Graduation is closer than you think, start practicing that big interview early

February 2013

by Genevieve Melanson

When entering the job market you have to know what it takes. Different fields have different ap-plication requirements, and you need to know what those are for the field you are interested in. Here are a few tips to jump start your job search.

Activate your network. Tell everyone you know what type of job you are looking for. There is no sin in looking for em-ployment, so you need to get every-one in your network working for you. While your hair stylist is not a lawyer or a management consul-tant, he or she may know one. Fol-low up every lead you are given; you never know who knows the person who can get you the job you want. If you have a professor who has worked in your industry or does extra work in the field you’re con-sidering, make sure to invite him or her to use their contacts on your behalf. Often, even an informal rec-ommendation from a professor can open doors. If a parent, family friend, older brother or sister, or employer of yours works in the field you want to go into, enlist their help too. You never know who has the contacts that count.

Be patient and persistent. Set aside time every week to check for job postings, to do re-

search on employers in your field, and to send out a manageable num-ber of applications.

Don’t treat an interview as an interrogation. If you are fortunate enough to land an interview, treat it as an op-portunity to establish a professional relationship with the interviewer. Know the employer, and be pre-pared to ask intelligent questions. Engage with the interviewer, and do not be shy in letting the inter-viewer know how much you know about the employer and how much you want to work there. Be enthusi-astic, not desperate. It’s always a good idea to do a little web research before the inter-view on the company—and, when possible, on the individuals—who will be interviewing you. You’ll make a much better impression when you know what the company is doing and how you might fit in.

Practice out loud. Try to anticipate the types of questions you will be asked, and practice your responses. If you lack experience or feel uncomfort-able in interviews, find someone to do a mock interview with. Like any other skills, communication skills get better with practice. And though you may think you have a perfect answer in your head, you won’t know it until you actually articulate it. In an interview, there is the answer you plan to give, the one you do give, and the one you

wished you’d given. With practice, those three answers come together.

Be “on” from the start. In this age of security cameras, you may be recorded from the mo-ment you hit the employer’s parking lot. Act as if the employer is watch-ing you from the outset. Dress the part. Be friendly and respectful to everyone you meet. Stay focused. Even if you are left cooling your heels in the reception area, do not be tempted to check your phone. If you cannot resist the temptation, leave your phone in the car.

Make that first impression count. With everyone you meet at the employer, but especially with the interviewer, you want to make your first impression count. Stand up straight, look the interviewer in the eye, smile, and extend your hand for a firm, but not knuckle-crush-ing, handshake. (Again, these intro-ductory behaviors can be practiced with your friends and family to pol-ish your behavior and enhance your confidence.)

Be positive. Stay upbeat throughout the in-terview. Smile—it will register in your voice. Do not let the inter-viewer’s facial expressions or tone of voice throw you off your game. Do not assume that a particular an-swer is “wrong” or that you have “blown it.” Always stay confident.

by Sean Wofford

The filibuster, it’s more than just aFili-busting at the Seams The filibuster, it’s more than just an awesome word to play in Scrabble! It’s a tricky little tactic that has been gaining a lot of atten-tion. A filibuster to me, is kind of like a tantrum. A senator kicks and screams and holds his breath until he gets his way. But no one has to sit through the tantrum anymore. Now a senator simply threatens to filibuster and everyone acts as if it happened. It’s like they took the saying “Let’s not and say we did” and made it official. The filibuster use to take fili-balls to pull off. If a sena-tor wanted to block, or at the very least, delay voting on a bill, they would have to stand and talk for hours until eventually everyone else said forget it and went home. But how is something so silly al-lowed to take place in something as serious as the Senate? According to my research it was all a big mis-take. Aaron Burr, Thomas Jeffer-son’s Vice President, criticized the Senate’s rule book. Burr told them that some of the rules didn’t make sense, one of these rules was some-thing called the previous question model which allowed a simple ma-jority, more than half, to end debate on a topic and move on. At the time, no one was using this rule so Burr’s statement seemed appropri-ate and they removed the rule in an attempt to tidy up their rule book. But there is also a rule that says that any Senator may speak about any topic for as long as they wish. Eventually, tricky Senators used the lack of the previous question motion to their advantage. This change happened back in 1806 but the first filibuster didn’t occur un-til 1837. So it didn’t take long for this accident to be exploited but it seems that the filibuster was never a conscious part of the senate rules. But now there is no Act, there are no fifteen hour speeches about nothing. Now it’s just a frus-trating road block jamming up the senate. The House of Representa-tives still has their previous ques-tion motion so things move a bit smoother over there. On January 24 of this year, bills were presented for filibuster reform. Unfortunate-ly nothing really happened. It has been described as a compromise and only very minor tweaks were made. Long story short; there is still an easy, “let’s not and say we did” filibuster in the Senate. Dem-ocrats are barking all over the tele-vision about how this is destroying America, even though they had

Fili-busting at the seams

opportunities to change it in the past but failed to do so; most likely because at the time it was benefit-ing them. In their defense though, filibustering has reached unprec-edented usage in recent years. If you look at the graph I’ve included you will see the rapid spike in clo-ture votes. The cloture is the sen-ate’s deranged idea of a previous question model, only the cloture takes a super majority, or 60 votes. You only call for a cloture vote if somebody filibusters, so this graph is indicative of the absurd amount of use this devious dilatory tactic has experienced. One side of this debate is that it is good to have a legislative branch that slows things down, in-stead of having bills flying through all willy nilly. The other side ar-gues that nothing is getting done. To an extent they are both right, but personally I would like to see an end to the current filibuster. It gives individual Senators far too much power. And think about, the current filibuster is analogous to a child in a toy store simply inform-ing their mother that they are cur-rently throwing a tantrum. And unless the mother has a super ma-jority, she’s buying that toy.

GCC’s hunger Games and realitiesby Joan Stippick

Did you know that in Gloucester County 15,790 residents are food insecure? It’s true. 6.2 percent-Gloucester County residents live at or below poverty level. The Food Bank of South Jer-sey operates many food pantries in Gloucester County, Salem County, Camden County, Burlington Coun-ty. In fact, they provide 12 million pounds of food every year. That’s food that is donated from individuals, organizations, and cor-porations. Can you imagine that much food? For a visual effect, picture Lin-coln Financial Field with eight filled grocery bags in each seat. That’s how much food the Food Bank of South Jersey provides to food insecure families! They could not do it without donations. A large amount of food is donated between

October and January, but by Febru-ary the shelves get depleted. Phi Theta Kappa, along with SGA, will be holding a Wing Bowl and Food Drive on February 26 in the College Center Mezzanine, with the proceeds benefitting Gloucester County Food Pantries operated by the South Jersey Food Bank. Stu-dents and faculty can participate in the Wing Bowl for only $5. Space is limited, so it would be a good idea to register in advance! There will be three sessions: Individuals at 11:15, Teams of four at 12:20, and a second Individual session at

1:30. Teams are urged to come up with a team name and wear creative team uniforms. Wing Bowl Winners will receive $50 gift cards. So on Tuesday, February 26, bring a can of food and cheer for your friends, and enjoy the spec-tacle. It’s sure to be quite an event! For information regarding partici-pating or volunteering on the day of the event, contact: Joan Stippick at JJJSTIP@aol.com Sara Palmerchuck at sarapalmerchuck@yahoo.com.

The 2013 February

Gazette Staff

Editor-in-Chief Ray Miles Jr.

Contributing WritersMichele Eriksson

Genevieve MenlansonRay Miles Jr.Joan StippickSean Wofford

AdvisorPrf. Brooke Hoffman

Special thanks toCheryl McBride and

Diane Hare in Student Life

The Gazette is always looking for talented writers, photogra-

phers, or artists. If you are interested in joining the staff or

contributing email us at Gazette@gccnj.edu

The Gazette April 2011

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Febrary movie previewCompiled by Genevieve Melanson, Courtesy of Fandago.com

GazetteFebruary 2013

by Genevieve Menlanson

Right before a series of shows at the Hard Rock Cafe, Philadelphia, Jacob Graff brought some life to back the student body spirit back to life after the winter break with-some live entertainment. Graff, 44, plays all over the Greater Philadephia area. “I started on the banjo when I was 13-years-old in Utah,” said Graff. “I get most of my inspiration from Jimi Hendrix.” Graff knows how to wow a crowd with covers when playing with his Pink Floyd cover band, Pulse, but when it come to solo work he is a singer/ songwriter. His sound com-bines “earethral meditations and funk-pop payers.” His songs come froma very per-sonal place, “My song, ‘Levi,’ I

Local Musician, Jacob Graff graces GCC Campus

wrote for my son. I won awards for it and someone named there baby after my song!” Graff’s advice to beginner musi-caians on how to develop their craft

came down to what her referred to as the four P’s, “Patience, per-sistence, professionalisn and prac-tice.” Graff enjoy perform in the GCC cafeteria and said he would love tocome again.

Brown-Skinned Girlby Michele Eriksson

I am a person of color.My hue cannot be bought or sold.The skin I live in,Is an indication,Not of wrong or right,But of the beauteous woman I am.

Women of color are lotus blossom Queens, We are benevolently blessed by the vibrance of colored-nessWhat some see as derogatory,The bronzed color for me,Is a key to the richness of my Afri-can heritage,That I wear proudly upon the en-tirety of me.

A license to have the faith to be the beautiful me I see,I stand brown,I stand proud…knowing,The validity and sanctity of my worth,In my soul, in my bones I know,I am a coco covered Goddess of Earth.

My sun kissed complexion,Makes me so very lovely by com-parison,Likening my dark beauty to the magnificence,Of the inky mysterious sky above me.I shine…

Warm Bodies (Comedy, Horror) Director: Jonathan LevineStarring: Nicholas Hoult, Rob Corddry, John MalkovichAbout: A funny new twist on a classic love story, Warm Bodies is a poignant tale about the power of human connection. After a zom-bie epidemic, R (a highly unusual zombie) encounters Julie (a human survivor), and rescues her from a zombie attack. Rating: PG-13Release Date: Now Playing

Dark Skies(Horror, Suspense) Director: Scott StewartStarring: Keri Russel, Dakota Goyo, Josh HamiltonAbout: When it becomes clear that the Barret family is being targeted by an unimaginably terrifying and deadly force, Daniel and Lacey take matters in their own hands to solve the mystery of what is after their family.Rating: PG-13Release Date: February 22

Snitch(Action/Adventure) Director: Ric Roman WaughStarring: Dwayne Johnson, Susan Sarandon, Benjamin BrattAbout: Desperate and determined to rescue his son at all costs, he makes a deal with the U.S. attorney to work as an undercover informant and infiltrate a drug cartel on a dan-gerous mission -- risking every-thing, including his family and his own life.Rating: PG-13Release Date: February 22

Jack the Giant Slayer(Action/ Fantasy) Director: Bryan SingerStarring: Nicholas Hoult, Eleanor Tomlinson, Stanely Tucci, Ewan McGregorAbout: A young farmhand (Nicho-las Hoult) becomes swept into the realm of legend when he must de-fend his land from a seemingly un-stoppable force of giant warriors..Rating: PG-13Release Date: March 1

African American

February

Freedom

History

Malcom X

Oprah Winfrey

President Obama

Rights

Rosa Parks

Speech

The symbol of loving grace per-sonified,In my chocolate eyes.

Colored women are sweet like the honey we resemble.Rich dark gold….Varied, faceted…assertively de-mure and bold…

Look at me and you will see,Why so many are tireless in their attempts to possess me.Ownership of a Goddess is an im-possibility,The magnitude of my gracefulness cannot be controlled or tamed.

So, remember when next we meet,When next we have reason to speak,Respect and reverence are most im-portant,For the brown of my skin,For you should be an indication,That I am far more than just a plain old brown skinned girl,I am the honeyed daughter of the heavens above,A lotus Goddess before your very eyes,The most beautiful flower to be-hold.

Submit your po-etry, short fiction,

personal essay, photography, or artowrk to the

Gazette.

Email them to Gazette@gccnj.edu

The Gazette April 2011GazetteFebruary 2013

Life and Cultureby Nicole Stout

Hello, ACTive members of society. Let me first start by ac-knowledging the year. It’s 2013 and we’re still here! The fact that the world did not end leads me to be-lieve there is still work to be done and contributions to be made. 2012 was an election year and those of us of voting age had the hard-won and privileged task of charting the course of America’s future. Our teachers took it upon himself or herself to aid us in our decision making. Though they kept their own views to themselves, they taught us the differences between the two main political parties. In short, Republicans (elephants) support tax breaks for the rich, big business, and minimal governmen-tal influence. Democrats are in fa-vor of taxation of the rich, small (mom and pop) business, and the involvement of government on be-half of our nation’s poor. Because of the things we learned, most of us fell happily in line with the demo-cratic way of thinking, while I reaf-firmed my status as an independent voter. 2012 was my 2nd year as an ACT student, but it was also a year of firsts. For example, I attended this year’s job fair and experienced several mini interviews. I learned that in order to be taken seriously as

An ACTive Life a potential employee, I must over-come my aversion to eye contact, and that the true purpose of employ-ment lies not in the number of zeros in your paycheck, but in the benefit of knowledge and personal growth through experience. An incredibly social and open-minded sales rep approached me from Avon. Due to circumstances beyond my control, my employment with their compa-ny did not work out. However, the job fair remains a positive experi-ence in my life. I learned that despite my nega-tive views of this world, there are some people still willing to take chances on people with disabilities. Those people are the blessed view with enough vision to see us for the hard workers we are. This experi-ence also made me grateful for the presence of brilliant job coaches such as Mrs. Stewart, who were it not for the ACT program, I may never have encountered. Thanks to her services, quite a few members of the ACT family are now gainful-ly employed at such respectable in-stitutions such as K-mart, Walmart, Avon, and Gloucester County Ani-mal Shelter. Being an ACTive participant in class is a lesson in patience. We help each other to learn, read, take social cues, and obey social constructs. Adaptations are built in to our days to accommodate our differences in

learning. All of us are given two to five minute breaks to refocus our attentions and some of us are given permission to quietly exit the room, take a break, and then return when we feel we are able. Under the duel tutelage of Mr. Abrams and Mrs. Feder, our days are filled to the brim with knowl-edge, socialization, and fun. As if we cold ask for any more, we are also given a weekly dose of culture as our entree. Ms. Stephanie and Ms. Robin provide us with both art and education every Friday. We learn and grow as budding artists as well as health conscious citizens on Life Long Learning Days. In conclusion I would like to thank those whose generosity funds the ACT program. Special thanks go to our brother and sisters at the ARC and GCC’s newly inducted and beloved president, Mr. Fred Keating, without whom none of this would be possible.*I would personally like to thanks them from the bottom of my heart for this treasured opportunity to interact with my peers. These past two years I have grown immensely. In short, I’ve had the time of my life and I owe it all to you. *All my love, Nikki (a disabled/enabled productive citizen of the United State of America).

by Genevieve Melanson

College is a busy and fast-paced time for everybody. Managing your time between school and a job can be difficult. Determining whether or not to pursue a college job is a difficult decision. You need to con-sider the amount of time required, what you would be giving up, your compensation, and your own per-sonal inclinations. There are how-ever, certain key aspects that can help to guide you in your decision.

The Advantages of Having a College Job.

1. A College Job Will Give You Money The first-and most obvious-reason for getting a college job is money. College is expensive. From tuition to books to food, the money provided by a job will help you to afford many things. It will also give you the freedom to do more things you enjoy in your spare time. Mon-ey is the reason that most students pursue a college job, and it is a se-rious factor. You should determine to what extent money is a factor for you, as this will likely play the larg-est role in deciding whether or not you should pursue a college job.

2. A College Job is Something to put on a Resume The fact is that when you gradu-ate, prospective employers will likely want you to have at least some work experience. Work expe-rience shows that you are reliable and likely a good employee. Hav-ing a college job is an excellent way to get some valuable work ex-perience. While this likely isn’t as big a factor as some other things, it is something to consider in the long run. Here at Gloucester Counter Col-lege the student body has a depart-ment called The Career and Atomic Center (CAP) located on the sec-ond floor of the College Center for just such resources to help students find their way to be hopefully em-ployed. “When someone first comes into our department we take the student and we try to find out what kind of job they are most interested in or looking for,” said Randee Davidi-son, Manger of Career Services. “We have series of websites that we use such as monster.com and ca-reerbuilder.com and so many oth-ers that are being added daily to our website www.gccnj.edu/cap.” “Once the student and one of our staff members is finish up with the search we on to their resume. We acess the jobs needs with the student’s abilities and talents. We work on getting a student’s resume together if they have don’t have one we help them create one or try to make the resume fit for what the job is looking,” said Davidison. The Cap also helps the student with their cover letters and filling out apportions. “We are there for the students all the way.” The CAP Center even as has mock interviews the students can come in a free and comfortable

zone to practice their social skills.” Said Davidison. The Cap then fol-lows up after a student does a in-terview. They also have plan the Career Fair house on GCC for each spring which dispirits to several major companies all over Glouces-ter County.

3. A College Job Can Teach You Time Management One of the most important skills for a student to develop is time management. Knowing when it is necessary to start a project or get to work is a crucially important aspect of university and professional life. A college job can help you learn time management skills not only by forcing you to adhere to a schedule, but also by forcing you to make better use of your now-limited free time.

The Disadvantages of Having a College Job

1. A College Job Can Use Much of Your Valuable Time The main disadvantage of hav-ing a college job is that it will use a great deal of your time. This means you will have less time to study, less time to engage in extracurricu-lar activities, and less time to so-cialize with friends. If you tend to procrastinate, this can cause huge problems when it comes to manag-ing everything. If you do decide to take a college job, it is extremely important that you manage your time well, ensuring that you don’t fall behind in your other pursuits. You shouldn’t let your college job become so important that your schoolwork begins to suffer, for example. You should be confident that you’ll be able to manage this issue before you begin to search for a college job.

2. A College Job Can Cause Exces-sive StressCollege is a stressful time for many people. There is always so much work and so many things to do that it is sometimes difficult to relax. Having a college job can add great-ly to this workload, causing unnec-essary stress. Before considering a college job, you should think about the extra pressure that you’ll be tak-ing on. If you’re planning on pursu-ing a job, you should be confident that you will be able to handle this.

Should you persue a college job?

GCC’s CAP Center, Vicky Frankes, Genevieve Melanson, and Randee Davidson.

The Gazette April 2011

GAZETTE ETC.GazetteFebruary 2013

Over 1000 fans came out for the fourth year of GCC’s JAG club (Japanese Anime Guild) amazing KotoriCon convention. The yearly event celebrates Anime along with a variety of other pop culture fac-ets like Star Wars, Dr. Who, and so much more. The convention pulls in a wide variety of fans that take part in panels, presentations, and demon-strations. JAG invites guests such as Pokemon voice actors like Mi-chelle, Mike Pollock, and Jamie McGonnigal. Musical guests in-cluded The Asterplace, Uzhi, and the Hoh Daiko Drummers. Kotori-Con attendees could also check out Capoeira demonstrations, karaoke and take part in a crash course in voice acting. This year’s theme focused around the popular “impending” zombie apocalypse. Forget face painting, KotoriCon fans could even go to the Zombification station. Between panels, visitors could browse amazing independent ven-dors offering everything from giant sushi pillows to videos and comics.

Some of this year’s proceeds were donated to LiNK (Liberty in North Korea), an organization devoted to protecting human right in North Korea. Proceeds also went to Vic-tims of Hurricane Sandy as well as Peach’s Neet Feet, an organization that provides custom, hand painted shoes to children living with dis-abilities and are fighting serious illness.

One of the major highlights of Ko-toriCon is always the costumes, here are just a few of them.

Photos by David CoatesCourtesy of Dr. Susan Glenn

The Transfer Opportunity Program (T.O.P. Scholars) at Berkeley College Online offers

scholarships of up to 50% of tuition*, based on a student’s grade point average (G.P.A.).

To be eligible as a T.O.P. Scholar, a student must:

For more information,visit BerkeleyCollege.edu/Transfer_Scholarshipor call 800-446-5400, ext. GLA

Berkeley College reserves the right to add, discontinue, or modify its programs and policies at any time. Modi�cations subsequent to the original publication of this information may not be re�ected here. For the most up-to-date information, please visit BerkeleyCollege.edu.

*Award amounts applied after all other federal and state grants and scholarships, and will not exceed the remaining cost of tuition and fees. Cost of books and supplies not included. P2531 - 2.2013

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