Ramapo Newsapper

SPORTS: Men’s volleyball continues to roll ~ page 13

A&E: Need spring break plans? ~ page 8

THE RAMAPO NEWS

President Mercer Breaks Down Budget Woes A publication by the students for the Ramapo College community

By AMY FEZZA WITH SAMMY ULLRICH Staff Writer

President Mercer covered topics such as budgetary deficits, Gov. Christie’s cuts, drinking and issues with parking at his bi-annual State of the College Address on Wednesday.

Two of the most pressing issues covered this past fall included the incident in the Village and the improvement in the Capital Improvement Fee. The audience included students, as well as many faculty members. Seats filled quickly, and Mercer wasted no time.

“I know I shouldn’t be surprised of the turnout this year, but every year, I always am,” Mercer said.

He foreshadowed Christie’s financial decisions in the beginning of his address.

“We must now navigate ourselves in very troubled waters,” he said.

Mercer’s Christie discussion involved boards, commissions and authorities within the state of New Jersey.

Mercer was curious as to how many people in the audience knew exactly how much money was cut from the budget. More than half of the audience raised their hands. More than $1.1 million, about 6 percent of operation grants, were cut.

With that information, he asked the question, “How does this pertain to us?”

“We have a lot to do with the information that has been given to our state and how it will affect Ramapo as a college,” he said.

At the same time, Mercer has high hopes for Ramapo and believes some of its programs, such as graduate programs, will be out of harm’s way.

“Look at its jurisdiction. To hold them, I expect our programs here will be approved on March 19,” Mercer said.

“We pay it out of our reserves and unlike some [colleges], we have been prudent. I have no idea what Christie will do, but I can assure you that we will not be disproportionately treated,” Mercer said.

With that, there was a large round of applause.

As Mercer mentioned in the previous college address, he had decided to voice the improvement and accomplishment of the college’s capital.

THURSDAY, February 25, 2010

He went on to address the well-being of the students at Ramapo.

“There are serious alcohol related issues here at our college and it has become so serious that it will lead to either compromising the health of our students or the reputation of this institution as a whole,” Mercer said.

In relation to his previous college address, he reintroduced the idea of “student mêlée.” He explained that the event was blown out of pro-

photo by Michael Jagendorf

President Mercer is concerned with reported underage drinking on campus.

“There is work being done for a new roof, improvements towards the Student Center, and refurbishment of science facilities,” Mercer said.

“We save money through public partnership and they are providing us with a base,” he said, “This is important because if we don’t have a revenue to support it, it will not sustain it.”

portion by how many students were involved, but he believes that the municipal police forces come far too often to Ramapo for alcohol-related issues.

“We must get to the root of the matter.

Drinking too much, too often, needs to stop here.”

Mercer also proposed course scheduling may

arise and situations go very wrong.

According to the U.S. Department of State, “Each year, more than 2,500 American citizens are arrested abroad – about half on narcotics charges, including possession of very small amounts of illegal substances. U.S. citizens have been badly injured or have been killed in automobile accidents, falls and other mishaps.

Many of these incidents are related to alcohol and/or drug use. Other have been sexually assaulted or robbed because they found themselves in unfamiliar locales, were incapable of protecting themselves because of drug or alcohol use, or were the victims of a ‘date rape’ drug.”

“I have been on a crazy spring break, and trust me, it’s not all that it’s cracked up to be,” University of Maryland student Caitlin Primo said, “Yeah, it was an experience, but you are constantly thinking in the back of your head that you need to be careful of this, that and the other thing. Even though I wasn’t a part of any sticky situations, I definitely witnessed many accidents, usually with inebriated college jerks, and I have heard scary stories from friends.”

It is hard to look forward to a trip when the messages students hear constantly have the same negative connotation of spring break. So how are they supposed to know what advice to take when planning their vacations?

XL No. 15

need to be reconsidered, to make popular drinking nights inconvenient.

Parking is an issue, Mercer believes, especially for first-year students.

“I will propose in subsequent years that there will be no more freshmen parking here on campus,” he said.

Many audience members clapped after he said this.

“We need to think of a structure so that freshman don’t leave this campus on weekends,” Mercer said.

He also takes into account that freshmen students may have jobs, however, he believes it to be somewhat impractical for them to keep a car on campus for one day of work on a weekend, given the parking expenses.

“It’ll help people make use of the shuttle we have available,” junior Paul Coraggio said after the address. “We can improve and advertise it.

If you start using it as a freshman you continue using it.”

Mercer used an analogy to illustrate the situation. First-year students go home because there is “nothing” to do on the weekends.

“When my own children come home, they claim there is nothing in the fridge, but I tell them that once they really look, they will find something,” Mercer said.

In addition to addressing resolutions from the previous college address, Mercer mentioned the faculty dinners that were hosted at his home. This was an opportunity for faculty to become more acquainted and engage in topics outside of the work environment. He had also mentioned that the board also wishes to attend these dinners.

“This makes me very happy because everyone is coming together, sincerely,” Mercer said.

“We just need to continue to keep our eye on the ball,” he said, “The world is changing. We have many ways to improve and we do that by using our resources.”

Staying Safe While Making Spring Break Memorable

By KERI ANN FLACCOMIO, STEPHANIE NODA & JESSICA QUAS Staff Writers

Each year thousands of college students start saving up and hit the gym harder than ever in preparation for the largest college party of the year, spring break.

Although the beach, sun and warm weather may seem like a peaceful escape to some, for many college students, partying is the only thing on their minds. While many students will have an enjoyable time on their vacations abroad, there are instances when trouble could

We know that partying is going to happen, and we know alcohol is likely to be involved.

Instead of completely looking past this, we have come up with tips to ensure that your spring break will be both safe and enjoyable.

Plan Ahead It is very helpful and also extremely cost efficient to begin researching your Spring Break vacation at least 5 months prior to break. When looking up resorts or hotels, make sure that they have legitimate websites where you are able to find all of the information you need.

If possible, try to meet with a travel agent to see SPRING on page 6

Filmmaker of “Promiseland” Visits Ramapo

Page 2 The Ramapo News

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Yoruba Richen Presents on Post-Apartheid South Africa

By MEGAN ANDERLE News Editor

Investigative journalist Yoruba Richen visited Ramapo to discuss her documentary “Promiseland,” a film which depicts struggles involved with rebuilding post-apartheid South Africa.

The area still feels the effects of an enormous dispute over land, even though it began nearly a century ago. Currently, however, the government has intervened in an attempt at resolution.

For 90 years, beginning in the early twentieth-century, as many as six million blacks were relocated to “homelands” in South Africa. “Homelands” were considered the worst place to live in the entire country. A simultaneous migration occurred, as wealthy white landowners moved to areas of

“It seems to me that the people whose land gets taken away still get screwed.”

-Yoruba Richen

fertile farming land previously owned by blacks.

The land of white farmers, now highly valuable, is still of prime concern to the descendents of the blacks who were relocated. These descendents want to reclaim what they feel to be rightfully theirs. At the same time, whites have been interspersed throughout South Africa for generations.

The major question here is: Who gets what?

“Promiseland” documents the stories of

both sides. It follows the Mekgareng, a tribe relocated more than 40 years ago and the first white farm seized in the country.

The South African Government made a decision to confiscate the land of white families, giving the descendents of relocated

that justice was served.

“Because of the history of the area, I do feel justice was served. It’s not like [the white farmer] didn’t get anything for it—he got paid for his land.”

Richen made it clear that a main objective

Despite her personal opinions, Associate Professor of Journalism Regina Clark felt that the documentary remained journalistic and neutral.

“It was interesting that she talked about her preconceived notions, but she really tried to show both sides,” Clark said.

Despite not having seen the documentary,

“I think that she went in with a lot of expectations and came out seeing it as a more complex issue.”

- Anthony Harris, senior

photo courtesy John Churchu

Yoruba Richen explained the issues in South Africa involving race and land reformation that have plagues the nation for almost a century.

blacks their inherited land.

“How do folks in power contend with giving up their stuff, in post-colonial societies?” Richen asked.

Black descendents certainly felt that the government made the right decision.

“We want our land back, and we want it now,” an angry black protestor in “Promiseland” said.

White farmers were compensated for the loss of their land, which is why Richen felt

of her study was to provide her audience with an unbiased perspective through interviews from both the blacks and the whites of South Africa. In the beginning of the Q&A session, however, she admitted that she knew where her sympathies lay; this was especially true before her intensive study.

“It seems to me that the people whose land gets taken away still get screwed. I don’t see a lot of instances where there has been a lot of justice for them.”

junior Laura Hahn feels that “Promiseland” might have been somewhat slanted based upon Richen’s personal beliefs.

“I think she was kind of biased. As a journalist, we have to maintain an objective opinion. This might have skewed the documentary, although I have not actually seen it.”

Anthony Harris, senior, felt that the investigation allowed her to develop a more balanced viewpoint and understand the conflict as a deeply complex issue.

“I think that she went in with a lot of expectations and came out seeing it as a more complex issue than what she expected it to be,” Harris said.

“She presents a very complex reality in South Africa where struggle over land is tied up in apartheid and racial discrimination.

It’s complicated to balance the competing claims over lands. She presents the truths see PROMISELAND on page 6

THE RAMAPO NEWS: STAFF, CONTACT & POLICY A publication by the students for the Ramapo College community

Charlie LaPlaca & Joey Lewandowski Co-Editors-in-Chief

Megan Anderle

Morgan Balog

News Editor

Arts & Entertainment Editor

Sports Editor

Business Manager

Katie Sobko

Michelle Angelino Online Editor

Daniel Rist

Dan Sforza

Stefanie Mauro Photo Editor

Technical Advisor Staff: Erica Buchman, Krysta Daniels, Angela DiMari, Amy Fezza, Keri Ann Flaccomio, John Fraze, Andrew Gould, Jill Grimaldi, Lauren Haag, Julianne Ilaria, Michael Jagendorf, Kevin Johnson, Bryan Kaminsky, Jeremy Kelly, Tara LaFemina, Michele McKenna, Sharon Meyer, Huma Munir, Diana Stanczak, Matt Thompson, Marissa Torr, Amanda Valenti, Melissa Veloz

Contact us at:

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

Telephone: (201) 684-7842 Advertising: (201) 684-7842 Fax: (201) 684-7939 E-mail: rcnjnews@ramapo.edu

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 emailed 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 e-mail.

ARCH

AROU N D THE

Grant Awarded to Ramapo Students

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Keith B. Hayes Foundation Focuses on Scholarship for Physically Challenged

By JILL GRIMALDI Staff Writer

This year, three Ramapo students received the Keith B. Hayes Grant, a grant for medical research.

The foundation was created to honor Keith B. Hayes, a 20-year-old Ramapo student who suddenly passed away in 2007 after enduring an undiagnosed muscular and skeletal myopathy disease with severe heart complications.

The foundation’s goal is to grant scholarships to physically challenged young adults, provide support through their program Spreading Wings and give grants towards medical research for undiagnosed conditions.

“It’s tragic that the Ramapo community didn’t get the chance to get to know Keith better,” Missy Long said, Official of Specialized Services. “The scholar-

ship is such a generous thing, it’s just a shame that it had to come out of such a tragedy.”

Scholarship applicants have to be enrolled at Ramapo with a minimum GPA of 3.0 and have a documented mobility disability or chronic medical condition. Applicants must also demonstrate financial need. Recipients are asked to attend the Office of Specialized Services Graduation Tribute Luncheon in the spring semester to participate in a formal presentation of their award.

The recipients of the scholarship this year were first-year business management major Patrick Cua, junior contemporary arts major Elliott Bronstein and senior contemporary arts major Nicole Cua. In the past, only one student received the Keith B. Hayes Grant annually.

“The committee found all of these students so deserving that they doubled the award so all three students could be awarded a scholarship,” Long said.

“I am truly speechless and honored to be one of the recipients of this scholarship,” Nicola Cua said, “Although I was never able to meet Keith, I will try my best to carry his strength and legacy in my heart.”

“I’m planning to go into creative advertising, and am interning right now at The American Cancer Society,” Nicola Cua said, “I hope to get a job in advertising after I graduate and go to graduate school for marketing.”

“I also plan to continue my current documentary project based on my family post-9/11, dealing with muscular dystrophy, being the first generation in America and the fact that tragedy brings

family closer.”

“As a freshman, the scholarship was the first commendation that I received since entering the college life and it was a great start. I am really striving to maintain a nice GPA, so that I can apply to all of the available honor societies,” Patrick Cua said, “I have always been interested in the business scene, and hope to maybe start something of my own one day. After getting my bachelor’s degree, I would like to attend Law school and become a corporate lawyer eventually,” Patrick Cua said.

“All of these students are very independent and ambitious,” Long said, “They all have visions of success for themselves, and each one is remarkable in their own way.”

immigrants.” Ellis Island in New York City made way for many citizens from foreign countries to seek refugee here in its lands.

Schwartz talked about the 23 individuals that founded the first Jewish community in North America and laid the foundation for the first Jewish Sephardic Congregation in New York: Shearith Israel.

Dr. Michael A. Riff, Director of Center for Holocaust & Genocide Studies, said, “After reading the book and hearing her talk today, I continue to share Mrs. Schwartz’s contention that religious freedom and equal rights enabled the Jews of Paterson and the rest of the United States to realize the American dream. At the same time, it must be acknowledged that not all Americans were so fortunate. To this day, racism and other forms of discrimination continue to limit or deny access to the kind of success photo by Michael Riff Nathan Barnert and other American Jews Cipora O. Schwartz lectures on the were able to achieve. ” Barnert family and religious freedom in The Jews that made their way to North America American were connected to the Brazilian Jewry, where in January of 1654 the Dutch Then she talked about how in 1885-1880 people of Brazil signed a capitulation agreethe Russian anti-Semitism was at its highest ment that returned the South American terriand many Jews were killed because of it. tory that they had occupied for nearly 25 Most of this happened in the Pale of years to the Portuguese “Liberation” forces.

Settlement, where the majority of the Jews Between 1645 and 1654, the Jewish populawere oppressed, threatened, abused and tertion in Brazil declined from a peak of 1450 rorized.

The violence happened in both to 600 due to the continuous fighting Russia and Poland. between the Dutch and Portuguese.

When asked about how she felt about the

information about the Jews coming into American Dana Pilipiak, history major, said, “It was really interesting.”

Jews came from their native lands to North America and quickly called it home. They were eager to call themselves American and leave the pain and heartache behind them.

So how does the New Jersey city Paterson fit into all this?

Schwartz educates us on the fact that Paterson, New Jersey was America’s first industrial city in 1789. President George Washington became president that same year and with his appointed Secretary of State, Alexander Hamilton, started to think of ways to have more energy power for their industrial center. So Hamilton started to lobby for New Jersey’s needs.

Hamilton fought for help with William Paterson University, companies like Roger Edison Co., and businesses that sold glass, guns, shoes, etc. His mission was to allow Paterson to thrive. She explained in 1855 Paterson was the home of the first chartered library.

In her book she said, “Nathan Barnert, the most influential and generous member in the congregation’s history, was an illustrious figure. He was born in Posen, Germany (now Poznan, Poland), on September 20,

Local Historian Details Barnert Story in Mid-1800’s

By KRYSTA DANIELS Staff Writer

Author and local historian, Cipora O. Schwartz, discussed the Barnert Family of Paterson and religious freedom at Ramapo College on Feb. 23. Her lecture highlights the key points in her book “An American Jewish Odyssey: American Religious Freedom and the Nathan Barnert Temple.”

Schwartz spoke passionately about Nathan Barnert and wife Miriam, Rabbi Max Raisin and Rabbi Martin Freedman in her lecture.

She gave great details into their lives, background and their accomplishments. She said, “I’m just using Barnert [Temple] as an example of the trajectory taken by one group of people.”

Within the first few minutes of her lecture she started to talk about the 2010 Olympics.

She talked about how China had Chinese athletes, Japan had Japanese athletes, Russia had Russian athletes and the United States of America had people of all different backgrounds. The way she described how unique America was with their diverse representation of their culture really showed how multicultural present-day North American actually is.

The United States didn’t just become a nation of many faces, backgrounds, and heritages over night. Schwartz said, “The United States of America is a nation of all

see SCHWARTZ on page 6

Page 4 The Ramapo News

Roving

Reporter

Thursday, February 25, 2010

“If Ramapo could be located anywhere else in the world, where would you want it to be?”

Question and Photographs by Erica Buchman

“Venice, Italy”

-Diana Stanczak Freshman

“Forks, Washington.”

-Krysta Daniels Senior

“Anywhere BUT Forks, Washington” -Jill Grimaldi Sophomore

“Honolulu, Hawaii” -Huma Munir Junior

“Florence, Italy” -Marissa Torr Junior

Always Greener: Blowing Up a Storm With Wind Energy

By BRYAN KAMINSKY Staff Writer

Wind energy is the fastest growing renewable resource of energy. Wind has been used for centuries to help people navigate while sailing, grind grain in windmills and pump water.

“Over the past decade, wind turbine use has increased at more than 25 percent a year.

Still, it only provides a small fraction of the world's energy,” a National Geographic article stated.

Wind turbines harness the wind and turn it into energy, which can be used to help power houses, farms, businesses, appliances, and more.

“Most wind energy comes from turbines that can be as tall as a 20-story building and have three 200-foot-long (60-meter-long) blades. These contraptions look like giant airplane propellers on a stick. The wind spins the blades, which turn a shaft connected to a generator that produces electricity,” according to a National Geographic article.

In the United States, the turbines would work best on coastlines and in central regions, where land is flat and there are few obstructions such as buildings and trees.

Wind energy system installation is, in fact, becoming more popular in areas of the United States. In the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) Year End 2009 Market Report, the top ten states with wind energy installation projects are: Texas, Iowa, California, Washington, Minnesota, Oregon, Illinois, New York, Colorado and North Dakota.

The report also mentioned, “The U.S. wind industry broke all previous records by

installing close to 10,000 megawatts of new generating capacity in 2009 thanks to Recovery Act incentives. The total installed capacity in the U.S. is now over 35,000 MW.

the world’s largest importer of oil and natural gas, which often originate in troubled areas of the world. The Great Plains region, which has been dubbed ‘the Saudi Arabia of

photo courtesy of Flickrʼs creative commons

Wind energy has been used for centuries in many facets, including grinding grain in windmills. It is the worldʼs fastest growing renewable source of energy.

In 2009, 38 manufacturing facilities were brought online, announced or expanded.”

According to windsolarenergy.org, “An ideal location for a wind turbine is for it to be 30 feet above anything within 300 feet.”

A benefit of wind energy is that it can be created domestically, which is good for the economy and national security.

According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, “The United States is

wind’ because of its tremendous untapped wind energy potential, offers homegrown energy, which increases national security.

Reliance on indigenous resources also reduces the balance of payments that threatens our national economic security.”

Once a turbine is built, it costs almost no money to operate, as opposed to importing sources of energy from other countries, which cost the United States money.

Wind energy does not only generate energy, but it also helps conserve fresh water in areas where water is hard to acquire. Wind energy is particularly beneficial in areas that get little rainfall, because it does not consume water like other energy sources do.

A little more than three-quarters of the fresh water in the United States is used for thermal electric generation and irrigation.

Water cooling which requires large quantities of water is used in conventional energy plants that use fossil fuels and nuclear fuels to generate energy.

Wind energy is also healthier than other sources of energy because it is a clean energy source that has no emissions. This means that it does not contribute to acid rain, global climate change, and smog.

National Geographic reports “industry experts predict that if this pace of growth continues, by 2050, the answer to one third of the world's electricity needs will be found blowing in the wind.”

Wind energy is predicted to be an energy source of the future, and supporting wind energy is a great way to be greener. It is a renewable source that will be available for generations.

Green Fact of the Week:

At the end of 2009, the installed capacity of wind power in the U.S. was just over 35,000 megawatts, making it the world leader.

Healthy Love Party Teaches Safe Sex

Greeks Urge Students to “Walk”

Page 5 The Ramapo News

SGA, IGS, and BSU Raise Money for Poor in Africa

By ANGELA DIMARI Staff Writer

“Take the Walk,” a giant co-sponsorship between multiple organizations, is a fundraiser for several causes in Africa which will occur in mid-April.

The event is sponsored by Inter-Greek Senate, Black Student Union and Student Government Association. This is the first time all of these organizations are working together. The event is set for April 18, the last day of Greek Week, at 9:30 a.m.

“The concept is to walk a mile, barefoot, so that people realize how fortunate we are to have something as simple as a pair of shoes” -Lindsay Ross, senior

“The concept is to walk a mile, barefoot, so that people realize how fortunate we are to have something as simple as a pair of shoes,” Secretary of Greek Life Lindsay Ross said.

It’s very easy to get involved. A student just has to show up and sign his or her

name. Participants don’t have to pay a fee, and Ross said that there will be $1 donated for each person involved. The cause goes towards HIV and AIDS awareness, schools, wells, shoes and accessible medical treatment in Africa.

Ross brought this idea for the fundraiser after participating in the event somewhere else. The event she participated in was sponsored by the band Hanson and Tom’s Shoes. She got to meet Hanson, which happens to be her favorite band.

The original goal was to walk enough miles to cover a walk across the world. It was such a success that the fundraiser and goal was brought to Ramapo.

“A lot of poverty and things are going on in Africa,” Ross said, “Just by going and being there you are participating.”

SGA Senate President Mitchell Gorbunoff hopes that this motivates students to make a difference.

“This is the start of activism on campus and the community,” Gorbunoff said.

“Take the Walk” will be held on Ramapo’s track. “[The track] is the safest place to get everyone to walk barefoot,” Greek member Shadi Elzahy said.

“If it’s a success I see no reason why we can’t do it again,” Gorbunoff said.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

By HUMA MUNIR Staff Writer

Queer Love Week, an ongoing Women’s Center Event, featured a Healthy Love Party last Thursday. “[This] presentation gives facts and tips on how to have a healthy sex life,” Zaneta Rago, coordinator of the program, said.

The party began with everyone introducing themselves. Not only did participants say their names, but everyone also provided a sex nick-name.

Some of the nicknames that were said aloud included “kitty,” “nap,” “Jiggle me Jill,” “Big Joe,” “Curley Shirley,” “Freak” and “What’s my name?”

There was a lot of laughter and applause as students also gave each other nicknames based on their appearance and looks.

After the nickname icebreaker, there was a Q&A session. Students were rewarded with gifts if they answered correctly. One of the popular gifts was condoms.

“There is no stupid question,” Rago said.

Students learned about different kinds of STI’s (Sexually Transmitted Infections) to rid students of any misconceptions they may have had. Rogo emphasized the importance of condoms in sexual intercourse.

“Even if you trust your partner, do you trust your partner’s partners? As responsible adults, we should be getting checked,” she said.

Regular checkups and visits to the gynecologist also help many people avoid STIs and STDs.

After tips on safe-sex practices, students took part in putting condoms on fake penises. Students learned to put them on and take them off correctly. There was a lot of laughter during this activity.

“Even if you trust your partner, do you trust your partner’s partners?”

- Zaneta Rago, coordinator

“What feels better, a condom or an STI?” Rago said.

Though sex toys don’t seem to have any major risks, there is a way for one to practice safe sex with them. Rago gave tips on how to clean sex toys.

Students participated in “sex pictionary.”

They had to draw any word they took from a brown paper bag. Of course, all of the words were sex-related.

“I think it was fun, educational [and] extremely entertaining, “ Caitlin Halet, a junior theater major, said.

“As much as it’s fun, this stuff is important to know,” Gabrielle Ferrigno, a first-year history major, said.

“When you learn about safe-sex… it is only for heterosexual couples. So, I think it is really great that they focused on queer couples and queer community.”

“I thought [the event] went pretty well. I love the queer aspect of it. I feel like everyone was pretty engaged,” Shane Hoff, a junior communications major, said.

Post-its Promote Positive Self-Image

Messages such as “Bold, Beautiful, Body” Scattered Across Campus

By JILL GRIMALDI Staff Writer

Ramapo students discovered a surprise on Monday; hundreds of post-it notes with positive messages on them were scattered all across campus.

Notes were on the ground of residence halls, on the sides of buildings, on street signs, on bulletin boards, on classroom and office doors, on windows and on fire extinguishers to name a few.

The fishbowl was especially post-it filled, with at least 20 notes covering the countertops around couches and many more scattered on the windows and walls.

Each note contained a message about beauty that ranged from questions like, “Do you know how beautiful you are?” to statements such as “Bold, Beautiful, Body” and “Every part of you is beautiful.” Some post-it notes urged students to leave their own.

Some notes referenced the organization

Operation Beautiful, a Web site that encourages people to scatter positive body image messages around their community.

Many students believe that the Women’s Center was responsible for the notes, since the post-its appeared on the first day of Eating Disorder Awareness week.

However, Women’s Center staff insists that they were in no way involved.

“I thought it was a really nice surprise because it wasn’t us,” Women’s Center publicist Shane Hoff said, “It’s nice to see someone other than the Women’s Center putting positive messages around the campus.”

“It’s really touching to see such a large scale random act of kindness on campus,” Josh Ecochard said, a Women’s Center program coordinator.

“I think a sorority might have been doing this,” junior journalism major Huma Munir said, “A lot of sororities do body image related programs, and they

would have enough people to put them all over.”

“It’s really touching to see such a large scale random random act of kindness of campus. ”

- Josh Ecochard, Women’s Center program coordinator

Many students shared in the speculation, but none of the sororities on campus claim to have been involved.

Though the person or group responsible for leaving the notes has not come forward, their notes have made an impact.

Over the course of Monday and Tuesday, many students picked up the notes to keep.

“They’re everywhere, even in the bath-

rooms,” sophomore Jasmine Miller said, “I don’t know who did this but whoever they are, they’re amazing.”

“I didn’t have time to read them, but people have been talking about them and they sound really cute,” sophomore Shannon Strauch said, “It reminds me of Gives Me Hope.”

“I think it’s wonderful to see the promotion of that kind of self-esteem, because so many of us are self-conscious,” Munir said.

“It’s really inspiring to have a reminder like this to show people all of the wonderful little things about themselves that they may forget during the day,” first-year student Robin Netanel said.

The event has already inspired other students to take action.

“One of my residents made some and gave them out to all of the resident assistants in Bischoff,” senior Krysta Daniels said, “I absolutely love mine; I’m going to take it with me everywhere.”

Spring Break Tips to Keep You Having Fun Page 6 The Ramapo News

Continued from page 1

to discuss options on all-inclusive vacations that include airfare as well as hotel costs. Talk to other students who have visited the spot you’re interested in and get their advice on where to stay. Make sure you know what areas abroad tend to be more tourist-friendly, and try to base your vacation around those facts.

It is crucial to research the area which you will be staying, and know the potential dangers and risks you could encounter along the way. Being prepared will help you out in the long run, and also cut down on the costs for your vacation.

Drink Responsibly; Know your Limits On spring break trips, most college students have no fears, no supervision and are surrounded by alcohol—this combination can be dangerous.

Binge drinking is common among college students, and even more so during spring break. According to the Journal of American College Health, on spring break, the average male has 18 drinks per day and the average female has ten drinks per day. In addition, more than 50 percent

Thursday, February 25, 2010

of men and 40 percent of women drink until they are sick or passed out.

In the 2006 book “From Binge to Blackout,” author Chris Volkmann explains that marketing strategies attract teens with promises of unlimited alcohol.

“What parents don’t realize,” Chris writes, “is that these trips sometimes boast an all-inclusive rate, including airfare, hotel, meals, and alcohol. Lots of alcohol, with a wristband to let bartenders know your kid has a prepaid license to constantly refill.”

Cory Rosenkranz, coordinator of the substance abuse program at Ramapo College, said that drinking on spring break is more dangerous than drinking on campus, where help is available at Ramapo 24/7 (through Public Safety, residence life, and on-call counselors.)

“I think there’s an increased peer pressure to do what others are doing at their location,” Rosenkranz said, “and with spring break there are many more new students that they’ve never met before from other campuses and it just gets crazy. They again have to live up to the reputation of spring break.”

ʻPromiselandʼ Evokes Emotional History Continued from page 3

from various perspectives,” Assistant Professor of African American History Dr. David-Lewis Colman said.

Richen extended the issues in South Africa to other historical contexts, such as reparations for slavery in the United States and other indigenous issues.

However, she was first inspired to investigate issues of racial discrimination by her mundane experiences riding buses to school in New York City when she was a child.

“My bus journeys defined my life. I was from Harlem and took the bus to a private school on the Upper East Side. There was a stark difference in class and race ingrained in me at a young age.”

She also saw the government provide

services to the working and middle classes.

Her observance of this at a local level generated her interests at the national and international levels as well. In the 1980s, South Africa was the last country trying to break free of the chains of colonialism, and the media rarely reported on it.

“I come from an artistic family. My mother was involved in theater, and I knew that I could tell these stories in a way that was engaging to the viewer.”

This is what sparked Richen’s investigation of the land reformations of South Africa. She was surprised to find how many were willing to share their stories.

“I had a lot of hesitancy when I approached some of these people for interviews, but there was a lot of honesty about people’s fears now that the political situation has changed.”

Your parents canʼt stand the Ramapo News.

So it must be cool.

Mondays and Wednesdays 7:15 p.m.

SC-218

With an endless supply of alcohol, it’s easy to lose track of how many drinks one has had. Self-monitoring and putting limits in place are strategies that could save lives. Excessive consumption can lead to fighting, drunk driving, alcohol poisoning and rape, as well as arrests in certain countries. Limiting intake can reduce these risks.

Rosenkranz said that, above all else, students should listen to their bodies, be aware of what’s going into their cups and how fast they’re drinking, and make sure they’re eating something with a good amount of protein (either while drinking or no more than an hour before.)

The general rule, she said, is to consume no more than 1 drink—of standard measure—per hour. Standard measure is 12 oz for beer, 4 oz for wine and 1.5 oz for liquor.

Be Aware of your Surroundings According to About.com, the top hot spots for spring break 2010 include Cancun, Acapulco, Panama City (Florida), Bahamas and Jamaica, Miami and South Beach (Florida), Puerto Vallarta, South Padre Island (Texas),

Europe, North American ski resorts and Baja (Rosarito Beach, Cabo in Puerto Rico).

About 100,000 students travel to Mexico—one of the most popular spots— each year on spring break.

Traveling abroad can be a great experience, but it can also present problems for college students. Legal policies and cultural customs differ from one city, state and country to another. Students should become familiar with these policies beforehand and exercise caution during the trip, especially in foreign countries.

Stay Together One of the most important tips to remember when traveling for spring break is to stay in large groups. Large groups are less likely to be bothered by advances from unwanted strangers. Staying together is especially important if you have traveled to an area that you and your friends are unfamiliar with, so it will be harder to get lost if multiple people in the group can recognize their surroundings.

Continued from page 2

known author who led the congregation for 25 years while also speaking out against the KKK, and Rabbi Martin Freedman, who was active in civil rights with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and who served as religious leader for 38 years.

“I thought it was wonderful. It reminded me of the good in the immigration experience, reminded me of ‘religious politics’.

It’s more fundamental and about more thriving heritage in the US,” said Political Science Professor Dr. Jennifer Maza.

Schwartz added more comments after her lecture was finished. She comments on it being Black History month by said, “How does the past reflect on the now this month? Everything happens in steps, nothing happens at the moment. I think we’re making progress, since Martin Luther King. We are now celebrating his life through a national holiday. That says a lot.”

She explains to those still lingering after the lecture that each immigrant’s accomplishment is personal. She mentions how President Obama is a direct cause of the migration into the United States. She feels like trajectory of all the laws brought us to where we are now.

“I think we’re not there yet. We do need to assume responsibility for our own actions. We can all be successful, and success doesn’t mean dollars,” said Schwartz.

As the rest of the world alongside the United States continues to create history with its future immigration laws and the advocacy groups who fight for equality, we should all strive to be like the men and women who fought and died for peace and equality for future generations to come.

Schwartz Lectures 1838—Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement and the most sacred day in the Jewish calendar.”

Dr. Riff feels it is a credit to the community that Nathan Barnert and his contemporaries founded that to this day, even as they re-located to the affluent surroundings of Franklin Lakes, the congregation that bears his name continues to fight for social justice and equal rights for all. Key to this tradition has been the unique leaderships of Rabbis Max Raisin and Martin Freedman, both of whom were courageous fighters against bigotry and for civil rights.

When Barnert was 20, he moved to Paterson, New Jersey. He was very business savvy. He invested in real estate and textile mills for rental spaces and founded the Annandale Screen Plate Co. Even though Paterson was a Republican city, Barnert was elected for two terms as Mayor in 1883 and 1887. He was a philanthropist.

“It was interesting to hear about Paterson and Barnet; it was just great to hear the history of it all,” Danielle Geresi said.

During his term as Mayor, he donated his monthly salary to charity and needy organizations of all faiths. He also built and donated the Barnert Memorial Hospital on Broadway and the Daughters of Miriam Home for the Aged. The congregation was dedicated as the Nathan Barnert Memorial Temple on Sept. 17, 1894. According to Schwartz, “His sense of philanthropy and the civic duty he demonstrated really laid the foundation for what this community is all about.”

The book was published in honor of the temple’s 160th anniversary in 2007.

The book also gives detailed highlights on the life of Rabbi Max Raisin, a well-

VIEWPOINTS

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Golden Key: A Golden Waste of Green?

Ramapo Continues to Hold Strong for Haiti

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.

accomplishment? Doesn’t putting my GPA on there do the same thing – and isn’t that free?

The other big benefit that Golden Key offers is access to graduate scholarships in fellowships, “making your time in graduate school, should you choose to continue your education, more fiscally manageable.”

By JOEY LEWANDOWSKI Co-Editor-in-Chief

Everyone knows that to get the job that you want, one of the most important steps is to have a resume that sums up your accomplishments and sets you apart from the rest of the field. When someone is looking at hundreds or thousands of resumes, it only makes sense that you should do whatever it takes to make yours better than the rest.

One way to do this, I’d imagine, is by becoming a part of one or more honors societies. You bust your butt, get good grades and get recognized for your achievements by being inducted into an honors society, like the Golden Key International Honour Society, which I was just invited into.

The induction e-mail I got said that being invited is “indeed an honor since less that 15% of the student body received an invitation this year” and that “this is one of the few accolades given [to] students to recognize their academic accomplishments.”

Sounds good, right? Time to jump on it! …But what about that $70 registration fee? Ah, the catch.

Now, keep in mind, $70 is not a lot of money, especially for college students already paying room and board. (For example, Ramapo students from New Jersey, living in the Village pay $5,708 per semester for tuition and $4,500 for room. Seventy dollars is a fraction of one percent of this cost.)

However, if I pay that $70 and never see any benefit from it, why pay the fee at all?

To me, honors societies (and other groups like this) seem like a ploy to get kids to throw down close to a hundred bucks to get a one-line accolade on their resume.

Do I need to spend $70 to get prospective employers to recognize my academic

A Golden Key member says $11 of the $70 fee goes to a student’s local chapter.

I’m not going to graduate school (at least not now). So why should I bother?

In addition to all that, I really wonder where all that money goes to. In May 2009, 1,326 students graduated from Ramapo. If, as Golden Key suggests, 15 percent of those students were invited into the honors society, and a third of them accepted (to pick an arbitrary number), that means those 442 new inductees are giving Golden Key a collective $30,940.

Where’s that money ending up? Will we ever see it again?

On Wikipedia, the most reliable of all reliable sources anywhere on the internet, the Golden Key International Honour Society’s article has an entire section devoted to “Controversy.” Apparently, in 1997, the University of British Columbia’s student newspaper, the Ubyssey, found that Golden Key was allotting five percent of the money they received toward scholarships, while almost 47 percent was allotted toward salaries, management and general expenses.

I don’t like that ratio.

More recently, the Wikipedia article says, a Golden Key member says that $11 of the $70 fee (almost 17 percent) go toward a student’s local chapter. That’s definitely an improvement, but is it enough to make me want to spend my money that way?

Nope.

I’m going to take my chances and save myself the $70 fee. I’d rather see that money spent in a more concrete way, like on 350 chicken nuggets from McDonalds. (Over time, of course. Not in one sitting. That’d just be a waste of money.)

By TOM NG SGA President

I remember sitting on my couch at home over winter break when news broke about the disaster in Haiti. As the story unfolded, I was stunned by the images on my television as I struggled to comprehend the severity of the devastation.

Despite these horrific scenes, however, I found hope when I opened my email to find an outpouring of students, staff and faculty members looking to reach out to the campus in order to find ways to help those in need.

This hope grew as we returned to campus to start the spring semester. I was especially impressed with how quickly these projects got off of the ground and the variety of groups that came together to support this important cause.

Within a week, there were numerous meetings set for students, faculty, staff and administrators to come together to brainstorm possible ways Ramapo could help Haiti rebuild.

After a month of planning, I am excited to see these initiatives come to fruition.

Last week, the Haiti Relief Committee, under the direction of Senate Vice President Whitney Breckenridge, held a filmmaking event that featured some of the first footage of the tragedy in Haiti. This event’s purpose was to engage students and to help illustrate the severity of the earthquakes that devastated Haiti.

This committee, which features the Student Government Association, several fraternities and sororities, numerous cultural organizations and a variety of other clubs, is also planning a remembrance ceremony to be held later in the semester in honor of those affected by this tragedy.

In addition, another group known as the Ramapo Haiti Disaster Relief Committee, under the direction of Professor Lisa Lutter, will be holding a benefit concert next Thursday, March 4, in the Berrie Center.

This performance will feature a variety of Ramapo student musical groups, including the college choir.

The goal of this benefit concert is to raise at least $3,000 to start a new four-year full scholarship program that would bring two Haitian students to Ramapo as early as next fall. There will also be “Hope for Haiti” bracelets and shirts sold by the Visual Arts Society, with proceeds going to support the victims in Haiti.

The Ramapo community has come together in efforts to help another community in need, but it still could use more help and support. If you would like to become involved with any of these initiatives as a committee member, or if you would simply like more information about upcoming projects, you can learn more by contacting sga@ramapo.edu.

Got an opinion?

Come and be heard.

Monday and Wednesday nights in SC 218

ARTS

&

E N T E RTA I N M E N T

Looking For Something to Do Over Spring Break?

Stay in New Jersey, Listen to Jay-Z and Watch His Nets

BY MATT THOMPSON Staff Writer

Spring break is well on its way. Many students at Ramapo aren’t going on vacation.

This may leave some Roadrunners hopeless with the mindset there is nothing to do in the great state of New Jersey. Wrong!

While summers in New Jersey definitely bring the warm weather and fun, there are plenty of choices to pick from in the cold of the winter. I’m here to run down just a few of the choices to pick from.

It’s the beginning of spring break. A crazy and daring idea might be to take a weekend trip to Atlantic City and hit the Borgata Hotel. It doesn’t matter whether you are 21 years old or not – there promises to be something to do.

The Borgata has some of the best restaurants in the Northeast and the choices are plentiful with fine dining, casual dining or group dining. Pick from the worldrenowned steakhouses or taste some great Italian food at Roma.

The Borgata is also lavish with day spas, salons, barbershops, a pool and a luxurious weight room, not to mention the variety of bars and comedy clubs to pick from.

You can get Nets tickets for as low as 99 cents. Or, get courtside seats for $200.

It doesn’t end there. Jay-Z is in concert at the Borgata Theater on March 13, so you may be able to catch Hov’ on spring break.

For many, the Borgata is too pricey, leaving them to wonder what a cheap solution to a fun spring break is. There’s a perfect resolution for that.

The New Jersey Nets are 5-52 this season.

They seem destined to break the Philadelphia 76ers record of 9-73 for the season.

It doesn’t take much to get tickets for a Nets game. To get an upper level seat, it may only cost $0.99 off StubHub. To get a lower level seat close to the action, it may cost anywhere from $20 to $40. This is nothing compared to what it used to cost for a Nets game when they were a winning team.

Perhaps the most interesting note to make is courtside seats off StubHub can be bought for a price of nearly $200 dollars.

Courtside seats for a Knicks game at Madison Square Garden go for thousands of

dollars.

If you’re thinking, “Why would I ever want to see such a horrible team?” think again. You’ll never be able to see an NBA game for those prices again!

Catch the action against Joe Johnson and the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday, March 16, or Chris Bosh and the Toronto Raptors on Saturday, March 20.

This is the Nets’ last season at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford. In all likelihood, they will be moving to the Prudential Center in Newark next year so this may be the last time you can catch the Nets in what has been their residence for nearly 30 years.

Despite all the basketball fun, the sport may not be your cup of tea. No worries: there are still plenty of options.

Mountain Creek Ski Resort has been a long standing venue in Vernon, N.J. Many know this place as Mountain Creek Water Park in the summer, but during the winter it holds a different principle. Whether you strap on your skis or put on your snowboard, you’re bound to have fun.

Let’s get over the preconceived notion that Mountain Creek is solely for snow purposes. Mountain Creek provides many other exciting opportunities. You can reside there all week long or stay for just a Friday night.

The party scene promises to be electrifying as they bring in some of the most notable DJs from New York City. There’s also shopping and dining around Mountain Creek, so you’ll struggle to find down time.

These are merely a taste of what you can

photo courtesy of creative commons

You can go skiing or snowboarding at Mountain Creek.

do during spring break. New Jersey is far from a boring state, and Bergen County is one of the nicest places around. But if New Jersey just doesn’t do it for you, New York City is just across the water.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Take in Some Culture in New York City or Philadelphia

BY TARA LAFEMINA Staff Writer

Spring break is right around the corner.

Finally, it is time to throw the books aside and live a week with no worries. Some of us are lucky enough to escape the cold and travel to the tropics or another distant land.

For the rest of us, there are plenty of things we can do outside of New Jersey without breaking the bank or straying too far from home.

New York City is a no-brainer when it comes to things to do. On any given day, there is so much happening in the city that you could spend all day there. If you are staying in the Mahwah area, the city won’t disappoint.

Boerum Hill in Brooklyn has plenty for a fun day or night. Smith Street and Atlantic Ave. are filled with restaurants and shops.

No chains here: restaurants to suit every taste bud and local boutiques definitely make this an area worth checking out.

A pub crawl would work pretty well here, too. Smith Street could definitely put you and your friends up to a challenge until 2 a.m. Everyone seems to be wrapped up in Williamsburg, but there are plenty of other places to check out.

There is always the option of seeing a play or going to a museum. If you enjoy the upcoming film, “Alice in Wonderland,” the Tim Burton exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art might interest you.

If you’re thinking a museum is too academic, veg out in Washington Square Park.

With St. Patrick’s Day during spring break, who knows what will happen? Even sitting in the park may result in you receiving a serenade.

If you live in South Jersey and New York City is a bit too far for you, have no fear: there is also Philadelphia, another city that has plenty to offer.

Philadelphia has more than brotherly love and the Liberty Bell. There is tons of offbeat culture to take in. With the Avenue of the Arts and prominent art schools in the area, it is a place to see lots of art.

Go off the beaten path and you will find thrifty stores, such as Peace Thrift. It is tucked away and only opens on Fridays, offering vintage finds from the 1940s.

The Magic Garden, started by Isaiah Zinger, has an admission fee of $3 and a wonderland of mosaics filling up half of a city block. Every inch is covered in lost objects in the neighborhood and ranges from mirrors to tires to homemade tiles.

A place like this is not an everyday find.

Eyes Gallery, also run by Zinger, is located next door and has more of the same kooky finds as the Magic Garden.

The area of Center City, which includes the famous Rittenhouse Square, Walnut Street, Broad Street and South Street, is the best bet to finding things to do, bars to drink in and restaurants to eat at.

Philadelphia may not have the best reputation, but that should be up to you to decide.

photo courtesy of Wally Gobetz

Philadelphia: more than just the Liberty Bell

Remember, no matter where you plan on going, to check out sites such as StubHub to see if any musical artist, performance art or sports events appeal you.

Of course, these ideas may not meet your needs. Maybe you’re itching to take a road trip. There are places that you could go that will not make your next four paychecks go toward gas. Perhaps the winter Olympics inspired you; spring break is the perfect time to get in some last minute winter activity.

You can hit the slopes in about two hours without the artic weather. Bear Creek in Macungie, Pa., may be the perfect place to try skiing or snowboarding. Take a weekday trip, when the mountain will not be as crowded and the prices are slightly lower.

You can go during the day; a lift ticket will cost between $36 and $39. For two hours more, you can go at night for about $32.

There are so many things to do within a relatively short distance. If all else fails, jump into the car, drive in any direction and see where you end up. Most of the time, the best adventures aren’t planned.

Grand Buffet: Get a Great Deal, Better Meal

Page 9 The Ramapo News

Thursday, February 25, 2010

They also offer an ice cream machine where customers can either get chocolate, vanilla or a combo twist. This can be placed in a bowl or in cones that are located next to the machine. Sprinkles are also available if the customer so desires.

A station full of mini cakes and cookies is situated near the ice cream machine. Little brownies and carrot cake are nestled in ridged cups, just waiting to be devoured.

For those who prefer a healthier alternative, freshly cut fruit is also available, along with rice pudding and chocolate mousse.

The Grand Buffet offers selections for all to enjoy. No one will walk out disappointed. Whether in the mood for some great Chinese or a light seafood meal, there is no doubt the cheap bill and delicious food will be worth the short ride and few bucks.

By AMANDA VALENTI Staff Writer

The Grand Buffet, located at 875 Route 17 South in Ramsey, is less than ten minutes away from Ramapo and is a great deal.

If customers arrive prior to 4 p.m., the cost per person is only $9. After 4 p.m., the price rises to a still-manageable $12. Either way, customers cannot go wrong with fresh food put out every 30 minutes.

Fresh pork dumplings are steamed to perfection. The soy sauce adds some extra flavor to the already tasty pockets of delight.

The General Tso’s chicken is moist and fresh. There is no spice to the chicken, but the sauce is sweet and delicious on rice. Vegetable lo mein is also a great addition to the endless buffet.

The boneless ribs are a sweet treat. The moist, bitesized pieces taste great with white rice. A little extra sauce would not hurt, though.

Fresh, hand-made eggrolls are packed full of fresh veggies and are great when enhanced with a little soy sauce.

The buffet also features salad, soup and seafood for those who enjoy a little venture from the Chinese menu.

The Grand Buffet also offers some scrumptious desserts. Fresh-made donuts sprinkled with granulated sugar sit like little fluffy clouds in a tray. Once bitten, the warm donut almost melts in your mouth.

photo by Amanda Valenti

The Grand Buffet is easy to spot from the Highway and is a must try for the college student who is looking for a ton of food.

OVERALL GRADE: B+

Ireland’s 32 Whacks Customers With Raised Prices

By MICHELE MCKENNA Staff Writer

Ireland’s 32 in Suffern, N.Y., is a popular spot for Ramapo College students for some mid-week fun.

Ireland’s offers a full bar, several televisions and 20 cent wings on Wednesdays... until last week.

The Irish pub raised their price to 35 cents a wing after 10 years. Maybe not so ironically, the restaurant was as empty as it has ever been on a Wednesday in 10 years.

Have the customers finally realized that over-cooked, flavorless wings finished after one bite aren’t worth it after the price raise?

Ireland’s 32 is equipped with six televisions and an Epson projection screen on the back wall. It is great viewing for everyone that isn’t seated facing the opposite direction like I was.

I tried turning my head to enjoy the screen, but I gave up after some neck pain. I struggled to watch the Olympics on a screen, but my vision was blocked by fake flowers hanging from the ceiling and green curtains decorating the bar. I’m not sure why grandma’s living room decorations were in the sports bar.

I took one bite and couldn’t figure out if any more of the wing was edible. I think I would rather pay a dollar per wing somewhere else where there is more quality and better taste.

Bottom line, if you are serious about watching a sports event: this isn’t the place.

The menu has a good variety from salads to traditional Irish entrées and the usual deep fried appetizers. All menu items were reasonably priced from about $9 to $15. The burgers were a good size and all other entrées were generously portioned.

Underage guests are welcome, but are marked with a huge “X” on their hand to make sure they aren’t served

alcohol. It doesn’t help that the mark is sure to make them feel uncomfortable as well. This ritual is unnecessary since you are carded once again by the waitress when ordering a drink.

tumers, which was unfortunate. It was not pleasant to listen to everyone’s bad selection of music, from hard rock to pop, at an over-powering decibel.

In an attempt to ignore the racket I was hearing, I struggled to have a conversation over the noise. I definitely didn’t want to listen to the songs. There seemed to be a battle of the ages in music selection since the crowd ranged from 19 to 60.

Have the customers finally realized that over-cooked, flavorless wings finished after one bite aren’t worth it after the price raise?

photo courtesy of Michele McKenna

Irelandʼs used to be a popular restaurant for Ramapo students until they raised the price of their wings by 15 cents on wing night.

The usual crowd knows there are $6 pitchers of beer, although it is not advertised for a newcomer. Other drink prices were not displayed, and from what I saw at the table next to me, a mixed drink was not worth it in three-ounce servings.

An iTouch music player was available for all cos-

The service was friendly. Our waitress was the only waitress and she handled all five tables just fine.

Although it took an abnormally long time to get our wings and an appetizer sampler, I was happy with my dish of fried finger foods. I was not happy, however, with the wings. They were very small and way too crunchy.

I took one bite and couldn’t figure out if any more of the wing was edible. I think I would rather pay a dollar per wing somewhere else where there is more quality and better taste.

Overall, Ireland’s is a good place if you feel like crossing over to Suffern for some cheap beer and a quick bite. Beware, though, that the wings are now more expensive, but still just as unappetizing on “Wacky Wednesday.”

OVERALL GRADE: C-

Meyer’s Music: Lil Wayne’s ‘Rebirth’ is Top Rap Album

Page 10 The Ramapo News

By SHARON MEYER Staff Writer

This week, Adam Lambert revealed that he shared a steamy kiss with Ke$ha, whose single “TiK ToK” landed at No. 1 this week on Billboard’s Hot 100, followed closely behind by “We are the World 25: For Haiti.”

Does anyone else find it weird that Ke$ha’s “club anthem” song is beating a tribute song to Haiti, performed by some of the most famous artists including Pink, Nick Jonas, Lil Wayne, Kayne West, Justin Bieber, Jason Mraz, Celine Dion and many more? Where has appreciation for true musical talent gone?

Oddly enough, “We are the World 25” is still holding down the No. 1 spot on the digital charts.

Moving on, Pink’s song “Glitter in the Air,” off her Funhouse album, took the biggest fall on the charts this week, dropping from the 18th spot to No. 84.

Not having much action in the music scene since her single “Put Your Record On,” soul/blues artist Corinne Bailey Rae is featured on Billboard’s Notable Releases for her new album titled The Sea which is available for download on iTunes.

Remember Lil Wayne and his postponed jail sentence due to “necessary” dental sur-

Thursday, February 25, 2010

gery? Well, he may have gotten more than he bargained for, since he received eight root canals that were done in one sitting, along with work done to his “grill.” On the bright side, his Rebirth album is still holding down the number one spot for best rap album.

Are you bored of the same songs repeating on your iPod shuffle? Then head to music.aol.com. On the main page, right in the middle, you can find a section that is called “Listening Party,” where you can preview albums like county singer Sarah Buxton’s self-titled CD. If that’s not your music preference, Santana is back with his tenth anniversary of Supernatural, which features Rob Thomas and Everlast.

John Mayer is playing at Madison Square Garden tonight. If you have tickets, lucky you. If you don’t have tickets, like me, I am sure a DVD of the performance will soon be on its way for us to purchase.

Alicia Keys is also touring the U.S. and Canada this month. Her first show starts on will be in Chicago on March 3. Then she will be stopping by the Madison Square Garden on March 17, followed by a N.J. performance at the Prudential Center in Newark.

Ticketmaster has created a list of Hot

photo courtesy of Brian Morton

American Idol runner-up, Adam Lambert, admitted this week that he shared a kiss with Ke$ha, performing here at the Mod Club.

Tickets to snatch up that are on sale now.

Some artists included are Michael Buble (the Frank Sinatra of the 21st Century), Eric

Clapton, Norah Jones, the Black Eyed Peas and Jimmy Buffet. In case you’re scratching your head and wondering who Buffet is, Let’s talk about Drake. For all of you who own a TV or radio, you have to know who he is. He started off on teen drama show Degrassi. Remember Jimmy Brooks, the star basketball player? Well, that is, until he was shot in the spine by a nerdy kid who was tormented. Is this ringing a bell?

Well, if you did not know him, then you certainly know him now. His highly anticipated album So Far Gone helped Lil Wayne’s protégé from taking home two Grammys this year. Oh, did I forget to mention his album is still not released yet?

To wrap things up this week, American Idol’s top 24 contestants are already stirring up the controversy, but this time it has nothing to do with sexual preference. One contestant -- well, former top 24 contestant -Chris Golightly was replaced by Tim Urban due to Golightly’s previous record contract with a small label. However, after he was kicked off the show, it was discovered that the contract was over a month prior to the American Idol auditions. According to Billboard’s news site, FOX 5 has been ignoring his calls.

Until next week, keep your iPods charged and your music blasting!

Five Albums You Should Get Excited About in 2010

By STEPHANIE DE RUITER Staff Writer

It is only the second month of 2010, but already a plethora of new artists, spanning a number of genres, have committed to releasing an album before December.

There are endless possibilities when it comes to music, and 2010 is just the beginning of a new decade. What follows are five albums, ranging from obscure to mainstream artists, to look for in the coming months.

1. Patrick Park’s Come What Will (April 6, Badman Recording Co.) -- Singer/songwriter Patrick Park, from Los Angeles, Calif., can definitely be considered an indie-folk artist who doesn’t just purr out the lyrics, but sings them in full voice.

His “Life is a Song” is best known for appearing in the last scene of teen drama The O.C. His new song, (appearing on Come What Will) “The Lucky Ones,” just recently appeared on One Tree Hill. Come What Will is Park’s third full length album, following Everyone’s in Everyone, released in 2007.

“The Lucky Ones” and “You’ll Get Over It,” two tracks appearing on Come What Will, can be heard on Patrick Park’s MySpace page.

2. Avril Lavigne’s currently untitled album (June 2010, RCA Records) -- The artist who gave us “Sk8ter Boi” seven years ago is now 25 and is releasing her fourth album this year. With her new album -- rumored to be titled either Crash and Burn or Pink Crust -- Lavigne is hoping to ride the success of her previous album, The Best Damn Thing, which according to the Nielsen SoundScan, sold over 1.6 million copies.

Lavigne’s new album was originally supposed to be released in November 2009, but it was delayed because of her split with husband (and album producer) Deryck Whibley (of Sum 41).

Despite her divorce, Lavigne’s career seems to be doing great. She launched her new clothing line, Abbey Dawn, and her song, “Alice,” is featured in the new Tim Burton film Alice in Wonderland and is now available on iTunes. Fans can listen to the song on her website Avrillavigne.com.

She also has a new fragrance out called Black Star (which

photo courtesy of Google Images

Jack Mannequin aims to release their third album this fall.

is also the name a song on the 2010 album). In an interview with Ryan Seacrest, Lavigne revealed that the first single will be released in April, and her new album will be released in June 2010.

3. Jack’s Mannequin’s currently untitled album (Fall 2010, Sire Records) -- Jack’s Mannequin has begun recording again. Their sophomore album, The Glass Passenger, was heavy because of front-man Andrew McMahon’s battle with leukemia and his lengthy recovery process.

The band expects the next album to stray away from this aspect of McMahon’s life into a lighter style, Billboard.com reports.

Music magazine Alternative Press reports that for inspiration for the third LP, McMahon decided to go back to the place that first inspired him to write music: the beach.

McMahon promises that the new album will be cohesive and will show fans a “new Jack’s Mannequin.”

4. Senses Fail’s currently untitled album (Fall 2010, Vagrant Records) -- New Jersey’s very own Senses Fail is coming out with a new album in fall of 2010. The band tweeted on their Twitter page, “Hopefully going into the studio middle of April. It will come early Fall.”

This will be Senses Fail’s fifth album. AlternativePress.com reports that the band hopes to reflect a “growing into adulthood” theme in their upcoming album.

5. Jimmy Eat World’s currently untitled album (2010, selfreleased) -- “Happy December everyone! We’re still hard at work on new music and are planning to release a new album in 2010. Xoxo.” This was the tweet Jimmy Eat World left fans on Dec. 1; short, sweet and to the point, it left fans expecting and excited. Not much has been revealed about the album other than it is “progressing nicely.”

The band is considering releasing their seventh album on their own after their contract with Interscope Records ended.

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Dave and Tim Reunite for Another Memorable Live Release

Page 11 The Ramapo News

By KEVIN JOHNSON Staff Writer

Dave Matthews always enjoys taking time off his busy touring schedule to play with his old friend Tim Reynolds. The two have been friends since Matthews moved from South Africa to Charlottesville, Va. in the 1980s.

Matthews became a bartender at Miller’s, a local bar in Charlottesville where he met Reynolds and his band TR3. TR3 was a frequent musical guest at Miller’s, so it was only a matter of time before the two collaborated to make music.

In 1993, the duo played their first acoustic show together. By 1996, Matthews and Reynolds were taking time off from their full time bands to go on their own tour. The duo released their first live album, Live at Luther College, in 1999 from a 1996 performance made during their first tour.

Matthews and Reynolds would take a break from touring together until 2003, when they reunited for another tour. Their next release would be Live at Radio City from their four-show tour in 2007. The album offered an in-depth look into their lives and relationships. Matthews would converse with the crowd between songs, making the concert a very intimate experience.

The duo released their newest album on Feb. 9 from their three night stand in Las Vegas. The album, Live in Las Vegas, is a combination of classic Dave Matthews Band songs, Tim Reynolds guitar solos, Matthews’ solo songs, and songs from the latest DMB album Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King.

The third track of the album is one of Matthews’ latest songs, “Squirm.” The duo’s version is very true to the original, offering ominous lyrics and guitar riffs that are uncommon in Matthews’ songs.

The show also includes the new songs “Alligator

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Pie,” “Funny the Way it is,” “Shake Me Like a Monkey,” “Lying in the Hands of God” and the love song “You and Me.” The concert was played on Dec. 12, 2009, and Matthews was in the holiday mood as he played his classic “Christmas Song” from the DMB album Remember Two Things. Unlike most Christmas songs that are written about the festivities of the holiday, Matthews’ song is his way of paying homage to the story of the birth and life of Jesus. Despite the religious topic of the song, it is not preachy, but rather a ballad telling the biblical story of Jesus.

Reynolds had the opportunity to showcase his solo abilities with his performances on his original track “Kundalini Bonfire,” and his cover of the famous Led Zeppelin song “Kashmir.” Reynolds is known for his innovative and unusual guitar-playing style, but is also known as the silent man on stage. While Matthews does all the singing and talking, Reynolds simply sits beside him and plays his guitar.

Matthews and Reynolds closed out the concert with one of their strongest songs and a fan favorite, “Two Step,” from the 1996 DMB album Crash. The song starts with a guitar riff that heightens in intensity as the song progresses. The chorus of the song best describes Matthews’ philosophies on life, “Celebrate we will, because life is short but sweet for certain.”

The duo ends the song together in a powerful collaboration of fast, exciting guitar play.

Overall the album was very solid from start to finish. The only complaint a fan of Matthews and Reynolds could have would be the repeat tracks from Live at Radio City such as “Bartender,” “Some Devil,” and others. This album is more focused on the music of the musicians rather than the conversational, intimate aspect of their concerts.

Both first time listeners and diehard fans would

enjoy the dynamic of this album. The concert’s wide range of song topics and styles acquaint the listeners to the unique manner of a Dave and Tim concert.

OVERALL GRADE: B

Third Time’s a Charm for Scorsese and Dicaprio

By JULIANNE ILARIA Staff Writer

If you’re looking for a film that is actually worth every penny of the price you paid to go see it, you can’t go wrong with Martin Scorsese’s “Shutter Island.” One of the better psychological thrillers I’ve seen in a long time, this film stimulates all of your senses, provoking fear, empathy, sadness and if nothing else, you’ll leave questioning your own sanity and the place of authority.

“Shutter Island” depicts the story of a U.S. marshal, Teddy Daniels (Dicaprio), living in the early 1950s as a decorated war hero after World War II and Korea. He is sent to Shutter Island, which holds the most dangerous mental patients in the world, with his partner to do an investigation of a missing murderous patient who has unexplainably vanished from the island.

Once there, he pursues an in-depth investigation and soon finds that he has a lot to be questionable about.

Everything seems to be a little suspicious, which causes him to question authority and take matters into his own hands. Each night spent there, more and more strange things start happening: he has reoccurring nightmares of his wife who was burned in a fire; he sees visions of dead children, and other horrifying images one would deem a result of post traumatic stress disorder from the war.

Also, a good majority of the film is told in elaborate flashbacks.

As a result of these dreams, Dicaprio heeds a warning from his deceased wife that her killer, the man who set their home on fire, is present on the island. She, along with other patients, hint that he must escape or he will stay there forever. Something that started out as a federal investigation now takes the course of a personal vendetta.

As time progresses, someone who seemed such a strong

and

quick-witted character warps into a train wreck, desperately trying to piece together the puzzle of both aspects of his stay at Shutter Island.

The stakes are raised throughout the film, ranging from an impending hurricane on the island-cutting off all communication with outside sources-to his partner going missing. The film, and Teddy’s mind, starts pushing the limits even more of what is real and what is not. Dicaprio’s biggest danger is not the patients on the island, but rather what he is being internally tortured by. Who can he trust?

He is even told that no one is his friend. All these clues

combined make authority seem so obviously sinister and corrupt. Different plot stands arise and almost everything flip flops.

Dicaprio secretly questions the moral aspect of the island and the intentions of the staff that runs it. Are these people really there to help or to hinder the patients? Why are they here in the first place? Things seem a little odd when, during his questioning of all the patients, they give all the same, rehearsed answers, and the staff keeps him on close watch, stripped of his firearms.

This is not a film you can duck out to the bathroom in the middle of. If you do, you will perhaps lose crucial details of what is going on. Dicaprio eventually loses control of the situation, which sends him into a downhill spiral, and you will find yourself thinking, “Will he escape off the island before he suffers the same fate as the patients?”

Moreover, aside from an elaborate storyline, great suspense, and an ending that will leave you asking, “Honestly, what the hell?” the cinematography and editing throughout are impeccable.

The movie can fall into the film noir category, classic shot composition meets a modern-day version of Technicolor.

Everything seems so strategically setup, right down to hitting the time period on the head. There are no loose ends to be found, or rush jobs. Maybe sometimes it’s worth setting the release date back. Another nice job, Scorsese.

OVERALL GRADE: A-

Page 12 The Ramapo News

Thursday, February 25, 2010

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RAMAPO SPORTS

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Volleyball Continues to Win at Endicott Tournament

By MICHELE McKENNA S taff Writer

The men’s volleyball team attended the fifth Annual Endicott Tournament in Beverly, Mass. last weekend.

The team defeated all of their opponents, except for Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

“We were hoping that we could have gone 4-0, and it could have been that way if we played well against MIT,” Coach Don Vanderbeck said.

On Saturday, Ramapo beat SUNYIT 3-0 (30-15, 3129, 30-16). Sophomore Colin McNeill led the team with 11 attempts, only one error and five assisted blocks. Senior Matt Scott contributed 39 assists.

Freshmen Brett Greiner and Steve Vahalla had seven and six kills, respectively helping the Roadrunners in their first victory of the weekend.

In the second match, against MIT, Ramapo picked up their only loss of the weekend. Junior middle Elvis Cabrera earned eight kills. Senior, Kurt Backlund led the team in digs with 14. Overall, the team had 39 kills and 22 errors, which may explain why MIT prevailed. MIT topped Ramapo with 51 kills and 49 assists.

“We had our chances against MIT, but didn’t finish and we made some changes to the lineup that didn’t work, so that one is partly on me,” Vanderbeck said.

“After the first day we were upset. We didn’t want that loss, but then we came out Sunday, we put Saturday behind us and turned it all around,” junior Jeff Elsasser said.

On day two, Ramapo refused to lose. In the first match versus SUNY New Paltz, Ramapo had a tight game, but came out with the win 3-1 (29-31, 30-26, 30-24,30-28).

“Our two defensive guys played real well, Eddie Rossiter played libero and passed extremely well allowing our middles, Paul and Elvis, to hit around the .400 level,” Vanderbeck said. “Jeff came up with some huge blocks towards the end of a few games which helped us secure those wins.”

“It’s really a whole different team. We are very diverse. I consider us a team of 17 starters.”

- Jeff El sasser, juni or

The rookies led the offense. Freshman Kevin Froehlich had 19 kills on his 49 attempts and freshman Vahalla wasn’t far behind him with 17 kills.

“The freshmen have really stepped up. They are more confident and comfortable on the court,” Eslasser said, “Kevin and Steve are two guys that are starting to shine.”

Scott contributed 56 assists and nine digs. The Roadrunner’s defense proved strong with 13 digs from Backlund and 14 from sophomore Edward Rossiter.

Jeff Elsasser and Colin McNeil each earned five

photo by Michael Jagendorf

The Roadrunners went 3-1 over the weekend at the Endicott Tournament in Massachusetts.

blocks and Vahalla added four.

In their last match of the weekend, Ramapo beat Emmanuel, 3-0 (34-32, 30-24, 30-28), but it was not without a fight from Emmanuel, who took them to 34 points before handing over the win in the first set.

Vahalla and Elsasser were a great defensive threat with 13 kills each. Paul Konopacki also had nine kills. Once again, Backlund was a strong defensive force with 12 digs.

“Kurt, was all over the place making digs and giving a little blood while doing a great job, which earned him All-Tournament team,” Vanderbeck said.

Backlund had a total of 45 digs for the weekend and was selected for the Endicott Tournament AllTournament Team for his performance this weekend.

“I think this was well deserved. Kurt is averaging something like three digs a set which is unreal,” Eslasser said. “It’s nice to see him getting some recognition because he’s having a great year.”

The Roadrunners are undefeated in their conference and are certainly still on target for their ultimate goal: qualifying for the Molten Tournament. The men’s volleyball team faces their rival Vassar this week, which will be a determining match for them.

“It’s really a whole different team. We are very diverse. I consider us a team of 17 starters,” Eslasser said.

photo by Michael Jagendorf

Elvis Cabrera spikes the ball in a match against Bard College last week.

Swim Teams Give Other Squads Something to Watch Out For

Page 14 The Ramapo News

By ANDREW GOULD Staff Writer

The men’s and women’s swimming teams each finished in ninth place at the Metropolitan Collegiate Championships at Rutgers University over the weekend.

Ramapo’s men were led by strong showings from sophomores Stephen Fox and Terry Hubert. Fox finished fourth in the championship final in both the 100 and 200-yard backstroke, and placed 12th in the consolation B-Final in the 50-yard freestyle.

Hubert earned all conference in the 100-yard butterfly with an eighth place finish as well as making the C-Final with a 23rd place finish in the 100-yard freestyle and 24th place finish in the 50-yard freestyle.

Freshmen Jeff Richter and Johnny Olsson set personal best times in the 200 and 500-yard freestyle.

Richter finished 13th in the 200 and 15th in the 500, earning two B Final finishes, while Olsson earned a 20th place finish in the C-Final of the 500-yard contest.

The 100-yard breaststroke proved to be a success with five Ramapo men earning final finishes. Robert Stein, Frank Patierno and David Nehls finished 10th, 15th, and 16th, respectively, in the B-Final while David Plucinsky and Jared McGrath finished 17th and 21st in the C-Final.

The men met similar success in the 200-yard breaststroke. Stein finished in 9th with Nehls at 14th, McGrath at 20th, and Plucinsky in 23rd. Matt Hagaman earned a C-Final appearance and finished in 23rd in the 1650-yard freestyle.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

In the 200-yard butterfly, Andrew English led the way amongst three Roadrunners finishing in the top 24. English earned 14th place, but Nikolas Ablan and Alex Krueger were not too far behind with 22nd and 24th place finishes in the C-Final. English also placed in 12th in the 200-yard individual medley.

Ramapo’s men finished fourth in the 400-yard freestyle relay with the team of Fox, Richter, Patierno, and Mike Waterhouse, who finished 17th in the 100-yard backstroke and 10th in the 100-yard

“The goal is to take the team to the top.

The guys turned the corner and acclerated through it. The women will take that step next year.”

- Gary Orr, head coach

butterfly. The men also raced in the championships final of the 200-yard freestyle relay with a sixth place finish.

Head Coach Gary Orr has been impressed with the strides the men have made in their second year of varsity competition. According to Orr, the men swam “out of their mind”, finishing with 473.5 points, more than doubling their 219 point tally last year.

“The goal is to take the team to the top,” Orr said.

“The guys turned the corner and accelerated through it. The women will take that step next year.”

The women’s squad took a step toward the top by

improving on their 11th place finish in 2009.

Freshman Brenda Slazyk helped the Roadrunners improve to 299 points by finishing 23rd in the CFinal of the 100-yard freestyle and 16th in the BFinal of both the 100-yard breaststroke and 100-yard butterfly.

Chelsey Neders closed out the C-Final of the 200yard freestyle in 18th and the 500 yard freestyle in 19th. Neders also qualified for the championship finals of the 1650-yard freestyle, where she finished 8th.

In the 200-yard breaststroke, Jenny Lo, Megan Robb and Lindsey Poandl all finished in the C-Final at 18th, 20th and 23rd, respectively. In the 200-yard backstroke, Lauren Morgan and Jaclyn Bondarenko fell just short of qualifying for finals with 26th and 27th place finishes.

The team consisting of Slazyk, Neders, Morgan and Lo finished eighth in the championship finals of the 400-yard freestyle relay.

Orr says his expectations coming into the season have been “exceeding on both sides,” and he has high hopes for the future of Ramapo’s swimming program.

“We’re going to be the best, if we take it one step at a time,” he said.

Orr observed that coaches from some of the top programs were speaking highly to him about Ramapo’s improvement this year.

“They both swam well. Both teams did the school proud,” he said. “Other teams who been there for a while took notice.”

United States Continues to Make Strong Showing in Vancouver

By MARISSA TORR Staff Writer

Since the 21st Winter Olympic Games began in Vancouver 13 days ago, there have been injuries, such as Lindsey Vonn crashing yesterday in the Giant Slalom and breaking her finger, as well as historic events, with Apolo Ohno winning his sixth and seventh medals to become the most decorated American Winter Olympian in history.

The United States leads the medal race with 26, seven gold, nine silver, and ten bronze. Germany is close behind though with 24 medals, while Norway is in third place with 18 medals.

The men’s ice hockey team kept on rolling after upsetting Canada 5-3 Sunday night. On Wednesday afternoon, they defeated Switzerland 2-0 in the playoff quarter-finals to advance to the semi-finals. They will face either the Czech Republic or Finland.

Both of the goals for the U.S. team were made by New Jersey Devils Zach Parise in the third period.

The first goal was on a power play after a penalty was called on Switzerland. The second goal was an empty netter. Ryan Miller, the goalie for Team U.S.A. had 19 saves in the game.

It was the second time that the U.S. played Switzerland this year and also the second time that the U.S. ended up victorious. This was the U.S. men’s team’s 19th shutout victory in Olympic history.

On Tuesday afternoon, Brett Camerota, Todd Lodwick, Johnny Spillane and Bill Demong brought home the silver medal for the United States in the 4x5 km CC Nordic Combined. They fell short of Austria by 5.2 seconds, finishing with a final time of 49:36.8.

A few hours later, Meryl Davis and Charlie White also won the silver medal for Figure Skating Free Dance. Their total score was 215.74, 5.83 points behind Canada.

The U.S. saw success last weekend also. Bode Miller took home the gold in the Men’s Super Combined Alpine Skiing on Sunday. His total time

photo courtesy of Creative Commons

Goalie Ryan Miller had 19 saves in the win over Switzerland.

was 2:44.92, besting Croatia’s Ivica Kostelic by .33 seconds.

Saturday was a successful day for United States athletes. Apolo Ohno won the bronze in the Men’s 1,000 m for Short Track Speed Skating. Korea placed first and second in the event within .054 seconds of each other, while Ohno was .381 seconds shy of first place.

Shani Davis took home the silver in the Men’s 1,500 meter for Speed Skating, .53 seconds short of the Netherland’s Mark Tuitert. Lindsey Vonn took home the bronze medal for Alpine Skiing Ladie’s Super-G, with a time of 1:20.88, .74 short of Austria in first place.

The men also took home medals in their Super-G for Alpine Skiing. Miller took home the silver medal this time falling just .28 seconds short of Norway’s Aksel Lund Svindal. Andrew Weibrecht took third place for the U.S., only .03 seconds behind Miller.

Evan Lysacek took home the gold in the Men’s Figure Skating competition. This was the first time an American won this event in 22 years. He finished with a total score of 257.67. The U.S. placed second and third in Snowboard Ladies’ Halfpipe. Hannah Teter placed second with a final score of 42.4, 2.6 shy of first place, while Kelly Clark scored 42.2.

With only a few days left in Vancouver, but still 26 medal events including the hockey championship and two more opportunities for Ohno to further his legacy, the U.S. looks to have continued success and hold onto their lead in the Olympics.

All-Star Weekend Proves to be a Slam Dunk

Page 15 The Ramapo News

Thursday, February 25, 2010

By KEVIN JOHNS ON Staff Writer

The Dallas Mavericks hosted the NBA All-Star Weekend, with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones at Cowboys Stadium hosted the events.

On Feb. 12, the league’s best young players took the floor. The Rookie Challenge is a game between the league’s best rookies and the best second year players, or sophomores. The sophomores have won the game every year since 2002, but this year saw the rookie team win 140-128.

Rookie Tyreke Evans took home the MVP with a performance of 26 points, six rebounds and five assists. His teammate DeJuan Blair also had an impressive performance by scoring 22 points and a Rookie Challenge record 23 rebounds.

Saturday night in Dallas featured an assortment of events.

In the second annual game of H.O.R.S.E., Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder successfully defended his title against challengers Rajon Rondo of the Boston Celtics and Omri Casspi of the Sacramento Kings.

The Shooting Stars Competition featured four teams of three players. Each team has an active NBA player, an active WNBA player and a former NBA player. The objective is for the team to make six difficult shots in the least amount of time. The Texas team, consisting of Dallas Maverick Dirk Nowitzki, San Antonio Silver Star Becky Hammon and former Houston Rocket Kenny Smith, defeated the Los Angeles team in the final.

Phoenix Suns star Steve Nash defeated Deron Williams of the Utah Jazz in the finals of the Skills Competition; Nash accepted the title for the second time in his career after winning in 2005. The day before, Nash represented his home country of Canada at the Winter Olympics as one of four Canadian athletes to light the Olympic cauldron in the opening ceremony.

Paul Pierce of the Boston Celtics, Chauncey Billups of

photo courtesy of Creative Commons

Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade won the All-Star gameʼs MVP award.

the Denver Nuggets and rookie Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors played in the final of the Three-Point Competition. Pierce came out victorious.

The main event of Saturday night was the Slam Dunk Contest. Nate Robinson returned to the event after winning

the competition in 2006 and 2009. The fans voted for the winner on NBA.com and by text message, and the winner was Robinson with 51 percent of the votes. Robinson is now the only player to win the title three times.

After an exciting two days leading up to Sunday night’s big game, the stage was set for the All-Star Game. More than 108,000 fans packed the stands at Cowboys Stadium, the largest crowd to ever see a basketball game.

The East and West were set to battle for supremacy in the NBA, but the West would have to play without the injured Kobe Bryant. The East got out to an early lead and dictated the pace of the game for the first half by outscoring the West in both quarters. The half was highlighted by amazing offensive spectacles; including spectacular dunks by center Dwight Howard and forward LeBron James. At halftime, the East went into the locker room with a 76-69 lead.

The third quarter appeared to be the end for the West, as the East pulled away to a 16 point lead. The West chipped away at the lead, and eventually tied the score at 137 with 1:05 left in the game. The East was fouled twice and the West was fouled once with less than 15 seconds remaining, and all their were made free throws. The West had the ball at the end of the game, down by two with only enough time for one shot. Forward Carmelo Anthony fired a three pointer for the win, but came up short, and the East won by the final score of 141-139.

Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat was voted the MVP of the game for his performance of 28 points, 11 assists and six rebounds.

The weekend was a great success as the city of Dallas proved to be an excellent host. The game next season will be hosted by the Los Angeles Lakers at their home court, the Staples Center.

The Tale of Tiger Woods: A Fallen Hero

By JAKE EDINGER Staff Writer

Tiger Woods is often regarded as the top athlete of his generation and there is even an argument that he is the greatest of all time. He has 14 major championship wins and is on pace to become the most winningest golfer of all time.

Although Woods has shown on the course that he can truly dominate. in recent news he has also shown the world that he is, in fact, human. From the numerous media scandals, to his infidelities off the course Tiger Woods has shown the public a side no one has seen or could even fathom existed until now.

On Feb. 19 Woods made a public apology, which aired on all the major television stations. Many have criticized Woods for being to “robotic” in his public apology, but throughout his career Woods has been more blunt to the media in order to maintain a private life for himself and his family. He was clearly uncomfortable admitting his vices and downfalls on national TV. Many interpreted Woods’ apology as sincere. Clearly, this man saw temptation in front of him and decided to accept it. He addressed his admission into rehab in his apology. A major part of his apology was about finding spirituality through Buddhism.

The question everybody is asking is how will the absence of Woods from golf and his eventual return will be perceived by the public. Performance-wise people must remember that Tiger Woods is the greatest golfer of his generation and will return to his dominant self.

Woods has dealt with many distractions throughout his career from his devastating knee injury during the 2008 season to the death of his father, and mentor, Earl Woods in 2006. Suspicions abound that Woods will return to golf in the beginning of the next year’s season and when

he does, he should be able to regain his spot as the top golfer. Although his return to golf should be nothing less then what is expected, some boos and a return to winning form, the real question is how will golf survive without its biggest marketing attraction.

The golf market is expected to see TV ratings dip and a decline in attendance at the tours. The biggest impact will be the void of a superstar left with the absence of Woods.

There are some candidates for a fill-in such as Phil Mickelson and much less known such as JB Holmes, Geoff Ogilvy, and the youngster Dustin Johnson.

The downfall of Tiger Woods once again reminds us that the professional athletes that we idolize are, in fact, human.

photo courtesy of Creative Commons

Woods is still unsure of when he will return to golf.

Although all are talented golfers, none of them bring the crowds like Woods. However, Woods’ absence from golf has one positive affect and that is the field of competition becomes more equal and instead of the field versus Tiger Woods, it will be much more competitive.

This will be especially interesting upon the return of Woods and may cause a rivalry between whoever captures the golf viewer’s hearts and Tiger.

The downfall of Tiger Woods once again reminds us that the professional athletes we idolize are, in fact, human. No matter what people believe these athletes are normal people who have great skill in a certain sport. Whatever Tiger Woods actions are off the golf course, people should not pass judgment on his play or deny the fact that we are all witnessing one of the greatest professional athletes of all time and because of this we should appreciate his play and not fixate on his personal choices.

RAMAPO SPORTS

SPIKE!

Roadrunners volleyball continue to dominate the competition. photo by Michael Jagendorf

Senior Matt Scott sets up sophomore Paul Konopacki for the spike in the volleyball match against Bard College on Feb. 18. The Roadrunners won 3-0.