Summer 2009 Classroom Assignments

Classroom assignments for summer 2009 CCV Burlington courses have been set. Click here for a full listing. (Requires Adobe Acrobat)

New Construction Site Images

The images below were taken at the construction site of CCV's new building in Winooski on 5.15.09. Want to see more of what's going on at the construction site? Check out our web cam! (Web cam image updates every half hour.)

Photos courtesy of Chris Ryan (christopher.ryan@ccv.edu)

Student Art Exhibition

CCV Burlington is proud to present this year’s Student Art Exhibition. The exhibit highlights some of the excellent artwork that was made this year in the following CCV courses: Drawing, Watercolor, Painting, Printmaking, Digital Photography, Ceramics, Intro to Studio Art and Black & White Photography.

The exhibition opened on May 15 and will run until May 29. The exhibit is on display at CCV's 119 Pearl Street location in downtown Burlington. Congratulations to our students on this amazing show!

More images from NOLA

CCV Burlington's spring 2009 Social Problems class (SOC-1030-VU02) is currently in New Orleans, Louisiana doing community service. The following image was sent to us by the course instructor, Mica DeAngelis. The images feature CCV students painting, cleaning bricks and working in a food pantry in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans. This is the area near the Industrial Canal where one of the levees broke and destroyed hundreds of homes.

News from New Orleans

CCV Burlington's spring 2009 Social Problems class (SOC-1030-VU02) is currently in New Orleans, Louisiana doing community service. The following image was sent to us by the course instructor, Mica DeAngelis. The image features CCV students standing next to the rebuilt London St. levee. During Hurricane Katrina this levee was breached contributing to the massive flooding in New Orleans.

Summer Archaeology with CCV at Noyes House, Morrisville, VT

The Community College of Vermont (CCV) and the Morristown Historical Society (Noyes House Museum, 122 Main Street, Morrisville, VT) are pleased to offer an historical archaeology field school on the grounds of the Noyes House Museum this summer!

The field school will provide a foundation in archaeological methods and offer a solid introduction to the practical skills of site survey, excavation, recording, and laboratory procedures. Field school participants will excavate along the foundation walls of the Noyes House, which was occupied from the 1820s until the 1950s by local mill owners and the family of Carlos Noyes, the president of the Lamoille Savings Bank. The prospect of finding kitchen middens, a well, and foundations to outbuildings is likely as we excavate along the building's walls and across the lawn. Students will also actively participate in interpreting the archaeology at the site to the public via informal presentations and exhibits. The archaeological work will lead to a better understanding of the domestic lives of those that lived in the Noyes House.

Participants:
Having had an introductory course in archaeology will be helpful but is not mandatory. The course is designed for the beginner and does not assume that students have previous archaeological classroom or field experience. Be prepared to get dirty and possibly wet on occasion. Students will receive three undergraduate credits for the course, ANT-2710-VU01.

Room and board is not available to students through CCV; however, local campgrounds and other accommodations are in the Morrisville area. Morrisville is approximately a one-hour drive from Burlington and forty-five minutes from Montpelier. Space is limited to eighteen students so early registration is strongly encouraged.

Cost:
In-state students: $623 tuition, $50 registration fee, $50 materials fee
Out-of-state students: $1,196 tuition, $50 registration fee, $50 materials fee
Seniors (65+): FREE tuition, $50 registration fee, $50 materials fee

Schedule:
Our formal meeting time for excavations will be Wednesdays and Fridays 9am to 12pm daily from June 24 to August 7 (7 weeks). However, expect to work at the Noyes House Museum on homework assignments outside of these times but during museum hours (Wed-Sat 8am-6pm).

For more information, contact the museum director, Scott A. McLaughlin at noyeshousemuseum@gmail.com or 802-434-3906.

To apply, contact Yasmine Ziesler at Yasmine.Ziesler@ccv.edu or 802-865-4422. Information about the Archaeology Field School course, ANT-2710-VU01, and all of CCV’s summer course offerings are listed at http://www.ccv.edu.

Guest Student Post: Listen to Their Cries

The following is a guest post submitted by Chris Herko, a CCV Burlington business student in his second semester. He wrote this persuasive paper for his spring 2009 English Composition II (ENG-1062) class with Deborah Straw. If you'd like to contribute some of your work to the CCV Burlington Blog, contact Adam Warrington (adam.warrington@ccv.edu). Thanks for your contribution Chris!

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Listen to Their Cries
America is great, the land of freedom and opportunity. Now picture the complete opposite: bombs flying everywhere, gunmen lining the streets and men who beat their multiple wives constantly. That was Afghanistan. That is where Khaled Hosseini came from and where A Thousand Splendid Suns, his second novel, took place. This book should be read because it smacks you in the face with imagery, sadness and reality. It capture the realness of what the war has really done to lives and what it is really like to be in a country that doesn’t have “streets paved with gold.”

Khaled Hosseini was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 1965. He was raised by his father and mother in Kabul. At a large, local high school, his mother taught Farsi (the native tongue) and history while his father was a diplomat with the Afghan Foreign Ministry. When Khaled was eleven, his father’s job relocated him to Paris, France. Four years later they went back to Afghanistan and returned to a communist bloodbath caused by the Soviet Army. Wanting the best for their child, they fought and succeeded in being granted political asylum in the United States. They moved to San Jose, California, in September of 1980. He enrolled in Santa Clara University after graduating from high school in 1984. At Santa Clara he earned a bachelor’s degree in biology by 1988. Five years later, in 1993, he had earned his medical degree from the University of California-San Diego’s School of Medicine. In Los Angeles he was able to finish his residency at Cedar-Sinai Hospital. Between 1996 and 2004 he interned at four hospitals. He published his first novel, The Kite Runner, during an internship in 2001 (the book was published in 2003). Throughout 48 countries it became an international best seller. Four years later he published A Thousand Splendid Suns after being named as a goodwill envoy to the United Nations Refugee Agency in 2006 (Hosseini par 4).

Imagine a world of chocolate rain, ice cream snowflakes, where money doesn’t matter; it is a little farfetched. Now imagine a world where wives can be beaten, men can “own” more than one teenager, and women are jailed or killed if they try to escape the country. Unfortunately, the latter is not as fictional as the first. A Thousand Splendid Suns is a novel about a girl who is eight when she is sold to a husband who already has an older wife. The book goes through her growing up and eventually becoming the older of the two wives. When a younger wife was brought in, feelings of jealousy and anger filled her, and she tried to escape the country. The ending leaves possibilities for a bright future. Throughout the book, Hosseini paints Van Gogh-like pictures in your head as you read of what is going on. As Crystal Caine says, he gives brutal, yet so real, picture of beatings, drunken fights, and anger from all characters:

A Thousand Splendid Suns is well worth the read. The author holds nothing back in painting a stark picture of what it means to be a woman in a culture where they are valued only for how well they keep a house, and how many sons they produce. A culture where they are subject to the whims of men. He also paints a stark picture of how much harm religious fanaticism and intolerance can do. It also shows us the rich history of Afghanistan, a country that has endured, much like Nana said that women must. It shows a country and a people with much potential.(Caine 15)

All of this is happening while the United States is invading Afghanistan. During the book, Hosesini goes into detail about the horror of war for a country that is being bombed. In America, the only sights and sounds we get from overseas are from our televisions or other news media scarcely a story from soldiers themselves. Hosseini, though, lets you see through the eyes of each character as he alternates between the eldest and youngest wives throughout the book. He enters you into a world of houses that are within a mile of bombs being dropped, he makes you feel as if you feel the explosion every time a bomb hits the ground. He makes you feel as if you are just that close to the sight of blood, death and tears of the native Afghans. Hosseini makes you feel lucky to live in a place with so few hardships compared to those in Afghanistan. Most of us cannot know what it is like to live in fear, fear that is there when you sleep, eat and walk the streets. Most readers cannot truly understand what it is like to be the neglected second wife in a country where it is okay to hit your spouses.

Jason Straziuso, author of The Guardian, lists some of the harsh guidelines that women have to follow in Afghanistan:

You will not, under any circumstances, show your face. You will cover with burqa when outside. If you do not, you will be severely beaten.
You will not wear charming clothes.
You will not speak unless spoken to.
You will not make contact with men.
You will not laugh in public. If you do, you will be beaten.
You will not paint your nails. If you do, you will lose a
finger. (The Guardian par. 3)

Although the book gives harsh realities, it also teaches us many things. It teaches us that we need to be grateful for the lives we live in America, to not take things for granted and be able to love one another without physical brutality. It also teaches us the history of Afghanistan and gives us a sense of what their last thirty years have really been like. It also teaches us about cultures and how they can change; it teaches us that change takes patience, time and can be difficult. A Thousand Splendid Suns is a book that spreads the culture, history and reality of Afghanistan. With a great imagery and almost unimaginable reality, Khaled Hosseini delivers a novel that should be read by all.

However, people like Steven Jonah (author of the article “Un-American?”), say this book should not be read. Some, like Jonah, believe the book is un-American. He believes that it tries to convince people that Afghanistan is more deserving of aid. Critics feel that it takes away from the patriotic spirit in Americans. Also, teachers and some parents feel that it is too harsh for younger audiences. There are graphic scenes and brutal realities that show what it is really like in Afghanistan. It may not be good for younger people to read this because it could put fear into them about war that they do not need at such a young age. It could give them nightmares, bad thoughts or even ideas that it is okay to hit women and treat them in such a negative manner. Children should not be exposed to war or physical abuse of women unless they are mature enough to understand that it is a culture that will most likely not be seen in most American homes. They need to know that a different form of government is in place there and rules are extremely different than they are here (Jonah par. 1-3).

In conclusion, A Thousand Splendid Suns teaches us, reminds us and lifts us. For all these reasons, if you have not read it, you should. He breaks your heart with sadness and death of natives that do not deserve such brutality. Khaled Hosseini paints masterpieces in your head of harsh realties, true stories and graphic histories of the country and its culture. In the future, I hope that more people can read A Thousand Splendid Suns and realize what a terrible burden the war has become and how awful it really is, at least in Afghanistan.

Works Cited
Caine, Crystal. “Splendid Read.” Santa Clara Times. 16 May 2007: 15B.

Hosseini, Khaled. A Thousand Splendid Suns. New York: Penguin Readers, 2007.

Jonah, Steven. “Un-American?” 20 June 2007. MorialeKafal. 23 March 2007.
http.morialkafal.org/06/20/2007.htm

Khaled Hosseini. May 2007. Authorbytes. 23 March 2009.
http.www.khaledhosseini.com

Straziuso, Jason. The Guardian. 9 December 2006. RAWA. 23 March 2009.
http://www.rawa.org/talibanrules.htm

Professor's Artwork Chosen for Traveling Exhibit

CCV Burlington art professor Nancy Stone has had a piece of her artwork chosen for a unique traveling art showcase called “Champlain’s Lake Rediscovered.”

Her piece is a watercolor titled "In A Time Before Names" (image featured on this blog post). The traveling exhibit will begin at Shelburne Farms today and then travel to New York City and Boston.

She was also featured in yesterday's Williston Observer for this recent honor. Check out the article by clicking here. To learn more about the traveling exhibit, visit http://champlainslakerediscovered.org.

New NBC show pokes fun at community colleges

NBC has recently announced its fall programming lineup and the list features "Community," a comedy about a "band of misfits" set at a fictional community college.

Apparently, "Community" has some folks in higher education worried that it might unfairly perpetuate the stereotype that community college students are "losers" (http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/05/06/nbc). Is this show a harmless parody and all in good fun or will it amount to hurtful stereotyping of community college students?

Check out this video preview or the show and tell us what you think!:

Also, check out yesterday's blog post by Tim Johnson (Burlington Free Press writer covering higher education) on this very subject... it even includes some quotes from a few CCV staff members. You can read his blog post by clicking here.

Introduction to Philosophy, public student presentations

On Tuesday May 12, from 6:00 - 9:00PM, in Room LL7 at CCV, students from the spring 2009 semester Introduction to Philosophy class taught by CCV Burlington faculty member Bill Rath will publicly present their final projects.

Their presentations will reflect subjects and activities of particular interest to students which in some way represent their philosophical beliefs and commitments. Topics include a history of the African American “Buffalo Soldiers” who were stationed at Fort Ethan Allen; a portrait of the developmental lives of children in a preschool program; a documentary-in- progress about homeless people in Burlington; a stand-up look at philosophy (maybe) and humor; and some audience participation yoga exercises (very basic) reflecting Plato’s and Aristotle’s emphasis on the physical side of philosophy.

We invite all CCV students and faculty to attend this event, and hope to stimulate an audience-wide philosophical chat following the presentations.

Open House at CCV Burlington

The Community College of Vermont's Burlington site will be hosting an Open House for anyone interested in learning more about attending college. The event will take place on Monday, May 18 and consist of two sessions, one beginning at 8:45 AM and ending at 10:45 AM, and the other beginning at 12 PM and ending at 2 PM. The Open House will be located at CCV – Burlington, 119 Pearl Street. All are welcome to attend this free event.

“This is a great opportunity especially for high school juniors and seniors who are still deciding about college, or who would like to get a head start by taking a class at CCV,” says Coordinator of Academic Services Jody Albright. “It’s an opportunity to get to know the college, talk to CCV students, and experience a real college class.” For more information, contact Jody Albright at 865-4422 or joanna.albright@ccv.edu.

Registration!

Summer and fall 2009 course registration is here and some courses are already starting to fill! For more information, check out the following links:

CCV Burlington registration details

Summer 2009 Course Schedule

Fall 2009 Course Schedule

Sign up early to get the courses you want!

Find CCV on Twitter

If you use Twitter (or if you need an excuse to give it a try), be sure to check out CCV’s new page (and don’t forget to follow us)! The new page will be updated regularly with useful content for students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of CCV. We hope you enjoy it.

To find CCV on Twitter, follow this link:
http://twitter.com/CCV_VT

Food brings a community together

A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread—and Thou… no wine was present, but Omar Khayyám had the right sentiment for CCV Burlington’s 9th Annual International Food Festival. Food is often the great equalizer. Through a family meal, a holiday celebration, or by breaking bread with people, we gather to share more than just sustenance; we meet to partake in each other’s lives.

The International Food Festival, or IFF, held in the Overlook Café on Wednesday evening (4/22/09)brought together more than only staff, faculty, and students of CCV. Students came with whole families in tow, including parents, children and grandparents. Others brought friends or partners. This tradition helps to make the world a bit smaller, focusing on the diversity of people who attend and work at the Chittenden County location of the college.

Students from India, Brazil, Canada, the Congo, Somalia, Egypt and Mongolia dined beside their friends. Families hailing from Somalia, Guatemala, and the Ukraine shared traditional dishes with Americans. Even people from the United States, on this night, focused on their ethnic origins. Food from different countries expanded tastes for the evening and with nearly 200 people attending, borders became non-existent.

Sushi, Nepalese Alu Dam, Vietnamese Spring Rolls, and Korean Chap Chae competed for pride of place. Succulent Adobo Chicken, Polish Cauliflower Pie, and spicy Jambalaya all tempted comers to fill their plates. Dean of Enrollment Susan Henry was happy to serve for the evening. “When people walked in with the wonderful dishes they made, and could share their stories – they were glowing. They are so proud to share their heritage and food,” Henry said. Indeed, cultural norms beyond food were celebrated at the event, as well.

Traditional henna painting was offered, decorating feet and hands, and for one woman, stomach. At one point participants had the opportunity to learn an Israeli dance, thanks to CCV faculty member Annie Dunn-Watson and her musical partner Moshe Braner. Young women sported painted faces; children played and made crafts with people of all ages and ethnicities. As staff members served up the buffet, a community came together, one dish at a time.

Guest author: Karen Geiger (Karen.Geiger@ccv.edu)