Alpha Theta Phi Chapter - Phi Theta Kappa - LaGuardia Community College

By Jocelyn Perez Frida Kahlo’s“Lo que me Dio el Agua” provokes many emotions within me, as well as brings forth not just one in particular, but an onslaught of memories, specifically, the bathtub, and its significance to me. I had learned to perceive the bathtub as a place of cleansing and renewal, a place where, after the hardest of times, the water could simply wash away the pain of the day. I pictured some of my troubles rolling down my back and into the drain never to be seen again. The painting, however, made me wonder if my troubles truly vanish into the maze of pipes, or if they truly linger in the tub, present every time I step into it, rotting away in shadows. Could it be that they sit there waiting, watching night after night, prepared to reveal themselves when they so please? In the approximately fourteen years I have lived in this apartment, my bathtub has experienced countless showers, cleanings and those warm bubble baths, but it has also been stained numerous times by my...

By Tashdid Hasan Dozens of financial institutions declared bankruptcy in a matter of weeks. The real estate markets slumped after years of record highs, doubling foreclosure rates. Access to credit has dwindled over the past year which has affected everyone from college students to the pizza delivery man. To pull the market out from the mire of this economic malaise, the central bank is injecting capital into major investment banks and bank holding companies such as Goldman Sachs and Citibank among others. As we all know by now, a financial crisis in US housing market which in turn spread into the credit, the domestic and the global stock market has been the cancer of the current economic debacle. But before we get to the present crisis, let’s take detour to understand how we got to where we are today. Starting from the first quarter of 2001, the federal funds rate – the rate banks charge each other as interest for borrowing money – was gradually cut down to 1 percent throughout and af...

By Luis Feliz The working poor are struggling in an economic downturn in which they are taking home less money at the end of the week, witnessing their home values plunge with the constant fear of foreclosure looming and skyrocketing food prices draining their meager savings. In this economic debacle, Barbaric Yawp wants to ask LaGuardia students how they are managing their finances. Please share with us your concerns and struggles in these trying times.

Click here to watch this film now By Edgar Romero Alpha Theta Phi is hosting an event about politics and civil liberties with an emphasis on factors influencing the growth of socialism in Venezuela. For instance, what are the most significant factors affecting the growth of socialism? And to what extent does the distribution of wealth have to be relatively equal to sustain socialism in Latin American nations? In order to answer these many questions, Alpha Theta Phi has decided to proceed with a project to examine the impact of wealth distribution, crime, and civil liberties in Venezuela both before and after Hugo Chavez took office. To what extent is the case study of Venezuela a model for other political and economic restructuring ? In essence, this event will be part of a series of activities aimed at fostering a campus discussion about the Honors Study Topic, "The Paradox of Affluence: Choice, Challenges, and Consequences." The forum is entitled, "The Paradox of Wealt...

By Edgar Romero Discuss the impact of the current developments on the relationship between Latin American countries with the United States. How does the US have to reposition itself in light of the current situation? To answer the aforementioned question, you can watch the documentary posted in the next article, you can assist with the dialogue and discussion, "The Paradox of Wealth: Choices, Challenges, and Consequences," or read the essays at the bottom of the following piece.

By Jocelyn Perez The discussion on “The Paradox of Wealth in Latin America: Perspectives on Venezuela” shed some much needed light on the issues affecting our neighboring country. The panel touched on topics like the rise of socialism, international relations, wealth distribution and legislative reform. I found Gregory Wilpert’s remarks about how President Hugo Chavez came to power to be surprisingly interesting, because I had not known that it was due to the people’s insistence for change, both economic and political, that contributed to his election. Then, his rejection of any influence from the Venezuelan elite, and his use of nepotism allowed him to impose radical change on the government. These changes lead to the growth of socialism, which according to Consul Delgado was a form of stronger, more participatory democracy. She spoke with so much conviction that it proved to be incredibly moving. She argued that it was a far more effective way of securing the people’s rights and...

By Jocelyn Perez An interesting question was tossed around during my Ethics and Moral Issues class the other day: Should we eat meat? Should we wear animal skins? Are the businesses that feed us, clothe us and supply us with an array of products, doing something morally “wrong”? From what archaeologists can gather, the first humans hunted animals as a food source and used their pelts for clothing, and insulating their shelters. There has been evidence of tools and jewelry made from the skeletal remains of these animals. They used the entire animal and knew not to waste such a vital resource. Thousands of years later, these consumption practices were still present in Native American tradition and bison hunting, yet early colonists quickly dissipated the population when they started hunting for sport and leaving the carcasses behind. Today, although deer and geese are hunted for sport, they are eaten; some are even mounted on displays. These game laws are strictly regulated and sometimes...

By Edgar Romero Phi Theta Kappa is simply extraordinary in particular the chapter at LaGuardia Community College, Alpha Theta Phi. Walking through the corridors and stairs on campus, as if I were in an infinite labyrinth in which the echoes of a kaleidoscope of dialects sieve through the clickety-clack of people wearing boots or shoes as they pace to class, I stumble into a room numbered E103-V. There I was welcomed by a highly energetic lady who seemed to be processing information through her brain at the speed of light. It was like watching the abstraction of intellect materialize before my eyes. She introduced herself as Dr. Karlyn Koh one of the advisors of the Alpha Theta Phi chapter. Subsequently, I visited the Honors House, which I found in MB46. When I got there, I was met with warmth and charm. The chapter officers, who with dedication, work on projects to encourage scholarship, leadership, fellowship and service at LaGuardia, introduced themselves and asked me about my intere...

By Sasheen Pottinger Infertility is a major concern in our society and individuals ask themselves, “Am I cursed or what have I done wrong to be punished in this way?” The truth of the matter is that human beings are killing their sex cells by what they eat. I will give a brief definition of free radicals that will help you to better understand how what you eat affects your sex cells. Let’s begin. Free radicals are bonds that split in such a way that one molecule odd is left unpaired with electron. When weak bonds split, free radicals are formed. Free radicals are very unstable and react quickly with other compounds, trying to capture the needed electron to gain stability. Generally, free radicals attack the nearest stable molecule "stealing" its electron. When the "attacked" molecule loses its electron, it becomes a free radical, beginning a chain reaction. Once the process is started, it can cascade, resulting in the disruption of a living cell. In its simplest for...