The Peace Corps: A Post-Collegiate Option to Consider

By Faye Forman 

President John F. Kennedy founded the Peace Corps in 1961 with the intention of “promoting world peace and friendship.” With three simple, yet sustainable goals the Peace Corps has grown into the largest federally funded volunteer program for citizens in the United States. 

Its mission aims to provide service to developing countries, help promote a better understanding of Americans, and to encourage a better understanding of citizens in developing countries. With over 8,000 volunteers and trainees serving in 76 countries around the world (since 1961, 200,000 volunteers have served in 139 countries), the Peace Corps is an especially popular option for college graduates.

After obtaining a bachelor’s degree, it is a common practice to continue on to graduate school or go job hunting. Although these are the more popular options, it’s also important to consider alternative opportunities that can enhance your resume as well as give back to others. The Peace Corps has a variety of options for recent grads, returned volunteers and professionals. They’ve even recently implemented “short-term” placements (as opposed to a traditional 2 year term) for returning Peace Corps volunteers, consisting of 3-12 month jobs.

Placement locations can vary depending on where service is requested. A volunteer can be placed anywhere from North Africa to Asia to Europe. The actual service that the foreign country requests can be under six categories: Education, Youth and Community Development, Health Issues (HIV/AIDS Awareness), Business and Information & Communication Technology, Agriculture, and Environmental Impact Awareness. 

There is a three-month long cultural integration period where the volunteer is trained in the country’s language, educated in its culture, and prepared to spend 27 months in the foreign country. Student volunteers also reap great benefits such as student loan assistance (even deferment or cancelation), language and technical training, full medical and dental coverage, paid vacation days, a monthly living and housing allowance, and much more.

To get a glimpse of what the life of a volunteer is like, here is a recollection by Donna E. Shalala, who was placed in Iran as a Peace Corps volunteer and later was appointed by President Clinton to be the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services in 1993:

“The day that I remember most vividly in the Peace Corps was the day after President Kennedy was assassinated. Depressed, some friends and I were not in the mood to deal with the local beggar when he approached us. But then with a sad smile, he said, ’No money. I want to tell you how sad we all are that your young president was assassinated.’ There, in a remote town halfway around the world, a distraught young Peace Corps Volunteer and a beggar embraced and cried together over the death of President Kennedy. Years later, looking back at my Peace Corps service, I realized that a wise ’mullah,’ an insensitive Dean, and students struggling to preserve a traditional society in a modern age had changed me forever. I had become a citizen of the world. Because of the Peace Corps, I was sensitive to cultural differences, comfortable sitting on mud floors and talking to tribal leaders, respectful of the role of religion, and in awe of the struggles of desperately poor people who manage to maintain their dignity and care for their children.”

For more information: 
http://www.peacecorps.gov/learn/be/?from=learn_hp

 
Faye Forman is a sophomore at St. Thomas Aquinas College. She plays tennis on the Women’s Tennis Team at STAC and is a member of APO, a co-ed community service fraternity. Faye plans to transfer to Bard College to major in Human Rights & International Relations, and eventually become a Peace Corp Volunteer herself.

Spartan Strong: 2013 STAC Baseball Year in Review

2013 STAC Baseball Team

By Ken Kirshner

The St. Thomas Aquinas baseball team is on the verge of its best season in its long and storied history. Under the tutelage of Coach Scott Muscat and assistant John Garvey, the Spartans have already broken the record for most conference wins in a series, 18, set by the 2012 St. Thomas Aquinas baseball squad. Another record is also set up to be broken by the 2013 group by season’s end; most wins in a season in program history, 34, also set by the 2012 team. The team sits at 32-11 with three non-conference games remaining on the slate vs. Dominican College and a doubleheader against Concordia College this upcoming weekend.

The 2013 campaign started off hot for the Spartans with two impressive and signature Eastern Regional victories against Wilmington University (Del.) in a three game set. It took a game tying double by Ken Kirshner in the 8th inning and a Frank Salerno walk off a single in the 11th inning to seal the victory on opening day. The Spartans were aided by a huge opening day performance from junior lefty Eric Cooper, who worked into the 7th inning, allowing 5 hits and only 1 run before handing the ball to closer CJ Ferrigi, who shut the door.

After a tough 3-2 defeat in game two, the Spartans came back to take the series in the finale, behind junior Robert Franke, who gave the Spartans six solid innings of work, scattering 3 hits and 5 runs. The Spartans got a big performance from senior catcher Mike Russo, who slugged 3 hits while driving in 3 runs. Why were these victories so significant? If the Spartans fail to win the East Coast Conference Tournament on May 11th, they could still receive an at-large bid into the NCAA tournament because of those two wins. Wilmington currently sits at 9th in the NCAA D2 baseball rankings, 1st in the Eastern Regional, while the Spartans sit in 5th in the regional rankings.
 
The 2013 team is led by junior standout ace pitcher, Robert Franke, senior catcher Mike Russo, junior transfer Ken Kirshner, and freshman pitcher Robert Naughton.

Franke is having a breakout campaign for the Spartans. On April 24th, Robert Franke was named NCBWA East Region Pitcher of the Week along with ECC pitcher of the week for his performance against LIU Post in which he threw a complete game shutout, allowing just 4 hits and no walks. Franke currently sits with a record of 4-4 with a 3.04 ERA, allowing only 25 hits in over 50 innings of work. In his past four conference outings, Franke is 3-1 with an astounding ERA of 0.62. Franke received one of D2 baseball’s most prominent weekly awards, National Pitcher of the Week, something STAC has never seen in its existence.

Senior catcher Mike Russo is coming off arguably the best season a STAC hitter has ever had. Russo’s 2012 campaign consisted of winning the ECC Triple Crown Award and receiving a spot on the All-American team. Russo led the ECC in batting average, runs batted in, and home runs. He hit an incredible .381 with 44 RBI’s and 6 long balls. In 2013, Russo has already surpassed his last year’s mark of 44 RBI’s and 6 homers. Currently he is hitting .342 with 8 home runs and 49 runs batted in.
 
Freshman right handed pitcher Robert Naughton is on track to capture St. Thomas Aquinas’ second consecutive ECC Rookie of the Year award (won by Stanley Susana in 2012). Naughton is a perfect 5-0 on the year, posting a 1.63 earned run average in over 49 innings of work, with one complete game to his name. Just this past week, Naughton was named ECC Rookie of the Week, the second time he has captured this award in his rookie year.

Junior first baseman Ken Kirshner is also having a breakout year for the club. Kirshner got off to a nice start, hitting a game tying double down the left field line to tie the game vs. #9 Wilmington on opening night. He hasn’t looked back since. Kirshner currently leads the Spartans in hits and batting average. He is hitting .360 with 30 RBI and 16 stolen bases. He currently leads the East Coast Conference in hits with 59. In over 400 chances at first base, Ken has only committed 6 errors on the year, posting a .985 fielding percentage.

The STAC baseball team looks to close out the season on a strong note, trying to capture the ECC title for the first time in school history. They came into the 2012 tournament as the heavy favorite to take the conference, only to be upset by Dowling College on their own field. The record for wins in a single season is in their thoughts, but seizing an ECC title is what’s first on their minds.


Ken Kirshner is a Junior baseball player at St. Thomas Aquinas College. He is a transfer student from Siena College in Loudonville, NY.  Ken is expected to graduate in the Spring of 2014 with a degree in History with a minor in Communication Arts. He hopes to pursue a career in Sports Journalism or Sports Broadcasting.

R.I.P to the Traditional Paper Resume

By Alyssa Ramirez

Times have drastically changed and technology is evolving every second. The use of the Internet has dramatically escalated in both our personal and professional lives; we practically live on the web. Due to this radical change in technology, the job market is evolving as well and the traditional rituals when applying for a job are closer than ever to becoming obsolete.

So what does the old-fashioned, black and white, paper resume make of all this? Not much. The possibilities that the Internet has created for us are endless and the capabilities of social media, program software, and online design tools can show you off far more than can a plain piece of paper that looks identical to everyone else’s. And that’s exactly where the future of the resume is going: on the web.

Gone is the day when we are forced to cram all of our experience into one page on Microsoft Word. So long to all of the strict verb usage and different synonyms to describe your experience in such a dull and uninspiring manner.  But it seems as if not everyone has gotten the memo that visual resumes are the way to go.

See, what people haven’t caught on to yet is that when employers list a hot job position that is available on the web, they receive millions of resumes via email every day. Now this employer has to work through all of the resumes – which all happen to roughly look the same – to search for a select few that stands out to them to respond to. Sadly, having an excessive amount of awesome experience isn’t going to cut it anymore – if they don’t take the time to see past your name on top of the page – especially in a time when employment is hard to get for a new college graduate or anyone, period.

You have to make your resume stand out from the crowd. You have to capture the attention of the person hiring, and there are many great ways and tools to do so. But only a few of the brave have stepped out of the box and turned their boring resumes into something that is more creative and compelling. Most job seekers haven’t caught on to this new trend that is little by little making great changes. They continue to send in the traditional resume and then wonder why they never got a call for an interview. Now this is not saying that everyone shouldn’t keep one of these on hand, but we should all consider “selling ourselves” in a more captivating and exciting manner.

It’s called “personal branding.” Yes, this means that it is in now in our best interest to find ways to advertise ourselves to people looking to hire us. Be creative; what do you represent? Display your interests, hobbies, and online character for the world to see and you’re guaranteed to get at least one employer interested in what you have to offer.

There are many ways to fire up your personal brand or resume. You can get the most out of social media resumes, video resumes, or visual resumes. Websites such as LinkedIn, an online network for professionals, are made to highlight your professional attributes and experiences. Employers are jumping on to LinkedIn each day to search for potential hires and much of their judgment on you comes from that one profile, so it’s in your best interest to polish it as much as you can. You are also encouraged to clean up and polish your personal social media pages such as Facebook and Twitter, because they’ll be on the hunt for those too.

Job seekers should also consider creating a website that displays their skills, interests, and background in a unique way. But it doesn’t stop there; the possibilities are endless. You can make a creative video about yourself and what you have to offer and launch it on YouTube or the new video app, Vine. You can create a PowerPoint or Prezi presentation and share it on SlideShare. You can find unique ways to brand yourself on Instagram or Twitter. Everything is fair game and employers are actually interested in seeing how innovative you can get.

Alyssa Ramirez is a senior at St. Thomas Aquinas College and is graduating this May with a Bachelor's degree in Social Science and a minor in Public Relations. After graduating she is interested in pursuing a career in public relations, marketing, and event planning.

  

The Great Gatsby Sound Track Blends 1920s and Modern Styles

By Alyssa Hamilton

The room is filled with music and laughter coming from the most affluent and social figures imaginable. Illicit champagne is in the glass of each party-goer; all are gathered in a mansion across from the green lights on the far side of the bay. Nearby, the eyes of Dr. TJ Eckleburg watch the dancers and flappers spin the night away in the arms of strangers, speaking easy in the moonlight. A man, impeccably dressed, watches the party rumbling around him, hoping that a specific young woman is an attendant that night. But as his eyes search the room, he realizes that she has failed to see the wealth of happiness he's raised across the bay.

Many will recognize this roaring scene as a party held by Jay Gatsby from the book The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. But soon, this will be reimagined in a new film adaptation directed and produced by Baz Luhrmann, to be released on May 10. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby, Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway, and Carey Mulligan as Daisy Bachanan. The film is expected to do very well in the box office upon its release, with its ensemble cast and the well-known nature of the book upon which it is based.

But something almost as interesting and anticipated as the film is the accompanying soundtrack.

To be released on May 7, the soundtrack was produced by American rapper Jay Z and features a variety of artists such as Lana del Rey, Florence + the Machine, The xx, Will.i.am, and Gotye, among others. The track listing includes both covers of songs and original pieces, such as the lead single “Young and Beautiful” by Lana del Rey.

The song was co-written by Lana del Rey and Baz Luhrmann to ensure that the song fit both the mood of the movie and the style of the artist. The song is typically Lana del Rey, with muted strings and percussions and the crooning vocal style favored by the singer. In the chorus, del Rey asks in her sultry style, “Will you still love me/when I’m no longer/young and beautiful?” The song is a reflection of the romantic relationship between Daisy Buchanan and Jay Gatsby, who were torn apart by war and materialism. The lyrics also paint familiar images of del Rey’s aesthetic, creating lush scenes with hints of depravity lurking in her words, in addition to pleas to divine beings. The song most definitely fits the atmosphere of a doomed love shared by the two characters.

Another original song featured on the soundtrack is “Over the Love” by Florence + the Machine. The song, written by lead singer of the group Florence Welch, is told from the point of view of Daisy. Many of the symbols of the novel are featured in the song, such as the yellow dress worn by Daisy, the green light, and the Long Island Sound between East and West Egg, where she and Gatsby live respectively. The music, like that of the Lana del Rey song, features piano, strings, and percussion, but in this piece has a grander, more epic feeling that is typical of the style of Florence + the Machine. The vocals unleash the sheer power of Welch’s voice in the chorus, creating this sense of tremendous, swelling emotion felt by the novel’s character.

Another song on the soundtrack is a cover of the Amy Winehouse song “Back to Black” performed by Beyonce and Andre 3000. The original song was very jazzy in nature, and while it somewhat retains that feel, it has been modernized by a synthesizer playing the bassline. The music features minimal synthesizers, percussion, and electric guitar, with much of the focus on the vocals provided first by Andre 3000 and then Beyonce. The melody line is played with by the singers, however is still recognizable. The overall feeling of the track is darker, suiting the brooding undertones of the plot and relationship between Gatsby and Daisy.

All fourteen tracks, which add up to almost an hour of music, were selected to blend modern musical styles, Roaring Twenties ideas, and facets of the novel to enhance the film, featuring both popular artists and some that aren’t so wide-known. The soundtrack has something to offer everyone, whether they are lovers of the book,  appreciators of music, or even just looking for something new to listen to. It’s safe to say that it will make just as big a splash as the movie will upon its release.

Alyssa Hamilton is a freshman at Saint Thomas Aquinas College. She is majoring in English and would like to minor in Communication Arts and Writing. Upon graduation, she hopes to earn her living as a writer or be involved in the publishing industry.

A Beneficial Course

By Roxie Farina

Have you ever wished there was a course in college that helped you prepare for your very first interview? Well, now there is! The St. Thomas Aquinas College Communications Department offers a course called Business Communication (CA 312). This class helps prepare you for the real world and much more.

Before registering for this class, I was hesitant because I heard how hard it was, but now after almost completing it, I am so grateful that I took the course. I was lucky enough to have Professor Elaine Winship as my instructor. She is full of knowledge and has a lot of experience in the communications field.

Throughout the semester we have learned many useful things, such as creating a professional resume that portrays my skills and talents in the most beneficial way. We have also learned how to properly write a cover letter, reference sheet, and also learned email etiquette. When searching for a job or internship, it is critical that you know how to do all of these things. Before this class, I created a basic resume with all my information on it, but after several weeks of tweaking and editing, I am now leaving this class with a perfect resume. I now feel confident when presenting my resume to future clients on job interviews.

Another great thing that I loved about this course is the mock interview. In the beginning of the semester, Professor Winship notified us about our mock interview with five HR representatives. As weeks went by, we started to prepare answers to certain situational and behavioral questions that they might ask during the interview. When the day came for our mock interview, we all dressed in professional business attire and participated in a round robin interview. Each recruiter gave different types of feedback ranging from advice on what to wear/not to wear to an interview to how we should answer certain questions.

After interviewing for three hours, I left feeling confident about my mock interview. Before participating in the interview I was very nervous and didn’t know what to expect, but after it was all over, I was thankful that I was given the opportunity to practice a real, live interview.

Aside from the mock interview, we also take part in an interview with Professor Winship in front of the whole class. We choose the company we would like to work at and she poses as the interviewer. Before the interview we had to do a lot of research and make sure we knew the company we were interviewing with. By doing this, you are prepared to answer certain questions, and you can impress the interviewer by showing them what you know about their company.

One of the main points the HR representatives made during the mock interview was making sure you know information about the company that you are interviewing with. As you interview with Professor Winship, the whole class is evaluating your performance and how well you were prepared. After the process is over, you are given your evaluation packet from the class.

I felt the feedback we were given was very beneficial and helped make me aware of certain gestures that you self consciously do when you’re nervous. By having this opportunity to interview in front of an audience, not only gives you more experience which will help prepare you for your real interview, but it also helps boost your confidence.

Another way we build our confidence throughout this course is public speaking. Professor Winship also teaches public speaking 101 at STAC, so throughout the semester she would assign small speeches for the class to give. Although some of the information that she shared with us was repetitive, because many of us have already taken public speaking, it was nice to have it fresh in our mind.

Doing these speeches definitely helped me improve my public speaking skills. In many of our classes we are expected to give a presentation at least one time throughout the semester, but this class demanded a little more out of you, which in the end helped boost my confidence. Each time I stood up in front of the class, I felt more and more comfortable with speaking because I was getting positive feedback from Professor Winship about the previous speech, which helped me improve my presentation skills.

All in all, I feel this course should be mandatory for all undergraduate students. This class has taught me so many important life skills that I will need for the future, and it has also helped to improve my confidence level. After a short fourteen week semester, I am walking away from this class with an exceptional resume, a cover letter, reference sheet, experience from two different mock interviews, email etiquette, public speaking skills and so much more. I wouldn’t think twice about recommending a friend to take this course because I truly learned so much useful information during these fourteen weeks.


Roxie Farina is a junior at St. Thomas Aquinas College. She is majoring in Communication Arts and plans to graduate in May 2014. After graduation,  Roxie would like to pursue a career in PR/HR.

Jason Collins: The Jackie Robinson of the NBA

By Colleen Pagnani

For the past 12 seasons, Jason Collins has played in the NBA. And for the past 12 seasons, Collins has been holding in a secret so large it could change the game he plays, and the sports world, forever. This past week, the 34-year old Washington Wizard’s center made a huge announcement: He is gay.
 
As the first openly gay male athlete in a major American pro sport, “Collins has forever changed the face of sports,” said the Human Rights Campaign. This revelation is so big that some are even comparing it to how Jackie Robinson changed the face of Major League Baseball by becoming the first African-American player to play in the modern era.
 
Why is his announcement so newsworthy, one might ask? The topic of sexuality in male professional sports is not usually brought up. People always seem to assume that every one of these athletes is straight, when in reality, that is not always the case. Little kids look up to these men. They are tall, muscular, and very skilled at what they do. Sadly, that’s just it. These men tend to be judged by their physical appearance and not their personality and feelings. With this admission, there is a good chance that all male athletes will look at each other, and be looked at, very differently.
 
During a time in America when equal rights are still a huge political issue, and trying to legalize gay marriage is an everyday conversation, this type of announcement is not completely surprising. What is surprising about it, though, is the fact that Collins plays in a sport full of strong-willed men, in an organization that has been around since 1946, and he is the first of those men to come out publicly while still active in the league. The WNBA has already had women come out publicly in the past, so it isn’t that unheard of in the sports world.

In a personal essay that will be published in Sports Illustrated Magazine, Collins admits to the world, “I’m a 34-year-old NBA center. I’m black. And I’m gay.” He has said that he never planned to be the first active player to come out, but he is okay with it ending up like this. Since no other male athlete has come out, he decided to step up and raise his hand to say, ‘I’m different’. Of course, this whole process has been an internal struggle for him, as it would be for anyone.
 
Collins has received a lot of support throughout the league, as well as from former political leaders and ordinary people who are proud of his actions. David Stern, the commissioner of the NBA, said in a statement, “We are proud he has assumed the leadership mantle on this very important issue.” Even former President Bill Clinton gave his two cents on the subject, saying this announcement is “an important moment for professional sports and in the history of the LGBT community.”
 
No one knows how Collins teammates and opposing players will react to him in the future on the court after learning of his admission, but he stands by his decision, and no one should base their opinion on him based off of his sexuality. Everyone’s different. Even though there are people who may not be okay with his decision to come out, does not mean Collins should be judged for being the person he is. Everyone has feelings, and people need to remember that.
 
No one is saying that because Collins has come out, other players who are also gay will now willingly come out. Although there may be more gay professional athletes in the NBA, NFL, NHL, or MLB who have yet to come out, does not mean they ever will. Some may decide to keep the truth to themselves, their families, and closest friends, choosing to never come out publicly. However, as Collins said, “The most you can do is stand up for what you believe in.” The sooner they admit it, the happier they will be in the long run.


Colleen Pagnani is a sophomore at St. Thomas Aquinas College pursuing a degree in Business Administration. She is a member of the college’s softball team and plans to graduate in the spring of 2015.

The New York Mess: A Fan Base In Pain

By Dan Longarino

New York is home to perhaps the most passionate fan bases in all of sports. All season long, fans cheer on their favorite sports teams, hoping they make the city proud. Often times, their dedication is rewarded.

The New York Giants brought home the Lombardi Trophy two seasons ago and the New York Yankees have won a slew of World Series championships. After such big wins, fans and players alike gather in the city to rejoice and celebrate all their hard work with a huge parade.

Unfortunately, many New York sports fans are out of luck. With Yankees bringing home their most recent World Series trophy in 2009,  the New York Mets haven’t gave fans anything to cheer about in forty-four years. The Yankees have won the World Series twenty-seven times, the Mets have won twice. Playing little brother to one of the most successful franchise in baseball history is not easy for Met fans. Tensions are running high in New York as the team continues to disappoint year after year.

After many grueling, heat-aching seasons, Met fans are beginning to turn on their favorite team. After a promising season in 2006, the Mets failed to make the playoffs since. With their number of losses increasing, the number of fans attending the games has been on a steady decline since 2008. The owners of the Mets, the Wilpon family, have been under scrutiny as a result of their connection with Bernie Madoff. Their roster has been plagued by injuries and many fan favorites, such as Jose Reyes, are leaving the Mets to join other ball clubs.

How do prideful Mets fans cope with constant hits to their morale? Unfortunately, many don’t.
   
As a result of such failure, Met fans have been subject to ridicule by other fan bases and are finding themselves divided on how the team should be run. General Manager Sandy Alderson appears to have the team pointed in the right direction for the future, but not without controversy. By trading away All-Star caliber players such as R.A Dickey and Carlos Beltran for younger, unproven players, he seems to be running the Mets like a small-market, money saving team, in one of the biggest sports markets in the world.

Some fans believe this is the only way to build a strong foundation for future success, while others are understandably impatient with this strategy while they watch the Yankees spend lavishly while making the playoffs every year.

The future should look bright for the Mets. Young prospects such as Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler and Travis D’Arnaud seem to be the cornerstones for a consistent team in the coming years. Problem is, the 2013 roster is far from impressive, and if things keep going the way they have been, attendance numbers, unity and fan loyalty will all keep decreasing until things change. 

The start of the 2013 has not been promising for Mets fans. Per usual, the Mets had a strong start to the season, just to have a significant decrease in production towards the end of April. Fresh off a heart-breaking sweep by division rivals the Philadelphia Phillies, the Mets now sit at fourth place in the National League East division with a 10-13 record. Holding up to fans’ expectations, the Mets poor performance has been due to a lack of offense and bullpen production.
 
The Mets offense relies greatly upon young first baseman Ike Davis. Last season, Davis led the Mets in offensive production by hitting 32 home runs and driving in 90 runs. After a strong 2012 season and being one of the Mets few promising power hitters, Davis has not lived up to expectations a month into the 2013 season. So far, Davis has only produced a miserable batting average of .169, hitting only 4 home runs and driving in eight runs. As a result, fans have been calling to have Davis sent back down to the minor leagues until he gets his act together.
 
Meanwhile, the Mets bullpen has been disgraceful. After their last series, the Mets bullpen has pitched to a 5.38 earned run average, which is worst in the majors. Aside from young up and comer Bobby Parnell, the bullpen consists of old, washed up pitchers who couldn’t find a job on other teams. Scott Rice, LaTroy Hawkins and Robert Carson have all underperformed, losing many games that should have been won.
 
The starting pitching staff isn’t too helpful either. The one bright side on the Mets starting pitching staff is young star Matt Harvey. The Mets have won all games that Harvey started this year, and have gone 5-13 in games he has not appeared in. Jon Neise, Jeremy Hefner and Shaun Marcum have all underperformed, giving up many runs and not pitching deep into games. As a result, they get pulled out of the game early, causing our already untalented bullpen to pitch more and more innings.
 
Things are not looking good; it appears that most fans will have to wait until at least 2014 for any signs of hope. 


Dan Longarino is a junior at St. Thomas Aquinas College pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Arts.