Eileen R. Watson is the Customer Service Specialist in the E- Village at CCC Camden Campus. By: Kumarr Clark

By Shanel Fort
CCC Journalism Program

BLACKWOOD – Camden County College is home to hundreds of educators in Blackwood, N.J., but to many, one teacher rises above the rest. He stands at 6 feet, has a strong stature, is articulate, jovial and has a robust knowledge of Intercultural Communications. He helps students explore language, pop culture and identify non-verbal codes. His name is Gerald Williams.

Aubree McMaster, a communications student, credits Williams with raising awareness of cultural diversity and broadening her knowledge about various countries’ way of life.

When asked April 1 about life before being an educator, Williams humbly conveyed his accomplishments, goals and obstacles he overcame. While attending Catawba College in Salisbury, N.C., in 1969, he fell on hard times and found himself homeless for three months. He slept in random dorm rooms, borrowed soap and money from several acquaintances and owned two flannel shirts and a pair of jeans. During this time in his life, his sister abruptly died at age 25 of a brain aneurism and left behind a 3-month-old girl. Despite life’s mishaps, he persevered and graduated with a degree in The Theory and Practice of Literature in 1973. He then acquired his master’s degree in Liberal Studies at Rutgers in Camden, N.J.

On Sept. 25, 1976, he married his companion on his birthday and began planning a family. Their first child was stillborn but later they welcomed their daughters, Megan and Julie.

By 1985, he landed his first career as an executive editor at McGraw Hill. Williams was given The Innovator Award because of his tedious, hard work. He dedicated five years to McGraw Hill before beginning a career as a teacher. His family suffered another blow when his niece was killed at age 15 in a car accident.

As to how he was able to overcome so many devastating obstacles and still manage to maintain a healthy physical and mental state, he said, “I never saw it as obstacles but as a part of life. It’s something that happened and I know life must go on.”

As for his goals for the future, he said, “I’ve been married for 37 years and I’m looking forward to 37 more.”

Gerald Williams, Intercultural Communications teacher, explores his next lesson. By Shanel Fort, CCC Journalism Program

By Vanessa J. Hawthorne
CCC Journalism Program

BLACKWOOD – Camden County College will host an educational event titled “Past in Present: Building in the Islamic World” on April 15 at the Blackwood campus. The discussion will be hosted by Renata Holod, a humanities professor from the University of Pennsylvania.

Holod, according to the Center for Civic Leadership and Responsibility portion of the Camden County College website, “is a specialist in the study of the visual culture of the Islamic world and has conducted archaeological and architectural field work in Iran, Syria, Morocco, Uzbekistan, Turkey and Tunisia.”

Jack Pesda, director of the center, is responsible for approving all the center’s events, introducing guest speakers and finding funding for all programs. He said people should attend the event because “it is important for Americans to develop a better understanding of Islam, since there are over 1 billion Muslims in the world.”

The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life estimates the American Muslim population will reach 4.15 million by 2020.

The lecture will take place at the Civic Hall inside the Connector Building.

“The event will be attended by a variety of people including public school teachers, the general public and students,” Pesda said.

By Angel Nogueras
CCC Journalism Program

BLACKWOOD – The Camden County College men’s baseball team swept its rival, Cumberland County College, 16-3 on April 9.

Spectators look on as the Camden County College men’s baseball team gives each other high fives after an eight-run second inning. By Angel Nogueras, CCC Journalism Program

The Cougars got an outstanding pitching performance from starting pitcher Ryan Martin, who went five innings with four strikeouts, two hits and one earned run. In the first inning, Martin got into a jam with runners on first and third base with one out. Martin got a key strikeout against outfielder Marvin Evans. After the strikeout of Evans, Martin gave up a single to catcher Nick Pace and Cumberland County was on the board first. Martin got out of the inning without further damage thanks to second baseman Vaughan Watson, who hit a ball back to the pitcher’s mound for the last out of the inning. In the bottom of the first inning, the Cougars scored three runs of their own to regain the lead, 3-1.

In the start of the second inning, Martin had found his groove, retiring the side in order. In the bottom of the second inning, the Cougars continued to tee off against Cumberland County starting pitcher Cody Stashak. The Cougars scored eight runs in the inning to make the score 11-1 going into the third inning. It was a comfortable lead for Martin, who tossed four shutout innings before being pulled in the sixth inning for right-handed pitcher Chris Patter, who gave up two runs in three innings of work.

The Cougars scored a couple of more runs in the seventh and eighth innings to reach magic number 16. After the game, the talk among the crowd was the offensive outburst the Cougars went on in the second inning. Kyle Greene, second baseman on the team, said, “It was good to see that everyone on the team was on the same page offensively. We’ve felt good coming into the game that we can replicate the same offensive numbers like the first game we won.” Camden County won 13-8 in Cumberland County on March 14.

Ryan Pavlik, right fielder, praised the pitching performance of Martin. “Martin pitched great for us today. In the first inning, he was in a jam but found a way to get out. Cumberland County, their dugout talks a lot, so it is distracting, but it was nice that Martin and my teammates kept them quiet.”

Camden County College is in the midst of a five-game home stand this weekend, but probably its most enjoyable win of the weekend was beating Cumberland County College.

By Alexandra Lilly
CCC Journalism Program

BLACKWOOD – Professor Linda Berger won the 2012 Adjunct Faculty Teaching Excellence Award for Transitional Studies.

Linda Berger teaches mathematics on the Camden campus. By Alexandra Lilly, CCC Journalism Program

Sandra Manley, who took Math Fundamentals with Berger last fall, said Berger “is a good math teacher and is always there for you.”

Berger did not initially intend on becoming an educator. She received her undergraduate degree in engineering from Duke University in Durham, N.C., and went on to receive her master’s in engineering from Drexel University in Philadelphia. She soon discovered engineering was not the path she wanted to follow. Her mother, Professor Claire Berger, who teaches at CCC’s Blackwood campus, suggested she try teaching and with that advice, Linda Berger started volunteering at Philadelphia public schools.

Berger quickly fell in love with teaching and began at the Blackwood campus in 1997. She moved to the Camden campus in 2002 and has been teaching math classes there ever since. She said she switched campuses because “I like the challenge of teaching in Camden. The student body is different here. There is a sense of reward.” It is also closer to her home in Center City Philadelphia.

Berger said she is motivated to work much harder since winning the award and she tries her hardest to make math applicable to life so her students will understand it better.

When asked if she would ever go back to engineering she laughed and said, “No way!” She loves the idea of helping people and if she ever switched careers she would want to continue that, whether it is social work, nursing or even massage therapy.

With Berger’s help, Luis Lebron was able to pass his first midterm in math. Lebron sees Berger solely for tutoring and said about her, “She is a great tutor, very respectful and I appreciate her teaching very much.”

By Morgan Grossmann
CCC Journalism Program

BLACKWOOD – Professor Lori Quinto-Green is experiencing her first semester teaching Introduction to Statistics at Camden County College in a 50-minute class session.

Professor Lori Quinto-Green sits down with Glenn Miller, a sophomore in her Introduction to Statistics class, to discuss a previous test. By Morgan Grossmann, CCC Journalism Program

Green is teaching two Introduction to Statistics classes at the Blackwood campus, as well as Intermediate Algebra, and taught Business Statistics at Camden County College before this semester.

Green previously taught Advanced Placement Statistics at Oakcrest High School and Introduction to Statistics at Atlantic Cape Community College for an hour and 50 minutes at a time. When asked if there were any differences between teaching statistics at Camden County College and Oakcrest High School and Atlantic Cape Community College, she responded, “Yes, it is a little different because I taught A.P. Statistics at Oakcrest, so I had to go more in depth. And ACCC was different because we did labs.”

Green began her career as an actuarial analyst for five years and then decided she did not like being cooped up in an office. Green began tutoring people and found she enjoyed helping others learn and understand mathematics so she went back to college to earn her teaching certificate. She then began working as a statistics teacher at Oakcrest High School.

Green now thoroughly enjoys her career in teaching mathematics. She said statistics and pre-calculus are her favorite subjects to teach.

Students appreciate her passion for teaching and find it encourages them to better understand the topics at hand. When asked how Green was doing teaching Introduction to Statistics in a 50-minute time limit, Andrew Poole, a sophomore majoring in marketing, responded, “She’s doing a good job so far. I understand everything and she’s teaching at a good pace.” Poole commented he understands the material in her statistics class more than he understands the topics in his other classes.

Overall, Green has five-out-of-five ratings on Ratemyteacher.com. This website allows previous students of hers to rate her easiness, helpfulness and clarity while leaving comments about her teaching skills. Green has all positive feedback.

“It’s a challenge and a half,” Green said with a sigh, “but the grades are good and I’m adjusting. I’m happy with that.”

By Heather Tomafsky
CCC Journalism Program

BLACKWOOD – Adjunct Professor of Business at Camden County College, Robert Hammond, has taken many journeys in life. From playing in the National Football League, to being an assistant coach in the NFL, to obtaining his master’s degree, to now being a professor, Hammond has accomplished more than most.

Robert Hammond is an adjunct professor of business at Camden County College. By Heather Tomafsky, CCC Journalism Program

A year after his career as an NFL player was over, he worked as a promotional manager in Manhattan. Then not one year after that, he was hired as the assistant coach for the New York Jets. After the Jets, he coached with the Arizona Cardinals and the Philadelphia Eagles. Hammond was officially done with the NFL in 1997.

The first time Hammond recognized he wanted to teach was when he was a coach in the NFL. He found putting together different plays and working with the athletes was very similar to putting together lesson plans and helping students develop. “I got really excited about seeing how young people develop, and I was becoming part of that process,” stated Hammond on Wednesday.

Hammond went on to receive his master’s degree in 2007, and during this time he taught a G.E.D (General Equivalency Degree) class for Camden County College. This is when he was first introduced to CCC, and he wanted to try to become a professor.

Mark Jackson, a current student of Hammond’s, said, “He really takes the time out to engage the class and ensure that they fully comprehend what is going on.”

Sometime in the near future, Hammond wishes to publish. He would like to write a memoir or a technical book about teaching that would bring all disciplines into play. Hammond adds, “Whatever the odds are, anyone can be very successful.”

By Megan Ahern
CCC Journalism Program

BLACKWOOD – Professor Rita D. Cotey not only teaches Spanish at Camden County College, but she shares the love of the language to her students as well.

Professor Rita Cotey teaches her class. By Megan Ahern, CCC Journalism Program

Cotey was an exchange student in La Coruña, Spain, attended Rutgers University in Camden, N.J., University of Madrid and University of Barcelona, where she received her bachelor of arts and master of arts degrees. Cotey said she knew she wanted to teach Spanish after she went to Spain during her freshman year of high school. She said she fell in love with the people, culture, food and language.

Before she became a professor at CCC, she was a teacher at Overbrook Senior High School. After 38 years of teaching at Overbrook High School, Cotey retired to spend time with her ill mother, who died a short time after that. She then experienced some health issues herself but overcame them with great help from doctors.

After her mother died, Cotey realized she missed teaching, so she decided to go back to teaching at CCC. This is her third semester at CCC. She said coming back to teach was a great decision and her students made it much easier because she loves the people, teaching and Spanish. She enjoys teaching Spanish so much she hopes to spread the love to other students so they will love it just as much as she does.

During her 38 years of teaching, she has received teacher recognition awards as well as various certificates for professional development in Spain.

Cotey and her husband will mark 30 years of being happily married this November. She met him at a Greek festival and they have been together ever since. They share a dog named Zeus and decided not to have children because her students were like her children.

As for her future, Cotey said, “I hope to continue to teach at CCC, be married for another 30 years, travel around the world and even try voiceovers, commercials and video/audio teaching.”

By Harold Jutajero
CCC Journalism Program

BLACKWOOD – Georgetown University faculty member Dr. Harley Balzer told a crowd of public school teachers, out-of-school adults and students on April 10 in Civic Hall why China is growing more economically and politically than Russia.

The China-Russia reversal lecture takes place April 10 in Civic Hall. By Haroldsid Jutajero, CCC Journalism Program

“China focused on East Asia production chains and didn’t want to invest in Russia,” Balzer said. “China also invested in modernization/diversification or reinforced Russia’s role as a supplier of hydrocarbons (fuel).” It took China a half a dozen years to learn about the World Trade Organization; however, Russia provoked developed nations. China focused on other factors such as modern theory, urbanization, higher education, media and communications. China was better than Russia in economic performance, too.

In economic performance, one of the contributing factors was initial condition, which is the abundant supply of low-cost labor not covered by a welfare system, Balzer said. There were fewer distortions and China began to reform with agriculture. China’s economic performance was also based on a policy environment that was stability on certain events such as the Democracy Wall in 1979, the anti-spiritual pollution in 1983, Bourgeois Liberalism in 1987 and Tiananmen in 1989. Authoritarian leadership was also part of the policy environment.

State priorities in China were often not achieved; however, it accepted private sectors even though it did not intend to, Balzer said. In other words, China had character of integration with the international economy. China’s thick integration generated coalitions of entrepreneurs, officials and investors and, in this case, it was able to win battles. Nothing comparable existed in Democratic Russia. Chinese elites embraced globalization. Russia did not. Russia’s leaders thought globalization was a threat.

Both China and Russia faced daunting issues, especially with demography, the economy, political feedback and international partners, Balzer said. Russia lost decades for diversification and wasted crisis. It had no public input in policy adjustments. It tried to keep up with rapidly growing technology. It also blamed “others,” he said, specifically Democrats and the West. On the other hand, China had stunning economic achievement because of integration, which is why it became more economically successful and politically stable.

After the presentation, Balzer said he gave the lecture because “this was an interesting topic to talk about.”

Dr. Jack Pesda, who organized the lecture as director of the Center for Civic Leadership and Responsibility, said, “I was interested in his analysis of both countries and his conclusion that Russia was in far worse shape than China.”

By Maisune Rafeh
CCC Journalism Program

BLACKWOOD – Professor Joshua Roberson has just finished the draft of his second book, which has been accepted for publication later this year.

Professor Joshua Roberson’s second book has been accepted for publication later this year. By Maisune Rafeh, CCC Journalism Program

Roberson’s second book is called “The Awakening of Osiris and the Transit of the Solar Barques” and revolves around Egyptian cryptology. His said his reasoning for writing about this subject is “the texts are very difficult and no one had translated it before.” He added he is “making translations of material that no one has read accurately.”

It took Roberson four months to complete his first draft, in comparison to his first book, which took him 10 years. “The texts are very difficult because they are cryptographic, that’s why they have not been translated,” he said. Aside from the research, Roberson said the hardest part was finding a publisher.

Freshman Angelique Grasso stated, “Professor Roberson made me enjoy history and actually like coming to class. The fact he gets so passionate about his lectures makes it a lot more interesting. He is very educated and I feel like I can learn a lot from him.” Grasso attended Roberson’s classes in the spring semester of 2013.

Roberson’s first book is titled “Ancient Egyptian Books of the Earth” and was published by Brown University in 2012. He has also written dozens of articles on the topic, and In the future he plans to write more books. “I hope to publish some inscribed material from the city Memphis, Egypt,” he stated.

Roberson’s first book can be found on Amazon, and upon publication, his second book will also be found there. To read some of his articles, you can go to http://www.camdencc.academia.edu/joshuaroberson.

By Daniel Lopez
CCC Journalism Program

BLACKWOOD – Assistant Professor II English Composition Claire Berger has been teaching at Camden County College for 19 years. She is one of three teachers who teach English Composition and Honors English Composition at the CCC Blackwood Campus, but before she became a full-time professor, she was an adjunct at CCC. Berger wrote technical and user manuals for Xerox computer services for 10 years, and she taught at Camden High School for three years.

Professor Claire Berger sits at her desk in her office in Wilson East. By Daniel Lopez, CCC Journalism Program

Berger became an English Composition teacher because reading and writing were always her strong suit. Every semester Berger teaches four or five classes and, she stated, she “prepares a lot for each class.” She sets agendas for each class and reviews a lot of material. Berger said she likes to be prepared because she wants to be able to quote the material she is teaching.

Berger explained her courses are “not intense, but challenging.” She expects her students to be well prepared for class, and she likes to make sure there is communication in her classes. Berger explained while she expects her students to be prepared she also tries to make the courses interesting, educational and fun. Throughout the semester Berger also enjoys when her students begin to communicate with each other in the classroom, because, she said, “they can build a community for themselves.”

Nate Cochran, a student in Berger’s Honors English Composition II class, stated he has enjoyed his two classes with Berger. “She is a dynamic teacher who does whatever she needs to do to get her point across,” Cochran said. Cochran explained he enjoys writing and understood Berger’s courses would not be more difficult but more in depth, and her lectures would be more involved.

Berger won the Lindback Award in 2001. The award is given by the Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Foundation for distinguished teaching at colleges and universities throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and Virginia. Berger, along with other faculty members, fought for 10 years for an Honors Program at CCC and it was not until four years ago the school started the program.

By Chet Green
CCC Journalism Program

BLACKWOOD – Michael Billingsley, a music teacher at Camden County College for 11 years, is teaching three classes, preparing for an upcoming concert with one of his classes, and working on getting his Ph.D.

This semester, Billingsley is teaching Rock Ensemble, Jazz History, and Music Appreciation. Billingsley also oversees all of the music lessons that take place on campus.

Billingsley graduated from Overbrook High School and after high school, continued his education by going to college at University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Billingsley knew he wanted to teach music since he was in sixth grade and had a very influential band director who would let him help other students learn music. After college, he got a job teaching Instrumental Music at a Catholic school in Northeast Philadelphia.

As well as teaching three classes this semester, Billingsley is preparing his Rock Ensemble class for a concert in May, when the ensemble will perform the Beatles’ album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, from start to finish. When asked why he decided to perform this album now, Billingsley responded, “I’ve always wanted to play this album because The Beatles never did, so that’s what first gave me the idea. I just wasn’t sure how the class would do with such a complex album. So, we started by doing Abbey Road two semesters ago and the students just seemed very shocked to be on that stage. We then did Revolver last semester and the students were much more comfortable with that one, so I decided from that, that we were ready to play this album.”

Bruce Tyler, a member of Billingsley’s Rock Ensemble class, stated, “Professor Billingsley is a good teacher and I like performing The Beatles’ albums.” Since the class is ready to play it now, the band will also perform it at Spring Fling in April.

Billingsley is finishing his last class at Rutgers, New Brunswick, to get his Ph.D. in Music Education. With this new degree, Billingsley hopes to be able to make his future Music Appreciation classes even more interesting.

Outside of school, Billingsley finds time to play jazz music with his band The B Band. Billingsley writes music, plays trumpet and piano, and sings. Other then playing music with his band, Billingsley spends time with his family, which consists of a wife and two children.

Billingsley’s advice to students considering a career in music is: “Be prepared to work really really hard.”

Professor Michael Billingsley has been teaching music at Camden County College for 11 years. By Chet Green, CCC Journalism Program

By Keli Hall
CCC Journalism Program

BLACKWOOD – Professor Bernadette Carlin has been teaching and aiding students for 28 years, including more than 23 years at Camden County College. She teaches Computer Literacy, Linux/Unix Essentials and Advanced Computer Concepts and Applications in the Computer Information Systems Department.

Professor Bernadette Carlin conducts a computer literacy hybrid class in the CIM building. By Keli Hall, CCC Journalism Program

Helping her students is one of Carlin’s biggest goals for each of her classes. She strives for each one to succeed to their fullest.

“I consider it to be a personal loss when a student drops my class,” Carlin tells her students.

Her efforts and dedication to her job have not gone unnoticed, for she has won an award from the National Science Foundation for outstanding teaching in junior high school science. She can also be considered a pioneer, for she was the primary adviser for disabled students at St. Joseph’s University, where she taught computer literacy to first-time students.

While Carlin strives to reach the needs of her students and motivate them, she also enjoys the things her students have taught her.

“I like that Professor Carlin is very personable. I would absolutely continue to use what she has taught me,” says Liz Hernandez, a nursing major at CCC.

Some students registering for the fall semester have heard about Carlin and hope to have her for their upcoming computer courses.

“I know a couple people who have taken her course. I was really nervous about taking computer literacy as a hybrid until I heard she is very patient and accommodating,” says Brittany Stewart, a psychology major entering her second semester at CCC.

Carlin resides in Northwest Philadelphia, from where she commutes to the Blackwood campus. When not teaching, Carlin supports and participates in many of the events happening on campus. Students can find her in the CIM building, where most of her lectures take place.

By Angela Lambinus
CCC Journalism Program

BLACKWOOD – As adjunct professor, massage therapist, director and more, Curt Whipple has plenty of accomplishments to be proud of.

Whipple grew up looking up to his parents as his mentors to become the person he is today. His father, an opera singer, and mother, a painter and nurse, he knew he was following in good shoes.

Whipple says he knew growing up he wanted to be in the acting industry, even pursuing a major in education at Penn State, Whipple changed his plans when his father told him to do what he loves to do. Whipple graduated from Penn State University with a bachelor in fine arts, followed by two years post-graduate in professional acting at The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theater in NYC under Sanford Meisner, who became another mentor in Whipple’s life.

As an adjunct professor at Camden County College for 18 years and Rowan University for 22 years, Whipple teaches public speaking, acting and voice articulation. As a director, Whipple directs “Spoon River Anthology” for Camden County College and has directed in Philadelphia at the Walnut St. Theater for plays including “Savage in Limbo,” “Women of Manhattan” and “Hurley Burley.” Before his directing came along, Whipple was an actor since the age of 7, including acting in New York City for 15 years in soap operas such as “Another World” and “All My Children.”

Aside from all of these accomplishments, Whipple also has been a massage therapist for 15 years, taught massage therapy for seven years and is working at his private practice.

When asked what he likes to do on his down time away from teaching, directing, acting, etc., he says he likes to go to the shore and loves to go to restaurants and try new food. Whipple also loves to travel, having been all over to places like England, Germany, Italy, China, Switzerland and Peru.

Describing himself as spontaneous, humorous and “a bit devilish,” Whipple states, “I love new adventures in learning and travel,” and says there is not much in his life he would change. As to what’s next for him in life, he replies, “Everything. Developing interior design, shore time, travel.”

Michael Avery, a student in Whipple’s public speaking class, says the one thing Whipple has taught him that he’ll hold onto for the future is, “Never be afraid to step up to the plate. You’ll succeed when you do. When you hide, you’ll accomplish nothing.”

Whipple adds, “You have to be careful of following the mentality of the herd. Don’t do what others say you should, as opposed to making choices for yourself.”

Professor Curt Whipple discusses a poster for a presentation for public speaking. By Angela Lambinus, CCC Journalism Program

Coaches Kenny Bullion (L) and Dewey Oriente talk baseball with each other. By: Kumarr Clark

(From Right to Left)Anthony Mangiola, Joshua Fontanez, Blaze Gaspari, Garrett Craig. By: Kumarr Clark

The CCC Cougars Baseball team relaxing in the dugout. By: Kumarr Clark

The CCC Lady Cougars anxiously watch the game in the Dugout. By: Kumarr Clark

(From L to R) Secondbase:Tori Gorman, Pitcher: Gabby Wetley, and Shortstop: Sarah Welch. By : Kumarr Clark