The Tower Sept. 2018 Issue

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

MPA program appealing loss of accreditation

By Joshua Rosario Kean University’s Masters of Public Administration (MPA) program was denied accreditation this summer and the university is appealing the decision. The MPA program remains accredited while they go through the appeal process.

If the appeal is unsuccessful, MPA graduates would be at a disadvantage competing in a job market with graduates from accredited programs such as the one at Rutgers University. As of Fall 2017, 102 students were registered for the MPA program, according to the university’s Office of Institutional Research.

In a letter sent on July 30, the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA) said Kean’s MPA program failed to meet standards in six areas: administrative capacity; faculty governance; faculty qualifications; research, scholarship and service; support for students; and universal required competency of and resource adequacy.

The letter said the program continues to experience instability as a result of being understaffed.

“In the Commission’s judgment, the program cannot be accredited at this

time or included in the annual roster of accredited programs,” Commission on Peer Review and Accreditation (COPRA) Chair Jeffery Osgood, Jr. wrote in the letter. “It should be noted that the decision to deny the program accreditation does not hinge on any one standard, but is based on the lack of evidence that the program is in substantial conformance with the NASPAA accreditation standards.”

NASPAA is the recognized global accreditor of master’s degree programs for graduate education programs in public policy, public affairs, public administration, and public & nonprofit management, according to it’s website.

Director of Media Relations Margaret McCorry noted that Kean has overall

accreditation is an additional credential.

“The administration is confident that the MPA program will continue to maintain its competitive position as it undergoes a review and appeal process, to continue its association with NASPAA,” McCorry said.

“That process could take up to one year. In the meantime, the program remains part of NASPAA.” But Kean Federation of Teachers President Dr. James Castiglione, a physics professor, said the denial underscores an ongoing negative trend at Kean.

He noted that the accrediting body for the much-publicized Physician’s Assistant program was denied provisional accreditation in Spring 2017 and Kean dropped the program. Additionally, several years ago Kean was issued a warning that was then raised to the higher level of probation before accreditation was restored by the Middle States Association on Accreditation, he said.

Without Middle States said Director accreditation, students would not have been able to transfer Media Relations Margaret McCorry. credits to other accredited higher institutions, including for Master’s programs. accreditation as a university, which includes “I have spoken on multiple occasions all of its programs, through the Middle at the Board of Trustees meeting that the States Commission, and that the NASPAA university needs to do what the accrediting

“We are confident that the MPA program will continue to maintain its competitive position as it undergoes a review and appeal process,”

SPORTS

With a target on their backs Kean Women’s Volleyball looks to defend their crown

Photo by Larry Levanti

Setter Brianna Calvano (junior) playing the ball in the air.

continued on page 7

bodies are asking and it’s not just this one,” said Dr. Castiglione. “Many bodies are asking the university to hire more tenure and tenure track faculty, more professional support staff, provide more resources for continued on page 7

Pay increase approved for eligible student workers

By Craig Epstein

Coming off of a magical 2017 season where they went 28-11 and posted a perfect 8-0 record against NJAC competition, the Kean women’s volleyball team goes into the year as the defending NJAC champions for the first time since 2002.

“During preseason I tried to make the point to the team that we aren’t defending the NJAC, nobody is taking that trophy away,” said Head Coach Don Perkins. “It is a new year and we are back at the bottom of the mountain with everyone else, but this time with the confidence that we know we can win the conference, and of course this time with the target on our backs.”

Thanks to his team’s incredible 2017 season, Perkins became the first coach in Kean’s athletic department history to capture a conference championship and make the NCAA tournament with two different programs.

“Opening the NJAC with the win over Montclair, who was picked to finish third, shows that we are on track and if we can stay healthy and focused it could be another great season,” the reigning NJAC Coach of the Year said.

Although they lost three key players from the 2017 team due to graduation, one of which included former captain and all-time blocks leader Sara Ridgway, the Cougars were selected to finish first in the preseason coaches’ poll with five first place votes, beating out teams like Stockton who received three and Montclair State who got one.

As difficult a task it would be to try and replicate players like Ridgway, All-NJAC second-team selection Joelle Tondi, and former setter Kendall Sonico, Perkins’ squad welcomes in newcomers like right side/opposite hitter Cailyn Ross, middle hitter Sophia Barilla, and libero/defensive specialist Amanda DeLio. They also return three All-NJAC selections, including first team selection Vikki Stec, as well as second team selection Jesse Larkin and honorable mention Brianna Calvano.

Larkin is aware of the type of pressure her team faces coming into the season, but she is confident that they can both meet and exceed them.

“Coming into this season as NJAC champions brings a lot of weight on our shoulders,” Larkin said.

“But we believe we’ll go even farther this year.”

Being named the NJAC Player of the Week recently, Larkin feels it is an accolade that should be shared amongst her entire team.

“Being named player

Photo by Joshua Rosario

Public Administration office located in Hutchinson hall

Photo by Wikimedia Commons

A front view of Kean Hall.

By Kiara Mays The Kean University Board of Trustees voted to increase wages for student workers to $10 an hour, from $8.60 an hour, at its first meeting of the semester held earlier this month.

While many items were discussed, the pay increase was one of the most highly anticipated decisions to be made.

According to CNBC, New Jersey is ranked number 10 on its list “10 most expensive states to live in 2018”, highlighting that the average cost of a home in NJ is about $555, 231. New Jersey’s cost of living alone was one of the deciding factors in the decision to increase student worker’s pay at the meeting.

Kristen Failla, a senior with a double major in sociology and psychology, was voted in last year by Kean’s student population to serve as its representative for students at Kean. Failla also works at the Center for Leadership and Service on campus and is among the student employees who will receive a pay raise.

“I think the new pay raise takes into consideration the students that pay for their own education,” said Failla. “It’ll also help promote student jobs on campus and can be beneficial to the student’s resume as well.”

Outlined in the official resolution, authorizing Kean University’s President, Dawood Farahi, to increase the minimum wage for eligible student workers includes that

“I think the new pay raise takes into consideration the students that pay for their own education,” said Failla.

“It’ll also help promote student jobs on campus and can be beneficial to the student’s resume as well.” “many workers, students among them, who earn only the minimum wage of $8.60 an hour in New Jersey are living below poverty level.”

With the pay increase, the university hopes to help contribute to creating a “stronger and fairer” New Jersey.

Like Failla, Lawrence Luc, student ambassador, senior, and psychology major were welcoming of the new pay increase for student employees.

“I do feel the pay raise was overdue, especially in the department I work for because we all do very important work.” said Luc. “To see that students are receiving a pay raise is extremely rewarding and it makes me feel like the university cares about its student workers more than I thought they did.”

Aside from that, Luc also named a few positive effects that could come of the decision.

“One, the student workers may be more inclined to do well at their position, two, if students get paid more, they will be more likely to buy from on campus eateries and stores, and three, the students will be adequately compensated for the work they do,” said Luc. If you are a current student at Kean interested in employment on campus, visit Kean University’s official site at Kean. edu, fill out and submit an application for employment. You may also contact Gina Kendra, Recruitment Supervisor, at 908-7373304.

2 THE TOWER

September, 2018

Cougar Hall opens for class of 2022

By Salimah McCullough

“I love living here.

It feels like a modern apartment and is easy to decorate.”

Antoine states.

Photo by Salimah McCullough

Cougar Hall

This Fall semester, Kean opened up a brand new dorm called Cougar Hall made especially for incoming freshmen to enjoy. It is a new building located across the street from Harwood Arena right on the cougar walk.

When move in day arrived, the dorm filled with 380 new students who were excited to be the first to live in this new dormitory, bringing the population of residential students to 2,100 or 13 percent of the total university student body.

According to Margaret McCorry, Director of Media Relations, “Cougar Hall was built to accommodate the freshmen who were formerly housed in Whiteman and Dougall Hall.” Since Cougar Hall has been built, the older freshmen dorms Whiteman and Dougall, no longer hold residents.

When comparing the dormitories by price per semester, Cougar Hall is still one of the most expensive but isn’t as expensive as New Upper Residence Hall. Cougar Hall comes up to a total of $5,750.00 and New Upper comes to a total of $6,374.00. The only difference between the two is that New Upper comes with a living room including a couch, and chair, along with more storage and in order to get to live in Cougar Hall, you must be a freshman.

Between these prices falls the Freshman Residence Hall coming to a total of $5,611.00 while the other four upperclassmen dorms (Bartlett, Sozio, Burch, and Rogers) total up to $5,343.00 a semester.

Cougar Hall is six stories tall and filled with

Smart classroom computers removed from CAS

various amenities like a tutoring center and a kitchen. Each dorm room has two bedroom suites along with a shared bathroom and kitchenette. Within each bedroom, students are given a full refrigerator, a microwave, dining table, a vanity area, and lots of storage for all of their belongings.

“It’s very convenient to have a kitchen area in the dorm,” said Zakiyah Johnson, an undecided freshman thinking about majoring in architectural engineering. “I love it.”

This new dorm building makes it easy for freshmen to still feel comfortable and have the resources needed to live away from home.

Alyssa Antoine, freshman and biology/ health professions major, is very excited to live in the new dorms. “I love living here. It feels like a modern apartment and is easy to decorate,” Antoine states.

With access to multiple lounge areas, a laundry room, and game room; freshmen can still have fun while learning how to live on their own and have more responsibility. This new dorm prepares students for life after living with their parents.

Many students are excited to use the amenities that Cougar Hall has to offer that are still under construction. Johnson states that she is “very excited for the game room to finally be open.”

Many students wondered why the new dorm wasn’t given to upperclassmen since they have been on campus longer. McCorry states that “highest demand for on-campus housing comes from freshmen” which explains why Cougar Hall was given to first year students.

Photo by Zoe Strozewski

Photo by Zoe Strozewski

New seating and computers have been added to the CAS first floor, as well as the One-Stop Service Center, Student Success and Retention, and Financial Aid offices.

By Zoe Strozewski The Center for Academic Success (CAS) was subject to multiple changes for the 2018-2019 school year, including a renovated first floor, the transfer of One-Stop and financial aid to the first floor and the removal of computers from Smart classrooms.

The CAS is the headquarters for Kean’s College of Liberal Arts, containing a variety of computer labs, department offices, and Smart classrooms. Smart classrooms have been accessorized with projectors, projector screens, and, until recently, Dell desktop computers.

This development has become a significant transition and source of confusion among students and teachers alike.

According to Jonathan Mercantini, the acting dean of the College of Liberal Arts, the removal of the computers from the classrooms was due to their age. “The computers in CAS were old and were not capable in many instances of operating the increasingly sophisticated software being used in classes,” Mercantini said.

Teachers still have access to the projectors in the classrooms, however in order to utilize them, they must bring their own laptops to class. The set-up between the laptops and projectors has been streamlined, so theoretically teachers can easily project what is on their computers.

If a professor doesn’t own a laptop that can be used in conjunction with teaching, the school has made arrangements to accommodate them.

“We do have laptops available for faculty to borrow for us if they need them and I expect to be purchasing more of those,” Mercantini said.

One professor, who chose to remain

Photo by Zoe Strozewski

The CAS smart classrooms contain projectors, projector screens, and, previously, desktop computers.

“The computers in CAS were old and were not capable in many instances of operating the increasingly sophisticated software being used in classes.” anonymous in order to avoid conflict with the university, teaches in the CAS and has found that the change has caused difficulty in class, rather than the ease administrators had hoped for. Some of the problems cited by this professor include the need to transport a laptop to class on top of other materials, an inability to screen videos, the time-consuming computer set-up process, and the elimination of technology-based methods of teaching in the interest of time.

The professor also noted that more paper is being wasted this year from having to print more handouts.

On the other hand, Sophia Barilla, a freshman environmental science major, automatically has no previous experience to compare the situation with, as her first time in a Kean classroom came after this adjustment was made. She said that computers and technology are used in every one of her classes, but the process hasn’t been smooth-sailing.

“In every class, there was at least one problem with getting the computers to work,” Barilla said.

However, she believes that despite the difficulties and delays, having the ability to use computers in conjunction with teaching has more perks than drawbacks. “I feel it’s beneficial timewise,” Barilla said. “With computers, the professors don’t have to write everything on the board and teaching goes much faster.”

Like any major change in an academic building, the removal of computers from the CAS classrooms has caused some primary ripples. Only time will tell whether this decision will promote technological and academic progress or difficulty.

Photo by Salimah McCullough

Kitchenette in each dorm

Photo by Salimah McCullough

Cougar Hall community kitchen

Willis Hall closed down for good

By Kelly Contreras

The desktop computers that used to be part of the CAS smart classrooms have been removed.

Photo by Salimah McCullough

Alyssa enjoying her new dorm

This past summer, when the air conditioning system “totally failed,” Kean University finally said enough. Willis Hall was closed -- for good -- and now is used for storage.

According to President Dawood Farahi, in a welcome back speech earlier this month, said the air conditioning had finally broken down entirely, making it an unfit location to work and study for students and faculty alike. That ultimately led to school officials closing Willis Hall for good.

The University quickly assessed Willis Hall and concluded that repairing its deficiencies would be too costly.

Willis Hall provided several programs which have been relocated to buildings such as Hutchinson and others across campus.

Faculty members have been cooperative when relocating, such as Executive Director, Dr. James Drylie who has worked in Willis Hall since September of 2006.

He said that the University “... provided small floor fans” as a temporary solution. He also admitted that “... the inside temperature would reach up into the 90s and it made it uncomfortable. One of the annoying factors of it was just a constant drone of the fans.”

As a solution, Dr. Drylie and other staff members would typically come into work earlier than usual and work through their lunch periods and go home at around 3 p.m.

In order to beat the heat, it was beneficial for them to complete their work earlier in the day than to have to work in the uncomfortable environments.

Unfortunately, during the relocation process, there were about 24 hours where the building had an interruption of services without access to computers. However, the

Photo by Kelly Contreras

The Willis Hall Building at Kean University

following day, it was resolved and the building resumed its services.

Another matter taken into consideration in regards to the change of location would be deciding what items are worth keeping,” Dr. Drylie commented. “...whether it be one month or 12 years, you don’t realize how much you accumulate, what you no longer use or that you no longer need” he said.

Relocating is definitely a change, but a positive one at that, he said. For every building provides new perks for faculty members.

Even though the transfer of Willis Hall’s programs is not yet completed, Director of Media Relations, Margaret McCorry, explained that the plans are in motion: “... University officials have been working to relocate faculty and staff who worked in that building. Once those relocations are complete, we will assess costs and logistics of how to move forward on Willis Hall. In the meantime, the building will be used for storage. The University is moving forward with plans to build a new College of Business and Public Management building on the former Merck property across Morris Avenue.”

During his speech, Farahi joked that he believed “the reason Willis Hall actually failed is [because] it saw its competition,” referring to the scheduled new building on campus.

In his speech, President Farahi introduced Kean University’s latest project: a new building to house the College of Business and Public Management building, to be located on what was previously the Merck property, across the street from Kean’s main Union campus on Morris Avenue. It’s set to open September 2020.

Photo by Kelly Contreras

Behind closed doors, the clutter of a faculty member who has not yet moved to their new location.

“... the inside temperature would reach up into the 90s.”

Photo by Kelly Contreras

One of the messy, yet empty, hallways in Willis Hall

September, 2018

THE TOWER 3

Kean ranked low in freshman retention

By Rafaela Teixeira Kean came second to last in NJ.com’s list of colleges where students are more likely to drop out with a freshman retention rate of 72.8 percent.

According to the article published in May, “colleges with the lowest freshman retention rates are those with the most low-income students, who often come least prepared for college and have no financial safety net.”

It later explains that the poor retention rate isn’t a “reflection of the college itself,” but a reflection of the students it caters to.

However, Margaret McCorry, Director of Media Relations, says that Kean’s retention rate has improved and is “close to the national average for comparable public colleges and universities.”

“A four-percent jump in retention in one year, from 2015-2016 to 2016-2017, demonstrates the University’s commitment to addressing student success,” said McCorry.

Dr. Neva Lozada, Director of Student Success and Retention, confirmed McCorry’s statement.

“It is also important to note that Kean has made tremendous growth in the area of retention since last year (the previous fall 2015-fall 2016 retention rate was 72.6%),”

said Lozada. “An increase of nearly four percent in one year exemplifies Kean’s commitment to retaining its students.”

Freshman in their first semester have already planned to continue their education and graduate from Kean in 2022.

“Kean University was my first choice because they have an incredible program for the major I’m pursuing,” said Chelsea

than athletics in my perspective,” said Ramos.

Other students decided to enroll at Kean because of the environment and campus visuals.

“At first, Rutgers was my number one choice, but once I came to Kean’s open house, I fell in love with the campus,” said Alisson Rodrigues, a freshman majoring in

“Today’s college students bring more complex backgrounds and pathways to their plans for degree completion, such as an increased likelihood of balancing work, family, and finances alongside their schooling, which sometimes may take priority,” said Lozada.

Ramos, a freshman majoring in Speech Language Hearing Sciences.

Ramos was offered an athletic scholarship at Rutgers University, however, chose to decline because the school does not offer a program in her intended major.

“I decided not to go since we have to pay for our education and it’s more important

Psychology. “After that, Kean was the school I was dying to get into.”

Ramos continued to give insight on the different students enrolled at Kean.

“Students [might not] want to go to Kean because they have plans and goals set at a different school, or maybe Kean doesn’t have the requirements they need to pursue their

major,” said Ramos. “... They [might] have the mindset to continue their education in a different college or maybe cost is a problem they can’t handle.”

According to Lozada, students that are prone to dropping out, transferring or taking fewer credits is becoming common among top colleges and is a struggle they all face.

“Today’s college students bring more complex backgrounds and pathways to their plans for degree completion, such as an increased likelihood of balancing work, family, and finances alongside their schooling, which sometimes may take priority,” said Lozada.

Lozada and McCorry encourage students of all levels to take advantage Kean’s tutoring and support programs that are targeted towards student success.

“The Office of Student Success and Retention partners with other departments and divisions to implement more proactive initiatives in an effort to understand and respond to students’ needs before they exhibit risk factors that may impact their academic performance or overall college persistence,” said Lozada.

College of Liberal Arts hosts its first ever convocation

By Lena Zhu The College of Liberal Arts (CLA) hosted its first ever CLA Convocation on Sept. 18, 2018.

Students of all majors within the College of Liberal Arts were encouraged to come to the event.

“Liberal Arts is what makes someone an educated person,” said Dr. Dawood Farahi, the president of Kean University. “You can study biology, you can learn chemistry, you can learn all of those different things but liberal arts is the foundation that makes you an educated person.”

This was one of the many reasons why the convocation was first created.

The event was meant to “provide an inspirational start to the new academic year for faculty and students,” according to the program handed out before the event occurred.

“How many of you want to go to China?”

Farahi asked the audience. Some of the students raised their hands as Farahi continued. “If you have the grade, you can go to China for a semester or a year and the Sobo Foundation will pay your roundtrip ticket -which is $1500 -- plus $500 to see the Great Wall of China. No other public university in American can make that claim.”

This message resonated especially with Jeilyn Molina, a freshman studying Psychology. Although she felt forced to go to the convocation, she was inspired by the speeches given.

“It was very inspiring for me to hear about [studying abroad in] China because I love traveling. I haven’t traveled, yet. It gives me motivation [to get good grades],” Molina said.

education has shifted from being a luxury to being a necessity,” said Kwaasi. “More people are in school, so a high school diploma does not hold as much weight, which forces people to seek higher education. They have to put themselves ahead so they can stand out when applying for jobs.”

Although some people left after Farahi’s speech, Dr. Terrance Hayes, an American poet, MacArthur Genius grant recipient, and winner of the National Book Award for his 2010 collection of poems titled “Lighthead” wowed the students with several readings of his recent work, “My Past and Future Assassin”, which received numerous praises by the audience.

Hayes resonated with many of the students through his work and colloquialism. He spoke in a manner that was very common to students, who found him to be very relatable.

“I believe that every student was able to relate to [Hayes’] poems, even though there was a lot of profanity,” said Taylor Rowland, a junior studying communication. “He talked about Black Lives Matter and sex. It was really intense!”

After Hayes, Jianna Pisa, a junior Psychology major who participated in Dean for a Day and helped create the convocation, thanked Mercantini, the staff and faculty involved in making the event happen and explained how the idea of the program came to be.

“We wanted to bridge the gap between students and faculty to help them find their paths to success,” Pisa said. “That’s how we came up with the second half of this event.

Here, you can talk to each other about your goals and how to achieve them. You can ask questions to your faculty or your professors

The College of Liberal Arts hosted its first ever CLA Convocation on Sept. 18, 2018.

Students of all majors within the College of Liberal Arts were encouraged to come to the event.

Dr. Jonathan Mercantini, the Acting Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, began the convocation with a speech about making the most out of college and taking advantage of all of what higher education has to offer.

“History is made by those who show up, it’s vital just not to go to class, but to engage with your classmates and engage with your professors,” said Mercantini. “Higher education is not a luxury, it is a necessity. By being here today, you all are recognizing the importance of that.”

This quote struck a chord with Karen Kwaasi, a junior studying public relations.

“I believe in the last decade, based on the economy and availability of jobs, higher

Photo by Kean University

Dr. Jonathon Mercantini, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts.

Photo by Lena Zhu

Speaker Terrance Hayes reading one of his poems from his book, “My Past and Future Assassin.”

and ask them how they got to where they are today. Just have a normal conversation with them. Get to know them. It’s very important.”

The first ever College of Liberal Arts convocation at Kean seemed to be a success.

Many students were able to talk to professors and fellow students about their goals, making others to feel not so alone.

“The convocation made me feel good because there were lots of students there that I could generally relate to in terms of trying to find a job after college since that’s everyone’s fear,” Rowland said. “I was glad to see that I wasn’t the only one nervous about getting a job after college.”

Photo by Lena Zhu

Many students streaming into the event.

4 THE TOWER

September, 2018

How effective are the new parking permits?

“The system has been running smoothly,”

By Estefani Hernandez Finding parking at Kean University has always been a headache. However, Parking Services believes it has found the solution to it all: parking permits.

Kean officials state that the new ePermits system provides ease of registration for students, faculty, and staff, and ease of enforcement for Campus Police.

With the ePermits, you are able to register your vehicle, and your license plate is your permit. Any vehicles who are not registered will first receive a warning, their plates will already be in the system, and if the same vehicle has still not been registered you will receive a fine.

“A vehicle equipped with two License Plate Reader cameras is able to scan license plates in the parking lots and find anyone illegally parked,” said Margaret McCorry, Director of Media Relations. “Through this system, Kean University expects to achieve greater compliance with parking rules.”

Emails have been sent out to remind students and faculty to register their vehicles.

Making sure that only Kean approved vehicles are parked in all of the lots. These ePermits do have to be renewed every year. These annual passes are valid from September 1 through August 31.

In the Vaughn-Eames parking lot, faculty parking was reduced by 41 spots, creating an equal number of new parking spots for students in that lot stated Kean Officials.

Although Kean Officials state “The system has been running smoothly,” it does not relieve the hectic parking situation that everyone encounters.

Nixie Castello, Senior, has recently transferred to Kean but prepares herself to find parking. Like most students, she tries to show up at least an hour before her class so she is able to find parking.

“I registered my vehicle today, I would get the emails, just always forget,” said Castello.

“I figured I didn’t want to get a ticket because someone in my classes said that they were fined already.”

Any violations are subjects to fines. Students are encouraged to obtains an ePermit and can register their vehicles at www.kean.edu/ parking

Photo by Estefani Hernandez

The warning you receive if you have not registered your vehicle.

Kean Highlands campus to open Fall 2019

By Petruce Jean-Charles Kean University is a world-class institution that strives to build new initiatives for its students. With the progress of the Union campus, Kean Ocean and Wenzhou-Kean, the university found the need for a new campus in a helpful environment such as Kean Highlands located in Oak Ridge, New Jersey.

On Aug. 30, President Darwood Farahi introduced the notion of Kean Highlands as a mechanism for the development of students’ success. He mentioned the continuation of the campus and the progress towards expanding the campus.

Understanding the competitiveness of programming within natural sciences have been put into place and Kean Highlands is progressing into another world-class campus close to nature.

“The Highlands Campus is an example of the type of eight experiential learning that we need to offer our students, and we need to do it across all disciplines,” said Dr. Farahi.

“One of the areas where we have transformed the education we deliver to our students is in the natural sciences.”

Dr. Daniela Shebitz, the Chair of the School of Environmental Science and Sustainability has invested a lot of her time into expanding the campus for the prospective students coming to learn.

“The concept for the Kean Highlands Campus has been in development for years,” said Shebitz. “After an agreement was reached in 2014, Kean University, led by President Farahi’s office signed a lease agreement with the state of New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection State Park Service in 2015 to lease the property that used to be a monastery.”

With the building only starting a couple of years ago, Kean’s School of Environmental and Sustainability (SESS) was offered fieldbased courses at the Highlands campus using a trailer as a campus. This then lead to the start of the construction which will be completed by the end of this calendar year for prospective students to attend.

“Kean was awarded a multi-million dollar grant to fund renovation of the property, including bringing it up to code for fire and ADA accessibility, in addition to state-of-theart equipment, Higher Education Equipment Leasing Funds Grant that will be used for our classes and research at the location,” said Shebitz.

This semester, Kean Highlands is offering outdoor courses in Field Biology and Conservation Biology at the site, and by Fall 2019 upper level classes in Environmental Science and Environmental Biology will be offered as well.

“The idea is that the Highlands will offer people graduating from community colleges in western New Jersey the opportunity to complete a Bachelor’s degree through Kean, without having to drive to Union,” said Shebitz. “ In addition, the natural setting allows students studying the environmental sciences to learn topics including species identification, experimental design, soil and water quality analysis, wildlife management, and much more through experience.

Kean Highlands envision the campus as being a premiere teaching and research facility that inspires students and the general public to want to understand and protect the forests of New Jersey.

It will serve as a place where people can connect with their environment and with their community while developing their education and research skills.

The program is hoping to offer other programs, in addition to Environmental

“The idea is that the Highlands will offer people graduating from community colleges in western NJ the opportunity to complete a Bachelor’s degree through Kean, without having to drive to Union,” said Shebitz.

Photo by Daniela Shebitz

A look into a lake

Photo by Daniela Shebitz

Nature within the Kean Highlands campus.

Sciences at the campus including Biology (B.A.), Criminal Justice and Psychology, but will have to first assess what the need is in that region for those programs.

There are plans to roll out degree completion programs not only in Biology and Environmental Science, but also in areas such as Criminal Justice and Psychology for students graduating with Associates Degrees from community colleges and other programs based on a needs assessment that will be conducted of the region.

Other learning opportunities include professional certification short courses for areas such as GIS; Environmental, Health and Safety and Life Cycle Assessment, and classes for the community in species identification, biodiversity assessment, and wetland delineation. The Highlands Campus serves as an ideal location for high school students to take summer camp programs for college credits, for visiting scholars to conduct research, or for writers and artists to hold

Two classrooms lead by a canopy.

retreats.

With that being said, the new Highlands Campus offers the exciting opportunity for both students and faculty to become immersed in a biologically rich and aesthetically beautiful outdoor classroom.

There are a plethora of opportunities for people of all interest areas to find a connection to this new campus.

According to Shebitz, “Students will be able to take classes that use the forests, mountains, wetlands, lake, and rivers of the Highlands as their living laboratory.

With a great diversity of animals, plants, and fungi, the Highlands Campus provides an unparalleled opportunity to explore and document some of the most important ecological interactions that occur in diverse hardwood forest ecosystems.”

In addition to the academic tools that will be provided, there will be a main building called the lodge that will have nine classrooms, two labs, a multi-purpose room, a number

of dorms and an indoor basketball court.

“This building will also have an ADA Accessible canopy walk that leads to a treehouse that has two outdoor classrooms.

From there, the canopy walk continues to what will be another building, which we will call the cottage that will have additional classrooms.

These buildings will have state-of-the-art scientific equipment that will be used for our courses and research.

The property consists of over 40 acres of forested land with trails to explore, that connects to thousands of acres of protected state park Photo by Daniela Shebitz land,” said Shebitz.

The Highlands Campus offers this opportunity and it is just an hour’s drive from Kean-Union, allowing students interested in the environmental sciences an opportunity to truly understand the complexity of nature, and to study within an intact forest system.

There will be state-of-the-art scientific equipment in the labs and fields of the Highlands Campus that will enable students to collect data that will add to the growing research concerning ecological functions and services provided by the remaining habitats of great biodiversity.

“The faculty and students of the School of Environmental and Sustainability Sciences (SESS) look forward to establishing longterm research projects that will compare the ecosystem dynamics such as nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration, succession, food web structures of this intact, hardwood forest to those of the more urban areas of our state and the Pine Barrens of Southern New Jersey,” said Shebitz.

September, 2018

THE TOWER 5

A booming economy?

Here’s what students think

By Nicole Diefenbacher UNION, NJ- Students at Kean University have mixed reviews on the economy and whether or not they will be able to get a job in their field after graduation, according to an informal poll of 23 students on campus.

With reports strong on the economy, Kean students were asked last spring semester how they felt about it and what they thought their job prospects would be after graduation.. The responses ranged from feeling confident to not feeling confident at all.

Jordan Melillo, a Special Education Major was confident that she will be able to get a job.

“I don’t have any concerns yet. Between the high school I coach and the school I am doing my senior field in, I feel I have a pretty good shot at a job. I hope,” Melillo said.

Deloitte US, the accounting and auditing

Chances remain good that the U.S. economy will stay strong firm, reported that the “chances remain good that the US economy will stay strong this year and next” and that a recession is a “long shot”.

Many answers were based on the major the student was studying. Students in Liberal Arts majors mainly stated they did not think they would find a job immediately after they graduate.

Interestingly, Computer Science and Engineering majors were in agreement with the Liberal Arts students.

“I don’t think I will get a good job, especially because of my major which is journalism”, says Petruce Jean-Charles.

Some commented their GPA’s and internships would help them get jobs after they graduate.

“I am confident I’ll be able to get a job in my field. I don’t have any concerns yet. Between the highschool I coach at and the school I am doing my senior field in, I feel I have a pretty good shot at a job. I hope” said Special Education major Jordan Melillo.

On the contrary, Junior English major Randy Rosario questioned what is a strong economy.

“As far as the stock market goes, it’s growing. But as far as job opportunity it has

declined and I personally believe that’s how the economy should be measured.”

Others felt that the ability to get a job in their field depends on who they know, rather than what they know.

“I think it’s going to be hard. There are a lot of teachers and a lot of people in that major and you have to have many connections in order to get into the field.” says sophomore Brooke Hoffman, who is majoring in elementary education.

Finally, some felt that their getting a job might be hindered due to indecisiveness.

Damien Nestle, a junior studying Communication, said if he does not find a job after graduation, it would be due to his “indecisiveness or the competition of the industry, not the economy.”

Carolina Guerra contributed to this report.

The site students use before applying for classes

Photo by Valencia Stevenson

Rate my professor the website

By Valencia Stevenson When it is about that time again to apply for classes, students are always eager to get the professor that will make their semester the least frustrating. It is always good to know what to expect before you attend a class so you can avoid any issues. Rate my professor is a website website to give students an idea of how professors are before applying for classes.

“I feel that it is a very useful tool that a lot of students should use. Maybe for a class that they may struggle in or be concerned with passing. Personally, I do not use the website, I kind of just go in blind and hope for the best,” said Larry Bonaparte, junior at Kean.

On the site you can review how difficult the professor is, the grade students received from the professor, if they would take them again and various comments on their experience.

The site also provides students to rate their school as well.

Rate my professor is a ranking site built for college students where they can review and get first hand information on professors

from other students. The website launched in May 1999 and has about 800,000 monthly visitors while helping students learn who to avoid when applying for classes. There are over 19 million ratings, 1.7 million professors and over 7,500 schools on the site.

There are pros and cons when using the site. One con is there can be times when professors will get a negative review from a student who received a bad grade in the class

reason. That can make people wary of using the site because is it really true?

Some pros include students getting an idea of the workload and what to expect from the professor. It can also help future students and give constructive criticism to professors “I do use rate my professor. Honestly, Kean tries to play you at times so you gotta apply for the class first and wait to get the professor’s name. As soon as I get the professor I go to rate my professor to see if the professor is qualified or not qualified. I think it is accurate,” said Helen Jose, Senior and Public Relations major at Kean University.

A couple of professors at Kean University shared their opinions on the heavily used website as well.

“I do know what rate my professor is, I used it as a student. When I was a student I didn’t rely completely on rate my professor but I thought it was a good tool to see what I am getting into,” said Professor Evans, communications professor,“It’s almost like reviews for a hotel or any type of

“When I was a student I didn’t rely completely on rate my professor but I thought it was a good tool to see what I am getting into,” said Professor Evans and it could be because they did not do any of their work, showing resentment. It could also get some students to avoid taking certain classes due to the workload that students shared about the class.

The main issue is that it’s anonymous.

Anyone can say anything for whatever

establishment. I’ve taken professors where people said to avoid them at all costs and said the class is terrible but I loved the class and the professor. It’s perceived with caution when using rate my professor.”

Professor Evans also said that he does check his ratings on the website and thinks

Photo by Helen Jose

Helen Jose, Senior at Kean University

it is interesting to hear different perspectives.

His ratings are positive so far and thinks perhaps his feelings will change when he gets not so positive reviews one day.

“It’s nice to have that perspective from the students and feedback that they may not give you in person. You can see what they really think,” Evans added.

Communications professor Charles-Barr prefers and values listening to students feedback when in conversation with them instead of using rate my professor.

“I kind of think it’s a reliable source. 50/50.

I think it can be reliable but sometimes with students who did not get the grade they thought they deserved kind of use it as a weapon,” said Professor Charles-Barr, “It’s good and it’s bad. I do not check my rating for rate my professor. I do not want to see the students that I didn’t pass or give the grade they deserve say their opinion because I know exactly who they are.”

Want change? Take charge, register and VOTE!

By Wynter Aiken The Voter Registration Drive at Kean University kicked off on Sept. 14 at the Cougar Walk.

Students who had already gone through the voting process were able to update their information and first-time voters were given the chance to make a difference before Election Day. While it wasn’t for the Presidential election, New Jersey State legislatures who are still in the upcoming political races gave students the idea to consider who they would want to see in state legislative positions. The races are occurring on federal, state and local levels including the following: the 435 seats in the

U.S. House of Representatives, one-third of all U.S. Senators, 36 state governors and three U.S. territory governors and mayor positions across all cities, including New Jersey.

Voting for elections is a crucial period for states because we know that it will impact our everyday lives. Kean University set the stage for students to be able to share their opinions among themselves while making the decision to sign up and vote.

“I think it’s going to be a huge turnout, we all know what’s happening in the political world, given the type of president we have and how crucial it is that we vote the right people into office,” said Keisha Norwoods, a freshman at Kean. “I think our voices as students are a powerful force.”

Photo by Wynter Aiken

Voting at Kean Display

Other students made the point of expressing how not registering could impact an election as a whole especially if one candidate is preferred to win over the other.

Student volunteers made up the staff for the voting and registration tables.

“The main goal is to raise awareness for voting registration, especially for upcoming elections,” said Roberto Adams, volunteer and guide at the Voter Registration Drive.

“It’s about reaching out, not just today but for the days to come. Besides other bigger universities, Kean University is just as big and impactful. Even with a small percentage of students signing up, it can still make a difference.”

“I don’t push voting on others, everyone

Photo by Wynter Aiken

Student Registration Volunteer

has the right to their own opinions, but maybe with the right encouragement, that can change because at the end of the day, voting affects our day to day lives,” Adams continued.

Is a student’s opinions or voice really that impactful? Can students really make a difference in upcoming state elections?

“Just by registering to vote is an impactful step in the right direction, we have the right to worry about our state elections and just because we are college students doesn’t mean we don’t care,” said Hannah Abiona, a junior at Kean.

Students took the steps to make their voices heard and make a difference by signing up to register to vote at the Voter Registration Drive.

“I think it’s going to be a huge turnout, we all know what’s happening in the political world, given the type of president we have and how crucial it is that we vote the right people into office,” said Keisha Norwoods, a freshman at Kean.

“I think our voices as students are a powerful force.”

6 THE TOWER

September, 2018

Kean university counseling center here for students in times of need

By Nicole Diefenbacher Not only is September back to school month, but it is also National Suicide Prevention and Awareness month.

Mental health awareness has grown rapidly over the past few years in the United States, especially with mental health organizations such as To Write Love On Her Arms, The Trevor Project, and Project Semicolon.

While these national organizations promote mental health awareness and suicide prevention around the United States, there is a place right here at Kean University where students can go if they are ever in need of someone to talk to.

“It’s okay to seek help and it’s okay to not feel okay 100 percent of the time.”

Kean University Counseling and Disability services, located in Downs Hall room DN 127, provides a counseling service to all Kean University students.

“All records of the Kean University Office of Disability Services are private and confidential,” according to the confidentiality policy on their official web page.

“Information gathered when you visit our office does not become part of a permanent University record or personnel file, nor does it appear on any transcript or official document of any kind.”

Though Kean offers these services, students are not always aware of it.

“I had no idea Kean even had counseling services,” said Antonia Errico, a junior at Kean. “That’s really great that they provide students with a place to go if they ever need it.”

For other students, the Counseling and Disability Center has been an important part of their life.

“The counseling center was really helpful for me during my time as an undergrad,” said Kean graduate, Julia Fusco. “It’s such an awesome resource and it’s right on campus. It was really awesome to have as a resident on campus because you can just call or email and you have an appointment. No questions asked.”

There are eight professionals with expertise in different areas who work at the counseling center who are there to help the students of Kean if they are ever in a time of need.

Dr. Kiefner, Dr. Annan and Dr. Feinman are licensed psychologists. Ms. Coppola, Ms. Quinn and Ms. Barnett are licensed social workers, and Ms. Cheng and Ms. Vitola are professional counselors.

“The doctors and counselors at the counseling center are seriously the best,” said Emily Gibison, a senior at Kean.

“They are so professional and super helpful and every time I’ve gone I’ve left feeling so much better.”

Not only does the Counseling and Disability Center provide counseling services, but they also host “Wellness Workshops” that explore the eight dimensions of wellness-emotional, environmental, financial, intellectual, occupational, physical, social and spiritual wellness.

“There’s this weird stigma for some reason about going to get help when you need it, said Jessica Ivins, a senior at Kean. “But it’s okay to go get help when you need it. And the people at counseling services know that-that’s what they’re here for. It’s okay to seek help and it’s okay to not feel okay 100 percent of the time.”

The offices of Kean University Counseling and Disability Services are open from 9am to 5pm. during the fall, winter and spring semesters and from 8:15am to 5:30pm during campus summer hours. You can contact Kean University Counseling and Disability Services by calling (908) 737-4850, or by emailing counseling@kean.edu.

Department of Communication Kean University Center for Academic Success 1000 Morris Avenue Union, NJ 07083 Telephone: (908) 737-0470; Fax: (908) 737-0465 Email: thetower@kean.edu; www.kutower.com

The Tower is an independent, laboratory newspaper of Kean University’s journalism option in the communication major program. It is published monthly through the regular academic year and supported by advertising and the Department of Communication. The Tower is not responsible for claims made by its advertisers. The Tower is a public forum and is free from censorship and advance approval of content by the university administration. The Tower staff is responsible for its content.

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OPINION PIECES AND LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Tower welcomes guest columns and letters to the editor from any source.

Such material should be submitted to thetower@kean.edu or left at The Tower’s offices. To verify sources of written material, submissions must include the writer’s name and contact information. Students should include their class (sophomore, graduate, etc.) and major. Faculty and staff should include campus title or position. On request, names may be withheld from publication if The Tower staff determines there is a legitimate reason to do so, but no anonymous letters will be accepted for publication. The Tower reserves the right to edit, and refuse publication of any submission.

Reiki: bring light into your life

By Jenevieve Cruz Reiki is a spiritual healing technique with roots in Japanese origin. This health elective is offered here at Kean University in the D’Angola Gym Building.

The word Reiki comes from the Japanese word (Rei) which means “Universal Life” and (Ki) which means “Energy”. This art of healing is based on the principle that the therapist can channel energy into the patient by means of “hands off” touch to activate the natural healing process of the patient’s body and restore physical and emotional well-being.

A lot of students may wonder if this is some hippy trip oddity or a religious practice.

It is neither! You do not have to believe in religion in order to take this course. Professor Wishbone, also referred to as Sensei, is a professional Reiki Master and teacher of this great phenomenon we all possess. It is almost like tuning a guitar. We are spiritual beings as well as physical beings and both can be explored. She will explain the energy and chakras in an intriguing manor.

In learning Reiki, you will learn how to tap into your inner being, also known as your soul.

If you ever wondered what it means to have a “third eye” or being your complete “higher self,” then you will find the answers within this course. It is positive, useful to you and others,

opens your awareness abilities and leads to other holistic health cures.

Many famous athletes have Reiki done on them. It is used to release stress from minor to major health concerns. It is used to aid in curing heart disease, digestive disorders, respiratory and skin problems. The deep relaxation it creates for the clients promotes healing and health.

Nicole Acosta, a Kean student majoring in physical education shared her experience on taking the course last semester.

“Sports and Music are my two passions in life. I am a drummer, I honestly had no idea what Reiki was about until I took the class. I just needed a health elective for my major so I picked Reiki,” said Acosta. “The moment I walked into the classroom, I felt happy. No idea why but, there was a reason.”

“Enter in open minded and you will come out with a tool you can use for your entire life!

You can also share the ability to do Reiki on others as well as yourself,” said Acosta. “Reiki can also be used on pets and animals to heal them as well. There are two attunements you will experience within this course. The first is a twenty-minute guided meditation and the other is a sound healing to tune your soul.”

“I never heard of the course but it sounds interesting,” said Elijah Sherin, a football player at Kean majoring in finance.

“Sports and Music are my two passions in life.

I am a drummer, I honestly had no idea what Reiki was about until I took the class. I just needed a health elective for my major so I picked Reiki,” said Acosta.

“The moment I walked into the classroom, I felt happy. No idea why but, there was a reason.”

Photo by Jenevieve Cruz

Kean University’s football player Elijah Sherin receiving Reiki by healer/student Nicole Acosta.

Photo by Jenevieve Cruz

The Reiki class is usually held in D’Angola Gymnasium.

Photo by Jenevieve Cruz

Universal Power of Reiki Healing being demonstrated here on service dog Prince Cruz.

September, 2018

THE TOWER 7

Internet infatuation: Women’s Volleyball looks to defend their crown how social media functions continued from page 1

Photo by Creative Commons

The most common social media applications in today’s age of technology.

By Tasha Dowbachuk Whether it’s the strategically vibrant feeds or the sponsored ads, the social media battle between Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter thrives with a strong pulse for attention, numbers and user activity.

These social media platforms hold a special place in the hearts of millennials and Generation Z. The websites document every photo, video or post that may have the potential to go viral overnight. The secret recipe for becoming famous on social media may be revealed with a peek into where the numbers are coming from.

According to Statista, as of July 2018, Facebook is the most famous social media network with 2,196 million active users.

YouTube is the second-ranking network, following with 1,900 million users. Within the frenzy, users compete against each other through hashtags, spam posting, and so on for one prized possession; the verified symbol.

The attraction of becoming a famous “Instagrammer” or “YouTuber”, is through gaining credibility in the lenses of a digital world. The main purpose

is to, lure their desired audience, in order to gain more followers and build the bond and their brand. So, what’s going on inside the world of social media? One word: Trends. They come and go, never going out of style. The current trend on Snapchat is their “lenses” feature.

With this in mind, Snapchat and Instagram are in an entirely different league. They both carry the same genetics, in terms of easy marketing tactics and appealing to their users through 5-second advertisements.

What keeps the wheels turning, is the trends that funds the pockets of social media influencers. In return, their audience participate in their new ideas while taking off in a praise.

Facebook, being the warm parent of social media platforms, had its moments in the past where its appeal plummeted, due to privacy concerns. The problem also consisted of hackers and “fake news” articles. As its popularity grew, Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, opened the gates to the evergrowing empire that we know today.

Do you think the infatuation over social media has gone too far or is the journey just beginning?

“One word: Trends.

They come and go, never going out of style.”

Photo by Larry Levanti

Middle hitter Jesse Larkin (junior) getting ready to knock the ball back.

of the week is an amazing feeling and I believe this award is a huge honor for our entire team because we all contributed,” the middle hitter said. “My teammate Brianna Calvano received this award last week, so it just shows the depth our team has and how far we have come.”

With aspirations of repeating as NJAC champions for the first time since they won three in a row back in the 1993-95 seasons, Perkins is aware of just how rare and special this type of an achievement would be.

“Most college athletes are never going to win one championship,” Perkins said. “So for the players who are back, who have

Photo by Larry Levanti

2018 Kean Women’s Volleyball team picture.

the opportunity to try and repeat, this is a challenge and an opportunity that most people never have.”

Being a coach for over 16 years, Perkins is aware of the trials and tribulations his team is going to face. Instead of ignoring it, he feels that it is best to embrace it and let it contribute to the joy of the season.

“We are going to get everyone’s best shot,” Perkins said.

“So embrace the challenge, and enjoy every step of the journey this season.”

New school year, new Kean.edu

Photo by Monica Sudfield

The New Kean.edu website launched just in time for the start of the 2018-2019 school year.

By Monica Sudfield With the start of a new school year came the start of a new website for Kean University. Kean.edu has transformed its content, with hopes of making it easier for students and all the visitors of the website

to navigate and find what they are looking for.

“University Relations began working with New City Media Inc., an experienced web vendor, to launch a new Kean.edu back in March,” said Karen Smith, vice president of University Relations.

According to Kean.edu, the creation of the new website “focused on creating fresh content for each of the University’s academic programs so prospective students and current students understand exactly what they will learn in those programs and how their Kean degrees will help them launch successful careers.”

Visitors should have a smoother time navigating through the new website versus the older version, and should have an easier time locating what they are visiting the site for, according to Kean.edu.

The website’s new look has a drop down menu in the upper right hand corner titled “Quick Links” which is a quick way to access Kean’s most visited pages such as KeanWISE, Blackboard, and Kean mail.

Junior Jianna Pisa, a psychology major, commented specifically on the new addition of the “Quick Links” tab.

“It’s so much easier to have everything in one place,” said Pisa.

Not only is everything now in one place, but also everything can be easily accessed on mobile devices. The new Kean.edu wanted to be accessible and user friendly on mobile devices, unlike the website in the past.

“We launched this project to help us tell

the Kean story and deliver information more effectively through all devices, including mobile phones,” said Smith.

By making sure the website is mobile device friendly, Kean is showing it’s interest in staying with the times in this social media, mobile device era.

“I like how Kean is always updating their websites, and other things, to keep everything current and relevant,” said senior Danielle Palumbo, psychology major.

According to Kean.edu, another way the site is updating with the times is by posting videos, photos and news about the university for people who want to keep up with the latest.

Along with the new website, Kean also launched a new application. This app links you to KeanWISE, and other Kean information. Sporting events, university videos and photographs, and Kean News all can be accessed on the new and improved application.

“The website is our digital front door so it is essential that it make a strong first impression about the comprehensive education experience that Kean provides,” said Smith.

MPA program appealing loss of accreditation continued from page 1

the academic programs, and provide normal release time for program management and coordination by faculty, and also that the University engage in the normal practices of faculty shared governance.”

Release time is where professors are relieved from teaching a class to commit to other duties. He also said the KFT has been asking for years that the university redirect its resources to address these issues. By not doing so the university is “harming” the students.

“Now the chickens are coming home to roost,” said Castiglione. “This is part of a trend.”

Middle states is the accreditor for Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Middle States examines higher education institutions as a whole. It does not look at specific individual programs.

However in a variety of specialized

disciplines, particularly professional disciplines, there is a second layer of accreditation to ensure quality standards like the one for the MPA. The general process is a seven year accreditation from NASPAA and a two year re-accreditation process.

In the sixth year, faculty does a self study, which includes hiring a faculty member from another NASPAA accredited program to assist as an outside consultant. They analyze the program to see if there are any issues and what has changed.

Then a site visit team is assembled by NASPAA and they spend three days looking into the program. They interview students, professors, administrators, the provost, and the university president. The commission then reviews the report to decide whether the program receives another seven year accreditation.

The university’s MPA program started it’s self study three years ago. After the program

received its first site visit, the site visit team had numerous issues and questions unresolved.

The commission gave the program another year of accreditation to deal with those issues. The letter received in July was after a second site visit last spring. The commission will review the university’s appeal and hold a formal hearing where they will make a final judgement. “ We here in the department continue to offer the high quality education that we have always done and NASPAA has cited us in the department ...for the high quality of the faculty, for the high quality of the instruction, for the caliber of the graduates we produce,” said Dr. Craig Donovan, Coordinator of the BA/MPA Honors Program in the School of Public Administration.

Kean’s MPA program has been wellregarded and President Dawood Farahi was a faculty member in the public administration department.

Within the last two years, the department has lost two tenured faculty, Dr. John Erickson and Dr. Morgan Laury, who passed away. Another tenure-track professor was not rehired for this year.

The program this year hired two, tenuretrack professors Jung Ah (Claire) Yun, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, and Deborah Mohammed-Spigner, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, and two lecturers, Carey Brown and Gerry Nwabueze. Lecturers are on one-year contracts and are not given the opportunity to get tenure.

McCorry, Kean’s spokesperson, said President Dawood Farahi met with MPA students and faculty, including four new faculty members who joined the program this year, “to assure them that the program remains strong and is evolving to prepare students for the global marketplace.”

8 THE TOWER

September, 2018

OPINION

Meet the Greeks at Kean University

By Dan Papa Meet the Greeks is an event that takes place at Kean University where students, even prospective ones are encouraged to attend and find a sorority or fraternity that suits them.

Same as last year, the event took place in Kean’s own Harwood Arena on Sept. 12, from 5-10 p.m.

Vice President of Programming, Gabriella Lapointe, was one of the key players involved in setting up the event. She explained that all of the proceeds from the event would be going towards “KDM” (Kean Dance Marathon), a twelve hour dance marathon that raises money for the Children’s Specialized Hospital, located in Mountainside, NJ. As a member of the sorority, Delta Phi Epsilon, Lapointe noted that they are the “only

Photo by Dan Papa

Meet the Greeks event

What is life without fresh water?

international sorority on campus” (having chapters in both the U.S. and Canada). They also have “the most community service hours as an organization on campus.”

The gym inside of the arena was littered with tables, each one dedicated to a specific fraternity/sorority. Students from all walks of life were there in attendance and asking questions at the many tables trying to find the right fit for themselves. One table even gave away lollipops to prospective members.

Luis Castaneda of Lambda Sigma Upsilon explained that most of the fraternities and sororities each have their own signature “moves,” if you will.

“Our ancestors could not talk, they had to communicate through dances and body movement, especially in times of enslavement,” said Castaneda.

By Danielle Junio Have you ever thought about a time where you would not be able to easily access clean water? You probably have not as a result of the United States being able to easily supply clean water to a majority of its citizens and because it is not properly publicized in the media.

I have not heard about people not receiving fresh drinking water or about the droughts going on but would now take conscious efforts to save water,” said Daniel Gonzalez, psychology major.

Without this information being publicized in the media, American citizens usually take the value of water for granted which makes it an undervalued natural resource. What many people forget is that water is essential for life on earth and for our survival.

According to the National Center for Families Learning, the human body is composed of two-thirds water and that humans can only survive three to five days without water if they are not participating in any physical activity. On top of that, according to NASA the Earth’s surface is 71 percent water and out of that 71 percent only 3.5 percent is freshwater.

But what is even more shocking is that NASA also mentioned that 68 percent of that 3.5 percent fresh water is available for human use since a majority of the Earth’s freshwater is trapped in glaciers and ice.

“It is important to be informed about this because everyone needs to learn that not everyone has these privileges like most of us,” said Candice Weller, senior and special education major.

It is extremely important for us to take the time to understand the importance of our limited fresh water supply since in the news lately (especially the New York Times) more and more articles about contaminated water supplies and droughts are appearing. The New York Times printed articles such as “National Guard Helping After Chemicals Found in Town’s Wells,” “Toxic History, Poisoned Water: The Story of Flint,” “A Hot, Dry Winter in California. Could It Be Drought Again?,” and “How New York Gets Its Water.”

These articles focus on how the state of Delaware’s water supply was been contaminated with chemicals, the contaminated water supply of Flint, Michigan, the extremely low water supply in California, and about how we

Photo by Dan Papa

Delta Phi Upsilon

Photo by Dan Papa

Photo by Dan Papa

Nu Sigma Phi

Phi Beta Sigma

Their “move” is called “strolling,” and they do it in support of their ancestors.

While most of the sororities and fraternities each had their own signature move, others did not. One in particular, was Lambda Theta Phi, whose motto was “Chivalry above self.” They used “saluting,” which they described as “poetry in motion.” Some of their principles are, “academics, l e a d e r s h i p , brotherhood, and tradition.”

A representative of sorority Sigma Beta Chi said they are “about standing out as individuals, but standing together for causes that matter.”

She also shared a cause close to her heart, a story about one of their sisters who recently lost their life waiting on a transplant list.

“We all come from very diverse backgrounds, very different walks of life, but we still stand together for the things that matter to us, like sisterhood and support,” the Sigma Beta Chi representative said.

Femon Padmore of Phi Beta Sigma said his fraternity opens doors for members, but “you still have to apply yourself and make yourself marketable just like everybody else.”

He also spoke about how he was on the path to becoming an attorney, but he has to “keep his grades up” and “have a great networking system with people who are in that field.”

Recently, New Jersey’s Monmouth University decided to suspend all fraternities/ sororities indefinitely after issues with underage drinking, hazing, and drug use became more and more apparent.

According to an online News12 New Jersey article from Sept. 7, last year, Timothy Piazza, a “19-yearold from Hunterdon County died at a fraternity party after he was injured in a fall at a fraternity party. He was a Beta Theta Pi pledge who was forced to drink dangerous amounts of alcohol during a hazing ritual.”

Aside from the fatal incident, the indefinite suspension might also have been introduced as a lesson for students to re-examine the importance of fraternities and sororities.

Students who are interested in Greek Life can find more information about each Greek letter organization at the Center for Leadership and Service, located in Miron Student Center, room 219, or visit Cougar Link.

“Our ancestors could not talk, they had to communicate through dances and body movement, especially in times of enslavement,” said Castaneda.

Photo by Dschwen

Not letting the water run while brushing your teeth will help save water

have to supply the residents of New York City with safe/clean water by shipping it in from nearby places. Since it has been stated in The New York Times article that New York City is “surrounded by tidal, brackish water with no immediate access to fresh water streams.”

In the documentary “Gasland,” scientists and researchers talk about how the contaminated water resulting can cause extremely negative health effects like “testicular toxicity, malformation of the embryo, bone marrow depression, hemolysis, and a countless amount of other symptoms.” In other words, contaminated/toxic water can potentially be lethal to people if used or consumed and that everyone should try to make a change because every little bit of effort counts.”

According to the Plastic Pollution Coalition, 83 percent of drinking water samples worldwide tested positive for microscopic plastic fibers. As a result, more companies are starting to take steps to becoming more eco-friendly; like Starbucks. By having two Starbucks located on our Union campus many of you have probably ordered something from there at least once. But if you are a frequent customer, did you ever realize that lately Starbucks has been serving their drinks with their new lids now instead of straws? This is because Starbucks stated that it is their goal to completely terminate the use of their plastic straws in the company by 2020. Starbucks decided to make this change to help improve our environment since water contamination has been an increasingly growing issue since it is not only found in the sea-water, but is now also being found in our drinking water.

“That is an important first step, but people need to be the change (followed by smart legislative policy), since they are the consumers drive most markets. Corporations play a critical role in helping to nudge public perception. It’s also a factor in generating positive public perception as a positive marketing tool. Some needs do exist for straw needs, but most people wouldn’t miss them,” said Kean University Earth and Environmental Science Professor William Heyniger.

Although you might be feeling like you are just a single person and cannot make a difference yourself. There are little things you could do to help conserve our freshwater supply like Heyniger, who states, he minimizes water waste through short showers, using boiled water to water plants, roof rainwater collection and condensate (from home HVAC system) to utilize in general outdoor use and no water during brushing your teeth.

“Everyone should try to make a change because every little bit of effort counts,” said Weller.

It’s a new semester: time to start exercising

Street workout

By Dr. Josh Palgi & Professor Tara Bogota As the fall semester begins, students find that balancing school, work and a social life can be quite challenging. The thought of exercising just does not measure up to the temptation of grabbing some chips and plopping onto the couch.

Sound familiar? You are not alone.

According to the surgeon general, America’s chief health officer, more than 60 percent of adults do not exercise regularly and 25 percent are not active at all.

Yet 30 minutes of exercise a day is all you need to maintain a healthy lifestyle. And college, a natural transition period, is an ideal time to institute changes that will last a lifetime.

The list of medical reasons to exercise is long. Exercising delivers oxygen and nutrients to your whole body helping it to work more efficiently.

Photo by Simongrizon Physical activity releases chemicals in your brain called endorphins that are known to make you feel happier and more relaxed. It helps maintain a healthy blood pressure and improves circulation.

And exercise can be fun. Often times exercise can be a part of some of your favorite daily activities, such as walking the dog, going to the playground or riding your bike.

Exercise increases your energy level and boosts your endurance. Regular physical activity has been proven to help prevent a wide variety of health problems. It helps you to maintain a healthy weight and to sleep better. Weekly exercise can even help your

Exercise increases your energy level and boosts your endurance. grades; regular exercise correlates with better academic performance in studies.

At times students may believe that it is impossible to fit exercise into their weekly schedule but experts say that with good time management and a little bit of motivation it is very possible.

Some tips for college students to get started OO Go to bed at a decent time and aim for getting at least eight hours of sleep per night. This will help you from feeling the need to nap in the afternoon.

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Try to make an exercise schedule.

Even if it’s a few days a week to start off, it’s good to get into a routine.

Find a workout partner, having someone in the gym with you

might make it more enjoyable and give you extra motivation.

Find something you enjoy doing.

Exercising doesn’t just consist of lifting and running. Go to a nearby gym and find out what spinning, yoga, or fitness classes they are offering.

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You don’t have to be a bodybuilder and hit the gym five to six times a week but regular participation in some form of physical activity is highly beneficial for not only the physical body but the mental and emotional as well.

Check out these resources for health and wellness here at Kean: OO Fitness Center/ Gym- D’Angola 194 OO

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Exercise, fitness, yoga, dance, swimming and more are one credit courses in the Department of Health & Human Performance, located in the D-Angola building Department of Recreation & Intramurals: keanathletics.com Follow “Kean Wellness” on social media