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Kennedy Jr. Lectures at Ramapo College 10.6.2011
A Publication by the Students for the Ramapo College Community
Advocate Speaks to Full Crowd for Disability Awareness Month
Violence Awareness Activities Empower Students
XLII No. 4
By ALEXIS LOPEZ and CANDANCE MITCHELL Staff Writers
photo by Sandy Stucki
Ted Kennedy Jr. praised Ramapo Collegeʼs committment to accessibility for disabled students. Kennedy Jr., whose family has been “touched by disability,” suffered a disability himself, losing his leg to cancer at age 12. By KAITLIN McGUINNES S Web Editor
On Tuesday Ramapo College celebrated Disability Awareness Month by inviting Ted Kennedy Jr. to speak to the campus community in the Sharp Theater. Tickets to see the disability advocate and descendant of famed statesmen were sold out, but students, faculty and staff were able to watch his lecture “Facing the Challenge” live on campus computers. The Office of Specialized Services (OSS) has invited a special speaker to Ramapo College for Disability Awareness Month for the last 15 years. Cheryl Schwartz, an academic counselor in the OSS office, is the coordinator of all disability awareness events. “I was pleased with the turnout. The students were very engaged,” Schwartz said. Schwartz explained that Ramapo College has a long history of disability advocacy. The academic buildings were originally designed to be interconnected and include automatic doors in
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order to be accessible to the disabled. “Ramapo was a front-runner,” Schwartz noted, “before architectural accessibility became the law.” The 338 seats in the Sharp Theater were sold out, and there was a waiting list to attend Kennedy Jr.’s lecture. Due to this demand, the media office streamed the event live. The Center for Student Involvement provides OSS with funding each year to bring speakers to campus, and the Office of the President provided extra funds this year to host Kennedy Jr. The Ramapo College Foundation held a reception for Kennedy Jr. after the event. President Mercer was in Trenton, unable to attend, but Provost Beth Barnett welcomed the special guest in his stead. Many students and faculty attended the event. Professor Susan Eisner brought her entire Managing Organizational Behavior class to hear Kennedy Jr. speak. Ally Selvaggio, a junior in the class, elaborated on how the subject
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of the presentation pertained to what they had been studying. “We learned a lot about equal opportunity employment in class,” she said. Professor Eisner explained what her students could learn from Kennedy. “I think to any person, Ted Kennedy Jr. inspires a pathway to leadership; that passion, personal commitment and vision can take anyone to success in any area,” she said. “It’s just a positive experience to see people who have lived through adversity to find a way to giving.” Kennedy Jr. comes from a legacy of public service. He is the son of Congressman Ted Kennedy, brother of Congressman Patrick Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy and Senator Robert Kennedy. He also inherited a history of advocacy for the disabled. “My family has been touched by disability,”
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see KENNEDY on page 5
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The annual “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” event presented by the Women’s Center and the Bergen County Rape Crisis Center Clothesline Project were held at the campus on Tuesday to raise awareness against sexual and intrapersonal violence. Passersby watched as participants of this Violence Awareness Week event marched around campus chanting their messages and as several male contributors sported women’s high-heeled shoes in an effort to support the cause. “I think the event can bring the subject that isn’t always easy to talk about to the forefront,” Corey Chichizola, senior, said. “Something that may seem foreign is brought to their attention and illustrates how many people
see WALK on page 2
photo by Stephen Fallon
Students march to promote healthy relationships.
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