8 The QUEE NS Courier • DECEMBER 10, 2015 for breaking news visit www.qns.com CITY STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT ENGINEERING CAREERS IN LIC By Alina Suriel asuriel@queenscourier.com @alinangelica New York City middle-schoolers got an inside look at what it takes to build an educational facility during a “Meet-the-Builders” workshop in Long Island City on Dec. 3. The City Department of Design and Construction (DDC) in collaboration with the School Construction Authority (SCA) and Assembly member Rodneyse Bichotte hosted students from I.S. 392 in the SCA facility for the event, which consisted of a panel discussion a demonstration of scale models of DDC and SCA projects such as the South Jamaica library. The sixth-graders learned about what skills and educational requirements are needed to become an engineer or architect, and what career paths are available for students in the fields of science, technology, architecture and design. Afterward, the students got a chance to imagine a classroom of their own design in an interactive building activity. The event is part of STEAM—a partnership between public school and the DCC to provide educational opportunities to advance underrepresented youth in science-related fields. “They need to be exposed, because if they don’t understand what these careers are, they won’t pursue them,” said Lillian Llambelis, deputy commissioner of community partnerships and STEAM initiatives in the DDC. She added that there are many jobs open to science and engineering professionals and that it is beneficial for students to have an early focus on these fields. The program is funded through the Teach To Excel Foundation, which provides grants to fund projects in middle schools located in underserved and lowincome communities in Brooklyn. “The students will have the opportunity to meet role models in the engineering and architecture fields as well as tour different design models from DDC that will help them map out innovative ways to design their own school lab, ultimately setting the stage and pipeline of interest in the STEAM field,” Bichotte said. Photo via Twitter/@FDNY The FDNY battled a two-alarm fire at an Elmhurst home early in the morning of Dec. 7. Three firefighters among nine injured in earlymorning Elmhurst blaze By Angy Altamirano aaltamirano@queenscourier.com @aaltamirano28 Nine people — including three firefighters — were injured early in the morning of Dec. 7 when a fire ripped through all floors of a three-story home in Elmhurst, according to the FDNY. Fire officials received a call for the blaze at 42-67 Ketcham St. at about 4:24 a.m.; within eight minutes, it spread throughout the home and was upgraded to a two-alarm fire. According to a tweet from the FDNY, firefighters had to use a saw to vent out the attic of the home. One victim was taken in serious condition to Cornell Medical Center, five other people and the three firefighters were taken to Elmhurst Hospital with minor injuries. The FDNY had the fire under control by 6:50 a.m.; the cause of the fire is under investigation. CONGRESSWOMAN HELPS PASS MEASURE REMOVING OFFENSIVE TERM FROM FEDERAL LAW BY KIRSTEN E. PAULSON editorial@queenscourier.com/@QueensCourier The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation co-sponsored by Congresswoman Grace Meng that will remove the term “Oriental” from federal law. “Oriental” is considered an offensive term for Asian Americans and others of Asian descent. Meng’s legislation will replace all references to “Orientals” in federal law with “Asian Americans.” In 2009, Meng also passed similar legislation in the New York State Legislature to remove the word from official state documents. “The word ‘Oriental’ is an offensive and derogatory term that should no longer be used by the federal government,” said Meng. “Nobody in our country, regardless of ethnicity, should be referred to in an insulting manner by the government. It’s well past time to strike the legal use of this outdated term. It no longer has a place in federal law, and I look forward to the day when it’s finally gone for good.” THE COURIER/Photos by Alina Suriel Students examine scale models of projects previously completely by the School Construction Authority and City Department of Construction and Design.
QC12102015
To see the actual publication please follow the link above