Archives for February 2020

Camden County College, the Freeholder Board and partners on the local, state and federal levels are working together to reinforce the importance of public participation in the 2020 Census and the impact of an accurate count on our community.

“An accurate census count means that our community gets the proper level of funding and the appropriate representation in Congress, but we can only get there if everyone understands what is at stake and participates,” said Freeholder Carmen Rodriguez, liaison to the Department of Health and Human Services. “An accurate count is critical to the effective operation of government at all levels.”

Each decade, the United States Census Bureau is required to take a count of America’s population. This count is used to determine how many representatives each state receives in Congress; to redraw district boundaries; to determine the need for new infrastructure such as roads, schools, and emergency services; and by businesses determining where to open stores and locations.

Some populations have historically been more difficult to count than others, including those living in poverty, the homeless, children, and racial and ethnic minorities. The addition of political rhetoric, surrounding a possible U.S. citizenship question that will not appear on next year’s census, has raised concerns that obtaining an accurate count will be even harder than in previous years.

“We have left money on the table for decades because of undercounts in our community,” Rodriguez said. “That causes a ripple effect that touches all government services as we are forced to shift funds from other areas to cover what we lost in federal dollars. This affects everyday social services but also our ability to fund road maintenance and school improvements.”

To ensure an accurate count, officials are emphasizing that the Census is safe, secure and 100 percent confidential. Census data is not shared with other federal agencies, local officials, or law enforcement.

For more information regarding participation in the 2020 Census, how to respond to the Census questionnaire, and why every response is critical, residents are encouraged to visit www.2020census.gov.

Camden County College’s dental hygiene and dental assisting students and staff – joined by area dentists – provided free cleanings, other preventive care and oral health education to area children on Feb. 7 for Give-Kids-a-Smile Day.

“We are proud to provide these free services to children who might not otherwise have access to dental care. In addition to cleanings and screenings, the children were taught about good dental health,” said Freeholder Jonathan Young. “Dental appointments can cost in excess of $100 per child per visit, and many families without insurance cannot afford this vital attention.”

Give-Kids-a-Smile Day is a national event that has been held on the first Friday in February for more than 15 years. It is intended for children aged 12 and younger with little or no dental insurance, and its aim is to provide a day of dental care to youngsters who would otherwise not have access to these services.

Each child was given an oral exam and offered services such as cleanings, x-rays, dental hygiene education, fluoride treatments, restorations and simple extractions. Gentle dental care was provided by volunteer dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants, Camden County College staff and students of the dental programs. The “Tooth Fairy” also made an appearance offering attendees support, prizes, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and a friendly smile.

Camden County College Athletics is currently ranked as the number one Athletic Program in the country for championship success for two year Non-Scholarship Schools by NATYCAA (National Alliance of Two Year College Athletic Administration). This prestigious ranking is called the Daktronics Cup and is conducted by NAYTCAA. Last year Camden County College Athletics finished 10th in the Nation of this award.

The Cougars used a third-place national finish in men’s soccer, eight-place finish in men’s cross county, fourth-place finish in women’s cross country and fourth-place finish in women’s tennis to earn the points that put them in the lead in the JJCAA scholarship division. Colleges in each division are allowed to use their top five finishes per gender at their highest level of competition to earn points for the Daktronics Cup.

The Daktronics Cup (formerly NATYCAA Cup) recognizes the top programs in three divisions of two-year college intercollegiate athletics, which include all 660+ members of NATYCAA. Divisions include: NJCAA Scholarship Division, NJCAA Non-Scholarship Division and the State Associations Division. Colleges earn points based on their performance in each division’s end of the season championship events. The winners of each championship earn 20 points, second-place finishes earn 19 points, third-place finishers receive 18 points, etc. Colleges use their top-five sports finishes per gender to accumulate points toward their division’s cup standings.

The Cougars are also ranked third in the country in the Learfield Sports IMG Directors’ Cup Standings. The Learfield Director’s Cup is conducted by The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today.