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F E B R UA RY 5 , 2 0 1 5 V O LU M E 4 I S S U E N O. 1 8
Stockton Kicks Off Black History Month
Stockton kicked off its celebration of Black History Month with the Unified Black
Student Society’s flag-raising ceremony outside the Arts and Sciences building on
Feb. 3. Later that day, the Africana Studies Program held a panel discussion titled
Selma: The Movie, the March, the Controversy.
IN THIS ISSUE
• Stockton Kicks Off Black History
Month
• Dr. James ‘Mac’ Avery Backpacks
Northern Laos Over Winter Break
Dr. Patricia Reid-Merritt, Distinguished Professor of Social Work and coordinator
of the Africana Studies Program; Dr. Donnetrice Allison, associate professor of
Communications and Africana Studies; and Dr. Diane Falk, professor of Social Work
and director of the MSW Program, provided commentary on the film, Selma, which
tells the story of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s epic 54-mile march from Selma to
Montgomery in 1965.
• College to ‘Go Red for Women,’
Fighting Heart Disease, Stroke
Dr. Reid-Merritt welcomed the group of students, faculty and staff, saying, “Thank
you for coming to our kickoff celebration of Black History Month. We are in fact
celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965,” federal legislation
prohibiting racial discrimination in voting which resulted from King’s march.
• Aviation Research & Technology
Park Elects Officers for 2015
• Academic Affairs Announces
User-Friendly Updates to Website
• Stockton Welcomes Director of
Human Resources Thomas
Chester
“I had such an emotional response to Selma,” she said. “I
remember how hard it was to watch the footage of Bloody
Sunday on TV and the film truly captured the passion of
the people who participated in the final march. This movie
teaches real lessons about the power of nonviolence.”
Dr. Reid-Merritt illustrated that the story is “relevant today
because of the modern struggles for justice such as in
Ferguson.”
Dr. Falk, a participant in the historic march, told the crowd
about her experience as a graduate student, arriving by bus
from Chicago to Selma.
“We arrived early in the morning on the Sunday of the big
march - more than 3,000 people would join us. We got there
Dr. Patricia Reid-Merritt, Distinguished Professor of Social Work in time to hear Dr. King address the marchers,” she said.
and coordinator of the Africana Studies Program; Dr. Diane Falk, “As the march wound its way out of the black section of
professor of Social Work and director of the MSW Program; and
Dr. Donnetrice Allison, associate professor of Communications town, the climate changed dramatically. In place of welland Africana Studies.
wishers ... were twisted faces and hostile masks. Eyes filled
with hatred followed us. People shouted curses at us, and some threw rocks. Cars with confederate flags proudly displayed
drove by slowly, the occupants shouting threats and making gestures.”
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F E B R UA RY 5 , 2 0 1 5 V O LU M E 4 I S S U E N O. 1 8
Stockton Kicks Off Black History Month
Continued
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Dr. Falk described her participation in the civil rights
movement as “both frightening and fulfilling.”
Dr. Allison, a scholar of the portrayal of African
Americans in film and television, discussed
controversies surrounding the movie. She
juxtaposed Selma with other films, including Glory,
Amistad and The Help – all told from the perspective
of the white experience in black history.
“Selma differs from most films about African
American history in that it is not told from the
‘white savior’ narrative,” she explained. “The
Jaynes, professor of Social Work and Africana Studies; Jeanne
director, Ava DuVernay, did not portray President William
Lewis, director of Financial Aid; Susanne Rabideau Dorris, associate
Johnson as the hero, or feature the roles of Jewish director of Financial Aid Technology; Humu Kaloko, housekeeping
Thomas Roth, bursar; and Dr. Arnaldo Cordero-Roman,
and white Americans, who were also participants in supervisor;
associate professor of Spanish, attended the Feb. 3 flag-raising ceremony.
the movement, at the forefront of the film. Instead,
she told the story from the perspective of the people actually involved, which made Selma emotional and captivating.”
The three faculty members used the discussion as an opportunity to emphasize the responsibility of today’s youth, encouraging
students to raise their voices for justice.
“Don’t call this a post-racial era, because it’s not,” Dr. Reid-Merritt said. “There are still struggles within communities and
there is a tremendous learning opportunity in this film. You have to have conversations with each other. You have to know
that if you put out the call for justice, people will come and people will make change.”
Dr. Falk said through tears that she wanted to put herself on the right side of history. “I wanted to be able to tell my children
and my grandchildren that I had heeded the call of Martin Luther King to come to Selma. With the passage of the Voting
Rights Act a few months later, I saw that I could help make a difference in the world,” she said.
Dr. James ‘Mac’ Avery Backpacks Northern Laos Over Winter Break
Dr. James “Mac” Avery, associate professor of Political Science, spent
his winter break on a three-week expedition trekking across northern
Laos. Dr. Avery, who has been an avid backpacker for the last three
years, spends most holiday and summer breaks working on research
and exploring different regions of the world.
On his most recent trip, Dr. Avery completed a northern Laos loop
beginning and ending in Luang Prabang, a city in north central Laos
at the confluence of the Nam Khan and Mekong Rivers.
Throughout the trip, Dr. Avery spent time hiking through the jungle,
riding motorbikes through the mountains, kayaking and mountain
biking. He also went on a three-day trek in Nam Ha National BioDiversity Conservation Area, spending one night camping in the
bamboo forest and another night at a Khumu village.
Dr. James “Mac” Avery, associate professor of Political
Science, in Xam Neua, the capital city of Houaphanh
Province in northeastern Laos.
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F E B R UA RY 5 , 2 0 1 5 V O LU M E 4 I S S U E N O. 1 8
Dr. James ‘Mac’ Avery Backpacks Northern Laos Over Winter Break
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“The best part about traveling alone is that I rarely actually travel
alone,” he explained. “I end up meeting other backpackers, making
friends and traveling with some of the most interesting people.
Then we split up and go our own ways. Then, maybe we will meet
up again somewhere else.”
Dr. Avery’s recent research examines the relationship between
political inequality and economic inequality in the United States.
“My travels give me a broader perspective on economic inequality
by being exposed to inequalities in countries other than the U.S.,
which I sometimes discuss in my GSS course titled Unequal
America,” he said. During his exploration of the country, Dr. Avery was most surprised
to learn the extent of U.S. bombing in Laos during the second
Dr. Avery swings from the trees in the bamboo forest while
Indochina War.
trekking in northern Laos over winter break.
“Between 1964 and 1973, the U.S. dropped about 2.5 million tons of bombs on Laos, making it the most per-capita bombed
country in the world - more than what American planes unloaded on Germany and Japan combined during WWII. In
many parts of the country you cannot hike off of established trails because there are still many unexploded ordinances,” he
explained.
Dr. Avery traveled in between hiking locations in Laos by “bus” - usually a 1990s minivan packed with about 15 adult
passengers and several children. On one trip, he spent nine hours riding through the mountains on a road with no lines, just
wide enough for two cars to pass. Bus trips, while sometimes thrilling, were not his favorite part of the trip.
“One day, our bus driver stopped at a road-side stand to buy four bats,” he said. “When it comes to eating meat, the Lao do
not discriminate against any animal. I passed up on the fresh rats and carcasses of a couple other small animals I could not
identify. Fried grasshoppers were an option, too.”
In the last few years, Dr. Avery has backpacked four countries: Belize, Ecuador, Laos and Thailand. He has yet to decide
where to travel this summer, but is considering Malaysia and the Philippines; Vietnam and Cambodia; or Panama, Columbia,
Peru and Bolivia.
Recently, he has had a strong desire to become nomadic, or a full-time backpacker.
“I suppose I should stay put for a while as I have a deep commitment to the Political Science program here at Stockton,”
Dr. Avery grinned.
College to ‘Go Red for Women,’ Fighting Heart Disease, Stroke
Stockton plans to “Go Red for Women” in February, as part of the American Heart Association’s efforts to raise awareness
and funds in the fight against heart disease and stroke.
This year’s Wear Red Day is Friday, Feb. 6. Be sure to wear red and meet in the Campus Center Grand Hall for a group photo
with Mrs. Dot Saatkamp at 3:30 p.m. Everyone is invited to attend.
For a full listing of events, dates and times, visit Stockton.edu/heart.
F E B R UA RY 5 , 2 0 1 5 V O LU M E 4 I S S U E N O. 1 8
Academic Affairs Announces User-Friendly Updates to Website
The Office of Academic Affairs recently announced that the Academic Affairs website has been updated to enhance
functionality and to add content. Major changes on the site include the single navigation bar, an Academic Affairs news
section and a separate section for academic planning.
The Web Communications team, including Dave Vickery, assistant director of Web Communications; Joe D’Agostino,
associate director of Web Communications; and Lou Rivera, web assistant; and the Office of Computer Services, were
instrumental in the project.
Questions or comments can be directed to John C. Smith, assistant to the provost, or Mary Ann Trail, Professor Emerita.
Stockton Welcomes Director of Human Resources Thomas Chester
Thomas Chester recently joined Stockton as the director of Human Resources. He comes to Stockton from Princeton
University where he served the past 5 years as senior human resources manager. Prior to Princeton, Chester worked as the
director for HR at University of Pennsylvania, providing strategic leadership and quality service.
He has a master’s degree in Human Resource Management from Rutgers University; a J.C.L. from The Catholic University
of America in Washington, D.C.; and a B.A. from Seton Hall University.
Aviation Research & Technology Park Elects Officers for 2015
The Stockton Aviation Research & Technology Park (ARTP) board of directors recently elected its officers for 2015.
Dr. Edward H. Salmon, former president of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities and a former assemblyman, was reelected as president. Dr. Salmon is currently chairman of Salmon Ventures, Ltd.
Dr. Anne Harlan, retired director of the Federal Aviation Administration William J. Hughes Technical Center, was re-elected
as vice president.
Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson was re-elected as secretary.
A newcomer to the board from the private sector was recommended to President Herman Saatkamp for appointment by
the Stockton Board of Trustees. John Wiley, president of JLW Consulting LLC of Berlin, NJ, is a former acting director of
the FAA’s Hughes Technical Center, where he was also Aviation Research Division manager and spent 26 years in various
management positions. After approval by the Stockton trustees, he would become treasurer of the ARTP board.
The board also recommended reappointment of Sam Young, president and CEO of Tilton Fitness Management, as a member
from the private sector.
Send Us Your News!
We want to know about things going on in the Stockton community. Do
you have an unusual hobby? Did one of your co-workers win an award or
perform outstanding public service? Births, weddings, graduations and
the like are all good things to submit to The Stockton Times. Also, tell us
what you think of the new design! Contact the editor at 609-626-5521 or
[email protected]
News about distinguished students can now be found at Distinctive
Stockton Students. To contribute a news item for the blog, please contact
the editor at [email protected]