Q U E E N S B O R O U G H

COMMUNIQUECOMMUNIQUEP R O D U C E D B Y A N D F O R T H E S T U D E N T S O F Q U E E N S B O R O U G H C O M M U N I T Y C O L L E G E

Volume XV, No. 17 November 2002

Inside CommuniquéQCC Students Speaking Up . . . . . . . . . . pg 4Smallpox Vaccine Proposed . . . . . . . . . . pg 4Students Review Required Courses . . . . pg 6Seasons Eating and Healthy Holidays . . pg 7Tatoo Regret . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 8Stressed? Try Yoga. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 8The Price for a Night Time Society . . . . pg 9The Pros and Cons of Plastic Surgery . . pg 9Game Review: Medal of Honor: Allied Assault . . . . . . pg 10Now You Can Leave the Dentist Smiling pg 10College Athletes: Show them the Money pg 11New Cigarette Tax and the Economy. . pg 11Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 12

With the world economy in an extended slump,New York State’s education system has become atarget for recent cost cuts. Pursuant to New YorkState Legislation and a resolution approved by TheBoard of Trustees of The City University of NewYork, a budget plan of state workforce reductionshas been advised through attrition and early retire-ment incentives. For Queensborough CommunityCollege, this plan could result in a loss of severalsenior full-time faculty and staff members.

QCC Office of Finance and AdministrationBusiness manager, Frank Patinelli, offered a ratio-nale for the 2002-3 NYS Early RetirementIncentives (ERI). “The incentives are offered tohave people retire early to reduce payroll,” said

Patinelli. “The City and the State are in a financialbind and with a reduction I payroll, where the high-er salaried employees leave, some can be replacedby lesser paid employees.”

By eliminating 5,000 state government jobsthrough attrition and early retirement incentives,Governor George E. Pataki’s proposed 2002-3 bud-get hopes to return the total executive branch head-count to its lowest point in nearly two decades andultimately save about $275 million a year, accordingto an analysis of quarterly full-time employee esti-mates from the State Comptroller’s Office.Taxpayers are now saving $676 million annually asa result of net reduction in the state workforce over

Early Retirement Incentives Entice QCCFaculty and Staff

BY KALEILA PUFOLKES

Continued on page 3

Hollywood may have Tom Hanks, Broadway may have Bette Midler, butright here at Queensborough Community College, we have our own shiningstar, an actor, producer, director as well as a teacher, Professor Bob Simons.

Professor Bob Simons, the popular and well-regarded chairperson of theSpeech and Theater Department has been a teacher, mentor, counselor andfriend to a generation of Queensborough students. He has been dispensingwisdom, guiding students who have a love for the arts and improving thecommunications skills of students here at Queensborough for over thirtyyears. He is an actor in his own right, as well as the director of great stageproductions right here at the college including the currently running produc-tion of Arthur Miller’s, A View from the Bridge.

In the theater Professor Bob Simons has had a wealth of experience inseveral different disciplines during his long, interesting career. He has donework as a union stagehand, working on the Radio City Music Hall ChristmasSpectacular as well as rock concerts and awards shows. He has had theopportunity to “rub elbows” with renowned actresses like Bette Davis andJean Kelly. His experiences with stars at award shows and working withthem has taught him that, “they are real people, who wear pants just likeeverybody else.” As a director he has done work in off-Broadway plays andthe regional theater. He has directed well-known Broadway personalities aswell as up-an-coming actors and actresses. He even ran a theater companytogether with producer, Howard DeSilva. As an actor, he has done actingcompany tours as well as local and regional productions. “One of my claimsto fame,” he says laughingly “was getting to lift Helen Hays up in the airevery night.”

Professor Simons gets an obvious joy and sense of fulfillment fromteaching. He first received the inspiration to choose teaching as his life’s call-ing from his mother who was a teacher. The interpersonal nature of teachingwith so many different young people was what truly drew him. Jokingly hesays, “If I have contact with people who are much younger than myself, then Idon’t get old that fast.” But truly for this dedicated professional, teaching ismuch more than a job. Teaching is more like ‘reaching’. The sense of con-veying knowledge to younger minds is what continues to drive him.“Basically,” he says, “What I enjoy most about teaching is being able to see achild or any young person see an idea or a concept; it’s almost as if a lightbulb goes off over their head. Knowing that they understand something forthe first time, that’s one of the greatest moments in teaching.”

Professor Simons also admits to having learned much from students overthe years. “You might think you know something,” he says, “and you attemptto teach it, and you find out you really don’t know it that well.” He feels thatstudents here at Queensborough can be as creative and bright as students atany school and that students “bring a lot to the table.”

Most of the students who have taken Professor Simons speech classeshave found him to be engaging and enjoyable to work with and learn from.

Noreen Hehir, a liberal arts major said, “Bob Simons class was very interest-ing and fun! He was very considerate and caring about students. He goteveryone involved.” While many students tend to find speech making intimi-dating, Professor Simons has a style of teaching where he is able to makethem comfortable and many even find themselves enjoying being able tospeak in public. Another student Kerreu, who is an aspiring actress herselfsays, “His class was the best one I had all summer. I think he is an excellentteacher, both his teaching skills and his keen sense of humanity he brings tothe classroom. He can make a student feel as if you are the only one there.”Professor Simons recently received an award, recognizing the outstandingfaculty here at Queensborough for his dedication and commitment to impact-ing the lives of students.

Professor Simons not only gets praise from his students but also from col-leagues. Professor Bob Hanlon, who has worked with Prof. Simons for thirtyyears said, “He’s a wonderful guy. He was one of my first theater teachersyears ago. He’s been a very special person in my life and a great friend. Ihave nothing but praise for Bob Simons.”

QCC’s Shining Star: A Constant Light for Over 30 Years

BY TY LEE BUTLER

Professor Bob Simons, Chairperson of the Speech and TheatreDepartment.

Continued on page 3

2 Queensborough Communiqué, November 2002

These editorials represent the opinion of the Editorial Board of Communiqué, which is solely responsiblefor its contents. These are not necessarily the views of the Queensborough Community College administration and staff. Communiqué welcomes any letters or editorials for the population of QCC.Submit work to Communiqué, H-428. The Editorial Board reserves the right to edit letters for spatialneeds and grammatical accuracy.

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Fernanda OrtegaVincenza PattiDennis Pereira

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NEW

Bloomberg Warns of Budget Gap,Raises Revenue at Residents’ Expense

BY WAI WONG

The New York City budget has always been a very sensitive subject amongst people of the city sinceit affects many people who live here. It has always been a challenge for city management to distributethe funds that keep the city government running smoothly in place. Concurrently, the challenge ofpreparing emergency response personnel for another attack on the city adds another extra expense. Andwith Wall Street not being able to meet projections, Mayor Bloomberg and his administration will havemany difficulties in balancing next year’s budget. The Daily News has reported that the Bloombergadministration estimates a budget gap of 5-6 billion dollars.

With a gap of that magnitude, there will undoubtedly be spending cuts trickling down to the city’smost critical agencies, such as the police and fire departments. Unfortunately, the spending cuts don’tstop here; the city has also mentioned plans to increase revenue via the implementation of tolls to the fourEast River bridges (The Brooklyn, Manhattan, Williamsburg and the Queensborough Bridges). Otherpossibilities currently being discussed include increases in property taxes and the reinstatement of thecommuter tax.

Now first things first, let’s try to grasp the reality of the situation. First, City Hall nearly doubles theprice of a parking ticket to $105, and now they are trying to place tolls on the East River bridges. Nowwhy would New York City residents living outside of the borough of Manhattan, work in Manhattan ifthe cost is so high just to get to work? Instead of bringing more people into the city (thereby increasingrevenue), these proposed policies would push people away.

A citywide property tax proposal is already being considered as a serious suggestion in the CityCouncil. The New York Post has already reported a proposed rate of increase that might range from 10-25 percent. They would continue to alienate more people by hiking the property tax citywide.

I’m sorry, but I’m getting the distinct feeling that we New Yorkers are being punished for the factthat we live here. I realize that the city is in a financial pinch, but should we be the first option for whenmore revenue needs to be generated? It does not seem fair to the middle class residents of this city tohave to put up with an administration that is so inclined to increase taxes and the cost of living once thecity cites a fiscal dilemma. This coming from a mayor who had been opposed to raising taxes during hismayoral campaign not too long ago.

What the city needs to see is that there are other ways to solve the money problem without havingthe citizens of New York City foot the entire bill. Governor Pataki has also stated his opposition to theproposed bridge tolls during an interview with the Editorial Board of the Daily News. Instead of thebridge tolls, the Governor had discussed relieving the city’s fiscal problem by tapping the funds allocatedby the Federal Emergency Management Agency (F.E.M.A.). According to the Governor, portions of themoney could be used to cover some of the costs of the police and fire departments. The Mayor has saidthat they have been trying for more than a year with little success in terms of acquiring funds fromWashington.

It gets frustrating, I’m sure. But it’s never an easy proposition trying to milk money fromWashington. Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Pataki need to press harder at getting New York Cityapproved for the funds that they were supposed to receive for 9/11.

Another option the Governor mentioned during his interview with the Daily News was to rework theleases of the city’s two major airports. Both JFK International and LaGuardia Airports operate under thePort Authority and the Governor wants them to pay more money for their lease from the city. The PortAuthority pays the city approximately $3 million and a portion of their revenue to run both airports everyyear. The New York Times has reported an approximate total of $320 million if the city gets its way.But, how realistic are these numbers right now?

For now, nothing is certain. I just hope that all players involved in making public policies are morecreative in problem solving for both the state, as well as the city. If the government wants to rebuild likethey have been telling the public, they should first understand that the people who work and live here arethe ones that make the city what it is.

The Department of SocialSciences is pleased to announce

a new certificate program in

Infant/Toddler Day Care

The program provides academiccoursework and field experience

to prepare students for the certification examination.

For information contact Dr. Julie Siverlsat 718-631-6022 or

JSiverls@qcc.cuny.edu

3Queensborough Communiqué, November 2002

Early RetirementContinued from page 1

the past ten years. CUNY Chancellor Matthew Goldstein said,

“Participation in the ERI provides the university anopportunity to re-shape the full time faculty ranksconsistent with the master plan, and also providesan opportunity to re-think administrative structureswhile reducing costs and position counts.” Collegeswill be expected to fully replace all faculty whoretire under the Early Retirement Incentives, con-sistent with the University’s Master Plan and col-lege goals and objectives. As for non-teaching per-sonnel, Goldstein said, “Colleges will be expectedto re-structure administrative support in a mannerthat reduces cost and proves greater efficiencies.”

However, while this retirement-replacementplan is intended to improve the condition of oureconomy, the concern of losing staff members withkey positions and consequentially detracting fromthe quality of education still lingers. Department ofEducation Resource Specialist Karl Folkes said.“When you do replacements, you do not normallylook at it from an educational standpoint, simply aneconomic standpoint. If you look at the impact itcould have on the quality of education, especiallywith the issue of higher standards, is it a gain or aloss? Economically speaking and looking at theshort-term effects, it is definitely an economic gain,but we must not forget to look at how the long termcould affect us. Replacing senior full time facultymembers with new, lower-income employees,could have a negative impact on the education.”

Speaking on this issue, Ellen Adams, QCCDirector of Payroll, said, “It really depends on thetitles of which employees actually leave and whichpositions are left vacant. A lot of people are eligi-ble, but we really don’t know the numbers yet.”Olga Salamanca, College Assistant in The Officeof Faculty and Staff Relations, predicted that thenumbers of staff and faculty that plan to takeadvantage of the new ERA would not be availableuntil late December.

Frank Patinelli said, “If key-positions retire, itwould be a problem. Some administrative posi-tions, for example, cannot be replaced. If they can-not be replaced, this may cause a problem.”However, not much thought has been put towardsthe ERI’s possible after-effect.

When asked about what would take place inthe worst-case scenario, if these ‘key-positions’cannot be replaced and are left vacant, Patinellisaid, “We would just try to do the best we couldwith the resources we have available.”

QCC’s Shining StarContinued from page 1

Whether in the theater or in speech, Prof.Simons believes that the ability of an individual tocommunicate effectively will have a great impacton their careers and overall success in life. “All ofthe people we speak to in industry tell us thatcommunication skills are the most important inbeing able to work with others on the job,” hesays. That is why he works hard to impart to stu-dents the necessity of critical thinking and beingable to properly communicate thoughts and ideasto help them achieve and be successful in all thatthey do.

Asked about rumors on campus that he isconsidering retiring, Prof. Simons respondedlaughingly, “Well, a lot of people would be con-sidering it after all these years.” But it seemsclear that the fire and passion he has for teachinghas not yet gone out. Whatever happens, it isclear to all who have known him and worked withhim that Bob Simons had made a great contribu-tion to the lives of students, colleagues andfriends over the years. Whether instructing in thefront of a lecture hall or bringing words to life onstage, Professor Bob Simons is a class act.

As I was taking the E train from Queens toManhattan, I bumped into a young fellow whohappened to be a recording engineer. Describingthe ins and outs of the music industry, heexplained how he got started in the competitiveindustry of music engineering. Wanting to be amusician and trying to record his own work wasmotivation for his persistence. His desire torecord his own songs contributed to how he beganin the technical side of the music industry. Nowhe is proud to mention the various rap artists andknown musicians that he has been able to workwith such as Nas, Onyx, and others as well.

His knowledge of music engineering was andstill is self-taught; he didn’t have any formalschooling for music engineering. That commentstruck a chord, maybe not a musical chord; butnevertheless, a chord of curiosity. And after the

young fellow and I departed from each other, Icontinued to wonder if it was worth it. If thewhole process of going to school and paying allthat money on education for a music engineeringdegree, whose credits are probably not transfer-able, is worth more than investing on equipmentand getting industry experience.

Searching for an answer on the QCC campusand in a recording studio in New York City, Iquestioned the music engineering program directorof Queensborough and some of his students andassociates. I was concerned that the college ofQueensborough and every other school with amusic engineering program were giving false hopeto students who would be thinking that theirdegree would be considered of a greater value thana newly experienced individual. Some musicengineer freelancers in a New York City studioexplained that from their perspective once onecould invest and get familiar with their own equip-ment, then that person could easily invest time andenergy in networking and freelancing as an inde-pendent engineer. Furthermore, many successfulengineers have developed through the musicindustry where the only credit one receives is fromthe positive feedback of a customer or a repeat ofclienteles. And where there are no extra-curricularactivities, required courses, and the best of all—not having to go to gym, is a big plus for some ofthese engineers.

Nonetheless, “[one] would benefit from theprogram to the degree [one] puts into it,” saidProfessor Allan Kashkin, the program director ofQueensborough’s music engineering department.For a student who puts serious effort in practicingwhat the music engineering program has offered,the student’s chances of becoming a successfulengineer are enhanced. One wonders, shouldn’tthose rules apply to those freelancers who are notstudents? Not really, all because the program atQueensborough was designed to teach students thebasics of volume, panning, equalization, effectsand then the advancement of engineering. But it

doesn’t stop there; the program has six requiredmusic engineering courses that the students haveto fulfill. Once those courses are completed thefun begins and the students are sent to variouscompanies that deal with music engineering forinternships. The students are graded in these internjobs by the head engineer of the company. AsProfessor Kashkin stated earlier, how much onebenefits from the program depends on what theyput into it. The internship position is a guaranteedexperience for the students in a competitive fieldthat requires more than just the academic degree tobreak into the industry.

Several students who are majoring in musicengineering shared their comments about the pro-gram. The majority of them had a positiveresponse. Carlos Bayley, a student in the musicengineering lab who has five mixes, mentioned, “Iwas first intimidated by the program,” but now hefeels “there was much to learn from it.” Head lab-oratory engineer Ron said Carlos seemed out ofplace in the beginning and worked himself up tobe one of the best students.

Carlos and other students such as Peter, Jorge

Orozco, and Juan Corea all agreed that the break-ing down of Funk, Jazz, R&B, and Rock whenexposed to the students in the laboratory and thementoring of the professors makes it easier tocomplete the difficulty of the courses. “The pro-fessors show you things that you wouldn’t eventhink of if you had your own studio,” mentionedJorge Orozco.

Juan Corea spoke about how he enjoyedworking with other students in various projects,and the opportunity to network on future collabo-rations with former and present students. RobAnderson, a student who was mixing in a track ofhis classmate’s performance, was excited to startinterning the following semester. And Peter,another student in the program had a few moresemesters to go but would get anxious when justthinking about entering the music industry as acareer.

Still in all, the question remained, is experi-ence worth more than education? ProfessorKashkin replied, “It depends on the job, industry,and the individual’s experience . . . .” As for theacademic experience, “Yes, it’s worth it becauseone learns the four elements of basic engineering,and then the internship gives the students theirfirst industry experience.” Professor Kashkin con-tinued to explain that the music program inQueensborough has developed to be a veryrespectable program among professionals in the music industry. Although the program sounds very promising at Queensborough, it is still hard work and perseverance that creates success in any industry.

A Music Engineering Career: Is it Only Academic?

BY JOSE CAMPOS

Students practicing in the music engineering labs

Student mixing in the music engineering lab.

4 Queensborough Communiqué, November 2002

In an effort to increase voter participation among young voters, ages 18-24,in the upcoming gubernatorial race ‘Speak Up NY!’, a month long mobile cam-paign was designed to travel throughout New York State visiting 45 sites in 21different cities. On September 30th Queensborough Community College wasamong its many stops.

Created in response to an alarming decline in voter turnout among theyoungest eligible voters the goal of ‘Speak Up NY’ is “…about giving studentsthe sense of empowerment, giving them access to dialogue with candidates andelected officials so that young people become participants in political dialoguenot just subjects of political dialogue. Another way of saying it is we wantpoliticians not to talk about students but to talk with them,” said Justin M.Krebs, Outreach Director of ‘Speak Up NY!’

The campaign planned to facilitate this dialogue through the use of itsCybercar, a production studio on wheels with a large video screen mounted onits exterior. With their permission, students were asked to convey their politicalconcerns in the form of a question and have it taped.These messages were then compiled and edited basedon shared commonalities and prevalent themes. As theproducer of ‘Speak Up NY!’ Matt O’Neil said, “We’refinding the questions most frequently asked that reflectmany different New Yorkers and we’re using those. What we hope to find isthat young people in Brooklyn have some of the same concerns as young peo-ple in Buffalo.”

At the end of the tour each gubernatorial candidate was shown those ques-tions which were most representative of young voters in New York and thengiven an opportunity to respond. Their responses as well as the questions werethen edited into part of a program also titled ‘Speak Up NY!’ which aired onPBS and its state affiliates on October 30th at 4:30 p.m.

Due to a collaborative effort between NYPIRG (New York Public InterestResearch Group), CUNY and the coordinators of ‘Speak Up NY!’Queensborough was chosen to be one of the campuses visited earlier on in thetour. According to Krebs such a collaboration was conducive to the goals of thecampaign because “…NYPIRG is all over the state. NYPIRG is a terrific non-partisan organization with the same goal that we want to achieve: to generateexcitement, to generate energy for more engagement. They understand that par-ticipation is what is going to make the political process stronger: Participationfrom voters, from activists, from politicians, from teachers, from students.”

As a result ‘Speak Up NY!’ planned to visit all campuses with an NYPIRGchapter; approximately twenty in all. The event at Queensborough occurred onMonday, September 30th from 1p.m. to 3 p.m. in the Humanities Quad.

Those attending the rally had had various opinions on what the generalconcerns of the average Queensborough Community College student body.Drawing from prior campaigning experience both Krebs and O’Neil noted thatcollege students focused more intently on the condition of the economy. “Ithink you find out that college students are a little more aware of economic con-cerns and job prospects and things like that,” stated O’Neil.

However, those with a closer professional attachment to QueensboroughCommunity College believed that the issue of affordable tuition would be ofparticular importance to the average Queensborough Community College stu-dent. For instance, Queensborough’s Vice President, Patricia Evanoski Maherstated, “I think that the political concern is the tuition and amount of financialaid that is available. Our students like all community colleges and all communi-ty college students have multiple roles and responsibilities: many of them, 70%of our students, work. They work not only to have the experience but many ofthem need the money to go to college.” This opinion was supported by MartyMarkovits, NYPIRG Project Coordinator at Queensborough CommunityCollege: “…these students here can’t afford the tuition right now. I come fromCalifornia; all community colleges in California are free. New York has thehighest tuition of all states. I think it’s second after Texas; out of fifty it’s prettyhigh. In order for there to be social mobility and for people to get better jobsyou need affordable education.”

However, Phil Derner, a Queensborough studentwho participated in the rally and asked a question per-taining to the recognition of the Constitution party,indicated upon reflection that he was mainly concernedabout the threat of terrorism: “I don’t think that the

governor of New York would have too much pull in something that is so globalbut that’s probably my biggest concern to go through something like we did on9-11 and to know that so many things could happen to us and that so many peo-ple are in danger. I think that should be the top concern for a lot of people now-a-days.” Suggesting that within the current social context traditionally held atti-tudes of certain voting blocks may have shifted.

Perhaps the best gauge for the campaign’s success was offered by Mr.Krebs, “…we’re not going around with an agenda, we’re not specifically advo-cates for higher education, or advocates for better recycling policies or advo-cates for a job market that is more conducive to young people getting in. We’readvocates for the youth of New York saying what’s on their minds,” and whilesome students were uncertain about whether the campaign would affect thedesired changes in voter participation among young voters most could agreethat the ‘Speak Up NY!’ campaign encourages a wider platform for the voice ofthe youth. “It’s a good idea for some people to hear what they have got to say,”said Towan Hopkins, 19.

QCC Students Speaking UpBY VENESSA N. SINGHROY

“Speak Up NY!”

Smallpox Vaccination ProposedBY JEREMY SACHER

At the CDC (The Centers for Disease Control) in Atlanta, Georgia a commit-tee voted on a bill that would recommend vaccinating about 510,000 hospitalemployees against smallpox. This all comes after the initial proposal from theBush administration was redundant. The Centers for Disease Control andPrevention Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted 8-1 for the pro-posal, which calls for hospital personnel who would encounter a biological attack.

The hospital personnel would include emergency room doctors and nurses tobe inoculated first. After the doctors and nurses are vaccinated then it will bepassed on to healthcare, emergency workers, firefighters and police workers. It’slike a chain of command procedure; people with the highest medical ranking aresevered foremost. This would require 6 to 10 million doses of the vaccination.After all these people have been treated it would be offered to the general public.

In 1980 the smallpox virus was eradicated, claimed the WHO (World HealthOrganization), and the immunization programs that help the virus’s disappearancewere also eradicated. People in high official rankings dread that terrorists may havebeen able to obtain samples of this terrible virus and use it toward biological warfare.

One administration worried that the Saddam Hussein might have smallpoxsamples. “Many hospitals, particularly those with negative pressure rooms needto be prepared, because you can’t say where smallpox patients will arrive,” Dr.Guthrie Birkhead told The Associated Press. Birkhead stated that their previousplan was flawed for several reasons including the fact that some hospitals didnot require the notoriety of being the “regional smallpox hospital.”

It’s been over two decades since a person has died from the smallpox virus.Doctors and officials have been doing an excellent job, or so we think, of con-taining this plague that once took millions of lives each year. When the WorldHealth Organization launched its immunization program in 1967, 2 million to 3million people worldwide met their makers each year from smallpox. The lastnaturally occurring case of smallpox was reported in Somalia in 1977.

For more information, contact www.thewashingtonpost.com, NationalVaccine Information Center, UCLA Dept. of Epidemiology, <http://smallpox-vaccination101.com>

6 Queensborough Communiqué, November 2002

Required courses are designed for students preparation in a chosen fieldof study, yet many students resent having to take required courses mandatedby curricula. The New York State of Education Department determines manyof these requirements in order to offer a degree in specific fields of study. Theimportance of having these requirements is that after taking these courses youuse the knowledge of what you’ve learned for the future.

For example, you might not like a course, let’s say, “Introduction toMusic,” and you feel that you don’t need this course. But, in life it is good toknow about it. That way later on in the future you never know who you’regoing to meet in society. You might bump into a musician and if you don’tknow anything about the simplest piece of music or a famous composer youmight feel left out. That is why it is always good to know something boringeven if you don’t like it. Later on you won’t regret taking that specific coursethat you said was not worth it. At least you will end up knowing somethingand having some interest in what you have learned from remembering a littleof it.

Having required courses might seem like a waste of time to students, but,at the same time, it really affects what is going to happen in the future. It getsstudents out into the world to explore different things and having theserequirements can definitely increase their ability to socialize better and havebetter relationships with different people.

What we are focusing on are the students at QCC. They have been com-plaining on campus “if we should review the need for required courses.” Moststudents I’ve talked to on campus feel that taking required courses are a goodthing.

Patricia Javier, one of the students interviewed at QCC, gave her opinionon this problem of having required courses for the student’s own good. Shesays, “Taking required courses can lead us in the decision making of wherewe students want to go and letting students have the right to choose theirmajor interests.”

Ingrith Marin, another student at QCC, said, “I think we should haverequired courses, because without our requirements where are we going to bein the future if we don’t know these important subjects?”

Vanessa, another student on campus, expressed her perspective: “I feelthat having these requirements are very helpful to students. These coursesmight seem boring. I can understand how these students feel by being a stu-dent myself, but they need these requirements. In the future they would knowit was worth it after all.”

Mr. Walpuck, an academic advisor, is also an art history professor at the“C” building on campus and commented about the need for required courses.From an art professor’s perspective he explained, “I’m against required cours-es being deducted because these requirements are carefully planned programsand chosen for students’ benefits in getting appropriate material and goingtowards a degree.”

Furthermore, Walpuck continued in a serious tone of voice, “First of all,in order for students to be satisfied with their courses, the ideal is to have agood instructor.” Walpuck also emphasized that students must be receptive tothe course material that they are taking and keep a positive attitude towardsthe course.

“I also think that putting together degree programs are a good idea. Theintended purpose of including subject matter is of finishing a particulardegree. The good thing is that recently , the required credits have beenreduced to 60. It used to be 63-67 credits in order to graduate. After it hasbeen deducted, students are now able to transfer their credits earlier to anothercollege and are able to graduate earlier,” Walpuck remarked.

Students Review the Need for Required Courses at QCC

BY JENNIFER CHOU

College Now: A Great JumpStart for High School

StudentsBY DEMITRI DIAKANTONIS

The College Now program is designed to help high school juniors andseniors earn college credits while they are still enrolled in high school. Theywould take a college class before or after their regular high school day.Regular college professors or high school teachers that were approved byCUNY and the school to teach college level classes teach the courses.

This program has been running at Queensborough since the spring of1998. It originally started out at two high schools, teaching only the prerequi-site courses that are required to take any credit courses such as Math andEnglish. Now the program has expanded tremendously to seventeen differenthigh schools, teaching all the major courses that are required for graduationsuch as Math, English, and Biology along with several other courses.

Ms. Bobby Brauer is the director of the College Now program atQueensborough. She believes that students who participate in this programhave an easier time making the transition to college. Eligibility to participatein this program is determined by high school averages, regents and SATscores. Is not knowing what college life is really like one of the reasons thatso many students are reluctant to go to college after high school? "Manydon’t have the opportunities, or the requirements, or they are fearful of it,"commented Brauer. One advantage of the College Now program is that it’sfree. It is funded by CUNY and the state. It would be great if the programwere available to all high school students. Perhaps making it mandatory forall high school seniors would also be a good idea. Brauer believes that every-one has the potential to succeed in this program and in college, "If they putthe work in, they could succeed."

Hopefully, more and more students would start participating in this pro-gram. Bobbi Brauer has no doubt about the future growth of this program, "Ithink as it becomes more effective and more understood that more studentswould take advantage of it."

Ms. Barbara Brauer, director of College Now program.

7Queensborough Communiqué, November 2002

Holiday seasons tend to give us the bingebug. A few more appetizers, another piece ofcake, another glass of punch… It’s easy to loseboth the “balance” and the “diet” in a “balanceddiet” when the opportunities are endlessly placedin front of us ... holiday celebrations, family gath-erings and friendly festivities.

Twists on holiday traditions, such as fillingdecorative dishes with potpourri instead of candyand exchanging gifts of handmade ornamentsrather than cookies will help make the seasonhealthier for you and your family.

Here are some other ideas:• Maintain variety in your food consumption each

day. • Watch portion sizes. • Watch the fat in your holiday diet; fill up on

fruits and vegetables to satisfy hunger. • Drink a couple glasses of water before party-

going or party-giving. • Be aware of the calories consumed when the

cook tastes while cooking. • Avoid, where possible, the excesses of extras

like gravy, cream, butter, sour cream and may-onnaise.

• Choose white poultry without the skin. • Socialize with friends and family while taking a

few walks around the block. • Avoid eating standing up. • If you decide to splurge, make it worthwhile by

choosing something you really enjoy ... then justhave a small portion.

• If you use alcoholic beverages, moderate youralcohol intake, and don't consume alcohol at allif you are driving.

Like many people who enjoy celebrating theholidays, you may view the season with both

anticipation and anxiety. The scrumptious mealsand delicious desserts are sensational, but theadded pounds are unwanted. This year, however,does not have to be the same.

Ever wonder how many calories a typicalthanksgiving dinner contains? Well this chartprovides for this information.Typical Thanksgiving Dinner AnalysisMenu Items Per Serving Calories FatTurkey with skin 8 oz. 460 18Homemade stuffing 5 oz. 500 20Homemade gravy 1/2 cup 330 24Candied Sweet Potatoes 1/2 cup 200 1Mashed potatoes 1/2 cup 190 8Cranberry sauce 1/4 cup 105 0Broccoli w/cheese sauce 1/2 cup 170 82 biscuits 290 201 tablespoon of butter 100 111 slice of pumpkin pie 320 163 Tbsp. whipped cream 150 182 6 oz. glasses of wine 220 0Grand Total 3035 Kcals 144grmChart adapted from Susan Barlow, RD, LD, CDE

Here are some salt substitutions that are fullof flavor and a whole lost healthier:

Tasty Salt-Substitute Blends Soup Blend: basil, parsley, marjoram, thyme,

savory, baySalad Blend: basil, parsley, marjoram, dill, tar-

ragonFish Blend: basil, dill, fennel, savory, rosemaryPoultry Blend: sage, thyme, parsley, rosemary,

basilPasta Blend: basil, thyme, oregano, parsley

Here are some recipes that are still as tasty asthe originals but with less fat!

Herb Roasted Turkey with Natural Gravy(Makes 12 servings with leftovers)1 14 pound turkey, with giblets 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley 2 Tbsp fresh thyme or 2 Tsp crushed dried 1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tsp dried 1 Garlic clove, minced 1 Tsp olive oil Salt (optional) and ground pepper 2 Onions, peeled and cut into quarters 2 Carrots, peeled and sliced 2 Celery ribs with leaves, coarsely chopped 3 Cups fat-free low-sodium canned chicken broth 3 Sprigs fresh parsley 1 Small bay leaf

Preheat over to 350ºF. Remove the giblets andneck from the turkey cavity and discard the liver.Rinse the turkey, giblets and neck, discard theneck skin. Place 1 quarter onion in the cavity. Tiethe legs together. In a small bowl, combinechopped parsley, thyme, rosemary, garlic, andolive oil. Rub the herb mixture over the turkey.Roast for 15 minutes, and then cover turkey withheavy-duty aluminum foil. Roast for 2 hours.Meanwhile, place turkey neck, giblets, quarteronion, carrot, celery, broth, parsley sprigs, and bayleaf in large saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heatand simmer for 30 minutes. Discard parsley andbay leaf. Strain the giblet stock and vegetables andchill stock until ready to use. Remove the foil fromturkey after 2 hours, cut strings on the turkey legs.Continue roasting, basting from time to time forabout 45 minutes to 1 hour. Then, transfer turkeyto a large platter. Meanwhile, pour the drippingsfrom the roasting pan through a strainer into asmall freezer-proof bowl. Place bowl in freezer for

Seasons Eatings and Healthy Holidays!BY MARIA INGOGLIA

Continued on page 11

8 Queensborough Communiqué, November 2002

STRESSED? TRY YOGA!BY VINCENZA PATTI

Stress is surrounding people on a daily basis. And as we all know collegelife can be very stressful. The competition for grades, relationships, and careerchoices all in themselves can cause a great deal of stress. Students need notonly focus on the mental area while in college. We need to find a balancebetween the academic, spiritual, and physical area in our lives.

An effective stress management includes healthy diet and exercise habits.Yoga is the latest, oldest exercise craze. They’re over 20 million followersstretched out across the country. This ancient exercise regiment is sweeping thecountry. Many followers turn to Yoga because of its stress reducing factors.

The word Yoga comes from the Sanskrit word “Yuj” meaning “joinedtogether.”

In India, Yoga is considered one of the six branches of philosophy. Youcan find it being referred to through ancient scriptures. Yoga’s roots stretchback over 5,000 years. It is designed to enable people to begin from theirimmediate, present state of consciousness and move forward into a state ofwholeness.

Yoga focuses on breathing which has a healing effect on a physical andemotional level. Deep breathing helps by oxygenating the blood and loweringthe stress response. Yoga gives you a break from the mental and emotionalstrain college students’ experience. Yoga acts as relaxation and clearing ofyour head for a while. It can be compared to a free vacation. It’s a way of get-ting away, so when you go back to your usual routine it doesn’t seem as bad.

Yoga can help you to achieve learning to manage stress, which can helpyou to better deal with being under pressure. This can be very helpful espe-cially during midterms and finals. Yoga is like a medium between academiaand spirituality. Queensborough Community College offers yoga courses forall those students interested who want to relieve stress and get college credit atthe same time.

Sure, that tattoo was looking hot on the wall atthe tattoo spot that day in July, and you probablythought that you’d be with that “love of your life”forever. But like many other things, regret can fol-low when you take a drastic and permanent turn.While you may have been rebelling against yourparents, showing your love for someone, or justfollowing one of the latest trends, you really don’trealize through the pain and annoying after care ofyour piece of body art, that there might come atime that you wish you never got it.

Years ago, we wouldn’t have had a choice.We would have been stuck looking at the name ofan ex that we hate we hate so much or, if some ofus were really rebellious and wanted to do it our-selves, the ugliest dragon or cross we’ve everdrawn. But thanks to today’s amazing (and stillimproving) technology, we can finally get rid ofthat memory we’d LOVE to forget.

In case you haven’t heard, there is a laser pro-cedure that can vaporize your tattoo through eachlayer of skin.

Before jumping into the process, everyonemust have an evaluation with the aestitician, theperson who performs the procedure. Don’t worry.Its free, painless, and doesn’t require much time.This is when you talk to the aestitician about theroutine, how effective it’ll be on your tattoo, andget a price.

Smooth Laser Hair Removal on LexingtonAvenue and East 58 Street offers free consultationswith a licensed cosmetologist, Dr. Carol O’Brien,who has been doing tattoo removals for five years.

With the new laser technology being used bymost tattoo removal experts today, there is no scar-ring. When the idea of tattoo removals came aboutand people actuallly started getting it done, heatwas used to burn the tattoo away which resulted inburning of the skin leaving scarring and irritation.This heat method does not provide 100% removalof the tattoo and, what’s worse, it’s a great deal ofpain. Some even have the nerve to still use the old-fashioned heat technique today, even though thereis the new laser, ND Yag, which is quicker anddoesn’t put the patient in as much discomfort.

The laser procedure can be done on anyone ofany race, removing any dark color, like hairremoval, which detects and burns away by color.Because of that, many black people who get laserhair removal get badly burned, all because thelaser can not tell the difference between the hairand the skin. You don’t even get burned, whichmeans there is no scarring. There is only possibleredness and swelling, which would only last for afew days and can be treated with simpleNeosporin, an ointment to soothe skin irritation.

Whether a tattoo has many colors or, light ordark, all colors can be removed. The laser processworks best on blue, black, and red. The secondeasiest colors to remove are violet, yellow andorange and most difficult are light blues andgreens. Some colors are more difficult becausethere are different hand pieces ( each cost about$10,000) attached to the laser that would have tobe changed. These changes are necessary becausethere sometimes are different metals and materials

in the ink that are difficult to get out. The whole laser tattoo removal procedure

seems to be very effective a majority of the time.Some tattoos can be removed more easily with ageand depending on how the tattoo was done.Observing some of Dr. O’Brien’s work, and seeingthe difference before and after the procedure, sometattoos went away more on certain parts becausesome tattoos can tire the artist and they’ll only goover the tattoo once, making it look dark to thenaked eye but actually only being one layer of ink.

Now, of course what everyone probably wantsto know is the price, how long does it take, andhow painful is it really.

While the procedure can actually last fromanywhere between 5 - 10 treatments ( the actuallaser treatment lasts about 30 seconds to a minute,depending on the size of the tattoo, of course), atSmooth, Dr. O’Brien charges between $150 and$300, one of the least expensive fees for tattooremoval in New York City. Now this may seemridiculous, but there are others that have no prob-lem charging you a whole lot more. As for the painfactor, of course it is going to hurt. No one said itwasn’t. The pain is definitely more than actuallygetting the tattoo, but it doesn’t last as long, or sothey say.

Just look at it this way, now you can make thedecision about getting rid of your “tat”. So, goodluck with your laser removal, if that’s what youdecide to do, and next time think hard before youchoose to tattoo.

Tattoo Regret?BY HABIBA ABDULKHABIR

9Queensborough Communiqué, November 2002

Encouraged by their most prized goals,young people nowadays have their lives dividedbetween school and work . In order to achieve amore successful living in our modern 24-hoursociety, they spend their sleeptime working.That’s why it is important and critical for thenight timers to understand the daily (circadian)rhythms of our bodies, because we can learn howto avoid fatigue, keep in good physical shape andobtain the sleep and nutrition you need to staysafe, happy and healthy.

The word circadian comes from a Latinphrase meaning "about a day." Circadianrhythms are physiological and behavioral charac-teristics that follow a daily, or circadian, pattern.Our bodies display hundreds of these circadianrhythms; a few of the most important are sleepand wakefulness, body temperature, blood pres-sure, and the production of hormones and diges-tive secretions. Circadian rhythms are controlledby a "biological clock" in the brain, a tiny bunchof cells known as the suprachiasmatic nucleus, orSCN. The SCN is strongly influenced by the dailychange between sunlight and darkness, withmorning sunlight promoting early wakefulnessand darkness setting the stage for sleep. Inessence we are programmed by our circadianrhythm to sleep at night and to be awake in thedaytime.

For most people it is difficult to concentrateand maintain alertness between midnight and 7a.m. and to sleep during the daylight hours."Working at night means going against one’sbody’s natural tendencies" (circadian.com), sim-ply because after keeping a daytime schedule dur-ing several days, circadian rhythms are out ofbeat with their new schedule of working at nightand sleeping in the daytime. This can lead to acondition known as "industrial jet lag," which isdefined as the fatigue that results when the bodyhasn’t yet adjusted to shift changes. It usuallytakes several days to get accustomed to a shiftchange because circadian rhythms can only shiftan hour or two per day when a person changes hisor her sleep schedule. After three or four nightshifts, a person’s body still won’t be 100% adjust-

ed to night work, but circadian rhythms shouldshift enough so that it’s somewhat easier to stayalert throughout the night.

There are many health problems associatedwith a disturbance in the sleep circadian rhythm.These can be temporary or due to a lack in thecircadian rhythm in the body. These includeSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) where therhythm is disturbed due to the change in length ofday, delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS) whichis caused by a circadian rhythm abnormality caus-ing the sufferer’s body to want to sleep later thannormal. More temporary problems include jetlag, insomnia and mood and eating disorderscaused by working late shifts.

Meditation and exercise are very helpful andinexpensive ways to restore circadian rhythmswhich helps to eliminate the stress that has dis-rupted the body clock . These two are also effec-tive in restoring energy as a nap can be, helpingyou at the same time to maintain your health andphysical condition. There are also more complexsolutions for more complex problems, such likelight therapy, which help reset a person’s bodyclock by stimulating the brain’s photoreceptors,and also sauna therapy which is used to relievestiffness and to re-acquire the body’s natural heal-ing processes.

We live in a society that operates 24 hours aday. American businesses, such as night clubs,restaurants, cafes, fast food places and others,gain a great deal from being open late or even 24hours. Benefits include access to global markets,better use of capital assets, customer convenienceand more money in our pockets because we allagree that the majority of night time jobs pay verywell and provide customer convenience. Butthere is also a price some would have to pay forbeing part of this night time society, a price thataffects your life by turning it upside down.

To obtain more information on the subject,log on to circadian.com.

"Let’s see... am I getting up orgoing to bed?"

THE PRICE OF A NIGHT TIMESOCIETY

BY FERNANDA ORTEGA

The Pros and Consof Plastic Surgery

BY CHRISTINE MONTALBANO

In the past thirty years the amount of cosmet-ic surgeries performed in the United States hasdefinitely increased. Cosmetic surgery hasbecome so mainstream that people are using seri-ous medical techniques improving their physicalappearance whether it is a tuck at the tummy orvacuuming some fat cells off your thighs. It’s notjust for people with serious problems or injuriesthat make this rise in surgical operations notice-able.

Now cosmetic surgery is for the averagepetite 5’5 woman who weighs 130 lbs. Whothinks there is just a little too much fat on herinner thighs, so she’s getting liposuction toremove the fat and paying a couple of thousanddollars for the procedure. She could just as easilywork out for a month or two, strengthen and tight-en her body herself, and do it free of charge.

The cost, however, is one downside to plasticsurgery. There are now many ways to pay forthese expensive procedures. You can finance theprocedure to save you time and money, or you canpay monthly. Financing is very helpful for peoplewho just cannot spend around $3,000 single pro-cedure.

Another downside would be your welfare. Itis possible you can suffer injuries after the proce-dure. Some people have even died. When youeven consider plastic surgery, you have to be sureyou’ve research the specific procedure and theplastic surgeon because you don’t want to take achance with your life just to make yourself lookbetter. So be sure to know your doctor and hiswork; ask him or her questions.

A great upside of plastic surgery is how youfeel and look afterwards. Your self-esteem goessky high and you just feel beautiful. There is nbetter feeling than that. For example, you havehad a nose job and you are not scared to put yourhair up to show your face. Another advantage isthat after getting liposuction n your arms, you canwear a tank top without feeling self-conscious.Plastic surgery can make you feel the best youhave ever felt. So if you have any thoughts aboutplastic surgery research on the procedure andespecially the surgeon that you plan on using.

10 Queensborough Communiqué, November 2002

“Medal of Honor: Allied Assault” is every bitequal to “Return to Castle of Wolfenstein”, but forthe opposite reasons. Whereas Wolfenstein iscloser to Kelly’s Heroes (you steal the Nazis’ goldand then you kill ‘em), MoH is closer to SavingPrivate Ryan (you simply survive Omaha, youdon’t win it). And while Wolf’s singe-play was arespectable prelude to the brilliant multiplay, MoHhas an absorbing single-player experience cappedoff by some fun, if unspectacular, multiplayermayhem.

We all knew MoH would be more realisticthan Wolf---there’s no undead in it, after all. WhatI was surprised to find is that the game is still moreQuake III than Day of Defeat. The damage model-ing is rather forgiving: not only can you take eightor nine shots and survive, but unless you make ahead shot on an enemy, you’ll have to fill the Nazisoldier full of lead as well. Simply running over acarteen or finding a medic instantly heals you.Ammo and health packs are never in short supply,and there’s no fatigue meter.

Gamers looking for “Ghost Recon circa 1944”may be disappointed by the emphasis on actionover realism. You can hold half-a-dozen WWII-eraweapons easily, you don’t have to worry aboutblood loss or encumbrance, and the enemy neverplugs you in the dome. And strangely, while theenemies can go prone, you cannot, which furtheremphasizes the rush-and-kill tactics. It’s not thatthere’s anything wrong with run-and-gun shooters;it’s just a bit strange to see one set in such a “real-istic” period setting.

Even though MoH’s basic gameplay hasn’tevolved since the first game in the series (aPlayStation FPS), professional developers can dosomething most mod can’t: use superb production

values to create an incredibly intense experience.Nothing captures this sensation more than the nowfamous D-Day amphibious-assault level. Eventhough I’d seen every one of the game play moviesreleased on the web, actually playing the missionwas one of the most gripping experiences I’ve hadon the PC in a long time. I found myself literallyhunched over my keyboard, as if keeping my headbelow the top of my monitor would make me lesslikely to get hit by shrapnel. It’s so much fun thatafter it was over I reloaded it just to play it again.

While the rest of the game isn’t as manic asstorming the beaches of Normandy, the other sce-narios are still very good and nicely varied.Missions have you join a squad to free an SASofficer, recon a German outpost, sabotage a sub,destroy a POW camp, and in one instance, com-mandeer a Panzer tank for some wholesaledestruction. You’re never in control of your AIcomrades, but fortunately, they’re reliable andpretty self-sufficient.

Though the game doesn’t have the team-basedsophistication of other shooters, it does provide afast and fun experience through some expertlycrafted multiplayermaps.

Modes include team deathmatch, as well asobjective based battles through crumbling urbanenvironments. Picking sides and weapons is asnap, and it isn’t long before you’re in the action.

Despite the ordinary AI and gameplay, Medalof Honor places its emphasis exactly where itshould be: on simple fun. Few things are thrillingthan running for your life while gunning downNazis in a bombed-out French town in the rain.Say what you want about the game’s innovation,but at least it’s fun.

Medal of Honor: Allied AssaultBY DAVID MALAYER

Now You Can Leavethe Dentist Smiling

BY MICHAEL ALVARADO

Dreading that next visit to the dentist willsoon become a thing of the past. Thanks to a“hydrokinetic process” which makes the use ofdrills and novocaine obsolete. Now there will be afaster, more effective and far less painful way tohandle dental procedures. Tiny “laser energized”water droplets will wash away all unwanteddecay. The process takes plae when atomizedwater is combined with laser energy cratinghydrokinetic energy. When used on the teeth thiswater washes away tissue, enamel, dentin, cavi-ties, and soft tissue with ease and comfort.

Dr. Sandip Sachar, a manhattan cosmeticdentist and member of the Academy of GeneralDentistry explained the difference from rotarydrills. She said, “the laser does not create friction-al heat, the cuase of most discomfort from thepast. Since this laser-hydrokinetic cutting doesnot transmit heat or vibration, most dental proce-dures will be performed without the use of anes-thesia.” 98% of the patients felt no pain whentreated with this process. Over 50% of the U.S.population do not see the dentist regularlybecause of “dental fear.” This can cause manyproblems with teeth loss.

At the University of the Pacific in SanFrancisco successful test trials were run with noanesthesia. The results were staggering. There isalso a “soft-tissue diode laser”, which seals offnerve endings which ends the problem of bleed-ing, pain and swelling. This process was original-ly used for biopsies and the treatment of herpeticlessions and canker sores. This was a report fromDr. Rock Positano who is on the staff at the WeillMedical College of Cornell University.

11Queensborough Communiqué, October 2002

Approximately three months have passedsince the city of New York has implemented thelargest single item tax increase in its history,increasing taxes on cigarettes by a whoppingalmost 1900%

When this hike of $1.42 (8 cents) was firstdiscussed, local small business owners (mostlygrocery stores warned about a demoralizing effectit might have on local stores that depend on ciga-rettes for a quarter of their gross revenue. Also adramatic increase in bootlegging was viewed as anobvious aftertaste, as was the fleeting of cigarettesales to neighboring states with lesser taxes.

This new tax law has already delivered apunch in the face to many grocery owners, taking adevastating 50% of cigarette sales away fromthem. Many people have started depending ononline markets to get cheaper cigarettes. Web siteslike smokes.com and alleganytrail.com provide acarton of cigarettes (10 packs in each carton) forabout 30 dollars. Even after adding 6 dollars ship-ping and handling charges, the cost of a cartonbought online is still half of what one must payattempting to make the same retail in New YorkCity. As tax free cigarette sales online skyrocket,the chairman of the Tobacco Association of NewYork predicted a $250 million dollar loss everyyear. Another dilemma has been the smugglingthat has also taken a toll on cigarette sales revenue.

In low-income areas where small delis andbodegas have traditionally flourished, there is bla-tant dealing of illegal cigarettes. Sales to minors,which were declining duo to vigorous law enforce-ment, have started to increase as the illegal dealerssell to anyone with ready cash, no questions asked.

The abilities of New York City police depart-ment in controlling the illegal activities mentionedabove is heavily suspect. The department has beenprogrammed under the Giuliani administration tofight quality of life crimes like muggings andthefts on the street. The new police commissionerchosen by mayor Cloomberg, Commissioner RayKelly, is up for the task of reorganizing the depart-ment to be able to deal with its new priority whichis controlling terrorism. Therefore, under the 9-11crunches, dealing with smuggling of cigarettes is

easier said then done.It is noticeable to mention that the city cannot

give the department a much needed budgetincrease because of the enormous city budget gap.The budget gap that has manifested as a result ofthe economic recession and the September 11thattacks, that devastated the city’s powerful tourismindustry and destroyed many down town business-es. In addition, we will be witnessing unavoidableturf wars between different branches of the depart-ment, other police departments nationwide, andfederal investigations that will become involved asa result of the smuggling of cigarettes from foreignnations. Such turf wars have only manifestedthemselves in the war on narcotics.

The outlook for neighborhood economics isbleak. And if you assumed that these small busi-nesses are not important, think again. As JoeFernandez the president of the Bodega Owners’Association explains in an article in the DailyNews, “City bodegas and greengrocers account forhundreds of millions of dollars in annual sales.This business creates the lively foot traffic thathelps make our communities safer while providingjobs for tens of thousands of entry-level workers.”Mr. Fernandez who is deeply distressed by the taxhike also claims that his association and many oth-ers suggested alternative policies for increasingrevenue like modifying the city’s system of col-lecting fines. But as he so blatantly puts it, “Noone listened”.

Meanwhile, merchants of tobacco in borderingcounties and states, Nassau and Westchester coun-ties and New Jersey, have begun to capitalize onthe misguided policy as customers cross borders insearch of reasonable prices. Neighborhoodeconomies that are already struggling with therecession and the bitter aftertaste of September11th may not be able to survive the hemorrhagingthat is caused by these policies emerging from theBloomberg administration.

As neighborhood economies, heavily depen-dent on groceries and bodegas, take a free-fall andtax revenues drop, workers are laid off and therecession worsens.

Show Them theMoney

BY DENNIS PEREIVA

There are thousands of college athletes thatgive up their bodies and play in front of sold-outarenas and get free education in return. This is afair trade or should college athletes also get paidfor their skills? This debate has gone back andforth for many years and although things had notchanged, it might be time to do so. Stories ofboosters, agents and representatives from univer-sities offering high school kids cars and money toplay for their school have been reported for years.Universities have been suspended and put on pro-bation with important scholarships taken away forgiving gifts to student athletes and yet the rumorsof dirt business still remain.

Many American athletes come from lowincome families and do not have money to sup-port their every day needs. With the team travel-ing around playing games and a full time scheduleof classes, it’s hard to find a job and nor shouldthey have to. The universities across the countrymake a ton of money selling these athletes andwhether it comes to network television contractsor the ticket sales, some of that money should goto the kids. Injuries are also a major concern forathletes especially football players. Somebodycan play for three years in college and be great,then blow out a knee in his last season and profes-sional teams don’t want to touch him. His sportscareer could be over before it starts and he has nomoney to go home to show for it. The apparel theplayers promote also generates a lot of money andstill college keeps it all.

N.B.A. players who graduated from collegeyears ago are now seeing their past come backand haunt them. Chris Webber of the SacramentoKings is now facing charges for accepting giftsfrom the University of Michigan over ten yearsago. Chris Webber has played as a professionalfor ten years and now is forced to prove his, andMichigan University’s innocence. The Universityof Los Vegas (U.N.L.V.) enjoyed their basketballglory years during the late 80’s coached by TerryTerkaneian. The running rebels played in a coupleof final fours and won a national championship in1989. Thins quickly went bad for U.N.L.V. afterLarry Johnson, Greg Anthony, and StaceyAugmon entered the N.B.A. and the rumors ofillegal recruiting began to surface. JerryTarkaneian was fired as head coach and theschool was put on probation with scholarshipstaken away. U.N.L.B. has not been a competitiveteam for more than a decade and has lost all theappeal it once had. Another team that suffered afew bad seasons because of recruiting violationsis the University of Miami. They are college foot-balls national champion and the Hurricanes havenot lost a game in two years. They have come along way since the mid 90’s when they had noscholarships to give to star players and the teamsuffered bad season after bad season. MiamiUniversity was forced to take a back seat while instate rivals Florida, and Florida St recruited all thegood players. Unlike U.N.L.V. the MiamiHurricanes where able to turn their programaround and begin winning games again.

If college athletes were allowed to earn a liv-ing, then these problems with recruiting tech-niques would no longer be an issue and major uni-versities would not have to bribe athletes to attendtheir schools. Athletes would get the money theyneed and deserve and would not have to deal withthe situation Chris Webber is dealing with. Thisidea would cost the universities too much moneyand that’s why it probably will never happen. It’sa lot cheaper to pay one or two star players, thanit is to pay the whole team. Although universitiesface major problems if caught recruiting playersillegally, so few teams have actually gottencaught that it’s a risk worth taking and it savemoney for the university and money is always thebottom line.

Cigarette Tax Increase Causes EconomicFallout on Neighborhood Business

BY ALI R. AHMADI

then skim off the fat. Stir 1/4 cup of the reservedgiblet stock into the roasting pan and cook on thestove (medium-high heat), scraping up anybrowned bits. Transfer the mixture to a mediumsaucepan. Add the de-fatted drippings to thesaucepan along with the remaining giblet stock.Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10minutes, until gravy has thickened slightly. Addsalt (if using) and/or pepper to taste. Transfer gravyto a gravy boat. Carve the turkey discard the skin.

Nutritional Information Per ServingServing = 4 ounces turkey & 2 Tbsp of gravyCalories = 198, total fat = 6 g, cholesterol = 86 mgSodium = 89 mg, carbohydrate = 1 g, protein = 34 gExchange = 3 lean protein, 3 1/2 carbohydrate

Grilled Turkey with Garlic Sauce1/3 cup of minced parsley5 garlic cloves minced1/3 cup lemon juice1/4 cup olive oil1 tsp paprika1 tsp cuminDash cayenne pepper1 1/2 pound turkey slices, pounded to 1/4-inchthickness1 Tbsp olive oil for brushing on turkey whilegrilling

In a blender, blend all sauce ingredientstogether. Grill or broil the turkey slices 6 inches

from the heat source, brushing with olive oil tokeep moist. Grill on each side about 4 minutes.Top each slice with some of the sauce (about 2-3Tbsp per slice.)

Nutritional Information Per ServingServing Size: 3-4 oz2-3 Tbsp of sauce229 calories, 12 g fat, 28 g protein, 2 g cholesterol2 g carbohydrate, 52 gm sodium, 0 gm dietary fiberExchange = 4 lean meat

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes(Makes 6 servings)4 large cloves garlic in skins2 large baking potatoes, peeled & cut into quarters1 tsp margarine1/4 cup skim milk, heated

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place the garlic in asingle layer on aluminum foil and close securely.Bake in oven for 40 minutes until soft. While thegarlic is roasting, boil the potatoes until knife ten-der. Remove from water and place in a bowl withthe margarine. Mash completely. Squeeze the gar-lic pulp from each roasted clove into the potatoes.Add the milk and combine well. Sprinkle withpepper to taste.

Nutritional Information Per ServingPer 1/2 cup serving: calories = 102, total fat = 1 g,cholesterol = 0 mg, sodium = 20 mg, carbohy-drate = 22 g, protein = 3 gExchange = 1 1/2 carbohydrate

Healthy Holidays!Continued from page 7

12 Queensborough Communiqué, November 2002

What a mess. The New York Knicks may beheaded into a real disaster of a season after learn-ing the disappointing news that Antonio McDyessis now out for the season after suffering a frac-tured left patella in a pre-season match against thePhoenix Suns. What the Knicks need to do is facereality, something the New York Rangers alsoneeded to do, and rebuild the team properly bytrading away the big contracts to clear salary capspace and set the foundation of the team withyoung players.

By acquiring Antonio McDyess in a trade ondraft day in June 2002, the Knicks attempted toimplement a “quick fix” plan. The Knicksacquired McDyess by trading Mark Jackson,Marcus Camby and Maybyner “Nene” Hilario, theKnicks’ first pick of the draft, to the DenverNuggets. Well, it seems that this latest “quick fix”plan has indeed failed. In fact, it will completelybackfire, if it hasn’t already, when injury proneMarcus Camby comes back to play in a month forthe Nuggets.

Instead of going for the “quick fix” withMcDyess, the Knicks could have drafted CaronButler, a solid young player out of Connecticut.Instead, the Miami Heat selected Butler as theirfirst pick of the draft. Knick fans are sick and tiredof watching this franchise trying to trade for bigname players rather than dumping salary andstarting fresh with the younger players.

But this is nothing new. The New YorkRangers have been doing this for the past fiveyears and still have not made it to the post-seasonsince 1997. The system just does not work;unless, of course, you’re talking about the NewYork Yankees who seem to get virtually anyonethey want either on the free - agent market or

through trades.During the pre-season McDyess was averag-

ing 17.7 points, 13 rebounds, and 29 minutes pergame. “This is a devastating blow for Antonio,knowing how hard he has worked up to this point.Knick fans had only seen a glimmer of his superi-or skills, and knowing Antonio, we are confidenthe will overcome this set-back,” said KnicksPresident and General Manager Scott Layden,responding to the news that Antonio McDyesswill miss the entire 2002-03 season.

In addition to the Knicks’ problems is thewhole issue concerningLatrell Sprewell. First, heshowed up to training camp with a broken finger.The team then fined him $250,000 for failing totell the team of his injury. In an interviewSprewell had this to say about Knick’s GeneralManager Scott Layden and owner James Dolan: “Iwant you guys to look at those guys and every-thing they’ve done, look at their decisions sincethey’ve been here,” Sprewell said. “You’ve alldug up my past, look at Scott’s track record sincehe’s been here.” Sprewell is expected to miss thefirst month of the season, at least.

The Knicks will miss the playoffs for the sec-ond straight season. The only positive about theKnicks having a bad season is that they will havea higher draft pick when draft day comes along.However, knowing this franchise they’ll probablytrade the number one pick of the draft to acquireanother “superstar” caliber player, if given thechance. In order to resolve these problems maybethe whole front office at Madison Square Gardenshould be replaced. Something most certainlyneeds to be done because “The World’s MostFamous Arena” is turning into the biggest joke insports.

Knicks’ McDyess Out for Season,“Quick Fix” Plan Foiled

BY ANTHONY ZUMMO

The Mets who were so set on landing Seattleskipper Lou Piniella changed their mind. In orderfor the Mets to get Piniella the organization wouldhave needed to give up a proven major leagueplayer plus two top prospects and take back anover achieving second basemen. The Mets decid-

ed the price was to high and continued to negoti-ate with Seattle but to no avail. The Mets weresure they weren’t going to get Piniella.

With the managerial spot still open FredWilpon, the Mets’ owner, knew there weren’tmany candidates left to fill this spot. StevePhillips, the general manager of the Mets, decidedto once again talk to the Oakland A’s manager,Art Howe. Howe who has proven to be a winningmanager with 992 victories under his belt felt hecouldn’t pass the opportunity up. Howe signed afour year 9.4 million dollar contract. At his pressconference, Howe said "I’m very glad this teamdidn’t perform well, otherwise I wouldn’t be

here." Art Howe now becomes the Mets’ 17thmanager.

This was an interesting decision that Howemade. He left a pitching rotation which is proba-bly the best 1-2-3 punch in baseball. This punchwas made up of three star pitchers in Mark

Mulder, Tim Hudson and Barry Zito. Art Howealso left two of the best infielders in MiguelTejada and Eric Chavez and gained two of theoldest in Roberto Alomar and Mo Vaughn.Alomar and Vaughn are just a few of the veteransthe Mets have on their aging club. Had this veter-an club clicked, Bobby Valentine would still bethe manager.

Art Howe brings a breath of fresh air into theMets organization. He feels he can turn this clubonce again into a playoff team. Both Howe andPhillips need to work together. That was thebiggest problem between Bobby Valentine andSteve Phillips. They were very rarely on the same

page. It seems as though Art Howe and StevePhillips will have a good relationship, but onlytime will tell. As of late, both Howe and Phillipshave been tossing names up into the air as to whoshould take over the rest of the coaching staff.

Art Howe has no pressure on him next sea-son. Should the Mets not perform well it will beSteve Phillips who is fired, not Art Howe. Thiscould be the start of a new beginning for the NewYork Mets.

Howe About Art?BY CHRIS BROSKY

A Quick SwitchBY DENNIS PEREIRA

Juan Mena was a Queensborough soccer play-er who joined the track team in its first year ofexistence. Last year Juan was a walk-on whoquickly showed a world of talent and potential.Fellow teammate Orlando Griffith also made theswitch from soccer to track and was a sprinterwhile Juan was a long distance runner. They com-bined to compete in relay races as well and wouldpass the baton instead of a soccer ball.

Juan competed in the out door 400-meter andthe indoor 600-meter but would excel when he ranlonger distances. Juan put on a great performanceand claimed all American status when he finishedsecond in the division three 800-meter outdoortrack national. He also went on to claim allAmerican status in the 1000-meter indoor tracknational when his impressive time placed himsixth in the country. The Queensborough team wasquickly enjoying alot of success andJuan was their star.

Relay races alsoallowed Juan toshowcase his talentswhen he joinedOrlando Griffith andtwo other teammatesto finish third in therelay nationals.According toOrlando, "Juan want-ed to workout and prepare harder than his oppo-nent." He spent countless hours running and train-ing in the weight room and now all his hard workis being rewarded. Juan graduated fromQueensborough in the summer and is now attend-ing Coppin State University on a scholarship.

Orlando Griffith is the captain of this year’strack team and they are still performing at a highlevel. In May the team placed fourth in the 4+4national relay race that was held at Mitchell Fieldon Long Island. Right now its cross country seasonand the Queensborough Tigers are ranked secondoverall in the CUNY division and third in the dis-trict.

In the upcoming weeks a very important racewill be held at Delhi Community college and theTigers have a chance to improve their ranking witha solid performance. The indoor track seasonbegins in December. If anybody is interested injoining the team go see the coach for more details.

Art Howe has a 992-951 record in 12 seasonsas a Major League manager. (Marc S.

Levine/New York Mets)

Art Howe, chatting up Jason Giambi, shows offhis new Mets threads during Stars’ workout.

(Ben Platt/MLB.com)

Art Howe (left) was well liked by his players inOakland. (AP photo)