What Bill O’Reilly’s Resignation Means

By: Mary Kiser


Courtesy of Robot Butt



Bill O’Reilly’s no longer the most popular news anchor on Fox News; he’s officially retired with a $25 million check to his name.

After several claims of him sexually harassing guests and interns, he resigned from his position at The O’Reilly Factor, the network’s cash cow. His fans were in mourning, but their loss is a huge win for survivors of sexual harassment.

Sexual harassment’s traumatic. According to a statistics page, the 782 men and women surveyed show the problem’s bigger than people thought. “31% of the female workers claimed to have been harassed at work, [and] 7% of the male workers claimed to have been harassed at work,” the page states. Even places of employment are prey to predators, no matter the size of the company, or the status of the perpetrator.

O’Reilly, a man who made hundreds of millions of dollars for his employers, is no exception. He brought pain and suffering to his victims, and the $13 million Fox News gave to them “to keep quiet” only proves that money can’t heal scars or silence voices. However, good has come from the bad.

The severity of sexual harassment has gained international attention, and people are realizing the damning impact of the crime. Who cares that O’Reilly will no longer be on-air, or that Fox News lost a moneymaker. Here’s who really matters:

Perquita Burgess, Caroline Heldman, Jehmu Greene, Rebecca Diamond, Wendy Walsh, and every other survivor.

A Lesson from Australia

By: Callie Ball

A total of 8,305 people as of August 5 have been killed from gun violence in the United States, in 2016 alone. With more mass shootings occurring every year, the conversation over gun control continues to grow louder. I am not going to give you a list of all those different viewpoints and what they mean; I haven’t the time and I’m certain you have already heard them. Instead, I would like to give you a history lesson.

Port Arthur, Australia, 1996, a single gunman armed with a high powered rifle opens fire at a café, killing 35 people. Then-prime minister John Howard, just 6 weeks into his term and only 12 days after that mass shooting, launched major gun control laws into effect. The new laws made it illegal to import or sell automatic or semi-automatic rifles and shotguns, required citizens to wait 28 days before buying a firearm and only after presenting a legitimate reason as to why one is being purchased. It also called for a government gun buyback, firearms to be stored and locked up separately from its ammunition and have surprise police checks.

In the 15 years before Port Arthur, there were 13 previous mass shootings in Australia. In the 20 years since there has not been a single one.

In an interview with CBS News Sunday Morning, Carolyn Laughton, a survivor of the Port Arthur shooting in which she lost her daughter stated after being asked if there was a lesson for the U.S. in what Australia has done, “I am loath to comment. But my question is, ‘How is it going over there?’ But I can’t answer that for you. My heart goes out to all of you over there in America. Life is so short. And every one of us is somebody’s child. And when we see what’s happening, your hearts bleed.”

“People used to say to me, ‘You’ve violated my human rights by taking away my gun.’ And I’d respond, ‘I understand that. Will you please understand the argument; the greatest human right of all is to live a safe life without fear of random murder.” – John Howard

NASA and Mars

By Levena Lindahl

A really exciting fact came from NASA on November 4^th, and it might affect future trips to the red planet.  During the press conference, NASA confirmed evidence that liquid water flows on Mars, an announcement that is incredibly important to the question of, “Could there be life on Mars?”  This also is important for the possibility of future human colonies on Mars, as water is essential for life.

As seen here, these dark lines called recurring slope lineae, are thought to have been formed by contemporary flowing water, though it must only be present intermittently.  The bands come from hydrated salts and the mineral pyroxene.  The streaks ebb and flow, seeming to darken during warmer seasons, and fading during the cooler seasons.  The bands have also been seen in several locations on Mars.

The water on Mars would be briny, kind of like what would be found in runoff in areas that salt roads during the winter.  Briny or not, the shallow run off is enough to be noticeable by scientists here on Earth.  What makes this briney water special is the presence of minerals called perchlorates.  These are important because they have the ability to keep liquids from freezing in temperatures as low as -94 degrees Fahrenheit. 

This discovery of water on present day Mars is exceptional due to the fact that, before this, all discussions of water were about ancient or frozen water, not water that is currently there.  This lets scientists learn and discover how life could be supported on Mars and what resources are there to support life now and in the future.

If you’d like to read more on this, check out NASA’s website at http://nasa.gov !

Trident Tech's New Student Portal

  

by Chloe West, Mary Gorton, Tyler Durham

   In order to access all of our student and class information, Trident Tech students have to sign into TTC Express, then Google E-mail, and then D2L. That’s at least three tabs open right there. Could you imagine how simple it would be to be able to login just one time and have your TTC Express menu, unread e-mails, and your D2L courses all in one place?

   Trident Technical College, for the first time, is making this possible. Going live on October 23, 2012, is the new student portal system, my.tridenttech.edu, built to make our lives easy.

   The individuals that proposed this project are TTC’s own Joe Gibson, Director of the Information Technology Training Center; Dawn Higdon, Director of Web Services Department; and Lynne Ankersen, Assistant Vice President of Student Services. We met with the three of them in order to view a demo of the new portal, and, boy, were we impressed.

New Parking Area Available Aug 20th

A new large parking area near Main Campus will be available for use starting Monday, Aug. 20. The college has leased land on Rivers Ave. close to the Zaxby’s restaurant to provide additional parking for TTC students, faculty and staff. The new lot is on the same side of Rivers as the Main Campus and is connected to the campus by a sidewalk. TTC’s Public Safety Department will actively monitor the lot to provide security during the day and evening.

Laptop Stolen June 28th

Public Safety is investigating a reported car break-in that occurred today between 5:50pm and 7:40pm. The complainant reported that she was parked in the parking area between building 910 and building 920, known as lot "E", at the Main Campus. She reported that her laptop was stolen from under her front seat while her vehicle was unattended. Her doors were locked, but the windows were partially rolled down about 1/2 inch. There were no signs of forced entry, and no other items were stolen from her vehicle.

 

 

Crime Prevention Tip: Be alert for individuals loitering or acting suspiciously around the parking lots. Your prompt reporting to Public Safety may disrupt a crime while it is in progress. Also, be certain to lock your car doors and roll up your windows when your car is parked on campus. Please continue to report any suspicious activities or persons to Public Safety by dialing (843) 574-6053 or (843) 574-6911.

CARTA to change TTC route

by David Hansen

Effective Sunday, June 24, CARTA buses will make two stops on TTC’s Main Campus. The two new stops are replacing Route 10’s southbound stop on Rivers Avenue where students must cross several lanes of traffic to access the campus. The northbound route headed toward Summerville will not change.

Buses will enter campus via Mabeline Road and make a stop near the lot used for motorcycle training adjacent to Building 920. They will wind their way through campus, stopping again behind Building 410 near the retention pond. They will proceed to Stokes Avenue and then take a left onto Rivers headed toward downtown Charleston. (See map.) Temporary shelters will be installed until permanent ones can be constructed.

Berkeley Middle College Student Wins $30,000 Scholarship for Essay

Picture provided

By Zaneta Kennedy

Imagine going to school without having to worry about tuition. Sounds like every college student’s dream, doesn’t it?

This dream is a reality for Elizabeth Scannell, a junior at Berkeley Middle College. Scannell won the $30,000 grand-prize through the Veterans of Foreign Wars’ Voice of Democracy scholarship.

This year's theme was "Is there pride in serving in our military?" Participants were to write a three to five minute essay and record their voices on a CD to submit. Judging begins locally, then progresses to district, and then to state. State winners are invited for an all-expense paid trip to Washington D.C., where the winner is announced at a conference. The grand-prize is a one-time $30,000 award. Scannell's essay "Is There Pride in Serving in Our Military?" won. 

Phi Theta Kappa Wins Award

Mozell Rollerson, Sheila Morris, Casey Romero-Tobia, Rick Neff, Terri Sullivan

by Casey Tobia

Trident Technical College’s Alpha Epsilon Omicron chapter of Phi Theta Kappa brought home top honors at the South Carolina Technical Education Association (SCTEA) luncheon on February 24, in Myrtle Beach. The Student Community Involvement Project competition is designed to allow students in the Technical College system to showcase their community outreach projects. 

TTC’s Phi Theta Kappa chapter submitted their international honors project, “A Soldier’s Safety Net.” This project included creating a website that would help transitioning soldiers and their families as they go from military to civilian life. Alpha Epsilon Omicron created this project after learning that during this transition Veterans find themselves in the most need of assistance. They created a website that is a database of services available to veterans.

Trident Times Spring Print Edition Published

You can find the Spring print edition of the Trident Times in the TTC libraries on all campuses starting Monday, April 2.  Check it out!

Students Rally for the Lottery Tuition Program

By Thomas Stearns 

In January, Ann Welty, student activities director here at Trident Tech, took a group of our students to join with reps from the other fifteen technical colleges of South Carolina to a rally on the state capitol steps in a show of support for the Lottery Tuition Assistance program. There was a microphone, passionate speakers and about 300 people letting our lawmakers know that allocating Education Lottery money to the Lottery Tuition Assistance program is working (LTA).

How Does Logging On from One Place Sound?

By Joe Gibson

Have you ever wished your TTC email, TTC Express, and D2L courses were all available in one place with one logon? Well, it’s coming. A new and improved my.tridenttech web portal will be launched in Fall 2012. The goal of the my.tridenttech portal is to improve communication and provide a single point of access to applications and information for faculty, staff, and students. The new portal will provide single sign-on access to TTC Express, D2L courses and student email (Gmail) from one location.

This means no more multiple logins to these systems. Students will also be able to easily access their my.tridenttech email and view calendar events from the portal home page. The portal is geared to make a student’s college life easier, improve access to critical information, and help him or her stay connected.

2011-2012 Pell Grant Changes: How Will You be Affected?

By Taylor Hastings

Federal Financial aid demands are at an all time high, and funding at a low point. In 2011, nine million undergraduate students were awarded Pell Grants. However, Congress voted to change the Federal Pell Grant program for the next year. 

What is a Pell Grant? A Pell Grant, unlike a loan, does not have to be repaid.  The maximum Pell grant for the 2011-12 award year (July 1, 2011, to June 30, 2012) is $5,550.  The amount you receive depends on your financial need, costs to attend school, status as a full-time or part-time student, and plans to attend school for a full academic year or less. A number of students at Trident Technical College receive financial aid in the form of Pell Grants.