QView #185 | September, 17

On Wednesday, September 11—a day as clear and balmy as it was 23 years ago—QC students, faculty, and staff gathered on the Quad for the college’s annual 9/11 Ceremony. Representatives of Campus Ministries laid a wreath and addressed the gathering. Student leaders also spoke. The QC Student Association collaborated with the Office of Student Affairs on the program.  

Many members of the QC community were lost on 9/11; among them was Mohammed Salman Hamdani ’01, an EMT and medical school applicant who rushed to the World Trade Center to help victims instead of going to his job at a Rockefeller University lab. He is commemorated by a plaque near Benjamin S. Rosenthal Library, a QC scholarship named after him, and documentary, American Jedi: The Salman Hamdani Story (Documentary Film) (youtube.com).

Participants in the latest Ibrahim Leadership and Dialogue Middle East Program Apply | Ibrahim (ibrahimleadership.org) gave presentations on Thursday, September 12. Last summer’s itinerary included destinations in Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. Through the Ibrahim program, student leaders of all backgrounds learn about and travel to countries in the Middle East.

On September 13, President Frank H. Wu toured the Lexington School for the Deaf with New York State Assemblymember Rebecca Seawright, chair of the Committee on People With Disabilities, and Vice President for Communications and Marketing and Senior Advisor to the President Jay Hershenson. Meeting with staff and executives of the East Elmhurst school, they discussed potential collaborations to provide more opportunities for Lexington graduates to attend Queens College and to work together on grant proposals and partnerships.

From left: Lexington staff members Jane Moran and Adele Agin; President Frank H. Wu; Assemblymember Rebecca Seawright; Lexington Interim Superintendent and CEO Seth Bravin; Lexington Human Resources Director Patricia Schoenfeld; and Vice President for Communications and Marketing and Senior Advisor to the President Jay Hershenson.  

From left: Chabad on Campus of Queens Rabbi Shaul Wertheimer, President Frank H. Wu, Vice President for Communications and Marketing and Senior Advisor to the President Jay Hershenson

Attesting to the diversity at Queens College, Chabad on Campus of Queens hosted the Let Here Be Light Festival on the Quad at free hour on Monday, September 16 . . . .

. . . . while Bishop Robert J. Brennan of the Brooklyn Diocese (center, back row) visited for the dedication of the chapel at QC's Newman Center. Brennan is flanked by Stacey Romano, Director, Office of the President and Rev. Jose Diaz, priest chaplain at the Newman Center, and President Frank H. Wu.

Forgoing a lunch break, listeners took seats in Rosenthal 230 for SEEK's September 16 event, The Future is in Your Hands: Youth Votes Matter. Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado, recipient of the President's Award at Queens College's Commencement in 2023, was among the speakers.

Several QC faculty, including School of Library & Information Studies Assistant Professor Johnathan Thayer, received BRES Research Seed Grants from CUNY for academic 2024-25. The seed grant program provides funding to tenure-track or tenured faculty at CUNY community colleges, four-year colleges, and graduate schools. A primary goal is to seed research in Black, Race, and Ethnic Studies that will become the basis for external funding applications. 

From left: Vice President for Communications and Marketing and Senior Advisor to the President Jay Hershenson, President Frank H. Wu, Graduate School of Library & Information Studies Assistant Professor Johnathan Thayer, Chief Diversity Officer and Dean of Diversity Jerima DeWese

Soccer Teams Earn First Wins; Women’s Volleyball Continues Strong Start

The Queens College men’s and women’s soccer teams each earned their first victories of the young season last week, and the women’s volleyball team continued their strong start to the 2024 season.

On September 11, the Knights men’s soccer team earned a convincing 4-0 victory over Holy Family, with four different scorers contributing to the victory. Women’s soccer added their first two victories last week, defeating Caldwell University, 2-1, on September 11 and Post University, 2-1, on September 14.

After starting off the season 4-0 the previous week, women’s volleyball added three more victories last week and now hold a record of 7-2 on the season. The Knights defeated Felician University (3-1), Post University (3-1), and Saint Anselm College (3-1). Additionally, in their win against Post, senior Debbie Boudouris became just the sixth person in school history to record her 2,000th career assist when she eclipsed the milestone in the first set.

Coming up this week, women’s volleyball visits Adelphi at 7 pm on Tuesday and will host a tri-match on Saturday versus Bentley University and Lewis University beginning at 10 am. Men’s soccer travels to Southern Connecticut on Wednesday at 7 pm and Roberts Wesleyan on Saturday at 3:30 pm; women’s soccer will also visit Roberts Wesleyan on Saturday with a start time of 1 pm. Cross country returns to action Saturday with a meet hosted by St. Joseph’s College, and women’s tennis opens its fall season Saturday with a 1 pm match at Molloy University. 

The Talk of the Street and Beyond

The Wall Street Journal has issued its latest list of best value colleges—and Queens College ranks eighth of the 500 colleges surveyed.

WSJ isn’t alone in its esteem for QC. Queens College is included in the 2025 edition of Princeton Review's Best Colleges and in Forbes’ list of America's Top Colleges 2024-2025.

Honoring Hispanic Heritage

Hispanic Heritage Month started this week, and QC is observing it with panels, presentations, and more.

At the QC Alumni Professionals Forum on Wednesday, September 25, at free hour, recent Latinx graduates will talk about their respective career journeys. The event, moderated by Jorge Alves (Political Science, Latin and Latino American Studies), will take place in Student Union 403. To reserve a place, RSVP.

On Monday, September 30, at free hour, scholar and curator Margarita Lila Rosa will give a talk, Recovering Black Rebellion in the Afro-Latin American Archives. Soribel Genao (ECP) will offer opening remarks. This session will be held in Student Union 310; RSVP.

The schedule will continue on Wednesday, October 9, at free hour with a panel discussion, On the Migrant Frontlines of NYC. Speakers will be United Neighborhood Houses Senior Manager for Research Irene Lew and Anahi Viladrich (Sociology and Anthropology); Jorge Alves will moderate. Location is Student Union 301; RSVP.

El Paisa will be screened on the following Tuesday, October 15, at free hour in Student Union 301. Sara Hinojos (Media Studies and Latin and Latino American Studies) will moderate the discussion. RSVP.

Cartoonist Ivan Velez Jr.—the second Latino and Puerto Rican to work for top mainstream comic companies Marvel and DC—will hold a workshop on Wednesday, October 23, at free hour in Klapper 672. RSVP.

The Louis Armstrong House Museum (LAHM) is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with thematic programming, such as a Spanish-language tour on September 28. That afternoon, Bronx-born bassist and composer Carlos Henriquez will perform in the museum’s jazz room; his latest album is A Nuyorican Tale, released in September 2023. Another Spanish-language tour is scheduled for October 26. 

Commemorating Dominican Resistance to U.S. Occupation

The first military occupation of the Dominican Republic by the United States started in 1916 and ended in September 1924 with the departure of U.S. troops. On September 27-28, CUNY Dominican Studies (CUNY DSI) and the Dirección de Cultura Dominicana en el Exterior will mark the centennial of this event with a public conference and an online exhibition.

The September 27 conference will feature two panels with distinguished experts from the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and the continental United States. Presentations will be in English and Spanish. One panel will take place at the CUNY DSI Archives and Library, located at City College, and the second panel will take place at Dirección de Cultura Dominicana en el Exterior. Attendance is free; prior registration is required for either panel or both.

The following day, an online exhibit at CUNY DSI will use historic materials to document Dominicans resistance in the United States against the military occupation of the Dominican Republic. The exhibit also captures acts of resistance against the occupation throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.

Focusing on Corky Lee

Published earlier this year, Corky Lee’s Asian America: 50 Years of Photographic Justice features more than 200 images shot by Lee, a QC alumnus and groundbreaking photojournalist who died of COVID in 2021. Experts will discuss his work and career on September 30 from 12:15 to 1:30 pm in Campbell Dome. The panel will include the book’s co-editors, Mae Ngai and Chee Wang Ng; Christopher Kwok, a board member of the Asian American Federation and an adjunct professor of Asian American Studies at Hunter College; and QC faculty members Soniya Munshi (Urban Studies), former interim executive director of the Asian American/Asian Research Institute, and Amy Hsin (Sociology), who will serve as moderator. President Frank H. Wu, who knew Lee, will offer opening remarks.

Writers Read at QC

Writers at Queens, a new series, will make its debut on September 30 with a reading by novelist Alaya Dawn Johnson, a visiting professor in QC’s MFA Program in Creative Writing and Literary Translation and the Department of English. The reading, taking place at 7 pm in Choral Room 264 of the Music School, will be followed by a conversation facilitated by MFA alumna Megan Alexandra, a reception, and a book signing. Online audiences will be able to watch the event over Zoom. For more information, contact writersatqueens@qc.cuny.edu.

Writers at Queens is co-sponsored by the MFA Program, The School of the Arts, the English Department, The Dean’s Office, and the Kupferberg Center for the Arts.

Presenting Helena Byrne in Performance

Irish storyteller/singer Helena Byrne reports that she has been performing since she was knee-high to a guitar. But she has never previously appeared at the Sheen Center for Thought and Culture (18 Bleecker Street, Manhattan), the official arts center of the Archdiocese of New York. On Wednesday, October 2 at 7 pm, in her first collaboration with QC Irish Studies, Byrne will make her Sheen Center debut. The program is likely to include stories of fairies and ghosts, as well as cherished folk songs. Tickets are available here.

Familiar with the campus Makerspace? QView writer John Scarinci checked it out.

Queens College’s Hidden Gem

When you first enter Queens College’s Benjamin S. Rosenthal Library, you’ll see many of the typical sections seen at any library. But on the lower level, hidden below the rows of bookshelves, computer labs, and study stations that occupy the main area, you’ll find a gem that is steadily becoming one of the most utilized sections of the library: the Queens College Makerspace.

Nick Normal in the Makerspace

“It’s a hands-on, experiential learning lab,” explained Nick Normal, director of the QC Makerspace. “We are a modern 21st-century shop class.”

The Makerspace was inspired by the growing popularity of the “Maker Movement,” a culture that encourages people to be creative and innovative by experimenting with new technologies and making unique items.

Located in Room 101, the Makerspace is a large area with something of interest for just about everyone. There are 3D printers, robotic drawing machines, traditional woodshop tools and equipment, sewing and embroidery stations, a laser cutter and engraver, soldering irons, and much more. Best of all, while some makerspaces on other campuses are limited to specific majors or those willing to pay a fee, the QC Makerspace is open to any member of the Queens College community. Anyone with a Queens College ID can enter. 

“The decision was made to put the Makerspace in the library,” explained Normal, “because the library is accessible to all departments.”

Computer science majors use the Makerspace to work on computing projects powered by code, art and design majors create sculptures, theatre students build props for sets, fashion students bring their clothing designs to life, and even neuroscience students utilize the Makerspace to build rodent enclosures used in research studies. These are just a few examples of the ways the makerspace is being used by QC students, faculty, and staff. The possibilities for the QC Makerspace are limitless.

Many professors are also making use of the space and scheduling classes there. Anthropology, math, design, physical computing, economics, and even philosophy classes have been held in the Makerspace and enhanced students’ learning in unique ways. Some examples include computer science students learning programing, mathematics students designing jewelry based on mathematics concepts, and economics students surveying the space to see how makerspaces can be used in local communities.

QC community members who want to use the Makerspace simply need to attend a 20-minute orientation that introduces them to all the available tools and machines, answers questions, and reviews safety procedures. Once they attend the orientation, they are free to use the Makerspace as much as they please. No appointment is necessary. Simply show up during open hours, which are listed on the Makerspace website.

Starting from Scratch

Normal has served as the head of the Makerspace since early 2018, when it launched as a residency program to gauge student interest. It has grown steadily. Since fall 2022, when students returned to campus following the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 500 students have attended the Makerspace orientation with students from 36 majors using the space at one time or another. 

Despite the steady growth of the Makerspace, there are still many challenges. Staff shortages make it difficult to have a regular schedule. Currently, Normal is the only full-time staff member, and he fills the gaps with college assistants and federal work study students. Because of the limited staff, hours of operations often change from week to week. Additionally, certain machines, such as the laser cutter, also require Normal’s supervision, which means that equipment can only be used when he is in the office.

Of course, budget is always a concern. Machines sometimes need to be upgraded or repaired, and raw materials are constantly being depleted. Materials for 3D printing, in particular, are in high demand and need to be replenished often. Normal helps to offset these costs by seeking out donations and recycling materials from old equipment.

Among the future goals of the Makerspace is to hire staff to have a more consistent schedule as well as to expand the floor space to increase the number of machines available. Also on the wish list: a dedicated space for classes so they can have a more private setting to work while walk-in students are allowed to use the main area.

Testing Out the Makerspace

In preparation for this story, I decided to take a crack at using the Makerspace myself. Since 3D printing is the most popular station, I figured that would be the one to try. While I had the option to create a unique item from scratch, I am not exactly the most technical person around (which is why I write for a living). So I chose to use one of the many repositories that offer pre-made 3D printer designs. During my orientation session, Normal provided me with a tutorial on how to do this, which is also available on the Makerspace website. I then went onto Printables.com, a website that offers 3D printing downloads with just about everything you could imagine, and downloaded one of their free designs.

I used the design that Normal suggested in the tutorial—a toothpaste tube squeezer—a basic but useful item to have around the house. It seemed like a good place for a novice like me to start. The process couldn’t have been simpler. After a few short steps using Ultimaker Cura, a 3D printing application, I had a file that was ready to print. I walked over from my office in Kiely Hall to the Makerspace, checked in at the front desk, plugged my USB drive into one of the 12 available 3D printers, and sat back and watched the printer go to work. In just a few minutes, I had a completed project, and the tube squeezer was ready to use. I now look forward to getting the most out of my toothpaste tubes for years to come.

I definitely will visit the Makerspace again, whether it’s to 3D print a more complex object, laser engrave a gift for a family member, or use the wood workshop to fix something from around my house. If you have a QCID, I encourage you take advantage of this hidden Queens College gem, too.

Register To Vote

Are you a U.S. citizen who will have lived in your current New York address for at least 30 days prior to Election Day and will be 18 or older on that date? You are eligible to vote in the November 5 general election—and you still have time to register. New Yorkers can register online, in person, or by mail; whichever option you choose, your application must be received by October 26. For the specifics, visit the New York State Board of Elections’ registration page. PS: People who have moved since the last election need to be registered with their new address to cast a ballot.

The NYC Board of Elections Wants You

The New York City Board of Elections is looking for poll workers—accessibility clerks, information clerks, inspectors, and poll clerks—for the general elections. Interpreters who speak Bengali, Chinese (Cantonese or Mandarin), Hindi, Korean, Punjabi, or Spanish are also needed. Poll workers and interpreters earn up to $250 a day after attending training and passing the exam (for which they will get an additional fee).

All positions are limited to New York City residents who are at least 18 years old; inspectors and poll clerks must also be registered voters. To apply for these jobs, complete the online form.

Jazz Trail Map Goes Online

The Queens Jazz Trail Map, a project described in QView 175, has launched its first phase online. Map users can read about nearly 40 musicians who lived or worked in Queens by clicking on their images. These individuals and others are represented on the map with icons for their respective primary instruments, such as guitar, piano, or trumpet; vocalists and venues are denoted by microphones. Because more material and features will be added over time, fans of jazz and music history are urged to stay tuned.

Freda Johnson ’68 will be inducted into the Bond Buyers Hall of Fame on September 18. Johnson spent her entire career in the public finance industry; she served as the first female executive vice president of Moody’s and then became president of Government Finance Associates, Inc., an independent public finance advisor . . . . Kara Schlichting and Daniel Cummings (History) will, in their capacity as researchers with the Melting Metropolis study (QView 184), team up with CUNY Community Sensor Lab’s Kendra Krueger for Climate Week “walkshops” on Governors Island on September 21. The walks will explore experiences of climate and the environment in New York City and cover community-led projects such as flood monitors and air quality sensors. Two approximately 90-minute sessions are scheduled, at 11 am and 2 pm. The event is free and open to all by advance registration Environmental Walkshop with Melting Metropolis & CUNY Community Sensor Lab Tickets, Sat, Sep 21, 2024 at 11:00 AM | Eventbrite . . . . Joseph Sciorra (Calandra Italian American Institute) will present “Where is Pete Panto? Memory and Activism in the Reclamation of a Working-Class Hero” on Thursday, September 26, at 6:30 pm at NYU’s Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò. Panto, a longshoreman and union activist on the Brooklyn waterfront in the 1930s, was murdered by the mob . . . . the Hellenic American Project (HAP) conducted its first live oral history recording on September 14 at the Hellenic Cultural Center. HAP Founding Director Nicholas Alexiou (Sociology) interviewed Eftychia Linda Carol Trotter, president of the Eftychia Project, which assists Greek-born adoptees looking for their roots.