Advocacy Center builds a more diverse teaching community
The racial and ethnic diversity of the school age population in this country is increasing, but the number of racial and ethnically diverse teachers is on the decline. Montclair State's Center of Pedagogy has responded to the shortage by forming the Teacher Education Advocacy Center (TEAC) to encourage and support the recruitment and preparation of underrepresented groups into teaching.
"Only 12 percent of the teachers in this country are persons of color-and that number continues to drop," said Jennifer Robinson, director of TEAC. "Teachers of color serve as role models for all students who desire to participate in a democratic society," Robinson said. "By diversifying our Teacher Education Program, we are introducing new voices to the conversations about education that occur in our classes."
Part of the minority teacher shortage, according to Robinson, has to do with the career opportunities available to people of color. Teaching and nursing for most people of color were the traditional routes to the middle class, but Robinson pointed out that many different career paths now lead minorities to careers more lucrative than teaching. "Because the field of education has not been highly esteemed, people need to be shown that teaching is both a viable and a noble career choice," she said.
In 1990 Montclair State and the Newark public schools that are part of the New Jersey Network for Educational Renewal established Future Teachers of America clubs at middle and high schools. "We recognized that it isn't enough to recruit students. We addressed retention by forming the Minority Teacher Candidates Organization (MINTCO) to build a sense of community for the students who come here. We needed to provide a welcoming environment to nurture students and facilitate their adjustment from high school to college," Robinson said. MINTCO provides opportunities for teacher candidates to meet with educators from surrounding districts and faculty from the University in a non-evaluative setting. Robinson explained that recruitment and retention are especially challenging because prospective teachers at Montclair are required to declare another subject area as their major and apply to Teacher Education during the spring semester of their sophomore year. "Because we don't have a connection with those students at the freshman or sophomore levels, we introduced TEAC to make our presence known to students early on and encourage them to maintain a strong GPA."
The Center also oversees implementation of the Diversity in Teacher Education Initiative. Supported by funding from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the Institute for Educational Inquiry, this three-year project supports the recruitment and education of prospective teachers, as well as the continuing professional development of practicing teachers.
The second International Film Festival at Montclair State will begin Thursday, March 18, with "La Promesse" directed by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne. The film is in French with English subtitles. Paul Arthur of English, a professor in the Film Studies Program, will introduce the film and lead an informal discussion afterward. The event will begin at 4:30 in Dickson Hall, Room 177.
Programming for the International Film Festival was designed in consultation with faculty, staff and students from the library, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Honors Program.
"This year's theme is culture clash," said co-organizer Karen Venturella, head of Multimedia Resources at Sprague Library. "The Festival will showcase recent movies by directors from around the world. It will focus primarily on films that portray both the clash of different cultures and the effects of such conflict. Such films will expose the audience to difficult issues involving sex, race and religion, problems that affect people throughout the world. The discussions following these films will encourage participants to share their views about different cultures and their ability to adapt to one another."
Other films in the festival include "Danzón" (Spanish with English subtitles), directed by Maria Novoro, on March 25. Pamela Smorkaloff of Spanish and Italian will be the speaker. "Delivered Vacant," directed by Nora Jacobson, will be shown April 1. Jacobson, an independent filmmaker, will be the speaker. On April 8, "Bhaji on the Beach," directed by Gurinder Chadha will be shown, with Fawzia Afzal-Khan of English as the speaker. "Tui Shou/Pushing Hands," directed by Ang Lee, will be shown April 15, with J. Kenneth Olenik of History as the speaker. "Underground" (in Serbian and German with subtitles), directed by Emir Kusturica, will be shown April 22, with speakers Thomas Benediktsson of the Honors Program and Amy Srebnick of History.
All the films will be projected in 16mm format to reproduce as closely as possible the quality of the original. Elizabeth Emery of French and Karen Venturella of Sprague Library organized the festival, which received funding from the Global Education Center and the New Jersey Council for the Humanities. Most of the funding, $4,000 total, was used on film rental, which ranges from $250 to $500 per film, and the cost of the projectionist, $270 per session.
When Yvonne Enabosi is presented with a challenge, she tackles it head on. In May, she will graduate with a bachelor's degree in biology (chemistry minor) and will have completed all the requirements for the Honors Program and Health Careers Program. And she's done it all in three years.
"Finishing early is something I thought could be done, so I did it," she said, adding she took classes every summer to reach her goal.
Enabosi, 21, is originally from Nigeria and came to America, settling in Irvington with her mother and brother when she was 8.
"I've always had a knack for biology, and I knew I wanted to go to medical school for a long time," she said. "I wanted to come to Montclair State because it had everything I wanted. It's a good school that is close to home, affordable and has a medical program." Enabosi took advantage of the joint program between Montclair State and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ). In 1997 she participated in the Students Medicine and Dentistry Program, which allowed her to take classes that expanded her knowledge of the sciences in addition to making clinical rounds. In order to qualify for the UMDNJ program, high school seniors must be in the top 10 percent of their graduating class, have a grade point average of B or higher, and a minimum SAT score of 1100 (550 for both math and verbal). After completing four years as an undergraduate, a student in the joint program enrolls in medical school at UMDNJ. Currently, nine Health Careers students are involved in the BS/MD program. Because she will be completing her undergraduate work in three years, Enabosi will begin medical school one year early.
"Yvonne is the kind of student who does not have to be prodded," said Marie Washington of Heath Careers. "She wants to be the best and takes advantage of all opportunities available. She told me she wanted to graduate in three years and she's kept her promise."
In addition to her academic pursuits, Enabosi divides her spare time among studying, working as a Russ Hall desk assistant, singing in her church choir, acting as treasurer for the church youth group, being a member of Caribso, and working out in the gym. Being a well-rounded student is important to Enabosi, and she counts Karate, Gross Anatomy, Mythology, and Religions of the World among her favorite classes.
Enabosi plans to practice pediatrics, and one day hopes to open her own clinic. "I wanted to start my career earlier," she said. "I like children, and I think that pediatricians have a lot to do with child-rearing. I want a profession that allows me to help kids and be a positive influence." With Yvonne Enabosi's commitment and persistence, this goal shouldn't be far out of reach. "I've always had the drive to do well," she said. "Whenever I find something I want to do, I do it."
Art Simon
Professor, English
"I've found that the motorcycle has become an emblem of community for some."
Gabardine met leather this summer at the Guggenheim Museum when Wall Street business moguls stood side-by-side with motorcycle club members to admire 100 vintage bikes at the Art of the Motorcycle exhibition. Art Simon of English, who served as a guest curator at the museum last summer, organized a film and video exhibition that ran in conjunction with the Art of the Motorcycle, which he described as among the most popular art exhibition the museum ever had.
INSIGHT: How did you become involved with this exhibit?
Simon: The curator of the film and media department at the Guggenheim asked if I would be interested in curating a film and video exhibition to run in conjunction with the show. So I brought together 45 international films and videos with significant representations of the motorcycle. I also contributed an essay on motorcycles in cinema to the exhibition catalog and hosted an evening with actor/director Dennis Hopper. We discussed the making of "Easy Rider," in which he starred and directed.
INSIGHT: Are you a motorcycle buff?
Simon: No. In fact, I drive a really uncomfortable Chrysler. The curator asked me to get involved with the exhibit because he was familiar with my book, Dangerous Knowledge, which looked at a single event-the Kennedy assassination-and how it had been incorporated into art and film. Based on that, he thought I could take a single icon-the motorcycle-and do the same.
INSIGHT: What is the meaning of the motorcycle in art?
Simon: The motorcycle as it's been produced or constructed within the cinema falls into several categories. For one, it's a death machine. Characters in a lot of films have died on motorcycles, like in "Lawrence of Arabia" and in Kenneth Anger's underground film "Scorpio Rising." So it's often associated with death, or at least the threat of death. Think of Evel Knievel.
The motorcycle also has been surrounded by a rhetoric of freedom-being on the open road, escape. A lot of video produced by the motorcycle subculture emphasizes this aspect. Steve McQueen escaping the Germans in the movie "The Great Escape" when he jumps over a barbed wire fence comes to mind, or the guys traveling cross country in "Easy Rider," where the bike becomes a vehicle of freedom.
INSIGHT: What does the motorcycle represent in society?
Simon: In different historical moments the motorcycle has meant particular things. Its meaning has been, in part, produced by films and videos-not simply reflected by them. In the '20s the motorcycle was part of a widespread interest in emerging technologies. We see this in a comedy like Buster Keaton's "Sherlock Jr." in 1924.
I've found that the motorcycle has become an emblem of community for some. Vietnam vets, African-Americans, and gays and lesbians all have formed communities around the motorcycle. And it is constantly associated with sexuality. The motorcycle is an overt symbol of male sexuality like in "The Wild One" with Marlon Brando. In the '70s and '80s women filmmakers appropriated the motorcycle to expose and challenge those masculine values that have been attached to it.
INSIGHT: Tell us about the people who came to the exhibit.
Simon: The audience was extremely diverse. Bikers came from all over the country to look at machines they probably read about but had never seen-especially bikes pre-1930. Then there was the New York upper east side art crowd. It was a weird mix of bikers who probably would have never found a reason to go to the Guggenheim, rich folks who go to the museum all the time and the curious who went to make sense of what motorcycles were doing in the museum instead of paintings. This should remind us that no matter how much the motorcycle is associated with freedom, death or community, it's a commodity.
INSIGHT: What's next for you?
Simon: I've written a history chapter on American film between 1960 and 1980, which is being published in a four-volume History of World Cinema, being published by an Italian publisher and edited by a professor at the University of Padua. If I can find the time, I'd like to expand that chapter into a book-length study of that period.
Montclair State makes Hispanic Outlook's Top 100 list
Montclair State University ranks as one of the top 100 institutions nationwide in graduating Hispanics, according to The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education.
The magazine's top 100 rankings of institutions graduating Hispanics at the bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree levels will appear in the April 23 issue. This is the second consecutive year that Montclair State University has made the Top 100 list, which the magazine compiles based on recent data provided by the Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education.
The Top 100 list is one of magazine's most popular issues and is distributed to more than 3,000 high school guidance counselors.
Sharing experiences about immigration
The spring Immigration Series will begin March 22 with a discussion among members of the campus community about their personal and family experiences with immigration. The discussion will begin at noon in Dickson Hall, Room 178.
On Wednesday, March 31, John O'Brien of Academic Technology will speak about "The Irish Immigration to America" from 11 a.m. to noon in the Student Center, Rooms 411-412.
On Friday, April 9, "Welcoming Shores? Issues in Immigration and Education" will be presented. The program runs from 8:30 a.m. to noon.
A tour of the Ellis Island Museum of Immigration is scheduled for Saturday, April 10, from 11:45 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. For more information, call George Bernstein at 7045.
The series will conclude with a viewing of a documentary film on Irish immigration from noon to 2 p.m. in the Sprague Library basement, Room 31.
The Immigration Series is sponsored by the Center of Pedagogy and the departments of Anthropology and Educational Foundations.
From the President's calendar:
President Susan A. Cole read proclamations for African-American Heritage Month and Women's History Month; met with members of the following departments: Economics and Finance; Marketing; Accounting, Law and Taxation; Philosophy and Religion; Legal Studies; Music; and Earth and Environmental Studies; attended the February Greek Council meeting; participated in the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce Walk to Washington; attended the American Council on Education annual meeting; attended the New Jersey Presidents' Council meeting, and the New Program Review Committee meeting; met with Student Government Association Officers and student trustees; met with four state legislators; met with four New Jersey business leaders; met with the visiting head of the Academy of Dramatic Arts at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Australia and attended the QUT's performance of Cosi in the Studio Theatre; was the keynote speaker at the Montclair Community Breakfast for Women's History Month; updated members of the Association of Retired Montclairites (ARM) on campus activities; and was the guest speaker at the Women of Montclair State University luncheon.
George Antoniou of Computer Science was invited to be a member of the editorial board of the International Journal of Computer Research. He also will be on the International Scientific Committee of the Third IMACS/IEEE International Multiconference on Circuits, Systems, Communications and Computers.
Irene Douma of Accounting, Law and Taxation has been selected to receive the 1998-99 New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants Leadership Award for Outstanding Educator for her significant contributions to accounting education through her teaching and active involvement in the profession. The Society will provide a scholarship in Douma's name.
James Yang of the Department of Accounting, Law and Taxation had his article, "New Rules on Capital Gains and Losses," published in the journal Today's CPA, December 1998.
Diana St. Lifer of Public Information was part of a panel presentation, "Whose Publication is it, Anyway?" at the CASE (Council for the Advancement and Support of Education) District II conference in Hershey, Pa. Other members of the panel were Mark Jones, vice president for Development and Alumni Resources, Goucher College; and Jeff Lott, editor, Swarthmore College Bulletin, Swarthmore College.
Virginia Uzzalino
secretary, Continuing Education
The Montclair State Undergraduate 1998-2000 catalog is now available on the Web. The online catalog provides quick and easy access to MSU department and course information. Students can search through the catalog, which is in PDF (Portable Document Format), by contents and index listings. The catalog Web address is: www.montclair.edu/catalog/undergradcat.html.
A Book Fair sponsored by the Child Care Center will be held April 19 and 20 in the Student Center Annex, Commuter Lounge. If there are certain types of books you would like to see available (e.g. specific nonfiction, romance novels, New York Times best sellers, children's books), call Janey DeLuca at 7576.
Ted Price of English will give a lecture and discussion, "The Sinatra Universe," at the East Brunswick Public Library on Wednesday, March 17, at 7:30 p.m. Featured will be special videos and CDs of Frank Sinatra, including some of his "saloon-singer songs" in honor of St. Patrick's Day. Price, who is teaching a course this summer on the Freudian interpretation of literature and film, will demonstrate Sinatra's unusual connection with Freud.
There will be a special holiday lunch for St. Patrick's Day on Wednesday, March 17, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Student Center Dining Room. The menu includes potato leek soup, pea soup, Irish beef stew, corned beef and cabbage, pot roast, potato pancakes, boiled red bliss potatoes, green beans, whole kernal corn, Irish soda bread and bread pudding. Cost is $6.95 and includes dessert.
Campus Recreation is sponsoring cardio kick boxing classes on Tuesdays from 5 to 6 p.m. in Gym 6, step aerobics on Wednesdays from 5 to 6 p.m. in Gym 6, and aqua aerobics on Tuesdays from 8 to 9 p.m., Wednesdays from 2 to 3 p.m. and Saturdays 1 to 2 p.m. in the pool.
For more information about position announcements, see the bulletin board outside the Personnel Office in College Hall or visit MSU's web site at www.montclair.edu.
Head Clerk Bookkeeper, Bursar's Office. Salary: $26,153.80-$35,555.16. Applications may be obtained from and should be returned by March 15 to Debbie Jaffe, assistant director, Personnel Services, College Hall, Room 316B.
PROMOTIONAL ANNOUNCEMENTS: Applications may be obtained from and must be returned by March 22 to the Personnel Office, College Hall, Room 316 B.
Engineer in Charge of Maintenance 1. Salary: $48,949.58-$68,534.46.
Assistant Head Grounds Worker. Salary: $23,442.02-$31,977.46.
Senior Data Entry Machine Operator. Salary: $21,038.31-$28,395.83.
Secretarial Assistant 3. Salary: $26,119.05-$35,506.65.
For tickets to or information about theater events, call the Box Office at 5112.
Noon Recitals. McEachern Recital Hall.
Afternoon/Evening Recitals. McEachern Recital Hall.
For tickets to or information about dance events, call the Box Office at 5112.
Home games only are listed. Schedule is subject to change. For more information, call the Athletic Office at 5234.
ON 'CARPE DIEM'
The weekly television show produced by MSU broadcasting majors features women in advertising with Joan Ficke of Academic Affairs, Sharon Norell and Dwight Brown of Axis Modeling and petite model Valerie Pederson discussing the harmful effects of unrealistic standards for women's beauty as well as the growing effort to resist stereotypes and portray women more realistically in advertising. Produced by Kelly Mangan, Kelly Sheehan and Rikki Tuss; directed by Brendan O'Melia; hosted by Ophelia Johnson. Airs March 16 at noon on Cablevision channel 6 and 9 p.m. on Comcast channel 57; and March 18 at 8:30 a.m. on CTN.
AT THE MUSEUM
Admission to the Yogi Berra Museum is $4 for adults; $2 for children and students. There is no additional charge for programs.
April 20: Media and Sports Symposium. 2-4 p.m.