Nov. 19 - Dec. 2, 2008

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THE INDEPENDENT VOICE OF KEAN UNIVERSITY

DIABETES A CAUSE FOR CONCERN?

NO CHEERS FOR KEAN

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PASS THE MANNERS, PLEASE! Page 8

THE

FOOTBALL

OBAMA & FAMILY CONNECTION

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CASTING A WIDER WEB ONLINE LEARNING TAKES HOLD Page 2

THE TOWER

History of Dreams, Avenue of Success Writer Nikki Sherman visits midtown Elizabeth and discovers a vibrant community filled with people reaching for the American dream.

Take a stroll through midtown Elizabeth. See centerfold

Nu Sigma Phi Returns to Campus

By Dawn M. Phillips

“Brotherhood through the ages” is the motto of the Greek fraternity Nu Sigma Phi. Now, it is showing its motto to be true.

Fifteen years after the Greek non-sectarian fraternity founded in 1939 was disbanded, it has been reinstated on campus.

“We hope this fraternity will be closeknit,” Michael Delicio, a 1982 Psychology Kean and Nu Sigma Phi alumnus who led the program to bring back the frat.

“For me it’s been a lifelong journey; my closest friends are my frat brothers. We are passionate.”

Nu Sigma Phi prides itself as the first allinclusive fraternity at a time when mostly scholastic, ethnic or religious fraternities existed. At Nu Sigma, all races, creeds and colors have always been accepted.

In its time, Nu Sigma Phi donated thousands of dollars to the American Heart Association, and was a major donor to the Kean Ambulance Squad on campus. It also offered a used bookstore on campus, where students could trade off books for cash, and the proceeds were donated to organizations. Nu Sigma Phi also was very supportive in the development of the East Campus where it ran various pep rallies.

But in 1993, Nu Sigma Phi was suspended for recruiting violations and later disbanded. Despite the discontinuance, 150 members remain active including Delicio.

In May 2007 while on campus, Delicio walked by the Greek Senate office and admired the fraternity and sorority banners posted. He reminisced of Nu Sigma Phi, and wondered “What if?”

His internal questioning led him to speak with Valerie (Continued on page 4)

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Volume 9 • Issue 5 Nov. 19-Dec. 2, 2008

New Spring Schedule Confuses Students

By Kelly Nemeth

Based on staff reports

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tudents are saying that registering for classes this fall has been confusing and isn’t nearly as easy as it was in the past due to the new class schedule that will take effect in January.

Registering opened for students in October and students had a first look at what the rest of their time at Kean University will look like under the new plan.

“Scheduling was difficult, because just when you thought you had something that worked, you found out that it didn’t,” said Sophomore Sarah Jones. “Times overlap creating difficulty in making a good schedule. Also a lot of the classes are later for some reason; there aren’t that many early classes. Earlier classes are easier because then I can work in the afternoon. I will only be on campus four days next semester still.”

With the economy in distress, many of the students interviewed said they are struggling to accommodate school and work schedules -- never an easy task.

Many also complained of the extra time and expense of coming to campus on a fourth or fifth day. But most are managing, although not always happily.

Said Sarah Boruch, a sophomore math education major: “I am a commuter so I want don’t want to go five days a week I want to go four. It took forever for me to figure out a schedule especially with the times. Now my work schedule is conflicted.”

The new schedule includes a variety of combinations, but the changes for students mostly include more classes on Fridays, and three day a week classes— mostly for underclassmen—hat meet on Monday-Wednesday-Friday Classes also run for different lengths

depending on their configuration, and class times can overlap. The student hour —time set aside for student activities— has also been shortened and moved from Monday and Wednesday to Monday and Thursday.

“I had to write up about four different schedules before finding one that can fit into my work schedule,” said Senior English major Robert Pereira.

There are, however, some students who do not feel affected at all. They are mainly seniors who have already finished most of their major electives and General Education classes, and are now focusing on free electives.

“I just thought it was really confusing”—a freshman “I didn’t get to choose which electives I wanted, but I chose ones that fit in to the time slots I wanted,” said senior Kristina Haugen. “I don’t have any classes on Fridays and that was all I was worried about.”

Yvette Maano, a senior English major, felt the new schedule had no impact.

“I am only taking one class next semester, Senior Writing Seminar, so it doesn’t really affect me,” she said. “I handed in my petition right away and was able to register for the class I wanted the next day.”

The upper classmen tend to have it easier than the freshman and sophomore classes. The juniors and seniors have already taken most of their general education classes and now are focusing more on major requirements while the freshman and sophomores are the ones who are facing Monday-Wednesday-Friday change the most.

When a student has (Continued on page 4)

INQUIRING PHOTOGRAPHER: What do you think of the recent election of Barak Obama as President?

Wilmer Arcela, Junior, Criminal Justice Major

Alesandrina Canelo, Sophomore, Biology Major

Beth Lugra, Senior, Public Communications Major

Federico Marmolevo, Junior, Management Major

“I think he will be a good president. I think he will show that a black man can do his best just as well as a white man can.”

“I think it is something different that we need. We have the opportunity to make a change in education, in the economy, and in the war.”

“I think Obama getting elected is going to give the country a boost. It shows that change is possible.”

“Overall, I think it was time for a change. I was tired of the presidency of Bush.”

The Tower is now on the web! Find a PDF version of The Tower at: www.kean.edu/~thetower

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THE TOWER

FACULTY PROFILE Professor susanna rich brings literature to life

By Raquel Fernandes

manuscripts. To see a two hundred year old manuscript a quarter of an inch away from you is very compelling. There’s a sense of awe when you’re so close to a relIt’s hard to see things if you don’t know what they look like. ic. The drawings and the edgings were so fresh, the painting was so fresh that it For Susanna Rich, Professor of English at Kean University, seeing things first looked like the paint wasn’t wet yet, and yet we also walked into a Kerouac exhibit hand is an integral part of teaching. Dr. Rich believes that experiencing something where his On The Road scroll, [Kerouac’s novel was originally typed on a continuous is the best way to understand. Thus, it’s no surprise that her 120 foot scroll of paper] was displayed and that paper was writing and literature classes take field trips that connect falling apart.” classroom knowledge with the heartbeat of experience.

Dr. Rich is not the typical lecture professor. Rich incites “When I teach writing, I talk to students about immediaindependent thought, and thrives on classroom interaccy and about hands on research,” said Rich. “I feel that there tion, between the students and each other, and the stuare things you can learn about that you can’t learn from just dents and her. looking at pictures - there are certain things that you really “I really believe in learning as a communal activity, so my have to see firsthand.” classes are very much community oriented,” said Rich. “I Last semester, Dr. Rich took her Emily Dickinson class on encourage bonding between my students and, of course, a three-day trip to Amherst, Mass. to see the home of poet I bond with them. I don’t come in insisting that students Emily Dickinson. In class, students had been discussing think a certain way. I don’t come in with a prescribed set Dickinson’s poetry, and had seen pictures of her. But visitof things that students need to give back to me. The classing the house where she lived, seeing her room, and other room is about students learning who they are and using things this young poet saw on a daily basis, galvanizes her literature as a root to that. We discover things together.” work, said Rich.

In addition to teaching, Dr. Rich is an author and poet.

“When you’re together for three or four days, there’s a Her work has appeared in dozens of publications interdeeper bonding and an understanding,” said Rich. “There nationally, notably English Journal, The Evansville Review, are lifelong friendships and literary connections that stuFeminist Studies, Nimrod, Phoebe (both Fairfax and Onedents make when they do something together like that. For onta), Pilvax (Budapest), Porcupine, Southern California Remany people it’s like the experience of a lifetime. There we Dr. Susanna Rich, professor of English and author of view, Tiferet, VerseDaily.org, Urthona (UK), Willow Review, Television Daddy. were, at her graveyard with a full moon, the bells tolling, and Zone 3. and reading Emily Dickinson poems. It was just very magical.”

Recently, Rich opened Television Daddy, a traveling one-woman, audience-interDr. Rich’s trips vary from plays on campus, to poetry festivals, and other interest- active, poetry performance. Rich is also a recipient of the first joint Fulbright and ing trips.

Collegium Budapest Fellowship in Creative Writing, and a Pushcart Prize nominee.

“We took a trip to New York where I had three different sites bring out Blake For more information on Dr. Rich and her poetry, visit www.susannarich.com.

Online Learning Gets an Upgrade

By Carlos M Reynosa

In early 2000, Kean University was introduced to the then amazing new tool called Web CT, an online learning system that allows students to contact their professors after school hours for lessons and assignments on the Internet.

It was a slow and difficult start, but many say WebCT has become a powerful tool for aiding students and professors in a successful learning experience.

“In the beginning there were many difficulties in WebCT that we ourselves had to deal with,” said Mohammad Rahmen, a former Kean students that graduated in 2004 and is now working for the Office of Computer and Information Services (CIS) and is staff support for WebCT. Logging on was a problem and sometimes it still is. Older computers can’t accommodate the system at times. And then there are other, smaller issues. For example, WebCT does not know when you drop out of an online course.

“It (was) annoying sometimes,” said Rosa Gonzalez, an education major who is using Web CT in a regular face-to-face

class. “You would have problems logging on, and because most of our assignments are online, you would go to class without knowing anything.”

Most students would agree with Rosa about the rough beginnings for WebCT, but the Campus School East department, (CSE) says it is a problem that is being solved. In fact, sometime in the next year Kean will adopt an upgraded version of

“We live in an Internet-driven world” said Dr. Fitch, “and one of the skills that we are able to gain is the ability to live, and do things, online.”

But as big of a supporter of Web CT as Professor Fitch is, he is also aware of some of its flaws. “WebCT does all things better,” said Professor Fitch, “but there are flukes in Web CT that they need to correct.”

We live in an Internet-driven world.

WebCT called WebCT CE6 that addresses some of the issues.

“It has its pros and cons,” said Rosa.

“The pros are when you log in, you know what the assignment is. You can send your work in a lot quicker, and if you have a problem you’re able to contact your teacher quicker.”

Dr. Fred Fitch, a professor in the Department of Communication, not only uses WebCT, but is a big supporter of the program and the newest version, WebCT CE6.

Fitch is referring to the problems linked to Java. Java is a programming language that allows the user to do advanced, interactive tasks online such as say, online games, for example. However, as Rahman explains, Java is constantly upgrading, and often students are not up-to-date, causing problems accessing certain activities.

“I believe most students are frustrated with Web CT because they don’t take the time to read the instructions,” said Fitch.

“They have to see it as a video game and just feel it out; 95 percent of the com-

plaints from students are mostly errors that are user made.”

With Web CT, Fitch said professors are not only able to quickly respond to students, but can also multi-task with other classes at the same time. It is also environmentally-sound because it is paperless.

Rahman said it’s time for WebCT to be upgraded.

“Every system has a life cycle,” said Rahman. “It’s natural for Web CT to get an upgrade because the system is too old or the program can no longer take anymore data.”

The newer WebCT CE 6 version is currently part of a test pilot on campus. In addition, the technical support staff at Kean is asking on the WebCT portal for student input. CIS wants to know students’ likes and dislike about WebCT. “We are always interested in what students think,” said Rahman. “The website is there for them and if there is anything they like to see in their site, we would like to make it work.”

DUI Checks to Continue on Campus

By Kevin Adams

DUI checks on campus, which began this semester, will continue to occur. But at the November 7th meeting of the Student Organization, a representative to the Vice President of Student Affairs said that it will provide two weeks notice pri-

or to those nights on which there will be checks.

“DUI checks, yes (they) will continue” the representative said. “At the end of the day, they are doing this for our safety.”

The DUI checks have led “non-Kean” police such as the Union and Elizabeth Police, to start buckling down as well, the

representative said.

Though the DUI checks will continue, they can be easily avoided with a designated driver, he said.

In other business, Scott Herman, the president of the Student Organization, started his agenda with the Food Bank Lunch-which will be held Nov. 19 in the

Cougar’s Den from 11:30a.m.-2pm. Tickets are $5, and are available in the ticket window located in the University center.

All proceeds will be donated to the food bank in Hillside.

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Cheerleaders Shout Foul

By Kelly Nemeth

What can you get for $25,000?

A 2009 Honda Accord. A single semester of room, board and tuition at New York University. A full year of the Kean University cheerleading team.

In July, two months after its tryouts, the Kean cheerleading squad was quietly notified that the university cut its program due to budget problems. The savings to Kean: about $25,000.

“We were told that the school had to cut,” says cheerleader Andreauna Boyer, a sophomore.

But the cheerleaders aren’t about to just sit on the bench. Like a squad cheering a losing team to victory, the team is putting their go-team-go spirit to use to try to save the squad.

Boyer and the other members of the team say they have been working hard to not only find answers to their questions about the cut, but to try to re-build their team. They have been actively sending around petitions, speaking in front of the Student Government Organization WAITING FOR COMMENT FROM STUDENT ORG and trying to set up meetings with the Athletic Department as well as with Kean President Dawood Farahi or a representative of his office.

Their next move: They plan on sending petitions to gain the support of the student body. But even cheerleaders can get the blues. Two students who were on the

team transferred to other schools in order to be a part of a cheerleading program.

“No one seems to listen,” says Boyer.

“It’s almost as if they feel like we don’t make a difference for the school.”

Dajaita Morris, who said she chose to

as does any sport.”

According to team members, the cheerleading team did not receive much financial funding. The school assisted them with insurance and uniforms. However, warm up suits and other needed items

According to Professor Jerry Bryant of the Music Department, the pep band will be playing at every home game and possibly tournament games.

Kean spokesperson Steve Hudik said the university made the cuts due to a severe reduction in state funding of athletics. He said the decision was based on making a cut that “would have least affect, if any, on our athletic program and our NCAA Division III status.”

“Due to severe reductions in state funding, the college needed to reduce expenses,” Hudik said. “We needed to reduce expenses in areas that would have the least impact on its students and their academic programs.”

But the members of the cheerleading team say they have been affected, and that

“Cutting the team is like cutting our dreams” Photo used to advertise cheerleader tryouts on Kean’s web site last May.

still come to Kean despite learning of the cuts over the summer, feels that other teams were always favored over the squad.

She said the team never got the financial support or attention of the other sports on campus. And now this.

“Cheerleading just doesn’t seem important to this school,” said Morris. “It takes just as much skill and dedication (to cheer)

were funded solely though fundraising and by the cheerleaders themselves.

In place of the cheerleading team, the Kean University Music Department is starting an official pep band to support basketball and football. Auditions will be held the week before Thanksgiving and the entire student body is allowed to participate.

the teams they cheer for will feel their absence too.

“I feel like we have worked hard our whole lives to become cheerleaders in college and by them just cutting the team is like cutting our dreams,” says Boyer.

“Just because we aren’t football, baseball, or basketball doesn’t mean that we are not a team.”

HEALTH & FITNESS

Diabetes: Is There a Need to be Concerned?

By Dr. Josh Palgi and Dr. Jessica Adams

November is National Diabetes Awareness Month. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the American Diabetes Association, diabetes is the fifth deadliest disease in the nation currently affecting 23.6 million people and 5.6 million of those people do not know that they have the disease.

The American Diabetes Association estimates that diabetes accounts for 178,000 deaths, 54,000 amputees and 12,000-24,000 cases of blindness annually. Some scientists propose that by the year 2010, diabetes will exceed both heart disease and cancer as the leading cause of death through its many complications. A study by doctors from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently startled people with the finding that the prevalence of diagnosed cases of diabetes had increased 33% over the past 8 years. There is a need to be concerned!

Diabetes, also called Diabetes Mellitas, is a life-long disease marked by high levels of glucose in the blood (hyperglycemia).

The blood sugar level is regulated by insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, which releases it in response to food consumption. Insulin causes the cells of the body to take in glucose from the blood. The glucose is used as fuel for cellular functions.

Diagnostic standards for diabetes have been fasting plasma glucose levels greater than 140 mg/dl on two occasions and plasma glucose greater than 200 mg/dl following a 75 gram glucose load. More recently, the American Diabetes Association lowered the criteria for a diabetes diagnosis to fasting plasma glucose levels equal to or greater than 126 mg/dl.

There are different types of diabetes, risk factors and impact on your health. Type-1 Diabetes with alternative names of insulin-dependent diabetes and juvenile diabetes, is a chronic (life-long) disease that occurs when the cells of the pancreas produce little or no insulin (the hormone that allows glucose to enter body cells where it is used for energy). Type-1 Diabetes accounts for only 5-10 percent of all cases of diabetes.

Type-2 Diabetes is a life-long disease marked by high levels of sugar in the blood as a result of the ineffectiveness of insulin to facilitate the transport of glucose into the cells and is a result of insulin resistance. Type-2 Diabetes accounts for 90-95 percent of all cases of diabetes. Insulin resistance refers to the condition in which a “normal” insulin concentration in the blood produces a less than normal biologic response. Insulin’s primary function is to facilitate the transport of glucose from the blood into the cell, across the cell membrane. With insulin resistance, the body needs more insulin to transport a given amount of glucose across the cell membrane into the cell. Insulin sensitivity is a related term and provides an index of the effectiveness of a given insulin concentration in the blood. As insulin sensitivity increases, insulin resistance decreases.

Both types of diabetes increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, blindness and damage to the liver and kidneys. A third type of diabetes is Gestational Diabetes and is a form of diabetes that develops in pregnant women and their fetuses in about 4% of all pregnancies and usually disappears in both mother and baby after delivery.

The four key steps to help you control your diabetes and live a long active life are:

By 2010 diabetes could exceed both heart disease and cancer as the leading cause of death.

1.

2.

3.

4.

Learn about diabetes Know your diabetes ABC’s Manage your diabetes Get routine care to avoid problems

Although there is no cure for diabetes, there are a variety of treatments that will help to maintain a healthy lifestyle. One day diabetes may be a thing of the past. In the meantime, scientists and researchers are working on new ways to prevent and treat the disease as well as find a cure. It is a time to bring greater awareness and attention to the seriousness of deadly complications and the importance of proper diabetes control.

This month, the American Diabetes Association will conduct activities and encourage people to get involved in efforts to raise awareness about diabetes.

Dr. Palgi and Dr. Adams are Professors in the Physical Education, Recreation and Health Department

GET PUBLISHED; JOIN THE TOWER Meetings Mondays @ 3:30 p.m., CAS 413

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

“Jazz Delicacy” a Treat for Music Lovers

By Raquel Fernandes

OK all you jazz cats, put on your dark shades and get over to Kean Hall for a night of amazing music featuring Kean’s own Andy Fusco.

If you’ve never heard Andy Fusco, Kean Concert Artist in Saxophone, you’re in for a special treat. These concerts consistently blend world renowned musicianship, witty improvisation, and fun in one exciting event. And Fusco and guests are back once again to redefine our understanding of jazz.

Fusco joined the Kean faculty in 1988, and is one of the founding members of the Kean Concert Artists program. He teaches saxophone, jazz, improvisation, and woodwind methods, and he directs the Kean Jazz Ensemble.

The concert will feature Gerard Carelli, trombone and vocals, Joyce DiCamillo, piano, Yoshi Waki, bass, and Ronnie Zito, drums, and, of course, Fusco on saxophone.

Fusco is a world renowned jazz performer, and has released numerous recordings, including his headlining debut, Big Man’s Blues in 1996 and Out of the Dark three years

later. Fusco was also Awarded four-and-a-half stars by Down Beat Magazine, and from 1978-1983 was the lead alto saxophonist of the famous Buddy Rich Band. Fusco has toured with a number of esteemed jazz performers including, Gerry Mulligan, Mel Lewis, Frank Sinatra, and John Pizzarelli.

Jazz Delicacy will be taking place at Kean Hall on Thursday, November 20 at 8:00 pm. Tickets are available at the box office in Wilkin’s Theatre, or online at www.keanstage.com. Public admission is $15. Alumni, faculty, staff, and seniors are $10, and student, and child are $5.

Fusco has toured with, among others, Frank Sinatra, mel lewis, Gerry mulligan, and John Pizzarelli.

Schedule Confusion (Continued from page 1) to take a Monday-Wednesday-Friday class, it can conflict with the Monday-Thursday classes. The result is the student has to eliminate a choice.

“I just thought it was really confusing because you really don’t know what classes conflict with each other,” Freshman Elyssa-Steele an early childhood education major said. “They just leave you out there.

You don’t have any guidelines to follow.”

Fraternities, sororities, and athletics hold events and practices on Fridays and are now feeling uneasy about when they will hold these activities.

Kyle Keelen, currently a junior at Kean, was disappointed with the new schedule as it interfered with his rehabilitation calendar. Keelen, a Kean football player, injured his left knee roughly a year ago.

He continuously attends rehab, however,

his new schedule interferes with the days and times the rehabilitation center at Kean is open.

“It’s kind of upsetting, but you have to deal with it,” Keelen said.

A member of the sorority Sigma Beta Chi and junior Lindsay Moscow says that most of her sorority’s events are on Thursday nights and now, with the new schedule, she needs to take a Thursday night

class until 8:45pm.

“It was confusing because I had to figure out what days would interfere with others,” said Moscow.

This article is based on reports from Jillian Johnston, Raquel Fernandes, Nicole VonGonten, Carlos Reynosa, Lillie Morales-Torres, Kelly Nemeth, Kevin Adams, Kelly Pennisi, Dawn Phillips and Jessie Rivera.

Nu Sigma Phi (Continued from page 1) Winslow of the Student Life office about reinstating Nu Sigma Phi at Kean University.

On Sept. 17, a table of interest with flyers and brochures was set up at the Meet the Greeks event and received encouraging support.

“Brothers with ages ranging from 30-50, gray hairs and pot bellies were at the table.

Students were very supportive, we had 24 signups,” stated Delicio.

After being on the reinstatement list since 2003, on Oct. 27, Nu Sigma Phi presented their fraternity to the Greek Senate and was accepted.

Nu Sigma Phi is currently looking for motivated individuals who exemplify honor, commitment, and creativity to reestablish their historic presence at Kean University.

“Nu Sigma Phi is not just about socialization, we want to develop individuals as they go through their college years.

We hope to instill what brotherhood really means. Our goal is to establish a vast network of Nu Sigma Phi so that the cycle continues,” states Delicio.

As lead member of the fraternity, Delicio is actively working on community based activities for Nu Sigma Phi to offer. He is already active on campus, having served as a guest speaker for the Communication Department in October and was recently offered a position to teach. He plans to work closely with the advisory board.

Delicio and the active members’ intentions are to develop an entity first, and then branch off once stability is reached.

They expect to work closely for the next two years with Kean and Nu Sigma Phi to ensure a firm foundation.

“We would love to have a chapter at Ocean County College, but there’s an investigation process”.

Nu Sigma Phi does not plan to go national. “We are a local fraternity, there is virtue in the power of being local, we define our own self-identity,” states Delicio.

Nu Sigma Phi does not have selection criteria, although students will need to meet college requirements. Informational blue and white fliers, emboldened with the Greek insignia and the saying, “Distinguish Yourself,” can be found on campus in all buildings.

Two meetings were held with the Brothers of Nu Sigma Phi this month at the Greek Lounge for anyone interested. At the first meeting, turnout was “robust,” said Delicio, and eight new members expressed strong interest.

Although there are various fraternities on campus, Nu Sigma Phi expects to complement other fraternities and sororities, providing diversity and service to the community and university.

“We want to be an alternative to students on campus,” says Delicio.

Deadline for signup is November 30, with a pledging process of one or two days, and the induction ceremony planned for late December.

All inquires can be directed to brotherhood@nusigmaphi.com. Information can be viewed on their website at www.nusigmaphi.com.

Get published Join The Tower Meetings, Mondays @ 3:30p.m. or email thetower@kean.edu

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Student Actors Shine in Latest Production

By Guisela Santistevan and Lillie Morales-Torres

Broadway’s got nothing on Kean University’s theater department.

Filled with talented student actors and a brilliant director, it’s easy to see in their just-finished production, Our Lady of 121st Street that they are on their way to professional careers.

The play, which ran from Oct. 31-Nov. 15 at the Zella Fry Theater, located in the Vaughn Eames building, had a successful opening night performance with a packed house and positive feedback from the audience.

“This was a great play,” said Annie Moore who is a Kean University alumnus. “The actors were outstanding and the explicit language did not bother me at all because it was part of who the characters were.”

Directed by the talented Professor Ernest Wiggins, the play is about giving a voice to individuals who are often ignored in our society. Like everyone in this world, they have stories to tell and should be heard, Wiggins explained. In this play, the characters come together to tell their stories because of one person who touched each of their lives in a positive way.

It’s an ensemble cast with no main characters. This is a cast that brings authentic-

ity to the stage. The director assures us that you won’t be the same after you see this play, and he’s right.

“You will be surprised, you will fall in love with the characters, and you will have a lot of fun if you pay attention to what

it is all cleverly done.

“This play is different because it’s contemporary,” said Audra Taliercio who plays the part of Sonia. “It feels more like a movie than an actual play.”

Written by Stephen Adly Guirgis, Our

cop, Victor (portrayed by undergrad student, Michael Anzaldi). During the search for the missing body, the funeral is delayed, and the characters are forced to spend time together, bringing up some good and bad memories. In the play, each

The play is about giving a voice to individuals who are often ignored in our society.

Left to right: David Farington, Kenia Rodriguez, Luis Rivera

the play is really about,” said Wiggins.

Many of the actors and stage crew staff are students who are taking the opportunity to prove their skills by taking part in this production.

A rotating set that was meticulously designed transports the audience to another place. The scenes go from a bar to a church, and even to a funeral parlor. And

Lady of 121st Street takes place in Harlem and revolves around the missing dead body of the dearly beloved Sister Rose, a Harlem elementary school teacher. Upon the news of her death, her students return to their old neighborhood to pay their respects. However, it becomes a mystery when Sister Rose’s body is stolen from her casket along with the pants of a drunken

of the actors has his own story to tell, most of them painful and full of regret.

The play has a small cast of 12 characters. It is quite controversial and contains explicit language and homosexuality.

In other words, it is a dose of what our society is like today. It is very real, and it is easy to sympathize with and relate to the characters.

“They are brilliant,” Wiggins said shortly before opening night on Oct. 31. “They are students of art and I expect the best in the upcoming performances because they are a fantastic group of artists.”

MOVIE REVIEW Family Ties Tested in “Pride and Glory” Looking for a job with flexible hours

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From Every Day to Fabulous Gourmet, Expect the Unexpected at Kings.

By Jillian Johnson

Director Gavin O’Connor’s film, Pride and Glory, is an action-packed movie filled with crime and mystery. Francis Tierney, Jr. (Noah Emmerich) and Ray Tierney (Edward Norton) are brothers who work as New York City police officers along with their father, Francis, Sr. (Jon Voight), their sister, Megan (Lake Bells) and her husband, Jimmy Eagan (Colin Farrell).

Although strong family ties keep the Tierney family together, shocking lies unravel as one family member learns of the hypocritical actions displayed by certain family members who murder and steal from drug dealers. They had created a pact with a pledge never to tell and the truth was hidden from the rest of the family.

The crimes and mysteries begin as four bodies of police officers are found in an old, abandoned house in New York City. As Ray investigates the scene, he talks to a young Latino boy whose father claims his son may have seen part of the crime. Ray questions the Latino boy by showing him pictures of wanted persons. The Latino boy identifies a picture of the man police are searching for, Angel Tezo (Ramon Rodriguez).

Ray seeks to investigate the scene further and searches for Tezo, when another shooting occurs in another abandoned house. Ray immediately jumps to the scene and talks to a young woman who witnesses the murder. The woman states that she witnessed a police officer help the murderer escape.

Ray continuously investigates the murders and tries to connect them. He then walks into an old apartment to search for clues and witnesses, and sees a family member execute Angel Tezo. Since Ray accidentally witnesses the execution, he is framed for Tezo’s death, and is then wanted for murder.

Ray goes to court for Tezo’s murder and the question he faces is whether or not to tell the truth and save himself, or to lie and save his family.

History of Dreams, Avenue of Success

By Nikki Sherman Photography and layout by Ana Maria Silverman

A statute of a Minuteman stands here, commemorating the sight of the Continental Outpost when 5,000 British troops were held back by 15 Minutemen in battle on June 8, 1780. This is where influential early Americans like Jonathan Dayton, the youngest signer of the Constitution, made his home.

This is also where you’ll find Tri-state Furniture and Bella Palermo Pastry shop and Banco Popular. It’s the home of Harry’s Central Diner and Max’s Unisex Hair Salon. And it’s the home of Mrs. Edith Raymond, resident since 1957.

This is midtown Elizabeth, N.J., where on a sunny, autumn Saturday the avenue

New history is now being made here. is filled with a cacophony of languages.

There is nowhere to park and much to be seen.

Walk into Max’s Unisex Hair Salon and be greeted with a smile and a “What are you having honey?” Here is an assembly line for hair care. A perm? Walk straight to the back and sit in the chair.

A ‘dube’—a quick wash and a set—it on the bench in front of the wash station; you’re next. Here, no hot irons or thick black gels are applied to the hair to keep it stiff for a week like other beauty shops. Instead, stylists who speak both Spanish and English—will give you “roller set”—huge rollers and an oldfashioned hair dryer.

If this is your first visit, you’ll be given a history of hair care, Max’s way.

The owner, Frank, a second generation American whose family came from the Dominican, has owned this shop for seven years. He’s seen Elizabeth Avenue change even in that short time.

I’ve seen business ownership increase for Latinos more than any other ethnic group on this strip,” he says as he seats a new customer. He keeps the line moving. No spending all your Saturday here; there are things to do. Move right along!

Walk around the corner past the thrift store run by the local Salvation Army.

Go into the nail salon with its myriad of languages spoken by customers and stylists at once. English here is spoken with a Haitian, Jamaican, African, Vietnamese or American twist.

Go out the side door, and walk over to Jefferson Avenue to Harry’s Central Diner and get some breakfast, or maybe some gyros, from this fixture in the neighborhood for more than forty years.

Catch Harry in a talkative mood and you’ll get a history of Elizabeth Avenue and the markets. Leonidas Stathopoulous, or Harry, as he is known, has been

the third owner of this diner for more than 38 years. With his calloused workman’s hands and nails that have been caked with dirt from the grill, he shows a picture of the original diner as it was being carted to this location by horses.

ABBEN’S DINER, reads the name on the side of the picture. The year: 1914.

Harry will sit down across from you on a bench and tell you the story of the area. “You see the family dollar store, “he says as he points to the store across the street. “That was Dan’s Furniture store for over 45 years. On the corner was a leather store and next door was an upholstery store. You see there?” he points to the Evangelico Temple, “that was a furniture store for over 65 years.”

He puts his face in his work worn hands, with a cigarette burning on the end, as he tries to remember the name of the store. “Gerald furniture, I think.

This is what long-time business owners or residents of the city can tell you about the midtown area. They have seen an industrial area turn from an area with busy store fronts to an area with empty stores and now an area energized with a melting pot of immigrants who have made the American dream their own.

Edith Raymond settled in Elizabeth some 51 years ago with her husband, Harry, from Pittsburgh, PA. It was right after the war and the recession had hit hard. Harry came here for work and snagged a job at Alcan Aluminum on Lehigh Avenue in Union.

“He was sweeping the floors for $1.16 an hour and made his way up to foreman,” Mrs. Raymond says proudly. She has been in the same apartment for over 30 years. Harry is gone, her son is now a man and she has a grandchild.

“This was a walkup, until Mr. Oberly from New York added a third story,” she says of her garden apartment.

She has seen the avenue change from high end department stores to little mom and pop shops to a congested area that has seen enough of an increase in crime that she does not really go into the area much anymore. She’s seen the city rebuilt with a lot of new homes and apartments and new waves of new immigrants.

She smiles and says: “I’m an immigrant you know. I was five years old when I came here from Italy with my parents.

Well I must get ready to go to the Poconos to see my great granddaughter.”

Like Mrs. Raymond, the statue of the Minuteman still stands, though its history is not well known by most of Elizabeth’s residents anymore. New history is now being made here by the Columbians, the Africans, the Cubans, the Portuguese, the Haitians, the Italians, the Chinese, the Jamaicans…all of them the new Americans.

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8 NOVEMBER 19, 2008

THE TOWER

EDITORIAL NO CHEERS FOR KEAN Athletic teams shape the endurance, dedication, and skill of Kean University. Athletes practice hard to perform to their ability for our entertainment. It is a chance for those students who do not play sports to get a sense of school spirit and enthusiasm.

Male or female, a team is something that becomes family. Players work hard at keeping the team in sync and successful. When one player wins, the team wins together. When a player fails, the team fails together. And when players face hardship, the team sticks together and works hard to fix it.

That is exactly what the Kean University cheerleading team is doing today. The Kean team has been cut from the university’s athletic program due to budget cuts. And that is a shame. Some people do not consider cheerleading a sport because there are no balls or sticks. Whether you consider cheerleading an athletic sport or not, one point is not debatable: it is a team. They are a group of females (or males) who go to every game and try to get the crowd excited. They work hard on routines and dances to create school spirit. But apparently, Kean University did not consider cheerleading anything that “affected students.” Hence, they were the victims of the budget cut.

But unfortunately, there were students who were affected—the 20 girls who tried out for three days in May and made the team. One student skipped half of her prom and all of her prom weekend to try out for the Kean University team. Another had been cheering for years, and planned to make her hard work pay off by cheering at a collegiate level.

Were there other options to this budget cut? Did Kean try to save this team? What if the school makes other teams pay for their own warm-ups or sneakers? What if we charged spectators to watch other sports and not just football? Maybe it wouldn’t make up for the $25,000 that is being saved by cutting the cheerleaders, but it is something. It would be a start.

If Kean wanted to find an option that least affects students, then why not cut an athletic team with 12 members and not the 20 who are on the cheerleading team?

Maybe it’s because the reputation and money some teams bring to this school are valuable. Baseball won the National Championship in 2007 bringing recognition to the school and funding for equipment through sponsors such as Wilson and Nike.

Football won the ECAC championship? women’s basketball made it to the elite eight in the past two years. And currently the women’s soccer team is headed to the ECAC championship as well. All of these teams have worked hard and they deserve to continue to build their programs. They practiced hard and it paid off. However, what if Kean allowed the cheerleaders to compete like other schools do? Cheerleading does not exist just to pretty up the side lines. It is a competitive sport that could perhaps bring in just as much recognition as our other winning teams do. But our cheerleaders were never given that opportunity.

It’s exactly this kind of thoughtless cut that makes us wonder just how much Kean is “for the students.” Taking away something as inexpensive and yet as beneficial to school spirit as cheerleading is not a way to solve the budget issue. Other cuts could have been made. Perhaps ALL athletic teams could share the pain and do away with certain things to help the budget. And where is our student government?

We need to hear their voices in this matter. It’s time our student organization step up to the plate and help support this team financially. The student government— our elected officials—perhaps can spare some funds to help out a program that is student oriented.

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Communication Department 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

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 communications department. 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

Staff Kevin Adams Lillie Morales-Torres Kelly Pennisi Dawn Phillips Aydin Reyhan Carlos Reynosa Jessie Rivera Ana Maria Silverman

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ANGER MANAGEMENT EDITOR HUNGERS FOR SOME MANNERS, PLEASE

By Kelly Nemeth

Students today are usually busy; therefore, we are usually in a rush to get somewhere.

Most of us even skip meals to keep track of classes and/or work schedules. But when we do get a few extra minutes to grab a quick bite to eat, the last thing we want is something or someone in our way.

As you stroll through the cafeteria, there are many different stations you can choose from. Students here, for the most part, respect other students and stand in a line to wait for their food to be made. But then there is that one student who decides to order for the friend who is three people behind you in line. This is the person who rudely yells in your face, “Whadda-ya want?” to the person who is in the back of the line. That person, of course, then yells back a full-course order which could take longer to serve than the time you just spent standing patiently in line.

This kind of behavior is just as bad and inconvenient as someone cutting in line. It doesn’t matter if there is only one person in front of you, if he orders for ten people then there is no point in having a line. You have now wasted 15 minutes of your precious time waiting in a line that is evidently going nowhere. What is the point? The food server

does not say anything to this rude person; he just continues to make a meal for a person who is not even next in line.

So you step out of line and choose to not wait for your food to be personally made and decide to buy one of those pre-made sandwiches. You grab something to drink and then head for the register line. As you stare at the clock, you hear the person say, “Oh, I am paying for another. She is just getting a drink.” You glance up and realize that the person in front of you at the cashier line is paying for someone else, someone who is not even there at the moment.

Why is it that something like this allowed? Everyone needs to wait their turn. We are in college, people, and we should know by now that a lack of manners is unfair and annoying. If you want to pay for your friend, that is fine. Just make sure that he or she is standing with you on line and has waited just like the rest of us. If you want to order your friends’ food for them, then go stand back where they were and not in front of me.

Time is precious when you’re a student who tries to get to class on time, and when lunch is in order, it shouldn’t take more time just because some people are inconsiderate.

NOVEMBER 19, 2008 9

T THE TOWER

TRIBUTE

For My Brother Paul: May Justice Prevail

By Dawn M. Phillips

On Tuesday, July 10, 2007, a 23-yearold male was found dead in a dumpster on Peshine Avenue in the city of Newark, NJ. The young man was wearing a suit, and was found with no identification.

This man was my brother. It angers me to think about it, and sometimes I can’t think about it because I hate the details.

Allegedly, on Tuesday July 10, 2007, my brother was returning home from a meeting around nine o’clock in the evening.

He was carjacked, taken behind a housing complex on Peshine Avenue in Newark, forced into a dumpster, and shot twice in the head.

Paul was the 50th homicide in Newark in 2007.

I was not notified until the following day. While at work, I received a phone call that would change me for the rest of my life. I was told to come to identify my brother’s body at the Medical Examiner’s office. I was also told to notify my parents.

That was extremely hard for me to do, but someone had to do it.

Immediately after identifying my brother, my family and I made funeral arrangements. The viewing was held at Cotton’s Funeral Home in Newark, NJ. It was a very sad occasion, and many friends, family, co-workers, and others came to support us. More than 1,000 people came to the wake. Flowers, cards and tears filled the funeral parlor that evening. Also, 526 people attended his funeral. Paul is truly a man to be remembered.

Paul was just 23. He was a decent, hardworking young man. Paul was an employee of PSEG, and was just promoted to foreman in the electrical department.

He had just moved to Newark in April of 2007. Although Paul knew Newark was not the safest place to relocate, he decided to move anyway with a friend whom he knew most of his life. My parents tried to convince Paul not to move to Newark; my parents knew the danger of that city.

We were raised in Newark until I was 13 and Paul was 11. Back then, Newark was crime infested.

My parents finally decided to give Paul their blessings, as he wanted to move out and become a man. Paul moved back into the house we grew up in, his roommate was the grandchild of the owner. How ironic! He was there only a month before his car was broken into. A week later his

was picked randomly by a 17-year-old boy who was looking to gain credibility in the streets. What the 17-year-old didn’t know, though, was that someone was watching.

Someone is always watching.

About a week after Paul’s death, an anonymous call was placed to CrimeStop-

It has been 16 months since the death of my baby brother.

Words still do not express the pain I feel in my heart. roommate’s car pers Hotline. was also broThis is a hotline ken into. This where you can news alarmed leave informamy parents, and tion regarding again they tried homicides and to convince other crimes that Paul to move occur in Newark. back home. He This call opened declined. Two up various leads months later, he for the homicide was found dead. detectives. Two It has been 16 weeks later, the months since 17-year-old susthe death of my pect was taken baby brother. into custody. He Words still do is believed to be not express the Paul’s murderer. pain I feel in On September my heart. This 11, 2008, the is one wound trial against DarPaul Phillips that time will ien Weston, now never heal. We 18-years-old, shared so many began. He was intimate moments. Being only 15 months tried as an adult because of the nature of apart, we were always together. We main- the crime. In State vs. Darien Weston, he tained a close relationship into our adult- was charged with 10 indictments: Knowhood. He was always there when I needed ing and purposeful Murder, Felony Murhim. He was very trusting and very laid der, Carjacking, Kidnapping, Terroristic back. He had a smile that could light up threats, Aggravated assault, Unlawful any room. My older brother and my older Possession of a Weapon, Possession of a cousins say they wish it had been them Weapon for Unlawful Purpose, Tampering and not our Paul. My heart aches when I with Physical Evidence, and Hindering the think of his last thoughts. He was trapped Apprehension of Prosecution. The trial and vulnerable, and there was nothing he went on for three weeks. Several witnesscould do but accept that he was about to es testified that he was in fact the shooter. die. He is truly missed.

Finally, a partial verdict was reached on Paul was an innocent victim in what September 29. The jury found him guilty was believed to be a gang initiation. He on all charges except for four. Those four

charges were Murder, Felony Murder, Carjacking, and Aggravated Assault. They were labeled “no verdict” because the jury couldn’t come to agreement on those four charges. The jury was hung. The prosecutor asked the Judge for a re-trial of those four charges. The re-trial is expected to begin on December 1.

The trial puzzled me because he was found guilty on kidnapping, but not carjacking. He was found guilty of weapon charges and terroristic threats, but not murder? This makes no sense to me. I believe someone on the jury did not want to be responsible for convicting someone of murder. A week later, my family was notified by a credible source that with 12 members on the jury, the verdict was 11 to 1. I was correct in believing that one person was adamant about not convicting him of murder.

The results did provide some closure for my family. Kidnapping charges alone will get you 20 years. While 20 years is not a lot of time for an 18 year old, he still faces pending murder charges which can get him 30 years to life. My family has decided that although a lengthy prison sentence doesn’t bring my brother back, it does provide some sort of justice for us.

This murderer won’t be on the streets, and won’t be allowed to commit another horrific crime as he did to my brother.

When I think back over the last 16 months, they have been very frustrating for me and my family. This loss has produced immense stress, fear and anger.

But what I have learned from this experience is that love can cover multitudes. All of the love and support from family and friends has helped us get through this trying time. Without this love, we might all be in another place. Still the question that continues to haunt me is: why? What was the motive? What could move a person to murder someone for no apparent reason? These are questions for which I may never get an answer, but I am thankful for God and for the love of our many supporters. My brother’s murder was not in vain.

Justice will be served.

The Tower invites the campus community to send us opinions and essays to feature on the Op-Ed Page. We are seeking a a of opinion on a broad range of issues that affect students not just at Kean, but in the larger society as well. Please email submissions of 100-600 words to be considered for publication to thetower@kean.edu. The Tower reserves the right to edit or refuse publication for journalistic reasons.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR OBAMA CONNECTS TWO KEAN GENERATIONS Dear Editor, On the night of November 4th, I was witness to an extraordinary event. As the results of the presidential campaign were announced, the students of Kean poured from their dormitories into the center courtyard. A spontaneous mass of overjoyed students, women screaming like it was a rock concert and grown black men, tears in eyes, were embracing, noting that their son could be president. The crowd was diverse: black, white, Asian, and Hispanic, male and female. Students I know have voted for John McCain and a girl who wrote in a vote for Hillary Clinton stood by as well. It didn’t matter, for fifteen minutes Americans were more united than ever before.

After returning home that night I recalled the event to my mother. She told me of an event 40 years earlier when she attended Kean (then Newark State) where students

assembled not to celebrate America’s first African American president, but to protest the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King. My father remembers those years, falling asleep on long, hot summer nights in East Rahway to the riot sounds of chanting and broken glass. It is a marvel to think that 40 Novembers ago, a Democrat from Alabama ran for president as an independent openly calling for segregation. How lucky I am to have grown up not knowing Southern fire hoses and bombed churches. I am lucky to grow up in these times. We are all lucky to grow up in these times.

Timothy J. Hulme Jr. The writer is a senior majoring in History and seeking a K-12 certification

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10 NOVEMBER 19, 2008

THE TOWER

SPORTS

Regular Season Ends on Winning Note for Field Hockey The Cougars hosted New Jersey Athletic Conference rival The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) on October 30 with the visiting Lions looking for a win to wrap up the NJAC championship.

The Lions jumped out to a quick lead over Kean. Less than four minutes into the period TCNJ’s Jenny Lubin scored the first goal of the game. Shortly thereafter, Leigh Mitchell added another goal for TCNJ. The Lions added two more goals –

by Jackie Gelinas and Alex Okuniewics – as they ended the half up 4 – 0.

Neither team was able to score in the second half and the 4 – 0 victory secured the championship for TCNJ. For Kean, Katie McGee led the team with three shots on the day.

Kean traveled to William Paterson University for its next game on November

4 looking to add a win against a league opponent.

Ten minutes into the first half William Paterson took the lead when Chelsea

The first half closed with Paterson leading 1-0.

The Cougars tied the game in the second half. In the 46th minute Julie Bachovchin

Kean got on the board first in the game. scored off of a penalty stroke for Kean, and three minutes later the Pioneers took the lead back for good when Winelspecht scored her second goal of the game with an assist from Jodi Feriod. WilOlivia Triano looks to score for Kean against Rowan University. liam Paterson added one more Winelspecht scored her tenth goal of the goal before the game ended when Feriod season off of an assist from Megan Hall. scored a goal of her own in the 3-1 win.

Kean and William Paterson were almost equal when it came to shots on goal, the home team ahead in shots, 10-9.

The Cougars returned home to face Rowan University for their last regular season game on November 6.

Kean got on the board first in the game.

McGee passed to Olivia Triano for the first Cougar goal in the tenth minute of play.

Bachovchin followed twelve minutes later with the second goal of the half, off of a penalty corner. The period closed with Kean leading 2-0.

Following her two assists in the first half, McGee netted a goal of her own in the second half. Time expired and the Cougars held on to the lead and beat Rowan 3-0 in their final game.

The Cougars finished the regular season with a record of 14-5 and 4-2 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference.

MYSTIC STARS

WEEKLY HOROSCOPE

By Linda C. Black Tribune Media Services

11.25.08

By Nicole VonGonten

Today’s Birthday (11-25-08) You’re learning a lot this year, and you won’t need to pass it along. Some of this material is confidential and can only be sheared with a few. Be sure you know who those people are.To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

Aries (March 21-April 19) Today is a 6 A lot of planning goes into a major endeavor. You don’t need to have the whole thing figured out; just get a start on it.

For instance, see if you can figure out what this is going to cost.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Today is a 6 Right now it’s not a very good idea to try to get people to do anything other than what they’ve been doing. Conditions are rotten for change. Wait a couple of days.

Gemini (May 21-June 21) Today is an 8 The rush is on, and you’re up for it. Give the job everything you’ve got. The paycheck’s not all that impressive, but you’re not in it for the money. Besides, you’re making great connections.

Cancer (June 22-July 22) Today is an 8 Keep costs down by letting others participate in the project. You can still be in charge, but you shouldn’t have to foot the whole bill. Accept donations.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) Today is a 7 Home’s your best location for an intimate conversation. There are a couple of issues you’ll want to iron out. Try to be flexible; you may be the only one who can.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Today is a 7 Finding a quiet place to study could be a challenge now. Your house appears to be anything but a tranquil place. Do the best you can with what you have.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Today is a 7 Put in the extra hours and make the overtime. You can earn a bonus if you take the initiative. Imagination is required, so it shouldn’t be too tough.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Today is an 8 By now you’ve probably made a choice as to your next course of action. During the next four weeks, there will be many opportunities to make money. Make that your top priority and you’ll do very well.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Today is a 7 It’s cleanup time again, on a smaller scale. There are a couple of ancient items in your in-basket that deserve your attention. Face them. They might be easier to deal with now than you thought.

KEAN U N I V E R S I T Y

Got Green?

Get Green! Join F.O.C.U.S

Please contact focus.kean@gmail.com for more info Please contact focus.kean@gmail.com for more info.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Today is a 6 Watch out for a group that decides to spend more of your money than you think is appropriate for something you don’t even want. Yes, this could be your own duly elected officials.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Today is a 7 An opportunity to advance may not be as great as it looks at first. Get the terms in writing and watch out for trickery. Somebody may be trying to give you more work for the same pay.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) Today is a 7 You usually learn more quickly out in the real world than in classroom situations. So if you’re teaching, make your classroom be like the real world. And get teachers with lots of experience.

(c) 2008, Tribune Media Services Inc.; Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

NOVEMBER 19, 2008 11

T THE TOWER

SPORTS

Women’s Soccer Team Loses in Playoffs; Looks Forward to ECAC Tournament

By Jessie Rivera

A season ends just as it begins and the Lady Cougars’ journey came to a finale when they faced off against Ramapo College on October 29. It would be the last night that five seniors—Amanda Pitts, Stacey Dzvileski, Nicole Tahan, Ashley Lindaberry, and Liz Lanigan— would wear their white Kean University women’s soccer team jersey on their home turf, Kean Alumni Stadium. As they celebrated their senior night game, the team also had to keep in mind that

they still had a game to play.

When the referee blew the whistle to start the contest, all the Cougars had in mind was to win. Both teams worked hard to prevent being scored on and in the end it was a scoreless half.

The game turned around for the Lady Cougars in the second half. Despite the scoreless tie, the Cougars had the advantage of 19 shots on goal and shut out Ramapo with four corner kicks. In the 77th minute, freshman Danielle Esposito scored the winning goal and the Lady Cougars ended their regular

season with an 11-6 record.

After their conference win against Ramapo College, the Kean University women’s soccer team earned a fifth seed in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) and competed in the playoffs against fourth-seeded Montclair State University, on Saturday November 1.

Unfortunately, just five minutes into the first half MSU Roadrunner Symone Seldon scored the first goal off a breakaway to put MSU in the lead. Nine minutes later, Seldon received a yellow card. The half ended with MSU not only leading 1-0, but also

leading with eight shots on goal over the Cougars’ six. It was evenly matched in the second half as both teams tied with eight shots on goal, but it was not going to be enough for the Lady Cougars to advance in the playoffs. MSU’s Christyn Scilleri scored the second and final goal in the 77th minute to win the game.

Now that the Lady Cougars are out of the NJAC playoffs, they still have a chance to compete in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) playoffs. At press time, the ECAC schedule had not been announced.

Men’s Soccer Closes Out 2008 Season World Soccer Fans Look to the Derbies

By Nicole VonGonten

The Cougars faced a challenge on October 26, when they played the University of Rochester in their last home game of the season.

Rochester scored the lone goal of the first half, and the eventual game winner, when Cliff White scored off of an assist from J.J. Dennstedt in the 29th minute.

Kean entered the second period facing a deficit of 1-0 and Rochester added to its lead in the 55th minute when Dennstedt scored his own goal to bring his team’s lead to 2-0. The Yellowjackets netted one last goal before time expired on a kick by Kevin McDonald.

Marc Cifelli led Kean with four shots on the day. Rochester’s two goalies - Michael Peacock and Brandon Campbell - combined for four saves in the win.

Kean traveled to Ramapo College on October 29 for New Jersey Athletic Con-

ference (NJAC) action in its final game of the season.

The Cougars and Ramapo held each other scoreless for most of the first period until Kean’s Marc Cifelli scored the lone goal of the half in the 43rd minute.

Kean continued to hold its lead in the second period, and eventually won the game, 1-0. Goalie Alfredo Oquendo recorded 11 saves in the game, and the fifth shutout of the season.

Three Cougars were named to the NJAC All Stars team. Sophomore goalie Oquendo was named to the NJAC second team, with 122 saves on the season. Senior Mark Wallis and freshman Andres Berriel earned spots on the NJAC Honorable Mention squad.

The Cougars had one of the toughest schedules this season, with more than half of their games were against ranked teams.

Kean closed out the season with a record of 7-12-1.

Good Health Equals Better Grades

By Josephine Marcotty Star Tribune (Minneapolis)

MINNEAPOLIS—Quit smoking. Turn off the computer. Go to bed.

It could improve your grades. Of course, parents have always known that. Now, in the first study of its kind, researchers at the University of Minnesota have proved it. They matched grade point averages with the typical health problems such as smoking, drinking and stress reported by nearly 10,000 Minnesota college students.

They found a clear connection between student health and academic success.

“Health is important,” even for young adults who seem to be in the prime of their lives, said Dr. Ed Ehlinger, director of Boynton Health Services at the University of Minnesota and a lead author of the study. Both parents and college administrators “need to make sure that students have access to health care.”

What affects grades the most? Stress (lots of it), excessive screen time, binge drinking and gambling.

Students who reported eight or more emotional stresses_anything from failing a class to credit card debt to a conflict with parents_had an average GPA of 2.72.

Those who said they had no significant

stress reported an average GPA of 3.3.

“Stress is one of the biggest factors,” said Marcus De La Garza, a senior from Duluth, Minn. A year ago, just before finals, he had to go home to take care of family members with serious health problems, and it showed in his grades, he said.

“I was out of the game,” he said Friday.

“Now I’m bouncing back.” His GPA is up to 3.5.

The ability to handle stress was equally important, the survey found. Those who said they could effectively manage it performed much better than those who said they couldn’t. That’s an important finding, because it can persuade colleges to provide students with the resources they need to learn how to manage stress, Ehlinger said.

Earlier surveys showed that students who spend a lot of time on the computer, watching TV or playing video games were more likely to engage in other unhealthful habits such as eating fast food, Ehlinger said. Now it’s clear that these activities cut significantly into their grades as well.

Four or more hours of screen time a day resulted in an average GPA of 3.04 or less.

Less than an hour a day bumped it up to 3.3 or better.

The same pattern held with binge drink-

By Aydin Reyhan

Major League Baseball has many great rivalries and many good teams such as the Phillies (the reigning world champions), the Yankees, the Red Sox, the Tigers, and the Cubs just to name a few. The most exciting matchups within these teams would have to be the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry. Whenever these two teams meet, all becomes chaos. If the players get along on the field that’s very fortunate, but the fans never stop booing or arguing with one another.

Derbies in soccer are like the rivalries in Baseball, Basketball, and Hockey.

However, baseball is not the only sport that has that excitement.

For world soccer fans, the Derbies are the most exciting games to watch due to the intensity, the bravery, the courage, and the excitement that are all expressed on the field.

The players, coaches, referees, and even the fans are admirable because they all play their part so very well. If one is not so much a soccer fan and would like watch a game for fun, it is highly recommended that he/she watches a derby in order to see some real and amazing action.

Derbies in soccer are like the rivalries in Baseball, Basketball, and Hockey. They’re unbelievable to take part in but are even more exhilarating to observe. ing. Teetotalers reported an average GPA of 3.31, compared with 2.99 for students who drank excessively at least once in the previous two weeks.

Ben Flatum, a university senior from Stillwater, Minn., just completed what he called “the year of being healthy.” He stopped the regular partying, started eating better and began training for a race in Chicago that he ran last week.

“My time and energy has been exponentially better,” he said. His weight is down 25 pounds, and his GPA is up to 3.3 from the 2.5 he had as a partying freshman.

There were some surprises, especially in how resilient young adults can be, Ehlinger said. Students who said they had been sexually or physically abused at some point in their lives had no significant differences in their GPA compared with other students.

In soccer, there are many national leagues all around the world. The most popular ones are, of course, in Europe.

Spain’s top two teams are the Catalan Giants Barcelona and, of course, the team that proudly represents the capital, Real Madrid. These two teams step out on the field and play a full 90 minutes where there is absolutely no silence whatsoever.

Their coaches are barking orders left and right and the fans make it nearly impossible for the players to hear one another on the field. This makes one wonder how do these players perform so well under this immense pressure even though they are professionals. This rivalry is arguably the most respected one in the world.

There are others such as Manchester United and Arsenal from England, Boca Juniors and River Plate from Argentina, AC Milan and Juventus from Italy, and my personal favorite, Galatasaray and Fenerbahce from Turkey.

Within their respective countries, whenever two of the teams meet, it’s as if there is a war going on inside the stadium for an hour and a half. The referee is immediately booed at each and every call he may make and the players on the away team sometimes have confetti or trash thrown upon them by the fans to show them how much they are despised. The games become so intense that both teams playing, whether hated or loved are admired by everyone watching due to the courage they have that allows them to keep playing. For some, if not all of these players, soccer games like these are not just jobs but truly a huge part of their lives.

It shows, he said, that with time, young adults can overcome such trauma, at least as far as their grades are concerned. Those who reported being sexually assaulted or abused in the previous 12 months reported lower grades.

Working to earn money had no effect on grades, another surprise, Ehlinger said. That was true regardless of whether students spent one or 40 hours a week at work.

“There must be something else going on that is protective of folks that are working,” Ehlinger said. “It might be a matter of time management.”

But Mom and Dad probably knew that, too. © 2008, Star Tribune (Minneapolis); Distributed

by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

T

12 NOVEMBER 19, 2008

THE TOWER

SPORTS

Coach Garrett Concentrates on Football and Family

By Nicole VonGonten

Behind every coach is an average person. Coaches pour their heart and soul into their team each and every day. They want to see their team succeed, and they push their players to get the most out of them.

Head football coach Dan Garrett is no different from any other coach. He expects his players to give him everything they have every time they walk out onto the field. What many people do not know about Coach Garrett is the road he has traveled to his present position at Kean University.

Coach Garrett played football at rival Montclair State University during his college career. He enjoyed much success at MSU, including being selected to the first team all-New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) at linebacker and defensive end in 1995 and 1996. After graduation, Garrett was quickly awarded with a position on the Montclair coaching staff. At the age of 25, he became the youngest defensive coordinator in NJAC history.

A big decision came for Coach Garrett in 2003 when he was offered the defensive coordinator’s job at Kean. So why did he decide to leave Montclair after all of those years? He calls it “a tough decision and a big leap of faith.” That big leap of faith paid off in a couple of years for Garrett.

After being named the 2005 American Football Coaches Association Division III Assistant Coach of the Year, an opportunity came up. In July of 2006 Coach Garrett went from defensive coordinator to head coach at Kean. The proudest moment of his coaching career came after

four years, three as an assistant and one as head coach, when Kean won the ECAC championship in 2006. This championship came after only a few short months as head coach. Winning the championship was one of his proudest moments in his football career.

close to his players, and keeps the lines of communication open between them. Having a clear line of communication between a coach and a player is key, he says, even though not every player is going to agree with everything. One thing Garrett does require of each player is that they leave their egos at the door.

The success Garrett has experienced at Kean brings expectations with every new year. As head coach his expectations change depending upon the players. He

At the age of 25, he became the youngest defensive coordinator in NJAC history.

Coach Dan Garrett

Coach Garrett says, “It felt good to win after a long four-year process of helping build the program.”

Now in his third season as head coach, the Kean football program is highly looked upon in the NJAC. According to Garrett, this isn’t anything he did not expect to happen. “This is nothing that I didn’t expect to happen,” he says, “I never thought anything different. The program just needed time to develop.”

Coach Garrett finds that there is a fine line between being a coach and a friend to a player. He does consider himself to be

preaches to his players, “No one game is more important than the next. Take each game one at a time, as well as practices.”

The expectations he has ultimately come down to the players and how they respond to what is expected of them.

Being a player for so many years makes it hard to leave the sport behind. Garrett admits he could not leave football behind after graduating from Montclair. The passion that he felt for the game as a player he carries with himself as a coach. Having the passion for the game comes out while he is coaching. Garrett says as a coach he still has the same “discipline and focus” that he had as a player.

Any coach takes a loss to heart, no matter what kind of loss it is. In a loss Garrett will never blame his players. He does what he calls “the 24 hour flush” to get over a loss. He will think about the loss Saturday

night into Sunday, thinking about what he could have done differently. By Monday he is usually over the loss and is looking to the next game. Getting over a loss is never easy, but knowing there is always a next time helps.

When walking into Coach Garrett’s office you know that it is a football coach’s office.

It is equipped with a television, VCR, and tapes of the games to come. There is even a poster of the ECAC championship team of 2006. Beyond all of the job aspects of the office, there is a family side typified by the pictures above his computer and on his desk of his son, and drawings created by him as well.

Garrett says, “Football never stops, I’m lucky to get a couple of days off a year. It is one thing right after another.” Looking around the office it becomes apparent that family is the way Coach Garrett gets away from football. When asked how he gets away from everything, without hesitation he says, “Family and there are more important things in life than football,” as he points to a picture of his son. His proudest moment by far, even including all of the football highlights, was the birth of his son.

When talking to Coach Garrett you feel the passion that he feels for football and his team. Beyond football, though, you see the excitement in his face when he talks about his family. With such a good balance in his life, it seems certain the Kean football program has more good seasons ahead of it.

GO COUGARS!!

Cougars Face Challenges With Conference Rivals

By Nicole VonGonten

The Cougars continue to battle conference rivals as the season gets later. Kean traveled to face Rowan University on November 1 with the hope they could repeat last year’s Homecoming comeback.

The Profs took the first lead of the game on a Kean fumble. Ryan Leafey then completed the series with a three-yard touchdown run to put the Profs on top 6-0. Rowan ended the first half with another touchdown when Stephen Hevalow ran for a two-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 13-0.

The second quarter saw Rowan extend its lead again. Marcus Lee caught a 32-yard pass from Frank Wilczynski for the third touchdown of the day. The Cougars would score their first touchdown of the day with five minutes left in the quarter. Sean Atkins completed a nine-play series with a two-yard touchdown run to cut Rowan’s lead to 20-7 going into the half.

Rowan regained its three-touchdown lead in the third quarter. Quarterback Wilczynski ran for an eight-yard touchdown run for the lead of 27-7. The Profs then added to their lead again with a field goal and the third quarter ended with the Profs leading 30-7.

The Cougars started to make a comeback in the fourth quarter. Kean scored its first touchdown of the quarter with nine minutes left to play. After an incomplete pass to James Felton, Jared Chunn rushed for 37 yards and the touchdown to cut Rowan’s lead to 30-14. Kicker Billy Daniels then lined up to kick for Kean, to give the ball back to Rowan but Kean decided to deliver an on-side kick. The Cougars recovered the ball, and gave themselves another chance to score. Kean marched down the field again for another touchdown. Tom D’Ambrisi completed a 23-yard pass to Derric Harris for the touchdown. D’Ambrisi then completed a pass to Alex Cade for the two-point conversion to cut Kean’s deficit to 30-22.

Kean tried to comeback with another touchdown but its last effort fell unsuccessful and Rowan won the game 30-22.

Another conference game for Kean meant another nail biter and down-to-the-wire game when the Cougars hosted William Paterson University on November 8.

Both teams’ defenses kept each other off the board in the first quarter and the teams turned to the second quarter for a different outcome.

William Paterson struck first nearly five minutes into the second quarter when Matt Marshall completed a 14-yard pass to Victor Soares for the touchdown. On its next possession Kean matched William Paterson’s touchdown when Chunn completed a tenplay series with a four-yard touchdown run, followed by a Rick Jaeger extra point kick.

The quarter ended with the teams tied 7-7.

Kean took its first lead of the game in the third quarter. Chunn ran for a 13-yard touchdown to give the Cougar a 14-7 lead. Atkins added another touchdown for the Cougars with a two-yard run. The Cougars did not allow William Paterson to score in the quarter, and they led 21-7 going into the fourth quarter.

The Cougars added an important touchdown in the beginning of the fourth quarter.

D’Ambrisi completed a 16-yard pass to Cade for a touchdown and the lead of 28-7. William Paterson scored on its next possession on a three-yard pass from Marshall to Joel Rivera to cut Kean’s lead to 28-14. On its next possession William Paterson added another touchdown when Marshall completed a two-yard pass to Derrik Rideg for a score of 28-21.

The Cougars did not allow William Paterson to get any closer and the game ended with Kean on top 28-21.

RECENT SCORES FOOTBALL: 11/15 Kean 21 Montclair State 17

Women’s Soccer: 11/12 Kean 2 Willam Paterson University 0

MEN’S BASKETBALL: 11/15 Kean 68, Clarion University 59

11/15 Kean 2 Stevens Institute of Technology 4

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: 11/15 Kean 94, Delaware Valley College 51

Field Hockey: 11/12 Kean 3 Frostburg State University 2 11/15 Kean 4 Wilkes University 3