Continuum 18: Sociology as Science

Professor Henry Schissler talks with host Brandon T. Bisceglia about the role of the scientific method in the field of sociology, where research meets with ideology, and what challenges this interaction poses for both.

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Student Senate Updates: November 5-12, 2009

Note: Due to an error in the final issue of Horizons for the Fall of 2009, the original version of this article was not printed in full. The complete version is posted here.

By Brandon T. Bisceglia
Co-Editor in Chief

New Standards Committee Forms, Finds Footing

November 5, 2009 - HCC’s newly created Standards Committee convened for the first time on Thursday to review its mission, assign positions, and consider specific tasks for the future.

Though long enshrined in and mandated by the Senate’s Constitution and Bylaws, the committee has not existed at the college in recent memory. It is the third of five committees meant to handle facets of the Senate’s duties that too complex for the general meetings to spend significant amounts of time tackling.

The other two up and running are the executive committee, which has never been inactive for long, and the activities committee, which started having regular meetings last semester.

The four Senators chosen for the Standards Committee are Treasurer Konrad Mazurek, Secretary Michael Belletzkie, Meoba Nsenga, and Alain Cesar.

Before it could make headway through the many issues pressing upon it, the committee first had to choose a chair to oversee proceedings. Belletzkie offered himself for the task, and was quickly accepted by the others.

Next, to make sure that everyone was on the same page, the committee reviewed its guiding principles according to the Bylaws. As listed in Article III, Section A, their purpose is threefold:

1. To review and recommend changes to constitutions, bylaws, rules governing the Student Senate and or affiliated organizations.

2. To provide the Student Senate with a quasi-legal committee that will investigate and recommend to the Student Senate disposition of cases involving infraction of its rules by members of the Senate.

3. To assist individuals and groups affiliated with the Senate in complying with the rules of the organization.

“Not only do we have to try and correct any wrongs that are done,” said Belletzkie after reading the third mandate to the group. “We should prevent them, if possible.”

The committee resolved to correct the small typographical errors in the Constitution and Bylaws as its first task. The original documents are currently riddled with misspellings and grammatical inconsistencies. This action does not require any changes to the meaning of any clauses, and therefore could go forward without a vote from the student body. It also gave the committee members a chance to better familiarize themselves with their own guidelines, presumably leaving them better prepared for future meetings.

Acting Director of Student Activities suggested the committee begin enforcing several other policies. These included a swifter, broader dissemination of information to parties within and outside of the Student Senate; updating the Senate’s bulletin board; and making sure that clubs fill out event evaluation forms after trips and events occur.

Mazurek touched on the pending club audits that needed to be performed to ensure that Student Activity Funds were not abused. Belletzkie noted that this would be a joint effort with the Finance Committee (the only Standing Committee yet to be enacted) once it had been formed.

The initial meeting’s other primary focus was to develop a regular schedule. It was agreed that Acting Parliamentarian Jacqueline Leo should be present as often as she could, which limited their options. Nsenga also mentioned that she was only available on Thursdays. The group came to the conclusion that they would meet bi-weekly on the Thursdays that larger Senate did not meet, with the option to hold emergency meetings as needed.

Robert’s Rules of Order, written in 1876, is the Student Senate’s guide to parliamentary procedure.
Image courtesy of www.bioteams.com.

As Wesley Resigns, Senate Moves Forward

November 12, 2009 – The Student Senate lost one of its key members on Thursday with the resignation of President Kirk Wesley.

Wesley claimed that the primary reason was because of the work he was doing for the college’s You Can Do It program, which is geared towards assisting minority males from local schools (and some who were recently incarcerated) make a successful transition into college.

“I’m sad to be resigning,” he said, “but I feel like my time and attention is needed elsewhere.”

Wesley said that he was having difficulty juggling both the Student Senate and his other obligations, and that his decision was due in part to the fact that the Senate had gotten to a point where it would “be okay without me.”

Other Senators praised Wesley’s performance during his time of service. Acting Vice President Chad Hunter said to him, “Some people spend their entire lifetime wondering if they’ve made a difference. You shouldn’t have that problem.”

Treasurer Konrad Mazurek, who, aside from Senator Meoba Nsenga, has been a part of the group longer than anyone else currently serving, looked back to his early days working with Wesley as the Senate attempted to reestablish itself.

“Through your work we were given the vehicle to represent ourselves as students again,” he said. “Until those three individuals [Wesley and former presidents Kaitlyn Shake and Lillie Nguyen] went to the school President and said that this student body really needs to be allowed to use its own constitution to represent itself; up until they decided to get somebody involved to teach us Parliamentary procedure, it was a relatively authoritarian environment in this office…what they achieved in that year going into this semester is fabulous, considering they had to rebuild it from scratch.”

“I want to thank you for your time,” concluded Mazurek, “and I’m looking forward to being friends with you for a long, long time to come.”

In his absence, a new president will have to be appointed until a school-wide vote can be held in the spring. Hunter would normally be next in line. However, he has not yet spent a whole semester on the Senate, and was himself reluctant to accept the position, given his lack of experience. Acting Parliamentarian Jacqueline Leo told the senators that he could technically take the position on the same grounds that he now acts as Vice President. However, the issue was left unclear, as Hunter felt he needed a few days to consider whether he was ready for the new role.

Senator Joy James also resigned on the grounds that she was no longer attending HCC.

As if to confirm Wesley’s hope that the governing body could get along on its own, the Student Senate ran through the rest of its agenda with the ease that has become typical of most meetings, even though Acting Director of Student Activities Linda Bayusik was absent. Most notably, they approved the newly assembled Healthstyle club, which had had its consideration tabled previously because of a missing clause – specifically, the clause that obliges members to follow the policies of the Office of Student Life.

The Senate also discussed creating a policy to review IDs at student events. The initiative was brought in reaction to a recent stabbing at UCONN. Some of the details, such as whether to collect IDs and return them on the way out and how to handle guests, required more investigation, so the issue was tabled until the following meeting.

Another proposed trip to see the lighting of the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center in New York City was rejected, because the matter had not been discussed with Bayusik, and she would not return in time to make the trip feasible.

In the very last moments of the meeting, Wesley faced one last moment of contention. Senator Vincent Schiavone began complaining about a personal issue he had had at the Senate-sponsored Halloween party. When Wesley and several other senators attempted to end the discussion, Schiavone kept talking. Wesley pounded his gavel for silence, and reprimanded his fellow senator.

“Please excuse yourself,” he said. “This is not the appropriate time to bring it up. If you want to talk about it, talk about what happened to your stuff at the executive meeting. This is the general assembly; you’re complaining in front of everybody about something that nobody knows what you’re talking about.”

With the mood thus soured, the meeting was adjourned.

Too Much Or Too Little This Holiday Season?

By Marissa Ortiz

Staff Writer

Note: Due to a production error, this article did not appear, as it should have, in Issue 3 of Horizons.

The question is too much or too little, during the Holiday season? When it comes to gift shopping. it’s all about finding the right balance. Christmas is around the corner and most men and women are caught between what gifts to get their girlfriend or boyfriend, and what is a good spending amount.

Many girlfriends and boyfriends find it hard to buy the right Christmas gift during this time. They scramble about asking friends and family if they have found the right gift. Many worry about the spending amounts. Asking the question about how much they should spend on each other? Couples want to make sure that they get the right gift without splurging on a mass amount of things. It's a special time during the holiday season where they want to show that they care and that the gift comes from the heart, whether it’s simple or just fabulous.

In my own experience I’ve had difficulty finding gifts for my boyfriend because I didn’t know whether to purchase a big gift, or a little gift that had a big meaning. Many frustrations arise at Christmas time with boyfriend/girlfriend gift problems. If a person really wants to make their loved one happy they should get whatever that person wants. But if people are not planning to spend a whole lot there are many ideas and stores that sell things for cheap. Surely your significant other will be just as happy.

Marshall’s and TJ Maxx are always great places to shop when looking for Christmas gifts especially when you or your other half aren’t trying to spend more than $200 per say. Marshall’s and TJ Maxx offer department store brands such as Juicy Couture and Ed Hardy. The clothing and other products at these stores are much cheaper than if you were to go into a department store. HCC student Jessica Forlenzo is an avid TJ Maxx shopper. “I love TJ Maxx. Last year I got a Juicy Couture zip-up that was regular ninety dollars for only forty. I was so excited, I would definitely consider myself a bargain hunter,” says the 21-year-old shopper.

Shopping during sales are always good too because he or she probably wanted something so expensive and usually it goes on sale after a while during the holiday season. When it comes down to it, it’s okay to shop during sales. Many tend to feel like they are being cheap. It’s not about being cheap, but allowing yourself to be on a budget when everything is so expensive now a days. Plus you never know if the one you are shopping for could be the one!

I went to Marshall’s the other day and they were so many great sales. They had name brand clothes but for cheap: for example, Ralph Lauren Polo’s for men and women, American Eagle jeans, colognes and perfumes. All great stuff! If I were at the mall it would be so much more expensive. I know Target has great prices as well. They have those $1 baskets that would make cute, fun gifts. Kohl’s also has great sales. Between markdowns and coupons I was able to get a $200 Vera Wang ring for $22.50!

Lindsay Roman says, “I’m a discount shopper. I love to find things that my boyfriend will love, but if it’s too high for my budget, I’ll keep going back until it goes on sale. It usually always does, especially at the mall.” Macy’s always ends up having good sales too. I know a lot of times things can get pricy. But if you have coupons that always works wonders.

There are so many options when shopping for your significant other during the Christmas season. No need to stress about how much you may possibly be spending. There are so many stores that have great sales plus with coupons and markdowns it will make your Christmas shopping more enjoyable. Like they say, “Tis the season to be jolly!” So, no matter big or small just make sure the gift you give has a big meaning.

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Image courtesy of www.babble.com