The Montclarion 09/22

Montclair State Celebrates President Koppell's Investiture

Jennifer Portorreal News Editor

TheMontclair State University community gathered together on Thursday, Sept. 15, to honor the ninth president of the institution, Jonathan Kop pell, with an official presidential investiture. The main goal of the traditional ceremony was to celebrate and acknowledge the president's first year leading the university and his achievements.

The day started with a series of events including a campus fes tival with musical performances and speakers at the Amphithe ater. An open reception for stu dents, alumni, faculty and staff followed the ceremony outside of the Memorial Auditorium.

As part of the official instal lation, the university welcomed distinguished attendees, among them former presidents Susan Cole and Irvin Reid, presidents and representatives of other universities as well as local and county elected officials.

According to the university's spokesperson, Andrew Mees,

the presidential investiture is a historical and traditional event at Montclair State. Cole's inves titure took place in 1998.

"Virtually every university in the world has a ceremony to inaugurate a new president or chancellor," Mees said. "Some times they were called inaugu rations and sometimes investi tures.”

The Amphitheater section of the investiture began with open ing remarks from Faith Victor, a former student member of the Board of Trustees, followed by remarks from previous Mont clair State presidents.

Reid, who was president of Montclair State from 1989 to 1997, acknowledged the trans formation of the institution and congratulated Koppell on his most recent successes.

"Your vision of an inclusive cam pus will broaden the mandate of Montclair [State], to become New Jersey's premier public serving university and to earn national recognition as a model of 21st century higher educa tion," Reid said.

Invesiture

A Closer Look at Koppell's Academic Regalia

for its ninth president, Koppell.

For

Montclair State University's president, Jonathan Koppell, academic regalia will always be a staple in his ward robe.

On Sept. 15, Montclair State held a presidential investiture

Traditional formal regalia started all the way back in me dieval institutions. Back then, dressing in regalia was not sec ond nature for scholars on the rise. Over time, it became a way for educators to display their hard work through ceremonial attire.

For special officials like Kop

pell, this regalia is worn at all Montclair State commence ment ceremonies, convoca tions, honorary degree ceremo nies and official appearances at other schools.

Koppell explained that this at tire is connected to a bigger project within higher educa tion.

President Jonathan Koppell addresses the crowd attending the investiture festivities.

Lynise Olivacce | The Montclarion

Former and current Montclair State presidents walk down the red carpet to the presidential investiture.

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Investiture

Continued from Page 1

"You should be congratulated for giving such a prominent role to your students as a part of your investiture today."

Similarly to Reid, Cole also shared a few words to honor her successor and highlighted the importance of this day.

"First and foremost, today's ceremony is about the impor tance of higher education, and what the establishment and growth of universities across the world and over hundreds of years have contributed to the progress of humanity," Cole said. "Every member of this university community is individually and personally part of that history and heritage."

Hannah Cox, the assistant news director of the university's radio station, WMSC, inter viewed Cole after the ceremony. Cole said she is confident in her successor's leadership and shared some guidance she gave him last year.

estimated but always focused on its public purpose," Koppell said. "To day is a celebration of our power to do great things when we work col lectively, remembering that our des tinies are intertwined."

In his presidential speech, Koppell also shared his vision and plans for this institution.

"My goal is ultimately that every Montclair [State] student will have a public service experience as part of their education here and we will become [New Jersey's] premier pub lic service university," Koppell said.

Classes were officially canceled and the event was live-streamed at a Watch Party hosted at the Student Center to allow all students and fac ulty to be part of this iconic day.

Luciano Zeoli, a senior music edu cation major, decided to attend the event to hear some of the plans Kop pell has for the future.

"I just want to hear what [Kop pell] has to say," Zeoli said. "I want to hear what changes he is going to make for the school and I want to see how he can better the school."

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"A particular piece of advice that I gave him that would be that no president can do it alone," Cole said. "You have to build a strong team of talented people who know more than you do about a whole lot of things and give them room to develop their potential and their ideas."

The Amphitheater portion of the program concluded with a brief greeting from Koppell fol lowed by honor guards leading the academic session to Memo rial Auditorium, where Koppell was officially invested.

In his investiture address, Kop pell thanked the Montclair State community for their trust and unconditional support through out this past year.

Victoria Severino, a sophomore elementary education major, ex plained why it was important to par ticipate in the investiture ceremony.

"I like how we [are] all coming together today to show support," Severino said. "I feel that [canceling classes] is a great way to get every one, as a community, together."

Lorraine Thierry, a program as sistant in the office of residential life, said students play a big role in the evolution of the university and should be attending the presidential investiture.

"It's a new era in the university, so I believe that students should be a part of the change that is taking place and to be supportive of the new president," Thierry said.

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"It's been an incredible 12 months and an incredibly warm reception from day one," Koppell said. "And I'm incredibility grate ful for the confidence that all of you have so foolishly placed in me."

Koppell further explained the purpose of the investiture cer emony.

"This ceremony is a celebra tion of a vital institution that has been ambitious and pugnacious, confident and sometimes under

New Jersey Governor Phil Mur phy sent a video message where he expressed the impact of the univer sity and recognized that Koppell is a great leader for Montclair State.

"Montclair [State] has become an important resource for the State of New Jersey and beyond, providing a strong education for its students, the opportunity for social and eco nomic mobility and promoting the ideals of public service," Murphy said. "I am confident that [Koppell] is the right person to lead Montclair State at this moment and to contin ue its upward trajectory.”

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Lorraine Thierry, a program assistant for residence life, says the investiture represents a new era for Montclair State.

Michelle Coneo | The Montclarion

Luciano Zeoli, a senior music education major, explains how he wanted to be part of this historical day.

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Victoria Severino, a sophomore elementary education major, shares how she felt attending the investiture ceremony.

PHOTO ESSAY: Montclair State Honors Koppell's First Year of Presidency

Traffic and Parking: The Indignation of Commuters Once Again

Montclair State University stu dents are complaining about the parking services provided by the institution. Since the beginning of the fall academic term, the ex cessive traffic has become chaos for many commuters on campus.

Ayah Zaza, a senior public re lations major, says the amount of traffic at the university has been exhausting.

“This year I decided to pay [for parking] which I paid $426 for the Red Hawk Deck and I hate it because I have to go to level eight to find a parking [spot],” Zaza said. “It is crazy, it is busy, traf fic and everyone is fighting to get one spot. I drive 40 minutes to get here and [the] parking itself is like 10 to 15 minutes, if I’m lucky to get a parking [spot].”

Montclair State University hon ored the ninth president of Mont clair State, Jonathan Koppell, with a presidential investiture on Thursday, Sept. 15. This historic moment celebrated Koppell’s first year leading the university.

The day began with a campus festival that promoted different organizations and clubs.

At the opening of the inves titure, dancers performed at the Amphitheater.

The Student Government As sociation (SGA), speakers, presi dents and representatives of oth er universities, along with local and county elected officials, were led by Grand Marshal Sandra Adams, holding the university mace. Former presidents Susan Cole and Irvin Reid were also in attendance.

Later on that day, the formal investiture ceremony took place in Memorial Auditorium, where Koppell was then officially hon ored as Reid placed the universi ty-chained medallion on him.

The day closed off with a cam pus-wide reception following the ceremony.

Similar to Zaza, other commut ers on campus like Hunter Coe, a senior communication studies major, are echoing the same con cerns.

“The traffic is really bad and the parking [is] kind of [terrible],”

Coe said. “I actually decided not to have a parking pass. I park in my friend’s house who lives in Montclair and I walk here, so it is honestly [the] best case scenario.”

Students are not only wor ried about not finding parking or traffic issues. Many are also unhappy or dissatisfied with the parking prices, which is the case for Cameron Marino, a senior visual arts major.

“I’m always hesitant to buy a pass because of the price and I always thought it to be absurd for the amount of park ing that the university offers,” Marino said.

Claudia Nava, a senior jus tice studies major, says the parking chaos is affecting her daily routine.

“Lately I [have] to leave my house 30 minutes earlier be fore my class starts because it is chaotic in there and I have not bought a parking pass.

[Lot] 60 is where I have been parking and it's a tremendous walk to come here,” Nava said.

“The prices can be a little less

bit expensive especially for com muter students, but I also un derstand the university [has] to make money.”

Andrew Mees, the university spokesperson, said despite the increase in enrollment at the uni versity, there's still enough park ing spaces to accommodate all students, faculty and visitors.

"There are 6,200 available parking services on campus," Mees said. "During what can be considered a peak hours [from two to four p.m.], university facili ties can confirm that [there] have been a minimum of 800 available parking spaces throughout the campus, every day, since the se mester began."

Mees also explained the exces sive traffic is mainly caused by the geography of the Montclair State campus.

"Montclair [State] is surrounded by two-lane city streets and train tracks, is situated on a mountain and is bordered by a major high way," Mees said. "Those aspects of our location place limits on how traffic can flow and they are beyond the university's control."

Lynise Olivacce Photo Editor

A dancer performs at the Amphitheater. Lynise Olivacce | The Montclarion

People in the crowd shout as President Koppell comes to the podium to speak.

Karsten Englander | The Montclarion

Lynise Olivacce | The MontclarionGrand Marshal Sandra Adams holds the university mace as she leads people to the Amphitheater.

Jennifer Portorreal News Editor

People drive in front of the Dinallo Heights dormitory.

Lynise Olivacce | The Montclarion

Hunter Coe shares why he decided not to purchase a parking pass.

Jennifer Portorreal | The Montclarion

Ayah Zaza shares her opinion regarding the parking services.

Jennifer Portorreal |

The Montclarion

Jennifer Portorreal | The Montclarion

Jennifer Portorreal | The Montclarion

Claudia Nava says the traffic on campus is affecting her.

Cameron Marino says the parking prices are expensive.

A Closer Look at Koppell's Academic Regalia

Monkeypox: Montclair State Reacts

After the coronavirus (COVID-19) pan demic, many people were already on edge about germs and diseases. Habits formed during lockdown such as inces sant hand-washing and wearing masks everywhere still stick with some people to this day. So when the monkeypox virus began to make headlines, many Mont clair State University students became concerned.

The monkeypox virus has been circulat ing in the news over the past few months. While there hasn't been a pandemic-level concern for the virus, monkeypox was classified as a public health emergency by the World Health Organization over the summer.

The virus was discovered in the late 1950s within animals and then humans in the 1970s. It originated from portions of west and central Africa before becom ing detected in the United States in 2003.

The monkeypox virus is most com monly spread by making physical contact with someone else who may be infected through hugs, intercourse or the spread of germs from unclean clothing, bedding or towels. It may also be spread through the touch of infected animals.

The most common symptoms include rashes on the body along with flu-like symptoms, like a fever or excessive tired ness.

“When wearing these robes, we are connecting the work we do today to a project that began more than 1,000 years ago,” Koppell said. “That project is the advancement of humankind.”

Knowing that education is crucial in shaping a person's future, Koppell emphasized that wearing these robes symbolizes the ability to create change.

Koppell’s regalia walks through the milestones he’s achieved, like graduat ing from the University of California at Berkeley with a master's and a doctor ate in political science.

Starting at the top of the ensemble, Koppell wore an eight-sided doctoral tam (cap) and gold tassels.

This cap is a distinguished version of a traditional graduation cap. The doc toral tam shares the same velvet mate

rial as the traditional hood. This hood lays around the neck area and drops below the back.

“The hoods are descended from scholars that used to collect donations for people that supported their work,” Koppell said. “It was considered a nor mal thing that people would contribute to the work of scholars because it was useful for society.”

Today, the traditional hoods are used to represent where scholars received their diplomas. For Koppell, his hood, designed with black chevron and gold lining, symbolizes his new journey as president of Montclair State.

Koppell’s robe is tailored to size with custom Montclair State emblems. These emblems are sewn to the two gold-trimmed panels that sit in the middle of his chest. His bell sleeves hold an extra set of stripes on each

side.

When Koppell spoke for the first time at the investiture, he mentioned his ex tra set of stripes.

“The more stripes the better, that’s what I hear,” Koppell said.

While these stripes may be a sim ple design; it stands as a symbol of achievement and dedication. His aca demic regalia inspires others to join the fight for the advancement of hu mankind.

Koppell is still finding ways to fight new missions within the Montclair State community. His main goals are to push public service, community en gagement and student success.

When looking at these aspirations for the university, it is empowering to notice where it all started. Almost 114 years ago, Montclair State held its class of 100 students in College Hall.

That building, known today as Cole Hall, serves great significance to the Red Hawk community.

That building is now engraved in the university chained medallion and is worn by Koppell.

“In some ways, we are all linked to gether,” Koppell said. “It means that I’m a part of a bigger project in turning Montclair State into the university that the world needs today.”

This medallion along with the uni versity mace holds great significance. The mace is stamped with Montclair State's crest and is passed down from former president Susan Cole.

“All these things connect me and connect all of us to the generations that came before and I think that’s powerful,” Koppell said.

Since Sept. 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Preven tion's (CDC) website on the monkeypox virus, 661 cases have been reported in New Jersey, ranking it the eighth highest state in monkeypox cases.

While there have been no reported cas es on campus, members of the Montclair State community shared their insight on the situation. Joshua Klein, an adjunct professor in the public health depart ment, said he believes it is something to be concerned about, but it should not be a cause for greater worry.

"I think first and foremost, it's impor tant not to freak out [about monkeypox]," Klein said. "I know it's easy to freak out coming off of [COVID-19], but one thing we know about it is that this is not a gen erally life-threatening condition."

Klein went on to say how communica

tion is of the utmost importance when it relates to the virus and information re garding the vaccine.

"It sucks to have it, and that's why we want to communicate with our friends and partners if we're experiencing any outbreaks of things that look like mon keypox such as the rashes that appear as a cause of it," Klein said. "The vaccine efforts are well underway. It was off to a slow start, but we should trust the sys tem."

Social media and the lack of report ing on the virus have resulted in some feeling uninformed about monkeypox.

Madison Westenhiser, a sophomore film and television major, said the virus is not being discussed enough.

"I honestly have not heard that much about it," Westenhiser said. "I feel like it's not being talked about in today's age.

From what I've seen, I just know it's ter rible to have."

Westenhiser also pointed out some mis information she has come across online and the impact it may have on the general population.

"People were making jokes and false claims online that [monkeypox] only af fects gay men and if it were only straight people getting the disease, then maybe this would have had a vaccine sooner," Westenhiser said. "I honestly feel like we should be more educated on it, specifi cally with how it's transferred from one to another."

Emil Sanchez, a sophomore psychol ogy major, emphasized the idea of people protecting themselves.

"In general, people just need to protect themselves from it," Sanchez said. "Just being aware of their surroundings and

what's close to them."

It is important to follow the correct protocols and listen to professionals who understand the virus and its capa bilities.

Tanis Rivera Lepore, a sophomore un decided, shared a tip she heard regard ing monkeypox and how to prevent it from spreading to others.

"In order to keep yourself safe since [monkeypox] is not a respiratory virus, it's more like if you rub against some body who has an open wound, you could get infected, I've heard to wear long pants and long sleeves around those who may have it since there is less of a chance that you'll get it," Lepore said.

For more information on monkeypox, visit the CDC website.

President Jonathan Koppell speaks to the crowd at the Amphitheater.

President Koppell wears the university chain medallion.

Joshua Klein, an adjunct public health professor, says monkey pox should not be a reason to panic.

Lynise Olivacce | The Montclarion

The Office of Health Promotion offers medical services to students.

Megan Lim | The Montclarion

Lynise Olivacce | The Montclarion

Aidan Ivers Staff Writer

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Grand Marshal Sandra Adams leads the procession while holding the mace.

Lynise Olivacce | The Montclarion

Victor Muniz Rosa: Reporting for Change

in the 11th grade, and at first, he thought that the storm would be just like any oth er.

Debris was strewn across the street.

No electricity and running water for weeks on end. Homes and businesses were de stroyed. A town completely devastated by a hurricane like no other.

This is what Victor Muniz Rosa, a se nior journalism and digital media major at Montclair State University, woke up to after Hurricane Maria tore through his hometown in Puerto Rico.

Muniz recalled how he and his dad had to remove trees from the roads just so that they could see his grandparents, who lived a mere three minutes away.

“I went with my dad because my dad had a pretty big truck, and we started clearing the roads because he wanted to see how my grandparents were doing be cause I lived close to [them], three minutes [away],” Muniz said.

Experiences like these are what make Muniz a proud Puerto Rican, and the person he is today. From growing up in a town right outside San Juan to leading Latin American programming at Montclair State’s radio station, Muniz has made quite the journey.

Muniz was raised in Gurabo, Puerto Rico, a town near the capital of the island. He lived a mostly normal childhood- he played sports, did Boy Scouts and watched movies. Lots of movies.

“Since I was a little kid, I loved mov ies and I thought I was [going to] become a movie director,” Muniz said, smiling at the memory.

Things were great until Hurricane Ma ria came to the island in 2017. Muniz was

“[I thought it would be] the equiva lent of a snow day [in New Jersey],” Mu niz said. “You know that you didn't have school, but you could still go out. There was electricity, it was normal. But when Hurricane Maria hit, I thought the same thing. I was like, 'Ah, whatever, day off of school,' [and] I went to sleep.”

When Muniz woke up, his hometown was unrecognizable. Gurabo was with out running water for almost a month, and without electricity for two months. Houses without roofs were covered in blue tarps for years.

“I remember every detail,” Muniz said. “Imagine everything is normal here. And then all of a sudden you wake up, there's water in your house because of the floods. And then when you get outside, you see everything is in ruins.”

On top of dealing with a natural disas ter, Muniz had to deal with something even more tragic. A little over a month later, Muniz lost his father to cancer.

Before he passed, however, Muniz’s father gave him some last advice that served as a wake-up call for Muniz.

“What really drove me is those last words he told me,” Muniz said. “'Follow your dreams and study, so you can have a base on something, anything, so you can keep going and progress.'”

Muniz went out looking for his pas sion. Although he enjoyed movies, he didn’t see himself in the entertainment industry.

“It was a very hard time, but at the same time that really woke up something in me,” Muniz said. “I need to progress

and get out and do what I have to. I need to do something with my life.”

Muniz’s answer came to him via the Boy Scouts. He completed a journalism badge training course through them, and that’s when Muniz knew what his life’s passion was.

Muniz attended a journalism training camp, where he received an opportu nity of a lifetime. Along with two other reporters, he published an article in one of Puerto Rico’s biggest newspapers, "El Nuevo Dia."

With this article, Muniz realized how he wanted to help make a change in com munities.

“My first article was about a community who wanted to take an abandoned school and turn it into a cultural center where they did dance lessons,” Muniz said. “[In] 2021, I [went] back to that place and they made it into what they wanted it to do. I added something to that, and I helped that happen.”

Muniz originally attended the Univer sity of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus in San Juan for three years before hear ing about an exchange program from a friend. From there, he made his decision to come to Montclair State.

Once arriving, Muniz found WMSC, the award-winning campus radio station. He made two important connections within the station, Anandaji Cruz Rosario and Kimberllyn "Olive" Oliveira.

Cruz Rosario, a senior communication and media arts and Spanish double ma jor, was the first person Muniz talked to upon joining the station. She invited him to the station’s two shows about Latin American news and pop culture, "Aqui Planeta Tierra" and "Sin Limites".

“It was awesome because I saw his passion, especially because he literally just came from Puerto Rico,” Cruz Ro sario said. “Any interviews that I got, I would also share with him [and he] would do an amazing job. [He] would make it personable in [his] own way."

Today, Muniz now hosts "Aqui Planeta Tierra" along with his co-host Darian Mozo. He invites guests and discusses Latinx news, music, entertainment and pop culture. He and Mozo also run an Instagram page where they do man-onthe-street interviews.

"Aqui Planeta Tierra" is also where he developed a deep connection with Oliveira, who just graduated from Mont clair State this past spring. Oliveira gave some valuable insight into what makes Muniz such a good Latinx journalist.

“He does fully embody being that voice because he is such a proud Puerto Ri can man,” Oliveira said. “It specializes our experiences. So I think for him to be on the radio is really special because he can be that voice for other students like him that are coming from the out side, that don't necessarily have a con nection.”

While Muniz doesn’t know where ex actly he’s going next, he knows he wants to be making an impact for those who need it, as he did with his first article in "El Nuevo Dia."

“I want to help communities,” Muniz said. “And the best way I can do that is by being a journalist, being a voice for those marginalized groups and that in cludes Latinos.”

Victor Muniz

Sal DiMaggio | The Montclarion

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Editor

What is your favorite childhood memory?

By Lynise Olivacce Photo Editor

“It would have to be when I got the whole Harry Potter series for my birthday. It was like the end of the school year and I got honor roll and I was so happy.”

“Probably seeing my firstborn brother for the first time [because] he was my first sibling. When my first brother was born I remember coming home, I thought he was in the crib, but he wasn't I ran right past him and he wasn’t in the crib, he was on the bed.”

“A key memory that comes to mind was just sitting on the beach making sandcastles and eating cotton candy.”

“When I went to Veter ans Park with my dad on Father's Day. We were with a group of dads with their sons so that was really fun.”

“Going to the Philippines every summer with my grandma. When I [would] go there I would have like my very big fam ily to welcome me. We would have like all-night parties. Seeing the nature and the culture and the landscape really stuck with me.”

Selena Dahdouh Sophomore Biochemistry

Lynise Olivacce | The Montclarion

“Growing up with my brother, he’s two years younger than me. So we basically grew up together. My brother and I just did a bunch of stuff and my brother and I just played everywhere. We had this amazing playground where we used to live and it was a good time.

Sophia Lellos Freshman Undecided

Rosaly Santos Sophomore Marine Biology and Coastal Sciences

Sophia De Andrade Senior Pyschology

Samantha Aramboles Freshman Psychology

Lynise Olivacce

Montclarion

Lynise Olivacce | The Montclarion

Elijah Davis Sophomore Acting

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Help Wanted

Babysitting Job

Seeking babysitter for occasional weeknight evening school-related events (1-2x/month) and weekend date nights (ideally 2x/month).

Located in Upper Montclair, children are an active 7 yo boy and sassy 3 yo girl. Must be comfortable with a large puppy who might need 1-2 walks. Kids need a confident and kind sitter who is willing to do everything from play sports to play Barbies.

Please text 410.707.0128 if interested. References requested; vaccination required

Babysitting Job

Clifton, NJ - Looking to hire a part-time babysitter for 2 kids (12 and almost 10) to pick up from schools on Tuesdays and sporadic Wednesdays from 2:30pm to approx. 6:30/7pm. Must have a license and reliable transportation. Schools are nearby. Helping with Homework and fixing dinner. Preferably vaccinated, non-smoker, ok with cats (we have one) and flexible if other days/times are needed.

Please send an email with a brief description of yourself to Jeanette572@gmail.com. Will pay hourly via Venmo or Zelle.

The Montclarion Crossword Puzzle and More!

2022 Music Releases Edition

Across

4. This Doja Cat song was on the soundtrack of the “Elvis” biopic.

6. This artist’s song “Stick Season” gained popularity on TikTok.

7. This is the titular track of Lizzo’s latest album.

8. This artist released her debut album this year, featuring songs like “Chaotic” and “Boy X.”

Sudoku

Down

1. The name of Harry Styles’ latest album.

2. The name of Taylor Swift’s upcoming album being released on October 21.

3. This artist released new music this year, including “Break My Soul.”

5. This artist gained popularity with his song “Bad Habit.”

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Thanks for a Great Year President Koppell, Now Let's Get to Work

LastThursday, students and staff were granted the day off from classes to celebrate and attend the investiture of Montclair State University President Jonathan Koppell. We are thrilled to see the future of Montclair State and what Koppell can do.

With the celebration of this new milestone, here are our suggestions for the future of our beloved institution.

As we use our voices over social media, writing articles and speaking publically, we don’t want to just be heard, we want to have a conversation.

Students at Montclair State didn’t feel a strong connection with former president Susan Cole.

It’s not just about provid ing students a chance to be

Campus

Voices:

heard by the administration, but actually, conversing back and working together to better the school. We are not playing against each other, we are a team. Having more of a con nection with students and cre ating an environment where students, staff, faculty and ad ministration are more connect ed is key to a better Montclair State.

We hope Koppell not only listens to us as students but en gages with us. So far it seems that he is very open to this, and that attitude should remain for the rest of his tenure as presi dent.

Speaking of communica tion, we also ask that the ad ministration improve the inner workings of student services. It feels as if every time you have to contact Red Hawk Central, your problem is passed from one person to another with all the communication in between being put on you, the student.

We encourage Koppell to take a look at the intricacies of the Montclair State’s adminis tration and fill in those holes.

It would make the student ex perience that much better.

An example of this is the team that tackles the difficult but imperative task of Title IX cases. Not too sure if Kop pell can call up the numbers of Panera and Dunkin’ em ployees on campus, but cur rently Montclair State only has two Title IX coordinators.

For a university that educates over 20,000 students a year, we need to have adequate re sources for such a large body.

This lack of staff may be a result of the nationwide la bor shortage. However, Mont clair State accepted its larg est group of students yet this semester. Hopefully, some of those extra funds can go to ward creating new positions and hiring.

There needs to be more

faculty and administrators not only to fulfill the needs of the students, but to ensure the safety of those students as well.

Koppell has claimed he wants to work toward making Mont clair State a public service in stitution.

That seems like a fantastic idea. However, what does that mean for us as a student body? How do we fit into this?

The most newsworthy action that Montclair State took in the name of public service was fi nancially assisting neighboring institution Bloomfield College back in March.

This move did save Bloom field College from closing its doors for good, which is com mendable on Montclair State’s part. But the whole thing felt very far removed from stu dents.

For many of us, these years are the last of our education before we head off into the world, and we’d like it to be the

best it can be.

Koppell did give us a glimpse of his plans for student involve ment in his Presidential Inves titure speech.

“My goal is ultimately that every Montclair [State] student will have a public service expe rience as part of their educa tion here and we will become [New Jersey’s] premier public service university,” Koppell said.

Well, let’s start that goal now.

This is a valiant initiative for Montclair State to take on and we, as students, want to help.

Overall, students are ready to enter a new era at Montclair State with Koppell and we can’t wait to see what the future holds. Maybe that future even has better working conditions for the poor Panera workers trying to get 40 orders ready at a time, but only time will tell.

The Degradation of Female Celebrities Needs To Stop

Sofia Valen cia Acevedo Assistant Opinion Editor

Some

might raise the ar gument that by becom

ing a celebrity, a person gives up certain privacy and autonomy over their life.

While that might have some truth to it, no one deserves to be exposed and dragged through the mud while they’re going through a difficult time. As of late, Cara Delevingne has been in the eye of the storm.

Last week, the 30-year-old model and actress was seen acting strange ly as she made her way to Van Nuys Airport in Los Angeles. Footage and photographs show Delevingne with out shoes on and behaving quite odd ly as she boarded the plane with her team. However, something occurred that caused them to exit the plane and leave the airport in a black SUV.

What broke the camel’s back was actress Margot Robbie, a close friend of Delevingne, leaving the British star’s home visibly distraught. There are talks in the tabloids of an al leged mental health and substance abuse intervention for Delevingne.

Now that we have some context, enough gossip talk. As much of a me dia consumer as I am, educating my self to write about pop culture was particularly hard. Delevingne’s media coverage is absolutely disgusting and it turns my stomach upside down.

As uncomfortable as it makes me, I cannot turn a blind eye to the constant mistreatment of women coping with

mental health issues. I feel like seeing these kinds of things happening has be come so normalized that we don’t even think to react anymore. I decided to shed light on it because this is not the first or the last time it’s going to happen.

People give their unnecessary opin ion about how famous women should behave when they’re disrespected, drop some pounds, give their abuser a chance, answer highly personal and uncomfort able questions, smile and perform as they’re told in their little golden cage.

In Delevingne’s case, she has been in the modeling industry since she was 10-years-old, but was officially signed into a modeling agency when she was 17. She was struggling with severe anxiety and depression at the time, according to Harper Bazaar.

In an age where everyone has no idea what they’re doing, I can only imagine

how overwhelmed Delevingne must have felt with cameras following her around, doing things that she might not want to do, all while having the me dia’s critical eye on her the whole time.

In a field of work that expects the impossibility of perfection, aspiring models could be subjecting themselves to anxiety, depression, eating disorders, sexual harassment and financial mis treatment, to only name a few mishaps.

The more a celebrity seems to be making a spectacle of themselves, the more the media enjoys getting a kick out of it. Delevingne is being ridiculed at an extremely difficult time in her life. This is what countless tabloids have done to female celebrities over the years, especially because wom en are often held to a higher stan dard than their male counterparts.

Emotional women are a circus, a show

you do not want to miss, a loose cannon that will be a good headline and sell be cause the media sees women objects. They lay themselves bare for the world to pick and take until there’s nothing left.

Buzzfeed has made a compila tion of 15 well-known female celebri ties that have been abused by the me dia. I can assure you those are only some examples of the plethora of women that had to come close to mov ing heaven and Earth to try to put a stop to the mistreatment against them.

Still, all people in the public eye must bear the burden of being con stantly observed, critiqued and shamed for acting of their own free will. We often forget celebrities are still hu man beings that make mistakes that feel and hurt just like the rest of us.

Our culture has pushed us into thinking that materialistic things and consumerism are the way to achieve happiness. While the goods you are buying could alleviate your negative emotions, they won’t outweigh the in ternal turmoil you’re experiencing.

Despite all the riches and fame that come with stardom, famous people are individuals that shouldn’t be put on a pedestal because be lieve it or not, they struggle, too.

SofiaAcevedoValencia,asophomorepoliticalscience major,isinherfirstyearastheassistantopinionedi tor for The Montclarion.

Mental Illness in Collge and How I Persevere

Avery Nixon Opinion Editor

Itfeels as if my future is predeter mined by something other than my hard work and accomplishments.

It feels like I could work as hard as I can, get involved in everything possible, be a model student and still end up a total failure.

It feels like I’m just waiting for the day I crack and lose myself for good.

Why do I feel this way? Why do I feel like such a disaster despite win ning awards, having a strong resume, making tons of friends and going above and beyond the typical college student?

I feel this way because of the chemical imbalances in my brain that have left me with depression, attention deficit disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and a plethora of other issues.

It’s the second week of school and I have cried more times than I can count.

cells and watching Eric Cartman say ev ery offensive thing known to man 24/7. Because of my love and respect for my roommate, I always decide to keep on going and power through the depres sion, only watching “South Park” every single night rather than the entire day.

Struggling with mental illness in college can be one of the most difficult things in life. We’re on our own for the first time, a career and adulthood are creeping up on us and we have a con stant workload that piles up.

Once I’m feeling good and produc tive, I tackle my next obstacle: doing my work.

For me, battling depression is most ly pushing myself to do things and hav ing to constantly tell myself that once I do them, I’ll feel much better. It’s a good idea to set a day and time to do all your work so you can enjoy the rest of your week.

As for my other responsibilities, The Montclarion and Her Campus, I have to remind myself that these are the best things to ever happen to me and I’d be devastated if I wasn’t involved in them.

Honestly, The Montclarion saved me during my freshman year and I’m sure it’ll save me again in the future.

I know I will probably slip into de pression again. My mental health is like a cycle for me. While the duration of my good and bad periods is unknown, I know there’s a possibility of it happen ing all over again.

By Katie Lawrence

“I think that he can make sure that the more cultural side of Montclair State University is represented, whether that be through our voices, whether that be through physical representation. I feel like a lot of different cultural organizations, different cultures of people and stuff on campus aren’t really represented as much… and feel like he can bring to light the diversity that Montclair State has to offer.”

“I think that [Koppell] can improve upon the liv ing qualities of the dorms because some dorms don’t have air conditioning at all. Or not easy ac cess to elevators or fresh air. And it’s tough liv ing with a bunch of new people and it’s tougher when you’re not accommodated for.”

“I think that he could improve the dining hall conditions.”

On top of that, I hold high positions as the opinion editor for The Montclarion and vice president of Her Campus. Truthfully, I have contemplated quitting all of the activities I’m involved in. As much as I love everything I do, some times I just feel as if I’m not cut out for it and I’d be better off rotting away in my bed watching “South Park.”

It’s still a hard thing to get through and persevere. I feel like no matter what I do, I will always be mentally ill. I’ll al ways have panic attacks over literally nothing, believe everyone hates me, be detached from reality and struggle to get back into it.

I know this isn’t a unique situation.

So, how do people struggling with mental illness overcome it?

In my situation, it’s a genetic condi tion that makes me feel this way. I go to a psychiatrist and take medication, but I’m aware not everyone can access healthcare or professional help.

But I also know that I will pick my self up out of it and find myself however many times I have to.

I hope that anyone who is struggling can pick themselves up too.

Edith Wamsley Fashion Studies and Merchandising Freshman Jay Sanders Psychology and Medical Humanities Senior

My poor roommate, Krisha Ravishan kar, hates “South Park,” and for a good reason, it is a horrific show. I doubt she would enjoy seeing me losing brain

Tons of other students feel the exact same way. That is why I believe it’s im portant to tell my story because I have beaten depression numerous times and continue to fight it today.

After medical treatment, I repeat edly do the same few things that get my head on straight. I typically try cleaning my room so it’s a calm and relaxing en vironment, eating healthier, having spa days to treat myself and writing, like I am doing right now.

The last thing that gets me through it all was something my high school English teacher, Mr. Horn, said to our class on the first day of my sophomore year, “Don’t pick a permanent solution to a temporary problem.”

I will never forget that.

AveryNixon,asophomorefilmandtelevision major,isinherfirstyearasOpinionEditorforThe Montclarion.

Jillian Scheef | The Montclarion

Sophia Capparros | The Montclarion

Nicky Vidal | The Montclarion

What do you think President Koppell can improve on?

Montclair State's Suprising Discriminatory Policy For Religious Students

Ekaterina Zelenin Staff Writer

By Alex Pavljuk

In

the interests of protecting costs and, allegedly, its vaccinated stu dents, Montclair State University has established some discriminatory policies.

Let’s not beat around the bush and pretend like I did not previously write in support of vaccinations. But let me be clear, I am not an advo cate for forcing the coronavirus (CO VID-19) vaccine and its boosters.

As a pro-life Christian adult, I should have the right to refuse a vaccine devel oped from aborted fetus cells HEK-293 and PER.C6 that were used to create cell lines, as documented by Health.ND.Gov.

As students are well aware, Montclair State’s vaccine policy is pretty rigid and one might say positively militant when it comes to all vaccinations; as it should be.

Though I do generally endorse vac cine regulations, I do not agree with forcing or establishing discrimina tory policies on individuals that are reluctant or defiant against them.

However, my main issue is not regard ing the push for the COVID-19 vaccine, though that poses its own set of issues.

My main problem with Montclair State is the university has now made a clear pref erence toward medical exemptions from the COVID-19 vaccines over religious exemptions, which it equally allows.

Montclair State’s policy states while unvaccinated students who are medically

exempt can still reside in dorms, those who are religiously exempt cannot.

Alongside this policy, Montclair State also poses limitations on the reli giously exempt students’ participation in extracurricular activities stating, “students with approved religious ex emptions will have limitations regard ing their participation in high-contact activities, such as intercollegiate ath letics, club sports, performing arts, clinical placements, or externships.”

I understand that the policies are enacted to protect other students, but medically exempt students are still li able to infect others as much as reli giously exempt students are. As an un vaccinated student, I would have fewer issues with the new policy if all unvac cinated students were not allowed to

participate in sports or live on campus.

But the fact that the university has made a distinction and does not offer housing or sports to religiously exempt students like those who are medically ex empt, comes across as though the poli cymakers at Montclair State have a clear preference for the medical exemption.

If the school is concerned about the spread of COVID-19, then there should not have been a distinction between the reasons for being unvaccinated, but rather whether one is vaccinated or not.

So I ask the university, why did you choose to limit access to those who are religiously exempt but not to those who are medically? Are our religious beliefs less important than our physical health? And what happens to students who were out of state with religious ex

emptions and are now forced to trans fer and potentially lose a lot of their credits? Will they be compensated?

I would love to hear back from our school administration. But for now, I will simply sit back and appreciate the fact that I am a commuter and do not have to face the fact that refus ing the COVID-19 vaccine can result in me losing my academic privilege.

EkaterinaZelenin,aseniorpublicrelationsmajor, isinherthirdyearas astaffwriterforThe Montclarion.

Yes, Rap And Rock Are Rotting Your Brain

Anthony Foster Guest Writer

Drugs, murder, objectification: these are the tools of the trade for many rappers and rock n’ rollers of our culture.

It should not be surprising when, af ter listening to certain music, women feel more self-conscious, men feel more materialistic and everyone is more open to violence.

We are right to be skeptical of broad criticisms of rap. They might be rooted in racism or eurocentrism, as has hap pened in the past. But these criticisms transcend past one genre of music.

All aggressive music, all music that illustrates misogyny or materialism will affect you. Rap and rock tend to carry these themes.

Unfortunately, the pious, religious right use and oversimplify these facts. They condemn rock as the “Devil’s Mu sic.” Conservative commentator Bill O’Reilly says rap steals children away from religion, even as clergy scandals should scare any sensible parent away.

Music moves us to dance, to tap, to jive, to drum. It can make us cheerful, pull at our heartstrings and put us in drive. It activates parts of the brain as sociated with food, sex and drugs. Mu sic therapy is the application of music to treat depression, reduce stress, and

other usefulnesses. But if music can help us with self-esteem or relax us, couldn’t it also harm us?

Studies heavily suggest that fact. In one study, 46 boys were divided into three groups. One group would sit in si lence. Another group would watch nonviolent music videos. The last group would watch violent music videos.

Those who watched violent music videos were more accepting of violence. They also reported higher levels of will ingness to be violent.

Sociologist Simon Frith argues mu sic might not necessarily make the lis tener more hostile, but rather make the listener excited about the thought of be ing in a negative emotional state. Thus,

music genres associated with negative themes may influence the mind to per ceive aggressive emotions as an enter taining stimulation, rather than cause an observable change in behavior. This could explain why the boys reported be ing more eager for violence after the ag gressive music. Frith was knighted for his contributions to higher education in 2017.

But Frith’s claims don’t hold water when compared to other studies. Not only do those in studies report people being more accepting and willing to commit aggressive acts, but they com mit more aggressive acts.

It is a matter of debate whether longterm exposure to aggressive music can

in turn make you a more aggressive person. But it stands to reason if you surround yourself with music that pro vides a roadmap for violence and objec tification; you might just find yourself walking there.

Interestingly, women who listened to hip-hop music reported increased self-objectification, responding more to “I am my body.” Which makes sense if you’ve ever seen “Anaconda” by Nicki Minaj. Rock and hip-hop share a dis turbing pastime of degrading women.

I’m well aware no matter what I say we’re still going to listen to our Swed ish death metal, gangster rap or what ever you listen to. I do too.

And we must acknowledge some music has a reason to be violent. Much of rap reflects and criticizes the condi tions minorities are subjected to. Child ish Gambino’s “This is America” music video is particularly violent but sends an important message.

The voice, which once was strapped to the front of an irate and shabbily constructed rocketship damned to fall back into Earth’s orbit, somehow, by some spiteful miracle of a hilarious God, was now surrounded by the shrapnel of his vessel as he floated beyond the abyss of ethereal matter.

He moved slowly but unstoppably toward the vial unknown. Would the cold, lack of oxygen or mournful wisecracks that fell only on his own ears be the death of this third-string astronaut?

The stars, which twinkled their ancient dances, glowed ominously in this ever-ex panding suspension of perceivable nothingness. The nearest star to set him on fire? 4.2 lightyears away. Mars? No shot of salvation there, that’s 81 million miles away. Well, one can suppose 79 million now, and any odds of an asteroid blowing him to bits? One in oblivion.

For now, what was certain was eventual suffocation days from now when the life support finally puffed its last breath. The astronaut sighed deeply, the static of his radio still bled into his ears.

“Well, at least I’m not spinning,” he said softly to himself.

That was until a bright light cut through his helmet’s visor and a small but mighty spaceship blew by him resulting in the spinning he had, up to that point, managed to avoid narrowly.

The astronaut settled his rotation and watched the rocketship move and maneuver at incalculable speeds. It twisted, turned, flipped and whizzed around the vacuum of empty space. They say that there was no sound in space but you’d be fooled into thinking that a thousand fighter jets buzzed by. The ship flew in circles around the astronaut as the light illuminated from the center of the universe and crested over the front of the ship like a blood orange wave at sunset off the coast of Cape Cod.

Stunned and lost in this transcendental fever dream the astronaut raised his hand and waved at the starship which was now pulling up next to him.

The astronaut stared back at his reflection in the glass of the ship for a moment before the window lowered revealing what looked like a humanoid man adorned in the dress of an early 1900s biplane pilot listening to “Seaside Woman” by Linda Mc Cartney. The star-man lifted his goggles revealing pale rings around his eyes.

“Even aliens get sunburned,” the astronaut thought to himself. The stranger’s pupils were purple and his teeth were sharp as he smiled and waved back at the lost space man.

“I’m heading to Mars, need a ride?”

I Am An Organic Being

By Abbigail Erbacher

I grow from the earth the way the trees grow their branches

my extremities growing from the same roots as my mothers and her mothers before her

I extend out, breaking through concrete, unapologetically organic man-made prisons serve earthly beings no purpose. they are built to be broke from as my ancestors broke from theirs, as I continue to break from mine I am organic,

my ideas flow from my roots to the paper flesh that lies strewn about a slabbed desk.

Wheel of Fortune

By Luke Cadman

In the year 2701, all elements of chance and decision were made illegal by the Bu reau of a Brighter Tomorrow under the assumption that the seemingly random and irregular flow of fortune, misfortune and anything in between was unhealthy and un necessarily stressful to citizens. Henceforth, all elements of chance would be deter mined through an unbiased, infallible system that would be assumed to be infallible because of its incredibly complex structure that the layman would be entirely unable to understand. If the average Joe could understand their decisions then they, there fore, would be able to make their own with 100% accuracy, and this simply wasn’t the case. And so, with some reluctance at what was obviously for their own good, the populace accepted the system, which would be officially named “PathFinder,” into their lives.

The first issue that was immediately run into was the egregious habit of the weather refusing to decide what it wanted to do. With the removal of chance, weathermen found they could no longer rely on ambiguous answers such as “a 40 percent chance of rain” or “between 2 to 4 inches of snow”. This was of course rather pesky as mother Earth had either not gotten the message or had chosen to ignore it, and even after a lengthy discussion, the top sociologists in the field had sat down and calmly explained that it would be in everyone’s best interest, itself included, to play ball. The weather still seemed to be determined by chance rather than logic. After much hemming and hawing, PathFinder made the decision that a young upstart would invent a weather control device, and thereupon a decision was made and a 10-year forecast was released to the public. Thus the chance of being caught with out a jacket in the middle of a thunderstorm was removed from the layman’s life, and the world rejoiced.

Besides this, doctors ran into issues as well, as there was no more chance for people to get diseases. Instead, the decision was made by PathFinder through a series of calculations of an unimaginable magnitude. Now, doctors simply read from a moni tor and told patients what treatment had been decided for them. If an individual had cancer but was decided to be healthy then the illness would be treated swiftly and efficiently, as cure-alls had been discovered decades prior. If a healthy individual decided to have an illness then it would be implanted into their body artificially, regardless of circumstance. A rather famous example was of a boy by the name of Adam Aguanno, who at the age of four decided to have a degenerative muscular disease. This was achieved through the use of groundbreaking genetic manipula tion, and while no one was particularly happy about it, the individuals involved were spared the turmoil of being unable to decide why their son had been cursed as such, whether it be God, fate or anything in between. Instead, they could be reassured that a third party had deemed it as the best possible decision, and could therefore relieve themselves of the burden of unfounded and undirected anger.

There were, of course, dissenters who found issues in PathFinder’s decisions. One individual, by the name of Collin Apgar, had a habit of having bacon and eggs for breakfast. Before PathFinder’s arrival, he had been having bacon and eggs for breakfast every day for the last five years. One morning, shortly after PathFinder’s arrival, he woke to discover the decision had been made for him to enjoy a nice bowl of cereal for breakfast. He, for reasons unknown to any sane and logical system, ignored this directive and instead made his signature bacon and eggs. Elsewhere, a world-famous painter, Piero Lopez Rodriguez-Gaona, was told it had been decided that he would quit all artistic endeavors and henceforth would be working as a sani tation expert in a nearby high school. This decision was, for unknown reasons, dis regarded without so much as a second thought.

These individuals, and innumerable others, who chose to ignore what was so obvi ously for their own good, were promptly taken out back and shot for the public well being, and the world continued to turn on its predetermined course.

AnthonyFoster,afreshmanfilmandpublicpolicy major,isinhisfirstyearasaguestwriterforThe Montclarion.

made from those that came before me and used by those after me life isn’t linear nor are the stems that break through the soil on which horizons are built on which empires rise and fall but earth stays forever.

We walk on the same ground as thousands before us and yet treat the earth as mundane.

When in actuality, it is the only absolute.

Jillian Scheef | The Montclarion

Jack Neblung | The Montclarion

Ground Control

“Grou…Ground…Ground Contr…Control…Ground Control, Can you…Can you hear me?”

“The Octopus’ Garden Episode: 2” - Sophia Caparros

“Godzilla’s Destruction” - Maxwell Best

“Peyton The Cat” - Nicky Vidal

“Skywalker” - Maxwell Best

“Spotted Lattern Fly, Kill On Sight” - Hannah Effinger

‘Barbarian’ Is a Breath of Fresh, Horrifying Air

Choice

Written by its leading men Mark Du plass and Patrick Brice, “Creep” is a “found footage” thriller you’ll never forget. Aaron (Brice) gets a videographer job from a man named Josef (Duplass). Their story starts out with Aaron sent off to the middle of nowhere to film this man.

Mia Goth Is Back in Ti West’s ‘Pearl’

Hannah Effinger Production Editor

Mia Goth is back and bloodier than ever, reprising her role of Pearl in the second installment of Ti West’s “X” trilogy.

If you haven’t seen “X,” there are some light spoilers in here, so go watch it before you read this.

“Pearl” begins in 1918, 61 years be fore the events of “X;” with our favorite bag-of-bones murderer in her youth, back on the farm and waiting for her husband to return from war.

We follow her throughout her daily responsibilities, taking care of her sickly father, tending to the farm, attempting to please her mother and reprising the silly, little dance she does during “X.”

Pearl takes on the difficult chal lenge of being a murderer as well as a daughter with both mommy and daddy issues; as she is desperate to leave her home to flee her controlling mother and immobile father. She finds solace in the theater (and its Projectionist) and the chance to become a traveling dancer with the church, refusing to let anything stand in her way from becom ing a star and leaving a trail of carnage in her wake.

At the end of its first official day in theaters, “Pearl” was at 83% on Rotten Tomatoes, slightly underperforming its predecessor, “X,” which remains one of the highest-rated horror films of the year thus far, still sitting at 94% on Rot ten Tomatoes.

Prequels are often more difficult to pull off than sequels, and though “Pearl” holds its own, it’s not as enter taining as “X.” At points, it feels like the plot of “Pearl” was cut short since it has to line up with the rest of the timeline. But overall, it was a little bit too predictable for me – you don’t learn much that you wouldn’t have been able to infer from how Pearl acts in the first

film, and every kill is heavily foreshad owed throughout the movie.

This isn’t to say that I didn’t like the film. I did. Goth is absolutely perfect for this role; as someone who’s seen “X” seven times, the slight acting choic es that define Pearl in the first film really have their chance to shine in the second. She has this wonderful way of latching onto the most unsettling parts of Pearl and really sinking into them.

At one point, Goth has this incred ible six-minute monologue where she shows the intricacies of the character and really separates the performance of Pearl from that of Maxine in “X.”

Something else worth noting about the film is how clearly you’re able to

see Pearl’s descent into madness through the hallucinations that pres ent themselves as she performs. I wish this was utilized a bit more since the concept of performance as an escape from reality is so heavily emphasized as an overarching theme. But it works well enough for that to really be my only gripe about the movie.

In terms of gore, “Pearl” is just as bloody as “X,” but the deaths are slow er and more violent. There’s not much that would make the average viewer queasy since the deaths are treated as events rather than plot points, but they do look very realistic so take that how you want to.

Within the end credits, the final film

within the “X” trilogy, “MaXXXine” is teased; featuring Goth in her original role of Maxine, taking on Hollywood six years after the events of the first film.

According to deadline.com, this film has not been shot yet, but after the suc cess of both “X” and “Pearl,” I’m sure we can expect “MaXXXine” to hit the big screen in the next year or so.

Overall, “Pearl” was a little less than what I expected, but I still enjoyed it nonetheless. I would draw a closer comparison of “Pearl” to “Midsom mar” than I would from “Pearl” and “X,” but it’s a decent prequel and definitely worth the trip to the movie theater.

“Barbarian” is new and fun yet famil iarly horrifying.

Looking for a new horror movie mustwatch that isn’t a sequel or a remake?

“Barbarian,” directed by Zach Creg ger, follows Tess (Georgina Campbell) as she discovers a sinister secret held in the basement of her double-booked Airbnb. Following Tess’ descent into the darkness, we are met with beauti fully executed jump-scares and plot twists, along with amazing acting per formances that leave you wondering where the real horror lies.

As our main protagonist, Tess is the perfect character for a film like “Bar barian.” She leads with emotion as well as her brain and is an extremely relatable character for women in 2022. Being plunged into a situation where she is forced to stay the night with a stranger gives the audience sympathy and anxiety with an understanding of her decision and a fear of it. We also meet Keith (Bill Skarsgard) who seems to do his best given the situation. He is aware of Tess’ understandable discomfort and tries his best to ease the tension when these strangers are forced to spend the night together. But you cannot tell if he can be trusted as his character displays some awkward traits. Thus, fear is created in the rela tionship between these two characters.

“Barbarian” plays with your feeling of trust throughout the film and will continue to have you guessing who is “good” until the end. The intentions of men were questioned until the very last second.

With a large portion of this film being in the barely-lit, secret basement of the Airbnb, you are truly “left in the dark.” Horror can be described as the fear of the unknown, and that is exactly what I felt.

Considering there is little explana tion in the trailer and that “Barbarian” holds tons of twists and turns, you are on the edge of your seat the entire

time. The audience knew as much, and as little, as the characters did. With ev ery move being a twist, we felt the fear alongside Tess the whole time. Up un til the very end of this film, my breath stayed in my throat. I could almost feel the tension building up in the theater.

Also, with subtle nods at certain Greek mythology figures and com mentary on today’s political climate, this film felt truly iconic. While societal commentary is always expected in hor ror films, “Barbarian” leaves you ques tioning your own opinions on certain aspects of societal issues.

Cregger juggles the sensitive topic of a woman’s vulnerability in society with horror and comedy very tastefully. His experience in comedy shines in parts of the film with jarring transitions and dialogue, which caused an uproar in the audience on occasion.

With Cregger’s talent for horror and comedy, I cannot help but compare him to esteemed director Jordan Peele (director of “Nope,” “Us” and “Get Out”). Perhaps an unnoticed gem that cements a horror film as legendary is its ability to be comedic as well as frightening.

The lighting, cast and music were all large takeaways from this film, as well. With music done by Anna Dru bich and cinematography done by Zach Kuperstein, “Barbarian” was an extremely clever and horrifying watch. Needless to say, I left the theater feeling more than satisfied. Whatever you think this movie is about, you are wrong. “Barbarian” gives us something new yet familiar, something more than memorable. This tasteful breath of fresh air is something horror lovers everywhere will enjoy.

After a few suspenseful minutes, the pair meet and Josef tells Aaron he wants his en tire day to be filmed for his future son as he is dying of cancer and won’t make it to his birth. As the day goes on, Josef starts acting weirder and weirder. From Josef’s strange outbursts of anger to oversharing a trou bling and disturbing secret, Aaron knows something is up.

I personally love this film because I am a huge fan of “The League,” in which Du plass stars. Though “The League” is a com edy, Duplass barely changes his demeanor and acting in “Creep.” Despite acting simi larly to his previous project, this character is a lot more disturbing and off-putting.

Mark Duplass and Patrick Brice return for a second installment of the “Creep” franchise. This time, Josef (Duplass) has now taken the name of Aaron, and the real Aaron does not make an appearance. In stead, the videographer is a woman named Sara (Desiree Akhavan) who has a You Tube series about finding people on Craig slist and spending the day with them.

The sequel entails Aaron (previously Jo sef) having a midlife crisis and feeling lost. He tells Sara all he has done and that he wants her to film him for the next 24 hours.

Sara doesn’t believe him, but she agrees and the two embark on an extremely weird journey together.

What is so great about this sequel is that it’s not just another horror sequel where the bad guy gets a new victim and the cy cle repeats. This time, it’s also not a story leading up to the reveal that he is crazy; the “victim” knows the entire time. The two ac tually spend quality time together, and this movie is a completely different story than the first.

Pearl (Mia Goth) says grace before dinner.

Photo courtesy of A24

Pearl (left) shares a hug with her mother (Tandi Wright) (right).

Photo courtesy of A24

‘Creep’ on Netflix

‘Creep 2’ on Netflix

Photo courtesy of Blumhouse Productions

Mickey Caso Guest Writer

Following Tess’ descent into the darkness, we are met with jump-scares and plot twists.

Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios

Tess (Georgina Campbell) discovers a sinister secret held in the basement of her double booked Airbnb.

Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios

Photo courtesy of Blumhouse Productions

Daniel-San Returns With No Mercy in ‘Cobra Kai’ Season Five

‘Don’t Worry Darling’ Does Not Have Me Worried Anymore

Daniel-san (Ralph Macchio) is back in season five of the Netflix original series, “Cobra Kai.”

This season picks up right after the events of season four’s finale. It’s sum mer in California’s Valley and Cobra Kai is under new, ruthless manage ment, causing quite the mayhem.

Old rivalries are re-hashed in a season-long battle between the new owner of “Cobra Kai,” Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith), and Daniel LaRusso. Daniel must collaborate with people from his past to demolish Terry before he brainwashes every kid in the Valley with his aggressive, Cobra Kai teaching style.

Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) also returns this season with a much more family-focused manner. His developing relationship with Miguel Diaz’s (Xolo Mariduena) mom Carmen (Vanessa Rubio) inspires him to try and fix the relationship between Miguel and his son, Robby Keene (Tanner Buchanan).

With old faces back on our screens, season five additionally allows the characters time to heal and overcome personal struggles such as identity issues, family drama and rivalries. The kids that we met at the beginning of the series are much older now and are developing richer storylines for them selves as they learn to solve issues and work with the adults to make things right.

If you are familiar with the original “Karate Kid” movies, this season is very reminiscent of Mr. Miyagi’s (Pat Morita) teaching style, as it is slow and tedious in the beginning, but pays off in the end.

The series is still very focused on

nostalgia as it uses every chance it gets to reference the original films through characters, lines, actions and locations. Something unique about this show is not only do they bring back old characters, but they bring back the original actors who portrayed them in the 1980s. This tactic helps reel you deeper into the plot.

Cinematically, season five is shot nicely as each action scene gracefully captures every punch and kick, while including the characters’ emotions.

On the comedic end, season five did not disappoint. Johnny’s one-liners and disconnect from modern media were a

funny, lighthearted break from the seri ousness of the main plot line.

However, the 10-episode season takes about eight episodes to finally get intense. There’s no doubt that this season is definitely a step down from its predecessors, which were infused with a lot more drama and unexpected twists.

The first few episodes of the season felt very disconnected from the main plot line and could have been cut out.

There were many presented parts where the on-screen characters were guessing what their opponent would do

next, however, as a viewer it was frus trating because even we could predict the next move in the plot line.

While the show felt very predictable and even cheesy at times, the detailed action sequences and rich plot dynam ics near the season finale definitely made up for it.

The last three episodes kept me on the edge of my seat with back-to-back cliffhangers making it impossible to stop watching.

Overall, “Cobra Kai” season five was decent, but not better than past seasons.

Hannah Effinger Production Editor

Consider this my formal apology for anything negative I have ever said about Miss Olivia Wilde; “Don’t Worry Darling” absolutely blew me away.

“Don’t Worry Darling” follows the lives of Alice (Florence Pugh) and Jack (Harry Styles) as they navigate their new hometown of Victory, California.

When Alice’s friend, Margaret (KiKi Layne), begins to have uncharacteris tic outbursts, Alice starts to wonder if the crazy questions Margaret has been repeating might make a lot more sense than she originally thought. Alice begins to question her surroundings, calling out the town’s founder, Frank (Chris Pine), who seems to be much more sinister than his dazzling smile may lead you to believe.

Without revealing too much more, the movie lends itself to Plato’s “Al legory of the Cave,” where not asking questions has become a way of life for the women living within the town.

I would consider this film an evo lution of Wilde’s directorial debut, “Booksmart,” in the way it is artfully able to capture the experience of wom anhood. However, the way “Don’t Worry Darling” accomplishes this is in a much less direct way than its predecessor, using allegory to drive its point home instead of comedy.

The third act’s twist left me lean ing forward in my chair, mouth agape, phone in hand ready to go to bat with trolls on Twitter critiquing Wilde’s directorial style from their couches. I thoroughly enjoyed watching Wilde’s vi sion play out on screen. It was so clear this film came from a place of familiar ity with Alice’s character and the things she endures that it becomes difficult to not see your own reflection in any mir ror Alice looks into.

Obviously, Pugh’s portrayal of Alice is the standout of the film. Pugh handles this role with such power; she creates this wonderful bubble around herself, basically acting circles around the large majority of her co-stars.

Gemma Chan as Shelley (Frank’s wife) and Wilde as Bunny were also incredible performances, the latter of which I was not expecting to enjoy as much as I did.

Shelley is just as intimidating as Frank, if not more, hiding her chilling ethos behind an aura of femininity and perfection that only a TV housewife from the 1950s could ever hope to achieve. Bunny, who serves as Alice’s closest friend, is almost painfully oblivious to the chaos moving around her, even sometimes ignoring her own children for a good cocktail.

Both represent very specific arche types of femininity and are constantly keeping you on your toes as to which side they might ultimately be on.

The subtleties of this movie really tie it together, from the food and the clothes to the off-handed remarks that hint at misogyny within the town of Victory’s perfect world. It touches on abuse and how it can start as minor ac tions and build up into something that

is physically damaging.

I would categorize this as a “Good for Her” film; the women of “Don’t Worry Darling” are the glue that holds it together, and that was almost cer tainly deliberate.

In its entirety, the film is well-paced

and entertaining, definitely earning a spot in my top 10 favorite movies of all time. I highly suggest seeing it as soon as you possibly can, or as soon as you can bribe a Harry Styles fan to let you have a seat in the theater.

Terry Silver is the new owner of Cobra Kai.

Photo courtesy of Netflix

Hailey Mayewski Staff writer

Xolo Mariduena plays Miguel Diaz (left), while Tanner Buchanan plays Robby Keene (right).

Photo courtesy of Netflix

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Alice (Florence Pugh) begins to question the world around her.

(left to right): Bunny (Olivia Wilde) and Dean (Nick Kroll) listen to Frank’s (Chris Pine) speech.

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Alice notices something wrong with the eggs.

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Mike and Dan Ramos: Brotherly Love Off the Field and Locked In On the Field

The brotherly duo has been killing the game for the past couple years

Matteo Macolino Staff Writer

The Montclair State Uni versity football team has had something special for the past two seasons with the dynamic duo of graduate student de fensive back Mike Ramos and sophomore running back Dan Ramos. And it all starts with the older brother Mike, who has been with the program for five years.

Mike is entering his fifth sea son with the Montclair State football team, and over the past four years, he has greatly impacted the team. Mike has collected three interceptions, three sacks, 41 solo tackles and eight tackles for a loss of yards. He’s been a big part of this Red Hawk team as a player, leader and captain this year.

Nobody on the team has de veloped a better form of chem istry with Mike than fifth-year defensive back Brennan Ray, who is also one of the team’s captains.

“We’ve created a brother hood between Mike and me,” Ray said. “Our chemistry has just aligned to where I know ex actly where he’s going to be, he knows exactly where I’m going to be on the field. We move like strings, like magnets.”

Ray also talked about how younger brother Dan has been taken in as a “little brother” by

the whole team and not just his actual brother.

“We all took him under our wing as a little brother,” Ray said. “Playing with Mike for four or five years and then having Dan come on the team was like having another little brother. Dan has been follow ing our lead ever since. It’s kind of cool to see him evolve and then him [passing] down the torch.”

Ray looks forward to play ing the rest of the season with Mike by his side and sees a lot of potential in what Dan can do on special teams and the offensive side of the ball.

Associate head coach and recruiting coordinator Mike Palazzo had a fun and easy time recruiting Dan to Mont clair State after seeing his brother play for four years.

“It was great recruiting Dan because Mike was the trailblazer,” Palazzo said. “With Mike, we got introduced to him and his family, got to know him and the kind of per son he is. So, it makes it a lot easier for the younger brother [to know] what kind of stock they’re coming from.”

Mike had committed to Montclair State without much recruitment needed. Seeing what he has done for the Red

Hawks over the years made the decision to recruit Dan that much easier.

Dan is now in his second year here at Montclair State and has made a name for himself as the Red Hawks kick returner. Last year he had 10 attempts in re turns and totaled 275 yards in eight games averaging 27.5 yards per return.

Following in his older broth er’s footsteps, Dan knew he wanted to come to play football for Montclair State.

“Once Mike came here and told me about the program, it was kind of a no-brainer,” Dan said. “This is kind of where I wanted to be. I liked the way it sounded and went to a few games in high school. I wanted to come here from the start.”

Dan has really enjoyed being able to play and compete with his brother on the same team for the past two years.

“It’s been great,” Dan said. “Obviously, we grew up compet ing our whole life, but he was four years ahead of me. It’s real ly cool, just growing up compet ing and now we’re competing together, it’s awesome.”

Just as Dan was excited to come and play for Montclair State, his older brother was just as excited for him to join the team, and may have even

played a small part in the recruit ing process.

“I was always pushing and edg ing him, ‘Hey, come to Montclair State,’” Mike said. “So, I kind of knew in the back of my mind he was going to come here. Obvi ously, he was growing up at the time so he got to make his own decisions for himself, but I was always pushing for him to come here and play with me. I’m glad it worked out, I’m glad he’s here and I’m glad we get to spend two years together.”

Mike has loved the opportu nity to be a sort-of mentor for his younger brother and guide him through each year.

“I’ve been here for five years so I know the way things run around here,” Mike said. “I like being able to help him and being able to be someone he can look up to and go to when he needs help. On the field and off the field, I’ve experi enced everything here. Being able to be there for him and help him out with whatever he needs, I re ally enjoy that.”

The Ramos brothers have that sibling rivalry that makes them competitive both on and off the field and positively impacts their relationship. Both are grateful to play with each other and learn from each other, which very few get to do.

Just like in high school, Dan and Mike Ramos have been teammates together for the past couple years.

Women’s Soccer Continues to Dominate After Going 6-0 Versus DeSales

Three different players scored in yet another win for the Red Hawks

Ryan White Assistant Sports Editor

The Montclair State University wom en’s soccer team was tested yet again but they delivered when it mattered most with another special performance.

The 12th-ranked Red Hawks led for much of the match thanks to a header by senior midfielder Kimberly Campbell off of a corner kick in the 27th minute. However, Desales University found a late equalizer with about 15 minutes to play. From then on, the Red Hawks slammed on the gas.

Just moments after an equalizing solo goal by sophomore Emma Ribeiro for Desales, junior midfielder Aileen Ca hill received the ball down the left side of the box and after a quick cut-in, the ball curled around the keeper and into the top right corner for a stunning goal and a 2-1 lead.

Even Cahill herself was a tad mesmer ized by her goal and their performance.

“Obviously we were tied so I want

ed to get the next goal I guess, I don’t know,” Cahill said. “And I saw [freshman forward] Kylie [Prendergast] going with it and just the open space down into the corner. She played a great ball to me and then [I] just took the defender on and saw the net, took a shot, see what hap pens and it turned out good.”

A lot is going right for this squad right now but Cahill seems to believe that it’s a lot more than the infield play that is contributing to their success.

“I think it’s just the heart that we all have,” Cahill said. “We all buy into it every game and just never stop fighting for each other and just put it all out there and don’t leave anything on the field and it comes out good.”

The fun continued for the Red Hawks, even after Cahill’s goal, as they remained aggressive while in search of an insurance goal.

Just four minutes later, now in the

83rd minute, junior midfielder Saman tha Gabriele put a ball in the middle of the box and Cahill flicked it across to where Prendergast took a touch and fin ished for her second goal of the season.

The Red Hawks would go on to win by a score of 3-1. It was the team’s third time finding a late winner this season and head coach Patrick Naughter be lieves his team can take a punch.

“I’m ecstatic for them,” Naughter said. “I just said to them that they take more punches than boxers.”

For Cahill, it was her third goal of the season, which is tied for most on the team with Campbell. This dynamic duo keeps on coming through when it mat ters most and, as of right now, no team seems to have any answers.

Naughter praised Cahill’s performance throughout the season.

“I think [Cahill] is as good as anybody in [Division III],” Naughter said. “She

gets the ball, she takes it on and she hits a banger.”

Having a player like Cahill is essen tial when the competition gets tougher because at any moment she can change the game.

It’s not too often you see a team with this much success, chemistry and heart. There is no limit for these Red Hawks and Naughter is very confident because of the chemistry this team has devel oped.

“I think they just believe in each other,” Naughter said. “They know how much work they’ve put into this thing and they know that no matter the situ ation, no matter what’s going on, they’re capable.”

The Red Hawks will remain at home for their next contest as they take on Farmingdale State College on Thursday, Sept. 22 at 7 p.m. at MSU Soccer Park.

It was an exciting game for the Red Hawks, and now the winning streak is extended to six.

Senior midfielder Kimberly Campbell scored another goal in the game, bringing her season total to three.

Trevor Giesberg | The Montclarion

Trevor Giesberg | The Montclarion

Trevor Giesberg | The Montclarion

Montclair State had a clutch performance, which gave them every reason to celebrate the victory.

Sam Ondrush Is Dedicated To Raising Mental Health Awareness for Athletes

Matt Orth Sports Editor

About a quarter of male ath letes and about 30 percent of fe male athletes report having anxi ety, according to the American College of Sports Medicine.

About 10 percent of college athletes who have mental health conditions like these actually seek out resources and other ways to help with their symp toms.

Women’s soccer junior de fender Sam Ondrush is doing more than her part to combat this issue. She is associated with organizations like Morgan’s Mes sage, for which the women’s la crosse team had a charity game dedicated to the organization, and Let’s Get Real.

And now, Ondrush was re cently named a Campus Captain for another initiative called The Hidden Opponent. Founded by former Division I athlete Victo ria Garrick Browne, The Hid den Opponent is a resource that provides education, support and awareness for student-athletes and their mental health.

Ondrush found out about the opportunity on social media and immediately took the chance to be a part of something special.

“It came about because I joined a Facebook page about a year ago, and it’s from The Hid den Opponent,” Ondrush said. “It’s student-athlete based, so they get to share their issues and struggles that they’re facing. And I always saw that they had

this program called Campus Captains, which pretty much means you’re an ambassador for them. And I saw they had applications for it so I applied for it, and I got it.”

Ondrush also went in-depth on what The Hidden Oppo nent stands for when it comes to student-athletes and their mental health.

“Their mission is pretty much focused for studentathletes, but in general it’s all focused for all athletes and all students,” Ondrush said. “As a student-athlete, there’s that stigma that you can’t show weakness and that you’ll be judged for anything, so I think that definitely aligns. And I’ve struggled myself with mental health and I still do, so I think it’s important for everyone to feel comfortable being able to open up.”

The Hidden Opponent was founded only a few years ago by Browne, and the name was inspired by her TED Talk in 2017, which included her story about her mental health struggles, and how athletes around the world are dealing with a similar issue.

The organization states on its website that they are “passionate about elevating and amplifying the voices of student-athletes,” and they do that by posting stories from a variety of student-athletes

detailing their struggles with mental health.

Mental health has become a major breaking point for more and more people across the country, something the coronavirus (COVID-19) has emphasized to a large degree.

But not a lot of attention is put on the athletic side of it and what athletes go through on a daily basis dealing with their sport and other respon sibilities.

And yes, coaches and other athletic staff members are not excluded from this. The head coach of the women’s soc cer team, Patrick Naughter, described how he got help and how anyone else going through a similar issue can follow suit.

“I tell these guys all the time about how I’ve had my struggles with depression and anxiety and still to this day,” Naughter said. “I think I’m in a good place right now. I’ve found a therapist who is work ing really hard and that I really click with. I tell them all the time when your ankle hurts, you go to the trainer. But if you’re not feeling right, you got to work and get it done.”

And one of the greatest bas ketball players to ever hit the hardcourt has also endorsed the organization. The late Kobe Bryant, in his novel re leased in 2020 called “Geese

are Never Swans,” listed The Hidden Opponent as a re source.

Graduate student defender Kylinn Kraemer knows that the women’s soccer team is tough and always there for each oth er no matter what, almost like a resemblance of the Mamba Mentality that Bryant lived by his whole life.

“I think we have pushed through so many obstacles as a team, this past year espe cially, both individually and as a team,” Kraemer said. “I feel like we really rallied behind them, and we hit some obstacles as a team, but we are a very resil ient team, and we have become very close because of those ob stacles.”

The women’s soccer team on paper seems like nothing can stop them, with a record of 6-0 to start the season and senior midfielder Kimberly Campbell and junior midfielder Aileen Cahill already having three goals on the season. But what goes on behind the scenes for each member of the team is something that not a lot of peo ple shine a light on.

Ondrush hopes to bring her work with The Hidden Op ponent all throughout campus and specifically the athletics program since a project she did on mental health on athletes did not pan out as well as she wanted, and Ondrush wants

the answers put out there. Ondrush also wants sports psychologists on staff as well since other schools within the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) have them, and giving students that safe space to talk is important to her.

Naughter believes Ondrush is important to the women’s soccer team as well, and he saw it ever since recruitment.

“[Ondrush] is amazing,” Naughter said. “This isn’t some thing that all of a sudden has become important to her. This is something that has been impor tant to [Ondrush] for a long time, and it’s not a hashtag movement, it is something that she believes in. She is going to work really hard to help people, and it’s super inspiring. It’s not surprising be cause even during the recruiting process, I was like ‘man this kid is special.’ She cares about other people and she’s a very thoughtful person.”

A Montclair State chapter of The Hidden Opponent is cur rently in the process of being ap proved by the Student Govern ment Association.

And it is OK to not be OK. There are people out there to help with whatever anyone is go ing through mentally. Ondrush is looking to make that message clear in order to help students on the journey to defeat their hidden opponents.

Photo courtesy of Sam Ondrush

Junior defender Sam Ondrush is heavily involved in advocating for mental health in student-athletes.

Ondrush said Montclair State should have sports psychologists on staff since other schools within the NJAC have them as well.

Photo courtesy of Sam Ondrush