

OCC in 2014 now offers AA, AS, and AAS degrees along with certificate programs in nearly 50 areas of study; some programs are designed for students wishing to transfer to four-year institutions, while others are designed for those seeking immediate careers. OCC students can pursue part-time or full-time study with classes available days, evenings, and weekends. Students can also take advantage of online courses in addition to the opportunity to study on the College’s Main Campus in Toms River, at OCC’s Southern Education Center in Manahawkin, and at 19 off-campus sites located throughout the county.

Among many programs designed to enhance students’ personal and physical

1967College Center (originally Student Center, expanded 1970 and 1992. See 2014 for construction of new Student Center)

Lecture Hall (renovated into TV Studio 2006)

Library (expanded / renovated 1995)

Health & Human Performance Center (originally Health & Physical Education Center) (expanded 1974)

Instructional Building

The OCC CampusUnless otherwise noted, buildings are located on the Main Campus in Toms River.

development, as well as intellectual growth, the College’s Center for Student Success assists college-level students with learning and physical disabilities, the Educational Opportunity Fund helps low-income New Jersey residents attend college, and the Honors contract is designed for highly motivated students. The Jump Start program allows high school students to take college courses during the junior or senior year and then transfer the credits to OCC or to another school they plan on attending. The NJ STARS program offers free tuition to students who graduate in the top 15 percent of their high school class, complete a rigorous high school course of study, and achieve the required score on a college placement test. Counseling, advisement, and tutoring services are staples of the student services available at OCC, and extracurricular activi-ties include a wide range of student clubs, organizations, and athletic programs.

In addition to college credit programs, OCC provides a variety of noncredit Continuing & Professional Education courses and community events. Year-round activities, open to the public, include art exhibits, lectures, and musical and dramatic productions in the Arts & Community Center


Campus Feature

The demands of our dynamic society make it increasingly important to provide

appropriate higher educational opportunity for anyone seeking to better themselves.


Theatre and Gallery (formerly the Fine Arts Center); planetarium shows in the Robert J. Novins Planetarium; and the opportunity to enjoy the Sambol-Citta Garden in the middle of the campus mall. The College also offers a broad range of noncredit community education courses, trips, seminars, and summer programs for children.

The OCC Campus: For 50 Years, a Place to Call Home

The focal point of OCC’s campus, which embraces 275 picturesque acres of gently rising wooded land, is a pedestrian mall 900 feet in length. Designed in the form of an arc, it serves as the main artery of traffic between the campus buildings.

OCC’s Main Campus, located off Hooper Avenue on College Drive in Toms River, has seen its share of growth over the years.

During the first three phases of a four-phase construction plan, from 1966 through 1974, 11 major buildings were completed.

The 1980s and 1990s saw significant growth not only to the student population but to the campus as well with the construction of five new buildings. Another addition came in the form of the H. George Buckwald access road. Opened in April 1988 to relieve congestion, this road helps to maintain safety on College Drive.

As the College approached the new millennium, construction continued and the campus expanded to include 12 new structures between 2000 and 2011. Of note, in 2000, the OCC Southern Education Center in Manahawkin, which serves residents in the southern part of the county, became OCC’s permanent “off-campus” site.

1970Health Sciences Building (originally Nursing Arts Building)

1971Information Technology Building (originally Computer Center)

Maintenance Compound (expanded 1981)

1972Arts & Community Center (originally Fine Arts Center; expanded / renovated 2009)

College PresidentsDr. Andrew S. Moreland, Sep. 28, 1964 - Dec. 31, 1979

Dr. George Silver, Jul. 1, 1980 - Jun. 30, 1982

Dr. Milton Shaw, Sep. 1, 1982 - Jun. 30, 2000

Dr. Jon H. Larson, Aug. 1, 2000 –

1964 OCC Board of TrusteesW. Kable Russell, Chair

James G. Henry, Vice Chair

Helen M. Reid, Secretary

Dr. Solomon Soloff, Treasurer

Charles S. Whilden, County Superinten-dent of Schools

G. Luther Cox

Maurice B. Hill

Robert J. Novins

Richard Van Dyk

2014 OCC Board of TrusteesCarl V. Thulin, Jr. Chair

Linda L. Novak, Vice Chair

Jerry J. Dasti, Treasurer

Stephan R. Leone, Secretary

Thomas J. Dowd

Frank J. Dupignac, Jr.

Emil A. Kaunitz, Jr.

Thomas E. Monahan

Joanne Pehlivanian

Wilda Smithers, MD

Evan Williamson, Student/Alumni Representative

Jack Sahradnik, Counsel

Below: Board Members in 2004, during OCC's 40th Anniversary year.


continued on page 8

Most recently, the Gateway Building, a joint venture between OCC and Kean University, opened in 2013. And with an eye toward the future, campus construction continues; 2014 saw the official groundbreaking for the College’s newest project, an ultra-modern Student Center.

They Proudly ServeFor any great institution to function and

grow, it takes hard work and dedication. From its inception, Ocean County College has had numerous board members, presi-dents, administrators, faculty, managerial/technical, and staff members working for the success of the College in general and the students in particular (see sidebar, previous page). For many, it is a labor of love.

When OCC opened for the 1966 fall semester, 30 full-time and 33 part-time

faculty were employed to teach credit courses. In addition, ten administrative officers and a number of support staff were hired for various college services, programs, and operations positions.

By 2014, there were 86 full-time faculty, 18 professional educators, and 376 part-time faculty employed to teach credit courses, while 215 instructors conducted continuing and professional education programs and courses. In addition, 319 full-time and part-time administrators, managerial/technical, and supportive staff members are employed in various college services, programs, and operations.

While their numbers are too great to list here, we thank them for their current service and dedication to the students of Ocean County College.

A Dream Realized, A Milestone Achieved

In 1967, Thomas V. Carroll, Jr., a reporter from The Ocean County Sun, wrote the fol-lowing lead paragraph in his article entitled “A Dream Realized.”

“Ocean County College: a dream ten years ago; a reality today. But a reality that was not easily achieved; nor one whose value can ever be underestimated when evaluated in terms of effort and endeavor.”

On February 23, 1967, The Ocean County Sun dedicated one issue of the newspaper entirely to Ocean County College. At the time, the articles applauded the efforts of everyone involved in the formation of the College and featured the degree programs, extracurricular activities, and building plans. The words of Carroll are no less true today, some 47 years later.

1974Administration Building

Robert J. Novins Planetarium (renovated and expanded 2010)

1982 Instructional Computer Center

1983Nature Trail & Sambol-Citta Arboretum

1990Civil Engineering Annex (see 2004 Purchasing Building)

W. Kable Russell Academic Building


Varied programs of excellence designed to meet the needs

of the individual and the community should be offered.


Campus Feature

Memories of OCC

1992College Center Bookstore/Conference

1995Library Renovation

2000Center for Business Education & Training (CBET), Brick – The College rented office space on Brick Boulevard to accommodate its ever-increasing need for classrooms and administrative office space. In 2009, these offices moved back to campus.

Southern Education Center (SEC), Manahawkin

William T. Hiering Science Building

Childhood Memories from 1966-67When the College invited the local community to visit the brand

new campus, my mother and I came for a tour. It was a sunny day in the spring and I must have been about ten years old. We walked through the few buildings established and what I remember most is being in the Instructional Building standing inside a science classroom on the second floor. There, hanging by the window was a skeleton. That is when Mom explained what a cadaver is. The rest of the campus was bare. Cement sidewalks were in, there was no grass, and the few trees artfully landscaped looked like twigs.

After the front lake was dug out at a cost of $14,000 and upon freezing in the winter, my father drove the family over and we’d ice skate with the rest of the local residents. At that time, Hooper Avenue was two lanes with no curbs so cars pulled right up to the lake and parked. It was great fun. The cement columns displaying the OCC seal that have now stood in the middle of the lake for decades were not erected yet. The campus community implored upon President Moreland to spend the budget on important things like new books for the library collection. The president insisted on the columns. A matching lake was in the design for the Church Road entrance but was never dug. As for the books, like any new start up, the future campus library collected donations from the public that were stored over at Community Memorial Hospital (now Community Medical Center). The growth and development of the County and its com-munity college have become well established in these 50 years.

– Ellen Corvinus Administrative Assistant II, Library

A Faculty Member ReminiscesA highlight for me was the time period from 1979 to 1990 when

Phi Theta Kappa sponsored many chess events involving several famous chess masters, such as Edmar Mednis, Anatoly Karpov, and Victor Korchnoi, among others.

When I first arrived at Ocean County College in 1967, College Drive was a bumpy dirt road with a stop sign at Hooper Avenue. There were five buildings on campus and all classes were taught in the Instructional Building and Lecture Hall, now the TV Studio, with almost all faculty teaching at least one evening class in load; but from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. few classes ran so the building was very quiet. All faculty offices, as well as the Office of The Dean of Instruction, were located in the Instructional Building so the faculty from all Departments knew each other and there was great camaraderie among the faculty.

– Dr. William Rickert Professor of Mathematics

Too Old to Learn?I started working at OCC in 1990. One of the “big celebrities” on

campus that year was Leon “Pete” Rosenfeld. As head of marketing for Information Services (now College Relations), I had the opportunity to write a feature article about him for the third edition of Ocean Views. Pete received his Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology at age 75, and earned his MBA at 79. When he was 80, Pete taught his first OCC course. In fall 1990, he was teaching marketing and had plans to teach retailing in the spring! Pete was one of the nicest people I’ve ever met and a wonderful role model, proving that you’re never too old to learn.

– Pam Donohue Assistant Director, Academic Advising


continued on page 10

2004Technology Building Facilities Management BuildingPurchasing Building/ Administrative Support Building (originally 1990 Civil Engineering Annex)

2006Television Studio (originally Lecture Hall) – Home base to Ocean TV 20, the official television channel for Ocean County College and the County of Ocean, broadcasting on Comcast Cable and Verizon FiOS to residents of Ocean County.

2007O.C.E.A.N., Inc. Kids Child Development Center

2008Sambol-Citta Garden

Academic Wing of the Arts & Community Center

A First Grad Looks BackWhen Ocean County College first opened

its doors in the fall of 1966, the current campus was not yet complete. Therefore, College classes were held in the evenings at the downtown campus of the Toms River Regional Schools. I often remarked that I was taking a College accounting class in the same room in which I had attended Kindergarten!

The brand new campus (with only the Instructional Building and the Library) opened for the second semester, January or February, 1967. As it was still winter, the incoming road – College Drive – could not be paved. You can only imagine the continuing potholes and roller board to which the road quickly degenerated. Idle speed for my “great grey battleship” – a 1957 Mercury with push button drive and a hood that opened back-wards – was still too fast for the poor road.

I look back fondly on Dr. Donald Martin and Prof. John Stauff who tried to teach me golf. My experience at OCC, a brand new College unencumbered with bureaucracy, led me on a path to teaching and a desire to participate in the teaching at the College. Graduating in the first class has always been an honor for me, as has my long association in various capacities with the College. Little did I ever dream that my College would one day honor me with Bartlett Hall.

I am eternally grateful for what Ocean County College is and has been in my life.

– John C. Bartlett, Jr., ’68 Ocean County Freeholder

without initially receiving my associate degree from our community college!

Upon visiting the campus in 2007, I was amazed at how much the college had changed … and, yet, stayed the same. I coincidentally met Richard again (now Executive Vice President of Instruction). We talked about how our pursuits in life brought us to this present moment. As an OCC alumnus, Richard welcomed me on board as an adjunct instructor with the Social Science Department.

My education and life aspirations started in a classroom as a student on this proud campus and eventually evolved into returning to teach. This IS WHERE it all started. Now I bring my life experiences and knowledge back to campus.

I believe that I have a special understand-ing of my students, as I was like them 40 years ago! I hope that I can inspire them to achieve their goals, just like I was inspired, when I was seated where they are today.

With sincere gratitude, I will always remember where it all began, starting with a strong and vibrant educational foundation, sitting in a classroom at Ocean County College.

Thank you OCC, from a proud alumnus!

– Wayne Peterson (Retired Police Captain) Adjunct Instructor of Social Science

Finding His DirectionIn the Fall of 1973, I ventured onto the

Ocean County College campus in pursuit of furthering my education as a recent high school graduate. I was a new college student without a clear direction in life. This transi-tion from high school to college could be a difficult one.

My first classroom instructor was Mr. Richard Strada. I was a new college student and he was a new college instructor. As a community-based college, I knew quite a few of the students, which helped with this transitioning. OCC created a stable educa-tional foundation for my future endeavors and Mr. Strada was inspirational in making the students understand the importance of a (college) degree whether from a community college or a university.

After graduating from OCC in 1975, I continued on to complete a Bachelor’s, and eventually a Master’s degree, while having a successful career in law enforcement. I truly believe that this would not have been possible


Campus Feature

Professional guidance and service geared to assist

students in determining realistic educational and vocational choices should be provided.


Memories of ’74 & MoreOh, say can you O-C-C? Yes, I certainly

can. I arrived at OCC – six months after graduating from Lakewood High School in January 1974. So the college itself was 10 and I was just 19. With little adult career planning assistance, I found my way to the Toms River campus with visions of future law school attendance in mind. During my five self-paid semesters there, I majored in Law Enforcement and like many of my OCC-attending peers, I worked one to two part-time jobs on eves and weekends to pay for tuition and books.

So my recollections are exactly that – a collection of snippets of memories from 40 years ago: zooming into and out of campus past the fountain and pond (or down 37 to Seaside – but never during class of course) to the tune of “Rock the Boat” in ’74 and "Born to Run" in ’76 playing on my radio; filling up my ’67 Mustang college commute car with .45¢ per gallon gas at Hooper Avenue stations; playing pool in the Student Center before and in-between (but, again, never during) classes; being inducted into Phi Theta Kappa;

2009John C. Bartlett, Jr. Hall

2011Ocean County Stadium & Tennis Courts

2013Gateway Building Shared and owned equally by Kean University and Ocean County College.

2014Student Center – Construction started with a projected completion date of 2015.

volunteering my (limited spare) time with other students on needed community projects through the Kiwanis’ Key Club; re/connecting with old Lakewood High School and new classmates from other Ocean County towns; dating pretty, and pretty smart, co-eds (CA and FL beach girls ain’t got nothin’ on the ‘Joizee’ Shore!); having several poems pub-lished in the OCC literary magazine Seacapes; learning constitutional and criminal law from the esteemed instructor/county attorney (now Senator) Jim Holzapfel; attending the college’s 11th Commencement exercise, graduating cum laude, on a glorious June day in 1976; then heading off to the big university leagues in Boston later that September.

Finally, re-visiting OCC for the 1st time in 30 years in 2006 and purchasing a rear window decal, from the Bookstore, for my car (sadly, not the ‘67 Mustang), which I proudly display.

Great memories – plus a foundation for my entire life – all from OCC. So kudos and congrats on your 50th, and thanks for the memories!

– Tim Moore, ’76, Associate in Science

Hats & Ho-Ho-HoI started working at OCC in June of 1988.

I’ll never forget when I was told to go downstairs to the first floor of the Administration Building to see Hal Decker, Assistant Dean of Instruction. I was in for a pleasant surprise as I walked into his office. Hal had a collection of over 200 hats… hanging on his wall. Hal was legendary for his famous “wall of hats!” His collection began inadvertently in 1986, when he received several hats from athletic events on campus, which his secretary Pat Howlett hung on his wall. Thinking he had an interes t in hats, students, friends, and c o w o r k e r s began adding to Hal’s collection with hats from around the country and the world!

Another wonderful memory was of Karl Bickel, Professor of Engineering. Every year, the College closed from 12:00 noon to 2:00 p.m. and held a Christmas Party in the Cafeteria for faculty and staff. We enjoyed turkey, and ham, and roast beef with all the trimmings … plus dessert of course! Everyone waited in anticipation and wondered when Karl would make his famous appearance. You see, Karl was a large man with long white hair … a flowing white beard … and his very own Santa Claus suit. Not one of those cheap costumes, but a beautiful red suit – one that Santa himself would be proud to wear. We could hear him “ho-ho-ho-ing” in the Lobby of the College Center and everyone would turn to see him enter the room throwing out candy!

– RoseAnn D’Urso Manager of Promotional Programming, College Relations


Opportunities should be provided for our students to develop: inquiring minds and sound bodies, their highest potential as

individuals, vocational competence, cultural enrichment, respect for sincere effort, and responsible membership in a democratic society.



A Kind Gesture

I started working for OCC in November of 1986. I worked in Shipping & Receiving for the Bookstore, which at that time was located in the Administration Building. I would have to go to the loading dock

once a day to pick up boxes of books that had been delivered to the Bookstore. One day, one of the boxes was very heavy and I had a difficult time lifting it. A gentleman came to my rescue and helped me lift the boxes and carry them into the Bookstore. Soon after, I found out that this kindly

gentleman’s name was Dr. Milton Shaw, the President of Ocean County College. I will never forget his concern and his kindness to a new employee at OCC.

– Linda Atanasio Administrative Assistant, School of Math, Science, & Technology

1964 2014LOOK WHO’S TURNING 50! Where were you in 1964? Think Ocean County College is the only cool thing to be

turning 50 this year? Think again! See how many of these famous “51” you remember...

CARS 1 Ford Mustang

FOOD 2 Arby’s 3 Buffalo Wings 4 Chick Fil-A 5 Diet Pepsi 6 Lucky Charms 7 Pop-Tarts 8 WaWa

CELEBRITIES 9 Elizabeth Taylor and Richard

Burton marry for the first time 10 Sidney Poitier is first

African-American to win Best Actor Oscar for Lilies of the Field

11 Cassius Clay knocks out Sonny Liston to win World Heavyweight title and changes his name to Muhammad Ali

CIVIL RIGHTS 12 The March on Washington 13 President Johnson signs U.S. Civil

Rights Act into law 14 Nelson Mandela sentenced to life

in prison in South Africa 15 South Africa barred from Olympic

Games because of apartheid

LITERATURE 16 First Sports Illustrated

Swimsuit Issue

MOVIES 17 A Hard Day’s Night 18 Dr. Strangelove 19 Goldfinger 20 Mary Poppins

MUSIC 21 “The British Invasion”

(The Rolling Stones’ First Album, The Beatles arrive in U.S., and The Beatles appear live on “The Ed Sullivan Show”)

22 The Jackson Five 23 Moog Synthesizer 24 8-Track Cartridges

NEWS OF THE DAY 25 Draft Card Burning 26 First U.S. State Lottery 27 Smoking determined to be

a health hazard 28 Twenty-Fourth Amendment

prohibits poll tax before voting in a national election

29 President Johnson declares “war on poverty” - paves way for Medicare / Medicaid

30 New York City hosts the World’s Fair

31 Congress passes Gulf of Tonkin Resolution; U.S. fully involved in Vietnam War

POLICE BLOTTER 32 Comedian Lenny Bruce’s

prosecution for obscenity 33 Jack Ruby convicted of the

murder of Lee Harvey Oswald 34 James Hoffa found guilty and

sentenced to eight years for jury-tampering

35 The Warren Report concludes Oswald acted alone on the assassination of JFK

TECHNOLOGY 36 Permanent Press 37 Plasma & Liquid Crystal

Display Screens 38 Satellites broadcasting

live TV to U.S.

TV SHOWS 39 Bewitched 40 Flipper 41 Gilligan’s Island 42 Gomer Pyle, USMC 43 Jeopardy! 44 Peyton Place 45 Rudolph the Red-Nosed

Reindeer Special 46 The Addams Family 47 The Man from U.N.C.L.E. 48 The Munsters 49 Underdog

TOYS 50 Hess Truck 51 G.I. Joe


Campus Feature

Commencement Week Honors GraduatesBy RoseAnn D’Urso, Editor

One thousand five hundred and seventy-nine students received their associate degrees during Ocean County College’s 47th Annual Commencement Ceremony on Thursday, May 22, at 6:00 p.m. Due to rain, the ceremony was held indoors at the Pine Belt Arena. From the Class of 2014, Melani Hoffman delivered the “Student Remarks.” Kevin Smith, OCC ’72, Alumni Representative, gave the “Alumni Remarks.” The Guest Speaker was Dr. Joel S. Bloom, President of New Jersey Institute of Technology.

Two days earlier, 137 students from the OCC Nursing Class received their nursing pins at the Annual Nurses Pinning Ceremony on Tuesday, May 20, at 7:00 p.m. in the Arts & Community Center Theatre. During the ceremony, special awards in Nursing were presented. “Dedications” from each of the Nursing graduates were printed in the program. Brenda Keany, Toms River, wrote, “I would like to dedicate my pin to my future. This pin represents a new beginning and a new chapter to my life.”

The 47th Annual Awards Ceremony took place on Wednesday, May 21, at 7:00 p.m. in the Arts & Community Center Theatre. This annual ceremony recognizes OCC’s outstanding student graduates. One hundred and seven awards, totaling $51,400 were presented to 67 students. In addition, the Outstanding Faculty Awards were presented to Leah Kelly, Professor of Nursing (Full-Time Faculty), Jack Kelnhofer, Interim Dean of e-Learning (Professional Educator), and Charlotte Burton, Adjunct II, Science (Adjunct Faculty).

Ocean News


“College Readiness Now� prepares Students from Toms River Schools

Ocean County College has collaborated with the Toms River School District on the new College Readiness Now program. The initial phase will focus on getting more students college and career ready. Going forward, OCC anticipates working with other districts in the county, including Central Regional, Jackson Liberty, Lacey Township, Lakewood, Manchester Regional, and Southern Regional high schools.

The purpose of College Readiness Now is to help all students achieve college and career readiness skills. This multi-modal program will allow students to participate in self-paced learning activities that scaffold items and provide them with instant feedback in addition to their face-to-face classroom instruction.

Ocean County College will work closely with the Toms River School district to offer literacy development courses in English, mathematics, study skills, and time management available on-site at high schools within the Toms River district. Courses will be led by student success coaches. They will focus on both content and strategies students need to be college and career ready.

Eligible high school juniors and seniors will be identified to participate based on standardized benchmark tests such as the SAT, ACT, Accuplacer, and the HSPA.

Ocean News

Military History InstituteOcean County College announces a new initiative for students

and the community. Upon the request of Dr. Jon H. Larson, OCC President, the College has established the OCC Military History Institute. Richard Strada, OCC Executive Vice President of Instruction, and Richard Trimble, Assistant Professor of History, have been working closely on the Institute, which will be a community version of the College’s highly successful student History Club.

The Military History Institute will bring speakers, including veterans, authors, and historians, on campus for presentations open to students, faculty, and interested community members. Panel discussions, historical films, and guest speakers will be free and open to the public. In addition, an oral history library is currently being compiled and an on-campus site for visits and conferencing is underway.

The Military History Institute’s first program was held back in October 2013 when Ralph Siegal, a member of the elite Gettysburg Battlefield Guides Association, spoke on “The Importance of the Civil War in American History.” In March 2014, a free public concert featured the Irish band Clan Suibhne’s “Music of the Great War & Beyond.” This summer, the Institute is planning to establish a Jersey Shore Civil War Round Table. Trips to Gettysburg and Washington, DC, are being planned for the fall.

If you’d like more information on OCC’s Military History Institute, contact Richard Trimble at 732-255-0400, ext. 2206, or [email protected].

Lazerson Named Coca-Cola Academic Team Gold Scholar

Ocean County College student Rebecca Lazerson, Toms River, was named a 2014 Coca-Cola

Community College Academic Team Gold Scholar. As a Gold Scholar, Lazerson will receive a $1,500 scholarship and a special medallion.

The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation sponsors the Coca-Cola Community College Academic Team program by recognizing 50 Gold, 50 Silver, and 50 Bronze Scholars, and providing nearly $200,000 in scholarships annually. Selection as a Coca-Cola Gold Scholar is based on scores the student earned in the All-USA Community Academic Team competition, for which more than 1,700 applications were received this year.

Lazerson is a graduate of Toms River High School North and is a NJ STARS student at OCC. She is studying for a double degree, an associate in applied science in nursing and an associate in science in general education. When Lazerson read the email that she received the scholarship, she “was jumping around the kitchen! I was very excited to get it,” Lazerson said. “All my hard work paid off.”

Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society administers the Coca-Cola

Community College Academic Team Scholars Program and recognized these exceptional students at PTK’s Annual Convention in Orlando, Florida, on April 25.

Dr. Jon H. Larson, OCC President, said, “We are very proud of Rebecca’s accomplishments; to be named a 2014 Coca-Cola Community College Academic Team Gold Scholar is certainly an honor. We wish Rebecca the best of

luck in all her endeavors.”“We thank the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation for their vote

of confidence in community college students by investing in their futures,” said Dr. Rod Risley, Executive Director of Phi Theta Kappa. “Their support is especially welcome during this challenging economic climate, as more and more community college students need additional resources to help them complete their degrees.”

“The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation has a long history of providing financial assistance to outstanding students at community colleges,” said J. Mark Davis, President of the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation. “We are proud to partner with Phi Theta Kappa and make it possible for deserving students to achieve their educational goals.”

By RoseAnn D'Urso, Editor


New Student Center under Construction Ocean County College held a ground-

breaking ceremony on January 27 for its new Student Center. The ceremony took place outside on the construction site, between the Russell Building and the College Center.

The new Student Center, a 56,000 square foot, two-story building, which will replace OCC’s existing College Center, is designed to be LEED-Silver certified, ensuring that the College continues its attentiveness to energy efficiency and sustainability. The $19 million construction project is expected to be com-pleted within 18 months.

The first floor will house a Bookstore, Cafeteria, ATM, Box Office, and a Security Department office. Of note, the Cafeteria will seat approximately 380 people, more than double the current College Center. For students on-the-go, food ordering will be streamlined with remote ordering kiosks along with a free cafeteria app. In order to accommodate students and faculty during the evening, a Starbucks Coffee Bar with a seating area will stay

open long after the Cafeteria closes.The second floor features offices for

Student Affairs and Student Life, two con-ference rooms, student lounges, club rooms, and activity rooms. A large Student Lounge with approximately 100 seats will overlook the seating area below; and the Lounge is set up for smaller performances and talks on the second floor.

Other features include a two-story eating area with an open, airy feel with additional set-ups for multiple uses such as musical performances or small lectures. In addition, the entire building is set up for multimedia, including monitors and speakers.

Whether students are looking for entertainment or a quiet place, the

new Student Center will offer space to accommodate both needs. A “Noisy” Room will include several large screen TVs set up for gaming. And a “Quiet Study” Room will be dedicated for students looking to unwind or catch up on their homework.

According to Dr. Jon H. Larson, President of Ocean County College, the new Student Center “will encourage students who stay on campus between classes to take advantage of its inviting atmosphere and its modern amenities. It will be a place to gather for good food and good conversation, as well as a place to relax, read, or to study,” he said.

The architects are Kevin Blackney and Darin Jellison from Blackney Hayes Architects, Philadelphia, PA. Gregg Romero,

Jeff Standing, Craig Gianotti from Cambridge Construction Management, Clinton, NJ, will manage the project for OCC. The general contractor firm that will construct the building is Brockwell & Carrington Contractors Inc. from Towaco, NJ.


...at the Novins Planetarium!

Saturday, September 13 • 5:30 pm Saturday, September 20 • 8:30 pm

Tickets: Novins Planetarium, 732-255-0343 or tickets.ocean.edu

Santander & OCC Help Lakewood Students Attend CollegeOcean County College held a recep-

tion on March 24, in the Library Tower Room, to formalize the first agreement with Santander Bank, N.A., through its Santander Universities division. Funding from the agreement will support a program at OCC to assist disadvantaged Lakewood High School students.

Through the program funded by Santander Universities, OCC will be able to offer Lakewood High School students academic support to help them prepare for college; workshops for parents and guardians; Jump Start college credit courses, such as “Student Success,” designed to develop study and organizational skills; and assistance with application to the College.

As part of the program, scholarships will be available to Lakewood High School graduates. Participants will receive tuition, academic, and personal support, as well as tutoring and advising. Laura Rickards, OCC Director of Educational Opportunity Fund

and the Center for Access & Equality, will provide oversight for the program.

“By investing in the students of Ocean County College, we are investing in their future,” said Eduardo Garrido, Director of Santander Universities. “We are proud that the funding from this agreement will provide students in underserved communities with much-needed academic support to prepare for college and financial assistance to pursue their studies at Ocean County College.”

Dr. Jon H. Larson, OCC President,

explained that, as potential graduates, Lakewood High School seniors will be offered the opportunity to plan and chart their future in a hands-on, intensive, personal manner.

“We expect 50 students to participate in year one of the program. Our success outcomes will be measured by the number of participants who graduate from Lakewood High School and ultimately by the number of students who graduate from

Ocean County College,” said Dr. Larson.“Supporting these students during their

last year of high school will empower them to become first generation college students. At Ocean County College, we believe that each student has the potential for achievement, accomplishment, and success. I am so pleased with Santander’s generous support of Ocean County College and our local community of Lakewood. I look forward to a long-lasting partnership,” Dr. Larson added.

Alumni Events

Ocean News

At the Ocean County College 2014 Commencement Ceremony,

1,579 associate degrees were awarded.

As of 2014, there are 37,643 Alumni.

Did You Know?


As part of a national campaign to encourage students to complete their college education, Ocean County College has been involved in a year-long push to get students to promise to complete their associate degrees or certificates before leaving OCC to either transfer to a four-year institution or to enter the job market. OCC’s “Commit to Complete Tuition Discount Program” will award students with free summer classes if they meet eligibility requirements.

“The OCC Board of Trustees recognizes the importance of earning a degree or certifi-cate and has established a program to provide a tuition-free summer course to any OCC student who meets certain criteria,” explained Dr. Norma Betz, OCC Acting Vice President of Student Affairs.

“Any full-time student enrolled at OCC who successfully completes 30 credits between the fall and spring semesters during one aca-demic year (September to May) will be eli-gible for one tuition-free three-credit summer course,” Dr. Betz said.

“In addition, any part-time student enrolled at OCC who successfully completes 24 credits between the fall and spring semesters during two consecutive academic years (September to May) will be eligible for one tuition-free three-credit summer course,” added Dr. Betz.

According to Dr. Betz, a full-time student is defined as taking 12 credits or more each semester, and a part-time student is defined as taking 11 credits or less each semester.

Students may earn a maximum of two free summer classes over the course of their studies at OCC. The discount must be used during the summer following the academic year of eligibility. Students who receive the free summer course are responsible to pay all other applicable fees. Successful credit completion is defined as earning a final grade of “C” or better.

OCC’s Commit to Complete Tuition Discount Program is an offshoot of a national campaign sponsored by Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), the International Honor Society of Two-Year Colleges. During the fall 2013 semester, OCC’s Tau Iota Chapter of PTK, along with OCC’s Student Government Association, cosponsored the “Community College Completion Corps” (C4), which stresses that completing a community college degree or certificate is a student’s pathway to greater earning potential and unlimited opportunities throughout his/her life.

According to the C4 campaign, completing a community college degree or certificate helps students to earn an average of up to $500,000 more over the course of their careers than indi-viduals who don’t complete an education. In addition, individuals with college credentials are less likely to become unemployed than their co-workers who did not earn credentials.

For more information on OCC’s “Commit to Complete Tuition Discount Program,” visit www.ocean.edu or call 732-255-0400.

Free Summer Classes for Students Who “Commit to Complete”

...at the Arts & Community Center

Saturday, September 27 • 8:00 pm

Sunday, October 19 • 7:00 pm

Alumni Events


Dream Big!The Arts & Community Center will be celebrating Ocean County

College’s 50th Anniversary with a special presentation of The Bronx Wanderers on Sunday, October 19. This celebrated group brings top hits of the ’50s and ’60s back in style with rousing interpretations of contemporary hits and classic oldies.

The Center’s newest series, “In the Spotlight,” will feature top-notch entertainment in OCC's state-of-the-art Main Stage Theatre. Highlighting the fall 2014 season will be a performance of Neil Berg’s “104 Years of Broadway,” which will include a master class during the day and an evening performance for the community on Thursday, October 30. This magical evening of Broadway memories is presented by esteemed singers, who receive standing ovations wherever and whenever they perform!

Included in the 2014-15 season will be a new “Friday Classic Film Series,” productions by OCC’s own Theatre Company, Repertory Theatre Company, and Concert Band, as well as the very popular MidWeek Jazz. “Premier Performances” will feature The Duquesne University Tamburitzans, an Ocean County favorite! The season will be rounded out by “Young People’s Productions” and the “Aspiring Artists Series,” encouraging local talent.

This is a jam-packed season with something for everyone! For more information, call the Arts & Community Center Box Office at 732-255-0500 or visit www.ocean.edu.

OCC’s Arts & Community Center and the School of Language & the Arts recently received two grants totaling $9,900.

A grant in the amount of $8,500 from the Ocean County Cultural & Heritage Commission has been used as seed money to develop the new OCC Repertory Theatre Company. Students from OCC and the Ocean County Vocational-Technical

School’s Performance Arts Academy, as well as local performers, are participating in a number of theatrical productions throughout the year. The spring 2014 production of Romeo & Juliet commemorated the 450th birthday of Shakespeare and the 50th Anniversary of OCC. Upcoming performances include Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street in July and The Glass Menagerie in November. A spring production will take place in April 2015.

A grant in the amount of $1,400 from the Ocean County Tourism Council will help promote tourism in Ocean County. The grant will be used to design and print paper placemats for distribution to area restaurants throughout Ocean County. The

placemats will not only include information on OCC events and arts performances of interest to tourists, but will also commemorate the College’s 50th Anniversary.

Grants By Joanne Padrone, Project Coordinator

Ocean News


Nicolas Clifford, Jackson, “wails” it on baritone saxophone.Anthony Hildebrandt, Toms River, “gets in the mix” on piano.Alexa Holler, Barnegat, plays flute and shows off her vocal ability

(she also knows her way around a tenor sax).While Cody Canning, Bayville, lays down the beat on drums

and chimes in on vocals (also in his repertoire is acoustic guitar).“This, our first jazz improvisation class, continues to amaze me as

to how quickly they have developed as individual improvisers and as a collective unit. Their enthusiasm is contagious,” said Marowitz. “The group has been performing at Open Houses, during the Mid-Week Jazz Series, with the OCC Glee Choir, and outdoors on campus.”

According to Marowitz, when the OCC Student Jazz Band per-formed alongside the featured professional band during MidWeek Jazz at the Arts & Community Center on campus in April, the students joined Emily Asher’s Garden Party on stage for “an opportunity to perform and learn from the master. This was a meeting of jazz education and the professional world of jazz,” he explained.

So confident is Marowitz in his students that he is working on getting his students to “wax a disc” or cut a record, so he’s trying to set up a recording session. Looks like they’re one step closer to realizing their dreams of becoming professional musicians!

Eighteen-year-old Clifford is the youngest of the group and has been studying music for half his life.

Student Spotlight

Jazzing

THINGS Up

at OCCStudents Turn Semester Course into Professional “Gig”

By RoseAnn D’Urso, Editor

Can you “dig that crazy beat?” These “cats” are really “cookin’!” Well, these students are breaking it down and jamming to

some of the coolest notes that have ever hit the music scene at Ocean County College.

So what’s with all the jargon, you may ask...“Daddy-O?”According to David R. Marowitz, OCC Instructor of Music,

“Beginning Jazz Theory & Improvisation” is a new course offered for the first time in the spring 2014 semester by OCC’s School of Languages & the Arts. And unlike other music classes, this one teaches students to play some of the hottest “licks” around.

“Many musicians read music well; however, far fewer can ‘improvise’ well without written music. This course teaches students how to improvise in jazz, blues, and other genres. They are encouraged to be creative and even innovative,” Marowitz explained.

One of the innovative structures of “Beginning Jazz” is that the class functions as a band. And the class roster has it all sewn up.

On six-string guitar, there’s Matthew Higgins, Brick.Then Nick Hoover, Manahawkin, is equally adept on six- and

seven-string guitar. Ian Horahan, Toms River, plays six- and eight-string guitar.Dominic Petrocelli, Toms River, uses his eight-string guitar to

cleverly mimic base (he’s also been known to pick up a six- or seven-string or tap out a beat on drums). continued on page 20


“I saw my sister play baritone [sax] in marching band and they played a set

where the baritone sax had a solo … and I said I want to play that!” Later, he joined his high school jazz band. Clifford, a Performing Arts major, plans to play professionally. “I love playing jazz; it’s so much fun. [I want

to] make people happy [so] that they want to listen to me.”

“I always wanted to play drums since I was three,” explained Liberal Arts major Canning, who at 19 has been studying for 11 years. He started playing in school in 5th grade, then joined jazz band in middle and high school, as well as at another college before he started attending OCC. “Ninety percent of music on drums is the same monotonous beat … but in jazz there is improvisation – [you still have to] stay in time but there’s more freedom.” When asked about OCC’s “Beginning Jazz” class, Canning enthusiastically responded, “It’s cool, it’s fun. I didn’t expect it to become a performance class.”

For Holler, she’s been singing “for as long as I can remember.” The 19-year old has been studying music for nine years and continues with her Performing Arts major at OCC. She began with tenor sax and switched to flute her senior year in high school. And like Clifford and Canning, her love of jazz started while playing in her 7th grade jazz band and continues today in Marowitz’s class. “I love it [the class]. We joke around a lot but we get stuff done. I definitely would suggest this class [to other students].” While the love of performance has gotten into her veins, Holler’s plans include a career in music education.

Going up in age, both Hoover and Horahan are 20 years old. Hoover has been studying for seven years, and while a Liberal Arts major, he wants to play professionally. “I just saw the course and said I’ll try it. I like it. I like jazz.”

Horahan has been studying for ten years and is majoring in Performing Arts. He developed his love for jazz in high school and states that he wants to “do this for a living – play.” A philosopher and

rebel at heart, Horahan explains what it means to be a jazz musician. “At a point, words can’t make music by themselves, it comes from within. There are rules but you don’t have to follow them.”

At 21, Hildebrandt has studied music the longest, 14 years. A Performing Arts major, he owes his future career to his mother. “My mom forced me to play piano, she saw I had something … and I ended up loving it.” Now he wants “to do a lot of things for a living, musically – teaching, performing, producing.”

On the other hand, Petrocelli, 21, has been playing just three years but seems to show a talent and knowledge of the guitar that he’s deft enough to tackle the 8-string and make it sing like a base. He explained that there are base notes on the 8-string, which gives it an extended range. “It emulates a base – an unorthodox technique – wonderfully bizarre!”

Majoring in Finance, Petrocelli has a practical approach to music, planning on becoming an accountant (unless fame and fortune call first!). “I’d love to make music for a living but I need a backup plan. I can do it [music] if I want to. I grew up listening to music – my grandfather was into jazz. I compose my own songs. Work with different bands. Music never stresses me.” This is one laidback “dude.”

The “old man” of the group is Higgins, 27. A Liberal Art major, he’s been studying for 13 years. His future plans include to “make a lot of money – doing something not sitting a cubicle.”

Student Spotlight

Jazz@ OCC

Jazz

Earn credits toward your bachelor’s or master’s degree on the OCC campus with

the Ocean County College/Kean University degree program. Kean University and Ocean County College have established a partnership, which enables area residents to complete upper division courses required for certain Kean University undergraduate degree programs and specific graduate programs on the campus of OCC.

BACHELOR’S DEGREE PROGRAMS Accounting Biology Biology, Teacher Certification* Communication Criminal Justice Elementary Education* English, Standard Option English, Teacher Certification* Finance Graphic Design History History, Teacher Certification* Management Marketing Mathematics, Teacher Certification* Nursing Physical Education and Health K-12,

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in Special Ed, K-6, or 5-8 Subjects. For details visit www.kean.edu/KU/Kean-Ocean.

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(State certification for School Counseling) Nursing (with options in Clinical

Management, School Nursing, and Community Health Nursing)

DOCTORATE DEGREE PROGRAMS Nursing – Leadership Education

INFORMATION 732.255.0356 • [email protected].


“I’ve studied jazz before,” Higgins said. “I’ve never taken a class like this. I think it’s awesome. [Jazz is] pretty cool for guitar – besides improvisation, I like rhythm guitar, I come up with more chord voicings.”

According to Marowitz, OCC’s first jazz class “consists of talented student musi-cians who perform and relate together well. They appreciate each other’s abilities and talents and what each contributes to the band, so much so, that when this semester ends they have decided to stay together as a band to rehearse and perform. In fact, they already have landed a gig at the Brighton Bar in Long Branch. Only time will tell what the future holds for this band,” he added.

You never know what could happen. According to Marowitz, the history of jazz has examples of students that played together in college and continued playing together after they graduated … and became famous! Two examples include Jimmy Lunceford and his Big Band (1920s-1930s) and New York Voices (late 1980s to today).

As it looks, the students of Instructor Marowitz’s “Beginning Jazz” class are not only professional but they are cool as cucumbers and have nerves of steel. When asked about their first shot at “playing with the pros” during Emily Asher’s MidWeek Jazz concert, Holler confidently said, “I’m not that intimidated – if anything, we might show them up!” And Higgins agreed, “That’s cool. Maybe they’ll think I’m cool.”

But while the band is looking ahead to a professional career, they’re still students and need to get on with college. Hildebrandt summed it all up. “I wanted to broaden my horizons. I never played jazz piano, man, it’s different. It’s one of the best classes I’ve ever taken. It’s like the movie School of Rock.”

Alumni Feature

When it comes to comprehensive, hands-on television produc-tion experience on the college level, OCC’s Digital Mass

Media Program is hands-down the best around.

Program graduates – many of whom are now employed in TV – are quick to laud the scope of knowledge and real-world training the various courses provide and point to the expertise and mentorship of OCC faculty.

“The OCC TV [degree] program was an unbelievable experience!” said Kevin Wilson, ’08, now the post-production coordinator for “On the Case with Paula Zahn,” which airs on the Investigation Discovery channel.

“Ralph Bertini provided the spark to my fire that is still burning strong,” Wilson, 31, explained. “The opportunities [at OCC] were countless. All that experience of filming did away with the nervous jitters one might have when they are thrown into a production” on a post-collegiate job.

Lauren Muraczewski, ’10, meanwhile, remembers many projects she worked on. “The best was being given a chance to run and host a student-produced television show on Ocean TV 20 [the College’s county-wide TV station],” said Muraczewski, 24, now an executive assistant on “The Howard Stern Show.”

“The classes in the Digital Mass Media Program were great,” noted Lindsay Rassmann, ’11. The 23-year old post-production assistant for “On the Case with Paula Zahn” added, “I learned more in the classes than I could even begin to describe, and the experience working in

the TV Studio was invaluable.”“Everything I’ve really learned came from [OCC], and from Ralph,”

said Alexis Grosso, ’11, a production assistant at Al Jazeera America. “He was the best: patient and so willing to help, no matter what.”

Meanwhile, Lee Kobus, College Lecturer II, Humanities & Fine Arts, taught Grosso, 24, how to structure a news segment. “Looking back, I was doing what we really do in a news room,” she pointed out. “OCC really was that stepping stone.”

When Kelly Jones, ’08, started her job as a broadcast associate with “CBS Evening News,” she realized that she had “a lot of experience and knew how to talk the talk with the people who’ve been in the business a long time. They were super impressed with everything I already knew before coming in!” Jones, 26, added.

Jessica Borodin, ’11, who works as a broadcast studio technician for WSTF-TV in Tampa, Florida, said she would strongly encourage students interested in TV to enroll in the Digital Mass Media Program at OCC. “At first, I wasn’t too happy about attending a county college, but I feel OCC put me on the right path,” said Borodin, 22. “I’m truly blessed to be able to say I absolutely love my job and what I do, and you don’t hear that too often.”

According to Bertini, Television Production Director and Adjunct Instructor, he seeks to first lay a foundation for the

students, then have them practice what they’ve learned, and build on that knowledge, adding detail along the way. “We do real things,” he pointed out, “including filming events on and off campus, such as

Listen for Your Name: Alumni Land Dream Jobs in TV

By Juliet Kaszas-Hoch, Staff WriterJones, with CBS's Scott Pelley


Garden State Philharmonic performances at The Strand [Center for the Arts], which benefits the students immensely,” he said.

“As Executive Producer on College TV projects, I have had the distinct pleasure of working with these talented alumni while they were students,” said RoseAnn D’Urso, OCC Manager of Promotional Programming.

“Our Digital Mass Media program is quite unique for a two-year community college. As teacher and director, Ralph believes in allowing his students to have direct access and hands-on learning with every piece of equipment in the TV Studio. Our students’ success is a testament not only to their own talents and hard work, but to Ralph and Lee’s dedication and belief in putting students right in the middle of the action and giving them the responsibility of working in a real-life studio. OCC’s students are more than well prepared to either transfer to a four-year institution – or even start a career in TV production upon graduation from the associate degree program,” D’Urso added.

“Ralph Bertini and Lee Kobus are the best teachers I have ever had,” Muraczewski acknowledged. “Without a hesitation they were willing to always provide experience and knowledge as a guideline for students to not only learn but experience hands-on what it was like to be a part of the broadcasting lifestyle. I will never forget them.”

Rassmann agreed, noting, “Bertini is such an amazing person to work with and he has so much insight and knowledge about the industry.”

“I started out in a television production class in high school and fell in love with it, and continued to study it throughout college,” said Borodin. “Ralph was an outstanding professor. I looked forward to going to his classes, even though they were the long ones! He made it so interesting, yet fun!”

Jones was fond of all the studio time and the interesting projects she worked on while in the program, and, as she explained, “Mr. Bertini also [found] me an internship with the television show ‘Bridezilla.’

I have it on my resume and to this day people still ask me about my time on the show.”

Rassmann remembers Bertini encouraging her to apply for the New Jersey Broadcasters Association Scholarships (NJBA). A few months later, she was thrilled to learn she had won three of the available five scholar-ships! “When we went to Atlantic City to accept the award,” she added, “I was accepting scholarships alongside upperclassmen from Montclair State and Seton Hall. It was the first time that the NJBA had ever awarded a

student with more than one scholarship and it’s something that most people wouldn’t expect to come from enrolling in a television program at a community college.”

Graduates of OCC’s Digital Mass Media Program, who continued on to four-year schools, and then employment, found that

OCC had primed them for everything they encountered.

“OCC’s hands-on approach really got my mind ready for the craziness and cut-throat atmosphere that is the television industry,” said Wilson, who earned his bachelor’s degree in TV/Radio from Brooklyn College.

Grosso, Jones, Muraczewski, and Rassmann, meanwhile, all enrolled at Montclair State University and felt completely comfortable with the transition.

While a student at the University of Tampa, Borodin interned at a local TV station and was able to edit a TV series that aired on national television. “I also got a job with ABC NYC to work the Republican National Convention,” she said. “That was thrilling and probably the biggest accomplishment yet for me.”

Borodin has been at “ABC Action News” in Tampa since January 2013. “I have to be there at 4:00 a.m., so getting up is a little hard, but very rewarding. I’m so happy with my job and I look forward to going to it each day. My ultimate goal is

Wilson Borodin Muraczewski


“Looking back, I was doing what we really do in a news room,” she pointed out. “OCC really was that stepping stone.”

– Alexis Grosso, ’11


Alumni Feature

to be a technical director. I have been technical directing live cut-ins to ‘Good Morning America’ each morning. To be able to say I’m doing exactly what I want right out of college is a blessing,” she added.

According to Jones, she was able to land her current position at CBS with “a little luck, timing, and persistence.” Jones currently assists with tasks such as researching stories, going on video shoots, pulling archive tape, and rights/clearances for pieces on “60 Minutes.” She calls this “a fun and challenging job.”

In addition, Jones assists Scott Pelley on the “CBS Evening News” broadcast. “This entails doing any research he needs, finding characters and stories on social media, and making sure his schedule goes off without a hitch.”

Ultimately, Grosso would love to one day work as a producer or director on a drama or scripted comedy. But for now, she works at Al Jazeera America and noted the crazy pace of her job, which includes four live news broadcasts at 4:00, 6:00, 8:00, and 11:00 p.m. Grosso also creates teases to air before the commercials, as well as video for the beginning of each show, and cover video for when the anchors talk. If that isn’t enough, she works as a script runner, performing that task while also editing video for the next broadcast. The job is fast-paced, demanding, and intense, Grosso noted. “You really have to be on your toes!”

For his job as post-production coordinator for “On the Case with Paula Zahn,” Wilson explained, “I help to manage five editors, three assistant editors, two graphic editors, and transcribers. On a daily basis, I run through the scripts and make sure everything is organized. I deal with the network on a daily basis and am responsible for deliverables in which I upload to an online portal. I started as PA (production assistant) for this same show and slowly am making my way up the ladder. My eventual goal is to become an executive producer and to continue filming and photography,” he added.

Wilson also believes in helping out his fellow alumni. Last year, when he was looking for a production assistant, he called his former

professor. Bertini recounted that “Lindsay Rassmann was sitting in my office … and she got hired.”

At “On The Case with Paula Zahn,” Rassmann explained, “Part of my responsibilities include matching scripts, labeling tapes, delivering the master tapes, and more recently has expanded to include some assistant editor duties. It’s an entry-level job, but I didn’t have to go through the trials of job searching, and I really enjoy what I do. I’d

like to continue working in post-production, it’s something I think I’m good at but as for the role, that’s to be determined. At this point, I’m just trying to get as much experience as I can doing as many different things.”

As Muraczewski pointed out, networking is an important part of finding work in TV. “A friend of mine who works for Paramount helped me find my first job working at a talent agency. A year later she referred me to the ‘Howard Stern

Show.’ I went in for three interviews. A month later, I got the job.”She currently does a lot of production coordination, “working with

producers who get publicists to get really big VIP guests, preparing guests’ gift bags, working with producers on the show, going through massive amounts of emails, going through mail that the office gets, hiring and training the interns, dealing with problems that may occur – basically being the go-to person in the office.

“I definitely see myself in the company for a while,” Muraczewski added. “I would love to go back to hosting and producing entertainment-based shows. This company and position is a great way to make that happen one day.”

“This industry is all about hustling and working hard,” Muraczewski continued. “Even though I had networked

and had a person who knew someone on the ‘Howard Stern Show,’ I’ve always been a hard worker and was trained properly to set myself up for success. I was always willing to go above and beyond in every job or task I was given. That is what it is

Rassmann Grosso

Bertini



Hitting the Re-Set ButtonBy Robert Mather, Class of 2013

I was born right here in Toms River, and graduated from Toms River North High

School in 2003. On the day after I graduated, I signed up for active duty in the United States Army. I chose the specialty of military police officer, fulfilling a childhood dream of mine to be a cop. I don’t come from a long line of cops, or of military members for that matter. But I had always dreamed of adventure and seeing the world. Sure enough, I got my wish.

After 17 intense weeks at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, I was stationed in South Korea for one year. While there, I visited the infamous demilitarized zone at the 38th parallel, and looked a mysterious and distant enemy in the face. After that, I was stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas, which is wonderful if you enjoy everything about the outdoors, but not so much for the child of suburbia that I was at 20 years old. But that didn’t matter, because I wasn’t there for long anyway.

From December 2005 to December 2006, I found myself at a variety of locations spread across the Middle East. Acclimatization train-ing in Kuwait. Convoy security operations in and around Baghdad. Training the local police force in Fallujah. Combating the insurgency in the historic Sunni stronghold of Ramadi. Every day there was a new challenge to meet, and every day a new threat to face. I tell everyone who asks me “how was it?” that there are days that were good, and days that were bad. Except the bad days were really bad.

After a few more months in Kansas, I moved on to a new station in a small German town of Ansbach, about 30 minutes outside of Nurnberg. While there, I became a K9 officer, and from then on everywhere I went I had a not-so-small furry companion with me. Even on my second trip to Iraq that occurred from August 2009 to February 2010, I had my dog and we did our job. Our job was to find explosives and weapons before they found us. Together we recovered more than 50 kilograms of explosive material and 25 rocket-propelled grenade warheads. In the hands of the wrong people, this could’ve meant certain trouble for me or my comrades.

Finally, in January 2011, I separated from the service. I had a wife and a child to take care of, and we determined that the army could not provide the stability we desired.

My family moved back home and I took the opportunity that I had eschewed as a 17-year-old: go to Ocean County College. I met with our wonderful staff, and began

working towards my new future in the Spring Quick Term of 2011.

Unfortunately, and like most Americans, I fell on hard times. In October 2012, I met Miss Deeanne Gatta-Salter [OCC Senior Financial Aid Specialist] who explained to me something called the Work Study Program. I could work in the newly minted OCC Veterans Services office and put my clerical skills to use helping my fellow vets. I have to admit that I was in a bad place emotionally. After losing my job with a supermarket, I was in a bad place mentally. What Ocean County College had given me, not just with the education but with the work study as well, was a new joie de vivre. I worked hard, and listened well, and always took on a new task whenever it was offered to me.

When the school listed a job in Financial Aid that I had essentially been doing for several months, I jumped on it. One of the benefits we glamorize in the Work Study Program is networking. When I went in to interview for the position, I was already on familiar terms with Miss Gatta-Salter and many others on the hiring committe. When I received word on May 14 that I was being offered the position – and that I could start in two weeks – it was one of the best days of my life. And I don’t say that lightly.

Since I separated from the Army, I was waiting for the second part of my life to start. I was not yet 26 and I was hitting the reset button on my life, only this time with the responsibility of a


Alumni: In His Own Words


WE’RE PROUD OF OUR ALUMNILet Us Know What You’re Doing!

Email us your career moves, promotions, relocations, marriages, births, and other information you’d like to share with your fellow alumni. We’d also like to publish recent pictures, so please feel free to submit a digital photo.

Email your submission to [email protected] with the Subject line “Alumni on the Move.”

Help us keep our database current. Update your name, address, phone, email, and career information. Contact Joanne Padrone, Director of Resource Development, at 732-255-0400, ext. 2065, or email [email protected].

Alumni Focus

Finding Fulfillment in HealingBy Juliet Kaszas-Hoch, Staff Writer

OCC alumnus James Tanis, MD, NREMT-P, had his first introduction to the medical field in his late teens, during a summer job as a multi-technician in the emergency department at Community Medical Center in Toms River. He was intrigued.

Now, after nearly two decades of experience in emergency medical service (EMS), as well as a medical school degree and surgical training, Tanis is an instructor for the Paramedic Training Program at Monmouth Ocean Hospital Service Corporation / Ocean County College – the very same program he earned a certificate from in 1997.

Tanis’s position as Program Medical Director for Education at MONOC, Mobile Health Services, entails overseeing content and curriculum of all pre-hospital educa-tion programs, as well as teaching both the paramedic training courses and EMT classes at the corporation’s facility in Wall.

“I love teaching,” Tanis remarked. “I’ve always had an interest in education.”

In addition, he continues to work as a paramedic, an occupation he describes as “very dynamic… every assignment is different.”

Tanis, 37, is originally from Bayville, where he also resides now with his wife, high school sweetheart Danielle, and their three sons, James, 10; Christopher, 7; and Philip, 2.

The devoted husband and father is also extremely dedicated to his career and feels fortunate to have discovered an interminably appealing calling at a young age.

In 1995, at 18 years old, as Tanis recounted, “I went to an EMT program through Community Medical Center … and that got me a job in summer 1996” in the hospital’s emergency department, sparking a strong interest in medicine.

Tanis intended to enroll at Drexel University after his graduation from Central Regional High School, but he had a financial aid issue and couldn’t, in the end, afford tuition. “I strongly believe things happen

for a reason,” he said, looking back on the change of plans. “I’m glad for it.”

He headed to OCC part-time, also working as a paramedic after earning his Paramedic Certificate through the College’s Continuing & Professional Education Department’s Paramedic Training Program, in cooperation with MONOC.

Tanis attended OCC from September 1994 to May 1999 – “always a class at a time.” Initially, he was interested in engineering, but later switched to pre-med classes.

“Starting at OCC was a big stepping stone,” said Tanis. “I had a great start there. I’m better for going there. It really launched me further.”

He particularly took to his “anatomy & physiology” and “chemistry” teachers, and found that the paramedic training courses “greatly prepared me.”

After earning his associate degree in science at OCC, Tanis enrolled in the Biochemistry/Molecular Biology Program


Alumni Spotlightat the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey in Pomona. After taking classes over the course of a few years, he left early to attend Ross University School of Medicine, where he earned his Doctor of Medicine, with high honors, in November 2010.

Then, following a general surgery internship at Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, Tanis took the position with MONOC in fall of 2012.

As Kathy Caro, Administrator for Nursing & Allied Health at OCC, explained, “OCC and MONOC have a long-standing partnership providing paramedic education both in the traditional classroom and a hybrid format.”

“It’s a great working relationship between the two of them,” said Tanis.

The program began in 1982, noted Scott A. Matin, Vice President of Clinical and Business Services at MONOC, New Jersey’s Hospital Service Corporation.

Caro pointed out the program’s recent accomplishment of obtaining a national accreditation status.

In a letter from RPSGT President Cameron Harris to Vince Robbins, MS President, MONOC/OCC last year, Harris wrote, “The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs is pleased to inform you of its vote on March 15, 2013, to award initial accreditation to the Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic program at MONOC/OCC, Wall Township, NJ.

“The recent peer review conducted by the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions and CAAHEP’s Board of Directors recognizes the program’s substantial compliance with the nationally established accreditation standards.

“The commission commends you and your colleagues for your commitment to continuous quality improvement in education, as demonstrated by your participation in program accreditation,” Robbins added.

As explained in the course brochure, the MONOC/OCC Paramedic Didactic Training Program is a comprehensive 400-hour, instructional program designed

Seaside Park Mayor Robert W. Matthies, Class of 1969By Joanne Padrone, Project Coordinator

In April 2014, I had the opportunity to sit with Robert W. Matthies, Mayor of the Borough of Seaside Park, in his second floor ocean front office, and talk with one of Ocean County College’s first students.

As a business major, Matthies was part of OCC’s second graduating class in 1969. He expressed fond memories of OCC’s first president Dr. Andrew S. Moreland, stating that he was “a great president, who was also dynamic,” establishing OCC and making it visible to the community.

While at OCC, Matthies participated in many service projects. He also spent time working with Student Affairs laying groundwork with the student body. He has memories of a rock concert in the Gym with the “Turtles” and the Viking Ball with the “Happenings.”

As a young student, in 1969, Matthies was a founding member of OCC’s Student Senate and helped establish the charter group of Alpha Phi Omega (APO), a national service fraternity. He felt that his advisor, Richard Strada (now Executive Vice President of Instruction), gave him a firm foundation in developing his skills in leadership.

During this time, Matthies focused his efforts on the non-traditional students entering OCC, especially the returning Vietnam veterans. He said that those returning veterans, who had been drafted at 18, were often challenged by re-integration back into the college culture, and wanted to assist these students with an outlet for social compatibility.

After graduating from OCC, Matthies attended Monmouth College (now Monmouth University) and continued his studies in business. In the early 1970’s, he was president of his fraternity and continued to feel close ties to the returning veterans; he had a strong understanding of their reality since he was waiting along with others to see if his draft number would be called. As luck would have it, Matthies was not drafted.

During his professional career, Matthies served as Head Master of Admiral Farragut Academy, Assistant Principal and then Principal for Cape May County Technical High School, and Superintendent for the Cape May County Technical School District.

Currently in his second term as Mayor of Seaside Park, Matthies has vivid memories of when Hurricane Sandy hit in October 2012. He explained that he had no intentions of evacuating his home located close to the ocean and planned to stay, being “well” prepared with his essential items and a generator. But three hours before Sandy hit, Matthies received a call from his chief of police stating that he had to leave and would be needed on the mainland. Matthies remembers that he was one of the last cars over


continued on page 31continued on page 31

By Joanne Padrone, Project Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Share news about your career, education, and family!Alumni on the Move

Happy Birthday, Alumni!Watch your email for a personal Birthday Greeting sent to our alumni!You’ll receive a Birthday Wish with a Birthday Coupon for two FREE tickets to the Planetarium to be used during your Birthday Month! Redeeming your Coupon is easy. Just print out your Birthday Email, make your reservation, bring a guest, and enjoy the show! If you have

questions or want to update your email address, contact Joanne Padrone, Director of Resource Development, at [email protected].


BRIAN JOSEPH BLACKMON, ’07, currently has five books out, Sincere Observations Concerning Business and American Life (non-fiction), The Glider Triumphant (science fiction adventure), Mars Hill in the Jupiter Valley (the sequel to The Neptune City-Saturn Town Soirée), and From the Pen of a Gallant One (inspirational fiction). Each book is available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Brian also illustrated all of his books. In addition, he wrote a blog series on dealing with career rejection to help encourage others and interviewed a number of successful people involved in art and music, including New Jersey singer/songwriter Suzzy Roche, Atari founder Nolan Bushnell, and cartoonist Evan Dorkin. Their comments are available at http://neptunecitysaturntown.wordpress. com/tag/rejection.Ed . Note: Special thanks to Brian for his OCC 50th Anniversary illustration, above!

ALLISON HOLDER, ’06, is a graduate of the American Sign Language Interpreter Training Certificate Program. She has been licensed in Arizona since 2007 and became an RID certified Sign

Language Interpreter in 2009. She is employed as a Medical Video Remote Interpreter at CyraCom Language Solutions, Tucson, AZ. CyraCom is a full-service language provider serving over 2,000 healthcare clients, including health plans, hospital systems, clinics, and physicians’ offices. ASL-VRI Interpreters are available 24/7, 365 days a year. Allison sends a special “thank you to OCC Instructor Kathleen Basilotto and the Deaf Community of Ocean County; I wouldn’t be where I am today if it hadn’t been for their encouragement and support!”

JENAYA JENNKINS, ’08, received her BSN from Kean-Ocean in 2013. She is a Staff and Charge Nurse on the Surgical Unit at Kimball Medical Center - Barnabas Health System. As a member and co-chair of the

Professional Nurse Practice Council at Kimball, Jenaya has been nominated for involvement in committees as a voice for her nursing colleagues and an advocate for patient care. She feels this aids in improving quality outcomes through the services and care she provides to her patients. Jenaya is also

employed by the Ocean County Vocational-Technical School as a Clinical Instructor for the Practical Nursing Program and works with students during clinical rotations so they learn how to practice prudently as future nurses at the bedside. “As a nurse, you learn to never stop caring and care enough to never stop learning!”

NICHOLAS J. KETHLEY, ’08, received a BA in History from Kean-Ocean in 2011 and a Master’s degree from Monmouth University in 2013. In summer 2013, he worked for the

National Park Service at Sandy Hook, NJ. In October 2013, he became an OCC Adjunct Lecturer and teaches “Western Civilization.” Nicholas is expecting twins in May and will marry Jessica Medina in August 2014.

TRUE KUCHARSKI, ’13, recently opened My Momma’s, a business providing “good” gluten-free food. He and a partner began selling at some of the local farmers’ markets in Monmouth and Ocean counties in 2013 and feels the

response and overwhelming success was nothing short of miraculous! At the end of the successful farmers’ market season, they

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By Joanne Padrone, Project Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Share news about your career, education, and family!


began work on opening a commercial kitchen, rooftop garden, and store in Asbury Park, and were featured in a front page article in the TriCity News. True is looking forward to providing everyone with good gluten-free foods that “look like art and taste as good as they look.” He describes his success as “a blessing and I am so excited to be someone that is making a difference in the lives of those that are celiac, gluten sensitive, or just looking for something delicious that has great health benefits!” Check it out on www.facebook.com/MyMommas – a picture is worth a thousand words!

COURTNEY NELSON, ’00, is the Regional D i r e c t o r o f Communications in New Jersey for the American Heart Association and American

Stroke Association. Acknowledged in the area of crisis communications, Courtney recently received recognition for her work after Superstorm Sandy from the New Jersey Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America and the Jersey Shore Public Relations and Advertising Association. In addition, she received the American Heart Association 2013 Rome Betts Award for Staff Excellence in recognition of her contributions in communications throughout her tenure with the organization.

SHAWN SMITH, ’12, attends Rutgers University and has been very busy! He is a Correspondent for the Daily Targum, student newspaper, and is Senior

Manager – Scheduling at the Rutgers Student Center. In April, Shawn was an Ignite Speaker for the Mark (Leadership) Conference. To view his speech, visit youtube.com /watch?v=vIHSIcnNGfs. He was also one of seven Site Leaders for a group of 40 first-year students who took the “2014 Spring Alternative Break,” in Washington D.C., to

work with the homeless and the hungry. In addition, Shawn was also a Morale Captain for the “2014 Dance Marathon,” the largest student-run philanthropic event in NJ. Together with 11 other captains and 800 registered students, the group raised a record $622,000 for kids with cancer and blood disorders at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. And last summer, he was a leader for a “First-Year & Transfer Camp” to help incoming students transition a little easier. Shawn writes, “The truth is, I don’t know how involved I would be in college today if my experience with Ocean TV 20 and the Green Viking Club were any different. They really set me up for success in my career here at Rutgers, and I have gotten involved in many different things while at Big Red.”

JOSHUA THOMPSON, ’10, received a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and a certificate in K-12 Special Education from Georgian Court University. He is a Special

Education Mathematics Teacher at Ocean Township High School. Joshua feels that attending OCC was one of the best decisions he could have made. The College gave him the opportunity to develop a great plan for the future while he explored multiple subject areas and decided that teaching mathematics was what he was truly interested in doing. When he made his decision, Joshua was easily able to focus his major on math and begin the pre-education process. Georgian Court University was a perfect fit and transfer for his lifestyle, and he felt there were no issues transferring each of his OCC credits and courses. He was even able to get on target in his anticipated major by taking summer courses at OCC, which prepared him well for his success at GCU. Joshua states that his “career has been a great experience and if I could start over, I would choose this path again. I love my job, my students, and my co-workers, as well. Teaching Special Education is such a rewarding career and it feels great to make a difference in students’

lives each day and set them up for success in their future. Best of all, my thorough love and understanding of math has caused me to hear the words that all math teachers aim for: ‘You make math fun, Mr. Thompson!’ ”

BRIAN VAN NORTWICK, ’11, received a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from New Je r s e y I n s t i t u t e o f Technology in 2014. He has been accepted into NJIT’s

Master of Science in Environmental Engineering program, focusing on water quality, treatment, and infrastructure. As an undergraduate, he was the National Society of Professional Engineers Student Chapter President and the American Water Works Association Student Chapter Vice President. He recently accepted a full-time position with H2M architects + engineers as a Water Supply Engineer.

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Alumni

wife and son. This past summer (2013), I took another step forward in completing my associate degree in general studies. I am currently studying public administration at Kean University, and would like to one day complete my master’s degree.

I tell everyone I can that I have the best job on the campus. I get to interact with our Nation’s military men and women every day and help them accomplish their educational goals as others helped me. My role within the Financial Aid Office allows me to interact

with our campus’s freshman class and help them navigate what is a new and exciting adventure in their lives. I greet everyone with a smile that is as genuine as they come, and I do it day in and day out, because I truly do have the best job on campus.

My story is still being written. My lovely wife and I were both born here, educated here, and are raising our son here. My dog that served me so faithfully in Iraq was retired from service in 2012 after giving to her country 10 years and four deployments in

Iraq and Afghanistan, and is now living the comfortable life with us. Now instead of finding rockets and machine guns, she finds me as soon as I walk in the door.

Ocean County College has given me an opportunity to make a new life and I am eternally grateful for that, and as long as I’m giving back to the community that gave me so much, I’ll never have a bad day at work.

Mather works in the OCC Financial Aid Office as a Financial Aid Specialist.

all about. Working hard will always equal success.”

Jones advises to “never give up and say yes to every opportunity no matter how big or small. Every opportunity gives you more experience and a chance to meet new people that can help you get to where you want to be. Even if you fail a few times, you must never give up for something you really want to do. Everything happens in due time. It took me four times (and the entire summer after college) to get a job at CBS. It was all about timing and persistence. I just kept calling them and emailing and finally they needed someone to fill a role and I was there at the exact time they were hiring. Never ever get discouraged by the industry. There’s always room for great talent.”

“People are sometimes worried about going to a community college, but it liter-ally was the best decision I ever made,” said Muraczewski. “You can meet people who change your life.”

As Bertini noted, “I don’t take credit for the kids’ success. It’s their dedication. It’s their passion. It’s them. I’m their mentor and their cheerleader. I open doors for them. But they

would be successful without me.”

“He never takes credit,” Rassmann said of Bertini. “He says it’s all us, but without him as the motivating factor behind me for all that time I can say that I wouldn’t be in the same place I am now.”

“I’m so pleased to have gotten to know these outstanding alumni,” said D’Urso.

“Working with students and see-ing them grow and mature in the knowledge and competency of various aspects of digital mass media is a highlight of my job. I wish them all the best and I have no doubt that they’ll each have long and successful careers.”

Grosso concurs. As she told Bertini, “When I’m up on that stage accepting my Oscar or Emmy, listen for your name.”


ALUMNI LAND DREAM JOBS IN TV, continued from p. 24

HITTING THE RE-SET BUTTON, continued from p. 25

according to the U.S. Department of Transportation national curriculum. It provides currently certified NJ State EMTs with a theoretical knowledge base and psychomotor skills to enter the clinical component of paramedic training, conducted at sponsoring mobile intensive care unit hospitals.

The didactic course includes training in advanced airway management, trauma, and behavioral, medical, gerontological, pediatric, and obstetrical emergencies. The course also includes pharmacology and intensive cardiac care therapeutics with Advanced Cardiac Life Support certification, a pre-requisite for the National Registry Paramedic Certification Examination. Students also obtain certification in Pediatric Advanced Life Support and Prehospital Trauma Life Support.

The Paramedic Hybrid Program, meanwhile, allows students to complete a majority of the coursework online, with just one classroom night per week and an occasional additional evening class and three weekend classes. Both programs are held at the MONOC facility in Wall, led by Tanis and other well-trained instructors.

While his experience and guidance in the classroom aid countless students, Tanis has also been honored for his work as a paramedic. Each year from 2002 to 2005, Tanis was awarded a “Certificate of Excellence for Outstanding Patient Care Above & Beyond the Call of Duty” from MONOC. He was also named “Paramedic of the Year” by VFW Post 9503 in Bayville and presented with the “Paramedic Team Excellence Award” by NJ Paramedic Association, both in 2002.

In addition to emergency medicine, Tanis is interested in wilderness, sports, and tactical medicine. And, outside of medicine, he enjoys scuba diving, fishing, golf, geocaching, and cycling. At his home in Bayville, he pointed out, “It’s never a dull moment with three boys.” The older two are often at mixed martial arts, piano (James), and guitar (Christopher) lessons, while the youngest is “an active, crazy two-year-old.”

The family also loves the beach, where they swim as well as fish.“My career goal in life is to be an EMS physician, splitting my time seeing patients in the

emergency department and working in an academic emergency medicine program,” he said.In general, Tanis pointed out that becoming an EMT and then a paramedic makes for a

terrific career, with great opportunity to advance in a number of fascinating, varied positions within the field. “It’s a very fulfilling, rewarding career. It’s challenging and it’s diverse.

“I was always pushing harder, wanting to move further with medicine,” Tanis added. “It’s fascinating. It’s lifelong learning.”

Tanis credits OCC with helping him get to where he is today. “It was an outstanding foundation,” he remarked. “I was very well prepared. I highly recommend it to anyone coming out of high school.”


the bridge at 5:00 p.m., later setting up his government office in space provided at Monsignor Donovan High School in Toms River. He said this was one of his best political moves because, after setting up a communication center at the high school, he ended up remaining there until March 2013. Matthies emphasized that this site was centrally located to meet the needs of his residents and provided the physical and mental support his town needed.

Reflecting back on OCC, Matthies feels that current college president, Dr. Jon H. Larson, has done great things for the county’s residents, especially establishing the partnership with Kean University. He is also pleased with the work Dr. Larson has done with fostering relationships with veterans.

One of Matthies fondest memories of OCC is the friendships he made while he was a student here, feeling that his ties to the College helped him to choose to make his life here in Ocean County. Matthies is proud of OCC and proud to say he is a graduate. He thanks OCC for all the experiences he took away with him and feels that his positive experience here added to the success he enjoys in his life today.

According to Matthies, OCC acted like a “row of building blocks” that bridged him to where he is now. While a student at OCC, he began to learn how to understand people and he developed his leadership skills with the sound academic foundation he received.

I left his office full of warmth from a man who truly loves OCC and who has given back so much to his community.

FINDING FULFILLMENT IN HEALING, continued from p. 27 MATTHIES, continued from p. 27

OCEAN COUNTY COLLEGE

April 30, 2014Technology Building (Bldg. #13)

Room 115

Women’s LEADERSHIP

conference

www.ocean.edu


By RoseAnn D’Urso, Editor, and Joanne Padrone, Project Coordinator

Kathleen Basilotto, Assistant Professor of Language & the Arts, is the recipient of the John & Suanne Roueche Excellence Award from the League for Innovation in the Community College. Recipients of the award exemplify exceptional community college teaching and leadership. In addition, Basilotto is the advisor for OCC’s Sign Language Society Club and directs the Annual American Sign Language Rock ‘n’ Roll Show Fundraiser.

Kathryn Caro, Administrator for Nursing & Allied Health, presented “A Formula for Success: A Mix & Match Approach to Noncredit Certificate Completion” at the Best Practices Conference held at Mercer County College. The presentation overviewed how many Continuing & Professional Education (CPE) students are working to complete fast track certificate training programs in order to secure employment. Traditionally, noncredit certificate programs are offered totally online or in a traditional classroom setting. Caro, along with John Knight, Adjunct Instructor of Humanities & Fine Arts, and Marilyn Knight, CPE Instructor, worked on creating three noncredit certificates with interchangeable online and classroom courses in medical billing, coding, and electronic health records. This affords students the same flexibility as credit students to “mix and match” their learning delivery systems to better meet personal and professional schedules.

Dr. Mary Ellen Carr, Professor of English, has long been a champion for women’s leadership. Under her direction and assistance from the Planning Committee, OCC hosted a “Women’s Leadership Conference,” which focused on opportunities and challenges women face in their work environment. The Keynote Address was given by Dr. Patricia Donahue, President, Mercer County Community College, and “Women Entrepreneurs” was presented by Liz Balogh, Chrysaliz Design, LLC/Lin’s Linen’s Inc., and Theodora Sergiou, Vice President, Nicolas Pools Inc. In addition, several OCC faculty and administrators stepped up to present a number of interesting topics. In the morning, “Career & Family Balance” was given by Dr. Jianping Wang, Vice President of Academic Affairs; Sara Winchester, Executive Vice

President of Finance & Administration; Susan O’Connor, Director of Curriculum Management; Donna Carbone, Manager of Accounts Payable; and Erica Carboy, College Lecturer II, English. “Leadership through Creative Ventures” was given by Dr. Carr, along with Heidi Sheridan, Assistant Professor of English & Literature; and Jayanti Tamm, Assistant Professor of English & Literature. The afternoon sessions began with “Mentorship: Educate, Energize & Empower” by presenter Kathleen Basilotto, Assistant Professor of Language & the Arts. The day ended with “How to Resolve/Negotiate a Conflict - How to Maintain Focus in a Stressful Situation” presented by Dr. Wang, along with Dr. Kate Pandolpho, Director of Career, Employment, & Personal Counseling, and Dr. Toni Clay, Assistant Vice President for Instructional Support Services.

Lois Donovan, Assistant Professor of Nursing, has been a preceptor for Monmouth University students for a number of years and recently received the Preceptor of the Year Award.

Katie Grofik, Evening/Weekend Supervisor - Southern Education Center, was recently appointed to the Senior Advisory Council by the Mayor of Barnegat. In addition, she was busy during the 2013 holidays volunteering at the Tuckerton Seaport. Over Thanksgiving, Grofik helped feed over 300 families. She also assisted “Santa” with gifts for children and took in presents for those still affected by Hurricane Sandy. Grofik stated that both events were on bitterly cold rainy days – “to see children that did not have proper clothing for the cold was disheartening.” After the children received winter coats, gloves, hats, chocolate, and some hot food, Grofik said that there “was a feeling inside me that no one can describe. Smiling faces were all I saw after this. What a great experience! When some of the children asked me what I do, I told them I work at Ocean County College. Some said that because I was so nice, they wanted to come to OCC – I thought that was just so cute! It was a great time and I was proud to say I work at OCC, putting smiles on parents and children.”

Dr. Stan Hales, Director of the Barnegat Bay Partnership, has been appointed by the New Jersey Council of County Colleges as the

Tip of the Hat Acknowledging recent accomplishments of OCC faculty and staff

195 Cedar Bridge Road, Manahawkin, NJ • www.ocean.edu

For more info, contact Jeffrey Kurz, Assistant Director of Academic Outreach at 732-255-0400 ext. 695

Southern education center

Students, staff, faculty, & community members are all encouraged to donate!The SEC, in conjunction with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, is hosting a toy drive from now until December 2. Donate your NEW, UNWRAPPED toys here at the SEC Office! The Marine Corps will then pick up the donated toys for local distribution.

Toys for Tots is a national charitable organization that annually collects toys locally for those that are less fortunate, especially impoverished children. We ask that toys remain in their original packaging. Toys for children ages 0-2 and 12-13 of either gender are in the most demand. Some examples of appropriate toys for the 0-2 range are teething rings, plush toys, ring towers or anything that would stimulate their senses. For the 12-13 range, appropriate toys include board games, books, jewelry, and anything to prepare them for their teenage years.


Alternate Two-Year County/Community College Representative to the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium Board of Trustees. Dr. Hales is also the Acting Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Association of National Estuary Programs (ANEP), a 501c (3), which represents all of the National Estuary Programs.

Sabrina Mathues, Director of Off-Campus Programs, presented “Making Completion Meaningful: An Advisor’s Role in Guiding Student Reflection on Core Competencies” at the 2014 Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference of the National Academic Advising Association: The Global Community of Academic Advisors (NACADA). This session focused on the role of degree completion initiatives in highlighting the important work of faculty and professional advisors. It also encouraged advisors to utilize this increased visibility to lead further discussion on competency-based advising and the inclusion of reflective, meaning-making activities both within advising curriculum as well as more broadly within traditional curricula. Mathues serves as the elected New Jersey State Liaison to NACADA.

Dr. Martin Novelli, Professor of Film, History, & Humanities, and Dr. Frank J. Wetta, former Vice President of Academic Affairs, co-wrote The Long Reconstruction: The Post-Civil War South in History, Film, & Memory (Routledge 2013). In addition, Dr. Novelli contrib-uted the essay “Bill Ehrhart as Educator” to The Last Time I Dreamed About War: Essays on the Life & Writing of W.D. Ehrhart (MacFarland). The collection of essays, edited by Jean-Jacques Malo, honors Ehrhart, a Vietnam veteran, poet, memoirist, editor, and teacher.

Gary Shaffer, Assistant Professor of Communications, had an article published in the trade publication, Selling Halloween. His article, entitled “Scaring Up Sponsors,” is a how-to guide for presenters looking to secure sponsorship opportunities.

Laura Skrable, Assistant Nursing Skills Lab Specialist, was awarded her MSN from Kean University.

Alan R. Smith, Adjunct Instructor of Humanities & Fine Arts, recently published a book, Enchantments of the Haglady: Ancient Lands, Wonders, Adventures (FriesenPress, 2014). The book blends

history and fantasy as it explores the time travels of two orphans: a girl from the 21st Century; the other, a boy from the 11th Century. Books are available at Amazon Books and Kindle.

The staff of the Southern Education Center received the United States Marine Corp Commander’s Award for outstanding support of the Toys for Tots Drive.

Gina Suriano, Adjunct Lecturer I, Humanities & Fine Arts, and Jason Ghibesi, College Lecturer II, Social Science, published chapters in the new book Cases on Critical & Qualitative Perspectives in Online Higher Education, published by IGI Global Inc. and edited by Myron Orleans, former adjunct instructor at OCC. Suriano wrote Chapter One, “eLearning Pedagogy,” and Ghibesi co-wrote Chapter 12, “Redesigning Student’s Thinking Processes through Advanced Discussion Forums.”

Richard Trimble, Assistant Professor of History, published his twelfth book, The Ultimate Softball Drill Book. His latest book, co-authored with New Jersey Hall of Fame Coach Pat Barnaba, contains nearly 500 softball drills for players of all ages and levels.

___________________________________________________

In MemoriamAlwin Arce (School of Language & the Arts) passed away on June 23, 2014. Al had worked as an Adjunct Instructor since January 24, 2001. Our deepest condolences go out to the Arce family and friends.

Thomas Curtin (Financial Aid) passed away on December 18, 2013. Tom had worked as a Student Loan Advisor since April 26, 2010. Our deepest condolences go out to the Curtin family and friends.

New Executive Director Takes HelmHeather S. Barberi, Executive Director, comes

to the Ocean County College Foundation with nearly 15 years of experience in the not-for-profit and financial service industries.

At the start of her career, Barberi held a number of fundraising positions with the American Red Cross-Jersey Coast Chapter. In her final role as Chief Development Officer, she was responsible for the management of the fundraising team and all fundraising activities at the Chapter, including special events, major gifts, planned giving, grant writing, and community outreach.

After leaving the Red Cross, Barberi transitioned into the financial services sector as Vice President of

Field Marketing at TD Bank. For nearly seven years, she managed local marketing initiatives in the NJ, PA, DE, and Washington, DC, areas. Throughout her tenure in this role, Barberi consistently developed localized programming and relevant extensions of corporate initiatives, contributing strong strategic marketing vision, brand leadership, and business driving initiatives. She also engaged and negotiated with community and business organizations on sponsorships, events, tradeshows, advertising, and marketing promotions.

Barberi received her Bachelor of Arts degree from York College of Pennsylvania. She resides in Brick Township.

Edmund Bennett, III ChairVirginia E. Haines Vice ChairKevin J. Smith SecretaryMichael M. O’Brien Treasurer

Nina B. AnuarioLawrence E. Bathgate, IIJanet BeersEstelle BrodkeyKeith A. BuscioRosanne L. CittaFrank J. Dupignac, Jr.Karen EscobedoRobert A. FallKristin FarfallaRichard D. GalganoFrank GelorminiRoss D. GertnerJarrod GrassoJeremy GruninThomas J. HouriganAngela M. KoutsourisStephan R. LeoneVictoria J. MagliacaneKenneth MalagiereNoelle PaschonSharon PastrasDavid G. PaulusJoel PerlmutterKarl ReinheimerDavid RosenPauline RotaPhilip F. ScallonRuthanne ScaturroDomenick M. ServodioMatthew SmithKaren M. SymingtonCarl V. Thulin, Jr.Daniel J. VitaleJohn E. WalshGale G. WaymanDavid C. WintrodeHarvey L. YorkMichael B. York

EmeritiJoseph E. BuckelewJoseph A. Citta (1908-2009)Jack Lamping (1915-2009)Leonard G. Lomell (1920-2011)Richard S. SambolSen. Robert W. Singer

Jon H. Larson, Ph.D.College President

Franklin H. Berry, Jr.Counsel

Heather S. BarberiExecutive Director

2014 OCC Foundation Board Members

By Sherri A. Bray, Special Events/Development Specialist

New Foundation Trustee NamedCongratulations go out to Jeremy Grunin, newly

elected member of the Ocean County College Foundation Board of Trustees.

Grunin is a developer and investor with Grunin Properties in Toms River, overseeing 130,000 square feet of office space with another 200,000 of retail space soon to break ground. He is the Executive Director of the Jay and Linda Grunin Foundation, a family foundation dedicated to improving lives in

Ocean and Monmouth Counties. In addition, he sits on the Boards of Community Medical Center, the Ocean County Vocational School, United Way of Ocean County, American Cancer Society, and the Toms River Ocean County Chamber of Commerce.

Grunin has been married to his wife, Laura, for 14 years and has three children (Josh, 13; Rebecca, 11; and Emma, 9).

34 Summer 2014

OCC Foundation

$5.75M Donation to Benefit the Arts at OCCLocal Donors Jay and Linda Grunin Benefactors of the Arts in Ocean County

By RoseAnn D’Urso, editor

During Ocean County College’s 47th Annual Commencement Ceremony on Thursday, May 22, Jeremy Grunin, Executive Director of the Jay and Linda Grunin Foundation, announced a $5.75 million donation to Ocean County College. The donation will establish the Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts on the College’s Main Campus in Toms River.

“Ocean County is home to many residents who view artistic and cultural experience as an important enrichment to their daily lives. In the absence of such opportunities in Ocean County, many travel to Monmouth County, Princeton University, Philadelphia, and New York City to utilize the facilities there to satisfy their hunger for the arts. The Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts at Ocean County College will fill the vacuum that currently exists in Ocean County,” explained Dr. Jon H. Larson, OCC President.

According to Dr. Larson, the College was chosen for this donation because OCC already has outstanding facilities, as well as strong partnerships with the Ocean County Vocational Technical School Performing Arts Academy (PAA), Kean University Arts programs, and the Garden State Philharmonic (GSP), the orchestra-in-residence at OCC.

“This is the single largest donation that the Ocean County College Foundation has received in OCC’s 50-year history and it is a testament to both the Grunins’ generosity and the trust they place in the College,” said Heather S. Barberi, Executive Director of the OCC Foundation.

The $5.75 million gift will establish an arts center endowment that will allow OCC to develop quality programming that will be housed in the Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts (formerly Arts & Community Center).

The income generated from this endowment will be used for a number of initiatives that benefit OCC, Kean-Ocean, PAA, and local high school students, as well as county residents and visitors. The Center will provide students and local artists with a venue to display their talents while benefiting and enriching the cultural life of county residents.

Endowment initiatives include, but are not limited to, the following: An annual theatre and music production series; Professional-level performing ensembles that attract not only col-

lege and high school students but also GSP and local musicians;

Master classes for college and high school students; and Guest artist lectures and workshops; Monies generated from the gift may also be used for other purposes benefitting the Center for the Arts.

“The Jay and Linda Grunin Foundation is dedicated to support-ing Ocean and Monmouth county-based initiatives that include the arts, human services, and education. The Foundation has in recent years made a considerable impact in the areas of health care and in education. We see the untapped potential in the fine and performing arts here in Ocean County and know that Ocean County College is the perfect vehicle for unleashing that potential, specifically through our young people,” Grunin explained.

Dr. Larson added, “The new Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts has the potential to promote an appreciation for the arts in Ocean County. We are very grateful for this generous donation by the Grunins, which will benefit both the College and the community for years to come.”


Annual Golf Outing a Success!The Ocean County College Foundation’s 13 Annual Golf Outing took place at Pine

Barrens Golf Club in Jackson, NJ, on May 6. The event attracted approximately 100 golfers and raised nearly $60,000! Combined support from sponsors, donors, and golfers will enable the Foundation to continue to provide assistance to OCC students through scholarships, special projects, and academic programs. The Foundation offers its sincere thanks to all who played in this event, especially the Golf Committee, chaired by Michael B. York.

13th Annual Golf Outing CommitteeMichael B. York, Chairperson

Nina AnuarioIlene CohenVincent D’AllesandroKaren EscobedoLouis FelicettaVirginia HainesDottie LaPosa

Dr. Jon H. LarsonVictoria MagliacaneKathi MeadMichael O’BrienRichard PallamaryJoel PerlmutterJared Rhine

David RosenRon RosettoPauline RotaMichael SchraderDomenick ServodioDavid YorkHarvey York

Foundation StaffHeather S. Barberi, Executive Director

Sherri A. Bray, Special Events/Development Specialist Nancy A. Heroy, Administrative Assistant

A 5-day/ 4-night golf vacation for two

with round-trip travel on JetBlue as a

hole-in-one prize on each par 3 (winner

will be able to choose from any one of our

participating JetBlue Challenge Resorts;

subject to availability).

We all know how difficult a Hole-In-One is,

so we also have a Closest-to-the-Pin prize.

• The four golfers who are Closest-to-the-

Pin on the Par 3’s will get to play on the

19th Hole.

• They will each have one chance to

compete in a Closest-to-the-Pin contest.

• Whoever is the closest, will win a $500

gift card for airfare, courtesy of JetBlue!

• There is no gimmick and no catch.

If all four of you are in the sand,

whichever ball is Closest-to-the-Pin will

get the gift card and will be crowned,

“The Ocean County College Foundation

JetBlue Champion for 2014!”

Finally, a tournament with a guaranteed winner!

More importantly, if one of you are able to

make a Hole-In-One on the 19th Hole, you

will win the Grand Prize of $50,000!

The golfer who is crowned the OCC

Foundation JetBlue Champion for 2014 will

be entered into a drawing to be held in 2015

for a fabulous 5-day/4-night golf vacation

package for two to a resort with round trip

airfare provided by JetBlue Airways and three

weekend-day car rental certificates from

National Car Rental.

Annual Golf Outing CommitteeMichael B. York

Chairperson

Player RegistrationEntry fee per player is $295. Your contribution

includes lunch, use of driving range for one

hour before the shotgun start, greens fees, golf

cart, and a golf gift. An awards and cocktail

reception in the clubhouse will immediately

follow the afternoon tournament.

Name ____________________________________

Address ___________________________________

_________________________________________

Preferred Phone ________________________________

Email _________________________________________

Jacket/Shirt Size S M L XL XXL

Name ____________________________________

Address ___________________________________

_________________________________________

Preferred Phone ________________________________

Email _________________________________________


Name ____________________________________

Address ___________________________________

_________________________________________

Preferred Phone ________________________________

Email _________________________________________


Name ____________________________________

Address ___________________________________

_________________________________________

Preferred Phone ________________________________

Email _________________________________________


Foursome Contact Name _________________________

Hurry! Space is limited!

OCEAN COUNTY COLLEGE FOUNDATION

College Drive • P.O. Box 2001

Toms River, NJ 08754-2001

732.255.0492 • Fax 732.864.3876

www.ocean.edu/content/public/about/foundation.html

Nina AnuarioIlene Cohen

Vincent D’Allesandro

Karen EscobedoLouis FelicettaVirginia HainesDottie LaPosa

Dr. Jon H. Larson

Victoria Magliacane

Kathi MeadMichael O’Brien

Richard Pallamary

Joel Perlmutter

Jared Rhine

David Rosen

Ron Rosetto

Pauline Rota

Michael Schrader

Domenick Servodio

David York

Harvey York

Foundation StaffSandy S. BroughtonExecutive Director

Sherri A. BrayDevelopment Specialist

Nancy A. HeroyAdministrative Assistant

Tuesday, May 6, 2014Pine Barrens Golf Club

Jackson, NJ


OCC Foundation

BBP


Barnegat Bay Volunteer Master Naturalists Training at OCC

The Barnegat Bay Partnership (BBP), through the Ocean County College Continuing & Professional Education Department, has been hosting a training course for Barnegat Bay Volunteer Master Naturalists (BBVMN) since 2011. Master Naturalists are well-informed community volunteers who educate others about their local environment and promote conservation and stewardship of local natural resources.

Individuals taking the BBVMN course at OCC learn about the wildlife, ecology, and traditions of the Barnegat Bay, and also receive training in the skills volunteers need to educate others about the bay. The training course consists of both classroom and field-based learning experiences about a wide range of topics, including Barnegat Bay fishes, birds, salt marshes, forest communities, and barrier islands. A boat tour, kayak trip, seining activity, and birding are just some of the ways trainees get the “full” Barnegat Bay experience during the course.

Tina Barreiro, a 2012 graduate of the BBVMN course, said, “The hands-on aspects of the course were great. I had so much fun while learning and met other like-minded people who care about nature.”

Barreiro has put her training to good use as a volunteer with many organizations in the area. “I wanted to experience as much as possible after finishing the course. I’ve volunteered at Ocean County Parks, assisted with an Island Beach State Park dune grass restoration project, joined the American Littoral Society Spill Spotters Network, and participated in BBP research projects about jellyfish, eels, and river herrings.”

The Master Naturalist certificate program is based on a national model. Completing the course at OCC is the first step toward certification. To receive the certificate, trainees complete 40 hours of volunteer environ-mental service at approved sites within the Barnegat Bay watershed and an additional eight hours of advanced environmental training within a year of finishing the course. To learn more, visit http://bbp.ocean.edu or email [email protected].

2014 Guardian of Barnegat Bay AwardsThe Barnegat Bay Partnership (BBP) announced the recipients of its 2014 Guardian of Barnegat

Bay awards at the 17th Annual Barnegat Bay Festival in June at the Wanamaker Complex in Island Heights.

Dr. Jim Merritt, Program Director of the New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife’s Sedge Island Natural Resource Education Center, received the “Lifetime Achievement” award, which is presented to an individual who has made a significant, long-term contribution to the protection of the Barnegat Bay. Dr. Merritt has inspired thousands of people to be better stewards of the Bay. In his free time, he volunteers with ReClam the Bay, Friends of Island Beach State Park, New Jersey Marine Education Association, Cattus Island Advisory Council, and Save Barnegat Bay.

The “Pete McLain Young Environmental Stewards” award recognizes a young person, or group of young people, in grades K through 12, for efforts to protect and restore the Barnegat Bay and its watershed. The award is named in honor of Pete McLain, a dedicated steward of the bay’s resources and a mentor to generations of young environmentalists. This year’s recipient is a group of West-Windsor Plainsboro North High School biology students, who designed a study about residents’ willingness to pay for ecosystem service restoration in the Barnegat Bay watershed. The study was recently published in the journal Ecological Economics.

Attended by over 3,000 people each year, the Barnegat Bay Festival showcases BBP partners’ diverse efforts to promote environmental stewardship and features hands-on activities, eco-friendly vendors, and bay-related recreational activities.

By Karen Walzer, Public Outreach Coordinator, Barnegat Bay Partnership

Top: Stephen Acropolis, former Mayor of Brick Township, with BBVMN Tina Barreiro at the dedication of Mantoloking Bridge County Park in 2012. Photo by Chris Claus.Right: BBVMN Richard Biolsi examines what was caught in the seine net. Photo by Cara Muscio

Athletics


Runners Honored at National Championship Ring Ceremony By Juliet Kaszas-Hoch, Staff Writer, and A.J. Trump, Athletic Director

The Viking Women’s Cross Country Team, winners of this past fall’s National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA)

Division III National Championship, was honored this spring 2014 in a Ring Ceremony to mark this remarkable accomplishment.

The Ring Ceremony capped off a continuous celebration of the Women’s Cross Country Team’s outstanding achievements. OCC clearly made the right decision in reinstating the Cross Country Team in 2009, after 13 years without a program. Since then, the women have repeatedly won the Garden State Athletic Conference, Region XIX, and the NJCAA National Championship, in addition to being recognized by the New Jersey General Assembly and the Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

In early November 2013, OCC’s runners traveled to Holyoke, Massachusetts, to compete for the NJCAA National Championship. Under the guidance of Coach Ed Baynes, the women cruised to 1st

Place. Standout Liz Kowalski won the women’s race and was named an individual National Champion and an NJCAA First Team All-American. In addition, Meghie Weinberger finished 11th and earned an NJCAA All-American Honorable Mention.

Coach Baynes joined the program in 2009 and has been building a lasting tradition of excellence. He was recognized as National Coach of the Year in 2009, 2012, and 2013, and was a key reason OCC was awarded the Gary Moore Best Overall Program Award last season.

In addition to the success of the women runners, Baynes has recently coached the 2013 Vikings Men’s Cross Country Team to the Region XIX Championship and second place in the Nationals.

“Great job and congratulations to Ed and the Viking Cross Country Team!” A.J. Trump, OCC Athletic Director, remarked. “Everyone at OCC is extremely proud of their hard work and outstanding accomplishments.”

OCC Athletics Adding Two New NJCAA Sports

Two new teams – Women’s Volleyball and Men’s Lacrosse – will be added to OCC’s athletic program in the 2014-2015 academic year. Volleyball will begin in the fall of 2014, and lacrosse will start in the spring of 2015.

With the addition of these teams, there will be 16 intercollegiate athletic programs for students to participate in at OCC.

Swim Team Strong at National ChampionshipsThe Vikings Men’s and Women’s Swim

Team competed against many two- and four-year colleges this past winter, with Head Coach Steve Stout and Assistant Coach Lauren Stoltzfus a steady poolside presence. The team qualified 19 swimmers in three or more events to participate in the National Junior College Athletic Association National Championships at Indian River State College in Florida. In the Nationals’ non-scholarship division, the women finished second and the men finished sixth.

Swimmers Randall Trasky and Breda Jones both qualified for an “A” final – in the 100-meter freestyle and the 100-meter breaststroke, respectively – and they each finished eighth in the country.


Strong Spring Season for Baseball Team By Juliet Kaszas-Hoch, Staff Writer, and A.J. Trump, Athletic Director

The Vikings Baseball Team, helmed by Head Coach Ed McRae and Assistant Coaches Michael Brown, John Dolan, and Robert Marchie, finished as the number three team in Region XIX this past spring 2014.

The men advanced to the regional Final Four, where they first overpowered defending champion Gloucester Community College.

Later, they lost a heartbreaker of an elimination game to this same, very tough, team. Overall, the Vikings notched a terrific season, which included defeating every team in the region and a big win over the #1 team in the nation.

The Vikings also had three players earn All-Region XIX honors, including Dan Scheller, Mitchell Preston, and Joseph Karagiannakis. The men finished the season with an impressive 3.1 team GPA and had

sixteen players earn Academic All-Conference and/or Academic All-Region honors.

Join the Celebration!

OCEAN COUNTY COLLEGE 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION at the Lakewood BlueClaws (BLUECLAWS VS. HAGERSTOWN)

Friday, August 15, 2014Gate Opens 6:00 pm • Game Starts 7:05 pm • Picnic Buffet 6:30 – 8:00 pm

Enjoy an evening of BlueClaws Baseball and a Southern Style BBQ Buffet

with your OCC friends and family!

COST: $19.95*/Adult • $11.95*/Child (Ages 5-12) * Includes a $5 discount off the regular ticket price!

OCC will have its own picnic area, which includes your seat to the game.

Ticket price includes OCC 50th Anniversary t-shirt AND post-game fireworks!

FOR TICKETS, contact the Student Life Office at 732-255-0348 or visit the office on the Toms River campus.

Student Life summer hours: Mon-Fri, 8 am – 5 pm. Credit cards, checks, and cash are accepted.

Alumni Events

Join us on campus!

SUMMER PERFORMANCESJuly 24

Louis Armstrong Eternity Band

August 1-3 & 7-10Legally Blonde: The Musical

August 13Jazz Banjoist Cynthia Sayer

September 10The Jazz Lobsters Big Band

SAVE THE DATESeptember 12

Friday Film Classics:From Here to Eternity

October 11Bernie Williams

Jazz All Star Band

October 1950th Anniversary Celebration

The Bronx Wanderers

October 30Neil Berg’s

100 Years of Broadway

Purchase tickets at tickets.ocean.edu Box Office: 732-255-0400

OCC ALUMNI BENEFITS

�Free OCC Alumni Rewards Membership for discounts, specials, and incentives

�Complimentary subscription to Ocean Views, the OCC Alumni newsletter

�Use of OCC pool

�Career Services

�Discounts on day trips, activities, and the Planetarium

Questions?Email us at

[email protected]

ROBERT J. NOVINS PLANETARIUM

For a complete schedule, visit www.ocean.edu or call 732-255-0343

SUMMER CHILDREN’S SHOWS One World, One Sky: Big Bird’s Adventure Secret of the Cardboard Rocket Kalouka’hina: The Enchanted Reef Laser Show: They Might Be Giants Pajama Night (Family-Friendly Show)

SUMMER GENERAL AUDIENCE SHOWS Wonders of the Seasonal Sky Dawn of the Space Age

SUMMER LASER SHOWS Summer Laser Fest Saturday July 26th

College Drive, PO Box 2001Toms River, NJ 08754-2001

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

NON PROFIT ORGUS POSTAGE

PAIDTOMS RIVER NJ 08754

PERMIT NO 27

Documents

OCEAN VIEWS · 2019-03-05 · A NEWSLETTER FOR OCEAN COUNTY COLLEGE ALUMNI, OUR COLLEGE FAMILY, AND THE COMMUNITY Summer 2014 Vol. VIII : No. 2 OCEAN VIEWS Class of 2014 p.13 Also