BL D DRIVE BAN DECEPTION

THE KNIGHT

NEWSSeptember 19, 2011

Volume 17Issue 2

Journalism in the Interest of the Queens College Community

theknightnews.comBreaking News & Video

MISREPORTED LABOR CONDITIONS, ADJUNCTS HIDDEN

SEE PAGE 3

QC trys to pull a fast one.

U.S. Dept. of Labor doesn’t buy it.

andPLANS

SEE PG 6-7 SEE PG 4–5

Already modestly paid CUNY adjuncts may lose their health insurance coverage within a year because they are not considered “half-time” workers. Professional Staff Congress (PSC) has been carrying the load of adjuncts healthcare coverage but recently announced that it cannot bear the burden any longer. If the city does not change its policies and allow adjuncts to qualify as half-time workers, by August 2012 adjuncts will no longer have healthcare benefits. The New York City Health Benefits Program provides healthcare coverage for all city half-time and full-time workers and retirees. Adjuncts are considered only part-time, not half-time, workers and would need to teach 20 hours a week to qualify for the coverage. Keeping adjuncts from teaching 20 hours a week is the PSC-CUNY’s union policy that permits adjunct members to teach a maximum of nine hours at one CUNY campus plus one course at another. Instead, adjuncts rely on the PSC-CUNY Welfare Fund. “Members of other [New York City] unions are covered by the city health plan if they work half-time,” said Jonathan Buchsbaum, a professor of media studies and Queens College’s PSC union representative. “We feel that its wrong for the city to refuse to accept the same standards for half-time workers at CUNY.” Since 2003, CUNY has contributed $2.8 million annually to the PSC-CUNY Welfare Fund, which provides heathcare benefits to approximately 1,700 of the university’s adjuncts. But, with the rising price of health insurance and a sharp increase in hiring of adjuncts, the fund has become overwhelmed. While CUNY’s contribution once covered 80 percent of the fund’s adjunct healthcare costs, today it accounts for only 20 percent. PSC now covers the remaining 80 percent but will have to cut this heavy cost within the next year as a result of insufficient funding. If the current benefit were to be discontinued, the Welfare Fund would implement a severely reduced health benefit for participating adjuncts based on available funding, according to the PSC-CUNY website. Roughly 1,700 CUNY adjuncts receive health insurance through the Welfare Fund. In order to qualify for the fund’s healthcare, adjuncts currently teaching at least two courses must have taught or worked at CUNY for a year and cannot have another health insurance. “It is often very difficult for the union to protect [adjuncts] because they are contingent laborers...It’s one of the demands of the union that there be some form of job security for adjuncts who have proven themselves in the classroom over the years. And there is no such protection,” said Buchsbaum. A demonstration for adjunct benefits will take place at a CUNY Board of Trustees meeting at Baruch College on Monday, Sept. 26.

MELANIE BENCOSME &ROBERT ROSENGARTEN

News Reporters

melanie@theknightnews.comrobert@theknightnews.com

ADJUNCTS HEALTHCARE

Art by Omera Begum

COMING TO AN END

2 | September 19, 2011 www.theknightnews.com

The Queens College Administration performed a grand illusion by masking its part-time workers in a form submitted to the U.S. Department of Labor in February. This disappearing act comes at a time when QC is increasingly hiring part-time adjunct faculty. The document, OSHA’s Form 300A- Summary of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses, incorrectly implied that for 2010 each QC employee worked, on average 35 hours a week for 52 weeks, the standard workload of a full-time employee. This could only be true if

every QC employee were a full-time worker. According to the Affirmative Action Summary Data approximately 50 percent of QC employees were part-time workers in 2009. A year later, the college reported an increase of more than one million work hours and a decrease of 57 employees in its 300A OSHA form. The report was returned to QC with accusations that it contained invalid information. The form was certified and signed by Human Resources Coordinator

Giancarlo Mejia, who refused to comment on the matter. His supervisor was unavailable ]for comment. “They make the campus look safer and healthier than it really is,” said Arthur Chitty, Librarian and a member of the advisory council for the PSC-CUNY Welfare Fund. “My problem is not that they made that mistake but that they won’t correct it...They don’t even acknowledge that it’s wrong.” Chitty continues to pressure the college to address a previous labor law violation, which the college administration has yet to settle. In addition to hiding the number of part-timers, the misinformation obstructs the

Department of Labor’s ability to determine workplace safety. The department compares hours worked with the amount of injuries to assess workplace conditions; inflating the number of hours worked gives the school the appearance of a safer work environment. CUNY-wide instructional staff was comprised of 11,779 full-timers and 14,137 part-time adjuncts, according to the 2009 Affirmative Action Summary Data. Similar proportions are evident in QC, where in Fall 2011 approximately 57 percent of all

instruction is done by adjuncts, according to the college’s Human Resources Department. “We might be looking at institutions of higher education that are 90 percent adjuncts, 10 percent full-timers,” said Dean Savage, a QC professor of sociology and Chair of the Committee on Teaching Excellence and Evaluation. Since the 1980’s, American universities have been increasingly hiring more part-time faculty to the point where approximately 50 percent of all college professors in the nation are adjuncts, according to The Washington Monthly. The division between full-time and part-time professors is more than just a matter

of professional title. Full-time professors’ salaries, job stability, benefits and personal success are greater than those of adjuncts. On average, QC full professors earn $113,300 a year while adjuncts are paid hourly and earn a fraction of that amount, depending on experience and title. “I don’t really see a difference,” said Ugyen Lhatso, a junior at QC. “If [my instructor] wouldn’t have told us he was an adjunct professor, I wouldn’t have known.” Adjuncts have no job stability and are

hired on a semester-by-semester basis. They also receive no retirement benefits and are about to lose their PSC-CUNY Welfare Fund healthcare coverage. The fund is managed by the Professional Staff Committee (PSC), a CUNY-wide union. But QC and CUNY are not the only ones abandoning the concerns of the adjuncts. “The union [PSC] seeks to represent the upper crust of its constituency,” said a CUNY adjunct who asked to remain anonymous. “The union can do lots for the select few at the top of the faculty hierarchy with less confrontation with the university administration. This is because [CUNY management] is happy with having a few high-

paid professors and junior administrators who can boost the school’s academic reputation.”

MELANIE BENCOSME &ROBERT ROSENGARTENNews Reporters

QC Falsified Form Making Adjuncts Vanish

www.theknightnews.com September 19, 2011 | 3

DSA Party Platforms1. Change the way elections are run; next year nobody will harass you to vote.

2. Fund more student activities and campus events, by using stdent fees wisely.

3. Push for microwaves in the cafeteria, Chartwells is not our only option.

4. Push for longer library hours, classes end at 9 p.m. but studying doesn’t.

5. Give more money to clubsby intelligently spending student fees.

6. Promote Greek life, clubs, athletics by promoting events on Facebook.

7. Refuse to take a salary (of $20,000) to use for hundreds of textbook scholarships.

8. Enact Constitutional Reforms in Student Governemnt to make information free and accessible.

9. Support a free press on campus, The Knight News deserves funding that rises above politics.

10. Support current scholarships and work to create new scholarships.

11. Continue to fight against tuiton hikes; quality education can be afforadable too.

12. Address problems with CUNYfirst, registering for classes should not be difficult.

13. Create printing hubs so you can print from all campus computers.

14. Create parling for all students: by building a parking structure on campus.

15. Change the parking program to work with more students’ schedules. Q: Are there any potential candidates in DSA you see seeking the nomination for the next election?A: I think it’s a little bit too early to start naming candidates. Student elections are held in April and I know DSA usually has its nomination period from February to March. So by then we usually have a clear indication of which member wants to step up and take on the role of being our face during the campaign. Only the future knows what’s in store.

Q: How’s your party membership this semester?A: It’s remained the same. It’s consistent. The

fact that it’s pretty much still intact, even without technically me doing everything for the organization now, is a good sign. The fact that the members could change and the ideas could change but the purpose sort of remains intact is always a good sign and a test of leadership and what you did.

Q: Were you guys discouraged by the results last time or encouraged that you came closer?A: You know what I wasn’t. Yeah it can be a little disappointing. I was a little more disappointed with what the weather was like during election week versus going toe-to-toe for votes. The fact that the voting system went down for almost a day and a half [and] that it was raining Monday and Tuesday, it kind of just threw everything out the door.

Q: What is DSA doing around campus to try to stay active and relevant?A: Basically every semester and year, what makes DSA so cool is that the purpose changes, the focus changes. So with regards to this year what I think is going to wind up happening is that, we were just had club day and talked to new people, and active club members came back and things like that, I think one of the primary focuses for this semester is getting out the reputation and offering different solutions to what the current government is doing and tuition hikes and issues that seem relevant to students. [We’re] sort of, just keeping our face out in the public and working on employment events, maybe a major/minor, a breakfast, all these things that students value more. Not silly wacko banana shows with hypnotists.

Q: Has the party made any strides in trying to push through its platforms despite not being represented in the UP-controlled Student Senate?A: Because we’re not invited to senate meetings we technically can’t barge our way into a meeting and say “Well, we’re rightfully alternates so we’d like to have a seat. That’s just not the way it works. So since we’re out of government we’re out of flux with when they have meetings. The only things we do know about are Academic Senate meetings and that’s where the college discusses general education, changes to curricula, security changes, things like that where we actually do have a voice. We can stand up at a podium in front of faculty members and the president and speak for the students. I think this semester that’s one of our primary focuses, is just to keep our reputation in the AS, good with the faculty members and see if that works out, maybe that pays out. I’m looking forward to [Academic Senate] versus the Student Senate, which is, you know, no one knows where it meets. It’s kind of out of the bubble.

Q: How does DSA intend to close the gap on UP next spring?A: It’s not impossible to do and we know it’s not impossible to do.  Since I’m in my senior year I’ve sat here long enough and I’ve watched and experienced enough elections to see what we’ve been doing wrong, re-approach our strategy.  The platforms, the issues, they’re still very relevant, but usually before we go out and campaign we always want to see if it’s still relevant to students. So maybe we’ll work on some surveys, we’ll sample a class here and there, see if parking is still at the same height it was last year, maybe.  What’s more dominant- tuition or student activity fees- little things like that, which I think we’re definitely going to do. In terms of closing the gap, last year honestly I think it was just because of the weather and how it sort of threw out our party focus and this year I think we’re going to be ready for anything. The goal right now is that if we have our steady campaign

set up with at least maybe 25, 30 students, I think we can win this very easily. Personally think that if we do lose this year we’re probably going to repeat what we did two years ago where we closed the gap and it was only about 500 votes.

Q: Your party was very vocal in the last campaign about ending laptop voting, which you characterized as harassing. Has DSA pushed for this and other electoral reforms, perhaps through the Academic Senate Elections Committee?A: I’m pretty sure that the active members in the organization are still going to say the same thing and they’re going to try and push through it. But again, basically the way it works is you have an election committee that’s made up of eight members, you have four faculty and four students. Now the faculty members have refused to sit in on discussions if the student members always press for the same type of election. So that means that no serious reform can come unless they’re willing to compromise and evaluate the same mistakes that they keep doing. The reason why we have laptop voting right now is a direct result from online voting. It was an inundated thing that no one could’ve imagined would’ve happened. I think the only way to counterbalance that is either, one: to restrict internet access [to the election site] on laptops, specifically during election week so that students would only vote at given locations on campus like kiosks; or you get rid of voting on campus, which means that Wi-Fi becomes blocked and kiosks become blocked and the only way for potential voters to vote is somewhere off-campus. It’s a specific IP address where they could just block so no computer on campus could access [the QC election site]. [Technologically] is very possible.It’s not so much that DSA wants to participate in this system but DSA has to participate in this system.   In order to fix the system maybe we have to participate in it so that if we do win, we can restructure it.

Q: Last Spring DSA made a major issue of the ruling party’s usage of finances, particularly on past trips to Disney World. Do you think the pressure you put on them has discouraged this nature of spending, or did UP take the election results as validation of their practices?A: They’ve restricted their spending. The reason why, I think is it was a hot topic last semester and it gained recognition from The Knight News and other people on campus saying “Woah, holy crap, you’ve got like a secret student government. What are they doing?” And it was true.   It may not have been Sixto (student body president) and it may not have been Raspreet (student body vice present), or Daniel (former student body president) or Gabriella (former student body president), but they can’t run away from their past. One of the core issues why I joined DSA was transparency. I think that’s still an issue and I think every year that we continue to criticize them on spending they have ridiculous silly events on campus. If it says “co-sponsored by SA” that’s what they’re spending money on. Think about that, if we’re paying for student government, do we want a student government to bring a hypnotist or do we want a student government to meet with the chancellor and the president of the school to lower tuition, or get more parking, or work on a parking structure, or work on another [dorm], or work on reducing the cost of food of Chartwell’s- easy issues.

Q: That segues perfectly to my next question, if you were president hypothetically, where would you divert such spending?A: You need to refuse spending. You need to put a spending freeze on student government and you need to restructure student government. So if you put a spending freeze for at least the first month and a half, that works, and then if you restructure student government, you get rid of all these nonsense baloney subcommittees. These chairs and vice-chairs, they do get paid if you look on their expense reports. You get

rid of all of those budget fees, you allocate it, you bring it back and you could give it back to the clubs. You could have more events like club day, things where people actually come out. You can have a student government that works for students without all of this ridiculous spending. And I think that’s one of the things we’ve said year after year; we want to reduce the size of student government. Instead of collecting maybe $6 from a student, maybe let’s collect $3. Let’s give it back to students, what do we need a student activity fee for, honestly? If it’s not going to help us increase security or events that help students, it serves no purpose at this point. That’s all money that could be going back to students or educational events.

Q: Moving past politics onto an issue that should pique every student’s interest: tuition. Do you think there’s anything the student body can do that could feasibly prevent the trustees from continuing to raise tuition year after year? Would you support measures such as a repeat of last spring’s walkout, or even something more radical like a sit-in or a boycott of tuition payments?

A: There’s a democratic way and there’s an undemocratic way. I think the walkout was a great thing, but I thought it got a little too radical. The L.I.E. has nothing to do with tuition hikes. I’m sorry, if you want to get attention, when the chancellor comes on campus, let’s have a town hall meeting with some of these big guys. Why can’t we meet with the school administration or even members of the Board of Trustees? We could certainly do an open forum or a question and answer. And I think by doing that first it solves two issues, one: it solves a communication issue between the students and these decision-makers, and two: it gives us a proper voice and it makes us seem reasonable, not radical to the point where we’re going to throw books out the window or say “oh I’m going to kill you if you can’t lower tuition”. The school has a University Student Senate where Student Association members are sent. [They] have say as to what these trustees are doing. I know for a fact that SA member James Robinson sits on this and he’s never once said anything against tuition hikes. It’s measures like that that would give the student government a better answer and a better say. I think that’s what the focus needs to be. I’m not saying let’s not have walkouts, let’s not be radical, I’m saying there’s an appropriate way to do it and a not an appropriate way. If we were to take a measure and start a ballot issue and we had every Queens College student sign a petition that they don’t want tuition hikes or don’t agree with the raise, look at the legitimacy that gives to all of the people that started the walkout. It gives them more leverage. You bring it to the trustees and you say look, out of 20,000 students, X amount oppose hikes. It gives us the leverage to go to the trustees and say “look, you guys are eleven people, who are you to decide for [all of the] students that said no. If we set the example and we do something like this, every other student government in the CUNY system could do it too.

Q: What specifically would you propose cutting on campus in order to avoid raising tuition?

A: I would cut the size of student government. I’m not sure if I would get rid of NYPIRG or not but I would certainly maybe cut its size, and cut the size of other giant things that are not necessarily beneficial to all students on campus. The fact that we have reconstruction projects on campus at this given time in this climate, maybe we could’ve held out and waited on that. Why are we spending money to redo the theater at this point when it’s not even going to be ready for two more years? I know we’re getting the building from CUNY Law; well maybe we could rent it out and make revenue for the college. Do something that cuts the waste and makes it efficient and keeps costs down.

Q & A WITH FORMER PARTY CHAIR ANDREW DEMASTERSNICK HUNT News Reporter

Photo by Bradly Levitt

4 | September 19, 2011 www.theknightnews.com

Photo by Bradly Levitt

UP Party Platforms1. Continue the fight against tuition hikes and budget cuts.

2. Save the Vallone Scholarship & fight against proposed $800+ cuts to Pell Grants.

3. Provide soap & towels for all science labs.

4. Improve campus safety: outdoor security cameras, blue light phone system testing, establish student patrol.

5. Install new computers for the Rosenthal Library & computer labs.

6. Institute more weekend access to computer labs.

7. Better promote QC Knights games & provide incentives for students to attend.

8. Increase food options for evening & weekend students (available to all students).

9. Provide healthy food options at Kosher Cafeteria.

10. Fight for adequate resources for SEEK, Workers Ed, services for students with disabilities disabilities/CUNY LEADS, childcare, & ethnic studies.

11. Increase the number of copy machines around campus.

12. Add more textbooks on reserve at the Rosenthal Library.

13. Follow-up on our legislative victory and finally get a timetable for when air conditioning , new gym floor, and accessible restrooms for Fitzgerald Gym will be installed.

14. Continue our clean restrooms campaign.

15. Regulate message boards that advertise all on-campus events on a daily and/or weekly basis.

KN: What has Up been up to so far, according to the party platform and what are your plans for the semester?SA:(Platform 1) Obviously the fight against tuition hikes is something we are always fighting. I believe there’s going to be a hearing in November or October that we’ll be attending.

I was invited to one for November and we’ll be attending that. So, you know, we have to express our concerns.

(Platform 2) [The] Peter Vallone scholarship, we tried to do something over the summer through Facebook, because you know you can do a lot of things through Facebook. We did a Facebook campaign to try to send out links and stuff to certain individuals, like everyone who’s a CUNY student, family, friends, to sign an electronic letter to representative their district. So we sent that out, we had a good turnout, but you know, the efforts were still not so successful. But [the Vallone Scholarship] wasn’t in the budget this year. So that doesn’t mean that it’s gone forever; we can obviously still fight for it. And we’re going to be doing that.

(Platform 3) That actually was something that Gabby( Berrezueta, former student president) did in her administration I believe. She brought it up and they did get that victory. It was something that was going to be started off in Gabby’s [presidency] and I continued and expanded to it. So how we’re expanding to it is the art labs because we are aware that some art classrooms deal with some chemicals and paints and stuff. You know, we’re looking into that as well to make sure that we can get some paper towels at the very least in there.

(Platform 4) We’re working with Stephan Aiello (Director of Student Union Administration and Finance Office) currently on getting a quote for cameras here in the SU. That’s something that’s really important and needed.

(Platform 5) We haven’t started but we’ll be in communicationwith Chief Librarian (Robert)Shaddy on that. Weekend hours for the computer labs as well in the [Student Union]. Basically it’s more toward the Student Union labs. We’re not in communication with that yet because we don’t have an office manager yet so once we have that set up we’ll look into that.

(Platform 7) So, the Knights games, it’s interesting. We’re trying to increase turnout. We’re currently working with Athletics to try to get palm cards of their schedules to hand out to students. I’m not really updated on the situation with that right now but we’re trying to do that. As well that leads into school spirit. So I don’t know if you guys were there at the Welcome Day program but I dressed up as Sir Winsalot and that was a lot of fun, you know. It’s a good experience, you know you get the freshman like “Let’s get started”- good impression, school spirit. And it’s a good thing. We had our [highest turnout] freshman event to date. It was very successful, we had over 250 freshman there and you know, we just briefed them on the good things, what they need to know, P/NC, freshman forgiveness, all that stuff.

(Platfrom 8)Increased food options goes alongside with the healthy food options at the Kosher Cafe and that we need to look into as well. I’m going to be working with my Food Services Vice Chair, Victoria Brown, on that. We’re going to be looking at what types of things we can do in those areas.We have our current SEEK (Search for Evaluation Education and Knowledge) vice-chair. She’s working with the SEEK department right now and seeing what type of program we can do with [them.]

Q: So when you say labs, you’re referring to the lab in the Student Association office? Are you doing anything as far as other labs on campus?A: You know like with every movement you want to start with one central area, so we’re going to be working from there and try to expand.

Q: I had asked you if you were going to attend the public hearing on the most recent tuition hike and you had said that somebody from UP was going. Did they? A: Yes, my treasurer, I believe, went. She went and testified. Malinie Cyril (UP Treasurer) testified on behalf of UP and Student Association. She told me how it went.

Q: What was your experience with the UP selection processA: Selecting me? It was a good process. In my selection it was only one interview I had to sit for. I was interviewed by former UP presidents. I can’t really say who but, it’s just individuals like past presidents, so Gabby was one of them.

Q: How come you can’t tell us though?A: You know how you have your own things…

Q: I don’t know because this is student government, I would imagine that transparency is valued?A: It’s not student government, it’s United People.

Q: Well this is how the president gets chosen essentially because you guys always win. So they essentially decide…A: Not always, it’s a fair game all the time...

Q: Have you ever lost a single seat in an election? For 38 years, correct?A: No, we haven’t, from what I know.

Q: Alright, if you won’t tell us, you won’t tell us, that’s fine…A: It’s basically former past presidents, so um, Mahendra (Singh) was a former past president, and Gabby.

Q: Now, a lot of people thought that Charlie Wohlberg (opposing UP candidate) was the heavy favorite. My understanding is that he’s no longer part of UP? Is that correct?A: No he’s actually our Jewish liaison. He’s one of our members.

Q: And why do you think you were chosen over Charlie? Because Charlie, he’s a bit of a statesman, he has a lot of experience.A: That’s up in the air. I think, I mean look, Charlie’s a hard worker. So I think we were both on the same level.

Q: How would you characterize your larger political views? Are you capitalist, socialist, other, Democrat?A: I’m a Democrat. I just like what the Democrats have to say when I look at what each side has to say. I feel like with Democrats it’s more towards, like, the bigger population. I think that’s how I see it.

Q: As far as you guys wanting to attend events such as protests, lobby day, etc., I think it’s fair to say that so far with the most recent tuition hikes you guys haven’t had any presence with respect to the most recent protests at CUNY Central? Your presence there was minimal. Like in other words, detached; it wasn’t really student government driven or connected. It just so happened that you guys showed up there.A: I disagree. Even though we weren’t an organizer, you know, we were still there and we were supporting, you know, what the students had to say. And I agree, I’m one of those students as well. And I speak for the other students and my other friends at other CUNY schools as well. That was a CUNY wide movement and I think we had a great turnout for that.

Q: Do you really think that lobbying politicians and engaging in the on-campus electoral politics leads to real change? Because

from what I can tell, at least in your most important platform, tuition hikes- you guys have been in power for 38 years and for 38 years tuition has gone up.A: It’s not like one person can do a lot of things, you have to talk about it in that perspective as well. We don’t control, you know, we make our input and we make ourselves known like every other CUNY student does when they go to these hearings.

Q: Well that’s exactly what I’m saying, is there any value to going to hearings or getting involved in student government, or should you take a more independent and militant route where you organize people outside of the system and put pressure on it.A: Both approaches work. The second approach you said shows that there’s support from outside sources, and inside the students directly affected with it.

Q: You say you guys are against tuition hikes but what’s the alternative given the huge deficit in NY state? What should we do instead?A: Well, what is it? It’s $150 [increase] for five years, right, they said?

Q: No it’s a $300 tuition hike for this academic year and it’s up to $300 every year hereafter.A: I mean, we just have to go to the state. We have to keep on fighting. What are our options? I mean we’re all obviously against tuition hikes, but, I’m stumped.

Q: I think the number one platform of DSA that I think resonates with a lot of people even though it didn’t reflect in their votes was “change the way elections are run, next year nobody will harass you to vote.” In every principled free and fair election there’s a separation between the campaigning and the voting itself. That’s why in a regular election you can’t be within, say, a hundred feet of voting.A: Originally we had polling [sites.] DSA didn’t like the whole polling so they decided to move into this new [online] system that we have now. I agree with the approach of how people take it, that’s why I try to not have my members be like “Vote!” Inform voters, that’s why for those who have laptops, you take time out, put your platform card here and give it to the person at the same time, too, so they’re informed on what the issues are.

Q: Would you be in support of having the quad be the only zone on campus in which someone could campaign during the week of elections? And in order to have somebody vote on the quad, they would have to voluntarily be there, you couldn’t approach them anywhere else on campus.A: I think that idea sounds fair. If the students want that then.

Q: Do you think students feel that this system is broken?A: I haven’t felt that from the students, but when I was out there the students were very interested.. But it could be a possibility of starting that in the next [election], to separate.

Q: Do you think its fair to compare UP to DSA, meaning their goals and things like that, if they don’t have any voting power? Do you think it’s still a fair comparison. Because a lot of times in your election material you’re comparing “UP did this and DSA has done nothing” but is that really a fair comparison or is that misleading given that they don’t have any votes to do the same things you have.A: I mean, you don’t need to be in office to make great movements. Erin Brockavich, she wasn’t in office when she- she didn’t know anything about politics when she did that big movement she did.

Q & A WITH STUDENT ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT SIXTO ARIASinfo@theknightnews.com

www.theknightnews.com September 19, 2011 | 5

Art by Omera Begum

Does the FDA Policy Have Any Scientific

Justification?

Men who have had sex with men since 1977, even once, are permanently barred by the Food and Drug Administration from donating blood, regardless of their HIV status. Female partners of MSM are deferred for one year. Instituted in 1983 during the height of the AIDS crisis, the policy was intended to ensure the safety of the nation’s blood supply through a blanket disqualification of the disproportionately HIV positive MSM population as donors. Currently though, thanks to dramatic advances in blood screening technology, the risk for acquiring HIV via blood transfusion is conservatively estimated to be one in omillion as of October 2010, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This remaining risk represents the possibility of a false negative test result after collection and again prior to a transfusion. Beginning in 1996, the states and territories of Australia relaxed their MSM deferral policy to one year, with this revised policy being adopted throughout the country by 2000. There has been no statistically significant difference in HIV positive blood donations since the change. Nevertheless, the FDA has consistently refused to revise their policy, even as recently

as June 2010, despite AABB, America’s Blood Centers and the American Red Cross characterizing the policy as “medically and scientifically unwarranted.” These organizations have lobbied for a one-year deferral period, stating, “It does not appear rational to broadly differentiate sexual transmission via male-to-male sexual activity from that via heterosexual activity on scientific grounds.” Incomprehensibly, although MSM potential blood donors are barred for life, an individual who has sex with someone who is HIV positive is deferred for one year. Equally inconsistent is the FDA’s five-year deferral policy for MSM tissue donors.

So the Policy’s Illogical, But Why Does This Matter?

Blood drives are often held at schools and at workplaces. Those who don’t participate, or worse yet are turned away, are potentially subject to stigmatization. For those turned away because of an act consistent with their sexual orientation, despite the complete lack of scientific or medical justification, the experience can be “visceral,” reports Nathan Schaefer of Gay Men’s Health Crisis. Additionally those unaware of the policy unknowingly make themselves vulnerable to having to explain to others why they are not allowed to participate. Given the dramatically higher suicide rates among LGBTQ youth, this potential for

psychological stress is particularly concerning among student populations. The FDA’s questionnaire also fails to screen for high-risk behaviors, such as having unprotected or anonymous sex, increasing risk to the blood supply. The permanent ban also limits the potential donor pool.

Are There Any Alternatives?

An increasing number of countries now defer MSM for one year. Some have five-year deferral policies. Using an antibody test, a year-long “window-period” is more than sufficient for HIV detection. Approximately 97 percent of persons develop the telltale antibodies within three months of exposure, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. In very rare cases, it can take up to six months. The nucleic acid test, which is newer and less commonly used, can detect HIV directly within an even shorter window period. Although a one-year deferral policy is less burdensome to MSM donors and increases the donor pool, it still fails to distinguish between high- and low-risk sexual behaviors. France, Italy, Spain, Poland and Germany have instead designed questionnaires to screen all donors based on high-risk behavior in place of group-based classifications. This approach treats all donors the

same, raises awareness of high-risk sexual behavior and enlarges the donor pool while improving the effectiveness of pre-screening.

But Does Banning Blood Drives on

Campus Threaten the Blood Supply?

The CUNY-Wide LGBT Task Force, Queens College Academic Senate and administration, City College administration, and CUNY administration all agree: the FDA’s permanent MSM deferral is inconsistent with CUNY’s anti-discrimination policy. Despite this recognition, however, the QC and CUNY administrations maintain that this concern must be balanced against their perceived responsibility to contribute to New York’s blood supply. In contrast, the Task Force, QC Academic Senate and City College administration are supportive of relocating blood drives off campus while continuing to support and advertise them. Since these bans are very recent, there have not yet been any off-campus drives during the school year to compare to their past on-campus counterparts. Until then it is impossible to say whether donations will decline and, if so, by how much. Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Frank Sanchez has stated, however, that he would drop his objection to the drives being relocated so long as the number of donations does not fall.

BLOOD DRIVE BAN SCIENCE FAQ6 | September 19, 2011 www.theknightnews.com

FRED MAGOVERNNews Reporter

www.theknightnews.com September 19, 2011 | 7

Queens College President James Muyskens has reinstated an on-campus blood drive policy upon receiving a memo from the CUNY administration which misconstrues the position of a leading gay men’s health organization. On April 14, the QC Academic Senate recommended to Muyskens the discontinuation of on-campus blood drives, citing a scientifically unsound and therefore unnecessarily discriminatory Food and Drug Administration policy. Beginning in 1983, the FDA has barred men who have had sex with other men (MSM) since the late ‘70s, even once, from contributing blood (see sidebar article). Muyskens, in concert with Vice President of Student Affairs Joe Bertolino, initially adopted the Senate’s recommendation, despite both having personal objections to the ban. However, only two months later, Musykens reversed his decision after receiving a memorandum from Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Frank Sanchez and Vice Chancellor of Legal Affairs Frederick Schaffer. Although the communication expressed nothing more than disapproval of the QC and City College bans, Muyskens relied on Bertolino’s interpretation of the memo as a “pseudo-directive.” “Let’s say you’re working for Hewlett-Packard, and Hewlett-Packard says ‘we strongly recommend this not be done’ and you’re doing it. Wouldn’t you take that as a directive?” Muyskens said. “We’re talking about my boss.” “If any other campus within CUNY turns around and bans blood drives after this memo, I can assume that president will get another memo or will be called into a meeting. Take that for what it’s worth. Let’s not kid ourselves,” Bertolino said suggestively. The CUNY-wide memo quoted a letter from the public policy director of the Gay Men’s Health Crisis, Nathan Schaefer, as support for the university’s critical position of the bans. According to Schaefer, he was approached by New York Blood Center on

CUNY’s behalf, the former fearing it might lose CUNY campuses as venues for blood drives. In response, Schaefer wrote a letter explaining the position of his organization. In their memo, immediately following a paragraph criticizing the banning of blood

drives at QC and CCNY as having “gone too far,” the vice chancellors quoted the letter from GMHC: “’GMHC does not support the boycotting of blood drives...’ GMHC views boycotts...as both ‘counterproductive and detrimental.’ Instead, GMHC chooses to ‘endorse alternative creative approaches that simultaneously raise awareness of the absolute deferral of MSM donors and increase blood donations.’” This paragraph, and the one immediately preceding it which Bertolino characterized as “somewhat scolding,” appear underneath a section header that reads, “CUNY Supports a Wide Variety of Protests Against the FDA Policy, But Does Not Support Boycotts of Blood Drives.” Sanchez denied that the memo could be misinterpreted as treating “bans” and “boycotts” as interchangeable terms, a confusion which would obscure GMHC’s approval of the former. Both Muyskens and Bertolino, however, reached the mistaken conclusion that GMHC is opposed to the bans. “We are only unsupportive of initiatives or messages that discourage people who are

eligible donors from donating blood,” Schaefer clarified, highlighting the distinction between a boycott and a ban. Sanchez would not even admit that the paragraphs are related, despite the fact that they are adjacent and comprise two out of only three

paragraphs within the section. “I think they were looking for an easy out or some cover to say ‘no, you can’t do this,’” Schaefer said. “The bans at City and Queens College were not boycotts by any means; they were alternative events that still encourage people to donate blood and are entirely congruent with our position,” he continued. Schaefer emphasized his endorsement was contingent upon the veracity of reports that CCNY and QC were continuing to advertise and support blood drives relocated nearby off-campus, which Sanchez said he could confirm for City College. In an interview with The Knight News, Sanchez demonstrated a clear understanding of GMHC’s opposition to boycotts and support for bans. Furthermore, as the memo was co-authored by the general counsel of the university, it was presumably carefully reviewed under a legal microscope. This would suggest that the memo was purposefully worded so that the GMHC’s position would be likely misinterpreted as identical to CUNY’s.

Recalling a recent meeting between Sanchez and the various vice presidents of student affairs, Bertolino said, “We talked at length about the educational process and about the opportunity to engage in dialogue and discussion. I left that meeting with the clear

message that ‘yes, this decision [to ban blood drives] is problematic.’ But we were criticized by the central office less for the decision and more for the way in which it came about.” “Having sat in that [Academic Senate] meeting, I think they made the decision quickly without good, substantive discussion and debate. Technically there doesn’t have to be, but I think that if we’re going to talk about the integrity of the process and we’re at an educational institution, we have a responsibility to make sure all of the information is presented on the floor so that people can make a sound decision,” Bertolino said. The chancellery’s espoused commitment to healthy debate as an educational institution appears to not extend to the board of trustees, whose recent meeting took less than 15 minutes (it would’ve been even shorter if it wasn’t interrupted by protestors) with no debate whatsoever before a unanimous vote to raise tuition. Either the CUNY administration selectively applies its commitment to thorough, principled discussion, or we can soon expect another CUNY-wide memo, this time chastising the board of trustees.

CUNY ADMINISTRATORSUSE DECEPTION TO

UNDERMINE BLOOD DRIVE

FRED MAGOVERNNews Reporter

“If any other campus within CUNY turns around and bans blood drives after this memo,

I can assume that president will get another memo or will be called into a meeting..”

- Joe Bertolino

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An ‘Interior’ Filled with Newspapers The Queens College Art Center turned a former office space into a landscape filled with newspaper made spheres and curtains, giving a spin on formal recycling in the paper installation “Interior.” The site- specific installation, created by visual and mixed media artist Suzanne Morlock, is set in a dimly lit room that also has its door locked. With these limitations, intentionally done by the artist, the audience is forced to see the installation only through a window in the door, which itself is covered with a draping of knitted newspaper. “Because it wasn’t such a big space, it lent itself to a kind of “peak-a-boo aspect,” said Morlock. “I wanted to explore curiosity… [to have] noses pressed against the glass.” The source material that the artist chose to work with was QC’s very own The Knight News. Each sphere shaped item in the installation was made of recycled copies of the student newspaper, collected by Rosenthal Library. Morlock used flour and water to attach each page together to form piles of long rough “yarn,” which she then knitted and twinned. The process was “very labor intensive,” according to Morlock, with 70 percent of her time devoted to making the material into a pliable form and the other 30 percent for the actual knitting and twinning of the material. “I wanted to use local materials and so I asked the [art center] staff what kind of publications come out of the college. To have the campus newspaper… it was just a natural thing; I had readily available art material,” said Morlock. The installation’s unique use of paper also addressed the value of printed newspapers in competition with the ongoing rise of technology, which gives the installation a potential political reading, according to the Wyoming based artist. “Even the day after papers come out, they turn into this other thing,” said Morlock, referring to a paper’s short -lived importance even when being a day old. “Interior” not only shows a different way of recycling material in general, but one that pertains specifically to newspapers and their value in today’s day and age. “Morlock’s remediation of newspapers, an everyday object bound to history, is a fascinating commentary on an object’s value and importance,” said Tara Mathison, assistant curator at the Art Center. “Re-conceptualizing the newspaper as a sculptural structure, Morlock adds a new dimension to not only her chosen medium of The Knight News, but to the space it inhabits [in] the Art Library.” “Interior” occupies a room on the sixth floor of the Rosenthal Library and will be on exhibit until Dec. 30.

Copies of The Knight News are given a new form and meaning in Morlock's paper instal-lation "Interior."

SHIRYN GHERMEZIANNews Reporter

The room's window is also covered with newspaper that

Morlock twinned and knitted in a yarn like fashion.

Photo by: suzannemorlock.com

Photo by Suzanne Morlock

Photo by Suzanne Morlock

www.theknightnews.com September 19, 2011 | 9

The era of acceptance grows and thrives on the Queens College campus as coed residence halls become a part of The Summit. Set in motion for the first time this fall, this permanent addition to The Summit aims to accommodate more students and not turn anyone away from the opportunity to live on campus if they are willing to share apartments with members of the opposite gender. Bedrooms, however, must still be shared by people of the same biological gender. The idea was initially proposed during the spring semester by Dr. Joe Bertolino, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs. His service at other higher education institutions in the past that have also practiced this idea led him to believe that QC and coed residence halls would be a good match. “Having a segregated residence hall provides a homophobic dorm policy, so it’s really important that the Summit provides this option,” said Hadas Fruchter, 21, a senior and former resident of The Summit. Out of the 144 apartments spread across five floors in The Summit, just

one apartment housing four students is currently coed. The room locations are not gender segregated, though the application to get space in the residence hall does allow students to ask to be placed in a room in proximity to other graduate, honor and freshmen students. Smoking, drinking and study habits, and hobbies are also considered when students are being assigned to their rooms. “When we initially launched the idea, the student response was a little nervous. But when they realized that this was just an option being offered to them, not forced on to anyone and accepting it would be a personal choice, they thought it was ok,” said Theresa Walsh, Director of Housing and Resident Life at The Summit. QC joins with CUNY Hunter College and other national campuses in this endeavor to have coed residence halls. “To not have that option would be really insensitive to our gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual community on campus,” said Devin Escobar, 25, senior and former resident of The Summit. ”I think gay people tend to be very good friends with people of the opposite gender and it’s safer for them to live with people they already know and trust.”

The Summit Now IncorporatingCoEd Residence HallsMEHER MOHSINNews Reporter

Student Union: Then and NowMONICA PALERMONews Reporter

Student Union is paid for by the student activity fee and is rented out to generate revenue.

In the far corner of the campus, facing Kissena Blvd, stands the Student Union; a place for students to gather, eat and relax with their friends between classes. This was the purpose conceived by students of the 1960s who pushed for its creation. “The purpose today of the Student

Union is to offer facilities and services which enable students to provide a well-rounded positive campus experience for the larger college community,” said Charlie Wohlberg, a senator last year for the Student Association. The Student Union (originally

called the “College Union”) was opened in November of 1972, eight years after being proposed by the Queens College Student Services Corporation in 1965. Before its creation, students had limited space on campus to hang out between classes and hold meetings for clubs. Overcrowding in the library, dining hall and student lounges deemed them inadequate locations for constructive use of students’ free time. As awareness for the need of a student union rose in 1956, student organizations raised money to try and fund the creation of such a building. Contributions were made by many different organizations including the Catholic Newman Club, Delta Phi Epsilon sorority and a contribution of $10,000 from the Alumni Association. “The students of the ‘60s decided they wanted a building for themselves, which was financed by them [and] that was essentially a building for students by students,” said Dr. Joe Bertolino, the Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs. Originally students owned the building through the Student Services Corporation but in the 1990s students could no longer afford the mortgage. It was bought by the state and is currently owned by the college. However, QC students still pay for it through their student activity fees, which cover the cost of staffing and maintenance as well as the activities

taken place within the building. The Student Union is also rented out to organizations such as the Kaplan Testing Center, which generates revenue for the building. “In many ways the building is still dedicated to students and student services because student fees finance the day -to -day operation even though they don’t finance the mortgage,” said Bertolino. Today, the original intention of the Union to serve as a place for students to relax, hang out and participate in various organizations and clubs is still strong. The building itself, designed by Frederic P. Weidersteum Associates, has changed a lot since its commencement in 1972. Original plans for the Union included a bowling and billiards center, barber shop, themed snack bar, a waiter service restaurant, a music listening and a browsing lounge. The building was also renovated seven years ago to revamp its image. “When I first came here it was dead,” Bertolino said. “Hardly anybody went to the Student Union.” To bring in more students the diner was added, a new food service was obtained, tables and chairs were put outside and the bookstore was moved into the Union. Now the building is filled with students during Free Hour.

Photo by Bradly Levitt

10 | September 19, 2011 www.theknightnews.com

CUNY’s Path to Equal Institutions

Francis Sferrazza entered Queens College in 2003 and is currently an eighth-year senior. When asked why it took longer than the four year “norm” to graduate, he responded that he lacked a clear goal and “did not see the value of an education.” He changed his major study three times, jumping from applied linguistics to accounting and finally settling on general linguistics. As high school and college students plan out their futures, they allow themselves the expected four years to complete college. However, over the past few years, a trend has been established in which college students are forced to take longer than the usual four years to receive their degrees. Findings from a College Board study in 2008 report that the average time to earn a bachelor’s degree in the U.S. is 4.7 years. The study finds that only 43 percent of first time, first degree students who intended on completing their degree in four years were able to do so. Courtney Lee, a QC junior, has opted to spend five years to complete her bachelor’s degree. Change of majors, personal struggles and lack of advice from the college’s Advising Center contributed to her decision to extend her stay at the college. “I think that changing social climates are allowing people to not grow up as fast and so they don’t decide what they want to do until late or [they] change their minds often, resulting in transferring schools or changing majors,” said Lee. “It seems ridiculously hard to graduate from

Queens College in four years, especially with any sort of certification.” Like many other students on campus, Sferrazza juggled a college course load with a part-time job. Seeing the economy waiver and parents continuing

to struggle, college students realize more than ever before the value of an education – being not just academically challenged, but also loaded with responsibilities. Carolyn Hamza of the University Scholastic Standards Committee (USSC) suggested indecisiveness in what to major in, familial responsibilities, a small amount or lack of financial aid and thus having to hold a job, as well as doing internships to compete with others in their field—all contribute to the extended period of time being spent in college. Many students have to work to support their families and match the increasing cost of higher education, even within CUNY. Part -time employees are expected to work up to 35 hours a week in the U.S. Add to that the ten to fifteen hours of weekly lectures, labs, the time and effort required to prepare for class, and participation in

extra-curricular activities and organizations – the working student’s schedule becomes mind-boggling. Although having an extended period of time to complete your degree sounds like a bonus, there are negatives attached

to the deal. Students who receive financial aid must fit specific eligibility requirements. The New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), for example, requires applicants to have their majors declared within 30 days of the add/drop period or by the first term of their junior year, while maintaining good academic standing. In addition, they must be enrolled as full-time students with at least 12 credits per semester that are applicable to their respective degrees. Sferrazza struggled to find a major that suited his preferences and was therefore punished for taking longer than the decided “norm.” He lost his financial aid due to insufficient progress towards a degree and is now forced to work to support his education. Living in New York City, arguably one of the most diverse cities nationwide, the

QC community consists of approximately 20,000 undergraduate students of which 55 percent identify themselves as non-Caucasian. Being a minority student correlates often with disadvantages in opportunities of education. Thus the college’s Search for EducatiVon, Elevation, and Knowledge (SEEK) program was established in 1966 to reach disadvantaged students who may otherwise not be able to attend college. SEEK Academic Coordinator Morka Blackman-Richards believes that the demographics and demands have changed from just twenty years ago. “It’s no longer mom and dad paying your college fees. More students come from single parent homes and need to be contributing breadwinners,” said Richards. “They face difficulties with their schedules and are able to take fewer classes but are more mindful than ever before of the value of a higher education.” Students at QC wrestle with balancing their own schedules, responsibilities, jobs, coursework load and personal life. With the demographics having drastically changed since four years was determined as the slotted time to complete a bachelor’s degree, debate is arising nationwide as to whether the expected time should be decreased to three years by decreasing course requirements so to adapt to this generation’s lifestyle. Change is long overdue. Either the undergraduate requirements must be re-evaluated with the time slotted being lessened or employers nationwide must accustom themselves to seeing five year graduates.

damanpreet@theknightnews.com

Incoming freshman and transfer students face a changing curriculum, as CUNY prepares to alter its core courses to further unify all city universities, starting Fall 2013. The plan, CUNY Pathways, aims to ensure the quality of a general education at every CUNY school. Through Pathways, core liberal arts classes will be equal at all the university’s colleges. This hopes to make it much easier for transfer students, as they often go through many obstacles trying to

start over. QC welcomes 3,500 transfer students a year, according to the Academic Advising Center. Those with completed associate degrees usually fair easier than those coming after a couple of semesters’ work. “I transferred over to Queens because I knew what a great teaching program they had,” said junior transfer student from Queensborough Community College, Stephanie Latchman. “I’ve heard so many horror stories on transfers gone wrong, so I was so thankful when mine went smoothly,” she said. Having completed her Associate’s Degree, she merely had to take her requirements for her major.

However, not all CUNY colleges are so accommodating. Priscilla Do, recently transferred out of QC and into Brooklyn College because she could not deal with her long commute. She saved time on the subway, but lost quite a few semesters worth of work. “I hate that I’m so behind, but I had to do it. I was frustrated and it was the only way,” she said. Under CUNY Pathways, transfer students, even if they have their Associate’s degrees, will have to take 12 credits of college-option general education classes if they have entered a baccalaureate program, the resolution says. Michelle J. Anderson, the chair of the

CUNY Pathways Task Force, believes this will be a good fit for CUNY. Plans and outlines have already been set, as the next phase in Pathways’ development approaches. “The Steering Committee anticipates releasing draft recommendations for the learning outcomes for the 30-credit general education Common Core by Nov. 1, at which point we seek input and feedback from the campuses,” she said in an address to CUNY faculty. This full course transferability may help transfer students, but how this new system will affect university’s curricula has already been questioned.  

THE FIVE YEAR PLAN: Undergrad Taking More Than Four YearsDAMANPREET KAUR News Reporter

AMNA SHAMSNews Reporter

www.theknightnews.com September 19, 2011 | 11

“I think that changing social climates are allowing people to not grow up as fast adn so they don’t decide

what they want to do until late or [they] change their minds often, resulting in transferring schools or

changing majors.” - Courtney Lee

We fully support the Academic Senate’s recommendation to ban blood drives on campus, as long as the drives are relocated nearby and significant efforts are made to support and advertise them on campus. So far, this appears to be what is happening at both Queen College and City College. Having said that, we can respect the opposing position, held by the CUNY and QC administrations, as reasonable. The question at hand is not whether to oppose the universally criticized FDA policy, but rather what balance to strike between pressuring the FDA and contributing to the blood supply. Given CUNY’s anti-discrimination policy, which includes sexual orientation, it is untenable to permit discrimination on our campuses, regardless of our aspirations to support New Yorkers in need of transfusions.

Although we recognize CUNY’s opposing stance on this nuanced issue as reasonable, the way they have arrived at it has been anything but. It seems fairly clear that they are not interested in any real dialogue that includes all the constituencies most affected, but are rather exclusively concerned with euphemistically submitting marching orders to the college presidents and administrators. Additionally, the chancellery has been hypocritical in criticizing QC’s Academic Senate for not having thorough debate on the issue, when they have had no public debate whatsoever and have resorted to outright deception to further their position. Instead of exerting their authority dictatorially, the CUNY administration should be marshaling their resources to brainstorm creative ways to ensure relocated blood drives are as successful as the ones that have been on campus.

KNIGHT NEWS STAFF EDITORIALStu

Melanie Bencosme

ueens College student government elections scream that the campus desperately needs a change, in election results and in student association, but every year it remains the same. With

a school of commuters whose campus life is practically a graveyard, to vote, they throw a laptop in your face and tell you what box to click. “The party with the most people out there campaigning will win… if you have 100 people out there campaigning during the elections and the other party has 75 you are going to win,” said John Andrejack, director of Student Life. This only defeats the purpose because the real problem of student government is in the system. Political equality and political participation are separate matters but seem like a distant dream of democracy. At QC, we lack both of these crucial elements but still seek to maintain a fair student government with fair elections and equal power distribution. To address the problem at large, one needs to pick apart the main point that makes student government: Power. What does student government do? Can anyone really answer that question effectively, without mentioning petty issues that they accomplish, like getting laboratories clean towels and soap? Student government is different from a club because they get positions of power on the Academic Senate. In this the elected party is clearly outnumbered, but is considered lucky enough to have a vote. The Senate has 40 faculty senators and 20 students. In all technical terms, they get a vote on issues brought to the academic senate, which if approved is sent to

President Muyskens. “Could you run a student government without a political party? 90 percent of the colleges campuses in the Unites States do and some of them have very good student governments,” said Andrejack. We need student government; we need insurance that someone who can genuinely represent us and where issues will affect them as well. QC needs a student government that will fight for our concerns and our rights! But to have one that students are unaware of defeats the purpose. This is intricate for students here but it’s not effective. And I only have them to blame. In our student government it is all or nothing, you either win or lose and odds are if your Democratic Student Alliance (DSA), you lose. United People (UP) has bragged and rubbed in DSA’s face all the wonderful things they have done for the school. They’ve only been able to do so because they’ve won 38 years in a row. Sounds like the exact definition of democracy, doesn’t it? Student government has

become more of a monarchy; where the elected party has power over the unconcerned campus body. “I think it’s virtually impossible to beat United People,” said Joe Bertolino, vice president for student affairs.Student Association argues that you don’t have to win to be active on campus.“You don’t need to be in office to make great movements. [Look at] Erin Brockvich, she wasn’t in office... She didn’t know anything about politics when she did that big movement she did,” said Sixto Arias, current student association president. Our current student government has a refreshingly original issue addressed at the top of their platform - fighting tuition hikes. This gives the impression that they are in someway going to attempt to stand up and represent QC in a way that’s justified.During the board of trustees meeting regarding tuition hikes, The Knight News had four people attend, UP had one; their treasurer. Clearly the most effective choice. When asked information about the tuition hike, Arias was unaware of the amount that tuition went up and how much it will increase as a result of the trustees’ most recent vote. “We just have to go to the State. We have to keep on fighting. What are our options? I mean we’re all obviously against tuition hikes, but, I’m stumped,” said Arias. Our student president should not be “stumped” on anything related to QC, let alone their top platform issue. Maybe UP should get their priorities in line. After losing every year since they were founded, DSA has never had a say in the Academic Senate. UP has had every student position on senate because they were the elected party, but why is it that the rule? DSA

Student Gov’t Disparityhas members motivated and willing to make a change and fight for students, but they are given no position of power. UP is the elected party and holds all the seats of the academic senate while members of DSA stay on the sidelines, filling all the alternate positions. Lets not have UP only put up a good fight and endure competition only through elections but year round; fill the senate with members from each side. Extend the student seats in the Academic Senate and allow equal amount of UP and DSA members. It doesn’t matter to me that the elected party will no longer have the power it has been given year after year but that everyone will have a chance to make a difference; starting with the academic senate rule. “I think one of the primary focuses for this semester is getting out the reputation and offering different solutions to what the current government is doing and issues that seem relevant to students,” said Andrew DeMasters, DSA advisor. In politics, Democrats and Republicans can have opposing thoughts on issues and they do something about it, whether it’s passing a bill or rallying. Why can’t we? Having opposing sides could only wake up this campus, get students involved in the student government and possibly take a stance on what they believe in.

melanie@theknightnews.com

Q

CUNY Hypocrisy

Mission Statement: “We aim to serve the Queens College com-munity through a tireless pursuit for truths that may be hidden, obstructed or otherwise unknown, to empower our readers with the information they need to inspire change.”

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12 | September 19, 2011 www.theknightnews.com

Fred Magovern

n the United States today, there is a cancer called ‘unions.’ It has been eating away at the very fabric of this country for well over a hundred of years.Labor is a commodity. It has always

been, and always will be. There is absolutely nothing wrong with doing everything you can to pay less for a commodity, labor included. Unions exist for the sole purpose of undermining this basic principle of fairness, to undo your hard work. They make it harder for us to compete. They refuse to recognize that the marketplace will always have the final say. Fortunately, this cancer is in remission, and has been for some time. Over the years, very reliable strategies have been developed to deal with this parasite of capital. Never let up. It is critical to always deny these bottom feeders any foothold. Always aim to give them just enough to keep them from outright revolting.

If you don’t like it and you refuse to accept your calling, you’re a class traitor. Go give away all your money. Follow these steps, and you will go a long way towards neutralizing your union infestation:

Step 1: Make sure politicians need you to get elected. Often this is irrelevant, as almost every Democrat and Republican represents the elite anyhow. Nevertheless, it’s important to play the game and throw some money around.[In the case of CUNY, be sure to appoint trustees who you can count on, such as investment bankers and real estate developers. Having an ex-FBI agent like trustee Wiesenfeld doesn’t hurt either.]

Step 2: Always be sure to demonize the “liberal media.” It is important to keep people distracted with an imaginary divide so they don’t realize every mainstream outlet is advancing the same class of economic interests. After all, fellow members of the elite own the five companies which control all the media. By reserving headlines for celebrities and sensationalistic crimes, by replacing journalists with pundits and by censoring perspectives that threaten our economic interests, our publisher friends have managed to not only increase their profits but lull the public to sleep and inspire feelings of powerlessness. Any remaining frustrations are deflected onto convenient scapegoats, such as all the teachers, unions, and illegal immigrants who have caused the economic collapse.

Step 3: Use every possible opportunity to lower your labor costs and weaken the power of organized labor, including fiscal crises you have created. Don’t worry too much about managing risk - make as much money as you can as quickly as you can. Even if things fall apart, our Wall Street friends at the US Treasury can bail you out. Be sure to use the crisis to justify firing people, make everyone else pick up the slack and still pay them even less. Unemployment really isn’t so bad - in fact, we should all do our part to contribute to it. When there are fewer jobs available, it is much easier to find people willing to work for a fraction of what they’re worth.

Step 4: Divide the labor system into multiple tiers and pit them against one another. Pamela Silverblatt, vice chancellor of labor relations, has this down pat. In response to the adjuncts’ demand for healthcare, which the few that can afford it are about to lose, she said, “Given these very difficult times... any available funding - for all employees - would have to be reduced to pay for this enhancement for this cohort.” This brilliantly communicates the message to the full-timers, it’s you or the adjuncts. It is important to make sure this hierarchy is reproduced in the workplace. CUNY has also done an admirable job eliminating any job security, thereby ensuring adjuncts will be powerless to push back for fear of being fired. Then, once the collective bargaining power of the lower tier has been entirely eliminated, you

can then turn your attention to destroying the unsuspecting remainder.

Step 5: Be sure to co-opt the union leadership so they will sell out the rank and file. Pushing them to the Democratic party is by far the most effective way to accomplish this. This ensures their money and resources goes into our political game where they will never be able to compete. CUNY’s Professional Staff Congress is a quintessential example of a decrepit leadership that’s in our pocket.

Step 6: When all else fails, be sure to call in the police or mercenaries. You may feel uncomfortable using force, but just remember that by going on strike they are breaking the law (which we wrote). They deserve to get roughed up for everything they put use through, and you can trust the police will give them exactly what they deserve. And don’t worry, we’re preparing. After the unrest that has taken place in Europe and elsewhere, we have started training NYPD riot cops on Randall’s Island in anticipation of similar savagery.

GOODBYE UNIONS, HELLO PROFITS.

Exterminating Organized Labor 101

I

www.theknightnews.com September 19, 2011 | 13

Hours before the volleyball team took the floor for their first game of the season, their new coach sat in her office sporting a tie-dye T-shirt representing the last place she coached, the bright colors were contrasting the intense tone in which she spoke.

The room was jam-packed with books about sports marketing and managing, pictures of past championship teams, upcoming schedules and lineups. This is the place where head coach Leanna Taylor now makes her game plans.

“I am very detailed oriented. I like to concentrate on every part of the body,” Taylor

said. “Mental training and physical training are very important to me. My confidence and preparation in practice will help this team get to the next level.”

Taylor is entering her first season with the Lady Knights after a storied career at Henry B. Plant High School in Florida. In eight years at Plant she led the Panthers to a 185-20 record and six state titles.

“I was filled with all kinds of emotion leaving the place where I was born and raised and a program that I helped build and bring to a national level,” Taylor said. “I really appreciate the chance that Queens College is giving me.”

Before her success coaching at the high school level, Taylor enjoyed an impressive playing career. After winning three state championships at Tampa Preparatory School - where her team was ranked first in the nation

by Volleyball Monthly - Taylor took her talents to Georgia Tech and eventually the University of Tampa. She was named to the Sunshine State Conference All-Academic 1st Team as a member of the Spartans.

“I’m 5’7” and I played like I was 6’3”,” Taylor said. “I’ve never feared anybody in my life.”

Taylor’s coaching style is full of enthusiasm and tenacity. She is as much a part of every play as the ladies on the court and her philosophy is that of a champion.

“I have a never say die attitude. For every ball that is in play, you go 100 percent. We will give maximum effort every time, every second, to produce maximum results,” she

said. “It becomes a contagious atmosphere. From my assistant coaches to the players to the fans. I hope that this excitement and energy will be felt by everyone when they come watch me coach and the players play.”

She said that her immediate goal for the 2011 season is to help QC make a strong push for the East Coast Conference championship, but Taylor ultimately hopes to help the Lady Knights to establish themselves on the national level as well.

Her efforts to bring out the best in her players do not go unnoticed.

“Coach Taylor is very good with technique and teaching us the right way to do things,” senior setter Stephanie Schroeder said. “She trusts us and she believes that we can win. I’ve never had a coach who has improved my game so much.”

Coach Taylor is Ready to Spike Competition

SPORTS

MATT BAGUTHSports Reporter

It is evident that her team may be benefiting from her leadership already. They opened up their 2011 campaign with a come from behind victory at home against UMass Lowell on Sept. 2.

“She is amazing,” said junior outside hitter Suzanne Byrne. “She’s got great spirit and enthusiasm.”

Photo courtesy of QC Athletic Department

New head coach Leanna Taylor’s overall QC record is currently 1-3.

14 | September 19, 2011 www.theknightnews.com

“I was filled with all kinds of emotion leaving the place where I was born and raised and a program that I

helped build and bring to a national level.” - Leanna Taylor

On a humid Saturday afternoon, sun beating down on the exposed turf of the tennis courts, Linda Tatala-Colin, peers across the net, her mind focused on only her opponent, her eyes never wandering far from the ball.  As the Queens College senior anticipates her opponent’s next move, her feet shuffle around the court gracefully like a dancer on a stage, while her arm swings the ball back with the force of a homerun king.  Every point scored brings a moment of ease across the 6'2” tennis player's face, while every mistake brings out the frustration of knowing she could do better.  Tatala-Colin, 26, originally of Laxou, France, is on her way to becoming one of the most recognized tennis players to ever play at QC.  Ranking fourth in doubles and sixth in singles in the East Coast Conference during her first year with the Lady Knights, Tatala-Colin is showing she is a force to be reckoned with.  “I think Linda has the potential to be number two or three [in the ECC],” QC women tennis coach, Alan Nagel, said.  “Possibly even reaching number one.”

  On the court, it is her strength and true admiration for the game that is able to outshine her tall demeanor.  Listening to her yell at herself in French, the perseverance to win can be felt throughout the entire crowd.  Her talent mirrors that of any professional taking their stand on the international courts.  “She has a very heavy top spin forehand, she's very tenacious, she has a very big serve and she has a terrific volley,” Nagel said. “She's a great doubles player and she's a true winner.”  After flourishing in the early stages of her career, an ankle injury at age 16 forced Tatala-Colin to stop playing tennis.  Always a competitive and determined player, she returned to the game she loved after a four year hiatus.  “In 2007, I stopped playing,” she said.  “I'm so competitive that not playing made me realize how much I missed tennis.”  After stepping onto the court again, she set her sights on the U.S. where she felt her passion for tennis would be reignited.  She started practicing and conditioning everyday in order to earn a scholarship to the States.  After a brief stint in Michigan, Tatala-Colin packed her bags once more and headed to the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.

  There, with the help of coach Robin Langley, her talent really began to take flight.  Playing for Pembroke in the Peach Belt Conference in 2009 - the toughest conference in Division II women's tennis – she won numerous accolades, including Player of the Week and All-Conference honors.  She was also named Pembroke’s MVP.  Tatala-Colin transferred to Queens in 2010, but because of an NCAA transfer rule, she wasn’t allowed to play tennis until she sat out one full year.  She filled her time by playing on the Lady Knights women’s volleyball team instead.  After leaving school prematurely late last spring because of an injury to her mother back home, Tatala-Colin wasn’t sure if she’d ever make it back to New York.  It was Nagel who inspired her to come back to school, come back to tennis again and to graduate.       “Coming back to school wasn't that easy considering how I left in a rush,” she said.  “Fortunately, coach Alan made it possible.”  “After returning to France, I convinced her into coming back and playing tennis,” Nagel said.  “I also convinced her to graduate.  That was the best part.”  An international relations and business major, Tatala-Colin is on her way to graduating with the QC class of Spring 2012.  She believes

her certitude in the game of tennis will be her biggest lesson when it comes to venturing out into the business world.  “Even though we are a team, tennis is an individual sport where you have to take care of your own business,” she said.  “I will be able to work independently while dealing effectively with people.”  While she may not be headed toward the U.S. Open, Tatala-Colin still takes the time to meticulously improve her game.  Both her and Nagel know that there are aspects of her game that need training - like reaching for low balls - and Tatala-Colin is determined to get everything right.  She practices for an extra hour every week and works on her footwork to be lighter on her feet while on the court.  She credits her late father who died when she was three-years-old for getting her started in tennis and her mother for pushing her to keep the father's dream alive. “Tennis brought me to places I thought I'd never go.  I have met so many people from all around the world who taught me to be more comprehensive of other cultures and people,” said Tatala-Colin.

Love at First ServeJACKIE WEBERSports Reporter

SWEETINA KAKARSports Reporter

The Lady Knights aren't just competing against other teams - many of them are com-peting against their own teammates for the two starting midfield positions still open this season. “This is very much an open competition,” head coach Carl Christian said. With junior Lorena Russi and senior Kath-erine Colon locked into half of the four mid-field positions already, Christian is searching through his roster to see who will be joining the upperclassmen in the starting lineup. The search has been narrowed to freshman Alexandra Troiano, junior Janine Guerra, junior Melissa Cordoba, junior Brittany Wooster and sophomore Rebecca Laporte. “The girls need to push themselves at prac-tice and stand out to make Carl want to start them,” said captain forward Andrea Slavin. Most second-year players haven't had much game experience in previous seasons, which makes them equivalent to freshmen, according to Christian. However, this season nearly everyone has been rotated into the games. Christian de-cides which player plays based on how well they fit the game, in terms of skill and ability that would suit best against a specific oppo-nent. “If anyone is not putting their all on the field, they'll be taken out,said Slavin. “It's all based upon their overall effort, improvement and skill level at practice that will get them

into the starting lineup.” Troiano, who has started the first three games of the season, scored the winning goal against Nyack College on Sept. 6, sealing the Lady Knights' first victory. It was her first collegiate

goal. “Troiano has stepped up,” said Christian, implying that her play might have already sealed her a starting spot. That leaves four other women possibly

ACCEPTING APPLICATIONSStarting Spots Still Open on Soccer Squad

competing for the last starting position. Chris-tian has singled out Guerra and Laporte.Laporte, originally from England, played for Grand Canyon University in Arizona as a for-ward in her freshman year. Laporte played at a high level and is a fast winger with good potential, according to Ste-vie Gill, her head coach at GCU. She is currently recovering from an injury but Christian is looking forward to see her abilities on the field. Guerra, on the other hand, is entering her junior season with the Lady Knights. She had never previously started before doing so twice this year. “Going into this season, as a junior, I knew that I had to get focused. I prepared myself mentally and thought about the challenges it will take to get that spot on the field,” said Guerra. “She has made a name for herself,” said Christian.Guerra is leading the Lady Knights in goals, two, over the first three games. “You have to challenge yourself day in and day out both physically and mentally,” said Guerra. “I truly believe that you are your toughest competition.

For more information contact sweetina@theknightnews.com

After never starting a game prior to this season, Janine Guerra is making a case for herself to be a part of Carl Christian’s starting rotation.

Photo by Marcello Cutti Jr.

www.theknightnews.com September 19, 2011 | 15

KNIGHT NEWS SPORTS

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CO-CAPTAIN SLAVIN STABLIZING LADY KNIGHTS

16 | September 19, 2011 www.theknightnews.com