Some Student Movie Picks

The Pianist
Gladiator (2000)
Troy (2004)
Elisabeth: The Golden Age (2007)
300 (2006)
The Patriot (2000)
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
La Vita e' Bella (1997)
Kingdom Of Heaven (2005)
Cinderella Man (2005)
1776
Miracle at Saint Anna
Catch Me If You Can
Godfather 1 & 2
Forrest Gump
The Aviator
Titanic
Valkyrie
Dream Girls
Cry of Freedom
Glory
The Color Purple
Thirteen Days
We were Soldiers
All the President's Men
Gettysburg

Professor Tony Makowski's (History) Movie Picks

A Man For All Seasons (should be mandatory viewing in college)
Downfall (one of the better films about the collapse of a regime - an evil one at that)
All Quiet on the Western Front (enough said)
Danton (the subtitles are killer - but the depiction of the French Revolution is quite good)
Goodbye Lenin (for a bit of humor)

Dr. Joseph Myers' (History) Movie List

Movies of 1990s and 2000s that Professors Want their Students to See Before they are Out of College

1990s
Braveheart (1995)
*Elizabeth (1998)
*Fight Club (1999)
The Matrix (1999)
Jurassic Park (1993)
New Jack City (1991)
*Schindler’s List (1993
Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Titanic (1997)
American History X (1998)
Bonus: Life is Beautiful (1997)


2000s
*Billy Elliot (2000)
Castaway (2000)
*Chocolat (2000)
Dark Knight (2008)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Gladiator (2000)
*O Brother Where Art Thou (2000)
The Pianist (2002)
Series: 28 Days and Weeks
Series: Bourne Series
Series: Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter
Apocalyptic Movies 90s and 00s : Armageddon, Deep Impact, The Day After Tomorrow, I am Legend

Math Makes History at DCCC

Recently, the DCCC Student History Club, Campus Life, the Public Service and Social Sciences Division, and the Math Division hosted speakers from the Battleship New Jersey. Two members of the Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial, Michael Flynn and Roger Willig, spoke about the battleship’s history and explained how algebra helped win WWII. The DCCC Student History Club was given a chance before the seminar to speak with them and more information about the speakers and the museum.

History Club: What is your job at the Battleship New Jersey?

Michael Flynn: I am the Director of Education at the museum. I have been there for two years. I am in charge of our on-board classes, which students of all ages enjoy, and the school outreach program, which brings the “ship” to the schools in presentations like today.

Roger Willig: I was a battleship tour guide for many years, and now I volunteer for the school outreach program. I was also a Professor of Math at Montgomery County Community College for twenty years.

History Club: Can you give us some interesting facts about the ship’s history?

Michael Flynn: The Battleship New Jersey was the longest battleship ever made. It had the largest guns and it is the most decorated American battleship with nineteen battle stars from WWII and Korea. It was the only battleship used in the Vietnam conflict. In 1991, the Battleship New Jersey was “mothballed” (decommissioned). The Battleship New Jersey was restored and, in 2001, opened as a museum and memorial.

History club: How did algebra help on the battleship?

Roger Willig: Algebra was used to figure out that they needed 660 pounds of gunpowder to fire the two-thousand-pound shells down the sixteen-inch gun barrels. The technology on the Battleship New Jersey was very advanced for its day. The guns on the battleship had sixteen different measurements that had to be taken before they were fired, like wind, humidity, ship speed, and direction. Some of the measurements included use of quadratic formulas.

History Club: Where can we get more information about tours and other events?

Michael Flynn: You can go to our website www.battleshipnewjersey.org to find the museum’s hours and prices. Information about our overnight visits, exciting special events, and how to become a member can be found there as well. The website also offers a detailed history of the Battleship New Jersey.

Interview by Kelly Brennan

Professor Jeffrey LaMonica (History) Attends Conference in Baltimore

Professor Jeffrey LaMonica attended a meeting of the East Coast Chapter of the Western Front Association on 7 November 2009 at the Maryland War Memorial in Baltimore, Maryland. Seminar topics included, World War One weapons technology, fortifications, and aviation. Professor LaMonica is vice chairman of the WFA's East Coast Chapter.

Professor LaMonica Poses Next to a German Minenwerfer Captured by American Troops in 1918

New Human Services Program

The Department of Public Service and Social Science began the fall semester by unveiling their newest degree option: an Associate Degree in Human Services. The introductory course had been well attended since it previewed as a special studies course so Southeast Center student interest was apparent from the start. Currently there are 18 students with a wide range of interests and majors in the Introduction to Human Service course (HUS101). Some are considering Human Services as their major and using this new degree to transfer to a Bachelors of Social Worker degree program at a four year institution.
Students were recently polled about the course content and they reported that the information they are learning is very interesting and applicable to their everyday experience. Students stated that they are finding it a very good fit with the knowledge they bring from their psychology and sociology courses. They also discussed their developing awareness of the complexity of human problems and the challenges of creating effective solutions. Many students agreed that they are experiencing an increase in empathy as they learn about serious issues like homelessness and mental illness. On November 9, 2009 the students have an opportunity for genuine service learning. They have been invited to participate in a meeting of the Delaware County Food Pantry coordinators, under the leadership of Alan Edelstien, MSW (Executive Director of Family & Community Service of Delaware County). Students will learn about the food pantry operation, the increased need for these services and how an agency coordinates this outreach. They will later partner with Phi Theta Kappa, the DCCC Honor Society, for a Holiday Food Collection Drive on campus. The next few weeks of the semester will be busy and exciting for the students. They are also participating in a group project where they will be presenting research on a particular problem and their creative approach to solving that problem to their fellow students. This collaborative project has resulted in many creative solutions that may one day impact the human service field as our DCCC students move into professional roles.

Dr. Joseph Myers' (History) Movie List

Movies of 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s that Professors Want their Students to See Before they are Out of College

1960s

The Apartment (1960)

*Dr. Strangelove (1964)

Cool Hand Luke (1967)

*In the Heat of the Night (1967)

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966)

The Graduate (1967)

*Planet of the Apes (1968)

Psycho (1960)

Seven Days in May (1964)

Bonnie and Clyde (1967)

1970s

Animal House (1978)

Apocalypse Now (1979)

*The Godfather I & II (1972-74)

Jaws (1975)

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)

Paper Moon (1973)

Rocky (1976)

Saturday Night Fever (1977)

Shaft (1971)

*Star Wars – all of them (1977-2006)

1980s

9 ½ Weeks (1986)

Amadeus (1983)

*Blade Runner (1982)

*Raging Bull (1980)

*A Soldier’s Story (1984)

She’s Gotta Have It (1985)

The Natural (1984)

War Games (1983)

Wall Street (1987)

The Year of Living Dangerously (1983)

Bonus: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) -- all of them

Somali Pirates

The Black and Women's History Committee sponsored a presentation by Dr. Mohamed Mukhtar on the Somali Pirates on 28 November. Dr. Mukhtar is a professor of history at Savannah State University in Savannah, Georgia.

Dr. Ife Williams(Political Science) Introduces Dr. Mukhtar

Dr. Mukhtar Speaks on the Somali Pirates