The Tower-October 2019

visit us at kutower.com 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19

@KeanTower

University Senate

New student-athlete law

Page 3

Page 8

NJCPA General Excellence Award

OCT 24 | 2019 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

Just Throw it Away

By Emily Robles

statistics, I’m really stressed about that right now.

Being a month into With more students the new school year joining in to participate, means students are now the first batch of water beginning to feel the stress that comes with being a balloons went by fast, college student. Whether but were quickly reyou’re a returning student plenished. By this time, or a new-found freshman, some upperclassmen were everyone feels the wrath ready to throw some of stress overcoming them balloons as well. in college.

On Oct. 2, on the patio “My law class is crazy of Cougar Hall, Residential stressful at the moment,” Assistant Edward Diaz said junior Symone Gelay. came up with a fun idea for “My personal life as well.” students to relieve their Most students have jobs stress. Students wrote what was stressing them while also being enrolled out on a water balloon and Photo by Emily Robles full time. When asked RA Diaz soaked at the end threw them. how it affects them, the “I came up with this of the event. majority of the students program because I wanted present at the event said students to be able to relieve their stress in a “I came up with it is very overwhelming to constructive and fun way,” be able to maintain their this program says Diaz. grades and homework The original idea was for because I wanted while working at the same students to throw their time. students to be balloons at a brick wall “I’m really stressed outside the dorm building, able to relive about work,” said junior but last-minute Diaz their stress in a decided he wanted the Dale Uborka. “I work at students to throw their constructive Top Golf and also have balloons at him instead. my own photography and fun way.”

“Since it was hot today, business.”

I thought, why not? Also, By the time the event I thought it would be more was over, R.A Diaz was fun,” said Diaz.

When passing by students saw their soaked and the program was a success. peers throwing balloons at Diaz, they Students left the program feeling happy decided to join in on the fun. With Cougar and less stressed about their day.

Hall being mostly a freshman building, “I actually had a really stressful day a lot of first year students were excited today and this totally helped,” said Sarah about this program.

“With being a new college student, Fedak, another R.A at Cougar Hall. homework is stressing me out the most,” said freshman student Celine Brady.

“Especially when it comes to time management.”

More freshmen were eager to talk about how their new college life is stressing them out.

A freshman by the name of Claudia Photo by Emily Roble Abrantes said, “As Students posing with their water balloons. (Names from left to right) a freshman taking Gya Peruz, Sarah Fedak, Edward Diaz, Dale Uborka

Presidential search firm seeks feedback but keeps deliberations private

Photo by Craig Epstein

By Erin McGuinness The search for Kean University’s 18th president might not be the open, transparent process many campus constituencies urged during last month’s public Board of Trustees meeting.

Consultants from Storbeck/Pimentel & Associates, the search firm hired to work closely with the Presidential Search Committee, have been meeting with various groups to discuss any questions, concerns and suggestions the university community has on the ongoing search.

The consultants will relay the information to the 13-member search committee, who were selected by Board Chair Ada Morell, a vocal supporter of President Dawood Farahi. The search committee members will not meet or speak directly with any constituency; each signed confidentiality agreements, according to the consultants.

The Board of Trustees makes the final decision and is not technically required to choose one of the search committee’s recommendations, said Storbeck/Pimentel & Associates partner Ruth Wood.

Wood and associate Lindsay Allison addressed the Faculty Senate Oct. 8 to gain feedback on three key questions: what opportunities are at Kean, what challenges would a new president face, and what kind

of president is the faculty hoping for.

Despite many faculty members voicing their desire for the search process to remain open, the consultants said the process will remain closed to protect the privacy of candidates for the job.

Many candidates that the search firm will be recruiting are ones who are employed elsewhere and are unwilling to go public with their interest in a new position, Wood said.

“We talk at length about confidentiality with our search committee, because it really is the ticket to getting good people to agree to be in our process….”

Wood said. “From our experience, we lose the best candidates if they can’t be assured of confidentiality throughout the process.”

Faculty senate members voiced concern about the lack of faculty on the Search Committee, where only two members are serving.

Best practices suggests that the board is the dominant constituent on the committee, Wood said.

However, at Rutgers University, where president Robert Barchi will also be stepping down at the end of this school year, faculty is the dominent constituent represented on the presidential search committee, according to Rutgers Today.

“I wouldn’t raise a red flag in terms of what we see at other institutions in terms

Consultants from Storbeck/Pimentel & Associates, the search firm hired to work closely with the Presidential Search Committee, have been meeting with the campus community to gain feedback.

continued on page 2

Students pay $2,000 for Kean’s construction projects

By Siobhan Donaldson Kean University’s full-time students are paying $2,000 a year to finance renovations, new buildings and debt, according to an analysis of the 2019-2020 Undergraduate Course Catalog.

Listed as a capital improvement fee in the budget, the mandatory fee funds “renovation and construction projects costing $500,000 or more” that are not covered by bonds, according to the Kean website. It’s the largest listed mandatory fee on the tuition bill.

Kean currently has five major construction projects in the works.

The other yearly mandatory fees as defined by Kean’s website include: ■■ A $127.50 student government fee, which is defined as paying for “campus-wide programming towards students and the community.”

■■

A $322.50 athletics and leisure fee, which funds all areas of the 13 NCAA Division III teams along with the fitness centers and gymnasiums on campus. The athletics fee was raised this year, from $270.

Photo by Tower Staff

Fee Chart for 2019-20 Year for Full-Time In-State Students.

■■

A $210 student center fee, which funds the university center computer labs, supplies and equipment, the university center game room, university center building maintenance and upgrades along with salaries for student and professional staffing.

In total, full-time undergraduate students are paying an estimated $30 million in mandatory fees this school year, according to Tower calculations based on

Photo by Tower Staff

Tuition rise and fee fall, comparing 2017 to 2019.

2018 enrollment numbers listed by Kean’s Institutional Research. Institutional Research reports that there were 11,614 full-time students in 2018.

A comparison of fees from prior years is unavailable because Kean changed the way it lists mandatory fees.

Janice Murray-Laury, vice president of Student Affairs, supports the increase in athletic fees, Stating that athletics has had no major investments ‘in some time.’

“This is an area in which students are

very concerned,” Murray-Laury said.

“This year, we are supporting that area of the budget.”

Student-athlete Brice Burger, a member of the Kean Lacross team, said he can see a positive impact that projects funded through the athletics and leisure fee have, though would like to see his team receive “top-tier” equipment.

“We are getting new locker rooms now so I can see where that money is going,”

2 THE TOWER

October, 2019

The Major-Minor Info Fair 2019

By Tahjee Shaw This year’s Major and Minor fair sponsored by The School of General Studies (SGS) featured stands offering information on a diverse selection of

especially since I am still somewhat of a new student.”

Though many others were there because they genuinely were interested in switching or finding a major.

“I wanted to come because I am

Photo by Tahjee Shaw

Representatives assisting students interested in their majors and minors.

academic programs in fields ranging from STEM to the Liberal Arts.

Held in Downs Hall on Oct. 9 the fair also included different academicrelated clubs and organizations for students to consider.

The goal of the event was to help students get an opportunity to explore their options and understand what they wanted out of their academic field. It also helped students connect with those who represent the fields they had an interest in or were taken into consideration.

The room was filled with students r, curious to explore their options. The emphasis was on undecided students, freshman, and new students, according to a flyer, but it was an open fair for everyone interested to partake in.

Some students were there just out of curiosity.

“I am satisfied with my current major,” says Jada Pinnok, a junior communications major. “But I still want to look through them just in case,

still on the fence about my major,” said Albert, a sophomore science and tech major. “ I want to see what other majors could capture my interest.”

Many college students across the country tend to question if they want to pursue a certain major/minor, or if they have the capability to pursue one that is more fitting for them then what they currently have. There are of course those who do not have a major, and want a platform that would help them make their decision.

Kean University holds these essential fairs every semester to help remedy this situation. These fairs are important as they get information about majors and minors for those who could use them.

The fair turned out to be a big success, as it was last in the past.

Kean University hopes to hold another successful major-minor fair for years to come.

Presidential Search Firm Seeks Feedback from Campus Community continued from cover

of board composition,” Wood said.

Faculty requests included a general agreement that the next president should be recruited from out of state to avoid any political ties; expand academics instead

video session was scheduled with WenzhouKean community members.

After a series of meetings to gain information on the campus community’s

Shout!

Poetry for Suffrage

By Alexander Valdes

say the most while having to say the least.”

Sunanda had a little more to say in regards to what the goal for Shout! is and what exactly it is trying to accomplish, and how exactly the show attempts to attain that goal.

As the medium that allows one to explore the inner workings of their hearts and illuminate the past, Shout! is about poetry for women’s suffrage and the struggle that they endured in order to gain the right to vote.

On Oct. 2, auditions for this event were “The goal of Shout! held where students is to get the audience to came to perform some personal pieces think about all the different of their own as well historical figures, as speak about the pieces in relation to what they contributed to the women’s suffrage movement, and why it was such an that they would then perform in the important issue to women,” show. The show is being manned by Dr. Susanna Rich and Professor Ernest Wiggins.

Sunanda Kaushik, who was manning the sign-in table, had an opportunity to voice her opinions and provide some insight on the goals of Shout!

“The goal of Shout! is to get the audience to think about all the different historical figures, what they contributed to the movement, and why it was such an important issue to women,” said Kaushik. “We walk through in their footsteps because the show is in the first-person of these activists and you get to see how they tackled the same issue from multiple points and multiple perspectives.”

Photo by Alexander Valdes Shout! is a way Shout! flyer. to give audiences a deeper insight into the inner struggles “Part of the goal of Shout! is when that activists had to endure in order to you read through the poems and say bring rights to women. With the show them aloud,” Kaushik said. “When you being in a first-person perspective, one say I am Susan B. Anthony, it forces can step into their shoes and view the you to think and see things from world how they saw it, back in a time another perspective and you have to when these issues were very prevalent. challenge yourself. You have to think “The thing about poetry is that it about how has society changed ever allows for flexibility to write it in since the suffrage movement to now.” the first-person perspective and to Some of the performers who give you that feeling of being in their auditioned had time to also give their shoes,” Kaushik said. “Poetry is a more thoughts about the show and why they emotive mode for something like came to the audition, such students this, especially because it’s not just being Khali Raymond who is a junior presenting those historical contexts transfer student. and research anymore. It’s when the “I do have a prevalent background actor performs it and puts a name to in theatre and I do poetry,” Raymond that face and those achievements, to said. “I’m also an experienced writer the suffrage and rights that women and I really love the arts, it really helps me to express myself.” were fighting for, it also allows you to

Students Pay $2,000 For Kean’s Construction Projects continued from cover

Photo by Erin McGuinness

Storbeck/Pimentel & Associates consultants Ruth Wood and Lindsay Allison address the Kean community at a open forum on Oct. 15.

of the university’s facade; and focus on having more tenured faculty. A desire for a president that can communicate with the campus faculty and build a sense of unity throughout the community was strongly conveyed.

The first of two open forums at the Union campus took place Oct. 15, drawing a crowd of about ten people, three of which addressed Wood and Allison. All campus constituencies and interested parties were invited to register to speak or attend.

The purpose of the open forums is to “provide opportunities to share thoughts, input and insights on the qualifications and the characteristics that will define the successful candidate for the presidency,” according to an email sent to all faculty, staff and students.

A forum was held at Kean Ocean and a

wants and concerns, the consultants from the firm will begin recruiting a large pool of candidates to be discussed with the search committee.

Through a series of private meetings, the pool will be widdled down until the committee is ready to make their suggestions to the Board of Trustees.

While the process will still be closed to the public in the end, Wood said it is very likely that the final candidates will want to meet with various campus community members. Those that get a chance to meet the candidates will be required to sign confidentiality agreements, she said.

“If we get to an end stage where our finalists are okay with that (an open search process), we will talk about a different kind of approach,” she said.

Burger said.

In 2016, the New Jersey Comptroller found Kean University and two other universities relied too heavily on mandatory fees paid for by students.

At the time, the state said the fees represented an additional one-third in costs over the bill for tuition to attend Kean, William Paterson and The College of New Jersey, according to the report.

The audit pulled data from the 2013 fiscal year and said that Kean commingled fees into one account, lacked documentation for fee increases and used money from fees for payroll.

During the auditing process, Kean disputed their conclusions and reiterated support for its current operating practices. Kean also stated that they were in compliance with all statutes, regulations and principles of accounting in their practices.

In 2018, Kean announced in a press release that it will restructure fees to “simplify students’ bills and reflect best practices in higher education.”

The release explained that the

restructuring rolled five mandatory fees into the overall tuition bill. These fees, which were previously reported in past budgets, are the library improvement fee, the campus improvement fee, the transportation fee, a general service fee and a technology fee.

Before the restructuring, students paid over $4,000 in mandatory fees or about $2,000 per semester.

Kean University is considered one of the most affordable universities in the state, as compared to other public universities.

In comparison, Rutgers University’s mandatory fees are an estimated $6,034 per year, according to its financial aid website.

Oliva Haas, a sophomore studying Environmental Biology, said though her fees are going to needed areas, she wished Kean would do more in the long-term about the environment.

“We should invest in things like solar panels,” Haas said. “This school has a lot of potential. and I really think we all can create change in it.”

October, 2019

THE TOWER 3

Campus crime down; drug and liquor violations up

By Salimah McCullough The number of drug and alcohol-related incidents recorded last year on the Union campus almost doubled but overall crime was down, according to the 2019- 2020 Annual Campus Security and Fire Safety Report The report for calendar year 2018 showed 91 liquor law violations, up from 54 in the 2017 calendar year. Of those violations, five resulted in arrests.

There were 81 drug-related violations in 2018, up from 47. Of the total drug violations, 12 ended in arrests.

Four weapons possessions were reported on campus, up from one. Only one of the four weapon possessions in 2018 ended in arrests.

From January to December 2018, overall crime including rape, motor vehicle theft, domestic violence, and dating violence decreased.

The numbers in 2018 showed six rapes, down from seven; two burglary cases, down from eight; one motor vehicle theft, down from eight cases; two domestic violence cases, down from ten and three dating violence cases, down from six.

Kean University releases an Annual Campus Security and Fire Safety Report each year required by law under the Jeanne Clery Act to provide students and faculty with information regarding campus life, public and fire safety information.

Margaret McCorry, a spokesperson for Kean, did not comment directly on the numbers but said, the university “has a zerotolerance policy for on-campus drug and alcohol use by students.”

She explained that the process is that the Office of Residential Student Services and campus police work together and students who are suspected of violating the Student

Code of Conduct are referred for disciplinary hearings.

“For most of those students, Kean takes an educational approach, requiring participation in a variety of educational programs, including the Choices and Alternatives programs, which offer counseling and substance abuse Photo by Salimah McCullough Photo by Salimah McCullough 2019-2020 Campus Safety report screening,” McCorry 2019-2020 Campus Safety report cover. statistics. said. safest in America.”

While crime overall is showing a decline, Compared to other New Jersey colleges, there were some crimes that have gone up Kean ranks among one of the safest. Niche. from the previous year, including robbery, com ranked Kean as the 17th safest college which went from none in 2017 to one last year; campus and gave an overall grade of B for and fondling, which went from two to four. campus safety.

Fondling, according to the safety report, is “I’m glad the numbers went down,” said defined as the touching of the private body Linibeth Tavarez, a senior majoring in parts of another person for the purpose of marketing. “But seeing the data, there is a sexual gratification, without the consent safety issue. I would like to see the numbers of the victim, including instances where go down especially for rape (cases).” the victim is incapable of giving consent The perspective of campus safety differs because of his/her age or because of his/her for each student depending on various temporary or permanent mental incapacity. factors. For commuters, it may feel different Rape is defined as the penetration, no to them than it would to a person who lives matter how slight, of the vagina or anus, with on campus. Also with commuters, some may any body part or object, or oral penetration have a car or some may have to take the train by a sex organ of another person, without or bus, so the level of safety one feels could the consent of the victim. This offense differ from another. includes the rape of both males and females.

“I generally feel safe throughout the day,” “Campus safety is a top priority at Kean,” said Brianna Daquino, senior studying McCorry said. “The University is fortunate to accounting who commutes to school. “But have its own police force and has increased at night, walking back to my car, I feel more the number of security officers to provide unsafe because it’s so dark and there really additional protection. Kean’s Department aren’t campus police around everywhere.” of Public Safety/Police works diligently and Transfer student Courtney Coleman said around the clock to ensure that our campus continues to be recognized as one of the she feels safe on campus, especially because

Senate says it lacks voice on presidential search committee

By Zoe Strozewski

The search committee was selected and is chaired by Board of Trustees Chairperson The University Senate has minimal Ada Morell. Six of the 13 members are representation on the Presidential on the Board of Trustees. Besides Mulry, Search Committee, the 13-member group the committee also includes one other appointed to recommend candidates for professor; two students; a Kean alumnae; a the 18th president of Kean University to wealth advisor; and a CEO. the Board of Trustees.

Morell said that she selected the The University Senate is the university’s search committee members “following “principal agency for the formulation consultation with various university of Kean University policy,” according to leaders, stakeholders and constituents,” the Kean website. It represents all major according to Kean News. constituencies of the university and makes The Senate members discussed the idea recommendations to the President on of passing a resolution requesting more matters regarding students, curriculum, representation. faculty and finance.

“We talked about sending it to the The senate’s officers for the 2019-2020 committee basically saying we’d like a seat school year consist of Chairperson Constance at the table,” Hassett-Walker said.

Hassett-Walker, Vice Chairperson Brian McManamon questioned the idea of Baldwin, Secretary Sue Gronewold and passing a resolution due to its possibility of Patrick McManamon, who represents the being ignored.

Senate on the Kean Board of Trustees.

“Resolutions are fine, but they’re pieces The only member of the presidential search of paper,” McManamon said. “If we’re committee who is also on the University really serious about wanting to be part of Senate is Claire Mulry, a professor in Kean’s the process, and this is really being part Department of Occupational Therapy. Mulry of the process, we need to be able to back is tenure-track faculty and served as Senate this up. We represent virtually all the chair last year. constituencies on campus, and I think that Margaret McCorry, Kean’s Director of asking for one seat at the table, selected by Media Relations, said Kean has taken this group, isn’t a big ask.” numerous measures to ensure that various He also stressed the overall importance of groups have channels to share their picking a reputable and qualified candidate thoughts on the search. as the next president.

“The search firm, Storbeck/Pimentel & “This is a really serious issue,” Associates, met with both the University McManamon said. “The university’s Senate as a whole as continuation is well as the Senate’s really at stake. executive committee We need to get to solicit input on the right guy. As the selection of the a representative next president,” of the university McCorry said. constituencies, we “The firm already have as much of a has received input stake in getting this from hundreds of right as anybody stakeholders via else.” the online survey At the end of the and at meetings meeting, members and forums on came to the this campus, consensus that they Kean Ocean and would reach out via Photo by Zoe Strozewski WKU in this open The University Senate discusses the presidential email to request a and transparent search committee. meeting with Board process.” of Trustee member Hassett-Walker said at the Senate Steve Fastook, who is the chair of the meeting in September that when she found search committee. out about the search, she reached out to The University Senate Vice Chairperson Board of Trustees Executive Director Audrey Brian Baldwin declined a request to Kelly to recommend senate members, comment on rumors that their inquiry to including Mulry, for consideration for the meet had been denied, but the Senate did search committee. However, the finalized meet with the search firm. search committee was announced in midThe composition of the search committee September and Mulry was the only senate has remained the same as when it was member selected. initially configured.

“The university’s continuation is really at stake.”

Photo by Salimah McCullough

On-campus police station.

there is a police station on campus.

“I do (feel completely safe here),” said Coleman, who is a senior majoring in communication. “I think I might’ve felt safer at Raritan Valley Community College, where I transferred from only because it was in the middle of nowhere but I did feel reassured that there was a police station on campus.”

McCorry said anyone who feels unsafe on campus can take a number of actions: ■■ Call 9-1-1 in an emergency, or call the University Police dispatch at 908-7374800 to make a report or ask for an escort.

■■

Use one of the 21 blue light emergency phones that are located across campus

■■

Download and use the app ELERTS See Say, which provides a number of services including the GPS-based “Escort Me” function. It allows the University Police to monitor the user on campus in real-time and provide a “virtual escort”. If a distress signal is activated, the police respond immediately.

Kean University alumnus illustrates global ad campaign for Ketel One Vodka

By Craig Epstein Kean University alum Max Friedman graduated in 2015 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts in Graphic Design. His passion for graphic design has taken him from places like Korea and Mexico to areas in London and Sheboygan, Wisconsin.

Just recently, Friedman illustrated the global ad campaign for Ketel One Vodka.

“I was just in the right place at the right time. Ketel One was extremely excited about an illustrated approach,” Friedman said. “I was doing all the sketches for the campaign and the client fell in love with the style.”

Tasked with designing advertisements that were going to be seen on a global scale, Friedman worked on the illustrations for about six months.

“It involved lots of sketching, ideation, and refining trying to nail the tone and style of the work to make it feel unique and special,” Friedman said. “It’s the first time I’ve ever illustrated work on this scale. It’s very different illustrating something for my instagram page versus illustrating something that’s going on a 60-foot billboard in London.”

Coming out of college, Friedman began his career at Droga5, a New York Citybased advertising agency.

“The day before graduation I won a portfolio competition in New York and while there I met someone who worked at this agency called Droga5,” Friedman said. “He showed my work to their boss and they called me the next day asking if I wanted a job.”

Friedman would go on to become Design Director for Fig Agency, a marketing and advertising company based in New York, where he works on many different projects for multiple brands.

“A lot of times we look at big brands like Ketel One, Spotify, and Puma and figure out how they want to look and sound to the world, how they’ll stand out against competitors, and how to creatively push them to the forefront of culture,” Friedman said. “Other times we do one-off creative projects like a big stunt or film for a brand to talk about something new they’re doing.”

Some of Fig Agency’s clients include Virgin Atlantic Airlines, Benjamin Moore, Casper, CNN, Diageo, and Vimeo.

According to its website, it was named as one of Inc Magazine’s Best Places to Work in the U.S. and honored in the Ad

Photo by Max Friedman via Instagram

One of Friedman’s many Ketel One Vodka illustrations.

Photo by Max Friedman via Instagram

Citizens passing by one of Friedman’s Ketel One Vodka illustrations.

Age Agency A-List in both 2018 and 2019.

It was included in the Inc 5000, which is the definitive list of the fastest growing privately held companies in America.

“FIG was born in 2013 from a desire to create a smarter, more nimble alternative to the traditional agency model,” its website states. “We believe that stories are the best way to convey information and persuade people so we have built our thoroughly modern agency to deliver on this.”

As it also states on its website, Fig Agency sees itself as “Storytellers for the Information Age” and are looking to raise the bar in the graphic design industry by “improving the quality and effectiveness of the stories told.”

While Friedman enjoys getting to create and design images for others to see, he originally was not sure graphic design was going to be his life’s calling. It was not until high school that his mother Marci Friedman, who occasionally works with Kean as a sign language interpreter, brought him in to meet Professor Christopher Navetta where he became

“I’ve always liked art and creating things, but for a while I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do”

continued on page 8

4 THE TOWER

October, 2019

Kean is in sync with pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

By Tiye Bracy Breast Cancer Awareness Month began on Tuesday, Oct. 1 and ends on Thursday, Oct. 31.

Breast cancer is the second most common cause of death from cancer among women and men. In fact, U.S. Breast Cancer Statistics states “estimated 268,600 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S [this year].”

Kean University organizations and offices engage in many events and fundraisers to support the cause of breast cancer.

The different departments in the Center for Leadership and Success, which consist of The Cougar’s Byte, Leadership Institute, Greek Life Affairs, Involvement Center, and Customer and Community Service, have an inter-office competition to see who can raise the most money, said Mary Linen, the Creative Media Specialist for The Cougar’s Byte newsletter.

All levels of leadership from gold to bronze participate in baking home goods, including cookies, brownies, and cupcakes. The funds that are earned from the bake sales go to the American Cancer Society.

“I raise money for breast cancer all the time,” Linen said. “It runs in my family; my aunt has breast cancer, my mom gets checked for breast cancer [regularly].”

The Breast Cancer Bake Off event took place on Oct. 6, and another event was “For the Women,” located in the Bartley Community Center hosted

by Residential Student Services on Oct. 7.

The purpose of this event was to support the women who suffer from breast cancer.

“To have residents come out and decorate letters for women that are important to them,” Abby Abebefe, a Residential Assistant said. “So, it’s a little Photo by Tiye Bracy Photo by Tiye Bracy “Breast Cancer Bake Off ” event table. women empowerment The cards for students to write messages. but also breast cancer awareness.”

The ribbon stamps “So, it’s a little women empowerment are going to be placed in but also breast cancer awareness.” the Bartley Community Center on the bulletin board.

The table consisted of candy and flyers about the statistics and misconceptions of breast cancer. One of the myths is that breast cancer only affects women.

According to U.S. Breast Cancer Statistics, “A man’s lifetime risk of breast cancer is about 1 in 883.”

Photo by Tiye Bracy Photo by Tiye Bracy Although being Flyers of statistics and upcoming events.

“For the Women” event table. diagnosed with breast cancer is a battle, it is not impossible to overcome. A student that she needed,” Brittany Kakoleski Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer Dinner, at Kean witnessed her mom’s close said. “[Now] she runs about 10 miles Breast Cancer Awareness Seminar, friend go through the process. every morning.” and Making Strides Against Breast “After she went through all the Additional events to support Breast Cancer Walk. treatments and they told her she was Cancer Awareness can be found on cancer-free, it gave her that big push Cougar Link, including Balling for

Car accident near main campus leaves three injured and causes temporary power outage

By Kelly Contreras A car accident on Morris Avenue near Green Lane was the cause of a power outage at Kean University in early September that shutdown Morris Avenue and caused traffic tie-ups for hours.

Three people were injured in the crash that took place at 7:26 a.m.

Sept 18 on Morris Ave., according to the Union police department crash investigation report.

The power outage was addressed in a campus-wide email at 7:44 a.m.

At 8:59 a.m., Kean University police informed students and faculty via email that power was restored to the main campus and the motor vehicle crash had been cleared off of Morris Ave. At 11:30 a.m., Kean University police issued a final email explaining that due to the crash, Morris Ave. eastbound

between Lehigh Ave. and Green Lane was closed. In addition, Westbound Morris Ave. from Green Lane to the train bridge was down to a single lane.

At the time, university police advised commuters to plan an alternate route to campus.

Two vehicles were involved in the accident, a 2007 Dodge Ram with two passengers, driver, Louis Fleurinord, resident of Union, and his son. The other was a 2017 BMW X3 with one passenger, Michael Karafin resident of Linden.

The 2007 Dodge Ram was in the right lane while the 2017 BMW X3 was in the left lane.

In a report from Union Police, Fleurinord said he felt as though something was pushing his car into the left lane. When Karafin realized Fleurinord was getting too close, he honked his horn which then led Fleurinord to swerve to the right and

hit the curb.

Witness Shamila Craig said she was driving behind both vehicles and saw Fleurinord swerve to the left, then to the right and lose control.

“It appears that driver one panicked after driver two honked his horn and lost control of the Photo by Patrick Stoute vehicle and stepped The 2007 Dodge Ram involved in the accident. on the gas instead mph on the 2007 Dodge Ram. The of the brakes,” Officer Michael Cocca scene was marked with paint and wrote in the police report. “Tire marks photos were taken in case further show that vehicle one was accelerating investigation is required. before it hit the pole. There were no PSE&G responded to the scene signs of stopping.” and both vehicles were removed by According to the report, the speedometer was stuck at approximately 52 Sisbarro Towing.

The New Cougar Express Lunch at Ursino

By Tasha Dowbachuk

On Oct. 7, Ursino Steakhouse & Tavern released a mass email informing the student body of its new Cougar Express Lunch consisting of low prices on select lunch items. Ursino is located inside Kean University’s STEM Building, on Morris Avenue.

The upscale eatery specializes in sizzling filets, signature burgers and handcrafted cocktails, under a picturesque atmosphere with prices to accommodate casual dinings, special occasions, or reservations for a night-out.

The Cougar Express Lunch consists of eight different variety of options for its customers. The menu contains three sandwich and panini options such as the Cougar Burger, Blackened Chicken Panini, and the classic grilled cheese sandwich.

They are served with a side of fries or salad. The steakhouse serves Ursinostyled buffalo wings, which come as a sixpiece chicken wing meal.

“The option of creating a personal pizza is available, as well as purchasing a chef salad on the Express Lunch menu.”

Students can utilize their Kean University IDs for purchasing any of the items upon the Express Lunch menu, using their Cougar dollars or Flex dollars.

John Viola, one of the managers at Ursino Steakhouse & Tavern, states that the Cougar Express Lunch took effect to start a fresh, new coming semester for the student body.

“The purpose behind the concept is to allow students to come in during their lunch breaks, and to leave in 40 minutes or less to get back to their classes,” said Viola.

The popularity of food delivery apps such as DoorDash or Grubhub cure Photo by Tasha Dowbachuk Photo by Tasha Dowbachuk cravings for coll- The first dining floor of Ursino The bar area on the second dining ege students who Steakhouse & Tavern. floor of Ursino Steakhouse & Tavern. prioritize their comfort and convenience.

“The purpose behind the concept is to Ursino Steakhouse allow students to come in during their is available on DoorDash with a lunch breaks, and to leave in 40 minutes $5.99 delivery fee. or less to get back to their classes” “We are in effect of connecting UberEATS for our establishment and adjusting the menu for seasonal items the reason why I go as often as I do to the soon,” said Viola. restaurant,” said Diagiacomo. “I believe Taryn Digiacomo, a senior majoring in that we, as students, are really lucky to Special Education and Psychology, said have a steakhouse that’s on college grounds that the tavern menu is “fairly priced” and that host interactive events for us.” has not been unsatisfied by the service of Its website, www.ursinosteakhouse. the restaurant.

“They’re super friendly and the staff is com, also lists upcoming events, such as

Photo by Tasha Dowbachuk

The official Cougar’s Express Lunch menu at Ursino Steakhouse & Tavern.

Homecoming, “Super Football” Sundays, wine Sundays, and even brunch.

Ursino Steakhouse & Tavern is open Tuesday through Thursday at 11:30 p.m.

- 10 p.m.

Its extended hours are Friday and Saturday from 11:30 p.m. - 11 p.m.

October, 2019

THE TOWER 5

The Obesity Epidemic and its Infiltration of College Campuses

By Dr. Josh Palgi and Dr. Amanda Rodrigues Today, the United States finds itself in uncharted waters when it comes to health and longevity. The United States population is falling behind other countries in overall health and life expectancy.

This reduction in health is connected to the obesity epidemic taking over our country. Obesity is connected to half of the top ten leading causes of death in the United States, including heart disease, diabetes, stroke, cancer, and even kidney disease.

These diseases don’t just happen over-night. They begin in our early years as children and through our years working on our college education.

Obesity is a medical condition in which a higher amount of body fat increases the chance of developing medical problems. People with obesity have a higher chance of developing these health problems: ■■

High blood glucose (sugar) or diabetes.

■■

High blood pressure(hypertension).

■■

High blood cholesterol and triglycerides (this lipedema, or high blood fat)

■■

Heart attacks due to coronary heart disease, heart failure, and stroke.

■■

Bone and joint problems (more weight puts pressure on the bones and joints).

■■

This can lead to osteoarthritis, a disease that causes joint pain and stiffness.

■■

(Sleep apnea) which can cause a daytime fatigue or sleepiness, Poor attention, and problems at work.

■■

Gallstones and liver problems.

■■

Some cancers.

Experts often rely on BMI (body mass index) to determine if a person is overweight or obese. The BMI estimates your level of body fat based on your height and weight.

BMI=BW (kg)Height (m2) Starting at 25.0, the higher your BMI, the greater is your risk of developing obesity-related health problems.

Classification of Overweight and Obesity Based on Body Mass Index (BMI) Classification BMI Value Underweight <18.5 Normal weight 18.5-24.9 Overweight 25.0-29.9 Obesity Class I 30.0-34.9 Class II 35.0-39.9 Class III ≥40.0

The relationship between BMI and percentage of body fat is affected by age, gender, ethnicity, and body type. For a given BMI value, older individuals have a greater percentage of body fat their younger counterparts and young adult males have a better percentage of body fat than young adult females.

Having a risk factor does not mean that you will develop a disease, but it does increase the chances that you will, with some risk factors like age, race,

or family history, increase the likelihood that will expose you to certain diseased. The New Jersey Star-Ledger from October 13, 2019 reported that New Jersey ranked 22 in the nation for obesity rate amongst youths. More than 124,000 teen and tweens in New Jersey are obese according to the report.

Approximately 15% in this age group are obese.

The prevalence of obesity was 39.8% in about 93.3 million of US adults in 2015-2016. Hispanic (47%)

A new study found that 70% of college students gain weight and bodyfat by graduation. Researchers at Auburn University in Alabama followed 131 students over four years of college and found that a whopping 70% of them packed on pounds by graduation (An average of 12 and up to 37 pounds). The overall percentage of students found to be overweight increased from 18% to 31%. In addition, the researchers noted changes in body fat composition and waist circumferences.

According to the American College Health Association, the percentage of overweight and obese American college students increased from 27.4% in 2006 to 29.2% in 2011. One advocacy group predicts it will only get worse. The three bad habits of college students are: 1. Don’t get enough sleep.

2. Have a sedentary lifestyle.

3. Have port eating habits.

So, if you are a college student and you want to prevent obesity, you should be: 1. Eating healthy snacks, 2. Exercising, 3. Sleeping at least eight hours a night,

Another method of prevention as to improve your dietary habits and increase your physical activity and overall fitness.

Here are five specific and easy ways college students can eat healthy and avoid gaining weight:

Photo by “Obesity Campaign Poster” by Pressbound is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Obesity campaign poster.

and non-Hispanic blacks (46.8%) had the highest age adjusted prevalence of obesity, followed by nonHispanic whites (37.9%) and non-Hispanic Asians (12.7%). The prevalence of obesity was 35.7% among young adults aged 20-39 years of age, 42.8% among middle aged adults aged 40-59, and 41% among older adults aged 60 and over.

The “O” Word on the college campuses are obesity.

During the past few years, there are greater numbers of overweight students. Among the ages 12-19, about 1-in-5 (20.6%) are considered obese, while about 1-in-11 (9.1%) are considered extremely obese.

Adolescents ages 12 to 19: ■■

Close to 1-in-5 (18.7%) of non-Hispanic white boys had obesity, and about 1-in-5 (20.4%) of nonHispanic white girls had obesity.

■■

About 1-in-5 (20.9%%) of non-Hispanic black boys and about 1-in-4 (24.4% of non-Hispanic black girls had obesity.

■■

About 1-in-8 (12.9% of non-Hispanic Asian boys and about 1-in-17 (5.7%) of non-Hispanic Asian girls had obesity.

1. Keep healthy snacks handy. Your refrigerator should be stocked with healthy, satisfying snacks, such as fruit, apple slices, fresh vegetables, hummus, and nuts.

2. Drink water. Too many calories for sugary drinks and alcoholic beverages can lead to weight gain.

These drinks can also cause spikes in blood sugar that can increase hunger.

3. Stay active. Exercise plays a key role in staying fit and healthy. Boost your daily activity levels by walking to class, going to the gym, or participating in intramural sports.

4. Eat regular meals. Skipping meals can lead to overeating and weight gain. Breakfast can also jump start your metabolism and help you concentrate in class and on tests.

5. Get enough sleep. Sleeping fewer than six hours each night can affect hormone levels that control appetite, cravings, and metabolism. People who do not get enough sleep often crave high-calorie junk food that the body can quickly breakdown for energy, however, this could lead a “crash” in blood glucose.

As you continue into the semester, work on building these five strategies into your daily life. Try to get friends involved in your new efforts so you can avoid weight gain and obesity and become healthier together. With obesity infiltrating over a quarter of the United States population, it is critical to get ahead of it, so you don’t become another statistic.

Joker movie causes mixed reviews and reactions from public

By Breanna Palzer On Friday Oct. 4, “Joker” was released in movie theaters. The movie, starring Joaquin Phoenix, received numerous amounts of mixed reviews from moviegoers.

The movie is about a man named Arthur Fleck, played by Phoenix, who deals with his mental illness in a world

in Aurora, Colorado back in 2012.

“In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, many media outlets incorrectly reported that perpetrator James Holmes had dyed his hair orange and referred to himself as the Joker,” said news source Salon.

Even though the shooter was not inspired by the Joker it still left many of the moviegoers traumatized.

Movie theaters have been taking extra precautions in order to make sure an event like the Aurora shooting

five Aurora victims asked the studio to consider how they were concerned.

Many locals of Aurora say that the movie gives a sympathetic view to the villain and those who signed the letter said that they are concerned with building safer communities with less gun use.

“I think they definitely need police officers at movie theaters during the showing of this movie,” senior psychology major Craig Wilson said.

“I know when I was looking for movie

“I can understand why people are scared of something bad happening at a movie theater,” senior communications major Katelyn Piorkowski said. “I just don’t understand why they think the movie being the Joker would make any difference, it’s just a movie.”

And, there are some people who just want to enjoy the movie.

“I know when I was looking for movie tickets to see this show, I made sure the theater was going to have good security just so I know my friends and I are going to be safe.”

Photo by warnerbros.com

Photo by warnerbros.com

Heath Ledger’s portrayal of Joker.

that he deems does not care about him.

Many moviegoers are concerned that the movie could cause a person to reenact or be inspired by the acts done in the Joker movie, or even be inspired by the Joker himself.

This reaction partially stems from a shooting that occurred during a screening of “The Dark Knight Rises”

Joaquin Phoenix’s portrayal of Joker.

does not happen again. Many movie theaters, such as the AMC in the Jersey Gardens Mall, have opted to have multiple police officers patrolling to make sure everyone stays safe.

The theater where the Aurora shooting happened will not be showing the movie at all coming after a public letter signed by the families of

tickets to see this show, I made sure the theater was going to have good security just so I know my friends and I are going to be safe.”

Even though some people believe that there should be more security at theaters during screenings of the movie, others see it as just a movie and that no harm should come out of it.

“I don’t really care about all the news coverage about the Joker,” senior communications Ashley Winrow said.

“I just really enjoy the Joker and all things surrounding it and I just simply wanted to see the movie without any type of social opinion or fear surrounding it, that’s all.”

Working and singing full-time, Kean alumnus Perry Brody shares his post-grad journey

By Wynter Aiken Two years after graduating from Kean, walking through busy Cougar Walk seems like a long time ago to Perry Brody. He remembers the long lines of Starbucks in the Nancy Thompson Library and the rush to get to class from Downs Hall to CAS. But, what Brody remembers most is the walk across the stage to get his degree and start the next journey of his life.

“After graduating, that year I jumped right into the music, got on the road.

Even though my major was Special Education...all jobs were taken, the school year had started and I was just a musician for a while even though it was tough,” said Brody.

One of the hardest parts about following a passion or chasing a dream is that in most cases, the dream doesn’t make money right away. So, unless one lives at home with parents or is willing to pull the next meal from garbage cans, can one balance time between a lifelong dream and a full-time job?

For Brody, traveling cross country

Photo by Photo courtesy of P.D. Brody

P.D. Brody

from Nashville to California, booking shows, meeting new-found fans as a musician, he was living the dreamuntil reality set in and the rent was due. These harsh realities can be hard to come back from but Brody’s motivation and talents kept him afloat.

Creating a balance between working full-time and living as a musician got Brody to where he was able to release his first album “New Roads” and connected with a Nashville “Jam Buckingham” music producer who continued on page 7

6 THE TOWER

October, 2019

OPINION

Appreciate don’t appropriate

By Salimah McCullough

One of America’s early film stars, Al Jolson, made a career out of wearing Fall marks the beginning of blackface while singing “Mammie.” sweater weather, football season Such actions spread racist and everyone’s favorite holiday, stereotypes about the black Halloween. community that exist even to this This year, though, it might be day. It’s a new century, and yet still a good idea to think twice before we are hearing stories about public you put on that costume. To many figures who wore blackface and people, it’s important to choose a thought it was okay. Exactly when costume that isn’t a form of cultural is it okay to spread negative, racist appropriation. stereotypes?

Cultural appropriation is defined As an African-American, there is as the adoption of elements of one nothing worse than witnessing my culture by members of another culture being stolen and trademarked culture. as something new and trendy, like Cultural appropriation is known to caucasians in cornrows. It’s especially be controversial when members of a maddening because aspects of my dominant culture appropriate from culture like cornrows and afros have disadvantaged minority cultures. traditionally been seen as ghetto or Time and time again, people sloppy when it’s seen on Africanare seen wearing Americans; costumes that but when a nontake meaningful black person traditions and wears them, its turn it into a seen as a cute, c o s t u m e . new style trend.

Turning a culture But seeing into a cospeople who wear tume is cultural blackface think appropriation it’s okay to do at its finest. just because, to Wearing a Native them, its only A m e r i c a n a costume, is headdress, or infuriating. wearing a Hanfu Blackface brings (historical to life the ugly clothing pieces stereotypes from Chinese that Africanculture) are forms Americans have of cultural apto deal with propriation. on an everyday Wearing black basis. It is not face, though, an amusing is the ultimate disguise. It is c u l t u r a l taking away appropriation someone ’s because it is Photo by Sean MacEntee via Creative Commons humanity, making fun of stealing their the skin a person Halloween Costumes. actual identity. is born with, This year, your Halloween costume their race. It is pure racism. doesn’t have to be offensive or Blackface actually goes back disrespectful. Instead of stealing centuries. It is when makeup is used another culture’s identity, why don’t by a non-black person to portray you just go down to the nearest Party black people. Back in the 20th City and find a cute, appropriate century, white people used blackface goblin or ghost costume because while performing at a time when nothing is scarier than a person who black people weren’t allowed to appropriates a culture just for the perform. Some made a lot of money at the expense of black people. “fun” of it.

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.

EDITOR IN CHIEF: CRAIG EPSTEIN NEWS EDITOR: ERIN MCGUINNESS FEATURES EDITOR: LENA ZHU SPORTS EDITOR: STEVEN MERRILL ONLINE EDITOR: KELLY CONTRERAS ONLINE EDITOR: W YNTER AIKEN SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER: SALIMAH MCCULLOUGH

REPORTERS TIYE BRACY

BREANNA PALZER

SIOBHAN DONALDSON

EMILY ROBLES

TASHA DOWBACHUK

TAHJEE SHAW

DAVID JANES

STEPHEN STROM

BERNADETTE KELLY

ZOE STROZEWSKI

JULIEN NEALS

ALEXANDER VALDES

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.

Kean University’s Human Rights Institute hosts “Tragedy & Tribute: Art Illuminates Ireland’s Great Hunger”

By Kieffer Braisted The Kean University Human Rights Institute is currently hosting Quinnipiac University’s “Tragedy & Tribute: Art Illuminates Ireland’s Great Hunger” as a vehicle to relate Ireland’s Great Famine to events transpiring in the world today.

The exhibition, located in the Nancy Thompson Learning Commons, will run through Dec. 15 and highlights pieces both from the Great Famine era itself all the way through to modern showcases.

The “Great Famine” was a humanitarian disaster for those in Ireland from 1845-1850 when their main crop (potatoes) simply stopped growing.

In turn, the famine sparked a large emigration of Irish families to the United States, aiming to build a better life than their miserable and starving counterparts.

However, issues of famine still exist in large numbers today, with countries such as Yemen and India facing some of the worst instances of famine in modern history.

The exhibition, with its “home base” located at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut, looked upon Kean University as an excellent starting point for their showcase, both due to the school’s diversity and location near New York City, a mecca

for Irish culture.

Kean University is currently the only other school besides Quinnipiac to host the exhibit.

Founder and leading director of the exhibition, Christine Kinealy, felt personally moved and motivated to start the exhibition, being Irish herself and having studied and taught Irish culture since the 1980s.

Kinealy obtained her PhD from Trinity College Dublin and has worked all her life on understanding and educating those on Irish history and law.

“It’s my heritage, my blood, my people,” she began. “I’ve been educating people on Irish history for nearly four decades, but that was mostly in England. I felt the need to expand to the United States not only to educate people on Ireland, but to educate people on society as a whole and what we can do to help prevent mass atrocities like the Great Famine.”

The exhibition demonstrates clearly the educational and perspectiveshifting qualities in which Kinealy aimed to display. Graphic pieces of artwork depicting Irish families’ struggles dotted the exhibit, including pieces showing those fleeing huddling onto overpacked ships with what little they had in hopes to find a better life.

Zachary Reid, a junior at Kean University, felt compelled to educate

Photo by Kieffer Braisted

Portrait depicting the Great Famine.

Photo by Kieffer Braisted

Statue depicting a young child during the food shortage.

Photo by Kieffer Braisted

Statue of loved ones being taken away from each other.

Photo by Kieffer Braisted

Another statue from the Kean University Human Rights Institute.

“It’s my heritage, my blood, my people”

Photo by Kieffer Braisted

Statue from the Kean University Human Rights Institute.

himself on the history of others, even though he is not of Irish descent.

“The Great Famine is one of the most fascinating and devastating mysteries of our time and the exhibit did a great job of both teaching me more about it and comparing it to the world today,” Reid said. “I feel like so many can learn so much from [exhibits] like this.”

The Director of the Human Rights Institute, Lauretta A. Farrell, also felt similarly to Reid, agreeing on the need to enlighten younger generations on history and what to do to prevent

atrocities from occurring again.

“We need to fix misconceptions on certain events in society and famine is one of the most important of those misconceptions,” Farrell said. “Famine does not mean ‘no food,’ but rather a lack of proper distribution by overseeing bodies, such as government. We use the Human Rights Institute as an educational medium to help those feel emotionally or physically connected to what’s on display. The emphasis is on emotion because without emotion there is no purpose.”

October, 2019

THE TOWER 7

Students react to the Area 51 raid

By Bernadette Kelly The heavily joked about “Area 51 Raid” actually happened outside of Area 51.

“Storm Area 51, They Can’t Stop All of Us” was a Facebook event created

by Matty Roberts, a student from Bakersfield, California that took place on Sept. 20, at Area 51, a United States Air Force (USAF) facility within the Nevada Test and Training Range, for people to see if alien life exists.

“If we Naruto run, we can move faster than their bullets” was the event’s running joke that people reenacted when arriving at the facility.

For those who are unaware, a Naruto run is a type of running where the person leans forward with their arms stretched out behind them.

More than two million people RSVP’d to the event on Facebook. However, out of those two million people, only about one thousand showed up outside the gates of Area 51 at different times during the day of the raid.

The internet memes surrounding the event gained a lot of attention over the

course of the last few months. Many students have viewed and reshared these memes on platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Reddit.

Students such as Kayla Lombardo, a senior majoring in Communication Studies, saw the memes on Instagram.

Lombardo said that she herself is a believer that there is alien life out in the universe.

“At first I thought it was funny because I thought it was a joke,” Lombardo said.

“But then I realized later that people were actually serious about it.”

Lombardo said that although the memes were funny, she didn’t feel inclined to join the raid due to the threat of legal ramifications, such as being arrested for trespassing.

During the day of the raid, six arrests were made, including one for public urination and five for trespassing.

The United States Air Force had sent out a warning before the raid against anyone trying to infiltrate the base, saying that “any attempt to illegally access the area is highly discouraged.”

Angela Elzind, a sophomore majoring in

Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences, said that she thought the raid was simply a joke

taken too far. Elzind said that she feels Area 51 could be housing some secrets related to aliens, but she is not sure if the public should find those secrets out.

When asked if she would have participated in the raid if she had the chance, Elzind stated that “it would probably not be the best idea due to a lot of unknown aspects of Area 51.”

At this time, no one has managed to infiltrate the base, and the secrets of Area 51 continue to remain unseen by the public.

Photo by “Area 51 Aliens - Alien Fresh Jerky Baker California”

by Anthony Quintano is licensed under CC BY 2.0

A Facebook event titled “Storm Area 51, They Can’t Stop All of Us” was created earlier this year in June.

“At first I thought it was funny because I thought it was a joke”

“Alien” by Greg Strasz is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

“At first, I thought it was funny because I thought it was a joke,” Lombardo said. “But then I realized later that people were actually serious about it.”

“An Octoroon” brought to life at Kean University

Photo by Kean Stage

“An Octoroon” flyer.

By Lena Zhu The opening night of “An Octoroon” entertained viewers in the Zelle Frye Black Box Theater at Kean University on Oct. 11.

The audience was brought into the retelling of the story “An Octoroon,”

originally written by Dion Boucicault and rewritten by Branden Jacob Jenkins. The rewrite by African American playwright, Jacob Jenkins, “showcased the subversive mash-up of the antebellum south and 21st Century cultural politics,” according to the Kean Stage website.

The multi-ethnic cast was able to show the audience the racist and sexist ordeals through the stereotypes of blackface, redface, and Picture of screening ticket. whiteface.

“At the beginning of the play, I felt “[The play] was nothing like I thought kind of uncomfortable about the whole it’d be,” said Jenna Patrone, a senior blackface situation,” Mejia said. “After a Psychology major. “I was genuinely while, I didn’t think much of it, though.” impressed with Chris Grant and Tony Patrone had to take some time to get Mowatt. They both had three characters used to the blackface and the amount of to play and did so seamlessly. cursing in the play.

However, other audience members felt “I was a little uncomfortable,” Patrone different towards the play, one of which laughs.

“They were just cursing so openly included Kean student Deanna Mejia.

OPINION

By Daniella Diaz On October 6, I attended Emily Mann’s “Gloria: A Life” at the McCarter theatre in Princeton, NJ. This trip was made possible by Professor Balakian and I left the theater that day with a new way of thinking as well as a refreshed outlook on feminism and the power of numbers.

Going into the theater, I was not sure what to expect considering I did not know much about Gloria Steinem or the feminist movement. The stage was placed in the middle of the room with rows of seats on one side and rows of pillowed benches on the other.

Some audience members sat on pillows around the stage while others were involved in the community-based play.

The life-story of Steinem, a leader of the American feminist movement in the late 1960s and early 1970s, is told in the play. The role of Steinem was played by Mary McDonnell who has also starred in movies and television shows such as Dances With Wolves, Independence Day, and Battlestar Galactica. Although the play does not start from her childhood to the present day, we learn about how key aspects of her life shaped her as a person and made it possible for her to be one of the faces of the movement.

Photo by Lena Zhu

and often. It was a lot to get used to.”

Playwright Jacob-Jenkins was able to showcase to the audience the racism and sexism present in the 19th century while manoeuvring 21st-century politics into the play all the while keeping the audience laughing with props and unique characters.

Op-Ed: My trip to see Gloria: A Life

Steinem’s career in journalism is what turned her attention towards the issues women face in society. Through her work assignments, she interacted with men, coworkers, superiors, and interviewees that made her line of work very much sexist.

One instance of sexism that was included in the play was when Steinem went undercover as a Playboy Bunny in order to expose the Playboy Bunny Clubs and learn first-hand what the women in those clubs went through in their jobs.

Her two-part series “A Bunny’s Tale” was based on her time working at the club. It was written as a diary that starts with Steinem taking on her fake name, Marie Catherine Ochs, to her last day on the job.

Her time spent undercover consisted of catering to men who viewed her and the other Bunnies as objects of pleasure. She was subject to not only degrading talk from the men, but she was inappropriately touched and expected to be fine with it. It was also implied that Steinem should take her relationships farther with certain club members.

On top of that, Playboy Bunnies were paid much less than what they were promised. The club also took away a percentage of their tips.

The play portrays all of this for the audience to see as well as the skimpy uniforms, inappropriate remarks and passes made by club members towards the Bunnies, and the injustices these women had to suffer from their employers.

Steinem would go on to become a cofounder of Ms. Magazine and there is a scene in the play where she and other women involved in the magazine are reading letters they received from readers of the publication. The letters are read by the ensemble of the play whose actresses are of different ages, races and shapes. The letters shared personal stories involving topics such as, marriage, divorce, abortion, work and education opportunities, and motherhood.

While the individual experiences are different, they are rooted in similar situations. Steinem found her role in feminism was to enable other women to find their voice and strength in each other.

Steinem highlighted the importance of women coming together for the greater good. Whether that be women sitting in a circle in the living room sharing stories and offering support systems, organizing, marching, or protesting, women must come together to overcome “the patriarchy

that lives inside of us.”

After the first half of the play, there was a talk-back that allowed members of the audience to give the cast members feedback. Women shared some of their personal experiences and how aspects of the play resonated with their lives. There was also one male audience member that spoke and shared his thoughts on the production and the feminist movement. The talkback emphasized how similar women’s experiences can be by bringing attention to how important it is for women of all ages, races, backgrounds, and walks of life to come together.

The show ended with McDonnell asking the audience what outrageous act they would be willing to commit.

This question is based on the idea that a revolution comes from radical actions that are strong enough to shake up society.

After some thought, I figured that my outrageous act would be to treat all people with kindness, regardless of how they treat me. This extends itself out to more than just feminist issues, but I believe to make progress in the feminist movement we need to heal both men and women and build a strong sense of community and solidarity.

Working and singing full-time, Kean alumnus Perry Brody shares his post-grad journey

continued from page 5

worked with the likes of Tim McGraw, Dionne Warwick, and many more.

“Traveled a lot, met a lot of people, got back home and realized ‘Oh my rent is due!’ and working my teaching job gave me the assurance and insurance so I could continue doing my music,” said Brody. “I still have the freedom to focus on my music, achieve some goals, because the last thing I want to do is break a leg and be in debt.”

For most small-town musicians such as Brody, trying to break into the music industry or make a living as a musician requires 3 major keys: hard work, dedication, patience and not a little bit of luck. There are certain industries that are a lot harder to get into than others. The good news is that it’s possible and it doesn’t matter how old you are, busy you are or where you live.

“It’s a trial and error in doing what you love. It’s hard when multitasking but I’m releasing music because it’s fulfilling. I’m also teaching because that’s fulfilling as well,” said Brody.

“It’s tough but if you know why you’re doing it, it doesn’t seem like work.”

Reflecting on the lessons college gave you can be rewarding in a way that shows in the path that you’ve chosen post-graduation. Even though

Photo by Photo courtesy of P.D. Brody

P.D. Brody latest album.

continued on page 8

October, 2019

SPORTS

8 THE TOWER

California college athletes to be able to profit from endorsements in 2022

By Stephen Strom The NCAA currently produces nearly $11 billion in annual revenue from college sports.

That is more than the estimated total league revenues of the NBA and the NHL. Whether student-athletes should be paid or not has been a topic of discussion in the sports world for ages.

Last month, student-athletes were pleased when California became the first state to allow players to advertise themselves based on selflikeness. Athletes will be able to sign endorsement deals and hire agents, something that was illegal before the bill signing.

The bill will also create new opportunities for female athletes to profit off their abilities in college because they have limited professional athletic opportunities. Victoria Stec, an outside hitter on Kean’s women’s volleyball team was excited to see the California bill signed.

“Even though it’s not legal in New Jersey to do self-advertising, I can’t help but smile because as college athletes I think we all hoped for this to happen for others,” said Stec. “We know how much Division I schools make revenue-wise for these universities. They deserve the ability to at least advertise themselves.”

Kean Football Offensive Lineman Mark DeMaio believes all student-athletes should be paid.

“I understand all the free meals, the gear, and the free education,” said DeMaio. “But does it equal the amount of revenue a guy like Zion Williamson made at Duke? This is a great start though for having these players be able to advertise themselves.”

Last fall at Duke University, Williamson

emerged as the most marketable college basketball player in the country. He had rare athleticism, an engaging smile, and a distinctive name bundling him into a media phenomenon.

“I feel like these bigtime programs bring in so much money because of the athletes,” said Kean basketball shooting guard Jeff Cooper. “Ask a fan who they are there to see. It’s the players.

The hard part is, they’re also getting a free Harwood Arena’s new courts. education. It gets sort of complicated.”

Kean Men’s basketball Assistant Coach Matt McDuffie weighed in on the new California bill from a different perspective.

“I believe that this can be a great thing for college athletics if the process is regulated,” he said. “It’s great for California but I think it can’t be select states, the playing field should be level.”

The biggest question now is if California schools will have a recruiting edge over other states because of the ability for athletes to exercise their right to advertise. As the revenue numbers and ticket sales continue to inflate, players could get their ultimate wish and have the ability to self-promote themselves all around the country.

Photo by Stephen Strom

“I can’t help but smile because as college athletes I think we all hoped for this to happen for others”

Photo by Stephen Strom

NCAA logo inside Harwood Arena.

Kean Men’s soccer continues to propel with young talent “Hopefully this season will be the one where Kean finally gets back on top” Photo by Matt Kipp

Sophomore forward Felipe Lucas.

Photo by Matt Kipp

By Steven Merrill After being ranked eighth in the NJAC preseason coaches’ poll and selected as the conference’s dark horse, the Kean Men’s soccer team is off to an encouraging 9-4-2 start.

“We are an overlooked team, and other teams in our conference do not look at us with the same respect as teams that were ranked higher last year,” said forward Felipe Lucas. “But overall the season is going great, we are now one of the teams to beat, and we are definitely shocking the NJAC this year.”

Head Coach Peter-John Falloon didn’t use the preseason ranking as motivation but gave his team a different message at the beginning of the season.

“I told the team ‘this is how people look at you, you can either go along with it or prove people wrong,’” Falloon said. “It has been a better season than last year, but you want to keep it moving in the right direction.”

Falloon recorded his 100th career victory on Oct. 5 when the team defeated seventeenth ranked Rowan 2-1. Focused on winning a big game for his program, he was unaware of

Kean Men’s soccer team before a match.

the milestone until it was announced after the game.

Now in his third season at Kean, Falloon is working with a roster consisting of nine freshmen and 13 sophomores.

He feels that a year of experience has benefited that group of sophomores by taking their games to the next level.

“Coach Falloon is a person that pushes you to your maximum,” sophomore Lucas said. “He wants everyone working hard at all times and makes sure that we do not lose focus and that is why I feel like we are having a better season than last year.”

Lucas is leading the team with six goals and 18 shots on goal. He also recorded the game-winning goal that gave the Cougars their first NJAC victory of the season over NJCU on Oct. 2.

Captain Alex Nicol has been a staple in the midfield, logging 1,000 minutes on the pitch. This year’s squad has more depth, making Nicol’s job easier with sophomore midfielders Fanor Arango and Calvin Carbajal playing along with him.

“A lot of people have stepped into the puzzle,” said Falloon. “This group is more committed to work hard.

The players have improved from last year. The biggest

Kean University alumnus illustrates global ad campaign for Ketel One Vodka continued from page 3

Head Coach Peter-John Falloon.

difference is the maturity of the team.”

The team has battled several injuries all season, with key players missing multiple games. Phil Lopes missed the first eight games, leaving the backline shorthanded with younger players. The senior defenseman shares the captaincy with Nicol and made his season debut on Sept.

25.

“Going through the injury was frustrating because as a captain you want to earn the respect of your peers by showing what you can do on the field,” said Lopes. “I had to take a different approach and lead in other ways such as talking to players one-on-one during practices or games.”

Lopes is ready to use his three-plus years of experience on the field to take his team as far as they can go.

“This season the vibe is much different and players are working harder than I’ve seen in a while,” he said.

“Hopefully this season will be the one where Kean finally gets back on top. It would be such a great way to cap off my career as a Cougar.”

The Cougars will look to finish their season strong with games against Rutgers-Newark and Montclair State before NJAC tournament play begins.

Working and singing full-time, Kean alumnus Perry Brody shares his post-grad journey continued from page 7

Photo by Max Friedman via Instagram

One of Friedman’s illustrations on a billboard.

hooked.

“I’ve always liked art and creating things, but for a while I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do,” Friedman said.

“My mother’s a sign language interpreter so sometimes she interprets different collegiate courses and when I was in high school she was interpreting for this deaf graphic design student and brought me in to talk to Professor Christopher Navetta who ended up being a really good friend of mine.”

In his senior year of college, Friedman created three books for Pearson Publishing along with Navetta. He has

Photo by Matt Kipp

Photo by Matt Kipp

Senior captain Alex Nicol.

also released an experimental photo book titled “Things You Know” which focuses on Crown Heights in Brooklyn, New York and wrote an untitled film which he is looking to bring to life soon.

As for what Friedman is looking to do next, he is taking things one step at a time and trying not to think too far ahead.

His main concern is about what the next project is going to entail.

“I want to get the Ketel work out into the world and see how people like it,” Friedman said. “I’m always thinking about the next project or the next thing I want to do.”

Brody has been out of school for two years, he still reflects on the courses that benefited him especially in regards to music, one being Dr. Susanna Rich’s Poetry course.

Brody had incorporated his lyrics into his poetry in order to fully grasp the concept of poetry and developed the necessary skills in order to be a good writer, storyteller, and musician.

“Perry would bring his guitar and sing his songs to us, illustrating how poetry sound, rhythm, and the textures of language are a physical experience,” said Dr. Rich. “He continues to be an inspiration to all to be authentic, work hard, realize our truest selves. We learn that poetry is a process of treasuring moments.

Perry really took that to heart in writing his lyrics.”

Stay up to date with Perry Brody’s tour schedules, latest news, and social media by visiting his website http://www.pdbrody. com/index.html

“It’s a trial and error in doing what you love.”

Photo by Photo courtesy of P.D. Brody

October tour schedule.