Feb. 25 - March 10, 2009

MLB Season Preview

RJA's New Release P. 7

John & Jay's picks!

P. 10

The Tower Kean University’s student newspaper

www.kean.edu/~thetower

STUDENT ATHLETE PLAYS AND WORKS HARD

Volume 9 • Issue 9 Feb. 25-Mar. 10, 2009

Student Bullying in Cyberspace

By Lisa Martinez

EBONY JACKSON (MIDDLE ROW, FOURTH FROM LEFT). SEE PAGE 3.

Resident Assistants Get New Contract

By Jillian Johnson

The new employment contract for Resident Assistants for the Spring 2009 semester calls for more responsibilities that some say leaves them with less time for school or a personal life.

RA’s are given free room and board, and a free meal plan in exchange for monitoring and assisting residents on their floors.

The new contracts require weekly room visits with residents on their floors and giving Saturday room tours to potentially new students interested in attending Kean. The biweekly room visits requires RA’s to go to each room on their floor and talk to or participate in an activity with the room residents.

The old contracts weren’t as detailed as

the new contracts. They required RA’s to monitor floors, set forth and ensure rules and to have regulatory floor meetings with the residents.

“It was still work that we had to do, but it wasn’t as time-consuming,” explained one RA who asked to remain anonymous.

In January, the RA’s met with Resident Hall Directors to discuss the new contract.

An RHD is a professional employee, who typically has an eight-hour, five-day-aweek shift in the office on the Community Center of each dorm.

According to the anonymous RA, not many RA’s signed the new contract and those who were unhappy with the new contracts were told by the RHD’s to write letters about it. According to the RA, (Continued on page 4) roughly 40 letters

Everyone's Guilty Pleasure P. 9 See page 2

When hearing the term bullying the first thing that comes to mind is a kid being picked on at a playground. However, bullying is no longer limited to kids or playgrounds. The new ‘era’ of bullying is online and it is targeting everyone from middle school to college.

Cyber-bullying is no longer limited to harassment on Facebook and MySpace or embarrassing videos on YouTube; the ‘new face’ of cyber bullying is the anonymous blog.

Blogs, what once were used as a kind of public diary where people recorded their private thoughts or daily happenings, are now being used as a tool to slander peers.

This new wave of anonymous blogging has spread like wildfire. But when does the blogging turn into defamation of character? Or harassment?

These blogs are designed so that random people can post absolutely anything about anyone no matter the content on a public site that anyone can read and comment on.

Consider the case of Jessica Pribush, a junior at Kean University, who was a victim of cyber-bullying. Pribush was viciously slandered last semester by an anonymous blogger on a site called JuicyCampus (now called College acb). This particular site is designed for college students. They are able to post bulletins about anyone and anything while remaining completely anonymous. In the beginning, her entire sorority was being slandered and at first she chose to ignore it. Then a few days later she learned she was being singled out.

She was called names and accused of

backstabbing her friends. Her breaking point was when she was sitting in class one day and overheard people whispering the rumors they had read about her on the site. She ran out of class in tears and did not return to campus for the rest of the week.

The following week, Pribush returned to campus only to attend classes. She refused to socialize, fearing judgment from others based on the ugly things being said about her online.

the ‘new face’ of cyber bullying is the anonymous blog.

“I didn’t want to make eye contact with anyone while walking on campus because I was afraid they would talk about those things,” Pribush said.

Pribush was not only upset about the things that were said about her but also disappointed because she thought the days of lies and gossip were left behind at high school graduation. After getting the comfort of good friends, Pribush decided to defend herself and her sorority by addressing the rumors. She responded on the site by stating that what was said about her was not true and that she still had the support of her friends and sisters.

She said she immediately felt better. After a few days there were no more additions to the blog, and like other rumors, it all faded and there were new topics.

Even though the experience was hurtful for Pribush, she has decided to look at the incident as a learning opportunity.

“This experience (Continued on page 4)

Movies, Music, Stage, and Travel! (See centerfold.)

INQUIRING PHOTOGRAPHER: What Class or Classes Do You Wish Kean Offered?

By kelley pennisi

Kyla Womack Junior, Communications

Rohan Runa Freshman, Computer Science

Jennifer Grilli Junior, Psychology

Olivia Mendez Junior, Speech Language & Hearing Science

“I wish that Kean had fashion marketing classes.”

“I think Kean needs regular nursing classes.”

“I wish that Kean would have [more] astronomy classes.”

“I wish Kean would offer a sexuality of politics class.”

Salt or No Salt

2

Crossword

6

About Face(book)

Student Profile

3

Rachel's Rave

7

MLB Season Preview: John & Jay's Picks 10

Original Work at Kean Dance Theatre

4

Editorial & Anger Management

8

Women’s & Men’s Sports

9 11/12

2

February 25, 2009 | The Tower

Lecture on China Designed to Inspire

By Joseph Tingle

It’s 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 11th, and students from different disciplines and backgrounds are gathered at Kean Hall. Today is the first installment of a six-part educational lecture series put on by the Chinese program, and Dr. Xurong Kong, the mastermind behind the program, is happy to see a full turn out of curious students.

Though many people around the world are only recently beginning to recognize China’s global impact, China is one of the world’s oldest and most cultured civilizations. Its history stretches back six millennia. It’s fitting, then, that the first lecture in the series, entitled “Use (and Abuse) of History in China Today”, focuses on just that.

For the first lecture, Dr. Sue Gronewald of the History Department takes the helm.

She’s an American with a background in Modern Chinese History, and an example of the kind of diversity that’s all part of Dr. Kong’s plan.Dr. Kong points out that the lectures are equally divided between American, Taiwanese, and Mainland Chinese professors. “[The speakers] present ideas from dif-

ferent disciplines and backgrounds, and all have different perspectives on China,” says Dr. Kong, whose goal is to inspire students to learn more about China.

She hopes that students will become more curious about China after attending one or two lectures.

According to Dr. Gronewold’s lecture, the Chinese civilization was, by almost every standard, “the most sophisticated country in the world up until the early 19th century.”

Regardless of discipline, then, the Chinese civilization has made some kind of significant contribution, whether it be in mathematics, history, media, music, political science, or language. It’s this kind of wide reaching significance that inspired Dr. Kong to open the lecture series up to all students, even though it was initially designed for students taking a travel learn course.

“The lecture series won’t give students a detailed knowledge about China,” Dr. Kong says, “but I want it to spark their interests and make them curious. Students who attend a lecture or two may suddenly find that they have an interest in China.”

As Dr. Gronewold pointed out in the first lecture, the Chinese people are grounded

in their own history and China is a place where “history matters”. Chinese culture is riddled with references to its own history and its own set of cannon, and ironically Dr. Kong herself provides a bit of self-referencing culture.

Dr. Kong, who was hired in 2006 to revise Kean’s Chinese program, shares a connection with China’s deep history that’s more than mere symbolism or circumstance.

She shares a surname with one of China’s-

and the world’s, for that matter- great cultural heroes: Confucius (Confused? That’s because Confucius is a Latinized version of the name Kong Fuzi).

While there’s no proof that her family is actually related to Confucius, Dr. Kong’s family has been following the Kong family tree for as long as anyone can remember and she’s proud to share the same name.

She admits that that could be one of the reasons she feels so compelled to educate others about China’s rich culture and civilization, even during a time when other issues, like China’s rapidly growing economy, seem to overshadow mostly everything else.

“I don’t like to mention the role China’s economic growth plays in the importance of learning about China,” she says. It’s important, “but there is so much more than that. Regardless of economics, China has dominated a very large part of the Earth for a very long time. It’s not right to overlook China’s vast history and culture.”

For more information on the Chinese Program and lecture series, visit the Foreign Language department on the 3rd floor of Hutchinson Hall or visit the program’s website at (http://www.kean. edu/~xkong/Welcome.html).

Kean Takes Media Students to the City for Class

By Lillie Morales-Torres

If you love going into the city, Kean’s “Inside Television” class may be for you. Of course, it helps to be a media or film major.

“The class this semester is full and was open to Media & Film majors,” says Professor John Wooten. “Should the class not fill up in the future and a non major was interested, he or she would have to speak with a faculty advisor in the Media & Film department is see if it was possible to register.”

The program gives students an opportunity to network with industry professionals.

For four years, students have had the opportunity to attend classes every spring at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in New York City in a course offered by the Media and Film Department in a partnership with Premier Stages.

The academy was founded in 1955 and TV Talk Show Host Ed Sullivan was its first president. Established in 2002, the foundation advances education, creativity and leadership within the television industry, and promotes academy locations that offer programs to students around the world. The academy also holds many activities and events

that encourage an appreciation for the arts and sciences of television. It promotes excellence in the television industry, for instance, as the group that awards TV’s celebrated Emmy Awards.

Through the academy program, students are introduced to leading professionals in the television industry. Ellen Muir who is the Coordinator at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, brings in speakers who work in areas such as programming, news, music, sports, technology and reporting. The students even get to tour television studios in the New York area. Students also get a better look at the evolving trends in the industry and get a perspective on various careers they may be interested in upon graduation.

The program gives students an opportunity to network with industry professionals including television company vice presidents, publicists, technicians, TV talent and more. The special guests give students words of wisdom, career advice, tours in the studios, and good contact information. Students may even be recommended for an internship or job through these contacts in the future.

The majority of the classes for the semester are held in New York. And students should “have very few absences so that they do not miss out on any important information or tours. “Students who excel may be recommended for internships and page positions with television networks,” says Wooten. “Over half the sessions are in NYC so students must be willing to travel to the TV Academy once a week on Tuesday evenings.”

The remainder of the semester is taught in the classroom at Kean.

HEALTH & FITNESS Salt or No Salt

Dr. Josh Palgi and Dr. Jessica Adams

Sodium is a mineral needed by the human body for regulation of fluid balance, inside and outside of cells, contraction of muscles, and conduction of nerve impulses. To maintain the sodium/water balance, excess sodium is removed via the kidneys. The major sources of sodium in our diet are processed, prepared foods and the salt we add to food during cooking or at meals. “Salt” and “sodium” are often used interchangeably. Since sodium has been linked to health problems and sodium is most commonly eaten as salt, measuring salt intake has been an easy way to determine how much sodium people actually consume.

The issue of salt restriction for lowering blood pressure or decreasing heart disease risk is one of the more controversial diet and health topics. Eat less salt and you

will lower your blood pressure and live a longer, healthier life. This has been the message promoted by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and the National High Blood Pressure Education Program (NHBPEP) for three decades.

Individual needs vary enormously based on genetic make-up and the way they live their life. While individual requirements range widely, most Americans consume “excess” sodium above and beyond that required for proper bodily function.

The current dietary guideline recommendation that individuals consume less than 2300 mg. of sodium per day is too high. The amount should be changed to the amount recommended in the 2005 guidelines for salt. Sensitive populations, individuals with hypertension, African Americans and middle age and older adults, which account for 68% of the American population, should consume no more than 1500 mg. of sodium per day.

To accommodate the approach for reducing the sodium intake to 1500 mg. per day in the 2010 dietary guidelines, it has been suggested to consider making the recommendation in two phases. In recent comments to the Food and Drug Administration and the Institute of Medicine, AHA recommended that the daily value for sodium be lowered to 1500 mg. by 2020 with an intermediate goal of 2000 mg. by 2013. This two-step phase down should provide manufacturers with time to reformulate products and identify acceptable salt substitutes as well as allow consumers to adapt their taste sensitivities to the lower sodium content in foods.

It will be difficult for consumers to lower their sodium intake to 1500 mg. on their own. With processed foods accounting for 77% of all sodium consumed, it will require the cooperation of food manufacturers and restaurants to reduce the sodium content of the foods they make available

to the public. AHA would like to see food manufacturers and restaurants reduce the salt added to food by 50% over the next 10 years.

FDA is not advising people on how high or low their salt intake should be. By appropriate labeling they are attempting to inform the public and those who want to keep their sodium down as to the amount of sodium they are consuming. Food labels list sodium rather than salt content.

When reading a nutrition facts panel on a food product, look for the sodium content. Foods that are low in sodium (less than 140 mg. or 5 percent of Daily Value (DV) are low in salt. If your health is important to you, you must become an informed consumer.

Dr. Josh Palgi, Professor, Physical Education, Recreation and Health Dept.

Dr. Jessica Adams, Professor, Physical Education, Recreation and Health Dept.

The Tower | February 25, 2009

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STUDENT PROFILE Ebony Jackson Shines as a Student-Athlete

By John Cherry

Everybody wants to go out on top in the sport that they play, but few get that chance. Senior Ebony Jackson went out with a bang on Senior Day against RutgersCamden scoring a team-high 25 points in the win.

Jackson is set to graduate this spring.

Although one part of her life is ending, she looks forward to her future.

With the end of the season approaching, as well as the end of Jackson’s college career, she cannot help but to look ahead.

“Once I graduate I plan on going overseas to play basketball. My back-up plan is to go to graduate or law school,” said Jackson.

It would not be Jackson’s first time playing basketball overseas. When she was 16 she played in France, Switzerland and Germany as a sports ambassador. She also traveled with the Kean basketball team two years ago when the team went to Italy to play.

“It’s been my dream to play basketball as a full-time job,” said Jackson.

Jackson puts as much hard work on the

every one that plays a sport in college, whether traveling to a game the day before a big test, or not being able to have any extra cash in your pocket because you don’t have time to work.

“It’s all about balancing your time and

“Jackson puts IN as much hard work on the court as she does off the court. She is the true definition of a student-athlete.”

Ebony Jackson

court as she does off the court. She is the true definition of a student-athlete; always making sure school comes first. She took summer classes to keep on track and also took 18 credits last semester so she would graduate this spring.

“That was more stressing than anything, I don’t even know how I pulled that off getting all A’s and one B,” said Jackson.

Being a student-athlete is tough on

prioritizing,” said Jackson.

With graduation looming, Jackson is determined to work as hard as she can to get her team to the top this time.

“The past two years we got to the Elite Eight of the Division III NCAA Tournament,” she said. “This year we want to get over that hump.”

Jackson doesn’t feel that she would be here without the support of her head

coach Michele Sharp.

“Plenty of times I wanted to give up but she just kept on pushing me,” said Jackson. “It wasn’t always about basketball she taught me things about life that are even more important.”

Jackson plays hard; whether on the court or off the court, Jackson always gives 100 percent.

Jackson wasn’t even supposed to be the starting point guard for Kean her freshman year, but her hard work and determination made that happen.

Since that year, she appeared in 115 games, starting all but three of them. She holds the career record for assists at Kean with 608, and joined the 1,000-point club on January 2nd this year.

With Jackson at the point, Kean has been a dominant team over the past three seasons. Jackson outhustles her opponent on every play, and it seems to invigorate her teammates to work harder.

And for Jackson, it’s the hard work that counts.

“It’s all about playing hard and working hard,” said Jackson.

Conference Says Slavery is a Growing 21st Century Horror

By Dawn M. Phillips

A standing ovation was given to Ishmael Beah at the second annual Human Rights Conference here on February 13, after he spoke of his life in Africa as a child soldier.

A native of Sierra Leone, he was just 12-years-old when he was forced to fight in a war that took the lives of his entire family. He was then enslaved him as a child soldier.

It takes a remarkable strength to recover from war and the experiences in the war,” said Beah.

Beah’s book, A Long Way Gone, is a memoir of his life experiences. Beah told the audience that when you share a story, you become the facilitator of that story and it is no longer yours, but it is everyone’s. He encouraged the audience to do research and find out about an organization where you can help if you desire.

“Ishmael Beah alone made the conference worthwhile,” said Dr. Kevin Bales, president of Free the Slaves, a non-profit organization.

Two fists linked by handcuffs and the phrase, “Slavery still exists today”, was what caught everyone’s eye at conference in the Wilkins Theatre. The conference was entitled, “Slavery in the 21st Century” and featured 10 guest speakers, from 9am- 3:30pm. Among the speakers were Dr. Bales and Beah ; Nan Kennelly, Director of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons for the U.S. Department of State, and professional photographer, Kay Chernush.

Dr. Farahi, Kean University’s President, opened up the conference encour-

aging the audience to act on the issue of slavery and to write letters to state legislators and newspapers to help eliminate its existence.

Slavery exists everywhere around the world, but especially in places like Asia and Uganda. Slavery even exists today in every state in the United States. Humans are trafficked or kidnapped from other countries and brought into the U.S. with the promise of money, food, education, and shelter. Instead, the women are often raped, and used for prostitution, while children are forced to do arduous work.

Dr. Bales stated that impoverished mothers are tricked into giving up their children in exchange for food and shelter for them. Slaves, he said, are treated like “disposable people,” who are harshly treated and easily replaceable.

Once the victims realize they are slaves, they try to escape, but are threatened, beaten, and sometimes even killed. This behavior forces them to stay trapped in slavery.

Dr. Bales, the first speaker, instantly grabbed everyone’s attention with a 10-minute film on contemporary slavery.

The film showed a variety of photos of slaves, including children, and their hardships. The film stated that currently, there are 27 million slaves in the world, with some 14,500 humans trafficked into the U.S. and forced into slavery. The average cost of a slave today is $90. “ W e buy into slavery every day,” stated Dr. Bales, the author of Ending Slavery published in 2008.

He said consumers unknowingly drive the trend. He said we wear slavery, eat slavery, and drive slavery. For example,

Guest pass to enter conference.

“Two fists linked by handcuffs and the phrase, ‘Slavery still exists today’ caught everyone’s eye at a conference in the Wilkins Theatre.” coltan is a dull black mineral that is used in DVDs and cell phones. Young slaves dig up coltan and it is sold on the black market for $40 a pound. A better understanding, a level of motivation, and a decision of action,” says Dr Bales of what he expects students to gain from the conference.

Freetheslaves.net is a website where students can go to offer assistance to

the growing problem of slavery. All royalties and profits go to anti-slavery organizations.

After each speech the floor was opened for questions. Students, faculty, and the community expressed their thoughts and questions on the topic of human trafficking, slavery, and child soldiering.

Some audience members argued that they found it impossible that the government does not know about the slavery taking place around the world, and in the U.S. Dr. Bales countered by saying that government officials and police may not be trained to know what to look for in terms of tracking down traffickers. He said awareness is essential.

Afternoon panelists included, Susan MacLaury, Phd., an associate professor at Kean, and the executive producer of the film War Dance (which guest received in complimentary tote bags), Dr. Sue-Ellen Gronewold, chair of the History Department at Kean, Dr James Conyers, Director of Africana Studies at Kean, Beatriz Alaniz, New Jersey Case Manager for Polaris Project, an anti-trafficking organization, Winston Nagan, J.S.D., director of the Institute for Human Rights and Peace Development, and Elizabeth Defeis, J.D., law professor at Seton Hall.

The Human Rights Institute held their first conference on Darfur last year. The Human Rights Institute at Kean will be opened this year next to the Nancy Thompson Library. It will include a stateof-the-art gallery, artwork, and publications related to human right violations and victories around the world.

Professors: Tell Us About Your New Classes Attention Kean professors! The Tower wants to tell the campus community about new course offerings for Fall 2009. Please send the course name, department, and a brief description to thetower@kean.edu. The course will be published in a listing of new courses in the March edition.

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February 25, 2009 | The Tower

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Students Create Original Work at Kean Dance Theatre

By Jessie Rivera

Family members and friends filled up the University Center’s Little Theatre earlier this month to see the 30 cast members of the Kean Dance Theatre perform a student showcase.

The show, held on Friday, Feb. 13 and funded by the Student Organization, featured nine performances with dances such as jazz, lyrical, tap, flamenco, tango, contemporary and hip-hop. All pieces were choreographed by the students.

“I am performing in five different pieces, one of which I choreographed myself,” explained Ashley Miller, who did a solo performance to Ne-Yo’s hit song, Closer. “I decided to choreograph a tap dance because tap is one of my favorite styles of dance.”

Jahir Calderon and Krystina Cardenas choreographed the opening act to the song, Black and Gold by Sam Sparrow. The performance acted out a story of a young boy and girl who fall in love with one an-

Resident Assistants

other— but like Romeo & Juliet—are kept apart because of their social differences.

A solo performance choreographed and danced by Sandra Devito then followed.

performances that the company does on and off-campus during the year.

The Kean Dance Theatre accepts dancers of all levels from age 18 to 25, and as a result, the showcase varies from students with as much as 20 years of dance experience to those who just started this year. .

The cast of KDT have been practicing all year, both during the week and weekends.

Although their main rehearsals occur during college hour, the dancers have spent as much as eight hours or more a day in the studios on Saturdays and Sundays.

Since there are no tryouts or required dance experience to join the Kean Dance Theatre, anyone is welcome to join. Rehearsals are held Mondays and Thursdays during college hour in the D’Angola Gym or the Executive Board can be contacted through the Student Organization office.

The Kean Dance Theatre cast will return for a performance on April 18 and 19; tickets will be sold at the box office.

(Continued from page 1)

were written and given to the hall directors. Following the letters, a change was made regarding giving tours. RAs are now not required to schedule one Saturday out of the month to do room tours. Instead, the RA’s are only obligated to do room tours if on duty.

The biweekly room tours, however, remain in the contract. According to the RA, that requirement is designed to address complaints from students that that they could not find their RA. Many students were bypassing both RAs and RHDs and going directly to the Office of Residence Life with minor complaints. Residents went to both the Director of Residence Life, as well as the Vice President of Student Affairs, and it seemed as if the RA’s were not doing their jobs, the RA said.

In defense of RAs, the RA said that there is always an RA on duty in each building.

Also, the RA said that RA’s have different schedules than the residents, which is why sometimes it may be difficult for residents to locate RAs. According to the RA, the biweekly room visits are for RA’s to become more involved with the residents living on campus.

The RA said that the contracts require RA’s to perform a “resident interaction log,” in which RAs are to visit each dorm on their assigned floor and spend time with the residents.

CYBERSPACE

Krystina Cardenas dancing to the piece, Sevillanas.

She performed her piece to the song Avenue Heartache by Grammy-award winner Duffy.

One of the inspirational dances of the night was a female quintet, choreographed

by Courtney Hoffman to the song Keep Breathing by Ingrid Michaelson. Hoffman, along with four other dancers, Carly Camuso, Jen Da Silva, Ashley Miller and Meghan Moran—came out in t-shirts covered with words like peace, love, kindness, laughter and passion. The song lyrics said, “But all that I know is I’m breathing. All I can do is keep breathing. All we can do is keep breathing.”

Kean Dance Theatre is the university’s oldest dance company. They just celebrated their 30th anniversary this past April.

Assistant Professor Luis Martinez of the Department of Physical Education, Recreation and Health is the artistic director and the student showcase is one of two annual shows that KDT presents every year.

The annual show does not include smaller

The contract states, “This may include a movie night, game night, roundtable discussion, cultural dinner, etc.” The log is then submitted later to the Supervising Residence Hall Director at a set time and date.

The unnamed RA complained that the duties are time-consuming, and difficult to schedule since dorm students also have jobs and classes. All this gives RAs less time to study, and perform other jobs and activities, the person said.

The RA also believes that most residents would not feel comfortable having their RA’s in their dorm rooms with them.

“I don’t feel like I need to be a babysitter of my residents,” said the RA. The RA said that meetings, called AllTea meetings, are held twice a month with RA’s and RHD’s. The next meeting will take place at the end of February to discuss RA duties and responsibilities.

Kean University spokesman Stephen Hudik said in response: “All resident assistants are required to sign contracts outlining their responsibilities. Residence hall directors as a matter of course meet with all resident assistants to ensure that all understand the expectations and are in compliance with their contractual obligations. Some resident assistants provided input. These were taken into consideration.”

(Continued from page 1)

made me mature,” Pribush said. “I was the type to always try and make people like me.”

Unfortunately, these sites are immune to most lawsuits. “They are protected by the communications decency act.” says Parry Aftab Esq. who specializes in privacy law, cyber crimes and other forms of cyber abuse.

She said this act makes it very difficult to sue these sites. However, Aftab also says that the sites, “can be sued for encourag-

ing defamation but it isn’t easy to prove.”

Suing the individual was not specified.

Kean University police said a case of cyber crime has never been reported to them.

Still, what some may consider “harmless” gossip blogging, can drive the victim to such extremes as suicide. Aftab said if the gossip attracts you, just imagine that the blog is about you, and consider how you would feel.





Celebrating 50 years of flexible, affordable Graduate Studies.



 GRADUATE STUDIES OPEN HOUSE Tuesday, March 3 4:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Free parking with validation.

EDUCATION • ART • BUSINESS COUNSELING • CRIMINAL JUSTICE HEALTH SCIENCES • MUSIC PSYCHOLOGY • SECURITY STUDIES

New Jersey City University Hepburn Hall, Rm. 202 2039 Kennedy Boulevard Jersey City, NJ 07305-1597 TO RSVP CALL TOLL-FREE: (877) 722-1320 OR E-MAIL: GRAD_DEPT@NJCU.EDU

The Tower | February 25, 2009

AROUND CAMPUS Student Org Events: Past & Upcoming • • • • • • •

Darfur lunch-in- March 3rd Food services meeting- Feb 12th RA applications (2.5 GPA required) have been extended untilFeb 23rd Refund checks will be sent out the week of Febuary 16th Towns Hall meeting- Feb 23rd Ski Trip to Shawnee, PA(5$ per ticket, 1 per Kean I.D.) Unity week Feb 23rd- Feb 28th

POETRY CONTEST The Department of English would like to announce The Annual Kean University Poetry Contest, sponsored this year by the Academy of American Poets, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and the Department of English.

First Place - $100 Second Place - $50 Third Place - $25 ALL currently enrolled Kean University students are eligible to submit up to five poems. For submission guidelines visit: www.kean.edu/~english/poetry.html.

Paper copies of guidelines are also available at CAS 225.

DEADLINE for Submission: Thursday, March 12th, 2008.

For more information contact: Dr. Maria Montaperto,Poetry Contest Chair poetryc@kean.edu 908.737.0368

PROFILE BRIEF: Student Org’s Olamiju Spices up Kean

By Kevin Adams Fast-Facts: Name: Tony Olamiju Age: 21 Current Year: Senior GPA: 3.1 Hometown: Teaneck Favorite Sport: Football Favorite Star: Michael Jordan Student Org title: Treasurer Where do you see yourself in 10 years? In law enforcement and married.

Would you rather be the chip or the dip? The chip, because I am the voice of the students. There is no need for dip without the chip. The dip adds a better taste to the chip; just as I have the same opportunity to voice out student and faculty opinions to add a better taste to this campus.

Why did you choose to be a part of student organization? I chose Student Org because I wanted to be able to voice (my own) and other’s words. I want the Kean community to be happy; with me being in student org. I can help them be happy. If anyone wants their voice to be heard, they can tell me or come to the student organization meetings, which are every two weeks in the CAS building.

This is the first in a series of brief profiles on student government leaders at Kean.

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A&E ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

games ➥

music ➦ ‘The Class’ masters real look at life of a teacher

By Cary Darling

THE CLASS 4 stars out of 5 PG-13 (strong language); 128 min.

In French, with English subtitles It’s at first tempting to call “The Class,” the celebrated French film about a young teacher grappling with the difficulties of classroom life, “Monsieur, With Love.” After all, there have been so many English-language films on this topic—“Blackboard Jungle,” “Up the Down Staircase,” “Dangerous Minds,” “Stand and Deliver,” “Lean on Me,” “The Substitute,” and, of course, “To Sir With Love”—that merely setting the story in Paris wouldn’t be enough to shake the feeling that someone has been copying others’ homework.

But it soon becomes clear that “The Class,” up for an Oscar in the Best Foreign Language Film category, has little in common with its Anglophone counterparts beyond teachers, desks and kids with attitude. Based on teacher/novelist Francois Begaudeau’s autobiographical book about his time spent in a tough racially and religiously mixed high school, “The Class” jettisons what has become standard-issue for these movies—the cheap and easy sentimentality, the predictable characters, the hit-driven soundtrack—in favor of something more real.

Director Laurent Cantet shot the film documentary-style, worked up much of the script through improvisation, and cast Begaudeau sort of as himself, playing a teacher named Francois Marin. In addition, the kids are reportedly actual students, not pro actors, although they are portraying characters.

Reinforcing the reality is the fact that “The Class” rarely leaves the classroom and never leaves the school grounds.

The result is akin to being plunked down in the middle of a teacher’s hectic year, including all the bureaucratic tedium that implies. (American viewers, however, might wonder how real—or how bad—can a school without firearms and metal detectors be.)

What’s most striking is that neither Cantet nor Begaudeau turn Marin into a noble hero who will walk through hell to rescue his students from the clutches of ignorance. In fact, in at least one of the classroom conflicts with students, he’s clearly at fault. He’s just a guy trying to make it through the day and maybe get one kid to exult in the joys of the French subjunctive.

American directors could learn a thing or two from “The Class.” (c) 2009, Fort Worth Star-Telegram;. McClatchy Newspapers; (MCT)

Rachel’s Rave: Student Universe.com Sends Students Packing for Less

offers at a discount. Student Universe also offers rail service for European trips as well as discounted car rentals.

In a world where financially, everything seems to be against those trying to earn an education, discounted plane fares can mean the difference between staying home watching bad talk shows, and exploring new, faraway places.

Take advantage of the chance for adventure, and use student universe to help make it a reality.

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Just beyond the Kean Campus, there are thousands of worlds waiting to be explored. Unfortunately, thanks to student budgets, most of us can’t afford to travel to these unknown worlds to experience them. Often, the worst part of spring break is the frustration that comes when the only option is to stay home and work because you can’t afford a plane ticket anywhere.

But there is good news- now you can afford to enjoy spring break.

Thanks to studentuniverse.com, students with a valid Kean ID will be able to reach many destinations this semester for less cash. Student Universe pairs with major airlines to provide cheaper fares. The website does require proof of enrollment from your educational institution, but it confirms quickly and then it delivers you information about cost-efficient trips to many popular spots for students.

Miami, for example is spring break central. An American Airlines flight that leaves mid-afternoon on Saturday, March 14, and returns in the evening of March 20, the days of spring break at Kean, costs about $375. That same flight can be found at studentuniverse.com for $244. In addition, hotel rooms can be booked directly through Student Universe for easy overnight stays.

Maybe you already have summer on the mind. A two week American Airlines flight from July 1-14 to San Francisco International Airport costs $490 through the airline. However, with student universe, the same one-stop flight costs $401.

Student Universe says this on their website: “We’re the largest online travel agency for students in the US, and we’re proud to be the number one destination for cheap student travel and especially cheap airline tickets for students.”

Students seem happy with the site. Epinions.com has an A+ review up on their site, and Viewpoints.com has a good review where one consumer calls the site a “good choice for students and faculty members.”

In my own experience, I remember one Christmas where I spent $220 on studentuniverse.com for a $700 one-way ticket to Minnesota. I got the ticket that I needed at an affordable rate. And airline tickets aren’t the only service the website

By Rachel Rothspan

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TRAVEL stage

She Loves Me

RJA’s “Lonely Road” Album Released

By Robert M. Pereira

The highly awaited sophomore album by the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Lonely Road is now in stores.

“Sometimes, to do what’s right, you must walk alone,” says Ronnie Winter, lead singer for RJA in one of the tracks on the new album.

Certainly, RJA won’t be left alone with the release of their new album, nearly three years after their breakthrough platinum-selling album, Don’t You Fake It. RJA is based out of Florida and is known for mixing alternative rock with touches of screamo, pop-punk and metal. Their song lyrics focus on real life issues that most people can relate to. Hit tracks on their debut album such as Face Down, which is related to domestic violence, left fans screaming for more. Fans have patiently waited for some new music, which has finally arrived. Ronnie Winter believes the band will enjoy the new tracks.

“We’re really psyched about these tracks and the new record and hope you are, too,” he said on the bands MySpace page. “Just like Don’t You Fake It, you can be sure Lonely Road will tie together these and a bunch of other sounds in a classic, but new-and-improved RJA-sounding way.”

New tracks like You Better Pray, Represent, Pen and Paper, Step Right Up and Believe can be found on the band’s MySpace page. The entire album can be purchased at Target.com for only $9.99.

RJA will embark on a headlining, international tour in a number of Asian countries in late February and March including shows in Osaka and Tokyo in Japan, as well as Australian dates in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.

MOVIES

By Raquel Fernandes

Sitting with a daisy in his hand, he plucked the petals of his romantic destiny: “She loves me, she loves me not; she loves me, she loves me not.” At the last petal, he got his answer: “She Loves Me.” She Loves Me is an upbeat musical that is as romantic as it is funny. For those who want the heartwarming feelings of Valentine’s Day to last just a little bit longer, Director Holly Logue, Dean of the School of Visual and Performing Arts, says you won’t want to miss this production by Kean’s Theatre Department.

“It’s a perfect story for anyone who has dreamt about finding the right person,” said Logue. “It’s a subject most people are familiar with.”

She Loves Me takes place in the 1930s in an eastern European city where two coworkers, who are at odds with each other are unaware that they are each other’s romantic pen pal.

There have been several film adaptations of this musical, including the 1940 James Stewart-Margaret Sullivan film, The Shop Around the Corner; the 1949 Judy Garland-Van Johnson musical version, In the Good Old Summertime; and more recently, the 1998 Tom Hanks-Meg Ryan film, You’ve Got Mail.

Logue knows the show well, having played the role of Amalia at Plays-in-the-Park in 1998, and chose to direct this play because the Department of Theatre wants to vary the experiences that their actors are provided, as well as offer a wide assortment of productions for their audience.

“She Loves Me is an intimate peek into the lives of some very special characters, looking for love,” said Logue.

Putting on a production of this nature is no easy task. The process includes challenging choreography, difficult singing, complex staging and lighting, costume design and much more. Rehearsals began in December 2008; they rehearsed three to six hours a day five days a week.

“Rehearsing is like painting on a painting,” says Logue. “It is all about refining and adding, making sure the story is clear to the audience.”

The cast includes Elio Lleo as Georg Nowack, the shy store manager who is constantly at odds with Amalia Balash, played by Megan Bussiere. Other prominent actors include, Shawn Simmons, Greg Scalera, Samantha Giustiniani, Jeff Ronan, Kevin Gilbert, Shabazz Green, Dustin Ballard, Jason Gillis, and T.J. McNeill.

She Loves Me will be premiering at Kean on February 27 at 8:00pm, and will run shows until March 7. For tickets, visit the Kean Stage Website at www.keanstage. com or walk over to the Wilkins Theatre Box Office.

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8

February 25, 2009 | The Tower

EDITORIAL

The Tower Department of Communication

A-ROD AND AMERICA’S HYPOCRISY The big topic among sports recently has not been discussing the upcoming baseball season or the current basketball tournaments, it has been about Alex Rodriquez, also known as A-Rod. A headline on Cbsews.com reads, “A-Rod Steroids Report A Baseball Shocker.” But was this a baseball shocker?

Performance enhancers have been an issue in sports on any level. But, when referring to the professional level, are they really something that is uncommon and rare? Rodriguez’s use was not a confession to the American people. It was an act of admission due to the fact that his results were leaked out from what was supposed to be an anonymous test. There were 103 other athletes who also tested positive for the use of these enhancers, but their names were not leaked.

His response to the usage was that he was, “young and stupid,” when in fact he was 28-yearsold. But there are many more athletes on that list who were also as “young” and as “stupid” as ARod and surely those names will begin to leak. But are people really disappointed in the powerhouse hitter? Those who are upset must have been living under a rock because it surely has to be going on in all sports, especially baseball and football. Baseball seems to be the main event lately in the steroids debacle. Clemens, Pettitte, Giambi, and Bons are among the baseball players who have been accused of taking performance enhancers. What makes A-Rod’s story any different?

Many argue that the ballplayers are role models for children and that is why they need to be convicted and suspended from playing the game. But these are men doing their job. They never asked to be role models and, frankly, many of them probably wouldn’t consider themselves one either. They are not the only “role model” types out there who are doing things that they are not supposed to be doing. Truth be told, some of these athletes have lied in the past to the media when asked about enhancers, but since when is Kate Couric a bible on the witness stand?

What about celebrities? Are we expected to believe that movie stars can go from skinny to Atlas and back for a new film without some help from the drug trade? And what about musicians who don’t hesitate to say out loud that they enjoy taking drugs or drinking too much. Aren’t they role models? Where are their scarlet letters of shame?

Steroid usage should be kept out of sports, yes, but they should also be kept out of Hollywood, the music business and lots of other places too.

Kelly Nemeth Editor-in-Chief

Kean University Center for Academic Success 1000 Morris Avenue Union, NJ 07083 Telephone: (908) 737-0468 Fax: (908) 737-0465 Email: tower@kean.edu

The Tower is an independent, laboratory newspaper of Kean University’s print journalism option in the communication major program. It is published biweekly 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 Kelly Nemeth Deputy Editor Jill Johnson Sports Editor Nicole Von Gonten Arts and Entertainment Editor Raquel Fernandes Staff Kevin Adams John Cherry Charley Falkenburg Lisa Martinez Lillie Morales-Torres Kelly Pennisi

Robert Pereira Dawn Phillips Aydin Reyhan Carlos Reynosa Jessie Rivera Rachel Rothspan Ana Maria Silverman Copy Editor Jay Hicks Business Manager Egdanis Torres-Dominicci Faculty Adviser Pat Winters Lauro Designer Stephanie Skirvin

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 tower@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.

Display and classified advertising Deadline for space reservations for display advertising is two weeks before the publication date. Ads submitted after that may be used on a space-available basis. All ads are run-of-the-paper unless an extra fee is collected for a paid position. Deadline for art work and copy is one week before the publication date. Classified advertising can be submitted up to the Thursday before publication as long as the payment is made at the same time. Call (908) 737-0468 or email tower@kean.edu for a rate card.

Tower publication schedule Spring: Jan. 28, Feb. 11, Feb. 25, Mar. 11, Apr. 1, Apr. 22.

ANGER MANAGEMENT PUMP UP THE PARTY, NOT THE IPOD

By Kelly Nemeth

Students like to use their music to drown out noise that annoys them. They pop in their iPod headphones or they pull up their iTunes on their laptop, and begin to play their favorite song. But what they don’t realize is that their music is becoming a distraction among others.

When you take out your laptop in the middle of the cafeteria and play today’s new popular song for your friends to hear, the majority of the cafeteria can hear it as well.

Perhaps you do realize that others can hear it, but you don’t care; you enjoy playing your music so loud to a point of annoyance. Either way, there are some people who don’t like the music you are listening to, want to enjoy their lunch in quiet, or are actually trying to study or read. This is rude for everyone near you and yet you still feel the need to fill the air with noise.

If you are not listening to music, you go onto YouTube and decide to watch Saturday night’s beer fest where your pal decided it was cool to fall over or punch someone in the

face. You laugh out loud as if you haven’t seen it 100 times already. Then, you feel the need to give your friends an in depth explanation of where you were exactly standing during the charade and how you almost got hit. Again, this is an annoyance to others around you who have better things to do than hear about your Saturday nights.

Then there are those people who feel that they are being respectful because they are listening to their iPods. This is much better than blasting music through speakers; however, your iPod is turned up so loud that anyone could sing along with the song you are listening to. Just because you are wearing headphones does not mean that everyone around you can’t hear it.

Obviously students like to listen to their music to get away from the stress of school.

It is understandable. But is it necessary that your music be so loud that it’s a distraction to others?

The Tower | February 25, 2009

9

OPINIONS

Reality TV: Everyone’s Guilty Pleasure

By Charley Falkenburg

Reality TV is becoming increasingly popular. It is steadfastly becoming everyone’s guilty pleasure. Starting with MTV’s Real World and Survivor, reality television is expanding its horizons to shows that can seduce all kinds of demographics.

Young adults tend to gravitate towards MTV and VH1. Since reality TV has taken over both of these channels, young adults find themselves watching more reality TV than ever before. The main attraction of reality TV is its authenticity, but exactly how real is it? Real World, a favorite among teenagers, often stages cat fights and induces drama on purpose. Superficial shows like Rock of Love and Flavor of Love claim the purpose of the show is to find a soul mate. Every viewer can tell that Bret Michaels just wants a good time and that the girls from Flavor of Love just want their 15 minutes of fame.

More often than not, these shows enlist people who are either complete train wrecks or money grubbers who will do any-

thing from competing to be Paris Hilton’s BFF to taking off their clothes in order to be in a sequel. So what compels people to stay tuned to this shamelessness? Perhaps it’s just fun to watch people whose lives are more messed up than your own.

And to be sure they are more messed up than the average person’s life; the shows get more outrageous each season. MTV’s newest edition, The Tool Academy, which tries to force low life boyfriends into perfect gentlemen, is a prime example of a network that is running out of ideas.

Reality television can also harm selfCast of Mtv’s The Real World.

Cast of VHI’s Tool Academy.

esteem. The contestants on America’s Next Top Model are told daily that they aren’t thin, sexy or pretty enough. If these girls are the best of the bunch, what does that say to the young female viewer? Shows like that can easily induce body image issues, especially when Janice Dickinson is ranting that a size 0 is too fat.

However, not all reality TV shows are ridiculous. A popular choice among Kean viewers is American Idol. Student see this

show as inspirational and they like the feeling of “getting to know” the contestants week after week. Another favorite among the students is MTV’s Made, which gives kids the opportunity to achieve a goal they normally could not do by themselves. Viewers feel as if they can relate to these people and their insecurities. The show gives the audience hope and confidence about bettering themselves.

Clearly, reality TV is taking America by storm. But whether your preference is A Double Shot at Love or America’s Best Dance Crew, don’t feel ashamed. Many of us are guilty of succumbing to the thrills of it all, even those who claim they think it’s crazy.

Some people think reality TV is lame and others swear it’s demeaning, but I don’t think a little reality TV hurts anyone. If it did, then many people wouldn’t try so hard to get on these shows. So next time your favorite guilty pleasure is on TV, go and indulge in the entertainment. Just remember, don’t take it too seriously.

Photos and Coffins: Honor the Fallen McClatchy-Tribune News Service

The Obama administration should reverse a policy that forbids the media from photographing the flag-draped coffins of fallen soldiers at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.

The ban was put in place in 1991, during the first Gulf War, under President George H.W. Bush. Prior to that, photographers were allowed to take pictures of the caskets as they returned on transport planes to the nation’s largest military mortuary.

President George W. Bush renewed the ban during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, saying he wanted to be sensitive to military families.

Bush said photographing the caskets might put undue pressure on family members of the fallen to attend the event at Dover, even though they might not be able to afford the cost of traveling there. Critics accused Bush of trying to sanitize and censor the war.

Vice President Biden, while serving as a senator from Delaware in 2004, complained that fallen soldiers were being “snuck back into the country under the cover of night.”

With the election of President Obama, some officials, including Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., have called for lifting the ban. Obama said he is waiting for a Pentagon review of the ban, and Defense Secretary Robert Gates suggested that he is open to changing the policy.

Gates should lift the ban, while trying to be as sensitive as possible to the wishes of families. It’s not an easy call, and not all military families feel the same way about the issue.

Some relatives believe it’s an invasion of privacy, or an exploitation of their loss to foment antiwar sentiment. Other families feel that allowing photographs is a way to honor the military dead, and that banning photographs amounts to the government hiding their loss.

Still others believe that the soldiers’ sacrifices, and the war itself, tend to be forgotten by the public unless photographs are permitted.

That’s why Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C., who voted in favor of using military force in Iraq, also favors allowing the media to photograph the returning caskets.

If a family objects, arrangements should be made to accommodate its wishes.

But photographs should be allowed in other cases, because the public should be able to see the cost of war. Without the visible proof, casualty reports don’t reflect the true sacrifice. (c) 2009, The Philadelphia Inquirer

About Face(book) McClatchy-Tribune News Service

Anyone who spends time online has at least a vague sense of the “service agreements” to which he routinely consents—dense documents filled with legal fine print that make up the “terms of service” for Web services or online groups.

Most people spend zero time reading the fine print. They typically click “accept” and move ahead without a second thought.

But this week, denizens of Facebook—one of the world’s most popular online social networking groups—said “not so fast.” Within a matter of hours, using Facebook’s own site, they coalesced and pushed back. Remarkably, their outrage over what they perceived as a blatant privacy violation by Facebook operators caused Facebook to roll back the new terms.

The incident offers useful lessons in self control and collective action in the digital age.

Anyone over the age of 13 can become a Facebook member, build a “page” and avail himself of its services free of charge—but only after accepting terms of the service agreement.

Among the terms is one giving Facebook’s proprietors “an irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, fully paid, worldwide license (with right to sublicense)” on everything a member posts on his page. You post a picture of yourself and your cat, for instance, and Facebook can do whatever it wants with it.

The terms of service said that the “license granted above will automatically expire” when members remove content from their page. But Facebook recently quietly removed that clause, meaning Facebook unilaterally claimed the right to use the material in per-

petuity. So even if you took down the picture or quit the site, Facebook still could use the picture (or other information) it had stored in its servers.

Things didn’t stay quiet for long. The Consumerist—a consumer protection blog—put out word that Facebook was making a data grab. A virtual riot ensued as media outlets, old and new, picked up the story. Privacy advocates readied a complaint to be filed with the Federal Trade Commission.

Ironically, the real leverage came when consumer unhappiness showed signs of becoming a Facebook-driven movement. A new Facebook group—People Against the new Terms of Service—grew to nearly 90,000 strong.

Facebook’s owners—a consortium of millionaire investors led by founder Mark Zuckerberg—caved. The site reinstated the original terms of service, offering face-saving mumbo jumbo about how “it was never our intention to confuse people or make them uneasy about sharing on Facebook.”

Parents should remind their kids—or maybe kids should remind their parents—that in the computer age, the only real guarantee of privacy is never to put anything in a computer you’d be afraid for someone else to see. There are too many ways for information to be copied and shared to be assured that someone, somewhere, doesn’t have it.

But that someone shouldn’t be the people you do business with.

Facebook was hoisted on its own e-petard. By leveraging new media to organize a stampede, users struck fear into the heart of sharp operators at a multi-billion dollar enterprise. Sharp operators, take heed. (c) 2009, St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

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February 25, 2009 | The Tower

SPORTS

MLB Season Preview: John & Jay’s Picks

POINT By John Cherry

COUNTERPOINT By Jay Hicks

The past 12 months have been tough on the New York area sport teams and on their fans. The Giants lost in the playoffs to the hated Eagles; the Jets’ had a huge collapse causing them to miss the playoffs; and both New York baseball teams missed out on October Baseball.

However, the new season offers new hope for the fans of the New York baseball teams. This year, both the Mets and the Yankees, have put themselves in great position to make it back to the playoffs and, quite possibly, back to the World Series.

Both the Mets and Yankees went out in the off-season with clear goals that they both accomplished. The Yankees bolstered what was a shaky starting pitching staff with the additions of C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett and got a big bat in the middle of the lineup in Mark Teixeira. The Mets countered with the additions of the new season saves leader Francisco Rodriguez, J.J Putz to be the set up man and the re-signing of Oliver Perez to secure the starting rotation.

Although the Yankees broke the bank by signing the big names, the Mets may be in a better position as the team to get back into the playoffs.

If you put Putz and K-Rod on the Mets last year, they would have made the playoffs easily. This Mets team should start to finally mature now that David Wright and Jose Reyes are another year older and with the core of the team still unchanged.

With young rising stars like Mike Pelfry, Daniel Murphy and Jonathan Niese, the Mets seem ready to make a strong playoff push.

The Yankees, however, are a different story, even with all the big name players they signed, with A-Rod and his steroid admission and Joe Torre and his tell-all book about the Yankee years. The possibility of missing the playoffs two straight years could be disastrous. Will this team be able to overcome all the distractions it faces ahead?

Even with the additions, the core of this team is getting older. Derek Jeter, Johnny Damon, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, Hideki Matsui and Andy Pettitte are all 35 years old or over.

The Bombers can ill-afford to get off to a bad start as they have in years past; if they do, the media will be all over them and the pressure will build everyday.

However, with a starting rotation of Sabathia, Burnett, Wang, Chamberlin and Pettitte, this is arguably the best five-man rotation in the league. Barring any injuries, the Yankees’ starting rotation will not be an issue heading into the season.

Both of these teams did what they needed to do to make it back to the playoffs, but it is a long season, and will they be there in the end?

While I agree with John Cherry’s Major League Baseball preview to some extent, I’d like to offer a different opinion, especially about the Yankees and his choices of division winners .

I do not think the Yankees can win their respective American League East division. Granted, their starting rotation is much improved with the newly acquired C.C. Sabbathia and A.J. Burnett, but as he pointed out, many players on their roster are 35 years and older. The age factor will creep in during the season and injuries have ravaged the Yankees the past couple years. I think it will continue to haunt the team. My problem with the Yankees is they’re signing big-name players to ridiculous contracts. By doing this, the team is deviating from their farm system where young talents could make a difference. Instead, they went out and grabbed players off the free agency market, players who may make or break the team. I don’t think the Yankees really utilize their young players well.

Boston will win the AL East once again.

The Mets, on the other hand, are doing better in the off-season. They got Francisco Rodriguez, a.k.a. K-Rod, last season’s single-season record holder for saves with 62. The Mets had been desperate for a closer because of constant injuries to Billy Wagner and the uncharacteristic collapse of the bullpen last season. Gone is Aaron Heilmann. Praise the Lord!!! I kept harping that he has to go, and got my wish! He is now a Seattle Mariner. Good riddance! We got J.J. Putz from that trade and it should help the team with the set-up role. John is correct: had the Mets had both pitchers, they’d easily win the National League East division. The Phillies won the last two seasons largely because of the Mets’ bullpen.

David Wright is the Mets’ best hitter. He is a year older and a year stronger.

His experience will definitely be a boost. Jose Reyes was a little off last season.

He will need to regain his hitting prowess and stealing thunder for the Mets to run away in the division. Carlos Beltran did an adequate job and will need to do better this season. Carlos Delgado is older now, although his late-season surge surprised a lot of people, including me. If he returns to his late-season performance at the start of this season, the Mets will probably lead the division by 12 or more games by All-Star break.

The Yankees have too many distractions from the Alex Rodriguez steroid issue and Joe Torre’s tell-all book to overcome and capture the division, but the Mets should be poised to roll into the postseason and possibly the World Series.

JOHN'S PICKS

JAY'S PICKS

AL East AL Central AL West AL Wild Card

Yankees Indians A’s Rays

AL East AL Central AL West Wild card

Boston Chicago LA Angels Tampa Bay

NL East NL Central NL West NL Wild Card

Phillies Cubs Dodgers Mets

NL East NL Central NL West Wild card

NY Mets Chicago LA Dodgers Philadelphia

World Series

Yankees over Cubs

World Series

NY Mets over Boston

AL Pennant NL Pennant

Boston over LA Angels NY Mets over Chicago

GO COUGARS!!

The Tower | February 25, 2009

11

SPORTS

Cougars’ Recent Winning Streak Snapped

By Nicole VonGonten

The Cougars hosted Richard Stockton College on February 4.

The first half began with Kean going on an 18-0 run. Cardiss Jackman led the way with two three-pointers and had 8 points during the run. In the half, the Lady Cougars continued their lead over the Ospreys.

Kean had its largest lead of the half when Renee Henry sunk a free throw to push the lead to 26 points, 43-17. The Cougars took a 44-21 lead into halftime.

As the second half started, Kean made sure the Ospreys could not make any type of comeback. Henry provided Kean with a layup to give them their largest lead of the half and game at 31 points, 77-46, with 3:35 remaining. The Lady Cougars won the game by a dominating score of 8154. Jackman rounded out the game with 26 points in the win. Senior guard Ebony Jackson recorded her 600th assist of her career in the first half against Stockton.

The win extended Kean’s winning streak to nine straight.

Kean traveled to Rowan University on February 7 for a tough conference game that would challenge their recent winning streak.

The Profs and Lady Cougars stayed close for the opening minutes of the half exchanging the lead. The teams tied, 12-12, with over twelve minutes to go, and Row-

an began to make their push. The Profs went on a 16-0 run, 28-12, on a layup from Amanda Jennings. The Cougars could not cut Rowan’s double-digit lead as the half wound down. Kean closed out the half trailing Rowan, 35-20.

Rowan kept their lead in the second half.

The Lady Cougars cut the double-digit lead with less than 13 minutes in the half to go. The Profs’ last double-digit lead, 11 points, came with 8:45 to go. Tiffany Patrick cut the lead to two, 52-50, and then Danielle Brown tied the game with a layup with a minute remaining. Jessica Nimbley made two free throws to give the lead back to Rowan. With 31 seconds to go, Cardiss Jackman got fouled and made both of her free throws for Kean to tie the game, 54-54. As the seconds continued to wind down in the half, Ashley Cieplicki made a layup and a free throw with one second to go to give Rowan the 57-54 advantage. In a last second attempt to tie the game, Angelica Bermudez missed a three-pointer.

The defeat was Kean’s first loss in ten games and their first loss of the season to an NJAC opponent.

Kean hosted a battle of nationally ranked opponents when the University of Scranton traveled to face the Cougars on February 11.

In the early minutes of the first half, the teams exchanged the lead and tied on several occasions. Scranton built a

Renee Henry tries to help a teammate out of trouble against Rutgers-Camden on February 14.

lead that the Lady Cougars were not able to overcome in the half. Scranton never increased their lead to double-digits, but they never allowed Kean to take the lead.

Danielle Brown cut the lead to three, 32-29, for Kean as time expired in the first half.

Brown provided Kean with a layup in the second half that tied the game, 34-34.

After another tie minutes later, the CouRgars began to build a lead. Angelica Bermudez mounted Kean’s lead to five, 41-36, with two free throws. The Royals took back

their lead with 10 minutes to go. The Lady Cougars tried to post another comeback as time wound down. Tiffany Patrick made a layup with 23 seconds to get Kean within two points, 61-59. Missed shots followed in the ending seconds of the game and the Cougars fell short by the same score.

The Lady Cougars returned to NJAC action on February 14 to host Rutgers-Camden University.

In the opening six minutes of the first half, the teams swapped leads and tied on several occasions. After being tied, 10-10, with 15 minutes to go, Kean exploded to a 19-point lead, 40-21, on a layup by Ebony Jackson with three minutes remaining.

The Lady Cougars led as time expired on the half, 43-28.

Rutgers-Camden got behind by 17 points to Kean in the second half. The Lady Cougars continued to rack up points as the half continued. Kean had a 40-point lead with two minutes left in the half, 86-46. Time expired on the game with the Cougars winning, 94-46. The win snapped a two-game losing streak for the Lady Cougars.

This day marked a historic moment for junior Cardiss Jackman. Jackman scored the 1,000th point of her career. This game also marked Senior Day, and senior Ebony Jackson scored a game-high 25 points.

Men’s Basketball Season Winds Down

By Nicole VonGonten

The Cougars faced a challenge on February 4 when they played host to Richard Stockton College. With a victory over Kean, Richard Stockton could clinch the NJAC South Division title.

Kean jumped out to the early lead in the half. They led for close to 12 minutes in the opening half. The Cougars led by as many as five, 13-8, before the Ospreys started their run. As Richard Stockton’s lead began to climb, Kean tried to keep it close. Down by one point with 7:43 to play, Kean watched the Ospreys build a double-digit lead. Richard Stockton built a 14-point lead with two minutes remaining. The Cougars went into halftime trailing by 10, 36-26.

The second half started just as the first half had ended. The Ospreys appeared that they would continue their lead. The Cougars started cutting the lead enough to tie with 11 minutes remaining. Rodlin Pierre provided the dunk for Kean to tie, 48-48. The Cougars broke the tie seconds later on a layup by Jonathan Jones.

Stockton took the lead back to continue the back and forth battle. With 5 seconds left in the game and down by three, Vinnie Darpino tied the game 59-59. A last sec-

ond shot by Santini Lancioni for Stockton missed, sending the game into overtime.

In overtime, the Ospreys took the early lead and never let Kean take over. The Cougars fell, 70-66. Jones led Kean with 18 points and 14 rebounds in the loss.

Kean traveled to face Rowan University on February 7 for a battle against an NJAC rival.

with a three-pointer, 32-27. Kean could not build on the momentum. Rowan began to build up their double-digit lead.

Kean headed into halftime down by 10, 42-32.

The Profs continued to expand their lead in the second half. Rowan led by 32 late in the half. The 32 points they led on two occasions would be how many points they

Kean stands united for the fight against breast cancer before a thriller against Rutgers-Camden.

Rowan came out shooting early, taking the fast lead over Kean. The Profs held a lead of 13, on four separate occasions before the Cougars began to cut the lead.

With less than five minutes in the half to go, Vinnie Darpino cut the lead to five

www.keanathletics.com/landing/index

would win by. The Cougars fell to Rowan, 87-55. Forward Brian Lytle led Kean with 12 points in the loss.

The Cougars treated the home crowd to another overtime thriller on February 14 against Rutgers-Camden University.

After a see-saw five minutes, RutgersCamden began to pull away from the Cougars. The Scarlet Raptors had a lead of 14 in the half. Rutgers-Camden held onto the double-digit lead going into halftime. The Cougars trailed, 37-26, when time expired.

The Cougars cut Rutgers-Camden’s lead in the opening minutes of the second half.

With 13 minutes remaining, Kean cut the lead to one, 45-44, on a layup by Yasien Beatty. The Scarlet Raptors kept the lead as the second half continued. Akinwande Oshodi netted a layup to get the Cougars within two points of the lead, 65-63, with two minutes to go. Rutgers-Camden built up a five-point lead as the final seconds of the half loomed. Oshodi cut the Scarlet Raptors’ lead to three with 17 seconds left, 68-65. With three seconds to go, Vinnie Darpino nailed a three-pointer to tie the game, 68-68.

The opening minutes of overtime started just as the first half had with the teams exchanging the lead twice. The Cougars took charge with 2:30 to go when Eugene Tolliver sunk a three-pointer to put his team ahead,73-72. Kean never allowed Rutgers-Camden to regain the lead. The Cougars finished the game on top, 81-74.

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February 25, 2009 | The Tower

SPORTS

Men’s Baseball Opens with Two Wins

By Kelly Nemeth

The Kean University baseball team started their season off strong with double wins against Stevens Institute of Technology and Manhattanville College. The Cougars lost a team of solid seniors since last season, but overcame it with their solid upper classmen and talented newcomers.

It was a beautiful day at Jim Hynes stadium for the season’s opener on Saturday against Stevens. Cougar Senior Nick Cesar got the win, pitching five and one-third innings, striking out seven and allowing only two runs, one which was unearned.

Freshman Dylan Laguna, Sophomore Jared Orgel, and Senior Mike Manganiello all went 2 for 4. Freshman Lee Cavico and Sophomore Mike Moceri went 1 for 3.

Kean earned their first run of the season in the 3rd inning, thanks to a single by freshman Dylan Laguna, a walk by sophomore Mike Mattonelli, and a sacrifice fly by freshman Lee Cavico. Cougars added one more in the 4th due to sharp base running by junior Matt Myerkopf who reached third on throwing errors by Stevens. Senior Mike Manganiello singled in the run to make the Cougar lead 2-0. The Cougars scored one more in the 5th while Stevens battled back by scoring two in the 6th. But Kean maintained control in the 7th by adding one more to the board as

the first batter of the game homered to right field. But Kean did not hesitate to fight back, scoring a whopping four runs in the first inning. Freshman Dylan Laguna doubled and soon after, sophomore Mike Moceri tripled to center field. With a couple of walks and wild pitches, the

Sunday’s clouds and rain did not the stop the Cougars from earning their second win.

bases quickly began to fill when Sophomore Jared Orgel singled, bringing in two more, making the score 4-1. In the 2nd, junior Nick Nolan hoisted the score with his homerun which drove in three. Kean scored a total of four more runs in the 2nd all together. Manhattanville scored two more in the 4th and 5th but Kean kept going, adding yet another in the 5th.

The Cougars added two in the 6th due to singles by freshman Lee Cavico and sophomore Kyle Walker. Kean put the game away in the 7th and 8th innings adding a massive seven runs. Kean plays Wednesday at home against Farleigh Dickinson University at 2:30 p.m.

Above: Freshman Lee Cavico; right: Team takes a time out.

a result of single by Laguna and Moceri.

Stevens tried to fight back in the 8th but only scored one allowing Kean to receive its first win of the season.

Sunday’s clouds and rain did not the stop the Cougars from earning their second win. They beat Manhattanville College 19-5. Junior Joe Bartlinski received the win, pitching seven innings with six strike outs. Senior Kyle Murphy closed the game pitching two innings with allowing only one hit.

Manhattanville did not wait to score as

STUDENTS AT Kean University TO PARTICIPATE IN JUMP ROPE FOR HEART Students at Kean University are jumping at the chance to fight heart disease and stroke, our nation’s No. 1 and No. 3 killers. On March 4, 2009 at D’Angola Gym 11:00 A.M. the school will hold its first annual Jump Rope For Heart event.

Students will jump rope to raise funds for the American Heart Association, which funds cardiovascular disease research and public and professional education programs.

Jump Rope For Heart is co-sponsored by the American Heart Association and the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance and celebrates it’s 30 anniversary this year.

The average heart beats 100,000 times each day. One of the best ways to take care of your heart is to make exercise a regular part of your everyday life. Jump Rope For Heart teaches students how exercise benefits the heart and shows students that volunteering can be fun and beneficial to the whole community. They learn how they can make a difference by providing important community service and having a great time at this fun-filled family event.

Money raised by the event will go to fund potentially lifesaving research and educational and community programs. Please help our students help others. If you would like to make a donation or participate in the days event you can go to the second floor of D’Angola gym and on the second floor next to the Physical Education department will be a sign-up sheet as well as donation packets. You can bring the donations with you to the event while you are participating or you can just drop them off on that day.

The event will also include basketball activities.

RECENT SCORES MEN’S BASKETBALL: 02/18 Kean 54, The College of New Jersey 71 02/21 Kean 53, William Patterson University 53 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: 02/18 Kean 61, The College of New Jersey 73 01/24 Kean 68, Rutgers-Camden 33

GO COUGARS!! visit: http://www.keanathletics.com/ landing/index for more on Kean athletics

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