Kean April-May 2014

APRIL-MAY 2014

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Faculty and students with John Prendergast.

Photo: Tim Awojobi

Human rights activist inspires students, faculty

By Tim Awojobi

Kean University had not only a visitor, but who some consider a hero, come to lecture to students. John Prendergast, human rights activist, set forth on coming to Kean University and shared his memorable life and experiences with students and faculty during the week of March.

Back in 2013, Prendergast’s appearance at Kean University’s annual Human Rights Conference was also very memorable.

“I want to focus on building a popular constituency for unsupportive human rights in Africa,” said Prendergast.

At Kean, Prendergast initially wanted the students to help support the creation of a “conflict free campus initiative.” This would set the pact and help promote peace in the Congo region of Africa through restricting or ceasing the use of conflict produced products.

“The reason why I am here for the second time is because I truly believe that Kean University students are committed to making a real impact in this university community,” said Prendergast, “and also throughout the world.”

Prendergast has worked in Africa for over 25 years in search of peace and humanity. During the early ‘90s Prendergast worked for numerous peace organizations in America and also Africa. When asked about life hardships while in Africa, Prendergast responded without hesitation.

“My biggest hardship was my life being threatened numerous times in Africa. I was in prison a couple of times, praying each and every day that they would let me out,” said Prendergast. “I also had a gun stuck in my mouth from protestors and ci-

vilians. My worst fear was probably a land mine that blew up right in front of my car.”

Prendergast never let the word, “fear” stop him from doing what he loves. During the course of the week at Kean University, Prendergast gave about five speeches, as well as having meals and conversations with numerous students.

A current biology major, Deliah Mahmoud, was amazed by the speech Prendergast presented to the crowd.

“I was really impressed with the level and spirit of dedication that Prendergast wanted to make the world a better place,” said Mahmoud.

Throughout the presentations, Prendergast also discussed his work with the late South African President, Nelson Mandela.

“Mandela personally taught me a great deal about how to broker peace,” said Prendergast.

Apart from being a human rights activist, Prendergast is also the Head/Co-Founder of the “Enough Project.” This is a non-profit human rights organization that was launched in early 2007 as a project of the Center for American Progress.

The mission of this project is to support the end of genocide and hate crimes against humanity.

Prendergast is also noted as a bestselling author of 10 books about human rights crimes and justice. His book “The Enough Moment: Fighting to End Africa’s Worst Human Rights Crimes,” was ranked a New York Times bestseller and NAACP non-fiction book of the year.

When asked about what is the best advice to give some, Prendergast’s response was, “Don’t ever listen to people that say you cannot achieve the things you dream about.”

Photo: Robbie Meade

Is your classmate the famous Staten Island clown?

Photo: Fuzz on the Lens Productions

Kean student Jason Leavy with the Staten Island clown

By Andrea Parr

In March the Staten Island Clown went viral on the Internet, and speculation grew as to who might be in the mask. Well, Kean students just might have class with the clown, or one of the men involved in creating the clown.

“We did it just to prank friends.

Then it started to explode, overnight it got around 100 likes on Instagram,” said Jason Leavy, a communication and film major here at Kean.

Leavy is one of the members of Fuzz on the Lens, an independent film company in Staten Island that came up with the idea of the clown to entertain. Its first appearances were through the social media accounts of the company’s members.

The pictures depicted an eerielooking clown throughout the borough, always with at least one balloon in hand.

“We never thought it would get that much attention,” said Leavy.

“We couldn’t believe it went worldwide.”

The Staten Island Advance first reported the story of the clown’s creepy appearances as it gained attention through social media, and gave it the hashtag #SIClown. The story of the clown went on to be featured on Buzzfeed, which described it as “terrifying” and “trying to scare the crap out of everyone.” Leavy added that they even heard of news reports from as far as Great Britain and Italy.

“There’s always a 50-50. People either like them, and think they’re funny, or they hate them,” said Leavy on why they chose a clown.

“We scared a lot of people, but also sparked a lot of interesting conversations.”

Initially, the Fuzz on the Lens team denied any involvement, but Leavy noted that people did suspect because they knew their sense of humor. There was also speculation as the accounts of the initial photographers were those of the company’s members.

Their official reveal came on March 28 on radio station Z100’s

Elvis Duran and the Morning Show. Prior to that, they enjoyed seeing people try figure out who it was started by, and why. The group still maintains the mystery of exactly who is behind the mask.

“We treated it like a film, the clown was our character and the world our audience,” said Leavy.

On the day of the reveal, they uploaded a short video to their YouTube channel in which the clown “finally gets a beat down.” As much attention as the clown has brought to Fuzz on the Lens, he wants people to know that Fuzz on the Lens is more than just the clown.

Officially founded in 2010, Fuzz on the Lens now consists of Leavy, his brother Michael Leavy, Steven Della Salla and a couple of friends.

According to their website (fuzzonthelens.com), their mission is that they “want to entertain as many people as possible, in any way we can.” Leavy’s interest in film started many years before the company was founded.

continued on page 6

Institute for Entrepreneurial Life Sciences coming to STEM

By Keanu Austin

Applied research is on the horizon for the New Jersey Center for Science, Technology & Mathematics, which Kean President Dawood Farahi plans to introduce to the university in an innovative way.

“We don’t have the resources to be a major player in basic research,” Farahi said during a board of trustees meeting on March 3. “But we have the capacity to be a good and reasonable player in innovative, entrepreneurial applied research.”

Keith Bostian, dean of the NJCSTM, took the floor to give an overview of the upcoming Institute for Life Science Entrepreneurism.

“This is a non-profit regional research institute that we’re in the process of setting up here on the campus

of Kean University to serve the entrepreneurial life-science needs of the New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania region,” Bostian said.

Shortly after arriving at Kean in October, Bostian formed a planning committee of leading researchers and entrepreneurs, who have worked on preparing the business plan and raising seed capital.

“We’ve been meeting almost every two weeks since mid-December,” Bostian said. “[We] developed the concept and laid the groundwork for establishing the institute.”

Earlier in the meeting, Farahi emphasized a need for Kean to distinguish itself, which the research institute is supposed to help accomplish.

“For the students, the institute will create opportunities for internships and independent studies both in sci-

ence and business,” Bostian said. “For the university, the institute will bring distinction and will promote applied research.”

Distinguishing Kean is part of an effort to keep a leg up on the competition, especially online competition.

“Don’t take the competition from online entities lightly,” Farahi said during the meeting. “In 2000, there was 9 percent of the higher education business online. Today, it’s closer to 30 percent.”

By 2020, Farahi continued, it is estimated that 50 percent of the for-profit and non-profit higher education business will be online. The Observatory on Borderless Higher Education, a higher education research unit, released a report in 2013 concerning what higher education will look like in 2020.

“There is justified concern that oncampus teaching at mid-tier institutions will be gradually supplanted by online lectures,” the report states.

“It is likely that many thousands of teaching jobs…will have been lost in the US by 2020.”

According to the report’s executive summary, the report’s horizon scan was based on interviews, the unit’s extrapolation of current trends in international higher education and public discourse regarding said trends.

“It is very difficult for us to be competitive in that market,” Farahi told the meeting’s audience. “Many people on campus stop me and say, ‘When are we going to go fully online?’”

Having most of Kean’s students take their classes online, Farahi said, offers no advantage.

“We need to go to online by creating a new market,” Farahi said.

“And to do that, we need to create hybrid programs. And we’re going to try that with China.”

Hybrid programs combine inclass and online learning, and fewer than 2 percent of Kean’s courses were offered in an online or hybrid format, according to a draft of the university’s 2012 enrollment management plan.

The management plan, which includes strategies, rationales, and objectives for Kean from fall 2011 to fall 2020, was written by the university’s former office of assessment director, LaMont Rouse.

In the management plan, among the objectives for the university is a significant increase in hybrid learning opportunities.

2 THE TOWER

April 10, 2014

A Spring Break service trip to Appalachia, God’s country

By Alexandria Addesso

We arrived on a long and meandering road just beyond a white sign that read “Doddridge County.”

We were in West Virginia and at this moment all my assumptions of what Appalachia was like seemed to be gross underestimates. The road spiraled around the mountain as we passed small houses and trailers that sometimes had goats or chickens outside of them with their nearest neighbors at least the span of three apartment buildings away and the lack of street lights made the homes look dark at dusk.

As a city dweller whose eyes had never seen such a sight firsthand, I was heavily intrigued.

“We’re here!,” shouted the campus minister and interrupted the acapella sing-along going on in the van.

The white barn that had “Nazareth Farm” etched into the shape of the mountains that engulfed the whole area validated what the minister had just said. We were here, where we would be staying for the next week, living a different life. Nazareth Farm is a non-profit Catholic community that was established in 1979 and offers free home repair projects to residents of the surrounding areas.

The van was bumrushed by staff members that hugged us one by one as soon as we got out of the van saying “welcome home.”

Welcome home? Many miles away from my home or anything that resembled it, this phrase that was also written in wood on the red barn in front of us baffled me. The eagerness and without hesitation to hug us that the staff effortlessly exhibited also left me stumped.

We entered the sex specific dorms filled with bunkbeds and a certain must that had confirmed the maximum three showers a week rule, two of which had to be bucket showers outside, that we were previously warned about was definitely adhered to. But by the end of the week the smell seemed pleasant if even noticeable.

We were to live for a week as the staff lived year round, by the four cornerstones of community, simplicity, prayer and service. Electronic devices were forsaken, so were make-up, hair products and any attempts to ask “What time is it?” to which all staff members would reply “It’s 10:10,” sometimes with their arms extended upward emulating the arms of a clock at

Photos: Jackie Oesmann, campus minister

Kean Catholic Newman Club students with Vaya Con Dios sign “Go with God” (above). Kean students building a ramp (below).

that specific time, this they said was God’s time.

We worked, slept, ate and prayed among students from Notre Dame, Syracuse, Saint Xavier’s and Evansville University. They divided us into work groups that mixed up all the schools as well as their ministers. Everyday we were sent to a different staff member’s worksite.

One day we were demolishing the underpinning of a trailer with a tire-swing that hung on a tree behind it, a dirt highway in front of it and green mountains and hills surrounding it that looked like they were painted by Bob Ross. Another day we spent building a wheelchair ramp on a property that also housed a large barking beast of a mother pig that was very defensive of her hairy piglets.

Of all the worksites one in particular was vividly carved into my memory. We were at the home of a couple by the name of Tom and Nancy, failing the battle against the rain while building a backporch. When it came time for a lunch break we went inside to eat, being that I did not want to offend them by leaving a wet foot-trail across their living room and kitchen, I hung my rain soaked socks outside. While my group members sat in the kitchen some force, possibly the Holy Spirit itself, drew me

into the living room where Tom and Nancy were sitting.

Astray from my usual path of introvertedness I began to talk to these people who if not in this particular situation, I would have never laid eyes on let alone talk to. And we did not talk about the weather, or politics or sports, we went deeper than the porch posts cemented into the dirt the previous day. Tom began talking about his brother being incarcerated for

a long time when he was younger and how it changed him, to which I could readily relate to.

“My brother used his prison slippers until they broke and he still shaves his head with the same type of single blade razors he did in prison. I used his nail clippers the other day because I don’t have any and found out it’s the exact same one he had when he was away,” I said with my Elizabeth, NJ slang accent that usually remains hidden

in professional settings but comes out around family and friends.

They nodded their heads in complete understanding. I had become comfortable around these people, they spoke in their dialect and I responded in mine and there were no misunderstandings. I felt as if I was downtown talking to my aunt and uncle, their homes were similar and cigarette smoke was in the air. Tom opened up about his mother passing and how contractors swindled them with a bad siding job while he was in the hospital with her. She had alzheimer’s and we were sitting in what use to be her house, which Tom was raised in. Like him I spent my whole life in the house of the woman who raised me, my grandmother who similarly suffers from dementia.

As me and Tom were relishing in our similarities then eventually talking about the Book of Revelations, Nancy quietly noticed my bare feet. She gave me a pair of fuzzy black and pink striped socks without hesitation. I spent an hour talking inside the dry house while my crew went back to work. I was sure I’d be reprimanded for it, but I wasn’t.

Before work crews left each day we prayed outside holding hands in a circle. Then hugged each other following the staff members’ examples and said “have a great day.” When it came time for the final departure we prayed in a circle and hugged each other goodbye saying something like “it was great meeting you.” The goodbyes were not fake, last salutations to get over with so we could scramble out as soon as possible like roaches when the light is turned on. They were genuine and everyone knew everyone else’s name, nearly 40 of us. When I went to hug Andi, the staff member who ran the worksite at Tom and Nancy’s house, she said sincerely “Thanks for talking to Tom and Nancy, Alex.” I learned what I had done when I was not outside with my work crew was the ministry of presence.

The love and consideration for all living things that oozed from the staff members had successfully infected each and everyone of us. This place was special, holy ground. Love was not just in the air, it was in the dirt and especially in the mud. If God is love, then God was definitely at Nazareth Farm and in large, heaping amounts.

Personal branding seminar shares how to build online persona

By Sade Cox

Are you using social media just to connect with friends? If so, you are missing out on an opportunity to brand yourself. The Personal Branding 101 seminar outlined the tricks of the trade for creating a compelling identity online.

As a marketing communications strategist in the Office of University Relations at Kean University, Danielle Ford shares ten years of public relations and marketing experience.

Ford gave a presentation on the secrets to personal branding as future employees to students at Kean University, where she discussed how to be self-aware by evaluating your strengths, assets, and how you can communicate these effectively.

“The two keys to crafting a personal branding identity are really consistency and authenticity and how you can achieve that,” said Ford.

Ford said the American Marketing Association (AMA) defines branding as “something that delivers the message clearly, confirms your credibility, connects your target prospects emotionally, motivates a buyer, and concretes user loyalty.”

To succeed in branding you must understand the needs and wants of your customers and prospects. You do this by integrating your brand strategies through your company at every point of public contact.

“Branding is a tool used to meet

others,” Ford said, “creating a public persona that students are using for job seeking is important to be in tune with the needs of others.

Have you ever gone to a job interview and not researched the company?

Ford discovered that most potential employers will ask you to give a reason why you want to work for the company you are applying to. Students should research the company they want to work for to know its background. Job seekers need to know why they want to work for the company.

“If you don’t have a compelling answer for that question, that’s already very off-putting for your audience,” said Ford.

The key to having a personal and effective brand is the belief you care about a company’s concerns and needs. As you go for a job interview, you can’t only express what you need and want from the company. It’s not engaging to your potential employer. Your personal brand should promote interest in the future of the company you want to work for.

Before students market or brand themselves on social media, first students need to be informed of the dos and don’ts of personal branding through social media. Ford discussed negative self-destruction on social media, etiquettes of appropriate emailing and email addresses, using professional photos for social networks, and creating digital resumes online.

When it comes to social media and personal branding, it’s all about shaping perceptions of a job candidate.

“We are living in an age where employers will inevitably google you,” said Ford.

Students should take in to consideration what their employer may find out about them from their social media profiles. Students have to be cautious with what they post and write on social media publicly. Companies may not employ job seekers who display irresponsible, or inappropriate, activity on their social media.

“Employers don’t want to see something plastic,” said Ford.

Ford concluded the presentation with personal branding tips, which included building your own networks, connections, and brand.

Social media can be used professionally, and profiles should be public with professional-looking photos. Students should have personal social networks for friendly use and a professional social network. When students have a professional social media profile, it establishes an authoritative voice while connecting with peers and professors.

She recommends students to use a Google email account as their professional email address. Students should have a professional email account with their first and last name. No Yahoo or AOL email accounts, because these accounts are outdated. Students should develop a professional email signa-

ture with their job title and company’s logo. She advises students to create a blog to post their visual work online.

“LinkedIn is the most professional social media site,” said Ford.

A LinkedIn account acts as a digital resume, while keeping all your professional work and contacts online.

Personal branding generates a digital portfolio of students’ academic and professional achieve-

ments and accomplishments.

“March Toward Success” is a series of informative seminars and workshops providing effective tools for students pursing their careers. The Office of Student Government, College of Business & Public Management, Office of Career Development & Advancement, The Writing Center, and Kean XChange sponsored the “March Toward Success” initiative, which started March 4.

“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.”

- Theodore Roosevelt

April 10, 2014

THE TOWER 3

Student spotlight: From fries and shakes to squats and weights

By Dominique Veras

Frat parties, drinks, and trips to the diner at three in the morning are routine for most college students across the country. It’s all fun and games until the freshman 15 turns into the sophomore 30 and so on.

“I had gone on a vacation to Aruba and, when I came back, I was looking at the photos and didn’t like how I looked,” said Cody Cavagrotti, 21-year-old communication major.

She felt insecure in her own body and wanted to make a change. She wanted to be a healthier version of herself, and this took self-discipline, dedication, and support.

Prior to her lifestyle change, she was just like any average college student.

“I would go out twice a week, go to parties, and I went out to eat a lot and ate tons of junk food,” Cavagrotti said.

The progress she has made didn’t happen overnight, it was a gradual process but well worth it for Cavagrotti. She started off with the basics: running and switching up her diet, cutting out all junk food and drinking less and less alcohol.

“The more I saw results, the more dedicated I got, and the cleaner my diet became,” said Cavagrotti.

When she had worked up enough strength, she started weight lifting. She is also completely sober now.

At first her priority was to just get healthy, but once she saw results, she wanted something more out of this lifestyle. So, she set new goals for herself. She is now a bikini competitor.

For her first competition she flew out to California and did an eight-week prep, which is considered short because most competitors do 12-week prep, but her coach had more than enough confidence in her.

She placed third in novice bikini out of 23 girls, and sixth in open bikini out of 30 girls. This was a life changing experience for her, and she can’t wait to get back on stage.

She chose to compete to challenge herself, and she plans to keep pushing herself to new heights each day.

“I am part of a team called 730movement and my main goal is be a pro by 2015,” said Cavagrotti.

Her aspirations don’t end there.

Cavagrotti is also currently training to become a personal trainer.

How does she stay on track? For her, it’s really a simple concept. Fitness is just as important to her as her homework. She makes time to go the gym and preps her meals

so they are ready to go, making it easier to stick to her clean diet.

“Every day I go to the gym,” said Catherine. Her schedule is never the same, and it gets hectic with all her schoolwork, but her dedication to her fitness is very precious to her.

She expresses how Kean helps her out a lot by having a gym, it saves her money and they have pretty good equipment that she puts to great use.

Right now Catherine is on what they call a “cutting diet” because she is prepping for another competition but a daily meal plan for her consists mainly of proteins: ground beef, chicken, fish and lots of green vegetables.

Catherine feels that it is so important for people to take proper care of their bodies, because it is the only thing humans truly own.

She feels great after choosing this lifestyle although she does struggle at times to stay on track with her diet. After all, she is only human.

“If I do cheat I don’t let it take over me I just start all over the next day,” said Catherine. She gets cravings from time to time and admits to being obsessed with peanut butter.

Support has been huge for her along this journey. Her family

“It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.”

-Aristotle Onassis

Love and relationships, Kean style

By Shelsie Ducheine

When the end of your high school career rolls around and college is on the horizon, it is not uncommon for many students to have overwhelming feelings about the upcoming semester. Parents make it their duty to notify their children of how important grades are. All the while, high school graduates can only think of how much fun it’ll be to finally be out on their own.

Campus life for a girl can be filled with heartbreak and leave many feeling confused about who they are. Mia Sapp and Kyleesha Wingfield-Hill, juniors at Kean University, know exactly how you girls feel. From that, however, they have been able to take lessons from their own struggles with relationships and flip them into a way that proves beneficial for them and can be beneficial for you. Their experiences and their advice are all narrated in a book entitled, “They Shoulda Told Us,” that will soon give college girls the insight they need on the many different love and life situations they will face once they leave the nest.

What first started off as a joke grew into a dire passion to teach their peers the things they wish they had known coming into college. Both Sapp and Hill recalled moments and relationships where they struggled and often forgot who they were as individuals. Their main objective is to empower girls who feel like they once did and prepare them for the trials and tribulations they may go through with men that their parents might not have warned them about. According to them, they have opened up an avenue to speak on the things that nobody else has. Instead of advice on time management and GPA’s, they want to give you the insights as to what happened behind those college dorm doors.

“Boys will speak sweet nothings in your ear and you’ll end up head over heels for him,” Sapp said.

“Guard your heart, we’re not say-

???

ing don’t love anyone. Be open, but still guard your heart.”

It’s almost inevitable to fall for the guy on the basketball team or the boy who lives across the hall from you who shows you some attention, but these girls make it clear that protecting your heart while still leaving it open for love, change and growth is vital. Understanding that the vast amount of people who will enter your life may not be there forever is key in conquering a confidence within yourself.

“Not everything is meant to be a forever thing,” Sapp said. “You’re going to have different guys, different people who come into your life that will teach you different lessons.”

Sapp and Hill explain and compare seasons to relationships. Just how the seasons change, relationships do as well. Sometimes they are due to natural causes and other times they are due to outside sources. Today the media has played a huge part on today’s youth and many feel that ideas on relation-

Photo: Shelsie Ducheine

ships have been altered because of it.

“When you look at the media, you get caught up in what relationships are like and forget that you have a relationship of your own,” Hill said. “Understand, you are walking in different shoes, living two different lifestyles. What occurs in one place may not occur in another.”

With the long laundry list of relationship and advice books on the shelves, the girls feel that theirs simply does not compare to any other.

It provides a raw and different outlook on the difficulties and truths of college and how to maintain your reputation, as well as your sanity.

Their intention is not to bash men, seeing that a lot of their learning and growth has come from them. What’s important to these girls is lending out a hand that can prepare young women for college life and to leave a legacy at Kean that people will always remember.

The book is expected to be released spring of 2015.

Cody Cavagrotti changed her lifestyle and is now a bikini competitor.

shares this whole process with her mainly because they not only encourage her, but they also actively try their best to eat healthy as well.

“It is a blessing to have them by my side,” said Cavagrotti.

Her support system doesn’t just end with family. She has a boyfriend and a great group of friends, who cheer her on and believe in her. At first her friends weren’t too thrilled about her change but eventually they understood.

“When I stopped drinking and

Photo: Cody Cavagrotti

partying it was hard for them,” said Cavagrotti. Today they are completely supportive and routing her on.

She is now considering minoring in global fitness or nutrition since she has learned so much about it and has developed a passion for it.

“Fitness means so much to me; it’s completely changed my life,” said Catherine. “It’s a mental and physical challenge, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything else.”

Kean Holds Unity Week

By Vera Boateng

Unity week was the themed week, which held free events offered by Kean University’s Student Organization and Student Government.

“The events were to highlight the unity of majors, faculty and to get people involved no matter where they were going,” said Vice President of Programming for Student Organization, Shadaylah Byrd.

Student Organization is a branch of Kean’s Student Government. The two organizations along with others, have worked in conjunction since 1997 to stage events for the week. This was to help bring students and faculty come together and unify. Although the name of the week changes and Kean Student Government and Kean Student Organization don’t always stage the events, they happen annually.

This year Student Organization’s big event was on Thursday, which featured a famous comedian, Roy Wood Jr. Some events that have been staged by Student Organization in the past were: popular musical concerts, and having other famous guest speakers come to Kean.

The unity related events started on Monday, March 17 and ended on Friday, March 21. The locations for the events were in the main lobbies of: CAS, East Campus, STEM building, University Center (UC) and Harwood Arena to name a few.

“The vendors and activities were in the main lobbies so that the students, or whoever was interested in the activities, wouldn’t have to go far to participate in them”, said The Treasurer of Student Organization,

Shaquan Page.

Some of the free events included: Free Dippin’ Dots ice cream, A license plate maker station, a smoothie station, A chocolate fondue station and a fun face-on-body swapping activity station.

“At the chocolate fondue station they would give you fruit or pretzels to dip in it, that was cool,” said Sean Hurley, a student who attended the event.

The Cougar’s Den re-opened during Unity Week and had Wood, who has appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman, HBO, Comedy Central, NBC, The E! Network, and TBS, perform. The comedian made his debut in 2002 on Comedy Central’s Laugh Riots, a competition out of Los Angeles, California.

The Cougar’s Den, a restaurant located in The University Center across from the game room, remodeled the dining area and put in some new furniture. Other renovations included new doors on the right side of the dining area, new glass windows and a new sign for the back entrance of the restaurant. The remodeling has been taking place since Sept. 3 2013, the start of the 2013 Fall semester at Kean.

A contest that was held during Unity Week was to take a photo that you felt best represents unity at Kean and to post it on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. With the photo you had to include a caption and the hashtag “#KeanUnity”. The photo that had the most Retweets and likes together would be declared as the winner.

The winner of this contest was Karen Damoah, a Kean University student. The prize granted to the winner was unidentified. The Graduate Part-Time Student Council along with Student Government conducted the contest.

Photo: Vera Boateng

Shadaylah Byrd, vice president of programming for student organization. Shaquan Page, treasurer of student organization.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

4 THE TOWER

April 10, 2014

film

By Bryan Kuriawa

Filmmaker’s project tells of unmade masterpiece A book referred to as a sciencefiction bible, and a director seeking to enlighten the young audiences of an era. For two years he pursued his dream, believing his would be a defining cinematic achievement, one for the ages.

Yet at the height of everything, the studios he sought went against his vision. The book went to another director and the story went untold for years, until one documentarian broke the silence. That director was Alejandro Jodorowsky, the novel “Dune,” and the man to reunite them, Frank Pavich.

Premiering at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, Pavich’s latest film, “Jodorowsky’s Dune,” tells of the two years Jodorowsky spent tailoring “Dune” into a feature film.

A dream project for Pavich, the film told of one’s man quest to create art and another to tell a personal cinematic tale.

Born the son of a Shakespearian actress, Pavich found his interest in cinema growing from a personal perspective. During high school, his experience watching Martin Scorsese’s “Taxi Driver” allowed for a better appreciation of film than previously before. Upon taking a series of classes and learning about filmmaking, he soon made the leap to his first film. The result was a documentary about the New York Hardcore music scene entitled, “N.Y.H.C.” “When I was in L.A., I kept coming back to New York which is where I’m from, and kept going to hardcore shows, when I’d come back for Christmas break and stuff like that,” Pavich said. “In 1995, the summer of 95, there was a huge upswing in New York hardcore music, New York hardcore kind of seesaws. You get good years and then you get years whenever it kind of implodes and they have fights with

games

Photo: Hqslapbass.com

Director Alejandro Jodorowsky and documentarian Frank Pavich

each other, all the bands hate each other---and 1995 was kind of like one of the many resurgences. So I said what the hell, let’s just get a camera crew and start filming it and just document it.”

While he and his crew were uncertain of how the project would turn out, Pavich set out to document the events of that summer.

The resulting film, which took four years to edit, was finally released on VHS and has enjoyed a cult following since.

After several years of working in various capacities in the film and television industries, Pavich found himself returning to documentaries. This time, the subject was Jodorowsky and his ill-fated quest to make “Dune.”

“I’ve always been a fan of his; I’ve always really admired “El Topo” and “The Holy Mountain” in particular, those two films I think are completely two of the greatest films ever,” Pavich said.

Discovering the story of a lost Jodorowsky film and the “spiritual warriors” who brought together

Photo: Press.sonyclassics.com

this vision, Pavich began to construct his documentary. Through his interviews and information gathered, he learned of a film beyond the category of simply being unmade.

“Not only did they try to make this film, but they really succeeded,” Pavich said. “Everything was created and then they just didn’t get to film it. It’s the most realized unrealized film that I’ve ever heard of. And then we start to learn the fact that this unrealized unmade film would still exist and still kinda influence so many other films is just an amazing story which I thought needed to be shared with the world.”

During production and in between interviewing, Pavich turned his attention to visualizing Jodorowsky’s script and storyboards through an animated form. Referring to a former colleague from his time living in Los Angeles, he found his animator.

“When I knew that we were going to make this movie, and I knew that all of these story-

boards existed, I knew that I wanted to animate them, to bring them to life,” Pavich said. “So I called up my artist friend and I was like do you know an animator, do you know anyone you would recommend? And he said, Oh absolutely, this one guy, he’s the greatest guy in the world, his name is Syd Garon and he pointed me towards his website---and I said this is the guy.”

With the intention of not overanimating the storyboards, Pavich’s intentions for the animation were to simply bring them to life. This he intended to show off the film’s vision as an example of its imagination and to show the viewer the scale of the project itself.

Shooting footage all to the way to its world premiere at Cannes, Pavich continued editing the film following its festival screenings to create the final product presented in release. It was during these screenings, “Jodorowsky’s Dune” gained several awards.

“To sit in that audience and hear people laughing at the funny parts, cheering at other parts and silence where you could hear a pin drop during serious moments, that’s the ultimate prize I think,” Pavich said. “It’s to get that feeling that you’ve transformed people, Jodorowsky’s whole point in all of his art is to transform people. So what’s the point of making a movie if an audience goes in there and then they walk out two hours later, exactly the same?”

“Jodorowsky’s Dune” is in limited theatrical release by Sony Pictures Classics, and Pavich said he’s not sure what his next film subject will be at the present time. Considering his work, it will truly be something of a personal nature.

By Justin George

OAS game tournament awakens players’ inner ninja Like countless anime protagonists before them, players entered the arena on March 19 to participate in a battle of epic proportions, hosted by Kean’s Otaku Anime Society (OAS). In this case, the arena was the University Center game room and the battle was a video game tournament where entrance fees were being donated to charity.

The game that the tournament revolved around was Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3, a game that didn’t have nearly as many competitive players as other fighting games.

“We were originally gonna do Super Smash Bros Brawl, but ultimately decided on Naruto because it was available on PS3/Xbox and it’s one of the more recognizable animes,” said Sam Steingart, OAS vice-president.

There was no shortage of competition during the match however, with battles being fierce and frenetic. Despite the good-natured intent of the tournament, the matches in the tournament were anything but, with several upsets and close calls. Eventually, a single victor stood on top, Mike Zavist, winning a $50 Barnes & Noble gift card and a Gundam model as the grand prize. Winning with the game’s titular character Naruto, he wasn’t too sure he would even make it to the finals at first.

“I didn’t know what to expect from my opponent; I wasn’t feeling a little nervous going into the tournament, even though I hadn’t played in a while,” Zavist said. “But after a few practice matches, my confidence and skills were coming back. It was a lot of fun and I wouldn’t mind participating in future tournaments.”

Ian Padua, treasurer in OAS, was optimistic on both the amount raised and the participation in the

Photo: Fanpop

“The Originals” cast.

Photo: Justin George

110 percent of pure concentration.

“OAS has been wanting to do a charity event for a while, so we’re glad to finally have a chance to do so.” tournament.

“The highest amount donated by a single person was $20, and I feel there was a good turnout with a lot of participants,” Padua said. “It was much more populated than expected, and there’s a likely chance we’ll do it in the future.”

There was no minimum fee required to participate, but that

didn’t stop nearly all the participants from donating the recommended $5 amount to participate in the tournament. And unlike anime fighting tournaments, where the entrance fee is usually used to cover the prize, the proceeds went to a much nobler cause.

“The proceeds are going to

Child’s Play, a non-profit organization designed to help needy children who can’t afford video games in impoverished homes,” said Chris Caruso, OAS’s secretary. “It’s just like secret Santa; a parent contacts Child’s Play with a game in mind, and that child and game are put on a list. When it comes to charities, a certain amount reached will give a game depending on the amount donated. OAS has been wanting to do a charity event for a while, so we’re glad have finally a chance to do so. It feels like we can finally do our part to contribute to a good cause.”

OAS meets every Monday from 3:30-4:30 PM in the University Center, room 315.

music

April 10, 2014

THE TOWER 5

man. It ends with a logo of the new project zooming in and out of the screen in a very 80’s style fashion.

This will be Casablancas’ second solo project following his 2009 release of “Phrazes For the Young.” No date has been set for the release of the LP or a name, but what is known is that the LP will be released under Casablancas’ label, Cult Records.

In support of the news, Casablancas has been playing secret shows in the US. Leading up to his SXSW festival performance on March 14, Casablancas and his new backing band

By Adilene Rodriguez

“Julian’s band is doing something way different from what Julian did as a solo artist during Phrazes [For The Young]” Photo: Courtesy of Kelsey Landsgaard

Casablancas performing in his secret show at The Handlebar in Pensacola, FL.

Julian Casablancas playing secret shows after announcement of new LP When The Governor’s Ball, a New York based music festival, announced its lineup on January 15, music fans were taken by surprise to see that after a two year hiatus, The Strokes were set to headline the festival. But right below the other headliners on the bill, was also The Strokes front man Julian Casablancas’ name.

Although it was a surprise to see that his band is to headline a music festival after a rushed album release last year and their last live performance being in 2011, Casablancas announcement to play at the festival wasn’t.

Casablancas was already announced to play in Lollapalooza’s Chile and Brazil dates, and the SXSW music festival in Texas. Although Casablancas announced these dates, there was still no word on what he was working on or when it would come out. But finally on March 6, Casablancas announced in the form of an album trailer that he would be releasing an LP under the name Julian Casablancas + the Voidz.

In the album trailer, there are snippets of songs, which could possibly be featured on the album, play as what looks like home recorded videos of the band practicing and clips of riot videos roll. In the grainy video we also get a first glimpse of Casablancas’ new backing band “the Voidz” as they play alongside the Strokes leading

culture

art

By Yayona Bangura

By Jennifer Deligne

The World View in Latin American Art

Rave is the new wave There’s a place where you can go to escape. A whole new world where you can be anyone or anything you want for a night with no judgments.

Surrounded by colorful flashing lights and blaring electric dance music, everyone waits for the beat to drop. When it does, the sea of thousands of people around you go wild as confetti and smoke shoot out of stage cannons and rain down upon you as you lose yourself to the music.

This is raving, an activity that seems to have ignited a spark in Kean University students.

“There are a good handful of people at Kean who rave, about 50 to 150 people,” says Kean student Shawn Bragg. “It’s fun seeing people from Kean at raves because they’re people you go to school with. They understand you and don’t judge you.”

Sean was introduced to raving a couple months back after watching rave videos on social networks.

He was convinced by friends to attend his first event on his twentieth birthday.

“It was pretty awesome,” said Bragg. “It was out of my comfort zone at first, but it was very fun with lots of dancing and positive energy.”

A rave can simply be described as a full-blown dance party that can last for hours or even days at a time. The central theme, PLUR, is an acronym for peace, love, unity and respect among ravers. Most raves include confetti cannons, foam, laser light shows or paint and are very festive and colorful.

Noted DJs from all over the world play their sets at raves across the country, from Steve Aoki and Hardwell to Nicky Romero and Avicii. Electronic music’s broad genre includes different types of dance music such as house, techno, dubstep and trance.

Many ravers wear loose, light clothing in order to keep cool while dancing. Some go all out in themed Halloween costumes like sexy versions of television characters with furry boot sleeves and metallic bikinis.

“I see tutus, wigs, togas and sometimes shirtless people, in just bras and booty shorts,” said Bragg. “I wear a t-shirt and khaki shorts to keep it simple.”

have played three secret shows in three different states. The first of the secret shows was on March 8 in Washington, D.C.’s Sleep Walking Cult art space. The second show, which he announced via his Twitter account hours before the show, was at One Eyed Jacks in New Orleans, LA on March 10. And finally the last one was at The Handlebar in Pensacola, FL on March 11 In the secret shows, Casablancas played four new songs titled, “Ego,” “2231,” “Dr. Acula,” and “Arabic.” Along with the new tracks, Casablancas played some old Strokes songs as well as a cover of “Instant Crush,” the song he collaborated with Daft Punk for their 2013 album Random Access Memories.

One of the few lucky fans that got to be in the New Orleans show was Summer Hortman.

After a friend sent her a text message telling her about rumors of a possible show that very day, Hortman went on the venue’s website where the show was confirmed. Hortman said rushing and shuffling around to get to the show was well worth it when she heard the new material Casablancas had to play.

“Julian’s band is doing something way different from what Julian did as a solo artist during Phrazes [For The Young],” said Hortman. “The new album should be pretty rad.”

Hortman even got to meet the man of the hour and talk to him where Casablancas told her about plans for the following secret show in Florida, which she later tweeted about and broke news of the Florida show. Hortman says he explained why he chose to do secret shows.

“He said [he] prefers smaller group settings because they’re more intimate and personal, compared to festival type shows,” Hortman said.

For now, there hasn’t been any recent news about more secret shows to come, but fans still hold out hope he’ll continue the shows in hopes of seeing Casablancas live. One fan is Kean Student, Ashley Magani.

“If he does play a secret show nearby it’ll probably in New York since he’s from there but I don’t mind going to the city to see him,” says Magani. “I hope he does play one soon.”

As for us, it’s back to the waiting game.

Photo: Kardsunlimited.com

Photo: Bryant Madera

Raving is popular among Kean students.

People travel from all over the world to attend the biggest raves, such as Tomorrowland in Georgia, the Ultra Music Festival in Miami and the Electric Daisy Carnivals in both Las Vegas and New Jersey.

While these bigger raves last over a whole weekend and can hold 50,000 to 60,000 attendees, smaller, more local raves like Barstool and Sayreville’s Hyperglow last several hours and hold about 3,000 people.

“I’ve met the greatest people around the world—people from Florida, Connecticut, the Netherlands and even Australia,” said Kean student Michael Lao, who has been to over 50 raves. “I’ve brought people who don’t like EDM to raves and they’ve become obsessed with the culture.”

Kean also held its own paint party last year and recently held a Kean Glo event presented by K.U.G.A.R., Kean’s Gay Alliance Reformation.

“It feels like nothing else matters but the fun and positive moment. I’m in a different world for a few hours,” said Kean student Ralph Papillon, who prepares for raves by jamming out to the sets of anticipated performers.

One thing that can be taken away from raving is the very important theme of freedom of expression.

Raving unites the masses and allows people of all backgrounds, races, creeds and sexual orientations to be break out, be free and enjoy themselves as much as possible.

“You just live your life to the fullest,” Bragg said. “Live like it’s your last night, but it’s never your last night.”

Roberto Matta’s “The Creators” from 1953.

Photo:Kean University

Fifty Years of Latin American Art is on display in the Karl and Helen Burger gallery showcasing the varied styles, genres, and meanings that artists have expressed in the last five decades. This elite collection from the Neuberger Museum of Art includes noteworthy artists such as Jose Luis Cuevas, Leda Catunda and Nicolás De Jesús who each bring something new to the viewer’s experience.

Abstract art paintings, photographs and physical three-dimensional pieces do their work in portraying life in the time specified and expressed the country’s circumstance. In Bicicletas en Domingo, (Bicycles on Sunday), photographer Manuel Alvarez Bravo captures a landscape of Mexico with four men journeying on their bikes through a desert with a mountainous view. This alone shows the world a serene and beautiful side of Mexico in the 1960s.

Other photographs in the exhibit make different statements. In En Busca del Santo Grial, (Search of the Holy Grail) Carlos Garaicoa represents the decay of a Cuban City. The photograph shows what was once a full ceramic-tile painting of a man riding his horse. This was placed on the edge of a sidewalk.

There has been so much destruction on that street, that the man became headless.

This photograph, interestingly enough, is accompanied with a hand-painted ceramic tile replica placed under the photo which illuminates the meaning.

Garaicoa seemed to have his artistic viewers in mind.

Almofadinihas II (Tiny pillows II), designed by Brazilian artist Leda Catunda, portrays a literally softer side to the exhibit. It is simply rectangular pillows painted in earthly tones, one on top of the other.

Catunda places her reaction against strict minimalistic art in her abstract touches and soft brush strokes on the canvas. Many artists of her time were part of the Geração 80 in Brazil, a movement which allowed artists to express themselves through art with various methods and materials, or make political statements through their work.

The last fifty years of Latin American art are filled with such diverse themes that even kinetic elements are demonstrated in the gallery. Carlos Cruz-Diez’s Physichromie #214, is constructed of plastic strips and painted wood which in sum give the piece a non-concrete, active look.

“There isn’t a single piece that isn’t participatory and that can’t be shared,” said Cruz-Diez. “All of my work dies if you remain static before it. The viewer has to participate in order for the work to exist.”

This exhibit represents Latin American artists in both a broad and honorable way. Most of all, these artists are being represented as people with a story to tell.

6 THE TOWER

April 10, 2014

THE TOWER Department of Communication

health

Kean University Center for Academic Success 1000 Morris Avenue Union, NJ 07083 Telephone: (908) 737-0460; Fax: (908) 737-0465 Email: thetower@kean.edu; www.keantower.com

Consistency is the key to health success

By Dr. Josh Palgi

Healthy People is a program of nationwide health promotion and disease prevention goals set by the United States Department of Health and Human Services. The goals were set in 1979, and have been regularly updated.

The goals for Healthy People 2010 are to increase the quality and years of life, and eliminate health disparities between different segments of the population.

Six major factors contribute to disparities in the health of Americans and have been identified as: • Gender • Race or ethnicity • Education or income • Disability • Geographic location • Sexual orientation In 2008, Physical Activity guidelines for American were developed to provide information and guidance on the types and amount of physical activity that provide substantial health benefits for Americans aged 6 years and older. The main idea behind the guidelines is that regular physical activity over months and years can provide long-term health benefits.

The amount of physical activity individuals should get each week differs based on a number of factors. The amount and types of activity needed varies based on age and special conditions.

At a minimum, all adults and older adults should aim for 2 hours and 30 minutes each week. Youth should be active for 1 hour each day.

Inactive persons can begin to gain the health benefits as they increase their physical activity even before they reach 2 hours and 30 minutes each week of moderate-

intensity aerobic activity.

American college of sports medicine (ACSM), the largest, most respected sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world, recently updated its position on exercise for healthy adults.

The updated position reflects current scientific evidence on physical activity and includes recommendations on aerobic exercise, strength training and flexibility. The basic recommendations are as follows: Cardiorespiratory Exercise • Adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week.

• Exercise recommendations can be met through 30-60 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise (five days per week) or 20-60 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise (three days per week).

• One continuous session and multiple shorter sessions (of at least 10 minutes) are both acceptable to accumulate desired amount of daily exercise.

• Gradual progression of exercise time, frequency and intensity is recommended for best adherence and least injury risk.

• People unable to meet these minimums can still benefit from some activity.

Resistance Exercise • Adults should train each major muscle group two or three days each week using a variety of exercises and equipment.

• Very light or light intensity is best for older persons or previously sedentary adults starting exercise.

• Two to four sets of each exercise will help adults improve strength and power.

• For each exercise, 8-12 repetitions improve strength and power, 10-15 repetitions improve strength in middle age and older

persons starting exercise, and 1520 repetitions improve muscular endurance.

• Adults should wait at least 48 hours between resistance training sessions.

Flexibility Exercise • Adults should do flexibility exercises at least two or three days each week to improve range of motion.

• Each stretch should be held for 10-30 seconds to the point of tightness or slight discomfort.

• Repeat each stretch two to four times, accumulating 60 seconds per stretch.

• Static, dynamic, ballistic and PNF stretches are all effective.

• Flexibility exercise is most effective when the muscle is warm.

Try light aerobic activity or a hot bath to warm the muscles before stretching.

Neuromotor Exercise • Neuromotor exercise (sometimes called “functional fitness training”) is recommended for two or three days per week.

• Exercises should involve motor skills (balance, agility, coordination and gait), proprioceptive exercise training and multifaceted activities (tai ji and yoga) to improve physical function and prevent falls in older adults.

• 20-30 minutes per day is appropriate for neuromotor exercise.

If you are not currently exercising, please consult your physician before beginning any exercise program. Consistency is the key to success in any exercise program.

Choose an activity that you enjoy and are likely to continue throughout your life. For more information contact the ACSM http:www. acsm.org Dr. Palgi is a professor in Physical Education, Recreation and Health.

How healthy are Naked Juices?

By Gillian Findley

With five minutes in-between classes, running against foot traffic and gusty winds, a quick snack would have to do before the next class you want to be sure to make on time..

“I usually go with what can fill me up the quickest if I’m in serious need of food and in a rush,” Daneila Blake, a senior majoring in public administration says.

The most important meal of the day might be skipped because of late nights and forgetting to set an alarm, or hitting the snooze button too many times.

“I usually skip breakfast on my early mornings and grab a

million class-action settlement was funded after plaintiffs questioned the company’s claims of “100 percent juice” and “all natural” labeling. ABC news reported last August that if people purchased Naked Juice in between Sept. 27, 2007 and Aug. 19, 2013, they could electronically receive a payment of up to $75 in the mail by Dec. 17, 2013.

Five class action complaints were filed against Naked Juice.

ABC news reported that Naked Juice, which is owned by PepsiCo, was being sued for the violation of “state and federal laws and consumer protection statutes related to advertising, labeling and marketing of certain products.”

““I always thought they were nutritious but after the lawsuit in the summer...I’m just glad I didn’t waste my money.”

Naked Juice from Kean’s Starbucks and call it a day,” Blake said.

Blake expressed that she likes the boost, vitamins, and fiber the drink contains. She says that it is the easiest way to consume them, and that the all-inone drink is “extremely and incredibly delicious.”

Some students, like Malika Walker, a senior who is an accounting major, say they like the drink for the flavor.

“I don’t know the nutritional value of Naked Juices, but I don’t drink them for those purposes,” said Walker. “I drink them because they are very good.”

Is the Naked drink too good to be true?

According to ABC news, a $9

“I never rely on drinks for nutrition because I find if you’re trying to be healthy, you should just drink water,” Jennifer Lee, a junior who majors in history, said.

“I really don’t drink Naked Juices because of how much money they are,” Kevin Hunt, a senior who majors in English said. “I always thought they were nutritious but after the lawsuit in the summer...I’m just glad I didn’t waste my money.”

Even though Naked Juices advertise the right words such as “100 percent juice,” “boost” and the numbers of fruits, vegetables, and vitamins, the facts of the juice do not live up to the hype.

A blogger, Kevin Geary, teach-

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DISPLAY AND CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING

Photo: Gillian Findley

A student with a Naked Juice.

es people how to reprogram their body and mind for success with ancestral health and modern psychology. He wrote a nine page response to Naked Juices and whether or not drinking them will help you look good naked. Geary says no.

His blog, “TheRebootedBody,” goes into great detail about the drink and includes specifics about the lawsuit. He highlights how labeling the juice “NonGMO” is a lie when the company knowingly uses genetically-modified ingredients in its products.

Geary lists how synthetic ingredients and fibers are in Naked Juices and how the company intentionally misleads customers.

“When you drink a Mountain Dew or a Naked Juice, you’re consuming more fructose in one sitting than you should consume over the course of a few days,” said Geary in a comparison of Naked Juice and Mountain Dew. Naked Juices are sold at Kean University, main campus (Starbucks and the CAS and UC building) and on East campus.

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) 737-0461 or email thetower@kean.edu for a rate card.

Staten Island Clown

(Continued from page 1)

“It really started with my brother and I running around as kids with our mom’s video camera,” said Leavy. As he grew older, he realized that making films was what he wanted to do as a career. Working with Fuzz on the Lens he is able to work on films of all genres, including horror, drama and comedy. Their horror film, “Catch of the Day,” was one of the winners at the Hot Springs International Horror Film Festival in Arkansas in the “Best in Fest” category. They are also now the official production company for the festival.

Leavy shared that they are working on several exciting projects, although whether the Staten Island Clown will be involved remains a mystery.

“We’re looking forward to keeping people guessing what’s happening next.”

If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.

- Milton Berle

SPORTS

April 10, 2014

THE TOWER 7

Baseball starts hot despite the cold

By Carl Stoffers

Despite the unseasonably cold weather, the Kean baseball team is off to another hot start, and head coach Neil Ioviero has his sites set on the team’s fourth straight College World Series berth.

“We’ve been able to win a bunch of different ways,” said Ioveiro.

“Some days, we’ve had to win high-scoring games. Sometimes, we’ve won in our last at-bat. I think what it’s showing is that we don’t rely on just one person to win.”

Ioviero’s squad is currently in second place in the New Jersey Athletic Conference standings, with a 13-3 record, just behind rival Rowan University. Kean is ranked third in the nation by D3sports.com and the American Baseball Coaches Association’s Collegiate Baseball Poll.

The team began the 2014 campaign in chilly February with wins over Baruch College and Neumann University before splitting a doubleheader with Gwynedd Mercy University. They closed out the month with a 3-1 record, despite the pitching staff fighting nagging injuries. “[Pitcher Charles] Thielmann is going to have an MRI on his arm, Dan Hansen has only pitched six innings so far, but I don’t know that it’s weather-related, it’s just been freak things.”

The team stormed into March, winning its first three games and outscoring its opponents, 18-6, while preparing to head to the west coast for a six-game road trip.

Thielmann picked up his second win, tossing seven-innings of four-hit, shutout baseball vs.

Photo: Carl Stoffers

Pitcher Shane Alvarez delivers against College of Staten Island.

FDU-Florham, as right fielder Ryan Kelley went 4-for-4 in the 8-0 Cougars romp on March 1.

Senior Tyler Smarslok powered Kean to a 6-5 extra-inning win the following day, ripping the first pitch of the bottom of the 10th over the left field wall to give the Cougars a walk-off win over the College of Mt. St. Vincent.

“His home run was key, no doubt about that,” said Ioviero, “and it was great for the team to see Tyler hit it.”

Left-hander Dan Hansen tossed six strong innings, allowing only two hits, leading the Cougars to a 4-1 victory over Eastern Connecticut State on March 5, the team’s final home game before embarking on the west coast trip.

In California, the squad swept a three-game series vs. the University of La Verne, as Richie Ferguson notched his first collegiate win in the Cougars’ 7-6 victory

in the first game of the set. Kean rallied for three runs in the ninth behind Brock Podgurski’s RBI single to complete a comeback 7-6 victory in the second game, and the Cougars completed the sweep with an 8-6 triumph on the third contest.

Kean dropped its next game, 6-2, to Chapman University before the Cougar bats came alive in a 9-1 victory over the University of Redlands. Kean was led by center fielder Matt Meleo and catcher James Lyczkowski, who chipped in two RBI apiece. Pitcher Mike Daley tossed eight solid innings for the win.

Kean defeated Whittier College in a slugfest, 12-10, to complete the impressive road trip, winning five of six contests.

“We’ve never left California with just one loss,” Ioviero said.

“To come out 5-1, playing the type of teams we played, is quite an ac-

complishment.”

Returning to New Jersey, the Cougars beat DeSales University, 6-2, behind designated hitter Anthony Fischetti’s four RBI and seven strong innings by Daley, before edging Alvernia University, 12-11.

The Cougars have been led by Fischetti, who is batting at a .370 clip, and shortstop Ryan Reitmeyer, who is hitting .333. Outfielder Shane Alvarez, who has clubbed two home runs, has also stolen six bases and played flawless defense. Outfielder Ryan Kelley has knocked in 15 runs while batting .328 so far.

On the mound, Thielmann has been solid, posting a 2.25 ERA while winning two of his three decisions, including a complete game victory. Mike Daley is undefeated with three wins while notching 20 strikeouts, and Nick Zucchero is 3-0 with 21 strikeouts.

“This game is all about pitching,” said Ioviero. “Typically, you’re going to match up your best guys, but if you can bring a guy out of the bullpen who’s just as good as a starter, that bridges the gap to winning, and that’s been a big plus for us to be able to do that.”

The Cougars began conference play with a March 29 doubleheader vs. Rutgers-Camden and, despite the team’s stellar record so far, coach Ioviero still feels there is work to do for the team to reach its full potential.

“It’s not like we feel like we’re winning now so everything is great, and we just keep moving on,” the coach said. “We know we have things to fix to really lock this thing down and start to play even better.”

Men’s and Women’s lacrosse teams get big wins

By Gerald Lima

The men’s lacrosse team starts the season of strong with a record of 9-1, including a 3-player Hat Trick by Sophomores Anthony Perrotta, Matt Speciale, and Vincent Ferraro in the 19-7 win over Centenary College Saturday March 29 to extend its winning streak to seven games.

“Attack, middle, and defense are all solid,” Head Coach Shelley Sheiner said.

Sheiner has had much success with the program, and it continues to succeed, as the Cougars are still undefeated at home with only four home games left.

“Right now, honestly it doesn’t mean anything,” Sheiner said. “It’s one game at time and, we keep playing to win. We don’t care about winning streaks, we care about winning the next game, and that’s all we care about.”

Despite the seniors lost from last season, the Cougars right on track to tie up its winning record of last season 15-3 or improve its record.

“Strong start is real credit to the seniors,” Sheiner said. “The key factors have been the senior leadership.

We have great senior leadership with Richard Cheifitz, Zach William, and Joe Voto our three senior captains’, but all my seniors including Daniel Vitale, Dino Vitale, John Amalfe, Marc Zolchonock, and John Marcelli.”

The Cougars had no conference games in the first half of the season, but going into the second half of the season the Cougars have seven games remaining, which six of them are conference games.

“Conference games are coming up, and we are just focusing on winning,” Sheiner said. “The plan is to win the conference, and go to the NCAA tournament.”

Sheiner said in an earlier interview young guys need to step up, and one of those guys was Attacker Matt Speciale that leads the Cougars in scoring with 26 goals, and adding 10 assists.

“Key to our success is to play more

Men’s Lacrosse are dominating opponents at home this season.

minutes,” Sheiner said in a pervious interview.

Sheiner received a congratulating handshake from his mentor Steven Jacobson after the win at home

Photo: Mak Ojutiku

point. The focus is one opponent at a time, and play turnover free lacrosse.”

The Cougars look to keep the homewinning streak going on Wednesday April 2 against SUNY Maritime Col-

“It’s one game at time and, we keep playing to win. We don’t care about winning streaks, we care about winning the next game, and that’s all we care about.” against the University of Scranton.

“I will not [be] coaching if not for this man. Gave me my starting coaching job,” Sheiner added. “Our seniors stood up today. Scranton is a great team, they been an NCAA tournament team. This was a great win getting them at home.”

According to Sheiner, the Cougars won’t change its plans from last season since it just keeps working.

“Yeah that’s it,” Sheiner said. “We are what we are. We had a strong start last year too, and we were 13-1 at one

lege at 7p.m.

Meanwhile, the women’s lacrosse team started the season strong with a four-game winning streak, and since hit a bumpy road dropping three of its last five games.

“We have been talking a lot about consistency,” Head Coach Jordan Trautman said. “For us our challenge is consistency, and coming out every practice, every game and performing in the way we know we can. Sort of finding our consistency and our iden-

Women’s lacrosse defending in huge win over FDU.

tity. We are continuing to improve every single day.”

Trautman in her second season in the lacrosse program has the cougars with a record of 6-3 halfway through the season.

“This year everyone on our offense is a threat.” Senior captain Ciara Mastrodomenico said. “We have all sort of players, who can score, catch, and throw. Every single one of our players is threat on our offense and defense wise too. There is a lot more communication, and we are a little more together this year.”

The Cougars 15-12 win over Fairleigh Dickinson University Monday afternoon was an important win for the team.

“We just came of a lost in Arcadia,” Trautman said. “I think for just momentum and confidence in believing in our system. Its good to bounce back, and have a big win like this.”

The Cougars second half of the season consists of six conference games, and three of them being at home.

“Conference play goes up a notch.

Trautman said. “The kids focus, and the level of intensity and competiveness in practice and in games definitely goes up and I think the

Photo: Gerald Lima

kids recognize that.”

Sophomore midfield/defender Jordan Blanda is the cougars leading scorer with 26 goals, and adding four assists and 30 points.

“We are very balanced on the field,” senior captain attacker Julie Knodt said. “Every single person is a threat on the field, off the field, and everywhere they are.”

Knodt has scored 14 goals during the season with a combination of five assists and 19 points.

“We move forward,” Trautman said. “Taking steps forward, but definitely taking a more competitive mentally.”

According to Mastrodomenico the win over FDU was huge.

“This was a huge win for us,” Mastrodomenico said. “It is a big confidence booster and it’s an important win for us.”

The Cougars are ready to keep pushing all the way to then end, and according to Trautman they aren’t giving up and will just keep on improving and do what they are doing because they are a strong team.

“We needed this win,” Knodt said.

The Cougars will kick off its first conference game at home against Rowan University Saturday April 5 at 1 pm.

April 10, 2014

Kean’s spring sports recap

SPORTS

8 THE TOWER

Photos: Mak Ojutiku

Kean’s Ron Dunn setting up a shot for Kyle Farley (left) and Kean lacrosse has been showing skills on the field (right).

By Mak Ojutiku

So far, it’s been a successful season for Kean’s Spring sports teams. For some of the teams the season is just beginning, for others its in full swing. Let’s take a look at how the teams have been doing so far.

Men’s Volleyball The regular season for the Men’s Volleyball team might be ending soon, but the team doesn’t seem to be slowing down at all. The season started off a bit slowly, dropping six of their first nine games but their 3-0 win over Daniel Webster College, in their tenth game of the season, seemed to open up the floodgates. After that win, the Cougars went on a 12 game winning streak. Head coach Charlie Ginex, says that the key to getting on that streak was just getting over the hump. “The beginning of the season saw the team go through some growing pains.” the first year head coach said.

“We play some of the best teams in the country throughout the season, and our first month was no different. Although we were competitive we just could not get over the hump so to speak.

We have found our stride and at this point are playing very well as a cohesive unit.”

The team won a lot of big games during that streak, but their most impressive performance had to be on Feb 22.

On that day, the Cougars had a doubleheader against two of the best Division III teams in the country. The first game of the day was against 5th ranked Nazareth College.

Kean narrowly won the first set of the game 28-26 and then won the next two sets 25-17.

Junior Bez Arslani lead the team with 12 kills. Their second match of the day, against 2nd ranked Rivier University, was a much closer match.

“The team has the potential to make a run at something very special.”

The Raiders took the first set by four points, and the Cougars rebounded by taking the next two sets 25-18 and 25-20. The Raiders tied it up in the fourth set but the Cougars rallied in the fifth and final set, winning 1512.

The biggest factor of the game, was Arslani. Arslani had 27 kills in the game, one shy of the school record. “The ceiling on his physical ability is almost

limitless.” says Ginex. “What our coaching staff is most proud of though with Bez is his ability to grow his game in a cognitive sense. He has become a very smart player and his future is very bright.”

Arslani is currently 30th in the nation in kills per set with a 3.39 average.

One of the main contributors to Kean’s defense is sophomore Tommy Rosario. Rosario leads not just the team, but the entire Division III nation, in blocks per set (1.38).

In two consecutive games, Rosario broke the school record for block assists. Rosario first broke it against College of Mt. St. Vincent with 11 BA’s and then he tallied 13 BA’s in Kean’s 3-1 victory over 15th ranked Stevenson University.

With a 17-7 record, Ginex thinks the team has a good chance to go far this season. “We have grown on and off the court” said the coach. “With continued hard work by both the players and coaches, the team has the potential to make a run at something very special.”

Softball This season, the focal point of Kean’s softball team has been it’s pitching. It started off with with their commanding 8-0 season opener win over Catholic University.

Junior Courtney Yard started off the game, and the season, by striking out the first batter she saw in three pitches. She stayed perfect until the bottom of the third where she yielded a single.

Yard finished the game with five strikeouts and allowing only four hits.

On the other side of the plate Kean’s Jill Martin and Megan Cegielsk scored back to back singles in the top of the third.

Yard contributed to the offense as well, getting a line drive home run in the 5th.

Yard’s performances in the first week of the season got her an NJAC Pitcher of the Week award.

The team’s pitching put on another show on a Tuesday doubleheader against Mitchell College and Muskingum University.

In the first game, against Muskingum, the Cougars give up an unearned run in the bottom of the first. Kean tied it up in the third via on an RBI that sent senior Jill Martin home. The Cougars went on to score three runs in the 4th and held onto to the lead to win 4-2.

Yard had four strikeouts and allowed six hits. The second game of the day was a runaway train of a game, that had the Cougars in the conductor’s seat. The Cougars scored five runs in the next inning, and Yard smacked an inside the park home run in the third.

On the offensive side of the game, freshman Emily Sabo has

been producing outstanding numbers. Sabo is the team leader in almost every offensive stat.

Batting average (.574), slugging percentage (.745) runs (18) hits (27) and stolen bases (10). She leads NJAC in batting percentage, runs and hits. Those numbers won her the NJAC Rookie of the Week award every week of the season so far.

Head coach Margie Acker recently got her 300th win and the team is currently ranked 25th in the nation with a 13-3 record.

Men’s Lacrosse Last year, Kean’s Men’s Lacrosse team won 15 games, which is the most amount of wins in the programs 44 year history. So far this season, the team has been showing the same kind of skill that got them that record.

The season started off with a home opener against Castleton State College. Sophomore Matt Speciale netted the first goal of the season less than two minutes into the game.

Castleton made a mini comeback, scoring the next three goals of the game, but ultimately the Cougar offense overwhelmed them.

The game ended 11-5 in Kean’s favor and it saw Speciale scoring five more goals, earning him a double hat trick, while Senior Richard Cheifitz tallied two goals and three assists.

The Cougars went on to rout Western Connecticut St. University in a 14-3 victory before conceding it’s first loss of the season to Plattsburgh St. 5-8.

Since that loss the team has been on a winning streak, currently at five. One of the factors contributing to the streak is senior goaltender Dino Vitale. In the last two weeks, Vitale has stopped 68 of 78 shots. He is currently has the second highest save percentage in the nation with .733.

The team currently has an 8-1 record and is undefeated at home.

Men’s Baseball Kean’s Men’s Baseball team has been putting up good numbers in the last few weeks. After splitting a double-header with Gwynedd Mercy University, the team went on an eight game winning streak.

One reason for the streak has been the Cougar pitching staff.

In Kean’s 8-0 win over FDUFlorham, Junior pitcher Charles Thielmann gave up only four singles over seven innings, and retired four hitters. The performance earned him NJAC Pitcher of the Week honors.

Junior Dan Hansen threw for six innings in Kean’s 4-1 win over Eastern Connecticut State University.

Pitcher Anthony Fischetti pitching against College of Staten Island.

Photo: Carl Stoffers

“After splitting a double-header with Gwynedd Mercy University, the team went on an eight game winning streak.

Hansen conceded only one unearned run and struck out six batters and Thielmann picked up the save striking out two.

Hansen also received an NJAC Pitcher of the Week award.

Junior Mike Daley was selected as the New Jersey Collegiate Baseball Association Division II/ III Pitcher of the Week on March 19, for his performance in the Cougar’s 9-1 win against the University of Redlands. Daley threw for eight innings allowing only six hits and tallying five strikeouts.

Kean got their first home run of the season, in the form of an extra innings walkoff.

The Cougars won their game against the College of Mt. St. Vincent 6-5, thanks to Tyler Smarslok, hitting a game winner in the tenth inning off of the first pitch he saw.

The home run is also believed to be the first hit in the 14 year history of Jim Hynes Stadium The team currently has a 13-3 record and has a fourth place ranking in the nation.

Women’s Lacrosse The Women’s Lacrosse team started off their season in an impressive manner. The first game of this year was against the Cyclones of Centenary College. At the end of the day it was the Cyclones who ended up getting blown away.

Seven different Kean players scored goals in the 18-2 victory over Centenary. Sophomore Jordan Blanda scored three goals, with the first one coming less than 30 seconds into the match.

Sophomore Samantha Gnapp netted a team high five goals. On the defensive side of the ball, graduate student Kelly Bachovchin performed well. Bachovchin caused three turnovers and acquired five ground balls. Altogether, the defense gave up only eight shots on goal. Bachovchin’s performance got her the first NJAC Defensive Player of the Week award of the season.

Going off the momentum of that game, the Cougars went 4-0 in their first four games. All four games were one sided affairs,the most lopsided being their 20-5 thrashing of SUNY College at Old Westbury.

The game was somewhat competitive at first, as the Cougars went into halftime leading 10-5, but once the second half began it was all one way traffic.

The Cougars outscored their opponents 10-0 in the latter half with Blanda and senior forward Julie Knodt finishing the game with four goals each.

Recently the team dropped three out of their last four with their last game being a 15-8 loss to Arcadia University. The team currently has a 5-3 record.