Volume 53, Issue 3 | Keystone Press Award-Winning Student Newspaper | MARCH 2020
COVID-19 has reached Philadelphia. Here’s what you should know about the virus. page 2
A look at a CCPTV exclusive. page 8
A COLLABORATION IN COLLEGE RESEARCH The Presbyterian Historical Society tells about their on-going partnership with the college. page 5
How many students are actually living in the college’s luxury apartment complex, the Hamitlon? page 6
Voter registration sign up sheets go deeper than the Community College campus. page 9
The Vanguard’s Mission Statement: From a Scholar’s View, Sharing Stories, Research and Resouces that Shape the Community College of Philadelphia and its Community. www.thestudentvanguard.com
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NEWS
COVID-19: What Students Should Know
Pictured: Coronavirus, photo by LiveScience.com
Griffin Fadellin Some basic practices, updates, and where to find reliable information. The newest coronavirus has had a massive impact on our society in a very short amount of time. In the span of a few days, a national emergency has been declared, nonessential businesses and services have been shut down in Philadelphia, and CCP has no active classes until at least March 28th, with a planned update for students on March 26th. Accurate information can be precious and hard to find, like packages of toilet paper in a supermarket, apparently. Here are some general pieces of advice that could help you weather the next few weeks. Where to find accurate, up-to-date information The status of the virus and government response will likely continue to change very rapidly, and having the right information can keep you and those around you safe. While there are lots of news sources and internet sites talking about COVID-19, here are some sources you can look to for the most important, relevant information. For information on how to stay safe and healthy, to know what to do if you get sick, and to learn about the virus itself, check with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov. For updates on locations outside of the United States, visit the World Health Organization at www.who.int. To find out the status of services, public transportation, and businesses in Philadelphia, go to www.phila. gov. Finally, to find out the status of the Community College of Philadelphia, check with their website at www. ccp.edu. The college should also be sending emails and text messages for important updates. As a side note, this journalist would not recommend getting information on the virus from White House press briefings. While certain pieces of information are worth knowing,
like that a national emergency has been declared, the President and non-scientist cabinet members have repeatedly spread misleading, inaccurate, or blatantly false claims about COVID-19 and the ways that the federal government is managing the disease. This is not intended as a political statement, but rather a note of caution for safety’s sake. How to avoid contracting COVID-19 Most people who become infected with the coronavirus will recover, but people over sixty are not the only ones who have died from the illness. People with diabetes or immune, cardiac, or respiratory disorders like asthma are also at a heightened risk, and perfectly healthy people have died as well. While one person is likely to fully recover with minor symptoms or none at all, for others it could be more dangerous. It is also important to remember that some people have tested positive for the virus while exhibiting no symptoms, and test kits themselves are hard to come by, making transmission much easier and harder to track. For these reasons, we should take precautions to avoid becoming sick or spreading COVID-19. Here are some general guidelines to follow. Wash your hands often, and for at least 20 seconds. This is about the amount of time it takes to sing Happy Birthday twice, if that helps. Avoid touching your face if at all possible. Keep up good hygiene in general. Shower regularly, wash your clothes, and if you leave your house change into clean clothes when you return. Avoid physical contact with others if possible, especially if they have a cough or are sick. That being said, try to make sure older relatives and those who are sick or vulnerable have what they need to push
through, and experts generally agree that those in steady relationships should not need to fully distance themselves from their partners if neither of them are sick. Practice social distancing. This means to keep yourself away from others when possible, and is the reason schools and nonessential businesses have closed. The CDC recommends staying in your home when possible, avoiding crowds or going out during busy times of the day, and to try to be between 6-10 feet away from other people when possible. Disinfect objects and surfaces that are touched often in your home. This includes wiping down door knobs, keyboards, TV and console remotes, often-used handles, railings, etc. You can think of it as spring cleaning, and generally is a good habit anyway. Finally, try to relax and practice selfcare. While many of us are going to be out of work, there are already relief programs in the works that will go into effect very soon. Grocery stores, pharmacies, pet stores, and gas stations will remain open, and restaurants may transition to take-out only. In the meantime, socialize online, over the phone, or in small groups with a safe distance. If you would like fresh air, the experts suggest taking walks in uncrowded times of the day or in quiet places. What to do if you get sick As mentioned before, many of those who become infected will recover. Focus on feeling better. Here are some practices. Self-quarantine immediately when you feel like you have a fever. Staying in bed can help you get better while also preventing yourself from spreading the virus to others. Call your doctor if you feel very ill.
If they tell you to go to the hospital, do so. Make sure you can breathe easily. Breathing in steam, taking cough medicine and using inhalers if you have asthma will help clear up your airways. Avoid anti-inflammatory medications, as they lower a part of the immune system that works to combat the virus. Instead, take fever reducers that include acetaminophen. Once you feel better, wait before coming into contact with others. The CDC asks that if you have not been tested you wait until you have gone 72 hours without a fever, your other symptoms have improved, and it has been 7 days since you first felt sick. None of these points are a full list, and you should absolutely read the CDC’s guidelines for more information and clarification. Unfortunately, very few people are experts on what to do in situations like this, so it is up to each of us to do what we can to keep updated on what we need to do to stay safe. While there aren’t any classes at the moment, we are still a community, and our school and city will make its way through this crisis with all of us together. Being indoors like this can feel very isolating, and sometimes being home for so long can be complicated, but know you are not alone. We are all in this together. If you’re scared, or you know someone who is, reach out to them over the phone or online. If you know someone in need, take precautions and help them. Be careful, be safe, and we’ll see you when school comes back. You’ve got this. Sincerely, The Vanguard
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The Woman in the Mirror: A Story About Jazelle Melissa Lushington
A young woman's quest to find the gem within “Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” in a Snow White perfect world, we would all feel like we are the fairest of them all, because we would all naturally feel that confident and secure about ourselves wherein our thoughts and opinions would always be positive, but life is not a Disney movie is it? Can you think of one Disney princess that has ever looked herself in the mirror and stated, “I hate the way I look, I’m ugly, and I want to change it.”? Of course you can’t think of any scenario like that, because that scenario does not exist. Practically every single female that has ever been a Disney princess has always traditionally been a thin-slim, pretty-faced figure. In the real world, there are many magazines that advertise that same figure as well. According to an article titled The Negative Effects of Women’s Advertizing, Small Business Chron Writer Robert Vaux explains the dangers of having such imagery be the poster child for selling products when he states, “Unhealthy body images in advertising -- regardless of whether they are used to sell weight-loss products or something else -- project an unrealistic image of women's body weight, and according to HealthyPlace.com, can contribute to the development of anorexia, bulimia and other serious eating disorders in women.” Robert is proven to be right in this case because according to another article titled 11 Facts about Body Image, statistics show that an estimated 91% of women are unhappy with their bodies and therefore resort to dieting to achieve their ideal body shape. While many women still struggle with this very important social issue, one woman was able to turn negativity, into body positivity. This woman’s name is Jazz Cruz, and this is her story. Growing up as a child, Jazz always had negative thoughts about herself, and she always had insecure thoughts about her body. After all, she was a round short girl with big glasses in an all-white school, and people made fun of her. Jazz started having negative thoughts about herself when she was five years old, and her dark thoughts would lead her to toxic behaviors where she became a people pleaser and was more concerned about what people thought about her than what she thought about herself. You know, most women that suffer with body insecurity issues often develop dangerous eating habits that would lead to eating disorders and bulimia. Jazz however never had that mindset of pursuing that option. What she did instead, was make herself sick on purpose so she can get out of school and away from the bullying. Referring back to an article titled 11 Facts about Body
Pictured: Mirror Graphic, photo by vectorstock.com
Image, statistics show that “Body image is closely linked to self-esteem. Low self-esteem in adolescents can lead to eating disorders, early sexual activity, substance use and suicidal thoughts.” Jazz like most others, did suffer from many thoughts about suicide, but unlike most women, Jazz was brave enough to acknowledge that she had thoughts of suicide and wanting to die, but she never went through with it because she was too strong to allow those negative thoughts to get to her. This goes into the type of person that Jazz is as an individual, because when I first met Jazz, it was in September of 2018 for the fall semester course of Voice Articulation. From my experiences of working with Jazz and getting to know her, I was able to see that Jazz is a strong and powerful individual who loves and accepts herself just the way she is. This strong mentality of female empowerment came from the advice that Jazz’s mother gave to her which helped transition Jazz’s perspective about herself from negative to positive. The advice simply stated, “For every wrong thing you find wrong about your body, there’s five things that are great.” Because of this advice, Jazz is able to now regain her power from the negative critics who took it from her when she states, “I am a warrior goddess, who always finds a way.” Through the experience, Jazz was able to learn that no one was really holding her back from her greatness and full potential except herself, and the only way for her to truly live out her biggest dreams and desires, she needed to start believing for herself that the size of her body, does not determine the brightness of her future. When you look at body positivity
from Jazz’s perspective, it means: “Acknowledging your flaws, accepting them, and celebrating them as your uniqueness.” When Jazz was bullied as a child, she viewed it as severe and traumatizing due to the comments made about her weight. Now as a grown adult, Jazz can look back on those moments now as being childish stuff, or in other words, kids just being kids. When it comes to body positivity, Jazz wants people to learn that just because you’re positive about your body, doesn’t mean you’re going to be positive about it all the time. After all, Jazz herself has learned through experience that it’s an up and down battle with your body when it comes to accepting it for the way it is. However, Jazz also wants people to learn to embrace their appearances and its flaws even if society doesn’t, because she was able to do that for herself. In conclusion, going out to shop for clothes, standing on a scale, and looking at ourselves in the mirror may seem like some of the most challenging moments to experience in anyone’s day. After all when we do those things, our brains typically remind us of how different our bodies are from everyone else’s and our negative inner voices gives us the horn effect perception that we’re unwanted, unattractive, and undesirable. However, I hope that after reading this story about Jazz, you’ll realize that the woman you see in the mirror is truly the fairest of them all, because the woman that you see in the mirror, is the uniqueness and naturalistic beauty of you.
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PHS to Open their Archives for Student Usage Abdullah Pullin
The Presbyterian Historical Society explains their partnership with CCP facets of American history, but is also helpful in creative writing and fiction writing. Several students have been inspired enough by the venue and its artifacts to create art centered around it. The Historical Society is also planning an exhibit at the end of the Summer for students of the College to showcase their work and document their journey with the archives. “Students are doing their own individual research for the coming exhibit,” Tangeman says.“I think it will be that much more interesting to have student insight on the matter,” Tangeman says to have students, like the ones at CCP, take their own struggles with coming to archives into consideration,
Pictured: PHS archives/photo by Jackie Brown such as their job or their children, factors that most students at the college have which could be a deterrent when exploring PHS. “It’s been gratifying to do this project with CCP,” says Jenny Barr, a lead archivist on the project. There has been interest with both students and faculty with using the materials at PHS. “It’s been really fun to see the level of creativity and energy that students have put into this project,” says Barr.
Students such as Chris Ludd, this semester’s intern at the Society. “It’s not just students who come in and do work, but also introduces people to what it is like to work in the field of archivism altogether” Ludd says. Through the internship, CCP students get to interact with people in various archival departments to see the different kinds they might be interested in pursuing, such as technical services, cataloging, communications, and
marketing. “We’re hoping that students get a sense of the range of that work and if they like it, maybe they will pursue it further,” Barr says. With the opening of their materials to the use of students and faculty at the college, one can only imagine what they, or other archives, will do in the future. The Presbyterian Historical Society has done tremendous work with the college and will continue in the near future.
Pictured: PHS archives/photo by Jackie Brown
The Presbyterian Histor-ical Society plans to open its archives to the public, especially for use by CCP students. Since 2018, PHS has been partnered with the College to create collaborative research projects, introducing CCP students to artifacts going as far back as the 1400s, and opening its archives helps students with additional and exact research on their projects.“We exist to document the history of Presbyterian Churches, but the use of these materials is not specific to Presbypyterians,” says Fred Tangeman, the director of Communications and Marketing at PHS. Along with information on churches, the archive holds stories of American history, specifically in Philadelphia. “The point of our project is to find a second use for these items.” This is helpful to classes that look at different
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It’s 2020. How’s the Hamilton Doing Since it Opened? Abdullah Pullin
Pictured: The Hamilton/photo by Michael Angelo Smith
What has become of CCP’s luxury student housing in its second year of operation? When you walk out of the Bonnell’s east exit, right across the street, you’ll see the Hamilton, a luxury apartment meant to fill in the much-needed gap CCP has of student housing. The original plan was to appeal to international undergrads with the means to pay the $1400 to $3586 a month rent price that the Hamilton would charge, but where are those students? Where are any students at the Hamilton for that matter? If you had walked past there, the ratio would be the same as the people walking in and out of a luxury apartment in Northern Liberties and it tells. Poorer students are at their homes off-campus, living with family, living on the street if necessary, but not paying the price of rent for the Hamilton that is too expensive to have along with the cost of tuition, books, fees, and food. That large international student number has dropped since the lofts opened and only were able to attract 30 CCP students to fill the 279-unit apartment as of Spring 2019. CCP president, Dr. Guy Generals said that this new housing project gives more liveliness to the campus and is a “net-good” bringing in $586,000 to the school, which is not that much since the college is immensely underfunded by $17 million. With the use of foreign students who are not there and $150 million dollars thrown up into the air, what is there to do with the Hamilton? It ultimately becomes useless and faculty can tell. “This project has undeniably
Poorer students are at their homes off-campus, living with family, living on the street if necessary, but not paying the price of rent for the Hamilton that is too expensive to have along with the cost of tuition, books, fees, and food. ~Abdullah Pullin
overlooked the needs of our current students from the beginning,” says Junior Brainard, the co-president of the Faculty & Staff Federation of CCP in an interview with Billy Penn. It’s 2020 and how is the Hamilton doing now? Its website fits the mold of any loft’s website with no reference to the college, but a brief mention of the distance between the campus and the complex on the FAQ page. The apartment is open for students of the Penn, Drexel, and Temple, none of which are situated across from the Hamilton, and anyone who likes to be within walking distance of Center City. “We are still partnered with the Hamilton,” Dr. Generals says in the wake of the loft’s second phase, just as “beautifully efficient” as its predecessor and undoubtedly bringing in more money for the college, but a doubling down, both figuratively and literally, at that.
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Trust in News Media Nastassja Holm
Restoring relationships between news organizations and local communities was the primary focus of the February 27 panel “Building Trust in the News Media.” Part of CCP’s annual Law and Society week, the panel was organized by Resolve Philadelphia, a local non-profit organization focused on solutions-based journalism. The event was moderated by Resolve co-executive director Cassie Haynes and featured Resolve community engagement editor Derrik Cain, Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Mike Newall, CCP English professor Debonair Oates-Primus, and The Vanguard editor-in-chief Abdullah Pullin. Attracting a mix of students and local professionals, the discussion resonated highly with students who grew up dissatisfied with media coverage in their communities. “It’s hard for me to trust the media,” said student Nydea Graves, attributing her distrust to violence-inducing coverage following 9/11 and heavily biased coverage of her community in Coatesville. “I liked hearing from Resolve that they are working really hard to close that trust gap between communities and news outlets.” Graves was especially interested in Resolve’s “Sound Off” event series. Sound Off events, run by panelist Derrik Cain, function as “community newsrooms,” facilitating accurate coverage of historically underrepresented and unfairly reported communities. “Imagine if journalists used community feedback to write stories,” Cain urged. These efforts “prevent the spread of false narratives, particularly in black and brown communities,” something Cain identi-
Pictured: Cassie Haynes moderating with panel/ photo by Vanguard Staff
A panel on bringing back trust in journalism
fied as a major source of distrust in the media. According to panelist Mike Newall, the establishment of mutual trust through these events needs to start with traditional reporting as well. “People often go into communities and end up speaking to or for the community, and that isn’t the right way to do it,” Newall said. He stated that the responsibility of a reporter is to instead “be aware of differences and make it clear why you care.” Panelist Debonair Oates-Primus drew parallels between media efforts to build trust and trust-building efforts she makes in the classroom. “Their lived experiences mean that they have not been taught to build trust in these institutions,” Oates-Primus explained, adding that news consumers and community members then pick up on “the lack of effort to build that trust.”
Throughout the panel, she also advocated for increasing diversity in the journalism industry, addressing racial bias in newsrooms, and eliminating coded language. These goals resonated most with student Nydea Graves, who suggested she could begin to gain trust in news media “if news institutions are really working on taking out coded language and also being really honest about what differences there are.” While building trust takes more than what can be covered in one panel, reaching and considering the perspectives of community members like Graves is the main purpose of Resolve Philadelphia’s community engagement projects. “69% of people who have lost trust say that it can be restored,” cited moderator and Resolve co-executive director Cassie Haynes. “That is a statistic we hold onto.”
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A Strange Day at CCP Michael Angelo Smith An inside look at CCPTV’s latest program There are strange occurrences happening at college. A college that is eerily similar to the Community College of Philadelphia. Zoe Delgado, student editor-in-chief (EIC) of The Beat Defender, discovers a story that could impact the students and staff more than the stress of transfer applications and final exams. Zoe must decipher between friend, foe, fact and fiction as she pursues leads. The more she digs the more the story seems to involve her beyond journalism. Professors gone missing. Cadavers coming to life. Faculty having mysterious meetings. Strange College feeds the imagination of conspiracy within the walls of institutionalized learning; X-Files and Twilight Zone meet the college experience. “And so for six months, every Monday during his lunchtime, Frank would come over for 45 minutes and we’d talk about this project. And through that process he wrote up the summary of what he thought it would be about and a four-page description of all the main characters. And that’s how we developed the show.” An excerpt from strangecollege.net of Allan Kobernick detailing how the idea of Strange College came to be. Kobernick discusses how he came to be the Director of Multimedia Services and Producer of CCPTV, which led him to meeting Frank Fritz, writer of Strange College. Kobernick’s mission was to “bring CCPTV back to life” and began by reaching out to the different departments. A long list of awards since 2010, including 3 Emmys, says the mission is an on-going success. “So gradually we developed a whole series of shows, we’re up to 18 now, co-produced by faculty who are interested in having the shows. And now we create about 80-90 shows per year, all done in-house. We’re at 85% in-house content.” One of those shows, Take Me Out To The Riot, introduced Allan Kubernick to Frank Fritz and the inception of an idea that would become Strange College. Fritz drew inspiration from a podcast, books, and shows he enjoyed but didn’t deliver on the experience he was searching for. “So I decided I would just make my own -- a podcast that would capture the experience of strangeness and wonder that I love to discover in books, TV shows and movies. And then, when I brought the idea to Allan Kobernick, he suggested we do it as a web series.” Fritz wrote a show with thoughts on human nature and mixed it into mythos and mysticism, delivering a script that promotes a thoughtful discussion while keeping a light-hearted approach through absurdities. “I have come to believe that human nature is about will directed to a higher calling. When
Pictured: Sylvia Duke, Nykko Vitali and Dr. Claudia Curry/photo by CCP Staff people use their will to please only themselves, to pursue their own individualistic aims, social, psychological and spiritual sicknesses arise (and to the Lemurians [which is the name of the people who serve Balatruk] human society on Earth shows all these sicknesses). People, of course, don’t easily recognize this nature.” The show is intended to draw laughter at some of the strange customs people in college might take too seriously. For example, the curse that is spread through grading papers or the role of student EIC that Zoe takes on with a ‘real world’ seriousness. A highlight of moments that, in the moment, may cause anxiety but, given time, are looked back and laughed about (hopefully). “ In one way, the show aims to highlight the absurdities (& the absurd should draw a laugh) of the academic universe. We know that people already think that school isn’t like real life -- even though it’s meant to prepare you for real-life (& this contradiction is absurd in itself). But academia is like a strange tribe with weird customs. Students are like anthropologists trying to learn the culture. Inevitably there’s going to be absurdity. I think the paper that kills is one of the ways I try to show an absurdity.” Perhaps a life lesson to the effect of, be a good person and try to enjoy life as it happens. And it seems to show in the cast. While most of the cast was busy with school and work life, Brooke Rogers who plays Martina Kroptokin, Zoe Delgado’s best friend, shared some of her time to discuss being a part of the show and what it was like working on set. “It’s been really positive. Everyone who works on the show is really cool.” Zoe, played by Sylvia Duke, and Martina appear as a kind of dynamic duo. The hard charging in-your-face protagonist and her intellectual information gathering foil. Although Brooke spoke of how she related to part of
Martina’s gossip side, it would be a mistake to misread Martina as someone who merely likes to gossip. Brooke spoke towards the tough sidekick’s “edge” by stating, “I liked how Frank wrote the character and gave her an edge with the intellectual abilities that she has especially in regard to math and science.” Martina is a smart, fashionable, well networked person and, in such, an excellent ‘source’ of information for the journalistic Zoe. Brooke went on to speak about how well the two characters contrasted each other, and how playing Martina allowed her to explore some traits that were out of character for her. The cast of Strange College was a positive learning environment for all to develop and step into characters that may have been outside of their wheelhouse. Brooke said that everyone was always helpful in the various takes and in between setups. “Once we started reading, doing roundtables, and getting the way people would actually speak… working around the dialogue but also what we think our character would do, Frank was appreciative of that. He was like that makes sense because you are taking the character as your own.” Three episodes in and a fourth on the way, Strange College is a show that CCP should tune in for. The show hosts a cast that is invested, a writer that crafted an amazing tale, and a production team that brought the idea to life. Laugh at exams and papers, watch the growth of Zoe, Martina, and other characters, or tune in for some thinking material. Strange College takes on the viewer on adventure through the “strange and wonderful.”
Pictured: PHS archives, photo by Jackie Brown
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A Deeper Look at Voter Registration Nastassja Holm
In the midst of a high stakes election cycle, it’s near impossible to avoid one question on campus: “Are you registered to vote?” The answer may be simple, but that won’t keep volunteers from traveling across state lines just to ask. Progressive organizations such as Boston-based Blue Revolution regularly bring out-of-state volunteers to the CCP campus to run voter registration drives. Considering registering new voters to be conducive to increasing voter turnout, canvassers from typically democrat-voting states such as New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey view voter registration drives as a way to insert themselves in the political process of battleground states. “When people come from outside the neighborhood or outside the state, they mean business,” said Dan McCool, organizer of Blue Revolution, who flies in from Boston once a month specifically to register voters at CCP. “They’re no longer just crouched in front of a laptop screaming at a stranger on the internet,” he added. As for how much of a difference canvassers such as McCool are actually making offline, students are skeptical. “I wouldn’t sign up with a creep with a clipboard outside in the cold,” said
Pictured: Students with vote pins/photo by TBRnewsmedia.com
How much bigger is canvassing on campus?
student Jordan Washington. “I always get the same question over and over again,” he said, emphasizing that the process feels especially obnoxious because he registered when he turned 18 and already votes every year. This concern is reflected in the relatively impersonal canvassing process itself. “We don’t really talk much,” organizer McCool said about his interaction with new voters. “People sort of register and then go about their day, and you try to find someone else really quickly.” The dismissive and impersonal attitude of canvassers raises questions about the efficiency and significance
of this type of voter registration drive on campus. “It’s easy to just lie and walk away” said student Yogan Hernandez. “I get that every voter matters, but there has to be a better way to do this,” he added. “Maybe the school can send out emails and give forms out in class.” Increased involvement of the school or community members in voter registration drives was also suggested as imperative to establishing trust with new voters. “I registered in high school, and I trusted them because they’re my teachers,” said student Gabby Ortiz. “But [canvassers]? I don’t trust
them enough to give them anything.” While a common concern for students, organizers such as McCool do not prioritize local outreach or forming canvassing teams that are representative of the CCP community, choosing to instead focus on relatively arbitrary quotas. “There is definitely a class difference in who has the leisure time to do political activism,” McCool said about the lack of student volunteers on his canvassing team. “At the same time, we need to register 50 people this week to stay on target.” Due to a lack of information about upcoming school-sponsored voter
registration events, canvassers such as McCool are still the primary avenue for voter registration on campus. However, students can still register online at register. votespa.com or by filling out a registration form available at the Vanguard office at S112F. April 13 is the registration deadline to vote in the April 28 primary election. If unsure about your registration status or polling location, you can find that information online at https:// www.pavoterservices. pa.gov/Pages/voterregistrationstatus.aspx
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SPORTS
A Prideful Playoff Run Brandan Thomas
Our Lions Earned the Number Three Seed ...
A recap of an exciting playoff game On February 19, 2020 region nineteen basketball chairman Jack Sullivan announced the playoff seeding for its basketball teams live on twitter in their annual “Bracket Release Show”. In the women’s division three bracket defending champions Passaic (21-1) drew the number one seed and received a first round bye. Gloucester (17-9) drew the number four seed and faced fifth seeded Middlesex (1810). Ocean (18-4) was slated to be the number two seed and matched up against seventh seeded Sussex (14-11). Our Lions (16-5) earned the number three seed and hosted a first round matchup with sixth seeded Bergen (15-8). In this playoff format one game determines it all. The winners of each round will advance, lose and that team will go home. Walking into the Lion’s Den for our team’s first round matchup against Bergen, the significance of this game was elevated like no other. Pamphlets were passed out to all in attendance upon entering the arena. The pamphlets listed the full rosters for both teams, and on the back a team photo of our pride standing tall.
Five minutes before tipoff, all six active Bergen team members were on the court working on their jump shots while the Lions were huddled up in the locker room off in the distance. Roughly two minutes before the start of the game, the Lions began to make their way onto the court. All five members appeared fierce, yet relaxed as they feast their eyes on their prey. At noon the ball was tipped and the Lions wasted no time. In the first quarter the Lions defense was close to flawless. The Lions showed active hands on defense, challenging Bergen’s every dribble and pass. The Lions as a team refused to be beaten off the dribble and forced Bergen into a bevy of contested jump shots. On the off chance that the Lions perimeter defenders were blown by, those who dare would go face to face with the six-foot- four-inch giant that is Lions Center Aminata Gackou. Gackou deterred Bergen from going into the paint, resulting in an abundance of missed layups and floaters. The Lions offense was certainly
fun to watch in the first quarter. Shooting guard Aariona Harmon and Small Forward Cassandra Colon were undoubtedly in a groove. Harmon made three three-point shots and led the Lions in scoring with nine points after the first quarter; however, it was Colon who really stole the crowd. On Colon’s first basket, Colon got the ball on the post, took one dribble, spun off her defender and drained the shot right over the outstretched hand of her defender. On Colon’s second basket, Colon froze her defender with a hesitation dribble before driving right and throwing up a contested floater over two defenders while being fouled. On Colon’s final basket of the quarter, Colon called for an iso on the right wing then used the crossover to create separation between herself and her defender. The added space gave Colon enough time to raise up for a three-point shot—nothing but net. The Lions lead after one quarter of play eighteen to eleven. The second quarter started out rough as both teams struggled to get anything going offensively. Bergen was only able to muster seven points in the quarter with
five points being scored by shooting guard Nicole Gaito. The Lions offense was jump started with two fast break layups by Colon and Harmon. Point Guard Elan Wali was able to find power forward Tahira-Halina Hunter-Vance for an easy layup after drawing the eyes of four Bergen defenders. Colon closed the quarter with two mid range jump shots, the first yet another spinning jumper. In the second shot Colon crossed her defender twice before taking a pull-up jump shot. At halftime the Lions lead twenty-eight to eighteen. In the third quarter the Lions re-established their defensive dominance and again held Bergen to a measly seven points. One could argue that Bergen should only have had three points because the other two baskets came on questionable non-calls. The first was an obvious six-step walk, but the referee ignored it and counted the layup. The other was scored on a block/ charge call that could have gone either way. Gackou again forced several misses at the rim and Wali had two timely steals.
Pictured: CCP's Lions Women's Basketball Team and coaches 2019-2020/CCPedu.com
11 | The Vanguard The Lions defense led to offense pretty easily in the third quarter. Hunter-Vance made two spectacular outlet passes after securing defensive rebounds. On offense, the Lions displayed a balanced scoring attack. Harmon scored seven points in the quarter and continued to show her touch from beyond the arc, as she made yet another three-point shot. On this particular play, Harmon inbound the ball to Gackou before flaring out to the corner and making it rain yet again. Colon made two quick baskets in transition early and finished with five points in the quarter. Wali had two nice layups in this quarter, one in transition. The other came when Wali crossed her defender, took the contact and proceeded to lay the ball in for a nice finish. Wali ended the quarter scoring five points and Gackou even chipped in two points on a tough layup. At the end of the third quarter the Lions lead forty-seven to twenty-five. In the fourth quarter with the Lions having a commanding twenty-two point lead their defense relaxed a bit, which allowed Bergen to make open jump shots. Bergen scored sixteen points in the 4th quarter and converted on five of their seven free throw attempts. Ultimately, it wasn’t enough to overcome the Lions large fourth quarter lead. The Lions put up ten points in the fourth quarter with mid range jump shots by Colon and Wali. The highlight of the quarter came when Gackou saved a loose ball while narrowly avoiding stepping on the out of bounds line , before throwing a no look pass to Wali for an easy layup. The final score was Lions fifty-seven to Bergen forty-one. Colon led the Lions in scoring with twenty-two points, Harmon came in second with eighteen points and Wali third with thirteen points. Hunter-Vance and Gackou each had two points for the game.
Eastern Pennsylvania Athletic Conference Player of the Year - CCP's Cassandra Colon (30)/Photo courtesy of Elizabeth H. Field
In this game Colon displayed her excellent shot making abilities. Harmon made timely buckets, especially from the three point line. Gackou challenged all who dared step foot in the paint. Hunter-Vance was a beast on the boards and showcased unselfish play. Wali showed outstanding effort by routinely chasing loose balls to get her team extra possessions. Against Bergen the Lions proved that their playoff berth was not a fluke.The Lions rightfully advanced to the semifinals. The Lions ultimately lost in the second round to number two seeded Ocean (19-4).The loss came in heartbreaking fashion, as the Lions trailed by four points at the final buzzer. The final score was Lions seventy-eight to Ocean eighty-two. Despite the bitter end, the Lions gave us something to be proud of this season. This team posted a winning record (17-6) and made the playoffs with just five players on the active roster. The Lions gave the ultimate display of pride, and for that we are grateful. Job well done ladies, we thank you for your valiant effort and for showing the world what Philadelphia is all about; toughness.
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The Vanguard Sta Managing Editor of Print: Griffin Fadellin gfadell1@student.ccp.edu
Editor-In-Chief: Abdullah Pullin apullin1@student.ccp.edu
Managing Editor of Online/Social Media: Bree Brown bbrow145@student.ccp.edu
Associate Editor: Michael Angelo Smith msmit253@student.ccp.edu
Business Manager: Naomi Smith nsmit139@student.ccp.edu Faculty Advisor Eva Blackwell emblackwell@ccp.edu
Follow us @CCPTheVanguard Contributors of Volume 53, Issue 3: Michael Angelo Smith, GriďŹƒn Fadellin, Abdullah Pullin, Nastassja Holm, Melissa Lushington, Bree Brown, Jackie Brown, Brandan Thomas