Ramapo College of New Jersey Student Newspaper

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RAMAPO NEWS

Ray Charles Page 10

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Plans for Local Mall Cause Stir Among Candidates, Community A Publication by the Students for the Ramapo College Community

10.27.2011

XLII No. 7

Upcoming Elections Focus on Concerns with Mahwah Mall Development

By ALEXIS LOPEZ wi th MEGAN ANDERLE and JULIE CANDIO S EKEL Staff Writers

The possible development of a mall in Mahwah, which has divided residents, is a contentious matter in the upcoming November town election.

Chuck Jandris, the town council incumbent, is opposing Steve Sbarra. John DaPuzzo, the incumbent who inherited the position after Mayor Richard Martel passed away in March, opposes Lisa DiGuilio and Bill Laforet.

Some residents worry that the Crossroads Mall will bring excessive traffic to Mahwah, while others who are in favor of the mall’s construction think it will stimulate the local economy and create jobs.

Last night, the candidates addressed these issues and discussed their views at “Meet the Candidates” at the municipal center.

Some believe that the issues concerning the possible construction of the mall has unintentionally overshadowed this year’s Mahwah town election.

“They couldn’t have picked a bet-

ter year to build this mall,” Charles Finocchiaro, a Mahwah resident said. “I don’t think they intended the mall issue to interfere with the election.”

Offi ci al s Who Advocate for the Mal l Di scuss Economi c Val ue DaPuzzo, who advocated for the mall’s construction during his mayoral term, said he feels the economic benefits will outweigh any negative outcomes.

“Reasons I am for it, number one, is it will generate $2.1 million worth of tax revenues in munici-

pality, generate over $2 million worth of building permits to the town and $6,750,000 minimum for road improvements to Rt. 17,” he said.

The township’s current council president, John Roth, said that a major consideration in the project is the “intelligent development of the land” that will increase the value of Mahwah significantly.

“In short, it’s a $100 million asset,” Roth said. “Something is going to get built there. This seems like an intelligent use of the property. It’s an overall increase of

$10 million to the township of Mahwah. We’re talking about 1,000 jobs easily to build it.”

The Opposi ti on S uggests the Mal l Wi l l Bri ng Traffi c On the other hand, DiGuilio said she thinks the traffic will cause a major disruption to residents.

“The biggest problem is traffic on Route 17, 202 and Franklin Turnpike,” she said. “The state won’t do anything; the traffic will always be there.”

Concerned Mahwah residents

By MEGAN ANDERLE Editor-in-Chief

The winning team designed a tree, a holistic representation of the organization’s core values. On the web, it will function as an interactive way for the user to navigate the web site.

“The tree was used to represent the growth that the people who go to the WAE center were experiencing,” Iannacone, who presented the project to the panel, said. “The roots were the WAE Center, at the foundation, and the branches are different avenues that can be pursued at the center. The leaves were the diverse community at the center.”

Last year, graphic design students from Ramapo won the title “Best Presentation,” which is the only other award a team can win.

Coronado said she thinks the team won because they tailored the design specifically to the client.

“I think the reason we won was because we really focused on the project brief and tried to give the client what they wanted,” she said.

“Other teams got caught up on trying to make the website mobile or social, but we focused on making something aesthetically pleasing that fit the organization’s mission.”

Ramapo Team Wins Design Derby, Graphic to Be Displayed Online

photo by Matt Giuliari

Anthony Yodice and Melissa Piombo worked with their design team to create a homepage.

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Ramapo College took home the “Best Design” title on Saturday at the Design Derby.

The competition, which featured 18 teams of graphic design students from colleges and universities across New Jersey, was sponsored by Smith Design and the Art Director’s Club of New Jersey.

Ramapo had two teams of six students at the event. The winning team, which consisted of Matthew Giuliari, Anthony Yodice, Brandon Seidler, Kristenelle Coronado, Mary Iannacone and Melissa Piombo, had four hours to create a design to be displayed on the homepage of a non-profit organization.

“Our group was the last to present, and we came out with a bang at the end,” Yodice said. “It stole the show.”

The competing students had to create a web design for the Wellness, Arts & Enrichment (WAE) Center, which operates under the Jewish Service for the Developmentally Disabled, and helps developmentally disabled individuals to express themselves and grow through yoga, art therapy, music and film.

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Residents, Students Divided on Mahwah Mall Issue THE RAMAPO A Mall in Mahwah?: Ramapo NEWS Students Sound Off on the Issue

Page 2 The Ramapo News

Thursday, October 27, 2011

continued from page 1

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

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

Nicole Alliegro Elyse Toribio News Editors

Diana Stanczak Danielle Reed A & E Editors

Andrew Gould Sports Editor

Stefanie Mauro Photo Editor

Matt Giuliari

Creative Director

Kaitlin McGuinness Web Editor

Valerie Canubas Business Manager

Dan Sforza

Technical Advisor

INSIDE

Around the Arch Viewpoints Page 3

A&E Page 7

Sports Page 8

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.

created a committee in opposition to the mall proposal, “Stop the Mahwah Mall,” which they have promoted using a web site. No-mallin-Mahwah.webs.com contains news, upcoming events, and photos, and has a forum for comments.

Theater Professor Mary Allison, a Mahwah resident, said she believes the mall will have a “negative impact on the community in the form of increased traffic and congestion in an area that already has a reputation of bad traffic jams.”

In contrast, Roth’s suggests that people who oppose the construction should look at the situation objectively.

“Take out subjectivity, look at the facts,” Roth said. “When you do that, and you divorce yourself of emotions involved and what it contributes/means to town, it’s hard to make an argument against a lifestyle center at the Crossroads.”

Referendum Gi ves Mahwah Resi dents a Voi ce, S ome S ay A pending referendum will allow residents in Mahwah to vote for or against the mall; town officials will then consider the outcome. The non-binding document has many interested in what the town’s majority is in favor of.

“Non-binding, meaning let’s hear what the people have to say and then let’s make a decision,” Sbarra said.

Finocchiaro, who opposes the mall, said he is fed up.

“If the people voted for it, then build your mall,” he said.

According to Laforet, a referendum will only delay the process, rather than give the opposition a say in the matter.

“It’s artificially given residents in our community hope that they can make a difference in the outcome,” he said.

Officials like Sbarra said that the result of a referendum might not have much of an impact.

“There is no real legal precedent set, regardless of how the vote goes one way or the other,” he said.

The Pl ans Have Had a Long Hi story The debate concerning the mall surfaced with initial plans made by developers. The current plan includes “proposed retail development and community improvements planned for the intersection of 17, I-287 and 87,” according to the newly developed Mahwah Crossroads web site that strives to dispel any rumors about the mall’s construction.

The Crossroads web site details the past, present, and future of the designated space. It also outlines the project, which it says will create “a true meeting place” for local residents.

Developers argue the site will benefit the community by generating “in excess of $2 million of tax revenue for Mahwah,” and providing employment to locals. It will offer “the traditional retail functions of a shopping mall with leisure amenities oriented towards upscale consumers,” the web site says.

Currently, the Sheraton Hotel and an office complex occupy the Crossroads location. With the construction plans, however, the “Mahwah Suburban News” reported that the mall, which is considered a “lifestyle center” by some, would feature “a total of 750,000 to 600,000 sq. feet, which would be devoted to retail, with the balance dedicated to office and hotel space.”

Through this process, there have been three lawsuits against the town.

Peter Scandarito Esq., planning board laywer for the town, said. The

FOR “I guess it would add more things to do around

the campus area and it might bolster the amount of students on campus if the mall has things that students would be interested in.”

- Heather Barreto, senior

AGAINST “We have the Palisades [mall] ten

minutes away and with the extra land we should make a park or something that goes with the nature because of its location.”

- Dan Simone, senior

FOR “[Garden State Plaza] is a great mall, but it’s kind of a far drive from school, and Route 17 gets so busy during the day. It would just be more convenient to have one right by school. Plus, if there was a movie theater and restaurants in it, it would give kids more stuff to do.”

- Erika Henry, sophomore AGAINST “We have such a beautiful area and we

don't need to tarnish our land with another huge mall when Route 17 is under 2 minutes down the road and people can shop on the highway or [Garden State Plaza].”

- Jesse Palmieri, senior

village of Suffern, the committee against the mall and the project developer have sued. These cases are being heard in the next few months.

Regardless of these ordinances, residents are voicing their opinions on the matter.

Mahwah resident Kathy Brewser said officials should think carefully before building the mall.

“I think that we have to be very careful,” Brewser said. “I would prefer we didn’t do it, but if we do, we have to fix traffic [and] flooding.”

Mahwah resident and retired Ramapo professor Chuck Carreras agreed.

He said that mall traffic poses “legitimate concerns.” But if preventative measures were taken, according to Carreras, it would not be an issue.

“Appropriate development would not have a negative impact on the town,” Carreras said. “But something major has to be done.” alopez3@ramapo.edu

Thursday, October 27, 2011

THURSDAY’S CHILD

Rocker Ozzy Osbourne took a break from biting off batsʼ heads 27 years ago today to welcome baby girl Kelly into his life. Gross/Aww!

TODAY IN HISTORY

On this day in 1904, the first underground subway line opened in New York City, becoming the biggest in the U.S. and one of the biggest in the world.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“...We canʼt wait for an increasingly dysfunctional Congress to do its job.

Where they wonʼt act, I will.”

President Barack Obama, after offering mortgage relief to Americans in his latest attempt to ease the economic and political fallout of the housing crisis.

Debt Looms as Student Loans Climb in US, at Ramapo

By ELYS E TORIBIO and NICOLE ALLIEGRO News Editors

If you and everyone you had ever met went on a maniacal shopping spree for a year straight, chances are you wouldn’t even come close to matching the amount of credit card debt that Americans racked up in 2010. The scariest part? At $826.5 billion, that number still doesn’t top what Americans owe in federal and public loans: nearly $830 billion, according to a June 2010 report by the Federal Reserve.

Parents, students and institutions of higher education are increasingly aware of how daunting student loans have become over the past few years. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, an expanded student loan program by Congress has allowed colleges to increase tuition rates at double that of consumer price inflation.

Between that and the decrease in state support in recent years, the financial plight of Ramapo College has reflected this spike in its tuition and loan rates. Tuition rates shot up 12 percent in the 2009-10 school year, and another 4.9 percent for this fiscal year.

Not surprisingly, the percentage of Ramapo students that have taken out federal or private loans has paralleled the College’s tuition increase--- and it won’t stop anytime soon, according to Mark Singer, director of financial aid.

Singer explained that most students opt for unsubsidized

and subsidized Stafford loans, as it’s the federal loan program that all eligible students receive in their financial aid package.

“Students automatically receive it unless they tell us they don’t want to,” Singer said.

“There’s no question that student debt has increased. Just look at the numbers.”

-Mark Singer, director of financial aid

It’s no secret that with increased costs in tuition and housing, people are looking to borrow more than they did in the past.

Five years ago, nearly $12 million was loaned to students under the Stafford loan. In the 2010-11 academic year, that amount went up a jaw-dropping 99.6 percent to nearly $24 million.

“You can really see the explosion,” Singer said. “It almost doubled.”

Since some students take out more loans than others, the amount of money loaned to Ramapo students does not reflect the number of students who receive aid under the Stafford loan program.

“There’s no question that student debt has increased,”

Singer said. “Just look at the numbers.”

In an effort to lift some of the weight of these loans off students’ shoulders, President Barack Obama announced plans for a student loan relief program during a visit to the University of Colorado-Denver on Wednesday.

“We’re going to make it easier for you to have one payment a month at a better interest rate,” Obama said in his address. “It won’t cost taxpayers a dime but it will save you money and it will save you time.”

The proposed plan calls for a limit on loan repayments to 10 percent of income, and lowers the amount of years needed for loan forgiveness to 20 years.

“Because of this change, about 1.6 million Americans could see their payments go down by hundreds of dollars a month,” Obama said.

Obama said he plans to pass the plan as an executive order, which won’t require approval by Congress.

But even this plan might not be enough to help students like Sean Scott, a junior who recently transferred from Bergen Community College and has a $25,000 loan for this academic year.

“Hopefully, my parents are going to be able to pay it off, because we’re currently in a legal suit---a malpractice suit,” Scott said. “If we win, we should be set.” etoribio@ramapo.edu

Greek Life Steps Up Against Cancer to Raise Money for Charity

photo courtesy of Jorge Ruiz

Members of Greek organizations gathered on Oct. 23 to participate in an Inter-Greek Senate fundraiser called Steps Against Cancer. Nearly 200 students were in attendance to partake in the 5k on-campus walk that raised over $1,300 for St. Judeʼs Childrenʼs Hospital. Jorge Ruiz, president of the Lambda Theta Phi fraternity on campus and coordinator of the event, said that this was the organizationʼs first time hosting the event, but they plan on doing it again next year.

Ramapo Professor Travels Overseas on Fulbright Scholarship

Page 4 The Ramapo News

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Teigen Spending Fall Semester in Georgia Teaching, Sightseeing

By CARRIE S LOME Staff Writer

While many students are deciding on whether or not to study abroad during their college career, some selected professors are also being offered the chance to embark on a very similar journey.

Ramapo’s Associate Professor of Political Science, Jeremy Teigen, has been given the opportunity to travel abroad by the Fulbright Scholarship Program and to teach at the Tbilisi State University in Georgia for the fall semester.

Teigen’s wife, a former Fulbright Scholar at the same university, and his four-year-old daughter accompanied Teigen, who has been to Georgia, located on the border of Western

Asia and Eastern Europe, twice before.

“I had wonderful study abroad experiences when I was younger,” writes Teigen in an email interview. “I visited the Soviet Union when I was in high school and studied for a semester in London when I was an undergrad at University of Wisconsin. Before grad school, I fronted a failing rock band in Taiwan for a year while teaching English in the afternoons.”

Fulbright scholarships fund many American academics and professionals to work across the globe under many different programs. Some professors are sent to teach English in foreign countries, while graduate students can receive research grants.

“The Fulbright program with which I am involved seeks to place American professors at foreign institutions for teaching and curriculum development,” Teigen explained.

The Fulbright Scholar program is covering most of Teigen’s travel and living expenses while in Georgia.

So far, Teigen has been making the most of his experience,

immersing himself into the life and culture of Georgian society. With the coming of winter’s harsh conditions in Tbilisi, Georgia’s capital city, Teigen is taking advantage of traveling and sightseeing while the weather still holds up. He encourages Ramapo students to follow his journey on Twitter (@ProfTeigen) and his personal blog (profteigen.tumblr.com), where he shares his experiences and posts pictures.

Teigen said he is also enjoying his teaching experience in Tbilisi, learning from his students as much as they are learning from him.

Teigen corresponded with The Ramapo News via email for a question and answer interview.

RN: So first, could you describe what exactly you are doing at Tbilisi State University? How did you end up in Georgia?

JT: It turns out that I have been enlisted by a handful of institutions here. I was happy to accept teaching positions at each of them, given the spirit of the Fulbright mission.

Now I am serving as visiting faculty at the country’s flagship institution, Tbilisi State University, as well as Black Sea International University and Ilia State University. I teach American government, research methodology, and another class on elections.

RN: What is it like teaching at the University? What are the students like?

JT: They would love to meet Ramapo students. I have been teaching graduate students primarily here, and their knowledge about American culture and society is impressive, and they were quite keen to ask about my home institution. The financial situation in this country is not good, though, and most students need to support themselves with jobs to make ends meet while they try to tackle coursework in a language that is not native. There are differences, but also many shared traits: there are students here who excel despite difficulties, just like my Ramapo students.

photo by Jeremy Teigen

Jeremy Teigen, associate professor of political science, was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to teach at the Tbilisi State University, in Georgia, for the fall semester. Teigen uses Twitter and a Tumblr blog, where he posts pictures like this one from his travels, to communicate with everyone back home.

RN: What is it like in Georgia?

JT: Big question. Georgia (or “Sakartvelo” as it is called in Georgian) is a mountainous country with a Black Sea coast, so it is very diverse in topography. The Soviet legacy lingers in terms of architecture, but socially, politically, and culturally, Georgia has embraced its independence and sought its

Employees Will Not Receive Higher Health Benefit Deductions

By ADRIANA CAPPELLI Staff Writer

Ramapo College’s employees are being drastically affected by the health, pension and benefit reform signed by Governor Chris Christie on June 28.

As New Jersey’s depression continues to impact the College, state employees may face an increase of out-ofpocket expenses of up to 30 percent.

These increases will be based on salary, so faculty and staff who are receiving lower salaries will pay a lower percentage.

Under this new reform, all professors and staff will see an increase, regardless of how much they earn.

Right now, a New Jersey public employee making $70,000 a year pays $1,050 toward health care. But for some employees who earn less than that, this reform proves problematic.

“I can’t afford to pay that more than 1.5 percentage increase from my paycheck,” Giordana Brea, dining services worker, said. “We don’t make much money.”

In the state of New Jersey, government employees, such us firefighters, police department and teachers, didn’t have to pay more than 1.5 percent for their benefits before the new bill was passed, including their pensions.

“Basically we are having a salary cut,” Edouard Ilio, operations manager for the Berrie Center, said.

Most of Ramapo’s employees will not see a drastic decrease to their current payroll for health benefits this year.

However, for state employees, state colleges and universities, the new contribution scenario has gone into effect as of Oct. 1, and the deductions will gradually continue for the next four years, according to State of New Jersey Department of the Treasury.

Under the new law, Chapter 78, the deduction is determined by a specified percentage of the health benefits and prescription drug premiums for a salary range. However, this percentage will be at least 1.5 percent of an employee’s salary.

“I can’t afford to pay that more than 1.5 percentage increase from my paycheck.

We don’t make that much money.”

-Giordana Brea, dining services worker

Ramapo College, as a state employer, provides health benefits to all full-time employees and their eligible dependents.

There is a premium of 1.5 percent of base salary for coverage regardless of plan, income or level of coverage.

Many teachers are concerned as the premium continues to increase. They also worry about uncertainties regarding an

see SCHOLAR on page 6

exact increase amount.

“I am not happy because we don’t have assurance as how much the premium will be,” Rachel Budin, a theater professor, said.

However, employees hired on or after June 28 will pay at a higher rate on the Oct. 14 paycheck, based on percentage of premium, level of coverage and annual salary or 1.5 percent of base salary, whichever is greater.

There are some common misconceptions surrounding public employees benefits.

“People who work in the private sector are mistaken about the perks that we receive as a state employees,” Ilio said.

“Sometimes, I’m in the school seven days a week and don’t get paid overtime since I’m at a base salary.”

Budin says the reform will not only impact pay, but also affect the American Federation of Teachers’ union contract and other assets vital to Ramapo personnel.

“It will hurt faculty and staff who are on the lower pay scale and need family coverage greatly,” Budin added. “The share of the health program has been part of the AFT contract and part of the collective bargain process and that has now been removed by making it a law.” acappel2@ramapo.edu

Debate Over Scholarship Funding Causes Application Delays Page 5 The Ramapo News

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Foundation Will Continue to Endow Awards for Students

By JULIE CANDIO S EKEL Staff Writer

Annual scholarships awarded by the Ramapo College Foundation were delayed due to a revision of the Spring 2012 budget. Some students have been waiting for applications to be posted, while others have wondered why they do not know about these scholarships.

According to Cathy Davy, vice president for institutional advancement, “approximately $560,000 is available for 250 student scholarships, some faculty awards and program support” this year.

Awards range from $250 to $10,000, and are based on various criteria, Davy said. While some are granted on terms of academic achievement or community service, others are open to students of particular majors, schools or programs.

Internships are also packaged with certain scholarships.

Senior Amanda Lentino, who was awarded a Foundation scholarship last year, said she anxiously awaited the scholarship announcement this year.

“I’ve been checking since August,” Lentino said.

Lentino said that in previous years, she received an e-mail from the College directing her to the scholarship website.

This year, however, no e-mail came. In response, Lentino said she did not contact the school regarding scholarships, but sought other financial solutions.

“I just assumed they would be posted eventually and hoped I would get scholarships through grad schools,” Lentino said. “I need money for graduate school, and since I’m graduating this year, I have students loans I need to pay off.”

Davy attributes the delay in scholarships to meetings being held by the Finance Committee and Investment Committee of the Board of Governors “to support our endowed scholarships that had under funded interest/appreciation balances due to market fluctuations.”

To Davy, this support means the Foundation can continue its past practice of funding endowment scholarships “at five percent of their June 30 fair market value.”

In comparison, institutions with endowments larger than Ramapo’s “have reduced their awards to about three to four percent in response to the challenging investment returns,” she said.

“I’ve been checking since August. I need money for graduate school, and since I’m graduating this year, I have student loans I need to pay off.”

-Amanda Lentino, senior

“We regret any delay in announcing the scholarships, but are truly pleased that the Board of Governors will honor this tradition of awarding five percent of the funds fair market value,” Davy said.

For students like Lentino, this means Ramapo will continue to offer a large amount of scholarships. Davy said this year marks a “significant growth” in the available sum of money and number of awards.

Davy said scholarships would “immediately be posted” on

the Ramapo website after the full Board of Governors met on Oct. 20 to approve scholarship fund recommendations. Just recently, the applications have been posted.

Previously, however, when students click on application links on the scholarship website, the response read: “Applications will be available shortly, with a deadline of mid-October.”

Due to the delays, the deadline was extended to Nov. 11 for most scholarships.

“Students will be given at least three weeks to apply for the scholarships and then the awards will be announced as quickly as possible,” Davy said.

Christina Talarico, senior, said she hopes the College publicizes the scholarships more, because even after three and a half years, she was unaware they existed.

“They need to come in colored e-mails with exclamation points and stars,” Talarico said. “I don’t even know where to look for them because the school doesn’t really make them visible for lazy college kids like me.”

Lentino also stressed that the College work on its outreach and approach in communicating with students about the scholarships and their delay. To her, it seems the school is not as organized with details as it could be.

“It just doesn’t surprise me that they [the scholarships were delayed], because a lot of things in this school are delayed or overlooked,” Lentino said. jcandios@ramapo.edu

Health Fair Educates Faculty, Staff about Wellness Programs

By JOS HUA WANGER Staff Writer

Ramapo College yesterday held a Health Fair for faculty and staff “to tell employees about the wellness programs available to them,” according to Jill Brown, the benefits manger for the College’s Human Resources department.

The fair featured organizations including medical providers such as The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, Pfizer, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield, and the mental health organization, the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI).

Brown also said that attendees could enter a raffle for a chance to win either a Weight Watchers Cookbook or “a summer ride in the Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield blimp,” she said. “[The fair] basically gives people prevention information,” added Brown. “We are giving people blood pressure [checks], flu shots, [chair] massages…and we’ve got some pharmacy students giving medicine counseling.”

Lori Ruschman, a representative from Valley, said that the hospital has presented at College Health Fairs before. “[Our purpose here is] to educate the attendees about our sick program for people who have minor injuries or illnesses,” Ruschman said.

The hospital also offers “quit smoking programs, sleep studies, oncology services, immunizations and physicals,” according to Ruschman.

Other organizations at the fair, including NAMI and the Arthritis Foundation, reported similar motivations for coming.

Rebecca Mooney, from the Arthritis Foundation, said the organization hoped “to raise awareness… and also to provide resources and information to people with arthritis” at the fair.

For Scott Collins, NAMI’s purpose for attending the Health Fair was to “get our message and name out there.”

Collins added that NAMI has presented at other College events in order to spread the organization’s mission of advocating for and providing support for families dealing with mental illness issues.

Faculty and staff seemed to have found the event to be beneficial.

“I found it was very informative, very educational, and the chair massage was very relaxing,” Mike Gallof, a microcomputer support specialist of ITS, said. “It will allow me to do my job more effectively.”

Paula McDonald, a procurement specialist from the purchasing department, agreed.

“I got information [and] made some new points of contact,” she said. jwanger@ramapo.edu

photos by Sandy Stucki

Faculty and staff were invited to yesterdayʼs Health Fair, where they interacted with wellness organizations to get useful information.

Page 6 The Ramapo News

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Ramapo Fulbright Scholar Currently Teaching, Living Abroad continued from page 4

own path. The culture is rich and deep—the recorded history goes back to the earliest days of Christianity. It is also a nation of keen nationalism: they have a separate religious patriarchy, a truly unique language and a long history of dealing with invaders.

RN: What was it like when you arrived? Were you nervous to live in another country and begin your endeavor?

JT: The transition was rough. There are two parallel tracks of adaptation that need to proceed when you enter a new context like this. One needs to deal with the logistics of day-today living: finding an apartment, a school, getting a mobile phone, figuring out where the cafes with good wireless are, the public transportation, etc. My daughter had a minor infection in our first week, so we also found out how to navigate the health care system the hard way. But the other track is learning the ways of the culture. Georgians run a bit later than Americans expect, for example. Offices, stores, and life in general just does not get going until after nine [in the morning] here, but things stay active and lively later in the evening.

Correspondingly, Georgia is a nation of hosts, and sometimes that hosting demands guests spend hours sipping the country’s national beverage: wine. I am willing to sacrifice for my country in this regard.

RN: It must be an extremely amazing experience to not only teach in another country but also live there with your wife and daughter. What would you say has been some of your greatest moments so far?

JT: The classroom experiences have been wonderful, and I have enjoyed great interaction with the faculty and students here. However, the weekends have been great—we have taken several road trips to Georgia’s regions outside the capital city. The variety in Georgia is stunning: meandering vineyards in fertile valleys, massive mountains in the Caucasus, stark but stunning plains between the hills, and Black Sea coast all contribute to great opportunities for day trips and weekend trips where you fill up the chip in your camera. cslome@ramapo.edu

“The classroom experiences have been wonderful, and I have enjoyed great interaction with the faculty and students here.”

-Jeremy Teigen, associate professor of political science

RN: Have you encountered any strange, bizarre, or catastrophic occurrences that have positively or negatively influenced your stay so far?

JT: I’m afraid if one forced me to complain about something in the country it is the irresponsible driving. Unfortunately, our ride from the airport to our first hotel came up to a very fresh car-versus-pedestrian accident, so within our first hour in-country we saw a dead child in the road. The number one cause of death in Georgia is car accidents, and the chaotic and poorly organized traffic is largely to blame. Couple it with old Soviet cars still grinding along with bald tires and a general lack of legal liability and one finds a recipe for trouble on the roads here.

photo by Jeremy Teigen

Jeremy Teigen, who is teaching at the Tbilisi State University on a Fulbright scholarship, moved to Georgia with his wife and four-year-old daughter. The family takes weekend trips around the country to experience the area on the border of Western Asia and Eastern Europe.

Cheers to the Troops’ Return

By ADRIANA CAPPELLI Staff Writer

The question: is it a legitimate promise or a political maneuver? With the holidays right around the corner, President Barack Obama announced on Friday that almost all U.S. troops will be home from Iraq by the end of the year.

At that point he can declare an end to America’s longest and most costly war in history.

“After nearly nine years, America’s war in Iraq will be over,” Obama said.

“The coming months will be a season of homecomings. Our troops in Iraq will definitely be home for the holidays.”

Obama administration officials considered extending the U.S. troop presence beyond the end of the year, leaving a force of between 3,000 and 5,000 for contingencies. The proposal was controversial, dividing administration officials. But the president’s announcement settled the debate and spelled an end to U.S. troop presence.

People from the different political parties didn’t react to the news positively.

The Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney opposes Obama’s idea, saying his “astonishing failure to secure an orderly transition in Iraq has unnecessarily put at risk the victories that were won through the blood and sacrifice of thousands of American men and women.”

Do I think this is the best idea? As an American citizen, I only want the best for our nation. However, I am fretful about Obama’s decision. I think our country will be at great risk and the lives of those soldiers who will remain in Iraq will be in danger. I honestly hope and pray that everything works out for the best.

In the end, whether it is merely a campaign promise or a more serious promise, I just have to say that I am immensely happy to welcome our heroes home for the holidays. I want to thank them for their courageous work and for keeping our country safe. I leave it up to you to think whether it is a good decision or not. acappel3@ramapo.edu

VIEW POINTS

Thursday, October 27, 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.

Eight Years Later: What Did We Accomplish?

By JAKE HYMAN Staff Writer Last Friday President Barack Obama announced in the briefing room of the White House that by December, “America’s war in Iraq will be over.”

It has been eight years since America invaded Iraq and began a war that has resulted in the death of approximately 4,400 members of our military, and wounded an additional 32,000. It has been eight years since we sat glued to our television sets, seeing the live footage of missiles and rockets flying into Iraq over the night sky. It has been eight years since we were convinced that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and was a threat to our nation’s well-being. And now, after eight years, America is finally bringing the troops home; somewhere they should have been all along.

At the beginning of the war, the general consensus among the public was that we were doing the right thing: ridding an Arab country of an oppressive dictator. We were also told that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and that it was our duty to disarm them. Well, once we got there we had no problem removing Saddam Hussein from power and overthrowing his long withstand-

ing regime. The morale was high and now it was time to find those oh-so-mysterious nuclear warheads.

In October 2004, a CIA lead coalition called the Iraq Survey Group, released the Duelfer Report which revealed that Iraq was not in possession of weapons of mass destruction, and its nuclear program had ended in 1991 after the Gulf War. In August of 2006, President George W. Bush admitted that Iraq had no WMDs and that the ‘intelligence’ provided was incorrect. As the public began to question the motives of the war more, the Bush administration started to again push the idea that they made Iraq a better nation by eliminating Saddam Hussein.

So why, after President Bush declared victory in Iraq in May of 2003, were we there another eight years? Iraq was in a complete state of confusion and chaos after Saddam’s regime was destroyed, so our troops had to stay there as sort of a police force. This police force we left there for eight years suffered over 4,300 casualties since Bush declared “Mission Accomplished,” according to the data provided by The Brookings Institution’s Iraq Index. That means about 97 percent of U.S. casualties in Iraq occurred after Bush had made his dramatic appearance aboard the

USS Abraham Lincoln. So, what did we really accomplish?

By December of 2011 we will be officially withdrawn from Iraq and we will only leave behind 150 soldiers or so as security to the embassy. This complete extraction of US troops from a foreign country bares a strikingly similar resemblance to the removal of American soldiers after the Vietnam War. After the failures in Vietnam America should have learned its lesson about militarily interfering in foreign affairs that have no immediate threat to our homeland security. Clearly the lesson was not learned, as since then, we have invaded Iraq twice and have a large portion of troops still in Afghanistan, even after the killing of Osama Bin Laden. Hopefully, under the Obama administration, America has finally learned its lesson, and ironically, learning this lesson may be what we accomplished in Iraq. hyman@ramapo.edu

Change the World, One Shutter Click at a Time

By JUAN SALIBA Staff Writer

When I got my first camera as a present, I had no idea the impact it would have on my life. I brought my camera everywhere with me, snapping away with no real motive. It wasn’t until high school when I took a photo class, and as I started to develop the photos, it dawned on me that I could do this for more than a hobby. Now I am doing a 365-photo-a-day project and have been taking photos every day for the last 20 months.

There is no real theme to my photography; I have taken photographs of everything from sleeping polar bears to delicious food. It is about my daily life and how far I’ve come since I started, including friends, my family and myself.

Unfortunately, people bring it on themselves to change their photos with Photoshop and other programs. One case that comes to mind is “Time” magazine’s OJ Simpson photograph versus the photograph in “Newsweek.” The two were the exact same image, but the photograph in “Time” was darker after it was doctored in Photoshop.

Fortunately, there are photographers out there that want people to see the truth and help change the future, no matter the cost.

I look to Occupy Wall Street, in which people want to join the cause even after seeing the brutality of the police in photographs.

I like to look back and see how far I’ve come and see how my life has changed and how my photography skills have improved. My camera is a part of me; it’s a part of what I am. When my first camera broke, I was devastated. There was no way to capture moments that took my breath away.

As I got older and with a new camera in tow, I realized that I could help change the world with one simple little photo. When I came to Ramapo College, I took Photojournalism with Thomas Franklin, and I was blown away by photographers like Joe Rosenthal who took such powerful photographs, like the famous image of soldiers raising the flag in Japan during World War II at Mount Suribachi.

One simple little photo can cause anger and destruction, while at the same time, cause so much hope and change in so many ways.

All in all, I want to be that person that with one click of a button can help change the world in extraordinary ways, like the photographers of 9/11, photographers during the protests in Libya and the recent oil spill in New Zealand. These are the times for change. jsaliba@ramapo.edu

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Ray Charles Tribute

Danielle Reed discusses the Berrie Centerʼs tribute to Ray Charles.

Page 10

Paranormal Activity 3

A&E 10.27.11

Jeremy Kelly reviews the latest installment in the Paranormal Activity series.

Page 11

Hunting for the Best, Last-Minute Halloween Costume?

A Little Creativity Goes a Long Way on Oct. 31

BY JILLIAN CENER Staff Writer

With four days until Halloween, and perhaps even already after the start of Halloween parties, the big question is, what will you be dressing up as?

Halloween is the only time of the year where you get a chance to completely be someone else for a night (or two or three) and dress in a way you normally wouldn’t.

So why not make the most of it?

CBS Los Angeles has put out a list of the top Halloween costumes for 2011, ranging from everyone’s favorite celebrities to their favorites games.

At the top of their list is Steve Jobs or an iPhone. While this may seem like a nice way to pay tribute to the memory of the great technological innovator, some wonder whether is it too soon after the death of Jobs.

Another costume on their list is Charlie Sheen; if you’re looking to dress up as the infamous actor, you can buy his exclusive bowling shirts at bowlingconcepts.com.

The royal couple, Prince William and Kate Middleton, come in at number ten on the CBS list. This costume isn’t too hard – throw on an elegant suit or dress and you’ll be set. However, it could be fun to add a little twist--think zombie royal couple.

The last entry on the list is Angry Birds.

Yes, the popular iPhone game has now transformed itself into a Halloween costume. It is advised, however, that you do not try to recreate the game in real life.

So what do you do if you’re running out of time and can’t make it to the costume store? There are plenty of options out there for homemade costumes.

You can easily be an ‘80s girl with the help of a few key pieces. A baggy sweatshirt, shorts, leggings, sneakers, bright makeup and a side ponytail will send you

back three decades in time.

Another cool look this year for girls is a peacock - wear blue, green, and purple clothing, and use those colors on your eyes to make an extravagant design. Wear feathered jewelry for the finishing touch.

For guys, if you’re looking to channel the inner muscle man in you, wear a cutoff shirt, short shorts, high socks and sneakers and lots of sweatbands.

Or if you’re looking for something ironic, try being a hipster. Key pieces for this costume include a v-neck t-shirt, cardigan, skinny jeans, square-rimmed glasses and a knit hat. In order to make this costume realistic, proclaim your love for underground music.

What are students at Ramapo being for Halloween this year? Costumes range from angels to firefighters and everything in between. Popular costumes reflect Disney themes, like Minnie Mouse or the Little Mermaid.

David Resnick, freshman, is being a pilot for Halloween because he loves flying.

“Being a pilot is just that cool!” Resnick said.

Amanda Sambucini, freshman, is putting together a homemade costume as well.

“I’m being an ‘80s girl because it’s colorful, quirky, and a blast from the past!”

Sambucini said. jcener@ramapo.edu

Top 5 Worst Halloween Costumes of 2011

1. S nooki : After four seasons of “Jersey Shore,” I think the whole thing is getting a little old. No one wants to see Snooki’s overly-tanned, poofedhair self more than they have to.

2. Internet meme: While Nyan Cat or the Me Gusta guy may be popular on Tumblr, it will probably leave you explaining the significance to most people you encounter on Halloween.

3. Pl ug and S ocket: Though it may be fun to dress up with your significant other, this costume idea just sends out a weird message and makes everyone feel awkward.

4. “S exy” versi on of anythi ng that’s not sexy: Good luck dressing up as a sexy strawberry.

5. Casey Anthony: A Casey Anthony mask was sold for almost one million dollars on eBay. If it wasn’t already a bad idea to dress up as this controversial figure, it’s even worse now.

Spooky Television Thrills for Every Level of Scare photo courtesy of Wikimedia

If you are still hunting for a great Halloween costume, try some of these creative outfits.

BY MAUREEN S CULLY Staff Writer

Halloween is a good excuse for many things: eating too much candy and wearing unusual clothing are the top activities that come to mind. This weekend is also the perfect time to catch some spooky-centric television.

Whether you are a thrill-seeker looking for some gore-filled cinema or just a Halloween fan paying homage to the holiday, there is something on TV for you. This movie season has seen the least amount of scary movie releases in decades.

Since “Dream House” and “Paranormal Activity 3” are the only scare-centered films of fall 2011, television had to pick up the slack. AMC is celebrating All Hallows Eve all weekend with frightening flicks like

“Scream,” “Halloween” and “House of Wax.” You can even see some classics like “Bride of Frankenstein,” all of which will on a loop on the channel all weekend long. AMC will also be playing episodes of their new hit series “The Walking Dead” during the weekend, for the zombie fans among us.

Whether you are a thrillseeker looking for some gorefilled cinema or just a Halloween fan paying homage to the holiday, there is something on TV for you.

On the lighter side of Halloween movies, check out ABC Family’s programming for their 13 Nights of Halloween. With films like “Casper,” “Hocus Pocus” and “The

Addams Family,” even scaredy-cats can embrace the holiday.

To kick-off Halloween weekend, ABC is playing the holiday classic “It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” tonight at 8.

NBC is full of costumed comedy as well, starting at 8 pm with the block of “Community,” “Parks and Recreation” and “The Office” all premiering brand new Halloween-themed episodes. For a nerdy twist, check out “The Big Bang Theory” on TBS for scientific scares.

Fox is celebrating mischief night with new installments of some of their cartoon classics like “The Simpsons” and “Family Guy” spin-off “The Cleveland Show.” “CSI: Miami” is getting in on the fun with a vampire-themed crime on Sunday night’s episode.

On Halloween night, if you decide to pass

on trick-or-treating, television has loads of options with new episodes of “Two and a Half Men,” “How I Met Your Mother” and “Mike and Molly” all playing Halloween episodes on CBS for primetime.

Scattered throughout the weekend, Nick at Nite will be airing some old episodes of “Family Matters” “Friends” and “George Lopez,” all from Halloweens past.

Whatever kind of Halloween celebration you prefer, there is a program to match. Log on to tvguide.com for the time of shows that best suits you. mscully@ramapo.edu

Terrifying Tales That Will Make You Tremble

Page 9 The Ramapo News

Thursday, October 27, 2011

These Five Novels Will Have You Sleeping With the Lights On

By DIANA S TANCZAK A&E Editor

If your ideal Halloween is one spent curled up in front of a fireplace with a good (digital) mystery book, then read on. Here are some of the current bestselling mysteries on the ebook market, as well as some timeless classics sure to send chills down your spine on the spookiest night of the year.

“The Li ti gators” by Brad Mel tzer The two partners at Finley and Figg law firm often describe themselves as a “boutique law firm” but in reality are anything but the chic and selective lawyers they try to present themselves at. Overworked and underpaid, the two excel at quick divore contracts and DUIs; in other words, they’ve had a 20-year lackluster career.

One day, their luck changes when they stumble across a class action suit against a major drug company - until a twist reveals that their luck is too good to be true.

“Chasi ng Amanda” by Mel i ssa Foster Molly Tanner is somewhat of a psychic she gets occasional visions but doesn’t always act on them. Nine years ago, she witnessed a young girl being abducted in Philadelphia, and had many visions of her afterwards. When the little girl’s body was found two days later, she was consumed by guilt from not acting on her visions. To escape these feelings, she moves from the

city to live life in the quiet rural area.

Years later, Molly’s life is back on track she and her husband are closer than ever, and her son is starting college. However, when a local child goes missing, her old feelings resurface. This time, she follows her visions to try to help the child, but discovers deadly secrets about her town and husband along the way.

“Fatal Li ai son” by Vi cki Tyl ey Two strangers, Greg and Megan, cross paths when the sign up for a dinner dating agency. Neither is looking for love. Brenda only comes along to support her friend Brenda, while Greg joins because his sister Sam has gone missing, and he believes one of the dinner daters may be responsible.

When Brenda disappears, Greg and Megan team up to get to the bottom of the mystery.

The question is, does the duo find their missing friends, or do they meet the same fate?

Prefer to celebrate Halloween old-school with an actual page-turner? Nothing will get you in the Halloween spirit faster than these novels.

“Frankenstei n” by Mary S hel l ey Everyone knows the story of Frankenstein..or do they? If you’ve never read Shelley’s novel, than you may not actually know they history behind the stereotypical monster that pops to mind.

Dr. Frankenstein is not the monster, but the creator who brings the ghastly being to

life. The monster is an experiment in artificial life, created from recyled body parts.

Once he comes to life, he struggles to live as an outcast. He takes vengeance against his creator, making life for Dr. Frankenstein as difficult as the life he lives. The novel ends in destruction, a sad tale of a creature who only wanted to fit in.

“The Tel l -Tal e Heart” by Edgar Al l en Poe This is one of the most famous short stories by the master of macabre. The unnamed narrator tells his story of how he murdered a man for no reason other than the fact that he didn’t like the old man’s piercing blue eye.

The narrator observes the old man for a week before striking. He sneaks into his room and the old man’s heartbeat, sensing that something is not right, begins to beat rapidly. The narrator, who seems to be an anxious character, fears that a neighbor will her the old man’s thumping heart and quickly murders the old man, cleaning up the crime scene and burying the man’s heart under the floorboards. However, he still hears the thumping of the heartbeat.

The police eventually question the narrator, who acts casually but quickly convinces himself that the police are mocking him, and confesses to the crime.

photo courtesy of Wikimedia Creative Commons

dstancza@ramapo.edu

Sweet Halloween Treats to Sink Your Fangs Into

By MEGAN ANDERLE Editor-in-Chief

If you were planning on staying in on Monday night to hand out sweets to trick-ortreaters, you may want to change your plans.

These three delicious easy-to-follow recipes willl leave you with Halloween treats that look almost too good to eat. Share at your own discretion.

Chocolate spiders 1 1 1 1 1 1

package Mallomars bag pretzel sticks 11 oz. package of melting chocolate 13 oz. package of Hershey’s kisses tube of white decorating gel tube parchment paper

Melt bag of chocolate in microwave for 2 minutes on high and stir. Coat the pretzels in chocolate. For each Mallomar, attach 2 chocolate-coated pretzels sticks to each side of the Mallomar to make legs. Use melted chocolate as glue to stick Hershey’s kiss to the Mallomar. Use white decorating gel to make two dots on the Hershey’s kiss for eyes. Make as many spiders as desired.

Refrigerate on parchment paper on baking sheet for 20 minutes.

Cream puff eyeballs

Cream puff i ngredi ents 2 (3.5 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix 2 cups heavy cream 1 cup milk Fi l l i ng for cream puffs 1/2 cup butter 1 cup water 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup all-purpose flour 4 eggs 1 11 oz. package of melting chocolate 1 package Willy Wonka Sweet Tarts 1 tube of black decorating gel 1 tube of red decorating gel

Mix vanilla instant pudding mix, cream and milk. Cover and refrigerate to set.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large pot, bring water and butter to a boil. Stir in flour and salt until the mixture forms a ball.

Transfer the dough to a large mixing bowl.

Using a wooden spoon or stand mixer, beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Drop round tablespoons onto an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in oven, until golden brown. Centers should be dry.

When the shells are cool, split and fill them with the pudding mixture.

Melt white chocolate in microwave for 2 minutes. Coat outside of cream puffs. Put sweet tart on top of melted chocolate, so it sticks. Use black gel to draw a circle around the sweet tart, dot the middle of the eye as the pupil. Use red gel to draw veins on the sides of the cream puff as veins. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Owl S’mores

114 oz. package of honey graham crackers 1 6-pack package of Hershey’s chocolate bars 1 10 oz. package mini milk chocolate chips 1 14 oz. package of yellow candy melts 1 2 oz. package of candy corn

Stack a piece of chocolate and a marshmallow in between two graham cracker squares.

Make eyes on the top of the s’more, using a dallop of melted chocolate to weld two marshmallows next to each other to the top of the graham cracker. Using the melted chocolate as an adhesive, stick two mini chocolate chips to center of the marshmallows, as the pupils. Put a candy corn under the two marshmallows for the nose. manderle@ramapo.edu

photo by Johnny Love, Flickr Creative Commons

Annual Event Exposes Students to Cultural Diversity

Page 10 The Ramapo News

By DANIELLE CORCIONE Staff Writer

On Saturday, Ramapo students got the chance to experience things from different cultures around the world at culture shock, which took place from 4 p.m.-7 p.m. at Laurel Courts.

Various student organizations set up tables for this event to celebrate the multicultural scene of Ramapo. Despite the October chill

Thursday, October 27, 2011

after sundown, there was still a decent turn out; students were drawn to the event from loud music, fun crafts and the smell of delicious food. Sophomore Danielle Mascio organized this event.

The College Programming Board provided food and beverages for the event, including

“I loved the Indian Samosas.”

- Nora Doughety, senior

different cuisines throughout the night, including Greek moussaka and Italian penne vodka.

“I loved the Indian Samosas,” senior Nora Dougherty said.

Other on-campus organizations supporting this event were Active Minds, the Culture Club, the Study Abroad office and Pride.

“The Model UN table had great candy,” freshman Parker Tubman said. “They would give you a country and you’d have to find

where it was on the world map in order to get the candy.”

Each club prepared a table with games and prizes to draw in a crowd. There were also two professional belly dancers that performed for a half-hour. dcorcion@ramapo.edu

photos by Danielle Reed

Tribute to Ray Charles’ Music Comes to Berrie Center

Students get the opportunity to experience a variety of different cultural traditions at Ramapoʼs Culture Shock event held on Saturday at Laurel Courts.

By DANIELLE REED A&E Editor

This Saturday at 8 p.m., Ramapo community members got the chance to enjoy the music of Ray Charles, performed by the Whitley and the Hard Times Band in their tribute “Forever Ray: The Music of Ray Charles,” in the Sharp Theater at the Berrie Center.

The band, formed in 2005, played a variety of Ray Charles’ jazz and country western music.

After the band played one song without vocalists, Shulton Whitley came out to sing some of Charles’ songs, including “I’ve Got a Woman.” He was then joined by the “Raylettes,” Angela Workman, Chyna Grant and Samantha Joy Whitley.

Shulton Whitley also gave background about Charles and his music. He explained that besides jazz and blues, Charles also had a background in country music...

“We love the music of Ray Charles, that’s why we came,” audience member Gerri Hawkins said. “The musicians were great, [you] could tell they were professional. The girls were great too.”

Throughout the evening, the group performed many wellknown songs by Charles, including “Hit the Road Jack” and “One Mint Julep.”

“Thank you for coming out,” Workman said, prior to her solo performance of “A Song for You.” The band played two sets with a short 15 minute intermission.

photo by Danielle Reed Whitley and the Hard Times Band performed a tribute to Ray Charles this Saturday at the Sharp Theater at the Berrie Center.

They performed a variety of Charlesʼ country, jazz and blues songs.

“I thought it was great. They were wonderful, the whole group was excellent,” audience member Tara Green said.

“We love the music of Ray Charles, that’s why we came.”

- Gerrie Hawkins, audience member

Shulton Whitley also gave background about Charles and his music. He explained that besides jazz and blues, Charles

also had a background in country music, and played “I Can’t Stop Loving You” and “Night Time is the Right Time.”

“Ray did a lot of people songs,” Shulton Whitley said.

“We’re going back to his country [music].”

The evening ended with the group performing Charles “Oh Beautiful America.” To learn more about upcoming jazz events, visit the Berrie Center’s website. dreed1@ramapo.edu

Action Film Saved by Comedy

Page 11 The Ramapo News

By S AMANTHA MUCHA Staff Writer

Adventure and comedy are usually not two words used together when describing a movie, but “Johnny English Reborn” was just that: exciting and hilarious.

The film was made a great laugh by Johnny English, (Rowan Atkinson). Atkinson used his quirky humor throughout the movie to keep the audience laughing.

photo by Jack Pearce, Flickr Creative Commons

Rowan Atkinson brings humor to the film “Johnny English,” now in theaters.

The movie opens in Tibet where English is practicing unique skills after his disastrous exit from M1-7 in the original Johnny English. However, the agency finds use for their old ‘number one’ spy and hunts English down for a secret mission. He is needed to stop a group of international assassins from killing a world leader and causing mass chaos.

In the process of stopping these assassins, English makes foolish and obvious errors in

his mission with his partner Tucker, (Daniel Kaluuya), a newer and very young member of the Her Majesty’s Secret Service.

Throughout his top-secret mission English discovers a conspiracy that is tangled into his own agency, as well as the KGB and the CIA. The controversy involves three keys, which English conveniently obtains and even more conveniently looses throughout the movie.

Because English is far to trusting to every one he also managed to win over the heart of a M1-7 member, Kate (Rosamund Pike).

Kate is a psychologist and is able to help English to be successful when he continues to fail each mission he is sent on.

Through each disaster, English is able to pull through and use high tech gadgets wrong, produce a laugh, frustrate the audience and then finally save the day.

“It’s not an Oscar winner, but it did its job well as being a dumb, funny movie,” junior Aisling Melillo said. “It was pretty dumb, but it was good for it being ‘Mr. Bean.”

What will continue to draw moviegoers to see the film with be Atkinson and his humorous personality. Without him the movie would be a boring action film.

“It was a very comical movie with lots of easy laughs, great revival of ‘Mr. Bean’ humor,” junior Chelsey Mei said.

Although the movie is hilarious, it was certainly not exceptional. It was meant to be playful and foolish and was successful in that way. It grossed $4 million dollars this weekend.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

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Staff Chews Over GAO Thai Kitchen

By DANIELLE REED A&E Editor

Another Wednesday night has arrived and where else would the staff of “The Ramapo News” be, but in the newsroom?

This week, our editors ordered from GAO Thai Kitchen, located in Ramsey, New Jersey. This restaurant has only been open for about a year. With dishes ranging from pao thai to yellow curry seafood, GAO Thai Kitchen offers a variety of food, with different lunch and dinner specials. While appetizers cost only around $5, entrees and main dishes will cost you about $15.

The editors tell you whether to “pick it” or “skip it” at GAO Thai Kitchen. “[The] noodles were delicious, [but] the shrimp tasted a little funny so I threw it out and ate the noodles [in the grilled pao thai].”

— Valerie Canubus, business manager: PICK IT “I had the spare ribs, which was an appetizer, but it was very filling. I thought they had a great sweet flavor and they weren’t dry.”

— Nicole Alliegro, news editor: PICK IT “I ordered the chicken pao thai and I got shrimp instead, but it was good so I’m not complaining. I am complaining, however, about the thai ice tea I ordered, but never got.

I’ve been craving it all week. I got spring smucha@ramapo.edu rolls too, but I have nothing to say about

RATING:

that.”

—Elyse Toribo, news editor: PICK IT (“i f you’ve got the pockets for i t”) “I had the gao salmon and it was swimming in a mysterious yellow sauce that I didn’t care for, along with a side of grilled asparagus. I really enjoyed the asparagus, but the salmon seemed bland and nothing to write home about.

—Diana Stanczk, a&e editor: PICK IT “The Indianapolis Colts will stop Drew Brees before I order Thai food again.”

— Andrew Gould, sports editor: S KIP IT “I ordered the chili and thai basil with chicken. It was drowning in an orange-ish sauce and was a little spicy. I do not eat thai food often and I probably won’t eat it again soon.”

— Danielle Reed, a&e editor: S KIP IT “I really liked the sauce for the kalimari. The sauces were an even balance for the kalamari because one was sweet and one was spicy.”

— Megan Anderle, editor-in-chief: PICK IT dreed1@ramapo.edu

###$$

Third Installment of ‘Paranormal’ Series Brings Fear

By JEREMY KELLY Staff Writer

Released in theaters in 2009, the original “Paranormal Activity” was an unexpected horror phenomenon. Last year’s sequel was a very good follow-up that filled in a few blanks and still terrified audiences.

Then we get “Paranormal Activity 3,” which turns the clock back to 1988, where a young Katie (Chloe Csengery) and Kristi (Jessica Tyler Brown) are haunted for the first time as children. Although there’s arguably too much reliance on jump-scares, and the “found footage” format is wearing a little old, the convincing acting and some genuinely creepy moments still make this film worth your time.

The film actually starts in 2005; the adult Katie (Katie Featherston) visits Kristi (Sprague Grayden) and her husband Daniel (Brian Boland), bringing over a box of VHS tapes that she received from their late grandmother Lois, but has never watched. As in “Paranormal Activity 2,” the house gets ransacked, and the tapes go missing.

We then cut to 1988, which features Katie and Kristi living with their mother Julie (Lauren Bittner) and stepfather Dennis (Christopher Nicholas Smith). Sometime after Katie’s birthday party, Kristi starts talk-

ing to an imaginary friend, whom she calls “Toby.” Julie dismisses this; children do strange things, she says. But after getting footage of dust falling onto a seemingly invisible figure, Dennis decides to—you guessed it—set up cameras around the house.

By this time, we’re able to guess what some of the tricks are: doors closing, swinging chandeliers, etc. There are too many jump-scares this time around, whereas the first two films had smaller, quiet moments that built smartly towards the end.

There are times when you know that something is going to happen, but you don’t always know what. There are long shots where a camera is stationed on a fan downstairs and moves slowly from left to right; this leaves for long periods of waiting, where you’re looking around, your nerves on edge, waiting for something to pop out.

Something to be noted is what isn’t in this movie. When you compare trailers and commercials for the movie and the movie itself, you’ll see a great deal of footage left out of the latter. It’s common for certain lines of dialogue or a scene or two to only appear in the trailer, but it’s quite excessive here. In a way, that’s a clever tactic because you’re getting a different movie than what you may expect; mystery has always been a key ele-

photo courtesy of Wikimedia

“Paranormal Activity 3” is just as scary as previous films at the box office. ment in these movies, so it works here. The ending, for instance, is completely unexpected; it’s rather confusing, but it’s eerily set up.

For another small budget, this movie is well-made, but it takes a while before the movie actually gets interesting. There’s a lot of filler we have to sit through that feels unnecessary. However, the young actresses are believable as the little girls, and if this franchise didn’t have believability, it would have nothing.

“Paranormal Activity 3” broke its predecessor’s record at the box office in its open-

ing weekend for a horror film, grossing $54 million. Although it’s another step down in the series, it’s a breath of fresh, scary air compared to this year’s uninspired horror flicks like “The Roommate,” “The Rite” and “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark.” It may leave you wanting more when it’s over, but when it gets creepy, it gets really creepy.

RATING:

####$

jkelly7@ramapo.edu

Page 12 The Ramapo News

LIFE & CULTURE

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Fact or Fiction? Common Cold Cures Dubunked

BY DIANA STANCZAK A&E Editor

It’s officially flu season, which means that it’s time to dodge sneezes and coughs in hopes of staying healthy through the winter.

However, while most people hopefully won’t catch the full-blown flu virus, many will come down with a mild cold during the upcoming months.

Everyone has their own personal way of curing the sniffles...

Everyone has their own personal way of curing the sniffles, but the question is whether or not some traditional cold cures are effective or just myths passed down from one generation to another over the years. Here’s a look at some of the most common cold remedies and their germfighting effectiveness.

Increasing vitamin C intake

While incorporating 500 mg of vitamin C into your daily diet can benefit your eyes and help protect you from cancer, it won’t cure the common cold. So sipping orange juice is always a good idea, but it won’t make you stop sneezing.

Using honey to cure a cough

Grandma may have been on to something with this advice. According to a study published in the “Archives of Pediatric and

Adoloscent Medicine,” a teaspoon of honey may significantly soothe a sore throat by coating it with the thick liquid. Just make sure its buckwheat honey, not some other variety.

If you’re feeling congested, a hot steamy shower may clear your nasal passages and leave you feeling relaxed. Just be careful not to soak for too long..

Gargling warm saltwater

While this advice may sound a bit distasteful at first, this strange remedy actually provides temporary relief to sore throats.

Mix a bit of ordinary table salt with warm water and gargle up to four times daily.

Starving a cold, feeding a fever

Or is it “Feed a cold, starve a fever?” Good news: it’s neither one. Despite old myths circulating about how a sick person shouldn’t eat, common sense and science dictates that a body needs fuel to fight a cold - fuel that comes from the food you eat.

Eating chicken soup

This age-old cold remedy is a favorite of moms everywhere, and for good reason: a recent study done by “Chest,” a medical journal, proved that the soup really does do a sick body good. The combination of heat, protein, vegetables and water increased white blood cell activity, which help fight

Magenta’s Meals

BY LAUREN MAGENTA Staff Writer

A dark, spooky, eerie swamp is no place you would want to visit let alone when Halloween is right around the corner. But to make your own is a different story. This recipe may not be the best trick or treat giveaway, but for a Halloween dessert it is simple and delicious.

If so, you will need– Instant Chocolate pudding – 1 pack Milk (Anything but fat free) – 2 cups Cool Whip – 1 cup Oreos – 10-15 cookies Graham Cracker Pie Crust – Ready Made!

Gummies and Cookies for decoration To start the swamp, put the Oreos into a ziplock bag and ensure that it is zipped closed. With a flat spatula, hit the Oreos repeatedly until they are completely smashed. Set the Oreos aside.

In a separate bowl, combine the instant chocolate pudding mix, the milk and cool whip, and a handful of crushed Oreos. Then, pour the mix into the piecrust quickly so it can thicken and set in the dish. At this point the base of your swamp is set and you are ready to decorate. Add the rest of the Crushed Oreos to the top creating a dirt-like look.

You can use any number of cookies, can-

photo courtesy of Wikimedia

Feeling under the weather? Try some chicken soup. A recent study showed that the combination of heat, protein, vegetables and water came together to relieve some common cold symptoms.

off your cold.

Taking a steamy shower

If you’re feeling congested, a hot steamy shower may clear your nasal passages and leave you feeling relaxed. Just be careful not to soak for too long - you may become lightheaded and dizzy. And you’ll be running up the water bill.

photo by Lauren Magenta

dies and snacks to create your own Haunted Halloween Swamp. To get your creative juices flowing you can use Milanos as potential tomb stones, gummy worms and Swedish fish as the swamp creatures and mini pretzel rods as sticks that debris.

Once your swamp is decorated to the best of your Halloween ability place in the fridge so that the pudding can set. It will take no longer than 5 minutes. Leave refrigerated until you are ready to serve.

lmagenta@ramapo.edu

dstancza@ramapo.edu

Taking a shot of alcohol

Horoscopes

While alcohol may temporarily relieve cold

Aries (March 21-April 19) The most important and meaningful changes are the changes that occur deep within. Follow your instinct straight down to those depths and the truth of your next right move will reveal itself.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) We all know how good you are on your own but if you give in a little and stay open to another person’s influence, you will be able to improve almost every area of your life.

This edible Halloween swamp is more treat than trick and super east

systems, it will dehydrate you in the long run. Our advice? Don’t do it.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) It feels as though you are suffering at times because your choices are not always going to please everyone. This week, you will be able to make a fresh start.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) Life intensifies which makes cruising close to impossible. There is opportunity to take everything in your life deeper including the connections you share with those you love.

Leo (July 23-August 23) Consider this week a chance to clear the past. You are pouring a new foundation with the forethought and the wisdom that will nearly guarantee future success.

Virgo (August 24-September 22) Circumstances will fall in your favor if you speak openly with someone. This week you will have the desire and the courage to go wherever you need to go in conversation.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

There is an energy of strength you are now feeling concerning a certain necessary change. You may not have been sure how this change would feel, but a sense of security is seeping in.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) This week, a natural exchange to take place, one that is soulful and honest allowing you to trust and take the relationship far further.

Sagittarius (November 22December 21) There is something in your life that means everything in the world to you. You may have some fear of unveiling of it, but you also have a responsibility to bring it forth.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) There are other in your midst to help support the leap you want to take. This week, it is time and would be a waste if you squandered such telling energy.

Aquarius (January 20- February 19) This week, you just need to lead by example. People want to follow someone they trust and the fastest way to earn trust is to start trusting yourself.

Pisces (February 20-March 20) There is something you have been wishing for and this week you are closer to getting it than you realize. Desire coupled with sincere effort brings you closer to the dream.

Horoscopes courtesy of madalynaslan.com

SPORTS

Field Hockey Scores Victory Over New Paltz 10 . 27 . 11

Roadrunners Extend Win Streak to Three with Overtime Triumph

By MELIS S A FALCONE Staff Writer With a win against the SUNY New Paltz Hawks, the Roadrunners set their record to 105 for the season. Even though the game spilled into overtime, Ramapo still came out on top, bringing in a 3-2 victory.

The matchup between the Hawks and the Roadrunners was a real nail-biter considering the two teams statistically played evenly. Both of the teams recorded 17 shots, 14 corners and both goalies earned nine saves each.

Ramapo did not hesitate to score in the first half as senior midfielder Jayne Manigrasso scored her first goal of the game, putting the Roadrunners up 1-0. It took some time for New Paltz to come back, but they eventually scored and tied the game. Right before halftime Manigrasso ripped her second goal of the game with the assist from senior forward Amanda Barretta.

“Jayne contributed a huge part to the win, she played great, and all together we have a well-balanced team,” senior defender Becky Penhaker said.

Moving into the second half, New Paltz tied the game, 2-2, where it stayed for the remainder of the second half. The second half showed both teams’ desire to win and the true competitiveness in the athletes.

“When we got ahead in the first half, we were focused on playing and preserving the

photo by Stefanie Mauro

The field hockey team secured their first winning season since 2004.

goal ahead. Then, in the second half we were playing to win with less defense and more offense,” Barretta said.

The team’s approach definitely changed from the first to second half, as Ramapo had extreme motivation to put the game away and walk out with a win.

“The team strategy going into the second

half was to focus on the small things and communicate,” Penhaker said. “We were playing in spurts instead of consistently, so we tried to stay composed, make smart decisions, and not focus on the fact that the game was tied.”

The girls succeeded with their strategy, when Barretta scored a goal just less than a minute into overtime. Junior midfielder Samantha Gardner assisted Barretta.

The Roadrunners now continue their season with a 10-5 record and 1-4 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference. Ramapo also has a winning percentage over .500, which the program hasn’t seen since 2004.

“We’re very excited being 10-5,” Penaker said. “We are also keeping it in perspective since we still have a couple of games left, so we want to keep up the hard work.”

Since the team has not seen a winning percentage like this in many years, it is a huge achievement for field hockey at Ramapo. The Roadrunners have been chosen as fifth in the NJAC, however they are still playing towards the Eastern College Athletic Conference.

“We came together, and are growing as a team,” Barretta said. “As there are a good amount of freshmen, the seniors have been helping them before we graduate, and we all have the same winning mentality.”

mfalcone@ramapo.edu

Women’s Soccer Blanked by Rutgers-Camden Ramapo Looks Ahead to Next Year After Struggling at Seasonʼs End

By VICTORIA AHLERS Staff Writer

The women’s soccer team had trouble scoring against the Raptors of Rutgers--Camden on Saturday during an New Jersey Athletic Conference matchup and their last home game of the season.

The Roadrunners seemed to have trouble getting the ball into the net on Saturday.

“I feel that we did not play up to our potential against Camden,” junior forward Susan Hayes said. “We had a chance to win and did not take our opportunities very well.”

They came out strong when junior Rebecca Maccia shot wide 1 minute and 51 seconds into the game. However, Rutgers took a 1-0 lead 16 minutes into the game when Sarah Kooistra sent a pass to teammate Kate Angelosante, who sent a shot into the back of the net for the first goal of the game.

“A lot of games did not go our way, but I feel that we played very well this season. The team chemistry and atmosphere was positive.”

- Susan Hayes, forward

The Roadrunners fought hard at the end of the half with a header from junior Hayes, shortly after that sophomore Jennifer Stone shot wide, and the half ended with Rutgers--Camden leading 1-0. The second half remained scoreless until Rachel Sindoni of Rutgers--Camden put in a security goal during the 74th minute of play off a crossing pass from the right side of the field. The final score of the game was 2-0 in favor

of Rutgers-Camden. Overall for the game goalie Talia Austin posted five saves for the Roadrunners.

“A lot of games did not go our way, but I feel that we played very well this season. The team chemistry and atmosphere was positive,” Hayes said.

Ramapo Women’s Soccer Points Leaders

1. Susan Hayes (junior defender) - 16 2. Katie Popowych (sophomore forward) - 9 3. Rebecca Maccia (junior midfielder/forward) - 6 4t. Rachel Viscusi (sophomore midfielder/forward) - 5 4t. Erica Kunzig (senior midfielder) - 5

Statistics courtesy of Ramapo Athletics

The Roadrunners finished their season 3-12-2 overall, 1-7 for the conference. They ended their season on Wednesday with a 6-0 loss to Montclair State University.

“I think next year is going to be a fresh start for us,” Hayes said.

“We’re going to build on what we started as a team this year and keep moving forward. I really think we have a great chance to be successful next year.”

vahlers@ramapo.edu

RAMAPO SPORTS THIS WEEK

Thursday:

Field Hockey vs.

Moravian College at 4 p.m.

Women’s Volleyball vs. Rutgers--Camden at 7 p.m.

Friday:

Women's Volleyball Hunter Invite (at Hunter College): vs. Hunter College at 4 p.m. vs. Ithica College at 6 p.m.

Saturday:

Women's Volleyball Hunter Invite: vs. SUNY Cortland at 10 a.m. vs. Elmira College at noon Field Hockey vs.

Stockton College at 1 p.m.

Men’s and Women’s Swimming at The College of New Jersey at 2 p.m.

Men’s and Women’s Cross Country - NJAC Championships at Stockton College

Midnight Madness Excites Students for Winter Sports Page 14 The Ramapo News

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Air Elite, Ramapo Basketball Players Entertain Audience on Friday Night

By JONATHAN GONZALEZ Staff Writer

With parking at its capacity, the Bradley Center never seemed so alive as it was on Friday night, when Ramapo looked to draw attention to its upcoming sports during the annual Midnight Madness pep rally.

While the men’s and women’s basketball teams walked on the floor, the dance and cheer teams warmed up the supporters walking in from the cool October night.

“I didn’t realize how athletic [the Air Elite team] were. But no way, I would never try that; those guys were sick.”

- Tom Boswick, junior

Excitement surged through the crowd as entertainment group Air Elite hit the court. Fans rallied together, cheering on the trio and school athletes bounced off their chairs with every electrifying dunk.

“I didn’t realize how athletic those guys were,” junior Tom Boswick said. “But no way, I would never try that; those guys were sick.”

Ramapo’s school mascot, the Roadrunner, welcomed peo-

ple by handing out high fives, dancing and throwing Rowdie T-shirts into the stands to get the audience on their feet.

The gallery only kept growing, as people began standing along the entranceway to catch a piece of the excitement in the arena. The dance team created a constant flow of excitement as the arena reached its capacity.

The volleyball team came out to a loud rowdy fan base.

After, the dance team kept the buzz going while intriguing those that arrived late. The cheer team stepped out of the locker room to a great ovation to welcome the other teams.

The men and women’s basketball teams got the crowd going with 5-on-5 exhibition matches, and the men also

Men’s Basketball Schedule

Nov. 15 at Emerson College at 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 16 at UMass Boston at 7 p.m.

Nov. 19 vs. Yeshiva University at 8 p.m.

(Roadrunner Invitational)

Women’s Basketball Schedule

Nov. 15 at Hunter College at 6 p.m.

Nov. 19 vs. College of Staten Island at 5:30 p.m. (Roadrunner Invitational)

competed in a slam dunk contest.

The pride in the arena was unique and the cheers were contagious; this crowd was filled with spirit that could transfer through the season.

Despite the name “Midnight Madness,” most of the crowd left earlier, and the event ended around 10:40 p.m. The winner for the final prize, an Ipad, was announced, but the winner was not there to claim it.

After finishing first in the New Jersey Athletics Conference in the regular season and earning a bid in the NCAA Division-III Tournament last year, the men’s basketball team was recently ranked 31st out of all D3Hoops.com’s preseason poll. They were also ranked 12th, ahead of any other NJAC team, in a poll released by DIII News The women’s basketball team improved to a 15-11 record last year before losing in overtime in the first round of the ECAC Metro Tournament.

The men’s basketball team starts their season Nov. 15 against Emerson College in Boston and the women’s team tips off on the same day against Hunter College in New York. jgonzal7@ramapo.edu

After Green Bay, Which Football Team Is The League’s Best?

Surprising 49ers are NFL’s Second Best

By RYAN BUCHANAN Staff Writer

Choosing a best team in the NFL after the Green Bay Packers this year is quite a different task than it would have been last year.

Last year, one would most likely go with Tom Brady and his New England Patriots (14-2) as the best in the league. The Saints, Colts, Ravens, Steelers and Falcons were also reasonable choices, with double digit wins. This year, those five teams have all lost at least twice, with the Peyton Manning-less Colts leading the way in losing with a 0-7 record.

The Packers are undefeated at 7-0 and unquestionably the best team in the league.

The Patriots are 5-1 this year, with their only loss coming Week 3 to Buffalo by a field goal. Only one team in the NFL aside from the Green Bay Packers can match New England’s .833 win percentage, and that team is the second best team in the NFL this year.

That team is Jim Harbaugh’s new-look San Francisco 49ers.

ESPN has them power ranked at fourth, behind the Saints and the Patriots, and it’s not for their offense. It's their defense. In six games this year, the 49ers are 5-1, and not one opposing team has run for more than 74 yards against them. They are the only team in the league that has not allowed a single rushing touchdown this year.

The 49ers play in a 3-4 style defense, which consists of three linemen playing on the line of scrimmage and four linebackers that play a few yards off the line of scrimmage.

The defense is anchored by All-Pro middle linebacker Patrick Willis. He is aided by inside linebacker Navarro Bowman, who is among the league leaders in tackles. Rookie Aldon Smith has a great amount of sacks

with 5.5, and so does Justin Smith with 4.5.

All of the 49ers opponents’ points have come through either the passing game or special teams. They completely take the run out of the opposing team’s strategy when most teams define their offensive success with the run game. They maintain the second lowest points scored against total of any team in the league, behind the Baltimore Ravens.

As for the 49ers’ offense, their passing game has yet to click under the leadership of Alex Smith. Currently, they have one of the lowest passing yards per game averages in the league.

They believe it will come together when Michael Crabtree and Braylon Edwards are healthy. For now, the 49ers particularly rely on running back Frank Gore, their dominant defense and Ted Ginn on special teams to get their points.

The New England Patriots may have the most efficient offense in the NFL, but their defense is dead last in efficiency. They have allowed more yards per game than any other team.

The key loss was long-time Patriot Richard Seymour, who now plays for the Raiders.

Seymour was known for being the voice of the defense after linebacker Tedy Bruschi retired, and since then the defense has not been the same.

The long-running motto has been that defense wins championships. The 49ers have the top-ranked defense in the league this year. That being said, I believe the 49ers (behind the Packers) have the best chance of shocking the football world this year, more than they already have. rbuchana@ramapo.edu

Brady Can Carry Pats in High-Scoring NFL

By ANDREW GOULD Sports Editor

The old saying that defense wins championships no longer holds credence in the NFL. As the NFL continues to shift into a quarterback-friendly league, teams with a star signal-caller are winning more than teams with a strong defense and rushing attack. In the last two years, Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers seized the Lombardi Trophy for their respective clubs by throwing early and often in the spread offense.

This isn’t the same league as it was last decade, when the Ravens manhandled the Giants in Super Bowl XXV behind the strength of running back Jamal Lewis and one of the best defenses ever to step on the gridiron. In order to succeed in the NFL, a team needs an elite quarterback to put up numbers that would seem farfetched in a video game.

Despite allowing the most total yards per game (423.7) as well as the most passing yards (322.2), the Patriots are 5-1 behind the arm of quarterback Tom Brady, who has already thrown more than 2,000 passing yards this season. Even though they’ve had their bye week before other teams, Wes Welker still leads the league with 51 receptions and Rob Gronkowski’s five touchdowns is tied with Jimmy Graham for most scores by a tight end.

Their only loss occurred when Brady threw four interceptions against division rival Bills, and that is likely an anomaly considering he threw four picks all of last season.

While the Bills are statistically similar to the Patriots, they’ve struggled lately, losing two of their last three games. Ryan Fitzpatrick, a Harvard alumnus, has succeeded in coach Chan Gailey’s offensive system, but he lacks the big play ability and the

photo by Keith Allison, Flickr Creative Commons

Tom Brady is averaging a leaguebest 360.5 passing yards per game. track of record of stars such as Brady.

Teams such as the Jets, Ravens and 49ers can succeed enough to make the playoffs, but they won’t make the Super Bowl due to shaky quarterback play. Eventually, these teams are going to be forced to win a shootout against a team with too much offensive firepower to stop, and they won’t be able to keep up.

There are teams (Chargers, Texans, Cowboys and Eagles) that have the roster on paper to be Super Bowl contenders but are plagued by inconsistency and late-game mistakes.

After embarrassing the Colts on Monday Night Football, the Saints could be considered among the elite. Brees is probably the third best quarterback in the NFL behind Rodgers and Brady, but he’s a distant third since he is prone to force the issue and throw costly interceptions. They’ll be the Packers biggest threat in the NFC, but they’re not as good as the Packers or Patriots simply because Rodgers and Brady are currently in a class of their own.

The Steelers can disprove this claim by beating the Patriots on Sunday, but they’ve beaten up on poor competition this season while losing to the Ravens and Texans. For now, Brady and coach Bill Belichick look poised to return to the Super Bowl in a rematch against the Packers. agould1@ramapo.edu

Gang Green Fly Past Chargers Fantasy Football: Start/Sit

Page 15 The Ramapo News

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Tebow Performs Minor Miracle in Comeback

By NICK BOWER Staff Writer

The New York Jets will head into their bye riding a two-game winning streak after defeating the San Diego Chargers 27-21 at Metlife Stadium.

The Jets rallied to win this game to run their record to 4-3, as they fell behind 21-10 at the half. They were booed numerous times by their fans, including once after quarterback Mark Sanchez threw an interception in San Diego's endzone. The Jets stormed back in the second half to take control of the game, propelled by Plaxico Buress' three touchdown catches. Shonn Greene had an impressive performance with 112 rushing yards on 20 carries. Darrelle Revis had another clutch interception, picking off Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers and returning it 64 yards to set up Buress' third score, which was the gamewinning touchdown.

Despite 55 minutes of horrendous quarterback play, Tim Tebow led the Denver Broncos past the Miami Dolphins, 18-15, in overtime. With the help of a recovered onside kick, Tebow led two scoring drives including a two-point conversion with 17 seconds left to tie the game.

In the NFL's annual game in London, the Chicago Bears defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 24-18 at Wembley Stadium.

Bears running back Matt Forte ran for 145 yards and a touchdown while Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman struggled and threw four interceptions.

In another NFC battle, the Detroit Lions dropped their second straight game, falling to the Atlanta Falcons, 23-16. Talks after the game centered around Lions defensive line-

men Ndamukong Suh and Cliff Avrill reportedly taunting and kicking Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan as he lay on the turf injured.

The Houston Texans took control of the AFC South with their convincing 41-7 win over the Tennessee Titans. Texans running back Arian Foster had a dominating game with 234 total yards and three touchdowns, while Titans running back Chris Johnson has yet to show up this season after signing his monster deal.

The Carson Palmer era in Oakland was underway Sunday, but both he and Kyle Boller threw three interceptions, including a pick-six each, as the Raiders fell 28-0 to the Kansas City Chiefs, who improved their record to 3-3 after a slow start.

Aaron Rodgers had yet another 300-plus yard, three touchdown game as the Green Bay Packers remained undefeated at 7-0 despite strong performances by Adrian Peterson, who ran for 175 yards and a touchdown, and rookie Christian Ponder, who threw for two touchdowns.

Anyone who chose to watch the World Series instead of the prime-time games were one of the lucky ones. The Sunday night game between the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts was over before halftime, with Saints quarterback Drew Brees throwing for five touchdowns in his team’s 62-7 rout of the Colts.

In the Monday night game, the Jacksonville Jaguars upset the Baltimore Ravens, 12-7, thanks to Joe Flacco and the Baltimore offense failing to convert a first down until midway through the third quarter.

NFL

Andrew Gould

Last Week (3-3) Season (18-12)

NE @ PIT DAL @ PHI MIN @ CAR CIN @ SEA WAS @ BUF SD @ KC

nbower@ramapo.edu

8

WEEK

Jeremy Kelly

Last Week (3-3) Season (20-10)

Role with Sproles; Don’t Plan on Marshall Sit

By JEREMY KELLY Staff Writer

Start

QB Cam Newton: Newton seems to be getting better by the week; look for him to have a good day with his arm as well as his legs against a Minnesota Vikings defense that is fourth-worst in the league against the pass.

RB Darren S prol es: The New Orleans Saints are capable of getting points from guys like Mark Ingram and Pierre Thomas, but Sproles has gotten the most all-purpose yards out of all of them. The St. Louis Rams have the league’s worst rush defense, so look for Sproles to get big yards on the ground as well as through the air.

WR Mi ke Wal l ace: The Patriots haven’t given up many big passes this year, but Wallace has been on a hot streak as of late; they still have the league’s worst pass defense, so Pittsburgh will be looking to exploit that with Wallace and Hines Ward.

WR Vi ctor Cruz: Cruz has been the New York Giants’ big play man so far this season, and against the Miami Dolphins, who have given up seven pass plays of 40 yards or more, they’ll be looking for big plays out of him. Their running game is still a question mark, anyway.

QB Kevi n Kol b: Kolb hasn’t produced enough in his first season with the Arizona Cardinals, and don’t expect that to improve much against a stout Baltimore Ravens defense that’s only given up four passing touchdowns. They’ll be angry after their loss to Jacksonville, so they’ll be attacking this week.

RB Montari o Hardesty: Even if Peyton Hillis isn’t healthy enough to play against the San Francisco 49ers, don’t expect Hardesty to get good numbers for Cleveland; the 49ers have not yet given up a rushing touchdown this season.

WR Brandon Marshal l : If you’ve followed Marshall’s actions this season, you’ll see his head hasn’t been in the game. With only one touchdown through six games and facing a New York Giants defense that got healthier following a bye week, don’t look for him to bust out for the winless Dolphins.

TE Vernon Davi s: Davis may lead the San Francisco receivers with three touchdowns, but quarterback Alex Smith hasn’t had to do much other than manage the game. Against Cleveland’s second-ranked pass defense, it won’t change this week. jkelly7@ramapo.edu

STAFF PICKS

Ryan Buchanan Last Week (3-3) Season (19-11)

Nick Bower

Last Week (5-1) Season (18-12)

Nicole Alliegro Last Week (4-2) Season (8-4)

K. McGuinness Last Week (1-5) Season (3-9)

SPORTS 10 . 7 . 10

10 . 27 10 .. 11 7 . 10

HOME COOKING

In overtime, field hockey picks up third straight home win.

Page 13

photo by Stefanie Mauro

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