The Tower-March 2020

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@KeanTower

Music courses canceled

Coronavirus affects Kean Athletics

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NJCPA General Excellence Award

MAR 26 | 2020 WWW.KUTOWER.COM

TH E I N DEPEN D EN T VOI C E O F KE AN U N IV E R S IT Y

The Tower named top college newspaper in New Jersey Ranked Number One for General Excellence

Students petition for grade modifications after switch to online classes By Zoe Strozewski

The Tower, Kean University’s and layout in the newspaper.” independent student news Judging also takes local appeal, organization, has been awarded effectiveness and readability into the top honor for best college account, according to NJCPA newspaper in New Jersey, public rules. or private, by the NJ Collegiate In individual contest categories, Press Association. It is a first for Lena Zhu, The Tower’s Features Photo by Craig Epstein Kean University. editor and a senior majoring in Editor-In-Chief Craig Epstein. Tower reporters and staff also Communication/Journalism, won individual awards in the was awarded second place for categories of newswriting, feature Biography/Personality Profile writing and overall website. judged on the standards of good The NJCPA, whose judges are feature writing, originality and professional journalists, awarded human interest. The Tower the number one prize Zhu was recognized for an Photo by Wynter Aiken for “General Excellence” for the article about Rwandan Genocide 2019-2020 school year. Second Online Editor Wynter Aiken. survivor Kizito Kalima and place went to The Equinox at an article spotlighting Kean Fairleigh Dickinson University student David Janes and his work and third place was awarded to launching a Kean TV soap opera. The Vector at New Jersey Institute First and third place awards went of Technology. to students at The College of New Craig Epstein, a senior majoring Jersey. in Communication/Journalism, is Siobhan Donaldson, a senior Photo by Lena Zhu the editor-in-chief of The Tower Features Editor Lena Zhu. majoring in Communication/ and is named on the award along Journalism, was given third with the staff. place honors in News Writing for “While I am proud to say that two separate articles headlined I am the Editor-In-Chief of The “STEM academic adviser charges Tower’s first-ever, first-place discrimination” and “Five tenureranking for General Excellence in track professors may lose their the New Jersey College Newspaper jobs.” Photo by Siobhan Donaldson Contest, this accomplishment The news category looks at Reporter Siobhan Donaldson. would have never been possible coverage of a college-related if not for the hard work and event, situation or issue that dedication from my entire staff,” Epstein qualifies as hard news and is judged on fairness, said. “Whether it’s the professors, editors, thoroughness, local interest and style. reporters, or designer, we operate as one big First place went to a student at Ramapo family and together we will look for continued College and second place went to a student at success and to be the best news organization Princeton University. that we possibly can be.” The Tower’s website www.kutower.com, was The General Excellence award is based on given third place honors and was evaluated “coverage, writing quality, copyediting, style on its usefulness to the reader, quality and

Kean University students have launched two separate petitions that call for modifying this semester’s grades because the move to online instruction in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic has upended lives and created undue hardships. As of March 21, the petitions have garnered more than 3,000 signatures in a two-day span. One petition titled “Modified Grading Scale at Kean University” had received nearly 2,300 signatures and over 50 comments of support. Photo by Taken from change.org “A modified grading scale will Hayya Ali’s petition for a modified grading scale has received help reduce the stress that many nearly 2300 signatures as of March 21. of us are already experiencing from online classes, piles of assignments, because of this semester’s circumstances sudden travels, internet access, computer could suffer consequences far into the future. access, unstable households and sick family A generous curve, she believes, will prevent members,” said Hayya Ali, a biology student, that from happening. and the petition’s author. “Many students She also expressed apprehension about are facing difficulties in focusing and truly students’ ability to succeed without physically understanding class material and are having being in a classroom. Ali said that her personal trouble transitioning.” experience with online courses so far has been The petitions reflect a larger pattern challenging because she is no longer learning nationwide to alter grading systems, such as in a setting meant for learning. moving to a Pass-Fail option, as schools adjust “I find it very challenging to sit beside my to a new reality after closing campuses in a bed in my pajamas, listening to a lecture while precaution against the COVID-19 pandemic. my siblings fight in the background,” Ali said. In her petition, Ali lists the reasons she “School provides an environment where one believes warrant a grading curve from the can truly learn, and the remote classes have school, such as the high levels of stress many been posing many difficulties. Today I had students are under, Internet connection some Wi-Fi problems, and I ended up missing issues, time zone differences, a lack of a big chunk of the lecture, so I am hoping to reliable income for student-workers as many either get some leniency or a curve because we businesses shut down and a loss of face-toall need it.” face communication with professors. Another petition circulating, titled “WE Because graduate schools, potential jobs NEED A GRADING CURVE!,” has received and internships often consider the GPA of over 1,000 signatures as of March 21. a prospective employee, Ali believes that students who receive poor or lesser grades “Not only is it necessary to place a grading

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Remote education impacts senior experience By Erin McGuinness For graduating seniors at Kean University, remote education in response to the COVID-19 pandemic might have a bigger personal impact. Kean University will be suspending all inperson instruction through the end of the semester. Online instruction began on March 16. Those expecting to graduate in May are embarking on post-graduate job searches and were looking forward to their final college experiences, students said. There is a possibility of event cancellations, such as Kean University’s Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony scheduled for May 21.

discussed the possibility of clinical internships continuing after graduation. Kardan, who had a dent in her income due to full-time student teaching, worries about how this will affect her financially, she said. As someone pursuing a career in education, it is difficult to know what the future holds. A Elementary Education job fair scheduled for the end of March was cancelled, affecting her job search. “I wish I could have given a proper goodbye to my friends, classmates, professors, and even the baristas that work at Starbucks…,” Kardon said. “I just don't feel completely ready to enter the workforce without the guidance of Kean

Photo by Taken from Kean University website

“A team is currently developing a back-up plan for commencement ceremonies, should it be necessary, that will help us celebrate our students’ accomplishments," the university said in an email.

Megan Kardan, a senior studying Elementary Education, has spent the semester as a clinical intern student-teaching. The program requires clinical experience as a graduation requirement. “We all worked so hard for this moment and it is kind of sad that we might not have a ceremony,” Kardan said. “I am glad we are implementing rules to keep everyone healthy but obviously it hurts not having our accomplishments celebrated.” An email sent to the School of Education

faculty members and resources that would've been more easily accessible on campus.” Claudia Tantillo, a senior studying public relations, said she is having a hard time focusing on school amidst panic surrounding COVID-19. “I enjoy coming to campus and seeing all of my classmates, friends, and professors,” Tantillo said. “Going online is cutting our face-to-face communication off and making it difficult to be present in the moment.” continued on page 8

Students react to announcement of remote education

Photo by Kean’s Twitter page

All Kean classes will begin remote education on March 16.

By Craig Epstein The move to remote online education starting Monday due to the Coronavirus pandemic is leaving a number of Kean students with feelings of uncertainty. “I feel like it’s going to be hard for all the different majors,” said Bernadette Kelly, a senior Communication Studies major. “How are music majors going to have online classes? Overall, I think it’ll be easy for some majors and difficult for others.” Junior Arnold Rojas is also unsure of how the move to online classes will work. “There’s much uncertainty about online courses,” Rojas said. “How are exams and labs going to be administered?” Kean University announced via email that beginning on Monday, March 16 all courses would be taught remotely due to the COVID-19 Coronavirus. “The University will continue to monitor the situation and let you know of any updates,” the email said. The news might not have come as a complete surprise as a number of other New Jersey collegiate institutions had already instituted similar protocols. Still, Jodie Battaglia, a senior pursuing a

Photo by Kean’s Twitter page

Kean announced via email on March 19 that all-in person instruction would be suspended through the end of the semester.

Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts, said that being taught online not only presents challenges but is going to take away from her learning enjoyment as well. “For studio classes, it’s a joke,” Battaglia said. “The atmosphere of the other students is part of the experience.” Rafaela Teixeira, who graduated in May 2019 and currently works at the university’s Barnes & Noble, suggested students who begin to have a difficult time when it comes to remote education should seek a different course of action in order to learn. “If online isn’t the best option for students they need to consider alternatives,” Teixeira said. “They need to do what they have to do.” Some, however, are just fine with the move and say it will not have a significant impact on their learning experience. “I think it’s a great idea and should be extended until the end of the semester,” said Speech Language Pathology major Rhys Martignetti, who is a junior. As a senior majoring in Communication/ Journalism, Valencia Stevenson is optimistic about remote education. “I think they will be okay,” Stevenson said. “I have no complaints yet.”

“I feel like it’s going to be hard for all the different majors”


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