Discimus ut serviamus:
We learn so that we may serve.
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Saluting Graduates
In a fitting conclusion to a semester when classes moved online, Queens College will use virtual methods to mark Commencement this Thursday, May 28, when it was originally scheduled.
“Celebration 2020,” a digital Commencement booklet, will be posted to the college’s website that morning. Filled with photos, the booklet will list this year’s graduates and feature congratulatory messages from Interim President William Tramontano, CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, United States Senator for New York Charles Schumer, U.S. Congressmember Adriano Espaillat, and New York State Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul.
“We hope this digital book that acknowledges our graduates’ achievement will serve as a keepsake and provide some much-deserved recognition for what they have accomplished,” said Tramontano.
Also on May 28, the alumni office will hold its annual Senior Toast on its Instagram account and encourage graduates to share their favorite QC memories. Meanwhile, the communications and marketing team will support this year's celebration across all of the college’s social media accounts.
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Rising temperatures and enrollment are forecast for QC. Registration for Summer Session courses, which allow students to earn credits from the safety and convenience of home, is already the highest it’s been since 2010. Enrollment will remain open until June 27.
Read press release
.
Summer is a great time for immersion in literature and music.
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The English Department is offering four sections of English 210W: Introduction to Creative Writing. This course operates like a virtual workshop; students have the opportunity to work in small groups and one-on-one with published writers to get feedback on poetry, short stories, and plays. The department is also offering six sections of English 165W: Introduction to Poetry. Students are introduced to poetry from different era, as they learn how to read and write about poetry in all its forms; they might read Shakespearean sonnets, political protest poetry, or learn about how hip-hop follows poetic rhyme.
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Courses from the Aaron Copland School of Music include MUS 001 - Introduction to Music, in which students learn the basics of melody, harmony, rhythm and instrumentation, and then use those listening skills to learn about music of the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Modern Eras. This course counts toward the Creative Expressions—CE—Pathways requirement. MUS 121 - British Rock Music of the 1960s, examines the popular musical legacy of such artists as The Beatles, The Who, The Kinks, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, The Yardbirds, Cream, Pink Floyd, and Small Faces, and places their work within larger historical and social contexts. In MUS 121 - Fairy Tales, Myths and Music, students explore fairy tales, myths, and classical music related to these stories. The four-week session allows students to try varied writing strategies and improve research and editing skills. Both MUS 121 courses fulfill the CW2 requirement in college writing.
To learn about all the available options, and over 650 courses, go to the
Summer Session page
.
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QC Team Wins Cybersecurity Competition
Queens College accounted for first place as well as fourth place in the Student Cybersecurity Case Study Competition, held online this spring by the New York Metropolitan Chapter of ISACA (an acronym that stands for the organization’s former name, the Information Systems Audit and Control Association).
A total of eleven teams—from eight colleges—participated in the event, which challenged them to analyze and propose solutions for a hypothetical cybersecurity case. Each team had to submit a written PowerPoint response and a video presentation involving all its members. Teams chosen for the last round fielded questions from a panel in a live remote session. Cash prizes were awarded for first, second, and third place.
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When judging was completed last week, the winner was QC’s Team P.R.A.N.C.S., made up of graduate accounting students Richard Balram and Paras Kumar; Andrew Hana, an undergraduate majoring in accounting and minoring in economics; and Nana Yaw, an undergraduate double major in accounting and economics. Each of them will receive $600 and a diploma recognizing their achievement. Balram is president and founder of QC’s ISACA IT Audit & Cyber-security Club, which invited students of all majors to enter the contest.
Finishing fourth, just out of the money, was FB Consultants, comprising Nathaniel Samuels and Joshua Hwang, undergraduate accounting majors; Mathew Panzenbeck, a math major; and Moses Parente and Peter Sideris, computer science majors. The judges congratulated both teams on the quality of their analysis and the answers they provided in the interview portion of the competition.
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“Special thanks and mention should go to the mentors for the two QC teams,” said Steven Solieri (Accounting and Information Systems), faculty advisor of the ISACA club, who arranged for the students to prepare for the contest by working with Walter Cook and Brian Mohr of D3 Intelligence, and Mark Northrup, associate partner of Digital Energy & Utilities at IBM.
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Veterans Support Services on Duty
QC’s Veterans Support Services has stepped up to help the more than 240 veterans enrolled during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Dennis Torres, associate director of Veterans Support Services, and the rest of the staff have been taking phone calls and answering emails daily to assist students with concerns related to the current crisis. Noelle Crumlish, veterans academic advisor, and Lorraine Rosenfeld, school certifying official, are also on hand to help.
The office fielded many inquiries from students concerned how the shift to distance learning and subsequent credit/no credit policies would affect their housing stipends from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Under normal circumstances, taking online courses or classes with nonpunitive grades would reduce their stipend significantly. Fortunately, this pandemic will have no effect on veterans’ stipends because of emergency legislation that was passed nationwide recently.
VSS has set up several Zoom meetings for veterans struggling with social distancing and isolation. The office has also held two Netflix movie watch parties as well as Zoom Yoga sessions to help those students feel connected during this lonely time. In addition, social work interns are available through Zoom to talk to veterans who need help.
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College’s Hellenic American Project Showcases
Life-Giving Art
In response to restrictions on public gatherings, the Hellenic American Project (HAP)—based in QC’s Sociology Department—is presenting a virtual exhibition,
Life-Giving Art: 9 Women Artists of the Diaspora
. The participants, who are from Greece or its expatriate communities, represent multiple genres, including painting, sculpture, ceramics, photography, mixed media, and installation art. Their work in this show explores their experiences as members of the Hellenic diaspora and encompasses the many ways women nurture others.
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Directed by Nicholas Alexiou (Sociology), HAP documents the Hellenic American presence in the United States from the first wave of mass immigration in 1900 to the present. It operates as a research facility, archive, Greek American library, museum, and event space. The project records generational oral histories, analyzes population data, curates and digitizes cultural artifacts and publications, and organizes academic symposia and cultural events. HAP is the only program of its kind in New York City.
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Students looking for a break this afternoon—Wednesday, May 27, at 4 pm—are invited to join the CUNY Census Corps for a spring semester Sit-back. Combining fun and useful information, this event offers an opportunity to play online games, such as Kahoot, Skribbl, and io; learn about the U.S. Census; and get wellness tips and career advice. To RSVP and receive login information,
click here
.
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Register to Vote This Week
If you aren’t already registered to vote, act fast—mail-in registration forms must be postmarked by this Friday, May 29. Individuals who have a valid driver’s license issued by New York State may register online. For complete details, go to
https://vote.nyc/page/register-vote/
.
Through an executive order issued by Governor Andrew Cuomo, all registered voters can participate in the June 23 New York primary via absentee ballot. Information on applying for an absentee ballot is available at
https://vote.nyc/page/absentee-voting
. The application deadline is June 16.
Whether they have COVID-19 or fear being exposed to it, registered voters can cite “temporary illness” as their reason for requesting a ballot for this election. Ballots are specific to the primaries in each voter’s district; they are printed in four languages—Bengali, Chinese, Korean, and Spanish—in addition to English
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Pride of the Borough
Coronavirus concerns have led to the cancellation of the LGBTQI + Pride parades and celebrations that enliven Queens and the rest of New York City every June; the third annual CUNY Pridefest at Queens College has been tentatively rescheduled to the fall. Nonetheless, one party will go on next month! The CUNY Queens Consortium, comprising CUNY Law School, LaGuardia Community College, Queens College, Queensborough College, and York College, will use Zoom to present the borough’s first virtual Pride event on Saturday, June 6, from 7 pm to 9 pm. The lineup includes live music, student dancers, drag performances, and cameo appearances from community leaders. New York City Council Member and Queens Pride co-founder Daniel Dromm will be celebrating with the consortium again this year along with other members of the council. In addition, Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez has agreed to join the festivities.
All are invited to participate;
click here
for details.
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Coping with the Pandemic, Continued
City and State has been hosting a webinar series focusing on how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting New York. Upcoming sessions explore the pandemic’s financial and economic impact, and the statewide crisis in mental health. To learn more about the series and register for webinars,
click here
.
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Through June 11, the Queens Economic Development Corporation is presenting Reboot and Restart: Navigating Entrepreneurship Post COVID-19, a series of free webinars that offer guidance to owners of small businesses. Speakers include experts in finance, marketing, workplace safety, and other topics. For details and registration information, go to
https://www.queensny.org/reboot/
.
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Delights at the Museums
Looking for something different to do? Many celebrated museums have opened digital doors. No need to wait in line to visit these destinations online. Below are descriptions of half a dozen institutions from a list posted by Fodors Travel earlier this spring; for the complete itinerary,
click here
.
“Experience The Met, Anywhere” promises the
Metropolitan Museum of Art
. Digital options are predictably vast, such as exhibitions, blogs, a timeline of art history, and 360-degree videos that allow visitors to see galleries from all angles. There are special sections for children and families, teens, and educators.
The architecture of the
Guggenheim
—a New York City icon and UNESCO World Heritage site, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright—is as distinctive as its exhibits; learn more by cueing up the museum’s audio guide. Other Guggenheim at Large activities range from the “Sketch with Jeff” series for children to “Mind’s Eye” tours for people who are blind or visually impaired.
Farther upstate, the
Corning Museum of Glass
, in Corning, New York, lays claim to the world’s most comprehensive collection of glass, as well as the world’s leading library on glass and glassmaking. Its virtual resources include videos, tours, and episodes from its glassblowing competition, “Blown Away.” Click on “Color Our Collections” to make printouts of museum items for home coloring.
Appealing to armchair art history buffs, the
Santa Barbara Museum of Art
in California is sharing lectures by curators, docents, and other experts, as well as concerts, through SBMA at Home. New entries are posted to the museum’s searchable collection every week.
Founded in 1759, the
British Museum
is international in scope. Current exhibitions cover the Vikings; gender diversity in the 18th century as seen through the life of Chevalier d’Eon—a French soldier, diplomat, and spy who began his career as a man and ended it as a woman; and Egypt from pharaonic times to the present.
Eager to create a global destination, Qatar commissioned I.M. Pei to design its
Museum of Islamic Art
. Its extensive holdings encompass ancient objects, traditional crafts, and modern pieces. Through Google Arts and Culture, visitors can see examples of work from 12 centuries. Students and speakers of Arabic can experience the museum’s website in that language.
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The Queens College community has suffered many losses this spring. In this issue,
QView
commemorates Howard Rose, Peter Brancazio, and Mark Robert Weiss. Wilma Winnick and Marianne Cooper will be appropriately recognized at a future date. We honor the beloved memory and enduring contributions of all.
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Howard Rose
Queens College mourns the loss of master machinist Howard Rose Jr., a valued member of the Physics Department for nearly 20 years.
Rose was born in February 1945; his father, a police chief of Malverne, New York, was an accomplished builder and craftsman; his mother, a schoolteacher and expert chef. Their talents helped to shape his.
In his youth, Rose was a daredevil who would race in cars he put together and tuned up in Glen Falls, New York. An avid skier, he would sleep in his car at the bottom of a mountain just to be the first one up on the lift. After serving with the army in Korea as a helicopter mechanic, he became a machinist. He loved a challenge, no matter how big or small. Surprising even his dad, Rose took a car apart to the bolts and reassembled it to working order. He would describe making a microwave screen with hundreds of holes, spaced exact distances from each other at different angles, and how tricky it was to do.
A great cook, Rose enjoyed baking apple pie, sugar cookies, and lemon meringue pie according to family recipes. He was always giving tips to his sister, Sheila, about how to mix ingredients in the proper order. An enthusiastic bowhunter, he loved to go up to the country and spend time hunting with his cousins.
Eventually, Rose found his way to Queens College and a job he really loved. He had a large workspace, and students and faculty who could push his creativeness. Affiliated with the Physics Department, he fabricated equipment for faculty and graduate students in many departments and provided repair and maintenance services to the college. His advice was frequently sought and he was greatly skilled at producing high-quality output on a shoestring budget.
“Howard was an extremely generous person who was passionate about politics and current affairs,” recalls Noel Evans (Physics). “He always had time for people. He was a great listener who knew how to develop ideas with students and professors alike. He always surprised everyone by thinking outside the box and coming up with ideas and suggestions for projects."
Rose is survived by his nephews Holden and Ryan Trunk, as well as many cousins. (Much of this obituary is derived from Holden Trunk’s reminiscences about his uncle.)
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Peter Brancazio
A physicist who taught briefly in Queens College’s adult education program, Peter Brancazio died on April 25 of complications of the coronavirus. He was 81.
Brancazio studied engineering science at New York University, nuclear engineering at Columbia University, and returned to NYU to pursue a doctorate in astrophysics. A physics professor at Brooklyn College for more than 30 years, he attracted attention far beyond that campus for writing papers that delved into the science of sport. A lifelong basketball fan, he determined the ideal angles for shooting from different points on the court; venturing into another game, he proved that the rising fastball was an optical illusion. His 1984 book,
Sport Science: Physical Laws and Optimum Performance,
inspired other academics to enter this field.
Brancazio is survived by his wife, Ronnie Kramer, and their two sons and five grandchildren.
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Mark Robert Weiss
An electrical engineer who served as a professor and researcher at Queens College and The CUNY Graduate Center, Mark Robert Weiss died on April 6 at the age of 90.
A Brooklyn native, Weiss was a product of local institutions: He was educated at Brooklyn Technical High School and City College and completed his master’s in engineering at Columbia University, concentrating on sound and acoustics. His career included academic work as well as projects for state and federal clients that ranged from the New York Police Department to the FBI. But he was best known as a member of the engineering team that identified tampering as the cause of the notorious 18.5-minute gap in White House recordings secretly made by President Richard Nixon. The ensuing scandal prompted Nixon to leave office.
A Riverdale resident since 1955, Weiss is survived by his wife Cynthia, and their two daughters, son-in-law, and three grandchildren.
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Jacqueline Kim
, a Macaulay honors student graduating in linguistics and communication disorders, has been chosen by the U.S. State Department to be a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in South Korea. . . .
Kara Schlitchting
(History) published an op-ed, “
New York City Doesn’t Have to Suffer This Summer
” in the
New York Times
on Monday, May 25 . . . .
TIME 2000 students
made a
thank-you video
for
Alice Artzt
and
Naomi Weinman
. . . .
Vallaire Wallace
,
Knight News
editor, Mellon Mays fellow and QC’s 2020 valedictorian, has received a full scholarship to pursue doctoral studies in African American literature and the culture of the Harlem Renaissance at the University of Virginia . . . .
President-designate Frank Wu
was interviewed by the
Knight News.
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This is the last issue of
QView
for the spring semester. The newsletter will publish a special mid-summer issue and resume its regular schedule in the fall semester. Stay safe and healthy.
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The
Q View
is produced by the
Office of Communications and Marketing.
Comments and suggestions for future news items
are welcome.
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