PTS3 STEM Program Funding Cut Will Hurt STEM Students
(Photo Credit: Jamie Camino)
By David Kolade
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) students will lose major opportunities to gain research experience on campus when the Pathways to Student STEM Success’ (PTS3) program funding comes to an end in Sept. 2021.
“As the PTS3 program comes to an end, our students who remain at the college post the program’s last day may lack in services,” said Rafael Gonzalez, PTS3 program campus director and mathematics adjunct lecturer at Lehman. “For instance, although Lehman has a career and advising center, our students benefited in having their own advisor with an intrusive model.”
“PTS3 students also benefited from access to electronic devices, tutoring for STEM courses and math interventions during summer and winter sessions, and received priority registration every semester while members of the program,” Gonzalez said.
Launched at Lehman five years ago, the PTS3 program is funded by a Title 3 grant from the United States Department of Education. Ms. Anne Rothstein, Lehman grant writer, proposed the grant to the U.S. Department of Education, which approved the program’s funding with a 5-year grant. Rothstein also included the Bronx Community College and Hostos Community College in the proposal.
The program serves as an undergraduate resource for those who fail to obtain internships within their desired field, working in collaboration with Bronx Community College and Hostos Community College to increase the number of Hispanic and low-income students, as advertised by the official website. It also helps undergraduates who fail to obtain an external research experience to obtain it.
Lehman students, faculty and staff expressed regret for the program’s upcoming end.
“It would affect Lehman’s STEM students,” said PTS3 program director, Christopher Milton. “The PTS3 program is an additional opportunity for students to receive internships and research opportunities without the college having to worry about funding for the student, even though it is optional for the college.”
Hayford Ansah presenting his research at summer 2018 REU presentations. (Photo Credit: Jamie Camino)
“The end of the funds will affect students and teacher assistants financially as they will no longer receive payments from the program, which was a huge benefit,” said Hayford Ansah, biochemistry junior and PTS3 program member. “Most students are able to obtain research experience through the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) which consists of various programs for students studying science, engineering or mathematics, which are organized.”
Halima Suleiman, psychology junior and PTS3 member, noted that the end of the program will limit school supplies’ budget. “I haven't spent money on pens and notebooks this year; thanks to the PTS3 funds, I can spend my money on other important items,” she said.
These funds of the program also helped settle the bills for low-income families and independent college students.
“Personally, besides the obvious it pays my bills. I have been able to provide students with opportunities that were not available to me as early as 2016 to 2017 when I was a senior at Lehman,” Gonzalez said.
Suleiman also told the Meridian that the stipends she was given encouraged her to participate in summer internships and research labs. “This program has provided me with a great network of opportunities, advisors and friendships that I would not have easily attained,” she said.
Lehman Women Celebrate Empowerment
By Denise Phillip
Women’s History Month is especially relevant to Lehman students, since 68 percent of them are female--a higher proportion than the national average of 56 percent, according to pewresearch.org. The 2020 theme for the month is “Valiant Women of the Vote,” which pays homage to the women who fought for the right to vote and who continue to fight for the voting rights of others, according to The History Channel.
We asked Lehman students to share what this month means to them, and a moment they felt empowered as women.
“It’s a month where we celebrate the contributions of women that have made an impact in history, women that do not get enough recognition. It is a time to learn and reflect how us [women] have come a long way and should continue to strive for a better future.”
Madelin Arias Bueno, senior computer science major
“I teach management courses, and more than half of my students are female. In addition to live cases in the business world, I use examples of being a daughter, a wife, a girlfriend, or a mother to illustrate the concepts discussed in the textbook. Students feel connected by the examples. I can tell from their nodding heads and smiles on their faces.”
Ning Chen, Professor of Management at Lehman
“Women’s History Month is a time to acknowledge women who made history because for so long, we were not a part of the conversation… [and] to inspire and remind future generations that women are strong, capable, unique, intelligent, fearless, and special.”
“For the past few years, I had the honor and privilege to meet and work with so many amazing, exemplary women leaders throughout the CUNY system – most of them are students. Despite how hard and exhausting it is to balance school, work and personal life, they still dedicate their time and energy to give back- to advocate on behalf of every student they represent. They are great examples of women in leadership, who lead with confidence, compassion and courage.”
Nhi Phan, Introduction to Leadership Mentor - HHL Center for Student Leadership Development
“Women’s History Month is a time to celebrate all of the women who have come before me and have paved the way to where we are today. I think it is especially a time to remember and honor women that tend to be overlooked or ignored in our history, like trans women, queer women, and women of color. We have come so far, but we still have so far to go.”
Angela Peteani, 23-year-old senior English major
“When do I feel empowered as a woman? Lots of ways, some easier than others. Here’s an easy one: my 25-year-old daughter wanted a raise and promotion that wasn’t forthcoming, so she looked for another job, didn’t get the one she wanted but got another, and then went to her home company and asked them to match rank and salary, which they did and then some. I told her, “Always remember that you stand on the shoulders of women who asked and were refused, or (more common) never even dreamed of asking.”
Paula Loscocco, Professor & Chair of English
“In my opinion, 31 days isn’t enough time to discuss so many achievements women have done, past and/or present. Women continue to break barriers and accomplish many important things whether it’s in the medical field, education, science etc. Women are killing it! More months should be dedicated to us.”
Sandra Gutierrez, 26-year-old Business Administration major
“I think Women’s history month is an important time to work on female solidarity. However, as a feminist, it’s always women’s history month for me! As a professor, I teach and read predominantly women, especially women of color who are often left out of the literary canon or classroom.
I always feel empowered when I read my poetry out loud for an audience. It’s a powerful thing to bear your truth to strangers. One time was in 2017 when I gave a reading at my Alma mater Fordham University on my birthday. I shared a number of personal poems about what it’s like to be a Mexican American woman in New York City in a loud clear voice and it was very well received. Another time was when I was asked to honor poet June Jordan with an original poem at Radcliffe College. I intertwined her poetry with mine for a unique piece and I could feel her presence with me.”
Melissa Castillo Planas, Assistant Professor of English
“To me, Women's History Month represents the struggles & obstacles we had faced, & also the triumphs & contributions we have achieved globally. For example, women were huge contributors in deciphering the Mayan written language (I highly recommend the documentary "Cracking the Mayan Code," where it describes the influences of Tatiana Proskouriakoff & Linda Schele). Not only is understanding the Mayan important for learning about history, but it also granted the present-day Maya people for learning about their past as the written language had been lost).”
Emily Willen, junior Lehman ABC (pre-med) major
“A moment in which I felt empowered as a woman was in the two Lehman College programs called: “Introduction to Leadership” and “Leadership Narratives.” These two programs helped me explore more about my individual abilities and also how I can use my natural gifts to help others within my environment/community, my career path, or in any other situation in general. This is extremely significant to acknowledge, because as an individual with two health impairments and also as the oldest of three sisters, I would love to be the role model for them and others. Furthermore, out of all of this, I hope to continue breaking barriers and hopefully setting positive examples for others like me or with a different story.”
Susan Vicente, 19-year-old dietetics and food nutrition major
Lehman Students Praise Bag Ban
(Photo Credit: The Islands’ Sounder)
By Zarin Siddiqua
Since March 1, New York has banned single-use plastic bags in stores, and many Lehman students say it’s about time. The “Bring Your Own Bag” (BYOBag) law is designed to promote the use of reusable bags. According to the Department of Environmental Conservation, 23 billion plastic bags are typically used each year in New York.
However, state officials won’t enforce New York’s controversial plastic bag ban until May 15 due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, according to Daily News. Enforcement was originally postponed to mid-April after New York business owners filed a lawsuit claiming they didn’t have time to prepare for the ban.
The National Conference of State legislatures reported that California was the first state to approve this law in 2014; Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Oregon, and Vermont followed in 2019. Countries such as Kenya, France, United Kingdom, Rwanda, and Italy started banning and taxing single-use plastic bags in 2016.
Even though the ban will not be in effect until May, some Lehman students are already reducing the use of plastics in their daily lives and they welcome the BYOBag law.
“It’s about time that the United States banned plastic bags. I hope they also do the same for plastic straws. I have been persuading my family to use reusable bags for years now,” said Brecenia Diaz, Lehman junior psychology major. “Global warming and pollution have been affecting the earth much longer than COVID-19. Even though this virus is very dangerous, we should still care about saving the planet.”
“My family and I have been reusing bags for a while. We usually do our grocery shopping in bulks from stores like BJ’s or Costco and just carry it to the car,” said Jocelyn Infante, a psychology major and Lehman sophomore. “I believe that BYOBag New York will encourage others to follow this trend and impact others to bring reusable bags in order to not spend 5 cents every time.”
“I really hope that this plastic bag ban becomes worldwide. I also hope they ban other plastic items like straws and utensils,” said Roxan Turner, a junior English major. “I have seen customers who get really angry about paying that extra 5 cents for a bag, but they need to realize how good this is to the environment.”
Statistics show that plastic is the major cause of death in marine animals and birds.
The United Nations stated that an estimated one million marine birds and 100,000 marine animals are killed each year due to the ingestion of plastic.
Studies in The University of Queensland in Australia showed that green sea turtles in the 21st century ingest twice the amount of plastic that they did 25 years ago. Since 1950, only 9 percent of an estimated 8.3 billion of produced plastic is recycled, Global Citizen reported.
Plastic waste and other trash. (Photo Credit: LiveKindly)
The National Geographic wrote that if the waste of the plastic increases, by 2050 there will be 12 billion metric tons of plastic in landfills. According to Waste Management, only 1 percent of plastic bags get recycled, and that’s only 15 bags.
Many corporations have already made the switch. Stores such as Adidas, Ikea, Wholefoods, Pacsun and Trader Joes use paper bags; as well as wholesale clubs BJ’s and Costco, who instead reuse manufacturer-boxes to accommodate customers purchased-items, as reported by Earth911, an environmental news source.
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), which includes the Central Park Zoo, New York Aquarium and Bronx Zoo, prohibited the use of plastic and switched to bamboo utensils since 2018 to protect animals and raise awareness of how plastic affects the environment.
“The earth is our home, and yet people are not taking care of it,” said Saheda Akhter, biology graduate student. “This ban on plastic should have been placed years ago.”
The Final Goodbyes of Basketball Legend, Kobe Bryant
A Memorial for Kobe Bryant. (Photo Credit: ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)
By July Torres
As family, friends, and fans gathered at the Feb. 24 memorial service for legendary basketball player Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna “Gigi” Bryant, Lehman students also mourned the sudden death of the fallen Lakers star.
Bryant tragically passed away after a helicopter carrying him crashed into the side of a mountain in California with seven other people aboard on Jan. 26. The crash cut short a career that included winning five NBA championships as a Los Angeles Laker over a 20-season career, and an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for Dear Basketball.
“He died out of nowhere,” said Juan Ruiz, a history freshman. “I feel bad that children will be without their father. He was more than a player; he was a father figure.”
Other students agreed. “I’m not a huge basketball fan, but I knew of and respected Bryant,” Jessica Ortiz, an English freshman told the Meridian. “I don’t watch basketball, but I think everyone knows who Kobe is and was affected by his death. He seemed like a great father; it’s all very sad.”
Some Lehmanites admitted to feeling emotional while watching the memorial, which was attended by over 20,000 of the 80,000 people who had applied, according to ESPN.
Bryant’s wife, Vanessa Bryant, reminisced about the romantic union she shared with her husband, CNN reported.
“He gifted me the actual notebook and the blue dress Rachel McAdams wore in ‘The Notebook’ movie. When I asked him why he chose the blue dress, he said it was because it’s the scene when Allie comes back to Noah. We had hoped to grow old together like the movie. We really had an amazing love story,” she said at the service.
Janelle Gardner, an English major, Lehman senior and basketball fan, said: “[His wife]’s speech was very touching, I cried watching it. Kobe means a lot to many kids playing basketball today.”
“I don’t know how [his wife] found the strength to even speak. It was so hard to watch,” said Kelvin Ford, a speech pathology and audiology major and sophomore.
Vanessa Bryant delivering a speech at the memorial service. (Photo Credit: Wally Skalij via Los Angeles Times)
Celebrities also paid tribute at the memorial. Beyoncé performed her songs Halo and XO, which she expressed was one of Bryant’s favorite songs, according to Billboard. Christina Aguilera sang “Ave Maria” in Italian, as Bryant grew up in Italy, The Today Show reported; meanwhile Alicia Keys performed “Moonlight Sonata,” which she said on Twitter that Bryant learned to play for his wife.
According to The New York Post, Michael Jordan mourned Bryant in tears as he gave a speech about their relationship, while Shaquille O’Neal talked about their friendship on and off the court. “Kobe and I pushed on another to play some of the greatest basketball of all time,” said O’Neal.
ESPN reporter, Elle Duncan, shared a story about the time Bryant at an event. Duncan, who was pregnant at the time, asked Bryant, who has four daughters, about having more girls. According to Duncan, Bryant replied, “I would have five more girls if I could. I am a girl dad.”
Even though Ford preferred Michael Jordan, he appreciated Bryant’s skills on the court. When asked what he believes Kobe’s legacy is, he responded, “The mamba mentality that so many developed, and the legacy of family.”