Oct. 14, 2004 issue 06 Loquitur

Why young people don’t vote?

LAUREN REILLY NEWS EDITOR LMR722@CABRINI EDU

Young adults between the ages of 18 and 29 make up 40.7 million, or 21 percent, of the eligible voters in the United States; however, in the 2000 presidential election, only 46 percent of voters meeting the age qualification marked their ballots.

Being the year of a presidential election, countless organizations encourage the registration and participation of American citizens to exercise their right to vote—the promotion of involvement is ubiquitous. Despite the efforts of the innumerable associations dedicated to inform, intrigue and implicate, many young Americans entitled to vote choose not to.

Although the right to vote is frequently overlooked by some, the privilege has drastically evolved. Changes began in 1870 with the ratification of the 15th Amendment, which stated that the right to vote must not be denied to anyone based on race, color or previous conditions of servitude. However, many states continued to disenfranchise minority voters until the approval of the Civil Rights Act in 1965 that codified the 15th Amendment, clarifying the prohibition of discriminatory infractions, such as poll taxes and literacy tests, which some states

practiced in order to establish white supremacy.

In 1971, just years after the 15th Amendment modifications, Congress passed the 26th Amendment, reducing the qualification of the voting age to 18 in all federal, state and local elections. Prior to these principle alterations, in 1920, the ratification of the 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote.

Though these laws were new to the previous generation, many young adults have not begun to utilize these freedoms. The U.S. Census Bureau surveyed people who did not vote in the 1996

presidential election and determined some common reasons why adults between the ages of 18 and 29 evaded the polls. The results showed that 21.5 percent reported being too busy, 16.6 percent were not interested in the election, 14.9 percent were unable to vote due to illness or an emergency, 13.7 percent did not like the candidates and 34 percent had other reasons.

Dr. Jolyon Girard, a history and political science professor, thinks that many young adults do not relate to modern politics.

“Young people don’t see the issues as fundamentally affecting

SGA distribute budget amongst organizations

KRISTIN AGOSTINELLI STAFF WRITER

KMA724@CABRINI EDU

Fifteen student organizations divided up more than $9,000 for fall semester activities following the Student Government Organization (SGA) meeting on Friday, Oct. 1st.

Throughout the meeting, SGA members discussed how much money would be given out to each organization. The guidelines and procedures for delegating the distribution of money were similar to those in previous years.

Unlike last year’s budget, there was more money to be divided up amongst the organizations. This year there was $12,000 to be given out compared to last year’s $ 7,000. The total amount requested by the organizations was $9,255, and that was the total amount granted,

leaving $2,745 for the spring semester

There are many different steps that are involved in deciding which student organizations are approved and which organizations receive the most money Students wanting to create their own organization or club must first get a packet containing a registration form from the Student Organization Funding Committee (SOFC). Then students must fill this out and return it to SOFC. The deadline for this was Sept. 17. Afterwards, organizations had to have their proposals to the Student Activities Office by Sept. 24 and make an appointment for a SOFC hearing. Organizations should have made an appointment on the 27, 28, or 29 of September to have a committee review of the proposals. During this, the clubs present why they requested the amount of money

they needed. On Thursday, Oct. 1, there was a general assembly meeting and the budget was approved by the SOFC, but Jason Bozzone, the director of student activities, approved the final budget, on Oct. 4.

The veteran student organizations include finance association, history/political science club, Ethnic Student Alliance (ESA), Latinos Unidos, psychology club, roller hockey club, search club, ski club and sociology club. Added to the roster this year were the college Republicans, Habitat for Humanity, the Honors Club, religious studies and Up ‘Til Dawn. Each organization received their requested amount of money this year, with Up ‘Til Dawn receiving the most, $2,000. Many organizations received a SGA, page 3

them,” Girard said. Subjects such as Social Security, Medicare and homeownership, which are more so forthcoming matters, may not be of concern to younger Americans, consequently discouraging their interest in becoming informed of each candidate’s position.

History and political science department Chairman Dr. James Hedtke agrees that the political ignorance of the apathetic individual hinders their ability to relate to many of the issues discussed by the candidates. Hedtke also believes that parents have a major influence on new potential

Espada r eads poetry

PAUL NASELLA STAFF WRITER

PJN722@CABRINI

EDU

Martin Espada, an awardwinning Puerto Rican-American, gave a poetry reading and book signing in the Widener Center lecture hall as a means of helping students understand the immigration issues that many professors are integrating into their courses this year.

Espada, who presented on the behalf of the Office of Student Activities, Academic Affairs, the English department, the Spanish department as well as the Academic-Intellectual Resource Exchange (AIRE), read selected poems from his seventh collection of

ESPADA, page 3

voters. “The key to how you’ll vote is how your parents vote,” Hedtke said. “If your parents are partisan, you’ll be partisan.” However, Hedtke points out that those who have parents that do not vote are more likely not to take part in the election process as well.

Kristen Tharan, a junior elementary education major, is not a registered voter and attests to Girard and Hedtke’s conception of younger eligible voters. “Honestly, at this age, I’m not interested in politics. Even if I did register, I wouldn’t know who to vote for,” Tharan, said.

Another reason that individuals choose not to vote is based off their indifferent preference towards both the candidates and their issues. Ian Dahlgren, a junior graphic design major, does not have a strong stance on either candidate and is weary about making a choice just for the sake of voting. “I would vote. I’m interested in bits and pieces of what they say, but neither candidate really appeals to me,” Dahlgren said.

As a result of this public uncertainty, Girard said that many voters in this year’s election will either “vote for Bush or against Bush.”

Ray Croce, a junior history

VOTE, page5

Student organizations help their peers register to vote

Informing uninformed voters

There is nothing worse than going to the polls and being totally uninformed about the candidates and the issues. Although it is great to have the enthusiasm to vote in the presidential election, it does nothing but hurt the process to go into the booths clueless.

In most cases, the election is taken as if it were a test. In reality a voter has four years to decide if the country is moving in the direction they believe is right. The truth of the matter is most voters wait till there is less than 6 months until the election to begin looking at the candidates.

Unfortunately, voters can’t go back and study so what is left to do is cram like they’ve never crammed before. If most voters resort to complying all the information at the second, to where should they go?

What sources should these voters turn to in order to help them form an idea of the right candidate for himself or herself? There are many influences on a potential voter ’s presidential decision: family, friends, religion and media that all shape a voter’s stances on issues. Although they all play a significant role in our growth, each must be carefully examined for its accuracy of the facts.

The question remains, however can the voter sift through all these different views on issues to decide what is right for them? As a voter, the last thing the country needs is an ignorant person choosing the next president. The object of a voter is to figure out for themselves the best direction for this country and its citizens.

It is possible to formulate an opinion without help but realistically how often do we rely on our past upbringings and social pressures to vote one way or another? It’s easy to just check off a Republican or Democratic option on the voting ballots. However, the advantage to learning the issues is becoming a more insightful voter.

Two helpful web sources are vote-smart.org and factcheck.org for gathering facts and making sense out of the distorted truth that comes from each candidate’s mouth. Vote-smart.org gives background on tons of issues while factcheck.org, is a site, run by The University of Pennsylvania that sorts out the truth from the fibs told by the candidates. When investigating the truth always question the source even if it appears reliable.

If you’re a person who gets confused about all the issues, take the time and decide for yourself what is fundamentally the most important topic of debate. By focusing strongly on a certain subject, your mind will be free to openly judge the candidates on other issues.

Most of the time undecided voters find themselves sharing similarities with both sides. What a voter should do is give him or her time to choose the most significant issue in their heart and from here make a choice on the election.

In the end the greatest way to learn the issues is to begin open discussions with your friends and family When it comes to the media, read and watch as much as you can and try making sense out of all the facts.

The best advice the Loquitur can provide to uninformed voters is to take all new information as a grain of salt. No matter where the information comes from, as a voter it is their responsibility to gather every perspective on an issue and decide for them what they feel is the right view

Just keep yourself informed on the issues around you and seek the truth through the best possible means, research. In the end, pulling an allnighter for that big test really doesn’t help you so why do you think it will for the election?

From CAP Board:

The Campus Activities and Programming Board’s annual tradition of the haunted trail which was supposed to be held on Oct. 29 and 30 is now canceled. CAP Board as a whole is disappointed that we had to cancel the trail, but problems beyond the control of the Board and safety concerns of the workers and guests of the trails what forced our Board to make an unfortunate decision.

Last year’s trail put many of the workers and guests in jeopardy when firecrackers were thrown into the trail while the workers were preparing for another group to come through. The trail was canceled for the second day because of this disrespectful act.

We apologize to community members and students who look forward to the trail each year. President of CAPBoard, Michael Sofia, says, “it saddens CAPBoard as much as all of you to have to cancel the trail, but we hope that you trust that we are continuing to investigate alternatives to make it a better and safer program for the workers involved and the guests who walk through it.”

Because CAPBoard understands the importance of traditions in our school, we will continue to offer different alternatives, because of the trail’s cancellations. CAPboard has investigated many different haunted hayrides, houses and other haunted trail like activities. If you are interested in any of these, please contact CAPBoard office. Again, we apologize for this and hope that you still come out to our other quality events.

Villanova hosts speaker Archbishop Desmond Tutu

CHRISTINE ERNEST STAFF WRITER CME722@CABRINI EDU

Archbishop Desmond Tutu reached more than South Africa with his message of restorative justice. His message of “healing justice” made an impact on his audience last Wednesday, Oct. 6. Acouple thousand were in attendance at the pavilion of Villanova University to hear Tutu speak of his experiences with his time spent on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa.

Tutu devoted a good portion of his presentation to explaining how he overcame the apartheid regime in South Africa without using any violence.

Tutu said, “restorative justice is…healing justice…[it is] never giving up on anyone…believing in the essential goodness of people as created in the image of God…”

Tutu displayed his warm and friendly personality as he said, “I am wearing a sweater they have given me,” and then opened his jacket to show off his Villanova sweater

It was his personal anecdotes from his point of view as the head of the Truth Commission that really showed the audience what a powerful leader Tutu was for breaking down the apartheid regime without an ounce of violence. Tutu told the audience that he “knows how difficult it is to say ‘I’m sorry.’”

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An example of his personal stories from South Africa included the story of a young man blinded in the apartheid reign that testified before the Truth Commission. Tutu said that when the young man was asked how he felt about testifying he “smiled and said you have given me back my eyes.”

This story of the young man illustrates one of the key points of Tutu’s presentation as he emphasized that “there can be no future without forgiveness.”

After his speech, the floor was opened up to the audience for a short question and answer session. Then a reception followed in the Atrium of Villanova University where select individu-

2004-2005 Loquitur Staff

Shawn Rice

Christine Williams

Kristen Catalanotto

Lauren Reilly

Angelina Wagner

Jessica Marrella

Michael Sitiriche

Matthew Campbell

Nina Scimenes

Cecelia Francisco

Aegina Foto

Cecelia Francisco

Alyssa Schoenleber

Dr. Jerome Zurek

als got a chance to personally meet Tutu.

Last Wednesday night was not only the recollection of Tutu’s experiences on the Truth Commission, it was also a night where his message of forgiveness reached the Radnor Community. Every member of the crowded Pavilion shuffled off to their respected cars when it was through, but Tutu’s message remained in their hearts and minds for one of his last statements of that night was one of the most powerful. Tutu ended his presentation when he said, “if peace could happen in South Africa, then peace can happen any and everywhere.”

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Our Mission Statement

The Loquitur is Cabrini’s College weekly, student-run, campus newspaper. It is widely respected as the voice of students, staff, faculty, alumni and many others outside the Cabrini community. The Loquitur has earned its position by advocating for self expression through freedom of speech, and by serving as an outlet for readers to affect change on campus and off.

Founded in 1959, the Loquitur has thrived and greatly expanded its readership. The paper now has 1,674 online readers and 1,500 print readers on a weekly basis.

Our mission is to provide readers with an opportunity to voice their opinions freely, in an environment where their voices are effectively heard and respected.

The Loquitur: You Speak. We Listen

Loquituris a laboratory newspaperwritten, edited and produced by the students of COM 353, 352, 250 and 251. Subscription price is $25 per year and is included in the benefits secured by tuition and fees. Additional copies are $1 each. Loquiturwelcomes letters to the editors. Letters to the editorare to be less than 500 words. These are usually in response to a current issue on campus or community area. Guest columns are longerpieces between 600 and 800 words and also are usually in response to a current issue on Cabrini College campus orcommunity. Letters to the editorand guest columns are printed as space permits. Submissions may be edited forlength, clarity and content. Name, phone numberand address should be included forverification purposes. Personal attacks and anonymous submissions will not be printed. Letters to the editorand guest columns can be submitted to loquitur@cabrini.edu orto the newsroom mailboxes in Founders Hall 264.

CHRISTINE ERNEST/STAFF WRITER Cabrini students pose for a picture with Archbishop Desmond Tutu after his speech at Villanova University.

Poetry offers insight into immigration issues

poems entitled, “Alabanza: New and Selected Poems.”

After a quick introduction, Espada began the evening by taking those in attendance, “back to the island of Puerto Rico,” with his reading of, “En la calle San Sebastián.” As he read this poem, those in attendance soon learned why he is called, “the voice of the lion.” With a fervent tone, Martin Espada slightly leaned over the podium, book in hand, speaking with such incredible passion and emotion it was if the poem was actually coming alive right in front of the audience’s eyes.

As the crowd tightly fixed their attention upon Espada, vivid images appeared within their minds, “I think he invoked really strong imagery and he showed us…very vivid pictures with his

words” Brian Fairman, a freshman, said.

During his poetry reading, Espada discussed Pablo Neruda, a world-renown poet and one of the biggest influences on his work. He explained to the audience that for an extended period of time, Neruda went underground and no one had any idea where he was; however, Espada told the crowd of Cabrini students that he knew where Neruda was the entire time—Fenway Park. He proceeded to read his poem about Pablo Neruda hiding from the Chilean secret police at Fenway Park during a baseball game in a poem entitled, “The Fugitive Poets of Fenway Park.” The reaction to the poem was positive. Anthony Velluta, liked this poem because Espada “pointed out all the fans and the reactions and how everything was sucked in.”

Espada also debuted his newest poem, “The Saddest Verses.” This is a poem Espada wrote about his visit to Neruda’s tomb and his interaction with people who have been searching for answers as to what happened to the members of their family since a military coup took place in 1973.

One of the more unusual poems that Martin Espada read was titled “My Cockroach Lover.” Espada himself said, “Every Puerto Rican poet needs a cockroach poem. This is my contribution to the genre.”

Another crowd favorite was, “Thanksgiving,” a poem about Espada’s first Thanksgiving dinner with his wife’s family. Many liked this poem just on the sheer fact that they could relate to it. “The thanksgiving poem definitely reminds me so much of my family,” sophomore English and

Cabrini opens Norristown student learning center

SARAH DUFFY STAFF WRITER SED722@CABRINI EDU

Cabrini College is developing a new approach to Service Learning with the opening of the Cabrini Classroom at Norristown; located on Church street in Norristown the center hopes to be a hub for current service projects and projects to come by Nov. 1.

Coordinator of Service Learning Resources, David Chiles, hopes this concentrated focus on the Norristown area will strengthen the relationships between the college and this struggling community. Community service work, which was previously spread across areas of Philadelphia and Chester, will now be centralized within this one community for a more efficient use of Cabrini’s energies.

This office, which has come to be known as Cabrini Classroom at Norristown, hopes to obtain funding to further community outreach and research capabilities. This site provides opportunities for students to learn through professional means in a real-world environment, and provides an opportunity to go beyond basic skills learned in the classroom setting.

Following the colleges core values, in terms of an “Education of the Heart,” this new indicatives hopes to teach a better understanding of what those concepts initial, by providing students with the opportunities to make a difference and showcase their skills.

Seminar 300 is doing community outreach in six of the Norristown area service locations. ACLAMO ESL, is a program that works with immi-

grant children who are trying to integrate into the public school system. Hancock Elementary School, 21st Century Learning and the Literacy Council of Norristown are other programs students are working with in the Norristown community.

Project-Based Learning is being worked into the curriculum for Communications Majors taking Convergence. The media project is working with the Norristown Hospitality Center, a daytime shelter for the homeless, to create a multi-media package consisting of video, audio and literary documentary, providing students with professional skills in a client-based setting, according to the classes professor, Hal Halbert.

Social Work Majors are working with family services, mental health and children’s aid of Norristown, while science education majors are developing an after school curriculum for 21st Century Learning, to prepare students for 2006 state standards testing. All of these projects will be based at the Cabrini Classroom at Norristown.

“We’ve worked with Cabrini before, but never on a consistent basis, we are truly grateful for all the help they will bring.”

Paulette Whitekettle, a volunteer for Norristown Ministries said.

This collaborative relationship with the city of Norristown is in its infancy, yet already students are putting their education to the test. As these programs develop Cabrini’s impact on the city will provide measurable results, and priceless effects on students understanding of social justice.

Norristown is located just 15 minutes away, just across the river. Once the consumer capitol of the wealthiest county in the state, Montgomery County, the city now harbors a population

where 18 percent are living below the poverty level.

The city is dominated by government jobs, since the fall of its consumer economy in the early 90s. It is the home of Montgomery County Municipalities, Montgomery County Hospital, and Norristown State Hospital, the largest mental health facility in the state, which has been forced to shut down over half of it’s facilities due to funding, and is unable to sufficiently house large numbers of the states mental health patients.

An average per-capita income of $17,000 sits well below that of Radnor Townships $40,000 per-capita income. Crime rates have created strict curfew laws for Norristown youth effective this week, and the Township estimates 750 homeless live in the community. Yet, Norristown provides a tremendous amount of cultural richness. 10 percent of the population is Hispanic, showing the high density of immigrants into the community. Undocumented immigrant who resides is Norristown, Gustavo Anonymous, testified that that the Hispanic population of Norristown is way above 10 percent, showing the underground societies developing.

“I come to Norristown, to be with people like me.” Gustavo said, “You go somewhere no one is like you, you feel funny.”

The communities need in great, and provides facilities in which Cabrini students can see the results of their involvement. Norristown has amazing potential to become a fully integrated and developed community and Cabrini hopes to be an integral part of that development.

communication major, Kat Specht, said.

Many were unaware of what to expect of this poetry reading. However, by the night’s end they were glad they came. “I had no idea what to expect, honestly. I just thought this guy was going to be a public speaker. I didn’t think it was going to be really good poetry like this. But it was a

pleasant surprise,” sophomore Kevin Gallagher, said.

Specht also enjoyed Espada’s performance moreso than she had expected. “When I had first heard them saying a poet was coming, I was kind of turned off, but he was actually very talented and I was very surprised. I’m glad I came,” Specht said.

Student organizations receive funding

greater amount of funding than what was given to them in previous years. Last year, the Finance club was granted $60 and this year they were given an amount of $370; however, due to the amount of new organizations that were formed this year, not all existing clubs were given more money.

Latinos Unidos was given $1,000 last year and this year they were only given $250. The new organizations were given the following amounts of funding money: College Republicans

received $200, Habitat for Humanity was given $250, Honor Club received $600, Religious Studies was given $100 and SALSSAreceived $450.

“Although we would have liked to give everyone the money they requested, there were 15 new organizations to give money to and limitations were set. I would like to thank all the organizations for making the SOFC process run smoothly. Hopefully everyone knows the process to request money from SGAnext year.” Claudia Sciandra, a junior accounting and finance major and the treasurer of SGA, said.

SGA, page 1

MEGHAN FOX/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Poet Martin Espada read from is book of poetry on Wednesday,Oct.6.

Student receives support from Cavalier community

SAMANTHA SPILOVE GUEST WRITER

Rising sophomore and commuter student, Megan McGirr, was thrown from the back of a golf cart while she and her friends were driving around a closed course at her place of summer employment. Since the accident on Monday, Aug. 16, McGirr is unable to return to Cabrini. She and her family are receiving contact and support from the Cavalier community.

McGirr, who was sitting in the back of the cart where the golf clubs are usually kept, was thrown from the cart when it hit a speed bump. She was taken to Abington Memorial Hospital in Abington, Pa. where she spent several weeks in critical condition. McGirr, now, spends 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Bryn Mawr Rehab in Paoli, Pa. where she goes through physical and cognitive therapy.

Father Hallenan, the priest who baptized McGirr, notified Cabrini about the accident. Father Michael Bielecki, resident Chaplain, said, “Because of that contact, we were able to make contact with the family and offer any kind of support we could during this difficult time.” “We’re all very much keeping her and her family in our prayers,” said Dr.

Mary Laver, Director of Programs for Applied Catholic Social Teaching.

On Sept. 9, during the Caring Citizens Volunteer Fair, there was a poster signed as a get-well card by more than 100 students. “She loved that. We’ll probably explore other opportunities to do things like that. We want to reach out to some of the students that are her friends. We’re just letting her know we’re here and wait to hear when it will be good for her, for us to take another step,” said Ms. Fox-Tully, Vice President for Mission Integration and Human Resources.

“It’s still too early to tell how long it will take her to recover, or when she will be able to return to class. It may be up to a year,” Laver said. “[Fox-Tully] will be in close touch with the family to see how the Cabrini community can be supportive and we’ll be letting the campus know as we hear about that.”

On Sept. 15, McGirr’s father was on campus with encouraging news. “Megan is progressing more rapidly than they expected. She’s working in her physical and cognitive therapy so the therapist suggested he come and get her books for her courses and see how they can begin to work with her,” said Fox-Tully. Bielecki

commented on McGirr’s father’s visit saying, “In fact her father hopes he might be able to bring her to campus, because she was taken back to where the accident occurred and there was some recognition of the people she worked with. I was saying to him that perhaps if he brought her to Cabrini that there may be some recall; a familiar place that will make her start to remember things.” There are not any specific plans of when the McGirr family will be bringing her to the campus.

Even though McGirr has a long way to go in her recovery before she can return to Cabrini as a student, everyone has been saying what an amazing recovery she has made so far. McGirr’s father “attributes it to the fact that we’ve been praying for her and so have lots of other people. He said that it’s really a miracle that she has made the progress that she’s made. The doctors can’t explain the dramatic change in her condition,” said Bielecki.

Bielecki said that the best way for the Cabrini community to make a next step in helping is to “for us on campus is to show our concern is to email her with greetings.” McGirr can be emailed at MCGirrCPA@comcast.net.

Voters wanted

and political science major, believes everyone should vote, but objects to those who plan to do so despite their lack of knowledge surrounding candidates. “I think the people who don’t vote are ignorant to the topics and issues and that they’ll make uneducated decisions. I’m glad they don’t vote,” Croce said.

After the election in 2000, some Americans have been

Colorado could play major role in election with electoral votes

KRISTEN CATALANOTTO NEWS EDITOR KMC723@CABRINI EDU

The state of Colorado could play a key role is who wins Nov. 2 presidential election. The state is waiting to see if Amendment 36 will pass. The Amendment could split the state's electoral votes instead of giving all nine to the candidate who wins the popular vote. If the act were in place during the 2000 election than Bush would have lost three electoral votes therefore giving the presidency to Al Gore. Those trying to pass the bill feel it will give the voters more f a voice and will make sure their vote counts more. Opponents feel it will leave the candidates simply campaigning for a single electoral vote that may be up for grabs. There are currently more republicans than democrats in Colorado. If the Amendment passes than it will take affect immediately, according to CBS News.

Government cracking down on spyware

The federal government is cracking down on spyware for computer users. The United States House of Representatives passed two bills last week to try and deter the makers of spyware programs. Many are concerned that the bills were brought up too later for anything to be done. Many senators and representatives are busy running election campaigns and the bills will more than likely be pushed back until next years. Spyware can cause computers to crash and allow others to take personal information from consumers hard drives. Microsoft has vowed to take part in lawsuits going after those who make spyware, according to MSNBC.

Production continues on Reeve’s movie

deterred from voting because they believe that their votes will not affect the election. Presidential candidate Al Gore won the popular vote with 50,992,335 votes over opponent George W. Bush, who had 50,455,156 votes; however, Bush was able to claim the presidency by winning the Electoral College—after his success in Florida, Bush had successfully gained the majority needed to take the election.

The Electoral College is a

weighted voting system in which each state is assigned a specific number of votes in accordance with its’population. In every state, each political party offers a “slate of electors”; a list of individuals devoted to their presidential candidate and equal in number to that of the state’s electoral votes. On Election Day, voters in each state cast their ballots for the party “slate of electors” that are representing their choice for president and vice president. The party slate that wins the most votes in the state becomes that state’s electors; therefore, whichever presidential ticket receives the majority of the votes in a state wins all the electoral votes of that state.

Croce disagrees with those who think that their votes will not affect the overall outcome of the election. “Your vote counts because it chooses the Electoral College, which determines who will be president,” Croce said. “It’s foolish if 18 to 24-year-olds don’t realize the kind of impact we’d have on the election if everyone our age voted.” Croce urges young American voters to take the initiative and appropriately educate themselves by thoroughly researching each of the candidate’s campaigns to ensure conversant decisions. “The ends are the same. The means are what you need to focus on,” Croce said.

An animated movie that Christopher Reeve had been working on during the time of his death will continue with production. The actor passed away on Sunday, Oct. 10 due to a heart attack. Reeve was directing the movie “Yankee Irving” and worked primarily from his house via a computer and videoconferencing system. The production company has not yet decided who will take over as director and is still waiting to cast speaking roles for the animated characters, according to Reuters.

Supreme Court to hearlandmark case

The Supreme Court decided on Tuesday, Oct. 12 that they will hear two controversial cases dealing with the Ten Commandments being displayed in government buildings. The cases come from Texas and Kentucky and the court will court will decided the case that is being battled between the Firth and Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, according to the New York Times.

Crocodile attacks in Australia

In Australia a 60-year old woman jumped on top of a 12 foot crocodile in order to save a 34-year old man that was being attacked by the crocodile. The man was camping and was woken up by the crocodile dragging him out of his tent. Once the woman jumped on top of the crocodile she was then attacked herself. Both individuals had minor injuries, according to MSNBC.

Mask sales may predict election

The online company buycostumes.com says they can tell based on mask sales who will win the presidential election. President Bush masks were leading in sales until the debates started. Bush masks have dropped a few percentage points while Sen. Kerry's have gone up since the debates. The website did research looking back at past presidential elections and masks sales. They found that each time there was an election then winner sold more masks, according to MSNBC.

Arts & Entert ainment

Cabrini, DELCO sing with one voice in joint choir

DIANA ASHJIAN STAFF WRITER DA725@CABRINI.EDU

Cabrini College, along with Delaware County Community College (DCCC), is stirring quite a crescendo albeit their correlated chorus. Dr. Adeline Bethany, professor and director of fine arts at Cabrini, began her career in the 1970’s devoted to both colleges’ choruses and later combined the two in 1982. Known as The Delaware County Community College/Cabrini College Singers, the chorus is learning to use their talents, knowledge and ultimate passion to familiarize themselves with the world so that they can ultimately tune it up.

Since its’mergence in 1982, the chorus has brought together undergraduate students, graduate students and non-credit, nightschool students of both colleges who have learned much more than how to hit the high notes in AMajor. Gia Digiminiani, a graduate student of Cabrini and chorus member, finds that involvement in the chorus has improved her abilities in articulation when she has business dealings with others via voice projection.

Digiminiani not only enjoys finding nostalgia when interacting with the undergrads in the

chorus, she has also been able to parallel her artistic endeavors to those of people internationally because of the chorus. “The Spanishpeoplesinganddance spontaneously,whereas in the Cabrini Chorus,werehearseoften!In Spain, Ioftenheardpeople singaccapela (without accompanyinginstruments),andinthe Cabrini/DCCCChorus,we’d be lostwithoutClaraDelaPorta (Cabrini’s piano instructor)at thepiano,” Digiminiani said of their May 2004 trip to Spain.

Bethany, a strong advocate of cultural diversity on campus and off, thirstily consumes the new experiences and encounters that are offered all around the world, including South East Asia. In doing so, Bethany takes empathetic steps to instill appreciation and knowledge of all types of cultures and music to her singers and her students. These steps help her at her aim to connect Cabrini and DCCC with the rest of the world through the international language of music.

Bethany has learned and teaches that in some cultures, like the Temiar, an Animistic tribe of people located in Malaysia, dance and musical instruments are used and believed to cure the sick.

Although Cabrini and DCCC, a part of Western culture, learns that science and medicine is most effective in curing any ailments, Bethany does believe that musical predisposition can have psychological healing affects at the least.

Bethany said, “It makes us feel good to help people.” So, when the chorus isn’t busy planning trips to sing abroad or rehearsing on campus every Monday night, they are busy serenading the local community’s hospitals and rehabilitation programs. These visits utilize Cabrini’s aim to educate the heart and the singers’aim to applaud their society before their society can applaud them.

Whether the DCCC and Cabrini Singers are looking to entertain, inspire, heal, educate or just let their voices’be heard, they do encourage your inquiries. After all, their songs are reflections and responses to what we believe as affiliated colleges and friends, whether it’s “The National Anthem” for your lacrosse game or “On Eagles’Wings” for your masses.

If you’re interested in joining the chorus or attending a performance, contact Dr. Bethany in her office, room 204 in the Widener Center, or by email at Adeline.Bethany@Cabrini.edu.

October 27 28 29 30 and Nov 1 at 8PM and Oct 31 at 2PM.

Further information: Neal Newman: 610-902-8510.nnewman@cabrini.edu.

In my opinion...

guilty pleasures

JESS BOYLAN GUEST WRITER JB738@CABRINI EDU

Find me a girl between the ages of 12 and 22 who is willing to do something other than sit in front of the TVon any given weekday night. This task is not as easy as it seems. I know many young women claim immunity to the power of primetime WB TV, but the fact remains that a good portion of, if not most, teenage girls find themselves glued to the tube from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., rain or shine.

Whether the show will be starring bald yet beautiful Chad Michael Murray, shy and mysterious Gregory Smith, or “super” hunky Tom Welling, it matters not. The girls will still turn on their TVs and hide their remotes from their roommates.

But why are these nighttime soap operas so popular? What is it about them that makes young girls swoon? Is it just the cute boys? This is doubtful, considering all you have to do to get an eyeful of attractive testosterone is go to class. Could we be watch-

ing to fit in with the crowds and to have something to talk about in the cafeteria the next day? This theory is unlikely as well, considering many girls are reluctant to even admit they watch the shows.

These “guilty pleasure” programs are sometimes considered too juvenile for a serious college woman to be watching religiously. Maybe we have such an obsession for these shows because they simply show us the things we are interested in: be it forms of absolute perfection we may never seen outside the small screen, or real life issues many of us face every day.

Handsome boys fall in love with brainy girls, the captain of the football team doubles as the caring older brother, parents and teenagers find common ground. On the flip side, these shows also broadcast innumerable unplanned pregnancies, promiscuous sex, drug use and other “naughty” things.

Whatever the true reason we watch, the message is clear. The WB has found the perfect formula to win young audiences, whether we will admit it or not.

DOMENIQUE PINHO GUEST WRITER DDP722@CABRINI EDU

Sundance film festival winner, “Garden State” is as unique as it is charming which allows for a draw of attention from a wide variety of audiences. I wouldn’t classify “Garden State” into one specific genre; I would simply call it “different.”

The movie itself is based around a young man, Andrew Largeman, (played by director Zach Braff, star of NBC’s “Scrubs”) who basically shuffled in and out of his life induced with numerous types of medications in order to cope with the his mothers’problems. Largeman finds out the terrible news of his mother ’s death, which forces him to return to his home, the Garden State, better known as New Jersey.

Although Largeman feels he has formed a new definition of a home in Los Angeles, he realizes when he returns home that there is much he has left in New Jersey. Whether it is undiscovered, forgotten or denied, this is his home, and for that he finds some sort of peace and serenity back in the Garden State.

Fate steps in during the film and Largeman is introduced to an innovative woman, Sam (magnificently played by Natalie Portman), who is unlike anyone he has ever met. Through Sam he finds strength, which lets him distinguish what he has been missing all these years away from home.

“Garden State” is a superb film, filled with laughs, tears and unforgettable scenes. Well directed and even more beautifully acted, Braff has a talent and should pursue in both the acting and directing world. Although people may look at this movie as a typical love story, it’s so much more than that. It’s a unique scene play and written so well.

Only certain movies have the ability to speak to the audience, and “Garden State” is one of them. It reaches out to you, the viewer, about the message of home, love and fate. It’s worth the $8.50. A well deserved “A” for this unforgettable film.

As for the soundtrack, I can only say one thing about itabsolutely amazing. From light to classic rock, the “Garden State” soundtrack is as soothing as it comes. The soundtrack itself is very hard to find. Many stores do not carry the CD since this movie is only playing in select theaters across the country. In order to find the CD for myself, I had to drive for nearly an hour.

I finally found several copies of the soundtrack in a small, local CD store in Marlton, N.J. called TUNES. It carries many bands, for example, The Postal Service, whose song “Such Great Heights” is featured in the film. If seeing the movie isn’t a desire or an option, one should definitely invest in this astonishing, “A+” soundtrack.

Cabrini takes over the Parkway

MARIA D’ALESSANDRO STAFF WRITER MAD724@CABRINI EDU

The potential storms on Saturday, Oct. 2 did not keep Cabrini students from boarding a train to the city for some free entertainment. Afree Something Corporate concert and free entry to 11 Philadelphia museums weighed more than the threat of rain. Small groups of friends traveled into the city to be a part of Campus Philly’s Kick-Off, a nonprofit, student-run project of the city of Philadelphia.

Campus Philly links college students across the Philadelphia region through this day of free museum entry and concerts. All of Benjamin Franklin Parkway was transformed into a day of

free activities, on-site skateboarding and giveaways from area businesses, organizations and voter registration information. Booths lined the street, offering free product and drink samples, voter registration and community service and internship opportunities. The “You Can Deal With It” program was at the festivities, plus representatives from Drexel and Rutgers. Arock-climbing wall also attracted students.

Once arriving in the city, students received free admission to Parkway museums with a college ID. They were able to explore the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Franklin Institute Science Museum and others from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Starting at 3 p.m., Something Corporate and local bands creat-

ed a huge crowd for their free concerts on the Parkway.

Kristine Jennings, a sophomore and Something Corporate fan, said that she loved being able to see her favorite band for free in Philadelphia. Jennings was also lucky enough to get an autograph from Andrew McMahon, the lead vocalist, and a photo with him after the concert.

After all the festivities, Shampoo Nightclub offered a $5-off discount for admission, starting at 9 p.m.

The group offers the Campus Philly Kick-Off in order to expose college students to the city’s social, community and professional opportunities. This program establishes the city as a “region with a vibrant college population,” according to Cam-

pus Philly e-mail statements.

Over 20,000 participants from ages 18 to 25 were estimated to come out for the day’s festivities.

According to the website campusphilly.org, the group’s mission is to “engage college students in providing them better information, incentives and networking opportunities to make the most out of college life in Philly. And, as they graduate, we will connect students to the tools to find a job and stick around.”

Campus Philly also offered a discount program to involve regional colleges and universities. The program gives students discounts at cultural and retail outlets, access to events at college campuses and in the region or to other promotions organized for the student community

W h a t a r e y y o u s c a r e d o f ?

SARAH DUFFY STAFF WRITER SED722@CABRINI EDU

A marinade of Halloween events are already underway in Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs. The remainder of October is jam pact with terrifyingly fun events to kick off Halloween. So why wait till Trick-or-treat night trying to convince suspecting home-owners that you are only in the seventh-grade, because these events are made just for you.

Terror Behind the Walls, is a haunted extravaganza, within the creepy halls of Eastern State Penitentiary. The displays consist of reenactments of the prisons history and typical freak-happenings. Open every night from 7 p.m.-10 p.m., guests can tour the maintenance tunnels and mortuary for only $10. Located in the Fair-

mont Park section of Philadelphia, the haunted house is easy to access from I-76. Call 215-2363300 for more information and directions.

A not-for-children haunted house is R-ratingly frightening, at the Fright Factory on Oregon Ave. in Philadelphia. For $20, guests can scare the hell out of themselves until 11 p.m., on any given day of the week until Oct. 31.

If your more into the truth behind haunting and legends, Ghost Tours is providing a guided candlelight tour through Philadelphia’s while providing its’haunted house history. Running an hour-and-a half-long the tour takes guests thought the oldest sections of Philadelphia that are still occupied by their original owners. The tours are every night in October, for only $12. Call 215-413-1997 for reserva-

tions.

For an all-night affair, it is worth the trip out to Jason’s Woods, in Lancaster. With five terrifying events, prices range from nine to $23, depending on your own fear factor. Held every weekend, for the rest of the month, guests can get lost in the haunted maze, of Amish Country. Jason’s Woods is located off the Millersville exit on Rt. 30. More information can be found at www.jasonswoods.com .

Looking for something a little more local? The Tyler Arboretum in Media is celebrating the fall season with a corn maze. Moonlight Mazes are only $7 and is so much fun for a group of college students looking for a break from the everyday. The staff at the Arboretum used their natural skills to create a work of art maze. Call 610-566-9134 or visit www.tylerarboretum.org for

more information.

Just want to sit back and let the terror come to you. At Prince Theater on Chestunt Street in Philadelphia Scary Movies are now playing. Scary-movie Buffs are getting tickets for these rareviewings of some of America’s most famous terror-antiques. Call 215-569-9700 for showtimes.

If the daily-grinds got you down, make reservations for Halloween night to see Phantom of the Opera at the University of Philadelphia. Aclassic evening put on by University Students will be a lovely way to take out some time and celebrate this “goolish” holiday. Call 215-8985271 for tickets.

Be sure to treat yourself to one of these tricks, to make your fall memorable and mortifying. You don’t have to wait till Halloween to be a Halloweenie!

MARIA D’ALESSANDRO/STAFFWRITER

College students from various colleges came out to the events on the Parkway.

Blog addiction

CHRISTINE ERNEST STAFF WRITER CME722@CABRINI EDU

The Internet serves as a giant diary for the public at large to display their daily adventures and thoughts. In the few last years the trend of online diaries, or blogs, has blown up faster than big hair back in the 80s.

There are many types of online diaries available on the web. The most popular are livejournals (http://www.livejournal.com), xangas (http://www.xanga.com) and blogs(http://www.blogger.com/start).

All of these sites are free unless the user wishes to upgrade to a premium version that has more options available.

Perhaps this convergence of technology and diaries has become so popular due to the fact that many people do not have the time to keep in touch with every single one of their friends and family everyday. If instant messenger is the way to communicate instantly, think of online journals as a way to post a really long away message that explains exactly what is going on in your life.

Andy Greenwald has a significant portion of his book “Nothing Feels Good” dedicated to observing teenagers and the phenomena of online diaries. Greenwald writes, “People as old as fifty-five have livejournals, as do many web-savvy professionals in their thirties and forties. But most dedicated adult internet

journalers graduate to the more malleable (and less centralized) services like Blogger and Pitas.”

According to the online version of Silicon Valley, http://weblog.siliconvalley.com, blogs really picked up pace back in spring of 2003 when the popular Google bought Pyra Labs, which was responsible for creating some of the earliest technology to make blogs possible.

Dan Gillmor of the Silicon Valley writes, “The buyout is a huge boost to an enormously diverse genre of online publishing that has begun to change the equations of online news and information. Weblogs are frequently updated, with items appearing in reverse chronological order (the most recent postings appear first).

Typically, they include links to other pages on the Internet, and the topics range from technology to politics to just about anything you can name. Many weblogs invite feedback through discussion postings, and weblogs often point to other weblogs in an ecosystem of news, opinions and ideas.”

In early high school days many people probably had a diary or a journal that was stowed away under the bed or hidden in a desk drawer. It was loved because it was the place to write down deepest desires as well as recap of daily events.

Now take away all that paper and throw away the lock and key, and one is now ready to begin an online diary.

Creating a blog is fairly painless,

but there are a few drawbacks. An addiction can arise. “Blog addiction” is the need to update a blog on a daily basis and check to see who has left comments.

Most impor tantly, one must remember that the thoughts and ideas posted are now available for anyone to read. Yes, one’s closest friends will read it, but also remember that total strangers might give it a glance also. It is easy to start an online journal. Do not let all the technological speak and hype discouage the start of a blogger.

Let’s use Blogger as an example. The process of starting a Blogger is broken down into a three-step process.

Step one consists of creating an account. This is where the username and password used to log into the site will be created. A “display name” will also be chosen in this process. A “display name” is what will show up

Must have professors

every time a new post, or entry, is created.

The second step is perhaps one of the most important for it is where the name of the blog will be chosen. This is the time to let creative juices flow, to let one’s wit impress every reader that happens to stumble upon the blog in the future.

After all the formal things are completed with steps one and two, the individuality of the blog will be created in step three. This final step is where the “template” is chosen. The designers of every online journal do not expect users to be computer geniuses so they have created templates, which are pretty much the layout of a soon-to-be blog. This is where the font and the colors are chosen and a profile is created. Through these simple steps, one can now join the world of “blog addiction.”

Students experince convergence first hand

MARISA GALLELLI STAFF WRITER MLG723@CABRINI EDU

The Senior Seminar in Convergence is a course that strives to integrate the traditional forms of media communications and ultimately create a more thorough and interactive project with the intentions of appealing to diverse audiences. The course’s instructor, English and Communication professor Dr. Harold William Halbert, feels that the class is incredibly difficult but he has a tremendous amount of respect for the students that take this class. “This class extends the scope of convergence; it moves beyond the personal desire of the student and what they want to do, helping them to shape how people see their community. It is an exciting opportunity for our students to find new ways of telling stories,” Halber said.

Ryan Norris, a senior English and communication major, acknowledges that the class is a challenge; however, he believes the extra workload to be beneficial. “It is worth the effort, it’s not just a class from 10:55 a.m. to 12:10 p.m.— it is always on our plates all semester, the goal is not just to work till 12:10, it is to work till our projects are done.”

Halbert discussed the background of the class. “This course is in response to the changing nature of communications in general and on a business level. Communication mediums are blending together as different media companies merge creating new ways of delivering a message.

On a purely message point of view, the new medias working together will give communicators entirely new ways of writing stories,” Halbert said.

Norris understands the impact that convergence has made in the field of communications as well as the Department of English and Communication. “It is very good for today’s communications. Every media source today, especially with the Internet being so popular, has been converging: audio, video, images, radio and on-air broadcast.

The class is about the closest thing to an honors course in the communications department; it is what those in the communications department would call a senior capstone course,” Norris said.

The course debuted last fall, and with student feedback, this year’s course objectives are more refined. However, Halbert believes that last year’s students “appreciated the experience, although they felt like they were worked to death, and they

wished that they had gotten some more theoretical background.”

Senior English and communication major Rich Magda took part in the first convergence class. Magda’s group produced the story “Emoticon,” which was featured in the Fall 2003 issue of the Woodcrest Magazine in addition to creating a website and DVD that featured the short film. Magda said that convergence goes beyond the technicalities of combining different types of media there is a complexity behind its premise. “What we learned most importantly is that convergence is based in theory, and its practice involves much more than the smushing together of media forms,” Magda said.

The overall consensus with this class is that, although there is a lot of work involved within this course, it is very well worth the effort and the quantity of work that each student puts into the course. The amount of experience that the students have acquired, and will continue to gain out of this course, will be valuable to them after graduation. The students will also have portfolio pieces that demonstrate their ability to work in a converged environment.

MELISSA STEVEN STAFF WRITER MS727@CABRINI EDU

When students register for core requirements, some classes at Cabrini are on high demand at registration time. Mainly, it is the instructor teaching the class that drives students to register for a particular class.

For core requirements, Phyllis Bean, registrar, said that professors like Dr. James Hedtke, department Chairman of history and political science, Dr. Jolyon Girard, history and political science professor, Amy DeBlasis, Dr. Charles McCormick, dean of Academic Affairs, Dr. Margaret McGuinness, department Chairman of religious studies and Dr. Leonard Primiano, associate professor of religious studies, are just some of the professors whose classes fill up quickly.

Bean said, “At the beginning of registration they are the first to go because they teach the classes to fulfill core requirements.” She also recommends students to register online in order to get the classes they most desire.

To fulfill a religion or a values and commitment requirement,

McGuinness’s classes, like Religion and the Civil Rights Movement or Faith and Justice are two classes that students find interesting. Meredith Detwiler, a senior English and secondary education major, took McGuiness’s Faith and Justice class for the first time this year and said, “In her class, she is able to bring history to life. Teaching has become secondhand nature to her, so much that she is able to focus on our understanding of what is presented. She is great with explanations and answering questions.”

McGuinness, who has taught at Cabrini for almost 20 years, said, “I’m offering the students a chance to think. I want it to be something different then just a traditional religion class from high school.”

Lynsey McStravick, a sophomore accounting major, had both Primiano and McCormick in her freshman year and said, “Dr. Primiano was an awesome teacher and I’m glad I had him, and Dr. McCormick was helpful about everything not just only with his

class.” She took Primiano’s Search for Meaning class and McCormick’s Cross-Cultural Food Ways class.

Hedtke has been teaching at Cabrini for 31 years and still loves it. Hedtke said, “I like young people, they’re neat. It’s fun to be with young people because it’s what keeps me going and keeps me young.”

At the beginning of the semester, in his Survey of United States History 1780 to Present class, he tells his students that history is exactly like a soap opera.

He wants the students to stay interested throughout the class, so he tells history as though it was a story.

DeBlasis, who teaches Sem 100 classes like Coming of Age, College Success and English Composition said, “It all boils down to the fact that I love teaching and believe in the mission at Cabrini.” DeBlasis said, “I teach students to find out how they can make the world a more beautiful place. It’s a pretty great job.”

Enthusiasm such as that shows

through a teacher and their work, making students feel like their teacher cares about them and the work they do. Mary Nguyen, 20, a senior business administration major who took DeBlasis’s Coming of Age and English 101 class, said, “I took Amy DeBlasis because she was easy to talk to, she would always remember me and would ask me how things were going even outside of school.”

These professors were all willing to sign in students who want to take their classes even after they are full. They did say that once the class gets completely full, depending on the classroom, they cannot sign anyone else in as not to take the individualized attention away from the students. These professors whose classes fill up quickly do so not just because they teach the core requirements but as Stefanie Ciarrochi, 21, a senior special and elementary education major, said, “A good teacher is someone who makes themselves available for not only their students, but any student that feels comfortable with them.”

Professors that students want to keep in mind when registering for classes

“A good teacher is someone who makes themselves available for not only their students, but any student that feels comfortable with them.”

-Stefanie Ciarrochi Senior

CECELIA FRANSISCO/PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

IN CHIEF Dr.Harold Halbert discusses a convergence project with students.

Dr. Manmet McGuinness Dr. Charlie McCormick Dr. James Hedtke Dr. Jolvon Girard Dr. Leonard Primiano Prof. Amv DeBlasis

PERSPECTIVES YOU

Culture shock

Quit ranting, act upon it

So far my experiences in the United States have been a culture shock, to say the least. I am here at Cabrini College on a year-long exchange program from Northern Ireland. The slogan of my program is, “It’s not good or bad, it’s just different.” This comes to mind when my roommate tells me my pants are cute, and I am wondering how she saw my underwear.

Back in Ireland I study in a university with 30,000 other students, so you can imagine how strange it is for me to be here at Cabrini where things are a little more “personal.” My first few weeks here I was constantly met with, “Oh you’re the Irish girl,” followed by, “Oh say something, I love your accent.” Now as charming and complimentary as this may be, can I just warn future acquaintances that I will not “do the leprechaun from Lucky Charms,” no matter how much I like you.

I must say that after only six weeks of Cabrini life, I feel very settled and welcomed. The sense

of community on campus still astounds me. I go to a city university back home where the lecturer would have trouble differentiating between the 300 law students in the class. Homework is a rarity and lectures or classes is not mandatory. The style of learning is very independent and grades come from one final exam or dissertation at the end of the semester. This being the case, I am having trouble adjusting to the methods of teaching here, often feeling like I am back in a more intense high school. I am not saying the American way of education is any better or worse than that of back home, just different.

Northern Ireland is a beautiful country and although troubled to this day by terrorism, it was a wonderful place to grow up in. It has much to offer in terms of scenery, history and culture, not to mention the bars on every corner. This particular social culture is something I will miss greatly being in the United States. Sociable drinking or even just frequenting bars for lunch, quizzes and general mingling is a big part of the youth culture of Ireland, my university alone has three bars in its student union. At home this has been an avenue open to me for three years now. Coming to America and finding

myself restricted in this way has been difficult but it is all just part of the experience.

I’ve heard of language barriers in study abroad programs but I think I’ve discovered a new problem, accent barriers. This was most evident when the vendor of “Geno’s” cheesesteaks looked at me blankly when I attempted to order “whiz without.” On this topic I knew America was “the land of the brave” and the “land of the free,” but what I did not know was that it was “the land of cheese.” Cheese is everywhere—on fries, (or chips, as I call them), on steaks, on pasta and even on eggs. And I thought the French were bad.

This aside my experience in the United States has been great so far. I am sure I have asked some silly questions and I know I have made my roommate crazy by drinking hot lemonade, but that’s diversity for you. I miss my homeland dearly but with every other person I meet telling me they are “Irish too,” I know that I am among kindred spirits. So if you see me around campus, come and say “hello” or “Top of the mornin’to ya.” Please just don’t tell me that my English is excellent, or you may see this Irish girl turn from green to red.

SHARON M. KOLANKIEWICZ STAFF WRITER SMK724@ CABRINI EDU

Hearing people complain that there is nothing to do at Cabrini has become quite annoying. Every time I turn around I hear people complain how they are always bored and there is nothing to do on campus. In reality, there are many activities and opportunities on this campus.

In the beginning of my freshman year, I had similar feelings until I made the effort to get involved. I knew I wanted to be more active and social on-campus. In the beginning of the year, after class I would spend the rest of my time in my dorm. I was not happy, but I could not find the missing puzzle piece which I need to complete my happiness. So in the spring semester of my freshman year, I started participating in events held by the Wolfington Center. I went on the service trip to New York City and the SEARCH retreat where I met some amazing people, and who I still remain good friends today.

I began to participate in other activities and I saw the same people as well as meeting new people. Since Cabrini is a small campus, it is easy to recognize and remember people. As I began to meet more people, I developed close friendships and that has made the difference. I finally found the missing piece to my puzzle.

By becoming more involved you create more connections among fellow students and faculty. The opportunities will not come to you; instead, you have

to find them yourself. Basically, you should not sit around and be a passive person. When you are involved, there is always something to do, but putting the in the effort to be proactive is the first step. Although it has only been a year, I feel as though I have matured and I am a happier person with more self-confidence due to the fact that I am involved with organizations, such as the Up ‘Til Dawn Executive Board, SEARCH and various community service activities.

The main point I am trying to make is that you need to have a positive outlook and overcome laziness. You will realize that there is a lot being offered by Cabrini. This year I am so busy and active, I am rarely in my room. That is a major lesson which I have learned, not to shut yourself in your dorm because you are shutting yourself in from others reaching out to you.

In addition to the activities on-campus, there are also many activities off-campus. Obviously Wayne is only fiveminutes from Cabrini and Philadelphia is just a train ride away. There is easy access to these places. For instance, there is the shuttle and two local train stations. Another benefit is if you are already involved, generally you know a good number of people and some of those people have cars.

I am simply stressing for Cabrini students to stop complaining about the lack of activities on-campus. If you really want to become active, then you must take the first step in making the effort to discover your niche. The more you get involved, the more proactive you become and you will find yourself much happier.

Mastronardi Service & Leadership Award

Students: If you are actively committed to community service & civic engagement, eligible for financial aid, 2.5 GPA or above, and enrolled as a full-time student, consider applying for this prestigious annual award established by Cabrini alumnae to honor our tradition of "education of the heart."

This year the award will be given to two students, who will each receive a tuition remission of approximately $650, divided between fall and spring semesters.

Application information in the Wolfington Center: Dr. Mary Laver x8409 mlaver@cabrini.edu

Deadline for submitting completed application essays and recommendations: OCTOBER 15, 2004

Award winners will be notified on November 1, and publically presented at CABRINI DAY on November 11 th -

KELLY MCKEE STAFFWRITER KMM@ CABRINI EDU

"I'm Usama bin Laden, and I approve of this message."

Dressing presentable

Going to parochial school all my life, I never had the opportunity to dress up for school.

When I came to Cabrini last year, I made the promise to myself that I would get dressed up for class every single day. I never had class before 10:55 a.m. so I did not think that would be a problem.

One day, I decided to dress in comfortable sweatpants and wear my hair up because it was cold outside. In my first class my teacher said, “You look….different.”

This was the first time I ever felt like, “Wow. Maybe I should actually get dressed for class. After that I continued to dress up for class, usually in just jeans and a nice sweater, nothing too fancy.

Then second semester rolled around and it was still bitterly cold out. I was then entering into the wonderful world of having an early morning class. I had ISTat 9:35 a.m. Being that it was cold Friday morning class, there was no way on God’ earth that I would be getting dressed for class in anything other than sweats.

By the end of the year I found that I was feeling sorry for myself and that I did not feel presentable. So once again I vowed to myself that I would dress decently for class.

When I say getting dressed for class “decently,” I do not mean wearing my stilettos and a prom dress. I am simply attempting to

Dressing comfortable

LAURA VAN DE PETTE STAFF WRITER LCV722@CABRINI EDU

look presentable and to make myself feel good. Like many people, I feel good when I look good. Cabrini in my opinion is not a college where students dress up for classes.

From a visitor ’s point of view, students tend to look sloppy and lazy if they are not dressed in casual clothes. Do we really want to show to visitors and prospective students that Cabrini is a laid back community? In my opinion, people are going to want to go to a school where the students look like they are wellgroomed and polished. You want to look presentable.

If you go to other schools such as Villanova and Wake Forest you will notice that the majority of students are in Gap or Polo attire. What do you find at Cabrini, pajama pants and baggy hoodies.

Do you cringe at the sight of stiletto heels, tight jeans, revealing halter tops paired perfectly with matching hats, belts and jewelry? If you are waking up for an 8:15 a.m. class the thought of putting effort into style seems more difficult than your abstract algebra class! Yet, I notice more and more women dressing up for early classes. Why?

POINTCOUNTERPOINT V S V S

The purpose of dressing up is to impress others and express your confidence. At 8:15 a.m. the cute boy who sits behind you will not notice your heels and lip-gloss. He is lucky to have made it from his bed to his desk. You would have been better off saving the 20 minutes you spent deciding between black or brown heels and spending those precious minutes snoozing underneath your covers.

Whether you wear heels and jeans or sneakers paired with sweat-pants, the outcome of your early-morning class depends on

because you could not find your favorite jeans amongst a pile of ten strikingly similar pairs is a ridiculous excuse. Such an excuse will provide only one positive result…a chuckle from fellow students who are sitting comfortably in their Cabrini sweatshirts and sweatpants.

I am not criticizing women who love fashion and the way a great pair of heels can really boost a woman’s mood. Make no mistake about it; I am a fashion-savvy woman who takes pride in her presentation. I feel fashion is a great outlet for people to express their personality and show confidence. However, I do feel the time-consuming ritual of styling hair, make-up and clothing before an 8:15 a.m. class is a waste of valuable time. An intelligent and fashionable student would be better off saving their favorite heels for a later class and spending their morning sleeping, reviewing notes for class or attempting to eat breakfast in the cafeteria.

As a student ambassador to Cabrini College, I understand that parents and visitors do not want to see me in sweat pants. For this reason all tour guides are required to wear dress pants or skirts. Prospective students and their families understand that students dress comfortably for early classes and are appreciative when their tour guide takes pride in his or her presentation. This is another situation when students are expected to present themselves in a fashionable manner

If you are not doing a presentation in front of the class or meeting with a member of faculty or administration after class, dress comfortably. Furthermore, a woman’s natural beauty and glow has always been a fashion essential, so save your lip-gloss and heels for your Friday-night date and sport your Nike Shox and sweatshirt with confidence to class tomorrow morning.

CHRISTINE BLOM STAFFWRITER CBB722@CABRINI EDU

How do they get away with it

MELISSA STEVEN STAFF WRITER

MS727@CABRI

NI EDU

Everyone knows who I am talking about, those people who walk into class 10 minutes late and only come to class seven or eight times a semester and still receive a passing grade. This is my second year at Cabrini and since I have started, my professors have been very strict on how many days a student is allowed to miss class. They range from approximately two to five unexcused absences. After that, the teacher threatens to lower your class grade a letter for every absence after that.

In a couple of my classes there are those people who show up either on a test day or once in a while in between test days to show the professor that they have not dropped their class. Still they always make it to the midterm and the final to get their passing grade even though they rarely showed up for the class.

When they do show up for class they are normally late, have no textbook or notebook, put their feet up on the table, take up half a table when they need a nap in the middle of class and talk throughout it, disrupting every-

one. I pay for the classes I go to and unlike some people I intend to learn for the amount of tuition

I am paying, and I certainly do not need rude people like this disrupting class when they feel like coming that day.

Alot of students work very hard throughout the semester to get a good grade. They do all the homework assigned, all the projects and wake up every morning to get to class. So how do the people who hardly show up to class still receive a passing grade? How is that supposed to be fair? I am sure that they probably do not recieve an Aor a B, but the fact that they still pass without going to class, not doing their homework or taking notes makes me upset.

College is a fun time, but people who get a free ride like this are going to have a huge shock when they go out into the real world. If they cannot even handle waking up to go to class then I guess they will get what is coming to them when they get a job and find out what it means to be an adult.

If these people are not willing to come to class, then do the people who are paying their tuition to attend class the favor of either dropping the class, or when you do decide to come, be quiet so the rest of us can learn.

As executive board members of Up ‘til Dawn, we would like to bring attention to the recent vandalism that has taken place to our signs and posters campus wide. “You may have torn down our posters, but you can’t tear our hearts.”

This is Cabrini’s first year to be involved in a nationwide effort to raise money for Saint Jude Children’s Research Hospital through a project called Up ‘til Dawn. As a student-led program driven by the executive board who meets weekly, each moment we spend working on ways to raise money, which helps with the possibility of saving the life a child suffering from cancer.

In a time when students spend countless hours of their college life partying during Monday Night Football, we are brainstorming ways to assist with the help of saving another life. Through advertising and promotion, we count on YOU, the students, to take a moment

and help to save a life through donations.

Recently, many of our posters and flyers have been vandalized. Maybe you have seen the large alphabet poems that are displayed weekly in the lobby of Founder’s Hall. These poems are written by the kids of St. Jude that are currently living with cancer. Not only is a piece of paper being defaced, but the thoughts, the feelings, the emotions of these children are being demeaned. To those students who defaced the posters, we ask: Where are your hearts?

Up ‘til Dawn prides itself on helping others and as dedicated members of the Cabrini community we strive to promote “Education of the Heart” through our posters introducing children who need of our help. It is that penny, that nickel, that dollar that may give them an extra minute to live.

These children are not given an option when they are diagnosed with terminal cancer. By tearing a poster in half, a child’s chance of getting the needed treatment they deserve, is torn in half. Alife is not something to play around with.

This insensitivity toward a good cause shows that some students lack the core values we should all share as students of Cabrini. Respect, Vision, Community and Dedication to Excellence is the foundation of our education. Ripping down our attempts to unite a campus—to do something good; is showing anything but respect for these children.

If you are upset about your fellow members of the student body thinking cancer is a joke and you want to do something about it, join Up ‘til Dawn.

EVERYTHING WE DO IS FOR THE KIDS. Every poster we color, every flyer we design, every letter we write, every penny that we raise. Don’t rip down another chance a child has to beat cancer. Cancer is real and it can affect anyone and next time it could be your mother, your father, your brother, your sister, your roommate— you.

Executive Board of Up ‘til Dawn CabriniUTD@yahoo.com

Girl power grows up

GIA DIGIMINIANI GUESTWRITER

I recently attended the first Pennsylvania Governor’s Conference for Women held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. The conference was sponsored by Gov. Ed Rendell and the Pennsylvania Commission for Women.

“You should never depend on anyone else for your income,” stated Ann Richards, former Texas Governor and the conference’s luncheon keynote speaker. At this proclamation, hundreds of women promptly dropped their silverware or glasses of iced tea to applaud. Some even called out cheers between bites of chicken salad.

These annual conferences promoting women in business started in California in 1986, with Nevada following suit the following year. The trend didn’t pick up in other states until Texas threw its cowgirl hat into the ring in 2000. This year, both Pennsylvania and New Jersey brought the East Coast into the sorority, each state hosting its first conference this fall.

Women in leadership roles

was a major theme of the Pennsylvania conference.

“What is leadership?” asked Dr. Laura Liswood, founder of the Council of Women World Leaders, in her keynote speech. “It’s the courage it takes to go from standing in the middle of the crowd to standing in front of the crowd.”

She noted that men and women in our society grow up with very different leadership models. “Males grow up with the leadership model of the knight going off to battle, and the prize is the fair maiden. The female leadership model is Cinderella, and she talked to mice!” For this reason, she says, women often don’t claim their authority to lead the way that men do.

These gender lessons start as early as the elementary school classroom. According to the book “Failing at Fairness: How Our Schools Cheat Girls” by Myra and David Sadker, teachers tend to give more attention to male students. In fact, the Sadker’s research found that teachers tolerated male students calling out in class, while reprimanding female students for the same behaviors.

While listening to the hearty applause to Richards’statement, I realized that women really do need to claim our authority, both in business and our personal lives.

Following suit with great women reformers of the past, like Alice Paul, Elizabeth Blackwell and Betty Friedan, we also have the power to change old paradigms for ourselves, and our daughters.

It gives me hope that today’s more assertive female cartoon characters like Kim Possible and The Powerpuff Girls have replaced childhood images of yesteryear, like Cinderella. Hopefully, these images are enduring enough to combat more derisive adolescent role models like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, who inaccurately promote sexual freedom as the road to female empowerment.

Leaving the conference, I took my seat on the R5 Express to Malvern. Glancing at the front page of a free newspaper I picked up at the train station, I read the headline, “Alyssa Milano Talks About Sex,” and I think, “If this is news, ladies, we have a long way to go.”

‘You may have torn down ourposters, but you can’t tearour hearts.’

Men’s soccer battle ends in loss

Walk-on takes shot at men’s basketball

JILLIAN MILAM STAFFWRITER JGM726@CABRINI EDU

Kevin Moore, a sophomore trying out for varsity basketball, counts down the days with anticipation for the arrival of Saturday, Oct. 16: the mark of the beginning of try-outs.

basketball career and felt like I needed to accomplish more,” Moore said. “Cabrini is a good place to improve myself because of the great players that they have here.”

In addition, Moore’s experience as a junior varsity player during high school instigated his desire to move forward with his Cabrini basketball career, and to maintain old friendships while creating new ones. “I played junior varsity last season and made a lot of tight friends. For the future there will be a lot of memories to look back on,” Moore said.

ANDREW MATYSIK STAFF WRITER AJM722@CABRINI EDU

The continuous battle to make the playoffs haunts the men’s soccer team again this Halloween season. Arecent painful doubleover-time loss to Widener University crushed the team’s morale. This was an all-too-common game for the Cavaliers.

The game in itself was an absolute war. Both teams played with extreme intensity. The excitement was at its peak towards the end of the second half. The battle was tied at two goals a piece, with Cabrini’s goals scored by seniors Nick Fenton and Jay Catagnus.

With 20 seconds left in regulation, starting goalie Andrew Brady received a red card and was ejected from the game. Brady’s ejection resulted in a penalty shot. Adrastic decision was made to put senior goal scorer, Jay Catagnus in as goalie.

“I was a little nervous because

I haven’t played goalie since I was a sophomore in high school,” Catagnus said. Both team benches roared with support for their teammates in anticipation of the penalty shot.

Diving to his right, Catagnus made a phenomenal save to send the game into overtime. However, this save would not be enough for Cabrini to pull out with a win.

Widener would score in double overtime and put an end to Cabrini’s fight.

These are the type of losses that Cabrini has had to deal with all season. This is the fifth game that Cabrini has had to settle in overtime. Two games ended in losses and three in ties.

The team’s 3-5-3 record may not seem too promising. The fat lady has not sung yet, however. There is still a chance that this team will make the PAC playoffs.

Nick Fenton, a senior forward on the team, has expectations of still entering playoff competition.

“We need to win the rest of our PAC games,” Fenton said.

The three remaining teams Cabrini plays are Neumann, Eastern and Arcadia.

“We’re a team of adversity. We’ve had a lot of injuries and problems with suspensions, but we will definitely push through them,” Fenton said. Head coach Doug Meder and senior captain Sean Dugan both addressed the team’s problems.

“We haven’t played one game with a full roster,” Dugan said. Meder quickly followed, “We’ve been unlucky and hopefully we can start to gel together.” The team mentioned that controversy and injury are the signs of a young team.

“When the season started, we didn’t know what to expect because of all the freshman players,” Dugan said. The team has 14 freshman players on the roster. It is uncertain where their season will end. The team assured Cabrini fans that one thing is certain; they will not give up.

Cavaliers go to double-over-time with Widener 6;) StAC Staff Advisory Council

Who are we & what do we do?

The Staff Advisory Council is a small group of staff members recognized by the President who discuss, inform and advise the Director of Human Resources of staff interests and ways to promote core values through programs such as Caught in the Act of Core Values, Staff Development Days and the Summer BBQ.

This group formally meets every month during the academic year and once in the summer. Agenda items are accepted though any StAC member and are posted on five working days prior to any meeting.

StAC is currently seeking 3 members to join the council. If you are interested in joining or would like to nominate someone that you think might be a great addition to the StAC council, please email the council chair, Sherry Becht at: sherry.becht@cabrini.edu

The thing that is different about this year, he said, is that there are going to be a certain amount of actual cuts. Last year, all basketball player aspirants would try out for varsity, only to get put on the junior varsity team if they did not make the cut. This year, there are a handful of men who will not be chosen for either team, considering there are about 40 some contenders, in which case only 15 players are essentially needed on a team.

Being a walk-on player, as opposed to being recruited for the team, is another nerve wrecking factor that adds to the suspense of try-outs this season for Moore. With about 25 recruited players already in the mix, the anticipation for him and walk-ons alike surely is heightened.

However, his background and experience in high school basketball, as well as being a player for Cabrini’s junior varsity last season, gives Moore a great foundation. “I am going to try and do everything the coaches ask for and focus on playing solid team ball,” Moore said. “I know that the coach is looking for people that listen, follow directions, buy into the system, and they are, of course, looking for talent.”

His basketball-playing days at Lansdale Catholic, the high school in which Moore graduated, not only gave him a good basis. It also gave him the motivation to advance towards college basketball and succeed in doing so. “After high school, I did not feel satisfied with my

While Moore desires to maintain his athletic and social standards, he also set certain goals for himself academically. In regards to athletic aspirations, he plans on playing to his potential and wishes to receive respect from coaches and team mates. He; moreover, seeks to academically stay on top of his schoolwork in the midst of everything.

In order to play to his potential, Moore kept himself active over the summer. He did “drills and played pick up games.” He said, “When tryouts come, you have to be mentally prepared, as well as physically.”

Moore has been attending the pre-season work-outs Cabrini has been holding. From this, as well as his experiences last year, he noticed that “the coaching staff works hard on bringing as many talented players as possible so that everyone realizes they have to stay on their A-game all the time.”

As the pre-season work-outs come to an end and the suspenseful try-outs commence, Moore realizes what he has to do and what goals he needs to set for himself. “It has been really intense and everyone is extremely hungry for a spot.”

ANDREW MATYSIK/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Junior Cavalier,Brent Benner beats a Widener player to the ball with a header

Former NFLplayer talks with student-athletes

NINA SCIMENES Sports editor

Nms722@cabrini.edu

Former NFLplayer, Joe Valerio, was the first of two guest speakers to visit Cabrini’s student-athletes. Thursday, Oct. 6, Widner Center lecture hall was full of future alumni who were given crucial advice from Valerio sharing his experienced advice about how to stay “coachable” after college.

Leslie Danehy, athletic director, booked the speakers with the money received from an NCAA grant. “I don’t think most Division III schools have money for many speakers, but I got an NCAA grant and so I had the money to hire Robb, and Joe Valerio,” Danehy said.

Robb Holman, Chief Executive Officer and President of Push the Rock Outfitters, a basketball apparel company introduced Valerio. Push the Rock is an active sponsor of the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference by awarding a sportsmanship award, and designing championship tshirts for the conference.

Holman also organizes a bureau of nine athletes, including him to speak to various institutions. During the brief introduction Holman played a slide show of Valerio’s highlights as a Kansas City Chief. In the background played the inspiring words,” If you had one moment, one opportunity, would you capture it or let it slip,” from Eminem’s song, “Lose yourself.” This set the stage for Valerio’s story of encouragement and success.

As a Ridley, Pa. native he was a local football star who made it to the Division I and professional level. Valerio is a graduate from

University of Pennsylvania and then spent six years on the Kansas City Chiefs on the offensive line. After finishing his football career he was thrown into corporate America with no coach and no referees.

Valerio stressed the importance of taking the skills that you gain during college sports to the working world. Never settling for second best is what he wants all athletes to strive for. “If people say you can’t graduate, or you can’t do something, you can’t listen to them,” Valerio said.

With the use of three big rocks, an empty canister and salt, Valerio visually symbolized the importance of priorities. Valerio called down Sarah Norfolk, freshman volleyball player, from Cabrini’s crowd to help him. Norfolk shared three of her goals, which were symbolized by the rocks. The salt represented the pressures of college, and the numerous distraction athletes’ face. Valerio proceeded to pour salt into the canister and adding rocks along the way on top.

With the salt taking up too much room in the canister, the goals, rocks, did not fit. Then Valerio attempted again to fit everything in the same canister. This time he put one rock in first, poured in some salt, then added the last two rocks, and the lid was able to fit it all in. This proved that prioritizing goals is the only way to make it all fit in life. Prioritizing is an essential ingredient for achieving goals. “Start out early, do it in the right order, and you’ll get it done,” Valerio said.

“I think Joe’s major message was about priorities; that we can have a balanced, fun, fulfilling and successful life if we have our

priorities straight,” Danehy said. Setting goals that are slightly out of reach is what he suggests to do. If the goals are not met, and one falls short of their goal it is still not a failure. “Set goals that are semi-realistic, but higher to raise the team up,” Valerio said. He stressed the importance of team orientated goals. When setting personal goal the team as a whole should be considered as well.

Transferring skills from college to the working world is another important concept that Valerio wanted the audience to grasp. Valerio experienced shock when he had to quickly adjust from being a part of a structured schedule in college and the NFL to an on-your-own-atmosphere of the real world. Athletes tend to have a lot of self-discipline, which employers look highly upon.

“I learned that you have to focus and you can party, but you can’t make your whole life a party. I never realized that discipline is something that will help get you a job,” Cait Riely, freshman cross-country runner, said, in response to Valerio’s talk.

Danehy was pleased with the turn out of student-athletes, but hopes for more to be present in the future. “I’ll make sure the coaches attend for the next speaker so that the athletes feel more obligated to attend,” said Danehy

The second scheduled speaker is Kevin Robinson with a talk called “Focus strategies for success.” For those student-athletes who were unfortunate to miss out on this speaker, don’t miss Robinson on Feb. 10 at 7:30 p.m. in the Widener Center lecture hall.

Health hut, depression awareness

signs are: depressed mood, poor appetite or overeating, insomnia or hypersomnia, low energy or fatigue and low self-esteem.

Across from Founders Hall, the Cabrini College Health Hut displayed a stand with information to get questions rolling about depression.

Approaching the venue, students were apprehensive about testing their mood. Even though this was a test that did not even need to be studied for, students were still frantic about the situation because they were not sure what the test would reveal. This test is supposed to reveal if an individual suffers from any form of depression or if they are demonstrating any signs.

Many college students are suffering from depression, whether it is an eating disorder, stress or homesickness. There are a few symptoms to look for if you think someone is depressed. These

People tend to worry about what causes depression. According to one of the pamphlets that were being handed out, there are three ways in which a person can become depressed.

The first way that a person becomes depressed is externally. This can happen if a person is in debt, grieving over the loss of a loved one, or dealing with relationship problems.

The second way a person can be depressed is genetically.

Depression can be carried down from parents and others of the same genetics. No need to stress though because this is not always the case.

The final way that depression can be caused is physiological or biochemical factors. This means that chemicals in the brain are

imbalanced and this causes the brain to go into depression mode. There are many doable measures that can be taken to relieve depression. The first and easiest thing to is to get support. Talking to people who care such as friends or family members can help relieve stress associated with depression.

If talking to friends or family is not an option then calling a counselor is another resource. As the depression progresses, so do the cures. Adoctor can be seen, therapy can be attended and medicine can be prescribed.

On campus, there are people in the Counseling Center in the Rooyman’s Center is open for anyone who need to be helped. It is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Contact Dr. Sarah Magitty or Kallie Coles for any questions or someone to talk to at (610) 902-8561.

CHRISTINE BLOM STAFF WRITER CBB722@CABRINI EDU

NINA SCIMENES/SPORTS EDITOR

Freshman Sarah Norfolk helps Joe Valerio demonstrate the importance of priorities.

Depression is common among college students. Don’t be afraid to get help

NINA SCIMENES/SPORTS EDITOR Robb Holman and Joe Valerio visited Cabrini’s student-athletes to discuss methods of success.

Dance, cheerleading shake up Midnight Madness

LAURA VAN DE PETTE KELLIE BELMONTE STAFF WRITERS

LCV722@CABRINI EDU KRB722@CABRINI EDU

In addition to 33 members of Cabrini’s hottest dancers rocking the court at Midnight Madness, the newly founded cheerleading squad will also share half-time on Friday, Oct. 22. The loyal Cavalier fans of Midnight Madness will experience twice the spirit and entertainment as both the dance team and cheerleading squad will perform at the same venue for the first time in the dance team’s five-year establishment.

The newly founded cheerleading squad was started in 2003 by sophomores Maria Lena Interrante and Danielle DeRosa but did not make much progress until this year when Interrante and junior Dana Coia, became captains. This year Amy Hecht, assistant director of Student Activities, is their adviser. “I oversaw the selecting of a professional coach to run tryouts and the selection of the squad. Now that the squad has selected their captains, they’ll be setting future goals for themselves,” Hecht said.

Interrante decided to start the team last year with DeRosa because of her previous experience in high school cheerleading. “At orientation Jason Bozzone, director of Student Activities, told us to get involved, so I did. We mostly did fundraising last

year though. It wasn’t until Amy became our adviser that we actually made headway. The other captain Dana Coia has been great too. She is so dedicated and a really great captain. She is so organized and that’s part of the reason we have gotten so far,” Interrante said.

As Midnight Madness approaches and the excitement brews on campus, the cheerleaders felt they needed to step their routine up a notch with new uniforms. The squad began a candy fundraiser during Family Weekend as a means to purchase uniforms.

“We have been working really hard and are really looking forward to performing at Midnight Madness,” Megan Milliken, a sophomore education major and member of the cheerleading squad, said.

Although many of Cabrini’s male students are hoping the dance team and cheerleading squad will find themselves in a fiery cat-fight during half-time at Midnight Madness, the ladies are pleased and accepting of each other. The only thing the two teams promise is a stellar show.

Todd Boyen, a junior finance major, said, “The more girls, the merrier. Both teams are there to have a good time so I don’t understand why there is any controversy.”

Kendall Neil, a senior English and communication major and assistant coach of the dance team, said, “The girls and I are not

fazed or bothered by splitting half-time with the cheerleading squad. The dance team will perform second which is good; it will encourage the dance team’s loyal fans to watch both performances. It will be a good way for the cheerleaders to wow fans and good for the dance team to take center-court while the crowd is pumped from the cheer routine.” Interrante said, “None of us really feel any competition with the dance team. We’re different organizations. We’re just really excited.”

Adviser Amy Hecht agrees that there is no competition. “The dance team and cheerleading squad are two separate organizations, both trying to accomplish different goals. The Office of Student Activities is proud to be able to offer as many opportunities as possible for students to get involved on campus. I am sure both groups will bring even more school spirit to the campus and excel at what they do best,” Hecht said.

In general the dance team is accepting their new half-time counter-part. Neil said, “The dance team and cheerleading squad are in it together to make Midnight Madness and all homebasketball games entertaining and upbeat for the crowd and the players.”

During a pre-Midnight Madness practice on Oct. 4, the mutual feeling among all 33 dancers is they do not want to be compared or put against the cheerleading

team in a competition. They are two distinct and different athletic clubs. Neil said, “We are not in competition, as we are two different clubs. Cheerleading focuses on gymnastics, strength and stunting while the dance team spotlights advanced dance sequences and their focal point is to entertain the crowd.”

Although the dance team welcomes the cheerleading squad with smiles, Cavalier fans cannot help but wonder if having the two teams sharing the same venue will create jealousy and competition. Neil said, “We have a very young team with 15 returning dance team members and 16 new freshmen. The freshmen are very excited to see if they can match last year ’s high caliber team and go beyond.”

Exhausted from a two-hour long grueling practice, the dance team members simultaneously agree that they are pleased to share court time with the cheerleaders. They also conquer the cheerleaders seem less thrilled about sharing half-time during Cabrini’s most popular fall event, Midnight Madness.

Deborah Alberici, sophomore elementary education major and dancer of 15 years, said, “Of course they are not going to be as upbeat as we are. The dance team is an established and reputable team, while the cheerleaders have to make a name for their squad this year.”

Amanda Farrington, junior psychology major, said, “The

entire dance team, myself included, is proud of the cheerleaders. They started from nothing and organized a team that will be great. Many of us came from a background in cheerleading so we understand the hard work and dedication. We respect them.”

All the excited Cavalier fans who look forward to Midnight Madness and the start of the basketball season are wondering what will set the dance team apart from the cheerleaders. Alicia Del Pizzo, a senior internet computing major and assistant coach of the dance team, said, “Our reputation sets us apart. We have a reputation of awesome performances. The cheerleaders are building their reputation right now Also our performance is totally different from a cheerleading routine. Dance routines incorporate jazz, hip-hop and many other types.”

Regardless of what makes these two teams different, one outstanding similarity is their passion to entertain and promise to put on an unforgettable performance. Dancers and cheerleaders alike would rather put aside the controversy, stop the rumors and simply dance and cheer on Midnight Madness and throughout the basketball season. Both teams will put on must-see performances that will prove they are both equally worthy of courttime.

JUSTIN HALLMAN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

The dance team practices for their first performance of the season,Friday,Oct.22.This will be the first year that they will be sharing court time with the new cheerleading squad.

Cabrini Cavaliers

PAC championship within reach

With a record of 4-6 field hockey keeps hope of winning first conference title

KMW722@CABRINI EDU

Confident players of Cabrini’s field hockey team believe that becoming the college’s first field hockey team to win the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference title is definitely within their reach. The women have reason to believe this goal certainly is a possibility with their 4-6 record overall and 2-3 in the PAC. The team’s first PAC win of the season was last Tuesday when they played an excellent game and defeated Marywood 6-0.

Mary Proietta, a 3 year player and junior at Cabrini, said, “I feel

that this season we have the most talented group of women than in the past years. Everyone on the team shows strengths that we use to mature as players.” It is evident to anyone watching a Cabrini field hockey game that the women on the team this season play well together.

The field hockey players scored five goals in the first half of the game against Marywood on Tuesday, September 21, which led to their deserving 6-0 win. Among the many players who scored goals in the first PAC win, were Rebecca Gallagher, Tami Scanlan, April Kaufmann, Jackie Small, Laura Jump and Mary Proietta.

Cabrini’s field hockey team has yet to win the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference. Head coach Jackie Neary feels that the team has a chance in winning the title this year. When asked her opinion on winning the PAC title Proietta said, “I think we definitely have a great chance at winning the PAC this year. Our team has an amazing determination to achieve this goal that was set in the beginning of the year. Every girl on the team wants to be part of the first field hockey team at Cabrini to bring home the PAC title.”

Cabrini’s field hockey team appears to be playing very well this season and all team members

and coach have the motivation and determination that it takes to compete and win the PAC title. Neary said, “The games that we have lost in the PAC’s have been very close and we hope to face those opponents in the playoffs because we feel very strongly that we can beat them if given the chance to play again. We have a talented team this year and now we find ourselves in a situation where we must win the rest of our games to make the PAC playoffs. This has been our goal since August and I believe the girls can reach this goal if they work together. Every player counts on this team.”

Thursday, Oct. 14

•Chair Massage, 11:30 a.m., - 1 p.m., The Dixon Center

•SGAMeeting, 3:10 p.m.

•Women’s Tennis at Cedar Crest College, 3 p.m.

•Volleyball vs. Cedar Crest College, 7 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 15

Saturday, Oct. 16

•Women’s Soccer vs. Cedar Crest College, Noon

•Field Hockey vs. Neumann College, 1 p.m.

•Men’s Soccer vs. Baptist Bible College, 2 p.m.

•Volleyball at DeSales University Tri-Match, 10 a.m.

•Women’s Tennis vs. Arcadia University, 3 p.m.

•Cross-Country: Cabrini College Invitational

Sunday, Oct. 17

•Kite Festival, Noon- 4 p.m., Upper Field

Monday, Oct. 18

•CORE: Emerging Meeting, 3:30- 5 p.m., Founders Hall, Room 211

Tuesday, Oct. 19

• Field Hockey at Eastern University, 4 p.m.

• Men’s Soccer vs. Wilkes University, 4 p.m.

•Women’s Tennis vs. Philadelphia University, 3 p.m.

•Volleyball vs. Eastern University, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 20

• Semester Midpoint

• Chair Massage, 11:30 a.m., - 1 p.m., The Dixon Center Formore times and other information call the Student Activities Office at X8410

KIMBERLY WHITE STAFF WRITER

AMY PIA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Lady Cavs keep the score close early in the game.Start of the first period the game could be anyone's.

AMY PIA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Players hussle down the opposite side of the field

AMY PIA/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Teammates fight for the ball to gain position.