CCC’s music program flourishes

BY AARON RILEY

STAFF WRITER

The Cumberland County College Music Program began as a meager couplet of classes before evolving into a highlight of the Arts and Humanities Division.  The change, which has enabled students to receive more thorough musical training and encounter a more fulfilling exhibition of the history and culture surrounding music, is thanks to a number of talented professors.

Dave Anderson teaches Piano, the Music Theory and Music History classes, and Ear Training and Sight Singing. Brian Betz teaches the Small Ensemble classes, World Music, Guitar and Jazz Composition.  Lauren Canna teaches the College Chorus classes.  Sheila Lowe teaches Gospel Choir.  James Piccone, in addition to being the Dean of the Arts and Humanities Division, teaches Music Appreciation and has been readily involved in the Music Program for years. Joe Akinskas is the conductor of the two bigger bands, the Jazz Band and the Wind Symphony. The jazz band is a 19-piece orchestra while the Wind Symphony ensemble has 50 players. According to Piccone, “We don’t have enough enrolled music majors to fill the 50 seats in the Wind ensemble so we bring in people from the outside. Music is a highlight of the Arts and Humanities Division in the sense that it brings students and members of the community together [to fill that quota].” The theater and music programs have both grown in recent years, sometimes in tandem, as both theater and music are irrevocably linked. The band members play in the pit orchestra for the spring musicals; this spring they will lend their talent to the score for “Fiddler on the Roof.” The bands are heavily involved in extracurricular activities and community interaction.

They play every year at a venue in Baltimore or New York City, in nursing and Veterans Affairs homes, from local parks to as far as the Cape May boardwalk in the summer. The bands and chorus have taken part in many activities over the years, such as Music on the Mall.  The Cumberland Mall website describes the former Music on the Mall events as the “collaboration of the Cumberland County College Music Department and Cumberland Mall to provide the community with an ongoing series of light repertoire concerts showcasing local musical talent.” The Bay-Atlantic Symphony frequently uses the college facilities to rehearse, in exchange offering four concert performances a year. On Saturday, March 24th at 8:00 PM in the Frank Guaracini Jr. Fine & Performing Arts Center, Hong Kong-born pianist and composer Lee Pui Ming will be performing her own work, She Comes to Shore: concerto for improvised piano and orchestra. The epic night will be capped off with the finale of Jean Sibelius’ “Symphony No. 2.” Piccone, looking back at its history, summates the benefits of the Music Program: “When I came here to teach as an adjunct in 1997, we only had Fundamentals of Music and Music Appreciation. From that it has grown into a full-blown program.  We have applied music lessons.  There are five ensembles for students to choose from. It has become a pretty elaborate program that’s very transferable to a four-year college.”

CCC’s Fencing Club Brings Home Gold

Cumberland County College fencers competed in their first tournament on February 25, walking  away  with three medals from the Invitational Fencing Tournament held at St. Augustine Preparatory School in Richland. Robert Atha, president of CCC’s Fencing Club, won a gold medal in Epee by defeating all of the nine fencers competing in the Epee tournament.   Michael McGill, a student in CCC’s Continuing Education fencing class, and Rommel Ventocilla, a member of the Cumberland County College Fencing Club tied for 3rd Place in the Foil Tournament, in which 16 fencers participated.

 

Nominees for best actor are…

BY JANAY FITCHETT

STAFF WRITER

In January, four Cumberland County College students were invited to participate in The Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF). The students were selected out of over 1000 people based on their performances.  The four actors nominated were David Swadis, Matt Serra, Matt Giacomelli, and Kevin Kolva. Swadis played Murray the Cop in CCC’s The Odd Couple. The Odd Couple is his 11th show on CCC’s stage. Swadis will graduate this spring with an Associate of Fine Arts Degree in Acting. Serra played the role of Roy. He is currently in his 3rd semester at CCC as a Theatre Major. The Odd Couple is his 4th show under Professor Deborah Bradshaw and his 10th show overall.

Giacomelli played the role of Vinnie. He has completed 13 shows at CCC and graduated in May 2010 an Associates of Fine Arts in Theatre. Kolva played the role of Oscar Madison. The Odd Couple is his 12th show under the direction of Professor Bradshaw and has plans to earn an Associate of Fine Arts Degree in the future.

Mike Lopergolo, who played the role of Speed and Mariah Frost who played Cecily Pigeon also participated in the festival as scene partners.

The festival took place Jan. 10-14 2012. During that time, 211 finalists from all seven states in Region Two performed. The 211 finalists were narrowed down to the top 32 scenes. Both Swadis and Giacomelli placed in the top 32.

From there it was narrowed down to the top 16.  Swadis and his partner made it to the finals. Professor Bradshaw stated, “That [one of our students making it to the finals] was exciting!” She also added that during the festival they saw a lot of performances and “They [her students] were right at the top, which was really great for CCC.” Bradshaw was awarded for excellence in directing for The Odd Couple.

The purpose of the festival is to identify and promote quality in college-level theater production. Once students and faculty are invited to the festival they can participate in programs involving scholarships, internships, grants and awards for actors, directors, stage managers and more at the regional and national levels.

Professor Deborah Bradshaw is the Director of Theatre Programs and Professor of Acting, Musical Theatre, and Voice at CCC.  Bradshaw has produced and directed over 10 productions for CCC.

The process of selection for the festival began when Professor Bradshaw entered their production of the Odd Couple into the festival. Representatives of the festival came and watched a presentation of The Odd Couple and nominated four actors out of the cast of eight

All of the students were nominees to receive the Irene Ryan Award.  These scholarships are made possible by the generosity of the late Irene Ryan who is best known for her role as Granny Clampett in The Beverly Hillbillies. All student actors participating in the festival are eligible for the $500 regional scholarships.

The Irene Ryan Scholarships provide recognition, honor, and financial assistance to outstanding student performers wishing to pursue further education. The Irene Ryan Foundation awards 19 regional awards and 2 fellowships annually. 16 of awards are a $500 scholarship for each regional representative of KCACTF. There are 2 scholarships of $2500 each for the winners at the national festival in Washington, D.C.

Bradshaw describes her students as wonderful, hardworking, and dedicated. She says they are totally committed to the program here and their work as actors. They were very supportive of each other throughout the festival and all-in-all they had a great time.

CCC’s theatre department is full of talented faculty, staff and students. Each year they put on three shows: a fall play, and a spring and summer musical. This spring’s musical is Fiddler on the Roof which will be presented April 19-22.

Congrats to Professor Bradshaw and her students.

Eclectic events coming soon at CCC

By Morgan Neilio

Staff Writer

WORKS IN DANCE III

On Saturday, March 3rd at 8:00pm, one will be enticed by the elegant, and gracefully artistic dance from four extremely talented dancers. There will be four ladies performing who have all won awards with the NJ State Council on the Arts Choreographic Fellowship.

One will be able to see these individuals perform their own style of dance. Nai-Ni-Chen, will be dancing a mesmerizing, and beautifully contemporary performance. This is also her fourth visit here to our college. Next in line is Carolyn Dorfman. She prides herself in reflecting her concern about the human condition through provocative and dramatic dancing. Loretta Di Bianca Fois, chooses her style of dance to represent the movement that elevates our commonplace. The last performer of the night is named Susan Thompson. Susan is a modern dancer who incorporates the art and beauty of poetry,  text, and movement into her work.

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to be moved, and inspired by these energy-filled, and incredibly talented women! This spontaneous event, full of graceful elegance, and power, will leave each soul intrigued, mesmerized, and presumably open to a new way of thinking.

The Show starts on Saturday, March 3rd .

Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for those under 18, or 55 + years old.

ALISON BROWN BAND

The four-time Grammy nominated, and winner of the Best Country Instrumentalist Performance with Be’la Fleck, is gracing herself her at CCC.
Alison Brown, is a progressive bluegrass banjo virtuoso. She first gained national attention when she joined Alison Krauss and Union Station in 1989, since then, her work has been praised, and greatly appreciated by the country community ever since. The Alison Brown Band is quite a sight to see, even if you are not the “country music” type, this band’s  brilliant performance is a sight not to miss out on.

The show can be seen on Thursday, March 29th at 8:oo pm. 

Tickets are $16 for all ages.

DOWN JERSEY CELTIC CELEBRATION

Jim Albertson will be hosting the returning of The Towheads.  The performers to be featured are Haley Richardson, who is a 9-year old, East Coast Irish Fiddle champion; along with his brothers, Dylan on guitar and banjo, and Newt on the Irish drum. This talented family will be joined by Francesca Bishop, as well as members of the Pizzaz Dance Center from Newfield, N.J. The musicians are joined by an Irish Harp champion, Grainne Hambly, and Scottish Harp champion, William Jackson. Ending the performance will be our very own Cumberland Highlanders Bagpipe Band.
If  you would like to  know more about the wonderfully creative culture and heritage of the mystical Irish melodies and dance,  then do not miss out on this  fun-filled, talented and enlightening evening! Never pass up an opportunity to experience and explore the cultures outside of your own!
This celebration will take place on Sunday, March 11th at  3:00 pm.

Tickets are $10 for all ages .

STONE SOUP AND OTHER STORIES
Sponsored by Stages Festival Family Week at the Theatre, the Emmy nominated, Pushcart Players, are coming to CCC to add a bit of magic and creative folklore. This talented group will perform four folk tale favorites filled with music, fantasy, and wonderment. The Pushcart Players are extremely creative and a pleasure to watch.

Best for all ages but especially those with a young imagination ages 4-7. However, everyone from parents, to grandparents will enjoy this imaginative and professional enjoyment of l folk lore.

Show starts Sunday, March 4th, at 3:00 pm.

Tickets are $5 for adults, free for those under 18 years of age, and free for those 55 and older. Come and enjoy some of your classic favorite folk tales!

The Alison Brown band.

Librarian: More than just books

courtesy of Marcus Wilson

by Marcus J. Wilson

Staff Writer

Valerie Gouse became a librarian in 2002 and an adjunct professor

in 2007.

Many librarians make a difference in a student’s college life by assisting them with their multi-faceted questions every day. They work with students to help find what students need for their research papers and projects. There is one librarian who has been a part of our Cumberland County community for 10 years. This CCC staff person is known to go above and beyond to help people research topics and find information. This woman is Valerie Gouse.

Gouse was born and raised in Vineland, NJ where she resides with her family. Gouse began her career working at her college library as a student worker. Gouse earned a bachelor’s degree in speech communication from Ithaca College and a master’s degree in library and information science from Rutgers University.

Gouse shares, “I really enjoyed working at the library as a student worker, I like the environment, so that introduced me to library work, and after I graduated from college, I’ve decided to go on to become a librarian.” In 2002, Gouse became a librarian at Cumberland County College . She says about her job, “I help students all the time with their research and answer their questions.”

Gouse also states that, “I love my job because every question that I get asked is different so everyday is a different day, a new day and you’ll never know what you’re going to help students find. It keeps it interesting and exciting and it keeps me on my toes.”

In 2007, Gouse became an adjunct professor, teaching many classes including Effective Speech and Technical Writing.  One of the best aspects of her job is teaching students about the resources that the library has that are much more scholarly and credible than doing a Google search. Gouse finds it frustrating when students only search Google and do not consider the quality of the information they find.

Gouse gives students advice, “ I would like students to know that there is always help in the library for them so if they have a question or if they can’t find something, they should consider, coming in here (library) and asking for our assistance and we will try to help them the best that we can.”

Gouse, like many librarians, have had a positive influence on many students at Cumberland County College.  Gouse enjoys working with students and staff to find information on class assignments.  She assists students when needed whether it is to find information on a research paper or answer a general question.

As a librarian and a communications professor, Gouse subscribes to advice she once got from a fortune cookie that stated, “The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn’t being said!”

State budget affects CCC

By ALEX RODGERS
Staff Writer

While America does its part in fighting off a global recession, CCC refuses to fall behind.

Cumberland County College is not only financed by its students, but a great portion of the money needed to keep the college up and running on a daily basis is granted by the state budget. Amidst our recession, the state government has taken great strides in cutting the funding to many different programs and facilities to try and keep our economy afloat. Leaving the question, how much of a toll has the recession taken on the progress and the daily advancement of CCC? John Pitcher, Vice President of the Finance & Administrative Services here on Campus commented about the state budget cuts, and how they are affecting CCC, “New Jersey state budget cuts took 5% ($180,000) out of the college budget. We anticipated the cuts, and incorporated into this year’s fiscal planning. What actually made up for the cut was the stimulus package, so we saw virtually no decline as far as layoffs or the daily operation of the college.”

When asked about what plans the college had for the years to come, Pitcher added, “There are always a lot of plans, but not always the money to put them in motion. We do plan on replacing all the computers in the labs and the learning centers in the coming semesters, and really plan on updating all the technology here available for student usage.”

Evidence of advancement on campus can be found in the up and operating information hubs, which help students find where they need to go as well as where they are. These hubs will soon offer information on contacting staff members here at the college.

“That’s just one example of all the technical improvements on the way,” Pitcher said. The state budget cuts have virtually had no effect on CCC’s operation this year because of the stimulus package, and students and faculty alike can expect great things to come in the near future. Although the country may be at a standstill, Cumberland County College is moving steadily forward.

Taylor Swift, more than a Country star

 

 

Taylor Swift showing off her stylish side.

By KRISTEN TANTILLO

Staff Writer

 In mid 2006, people all over the country were introduced to Taylor Swift. She topped the charts instantly with her single, Tim McGraw. After releasing her self-titled album at the age of 16, she was starting to become a role model for girls everywhere and was making her way to becoming one of the most popular artists who would eventually see all her dreams come true.

 Growing up right outside of Reading, P.A, Taylor was inspired and encouraged by her opera-singing grandmother. She started singing at local events when she was just a kid, including a gig singing the national anthem at a Philadelphia 76ers basketball game when she was 11. She was so much in love with singing and song writing, she decided to take lessons on how to play the guitar. Rumor has it that she would only stop practicing when her fingers started to bleed. According to www.countrymusic.about.com,after years of practice and hard work, Taylor’s parents realized her dedication and packed up and moved to Nashville, TN to try to help their daughter become the star they knew she was.

 It did not take long before her talent was discovered. She was signed to Big Machine Records and soon started the rapid fire of instant hits. Swift writes all of her songs and helps co-write other already stars songs such as Kelli Pickler. Swift says that she pours her feelings into her songs and she is telling the world about her life, and since most of her songs are about heart ache and growing up, girls all over the country can relate to each and every song in some way. Her hits are played on many stations throughout America. Starting out as a new born country star, she has made her way to topping every chart there is. According to Nielsen SoundScan( music information system that tracks the sales of music) on www.goodreads.com, “Swift is the biggest selling artist of 2008 in America with combined sales of more than four million albums. Her latest album, Fearless and her self-titled album finished 2008 at number three and number six respectively, with sales of 2.1 and 1.5 million. She was the first artist in the history of Nielsen SoundScan to have two different albums in the Top 10 on the yearend album chart.”

 Girls at a young age admire Taylor for her vow to never change. She always says “I never want to change so much that people can’t recognize me.” We are so used to seeing these everyday people become famous and change their appearance, that we hardly recognize them. Taylor has stayed exactly the same. She expresses that she wants to remain natural and pure.

Taylor Swift’s songs inspire girls to go chase their dreams, fall into love and take a chance. She is now a spokes-model for the brand L.E.I and has many young girls looking up to her. Even parents and guys enjoy her personality and listen to Taylor swift and they LIKE it. “There are countless times I have pulled up to stop lights and I look over and see a young guy singing and bopping in his car to a Taylor Swift song. It is almost attractive to see them screaming “Love story” at the top of their lungs. Maybe it means they want to fall in love too, just like us girls!” said Heather Dickerson, a student at CCC.

 Swift is an undeniable inspiration. She encourages everyone to be fearless, which is also the title of her latest album “Fearless is not the absence of fear. It’s not being completely unafraid. to me, Fearless is having fears. Fearless is having doubts, lots of them. To me, fearless is living in spite of those things that scare you to death. Fearless is falling madly in love again, even though you’ve been hurt before. Fearless is walking into your freshman year of high school at fifteen. Fearless is getting back up and fighting for what you want over and over again…even though every time you’ve tried before, you’ve lost. It’s fearless to have faith that someday things will change. Fearless is having the courage

Vineland’s very own Bring the Music festival ’09

By AARON RILEY

Staff Writer

The music is being brought on June 24th, 2009 at Vineland, New Jersey, courtesy of the 2nd Annual Bring the Music festival. Boasting moderately unknown bands, many from the tri-state area, infixed into the smaller and more intimate (at least relative to most venues) setting of the U-Sell Flea Market, the Bring the Music festival has been a successful new concert. Beginning in 2008, the Bring the Music festival has spotlighted lesser-known bands with strong local and online followings, many of which you wouldn’t see at Coachella or the Pitchfork Music festival.

These bands’ vital lifelines of fan support have been achieved primarily though the Internet. In the age of Myspace and Facebook, a striking portion of the problems facing local and regional bands has been thankfully eradicated, leading, for many of them, to record deals. There are still however, bands that continue to be independent, either by choice or by as of yet remaining undiscovered. With that information in mind, festivals like this are important for establishing fanbases for many unrecognized talents.

Bands performing at the festival this year are You, Me, and Everyone We Know, The Morning Of, Go Crash Audio, The Lives of Famous Men, Raccoon Fighter, Where the Ocean Meets the Sky, Losing Ground, A’s Rage, Liam and Me, Eyes on the Prize, Van Atta High, I Know the Struggle, The Crosstown Rivalry, Cheezy and the Crackers, and Cassonova Brown. Expect to see more bands perform that will be announced in the coming weeks. Last year’s Bring the Music festival was held on June 25th, 2008, and included headliners Houston Calls, Person L, and Socratic.

The Bring the Music festival is being held on June 24th, 12:00 PM Noon, at the U-Sell Flea Market, 2896 S. Delsea Dr., Vineland, N.J. 08360. The tickets cost $15 presale and $20 at the door.

What’s the tweet about Twitter

By MELISSA PILEIRO

Editor-in-Chief

A few years ago, the Internet buzzword was “Myspace.” Not long after, it seemed like every college kid in America was getting a Facebook page. Today, the website of the moment is Twitter, and it’s spreading faster than many of its competitors. The secret might be that while social networking sites like Myspace and Facebook tend to attract only young students, Twitter is intriguing just about everyone. Huge media corporations like the BBC and CNN have it, as do many popular celebrities and even politicians.

The sudden incredible popularity of Twitter has left many people on the outside asking one question: what is it, anyway? Put simply, Twitter’s purpose is to answer the simple question “what are you doing?” in 140 characters or less, about the same amount of space allowed for text messages.

Yup, that’s all there is to it.

So what’s the appeal? For most, it’s a way to keep in touch with family, friends, or colleagues without the clutter and busyness of other social networking sites. The length of individual messages, called “tweets,” is short enough for readers to get all the information they need without having to dig through photos, quizzes, and other friends.

For the media, Twitter adds an interesting new dimension to the way news is exchanged. When the Internet first started to gain momentum in the 90s, journalism was revolutionized as the day’s news no longer needed to wait for evening. Twitter is a step up from this almost-immediate gratification that news websites provide. Twitter can be used to post breaking news headlines long before a story is written.

Naysayers believe that Twitter does little more than support personal narcissism. Using the site might leave your friends wondering why you felt the need to tweet “having my morning cup of coffee” or “going to class.” However, those that use it typically have very specific reasons for tweeting, and are thankful that they can keep others informed in a quick, concise way.

You can follow The Voice on Twitter, too! Check us out at http://www.twitter.com/cccvoice. 

Rowan innovates use of robots for programming

By AARON RILEY

Staff Writer

Rowan University offers an Introduction to Programming Using Robots course taught by Dr. Jennifer Kay. She also teaches various other classes concerning programming.

Essentially, the class begins with students receiving a functional robot known as the Scribbler. The Scribbler can be controlled with the Python programming language via a Bluetooth connection between the computer, where the user is inputting the commands with a keyboard, and the robot.

 According to student Stephen Smith, some of the projects they’ve done include using special conditions to make the robots exhibit certain behaviors over time such as following a light and crossing a specific number of black lines drawn on the floor.

The goal of the class is to gain a better understanding of how robots can be programmed in order to achieve certain physical goals; through this process, the student learns how to program in the Python language. Students are not responsible for learning anything more technical about the robot than its basic functions and what commands it responds to using Python, and they are not required to learn the schematic of the Scribbler. The class is not about building, maintaining, or designing robots, though a brief history of robotics is explained in the introduction of the course. The robots’ response to the code students run gives the students the ability to see how their programs work in a very tangible manner as opposed to simply seeing data output on a computer screen.

Once a basic understanding of the robot and the Python syntax is gained, students are encouraged to experiment with the various functions of the robot. However, there are some weeks when the robot is not used in the classroom. During these weeks, the lessons focus only on specific Python capabilities and functions. The students take the robots home for the entire semester, and so they are free to work with the robots whenever they want until the end of the semester.

Discussing the highlights of the course, Smith said, “I created a dance video with six robots running identical code (which can be found HERE). It’s my code, choreography and music selection…simplistic yet cool. The robots aren’t in complete unison because the code was executed by six different people on six different computers attempting to press Enter at the same time. I also designed a tic-tac-toe game that can be played by two robots. That project hasn’t been completed as of this time, and it’s finals week, so it’s not going to be finished as an assignment.”