Ramapo College of New Jersey Student Newspaper

SPORTS

10.21.2010

RAMAPO NEWS

Waiting for Godot Page 8

Men’s Soccer Page 15

THE

A&E A&E

A Publication by the Students for the Ramapo College Community

XLI No. 6

Army Lieutenant Speaks at “He Asked, They Told”

Dan Choi speaks at Ramapo as federal judge allows “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” to continue

By DEANNA DUNSMUIR Staff Writer

photo by Stefanie Mauro

Lt. Dan Choi speaks at Friends Hall about his experience as as gay solider. Choi announced he was gay on the Rachel Maddow show in 2009 and has become an icon in the gay community for standing up to the “Donʼt Ask, Donʼt Tell” policy.

Peaceful Protest of New Policies Underway

By STEPHANIE NODA Staff Writer

A peaceful protest will be take place from Wednesday to Friday this week in order for students to voice their opinions on the policies that have been recently enacted on campus. The demonstration will involve students wearing homemade armbands with “G.A.P.” written on them, which stands for “Guest and Alcohol Policies.”

The protest comes on the heels of an open forum on the new guest and alcohol policies held by President Mercer and the Associate Vice Presidents of Student Affairs. Feeling that the efforts of the students were not adequately addressed, a group of three students who represented the demographics that the policies affect – a resident, a commuter, and a 21 year old – decided to organize this protest in order to give students a chance to make a statement in a peaceful way.

When President Mercer announced at the open forum that he will create a student committee to hear concerns, the organizers of the protest realized this was their chance to let the opinions of the student body come out.

“We’re not happy with what he’s doing and we want it to change,” said junior Maria Kheyman, one of the protest’s organizers.

“When I saw that he’s creating committees, I thought that would be the perfect opportunity for us to really get our point across and just for him to really see that we’re serious.” The idea was inspired by Tinker v. Des Moines, a lawsuit filed by two students who wore armbands to their school to protest the Vietnam War. The case went to the Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of the students and announced that they had the right to protest as part of the First Amendment.

“In that case it was protesting a war, it is a little bit different,” junior Melissa Harris, another organizer of the protest, said. “But again, this is

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our legal backing. This has been done before, but it is part of our freedom of speech. We are doing this in a peaceful way; we’re not going out and shouting at the administration saying that there needs to be change. We’re saying it in a quieter way. We want them to notice that we want to change.”

One problem with the new policies that hasconcerned the student body is the way it affects the commuter students on campus.

“I don’t object to much of the alcohol policy,” junior Patrick Shanley, the third organizer of the protest, said. “I do strongly disagree with the guest policy. Just because I’m a commuter, they shouldn’t be able to kick me off campus at any time during the day. I should be able to be on campus as long as student facilities are open.

I’m still a student, I still pay tuition. I want to be at my school, that’s what it really comes down to.”

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snoda@ramapo.edu

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Lieutenant Dan Choi – who came out on national television and was nearly discharged from the U.S. Army as a result – spoke in Friends Hall as the Queer History Month keynote speaker on Wednesday.

The event, “He Asked, they Told,” was sponsored by the Women’s Center.

On March 19, 2009 Choi announced he was gay on The Rachel Maddow Show. Choi was one of only eight soldiers that graduated with a major in Arabicproving to be an asset to the armed forces. Following his announcement, Choi has become a national role model in the fight for an open-policy in the military.

Shane Hoff, queer peer coordinator is responsible for brining Lt. Choi to campus. “I first heard Dan Choi speak at a march in Washington D.C., his speech was filled with passion. I could think of no other better speaker.”

Recent events, including the suicide of Rutgers student Tyler Clementi were being discussed by the audience prior to Choi’s talk in Friend’s Hall.

“In light of what happened at Rutgers, if you can be open in the military, it can serve as a role model for struggling teenagers across the country,” senior and political science major, Eve Winter said.

“It is interesting to see what the see THEY ASKED on page 6

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THE RAMAPO NEWS

Page 2 The Ramapo News

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

Pink Tie Formal: Success for Colleges Against Cancer Thursday, October 21, 2010

Event’s Proceeds Double From Last Year

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

Keri Ann Flaccomio Managing Editor Amy Fezza News Editor

Diana Stanczak A & E Editor Andrew Gould Sports Editor

Stefanie Mauro Photo Editor

Michelle Angelino Web Editor Adam Panella Business Manager Dan Sforza Technical Advisor

INSIDE

Around the Arch Page 3

Viewpoints 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, prepublication review of any article, quote or editorial is not allowed. Viewpoints may be dropped off at SC218 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 by Stefanie Mauro

More than 100 students gathered for the formal, which occured in lieu of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

By BECKY PENHAKER Staff Writer

Ramapo’s Colleges Against Cancer Pink Tie Formal raised more than $500 on Sunday, doubling last years efforts.

The Pink Tie Formal was created to raise awareness for breast cancer and the importance of early detection. All the proceeds from the event will go to the American Cancer Society to support cancer research.

This was only the second year CAC has hosted the event, and there is enthusiasm for future projects.

“This year was phenomenal. We doubled everything. There was so much more energy,” Ashley Beaton, CAC vice president said. “If we keep progressing at this scale, I’m really excited for next year.”

Although CAC wanted all the students to have an enjoyable time, they never lost sight of their goal to use the event as a platform to spread awareness about breast cancer.

Signs were hanging by the refreshment table giving quick facts and statistics about breast cancer. When students entered the formal, they had their hand marked with the breast cancer ribbon. When the night experienced slight technical difficulty with the music, CAC member Katie Lee, went on stage and encouraged students to start creating teams for Relay for Life-a CAC event that will be taking place in March.

“Ramapo is a model relay for all colleges. We use them as an example for other schools,” Ramapo’s American Cancer Society Representative Danna Boshak said. “It’s really amazing to see their CAC chapter growing the way it is.”

The energy of the night was evident before even entering Friends Hall. The music was vibrating through the walls. Once inside the students took to the dance floor-some girls even went barefoot so they would not have to break to rest their feet.

Pink, black, purple and white were the colors of the night-from streamers decorating the entrance, to the tablecloths, to the balloon centerpieces, and the balloon arch over the stage.

Students were able to enjoy light refreshments, an assortment of cookies and brownies, as well as non-alcoholic “mocktails” served by Above the Influence.

Many students appreciated an affair like this because it gave them something to do on campus with their friends.

“I would like more events like this because it’s a good time while you’re supporting a good cause,” freshman Corey Sorkin said.

However, numerous students came not only to spend quality time with friends, but because they cared personally about breast cancer.

“I support breast cancer research because my grade school teacher

see PINK on page 5

photo by Stefanie Mauro

The colors of the night were pink, black and purple as students danced and enjoyed refreshments in the decorated Friends Hall.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

THURSDAY’S CHILD

Kim Kardashian The famous entrepreneur turns 30 today.

TODAY IN HISTORY

Guggenheim opens Thousands lined up for the bizarrely-shaped museum on 5th Avenue in 1959.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Virginia Phillips, U.S. district court judge “"As this past week has shown, our military is well-equipped to adapt to open service, and eager to get on with the work of defending our freedom.”

Psychology Expert Brings Fresh Perspective to Ramapo

By ALLISON GUTWORTH Staff Writer

Like most college students, when Joel Ingersoll was a freshman he too was unsure of his future. Now a Ph.D. and the new Associate Director of Counseling Services at Ramapo College, he is certain of his career choice. Although Ingersoll may be new to Ramapo, he is not new to counseling.

His freshman year of college marked the start of his career search and ultimately explains why he is a counselor today.

Choosing Psychology

Ingersoll thought about attending culinary school because of his passion for cooking until he read “The Art of the Deal” by Donald Trump in high school. Trump’s book sparked Ingersoll’s interest in the business world and prompted him to attend LaSalle University as an Economics major.

“I think I was an economics major for one semester,” he laughed. Ingersoll became involved with psychology

“[Teaching] gave me the opportunity to read more and to explore areas that I had not read about in a while.”

-Joel Ingersoll, associate director of Counseling Services

both in and out of the classroom, taking on a part-time job at a private psychiatric hospital outside of Philadelphia.

The position allowed Ingersoll to explore

students and staff to see him as a clinical resource.

different treatment areas and to gain experience with patients suffering from depression and other mood disorders. Ingersoll’s time there influenced his interest in the assessment and treatment of substance abuse (now two of his areas of practice) and his passion for health psychology.

“I wanted to know how I could help them [the patients],” Ingersoll explained.

Psychology was his medium for helping people.

Outlook on Counseling

Advancing in Education

Ingersoll graduated from LaSalle University with a B.A. in psychology and then attended Farleigh Dickinson University for his M.A. in social and community psychology. While working toward his Masters at FDU, Ingersoll had the opportunity to teach various undergraduate courses including Intro to Psychology.

This was a beneficial experience for him. “[Teaching] gave me the opportunity to read more and to explore areas that I had not read about in a while,” Ingersoll said. He had to be creative to think of ways to make the classes interactive and interesting.

To add to his teaching experience, Ingersoll also worked at a thirty-day drug and alcohol rehab facility for a year. There, he decided that he wanted to become a clinician.

“I wanted to get a Ph.D., but I was not sure what I should get the Ph.D. in,” Ingersoll recalled. After working at the rehab center, he was sure that clinical psychology was the career path for him.

Turning Passion Into Reality

photo coutesy of Joel Ingersoll

Joel Ingersoll did not have plans to go into psychology originally.

gist and coordinator of Alcohol and Other Drug Services at Lehigh University. He then realized that he wanted to pursue college counseling.

“I loved the college context,” Ingersoll said. “The degree of change that students go through when they are 18 to the end [of their college careers] is amazing.” It was the ideal career for him since he was able to specialize in multiple areas.

Ingersoll has always known that Ramapo had a great academic reputation and excellent student services. As the new Associate Director of Counseling, Ingersoll has high hopes.

“I would like to develop consultative relationships with staff, faculty, and student groups,” he explained. He would also like

Ingersoll thinks that counseling is great in a college setting since it is essentially free to the students, whereas in outpatient situations, it would be expensive to receive therapy.

“What better time to work with a counselor in a confidential setting?” Ingersoll asked.

Counseling on campus is different from Ingersoll’s private practice in that he is aware of the other resources available on campus.

“I am hopeful that Ramapo students will see Counseling Services as a resource here on campus and that we extend an open invitation for students to consult with us when they need to,” Ingersoll said. He emphasized that people come in to see counselors for a variety of reasons and that students should view their visits as completely confidential.

Looking to the Future

Ingersoll has been exposed to countless opportunities and experiences, he shows no signs of slowing down. He has conducted research on topics such as interracial dating, personality assessment, adolescent substance abusers, and the policies and procedures of mental health staff.

Ingersoll summed his career up in one sentence: “I could not just do one specific thing in relation to this field.” agutwort@ramapo.edu

Studying Abroad Leaves Students Strapped for Cash After Ingersoll earned his Ph. D., he accepted a job offer to be a staff psycholo-

By ELYSE TORIBIO Staff Writer The Study Abroad Program at Ramapo College offers students the ability to study in over 70 countries around the world as well as places across the United States. Durations of the programs can range anywhere from a few weeks to a year, depending on the season and area of interest.

Throughout the semester, coordinators and directors of the Roukema Center for International Education host several information sessions for students about the different programs that are offered and are more than happy to meet with students to answer individual questions.

While Ramapo offers a wide selection of places where students can study during their college career and thoroughly explains the programs on the website, one question remains for most students, even those who have their heart set on traveling: “Can I afford it?”

A four-week course being held in May 2011 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, two of which are spent online, will cost approximately $4,500, not including some meals and personal expenses.

The price seems daunting for such a short trip that only awards four credits, but Kate Godfrey, Study Abroad Coordinator for the Roukema Center, assures that many students receive help, either through financial aid or outside scholarships.

“We do offer a scholarship through our office,” Godfrey said. “It’s not for any particular amount, students get a range depending on the program.”

Godfrey went on to explain that students who receive federal aid and wish to take a four credit study abroad course during the summer may not be supported by the Roukema Center, as they have to abide by a minimum six credit course load.

However, even if they do qualify for aid, “Students usually get less during the summer

since it’s less expensive,” Godfrey said.

This may be difficult for students who receive financial aid, but only have the flexibility to study abroad in the summer months.

Since most students receive aid from outside scholarships, it is difficult to say exactly how much they are assisted.

“It’s so much money,” junior Michael Painter said. “I was looking at studying in London, but it was so expensive. I can barely afford to dorm here, let alone in England for a semester.”

Studying abroad is a costly experience no matter which school sponsors the program.

Colleen Freund, a graduate of Ramapo College, recently did a semester at sea and said that no amount of aid will cover what a student will spend on their travels.

“When you live on campus, what do you spend money on?” she said. “Let’s say you study in France, you don’t want to eat the dorm food, you want to go to restaurants. You want to travel to different places. That’s coming out of your pocket.”

In the end though, Freund admits that the money she spent on her travels was well worth it.

“I don’t care that I’m financially strapped now,” she said. “It’s an amazing opportunity, the benefits outweigh the costs. Studying abroad expands your mind, expands markets for future business. Totally worth it.”

Quaishon Tucker, a sophomore, also wishes that he could afford to study abroad, and admits that he had no idea that there was aid available for students. “If I knew there were scholarships available, I would do it. Why wouldn’t you? Everyone I know who has gone abroad.” etoribio@ramapo.edu

Move Your Feet Ramapo Celebrates 40 Years of Education to the Beat

By NICOLE ALLIEGRO

Page 4 The Ramapo News

By SAMANTHA ULLRICH Staff Writer

I’m sure it comes as no surprise to many people that music has a positive effect on exercise. What is it about music that makes us more motivated to go harder, better, faster or stronger in the gym.

The tempo of music can synchronize and regulate a person’s movements, which result in better performance and high erendurance. The beats and rhythms of a song can create a desired pace for a performer. Take the Ethiopian distance runner, Haile Gebrselassie, for instance. He sets recorders running to famous pop song “Scatman,” claiming that the song’s tempo perfectly matches his stride rate.

Carl Foster, Ph.D., of the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, Exercise and Health Program says it pretty plainly, “You want to step at the rate the music is playing or you want to pedal a cycle at the rat of the dominant beat of the music.

The beat of music seems to flip a little switch in our bodies making us want to move. Face it, when you hear a catchy song, a little part of you wants to dance and stray from the current couch potato state. This concept is easily connected to exercising. Loud, upbeat music excites the mind, causing locomotion in the body.

So having your favorite dance mix on while you jog or do crunches, will most likely give you a bit of a boost.

When you turn up your favorite jam on your iPod while on the bike or treadmill, your mind focuses on that tune.

Psychologists call the act of looking for distractions during an exercise disassociation. “It’s what happens when music diverts exercisers’ attention from sensations of fatigue, lowering their perceptions of effort and gradually enhancing endurance,”Costas Karageorghisa, researcher in sports psychology at London’s Brunel University, says.

Disassociation also boosts positivity and helps block out negative mental and physical feelings.

Making a playlist of songs you both, know and like are able to get your body moving and brings you to the first step to being active. So next time you go for a long run, or go hard on the bicycle, remember that music can help you keep that pace you want and can help boost your motivation. sullrich@ramapo.edu

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Staff Writer

This November marks the 40th anniversary of Ramapo College’s opening, and already the faculty and staff are planning Founders Day, to be held this year on Nov. 17.

Although the college was actually founded in 1969, Aug. 1971 marked “the beginning of the college as a teaching institution,” according to Anthony Padovano, distinguished professor of literature and philosophy.

“This is the 40th anniversary of the formal opening of the college ... accepting and teaching students,” he said.

Padovano, along with six others, is a founder of the college still teaching full time.

To acknowledge these faculty members and remember the college’s history, Ramapo organizes an annual Founders Day event, which is also open to any other interested faculty members, staff or students.

“I think the Founders Day is extremely important,” said Padovano, who has attended every event since the year it was created.

“It’s a very bonding experience for the faculty. It enables them to celebrate what it is that they’re giving their lives to.”

Gordon Bear, a professor of social psychology, has been a Ramapo faculty member since 1974. Although he has not been able to attend Founders Day in the years past, he said, “For a professor like me, the principle attraction of Founders Day would be the chance to see the retirees again.”

In just 40 years, both Padovano and Bear believe Ramapo has made great progress.

Padovano notes that the college has come “a long way in a very short time.” He said that while there are “some 50 buildings on campus now … forty years ago, [the Ramapo College property] was an empty field.”

photo courtesy of Paul Elovitz

Paul Elovitz (on right, next to arrow) attends an April 1971 planning meeting with other founding members of Ramapo College.

Bear agreed, saying, “I’m happy that some wise people thought to create this event, because we’re old enough to have a history, finally, and to have undergone many changes. We should be mindful of where we came from and why we made the changes.”

Being a part of the faculty for more than three decades, Padovano has watched the college experience these changes, including the school’s transformation from a primarily commuter college to a residential campus, which he said “changed the culture of the college.”

Padovano also watched as the Spiritual Center was constructed and oversaw the development of the school’s first graduate program, a Master of Arts in liberal studies.

Bear said that during his time as a faculty member, he has seen the college’s academic standards rise. The initial grading system at the school consisted of only As, Bs and Cs. If a student did not earn at least a C, he or she would be given no credit, and no record would exist that the course was

taken.

“That was an example of low standards,” Bear said. “Since then, we have raised standards, and I think students now work harder.”

Bear has also witnessed change specifically within his department. “The psychology program was initially divided among five schools, some of which no longer exist,” he said. “So, there was no concentration of psychologists in any one school. We finally fixed that problem. It is now much easier to run our program. It is easier to offer the major in psychology. It is a stronger major, [and] better for the students now that all of the psychologists are in the same school.”

Padovano believes that even students should attend Founders Day, in order to celebrate Ramapo’s history and tradition. “For students, the reminder of the college founding and their part in Founders Day enables them to have a sense of pride,” he said, which he feels “is important.” nalliegr@ramapo.edu

campus, such as parking, that concern commuters,” Dela Cruz said.

Director of Student Development Rick

meet other people? When discussing whether this has helped his social life, senior David Escudero said he wasn’t looking to meet new people, rather to get involved with issues on campus.

“While it did help a little bit, my intentions were to [support] the Commuter Caucus, and to further [get] involved with activities for commuters,” he said. “My intentions weren’t to come here to increase my social life.”

Sophomore Jillian Diblasio thought this event was helpful in meeting new people.

“Since I commute I’m only here two days a week, and I don’t get to interact with anyone other than the people in my classes,” she said. “Now I’ve met three new people.”

Commuters Take Active Role on Campus

By ANNA KATHERINE MIEHE Staff Writer

The Student Government Association’s Commuter Caucus held a free lunch for commuter students in the Pavilion on Tuesday. Commuter Caucus Speaker Jeremy Dela Cruz planned the event, which was the organization’s first this year.

“The goal of the event was to promote awareness of the Commuter Caucus and [getting commuters] involved on campus,” Dela Cruz. “In the past, especially last year, we held events and not too many people showed up. However, this year I am expecting a great year for Commuter Caucus because of the turnout for today.

[This] shows [that] many people want to get involved.”

The purpose of the Commuter Caucus is to create a more active role for commuters on campus.

“We also advocate for different issues on

“Since I commute I’m only here two days a week, and I don’t get to interact with anyone other than the people in my classes. Now I’ve met three new people.”

-Jillian Diblasio, sophomore

Brown said the event was useful to get to know the commuters.

“What makes [this event] successful is the interaction between my department and SGA,” he said. “Hopefully we will be able to continue the partnership.”

But did this event really help commuters

amiehe@ramapo.edu

Altercation in CPAs Prompts Mahwah Police Response

Home Run Derby Honors Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Page 5 The Ramapo News

Thursday, October 21, 2010

By ELISA SAXTON-LOPEZ Staff Writer

photo by Stefanie Mauro

Mahwah police and campus safety were called to the College Park Apartments last night, where a fight was reported between two individuals.

Theta Phi Alpha sorority and the baseball team co-sponsored Homerun Derby this past Saturday to raise money for breast cancer awareness.

The event, held during Breast Cancer Awareness month, included a fast pitch contest, a dizzy bat race and pie and hot dog eating contest. They also raffled off an iPod touch, Baby Phat sunglasses and a car stereo system. The prizes were donated by the two groups. Profits from the event went to the Susan G. Komen Foundation, a leading charity in the breast cancer awareness movement.

More than 200,000 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in the next year and every 69 seconds, a woman dies of breast cancer, according to the foundation. This foundation works to donate money to breast cancer research by sponsoring events, hosting walks and marathons and producing merchandise in which the proceeds will go to research.

“Breast cancer is something that every sister has been personally touched by, so that’s why we chose it,” said junior April Catrambone of Theta Phi Alpha.

They sold shirts about the event for $10 each and kept engaging the audience in various activities where they could win more prizes.

The baseball team was equally involved with the overall experience.

They participated in the activities and drew their own crowd by showing off their skills in the fast pitch contest. “ The baseball team was a huge help,” says junior Maria Sallustio of Theta Phi Alpha, “ With them co-sponsoring, they attracted more people to donate and made this event all the more entertaining.”

All in all, the event raised more than $2,000 to give to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Many attendees left with a souvenir shirt and a sense of charitable kindness by spending an afternoon of having fun and giving back. esaxtonl@ramapo.edu

Sea of Pink Floods Friends Hall for Charity Continued from page 2

died from it while I was still in school, and she had a really big impact on my life,” sophomore Ralph Della Sala said.

“My aunt just died this summer because of breast cancer. I did Relay for Life last year and I’m doing it again this year,” Francesca Baratta, a sophomore, said.

“My mom had breast cancer. She just got over it-it was detected in its earliest stage.” Liz Steck, a junior, said. “She has to go for yearly checkups now.”

However, even with the attendance trumping last year’s, students would like to see more participation from the student body.

“It’s a pretty good turnout, but we need to get more people involved.

You see the involvement in the NFL and MLB when they wear the pink gloves, shoes and helmets to spread awareness,” Alpha Chi Rho president Robert Seriffiano said. “On campus we need to get it bigger and have people become more aware. It should be a campus wide thing.”

Alpha Chi Rho’s national philanthropy is the American Cancer Society.

Since they had the highest Greek attendance at the formal, they were awarded 15 percent of the total event’s proceeds to go to the charity of their choice.

“We wanted to support and donate and give the money right back to the cause,” Seriffiano said.

Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin” capped off the night at the Pink Tie Formal, capturing the spirit and mission of CAC. CAC president Amanda Ammerman is truly proud to see how far they have come and how much further they plan to go, “We took last year’s capabilities and we expanded on it, and now we will continue to build on it.” rpenhaker@ramapo.edu

They Asked, He Told: Dan Choi Visits

Page 6 The Ramapo News

continued from page 1

affects of the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy actually causes an individual,” Winter said.

Opening the event, Kat McGee, assistant director and coordinator of the women’s center, encouraged the crowd to be aware of the link between these deaths and Lt. Dan Choi’s effort to serve open and proudly in the military.

“I have been following the recent policy changes this past week and I am interested to hear what he has to say,” Amanda Abott, freshman said.

Lt. Choi was welcomed with vibrant applause, showing gratitude and encouragement from the Ramapo community.

“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is dead!” yelled Choi, revving up the crowd even further. However, at the time of Choi’s speech, he was unaware that a federal judge in California awarded the government a temporary stay, reversing a worldwide injunction against enforcing the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.

Choi described his experience in the Middle East.

“I was serving in Baghdad, Iraq, area known as the triangle of death, a welting 130 degrees.”

“The discrimination is so bad, the Shia against the Sunni, that the Shia leaders tell people that they can hide who they are, times were hard, better you live and have a job and friends-God will forgive you,” Choi said.

Choi also described the moment he decided to come out.

“I finally fell in love, and I understood what I never allowed myself to understand before. All you need is love and love is all you need.” Choi said.

Choi explained that finding a partner made him a better leader and solider, he has someone to support him.

“How do I go back to Iraq under Don’t Ask Don’t Tell?”

Some students feel that their experience in the military was a different one than Choi’s and therefore they are interested to listen to a varying experience.

“I was in ROTC freshman year and it was very cultural. In my experience people where very accepting and tolerant, its interesting to hear about his different experience,” said junior Doug O’Connor.

Choi explained that the moment he decided to ‘come out’ was considered crazy.

“People say I am creating a wedge, shaking things up. How long do we have to wait when we know what is right? A conflict exists between the American promise and the American reality,” Choi said.

“Crazy is to do nothing in the face of this,” he said.

References were made to Clementi, Zach Harrington, Billy Lucas, Asher Brown, and Seth Walsh- all young adults, some as young as 13-yearsold, that have recently taken their own lives, victims of gay-bashing.

“To those people who said to me, maybe its not the right time right now: How many people need to die until we can stand up and make it known to people, courage is not crazy,” Choi said.

The speaker wanted to make clear that the LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender) movement is a Civil Right’s movement.

The lieutenant had the audience repeat three simple words: “I am somebody.”

The saying was coined by some of the greatest Civil Right’s movement leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. The crowd repeated the words, until they were instructed to stand up and say them as loudly as they could.

“You are somebody, and when you say it you are not just saying it for yourself- your saying it so somebody else can hear it,” Choi said.

Recent media stories have shed light on the population of queer students that feel alone and helpless.

“In light of all the recent LGBT tragedies I am here to educate myself, as a peer facilitator, I am raising my awareness so that I can be a better help to students,” Tom Santhosh, sophmore, said.

“With current discrimination still rampant and an average of eight suicides a week is normal, the next generation will look you in the eye and say, did you do something?” Choi said. ddunsmui@ramapo.edu

Students Should Highlight Positives, Influence Change

Thursday, October 21, 2010

continued from page 7

instead of wearing T-shirts saying, “Rama-No! Banning Fun Since 2010,” maybe there would be more visible school spirit on campus. There’s nothing wrong with poking fun at an issue, as the Ramapo Football Shirt fundraiser did last semester — labeling Ramapo football as “undefeated since 1992” — but there doesn’t seem to be much gained in knocking our school pride.

Ramapo does have a bit of a reputation for being a “suitcase school,” but people forget that one reason the parking lots clear out on weekends is because half of the student population consists of commuters.

While some students who live in the area do go home on weekends, others take advantage of the numerous trips and events organized by Student Activities, going to comedy clubs, museums and Broadway plays. People come from all over the world to visit New York City, and Ramapo students can make the trip by bus for only $6.

In addition, events unique to Ramapo such as Octoberfest and Midnight Madness are held annually for the purpose of showing school spirit.

Recently, the modifications to the alcohol and guest policies on campus have become issues for concern.

Some students have gone so far as looking into trans-

ferring out of Ramapo. Isn’t that a bit extreme? The new policies aren’t much more excessive than they were before, and are similar to the policies at other state institutions.

Even so, the administration has allowed students to voice their opinions in an open forum and through a focus group. Our views are more likely to be considered on a campus of 5,700 students than on one of over 29,000. Changes won’t happen overnight, but administrators have commended students with viewpoints on both sides of the issue who have been well spoken and professional about stating their concerns.

The bottom line is that while Ramapo has positive and negative aspects, as does any other school, the majority of us tend to accentuate the areas in which our school may be lacking and fail to look at those in which our school is excelling. Everyone wants to see more school pride and wants to see change, but only a few seem to be willing to affect it and recognize it.

Instead of complaining that Ramapo needs to be less reactive, we as a student body need to be more proactive in mobilizing to create and support the kind of campus community we want to see.

Second Annual Food Drive Held ‘Just Because It’s October’

By S AMANTHA ULLRICH Staff Writer

This year alone, 37 million Americans are relying on emergency food distribution systems for daily meals, according to the Hunger in America 2010 study conducted by Feeding America.

The Ebony Women for Social Change are holding their second annual “Just Because It’s October” food drive this week. Members will be dorm-storming residence halls to collect nonperishable food donations, all of which will be donated to Eva’s Kitchen in Paterson, New Jersey.

Close to 1,000 cans were collected last year, and this year’s goal is to surpass that amount with the help of the Ramapo community. The members of Ebony Women will be knocking on dorm room doors every day this week to collect cans and food for those less fortunate.

The mission of the Ebony Women is to promote social change, both in and out of Ramapo College, while giving back to the community. Their annual food drive is only one of many ways they give back.

“One of the things we feel people do need, and always will need, are opportunities to have resources that everybody is given on a daily basis,” Laurice Dukes, vice president of Ebony Women for Social Change, said.

The name “Just Because It’s October” was chosen because of the Ebony Women’s mission to give back for no specific reason. They feel that people less fortunate should be supported even when it’s not the holiday season.

“Usually people do food drives in November or around Christmas, but we didn’t want to do it just because of the holidays, we wanted to do it just because we want to give back to the community,” Dukes said.

The food will be donated to Eva’s Kitchen again this year, a nearby soup kitchen, whose mission is “to feed

kflaccom@ramapo.edu

the hungry, shelter the homeless, treat the addicted and provide free medical and dental care to the poor with respect for the human dignity of each individual.”

“When donating the food to a social service organization, we must know that they are willing to serve the community. Eva’s Village is a well known community-based organization that serves children, single parents, family, women and men that needs assistance or transition living,” Dukes said.

Students are encouraged to support this event and donate any nonperishable food items.

“We did a food drive at my high school every year and donated to Eva’s Kitchen as well. I think this event is for a very important cause,” junior Anthony Yodice said.

All students are welcome to attend the food delivery on Oct. 23. sullrich@ramapo.edu

VIEWPOINTS

Students: Be Proactive, Affect Campus Change

Thursday, October 21, 2010

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.

By KERI ANN FLACCOMIO Managing Editor

Rutgers-New Brunswick might have the only NCAA Division I football stadium in the New York/New Jersey metro region, but it doesn’t have the close-knit community atmosphere and oneon-one relationships that define Ramapo College.

At Ramapo, our professors know our names and provide individualized feedback. They teach classes of 25-35 students at a time, making lectures and discussions more personalized and interactive than lessons addressing hundreds of students at a time.

In the 2011 edition of “America’s Best Colleges,” U.S. News and World Report ranked Ramapo 25th among the Best Regional Universities in the North, and in the 2010 “100 Best Values in Public Colleges,” Kiplinger’s Personal Finance ranked Ramapo among the nation’s most respected state and regional institutions.

We have top-quality residence halls and unique opportunities for students to take advantage of both on and off campus.

So why are people making such an effort to point out every negative aspect of our school? Why are people looking to transfer to other institutions like Rutgers just because they don’t like the policies and social life at Ramapo?

Every school has room to improve, and I admit that Ramapo is no exception, but for a student body that’s so concerned with what’s lacking, it seems there isn’t much of an effort to

work toward change.

While there are plenty of people who are satisfied with Ramapo, there are just as many who criticize the administration and student representatives for not knowing what the student body wants and not promoting a positive atmosphere on our campus.

Almost every department on campus has some form of an advisory board or focus group, and I’m sure those that don’t would be more than willing to consider suggestions from any member of the campus community. Why not use these opportunities to make our voices heard and communicate with our administrators?

Other things people have been saying include: Ramapo has no school spirit, Ramapo is a suitcase school because there is nothing to do here and Ramapo crossed the line by implementing the “ridiculous” new alcohol and

guest policies.

As far as school spirit is concerned, Ramapo has 20 accomplished sports teams, which play home and away games throughout the fall and spring semesters, as well as competitive cheerleading and dance teams. How many people complaining about the lack of school spirit on campus have actually gone to those games to support and boost the morale of our athletes?

Groups such as the Ramapo Rowdies have promoted school spirit on campus by wearing Tshirts and body paint to the games and cheering their peers on as they aim to score. This month also kicked off Maroon Mondays every week in the Student Center from noon until 1:30 p.m., giving students free chances to win prizes for wearing Ramapo gear and showing school spirit.

If more people made similar

tiative.

“Give and Go” is a program in which students can donate their books, clothing and food on move -out day. Instead of these items being thrown away, they are given to those in need. At the end of each semester, multiple Ramapo vans are filled with items.

Most of the ideas presented at the discussion were simple and convenient, but they need to be advertised.

“We have to bring minds together, get people to act on these messages,” Luogameno said. “The biggest problem is that there’s a lot happening, but not many people know what’s going on. It takes a lot of people with a lot of devotion.”

for sustainability.

At the same time, there are now the Sustainable Living Facilities (SLFs), a program in which students are living “green lifestyles,” according to the Ramapo Green website.

There is also the Sharp Sustainability Education Center now.

Still, some feel that still more can be done.

“We’ve been trying to make discussions, but to get people in the same room takes months of planning,” Coraggio said. “It has to come from the students. We have the power to bring about change.

We have the ideas, we just need everyone working together for the same cause.”

would reflect more sunlight and decrease the amount of air conditioning needed.

Members of 1Step suggested at the discussion that artisticallyinclined students could decorate recycling bins to make them more noticeable. A recycling bin could then be put next to every garbage can on campus.

There’s always the classic idea of carpooling. The website Nuride.com encourages this green method of transportation by allowing people to document their rides and earn points that they can trade in for Amazon gift cards. Commuters can even put up their schedules in order to find people to carpool with.

“We have an umbrella: Ramapo Green,” Coraggio said. “The rain is coming down; red tape, environmental and political issues, climate change. Everyone’s out in the rain getting wet. We have to get everyone under the umbrella.

We need people to hold it up.”

For more information, visit

1Step Hosts Campus Discussion on Sustainability Organization Suggests Small Ways Students Can Help

By MARISSA TORR SLF Member

When 1Step was unable to locate a link for a webcast for campus sustainability day, two members saved the day by improvising in front of the group and talking about different ways to make campuses across the country more sustainable.

Paul Coraggio, founder of 1Step and Noah Luogameno, facilities liason, guided the discussion on Wednesday rather than watch the webcast, titled “Empowering A Low Carbon Movement On College Campuses.”

What Works Now

“Go cold turkey” requires students turn off and unplug all appliances before leaving for Thanksgiving break.

Campuses across America, including Ramapo College, have been holding energy competitions in which utility bills are compared in each residence hall during the months of November and February. Ramapo has been participating since 2008. This has been a particularly successful ini-

What We Used to Do

There used to be student-run gardens at Ramapo and more than 20 different clubs related to sustainability. Today, however, there is only one garden behind the Redwood apartment in the College Park Apartments and one club — 1Step — that advocates

What We Can Do

Advocates on campus are looking into providing residents with solar hot water in the next few years. If this is installed, the sun would be used to heat water. This initiative would save on utilities and gas costs.

Another idea is painting the rooves white. In doing so, it

www.ramapo.edu/ramapogreen.

To the Editor,

As a fellow science major at Ramapo College, I appreciate the article, “Ramapo Receives $1.6M for New Biology Wing,” written by staff writers Matthew Danko and Melanie Orinski, from the Oct. 7, 2010 issue of “The Ramapo News.”

Considering that science majors are popular in the college, especially nursing majors, this grant is wellappreciated by many. Although the grant is specifically tending toward biology majors, I believe that the grant will essentially help all science students due to the general improvements that will be made in G-wing, including providing a common research area, open to all science majors.

Thank you, Kimberly Graney To the Editor:

As a reader of a newspaper that is getting better and better every edition (all my compliments), I write in order to express my point of view about the article on page 3, “RamaNO T-shirts: Statement making or Insulting?” written by Rebecca Penhaker.

It is well known that the policy of our school had a drastic change this year and I agree that students, especially over 21, can find all this too restrictive and probably done without the collaboration of the students as part of the school administration.

In this context I don’t find offensive at all the contesting T-shit Rama-No, that ingeniously some guys came out with. Nothing offensive is written there — it is a funny, visual, nonviolent way to show an idea, literally carrying your idea on you and exposing it to every single component of campus life, from professors to public safety to other students, making a clear statement: I don’t like the new policy.

Having the possibility to express ideas is a basic right of our civilization and I think this T-shirt way to do it is just smart, different and not violent or insulting, but actually a genuine way for students to show their points of view.

Sincerely, Giuliano Rizzola

Submit a letter to the editor: editor.rcnjnews@ramapo.edu

SWEET TOOTH

BROADWAY AT RAMAPO

Diana Stanczak discusses the Atriumʼs latest additions Page 11

Danielle Reed covers Christine Ebersoleʼs Ramapo debut Page 9

Though Godot Never Arrived, Cast Members Delivered 10 . 21 . 10

Audience members seemed to react positively to the performance. “The actors did an amazing job. There were a lot of lines for a small amount of characters. You could tell they

BY S EAN RITCHIE Staff Writer

“Waiting for Godot,” a play by Samuel Beckett, graced Ramapo’s Berrie Center stage this past weekend.

The cast consisted of four Ramapo students and one Mahwah High School student, and was directed by Maria Vail, a Ramapo professor. The plot is simple enough: the characters all interact while waiting for a mysterious character named Godot, who never actually shows up.

“Waiting for Godot” has only two acts, and they both take place by a tree on a country road.

Vladimir, played by junior Tom Curran, and Estragon, played by senior Michael Wien, were the play’s main characters. The storyline opens with Vladimir and Estragon in conversationand realizing that they are both waiting for Godot to arrive. However, Godot’s identity is never revealed during the play.

A third character, Pozzo, played by junior Dan Algazi, runs into Vladimir and Estragon while they are both waiting by the tree. Pozzo is accompanied by his slave, Lucky, played by junior Greg Genute. Lucky entertains them for a short while by dancing around. Soon after they leave, a boy who says he is Godot’s messenger, played by Mahwah High School freshman Gus Peyton, relays the message that Godot would not be coming.

The play continues in the second act with Vladimir and Estragon meeting by the same tree in hopes that Godot would finally arrive. They meet the same three characters again; however, Pozzo and Lucky do not remember running into either Vladimir or Estragon. The play concludes with the boy repeating the same message, saying that Godot would not be arriving.

“The audience loved it. They laughed at all the right moments, and I think they even reacted correctly to all the tender and emotional moments.”

-Jeremy Kelly, junior

photo by Stefanie Mauro

were well rehearsed,” senior Matthew Wolfe said.

The cast put many hours into preparing for opening night.

“It was about five weeks between our first rehearsal and opening night,” Lucky’s understudy junior Jeremy Kelly said. “The audience loved it. They laughed at all the right moments, and I think they even reacted correctly to all the tender and emotional moments,” he added.

The costume and set design added a lot to the performance.

“The costumes were really good. They made the play that much better,” senior Jaclyn Barton said.

The entire production ran smoothly, and the first weekend run was overall a success. “I really enjoyed this show. It’s a great show to be a part of, and the cast and crew. Everyone was really professional and they were just great to work with. I feel proud to have taken part in it,” Kelly said.

Although “Waiting for Godot” is at times very confusing and slightly redundant, it was entertaining to watch the passion and excitement of all who were involved.

“Come Around Sundown” Leaves Listeners in the Dark

BY ERIK GAVILANES Staff Writer

By now, the story of Kings of Leon has been told enough times that it can be recounted like a fairy tale. The brothers Followill (Caleb, Nathan and Jared accompanied bycousin Matthew) grew up traveling the southeast with their Pentecostal preacher father in an Oldsmobile before coming together to embrace the rock and roll lifestyle.

The Kings endured journeyman-band status here in the United States for years before finally hitting it big with their fourth record, 2008’s “Only By The Night.” The mega hits “Sex on Fire” and “Use Somebody” launched them into the moms-listen-to-us-now stratosphere which, while earning them boundless fame and fortunes, has left the band more than a bit resentful. Front man Caleb Followill has been quoted describing their biggest hit as “a piece of s—,” and their newfound fan base as, “not f— cool.” Sounds like a band ready to shake its mainstream, arena rock image, doesn’t it?

When they first hit the scene, they were dubbed “the Southern Strokes” for their spiky guitar jams and garage rock bravado. This year’s “Come Around Sundown” contains absolutely nothing that warrants the Strokes reference.

Instead, bloated arena anthems like “Pyro,” “The Face,” and

“Waiting for Godot” had its opening weekend at Ramapoʼs Adler theater.

“The Immortals” litter the 13 tracks and feeds more and more into the “Southern U2” label they’ve earned these past two years.

There is a loose theme on “Sundown” of the Kings reverting back to their southern roots that first appears in their lead single, “Radioactive,” a track that grows increasingly more infectious after repeated listens.

This theme shows up again in “Back Down South,” a country-fried, southern stomper, packed with plenty of slide guitar, fiddle, hootin’ and hollerin’, and perfect for peddling Wrangler Jeans or Ford F-150’s.

“Mary” breaks some creative ground for the group as its 60’s doo-wop style swoons beneath a lump-in-throat voiced Caleb and is a welcome surprise.

On “No Money,” Caleb echoes a down-and-out man’s self image, “I’m a waste of time/ and all in all, a waste of living,” while the rest of the band does their best impression of an upbeat thrasher from their back catalog ala “Four Kicks” or “Black Thumbnail,” but with a fraction of the melody or sincerity.

“Come Around Sundown” does have some decent songs that will certainly ensure a live KOL set. But the issue is the context that these songs live in, as too much of the album sounds as if it is being played with doughy eyes instead of

sritchi1@ramapo.edu

a furrowed brow or a bit lip. Not exactly the image you thought they’d paint when they seemed ready to shake the moms off of their fan wagon.

Another band with a recent rise to fame that is now rejecting mainstream success, MGMT, chose not to play their biggest hit, “Kids” at their Coachella 2010 appearance. This was taken as a message to the masses so as to reiterate their stance on being more than just a radio hits machine. With over 3 million copies sold and a couple of Grammy awards to its name, it’s fair to call “Use Somebody” Kings of Leon’s biggest hit. After all, at their biggest American festival appearance this year, they closed their set with it.

RATING:

##$$$ erikgavilanes@yahoo.com

Christine Ebersole Brings Broadway to Ramapo Page 9 The Ramapo News

BY DANIELLE REED Staff Writer

On Saturday, students and local visitors had the opportunity to see a Broadway legend take the stage for a memorable performance at 8 p.m. in Ramapo’s Sharp Theater in the Berrie Center.

Tony Award winning Broadway star Christine Ebersole took the stage and entertained audience members with her voice talents and witty humor.

“We’re going to do songs about sex, politics and controversial issues,” Ebersole said after her opening song.

Throughout the performance, Ebersole discussed current events, her memories and her life. She also discussed the support that she has had through the years and how she ended up on Broadway and in Hollywood.

Ebersole recognized her passion for singing and acting at a young age, and after attending MacMurray College in Illinois, she traveled to New York to attend the famous American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

“He[my father] was my biggest fan and my biggest supporter,” Ebersole said.

“When I got into the American Academy of Dramatic Arts he gave me his blessing.”

Ebersole’s career on Broadway began with

Thursday, October 21, 2010

roles in musicals and plays like “Angel Street,” “I Love My Wife,” “Oklahoma,” “Camelot” and “Getting Away with Murder.”

Eventually choosing to further pursue acting, she left Broadway and headed to Hollywood, where she would act in several movies and television shows, including “Amadeus,” “Tootsie,” “Dead Again”,” My Girl 2,” “Richie Rich” and Disney’s “My Favorite Martian.” From 1981 to 1982, Ebersole was also a cast member on Saturday Night Live.

After 14 years in Hollywood, Ebersole and her family moved back to the East Coast and she returned to Broadway, winning the Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical and the Outer Critics Circle Award for her performance in “42nd Street.” She was also awarded the Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her roles as Edith Bouvier Beale and little Edie Beale in “Grey Gardens.”

“We [my family] moved from Hollywood to Maplewood, and it’s funny what a difference a leaf can make,” Ebersole said when discussing her move back to the East Cost.

During her two hour performance on Saturday, Ebersole sang a variety of songs from her CD and shows that she performed in.

photo courtesy of ramapo.edu

Christine Ebersole entertained audience members Saturday night in Ramapoʼs Sharp Theater.

“I felt like I was sitting in a Broadway musical,” said Stew Schiffer, an audience member. “[The] combination of [her talents in] acting and singing show passion [in the performance]”.

Several songs that she sang included “42nd Street,” “The Sunny Side of the Street,”

“Too Darn Hot,” and “The Last Rose of Summer.”

“She was wonderful,” said attendee Ellen Rothseid. “It’s [the performance] about love and passion.”

During the second half of the performance, Ebersole exited to a standing ovation, only to return to sing a few more songs. For one of her final songs, she honored actress/singer Eatha Kitt and sang “Mink, Schmink” while impersonating her. “[May] all your storms be weathered and all your dreams come true,” Ebersole said as she thanked the audience at the end of her performance.

Christine Ebersole was the first of four performers coming to the Berrie Center this year as part of the Ramapo College Foundation’s Eleventh Annual Performing Arts Dinner Series. More information about these events can be found on the Ramapo website. dreed1@ramapo.edu

Fall Nail Colors Inspired by Season’s Scenery Page 10 The Ramapo News

Thursday, October 21, 2010

BY JULIANNE BRANDA Staff Writer

In fashion, the shift from summer to fall is most obviously seen through the transition from bright, pastel colors to deep jewel tones. While donning hot pink nail polish is a great way to escape the winter blues, the opaque metallics of the fall and winter offer unity between nature and your nails.

Be sure to stock up on purple varnish. Whether it’s metallic, deep or sparkly, purple is unquestionably the hue of the season when it comes to nails. Chanel showcased a beautiful shade of purple-grey for their Autumn/Winter cosmetic collection called “Paradoxal,” which is now being snatched up by fashionistas for double the original price on Ebay.

While fall is characterized by rich color, neutral nail polishes also have their place in this season’s trends.

For more practical options, check out OPI’s “Lincoln Park After Dark” ($8) or Maybelline’s “Pretty in Purple” ($3.50). These shades are reminiscent of the colors of the falling leaves while being simultaneously chic.

If purple doesn’t do it for you, there are several other jewel-toned options for fall. As freshman Suzanne Hochberg noted, “I liked dark red, navy and forest green for fall.” Try OPI’s “Russian Navy” ($8), which is a dark shade of blue with red micro glitter.

Green is also a big shade this season; you can either go down the sparkly route, or if you prefer something less bold, a cream color. Two popular shades right now are China Glaze’s “Emerald Fitzgerald” ($6) and OPI’s “Here Today, Aragon Tomorrow.” The holidays are perhaps the best time to showcase rich metallics, so don’t shy away from some festive shades, whether they are golds, silvers, greens or reds. “I’m big into glitter. I put glitter on every-

photo courtesy of Flickrʼs creative commons

From dark jewel tones to light neutrals, this seasonʼs nail polish trends offer a hint of color for everyone.

thing,” said freshman Kaitlin Bradley.

While fall is characterized by rich color, neutral nail polishes also have their place in this season’s trends. Brands like Alexander Wang and Dolce and Gabbana sent their models down the runways with bare nails. You can stick to the classic French manicure if you prefer; however, shades of ochre, camel, and amber are understated yet dynamic options. Try Essie’s “Little Brown Dress” ($8), China Glaze’s “Classic Camel” ($6) or Sephora by OPI’s “Nonfat Soy Half Caff” ($9). Gray was also a mainstay on the runways; try something like China Glaze’s “Recycle” ($6). “I love earth tones like grey and brown,” freshman Deanna Doctor said.

Whether you decide to go neutral or bold for fall, there is still a world of options out there at your local drugstore or

manicurist. Mimicking the earth tones and the colorful leaves seen from the mountains on campus is an inspiring way to figure out what shades work for you. While metallics and flesh tones are often referred to as the big nail trends of fall in magazines like “In Style” and fashion blogs, if you stock up on a few deep shades now, you’ll be set for many autumns to come. Truthfully, purples, greens and browns never go out of style because they exemplify the essence of the fall and winter seasons: dark and moody, with a hint of glitter. jbranda1@ramapo.edu

Zumba Combines Exercise and Entertainment Fitness Dance Program Popular Among Ramapo Students

BY NICOLE MAZEWS KI Staff Writer

Zumba, one of the many intramural sport fitness classes offered at Ramapo, underwent a makeover this year when instructor Rebecca Ramos took over.

Ramos has been a fitness instructor for about 18 months, but truly discovered her niche when she was introduced to

“Dance is important in every country. It helps connect with people. Dance is the international language.”

-Rebecca Ramos, Zumba instructor

Zumba about a year ago. “I found my passion,” she said.

Zumba is a dance fitness program that combines Latin and international music with a series of dance moves in order to provide an effective workout. For Ramos, who spent some of her childhood in Puerto Rico, the Latin music is what makes her so passionate about Zumba. “Zumba brings me back home and gives me that homey feeling. It brought me back so many memories,” she said.

Ramos also added that dance instills the value of culture.

“Dance is important in every country. It helps connect with

people. Dance is the international language,” she said.

To keep the classes interesting and current, Ramos chooses motivating music from Latin pop radio or the top countdown songs.

In addition to being an instructor at Ramapo, Ramos teaches Zumba at four other gyms in North Jersey. She is also a personal trainer, as well as a member of the Zumba Instructor Network, an organization that provides ongoing training to certified Zumba instructors.

When asked what she loves most about Zumba, Ramos replied, “I get friends, a good workout, endorphins, it makes me happy, I get to meet around 70 people each week, and I get to see people grow.”

The weekly classes attract large turnouts. On average, 70 to100 students come to each class. Ramos said the largest number of students that have ever attended a single class at Ramapo was 112. Now, even almost halfway through the semester, the attendance hasn’t diminished a bit. “People just keep coming back!” said Ramos.

Zumba’s not just for girls: Ramos said that there are more and more boys coming to see what the class offers.

Ramapo’s Zumba group is different from the ones Ramos teaches at off campus gyms because, “There are more people and way more smiles. The energy is young,” Ramos said.

Besides the cultural aspects of Zumba, the fitness dance is

“Zumba’s a great cardio workout that’s fun. I go whenever I can.”

-Valerie Canubas. sophomore

also an effective workout. One hour of Zumba can burn up to 800 calories. Senior Olivia Hanz said, “Zumba’s a great exercise and you get to dance!” Sophomore Valerie Canubas is also a Zumba fan. She said, “Zumba’s a great cardio workout that’s fun. I go whenever I can.”

Ramos makes an effort to keep every Zumba class exciting by handing out stickers and bracelets to dancers. She keeps the sessions interesting by updating the music selection every month, Some professors, especially those who teach Spanish language and culture classes, are accepting a Zumba workout as experiential learning.

“Zumba’s a party,” said Ramos. nmazewsk@ramapo.edu

Sweet Treats Take Toll on Students’ Wallets and Waistlines Page 11 The Ramapo News

By DIANA S TANCZAK A&E Editor

Anyone who’s eaten at the Atrium recently has probably noticed a new addition nestled between Pete’s Arena Pizza and the Sky Ranch Grill: f’real brand milkshakes.

The milkshakes, which are self-serve and must be prepared using f’real’s “Magical Milkshake Machine,” come in a variety of flavors like chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, cookies ‘n cream and Made with Reese’s. Fruit-flavored smoothies are

“I think milk is the devil; almond milk is a lot better for you.”

-Jesse Palmer, junior

also available, in flavors like strawberry banana and mango.

The milkshakes have received mixed reactions from students.

“They’re all delicious [the variety of flavors],” freshman Audrey Zabohonski said.

Sophomore Rose Rendon disagrees.

“I like ice cream and milk, just not together,” Rendon said.

Though freshman Katlyn Reilly liked the milkshakes, she feels the kinds of foods offered could be improved.

“We need more healthy food,” Reilly said. “And they’re way too expensive.”

At $3.19 each, Reilly wasn’t the only one to comment on the product’s price.

Sophomore Falecia Rowe said, “They’re overpriced. I can buy these at home at WaWa for less.”

More important than the price that students are paying for the milkshakes, though, is the toll the shakes could be having on their health. Made with whole milk and ice cream, the milkshakes are calorie and fat-laden. However, many Ramapo students are unaware of this due to the lack of readily available nutrition facts on the milkshakes.

Senior Diana Hartmann commented on this issue.

“If I knew the facts, I probably wouldn’t drink them.”

Likewise, junior Jesse Palmer chooses not to indulge in the milkshakes.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

“I think milk is the devil; almond milk is a lot better for you,” Palmer said.

Sophomore John Critelli stated that he does not want to drink the milkshakes because they “are probably too fattening.”

So just how much damage does a single shake do?

According to freal.com, the vanilla shake is your best bet, weighing in at 550 calories, 23 grams of fat, and 14 grams of saturated fat. The heaviest offender is the peanut butter cup, which has 640 calories, 30 grams of fat, and 16 grams of saturated fat, almost triple the amount of saturated fat that is suggested for a daily 2,500 calorie diet.

A healthier alternative is the smoothies, which range from 260 to 280 calories and no fat. Unlike the milkshakes, the smoothies do list their nutritional facts on the container.

Upon learning the nutritional facts, junior Carolyn Bender said, “I’m going to think twice before getting a milkshake.

I’ll probably go for the smoothies more often now.”

Likewise, junior Kailey Macdonald said, “I want to know how long I should stay at the gym for,” in reference to the amount of calories in the Reese’s shake.

fʼreal?

A quick look at the calorie counts behind the tasty treats:

Chocolate: 580 calories, 23 grams of fat Vanilla: 550 calories, 23 grams of fat Strawbery: 560 calories, 21 grams of fat Cookies ʻn Cream: 600 calories, 24 grams of fat Made with Reeseʼs: 640 calories, 30 grams of fat

Strawberry Banana smoothie: 270 calories, 0 grams of fat Mango smoothie: 280 calories, 0 grams of fat

information courtesy of freal.com

photo by Stefanie Mauro

The “Magical Milkshake Machine” in the Atrium blend sfʼreal brand milkshakes and smoothies for students with a sweet tooth.

dstancza@ramapo.edu

RAMAPO SPORTS

Page 12 The Ramapo News

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Midnight Madness Offers Plenty of Activities For Fans...

By S TEPHANIE NODA Staff Writer

The Bradley Center was packed with students on Friday night as Midnight Madness gave the Ramapo community a chance to become actively involved in school spirit.

Midnight Madness is an event that is held each year in order to kick off seasons for both the men’s and women’s basketball teams. The event, which began promptly at 8 p.m., gave Ramapo students a chance to be involved in activities that other colleges across the country were also partaking in.

“It’s basically the first official day of practice all around the country,” Patrick Tuthill, Ramapo alumni and emcee of the event said. “Every college and university does this on the same night. All the fans get together and get everybody hyped up for the teams.”

“It’s a fun night and a good way to kick off the season.”

-Mike Eineker, women’s basketball head coach

Many students came to the event not only to support these two sport teams, but also to join in on various activities that were being held in order to celebrate the beginning of the basketball season.

“I’m looking forward to seeing the dancers, the cheerleaders, and the music,” freshman Carolyn Wojtusiak said. “It seems like it’s going to be a really great atmosphere so it should be a lot of fun.”

In addition to the routines performed by the cheerleaders and the dance team, raffle tickets were distributed at the door to give students a chance to win an Apple iPad at the end of the night. Students also had the chance to receive free food on behalf of Chow Mein with samples of their microwavable noodles.

The night started off by allowing students to compete

photo by Jake Edinger

The Extreme Team delighted Ramapoʼs students by providing spectacular dunks during Midnight Madness on Friday night.

against each other in different kinds of races. The first activity was a “Foul Shot Contest,” where two people raced each other to see who could make the most baskets in 30 seconds. Another activity was an “Obstacle Course” which involved students racing against each other to be the first to jump over training bars, jump rope 20 times and spin in

photo by Jake Edinger

Ramapoʼs cheerleader sqaud and dance team kept everyone entertained during the annual event.

circles before attempting to make a basket in their dizzy state.

The most memorable event of the night, however, was the performance by the “Extreme Team,” a group of acrobats that perform stunts with the use of basketballs. They awed the audience with their flips as they jumped from trampolines and dunked basketballs as they spun through the air.

At one point, their jumping abilities were put to the test; the Extreme Team successfully jumped over a line of 13 cheerleaders with the help of only a simple trampoline.

“The Extreme Team was unbelievable,” men’s basketball Head Coach Chuck McBreen said. “They do a lot of halftime stuff in the NBA and I think that really promoted enthusiasm, energy and intensity into the crowd that made the night electric.”

Once the festivities and events came to an end, the basketball team took the time to come out and greet students.

Both teams made their way through a row of celebrating cheerleaders and dance team members to wave at the audiences, who were cheering loudly for the respective teams.

This huge turnout of supporters made many students and faculty feel like this event will help raise school spirit at Ramapo College.

“I think we have a pretty good crowd for a Friday Night,” women’s basketball Head Coach Mike Eineker said. “Last year we had a pretty good team; we made the playoffs for the first time in 17 years. Hopefully, we can continue that streak. It’s a fun night and a good way to kick off the season.” snoda@ramapo.edu

RAMAPO SPORTS

... Sets Tone For Upcoming Basketball Season

Thursday, October 21, 2010

This Week in Ramapo Sports

Thursday:

Women’s Volleyball @ Kean University at 7 p.m.

Friday: photo by Jake Edinger

A member of the Extreme Team held on to the rim after a dunk.

photo by Jake Edinger

Ramapoʼs cheerleading squad braced themselves as a member of the Extreme Team jumped over them.

Women’s Tennis vs.

Fairleigh DickinsonFlorham at 3:30 p.m.

Saturday:

Men’s Soccer vs. RutgersCamden at 1 p.m.

Women’s Soccer @ Rutgers-Camden at 3 p.m.

Women’s Tennis vs.

Lancaster Bible College @ 1 p.m.

Field Hockey @ SUNY New Paltz at 1 p.m.

Wednesday:

Women’s Soccer vs.

Montclair State University at 3 p.m.

Men’s Soccer @ Montclair State University at 3 p.m.

Field Hockey @ Moravian College at 4 p.m.

Women’s Tennis vs. New City College of Technology at 6 p.m. photo by Jake Edinger Midnight Madness hyped Ramapoʼs students for the upcoming menʼs and womenʼs basketball season. Each team begins its season on Nov. 15.

Exciting Week Six Matches Provide Intriguing Finishes Page 14 The Ramapo News

By JEREMY KELLY Staff Writer

The theme of week six in the National Football League season was late finishes, as several games were decided in the final minutes. They were close, and they were exciting.

Despite high expectations, the Green Bay Packers have fallen to 3-3 following a 23-20 loss to the Miami Dolphins in overtime at Lambeau Field. Miami led for most of the second half, but Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who threw for 313 yards, scored a touchdown on a fourth down quarterback sneak to tie the game with 13 seconds left. However, on the third possession of overtime, Dolphins kicker Dan Carpenter booted a 44-yard field goal for the win.

In a rematch of a 2009 AFC Wild Card game, the New England Patriots triumphed over the Baltimore Ravens. In New England’s first game since trading Randy Moss, they trailed 20-10 early in the fourth quarter. But wide receiver Deion Branch, in his first game back with the Patriots, scored on a 5-yard pass from Tom Brady. Stephen Gostkowski kicked a tying field goal with two minutes left, and then made another late in overtime to seal the 23-20 win.

The Houston Texans recovered from last week’s letdown against the New York Giants, winning a shootout against the Kansas City Chiefs by the score of 35-31.

Behind Matt Cassel’s three passing touch-

Thursday, October 21, 2010

downs and Thomas Jones’ 100 rushing yards, Kansas City led 31-21 in the fourth quarter. Houston running back Arian Foster, the league’s leading rusher, scored the second of his two touchdowns to cut the deficit to three. After a punt, quarterback Matt Schaub threw the game-winning 11-yard touchdown

photo courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons

Andre Johnson caught the gamewinning touchdown for the Houston Texans in their 35-31 victory against the Kansas City Chiefs.

NFL

NYG @ DAL PHI @ TEN WAS @ CHI ARI @ SEA NE @ SD MIN @ GB

7

WEEK

pass to Andre Johnson with 28 seconds left.

Despite their usual knack for making games more difficult than they should be, the Giants came away with a 28-20 win over the Detroit Lions. New York’s special team blunders kept the game close, but Ahmad Bradshaw’s 133 rushing yards and an interception by Antrel Rolle in the final minute sealed the game for the Giants. The Giants are now 4-2 and have a Monday night showdown with the Dallas Cowboys this week.

The New York Jets overcame three turnovers and won a road thriller over the Denver Broncos, 24-20. Each team’s kicker converted on field goal attempts of 56 yards or longer and the Broncos led 17-10 in the fourth quarter, but running back LaDainian Tomlinson tied the game with a touchdown run halfway through the period. After a Denver field goal, the Jets benefited from a fourth down pass interference penalty with less than two minutes. Tomlinson scored on the next play to give New York the win.

The Indianapolis Colts got an important win on Sunday night over the Washington Redskins by the score of 27-24. Peyton Manning threw for over 300 yards and Joseph Addai ran for 127 yards in the game.

The Colts’ defense also stepped up, as they forced a fourth down stop of a Washington drive with less than two minutes left and then intercepted Donovan McNabb with 24 seconds left on a play that easily could have been a game-winning touchdown.

Elsewhere around the league, a game that

should have been a battle between two NFC contenders instead featured the Dallas Cowboys and the Minnesota Vikings fighting to save their respective seasons. Thanks to a kickoff return for a touchdown by Percy Harvin, the Vikings came away with a 24-21 home win. The Cowboys dropped to 1-4.

Rookie quarterback Sam Bradford has made waves across the league, and he helped lead the St. Louis Rams to another victory. This one came against the San Diego Chargers with the final score 20-17. Bradford threw one touchdown pass and also led the Rams on a 17-play touchdown drive in the second quarter that made the score 17-0. With the win, the Rams are 3-3, and have now won as many games as they had in the previous two seasons combined. They face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this weekend, who have also surpassed low expectations.

Among other prominent week seven matches is the Philadelphia Eagles traveling to Tennessee to face the Titans. Quarterback Kevin Kolb is expected to start for the Eagles. The Patriots will have a chance to tie for the lead in the AFC East as they play the slumping Chargers. The Sunday night game features Brett Favre and the Vikings playing against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. With Favre returning to Green Bay to play against his former team, it should be an interesting game. jkelly7@ramapo.edu

STAFF PICKS

Tom Babcock

Chris Arndt

Almerry Martins

Sean Ritchie

Jeremy Kelly

Jake Edinger

Week 6 (4-2) Season (13-17)

Week 6 (N/A) Season (9-9)

Week 6 (4-2) Season (18-12)

Week 6 (2-4) Season (15-15)

Week 6 (4-2) Season (16-14)

Week 6 (4-2) Season (15-15)

Men’s Soccer Fights Back To Tie Richard Stockton 1-1 Page 15 The Ramapo News

Thursday, October 21, 2010

By S EAN RITCHIE Staff Writer

The Ramapo men’s soccer team had an impressive showing against rival Richard Stockton Saturday on their home turf.

Although they tied 1-1, they severely out played the Ospreys.

Following a tense first few minutes where they were fortunate not to concede a goal, the Roadrunners woke up and handled Stockton. Captain Jim Clemente agreed that the slow start was an issue they had to work on for the future.

“We have to have better starts and set the tone from the whistle,” Clemente said.

“The first ten minutes of this game they were on top of us.”

The Ospreys capitalized on a mistake by the Roadrunners and took a 1-0 lead in the 34th minute on a goal from Rafael Duarte.

The tie was not the result the Roadrunners had hoped for, especially with the effort and passion left out on the pitch. Clemente stated, “We played really well, but any time you have to settle for a tie against a team you feel you should beat is disappointing.”

A win would have propelled the Roadrunners higher up in the standings.

Yet, the tie keeps them ahead of Stockton, who is in sixth place, and further solidifies their hopes for a place in the postseason.

The Roadrunners, however, are not ready to

photo by Stefanie Mauro

Ramapo has a 9-2-4 record on the season after tying Richard Stockton 1-1 on Saturday.

settle for just a place in the postseason.

Head Coach D.J. Pinton has his hopes much higher.

“Our goal right now is to try and get a bye and try and win the conference with one loss,” Pinton said.

The lone goal for the Roadrunners came from the leading scorer in the nation, Rob Santaniello, 75 minutes into the game. The game was not ripe with chances but he buried one of his few opportunities. He was not worried about falling behind 1-0 early in the first half.

“We knew we were working the ball around well, so all we had to do was just

stay patient,” Santaniello said. “We knew our time was going to come and at the end of the game it finally did.”

With few chances in the first half for Santaniello, Pinton saw it fit to make adjustment at halftime.

“We spoke to him about how to play a little bit differently at halftime, and he did that,” Pinton said. “I think it helped us succeed for the rest of the game today.”

The resiliency of this team is truly amazing. They have found themselves up against the wall on numerous occasions, including forcing a 3-3 tie down two men against Drew University. They seem to always find

a way to keep fighting for a favorable result.

“This team has probably been through more adversity than any of the other teams I’ve been on here combined. In a way it’s helped us come together,” Clemente said.

“Everyone here wants to win and we play for one another until the game is over.”

This Roadrunners breathe a sense of determination and will that was lacking in previous years. They fight until the very end.

“You could see even with fifteen seconds left in double OT that we were still going full speed at them because we wanted the game,” Santaniello said.

The Roadrunners have two games left against NJAC opponents. They host Rutgers-Camden on Saturday at 1:00pm and face rival Montclair State University away on Wednesday. These two games are crucial in determining their postseason position.

“Everyone here wants to win and we play for one another until the game is over.”

- Jim Clemente, Captain

sritchi1@ramapo.edu

Giants, Rangers Each One Win Away From Pulling off Upset Giants Lead Phillies 3-1 After Dramatic Extra Innings Finish; Yankees Down 3-2 to Rangers

By RYAN BUCHANAN Staff Writer

The 2010 Major League Baseball postseason is loaded with stories that leave fans with every reason not to leave the edge of their seats.

The contending teams in the Championship Series are Texas, New York, Philadelphia and San Francisco.

San Francisco currently leads their NLCS match by a score of 3-1 over the Philadelphia Phillies while the Texas Rangers lead the New York Yankees by a score of 3-2 in a nail-biting series headed to Arlington, Texas for the next two games.

Long-time Yankee fans are fascinated with the possibility this postseason that they will be able to reminisce on the 1962 World Series Game 7 matchup when Ralph Perry emerged as a superstar, taking a World Championship victory for the New York Yankees against the New York Baseball Giants by a score of 1-0.

It is hard to guess how many baseball fans, if any, still have their jersey for the New York Giants, who relocated to play in San Francisco in 1957. The possibility of this should ring heavy in the minds of historians, statisticians, and devoted fans from coast-to-coast.

The spontaneous extravaganza of head-patting began in Game 4 for San Francisco’s current team, the Giants, after a sacrifice fly off the bat of Juan Uribe that brought home

Aubrey Huff as the game-winning run supported by the fireworks that shot into the sky in the outfield.

Phillies Roy Halladay’s perfect game during the 2010 season along with Armando Galarraga of the Tigers’ near-perfect game, Dallas Braden of the A’s and other scattered no-hitters this year have led announcers to call 2010 “The Year Of The Pitcher.”

Six pitchers this season have genuinely impressed the masses with perfect games, near-perfect games, and no-hitters.

Memorable examples are Tim Lincecum’s 14-strikeout gem and multiple masterpieces produced by Cy Young-probable Ubaldo Jimenez and Brandon Morrow’s 17-strike-

out anomaly for Toronto.

Cliff Lee has 34 strikeouts and one walk this postseason, giving him a 34.00 strikeout-to-walk ratio. If he finishes with a K/BB ratio greater or equal to this, it will be the greatest postseason K/BB ratio in postseason history.

Strong finishes were amassed by all of the pitching aces: Roy Halladay of the Phillies, C.C Sabathia of the Yankees, Cliff Lee of the Rangers, and Tim Lincecum of the Giants. The losing team has never scored more than four runs in any 15 of the Division Series games.

The emergence of young stars is another theme of the 2010 postseason.

Josh

photo courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons

Josh Hamilton has led a strong Texas Rangers offense with four home runs in the postseason.

Hamilton, Curtis Granderson, Robinson Cano, Madison Bumgarner and Matt Cain are some new names on the scene that have made highlights at every opportunity.

Faithful Yankee fans in a 4 p.m. communications class at Ramapo College were called away from their computers to unorthodoxly convene into the center of the room with the rest of their class because students became distracted with the box score of the Yankees Game 5 as it refreshed it, recapping the game after every pitch.

Game 5 was highlighted by a series of back-to-back solo home runs brought you

by Cano and Nick Swisher. The game puts an incredible amount of pressure on the Yankees to win two more games as they head back to Arlington.

Nick Swisher said right after the game “We’re right where we need to be.” The Yankees better hope so. If they force Game 7, they will have to beat Cliff Lee, who struck out 13 batters in eight shutout innings in Game 3.

The emergence of young stars is another theme of the 2010 postseason.

rbuchana@ramapo.edu

SPORTS 10 . 7 . 10

10 . 21 10 .. 10 7 . 10

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Men’s soccer ties Richard Stockton College 1-1 Page 15

photo by Stefanie Mauro