Student opinion on Truxal library at AACC

Truxal Final Paper

Front View of the Andrew G. Truxal Library

Students and faculty at Anne Arundel Community College can now enjoy the new and improved Andrew G. Truxal Library.

          

 “The new library is wonderful,” said Cynthia Steinhoff, director of the library. “The renovation provides so much more study space and more computers for the students.”     

In the fall of last year the area that once stood the old library was a mound of dirt, crammed with construction vehicles and equipment. The students in the math building, that’s sits right next to the library, could feel the foundation vibrate from the neighboring construction site.

The library was ready for students and faculty for the start of the fall semester on Aug. 27. The once crowded library with little amount of computers is now a relaxing study space full with new features to aid the students in their academics.

The cost of the project totaled to $19.6 million. The building process was under the charge of the Hess Construction and engineering services. At the completion of the project the construction was $2 million under budget, but it is not certain where the savings have gone, Steinhoff said.

“What I like is that we installed several more electrical outlets, which the old library didn’t have,” said Steinhoff.

The old library, built in 1967, was a restricted space with not enough computers for the students to do their studies, but many of those features have doubled in capacity without taking up needed sitting and study space.

The library is now home to 224 computers for students and faculty to use, which is a 72 percent increase from the old facility. The first floor is home to a 134 seat technology learning center where students can study, have tutoring, or finish a research paper.

 “I liked it before, but I like it even better now,” said Phil Morrison, a math tutor at AACC. “It looks a lot better and it seems to work a lot better.”

Morrison has been a math tutor at AACC for two years and believes that the old building wasn’t as bad, but the renovations have made it even better.

The 20 enclosed silent group study rooms located on the second and third floor are furnished with seating for five to six people, equipped with 42 inch TV and computer screens and extra outlets for laptops and flash drives.

Students that don’t need to study can enjoy and relax in their spare time in the library as well. Students can grab a movie from the library DVD section or take a nap by the fireplace on the second floor.

“I think it’s really nice” said BrittanyBiermann. “It’s a good place for me to study and do my homework.”

Biermann, 18, is a freshman at AACC and is majoring in transfer studies. This Broadneck alumnus spends three days a week in the library doing her homework and studying. Biermann thoughts on the library can be seen in a video on Facebook.

In the old library the area was cramped and many of the reference shelves had to be moved and reorganize to house the needed materials and still give the students room to study.

Now with about 19,600 linear feet of shelving the reference section has plenty of room for more text books and reading material, but books are not the only place to get reference material at the library. The library has its own onlinedatabases with all the materials available at the library.

The library even has its own Facebook page to provide notifications on new books and updates to on campus activities.

The hopes for the future are to still provide a relaxing study space with plenty of reference material and computers for the students and faculty, Steinhoff said.

Thanksgiving Leftovers

   Bing Images


    Thanksgiving meal can be great, but the leftovers can be even better.

    This year my dad got a 13 pound turkey for just the three of us and we barely made a dent in our feast. With all the leftovers there is no problem for me, who took 2 years of culinary classes, to cook up some delicious meals for the weeks to come.

     Of course I'll make huge turkey sandwiches and gallons of steaming soup, but what are other things I can make.

      Yummy. One of the Food Network's leftover ideas is Individual Turkey Shepherd's Pie. Hot turkey, cheese, vegetables covered with hot mash potatoes would make anyone happy. A small bowl of pure thanksgiving heaven is sure to be a new Smith family favorite.

       An idea that hit me after watching an episode of Chef Giada De Laurentiis. A vegetarian way to get rid of leftover stuffing aka dressing is to stuff mushrooms with it  and bake them until their golden brown. Little twist to Giada's recipe and you have a diverse recipe that can be a nighttime snack or party food.

      Always experiment and have fun when making these dishes. If you mess up there is always ingredients to spare.

R.I.P Savita Halappanavar

    

 Google



     Thousand's of Irish protest the death of Savita Halappanavar.

     Halappanavar, 31, died of miscarriage complications in a Galway hospital in Ireland Oct.28. After the medical staff refused her several request for an abortion and complaining of back pains she died carrying her still born child.

    Nurses and hospital staff stated that in a “Catholic country,” a hospital in Ireland could not abide by her pleas because in Ireland states abortion is essentially illegal.

    An estimate of 12,000 people marched on Saturday, where a candle-lit vigil and one minute silence was held. In Galway, up to 1,000 people took part in a vigil and members of the Indian community gathered outside the hospital to pray.

   Halappanavar death could be the straw to break the camels back for the Irish government to either clarify or change the abortion law.

 

Rocking on Halloween

     Most definitely the popular house on the block. I wish my house would go all out like this guy. I might do a couple of difficult pumpkin carvings, but Halloween at his house is probably awesome. The time and patience that goes to sync each light with the music is epic.
Google images

Question 6

     Six Anne Arundel Community College students stated they were for Question 6 to legalize gay marriage in Maryland.

     "I'm for it," said Lambertine Jones. "It is their right and if they love someone they should be allow to get married."

     On Nov. 6 Question 6 will be on the ballot and if the law is passed gay marriage wil be legal in the state of Maryland.

     Jones, 18, is an radiology major at AACC supports Question 6 for the state of Maryland.

     "I am absolutely for it," said Carol Durr.

     Durr is an older woman that is taking one swimming class at the college and she feels that it is time for gay people to have the right to marry.

     Two students, Dakota Voith,17, and Chad Johnson,18,, commented that they didn't care about Question 6 and that if they could vote they would vote to legalize gay marriage.

     "I'm for it," said Sam Jacobson.

     Jacobson, 18, is a criminal justice major at AACC stated that he would vote for Question 6, but he had no reason why he would.

Drew Brees can't sing

     Teen boy band sensation One Direction teams up with NFL football player Drew Brees for a Pepsi commercial. As a shock to most people Brees cant sing to save his life. Even though I hate the band One Direction I thought this ad was fun. Enjoy.

Lost Leg Story

        An elderly man's $8,000 artificial leg was stolen out of his car in a restaurant parking lot on Thursday.

        Roy L. Jones, age 60, parked his 1990 Oldsmobile outside Shoney's restaurant in Louisville that afternoon. Jones was having lunch with a friend at the restaurant and when returning to his car 30 minutes later, he discovered his car broken into and a package containing his new artificial leg was missing.

        "I'm disgusted as hell, is all I can say," said Jones. "I bet whoever took it, when they opened the package is as disappointed as I am."

        Jones lost his leg over 30 years ago in an industrial accident and uses a wheelchair for most of his maneuverability. Jones said that the missing prosthesis was his second artificial limb and is not sure if  it is covered by insurance.
       
        "It's not enough to lock your car," said Sgt. Frank Lavender of the Louisville police. "People need to be more careful."

          Lavender said that no one has been arrested and that the stolen item has not been found. He also said that this misfortune reinforces a point that police have been trying to convey to citizens.
       

Mens Soccer is not backing down

Anne Arundel Community College Men’s Soccer faces injured players, but the team continues to practice hard, to have their chance to compete at Nationals.

After the Pioneers fifth lost this season the team now stands at a record of 3-5-1. The Pioneers lost their most recent home game 2-1 against Howard Community College in double overtime last Friday. 

“It could have been anyone’s game,” said head coach Nick Cosentino. “I was happy because we had guys playing out of position.”

Cosentino said he was overall happy with the effort of his players, but was disappointed in the loss.

The Pioneers began this season with a line-up of 23 players, four which are returnees from the last season, but due to injuries in practice and games the team in down six players, three which are returning players.  The injuries vary from hip flexors to sprained ankles, but the hurt players can still be seen on the sidelines supporting there team and icing their limbs.

When Cosentino was asked what are the team strengths and weaknesses he said they have a lot injured players, but once we get everyone back and healthy we should have a good chance in the playoffs.

 The team has two captains, Rob Engel and Ryan Scanlan, both returnees and sophomores at AACC.

“We’re trying to finish strong for the rest of the season until everyone gets back,” said Engel. “Hopefully we get to Nationals, that’s the main goal.”

Engel plays midfield for the Pioneers and has played soccer for six years. This alumnus of Northeast high school has scored one goal this season, but says that that is not enough.

“Everyone is stepping up,” said captain Scanlan. “Injuries are bringing us down a little bit, but I feel that we should be good.”

Scanlan, a defensive player, goes between two positions, outside mid and outside back. His strengths as a player are his speed and his mean left foot.

The team has 18 freshman players varying in skill and position, but one freshman has helped the team along. Tyler Simpson, jersey number 1, is the starting goal keeper for the Pioneers.

“I think we’re a pretty good team, we’ve got a lot of potential,” said Simpson. “We’ve got a lot of injuries right now, but once we get everyone healthy we’ll be fine.”

Simpson is ranked sixth in the conference for 25 goals saved. This North County high school graduate has played soccer since he was five years old.

The Men’s Soccer team plays away for the next three games and returning home to play Allegany College of Maryland Oct. 3 at 5p.m. Presently the team is focusing on each game to get better and everyone is confident that when their injured players return to the field they will be even better.

 

Snakes, Gators, and Spiders Oh My

    Anne Arundel Community College students were seen handling wild gators during lunch on Tuesday with the "Snakes Alive" touring program.

    Groups of students stood with amazement and fear when a Herpetologist, Tom Kessenich, allowed these young scholars to handle his 4 year old American Alligator named Itty Bitty Gator. Students held, petted, and took photos with this surprisingly heavy reptile.

    Kessenich had no fear that the students or the animals would get injured in anyway due to his 10 years of working with and handling alligators and other wild animals. Specializing in Herpetology, the study of reptiles and amphibians, Kessenich has saved, raised, and released many wild animals that people may think are scary or dangerous. He said, "most of the animals I have are donated to me by people who don't know how to care for them and that is one of the reasons why I do this program, to inform people that these animals are not dangerous."

    Many of the students were a little timid to get near the animals, but fascination drove them to get a closer look. Morgan V. a Liberal Arts Major at AACC said, “This show is very interesting and I love most of the animals, but I'm afraid of the spider." Also this 18 year old student said, "It would be awesome to have more shows like this at the campus, maybe other wild animals like jungle cats."

    This National touring program offers eye opening knowledge and amazing experiences to hold wild reptiles. The program also is available to do birthday parties and school programs of all ages. From alligators to huge Burmese Pythons Kessenich offers a variety of possibilities to get a hands on experience with wild critters.

 Tom Kessenich and his American Alligator named Itty Bitty Gator

Not a good start

      High hopes were shackened for AACC softball when the team faced first loses for the fall season. 

      At the start of the season returning players and good new turnouts gave an increasing chase for the 2nd time regional champions to return to nationals, but 5 loses make it more difficult to make that chase possible.

      The Pioneers opened their season with a double-header against CCBC. Having played them many times the following year they knew what they were up against. Having a slow start the first game the Pioneers came out on top in the following game.

      The games to come were a different story with defensive problems, but the team earns its props for completing 6 games with only 2 practices. For what they have faced in the first week many strengths have been noted and the team is striving to improve on everything and to bring the girls closer together.

     
     
     

Inked

Shelby Smith

Inked

9/13/12

               Kelsey Perillo, a student at Anne Arundel Community College, is going under the needle for her next body modification. Perillo having many different piercing is planning to get the symbols of legendary rock band Led Zeppelin tattooed on her upper back.  To complete this task, long hours, great expenses, and sometimes nauseating pain she will have to undertake. 

               Born in Annapolis and now living in Pasadena, Perillo is surrounded by nature and she has plenty of land and water to enjoy her favorite activities. “I enjoy chilling out with my friends, smoking, and the darker sides of life and art,” said Perillo, but her favorite activity is to relax with her boyfriend on his pier.
 
            Perillo being only 18 is starting her first year at Anne Arundel Community College and is looking to see what can pop her interest as her major. Having some ideas of being an actress, she is taking acting classes at the college to further her education and to give her a nudge on the path she may take in life. And with help of her soon to be tattoo her peers will see her courage and outgoing personality.

           Going under the needle can lead to huge expenses and tattoos can range from fifty to hundreds of dollars depending on size, difficulty, the artist, and the shop. A tattoo can be a symbol that illuminates that person’s beliefs, give memory of a lost loved one, or shows that person’s strength as a fan for a certain band.  Whether if she is watching her favorite television series “Breaking Bad”, listening to the band Pink Floyd, undergoing a painful tattoo is huge step she can take in body modification.

Fall is in the Air

The time for pumpkins and falling leaves is on the way with the cool weather we've been having. Sunday the 9th of september, temperatures only topped at the lower 80's and then cooled swiftly to the upper 60's which was great for my double-header softball that late afternoon. Today temperatures felt cool with the breeze that we had. After 3 hours in the careers buliding freezing then exiting outside my only wish was for a hot cup of coffee and a blanket.

First week of school

My first week of school was better than I thought. My scare this fall semester was my Fundamentals of Weather class because I hate science. But after the first day of that class I was relievd that the class is easier than I thought. My other classes are good and I like the teachers and their way of teaching. The only struggle that I may face is having the stamina to play softball for the school and do two swimming classes. I am shocked and happy of the parking lots this fall being so empty. I hope that this semester goes smooth and that my last year at AACC can help me choose a career.