“To us, it’s hair, but to women with cancer, it’s hope.” Perhaps you have heard this phrase before in an ad for Beautiful Lengths. Beautiful Lengths is a collaboration between Pantene and the American Cancer Society.

Since 2006, Beautiful Lengths has provided more than 24,000 real-hair wigs to women with cancer. Each wig takes at least eight ponytails to make.

You can donate a ponytail here on Tuesday, April 30.  Students from Metro Academy will be in the TCC Alcove A from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. to cut and style hair. Walk-ins are welcome.

To donate, your ponytail must be at least 8 inches long. It cannot be bleached, permanently colored, or chemically treated, but it can be colored with semi-permanent dyes.

If you want to wait, you can also donate your hair anytime by mailing it to

Pantene Beautiful Lengths

Attn: 192-123

20770 Westwood Drive

Strongsville, OH 44149

Cedar Crest College is the safest four year college in the Lehigh Valley Association of Independent Colleges (LVAIC) area according to the data compiled by College Navigator.

While the chief officers of the LVAIC schools meet quarterly to talk about safety issues among their campuses, Chief Mark Vitalos, the head of security at Cedar Crest College is mostly silent.

“I sit back and listen,” Vitalos said because according to him “we don’t have those issues here at Cedar Crest.”

In 2011 there was one arrest on campus at Cedar Crest College which was a liquor law violation located in the residence halls. There were also three criminal offences on campus all of which occurred in the residence halls.

That is low compared to Lehigh University which had 178 arrests on campus which consisted of both drug and liquor law violations. One hundred seven of those took place in the residential housing. There were also 12 criminal offences that occurred on campus, 11 of which occurred in the residence halls.

Roxanne Addino, a senior double majoring in dance and communication, has lived on campus for four years, and has never encountered a safety issue.

“I feel very save living on the Cedar Crest Campus,” said Addino. “But Cedar Crest could do something more with the lighting on the quad.”

Chief Vitalos said the safety of the campus is partially due to the fact that no public roads run through campus. At universities such as Lehigh and Kutztown these public roads exist, causing the public to contribute to the crime statistics

“I credit the campus community; they help us prevent crimes which also helps keep the campus safe,” said Vitalos.

Though many students credit the safety to campus police. Chelsea Seibert, a freshman commuter, said “I feel safe. I always see the campus police around.”

A Japanese student in the adult education program, Ayoko Iwata, agreed that having the officers around all the time helps in her feelings of safety.

Students who live on campus also feel safe because “they hear the sound of keys,” when the campus security walks through the residence halls at night said Vitalos.

Stephanie Tompkins, a junior double majoring in new media and art who also lives on campus, said “the campus has been very protective of our students. Campus police  patrols in the residents halls all day and all night. I have seen them even at 2 a.m.”

Tompkins stated that she has been in an uncomfortable situation here on campus, and the college police did everything in their power to make her feel safe as soon as possible.

But sometimes student reporting and the presence of campus police is not enough. Staying in well-lit areas, not being distracted by electronic devices, carrying your keys, and planning ahead are all tips when walking on and off campus.

“You should always be aware of your surroundings,” said Vitalos. “Don’t travel alone, strength is in numbers.”

College students must face a world full of challenges such as obtaining high grades, being accepted for who they are, dealing with peer pressure, figuring out the correct career path; they should also be worrying about Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD). Cedar Crest College of Allentown Pennsylvania offered free testing of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) for their students on March 20^th 2013.

The free HIV testing was put together to allow students a chance to be honest with themselves and inexpensively check the status of their health. Nancy Roberts, head of the Health Center at Cedar Crest college said approximately 20 students out of the entire student population took advantage of this free opportunity. Roberts also explained that this was a great opportunity for the college as well because the Allentown Health Bureau donated their time, personnel, and all the supplies needed to fund the HIV testing clinic at the college.

Jai Molina a Cedar Crest College nursing student did not attend the free screening but says” I do believe more students should have gotten tested if they have had more than one partner, or have experienced a one night encounter. I believe students that are having unprotected sex should get tested because it can determine a life threatening infection that they will carry for the rest of their lives.” Even though Molina thought this was a great opportunity for Cedar Crest’s students, she merely did not attend this screening because of the lack of advertising. She did not know about it until it was too late because it was only publicized by email.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) supports that maybe the college should have focused on a more equally occurring STD between men and women. The CDC provides information that HIV is more common in men than it is in women. Approximately 24,000 men and only about 8,000 women were infected by HIV in 2011.  The Centers for Disease Control estimates that 1,178,350 Americans are living with HIV; of those, approximately 240,000 are unaware of their HIV-positive status.

Dr. Brian Misanko a biology professor at Cedar Crest College Supports the CDC when he said “I think it was a good choice to test for HIV. Presently, there is no vaccine to prevent HIV nor is there a cure for AIDS. There is an antiretroviral therapy for AIDS that slows down or stops HIV reproduction but the medication must be continued indefinitely. Although many of the other STD’s have vaccines or are curable, preventing the transmission of STD’s is still very important”. The CDC makes an effort to suggest that the more people who are aware of their HIV status the more the virus can be prevented.

The CDC presents that the college student age group was actually not the highest infected group of people. The highest infected age group was actually 45 to 49 years of age even though college students possess the stereotype of being very sexually active. The CDC presents the numbers for 2011 which shows that there were about 2,500 people aged between 20 and 24 infected by the virus. The CDC chart also expressed that people between the ages of 45 to 49, about 5,000 of them were infected by HIV.

The CDC stated that “If you have an STD, get treatment because persons who are infected with STD’s are more likely to acquire HIV infection.” Molina also pointed out that along with testing for HIV; she thinks the college should test for other STDs such as chlamydia because of the STD’s hidden symptoms. Molina’s opinion supports the CDC’s advice of treating the STDs as soon as possible to lower the chance of becoming infected with HIV.

Along with the CDC funding many jurisdictions with HIV testing, Cedar Crest College took a stand with encouraging their students to take control of their health and bodies and to give them a chance to realistically see what their status of HIV was. Even though very few students took advantage of the college’s offer, 20 more people now know their HIV status and can begin to assist the country with prevention of this life threatening virus.

I’m certainly not the only student who would have a higher GPA if Cedar Crest used a traditional Grade Point Average.

By that, I meant that most universities, colleges, and even high schools give a 4.0 for As, 3.0 for Bs, and so on. All grades from 90% to 100% count equally as an A or 4.0. At Cedar Crest however, 92% counts as an A- or 3.7 GPA, whereas 94% counts equally to 100% or 4.0.

Supporters of such a system argue that a 92% is different from a 100%. Thus, a student’s GPA should reflect their true grade.

While that’s true, I don’t think this system adequately does so.

If a 92% counts less than a 94%, then a 94% should be less than a 100%. Yet, earning both a 94% and a 100% count the same as 4.0.

More importantly, students in several majors have expressed concern because a C grade is acceptable but a C- is not.  For example, nutrition majors must earn a C, but not a C-, in Survey of Organic Chemistry. Psychology majors must earn a B, but not a B-, in Experimental Methods.

Even good students may earn a minus grade from time to time. It does not mean that they should not be able to go on to the next level course. Earning a B- does not mean that student does not understand the course material. Nor does it mean that the student cannot handle the schoolwork.

It is understandable that students who earn a failing grade cannot move on to the next level, but a B- or a C- is not failing.

Furthermore, Cedar Crest’s system of counting minus grades as less than a letter grade hurts all students’ GPAs.  Granted, your future employer usually does not require a transcript, but a lower GPA does affect students.

Students with a merit scholarship need to maintain a 3.0 GPA. Scholarships are not meant to be easy, but lower GPAs also affect student athletes, who are required to attend study sessions based on their grades.

Lower GPAs can also affect life after graduation. A student can graduate with Cedar Crest with a GPA below 3.0, but that same student will not be accepted to Cedar Crest’s masters programs. Students need to earn a 3.0 for admission to graduate school. Each program may also have grade requirements for certain courses.

Students who do not plan to attend graduate school may choose to participate in an internship. Students in a dietetic internship still need to have a 3.0. Even students who have a GPA above 3.0 do not get accepted into the program. They only accept the students with the highest GPAs.

Earning a minus in a few classes is enough to prevent students from participating in an internship. Some professions, such as dietetics and psychologists, require students to intern before receiving licensure or similar titles.

Cedar Crest’s method of calculating GPAs lowers GPAs, which in turn hurts students during and after college.

Dancers move energetically throughout the dance studio to the dynamic music. Cat Cogliandro enthusiastically observes and encourages the dancers as she walks around the room. “Stunning” she tells one student, “Perfect” she tells another, as they audition for the chance to perform a professional dance piece in the Cedar Crest College spring dance concert.

The Cedar Crest College dance program hosted a dance residency this spring where an outside dance company was brought in to choreograph a piece. The company chosen this year was the Nicholas Andre Dance Company, a modern dance company based out of New York City. Cogliandro, a member of the company, was elected to conduct the residency.

In addition to obtaining a degree, dancers entering the field are also required to have a comprehensive dance background. Cedar Crest College hosts dance workshops annually to expose students to a variety of dance styles. A different choreographer is brought in regularly to ensure variation. The residency prepares dancers with a memorable experience and a glimpse of life after graduation.

“The main purpose of the residency is to create a learning experience for the dancers and it was important for them to go through this process,” said Robin Gerchman, associate professor of dance at Cedar Crest College.

The six dancers chosen to perform the piece are all dance majors. Three freshman dance majors were chosen as understudies. These students are very serious about dance and some of the graduating seniors aspire to perform professionally after graduation.

Cogliandro stressed the importance of obtaining a dance degree along with gaining dance experience. For a career in concert dance, she said, “it is crucial to have a dance degree.”

According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, there has been a 56 percent increase in the amount of Visual and Performing Art degrees awarded from 2000-2010. Degrees awarded for engineering, which is considered a more practical major, only increased 21 percent.

Cogliandro obtained her Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance from State University of New York, Purchase Conservatory of Dance. She has been dancing with the Nicholas Andre Dance Company for four years and has traveled with her ensemble members to many colleges for workshops and master classes. The artistic director of the company, Nick Ross, could not attend the residency and chose to send Cogliandro by herself.  Despite her initial nervousness, she was very enthusiastic about working with the Cedar Crest College dancers.

The piece titled “Passio Nostri” was based on the balance between sanity and insanity. This intense piece and short amount of time to learn the choreography gave the dancers a taste of life as a working artist in the field today.

Education and Dance double major Marlana Hurd said, “It is great to have an outside choreographer come in and set a piece on us that entails different choreographic elements that we are not too familiar with.” “It is always nice to be presented with a challenge.”

The six dancers performed the residency piece in Cedar Crest College’s Spring Dance Concert April 18, 2013 through April 20, 2013. The piece engaged the audience with complex choreography, fast movements, and athleticism.

The sad and horrified reaction from the Cedar Crest community was almost immediate following the Boston Marathon tragedy this last Monday.

As spectators cheered on the finishing runners of the 26.2 mile race, two explosions, approximately 10 to 15 seconds apart around 2:50 p.m. completely changed the aura of one of America’s most prestigious races.

The explosions have resulted in currently over 140 injured and resulted in three deaths, including 8-year-old Martin Richard, 29-year-old Krystle Campbell, and a Boston University graduate student from China who remains unidentified.

Alicia Rossman, a dietetic intern who is from the Boston area, had family who was with and knows the family who lost Martin. Rossman, though, did not personally know the family.

“My aunt was there and her husband’s college roommate was running,” said Rossman, “His wife and two kids were watching at the finish. The 8-year-old boy was the one who died and the sister lost a leg. And the mom is in surgery with no updates yet…to knowknow that a little boy was waiting for his daddy to cross the line is just so sad.”

While Allentown, PA may be about six hours away from Boston, Mass., some students had family and friends in the area of the explosions.

“My sister Jess was running the marathon for the third time,” said Rossman, “And my parents were there cheering her on.”

“I am from the area [and] I had friends who were in the grandstands and knew people who were 50 yards from the bombs,” said Tanya Tarnowski, a senior nursing major.

“My grandfather’s eye doctor was in the stands at the time. He was actually blown down by the blast, though he is okay now,” said Jess Gilman, a senior history major who lives about an hour away from Boston. “Because he’s a physician, he rushed to help as many people as he could. His daughter was in the race and she was uninjured as well.”

Social media, including Facebook and Twitter, were roaring with support for the victims of the unexpected explosions. Popular trending topics on Twitter included #BostonMarathon and #prayforboston. Other students found out about the explosions via text message or word of mouth.

“I found out about [the explosions] through CNN news and then through Twitter with the #prayforboston,” said Gilman.

For Rossman, she found out about the explosions from a close friend through text message while she was at one of her dietetic sites.

“I was in panic mode and tried calling my [parents] but got no answer,” said Rossman. “My parents always pick up their phone.”

Rossman started crying, but soon after her parents called her back while she was scrolling through Facebook to see the rest chaos.

“Those few minutes felt like forever. They said we are ok, mom is ok, and Jess is still running.”

Tons of pictures and videos have appeared online showing uninjured runners, police officers, and spectators showing extreme bravery as they sprinted towards the smoke seconds after the explosions to help those who suffered devastating and severe injuries as a result of what authorities have announced were homemade bombs.

“The ‘wicked’ amount of love this city has is unbelievable and the amount of love other cities, like New York [and] Chicago, are sharing with us is amazing,” said Tarnowski.

Many Bostonians are offering shelter, food, bathrooms, and many other amenities to visitors to the city or families who are displaced by the aftermath.

“I am so proud of people who are offering their homes and their support,” said Gilman. “It makes me so glad that humanity can still stand up and show that for every evil, there is even more good.”

But even with the support, this is another tragic event, leaving many people with permanent mental, emotional, and physical injuries.

“I am horrified,” said Gilman, “New England has been my home since birth and it was always a safe haven from the craziness of the outside world. Boston may be a city, but it still feels like a town and it’s unbelievable that something like this would happen there, especially with the Boston Marathon.”

“Unfortunately, it feels as if no matter what we do in today’s day and age you can never be too sure. To think of the amount of security there is at Marathon Monday, a holiday for Boston area schools, and how this situation still took lives is devastating,” said Tarnowski. “Keep praying for Boston.”