The Montclarion 11/17

MASKED ROBBERY ON CAMPUS

Portorreal and Erin Lawlor News Editor, Assistant News Editor

The Montclair State University commu nity is shocked after the police department reported a strange crime in volving masked males and the arrest of two current students over the weekend.

According to Kieran Bar rett, the chief of the Montclair State police department, on the morning of Nov. 16, Admad Abbel Jabbar was charged with burglary, conspiracy, simple as sault and trespassing. Jabbar was identified as one of the masked individuals who at tempted robbery at Bohn Hall on Friday evening.

An email sent by the police revealed that Luxile Diony, 18 and a resident of Harrison, was charged with the same charges

on Saturday, Nov. 12.

The news and various so cial media posts left many in the campus community question ing their safety and the facts of the incident.

Ashley Barberio, a freshman elementary education major, was taken by surprise and said the university should improve safety precautions.

"I was shocked," Barberio said. "This is the first bad thing that happened on campus since I moved in. They should be stricter with letting people in. I know they already have the desk but they could make get ting in stricter."

Bella Serra, a freshman ele mentary education major, feels uneasy about the situation.

"I was a little nervous," Serra said. "My door was unlocked at the time and it made me realize I had to go lock it."

In a series of emails, Bar rett explained that the crime oc

curred approximately at 7 p.m. when three masked individuals in black hooded sweatshirts and one unmasked identified individual forced their way into a dorm room in Bohn.

The police added that the males were asking for items in a confrontational manner but left empty-handed. The crime alert also stated no weapons were shown or threatened to be used.

An Instagram post was made by @montclairstateconfesions, in which one of the alleged vic tims said in a private message that the police are misreport ing what happened. The per son said the roommate was punched and the police were called when the four males were still in the building. But the crime alert says otherwise.

"After they left and a bit of time passed, the resident con tacted University Police," the alert stated.

Barrett said the first email was sent to provide information to the community, but at that point, it was too soon to have solid details without an official investigation.

"An alert is preliminary and while it is entirely possible they were in the building, the alert states that after a bit of time," Barrett said. "There was no true direction of flight so for us to guess would be speculative and cause undue confusion."

Barrett further explained these details to one of the vic tims.

"I indicated that to one of the victims that evening [that] it is not an attempt to change a time line but there is a difference between suspects being 'at the scene' and those that have fled," Barrett said. "It is not a com mentary on what was reported and when the victims faced real fear and a real crime."

The Montclarion asked the

alleged victim for an interview, but the individual denied.

Victoria Yoo, a freshman el ementary education major, just moved into Bohn and is feeling anxious.

"This made me nervous because I just moved in," Yoo said. "I still feel safe living there though."

According to Barrett, the police department can not re lease any other information on the robbery at this time as the investigation is still open, but more details should be avail able soon.

Jennifer

Montclair State University police department reported an attempted robbery at Bohn Hall.

Lynise Olivacce | The Montclarion

Executive Board

Editor-in-Chief

Emma Caughlan

School of Communication and Media, Room 2035 Montclair, NJ. 07043

The Montclarion is a publication of Montelican Publishing, Inc. published weekly, except during the 2020 fall and 2021 spring semesters, examina tions, summer and winter sessions. The Montclarion is funded by student fees distributed by Montclair State University and incoming advertising revenue. The views expressed in the Opinion section, with the exception of the Main Editorial, do not necessarily reflect the views of The Montclarion.

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Sal DiMaggio montclarionfeature @gmail.com

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Sports

Matt Orth montclarionsports @gmail.com

from anonymous contributors. Photography Karsten Englander Dani Mazariegos

Photography

Graphic Design

Crystal Durham montclariongraphics @gmail.con

The Montclarion has a commitment to accuracy and clarity and will printcor rections or clarifications if information is found to be incorrect. To report an error of fact or a Letter to the Editor, email the Editor-in-Chief at montclarionchief@gmail.com. Sports Ryan White Production Nicky Vidal

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first issue of The Montclarion, then named The Pelican, was published on November 28, 1928. Entertainment Sekhena Sembenu Feature Chelsea Pujols Opinion Sofia Acevedo Valencia Darian Mozo Colin Luderitz Alex Pavljuk

do not print articles Contact any of the Editors above for more information!

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Students Rage Over Rocky Registration

Montclair State University students were prepared to register for the upcom ing academic term until the institution's Banner student system started experi encing multiple issues and disrupted the process.

Some were reporting “website Error 404” messages during the time of reg istration. Others complain about white screens, registration errors with classes and the system crashing right before hit ting submit.

For some, even Nest and Navigate have crashed, causing students to lose access to meetings with their advisors.

Abby Judah, a freshman history major, shared the struggles she encountered with the website crashing while register ing.

"The sight crashed for a good hour," Judah said. "I ended up getting all the classes, [but] it was very stressful. I had both computers set up and my phone, so I had everything ready to go. Once I got in, after every class I had to re-login, be cause it kept on crashing."

Gerson Cordova, who as a freshman psychology major is new to all this stress, said registering was a difficult process.

"I tried [registering] at 12, but then it went down, [for] 20-30 minutes," Cor dova said. "It was very much stressful. I just kept refreshing, then at some point I was just like, I'll let it load."

Claudia Martillo, a junior journalism and digital media major, also shared sim ilar issues with the website.

"It took an hour and a half for it to come back up [after crashing] and after ward they had issues," Martillo said. "All these restrictions came up, that I had not seen before."

Some students like Dante Pearson, a freshman information technology major, have theories as to why this issue is oc curring.

"Thousands of people go on one page

to register,” Pearson said. “Many people all on the same [Wi-Fi] network [are] try ing to register. The system simply can't support that many people."

And Pearson isn't far off. According to Information Technology (IT) student ser vice desk technician Jason Paragallo one thing affecting the system is the amount of people accessing it.

"It’s because of the high amount of traf fic the [site] is seeing," Paragallo said.

Andrew Mees, the university's spokes person, said the administration is work ing on resolving the issue.

"At this time, we do not know the ex act cause of the issues," Mees said. "In formation Technology is monitoring this situation in real time and will initiate sys tem restarts when potential issues begin to arise. The system should be unavail able for 10-15 minutes, at which point it will be back up and functioning normally again."

Martillo also said that Montclair State should take care of these Banner issues before registration comes around.

"There's so many problems and glitch es in the system that need to be fixed before, not during," Martillo said. "It runs the risk of people not getting their classes that they need in time. I think working with IT and people who can help structure the website more properly [will help]. And make sure that it runs smooth ly without this many glitches."

IT is still working to fix this issue, but in the meantime they have some sugges tions that could help the Montclair State community to handle the situation.

"If some students are still experiencing any issues registering, I suggest switch ing browsers," Paragallo said. "For ex ample, if they are using Safari have them switch to Chrome and the only other thing I can suggest until Banner is up and working is refreshing the page every once in a while.

Montclair State University students expressed frustration after experiencing technical issues that made the registration process challenging.

Lynise Olivacce | The Montclarion

Aliza Rhein Staff Writer

Aliza Rhein | The Montclarion

Abby Judah says registering for the upcoming semester was a stressful process.

Claudia Martillo says it took a while for her to be able to register.

Photo courtesy of Claudia Martillo

SGA Announces New Treasurer

Kamil Santana Staff Writer

Disclaimer: Camryn Wade is The Montclarion’s business manager, but she is not involved in editorial deci sions.

The Student Government Association (SGA) at Montclair State University held a special election for a new treasurer ear lier this week.

The former executive treasurer, Diana N. Anyansi, stepped down from the posi tion due to personal reasons.

Only two candidates ran for the po sition, Jose Morales and Camryn Wade. Wade was named the winner of the elec tion on Nov. 16.

Prior to the election, each one ex plained some of the strategies they used to earn people's votes.

Morales, a junior business administra tion major, placed posters in many aca demic hall bulletin boards and spoke to students about what concerned them in regards to the distribution and manage ment of finances. He also opened up an Instagram account, @jose4msu, that's filled with information on his campaign and policies he would have implemented if elected.

"While good in many [areas], the need for improvement is clear," Morales said. "I want to cut any wasteful spending and put it into Wi-Fi. Commuter or not, the school's Wi-Fi affects all students. I'd also like to fix some of the school build ings.”

Lately, students have been more vocal about certain issues at the university.

“The school has received backlash over its use of [27] million dollars to in vest in an app,” Morales said. “At most, app development costs about $70,000.”

At the most recent university senate meeting, it was announced that $27 mil lion dollars were to be invested in the Workday app to expand its accessibility campus-wide.

Morales said his past experience in sports management would have been useful if he won the election and he also wanted to push for conscious spending of finances and transparency with the Montclair State student body.

“I will provide clear communication of where we’re putting money instead of wasting it," Morales said. "On [voting day] you can choose if you want great WiFi and to fix school buildings.”

Wade is a senior business administra tion major and was the Chief of Staff of the SGA. She has held many leadership positions at Montclair State including organizations such as Greek Life, under graduate admissions, The Montclarion and the Center for Student Involvement.

Wade explained how her experience will be beneficial if she wins the election.

“I also have been a part of the leader ship for a while now, so I have seen the good and the bad of what's been working well [and] what hasn't," Wade said. "And I feel like I'd be able to use that and help improve our financial policies, the way we go about our finances and really just creating a good support system for regis tered student organizations.”

Wade campaigned last week by talking to different student groups on campus about what they feel needs to improve.

“What I decided to do with campaign ing is really just talking to students and seeing what they really need," Wade said. "A big thing for me has also been trying

to talk to different people and kind of see what we feel like is lacking so I can get a better view point on that.”

Hand-in-hand with the fulfillment of a treasurer role, Wade has handled the finances of many of the organizations she is a part of.

"I have a lot of background knowledge working with finances, which helps," Wade said. "Within my sorority, we work with a budget and I help our treasurer do that. I’m the business manager for The Montclarion so I deal with all of our money and all of our budgets for the year; payroll and different things like that. This is not really something that is really new to me. It’s more of just a new perspective of it. I feel like the fact that I have exten sive finance knowledge is going to help me out a lot.”

As treasurer, Wade wants to fix finan cial woes at the root.

“Our policies were made a very long time ago and I think that they're very much in need of an update,” Wade said. "So that'll be one of the first things I would look into to, taking the next few weeks to sit down with our financial poli cies.”

The executive board did not comment on the special election, however Luisa Bicalho, the SGA attorney general and overseer of elections, explained her role in this special election.

“I will be overseeing the special elec tion,” Bicalho said. "When looking for new candidates, I set up a meeting with the [SGA] president to review and run the application packet."

According to Bicalho, the entire un dergraduate student body was allowed to vote. The voting window opened up on Nov. 14 at 12 a.m. and closed on Nov. 16 at 12 p.m.

Sal DiMaggio | The Montclarion

The Student Government Association office in The Student Center.

Kamil Santana | The Montclarion

Jose Morales, one of the candidates who ran for the position, talks about the issues he wants to improve.

Photo courtesy of Camryn Wade

Camryn Wade says her financial experiences will help her succeed.

Rocky's Closet: Dressing Students For Success

Crystal Durham Graphic Design Editor

Recruiting season is all year round. Creating resumes and preparing elevator pitch es are becoming second na ture for Montclair State University stu dents. With so much preparation for the future, students can forget the last piece of the puzzle- the right clothing.

Rocky’s Closet creates a safe place for students to develop their own busi ness casual wardrobes. The closet pro vides suits for both men and women, as well as neck ties, button-ups, slacks, pants and accessories.

The idea for Rocky's Closet started back in 2016, when administrators at Montclair State felt it was important for students to gain access to business casual attire. This pushed them to cre ate clothing drives throughout the se mester. After much success, Rocky’s Closet was soon developed and passed down through many hands.

In the spring of 2019, Karen Pen nington, the former vice president of student life and development, created the initiative with other campus lead ers that would further the lives of stu dents at Montclair State.

"I always believed that the work of student affairs involved meeting stu dents' needs outside of the classroom so they can then concentrate in the classroom," Pennington said. "Helping them have the appropriate wardrobe

for job interviews, career or other oc casions was important and something we could do for those who needed it."

With the idea in mind, the initiative still needed a home. Through the years, Pennington passed the torch down to Rahjaun Gordon, the director of the Educational Opportunity Fund. Gordon was tasked to expand the idea and find a home for the program.

Gordon found his answer in Thea Dyer, the assitant director of residence life. Together, they created a space for Rocky’s Closet to grow in The Village.

“During that time, [Gordon] worked with myself to establish a location which we identified in Alice Paul [Hall],” Dyer said. “We had scheduled to officially launch the closet in March of 2020. However, due to [the corona virus pandemic (COVID-19)], we never really had an official opening.”

During the summer of 2020, Rocky’s Closet was moved under the direction of the Office for Social Justice and Di versity, now led by its director Adela Caceres. Caceres, however, was faced with a major challenge: continuing Rocky’s Closet while in a global pan demic.

“We were still in the pandemic for the rest of 2020 and 2021, so the closet was still operational, but it was pretty much on a limited basis at that point,” Caceres said. “It was strict by appointment only. Very few students were involved because it was still a vir tual year, so we didn’t have a big team

at all when it came to Rocky's Closet.”

Rocky's Closet's location also creates a challenge due to its limited access.

“Alice Paul Hall is not accessible to everyone, you have to be able to swipe,” Caceres said. "So that also made it a little bit challenging.”

However, these challenges did not stop Caceres. She is completely re vamping the closet by hiring gradu ate students and interns to keep this program alive. These new elements allow students to access the closet on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fri days, creating a smoother process for students on the hunt to expand their wardrobes.

“We’ve been in full operation for six weeks and we have already served a total of 36 students and staff,” Caceres said.

This was a huge achievement for the team, after having so many setbacks in the early stages. With so much more work to be done, Caceres is pushing to change the overall aesthetics, location and accessibility for students at Mont clair State.

One of the major changes Caceres plans to make is to replace the ac tual closets with clothing racks. This would create more open access to the clothing and merchandise offered. An other change the team is pushing for is a new location, which would make it easier for students to come and go as they please.

“If there was a way to get us to the

center of campus that’s open to the students at all times, that would abso lutely be the ask,” Caceres said.

These changes will make Rocky’s Closet the icing on the cake for career services, giving students the opportu nity to dress for success and not have to go through the stress of scrambling for something to wear before job inter views.

Navrose Bajwa, a graduate student at Montclair State and the manager of the closet, plays a huge role in the on going success of Rocky’s Closet.

“We are able to help people so much, [and] the clothes are so expensive,” Ba jwa said. “The reaction they get when they realize they can take as much as they want is great. The joy they have on their face is totally worth it.”

Rocky’s Closet is also creating in ternship opportunities for students to sharpen their wide range of skills. Stu dents who are interested in volunteer ing should email Rocky’s Closet for more information. Be sure to follow them on Instagram at @msurockys closet and email them at rockysclos et@montclair.edu with any appoint ment inquiries.

Crystal Durham | The Montclarion

Students have the opportunity to access business casual clothing with Rocky's Closet.

Rice Cooker Arroz Con Leche: An Easy Sansgibing Recipe

Chelsea Pujols Assistant Feature Editor

For those of you that have trouble boiling water, this "set it and forget it" recipe might be for you. Just don't tell anyone it was made in the rice cooker!

You truly can't mess this arroz con leche, or rice pudding, up, and if you do, please don't blame it on me. With only five ingredients (six, if you count water as an ingredient), it is truly a you problem if you are not able to impress your family for Sansgibing, or Thanks giving in Latinx.

Ingredients, measurements and prices (This recipe can feed four-six people, depending on how big or small your portions are.)

• 1/2 cup of rice, washed ($1.99) 2-2 1/2 cups of water (free from your Brita)

• 1-2 cinnamon sticks, depending on how much cinnamon you like ($1.69)

1 can of evaporated milk ($1.39)

• 1 can of condensed milk ($3.69)

• 1-2 capfuls of vanilla extract ($3.79)

• Powdered cinnamon ($8.99) or pumpkin pie spice ($6.99) (to be used as a topping)

(Total price: $21.54)

Cooking Instructions

Step One:

Wash your rice. You can do this in the bowl part of the rice cooker to save time on doing the dishes later if the bowl on your rice cooker is detach able. If not, make someone else do the dishes for you! (Preferably an annoy ing little sibling.)

I recommend washing the rice three times to make sure all the extra starch

is removed, but you can do it as many times as you'd like. To wash your rice, just rinse it in water and then strain it. By the third wash, the water should be somewhat clear.

Step Two:

Add 2-2 1/2 cups of water and 1 or 2 cinnamon sticks to your washed rice.

Step Three:

Put your bowl back into your rice cooker, turn it on, and set it to "cook." This is your cue to watch some Tik Toks or read some of my other arti cles. (I highly recommend the second option.)

Step Four:

If your rice is not as cooked as you'd like it to be, you can add a little more water. After your rice is done cooking, add your cans of evaporated and con densed milk, and stir.

Your rice should not be completely dry yet, unless you like the wet cement vibe in your food. You can also add raisins, but I am a normal and sane human being, so I chose to omit them from the recipe altogether. You're wel come.

Step Five:

Add your vanilla extract to taste. I like a lot of vanilla, so I added two cap fuls of it. Stir again to make sure all of your ingredients are fully incorpo rated and to get a nice arm workout. We multitask here at The Montclarion!

Step Six:

If your rice cooker doesn't automati cally go to the "warm" setting, turn it on and let those ingredients heat up for about 10-15 minutes. If you haven't read my other articles already, now would be the time to do so.

Step Seven:

Eat the arroz con leche directly from the rice cooker bowl as you stand in your kitchen wondering what de mon has possessed you to make arroz con leche in a rice cooker. I personally blame Christopher Colombus, not just for this unconventional creation, but for everything. If you know, you know.

Just kidding! (Maybe.) You can serve this arroz con leche or rice pudding in bowls or cute mugs if you'd like to be a bit more festive. You can then top it with a sprinkle of powdered cinnamon or if you'd really like to be basic: add

some pumpkin pie spice. This can be eaten warm or can be refrigerated and it is entirely up to you, but if you added raisins, just throw it away. The whole thing. Yes, even the rice cooker.

This recipe is perfect for giving your Latina mom a heart attack or impress ing your white friends. My own Latina mom was personally very skeptical, giving me an "mhmm" when I told her I was genius for coming up with this idea, but we aren't in the emergency room so I consider this a success.

Happy early sansgibing!

This simple arroz con leche will have you feeling guilty about how easy it was to make.

Chelsea Pujols | The Montclarion

Chelsea Pujols | The Montclarion

This recipe calls for ingredients such as rice, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and more.

Montclair State Alum Making Movie Magic

Dom Lampasona is an alumnus of the filmmaking program at Montclair State University. Since his graduation in 2019, he has gone on to win several awards for his work. He and his team of other Montclair State alumni have been producing films since the height of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

"Ever since I was a kid, I've always had [a] fascination with filmmaking, acting and storytelling itself, and I al ways gravitated especially [toward] pen and paper," Lampasona said. "I was al ways telling stories."

Lampasona describes himself as a self-taught filmmaker who was anx ious to start learning about filmmak ing because he had grown up with it all his life. Being thrown into the deep end during his freshman year is exactly how Lampasona found what he loves.

"I never felt more at home, to be hon est," Lampasona said. "Everyone had the same interests and same passions."

Lampasona developed a love for screenwriting before easing into the directing aspect of films. During his junior and senior years, he was able to focus on the particular areas he wanted to pursue.

"Everyone picks their roles and ti tles they want to pursue [in Montclair State's film program]," Lampasona said.

Now, working with other Montclair State alumni, his sets have become a collaborative space for people to come together.

Lampasona's most recent short film titled "The Morning Breeze" was shot in April 2021. The film is a sci-fi drama about a young man who loses his sis ter due to suicide and becomes power less as he mourns. As the young man battles his mental illness, he is given the opportunity to be the subject of a new transcending scientific experiment offered by a genius-level physicist. To gether, they emerge into a parallel uni verse.

The film took five days to shoot, with most of the crew being Montclair State alumni.

"It was the biggest thing I produced to this date," Lampasona said.

"The Morning Breeze" was the first film Lampasona and his crew jumped on after lockdown during the COV ID-19 pandemic. Because this film was shot in April 2021, Lampasona and his crew were following COVID-19 proto cols that all film sets had to follow. He wrote this film during the lockdown and said writing for this film felt au thentic and therapeutic.

The film has been entered into 10 film festivals in New Jersey, New York, Florida and Georgia. At the New York International Film Awards, in New York City and the Grove Film Festival, in Jersey City, "The Morning Breeze" won Best Short Film. At the Northeast Film Festival in Teaneck, this film won Best Short Film as well as Best Lead Actor. In Milledgeville, GA, Lampasona won best Sci-Fi Short Film. Also, this

film was a finalist at the Ridgewood Guild International Film Festival.

Lampasona is the producer of all the films he works on. He works with a tightly-knit crew of Montclair State alumni, including Dylan Tollefson and Lindsay Taylor.

Filmmaking professor Roberta Friedman describes Lampasona as a serious and committed filmmaker with a great sense of humor.

"The folks at his internship loved him," Friedman said.

Karl Nussbaum, who was Lampa sona's advisor and professor, was al ways involved in helping Lampasona. Nussbaum described Lampasona as good-natured and jovial, and also gave insight into another aspect of Lampa sona's life.

"I'd say, he started off slow but got better," Nussbaum said. "I remember, as his advisor, we had to schedule ev

erything around baseball practice."

Lampasona's other films include "Bestseller" and "Kickstart My Heart." "Bestseller" is a thriller telling the story of a novelist named Mason Miles who discovers his father has gone missing. He is sent on a manhunt that could lead to him uncovering his father's disappearance. "Kickstart My Heart" is a love story that follows a criminal named Mike and his partners. The way they "rob" people is by pickpocketing. Desperate for a big score, one of Mike's partners find a target, but the target is Mike's childhood crush.

Both "Bestseller" and "Kickstart My Heart" are available to watch on Lam pasona's website, domlampasona.com. "The Morning Breeze" is not available yet on his website, but the trailer is available.

Faith Amero Staff Writer

Don Lamapsona with some of his film team at Montclair State. From left to right: Brian MacReady, Gail Payne, Charlie McElveen and Dom Lampasona.

Photo courtesy of Dom Lampasona

Dom Lampasona has receieved numerous awards for his film "The Morning Breeze."

Photo courtesy of Dom Lampasona

Not That Much Stuff, Stuffing

Alex Pavljuk Fiction Editor

It’s fair to say that everyone has their preferred Thanksgiving delicacy.

For many, it could be the mashed po tatoes, or maybe the obvious star of the show, the turkey. Or, if you are contrar ian, I suppose yams and marshmallows for some, ungodly reason.

However, the easiest and often un sung hero who works in the shadows to complete that homemade leftover sandwich is without a doubt, the stuff ing.

Stuffing, like most foods that I adore, is for the people. Once derived from humble beginnings as a mere turkey cavity filler, this second-thought novelty now has transcended beyond that un sanitary domain to a seat at the round table. Thanksgiving isn’t worth giving thanks without the crunchy and savory bread pudding piled high upon one’s already mountainous plate.This dish is shockingly easy and, without includ ing mashed potatoes, probably consists of the least amount of contents for the most rewarding item on the table.

Ingredients & Measurements |

Serves three to five people.

• One sweet onion (Any would work in a pinch.) (around $1.61)

• Two sticks of butter. ($3.99) A loaf of good quality bread. ($5.99)

• Parsley ($3.99)

• 1/2 cup of chicken stock ($2.69)

• Two stalks of celery ($2.99)

• 1/2 tablespoons of minced garlic ($3.29)

• 2 eggs ($4.49)

• Salt, pepper and red pepper flakes ($1.99)

• Grated parmesan cheese ($3.49)

• Olive oil & sweet Italian sausage ($5.49) (optional)

(Total Price: $40.01)

Cooking Instructions

Step One:

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees and begin by tearing up one loaf of day-old bread by hand and scattering it across a baking sheet. If your torn-up bread is seemingly not enough, feel free to add a few slices of torn-up white bread to fill out the pan.

Place the sheet pan in the oven and let toast for 30 minutes. Keep an eye on the bread, it shouldn’t be an issue, but better safe than sorry.

Step Two:

While the bread toasts take a baking dish and coat it with room-temperature butter. Every inch of the dish should be covered. Do. Not. Skimp.

Step Three:

Adding to butter, take two sticks and in a medium saucepan melt them down and then add two thinly chopped stalks of celery and one diced onion to the pan.

As this sautees, add a dash of salt and a few cracks of pepper. Cook this

until it’s translucent, which should take around 10 minutes.

Step Four (optional):

(If you want to keep this recipe veg etarian, omit this step.)

Take four sweet Italian sausages, slice them open and remove the sau sage from the casing. Ground this up in a medium-sized pan with a wooden spoon and cook on medium-high heat until thoroughly cooked throughout for around 15 minutes. Once browned, move to a free burner and place lid atop to let the steam further cook while set on low.

Once it comes time to mix the stuff ing, remove it from the heat and incor porate it.

Step Five:

After one hour take a large mixing bowl and transfer the toasted bread. Then, take the butter, onions and cel ery sautee and gently pour-over. Do this intermittently and combine gently with a wooden spoon. Do the same with the sausage.

Once incorporated, take a moment to let it cool and chop your aromatics. This should consist of a few bunches of parsley. This is not in the ingredients list but if you’d like to add fresh rose mary, thyme and sage feel free, but it is not necessary. Once chopped, add to the bowl and toss again.

Add a few cracks of salt and pep per before pouring a 1/2 cup of chicken stock over the mixture. You can add more or less depending on your ratio of bread. Mix once more.

Then, if the stuffing is still warmer than expected, let it sit for a moment. As it sits, crack two eggs into another bowl. Add a few glugs of chicken stock, 1/2 tablespoon of minced garlic and a sprinkling of parmesan cheese to the eggs and then whisk. Once cooled add the eggs to the stuffing and mix to com bine once more.

The bread itself should still have a decent amount of structure to them with a spongy feel. It should be a bit more than moist, not soaking wet.

Step Six:

Once fully incorporated, transfer the stuffing to the buttered baking dish. Increase the heat of the oven from the 250 used for toasting to the now-need ed 350 degrees for baking.

Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and place in the oven for 30 min utes.

After 30 minutes, carefully remove the aluminum foil from atop the baking dish and continue to bake for another half hour. Do not alter the heat.

If curious whether the stuffing is ready, it should read 160 degrees when the temperature is checked internally.

Step Seven:

Pull out the stuffing from the oven after one hour has elapsed in total. It should be toasty brown on top and soft underneath with a firm set. Let it sit for a few minutes and then serve it imme diately.

And that's that. The best dish of the whole Thanksgiving dinner.

This stuffing is easy and only has a few ingredients.

Alex Pavljuk | The Montclarion

What have you tolerated in the past that you no longer have space for?

By: Lynise Olivacce

“I think I’ve been a little of a pushover most of my life. And I think one of my old friend's behavior just got to the point where I couldn’t take it anymore. I just don’t tolerate that any more. There’s no point in being fake about something.”

Angelica Medina Junior Linguistics

“Probably people telling me that I'm not the typical college student and that I should change. I’m not someone that considers myself a partier. I don’t drink, or do things like that. And that's okay with me. I stay within what’s safe for me. I’ve had a lot of trauma. So it's important to me that I am always in my most com fortable form of myself, and always in a safe environment for myself. I’ve also had a lot of success when it comes to school and what I’ve done in my career so far at a young age. So that proves to me that I’m on the right path. And that I don’t need to change.”

Rhim Junior Business Administration

Stevanie

“Not putting myself first. And I use to sort of let people make decisions for me. I wouldn't really use my own voice. I think I came to college and I realized, I am my own person and I can say what I want and make decisions for myself.”

Katie Sitzler Sophomore Film and Television

“I think probably apologizing or feeling bad for how I feel and my emotions. Like how I feel is okay and I don't have to apologize or feel bad for it.”

AJ Humenik Sophomore Anthropology

Elise Bednar Sophomore Acting

“Just toxic energy around me. You have to re ally make hard decisions and evaluate who's in your life and who isn't. And so in doing so, the harder decisions you have to make, the easier path you're on. So sometimes you may have a friend but you guys just don't relate anymore. And you just have to let that person go and let them [venture] on for their life. I think it's what's helped me to grow as a person.”

Emily Morales Junior Public Relations and Social Media

“I think I don't tolerate playing the role of someone’s mother anymore. I don't need to fill that role in for them in their life.”

Hannah Effinger Production Editor

Avery Nixon Opinion Editor

Katie Lawrence Video Editor

Colin Luderitz Assistant Opinion Editor

Sofia Acevedo Valencia Assistant Opinion Editor

The Montclarion Crossword Puzzle and More! Thanksgiving Edition

By Jenna Sundel

Across

4. While this show never had a Thanksgiving episode, its Harvest Festival episode is heartwarming and enter taining.

6. A Thanksgiving episode of this sitcom is called “The Mom and Pop Store.”

7. This sitcom’s season four Thanksgiving episode paid homage to “The Shawshank Redemption.”

8. This iconic sitcom had 10 Thanksgiving episodes throughout its run.

Sudoku

Down

1. The Thanksgiving episodes of this sitcom are la beled “Thanksgiving” through “Thanksgiving IX.”

2. This underrated sitcom’s Thanksgiving episode has amusing fights, an odd search to find clams and a spoof of MTV’s “The Real World.”

3. A Thanksgiving episode of this sitcom featured a smoke-filled apartment, a dead body and a guest star appearance by Justin Long.

5. This 1980s-set sitcom has seven Thanksgiving epi sodes under its belt.

Word Search

Turkey Stuffing Thanksgiving Mashed potatoes Cranberry sauce Pumpkin Apple Parade Sweet potato Green beans Cornucopia Pie

Dismantling Harmful Misconceptions: The Truth About Thanksgiving

Japanese internment camps from 1942-1945, and many other examples of racism and oppression.

Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie.

It’s all we can think about until November 24th, the American holiday that is Thanksgiving this year.

We learn about the history of Thanksgiving all the way back in Kindergarten. We make hand-traced turkeys and draw on color book pages of a cornucopia and assume that the pilgrims and Native Ameri cans lived happily ever after together. However, once we grew up, we learned that this is certainly not the case.

But due to the fact it is so engraved in our brains, we have a hard time accepting the harsh truth of our ancestors and what they did to the peo ple who were here before us. Many Americans don’t want to admit the country’s fault in instances like the mistreat ment of Native Americans, the

Americans don’t like to think of America as a nation that has committed horrid crimes against humanity like the people we learn about in history books, but we have committed horrible crimes and we have to talk about it.

To start things off, let’s talk about the myth of the first Thanksgiving. We are taught to believe that the pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock and were greeted by the Native Americans who invited them to a feast that lasted days.

However, author and George Washington University profes sor David Silverman claims in his book “This Land Is Their Land: The Wampanoag Indians, Plymouth Colony, and the Troubled History of Thanksgiving”, that “much of that story is a myth riddled with historical inaccuracies.”

Smithsonian Magazine

continues by saying “beyond that, Silverman argues that the telling and retelling of these falsehoods is deeply harmful to the Wampanoag Indians whose lives and society were forever damaged after the English arrived in Plymouth.”

They did still have a peace ful feast together, but that was more of a way to ensure the protection of the Wampanoag tribe from the English. The Wampanoag tribe was even the one to suggest a friendly relationship, but it wasn’t long until the English betrayed them.

Ever since the pilgrims landed in America, Native Americans were met with dis eases, bloodshed, genocide, and continued oppression for hundreds of years to come.

Smithsonian Magazine states, “Wampanoags today remember the Pilgrims’ entry to their homeland as a day of deep mourning, rather than a moment of giving thanks.”

Silverman even sat down with people in the Wampa noag tribe today and they agreed with his statements on Thanksgiving. Silverman stated, “They felt like their people’s history as they un derstood it was being misrep resented. They felt that not only their classes, but society in general was making light of historical trauma which weighs around their neck like a millstone. Those stories re ally resonated with me.”

One of the more hidden truths about Thanksgiving is the fact that the Wampanoag tribe had contact with the English for many years prior. When the pilgrims arrived, a few of the people in the tribe had already learned to speak English.

Lindsay Mcvay for the Smithsonian Magazine reports that “about four years before the Pilgrims anchored off Massachusetts, British fishermen had already started making their way through New

England, storming through [Native American] towns to kidnap Native people for profit in the slavery trade.”

Native Americans did not befriend the colonizers and concede their land. It was violently stolen from them and we are taught so little about that until maybe high school or later. Even then, we still aren’t taught as much as we should be.

The pilgrims coming to America meant a whole new world for some people. It was full of promise and new op portunities. Still, we have to remember the people whose lives were stolen and the peo ple that suffered for no reason other than the English’s greed and inhumanity.

If you choose to celebrate Thanksgiving this year, please do so in honor and remem brance of the lives that were taken and the people who suf fered for us to be here.

of

By Katie Lawrence, Hannah Effinger & Nicky Vidal

“I know there were some guys with some tall hats and that’s about it.”

“I heard that like apparently it wasn’t all that great like of course it was a day of giving…one of the colonies was sharing food with the Native Americans and they decided to have a feast to celebrate their friendship. Then they just ended up killing them all afterwards. When I think of Thanksgiving I just think of genocide, it just like marks the beginning of white people killing a bunch of Native Americans.”

“I think so, I think I do yeah. They were like let’s meet up, let’s eat a little and then they slaughtered them and it’s really bad, you know.”

-Ameen Ali Advertising Freshman

-Ben Smith Visual Communication Design Junior

- Angelique Perez Visual Communication Design Junior

Sophia Capparros | The Montclarion

It’s Time To Get Ready For Political Discourse During The Holidays

Cassandra Michalakis Staff Writer

With the midterm elec tions just concluding and the constant turmoil of the presidential election in two years time, it is not far-fetched to assume grandma’s stuffing won’t be the only talk at the table in a couple of weeks.

Holidays are intended to bring people together, yet that does not mean necessarily uniting them unless you count agreeing on which family member’s food contribution is the worst. We see such oc casions have the capacity to foster tensions and potential fallouts with loved ones–all because of political discourse.

Most of us can confirm that politics is framed as a volatile thing. I would like to ask, what exactly is it about politics that makes it temperamental?

To note, I do recognize the levity of this topic. I under stand that a 600-word article will not change minds; in fact, I do not wish for that.

Instead, I wanted to write about this because of the anticipated conversations that tend to arise at the dinner

table. I wish for the reader to consider how we go about pro cessing it all. At most, I hope the reader will leave thinking about these queries.

This leads me to the first question I will offer: are we talking about politics or “poli tics”?

That is to say, are we concerning ourselves with the policies themselves? This includes its components, such as the infrastructures they are affiliated with, duration, cost and sustainability of it all.

Or are we engaging with the interpretation of these policies through the lense of politicians? Specifically, when engaging with politicians’ content, do we find ourselves getting answers to questions

about policies? Or do we be come overrun with emotions at the implication of a particu lar plan disrupting our life?

Politicians are human, after all, and their occupation heavily relies on having strong support from citizens.

Here is an overarching question: do we even get a chance to ask the logistical questions? Or is the format in which politics is presented preventing us from being able to even consider these ques tions?

We could argue that pre sentation makes it explosive. Maybe the ideas discussed in politics are just innately ex plosive. In this way, the ideas themselves are loaded with fuel, and we create a spark by

engaging with them.

On the other end of things, maybe we have just become accustomed to hearing these ideas presented with an already-burning momentum.

I am aware of the tedious line of thinking we are explor ing. These are big questions that can be approached in multiple ways…which is pre cisely why I am asking them.

Sometimes, a catalytic event can force us to question what we previously estab lished. Needless to say, there has been so much production in the past few years that per haps the noise of everything political caused us to shut down altogether.

I might argue that we actually do need to diffuse the

conversation. We may be so ingrained in our beliefs, that attempting to approach these ideas sans emotions is nonvi able.

As for my own interpreta tion, I believe there is one thing that we can deduce to explain the passion that ac companies politics. That is the simple, yet powerful fact that politics is power.

Whoever wields that power determines future outcomes for you and those who follow afterward. Power is control, and managing control might be one of the rawest experi ences that come with being human.

We might say then, that it is rational to be concerned with who holds that power, and what their intentions are in regard to the evolution of our society.

In other words, maybe the emotion that accompanies politics is not as infernal as we think it.

It could be that we are (understandably and correctly) passionate about politics, but easily lose track of what it is we are fighting for. Who and what exactly, are we con cerned about?

Are we ardent about poli tics or “politics”?

I don’t know about you, but that is something that can certainly fill me up.

CassandraMichalakis,asophomore chemistrymajor,isinherfirstyearasa staff writer for The Montclarion.

Mulligan Staff Writer

It may not be the “most wonderful time of the year” for everyone. The holidays often signify family gatherings, revivals of old traditions and more. For many, these festivi ties are overshadowed by the people who are missing this holiday season.

It may be your first or fif teenth holiday season riddled with grief, and that’s okay. Grief can feel all-consuming, and the holiday season can spark triggers that some of us didn’t even know we had.

Even so, you’re not alone. There are ways that we can combat those pessimistic feel ings.

Here are some things you can try this holiday season to ease into the festivities.

Communicate With Your Support System

Even if you feel that your struggles seem obvious, it sometimes doesn’t change that people don’t know how to approach you during this time. Let your close family or friends know that you may be struggling this holiday season.

You can even go over some specific ways they can help you.

Whether that’s skipping some traditions that may be triggering or making a signal for leaving an event early, you can find ways you and your close ones can meet yourself where you are.

Honor Your Loved One

It can be nice to set time aside to dedicate to your missing one this season. If you’re like me, you may feel it’s sometimes easy to try and carry on the days as usual as much as possible without con fronting your struggles. But, I can speak to that and share

that it’s vital to address your loss. It can even make you feel closer to who you’re missing.

I like going to some old spots that I associate with my loved ones and being in nature. It can remind you of past memories and let you feel what you need to feel.

Avoid Social Media

I think we can all attest to the negatives of social media. The posts of families eating turkey and wholesome para graphs about this time of year can heighten those feelings of grief.

It helps to turn off the phone and focus on what’s in front of you. Grief can already

make your mind feel like it’s trying to process a hundred feelings and thoughts at once, you don’t need to add the su perficial layer of social media to your struggles.

Share Your Truth

The holidays typically entail an extent of self-sharing that can become exhausting. Add to that a layer of grief and loss, and it can make small talk feel nauseating. When family may ask how you are this season, don’t feel pressured to keep conversation superficial and easy.

You have the freedom to share your feelings and your struggles. That does not

make you a “Debbie downer,” it makes you a human being opening up about a difficult time of your life. If you’re com fortable speaking about your grief, speak your truth and share your story.

Recognize Your Feelings

It can be easy to ignore the sadness and pain and focus on getting through the day. What’s most important is that in the rush of the holidays, you take a minute to check in with yourself. There will be happy music, laughing children, fresh baked goods, and it is still okay that you are grieving.

Grief and the holidays are such a juxtaposition that it makes us feel like we need to embrace one or the other. But, that’s the farthest from the truth. You’re allowed to cry when you hear a jolly song or excuse yourself from a beauti ful Thanksgiving dinner for a breath of fresh air. It’s a dif ficult, even weird time, but you can experience the holidays in any way that brings you the most comfort.

There is no right or wrong way, there is just embracing your journey with grief and understanding that you are worth the process.

KaylaMulligan,ajuniorpoliticalscience andhistorydoublemajor,isinhersecond yearasastaffwriterforTheMontclarion.

Liz Seidemann | The Montclarion

Nicky Vidal | The Montclarion

Kayla

What Does Free Speech Mean Exactly?

Cassandra Michalakis Guest Writer

This might be saturated with irony, to which the reader would be correct in assuming. In a lighthearted manner, I acknowledge that what I write here ultimately contributes to the cacophony of comments the internet suf fers no shortage of.

Ironically enough, I began to draft this article prior to Twitter’s ownership change. It initiated my reflection on how I convey my opinions, and what I aspire to achieve with my writing. I now see its appropriate timing with the altered rules Elon Musk promises regarding Twitter’s speech tolerance.

Freedom of speech is a highly subjective ideology. Freedom, for the most part, in vokes the notion that one may do as one pleases. This indeed extends to acts or behavior which may not suit a person’s surrounding audience, to which the “freedom” is further reiterated to typically account for negative conduct.

Being free is simultane ously a liberating and weighty experience. It’s one of the many things that come with being human. It has highs and lows, and it can ultimately be a grounding yet reckless venture.

Twitter’s change in policy

is forcing us once again to clearly define what freedom means to us; what it means to us individually, societally and politically.

To be free is a balance between one’s self and regard for others around them.

As an individual, I believe there is a rudimentary con straint to practicing freedom of speech. We should possess a sort of intrinsic driving force. Whenever we post something online, we are considerate of the implications it has and whether they are appropriate, constructive or worthwhile.

The online world is as suredly a place flooded with explosive and abusive opin ions. It is no coincidence that people online utilize pathos repeatedly to engage with an

audience. It’s what hits home the quickest way with little effort.

Yet, we often leave out the other scaffolds that come with delivering a well-constructed message on social media. The art of persuasive speaking relies on ethos, the credibility of the speaker and evidence presented, and logos, the logic of it all.

In neglecting those, we evade delivering a meaningful, solid message. Furthermore, what we say does not hold up after the wave of reactions has passed. You might find yourself looking at an incom plete and immature idea, unraveling as its worthwhile ness fades with time.

One may argue that people online purposefully eschew

these pillars because they only care to inflame and propagate. That much might be true. It could also be indicative of how they simply do not care to actually converse; a somewhat obvious observation perhaps, but important nonetheless.

These are real people that we pass by every day. People weaving in and out of our lives. Some are living in the same country as us, yet hold varying explications of what freedom is all about.

What is said might be viewed as a winded endeavor to simply say “words matter.”

If words really do matter, then is what we see online people’s true colors?

By no means is it an easy task to diffuse our emotions into fixated arguments and to

clearly lay out our frustrations.

But avoiding this practice, or convincing ourselves that where we are is sufficient, robs us of the opportunity to grow and challenge all that we know.

I find that less restrictive guidelines should encour age us to be more articulate, more constructive or simply more aware of what it is we really want to say; especially in knowing that it is people are we talking about, not just ideas.

While a lot more can be said of this, what we can deduce with certainty is that freedom offers us a choice. But choices undeniably come with responsibilities.

The responsibility for the path you choose and responsi bility for the outcome it has. Do we all harbor that responsibility, whether we realize it or not? Is this what freedom of speech looks like once lifted from the paper and placed into real life?

This is something to consider as the next flutter of chirps swarms our phone.

CassandraMichalakis,asophomore chemistrymajor,isinherfirstyearasa staff writer for The Montclarion.

Avery Nixon | The Montclarion

“Remember”

by Delilah Summerer | Contributor

I remember you. Not because I want to. But because I can’t stop.

I remember holding your hand as we walked down the street, admiring the twin kling streetlights sending their orange glow onto the wet pavement. I remember how much you loved the winters here, claiming that there wasn’t much snow in your hometown. I remember your distaste for the heat, for summer, for the season I loved almost as much as I loved you.

I remember loving you. I remember how it felt to be in love. I remember being loved, then being unloved. I remember being alone. Were you the one to leave, or was it my fault? You would always say it was my fault. We would be teasing, and the teasing would turn rough and cruel, and it would be my fault. I would trip on your leg and it would be my fault. I could forget what it was like to feel alive, and it would be my fault. Was it my fault for loving you? For being loved by you?

Your face haunts me. It used to be the only thing I wanted to see. Now I can’t get rid of it, I can’t move on, I can’t figure out who I’m supposed to be without you. Do you hate that? Do you bother to think of me? Am I just a footnote in your memory? I wish that I could be confident in saying that I was actually something to you. Sure, you were my everything and more. But what was I? What was I to you? Something to make the time go faster so you could get busy loving someone else?

I admit, I used you to feel better about myself. That was your fault. You brought out the best in me, then got upset when I changed because you took that away. Why do I bother? I want to get over you. I honestly want to get over you and stop remembering how happy you made me.

We were never made to work. Isn’t that right? We weren’t supposed to last. That’s how you broke up with me. You called me and said we weren’t made to last, then hung up when my words meddled with tears streaming down my face.

You broke up with me. I remember that. I remember that every time dreams are wiped away from my eyes and the day begins. I remember that every time I see grass rustling in the wind. I remember that every single time I look at a blank wall and hear you saying what you would have displayed there. You broke up with me. But when did you leave me? When did you decide that I wasn’t enough for you?

When did you decide that she was?

Did you always love her? I don’t remember her name, or you ever saying it. Did you ever love her? Or was she just the next in line on your list of conquests? It wasn’t my fault. I gave more than myself to you. I loved you with more than I was capable of. And you called me naïve. Because being passionate about being alive wasn’t pas sion, it was people desperate for interaction. Isn’t that what you said? It doesn’t matter anyways.

You were a bad person. You are a bad person. And you might get better in the future, but I won’t know about it. I’ll never see you again.

And I refuse to remember anymore of what we might have been.

“The Interview”

by Izzy Love | Contributor

“Father Stretch My Hands” by Rosemary Rodriguez| Contributor

Naive Like flipping off evergreens Out of envy I still love you Just a little less Than before

En repose

I thank God For the deer The chipmunks The bunnies And the lack of you. But I’ll still wait for the owls

“If You Must Go”

by Erica McDonald | Staff Writer

If you must go, would you tuck me in and kiss me goodnight?

If you must go, would you at least turn off the light?

If you must go, would you please close the door on your way out?

If you must go, would you tell me before you leave?

If you must go, would you leave my heart in one piece this time?

If you must go, will you promise you won’t come back again?

The mind is a fascinating little device. Many see it as an assortment of functions. Cognitive functions crank away while thoughts and ideas bloom at a mere whim. Some despise it, disgusted by how it reveals their hidden nature. Geniuses and fast thinkers are opposite; their thoughts operate at the speed and function of a calculator crunching complex equations. They rely on it in that way. For many, the mind is a comfort zone—the only place where they can be their truest. Life outside is spent keeping secrets and dodging people for fear of ridicule, thus thoughts are all they can trust. Some people report the existence of an inner monologue, a narrated accompaniment to their lives.

There’s a way to visualize it. Picture a library filled to the brim with hardbacks. Trinkets and mementos add life between the stacks of books. Soft florescent light bounces off of polished brown wood. You sit in a comfortable brown lounge chair. The Interviewer is across from you. You can’t quite detail a description of them, much less a face. But regardless, there’s something familiar here. Back and forths feed into a microphone hanging just out of sight. A camera hovers over the interviewer’s shoulder. “Action” and “cut” have never been called, yet the red light glows like the eternal flame. Sometimes, Interviewer and equipment are replaced by a group of friends, but that’s a story for another time.

The never-ending interview is a place where thoughts are purely honest and feelings concise. It’s the ultimate safe space. Your words will never be more explicit than in here. Throughout your waking hours, everything is revealed. Brilliant character studies, from your best friend to the kitchen worker you see maybe once or twice a week. The interviewer will silently drag a cigarette while you explain how sudden recollection of the time you were mean to someone in third grade devolves to a borderline panic attack. Maybe you’ll monologue in lengthy detail about the impact men have had on you. It’s the exclusive, all-inclusive tell-all.

You try to imagine how the final cut will turn out. The eventual grand premiere of the documentary. When the audience outside the mind quiets down to listen to what you have to say. Will your words be cut down, turning eloquent speeches into bad black out poetry? Will the absence of a dire word, or the presence of a brand new one, strip statements of their true meaning? Will the audience turn their ears as usual or will there be applause in your name? It would be idealist to think that anything but the former will happen. But someday, perhaps someday, the Interviewer will make the right cut. And your words will be their true brilliant self.

But what about the Interviewer? Who are they? What makes it so easy to dissect your soul to them? Well, the answer is obvious and quite frankly cliche. But cliches are cliche for a reason, and dressing up the answer is nothing short of dishonest. You look across the space dividing you from the interviewer. There’s not much to see, but you make out a pair of eyes you’ve only seen in the mirror. And when the realization sets in, you’re unmoved. There’s no one you can quite open up to like yourself.

by Alex Pavljuk & Avery Nixon

Illustrations

“Man”

by Alex Pavljuk | Fiction Editor

Sometimes I hardly feel like a man, Wanting, wondering, and oh so far from willing.

I am as content as I can, Yet every day I can’t help but feel that my feelings are far from chilling, I am a man.

But what kind of man does that make the man I am?

“White Diamond”

by Avery Nixon | Opinion Editor

She wasn’t the most sophisticated or high-class woman, but she smelled like one. In fact, she came from extreme poverty.

Poverty forced her family to eat nothing but meals made out of potatoes. Poverty forced her to wear hand-me-downs that were too big for her and made her underwear fall down to her ankles in front of everyone on the bus.

The humiliation of not being able to afford garments that fit or having cracked wood for floors stayed with her. She was a foul-mouthed bastard who would fight dirty and did whatever she pleased.

One day, she hopped on his motorcycle and never looked back.

She may have left her run-down neighborhood behind, but she remained the same scrawny girl that was picking fights and throwing fists.

She and her husband were hard workers. With two children right after ty ing the knot, they had to provide for their new family and new life together.

Despite being hardworking, their family never knew wealth or financial sta bility. However, she refused to let her daughters suffer the same embarrass ment and bleakness that poisoned her childhood.

They went on trips to Land of Make Believe, shopping malls, dining out and nights at the movies. While the financial burden was heavy, her daugh ters’ smiles were worth it. Her family’s homes were foreclosed numerous times and they constantly had to move to different states for work. Still, her daughters’ smiles were worth it.

Once her children were in high school and got jobs of their own, their fi nances weren’t so terrible. Her daughters had boyfriends, went to prom and even went to college.

One daughter was so brilliant, she graduated valedictorian of her high school at 16 and her college at 20. She received full-ride scholarships to both colleges she attended, one being Montclair State University.

That daughter married her senior prom date, an equally intelligent boy who went on to become a software engineer for the United States military. Life for them became quite comfortable, and she was proud of that.

Even though money wasn’t as big of an issue with her kids out of the house, she was the same girl as the one on the bus. A mother, but a punk at heart. She had treated her children to luxuries she had never had. Now, it was time to treat herself. She had bought a variety of makeup, nail polish and accessories. She finally fit in.

One thing she owned stood out to me. It portrayed the elegance and divinity of a woman in the early 1900s. It glowed orange and gold with diamond embedded on top. White Diamond perfume by Elizabeth Taylor. It was her signature scent. A scent with such refinement and delicacy for a woman who used to steal from local bars, but

it suit her.

Every time she walked in the door, I was blessed with a whiff of grandeur so phistication. But the scent faded over time as well as the fiery woman I once knew. Bedridden after brain cancer, thyroid cancer, two strokes, arthritis and early-onset Alzheimer’s. After years of debilitating disease and illness, my grandmother was gone.

Now lay a confused, scared and frail old woman in a nursing home, begging to go home. Every time I visit, which isn’t often due to the pandemic, I go home sobbing. I still love this woman, but I mourn my grandmother.

She no longer has the strength to put on her golden jewelry, makeup or even her perfume. She no longer has the strength to do anything but open her eyes and get out a sentence or two. Every once in a while, she’ll mutter something sassy or slightly offensive, so I know she’s still in there some where. However, my once favorite comedian can no longer make jokes about me because she has no idea who I am.

It’s heartbreaking to see someone’s soul die and another one takes their body. It’s not fair.

I would do anything again to see her in all her glory. Five-foot 10 inches with huge brunette curls and that White Diamond perfume that lingered on every object she touched.

My grandfather now lives in a senior citizen apartment complex alone. He’s quite isolated, but he spends his days decorating with art or home improve ment projects. He’s slowly erasing any evidence his wife lived there. He still has some of her own art, including beautifully painted and decorated hollow eggshells. However, they live apart and having her belongings around cre ates false hope that she will one day return to the apartment.

Most of her things were either given to her or sent to thrift shops.

One day, he asked my brother and I to help declutter. We sifted through clos ets, shelves and nightstands. Nothing was really worth keeping and most of it we gave to her or threw out.

While digging through her old closet, I found something on the top shelf.

It wasn’t extraordinary or anything. Honestly, under any other circumstanc es, I wouldn’t have even thought of taking it, but something about it made it more valuable than anything else.

It was my grandma’s heated winter blanket. A plush olive green blanket made for a queen-sized bed. Most importantly, the strong scent of the White Diamond perfume had prevailed all those years in the closet. Smelling that perfume, for the first time in what felt like an eternity, brought me to tears.

Every night, hot or cold, I wrap myself in that blanket. Every night, I feel at ease my grandmother is with me once again.

by Alex Pavljuk & Avery Nixon

Illustrations

“Oh Me, Oh My” - Haddie Lyons

“Crash” - Nicky Vidal

“Drink More Water” - Avery Nixon

“Sleep Tight” - Hannah Effinger

CaribSO’s Caribbean Ball: Celebrating Culture

Dani Mazariegos Assistant Photo Editor

Montclair Sate Univer sity’s Caribbean Students’ Organization, a cultural organization of the Stu dent Government Association (SGA), hosted their Caribbean Ball on Sunday, Nov. 13. With the attire for the night being formal, students dressed up in glamorous outfits, looking their best and ready to celebrate the night.

CaribSO President Brandon TaylorRoach, a junior political science major, said the event is a way to honor the heritage.

“Caribbean Ball is a beautiful night to celebrate the fullness of Caribbean culture,” Taylor-Roach said.

The event began with the host, Montclair state alumnus and former SGA president Ernst Lozin, playing games with the crowd to get everyone excited and ready for the executive board to make their entrance. They started with Caribbean Trivia where everyone was grouped based off of their country, such as Haiti, Jamaica, Dominica, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, etc, and all had to compete to see who knows their country best.

Lozin then introduced each member of the executive board as they danced and strutted down the aisle, all wav ing their country flags and wearing a shade of blue, which was the theme for the night. Also blue, were all the decorations and food on the dessert table. This color signified the ocean and waters surrounding the Caribbean Islands. The outfits and decorations were a way of paying homage to the ancestors of the e-board members who were thrown in the ocean during the Trans-Atlantic slave trade.

CaribSO treasurer Naomi Malcolm, a sophomore nursing major, said she loves the event and the “togetherness of [their] cultures.”

“The way we’re celebrating is just so beautiful,” Malcolm said. “[Tonight gives us the opportunity] to embrace everything [about our culture], and that is the reason why I joined CaribSO.”

Malcolm went on to say that al though CaribSO has been an estab lished organization at Montclair State for many years, due to the pandemic, they haven’t been able to put on as many big events in a while, so that added another element of excitement to the Caribbean Ball.

Taylor-Roach and the e-board members, including event coordinator Natalee Marie Ramos, a junior justice studies major, then took the time to honor the sponsors of the event by say ing thank you and giving one represen tative from each organization a blue flower.

“It is amazing seeing everyone [here and dressed up],” Ramos said. “We all worked so hard to pull off this event, and all our co-sponsors and organiza tions from other schools. It’s amazing

how

us.”

Co-sponsors from both Montclair State organizations and outside orga nizations, including Future Teachers of Color, Daughta Speaks, the Native Af rican Student Organization, Complex

they all showed out for

ions, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, All Pockets Full, Ladies First, the Haitian Student Organization and many more, were recognized.

After all the introductions and

People dance while waving their country’s flags in the air.

The audience interacts with the host.

Lozin takes a video of the president of CaribSO, Bran don Taylor-Roach, making his entrance.

Dani Mazariegos | The Montclarion

Dani Mazariegos | The Montclarion

Dani Mazariegos | The Montclarion

speeches, the entertainment part of the night began.

The Rutgers University Bachata Team delivered an ecstatic perfor mance of a bachata routine they had prepared. Bachata, which consists of three-step movements, is a style of dance that originated in the Domini can Republic. It is widely recognized among the Caribbean islands, although not all versions of bachata are identi cal.

Afterward, CaribSO executive assis tant Samira Bailey, a junior psychology major, delivered a powerful cover of “Redemption Song” by Bob Marley and the Wailers.

Between performances, as a way to keep the crowd engaged, Lozin

asked DJ HasirPOW to play the charity single, “We Are the World,” and shared an important message on unity.

“We are all here from different parts of the world,” Lozin said. “And we are all here coming together in the same room, so I think it is really imperative that we unite ourselves together. I’m glad we are all here having fun with each other ‘cause sometimes when you say ‘I’m from Haiti, I’m from Cuba,’ they look at you a certain way. This song means we are all the same.”

After, Montclair State’s Haitian Student Organization Dance Troupe delivered a fiery performance, receiv ing an uproar of applause from the audience. Each dancer represented their countries by having their flag on

the back of their shirts for one part of their performance.

Following them, the CaribSO Dance Troupe gave an enthusiastic perfor mance causing the crowd to circle around the dance floor and erupt in applause and screams.

Mark Lovell, a senior dance major and dance troupe coordinator for Car ibSO, shared what it felt and meant to him to perform for the event.

“Creating a dance for CaribSO is like an experience because it takes me back to my roots,” Lovell said. “I am of Gyoniese descent, so it’s easy for me to take the movement I am used to doing at my homeland and bring that to the light [to share with everyone]. Being in a space [such as this one] and people

cheering you on is like an exchange of energies. I loved performing tonight. It was so freeing, like I got to show my true self.”

After the entertainment of the night, students took to the dance floor to dance and celebrate this incredibly impactful cultural event.

The proceeds from the ticket sales of this event will be going into an initia tive called “CaribSO Cares,” where CaribSO will be hosting an event centered around giving young children in less fortunate neighborhoods toys for Christmas.

General Body Meetings are every Wednesday at 4:30 p.m.

The CaribSO e-board holds the flags of their respective countries.

Junior dance major Connie Mills performed as part of the CaribSO Dance Troupe.

The CaribSO dance troupe performed during the event.

CaribSO executive assistant Samira Bailey sings “Redemp tion Song” by Bob Marley and the Wailers.

Connie Mills, the assistant dance troupe coordinator, leads a group dance.

Liastor Parkinson | The Montclarion

Dani Mazariegos | The Montclarion

Dani Mazariegos | The Montclarion

Dani Mazariegos | The Montclarion

Dani Mazariegos | The Montclarion

Flames Come Alive as ‘In The Fire’ Pays Tribute to George Treddenick

Stephanie Arias Guest Writer

Tributes are often made to remem ber people once they are gone, but that is not the case for Alexander Kasser’s latest production. From Nov. 10 to Nov. 13, Montclair State University present ed the world premiere of “In The Fire,” a tribute to George Albert Treddenick, the last living founder of the Winnipeg Fire Fighters Museum, created by his daughter to help share his story.

Holly Treddenick, the mind be hind the concept and creation of “In The Fire,” is close to her father, who this show is inspired by. She is seen performing amazing acts both on the stage and up in the air while a choir, Opus 8, joins her throughout the beau tiful performance.

From aerial dances to dancing with flames, along with set pieces that connected to the theme, 14 different scenes were used to tell the story of George Treddenick. A firefighter’s uni form suspended in the air represents the man to who this is paying hom age to. Holly dances with the uniform in the scene “Dance on Dad’s Feet.” It is then taken off in the next scene and worn as a cape as the performer parades around while the song “My Winnipeg” by Jason Staczek plays.

Angel Bustillo, a junior English ma jor, said he loved the repetition shown throughout the performance.

“I feel like [the repetition] fit well for the story that they were telling,” Bustillo said. “They talked about how the firefighter can’t save someone, and it is constantly shown over again. I feel like this gives a great insight to some one who knows that not everyone can be saved, and it’s painful for the person doing it. It’s always something that I think is important to remind people that they can do their best, but they can’t guarantee to save them all.”

One thing the performance focuses on is that this is a tribute to someone who is still here today. My favorite scene, although the moment she eats

fire is a close second, is “A Conversa tion with George.” In this segment, Holly calls her father over the phone in real-time and their conversation is heard by everyone in the audience. During one performance, he didn’t pick up but called back right after. I thought that it was planned, but it turns out it wasn’t.

Holly, and the show’s director, Monica Dottor, who have been working together since 1999, gave insight into the circumstances and meaning sur rounding the phone call.

Dottor said it is another way to honor not just George, but others as well.

“I think part of it is that the show is very reverent, and it’s very much about honoring him but also honoring rescue workers and first responders and emergency workers,” Dottor said. “And because George is still alive, we thought it would’ve been great to loop him in somehow, and so this idea of the phone call came about.”

Holly said she calls her father dur ing the day before that part of the show

starts as a way to help ease his nerves.

“He definitely knows that we phone him,” Holly said. “He needs to be prepped. He gets nervous. I’m pretty close to my parents, both of my par ents, so we talk regularly.”

I had thought the conversation was pre-recorded, but each night is a real, live conversation that is unrehearsed, adding to the element of this being a tribute to a loved one who is still here

today. George could be heard saying, “I wish I could add more,” during one of the performances when Holly thanked him for sharing his story. It was truly a wholesome moment and, overall, a beautiful tribute. Through “In The Fire” and Holly sharing her father’s sto ry, audience members can be remind ed to thank anyone who resonates with George and other people in service.

Holly Treddenick, the mind behind the concept and creation of “In The Fire,” roasts a marshmallow on stage.

Holly calls her father in “A Conversation with George.”

Photo courtesy of LISEO+CO

Photo courtesy of LISEO+CO

Holly Treddenick (center) in one of her aerial dance scenes surrounded by Opus 8.

Photo courtesy of LISEO+CO

Executive Producer Michael Peroff’s ‘The Shanghai Quartet: Behind the Strings’ Tells Musicians’ Story

Amero Staff Writer

Michael Peroff, who works along side director Hal Rifken as executive producer of the new documentary film “The Shanghai Quartet: Behind the Strings,” visited Montclair State Uni versity’s Film Forum on Nov. 8.

Peroff is the co-founder of a televi sion production company based in China. His company, Stone Bridge International, creates and produces weekly primetime programming for stations like China Central TV, Beijing TV and Shanghai TV.

But Peroff’s role as a producer is different than other speakers that have visited the forum so far, according to Film Forum professor Roberta Fried man.

“A producer has to have a wider overview of the entire production from conception through distribution,” Friedman said.

During the forum, Peroff comoderated with Friedman and world languages and cultures professor Wing Shan Ho, acting as a medium between the audience and the Li brothers, who are central to “Behind the Strings” and came to the audience over Zoom. Peroff was mostly engaged with the audience, answering questions and providing information about the film on behalf of himself and director Hal Rifken.

“The Shanghai Quartet: Behind the Strings” tells the story of four classically-trained musicians after Mao’s Cultural Revolution: Weigang Li, Honggang Li, Yi-Wen Jiang and Nicho las Tzavaras. These musicians seized their opportunity and fled West, having performed in the U.S. and around the world for 35 years.

The Shanghai Quartet originally formed in 1983, but they made their debut in New York City in 1987. In 1989, they became the quartet-in-res idence at the University of Richmond before they landed themselves at Mont clair State’s own John J. Cali School of Music, where they stayed for about 20 years.

The documentary shows how they got to where they are today by diving into their personal lives and also show ing behind-the-scenes of the quartet performing at concerts and different venues. Between filming, post-produc tion and traveling outside the country, this film was five years in the making.

During the call with Weigang and Honggang Li, Honggang explained that he tended to forget the camera was present and what was filmed were rehearsals and fights that happened behind closed doors. Also, Weigang mentioned he and his brother were third generation violinists, and they were placed on this path by their parents who found it hard to practice during Mao’s Cultural Revolution because intellectuals like themselves were being targeted.

Through the film and discussion, Friedman wanted her students and other film and television majors to develop an awareness surrounding musicians and history.

“[I want them to have] an under standing of the massive amount of work and dedication that goes into be ing a professional musician,” Friedman said. “An understanding of the impact of the Cultural Revolution in China— the way the filmmaker intercut history, music, performance [and] personal stories.”

When speaking about the experi ence of viewing the film, Ernesto Nieves, a junior film and television major, said he found it intriguing.

“I’ve always been a real big docu mentary head,” Nieves said. “So, like, any type of movie, I like watching them. I thought this was pretty interesting especially with them diving into the background of a lot of the musicians and just seeing their stories and how they came together was really inspira tional.”

Luke Adair, a junior communication and media studies major, said he has never heard someone turn music into such a professional career.

“The most I hear in music careers or professionals are directors for marching bands or teachers or profes sors,” Adair said. “But never actually some people going for it.”

Now viewers have the chance to see just that in this film which is truly Per off’s. He went in not knowing anything about classical chamber music and came out with an amazing documen tary film to fall in love with.

“The Shanghai Quartet: Behind the Strings” has been viewed at the Montclair Film Festival as well as the Woodstock Film Festival and Rich mond International Film Festival. Now, keep an eye out for this film airing on PBS in 2023.

When one hears the lyrics “Making my way downtown, walking fast, faces pass and I’m homebound,’’ they don’t think of the artist Vanessa Carlton. Sorry, not sor ry. Instead, the iconic film “White Chicks” comes to mind.

Starring Hollywood’s infamous comedian brothers, Marlon and Shawn Wayans, the film follows two FBI agents, Marcus (Mar lon) and Kevin (Shawn) Copeland, who are also brothers. They are assigned the task of protecting socialites Tiffany (Anne Dudek) and Brittany Wilson (Maitland Ward) from a kidnapping scheme during an important weekend in the Hamptons. But when the sisters suffer minor scars from a car acci dent, they refuse to leave their hotel.

But have no fear because Marcus and Kevin do the unthinkable by undergoing extreme makeovers to transform them selves and pose as two white women.

Hilarious and deep, the 2004 blockbust er hit contains so many iconic scenes mak ing the replay value off the charts. Some may argue that certain jokes were taken too far, but when you start to see the film for what it really is, you’ll understand it’s a masterpiece surrounding the topics of race, class and gender.

Based on the life of comedian Chris Rock, the sitcom “Everybody Hates Chris” chronicles his life as a teenager during the 1980s living in Brooklyn with his dysfunc tional family.

His cheapskate father Julius (Terry Crews), hotheaded mother Rochelle (Ti china Arnold), spoiled sister Tonya (Imani Hakim) and popular brother Drew (Tequan Richmond) constantly have him running around like a maniac with older brother duties as he also gets bullied and struggles to find his place in a predominantly white school.

It’s a one-of-a-kind show that is extreme ly entertaining, and it somehow manages to be comedic while containing valuable life lessons about adolescence. There’s a healthy balance between content for adults and children.

With Rock as the narrator and it be ing so relatable, its four seasons could be binge-watched in a heartbeat.

- Sekhena Sembenu Assistant Entertainment Editor

‘White Chicks’ on HBO Max

Photo courtesy of The CW

‘Everybody Hates Chris’ on Hulu

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Releasing

Faith

Junior communication and media studies major Luke Adair said he has never heard someone turn music into such a professional career.

Peroff acted as a medium between the audience and the Li brothers, who came to the audience over Zoom.

Katie Lawrence | The Montclarion

Katie Lawrence | The Montclarion

‘Wakanda Forever’: An Homage to Chadwick Boseman

Lynise Olivacce Photo Editor

“Black Panther: Wakanda For ever” is arguably one of the best films brought to the Marvel Cinematic Uni verse (MCU). It brings an essence that isn’t typically brought to pop-culture. Though it’s set in a fictional place, Wakanda, it has a real nuance of the African ancestral spirit, culture, chal lenges and Black excellency. It’s a film that also highlights Indigenous culture in an underwater city.

Due to its inclusivity and the influ ence of Chadwick Boseman, who played the previous Black Panther, T’Challa and King of Wakanda, fans of the film lost more than just a notable actor but a role model who undoubt edly left a tremendous impact in this world, so much so that director Ryan Coogler said it is impossible to form a tribute that captures his influence in one film.

Nevertheless, the second-highest opener film of the year, “Wakanda Forever,” is a piece that furthers Bose man’s legacy in the most memorable way.

Accompanied by the ominously, chilling orchestral music, there was a stillness in the theater following the opening scene of T’Challa’s passing, which was followed up by the silent tears of his sister, science prodigy Princess Shuri (Letitia Wright), as she couldn’t save her brother. The film is cloaked in a type of anguish that’s hard to ignore but still shimmered with a glimpse of hope. The theater came to a collective silence as the iconic Marvel intro played without music to respect Boseman’s ineffaceable mark he left before his passing.

The mother-daughter duo, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) and Prin cess Shuri, bare so much from their significant loss. Following the fast-pace intentions of Marvel movies, they’re persistent in fulfilling their duties to protect Wakanda even with the un imaginable hurt of losing a son and a brother. The juxtaposition between liv ing in a fast-moving life and the turmoil

of grief is encapsulated so well.

No different from the previous movie, scientists of the “surface world” continue to be on the hunt for vibra nium, a highly valuable fictional metal that’s only in Wakanda – or so it seems, leaving Wakanda under attack. With Queen Ramonda’s diplomatic skills and the courage of M’baku, the leader of the Jabari (Winston Duke), along with its dynamic nation, Wakanda can defend itself from the United States.

History has a repetitive pattern of greed. Viewers are introduced to these blue mutant creatures with incompa rable strength, the Talokan, an under water kingdom that mirrors the myth of Atlantis. The Talokan highlights Mesoamerica, reflecting the Mayan cul ture derived from Indigenous people. Nomar (Tenoch Mejía), the leader of the Talokan people and also the antagonist of the film, does not delay to protect from the scientists what was theirs first. Sound familiar?

Profoundly written, it seems Coogler and Joe Cole reflect on the co lonial invasion as a means to uncover cultures and complexities of history, which are not always taught as much as they should. Seen in the previous film, T’Challa exposing the vibranium to the “surface world” didn’t sit right with Nomar either.

General Okoye (Danai Gurira) and Princess Shuri go off to Virginia and meet a 19-year-old student, Riri Wil liams/Ironheart (Dominique Thorne). William’s knowledge in science shines, as other people are in disbelief of what she was able to achieve. “To be young, gifted and Black,” she says out of frus tration. This film also serves as a voice for people who often feel belittled due to prejudiced views.

Princess Shuri learns about how the Talokan came to be and Nomar’s motive to attack the scientists. She forms empathy for him, seeing the root of his actions. Seeing Princess Shuri’s

resilience and growth into a leader, even with the unimaginable impedi ments that are constantly thrown as a heavy weight on her shoulders, is captivating.

In case you forgot, we are reminded throughout the film of who the power ful and intelligent Wakandan women are. Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o), T'Challa's significant other before his passing, is the embodiment of that. From the compelling soundtrack to the unex pected twists and turns, there wasn’t a moment where there weren’t chills down my spine. The media doesn’t al ways portray Black people in the most positive light. As a young Black woman myself, it was refreshing to see other Black women take on leadership roles with such grace, while defying societal presumptions and evolving from the challenges that were thrown at them.

Princess Shuri grew from the play ful sister in the first Black Panther film to a driving force who protects her nation without hesitation. By the turning point, she is filled with rage after a harrowing event due to Nomar’s actions. You can feel her influx of emo tions through the screen.

Despite the commotion, Princess Shuri is reminded to be still, to be cognizant of who the Wakandans are and to be noble, instead of feeding into emotions. Viewers then see a reflection of the selflessness, comfort and persis tence that T’Challa and Boseman had.

Coogler has a gift for making view ers feel immersed in his projects, en suring that they leave with a message. I was glowing after the film. My melanin shined brighter. I’m not lying.

Although the $330 million dollar box office film leaves us with unan swered questions, it should be known that it’s bigger than an MCU film. In stead, it’s a cultural phenomenon that evokes advancement to a future that has been awaited for way too long.

As for Boseman, Coogler delivered a beautiful tribute to his life and shows that even though he has passed, he is never forgotten, and he is Wakanda Forever.

The film shows that even though Boseman has passed, he is never forgotten, and he is Wakanda Forever.

Princess Shuri (Letitia Wright) attends a ceremony for T’Challa’s death, which captures the celebration and mourn ing of his life.

Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios

Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios

Dorian Gashi Still Assists Football Team Even With Season Ending Injury

Rizzo Guest Writer

Despite a season-ending injury this past September, sophomore linebacker Dorian Gashi has found a way to con tinue contributing to the Mont clair State University football team in an off-the-field role.

Gashi emerged seemingly out of nowhere for the Red Hawks’ last season, coming in as a transfer from Wagner Col lege. After making big plays on special teams, the coaches had no choice but to give him play ing time on defense, where he would eventually take over as the starter at linebacker.

His performance last sea son earned him the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Defensive Rookie of the Year award. He was ready to con tinue where he left off at his linebacker position in his sec ond season for the Red Hawks. However, due to suffering a torn pectoral muscle against Thiel College in the first game of the season, his season was cut off early.

“I was just playing like a madman, went to go get off a block and [my pec] just ripped,” Gashi said, recounting the mo ment his injury occurred. “I did not think much of it and played the rest of the game in discomfort. It was only after I got looked at afterwards that I

found out it was more serious than I thought.”

This injury required sur gery, which was performed in late September. Recovery from this injury is expected to be six to nine months with proper physical therapy, which means Gashi is scheduled to be back in time for next season.

During this time when Gashi is unable to play, he is still helping his team off the field. Over the past few weeks, he has been participating in a role that allows him to coach his fellow teammates.

Under the title “assistant to the associate head coach,” Gashi can still be a vital mem ber of the team while not di rectly being on the field.

In the days leading up to a game every week, Gashi runs the scout team, the players that mimic what their upcom ing opponent will do on game day, against the starting team. He also runs the scouting re ports, watches film on their

opponents, takes notes and informs the other coaches who and what to watch out for dur ing a game.

On game day, he is in the press box where he gets an elevated view of the game. He sees the opposing team’s of fense, reading the formation they are in as well as the per sonnel they have on the field and relays that information to the defensive coordinator, the head coach of the defense. This allows the coordinator to adjust to help better the team’s chances of winning.

“I think it’s pretty cool that they gave me this opportunity after how everything went down in the first game,” Gashi said. “I love this team and will do anything to help us get bet ter, even if I can’t be side by side with my teammates.”

The work Gashi is doing off the field is not going unno ticed by his fellow teammates.

Sophomore defensive lineman Jake Cusano talked about how

Gashi has been a positive influ ence in practice and on game day.

“[Gashi] just makes life so much easier come game time,” Cusano said. “He knows what he’s talking about and really cares about helping the whole defensive unit, including my self.”

Coaches have also talked highly about the benefit Gashi brings to the team. Associate head coach Mike Palazzo, also the defensive coordinator for the Red Hawks, commented on what Gashi brings to the table.

“[Gashi] is one of the most dedicated people we have in the program,” Palazzo said. “Some players when they suf fer a season-ending injury fade away and aren’t with the team much, but Dorian is here every day doing everything he can to be an asset to the team.”

Gashi may not be at his usual linebacker position this season, but he has adapted to his new role, proving that he could still help his team get to the next level.

“I know it’s cliche, but the saying ‘Together Everyone Achieves More’ has so much truth to it,” Gashi said. “No matter if I’m on the field or off it, I know I work with my team mates in order to reach our goals.”

Dorian Gashi listens to a postgame speech

Frankie

Photo courtesy of Kevin Murrugarra

Gashi tackles the receiver.

Trevor Giesberg | The Montclarion

The Essential Ian Chesney: Thanks to Two Coaching Figures In His Life

Oscar Venegas Guest Writer

Ian Chesney, a sophomore defender for the Montclair State men’s soccer team, has been coached by two people his entire life. The first is his father and director of athletics, Rob Chesney, and the other is men’s soccer head coach Todd Tumelty. Chesney reminisced about how his father helped to develop his game.

“When I was younger, on a club team, he was my coach,” Ian said. “We’ve gone to the field and we’ve done a lot of de fensive stuff, because he played center back back in his day, but, you know, just defensive things. He knows a lot about the game. He’s been around the game for a very long time.”

Rob is currently the direc tor of athletics here at Montclair State. However, he was also one of the Red Hawks’ star players. He was inducted to the Hall of Fame back in 2000, and be came one of the most success ful coaches in the men’s soccer program’s history.

He is the all-time winningest coach with 132 wins, four of them in the NCAA Division III Tournament. His achievements made him the ideal coach for a young Chesney.

“So you grow up, and you’re pushing a little bit and you real ize, ‘Hey, you know, I gotta back up here and make it enjoyable and make it something that he wants to do, something that he sees the benefit of the work’,” Rob said. “And if he could see that, then he’d be more willing to put the work in. And I think

that’s what we got to. So we would go and we would get out there and do some, just some simple ball work, consistent ba sic ball work. But if you can get that down, and then the other stuff can come off of that. We built it off of a really good just core base. And that’s what we did from when we were little and he was open to doing it. So it was kind of fun.”

Although Ian’s father has

been coaching him his entire life, another successful coach has taught Ian in his defensive ways. Tumelty has been coach ing Ian ever since he was a kid.

“[I] started to coach [Ian] at maybe about 10 years old on his travel team,” Tumelty said. “So the growth has been immense, you know, he’s gone from a very small kid to 6’0,” 6’2,” 190 pounds of muscle, and it’s been pretty impressive.”

It’s clear that Tumelty is very happy and proud of Ian’s growth, and it’s no surprise, since Ian has five goals as a cen ter-back. He starts every single game and is very vocal on the field, which is one of the most important things in soccer. Ian has also made it to the confer ence playoffs in both years as a Red Hawk, and even the NCAA Division III Tournament in his first year.

Although Ian has known Coach Tumelty for years, tran sitioning to college soccer is never an easy task, and he’s still learning from him in his career now.

“I’ve learned a few things in the past year, almost a year and a half now,” Ian said. “Defi nitely trying to learn how to be a better leader. I think Coach Tumelty has really helped me in that way, like try to lead the guys especially from playing in the back.”

With guidance from Tumelty, Chesney’s definitely on the right track. It seems the sophomore defender has always been on the right track, as Tumelty be lieves that Ian has always been one of the better players on a team.

“When he first was growing up, you know, I thought he was always one of the better players on the team, so you didn’t have to work as hard,” Tumelty said. “And I thought that would come to bite him, eventually down his career, but actually, he changed his tune. He was fortunate enough, because he was able to watch from the sidelines as a young player, and he could see how hard some of these guys worked and their work ethic.”

Ian is only in his second year at Montclair State. With two elite coaches in his life, it’ll be interesting to see how far he’ll go in his next two years with the Red Hawks.

Dan Dreisbach | The Montclarion

Ian Chesney gets into position on the pitch and waits for an opportunity.

Ian Chesney looks to get past the defender and kick the ball.

Dan Dreisbach | The Montclarion

Emmi Denovellis Does It All

Ryan White Assistant Sports Editor

From a defender to a Uni versity Fellow, the sophomore is making an impact with the women’s soccer team and Mont clair State overall.

Some may only know sopho more Emmi Denovellis for her prowess on the pitch but, there’s a lot more to the talented wing back than just tearing it up for the Red Hawks.

As a player though, Denovel lis has been excellent through almost two full seasons. Last season, as a freshman, she led the team in assists with six and was named second-team AllNJAC.

Her second season as a Red Hawk has been arguably better, not statistically but Denovellis has solidified herself as one of the best wingbacks in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC).

Denovellis, who is a sports communication major, is build ing quite the diverse resume. However, her true passion comes from her father.

“I like to be involved on cam pus, I like to keep myself busy,” Denovellis said. “But most im portantly I really want to follow in my dad’s footsteps. He was a sportscaster at News 12. So I kind of want to pursue down that road, so I’ve been stepping out of my comfort zone recently and trying to get involved a lot this year.”

It’s clear Denovellis has a strong passion for sports and she has even got involved with some of the on-campus me

dia organizations such as The Montclarion, Red Hawk Sports Network and WMSC radio.

“I just started getting in volved in the radio station so that’s kind of what I want to focus on and get involved in,” Denovellis said. “So I’m trying to step out of my comfort zone and kind of pursue that with commentating.”

For The Montclarion, De novellis has covered Montclair State University lacrosse as she has three published stories.

Getting involved with sports media this semester has made Denovellis respect the craft of it

more.

“It makes me have a lot more respect for the commen tators and it makes me under stand their preparation and the amount of work that they put in to do that,” Denovellis said.

“And I pay attention a lot more to the commentating and their preparation with like all the facts and knowledge and back ground that they know behind it so I respect it a lot more.”

Another passion Denovel lis has is wanting to help oth ers and by being a University Fellow, she is able to do that in many different ways. At Mont

clair State, University Fellows are student leaders who pro vide guidance and help to firstyear students.

As a Fellow, her main prior ity is to help mostly freshmen students find exactly what they want to latch on to and pursue.

“[I] just like helping them pursue what they love and what they want to do,” Denovel lis said. “It’s okay to not know what you want to do for the rest of your life so just for them to pursue their passion and what they like and kind of drive them down that road of choosing their major.”

Lana Kalapodakis has gotten the chance to work alongside Denovellis as she’s also a Uni versity Fellow and she believes that Denovellis has some strong qualities to her that make her great for the position.

“I think honestly she seems really passionate about what she’s doing,” Kalapodakis said. “She’s a good role model for them and I think with her busy schedule she balances her time really well.”

Denovellis is someone who looks out for others and the head coach of the Montclair State women’s soccer team, Patrick Naughter, would agree.

“She’s always looking out for everybody else,” Naughter said. “She’s the kind of kid who wants to make sure everybody’s okay whether it’s everybody that’s on the team or everybody else at the school, she’s just got a big heart.”

It can be very difficult for athletes to manage their time and balance their life. However, for Denovellis, it has been rela tively easy because of all of the supportive people around her.

“It’s definitely a lot to han dle in season,” Denovellis said. “But [the] professors are so supportive and understanding of everything and [the] girls are too. And just like adjusting to it, it’s really easy.”

Matt Orth | The Montclarion

Emmi Denovellis standing alongisde her other University Fellow, Lana Kalapodakis, and her instructor Temeshia Lemons.

From being a sophomore defender to a University Fellow, Denovellis is heavily involved

Trevor Giesberg | The Montclarion

Denovellis kicks the ball past a defender to her teammate.

PHOTO ESSAY: Women’s Basketball Loses to Ithaca While Nickie Carter Reaches 1,000 Points

on a 9-0 run which significantly helped their cause to win the game.

The Montclair State Univer sity women’s basketball team suf fered a loss against Ithaca Col lege with a final score of 72-48.

The Red Hawks went down to a 1-1 record while heading into this thrilling matchup with a 1-0 record after winning their season-opener against Vassar College. The Bombers advanced to a 2-0 record after having won against SUNY Cortland during their first game this season.

Everybody was ecstatic for se nior guard Nickie Carter to reach her momentous achievement of 1,000 total career points as a Red Hawk. The fans were buzz ing with joy while cheering both loudly and consistently whenever a basket or play in favor of the Red Hawks was scored.

Carter totaled the most points with 13 and graduate student forward Teresa Wolak tallied the second most with six points.

Sophomore forward/center Olivia Vero played a big role in this strong defensive quarter as she accumulated the most re bounds with seven.

The Red Hawks played closely on offense, but their main strug gles occurred during the fast breaks. When the Bombers re ceived the ball off a rebound and were pushing up the court, there was often a player standing un derneath the hoop for a layup.

The Red Hawks continued scoring and playing strongly during the third quarter, but the Bombers did as well. They went

Although being down 54-31 by a margin of 23 points, the fourth quarter is when the mag ic happened for the Red Hawks. However, it was not enough to take the lead.

The Montclair State wom en’s basketball team’s next game will take place on Wednesday, Nov.16, at King’s College in Pennsylvania, which also has a record of 1-1 to start the season.

Trevor Giesberg | The Montclarion

Nickie Carter goes up for one of her shots that helped her get to 1,000 points.

Trevor Giesberg

Staff Photographer

The Red Hawks even out their record but the senior guard reaches a major milestone

Mahogany Worsley-Wooten attempts a tough layup.

Trevor Giesberg | The Montclarion

Olivia Vero goes for a block. Trevor Giesberg | The Montclarion Kendall Hodges floats the ball up. Trevor Giesberg | The Montclarion

Women’s Soccer Advances To Second Round of NCAA Tournament but Ultimately Loses to Christopher Newport

The women’s soccer team made their presence known in their return to the NCAA tour nament.

It was the first time playing in the NCAA tournament since 2016 for the Montclair State University women’s soccer team and although it didn’t last as long as it could have, the Red Hawks proved they are among the best in the country.

The weekend began with a 1-0 victory in a battle against the University of Lynchburg, who finished the season at 113-7 with one of the toughest schedules in all of Division III.

Coming into the matchup, the Hornets had only allowed two goals since Sept. 18 so it was set up to be an interest ing matchup between an elite defensive side and a Montclair State team that has been fluid in their attack all season.

The game was about as even ly matched as it gets. Montclair State held a slim advantage in the shot department by taking 10 total with three on goal while Lynchburg attempted eight with three on target as well.

If there was any clear ad vantage between the two sides,

it was that the Red Hawks were better on the ball and consis tently showed more composure in pressure situations which allowed them to play on their terms, especially in the second half.

The Red Hawks weren’t ready for their season to end, ac cording to sophomore defender Emmi Denovellis, and their ex tra work on set pieces leading up to the game helped tremen dously.

“I’m so proud of this team,” Denovellis said. “We didn’t want our season to end so we just gave it our all in every bit. We practiced a lot of set pieces this week so that’s where I feel like we finished our best.”

And sure enough, in the 56th minute, Denovellis served up a cross into the box off of a corner kick and found senior midfield er Kerri Driscoll who was there for the finish.

“So we run a play right there called fist and that’s my favorite play where everybody just lines up on the goal line,” Denovellis said. “And I just saw [Driscoll] just jump back so my aim was for her since she’s a really tall target and I just put it right on her head. Her head’s like a cush ion so she just put it right in.”

It was Driscoll’s second goal of the season and it was a mas

sive one as it turned out to be the deciding factor in the open ing round of the NCAA tourna ment for the Red Hawks.

The action picked up dur ing the later stages of the sec ond half with Lynchburg com ing close to scoring in multiple instances. Their best chance came in the 73rd minute when senior midfielder Emily Santa na intercepted a pass and quick ly got into a one-on-one situation with goalkeeper Hailey Martin but the shot was just wide.

With the win, No. 17 Mont clair State was then slated to take on No. three ranked and defending national champions, Christopher Newport Univer sity in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

Facing the Captains meant going against one of the very best teams in the country cur rently and maybe ever. For the first time all season, the Red Hawks were the clear under dogs heading in.

It was a quick start for the Captains as they brought the pressure right away and put shots on target in the fifth and seventh minutes but Martin was able to corral them both. Senior forward Kimberly Campbell fired a shot from just outside the box in the 18th minute however, sophomore goalkeeper Jaya

Daniel was there for the save.

Christopher Newport broke through for the first goal in the 23rd minute after a deflection by Montclair State freshman defender Ashley Defrancesco which bounced right to fresh man defender Kate Eissenburg who then slipped a pass to fifth-year forward Sarah Smith. Smith shot a curler that found its way to the back of the net, even with Martin getting her hands on it.

It was a goal that the Red Hawks hated to see and coach Patrick Naughter was not ec static about it.

“I thought we were a little un lucky on the first goal,” Naugh ter said. “It’s certainly one we want back.”

Just four minutes later, off of a corner kick, the Captains dou bled their lead. Senior defender Sarah Rhiel sent the ball in and Eissenburg rose up and drove the ball past Martin toward the right side of the goal for another.

The second half was much better for Montclair State as the game did slow down and it was played mostly in the midfield. The Red Hawks continued to fight all the way until the very end but the Captains were ul timately too strong defensively for any real chances to be made.

Naughter gave credit to Chris

topher Newport and praised them as a whole.

“I thought it was a great game,” Naughter said. “Christo pher Newport was excellent. So good going forward, excellent organization.”

With the win, the Captains extended their unbeaten streak to 43 and will now take on Trin ity University in the round of 16. It was also their 30th clean sheet among those 43 games.

It was a highly competitive and skillful showing for the Red Hawks. Although they lost, it very well could have been one of their better performances of the season, especially in terms of ball control and decisionmaking.

It was a performance that Naughter was extremely proud of.

“Couldn’t be more proud of our group,” Naughter said. “For the fight, they showed and the resilience and you know, not surprising because they have been doing it all year.”

Even with an unfortunate ending, the 2022 Montclair State women’s soccer team had a season for the ages by going 17-2-1, which marked the third most wins in program history.

The Red Hawks came out for introductions before the second-round matchup against the Captains.

Trevor Giesberg | The Montclarion

Ryan White Assistant Sports Editor