Hillsborough Community CollegeMarch 31, 2010 Volume 33 Issue 5

Big changes to registration

Online Exclusives‘Green Zone’ movie would have been good four years ago

Is March Madness driving you to madness?

STAY IN TOUCH

How to connect with the HawkEye Facebook

www.hawkeyenews.net

TRACI STEVENSOPINION EDITOR

Prepping for fi nals?

INDEX page(s) STUDENT LIFE 2 - 4ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 6OPINION 7

pg. 7

See. Do. Go.

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For the latest on cool & unique stuff to see, things to do, and places to go.

pg. 6

Fall registration guidelines give priority to honor and returning students

Honor students can register for classes April 14

Returning students can register for classes April 15

New students can register for classes May 3 Payment deadline is July 19

Classes begin Aug. 24

ALI KLOS - STAFF WRITER

Hawk or Eagle?New staute

resides at Plant City Campus

For more information about the new fall registration policy visit us online at www.hawkeyenews.net

www.hawkeyenews.net

Women outnumber men in higher educationBRIANNA BROKAW

ONLINE EDITOR

Enrollment in colleges has risen substantially since the economic recession. People are looking to improve their resumes and chances of being hired by returning to school. A recent story on Hawkeyenews.net about the issue of rising

enrollment recieved this comment: “I would be interested to know how many of those (new enrollments) are men, and how many of the new enrollments are women due to the many scholarships offered to them, and the fact that many colleges are edging out the males and becoming vast majorities of females.”- John

“John” is right about at least one thing – women do outnumber men in almost every university across the United States. In Hillsborough County, the same is true. HCC, USF, UT, and Erwin Tech all have more women than men. However, his rationale is faulty.

It is not uncommon for scholarship donors to set

guidelines on who is eligible to receive their funds – the money may be intended for a minority group or students in a certain path of study. Once donors have set their guidelines, it is the college’s responsibility to choose the best applicant. Of the 72 scholarships offered to HCC students for the 2010- 2011 academic year, just one,

donated by the American Association of University Women, requires the recipient to be a woman. Only two others, the Caroline Neilson Scholarship and Rotary Ann’s (women’s rotary club) Scholarship state a preference toward women applicants.

Continued on pg.3

pg.2

Student Life >>

2 Hawkeye March 2010

Michael Terrell is pursuing an associate in science degree and Sharon Beachamp is earning a college certificate. Both are a part of the associate in science program, an umbrella program that includes college certificate courses; the PSAV (Post Secondary Adult Vocational) program and the A.S. degree.

“At one point in time these programs were terminal,” said Dean Gina Yaquinto of the Ybor campus.

Students can transfer their A.S. degree to a B.S. degree at a four-year college or university; with at least a 3.0 GPA and 36 hours of general education credits or to be placed immediately in a position. The college certificate and the PSAV can also be transferred to an associate of applied science or an associate in science degree.

The myriad of A.S. programs are not only for recent high school graduates. They are also for people either looking to re-enter the workforce after being laid off due to the recent slump

in the economy, or for the person who already has a career but looking to seek new employment in a field they truly love.

Take Beachamp for example. After her husband returned from Iraq in 2004, they both viewed life differently.

“We were both spending too much time working jobs we didn’t like, and living in a location that was dictated by our jobs,” Beachamp said.

After the death of her husband in 2007, Beachamp decided it was time to get her life back together and in 2008 enrolled at HCC to get college credit certificates in web design and digital multimedia.

The PSAV Program, another option when looking to further an education or enter a career for a passionate or financial reason, includes courses for the fire and police academy, and an apprenticeship program, said associate in science Dean Elizabeth Johnson of the Dale Mabry campus. These programs include residential and commercial electricians, plumbing and HVAC to name a few. These courses can take

up to forty hours a week of on the job training as well as six to thirty-five weeks of classroom training. Yaquinto also said the reason why there are different programs under the A.S., especially the PSAV, is because the workforce has changed.

“With people downsizing and folks looking for another career, and adults who are in their forties looking for a career, don’t want to spend four years to get one so they more or less want something they can use and within a few months can get back out into the workforce,” Yaquinto said.

The associate in science program is also a tool to place people where they were meant to be. In one of the most popular program areas, Early Childcare, Terrell is a rarity mainly because men are unheard of in the childcare field. Terrell was an executive sales manager, selling latex gloves to doctor’s offices and day cares making six figures a year and gave it all up at the age of 58.

“It’s not about building a career it’s about making a difference,” Terrell said.

Neida Mitchell Staff Writer

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Our bus service is comfortable, quick and a convenient way to getwhere you’re going.

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Students build careers that make a difference

New ‘Hawk’ statue comes to roost at Plant City campus

curtiS robertSSportS editor

For the first few weeks of spring semester, students at the Plant City campus began to notice a circular plot of empty land in front of the library. Rumors began to spread that the pile of dirt was to be the home of a costly statue, and more specifically, a hawk statue. The statue is located in front of the campus’s library, giving every passer-by a full birds-eye view.

The rumors proved true when a large hawk statue was unveiled March 6. The statue has many students questioning why the school needed a representation of the hawk mascot. The statue is said to have cost an estimated $28,000 and students are beginning to wonder why some necessities are missing yet the school can spend this amount of money on something they cannot even use.

Elementary education major Catherine McDonald, 21, said, “I

don’t understand why we are limited in the amount of printers that are accessible to the students yet we are building statues of eagles that serve no purpose other than aesthetics.”

Some students are even questioning the species of the predatory bird.

“I’m pretty sure it’s an eagle not a hawk,” said Brennan Wilson, 19, business major.

Species aside, the bird statue does provide a reminder to students to be proud of their school and themselves.

March 2010 Hawkeye 3

<< Student Life

While scholarships may not be designed to edge one group out of competition over another, there may be groups who are more proactive.

“I think that the scholarships are a mixture, but I think more women take advantage of them,” said Donetta Levins, an Ybor student.

A study conducted in 2005 for the College Student Journal about gender differences in academic achievements showed that women have higher GPAs than men. Most scholarships require the applicant to have a minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher. If more women are receiving scholarships, this could be one reason.

Another possible answer is that more women apply and more women attend. In 2008 total enrollment for USF was 42 percent male and 58 percent female. That same year at UT, 3,462 male applicants led to 471 new enrollments, and 5,529 female applicants to 761 enrollments.

Universities are doing the best they can to bring balance to their institutions,

said Denis Nostrand, UT vice president of enrollment management. For example HCC just finished hosting a conference called Black Brown and College Bound. Dr. Kenneth Ray, vice president of student services and enrollment management at HCC said that while HCC advertisements target men and women on an equal scale, that the conference specifically aims at getting higher male enrollment from minority groups.

“The reality is that women are applying at a higher rate, inquiring at a higher rate, and graduating at a higher rate,” Nostrand said.

Some may believe that this mirrors a popular notion that women outnumber men in the general population. According to the U.S. Census Bureau this is true, but only in the over-60 age group.

Further, the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey statistics report that men drop out of school at a significantly higher rate than do women. In 2007, male high school dropouts were at 9.8 percent

while female dropouts were at 7.7 percent. Because a diploma or equivalent degree is necessary before enrolling in any college, this means that more women are eligible from the start. In conjunction with higher drop-out rates, men are also incarcerated

and enlisted in the military at higher rates. According to the Florida Department of Corrections in 2000 the Florida inmate population was approxamitely 93 percent male and seven percent female. Male enlistment in the military is also greatly disporportionate.

In 2000 the Census Bureau reported that the armed forces were 86 percent male and 14 percent female.

“There is no magic bullet or one reason for this phenomenon,” said Ray. “It’s a combination of several factors.”

Enrollment Enrollment Statistics:in thousands

Continued from p.1

Student Life >>

4 Hawkeye March 2010

The University of South Florida hosts a twice monthly information session on the Tampa campus for transfer students from 1:30 – 4:30 p.m.

!"Group information session on transfer admissions!"Information on USF undergraduate majors!"Transfer scholarship opportunities!"Walking campus tour!"Individual transfer advising

TRANSFER THURSDAYS!"#$%&'()*+$#,--,./("*/0#/,#$%-$.*$"&$#1"#("2,.3$//14'$#("*+$.)*/05

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Dale McDougall, 26, surfs the web for news sources as he preps the news broadcast for Hawk Radio at the Ybor campus.

Photo by Trevor Wood

Hillsborough Community College is a virtual melting pot of various cultures. Of the many ethnically diverse students enrolled at HCC, a select few are here as part of an exchange program. This program is known as the Community Colleges for International Development or CCID.

“The purpose of the program is to reach out to other countries and find students who would not have the opportunity to study abroad or study in the U.S. because they are under privileged and bring them to the United States to study for a year,” said Jodi Haller, project manager for the CCID.

One of the CCID students is Dale McDougall, 26, who is here visiting from Belize. In his home country McDougall works at a radio station known as WAVE radio and has been in the industry for eight years. He was an assistant manager there, but he decided to take a leave of absence and enroll in the CCID program for the experience.

“I felt it would have been a great opportunity to become more proficient in my field of work so that I can contribute to the development of my profession in my country,” said McDougall. “I also wanted the opportunity to learn about American culture and take on the challenges of being a college student.”

McDougall’s time here has been a learning experience. Since his arrival, McDougall said he has learned that there is something for everyone at

HCC regardless of race, age, sexual orientation and gender.

Though he is a relative stranger in this country, McDougall offers a lot of advice to his fellow students when it comes to broadcasting.

“I take every opportunity I get to share about my broadcast experiences, some of the major stories in my country I’ve covered and some of the great times I’ve had being at home,’’ McDougall said.

Other than giving advice McDougall has numerous, interesting stories that have to do with his broadcasting career. One of the more interesting is about the time he was tear gassed while covering

a protest in Belmopan, Belize’s capital. The people were protesting in front of the National Assembly building due to some unwanted legislation which would tax people to fund a hospital to which they would not even have access. Eventually, the police had to intervene because the protesters became violent, throwing sticks and other projectiles at authorities.

“[The] police moved in with tear gas,” recounted McDougall. “I was live on the air when one of the canisters was in the area I was standing and I got a whiff of it and I had to sit underneath a standing pipe to counter the effects of it. Other people got it worse than I did a couple people passed out.”

To hear McDougall at his craft he hosts a radio program comprised of mostly contemporary music on HCC’s radio station, WXYB 1520 AM. The show airs Mondays 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Tuesdays and Thursdays 10 a.m. to midday.

Trevor WoodSTaff WriTer

“I take every opportunity I get to share about my broadcast experiences, some of the major stories in my country I’ve covered and some of the great times I’ve had being at home.’’

Knowledge exchangeBelizian exchange student trades knowledge with Ybor classmates

March 2010 Hawkeye 5

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Entertainment > >

6 Hawkeye March 2010

With the current dismal condition of our economy, it comes as no surprise that Hol-lywood would provide a twist on repossession and this is the case with “Repo Men.” The film revolves around a com-pany that provides artificial organs to consumers who need them. However, if the custom-ers who bought the organs fall behind on their payments repo men are sent out to reposses their product.

While there was a movie made a couple of years ago about this subject, “Repo! The Genetic Opera,” this is certainly the most original film so far this year. Is this the best film of the year? No, but it is entertaining.

That’s not to say that some of the plot points are not predict-able. However, the ending was a surprise and a shock within itself.

There were a few strange story elements however, includ-ing Forest Whitaker’s strange man-crush on Jude Law, the Bionic Woman who chooses to have artificial ears and erotic surgery/scanning. These are only minor complaints, though, and no movie is perfect.

The film’s overall look is not very original. It seems to be a combination of “A Clockwork Orange” and “Blade Run-ner.” “Repo Men” just has the benefit of better special effects. First-time director Miguel Sapochnik does a fairly good job. He decides to not hold anything back when it comes to violence and gore. Noth-

ing is left to the imagination, including character’s sticking their hands inside each others torsos.

The acting is, as usual with this type of film, not Oscar worthy, but passable. Forest Whitaker is probably the most talented in this film although Liev Schreiber is pretty good as the villain. Jude Law rarely impresses and he does nothing to change in “Repo Men.”

Anyone who wants to see an action-orientated, science-fiction film that is fairly original “Repo Men” is a good choice, especially since there seems to be nothing new start-ing this coming month that is in this genre.

For more in-depth and up-to-date movie reviews, visit us online at www.hawkeyenews.net.

‘Repo Men’ offers plenty of sci-fi action

Trevor WoodStaff Writer

Music was in the air March 6, when the Ybor City campus music faculty gave a recital to showcase their skills. Held on the main stage of the perform-ing arts building at Ybor, the recital showcased the abilities of the professors upon whom many students rely for musical instruction.

Performing faculty included the following: Eduard Lugo on guitar; Kenneth Hanks, solo piano; Amy Collins, oboe, ac-companied by Robert Winslow on piano; and Martin Dalmasi, flute and alto saxophone, also accompanied by Robert Win-slow. Pieces performed included a fast and intense Scherzo no. 4 in E Major, op. 54 by Chopin, and a three-movement sonata

for oboe and piano by C. Saint-Saens. The audience responded with enthusiastic applause after each performance.

Many of the faculty members have credentials from highly-acclaimed schools. Dalsami attended the prestigious New England Conservatory in Bos-ton, Mass., and Hanks graduat-ed from the Peabody Conserva-tory of Music/Johns Hopkins University. Among the accom-plishments of the performers are appearances with the Flor-ida Orchestra, in European cit-ies, and with Mannheim Steam-roller and Luciano Pavarotti.

For a full calendar of faculty concerts, special performances and student recitals, please visit HCC’s homepage and follow the links found there.

Noelle CheWA&e ediTor

Ybor music department shows off skill

CLASSIFED ADTextbooks bought and sold, new & used, online buy-backs. Buy, sell, rent at cheapbooks.com. 260-399-6111 Español 212-380-1763, urdu/hindi/punjabi/ 713-429-4981, see site for other support lines.

March 2010 Hawkeye 7

<< OpinionColumns & News

HCC is an equal ac-cess/equal opportu-nity employer. For more information go to www.hccfl.edu.

Faculty Adviser Valerie Zell

The Hawkeye is a student-produced publication of Hillsborough Community

College, covering all of the HCC Campuses.

The HawkeyeHCC-Ybor Campus

2112 N. 15th St.Tampa, FL 33605-3648

813-253-7655Copyright 2008

HAWKEYE STAFF

Editor in ChiefWill Trentman

Online/Copy EditorBrianna Brokaw

Opinion EditorTraci Stevens

A&E EditorNoelle Chew

Design EditorMonique Turley

Sports EditorCurtis Roberts

Staff WriterAli Klos

Staff WriterTrevor Wood

Staff WriterBrooks Brewer

Staff WriterAiyana Lucas

Staff WriterNeida Mitchell

Staff PhotographerJameshia Jefferson

Take on finals the right wayStudents may quiver at the

thought of final exams. It may be the deciding factor on wheth-er students pass or fail. There have been studies that show college students preparing im-properly by using drugs to help stay awake or by not studying at all. These bad choices do not aid in helping one succeed.

Before the summer and fun starts, finals week for this spring semester will be the week of Monday, May 3 through Fri-day, May 7. There are actions to avoid doing during finals week and some good tips to keep in mind.

If you’re of legal drinking age, it would be a good idea to avoid the neighborhood bars or any consumption of alco-holic beverages all together in order to keep your head clear. Students should use that extra time for studying. Speaking of bad ideas, another ill decision is

to take caffeine enhancements or speed pills to try and stay awake studying the night before an exam.This can be dangerous and hazardous to your health.

Also, no matter whether or not you think you know the material like the back of your hand and do not feel you need to study, study the material anyway that will reinforce what you know and help you soak it in.

While avoiding the bad de-cisions there are a variety of

different ways to help prepare properly for the finals.

First, make sure not to miss the final exam review day to retrieve all the notes to study. Some teachers even tell you ex-actly what the questions are go-ing to be and where to find the answers in the textbook.

Second, go back through your notes over the semester and see if any of it can be use-ful in helping you understand the material.

Located on each HCC cam-

pus there are specific learning facilities equipped with pro-fessors and student advisors that are willing and able to help any student prepare for their finals.

Lastly, make sure you have all the necessary materials purchased days in advance; for instance number 2 pencils, scantrons and calculators so on the day of finals you are not fumbling around trying to find these items or need to borrow from another class-mate.

One more token of advice, eat a well balanced breakfast equipped with protein to get your bright brain flowing on the day of finals. Also do not be late, this may scramble your brain. In fact, be early in order to have a few moments to gath-er thoughts and look over your study notes.

Hopefully these helpful hints will benefit students for finals week and any exam period in the future. Be sure to be pre-pared and good luck to all.

There are all sorts of reasons why students miss class. We have jobs whether full-time or part-time, we all have families and some students are even parents. Most importantly, we are human and we do get sick on occasion. Sometimes there is a personal issue going on and we need to take a person-al day to fix things. Students may miss as a mental recovery day to truly rest after getting overwhelmed throughout the week. There are many more reasons out there, like having car trouble. Note to professors: They may not be just excuses or lies. It is the truth for most students. The question is: Why do professors make us feel like we are lying or making excuses when we have problems that arise?

If you are like many HCC students you may find certain attendance policies amazingly strict and wonder if you can survive the semester without ever missing. Those of us in this situation probably have had different professors and therefore, varied attendance

policies. Chances are these poli-cies have ranged from utterly relaxed-"You should come... but you do not have to as long as you get the work done.", To moderate-"You need to come if you want good grades, but I will not pun-ish you if you are here most of the time", To shocking-ly strict - " F i v e or more points off your final grade for every absence after one freebie".

As a student whose grades are determined and finalized by professors' attendance policies. I must take issue with the two extremes. I do not think it is too much to ask for students to show up for their classes. After all, we are the ones who signed up for our classes willingly due to wanting an education.

From the perspective of the professor, however, I under-stand why attendance policies are often rigid. Lazy students

who decide not to come to class then bombard them with ques-tions on what was learned in class, homework assigned and whether they missed anything else related. This really is not fair to professors who have

enough to do already with lesson prep, paper grading and one-on-one student in-teraction.

G e t t i n g back to the perspective of the stu-dent, I do

not think a student should be punished if they are absent, if they get the material from a classmate, and if they score high on exams. I understand the difficulty if the student is irresponsible, but if I get the homework assignment from a friend, get an A on the test and never bother my professor for notes. Does my absence really constitute a 5 or more point de-duction from my final grade?

I believe that the best policy is that students may have a

certain number of unexcused absences, and beyond that, the absences begin to affect the stu-dent's final grade. Such a mea-sure would not mean a certain amount of points taken off for every absence, but rather, the use of the number of absences to determine whether to round the final grade up or down. This way, students have a few days to miss in case something comes up, but are still motivat-ed to come to class because it could still truly affect their final grade.

Professors, we are adults and we should not be penalized for missing merely one class or more than one for that matter. Remember, we are paying for it. Students, remember that many of your professors do care and will penalize you for lack of attendance. Next time you are tempted to miss class, consider the professor's attendance poli-cy.

If you have opinions on what you think attendance poli-cies should be, please write to us on our website at www.hawkeyenews.net or email us at hawkeyestory@gmail.com. We would love to hear from you.

Attendance policies: Too strict?Noelle Chew

A&E Editor

Staff Editorial

Five or more points off your final grade for every absence after one freebie

8 Hawkeye March 2010

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