Author Archives: HawkWeb

HCC students need more online classes

By Caleb Barnett

Community college enrollment is currently expanding because students are seeking the best education for the best value. Community colleges have responded by broadening their fields of study. Many students choose to attend Hagerstown Community College for the value, convenience, and flexibility that is offered. With nearly 5,000 students enrolled at HCC, methods to attract new students, while retaining current students, must be explored. One possibility is to expand online learning at HCC. Offering a greater variety of online courses would allow students more convenience and flexibility to complete their degree on their own schedule. There are many advantages and drawbacks to online education.
Some of the drawbacks of online education include restricted social interaction, student motivation, and assignment effectiveness. Social interaction among classmates through an online medium is limited. Students usually have the opportunity to chat with their classmates through e-mail or a chat room type service, but there is usually no face-to-face communication. Interaction with instructors can also be limited to e-mail communication, which can be difficult for students who have questions for their instructor. This lack of face-to-face communication with students and teachers can lead to the next disadvantage: motivation.
Students who choose to participate in online education must be motivated. Motivation is key to getting work done through an online course. If students are not motivated to get their work done, there is no one there to act as a motivator. As a result, these students will likely fall behind in course work.
The third drawback to online education is the effectiveness of assignments. It can be hard for the instructor to determine if students understand the material that is to be covered in the course if they are not face-to-face in a classroom. For the most part, online courses test the students’ knowledge through multiple choice tests and quizzes, which may not be the best gauge to measure the students’ knowledge.
Although the disadvantages listed are among the top reasons opponents do not support online education, proponents argue that online education is economical, convenient, and gives students a broader perspective. Online education is economical because students do not have to commute back and forth to class. Therefore, they can save money on traveling costs. For myself, commuting 40 miles to school and 40 miles back quickly adds up. Online education is also economical because students can hold a job while attending college. In today’s economy, many jobs are part-time with varying shifts, which can make it difficult to schedule classes while retaining employment.
One of the main advantages to online education is convenience. As I just mentioned, many jobs have varying shifts that can change from week to week. With online education, there is no set time for class. Therefore, students can work on their assignments whenever it fits their schedule. For those with jobs that require traveling, online education can be the best choice. There is no physical location to meet for class. Class can take place anywhere there is Internet and a computer. Students can also work on their assignments and study at their own pace.
Lastly, online education can also broaden the students prospective. Since there is no geographic location where students complete the class, students can be from around the country or even around the world. Someone’s perspective from Maryland can vary from someone in Florida, Texas, or California. Getting a variety of opinions can increase students’ knowledge of the subject and view the topic from different perspectives. One of the online classes I took with another college had students from around the world. Some of my classmates were located in California, Hawaii, and Nevada. There were also students taking the class who were in the military and stationed outside the United States.
As I mentioned, there are numerous advantages and disadvantages to online classes. Students must examine both the advantages and disadvantages of online education to decide which option is best for them. I believe a combination of both face-to-face and online classes can be beneficial to students. In the end, it is up to students to decide which form of education will be most beneficial to them. However, due to the lack of online courses currently available, I believe it is important for HCC to expand its selection of online courses to stay competitive.
Caleb Barnett, who majored in Administration of Justice at HCC, is graduating in May. He is a native of Harrisonville, PA.

Emphasis on distance learning misplaced

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By Craig J Hayes

For the past decade, colleges across the country have been experimenting with online courses. With the advent of the consumer-based Internet and the greater accessibility of broadband connections, it has become much easier for students to roll out of their beds in the morning, turn on their computers, and begin their college courses in pajamas. Online courses have the potential to break down geographic barriers and expand educational access like never before. However, as promising as the premise of these online courses appears, it fails in two important regards: interaction, quality and standardization.

First, online courses fail to mimic the day-to-day, class-to-class interaction that takes place on a college campus. Whether it is the simple conversation with a friend over lunch or the more complex discussion between students and professors about a new course topic, these interactions are an integral part of the college experience. I have witnessed the deterioration of students’ interaction skills too many times this semester. Students struggle to remain engaged in course lectures, and they struggle to articulate their questions and problems. I frequently hear the excuse, “Well, my online course is not this difficult,” or, “why can’t this class be more like my online course?” In truth, traditional college courses will never be like your online courses—nor should they strive to be. Interaction is such a vital component of the education process that it cannot be simply tossed aside for convenience or luxury.

Second, online courses have a quality problem. MOOCs, or massive open online courses, exemplify this problem. MOOCs are free online courses offered to the population at large. Professors tape lectures that are then posted online along with other course material such as articles, quizzes, and exams. However, MOOCs offer very little feedback, and professors cannot physically grade work from the thousands of students that may take the classes. Personalized feedback is critical for any venture in life, and its absence in MOOCs is a detriment to the advancement of higher education.

Third, online courses lack standardization. Not all four-year institutions accept transfer credit for online courses. To some colleges, online courses are clearly not on par with traditional courses. This lack of consistency puts the entire online course system into questionable territory.
Instead of moving towards online courses, colleges should focus on existing institutional issues such as lowering class sizes and student to professor ratios. In particular, Hagerstown Community College would be better served in addressing the stark divide between its students’ abilities. Because of HCC’s designation as a community college, its students have a wide range of academic backgrounds and aspirations. Unfortunately, this creates a problem in the classroom that is unfair for those who understand the course material, those who struggle to keep up, and the professor who tries to mediate the two extremes. By implementing more vocational and technical courses and degrees alongside traditional four-year college academic tracks, HCC could lower class sizes while providing more individualized educational opportunities at the same time. Of course, it is much more profitable to continue the expansion of online courses that are charged at the same credit-hour rates as traditional courses but use fewer resources. I hope Hagerstown Community College will value improved education over simple economics.

Craig J. Hayes is a visiting political science major from Allegheny College in Meadville, PA. He is a resident of Greencastle, PA.

Hawks club flies high after long winter weather woes

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(From left) Zachary Mathews, CJ Owings, and Alex Rinehart get ready to face the Essex pitcher.

Tyler Walter, a freshman from Fairmont, WV, after batting

Tanner Partlow, a freshman from Inwood, WV, throws a pitch against the Essex Knights in a game on April 13. The Hawks took one game in the double headrer 11-1 and lost the other 5-6. as of present time the hawks record is 26-22.

By Jason Siverling

The Hawks continue to stalk their prey on the baseball field this spring. As the season moves past the halfway point, the team looks to capitalize on its success. With over 20 wins so far, the guys can look back on the early part of the year to prepare themselves for the tournament.

It will be a few days before they have their chance, though. The weather did not seem to want to cooperate early in the year as snowy conditions postponed the first few games of the season. This can pose problems when the team faces a 56-game schedule.

To make up these games required the team to play in multiple double-headers. A double-header consists of playing in two games, back-to-back on the same day. The team, a little short-handed this year due to player ineligibilities and injuries, would need to dig in to get their season off to a strong start. Because the pitching staff remains a little short, the pressure on the pitchers increases, especially on days with double-headers.

“The starters have to push out their innings to make sure there are enough relievers to pitch the next game,” said starting pitcher Trey Kirby.

And with three days of double-headers, this proves a difficult task.
“It gets tiring going back to back, double header, double header, ” said Devon Schaeffer, a pitcher and a position player.

From March 1 through March 3, the team played six games and gained five victories as the team worked together to ensure the pitching staff did not get overworked. The defense played well behind their pitchers and the bats came alive to get the team off to a great start. While the player’s feel a little bit of help from the dugout could not hurt, Coach Jennings seems to feel differently.
“While we are down a little in numbers this year, I don’t think we are shorthanded,” Jennings said, noting that the team, “battled through a very demanding schedule.” The HCC team “is about where I thought they would be,” according to Jennings.

The team has played in more games so far than any other team in the JUDCO. So when asked how he prepares himself to pitch before a game, starting pitcher Dakota Deshong says, “I listen to the same song about twenty times. No Worries by Lil Wayne.”

Kirby, Deshong and Schaeffer all remain confident that they reach pitch speeds in the mid 80s.
Trey claims that he can throw, “in the upper 80s and maybe low 90s, but the coach doesn’t like us to say that. He says everyone thinks they throw harder than they really do.”

The team had a chance to travel to Florida and Deshong described it simply as “awesome.”
While down in Florida, the Hawks faced Ontario Blue Jays, who flew in from Canada. Deshong described Blue Jays as the toughest opponent that Hawks have faced. Nonetheless, the team scooped up the win in extra innings. The Hawks finished the Florida stretch with a record of 6-4 and Trey Kirby picked up his first two wins of the season, both in relief. So how did the guys celebrate?
“If guys had their families down there, they would go out with them. They could walk to fast food places and hang out. But we did have a curfew,” Trey said.

While they were able to relax a little, the boys were there to do a job.
The team’s record so far this year shows their dedication to the game and to their teammates, ensuring that they support each other through these tough stretches of games. The success of this year’s team may bring out more players next year and show what it means to represent HCC on the diamond.

Maryland’s New Gun Laws Among the Strictest in the Nation

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By Mary T Mulligan

In wake of the shootings in Aurora, Colorado and Newtown, Conn., Maryland’s General Assembly passed one of the strictest gun control laws in the nation.

The legislation would place a 10-bullet limit on weapon magazines, ban 45 different assault weapons, and require citizens who buy a handgun to submit fingerprints to The Maryland State Police. Only five other states have similar laws regarding fingerprinting of handgun owners.
As of press time for The Hawk, the bill was still waiting for Governor Martin O’Malley’s expected signature.

Although the laws will not be fully implemented till October 2013, citizens are already reacting to the news.

Jeff Morgan, criminal justice professor and head of the Administration of Justice Club, said he was skeptical about the impact of the new laws. He responded to a series of emailed questions regarding the issue.

“I do not foresee this affecting the honest, rule following men and women who purchase firearms but see it as one more cost added to owning a gun,” Morgan wrote.

HCC Police Officer Steve Scalf, who formerly served with the Frederick Police Department, said “I would imagine they’re going to exempt law enforcement [from the 10 round magazine limits].”
Maryland already prohibits straw purchasing of firearms, but some believe the punishments should be more severe for those who are caught doing so.

“My thoughts would be to strengthen the sanctions/penalties for those individuals identified, charged and convicted for engaging in straw purchases of firearms,” Morgan, who served the Hagerstown Police Department for 24 years, retiring with the rank of sergeant.

When asked about assault weapons ban, an HCC student who wished to remain anonymous said he thought more controls were unnecessary.

“After 9/11, we did not ban airplanes just because a group of people used them for an undesigned purpose. We imposed stricter searches on the people that boarded the planes,” he said.

The same student was asked about the magazine capacity limit and said “In Maryland, you can only hunt with eight rounds in a magazine, but for target practice it is nice to have a higher capacity magazine in order to not have to reload as much”.

Maryland’s new gun laws also address the concern of mentally ill patients obtaining firearms. “Personally I do not believe it is the weapon that we should fear. People with mental issues, propensity toward violence, perhaps even addiction issues involving alcohol and drugs should be of a bigger concern”, said Morgan.

Most students say they would never expect a massacre, such as the one that occurred in Newtown, Connecticut this past December, to happen in Hagerstown, even without strict gun laws. Ted Kaiser, Treasurer of the Student Government Association, said that he feels very safe on campus although “on every campus there is a possibility of a massacre happening”.

An additional concern is how students and faculty prepare for life-threatening events. In nearly all elementary, middle, and high schools, students practice for fires, earthquakes, and other natural disasters. Morgan noted “training for an active shooter within our school or building should be done on a regular basis like fire drills”.

The HCC police officers already perform annual drills for emergencies, but “it would be nice to include both faculty and students” in those drills, said Scalf.

“We have a very safe environment and a very safe campus. I hope that nothing ever does happen here. I’d like to believe that the probability [for a massacre happening] is low, but you must be prepared. All it takes is one time, one person,” he said.

If students witness suspicious activity, they are encouraged to contact the HCC Police Office first at the number listed, then immediately call 911. “The college has the ability to send text message alerts out”, said Scalf.

Students are encouraged also to sign up for these emergency alerts by logging onto the HCC website.
• Immediately report any suspicious activity on campus.
• (List in box) – HCC Police Office number 240-500-2308 or call #2308 from any on-campus phone.
• Sign up for HCC text emergency alerts.
• Familiarize yourself with safe areas on campus – buildings or rooms without windows.

Jobs Back on the Rise in Maryland

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By Stephen Barber

The ARCC on April 19 was humming as sharply-dressed employers representing 35 firms met with more than 600 job seekers for the annual HCC job fair. While seeking a job is nearly always stressful, unlike similar events in recent years job seekers this year have reason to hope that their local job prospects are improving.

The rate of growth in the job market, however, is not improving equally across the board.
According to data from the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation, the top growth industry in the last two years is health care, with 19,000 new jobs. The second fastest growing industry in Maryland is the business and financial industries, with 12,000 new jobs. Computer specialists and the IT industry came in third with nearly 7,000 new jobs, and the service industry came fourth with nearly 6,000 new jobs.

The large growth of the healthcare industry was represented at the job fair by some of the area’s largest Healthcare providers. Elder care featured prominently among these employers with the areas largest elder care providers, Fahrney-Keedy, Somerford and Julia Manors, present at the fair. Meritus-Health, the largest healthcare provider in western Maryland and the top employer in Washington county, was also present at the job fair.

When asked what Meritus-Health’s objective was at the job fair, human resources representative Sarah Stottlemyer told The Hawk, “We are here to recruit people for full time nursing, phone clerical, medical imaging, and nutrition service positions. We are always looking for new hires for our facilities in the tri-state to fill positions ranging from nursing and radiology to clerical and housekeeping.”

Kimberly Hadley, human resources representative for Julia Manors, also said her company is hiring.
“Specifically, I am here looking for candidates to fill three full-time nursing assistant positions and one full-time resident nursing position at our Hagerstown facilities. We do have five other facilities in and around the area and we potentially always have an opening if the person is willing to move or commute.”

The business and financial industries were represented by First United Bank & Trust and SECU. Angela Flanagan, recruitment officer of First United Bank & Trusts, painted a positive picture of employment opportunities at the bank.

“We are looking for customer service type positions, such as bank tellers, for our local branches but we always have openings available if the applicant is willing to move for work,” she said.
The computer and IT industries only had one company, First Data, represent it at the HCC Job fair. First Data human resources representative, Amanda Heist, told The Hawk, ”First Data is here looking for job seekers interested in customer service positions. In the past, we have hired HCC graduates with computer and IT related degrees.”

The service industry was represented by Hollywood Casino-Charlestown Races and Marriott-Roy Rodgers. The entertainment complex currently is seeking to fill about 50 positions, according to a company representative.

George Owens

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George Owens is a Graphic Design Technology Major here at Hagerstown Community College. He is in his last semester and will be graduating with his degree on May 18, 2013. I asked George to submit a piece of his work and explain his design process. The project he submitted was his design for the cover of a Wet Plate Photographer Magazine.

How did you come up with your design? What was the process of creation for this piece?
“I was tasked with creating a cover for a magazine and I decided to design a magazine that was photography related. I first went to visit my friend, Del Hilbert who is a practicing wet plate photographer from Gettysburg, PA to get the main image for the magazine cover.”

Describe your design process (example: thumbnails, drafts, do you walk away for a bit and then come back to it, add to it, etc.?).
“My process was rather straightforward. Once I settled on the subject of the magazine, it was off to Gettysburg to photograph either Del or another famous Collodion photographer, Rob Gibson. After I had the main image chosen, I just added elements to support the main subject.”

Where do you get the elements that go into your design (do you create yourself or go online)?
“The elements are mine except for the lens, Arca Swiss LF camera and the book cover for the giveaway prize. Those items were downloaded from the internet. I have an account with some stock photography sites when I need an image I can’t create on my own.”

What are your goals after graduation?
“Utilize my knowledge of graphic design to enhance my portrait photography business. It’s already been a boost to selling senior announcements to families of graduating seniors as I’m able to design my own layouts. I’m also interested in a possible career as a freelance graphic designer.”

Where do you see yourself in design (what role would you like to play)?
“Given the area I live in, I see myself as more of a freelance graphic designer but there are some very good graphic design firms located in the Tri-State area so, who knows?”

Why did you choose to study graphic design?
“I’ve always been a visual person and great images and designs have always grabbed my attention. I wanted to learn more about the reasons why an image is more attention getting than another. I find it interesting that given two exact products, the one that has the aesthetically attractive packaging generally seems to sell more.”

Eric Wiles

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Eric Wiles is a Graphic Design Technology Major here at Hagerstown Community College. He is in his last semester and will be graduating with his degree on May 18, 2013. I asked Eric to submit a piece of his work and explain his design process. The project he submitted was his design for the AIGA Blue Ridge Essentials Series Logo.

How did you come up with your design? What was the process of creation for this piece?
“When Cookie came to me asking me to do this project, I immediately thought of the essentials you’d pack during a zombie apocalypse. So I googled essentials backpacks and my concept was born. ”

Describe your design process (example: thumbnails, drafts, do you walk away for a bit and then come back to it, add to it, etc.?).
“I started the design with a sketch of the backpack I found on google. I took a picture of the sketch because I didn’t have a scanner handy. I loaded the image into Adobe Illustrator and began to create it using shapes and the pen tool. The backpack looked plain so I added the stripes to stylize it.”

Where do you get the elements that go into your design (do you create yourself or go online)?
“I always prefer to create my own elements whenever possible. In this case, I used an existing image as inspiration but created the backpack myself.”

What are your goals after graduation?
“Find a solid job in design, whether that be at a firm or purely freelance. After that, hopefully establish a family and travel the world a little.”

Where do you see yourself in design (what role would you like to play)?
“I just recently started labeling myself as an “Icon Aficionado”. I just love doing anything creative that expresses a message in a cool way.”

Why did you choose to study graphic design?
“Engineering sucked! My strengths were Math and Art, so I decided to give something artistic a go. I’m so glad I did.