What’s The Word? | The Poetry Corner

Janice Kuklick: Our Superwoman

Posted on December 5, 2012 by A. Long

An Amazing Athlete
A passionate advocate of social change and athletics, Janice Rensimer Kuklick, M.Ed., Associate Professor of Physical Education Chair of the Physical Education Department, has longed practiced what she preaches through years of dedication and hard work.

A celebration
The premise of Janice Kuklick’s presentation last Wednesday afternoon was to celebrate the last 40 years of societal and legislative progress towards gender equality.

“No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance” (Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 to the Civil Rights Act).

Until this particular piece of legislation passed women struggled to be recognized as athletes, and indeed continue to. But thanks to the tireless efforts of women and students at Chestnut Hill College, and across the country, the fight to be seen as equals on and off the playing field doesn’t wage on in vain.

The Mission

Her entire career is essentially an attestation to the cause. Janice Kuklick has been named a member of the Plymouth Whitemarsh High School Hall of Fame, the West Chester University Athletic Hall of Fame, the Pennsylvania Lacrosse Hall of Fame and the USA Lacrosse Hall of Fame. These prestigious titles are only in addition to her 35 years of service to the college as staff since1977 and her being a student here as well. She has held almost every office involving the athletic department from player to amazing instructor to director, as well as playing her hand as author and mature role model for virtually any student that has come in contact with her.

Her Influence
Shannon Salandy, a senior education major, said “I have class with her now, yoga and pilates. And she’s still got it. She really pushes her students through hardwork and motivation…and pain.” She added comically as she related her experience on Kuklick’s class. Many students marvel at the intensity and drive Janice Kuklick manages to exude with every activity. Richard Browne, senior science major who learned how to swim from Kuklick’s beginners class , had this to say when asked what he thought about his teacher’s long career, “It’s ridiculous, but you know, in a really good way.”

Its not just the students that admire Janice and all that she accomplishes on a daily basis, but the Chestnut Hill faculty and staff as well. Susan Magee, M.F.A. Assistant Professor of Communications, reflects on when she was a student at the college and had Kuklick as her instructor. “She was like pregnant and doing more than I ever could. I mean it was hysterical that we couldn’t keep up with her.”

An Inspiration
She will always be remembered and loved as the most energetic and lively person at Chestnut Hill, and an inspiration to male and female athletes and students alike.

Break-in At Breakers Bar

Posted on December 5, 2012 by A. Long

The Burglary

Two men were arrested and indicted after breaking into a local business, Breakers, a billiard hall and bar at 549 E. Meadow in Mohave County, earlier this morning. The two assailants George Butner, 38, and Max Brewster, 24, were apprehended shortly after the crime was committed. They’re currently being held in the Mohave County Jail and charged with burglary, resisting arrest and vandalism, with a bond for each of them of $15,000.

At the Scene

“I have no idea what the two men might have been looking for,” said Manager Hank Ng, 44. The pair broke through a back window at about 4:25 in the morning to enter the club, setting off a silent alarm. Ng identifies footprints outside the broken window, and a barstool had been set under the window for easy access into the room.

Troy Delmer, 33, manager of Bill’s Breakfast Burrow, across the street from Breakers, saw some of the action. “It was about 5 a.m,” he said, “Well, I looked up and saw two men run from behind Breakers…They didn’t even make it out of the parking lot when the cops got ’em. Those cops were fast.”

Sgt. Ray Broadmall of the Kingman Police Department, who was unable to comment at the scene, corroborated Delmer’s relation of the events.

The Coastal Hurricane

Posted on December 5, 2012 by A. Long

Incredible Damage

The mid-Hudson region is still reeling from this weekend’s horrendous floods, which have produced tens of millions of dollars in damage, some of the worst destruction in this area in half a century. Residents have been left standing in silt-strewn yards and waterlogged homes desperately trying to salvage their possessions. Officials have reported that it will take weeks or even months before complete repair to washed-out roads and bridges is even possible.

Volunteer Recovery Efforts

Road crews can be seen working overtime, scrambling to open once-flooded roads. American Red Cross workers across the region are tirelessly endeavoring to find motel rooms for scores of people unable to return to their homes. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, <which has been occupied with a mammoth terrorism drill, expects backup teams from Texas to reach local flood zones tomorrow.

Federal Disaster Relief

Officials and statesman hurry to organize some sort of help for their citizens. Gov. George Pataki has officially declared Orange, Ulster and Sullivan counties disaster areas. “Just in public infrastructure alone, we’re looking at millions,” said Bruce Kirkpatrick, Ulster County’s deputy director of emergency management, “… And the human cost … How do you measure the human cost?” Officials hope to get a true measure of the devastation after state and federal disaster assessment teams tour flooded areas in two dozen counties in southern New York and western New Jersey. These assessments could guarantee federal disaster relief and allow residents to apply for low-interest loans to rebuild homes.

Severe Flooding

Carol Clancy who normally runs the My Friends’ Place day-care center in Livingston Manor, a community in northern Sullivan County, is already thinking about the next flood. Livingston Manor, Deerpark and Ellenville are all water-rich lowlands and have flooded before. This is the second flood to hit her area in the past six months. Clancy is buying new rugs to replace the ones ruined in the day-care center, where water rose to the doorknobs. Her new rugs are dark green — “And ones that I can roll up in a hurry for the next time,” she said. In Deerpark, at the intersection of the Neversink and Delaware rivers, officials say they expect to condemn 160 homes. The floods caused at least $24 million in damage to that town alone according to an Orange County spokesman.

A Hundred Year Flood Level

The Neversink River reached the highest level recorded in Godeffroy since the U.S. Geological Survey began taking measurements there 68 years ago. The river crested just over its 100-year flood level, a measurement that federal officials set based on prior high-water years. The Neversink exceeded levels recorded in the late summer and early fall of 1955, when a potent series of hurricanes and coastal storms pounded eastern New York.

The Delaware also flooded in mid-August of that year after hurricanes Connie and Diane struck the region in a single week.

“We had five days of solid rain, the kind of rain you look at and say, ‘That can’t last for long – it’s too heavy.’ … It was so wet, the ground couldn’t hold it,” ninety-two-year-old Dorothea Solomon, who was Port Jervis’ deputy director of civil defense in those days, said, “The same thing that happened this time.”

The Delaware River in Port Jervis also came close to its 100-year flood level as determined by FEMA. The flooding was less remarkable for the Wallkill River, where waters reached 15-year flood levels. Upstream, in Sullivan County, high waters exceeding 100-year flood levels caused $16.5 million in damage to roads, bridges and other public properties.

Needless to say this weekend’s flood will not be forgotten, setting new records as well as impairing the lives of thousands.

Finding A Safe Voting System In California

Posted on December 5, 2012 by A. Long

Main Controversy
A hearing, surrounding the controversial issues on computerized voting, attempted to reassure concerned local Californian attendees Thursday afternoon at Menlo Park City Hall.

The hearing mainly addressed if California’s voting systems accurate, reliable and secure, and took a critical look at the Federal testing and certification process. The meeting began with an introduction of the present experts and a brief announcement about the absence of leading vendors, such as Diebold, who declined to attend. Debra Bowen, the chairwoman of the Senate Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee initiated the proceedings, stating that “software has to be built to official standards, but absolute security is very difficult.”

What The Experts Say
Dan Wallach, professor of computer science at Rice University, appeared to concur with Bowen. Wallach pointed out that in 2002, “standards for the current available software were being developed”. It was an involved and evolving engineering problem, part of which “is controlling costs”. He then reminded the audience that “paper has a long-term history of election fraud.” The voting system is a “terrible business to be in, because every state has a different system,” he said. “We need openness, reliable and secure systems. We must design systems capable of solving all problems – and California has to initiate the process.”

“Is it federally qualified?” asked Aviel Rubin, professor of computer science and director of the Information Institute at Johns Hopkins University. “What are the limitations of testing? Results should be made public, and all tests should be available to the public.” He continued, “We can’t compromise on transparency. An ounce of audit is worth a pound of prevention.”

How The Locals feel
Many of the 28 public citizens, who spoke, also input that they find the computerized voting system to be frightening and foreboding. “Imagine stealing an election,” said Arthur Keller of Palo Alto, a volunteer precinct inspector in Santa Clara County, “security should make it more difficult and expensive to do so.”

“If machines are used, they should be totally public, and have parallel testing,” said Ron Crane, of Santa Cruz. “Rip them to shreds. If there is a discrepancy, why did it happen?”

“There is no such thing as perfect security,” Peter Neumann, principal scientist at the computer science lab at SRI International in Menlo Park admitted. With voting machines, he warned, there’s “no real incentive to do it right, but it’s essential to have full openness in the process.” Whatever machines are built should be built for “long-term life,” said Neumann. “We’re dealing with a flawed process.” David Dill, professor of computer science at Stanford University and founder of the Verified Voting Foundation, commented that “checks and balances in counting is a central point.”

A County Problem
Warren Slocum, assessor, county clerk and record of San Mateo County, noted that 13 million voters in 16 counties currently don’t have certified voting systems. A voting-certification process should be established in California, according to Alan Dechert of Granite Bay, Calif., president of the Open Voting Consortium. One alternative to machines, voting by mail, has been approved only in eight California counties.

Saying Goodbye To Pauling

Posted on December 5, 2012 by A. Long

Background

Linus Pauling, an accomplished professor, chemist, and two-time Nobel Prize winner, died at age 93 on his Big Sur ranch on Saturday. He was found in his home, having long suffered from poor health for the past several months.

Pauling was a native of Portland, Oregon where he received most of his formal education. He had a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Oregon Agricultural College in 1922 and a doctorate in chemistry and mathematical physics from Cal Tech in 1925.

Legacy

He won the Nobel Prize for chemistry in 1954 and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1962. His Nobel Prize for chemistry was for his work involving the nature of the chemical bond and the understanding of the structure of complex substances. His Nobel Peace Prize was for his crusade against nuclear weapons tests. He was best known for his advocacy of the use of Vitamin C as a preventative measure to ward off diseases, and that extra doses could extend normal life expectancy by 25 years.

Pauling’s interests and knowledge ranged from medicine to nuclear physics.

“I think one characteristic I have always had is that I knew something or did not, whether I understood something or did not understand it,” said Pauling, describing his scientific inquisitiveness in a 1993 interview. “And I wasn’t always happy if I didn’t understand something.”

Career

He was a professor emeritus of chemistry at Stanford University. In addition to teaching at Stanford, he was an earlier faculty member at the California institute of Technology and the University of California, San Diego. He also taught at the Study of Democratic Institutions in Santa Barbara. In 1973, he founded the Linus Pauling Institute of Science and Medicine, which moved to Palo Alto in 1980. Henry Taube, a professor emeritus of chemistry and also a Nobel winner, said Pauling was the most influential chemist of the century.

Family

His wife, Ava Miller Pauling, died in 1981 after 58 years of marriage. He is survived by his sister; four children, including Crellin Pauling of Portola valley; 15 grandchildren; and 19 great-grandchildren.

We Honor Him

Memorial services will be held in the near future at Stanford Memorial Church.

Fire In Conshohocken

Posted on December 3, 2012 by A. Long

What Happened?!
The fifth fire this year caused by careless smoking in Montgomery County occurred at a new condo complex in Conshohocken, which caused an estimated $5,000 in damages when the 29 yr old owner fell asleep while smoking in his condo unit Monday night, however no one was injured and other units remain undamaged.

Quick Action
The fire necessitated that the partially-rented complex be evacuated. Firefighters from Conshohocken Fire Company arrived at the scene that night after quickly responding to a 911 call, and then extinguished the fire shortly after.

“Smith fell asleep in his chair with a lit cigarette watching Monday night football,” said Fire Chief Carl Clancy, “When he awoke, the carpet next to his chair was on fire. He’s lucky to be alive.”

Controversial Complex
The Grand View Condominium Complex on River Road has previously been a controversial center for neighbors, who were worried about the complex worsening the congestion and traffic problems in the small town.

Fire Aftermath At Oakdale Adult School

Posted on November 9, 2012 by A. Long

After The Smoke Cleared

The three of them stood there teetering on the brink of heartbreak. Their school, their pride, and hard work in one fatal inferno had left them bereft of certainty towards the future. It was once a place where men and women could go to reconcile and rehabilitate their shaken lives. Where, that Monday afternoon, Jack Richter and Roger Ames should have been students in the middle of another day of classes. Where, that Monday afternoon, Jennifer Wilson should have been in the midst of another day at the office helping others to reach their true potential. Instead here they were staring up at the boarded up windows of blackened dreams, wondering if there would be any chance at a return to normalcy.

The Students

Roger Ames, 38, recently released for car theft has acknowledged that the neighborhood is apprehensive about the presence of “ex-cons” at the school and worries that the fire may have been “a message to get out”. However, not everyone that attends the school has a criminal past, and the vicious attack on the school demonstrates a lack of that fact as public knowledge. Jack Richter, 29, has been attending classes since last spring in attempts to receive his GED. “I dropped out when I was in high school. I was a dumb kid. This place was my second chance,” Richter said. “I hope they find it fast because I really need to join the military and start making something of my life.”

Arson or Hate Crime?

“I can appreciate Ms. Wilson’s sense of urgency, but this is a crime scene,” Oakdale Police Chief Bryant Tam said about the delayed investigation, “Unfortunately, our crime scene investigators are backed up in processing evidence from the scene, so until we know we have what we need, we can’t release the scene. It was arson, but now we need to know who is doing this.” His theories on the arsonist being a student, former student, or even a possible resident of the Oakdale community have yet to be proven but do not go unheeded.

The Woman In Charge

Jennifer Wilson, LSW and MEd, director, hasn’t let the vindictive crime completely deter her efforts to rebuild and support her students. In addition to somewhat harassing the police chief for answers, she has also moved into actively looking for another space to continue providing job, computer training, and high school equivalency courses to those in need. Since they have always seemed to have had a friendly relationship, she remains skeptical about the involvement of someone from the neighborhood in the arson, and focuses on repairing the physical and psychological damage to her school and its students.

Bad Boys, Bad Boys Watcha Gon’ Do

Posted on November 5, 2012 by A. Long

End Of Watch
End Of Watch was far more poignant than it leads the audience to believe it will be. The commercials try to sell the film as a witty cop comedy shot in the everyday shaky handheld camera style that seems to be dominating television nowadays, which is completely not the case. When it premiered in September the R rating should’ve clued some people into the serious underlying tones that would pervade the screen for the next hour and 49 minutes.

The Heroes
The movie begins with the introduction of Officer Taylor played by the tenacious Jake Gyllenhall, who also doubles as a film student at a university in California. He decides to tape himself and his partner Officer Zavala, played by Michael Pena, on their daily beat across one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in South Central L.A. The chronicle of these two loose cannons but wildly brave, and at times, reckless cops gives the audience a look into the lives of modern warriors. Throughout their journey the cops continue to stumble onto more than they bargained for.

You’re on Candid Camera
Thankfully the director David Ayer, who is well experienced in gritty, dirty cop movies such as the infamous Training Day starring Denzel Washington, decides to splice in some comic relief and seemingly mindless dialogue to pull away from the more gut-wrenching scenes. At times the constant shifting in odd camera angles adds a level of True Taxi Cab Confessions to much of the movie, but it works extraordinarily well in capturing the tension and severity of the situations that these cops place themselves in on a regular basis.

Leading Men
Although Jake Glyllenhall is committed to every role he plays, and has some experience with exploiting dangerous professions, like in the Academy Award-winning film Jarhead, it was really Michael Pena that stole the show. Pena delivered a great performance that wasn’t over the top. His acting chops were first established in intense and gripping films such as Crash, where he played a lowly handy man that struggles to provide for his family in a racially-charged society. He was meant to be the supporting actor, but someone watching could easily feel like Gyllenhall fell into his role. However, the exchange of power between the characters and the actors made them appear as real partners in hostile situations where they needed to depend on each other.

Their dynamic propelled the movie forward and greatly impacted the connection one could feel for these characters. Let’s face it, no one initially likes cops, and its hard to sell the plucky good cop dynamo duo to a skeptical audience. The director and the actors managed to refrain from the whole Starsky and Hutch routine though, and maintain a necessary realism that not only mirrored the form of the film and made it enjoyable as well as relatable.

That Ending…
Quite honestly I expected the film to be bad and I was thoroughly surprised with the ending, with the acting, the overall storyline and presentation. The tragic climax of the film in the last scenes shocks the audience out of the illusion of security and adventure created in the beginning. Suddenly the story becomes real and unavoidable, like an enjoyable ride that ends in a fiery car crash, and teaches the characters and audience a harsh lesson about life’s beautiful simplicities and unfortunate consequences.

I appreciate the topics and conversations that it raised between my fellow audience members and me during and long after the credits rolled. If you like deep impactful discussions with a little blood and gore against the backdrop of a film version of the reality show Cops, then this movie is for you. If not then go see it anyway. Bury the “I don’t want to see a gay cowboy and a Mexican on screen” mentality and look beyond the actors themselves to the portrayal of men and women that have risked their lives and families to keep us safe. Men and women whom face death everyday and continue to do so for all our sakes.
I give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Brains Before Beauty

Posted on October 22, 2012 by A. Long

Those Phenomenal Women
Images that have come to personify beauty, like the original revered Madonna and Aphrodite, have set women to an impossible standard for centuries. There is an underlying patriarchal view of the world that attempts to box beautiful concepts of women into stereotypes. Modern day Madonnas and Aphrodites found in our society, from the fast and glamorous Hollywood stars to the small town college students, have emerged to regularly shatter these commonly held perceptions. Elizabeth Levis is one of those phenomenal women.

“Yes. I’m a natural blonde,” Levis said. “I just get highlights.”

Elizabeth Levis
She boldly flaunts her nearly platinum blonde hair with pride, shrugging off the stigma that usually follows girls with blonde hair; but, it isn’t her hair or looks that encompasses who she is. In step with her idol, Marilyn Monroe, there are deeper and fascinating components that make Levis the sparkling pearl gently nestled in the sand waiting to be discovered.

Growing Up
Levis, nicknamed Lizzie, grew up in Center Valley, outside of Allentown, Penna., with a loving and a beautifully supportive family. “My family really focuses on making everyone happy and being selfless and appreciating what you have,” Levis said. Her father grew up very poor and had a tough family life; however his persistence led him to be a successful businessman as well as family man, who owns his own business and wondrously inspires his daughter to reach for the same goals in life. She attended Southern Lehigh High School, which was the typical “boring” small-town school according to Levis, and now is a freshman in Chestnut Hill College majoring in communications. She wants to entertain and be on TV one day, possibly in Philadelphia or overseas. “I want to be very successful, have a nice house, love what I’m doing and have someone to share it with,” Levis said.

Influences In Her Life
Women, like Marilyn Monroe, actively worked against stereotypes that were conveniently placed upon them, and eventually paved the way for girls like Elizabeth Levis. “I see parallels in the fact that instantly when people see me they think I am just going to be a ‘dumb blonde’ or ditzy,” Levis said, “also, when I was younger I kind of felt like a loner and tried to keep to myself and she experienced that a lot in her life.”
Although Levis isn’t striving to be the next Monroe, she has managed to find substance and a real idol she can identify with; regardless, of whether the world sometimes stereotyped, scandalized, or gossiped about her. It takes tenacious heroines like Elizabeth Levis or Marilyn Monroe to break out of the ‘dumb blonde’ mold and instill the same confidence in younger generations.

Blondes Have More Fun
“I look up to her because she came up from nothing,” Levis said.“She was adopted at a young age, and she wanted to be successful. She wanted to do something and she did.” Levis knows that she may not ever be a millionaire like an actual “Levi’s kid,” but a persistent attitude, modeled after her father and certain female idols, continue to drive her towards her passions and away from any negativity that society tries to force on her. Blondes do after all have more fun, but it is the confidence and integrity that truly makes Elizabeth Levis more than just that.