Dr. Martin Gelman’s Honorable Past Brings Honored Award

By: Dave Aston
Montgazette Staff Writer

“Instrumental.”
This is how Dr. Aaron Shatzman,
Montgomery County Community College’s
Dean of Social Sciences, describes the
“unassuming” and humble Dr. Martin Gelman.
Dr. Martin Gelman, one of the founding
members of the college’s Social Sciences
Department, will be given the honor of having
the new Excellence in Psychology Award bear
his name. The award coincides with the first
Associate in Science Psychology degrees to be
handed out at this year’s commencement.
Before Dr. Gelman began his tenure as
the longest-standing dean at Montco, his
trek to becoming Doctor of Psychology and
Anthropology began with his experiences in
World War II. During that time, Dr. Gelman flew
50 missions as a B24 bomber pilot, returning
safely after each mission.
After returning home from the war and
starting a family, Dr. Gelman found it hard to
communicate with old friends who had gone to
college while he was fighting in Africa. “I was
not in their league anymore,” he said.
Through this feeling, his lifelong fascination
of psychology and discovering correspondence
courses at the University of Minnesota and Ohio
State University, Dr. Gelman enrolled through
Temple University. After many years of creating
a ground-breaking reputation at Temple, the
University of Pennsylvania and surrounding
hospitals, he became a full-time faculty member
at Temple. This promotion caught the eyes of
the founders of Montco and Dr. Gelman was
eager to be a part of it. “[Being here] interested
me a great deal.”
From 1967 to his retirement in 2011, Dr.
Gelman built up the Social Sciences Department
and Psychology program, mentoring future
educators along the way.
Dr. Steven Baron, Professor of Social
Sciences here at Montco, said, “He mentored
all of us. The entire department.” Dr. Baron
has the distinction of being one of Dr. Gelman’s
students and personal and professional friend.
“He was the finest teacher I ever had.”
Due in large part to Dr. Gelman’s mentoring
and tutelage, Dr. Baron achieved his own success,
obtaining awards that mirror Gelman’s. Both
influential educators hold numerous teaching
excellence and community service awards from
many institutions, including Montco.
The new Dr. Gelman Excellence in
Psychology Award cements Dr. Gelman’s
position as a “pillar” of the Montco community.
In his unassuming way, Dr. Gelman said that
this came about “through the endeavors of other
faculty.”
In tribute to this remarkable clinician,
mentor and humble human being, this award will
keep Montgomery County Community College,
in Gelman’s own words, an “alive entity” that is
always “new, fresh and filled with promise.”

Dr. Martin Gelman

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Celebrating Diversity and Humanity as a Community

By: Dana Barnes
Montgazette Contributing Writer

Every year as spring time
approaches, the lower level of
College Hall transforms into an
entirely different scene. Hundreds
of students, faculty, and community
members all come together for a
global celebration. The event is
organized by Montgomery County
Community College’s International
Club & ESL/International Student
Services and has been a huge
success for the past six years.
Our mission is to celebrate
cultural diversity at the college
by honoring traditions, as well
as educating the community and
other students. By exploring
and sharing cultural differences,
through food, art, performances
and just the company of others,
we can learn about one another
and see what brings us together
as one humanity.
The festivities will be held
in the cafeteria and adjoining
conference area in the lower level
of College Hall at the Central
Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue
Bell. The space will turn into an
International wonderland with
decorations, food and dance from
around the world. “Every year, I
look forward to International Night
even as a Montco Alumni! I love
being able to see and experience
so many people’s cultures in one
fun night,” said Sarah Fequiere, a
graduate of Montco.
This is a multi-cultural
celebration. According to
Mamata Tharima, a student in
communication studies at Montco,
“The night is a great opportunity
too for students to showcase their
talents through poetry, song and
dance from different background
and experiences.” Highlights will
include cultural performances,
international cuisine from more
than 30 countries, educational
information, raffles and more. “It
is an incredible night to gather
and share rich cultural heritages,”
Tharima went on to say.
The event is always well
attended. Mark Bryan, the Vice
President of the International
Student Club here on campus,
shared that the event bring
hundreds of people from around
the world to unite as one. It is a
time when the College and local
community gather to celebrate
diversity and different cultures.
Everyone is welcomed to come
with family and friends.
General admission is $5;
admission for children under age
12 is $3. MCCC students will be
admitted free of charge with a valid
student ID.
For more information or to
sponsor an activity, contact Dilek
Arig at darig@mc3.edu.

Photo courtesy of MCCC Comm. Dept. and Sandi Yanisko Cuisine from many different cultures was shared during the College’s International Night.

Photo courtesy of MCCC Comm. Dept. and Sandi Yanisko Performers at the College’s International Night shared dance and tradition with attendees.

 

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NOW and WEST Presents: The Vagina Monologues

By: Coraline Pettine
Montgazette Staff Writer

The National Organization
for Women (NOW) in
collaboration with West End
Student Theatre presented
“The Vagina Monologues” this
semester. The play took place
in the South Hall Community
Room at Montgomery County
Community College’s West
Campus in Pottstown.
“The Vagina Monologues,”
an episodic play written by
Eve Ensler, featured a series
of speeches centered on the
struggles and experiences of
women. Ensler conducted a
string of interviews with ladies
of different ages, cultures and
social backgrounds. She asked
women what their vaginas
would wear, what they would
say, when these women first
saw their vaginas and other
intimate questions. From these
questions stemmed anecdotes
and the basis for the play.
While the performance
was orchestrated by NOW,
co-president Lavinia Soliman
credited NOW advisor Dr.
Rebecca McGovney-Ingram
with the proposal.
“Dr. M really was the
brainchild behind the idea to put
on The Vagina Monologues,”
Soliman said. “She had done it
in college and told us how fun
it was for her and everyone
involved.”
The NOW club reached
out to WEST, and Morgan
Carrasquillo joined as director.
Carrasquillo expressed that
preparing for The Vagina
Monologues was different from
anything else either club had
yet done, but strong student
support made it all possible.
“It was great to hear how many
people were interested in the
show… A lot of people have
reached out to me and [wanted]
to help!”
With nine performers,
the production included
15 monologues and an
introduction. Some of the
topics discussed include pubic
hair, periods, birth, abuse,
masturbation, sexuality, rape
culture, and more. About 50
men and women attended the
empowering performance.
WEST’s and NOW’s
production became a small
part of a global movement
that consists of more than
five thousand events annually,
known as V-Day.
Once a year, women around
the world stage The Vagina
Monologues, celebrating
women and using the proceeds
from the show to help fight
violence against females.
The proceeds from Montco’s
V-Day will be donated to
Laurel House, a local nonprofit
providing support to domestic
abuse victims.
The play seeks to increase
awareness on domestic abuse
and empower women. The
Vagina Monologues encourage
people not only to comfortably
discuss their bodies but also
the issues surrounding them.
Tess Devlin, a V-Day performer
and WEST vice-president, was
moved by the narratives and
hoped the audience felt the
same.
“They give women a voice and a
chance to tell their stories. As a
performer, it allowed me to tell
my story as a woman through
the words of others. I hope the
audience was able to walk away
with a new understanding of a
woman’s everyday struggle…I
hope they learned something
about the cycle of abuse and
have gained a renewed desire
to end it.”
The performance successfully
raised $187.30 for Laurel
House. More importantly, it
started a snowball of feminist
acceptance and empowerment.

Photo by Melissa Struchen Theater Instructor Tim Gallagher and COM Instructor Rebecca McGovney-Ingram with Members of “The Vagina Monologues” cast and crew

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Nature: A Cure for the Mind and Body

By: James Yealy
Montgazette Staff Writer

As college students and young adults, we
take on a lot of stress whether it be with work,
school, home or a combination of the three.
Stress affects our mental and physical health
in both positive and negative ways, but the
negative stress is something we do not want or
need in our lives. Luckily nature can be a cure to
our stress and overall mental health.
Now, when getting out in nature you can
go simple, like walking in the park; difficult
like taking a day hike on a trail; or complex and
hiking a whole trail or climbing mountains. It just
depends on how adventurous you want to be.
Here in the Montgomery County area there
are loads of parks to walk around in, such as
Robbins Park in Ambler or Fort Washington State
Park. In Bucks County, you have a few options
too, like Tyler State Park and Ralph Stover State
Park, which are more intense but have much
more rewarding views.
M. Goldenberg, the author of Why
Individuals Hike the Appalachian Trail:A
Qualitative Approach to Benefits, at 17 percent of
adolescents being diagnosed with mental illness
in recent years, wilderness therapy for kids and
adults has been used to help counter the effects,
or cure symptoms of stress, substance abuse,
etc With mental illness and stress affecting kids
slightly younger than us at an increasing rate,
we should be pushing to get outdoors more
to clear our minds and release all our built up
stress, so we don’t fall victim to illness.
According to experts in the medical
community, just being in nature and taking all
the sights in can immediately relieve stress and
calm your mind. This is entirely true taken from
personal experience.
The sound of creeks, leaves rustling and
just sitting out in nature’s beautiful landscape
can instantly relieve stress and clear your mind,
according to K. Y. Mims, an expert on hiking
and using the outdoors to restore mind, body
and soul.
A thru hiker of the Appalachian Trail (AT),
Gary, has a lot of insight on hiking and how it
affects you, he wrote a blog and a book on his
travel of the trails, and while he admits he was
defeated at points, he pushed through and it
helped him stay on track for his trip. (Sizer)
To go along with Gary’s trip on the AT there
is an article on why people hike the AT, and what
the benefits are. Some of those benefits include:
Self-fulfillment, self-reliance, fun and enjoyment
of life . If those reasons don’t make you want to
get up and go out on a hike, or even a walk in the
park, who knows what will!
It’s been proven that getting outdoors in
nature will help with stress, your mind, your
body and your soul. So let me ask you, where
will your next outdoor adventure be?

Photo by James Yealy The view from The Pinnacle on the Appalachian Trail in Hamburg, PA.

 

Photo by James Yealy The bridge back on the Treweryn Farm Trail in Montgomery County.

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An Activist on a Serious Mission

By: Johnson Myrtial
Montgazette Staff Writer

The Richard K. Bennett
Distinguished Lectureship
for Peace and Social Justice
hosted Paul Petersen, a
former Hollywood child
star, spoke about the
exploitation of children in the
entertainment industry and
what can be done to stop it,
spoke at Montgomery County
Community College, Science
Center Theatre.
In effort to educate people
about some of the issues
minors face in Hollywood’s
entertainment industry, Paul
Petersen explained that when
it comes to minor issues, it
is a big subject that every
parent should be focused
on. When it comes to the
working conditions of the
minors behind the big walls of
moviemaking in Hollywood,
how cautious are parents
really when it comes to the
consequences of children in
the spotlight?
Based on Petersen’s
industry experience as a
child actor, he would not
define Hollywood as a safe
place for kids. He explained
that children are exposed to
drug, sex, nudity, corruptions
and playing adult characters
in a very inappropriate way
that can psychologically
affect the child later when
they reach their adulthood.
He used examples of some
former child actors, like Rusty
Harmer, who ended up taking
their own lives or others who
have turned to drugs to cope
with the impacts of fame on
their childhood.
Petersen asked the
audience: “who can stop all
the corruption,” and then
he replied, “nobody.” He
says that Hollywood is very
powerful, many have tried
and failed.
Petersen has taken up the
cause and founded a childactor
support group, “A Minor
Consideration,” to improve
working conditions for child
actors. The group also assists
in the transition between
working as a child actor and
adult life, whether in acting or
in other professions.
The event was well
attended and everyone felt
more enlighten on these
important issues. For more
information, please visit
aminorconsideration.org

Photo by Alivia Faison Paul Petersen, former Hollywood child star, addressed the audience during a recent talk about exploitation of child actors and actresses.

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Montco Radio Alumni Day: You are Invited! April 16, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.

By: Joshua Kellem
Montgazette Staff Writer

I’ll bet you didn’t know that the
Montco Radio club Montgomery County
Community College started as a record
spinning club back in the 80s, and the
actual radio station was in College Hall,
not the ATC. With the rapid advancement
of the Internet, came the evolution of what
Montco Radio formerly WRFM is now
online radio, broadcasting around the
world.
The Montco Radio Alumni event
will be more than a mix of old members
reminiscing about yesteryear on current
members shows. It’s the passing of the
torch, so to speak as the Montco Radio
Club has entered a massive re-branding
period. Montco Radio will mark the
beginning of much more success for
the Montco Radio Club and our efforts
to increase listeners. So, come on out.
Hear the stories of those who were in
the club at the beginning, and as always:
there will be food and refreshments.
A special highlight of the event will be
the unveiling of a new banner for Montco
Radio to go up every Music Wednesday
ATC building from 12:30-1:30 and there’s
more. Not only does the club want to
celebrate itself, but also the public. One
lucky student in attendance will have the
opportunity of a lifetime to obtain the
highly coveted inaugural Montco Radio
scholarship. The only requirement, for
the inaugural scholarship, is to show up to
the Montco Radio Alumni event April 16,
8 a.m.-6 p.m. When will the scholarship
winner be announced? You have to stay all
day to find out.
For more information, Montco Radio
holds weekly meetings on Mondays in
ATC 107 from 12:30-1:30 p.m. Stop by
if interested in a show, or engineering.
Any suggestions, or ideas send an email:
Montcoradio@hotmail.com.

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The Five Day Film Festival

By: Chris Markopulos
Montgazette Contributing Writer

The second annual “Sweded”
Film Challenge is being issued by
CAPG, the Communicating Arts
Production Group of Montgomery
County Community College. This
timed filmmaking contest requires
teams of no more than four members
to remake a five minute version of a
popular film in five days.
The screening of the completed
films on April 6 at 7 p.m. in the
Montgomery County Community
College Science Center Theater. The
contest concept derives from Michel
Gondry’s film “Be Kind, Rewind,”
in which Jack Black and Mos Def
accidentally erase all the tapes in
the video store they are managing.
In order to fool the customers, they
take on the challenge of remaking
all the films themselves. The
customers do notice, but love the
new versions. The perpetrators
tell the customers that the films
are processed in Sweden and are
referred to as “Sweded.”
To help level the playing field for
a contest which invites filmmakers
of all skill levels to compete, the
teams will also be given a line of
dialogue and a prop which must
appear in the body of their film. One
final element will be a theme, which
they may interpret in any way they
wish. All creative activity must take
place during the five-day period.
For more information and upto-date
news and information on the
Five-Day Film Festival, check out
the website at fivedayfilmfestival.
com or contact fivedayfilmfestival@
gmail.com.

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The Value of Higher Education

By: Hyeonjoo Min
Montgazette Staff Writer

There’s a certain
prestige surrounding the
fact if you study away at a
university, than say, your
local college. However,
don’t let the little things
cloud your judgment when
making one of the most
important decisions of
your life.
When you are thinking
about post-secondary
education, you have to
make sure that you know
differences between
community college and
university. A university
offers students a broad
range of opportunities
and provides security.
Whereas community
colleges offer specifically
targeted programs, which
can be done quickly and
are less expensive.
Finance does come into
play when you are deciding
where to go to college.
According to the College
Board, in-state tuition, fees
and room and board at a
public four-year college
now average $15,213 per
year and at private schools,
the bills not counting any
aid, runs around $35,636
per year.
Elizabeth Doelp, a
business major student
here at Montgomery
County Community
College, and who also
previously went to West
Chester University, said,
“When I went to West
Chester, the tuition was a
lot more expensive than
Montco, but the classes at
West Chester were larger.
Sometimes there were 150
students who were in one
class. But West Chester
also had a better quality of
education programs.”
This goes to say that
even with this unrealistic
amount of money for
young adults to afford,
there are people who
still are eager to go to
universities instead of
community colleges. A
university degree comes
attached with a measure
of security such as more
possibility of achieving
your career goals. One of
the most immediate values
you will realize from your
degree will result from
the fact that a quality
education leads to quality
employment.
Elizabeth Doelp also
said, “When I decided to
change my major, I came
to Montco because I
wanted to start over from
the beginning instead of
spending a lot of money
at West Chester again.
I’m planning to transfer to
another four year college for
better opportunities for my
future career after finishing
the program here.”
While college-educated
people do stand a better
chance of landing a job
than those who don’t go
to secondary school, the
time it takes to pay back
the money laid out for a
degree is growing, causing
many controversies and
the arguments about the
efficacy of attending college.
A bachelor’s degree
is no guarantee of career
success or upward mobility.
Many tend to depend on
the field of study and think
bachelor’s degrees is the
only way for your life.
However, degrees in health
care, computer science or
engineering may offer far
better prospects than those
in the humanities. The
New York Times noted that
“employers are begging
for qualified applicants for
certain occupations, even
in hard times.”
Michelle Carr,
currently working for the
health insurance company
Cigna, also said, “Most
hospitals require bachelor’s
degrees and won’t even
hire you without one. It is
crucial in health care other
than experience. In order
to get better status in their
field, they are required from
their employees to hold a
bachelor’s degree or higher
education. And that’s why
I’m also back in college for
bachelor’s degree. I know
now that there are more
companies now that focus
on performance based
salary than one’s level of
education even in a nursing
field,” Carr said.
Most of the jobs take years
of experience, The New
York Times noted. But
some jobs in high demand,
such as those in welding,
don’t require four years of
college.
Similarly, Rebekah
Doelp, a student majoring in
Art in Montgomery County
Community College, said,
“… not everyone needs
a better degree for their
majors. It always depends
on what career you are
going into, how far you want
to go into the said career
and on how the students
feels, themselves.”
Don’t hesitate too
much when you are
deciding where you want
to take a step into. Think
about what you want your
college experience to be
like, and choose the college
or university that meets
your expectations.

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Eat Crap, Feel Like Crap

By: Audrey Eiland
Montgazette Staff Writer

As college students,
we work hard. We work
hard at school and we work
hard at our jobs outside of
school. We try our best to
do everything we need to
do, but we tend to fail with
our nutrition. According
to the Huffington Post in
an article titled Nutrition
in College: Answers
From the Experts by J.
Tarullo “Overwhelming
schedules can be a major
reason for students’ bad
eating habits.”
Not only is that
true at universities, it
is true here at Montco.
According to Montco’s
own Nutrition professor
Annette Teichman, “When
people are on the run and
have busy lifestyles, often
time it is their nutrition
that suffers. They tend to
go long periods of time
without eating and are
victim to fast food.” No
limitations when selecting
food is another factor.
According to the
Tarullo’s Huffington Post
article, “Students are
more likely to have a poor
diet because they have
more freedom over what
they eat.”
Even though eating a
slice of pizza for lunch and
dinner every day sounds
like fun, it is actually not
fun. We feel fatigued, and
as a result we become the
class sleepers. According
to Teichman, “Eating loads
of sodium and saturated fat
causes a person to become
sluggish.”
Not only do we feel
sleepy, we also tend to
get poor grades in school.
According to Teichman,
“A poor diet can have
a student become less
focused, non-attentive,
and less motivated in their
studies.”
Our moods tend to
suffer with a poor diet
as well. Do you tend
to feel irritated with
life on a daily basis? A
study from National
Center for Biotechnology
Information evaluated
college students’
relationship between
happiness and fruit and
vegetable intake as well
as breakfast. The study
found that the measure of
happiness was associated
with eating breakfast,
number of healthy meals
eaten, and amount of fruit
and vegetable intake.
The study found that the
students that ate breakfast,
fruits, and vegetables
everyday had the highest
happiness score.
This is true for one of
Montco’s students, Nick
Aguirre, “I ate breakfast
and I feel great today. I have
so much more energy.”
A poor diet affects
us mentally as well as
physically. According to
Teichman, “A poor diet
can have a student become
less attentive and cause
memory decline.” This
might explain bad grades
on tests. A poor diet can
affect every aspect of your
life, especially if you are
a college student with a
busy schedule.
There are quick and
easy ways to improve your
diet. According to Teichman,
“Students can make quick
and easy ‘to-go’ packets
by filling a Ziploc bag with
carrots and celery sticks,
clementines, apples, or
banana with peanut butter.”
Shelby Poston, a Montco
student who packs her lunch,
says, “I pack a sandwich and
water every day.”
To improve your mood,
memory, grades, and
overall well-being change
your diet. “When you fuel
your body with good whole
foods (just like fueling your
car with gas) you have
energy and can conquer
all the tasks you need and
more,” said Teichman. A
good diet makes a big
difference.

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Is College Work Causing Unhealthy Sleeping Patterns and Stress?

By: Allison Himes
Montgazette Staff Writer

While people talk about
college being a time of
enjoying their freedom and
youth, they tend to leave
out the many struggles that
come with it as well.
One thing many
college students struggle
with is managing their
time between classes and
keeping up with their
schoolwork. Most college
classes go from early in the
morning to late at night, and
students are usually left with
homework and projects to
find time to complete.
This leads many
students to staying up really
late in order to complete
their assignments before
the due date, because most
college students also have
other things on their plate
as well.
EmpowHER.com, a
women’s social and health
website, noted that “college
students are especially
prone to insomnia” due to
“rigorous demands placed
on them by their classes,
work schedules, and
environment.” Insomnia
is when one experiences
extreme difficulties in
falling asleep, thus may not
sleep at all.
Anosha Ahmed, 18, a
student at Montgomery
County Community College
in her second semester
said, “Yes, I stay up late
until, like, 2 A.M. mainly
doing essays.” She also said
that the two subjects she
“stresses” about the most
are “History and Math.”
One of the huge
factors in sleep deprivation
is stress. Stress can stop
people from falling asleep
when they have other
things on their mind.
Krysten Kennedy, 22,
also a Montco student, has
been attending Montco for
four years. She says, “I’ll have
a hard time falling asleep.
During midterms and finals,
it’s the last thing I think
about before I fall asleep and
the first thing I think about
when I wake up.”
“Over the summer,
winter break and spring
break I will sleep the best,”
she adds when asked if
she sleeps better without
anything college related on
her mind.
Geneseo, a division of
the State University of New
York, states on their website,
“It is normal for college
students to have occasional
difficulties falling asleep”
and “individual needs can
vary from as little as five to
as many as ten hours of sleep
to feel rested and refreshed.”
Although poor sleeping
habits are very common
among college students,
there is a point where it can
also be an issue. Geneseo’s
website describes a state
called sleep debt. “Sleep
debt can be a real problem,
because it accumulates
over time…a couple of ‘allnighters’
in a week will
make a serious impact.”
In addition, they say,
“Catching extra sleep on
weekends can feel like it
helps to repay some of this
debt, but irregular amounts
of sleep can actually serve
to interfere with your
sleep cycle and to result
in increased difficulties
falling asleep, also known
as insomnia.”
However, Laura
Marciano, a 21 year-old
student who is in her
first semester at Montco,
says, “No, I got bed,”
when asked if she stays
up late completing her
assignments. “I sleep very
well,” she says confidently,
and goes on to say she
sleeps “pretty much the
same” even with college
work on her mind.
Overall, Montco
students seem to have
different takes on what
triggers their stress and
stops them from going to
sleep. Most college students
experience stress and
irregular sleep patterns at
some point, but what helps
them from experiencing
things like insomnia, is time
management. Knowing
what to complete and when.
While some Montco
students stay up late
completing assignments,
they still seem to manage to
put in somewhere in their
schedule a healthy dose of
sleep to keep them going
throughout the day.
Allison Himes
Montgazette Staff Writer
Is College Work Causing Unhealthy Sleeping Patterns and Stress?
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YOU KNOW TO
PROTECT OUR NATION.
OR YOU CAN APPLY
YOU CAN LAND A GIG IN SILICON VALLEY

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