Ramapo College Newspaper

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RAMAPO NEWS

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2.3.2011

THE

A Publication by the Students for the Ramapo College Community

SPORTS

XLI No. 12

Snow Encroaches on Parking Spaces, Poses Inconveniences

Due to the number of snow storms on Ramapoʼs campus, parking spots are now unavailable for many students.

By MIKE JAGENDORF Staff Writer

Students returned to Ramapo two weeks ago in the middle of a brutal January, the snowiest in 62 years according to New Jersey state climatologist Dave Robinson.

The state has had eight snowstorms, during which at least two inches fell this past month.

The move-in period for the spring semester began on Jan, 18 and was staggered over the

first three days of class and the weekend.

Some residents waited as long as possible to move in, and some who tried to move in early found difficulty. Katie Walsh, a sophomore who lives in the Overlook, called the school to ask if she could move in a day ahead of schedule, but her request was denied.

“We got there really early on Tuesday, but the spots were full,” she said.

Ben Cascio, a freshman resident, said

Four Loko Deal on Craigslist Leads to Campus Arrests

By GARRET IVINS Staff Writer

The manufacturer of the popular energy drink Four Loko voluntarily removed caffeine from the product following numerous incidents on college campuses and a total ban of the drink at Ramapo College and other college campuses nationwide. This ban, however, did not stop three women from trying to sell the drink on Craigslist to Ramapo College students.

On Jan. 11, undercover officers arrested three women for distributing the beverage illegally. The trio, between 20 and 23 years

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old, were not Ramapo students. The women arranged to meet on campus to sell the Four Loko for a total of $330 for three cases, an estimated 200 percent increase of the retail price of the drink.

“The department routinely checks Cragslist, and prior to the arrest, there were around 30 to 40 advertisements for the sale of Four Loko,” James Batelli, chief of Mahwah Police said. “However, two days following the arrest, the remaining advertisements had been removed from the site.”

see LOKO on page 6

EATHER FRI

Ramapo should have let everyone move in a day earlier because they knew the weather and snow on the paths would be bad.

Despite the complaints, Leroy Blash, assistant chief of Public Safety, said everything went very smoothly during the move-in period. Students were allowed to stop their cars in front of the residence halls and unload large items to make walking through the snow safer.

There is always tight competition among

photo by Anthony Yodice

Ramapo's 2,585 commuter students to find a decent place to park in the commuter lots, and the massive piles of snow make things worse. The piles block many spots and reduce visibility, which can pose a safety issue.

Hanna Hoffman, a senior commuter, was frustrated last week when she was

see SNOW on page 6

photo by Garret Ivins

Three women were arrested on Jan. 11 for selling Four Loko at Ramapo.

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Page 2 The Ramapo News

THE RAMAPO NEWS Robert A. Scott Student Center 505 Ramapo Valley Road Mahwah, NJ 07430

(201) 684-7842 rcnjnews@ramapo.edu Megan Anderle Editor-in-Chief

Amy Fezza

Managing Editor

Nicole Alliegro Elyse Toribio News Editors

Diana Stanczak A & E Editor

Andrew Gould Sean Ritchie Sports Editors

Stefanie Mauro Photo Editor

Matt Giuliari

Creative Director

Samantha Ullrich Web Editor

Adam Panella

Business Manager

Dan Sforza

Technical Advisor

Danielle Reed Keri Ann Flaccomio Contributors

INSIDE

Historical European Beech Tree Cut Down

Thursday, February 3, 2010

Tree Behind Birch Mansion Estimated to be 120 Years Old

By NICOLE MAZEWSKI Staff Writer

A historical piece of Ramapo was cut down over winter break.

The large European Beech tree, located behind the Birch Mansion, had been in the process of dying for less than a year when it ultimately died around September of last year. The long, heavy branches began to fall, creating a safety hazard, so authorities decided it was time to cut it down.

“I counted around 80 rings, and that was just a lower branch.

At the end of its life it hardly grew; the rings are very close to one another, and I can barely distinguish them.”

-Eric Weiner, Professor of Environmental Science

The tree, Fagus sylvatica, was planted long before the Ramapo College campus existed. The college’s tree services and environmental departments have not had

the chance to officially count the rings, but it’s estimated to be around 120 years old.

However, Dr. Eric Weiner, Assosciate Professor of Environmental Science, did a count of one of the major branches of the tree last Wednesday.

“I counted around 80 rings, and that was just a lower branch. At the end of its life it hardly grew; the rings are very close to one another, and I can barely distinguish them,” he said.

Because it was a European Beech tree, Weiner explained that it was not originally native to the area and most likely carried outside insects and diseases.

Weiner said that a professional arborist believed that the tree died of old age, but it is also possible that the tree died of Beech Bark Disease. Beech Bark Disease is caused when a scale insect, C. Fagisuga, burrows holes in the bark and then the fungus, Nectria, infects trees affected by the scale.

Weiner said the college is planning on saving portions of the tree, or at least some cross sections of the trunk, to build a display to

Around the Arch Page 3

Viewpoints

show its age. He also said some of the tree will be built into a bench.

Warner Wada, Professor of Painting and Photography, had been photographing the tree since last fall. He said that he knew it was dying and wanted to document the vast tree to share it with other people, because many didn’t

“I have always taken my classes out there to see the tree. I live in the middle of Manhattan and Ramapo is in a rural area. I enjoy the contrast between the two, especially in the winter.

The tree was an added benefit.”

Page 7

A&E Page 8

Sports Page 13

POLICY

Whenever necessary, The Ramapo News will publish corrections or clarifications in the following issues. All corrections must be brought to the attention of the editor as soon as possible. The Ramapo News strives for accuracy. In keeping with journalistic standards, pre-publication review of any article, quote or editorial is not allowed. Viewpoints may be dropped off at SC-218 or e-mailed to rcnjnews@ramapo.edu. The Ramapo News reserves the right to edit viewpoints for content, style and space.

Anonymous viewpoints will not be accepted.

Paid advertisements are accepted at the sole discretion of The Ramapo News staff and are due no later than the Monday of that weekʼs issue.

Rates are available by contacting the editorial staff by phone or e-mail.

photo courtesy of Warner Wada

The college hired an arborist and an outside company to take the tree down. Plans to replace the tree with at least one other one are in place.

-Warner Wada, Professor

photo courtesy of Warner Wada

Authorities decided to cut down the Beech tree, located behind Birch Mansion, because the branches began to impose a safety hazard.

even know it was there.

“I had always taken my classes out there to see the tree,” Wada said. “I live in the middle of Manhattan and Ramapo is in a rural area. I enjoy the contrast between the two, especially in the winter. The tree was an added benefit.”

Wada, who is an architectural landscape photographer, began documenting the tree after he got a pinhole camera. He had done a lot of work with the camera, which

was a technique used in the 19th century, while on his trek to Cambodia and Thailand, so he felt comfortable with the technology.

“The camera doesn’t have a lens, but it was still able to depict all of the details of the tree,” he said.

He printed the photographs as paper negatives, which enhances the print and makes them look like they were taken 100 years ago.

The series he took of the tree took on a Gothic style, especially after the tree had died.

“The tree was incredible. It was like a huge skeleton,” Wada said.

The college is planning on replacing the tree with at least one other to be replanted later this year. A tree species has not been chosen yet. nmazewsk@ramapo.edu

Thursday, February 3, 2011

THURSDAY’S CHILD

Tallulah Belle Willis, third daughter of actors Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, turns 17 today.

TODAY IN HISTORY

On this day in 1961, New York City experienced the 6th largest snowfall in history, with a record 17.4 inches.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

President Barack Obama, on the political unrest in Egypt “Many questions about Egyptʼs future remain unanswered, but I am confident that the people of Egypt will find those answers.”

Your Grandma’s on Facebook...Like It?

By SAMANTHA ULLRICH Staff Writer

Janet Van Beuzekom, a 65-year-old Waldwick resident, started using Facebook when her youngest son got married. She wanted to be able to view and share the wed-

ding photos at her convenience.

“I guess that is the part of Facebook that I enjoy the most. It has been interesting keeping in touch with other family and friends,” Van Beuzekom said. “This would not be so easy if I didn’t have this technology.”

The social media phenomenon was once a way for college students to connect with new faces around their own college community. It is now an interactive website that allows anyone with Internet access to connect with friends and family next door or across the globe.

Created by Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg in 2004, Facebook was originally designed as a way for college students to connect with one another on their campus. Users can now upload photos, update statuses and information on their profile and ‘friend’ other users. This social media website has grown to be the largest social network in the world, according to Bloomsberg BusinessWeek.

“All this technology, you have to learn and I don’t want to learn this stuff. If I have to, I will.”

-Filly Darmiento, 74 year-old

Today, Facebook has more than 500 million active users with 47 percent of them between the ages of 50-64 and 26, percent over 60-years-old, according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project.

This social fad has grown in popularity among all ages. What was once a media playground for young adults is now occupied by mothers, fathers, and grandparents. According to a survey on AllAssistedLivingHomes.com, 40 percent of these seniors use Facebook to connect with old friends and family, and 30 percent to share photos.

Seniors can be internet savvy, too

AARP, formerly known as the American Association of Retired Persons, a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization which focuses on helping people 50 and over improve the quality of their lives, has developed ways to teach seniors how to navigate through the internet and successfully use social media networks.

“AARP is supporting that in many ways – by writing stories and how-tos in our publications and websites, by maintaining AARP pages on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and more and by offering a suite of applications for iPhones and iPads,” says Tammy Gordon, senior advisor for social communications at AARP.

“Older people like Facebook for the same reason college kids do. It’s fun to keep up with what your friends and family are doing.”

-Tammy Gordon, AARP advisor

The Ramsey Adult School of Ramsey, NJ also offers programs and classes for seniors who are interested in increasing their knowledge of the Internet and social media networks. They hold a yearly seminar in January that invites seniors to come out and learn about the Internet and its uses for personal and professional life.

“At the Ramsey Adult School, we created an open house and they’re free to come at no charge. We have staff there and computers there and we do a little presentation. We start at such an organic level of teaching them and making them feel comfortable. We have a course purely dedicated to senior citizens. We call it ‘Slow and Steady.’ It’s very slow paced so they understand it,” said Jean Macko, director of the Ramsey Adult School.

The Ridgewood Public Library of Ridgewood, NJ has also joined the movement of introducing seniors to the World Wide Web. Classes are held that teach use of Microsoft programs as well as Internet basics.

“They’re so out of the loop if they don’t know it. They have to know it to be part of our community or they’re going to be out of a huge segment of our society,” said Maryjo Morris, computer literacy teacher at the Ridgewood Public Library in Ridgewood, NJ.

Some are a bit skeptical

Some senior citizens from older generations, however, find the Internet to be useful, but social media to be distracting.

“If I want to look up certain things, I definitely have to use the Internet. You get a lot of information that you can just pull up,” said Filly Darmiento, 74. “All this technology, you

Freshmen Parking Ban Puts Damper on Hope for Job Prospects see GRANDMA on page 5

Ramapo Students are Faced with a Lack of Work Availability

By AMY FEZZA Managing Editor

In efforts to increase student involvement, Ramapo College will ban freshmen parking for the

upcoming fall semester.

President Mercer of Ramapo College had decided to implement this ban last spring semester in order for new students to engage in more social activities, primarily on weekends.

“We need to think of a structure so that freshmen don’t leave this campus on weekends,” Mercer told the Ramapo News last February.

However, the enforcement of this new rule has caused a call for concern among students who wonder whether oncampus jobs will be readily available to all students at the college in the coming months.

“It was very difficult for me to find a job on campus when I was a freshman,” junior Melanie Orinski said. “Luckily, I had my car freshman year so I was able to continue working at the job I had had since high school, but that was then.”

As students across the country struggle to pay for tuition, living accommodations, books and many other additional fees, students endure economic hardships along the way to college success and rely on college jobs to provide work while in session.

But in Ramapo’s efforts to encourage a residential lifestyle, students with seniority are worried that freshmen will take away from their long-awaited job opportunities.

Through each academic year at Ramapo, there are 90 differ-

photo by Ken Rodenheiser

Incoming freshmen will not be permitted to bring their cars on campus this coming fall. ent departments on campus that offer jobs to students.

A student may chose to be an ambassador for the Admissions office, a telemarketer for the Phonathon division, or work as a cashier in the bookstore, however, the positions can take some time to open for prospective students.

“I wasn’t able to get a job on campus until last semester,” Orinski said. “I had to wait for three years to get a job and

now due to scheduling conflicts, I’m out of a job again and I feel as though it’ll be even harder with new freshmen coming.”

Beth Ricca, director at the Cahill Center on campus, believes this new change will definitely have an effect on new and current students due to lack of availabilisee JOBS on page 6 ty, but has already begun

Resource Center Changes Name, Creates New Image Page 4 The Ramapo News

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Service Focuses on Building Fundamentals in Various Departments

By STEPHANIE DERUITER Staff Writer

Ramapo’s tutoring center has been renamed and recast in an effort to promote academic careers and personal success.

Once known as the Center for Academic Success, the Center for Reading and Writing will modify the way in which students are tutored.

“The main changes beginning this semester will focus on subject specific tutoring to support programs,” James Hoch, interim director of the center said. “The center will be offering more small workshops focused on specific topics to support reading and writing skills across curriculum programs for students and faculty.”

The center, a place where students could once be tutored in all subjects including math and history, will now have a more focused goal of providing students with one-on-one learning in order for them to primarily develop their reading and writing skills. After this semester, tutoring for the other majors will be provided by their respective schools; the center itself will use co-curricular programming to support writing in other majors and will provide students with strategies to use regardless of what subject they are writing for.

Another modification is a developing outreach program to advertise tutoring services to the campus community. The first step is a tutor-pairing system, where individual tutors are paired with College English and Readings in the Humanities courses.

photo by Stephanie deRuiter

The newly modified Center for Reading and Writing aims to increase basic skills.

“I am positive this will significantly improve the academic support the college offers its students,” Julianne Candio Sekel, a tutor representative said. “Now, with the tutor-pairing program, freshmen who take College English will know that writing assistance exists, where the Center is, and even the name and face of a tutor who has read their course syllabus and is knowledgeable about the professor's expectations.”

Hoch hopes that the modifications will address the needs of the whole student population.

“CAS largely supported at risk students; now all students can find some service to develop their communication skills and to exceed their expectations” Hoch said.

In the next semester, the location of the center will most likely be moved to the George T. Potter Library, allowing the center to be much more engaged with the student and faculty community.

The biggest challenge ahead for the center is developing a variety of workshops focused on very specific kinds of programming. Hoch is confident that the new center and the introduction of these workshops will expand the community of readers and writers here at Ramapo.

Sekel is also certain that the changes will only have positive effects on the academics here at Ramapo.

“I have no doubt that our new objectives will be wellreceived by the college community and prove to be successful,” Sekel said. “We now provide additional support in the classroom through tutor pairing, outside of the classroom through our workshops, and in the Center itself through our constant reevaluation and improvement of our services.”

The Center for Reading and Writing is currently located on the second floor of the E building and is now open for tutoring. The hours are Sunday 4:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m., MondayThursday 9:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. and Friday 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. sderuite@ramapo.edu

New Guest Policy Enacted, Community Reaches ‘Middle Ground’ Changes Aim to Ensure Campus Safety, Prevent Unauthorized Guests

Last semester Ramapo adopted a new guest policy, now in full effect for the spring semester. The updated policy, which includes several changes, has so far been enforced without incident.

The most noticeable change, and perhaps most beneficial to students, is that guest passes are now available at any time.

“The new guest policy is still strict, but better than before,” Lynn Daly, a sophomore, said. “Being able to get a pass any time is easier and more convenient.”

Many students agreed. Residents felt the time restriction on guest passes was too strict and argued that they would at times choose to have overnight guests arrive after 6:30 p.m., the previous deadline for obtaining and completing a guest form.

Another change to the guest policy restricts students from entering the residence halls using their school ID card after 11:00 p.m. Now, students must instead show their ID or guest pass to a desk attendant, who will then open the doors for them. This policy is to ensure that no unauthorized guests enter the residence halls.

While some students feel the new rule is an inconvenience, others do see the purpose of the new change.

“I think it’s good,” said sophomore Maeve Gray. “It makes sure everyone that’s inside the building is accounted for.”

Despite the changes, some of the old guest restrictions still apply.

Guests must present a driver’s license when filling out a guest pass, and like before, any damages or fines incurred by the guest are charged to the resident.

The new policy is essentially a modified version of the old, but students and administrators seem to have come to a middle ground in the debate between student safety and student convenience.

By GARRET IVINS Staff Writer

givins@ramapo.edu

photo by Garret Ivins

One change to the updated guest policy requires students to show identification in order to enter residence halls past 11:00 p.m. This ensures that no unauthorized guest enter the buildings late at night.

Older Generations Flood Most Popular Social Media Site Page 5 The Ramapo News

Thursday, February 3, 2011

continued from page 3

have to learn and I don’t want to learn this stuff. If I have to, I will. And all the gadgets these kids have, they’re great, I think, but they’re losing something. Penmanship, out the door.

Everything is typed!”

Darmiento is a mother, grandmother, coordinator at the Senior Center in Ramsey, and a part-time real estate agent, but has no desire to engage in Facebook at this time.

“I socialize, and I like to verbally talk to people, I have a lot to say, and if I have to do it on a keyboard, forget about it I’ll be lost. I’m not that good at typing,” Darmiento said. “I’ve communicating with my one friend through letters for 35 years because she doesn’t have a computer; what do you do with friends who don’t have a computer? Remember this is a different generation.”

Van Beuzekom uses Facebook and enjoys the ability to keep in touch with friends and family, but she as well feels this social network can be negative if not used correctly and cautiously.

“We have a course purely dedicated to senior citizens. We call it ‘Slow and Steady.’ It’s very slow paced so they understand it.”

-Jean Macko, director of the Ramsey Adult School

“I know that many people put too much information about themselves online. I can’t understand why anyone would want to put all the things they are doing during the day or night up on Facebook. I think everyone has to very careful of what they are posting.

Facebook can be used intending to be great and turn out to be very bad,” stated Van Beuzekom.

“I think that generation seemed to be a little bit more reluctant to putting so much information on the Internet. They’re still very not trusting of the Internet. They hear about all these things, and rightfully so, they’re very apprehensive about trusting security sites. They don’t know how to check if a site is secure,” said Macko.

What will this mean for the future of Facebook?

The overgrowing population of seniors using Facebook may come as an invasion to some younger participants. Some of the younger generation even thinks that there will be a new social media site in the future, again strictly for the younger crowd, just as there was MySpace prior to Facebook.

“I think that generation seemed to be a bit more reluctant to putting so much information on the Internet. They’re still not very trusting of the internet.”

-Janet Van Beuzekom, 65 year-old

“I blocked my aunt because she would constantly go back to my mom and tell her about my pictures on my Facebook. I don’t have anything bad, it’s just more of a privacy issue,” said Colleen Steel, a 20-year-old junior at Ramapo College. “I don’t think anyone will be able to top Facebook just yet, but maybe in the future.”

However, some Facebook users don’t mind their parents and now grandparents using this site along with them. Ramapo student Kelly Moeller’s grandmother uses Facebook, but it does not affect her or her personal use of Facebook.

“My grandma has only had a Facebook for about a year now. She got it just so she could try it out but it really doesn’t bother me at all. If she wants one that’s fine with me. I actually find it more amusing than anything,” said Moeller.

“Older people like Facebook for the same reason college kids do. It’s fun to keep up with what your friends and family are doing,” Gordon says. “Right now, a quarter of our members are actively using social media. Approximately one-quarter of all those 50+ use social media websites (27 percent) with Facebook being by far the most popular (23 percent).” sullrich@ramapo.edu

Page 6 The Ramapo News

Heavy Snow Causes Unnecessary Stress continued from page 1

Thursday, February 3, 2011

student, was frustrated last week when she was unable to find a parking spot anywhere near where her classes were.

“I had to park so far away, almost by the Village,” she said. “And I couldn’t park at the Village because I

would have gotten a ticket.”

Other commuters reported having lot problems too.

“I was pulling into a spot in the commuter lot last Thursday and my car got stuck on ice halfway in.” Brandon Wolfeld, junior, said. “I spent the next 20 minutes trying to get into that spot. I was late for class, and the professor penalizes people who arrive late.”

After the snowplows cleared the roads around the residence halls, many students’ cars were still snowed in. The morning after last Wednesday’s snowstorm, dozens of students were seen shoveling the snow mounds created by the plows away from their vehicles. A limited number of snow shovels are available for residents at each residence hall office which may be borrowed during office hours. However, the Facilities Department urges students to keep away from roads and walkways when plows are present.

“I was pulling into a spot in the commuter lot last Thursday and my car got stuck on ice halfway in. I spent the next 20 minutes trying to get into that spot. I was late for class, and the professor penalizes people who arrive late.”

-Brandon Wolfeld, junior

Joanna Godyla, a junior communications student, reported she had problems with her car stalling on snow mounds. “The streets are fine but it's hard backing out. It's dangerous when you have to back up real fast to get over the mounds of snow,” she said.

The Facilities Department monitors the number of spaces that are obscured by snow, and brings in heavy equipment to truck the snow to other locations. Despite limited parking availability, weather and snow conditions do not change parking enforcement policies.

However, Sergeant Jimmy Smith from Public Safety said so far they were being more understanding on the kids because of the weather, and only ticketing people who park in fire lanes and handicapped spots.

Ramapo College employees and contracted private personnel work hard to make sure the roads and paths are safe.

“We continuously plow and shovel roadways and pathways during and after all storms until the surface below is exposed,” Anna Farneski, Ramapo's associate vice president of mar-

photo by Anthony Yodice

Large mounds of snow are scattered across various areas on Ramapoʼs campus, including residence halls.

keting and communications said.

“We salt all areas as needed until the surface is free of ice and snow, not slippery, and mostly dry.”

“The outside crew is doing a hell of a job clearing the snow,” Assistant Chief Blash said, referring to the contracted cleanup crew. “As soon as we get reports of a slippery spot, we send the crews to shovel and salt, and they do it quickly.”

Still, one employee was hurt when he slipped and fell in the Village, and there have been some motor vehicle accidents on campus already this semester. Sergeant Smith reported there was a fender bender last weekend when one car struck another at a corner in the CPA parking lots. The driver did not see the other car because of a huge mound of snow.

Facilities remains prepared to battle more snow over the rest of the winter to reduce stress as nuch as possible for students. mjagendo@ramapo.edu

Four Loko Continues to Ramapo Looks for Job Options Provoke Campus Controversy continued from page 3 continued from page 1

According to a press release from the Mahwah Police, “The sale of an alcoholic beverage without a state license or permit.”

The guilty party was arrested and fingerprinted as well as photographed, records that will now follow the trio the rest of their lives. The three were released on bail, but still face an impending court date to face charges.

Four Loko is a combination of an alcoholic beverage and an energy drink, a dangerous combination according to Batelli.

“Four Loko hits the system quickly. We also had incidents of the drink being abused in local high schools,” he said.

Despite the recent negative incidents surrounding the drink, Batelli was positive. The arrest shows that local law enforcement are capable of handling the illegal sale of the drink, and the press has gotten widespread attention. Batelli said he even did an interview on the radio for a news station based in the Chicago area.

Students on campus don’t seem too concerned with the arrest.

Junior Mark Simon said, “I feel like everyone’s gotten over the hype of Four Loko.

You don’t really hear much about alcohol abuse on campus anymore. It seems like most people have learned to keep their drinking in check.”

This seems to be the opinion across most of

campus. Students don’t seem to be concerned with alcohol related incidents as much as they have been. Batelli said that during the initial Four Loko incident, he had never seen intoxication by students to that extent, and he agreed with President Mercer’s ban on the drink.

“I feel like everyone’s gotten over the hype of Four Loko.

You don’t really hear much about alcohol abuse on campus anymore. It seems like most people have learned to keep their drinking in check.”

-Mark Simon, junior

The arrest seems to have put a temporary halt on the sale of Four Loko on Craigslist, and the Mahwah Police can be expected to continue monitoring the site for more chances to catch those looking to sell. As for Four Loko, the manufacturer has created a new formula without the energy drink component, which has made the drink so potent. givins@ramapo.edu

already begun brainstorming ideas with other officials on campus to help the situation.

“There are currently 800 students working in 90 different departments and unfortunately that’s not enough, but we’re trying to get more departments to look for job opportunities that they can offer students a job,” Ricca said.

According to U.S. News & World Report, Ramapo College has an undergraduate enrollment of 5,776 and an estimated freshman population of 900.

Ricca finds this situation to be a harsh reality, but sees no sense in sugarcoating cold hard facts.

“As of now, we’re limited in terms of jobs on campus,” Beth said. “We usually have more students looking for jobs than what’s available.”

Ricca understands that once freshmen notice that there may not be jobs available, they will be looking for ways to acquire an off-campus job.

“Rick Brown of Student Development has been thinking of alternative options, possibly a new form of transportation for these students having to result in off-campus jobs,” Beth said. “We’ve been putting together ideas in committee meetings in order to find a solution.”

As newly admitted members to the class of 2015, most students across the tri-state area are either continuing the senior years

of high school or looking ahead to their future college policies.

Incoming freshman, Kelly Krisza has already begun thinking how this new rule will affect her financially and understands that not having a car limits her job opportunities in the near future. She will start Ramapo College in the fall.

“If [we] are not allowed to have a car on campus, and there are not many jobs on campus at Ramapo, then this will make it very hard to get a job off campus,” Krisza said.

President Mercer had said in last year’s address that he had taken into account that freshman students may have jobs, but he believes it to be an irrational reason due to the expense alone of keeping a car could by no means match one day of work on a weekend.

According to Student Government President Jason Krisza, the future of Ramapo jobs will have to take an alternate route come fall semester. “[SGA] has been in communication with Dr. Mercer, but the reality is that this is something that is non-negotiable,” Krisza said. “However, Ramapo has been working toward making a better off-campus shuttle in order to build more opportunities in terms of outside jobs.”

However, it seems as though incoming freshmen, current students and officials on campus find this issue to be more troublesome than it had originally been expected. afezza@ramapo.edu

VIEW POINTS

Thursday, February 3, 2011 Campus views are the sole opinion of their respective authors, submitted to The Ramapo News and in no way reflect the views of either The Ramapo News or Ramapo College of New Jersey.

Egypt Is Burning... What Does This Mean for America, Her Allies and Egypt’s future?

By MIKE JAGENDORF Staff Writer Tens of thousands of Egyptians have taken to the streets in protest this past week. They are frustrated with 30 years of President Hosni Mubarak misrule by President Hosni Mubarak, who employed torture by electrocution in his corrupt government. The government was also responsible for censorship of the media, high unemployment, rising prices and a falling standard of living.

Protestors have burned the headquarters of Mubarak’s political party; terrorists have broken out of prisons; 300 or more people have been killed, and the situation is spiraling out of control.

The 82-year-old Mubarak, though a despot to his own people, has been an invaluable ally of both the United States and Israel. Since signing the 1978 Camp David Accords with Israel, against whom Egypt instigated and lost five wars since the Jewish nation was founded in 1948, the U.S. has been giv-

ing Mubarak’s regime between $1 and 2 billion dollars a year in foreign aid money. In exchange, Egypt has kept the peace and been an ally in the War on Terror.

Now, Mubarak’s friendly relations with the U.S. may hasten his downfall. Nothing illustrates more clearly how the protestors blame Mubarak’s actions on us than the now famous photo of an angry masked man holding a canister of tear gas thrown by riot police with “Made in the U.S.A.” printed on the bottom.

Though most of the protestors on the streets are directing their rage at their own leaders, there are plenty who are clearly expressing antiAmerican and anti-Israeli sentiments. America chose her allies poorly and now we may pay the price for supporting a leader who served our interests at the expense of justice and democracy in her own land.

The unrest is breaking out a week after a popular uprising in Tunisia managed to overthrow the government there, and the parallels are

hard to miss.

However, the parallels are also similar to the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran. Then, as now, the U.S. propped up a cruel dictator, the Shah of Iran, who ruled with an iron fist through the secret police. When the Shah was overthrown by a popular uprising of angry young protestors, instead of a democracy replacing his regime, it was replaced by a hard-line theocracy of Islamist mullahs who impose fundamentalist Sharia law.

The most sinister force lurking in the background of the Egyptian conflict is the Muslim Brotherhood, who is organizing many of the protests and inciting violence in the streets.

When the Mubarak regime falls, and it will, it is unclear what role the Brotherhood will play in the new Egypt, but it will have a stronger position than its current status as a banned organization that must operate underground.

The Muslim Brotherhood has a long history of intolerance and violence, from its alliance with the

Nazis during World War II to its assassinations of Egyptian prime ministers Nokrashi in 1948 and Sadat in 1982, and current funding of the terrorist group Hamas. Al Qaeda #2 Ayman al-Zawahiri was a Brotherhood member in his youth.

An extremist group like the Muslim Brotherhood taking control would be a worst-case scenario for the people of Egypt who would be subjected to Sharia law, for the people of Israel who would once again be surrounded by enemies, and for America, who would lose a key ally.

However, many of the protestors hope Egypt will become a parliamentary democracy. The nation’s future is uncertain, but if Egypt and Tunisia become democracies, they will be only the second and third democracies in the Arab world after Iraq, and that’s what the rest of the world is hoping for.

To the Editor:

As a reader I’d like to expose my point of view regard the opening article on the newspaper from the last issue of last semester.

The title of the article is “Lauren Lot Vandalized, Students Question Public Safety” written by Elise Taribio. I personally agreed seeing students questioning public safety, I appreciate and have a great relation with all of them but it is undeniable that they are becaming, because the school is, more “rigid” following the rules.

Students from the school with probably the highest amount of camera devices do not expect to have problems like vandalized cars in the covered and monitored parking lots. I still want to remark the great work that public safety offers us everyday but I thin it is undeniable that they still have improvement to do.

Sincerely, Giuliano Rizzola

mjagendo@ramapo.edu

New App Receives Unnecessary Praise

By MIKE DRURY Staff Writer

Think back to when you were 14 and just sitting on the couch, being lazy and watching some TV, without a care in the world beside the occasional homework assignment. Imagine how productive you or I could have been if we had gotten off our butts and done something life-changing.

Fourteen-year-old Robert Nay, of Spanish Fork, Utah, created the No. 1 iPhone App. No, it isn’t Angry Birds. In fact, Nay’s “Bubble Ball” overthrew Angry Birds as the No. 1 free game application in mid-January.

I find it unbelievable that someone this young could create something so advanced for his age.

At 14, the smartest thing I did was conquering algebra, a mighty feat for most 14-year-olds.

The mere thought of designing levels and using computer code to create a successful game is too much for me to think about.

Perhaps years later, and after some learning and maybe an interest in the field, I could create a hit game.

As if creating an iPhone App wasn’t impressive enough, Nay also founded his own gaming company. Nay Games can be found http://naygames.com/.

After visiting the site — nothing too special at the moment — I was able to play the game for free online, even though I can download it for free on my iPod touch. I would’ve been more impressed with the site if there was information about Nay’s company or blog posts about ideas for some upcoming games. The site, a mere provider of the Bubble Ball game, was a complete waste of my time.

The main object of the game is to tap a blue

“The site, a mere provider of the Bubble Ball game, was a complete waste of my time.”

ball, drag pieces and avoid obstacles in order to get the ball across the goal line. Sound familiar? I can’t tell you how many games I’ve played in which I have to take an object (for example, an “angry bird”) and move it across the screen successfully (for example, knocking out pigs), while avoiding and using objects to your advantage (for example, wooden planks and cement blocks).

Prior to playing, I was stunned that Nay created this game. If it was better than Angry Birds, I had to play it. After playing it though, and

after some confusion, I found Bubble Ball to be a mere procrastination tool. I’m now impressed not that a 14-year-old designed a game — mainly because it’s so similar to other popular games — but that he had the ambition to go out on a limb and design something that could just as easily have been rejected.

I can’t really understand all the hype about this new game — it’s the same basic premise of other games. Is it only getting hype because its creator is 14? Did Nay design the concept? The entire computer program? If a 50-year-old created Bubble Ball, would it have been as big as a hit?

Bubble Ball’s fame was short-lived, as it should be. Angry Birds is back where it belongs — in the No. 1 spot, while Bubble Ball has fallen out of the Top 20. mdrury1@ramapo.edu

Have something to say?

Submit your letter to the editor: editor.rcnjnews @gmail.com Also, check us out on Twitter: @RamapoNews

Get Off Your Couch

Nominees Announced

Julianna Branda and Tom Van Howling review some of 2010ʼs best and worst movies.

Stephanie Prisco provides tips on how to stay motivated and get to the gym.

Page 12

New Ticket Policies Keep Students in Mind 2. 3. 11

Photo by Nicole Mazewski

Students camp out all night in front of the bookstore in hopes of securing discounted tickets from Roadrunner Central to the Broadway musical “Wicked.”

By the time tickets went on sale at 8 a.m. on Jan 25, only six tickets remained.

BY NICOLE MAZEWS KI Staff Writer By 10 p.m. on Jan. 24, there was a line of students camping out in front of Roadrunner Central waiting for tickets to the Broadway musical “Wicked” to go on sale the next morning. At 8 a.m., there were only six tickets left.

Though Ramapo has instilled new policies regarding sales of tickets, the changes certainly did not seem to interfere with student interest in advertised events.

Students are still able to purchase more than one ticket to events, but at different prices. The second purchased ticket will cost slightly more, generally around an additional $10 to $15.

The different prices for the first and second ticket are to benefit students by using less of Ramapo student activities money for non-Ramapo students.

“I think it’s good. It makes it a lot more competitive,” senior Stephanie Orico said.

Eddie Seavers, Associate Director of Student Development and Coordinator of the Student Center, said, “It’s a combi-

nation of the best practices and standards of other colleges across the state.”

“We want to provide lots of events and opportunities for students at a discounted price. The extra money student development is essentially ‘saving’ is going to be put towards other trips.”

-Eddie Seavers, Associate Director of Student Development

Seavers added, “We want to provide lots of events and opportunities for students at a discounted price. The extra money student development is essentially ‘saving’ is going to be put towards other trips. We want to provide more trips for more Ramapo students.”

Ticket sale practices are also being updated for the new semester. Tickets now go on sale at 8 a.m., rather than 10 a.m.

Seavers explained the reason for the change in time. “The earlier time will only interfere with the 8 a.m. classes, instead of both those and the 9:45 a.m. classes,” he said.

“The waiting line of students will be less in the way of the operations of the school and it will be easier to navigate the halls when the college opens.”

Seavers also said ticket sale days may be rotated to be more accessible to students.

The waitlist is also new this semester. When a trip sells out students can be placed on a waitlist, and if there’s enough interest and funding, a second bus will be considered. Those people on the list will be entitled to the tickets, but if they don’t claim them in the 24 hour period, they will go on sale again to the entire student body.

The “Wicked” sales were so popular that when after the waitlist was taken, they decided to run a second bus of students. nmazewsk@ramapo.edu

Page 9 The Ramapo News

And the Award Goes To...

Some of the Best

BY JULIANNE BRANDA Staff Writer

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (a.k.a. The Oscars) announced the nominations for the 2011 Academy Awards on Jan. 25. Last year’s supporting actress winner, Mo’nique, announced the nominees in the traditional ceremony, where “The King’s Speech,” “The Social Network,” “Inception,” “True Grit,” and “The Fighter” lead the pack of films being honored.

“The King’s Speech,” starring Colin Firth

photo courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons

James Franco is nominated for an Oscar for his leading role in “127 Hours.”

and Helena Bonham Carter (who both received nominations in the acting categories), garnered 12 nominations in total.

The film has received high marks from the critics; however, it has yet to cross over to a mainstream audience. “Black Swan,” which has been receiving both critical and commercial acclaim in the last two months, received nominations for Natalie Portman (Best Actress), Best Picture, and Best Director. In a surprising snub for the film, Mila Kunis was not honored in the Best Supporting Actress category, despite the preliminary Oscar Buzz predicting otherwise.

“The Social Network,” which cleaned up at other awards shows such as the Critic’s Choice Awards and the Golden Globes, pulled in eight nominations including one for Jesse Eisenberg (Best Actor). However, a good track record does not automatically guarantee Oscar gold, as the surefire winner is never safe from the startling upset. In addition to acknowledging the Facebook epic, the Academy has been showing a violent streak this year in its best picture nominees: both “True Grit” and “The Fighter” picked up nominations in the Academy’s most coveted category, despite deviating from the normal lighthearted Oscar bait that generally dominates the picks for best picture.

Some of the highest grossing films of the year, including “Inception” and “Toy Story 3,” also received recognition as one of the 10 premiere movies of 2010. Despite the popularity of “Inception,” it only received nomi-

nations in the technical areas, such as Visual Effects and Cinematography. Surprisingly, both Leonardo DiCaprio and director Christopher Nolan were snubbed in the Best Actor and Best Director categories.

“The Kids are All Right,” which picked up three other nominations aside from best picture, and “Toy Story 3D” were the only comedies that made the cut for best picture.

Some lesser-known films, such as “127

Despite the snubs and disappointments, the Oscar race should be an exciting one, with no clear cut front runner making its way towards the finish line just yet.

Hours” and “Winter’s Bone,” rounded out the ten nominees for Best Picture.

The other acting nominees include Christian Bale, James Franco, Annette Bening, Amy Adams, Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, and Mark Rufflao, among others.

Natalie Portman has the best chances at winning the Actress Academy award, while Christian Bale and Darren Aronofsky, the Coen Brothers, David O. Russell, Tom Hooper, and David Fincher all received recognition in the Directing category.

Despite the snubs and disappointments, the Oscar race should be an exciting one, with no clear cut front runner making its way towards the finish line just yet. However,

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Some of the Worst

BY TOM VAN HOWLING Staff Writer

The 31st Golden Raspberry awards, better known as the Razzies, are set to take place on Feb. 26 in Hollywood. The Razzies honor the worst movies and actors of the previous year.

“The Last Airbender” and “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” take the lead with a whopping nine nominations each. Stars from both these films are nominated in other categories such as Worst Screen Couple/Worst Screen Ensemble (Yes, Taylor Lautner, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, that means you).

photo courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons

The Golden Raspberry Awards, better known as the Razzies, are awarded to worst movies and actors of the previous year.

Other films nominated are “Sex and the City 2” with seven nominations along with “The Bounty Hunter,” “Vampires Suck” and “Valentine’s Day” all receiving four nominations.

The Razzies began in 1980 by John J.B. Wilson, a copywriter and publicist. This award was started as a joke but it later became an official ceremony. The ceremony traditionally occurs the night before the Academy Awards.

Actors can be nominated individually or as

a full cast. Many of the stars in screen ensembles are also nominated for individual categories such as Worst Actor and Worst Actress.

The categories awarded include Worst Picture, Worst Actor, Worst Actress, Worst Screenplay and Worst Prequel, Rip-off or Sequel.

This year there is also a special category for 2010 entitled Worst Eye-Gouging Misuse of 3-D. Nominees for this award are “Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore,” “Clash of the Titans,” “The Last Airbender,” “The Nutcracker in 3D” and “Saw 3D.”

This year, there is also a special category for 2010 entitled Worst Eye-Gouging Misuse of 3-D.

There are many Hollywood A-listers nominated including Cher, Miley Cyrus, Ashton Kutcher, Taylor Lautner and Jennifer Aniston. While most stars do not attend the show, a few past winners have actually accepted their awards. Celebrities who have accepted their Razzies are Bill Cosby, Tom Green, Halle Berry and most recently Sandra Bullock, who also happens to be the only actor in history to receive both a Razzie and an Oscar in the same year.

The Golden Raspberry award show is often cheesy and dramatic, essentially just a satire of the Academy Awards. The award itself is actually a spray painted golden raspberry on a film reel. Each award costs fewer than five dollars to make.

While the Razzies don’t air on television, highlights of the show can be seen on their YouTube channel. For a full list of the nominees go to www.razzies.com. tvanhowl@ramapo.edu

photo courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons

The 83rd Academy Awards will air on Feb. 27.

some of the movies to look out for are without a doubt “The Social Network,” “Black Swan,” and “The King’s Speech.” Even if your favorite movie of the year doesn’t win or didn’t even get a nomination, at least the gowns will be pretty. jbranda1@ramapo.edu

photo courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons

Taylor Lautner, Kristen Stewart, and Robert Pattinson, along with the entire cast of “Twilight: Eclipse” are all nominated for a Golden Raspberry Award.

Microsoft: “Kinect-ing” Gamers to Entertainment Page 10 The Ramapo News

Thursday, February 3, 2011

BY VINNY PARIS I Staff Writer

Microsoft’s latest peripheral for their popular Xbox 360 console, called Kinect, has been growing in popularity since its release in November 2010. Kinect is a camera designed to allow players full body motion control over their Xbox.

The result is an experience that will “wow” the casual audience while peaking the interest of the hardcore gaming community. Both the technology and its applications serve as a new bridge connecting families to various forms of entertainment in ways never before possible.

...the stuff you already do, from watching movies and TV to music and chatting with friends, just got a whole lot more interesting.

When we peek behind the curtain, the nuts and bolts of Kinect are just as impressive as the idea behind it. While none of its internal parts are anything new, their combined implementation and innovative execution is what sets Kinect apart from anything else available on the market.

Combining an RGB VGA camera with a 640 x 480 resolution, a depth sensor of similar resolution and a multi-array microphone into a singular device is an idea that may very well change the future of video games, as well as entertainment.

All that fancy tech jargon means that Kinect can digitally map a 3D space, for example the room it will be used in. It can also gauge distance and motion, meaning it knows where the player is and can understand when movement occurs and the depth of that motion. And finally, the sensor can also recognize physical features and voice commands, which translates into the understanding that it knows what a person specifically looks like and can be controlled by his or

photo courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons

Kinect, released by Microsoft in November 2010, allows users to use their bodies as an Xbox controller. her voice.

So… great. All this technology should make for some pretty interesting new video games. But what does it mean for the non-gaming audience Microsoft is looking to attract?

It means the stuff people already do, from watching movies and TV to music and chatting with friends, just got a whole lot more interesting.

Gaming and Movies and Apps, Oh My

LastFM. Radio, a station that creates playlists for listener based on the music they choose most often, the Zune Marketplace, which offers HD movies and television shows to buy or rent, and the ESPN channel that allows for sports highlights on-demand as well as live streaming events are just the beginning. There is also Video Kinect, a video chat service which allows people to talk with any friends on both your Xbox friends list as well as contacts on MSN messenger.

All of these features are stepping stones towards Microsoft’s set goal of turning the Xbox 360 console into the a consumer’s one-stop shop for all things entertainment.

But this doesn’t mean they’ve forgotten about the gaming community. To the contrary, this device was first and foremost built to create innovation for the future of video games.

As proof, Kinect’s launch day release titles covered a variety of genres; from sports and fitness, to racing and dancing, and even a pet simulator. Hardcore gamers know that in order for the device to reach its full potential, developers have to start small and work their way to bigger and more complicated titles. This means that the games released now only understand a fraction of Kinect’s capabilities. That being said, the full body motion tracking works impressively well and games Like “Dance Central” and “Kinect Adventures” do a great job of giving gamers a glimpse into the future of motion gaming.

What Kinect presents is a new opportunity to engage viewers in the experience through real-time interactions.

Specifically in terms of role-playing games, a genre which stands as the strongest pillar in the industry and a fore-father for all of gaming, the possibilities become very intriguing.

Kinect doesn’t just allow for motion-controlled games, it allows for motion-controlled entertainment. At its launch, the device was already compatible with a number of applications.

vparisi@ramapo.edu

Latest Exorcism Film Fails to Impress Horror Fans

BY JEREMY KELLY Staff Writer

With last week’s release of Mikael Haftsrom’s “The Rite,” Sir Anthony Hopkins, one of the most recognizable actors in Hollywood, can add “possessed exorcist” to his long list of film roles that

photo courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons

While “The Rite” doesnʼt measure up to “The Exorcist,” it finished number one at the box office in its opening weekend.

include a cannibal serial killer, a vampire hunter and recently, the father of a werewolf.

“The Rite” was based on a book called “The Rite: Making of a Modern Exorcist,” supposedly based on true events, by Matt Baglio.

One flaw of the film is that Hopkins isn’t our main character, despite being top-billed.

Instead, we have priest-in-training Michael Kovak, played by Colin O’Donoghue, a newcomer whose previous credits include the Irish television series’ “Fair City” and “The Clinic.”

Kovak’s father owns a local funeral home, but Kovak enters a local seminary because “In my [Kovak’s] family you either become a mortician or a priest.” Four years later, Kovak is doubting his own faith in God and wishes to resign; he is instead sent abroad to Italy to attend a class on exorcism. Once

Despite the atmosphere in this film, its seldom scary...all the gimmicky moments, like demonic voices and people jumping out of the shadows, have little shock value.

there, he is recommended to exorcist Father Lucas; this is where we are introduced to the aging Hopkins, after roughly a 20-minute

wait.

There’s no denying it; even at the age of 73, Hopkins is still a terrific actor. Father Lucas is a rather quirky sort of priest; he changes the tone of his voice very often, and is dignified and well-mannered. He owns more cats than anyone would want, yet doesn’t bother naming them because he says cats pretty much do what they want no matter what you call them. His character is funny at times and the role is believable.

There’s no denying it; even at the age of 73, Hopkins is still a terrific actor.

Yet the main character of this supposed-horror film is Kovak. Put simply, he is no Father Damien Karras, the priest from the original Exorcist film. He spends most of the movie simply standing idly. O’ Donoghue doesn’t have enough charisma to be play a leading role like this. His tone hardly ever changes, and he lacks genuine emotion.

Despite the atmosphere in this film, it’s seldom scary. The first real shock comes from the sudden appearance of a cat, but all the gimmicky moments, like demonic voices and people jumping out of the shadows, have little shock value.

One positive aspect to the film is that the

camera action is top-notch and, though the cinematography is static during the shots of people walking, it becomes extremely active during the exorcism scenes.

Despite the negative feedback, “The Rite” finished number one at the box office in its opening weekend, grossing $15 million and beating out “No Strings Attached” and “The Mechanic.” In 1973, “The Exorcist” set the bar on how to make a movie about exorcism, and it seems that none in its footsteps have even come close.

Overall, this movie is occasionally creepy, but mostly dull and repetitive. This movie is far too long and doesn’t have enough direction to leave any real impression.

RATING:

##$$$ jkelly7@ramapo.edu

Local Jazz Quartet Performs in Berrie Center Page 11 The Ramapo News

Thursday, February 3, 2011

BY DANIELLE REED Assistant A&E Editor

On Saturday, community members and Ramapo students came together for an enchanting night of jazz music from an internationally known jazz musician at 8 p.m. at the Berrie Center’s Sharp Theater.

New Jersey native John Pizzarelli is known as a jazz guitarist, singer, and bandleader.

Previously performing with music legends including James Taylor, Rosemary Clooney, Natalie Cole and Rickie Lee Jones, Pizzarelli has established himself as an excellent performer. He has released several CDs including “Dear Mr. Sinatra” and “Rockin’ In Rhythm: A Tribute to Duke Ellington.”

The night began with an introduction by a member of the board of directors from the New Jersey Jazz Association and then the quartet played two songs.

“We are going to play one more song and then I am going to talk extensively.”

-John Pizzarelli

“We’re certainly glad to be here,” Pizzarelli said. “It’s a wonderful evening for me.”

Throughout the evening, Pizzarelli joked with audience members and shared stories of how he began in New Jersey at Nobody’s Inn. He also joked with band members and introduced them several times during the night.

“We are going to play one more song and then I am going to talk extensively,” Pizzarelli said during the concert.

The John Pizzarelli Quartet played many recognizable songs including James Taylor’s “Mean Old Man.” Other famous songs included “Hit That Jive Jack” and “Will You Still be Mine.”

Pizzarelli also played a solo version of “I Thought About You” and dedicated it to the late Margaret Whiting, who he performed with in the musical “Dream.”

During the first set, the quartet also played a medley of two Duke Ellington songs, “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore” and “East St. Louis Toodle-oo.” They also played several other songs from Pizzarelli’s “Rockin’ In Rhythm: A Tribute to Duke Ellington” CD including “Satin Doll” and “In A Mellow Tone.”

After the first set, there was a brief intermission where audience members were able to get copies of his CDs. During the second set, Pizzarelli did a “scat” version of “Dashing Through the Snow” and also performed “The Waters of March” by Antonio Carlos Jobim.

“He [Jobim] wrote this song on a paper bag in Portuguese and English,” Pizzarelli said.

He ended the night with the song “I like Jersey Best” which included him impersonating other singers and their renditions of the song, including singers like Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, The Beach Boys, Johnny Cash, The Who and The Bee Gees.

“I thank you all for coming tonight and it’s

Photo by Sandy Stucki

The John Pizzarelli Quartet performed Saturday evening in the Berrie Centerʼs Sharp Theater. Pizzarelli, the bandleader, has released several CDʼs.

After the performance, audience members been a pleasure to play for you,” Pizzarelli were able to meet member of the quartet and said.

As the audience stood to applaud, the quar- get copies of their CDs signed. tet played a medley of songs including “They dreed1@ramapo.edu Can’t Take That Away from Me,” “It Had to be You” and “When I Grow Too Old to Dream.”

“I loved it. I’ve seen John before and I enjoy him every time,” audience member Maureen Pennipled said.

“Mechanic” Thrills Audiences “Kaboom” Offers Lots of Laughs

BY EILEEN TRACY Staff Writer “The Mechanic,” starring Jason Statham and Ben Foster and directed by Simon West, is a deep look into the life of a hired killer. Arthur Bishop (Statham) is a hired assassin and the best in the business. Bishop kills whomever he is told to kill, and does it without leaving a trace. He lives a life of solitude and only trusts one person, Harry McKenna (Donald Sutherland), his closest confidante.

Statham falls into Bishop’s character naturally. His attitude, confidence, and intelligence shine through brilliantly in his role as an assassin.

When Harry McKenna is murdered, Bishop is intent on seeking revenge. He originally starts off solo, until Steve McKenna, Harry McKenna’s son, shows up wanting to learn Bishop’s line of work.

Steve, played by Ben Foster, is Bishop’s complete opposite. He is a sarcastic, cigarette-smoking, smartmouthed, angry individual who wants nothing more than to kill the person who murdered his father. Steve wishes to adapt an assassin’s lifestyle, so Bishop takes him under his wing.

Together they work together to seek revenge on those who they deem deserve to be killed. This movie is packed with violence, some nudity, and an outcome that you never see coming.

Although it is a little slow at first, it kicks it into high gear once Bishop and Steve take on their first big job. The two work together harmoniously until Steve discovers a shocking revelation regarding his father’s murder.

Statham and Foster have visible onscreen chemistry as actors. The personalities of their characters build off each other, which is why the duo works well.

Director Simon West has also directed movies such as “Tomb Raider,” “The General’s Daughter,” and “Con Air.” According to the Los Angeles Times, “The Mechanic” gross $11.5 million in its opening weekend.

“The Mechanic” will please any movie-goer that enjoys a perfect ratio of excitement, adventure and violence. The suspense will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

RATING:

##### etracy@ramapo.edu

BY DAN GAGLIARDI Staff Writer The one thing some people in our generation want most from art is a sweet, hazy mix of sex and drugs enveloped in a vague indie-ness being served up by impossibly attractive people. The aesthetic glory that is writer/director Gregg Araki’s “Kaboom” gives people a fresh batch of this concoction by the metric ton.

The film chronicles the myriad tribulations of Smith (Thomas Dekker), a bisexual film major who dreams in stylishly cryptic omens as he finds his footing at college. As the film progresses, Smith’s problems extend beyond those typical of college students as he finds himself involved in the schemes of a mysterious cult and the coming of the apocalypse.

In short, it’s sort of a comedic, hyper-sexy synthesis of one part “Donnie Darko” and a few parts David Lynch mystery set inside a Nissan Cube.

In its 86 minutes of runtime, “Kaboom” hustles along at such a pace that the tempo becomes a jokey testament to its self-awareness: in the course of one short car chase sequence, all the answers to the film’s mystery surface successively. At first this seems like an amateur mistake, but the film’s conclusion justifies it.

“Kaboom” plays on the quiet-town-with-a-darkside idea that fascinated David Lynch, so a majority of the characters possess both boundless sexuality and deep-seated insecurity and naivety.

Played by competent actors, these characters become immensely enjoyable as they misstep through impossible mysteries.

However, I found myself resenting them occasionally when the dialogue got a little too hip and

crossed the line from authenticity into off-putting kitsch with its abundance of “dudes” and inclusion of lines like “Does Mel Gibson hate Jews?” which was used as a substitute for “does a bear sh*t in the woods?”

That being said, Araki does use the remainder of dialogue effectively. For example, Smith’s roommate Thor (Chris Zylka), a hard-partying defiler of anonymous women and caricature of stereotypical surf-stoners, asks one character if he is gay or “normal.”

There is also an acceptable self-awareness to all the madness. As much as kitsch is a flaw in the film, it’s also a strength: Stella actually drives a Nissan Cube; there’s mentioning of Helen Stellar; the first time we see London (Juno Temple), she’s wearing a preposterously large fez; and there’s a supernatural element which grows in outrageousness over the course of the film.

To put it mildly, “Kaboom” is an outrageous, funny film which has as much heart as it does sex.

RATING:

##$$$

dgagliar@ramapo.edu

Page 12 The Ramapo News

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Exercising Regularly Can Help Beat the Winter Blues

BY S TEPHANIE PRIS CO Staff Writer It’s half-way through the brutal winter months and some rare winter-loving students are actually enjoying the weather. These snow bunnies go boarding or skiing on the weekends. The majority of the people, however, just curl up on the couch and relax. It’s definitely the laziest time of year, when motivation to get up and go to the gym is the hardest.

Everybody should exercise to keep healthy and fit. A half-hour of physical activity is the minimum amount of time you should commit to exercising at least three times a week.

However, due to the cold winter weather, many people have trouble actually getting to the gym.

Sophomore Danielle Ruberto finds it difficult, but remains determined: “It’s really hard to get to the gym, but when I do, the soreness I feel after a good workout motivates me to keep going back,” Ruberto said.

Even though Ruberto doesn’t let the winter slow her down, there are ways for the rest of us to keep up without braving the elements to get to the gym. There are plenty of other ways to get a work out without even leaving your dorm or apartment. The socalled “freshman fifteen” can be avoided with a few moves that can be done in very limit-

ed space. Of course, diet plays an important role in weight loss, so whenever possible try to keep your choices healthy.

Turning your dorm or apartment into a personal gym is easy. Investing in a yoga mat or stability ball can go a long way.

First, be sure to warm up before stretching.

Jumping jacks or running in place is an efficient way to get your heart rate up. Basic stretching should come next. Make sure to stretch before starting any strength training so your body is less prone to injury.

An example of an easy at-home work out that works the abdominals is the plank. It is an easy exercise that works your entire core.

Simply lie on your stomach, then prop yourself up on your elbows so that your back is completely straight and you’re holding yourself up off the ground. Hold for 30 seconds. After a few days as you build up strength, increase the time to one minute.

This is just one of many the exercises that can be performed right in a living room.

To learn more home work-out moves, investing in home work out DVD’s is the way to go. There are tons of different programs to choose from—whether its cardio, yoga or pilates, the options are endless.

Winter weather shouldn’t mean that your exercise regime is doomed. Spending just a few minutes a day can help you sculpt a

photo by Stefanie Mauro

Despite the freezing weather, Ramapo students find motivation to exercise at the Sharp Fitness Center.

Create a Meal in Minutes This Week’s Horoscopes

BY LAUREN MAGENTA Staff Writer Cheap, nutritious and delicious should sound appealing to any college student, especially to those who now have the ability to cook for themselves. You can be eating a healthy meal in ten to fifteen minutes, and can buy all the ingredients for under $10.

This meal can serve 2 to 3 people, or cook it for yourself and enjoy two meals this week.

This recipe is easy and simple. It puts a healthier spin on the take-out Chinese food you may be ordering.

Want to add a little substance to your meal?

Then rice it is. Minute rice makes single serving microwavable packs - it doesn’t get any easier than that.

Ingredi ents: 1 box frozen broccoli 1 pack Purdue Short Cuts Carved Chicken Breast 1 Onion 2 cloves of garlic 1-2 table spoons soy sauce 1-2 table spoons olive oil *Frozen spinach or asparagus can take the place of broccoli and beef, shrimp or tofu can replace the chicken on this ingredient list.

That is if chicken and broccoli do not please

toned and healthy mind just in time for spring.

sprisco@ramapo.edu

ARIES (March 21 - April 19) This week is all about a establishing a new way of relating - to yourself, to the world and to others.

TAURUS (April 20 - May 20) You need something to spice up your world. Accept the invitation for a little evolution.

GEMINI (May 21 - June 20) This week, your need for change has to do with your desire to establish a certain sort of balance in your life.

CANCER (June 21 - July 22) This week, you will be able to see yourself more objectively than you have in the past which will allow you to remove some layers of holding.

LEO (July 23 - Aug. 23) Big things come in small packages this week. New relationships of all kinds with photo courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons like minded others are also Chicken and broccoli soup is an possible. inexpensive and nutricious meal you VIRGO (Aug. 24 - Sept. 22) can create right in your CPA This week is about establishing a new sense of inner authority, as lmagenta@ramapo.edu in being your own boss and making decisions accordingly.

LIBRA (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22) Nothing is written in stone, it only appears that way. You can re-write a certain piece of your life.

S CORPIO (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21) This week offers you an emotional resting place so you can find a space of objectivity at this juncture in your life.

S AGITTARIUS (Nov.22 - Dec. 21) Anything can happen at any moment, that’s life. You will see the light at the end of a certain tunnel.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 - Jan. 19) Try not to get caught up in time line expectations and create a new clock for yourself.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 - Feb. 19) It’s your time and your turn. It’s as if one dark door closed and another bright with promise is opening.

PIS CES (Feb. 20 - March 20 ) Deciding to be done with something is a powerful position to own. Fly like a bird and be free.

to your taste buds.

Have the defrosted chopped broccoli ready, Sauté the onions and garlic with the olive oil until onions soften in pan on stove, Medium Heat, then add broccoli, Purdue chicken and soy sauce to pan.

Continue to sauté until chicken starts to brown.

Horoscopes courtesy of madalynaslan.com

SPORTS

Men’s Volleyball Splits Ramapo Tri-Match 2 . 3 . 11

By KATIE BRUNO Staff Writer

The Ramapo College men’s volleyball team hosted a tri-match versus NYU-Polytechnic and Stevenson University this past Saturday. After losing their games in the quad-match they hosted last weekend, the Roadrunners took charge on their home court. The Roadrunners kicked off the match by defeating the NYUPolytechnic Blue Jays in a three game sweep.

Ramapo started the first game off right with a 25-11 win. Freshman Jeff Jones helped the Roadrunners to victory with many kills and powerful blocks. Junior Paul Konopacki and sophomore Andrew Brown also contributed to the win by recording timely kills during the match. Senior Kevin McNerney led Ramapo’s defense with five digs.

In the second game, junior captain Colin McNeill got the Roadrunners off to a good start by getting the first point for the team. Aside from his powerful spikes and blocks, McNeill was one of the most vocal players for Ramapo.

Whether he was on or off the court, McNeill was always getting his team pumped up and ready for the next play. Between McNeill’s leadership and the team’s skills, the Roadrunners came out with their second win verse the Blue Jays with a score of 25-12.

“Colin is one of the team’s captains and does a great job providing leadership,” assistantinterim coach Bill Lee said. “He keeps everybody up, and helps his teammates when they make mistakes.”

Ramapo came out ready to go for the third game in the match and played with intensity.

The NYU Polytechnic Blue Jays came out playing very defensive since the Roadrunners’ size and spikes seemed to be too much for them to handle. By the middle of the match, the coaches gave some of the younger players a chance to play, and they got the job done. The Roadrunners defeated the Blue Jays in the third game with a score of 25-17, giving Ramapo a clean sweep in the match.

Junior Paul Konopacki was very pleased with his team’s win but wished the competition gave the team a bit more of a challenge.

“It was a lower competition and we always try to play our game, but when playing a team with lower skill level it was hard to play to our full potential,” Konopacki said.

photo by Lindsey Jachens

Ramapo defeated NYU-Polytechnic on Saturday before falling to Stevenson.

Recently, the men’s volleyball team has experienced a change in the coaching staff, and they struggled to get used to the changes.

“They are doing a lot better for sure after all of the practicing,” junior fan Kristine Adams said. “The issues regarding the coaches had an effect on them, but now they seem to have worked everything out and really connected with themselves as a team and the coaches.”

Konopacki also commented on the new coaching staff saying, “I like the new coaches a lot.

I miss the old coaches, but once we really got connected with the new coaches everything fell into place. I have been playing with this team for three years and this is the best team chemistry I have seen.”

However, it was not only tough for the players to get adjusted, but for the new coaching staff as well.

“Coming in late and having to learn the players and their styles of play was challenging,” Lee said. “Now that we have been able to practice and work on everything it is finally all coming together.”

Defeating the Blue Jays wasn’t Ramapo’s only task for the day. They faced Stevenson University later and hoped for the same outcome.

“I’m hoping we can still rotate the younger players in and get them some experience, but we still need to stay focused and respect our opponents,” Lee said before the match.

Unfortunately, it was not another easy match for the Roadrunners. They took the win in the first game of the match but lost the next three, losing the match to Stevenson. kbruno2@ramapo.edu

Roadrunners Continue to Challenge Opponents

By REBECCA PENHAKER Staff Writer

One game at a time. This has been the approach of the Ramapo women’s basketball team this season, and so far it has not let them down in their pursuit of their first winning record in ten years.

“The 2001-02 team coached by our Athletic Director Gene Marshall was 16-11,” coach Mike Eineker said. “So hopefully we can have a good finish, make the NJAC and ECAC playoffs and finish the year with a winning record.”

However, coach Eineker is aware that it will be no easy task considering how competitive the NJAC conference is-Kean and William Paterson are ranked 3rd and 24th in the nation’s top 25, respectively.

The Roadrunners are 12-8 on the season, surpassing last year’s win total of 11. The ladies’ preseason goal was to get 13 wins, and they are hoping to earn that victory against their NJAC foe Montclair this Saturday in the Bradley Center.

“I think we always play better against our rival,” Alexa Ryan, sophomore guard, said. “We have the confidence to beat them in our own gym because we beat them at their place the first time.”

The girls know they have to take practice seriously this week, taking time to correct the mistakes that were made in their first match up.

“We need to work on coming out more aggressive from the start, breaking their press, and handling the ball against their pressure,” Beam said.

“I’m a senior, and in my four years being here, this is the first time we beat them [Montclair].

To beat them twice would be great.”

Coach Eineker knows that Montclair State is going to be a tough game and that it will have aa impact on the NJAC playoffs since the Roadrunners have to win three out of their next five conference games to make the cut.

This Saturday will also be the girls second Coaches’ Challenge game. The Coaches’ Challenge was created by the athletic administration to have more student support for the basketball programs. It is challenging the Ramapo community to pack the gym with 500 fans at each of the four men’s and women’s double-header NJAC games. The fans are given a free Rowdie gift and are entered into a raffle to win a free Apple iPad that will be given away Feb. 9.

Coach Eineker commends the athletic department for promoting the basketball program.

“I think the Coaches’ Challenge has been great.

We had a great turnout for the New Jersey City University game,” Eineker said.

Ramapo destroyed NJCU 79-44. Ryan led the team with 20 points, Gripenburg netted 17 and

freshman guard Alayna Donadio had 14.

Stand-out performances from freshmen to seniors have made this team a dynamic threat.

Eineker is thrilled with the emergence of the freshmen class being able to make the transition to the college level competition.

Upperclassmen leaders such as Beam, Ryan and Faith Flannery are used to playing with a young team and are excited to see their sucess.

“We’ve always had a young team, but everyone steps up - freshmen come in clutch a lot,” Beam said. “It’s a really good feeling to know we’re playing well with such a young team.”

However, the girls would like to see more support in the stands, especially baring witness to how successful these Coaches’ Challenge games have been for the men’s team.

“The boys get a big turnout,” Beam said. “But that doesn’t happen for our games. It definitely helps the boys, though.”

Beam is encouraging more people to take notice of their season and the women’s basketball program.

“Show up because we’re pretty good. We’re the best we’ve been in 16 years.” rpenhake@ramapo.edu

RAMAPO SPORTS THIS WEEK

Friday:

Men’s and Women’s Track and Field - New Balance Armory Collegiate Invite

Saturday:

Women’s Basketball vs. Montclair State University at 5 p.m.

Men’s Basketball vs. Montclair State University at 7 p.m.

Tuesday:

Men’s Volleyball at Rutgers-Newark at 7 p.m.

Wednesday:

Women’s Basketball at Rutgers-Newark at 5:30 p.m.

Men’s Basketball at Rutgers-Newark at 7:30 p.m.

Men’s Volleyball at Kean University at 7:30 p.m.

Coach Gary Orr: A Fighter, Family Man and Winner

Page 14 The Ramapo News

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Ramapo’s Swimming Coach Stands Strong After Overcoming Adversity

By TOM BABCOCK Staff Writer

Gary Orr’s personal struggles molded him into the role model he is today. The Ramapo swimming head coach is a cancer survivor, bone marrow donator, Iron Man competitor and record setting swimmer at this school.

However, he almost never gave Ramapo a chance. “I had no intention of staying here,” Orr admitted. “I only came here because I knew the coach. Ramapo back then was known as a waste station.”

Growing up in nearby Wyckoff, Orr spent his youth at the YMCA Day Camp where, initially, he despised it.

“I couldn’t stand it, but my mother told me I was going to do something. So, I joined the Wyckoff Y swim team.

From the time I was eight I was swimming 11 months out of the year.”

Orr, who originally planned on playing center field for the New York Mets until he realized he didn’t have the hand eye coordination — became good enough to compete in national competitions in Ft. Lauderdale, FL as an eight grader.

While at Ramapo High School, he received enough recognition to gain a full scholarship to swim at Division I Rider University. However, Orr and the school never quite meshed.

“I realized it wasn’t for me. The pressures of Division I swimming were too much to handle.”

After his freshman year he left Rider and transferred to his hometown school of Ramapo College. Orr said back then

“That was probably my greatest moment.

I set the pool record and the conference record. It was definitely my 15 minutes of fame.”

- Gary Orr, coach

the school was not the way it is today and he had every intention of transferring to Slippery Rock University.

“It was my brother who told me to give it a shot, so I did. I got involved here and became a big fish in a small pond.”

He became team captain of the swimming team and president of the sports counsel. He grew to be pleasantly surprised with how much he liked Ramapo.

Once in the pool, the swimmer with Division I talent in a Division III school became a record setting competitor for the Roadrunners. He still holds most of the individual swimming records held at the school.

His crowning achievement as a swimmer came in 1980

photo courtesy of Ramapo.edu

Gary Orr survived stage four esophageal cancer despite having only a 15 percent chance of survival.

when he won the 1650 Metropolitan Conference Championships by two-tenths of a second.

“That was probably my greatest moment. I set the pool record and the conference record,” Orr said. “It was definitely my 15 minutes of fame.”

It wasn’t until after college that any adversity would come into Orr’s life.

In 1998, Orr’s sister was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, an incurable cancer of the plasma cells. She was given three months to live. Orr turned out to be a match for the bone marrow transplant needed and willingly went through the two-hour procedure to help his sister.

Bone marrow transplants are extremely painful, but, if successful, can send the patient’s cancer into remission.

“From an athlete’s perspective it feels like the worst pulled muscle you could ever have,” Orr said.

The transplant was successful. Instead of surviving for the three months predicted by doctors, she lived 13 more years.

Orr credited his sister’s incredible run to being an extremely tough person.

“She could’ve died immediately if her body rejected it but, her body accepted it and she began to go into remission. She was a fighter.”

In April of 2009, Orr found himself in a fight for his own life. After months of not feeling well he was diagnosed

with stage four esophageal cancer which typically has a low survival rate of around 15 percent. Doctors did not have a positive outlook for the future. In fact, the tumor inside of Orr’s esophagus was so large that doctors couldn’t get down Orr’s stomach with a camera to view it.

“The first thing that went through my mind was my kids.

Oh my God, they are going to lose their father —My father had died when I was 12 — So my biggest fear was having her lose her father at the same age I lost mine.”

Orr immediately started treatment in May of 2009 having a “chunk“ of one of his ribs surgically removed. In June, he started aggressive chemotherapy. In July, he began a six week span of once a week chemotherapy and radiation, five days a week, for six straight weeks. The treatments went through September, leaving him exhausted and unable to leave his own couch.

When doctors went in to look for any traces of cancer they couldn’t find any. Orr’s body had defeated the cancer.

His radiologist told him he had “won the lottery.”

Orr was grateful for the support he received during his five month battle.

“What helped me through that time was my family and my church. They really helped me get through those rough days.”

He was also thankful for his sister getting him to the

“What helped me through that time was my family and my church. They really helped me get through those rough days.

- Gary Orr

right doctors to get proper treatment as soon as possible.

The mental toughness that is evident from Orr’s story is even more clear when he explains he is also a four time Iron Man triathlon participant. The Iron Man competition is a 112 mile bike ride, 2.4 mile swim and 26.2 mile marathon run, which must be finished in under 17 hours.

He competed in 1997, 2001, 2002 and 2006 — The last one in ’06 was particularly special because he married his wife Danah the day after in Lake Placid, NY. He compared the struggle to finishing an Iron Man to his battle with cancer, noting that the mental toughness to push through when your feeling weak is the same for both.

Now that he is happily married and cancer free, he’s turned his focus to coaching the Ramapo swimming team

“My swimmers are my kids. I care about them like they are my family.”

Gary Orr

and competing in another Iron Man in the near future. He remains confident that the swimming program that was revived from extinction five years ago is heading in the right direction.

“The goal is still to be a force in the NJAC and be that competition to TCNJ.” Orr admitted he does push his team to work hard but made it clear he is more concerned about them being successful in life than if they’re winners in the pool.

“My swimmers are my kids. I care about them like they are my family.” tbabcock@ramapo.edu photo by Stefanie Mauro

Gary Orr has improved Ramapoʼs swimming program since taking over as coach for the menʼs and womenʼs swimming squad five years ago.

Packers and Steelers Set to Clash in Super Bowl XLV Page 15 The Ramapo News

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Big Ben Looks for Ring No. Three While Rodgers Tries to Establish Legacy

By CHRIS ARNDT Staff Writer

coach Rex Ryan, the Jets fell to the Steelers 24-19 in a heartbreaking loss for the Jets, who are still in search of their first championship since Super Bowl lll.

The Atlanta Falcons surprised the league this year by posting a 13-3 record and dominating opponents. Led by quarterback Matt Ryan and running back Michael Turner, the Falcons earned themselves a bye in the first round. However, the potent offense of the Green Bay Packers proved to be too much for the Atlanta defense and the Packers routed the Falcons by a score of 48-21. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is proving to be one of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks by having another outstanding regular season and postseason. Rodgers completed 31 of 36

The Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers are set to play in Super Bowl XLV. This classic rivalry pits two of the NFL’s best all around teams against each other.

Both teams have a lot of fire power on both sides of the ball. The Packer’s defense is lead by Pro Bowl linebacker Clay Mathews and defensive tackle BJ Raji, who had an interception returned for a touchdown in Green Bay’s NFC title game win over the Bears. The Steelers defense is also fully loaded with standout safety Troy Polamalu and the always-intimidating linebacker, James Harrison. This game will

“Ben Roethlisberger is in pursuit of his third Super Bowl ring at the age of 28.”

most likely come down to whose defense can produce the most stops on each of these high powered offenses.

Ben Roethlisberger is in pursuit of his third Super Bowl ring at the age of 28. He led the Steelers to wins during the 2005 and 2008 seasons. Roethlisberger is noted for his ability to stand in the pocket and deliver strikes down field to his veteran receiving corps, even when facing pressure from multiple defenders. His size and strength will be key in this game, especially when facing the relentless pass rush of the Packer’s physical defense.

Super Bowl XLV looks to potentially be one of the greatest match ups in NFL history. Both teams are fully equipped to win the game, with an edge belonging to the Steelers rushing attack against the Packers, who lost starter Ryan Grant at the start of the season. If rookie James Starks can continue his breakout postseason success for

their first since the 2000 season, but the Steelers defense proved to be too much for Joe Flacco and the Ravens offense.

The New York Jets were able to fight their way into the AFC title game for the second straight season by beating two of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks, Tom Brady of the New England Patriots and Peyton Manning of

the Packers, this game will be close on all fronts.

Both quarterbacks are capable of throwing for 400 yards and four touchdowns and both defenses are able to put up zeros on the scoreboard at will.

The rest of the playoffs unfolded in a very unexpected style. The 7-9 Seattle Seahawks pulled off the biggest upset in postseason history, stunning the defending champion New Orleans Saints 41-36. Seahawk’s running back Marshawn Lynch plowed through the Saints defense for 131 yards including a 67 yard touchdown run in which he broke through 10 would-be tacklers. However, the Chicago Bears cut the Seahawks playoff run short in the divisional round by a score of 35-24.

The Steelers 31-24 eliminated the Baltimore Ravens in the divisional round.

Some predicted the Ravens to make a Super Bowl appearance, which would have been

“If James Starks can continue his breakout postseason success for the Packers, this game will be close on all fronts.”

the Indianapolis Colts. Mark Sanchez silenced a lot of his critics and proved to be a playoff-tested quarterback, throwing for five touchdowns and only one interception.

Despite their strong willed efforts led by

“Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is proving to be one of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks by having another outstaning regular season and postseason.”

passes with 366 yards and three touchdowns in the victory.

Sunday night is shaping up to be one of the most historically anticipated Super Bowls ever played. Even with Dallas having colder weather than both Green Bay and Pittsburgh, the action is sure to heat up inside the newly built $1.3 billion dollar Cowboy Stadium. arndt@ramapo.edu

NFL STATISTICS

TOTAL YDS PASS YDS RUSH YDS TOTAL YDS

Regular Season Offensive Statistics Steelers 345.3 225.1 120.3

Regular Season Defensive Statistics

photo courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons

PIT GB

W-L 12-4 10-6

Steelers

Packers

214.1

194.2

276.8

PASS YDS

RUSH YDS

Packers 358.1 257.8 100.4

PF

375 388

62.8

Team Matchup

PA 232 240

HOME 5-3 7-1

309.1 114.9

AWAY 7-1 3-5

DIV 5-1 4-2

CONF 9-3 8-4

photo courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons

SPORTS 10 . 7 . 10

S PI KE Ramapo beats Polytechnic, falls to Stevenson

Page 13

photo by Sandy Stucki

2 . 3 .10 11. 7 . 10

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